Dragon of Icespire Peak

One of the nice things about the Dragon of Icespire Peak is that it ties in nicely with the Lost Mine of Phandelver (or full Phandelver and Below: the Shattered Obelisk), since they both take place in and around Phandelin. Additionally, you can expand upon the Dragon of Icespire Peak with the Storm Lord's Wrath, Sleeping Dragon's Wake and Divine Contention expansions to keep the fun going!

Probably my favourite module for D&D 5e, and a straightforward beginner -friendly adventure that lets you go after a dragon right off the bat! The adventure itself is pretty simple, with no real overarching connected plot, and instead it sends the players on several quests aroudn the sword coast, dealing with helping people affected by the dragon, or seeking ways to deal with it, while the dragon could show up at any point It requires a little work on the DM's part sometimes, but it's pretty simple overall. The two main issues I can see are one of the monsters in one of the starter quests could cause some issues for a level 1 party if played optimally, and the dragon itself can be anticlimatically weak for the end game party. But overall I love it!

A great beginner adventure, really a series of inter-related one shots as you tick things off the job board to gain gold and xp and items to prepare you for the final encounter. More combat than puzzles or social, but still a decent mix, and a wide range of encounter types and settings.

For players looking for a more sandbox experience this is a great adventure. It has the lore of the Sword Coast and those mysterious Dwarves at it's core. The mining town of Phandelver is awash with sitings of a Dragon. Orcs are moving in the area and causing trouble as a mysterious Cult has started to organize and gain power in Neverwinter Woods and Leilon! There is more room here to delve into roleplaying then in the Starter Adventure set in the same location of Phandelver. Who doesn't want to go on an adventure with the chance to find a Dragon and it's Hoard! There is a lot that can be done in this module and I would highly suggest playing it to anyone who is new to the game.

A simple, solid sandbox with a dragon looming over everything. Great for newcomers, but even veteran groups can enjoy the freedom. What makes it memorable? The way tension builds as the dragon’s presence grows. Proof that a well-executed small-scale campaign can be just as gripping as an epic.

Truly an adventure for the straight-forward Faerun/Sword Coast experience. This module is created for newer players and includes varied types of encounters, ranging from straight forward combat, heavy roleplay, and of course a dragon! Areas within it's quest "list" vary as well from dwarvish ruins, forest camps, an overgrown elvish ruin, and many more. It's hub-like Phandalin town creates an easily accessible cast of NPCs to draw from for any of the party's shenanigans and the adventure's adherence to a "quest board" style of prompting hooks is easily utilized and drives players forward easily. The encounters and adventure at large is written clearly and with direction, but leaves enough to the DM's imagination with lots of opportunities for expanding upon ideas, sub-plots, and NPCs that the characters may latch onto! The only difficulties I've ever run into as a DM running this is when the party comes up with some reason to venture to Neverwinter due to it's proximity. The module itself doesn't provide much lore and backstory, but luckily it's very easy to find through online searches and other resources... OH, and level 1 adventurers should beware of dangers lurking in the sky with spiny tails!