Storm King's Thunder

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Playing *Storm King’s Thunder* with Ajax DM was an absolute blast! The story was epic, the battles were intense, and there were plenty of unexpected twists to keep things exciting. Ajax kept everything fun and engaging, balancing roleplay and action perfectly. If you’re looking for an awesome D&D adventure, this is it!

Very large campaign with tons of side quests and lots of rp opportunities. Our campaign with Ajax dm lasted over 2 years. Three of us were in from start to finish and we enjoyed every minute. Lots of time spent in taverns and fighting giants. Great magical items as well.

Storm King’s Thunder is a massive, sprawling campaign that gives players a huge amount of freedom as they navigate a world thrown into chaos by rampaging giants. It’s one of D&D’s most open-ended official adventures, allowing groups to explore the Sword Coast, hunt down powerful giants, and unravel the mystery of King Hekaton’s disappearance. My group took nine months to complete this journey, and while it had some incredible highs, it also required a lot of DM work to keep things running smoothly. What Works Well: 🔹 A True Sandbox Adventure – Unlike many other official D&D campaigns, Storm King’s Thunder doesn’t force players into a rigid path. Instead, it gives them an entire region to explore, with multiple ways to tackle quests, form alliances, and confront the giant threat. 🔹 Giants Feel Like Real, Powerful Foes – Each type of giant feels unique, with its own culture, goals, and impact on the world. The sheer scale of encounters with these creatures makes every fight feel larger-than-life. 🔹 Memorable NPCs & Factions – Characters like King Hekaton, Iymrith the dragon, and the various giant lords create a rich political backdrop for the campaign. The Harpers, Zhentarim, and Lords’ Alliance also play key roles, allowing players to form alliances or make powerful enemies. 🔹 An Epic Conclusion – The final showdown in Maelstrom and the battle against Iymrith feel truly climactic. It’s a rewarding conclusion to the giant conflict that feels earned after months of adventuring. Where It Falls Short: 🔸 The Beginning Feels Disconnected – The campaign starts with the destruction of Nightstone, which has almost nothing to do with the main story. Many groups struggle with the transition from small-town adventurers to world-saving heroes. A strong DM can help bridge this gap, but out of the box, it feels jarring. 🔸 The Open World Can Be Overwhelming – While having freedom is great, the lack of clear direction can lead to aimless wandering. If players don’t pick up the right clues or don’t feel motivated to pursue the main quest, the campaign can drag in the middle. 🔸 Giant Encounters Can Be Brutal – The power scaling in this adventure can swing wildly. Some giant fights are devastatingly difficult, while others feel underwhelming. If a party isn’t well-balanced or smart with tactics, fights can become one-sided slaughters. 🔸 Some Locations Feel Underdeveloped – The world is huge, but not every region gets the same level of depth. Some major plotlines feel glossed over, and DMs may need to expand on certain areas to make them more engaging. My Experience Running It: My group spent nine months in Storm King’s Thunder, and it was one of the most memorable campaigns I’ve run. The freedom to explore, the massive battles, and the high-stakes finale were all fantastic. However, I had to adjust a lot of the pacing, giving players more direction and tying their personal backstories into the giant conflict to keep them invested. Final Verdict: Storm King’s Thunder is a fantastic campaign for groups that love open-world exploration, political intrigue, and massive battles. While its open-ended nature can lead to pacing issues, the rewarding moments of discovery and climactic battles make up for its flaws. With a good DM to smooth out the rough edges, this campaign is one of the best large-scale adventures in 5e.

Storm King’s Thunder is a massive, open-world adventure for Dungeons & Dragons 5E, taking characters from levels 1 to 11+ as they uncover a world-spanning crisis involving warring giants, ancient feuds, and the breakdown of the Ordning (the giants' divine hierarchy). This adventure feels like a true epic, featuring jaw-dropping locations, memorable NPCs, and a vast open world to explore. However, while the sandbox nature of the adventure is a strength, it also leads to a lack of focus, pacing issues, and a weak central villain—requiring a strong DM to make the most of it. The Good: ✅ A Fantastic, Open-Ended Sandbox – Storm King’s Thunder gives players a huge, living world to explore, featuring giant fortresses, ruined cities, icy wastelands, and hidden strongholds. The freedom of movement and non-linear design makes this a fantastic campaign for exploration-focused groups. ✅ Giants, Giants, and More Giants! – This adventure delivers on its premise, featuring every type of giant in D&D lore, along with detailed strongholds for each. Each giant faction has its own goals, culture, and conflicts, making them feel more than just oversized monsters. ✅ Incredible Set Pieces & Locations – Players will visit floating castles, storm-wracked islands, frostbitten glaciers, dwarven halls, and even the lair of a dragon. The adventure has some of the best large-scale encounters in 5E, giving players a true sense of awe and scale. ✅ Great for Player Freedom & Roleplay – Players can align with different factions, explore the world however they choose, and engage in diplomacy, combat, or intrigue. It’s not just about fighting giants—players can turn factions against each other, forge alliances, or manipulate the power struggles within giant society. ✅ One of the Best D&D Settings to Explore – The Sword Coast and Savage Frontier are richly detailed, giving the world a lived-in feel. The adventure includes plenty of side quests, hidden towns, and open-world encounters, making it feel alive beyond just the main plot. ✅ Multiple Paths to Victory – Unlike many adventure paths that lead to one final battle, Storm King’s Thunder offers multiple ways for players to solve the crisis, whether by defeating giant leaders, forming alliances, or confronting the true villain directly. The Not-So-Good: ❌ Disjointed Story Structure – The early levels (1-4) feel tacked on, as the starting town of Nightstone has little to do with the main plot. Once the giant crisis begins, players are given a huge world to explore but little direction on what to do next. Without a DM keeping things focused, the campaign can feel aimless. ❌ Weak, Underdeveloped Villain – The main villain, Iymrith, the ancient blue dragon, is barely present throughout the adventure. Unlike Strahd in Curse of Strahd or the Cult of the Dragon in Tyranny of Dragons, she doesn’t actively oppose the players until the final act. This makes the overall narrative feel weaker than it should. ❌ Some Areas Feel Rushed or Unfinished – The giant strongholds are impressive, but many are underdeveloped, offering little motivation for players to explore them beyond combat. Some key NPCs and storylines feel half-baked, requiring the DM to fill in gaps. ❌ Pacing Issues & Lack of Clear Direction – After the initial giant attack, players are given multiple options but little guidance, which can cause decision paralysis. Some groups may wander aimlessly for sessions, unsure of where to go next. ❌ Missing Content for Levels 5-10 – There is a huge gap in the adventure where players must reach level 10 before they can tackle the final battle—but the book doesn’t provide enough content to fill that gap. DMs must improvise quests, add homebrew encounters, or expand on existing areas to avoid a mid-campaign slowdown. ❌ Not a Great Choice for New DMs – The open-ended nature, loose story structure, and lack of direction make this a challenging campaign to run, especially for newer DMs. Without heavy prep and careful pacing adjustments, Storm King’s Thunder can feel unfocused or overwhelming. Final Verdict: Storm King’s Thunder is one of the best D&D 5E adventures for exploration, roleplaying, and worldbuilding, offering stunning locations, powerful enemies, and an open-ended structure that lets players truly shape the world. However, its weak villain, loose structure, and missing mid-level content make it feel incomplete. DMs must work hard to keep the story focused, enhance NPC motivations, and add extra encounters to prevent the campaign from dragging in the middle. If your group loves giant lore, player-driven exploration, and massive battles, Storm King’s Thunder is worth playing—but it’s best suited for experienced DMs who can fill in its gaps.

I've heard Storm King's Thunder referred to as a setting book rather than an adventure and I agree with that. There is a big part of the game that involves just travelling the Sword Coast and taking on side quests. There's lots of descriptions of towns and events, but what's missing is a sense of urgency. Overall really good adventure though.

I had a blast playing through this from front to back. Lot's of interesting treasures. challenges, roleplay opportunities, and interesting breadcrumbs.