The Best DD 5e Adventures for Beginners

Introduction

Dungeon & Dragon’s 5th Edition (D&D 5e) is one of the most popular role-playing games for beginner and advanced players alike. One of the many reasons it has been so successful is that there are countless adventures and modules to choose from. To help you decide which adventure to play, we have selected some of the top D&D 5e adventures for beginners.

Whether you are just getting started with D&D or you’re a seasoned veteran looking for something different, these adventures have something for everyone. From mystics to brave heroes, find characters that bring stories alive in fantastic lands full of dungeons, traps and treacherous foes. With these adventures, you’ll be able to explore exciting new worlds filled with mystery and danger.

The following list includes several popular and highly rated D&D 5e adventures which we believe are suited well to introductory players as well as experienced veterans who want a fresh adventure:

Lost Mines of Phandelver
Tomb of Annihilation
Princes of the Apocalypse
Curse Of Strahd
Storm King’s Thunder
Rise Of Tiamat
Out Of The Abyss

Each adventure contains challenging obstacles, thrilling battles and puzzles designed to inspire creative problem solving and strategic thinking by players. Most also include pre-made characters ready for users to customize in accordance with their individual preferences.

Lost Mine of Phandelver

Lost Mine of Phandelver is a starter set for the popular Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and an ideal adventure for new players. It features a good balance of action, exploration, and story-driven elements, making it an excellent introduction to the world of D&D.

This article will provide an overview of the adventure and discuss the benefits of playing it.

Overview

Lost Mine of Phandelver is an iconic Dungeons and Dragons adventure that is widely considered to be the perfect entry point for new players. Published in 2014, this adventure module offers players a classic fantasy story with plenty of combat and exploration. This campaign can easily be completed in five or six sessions of four to six hours each. It includes compelling villains, interesting NPCs, and a compelling quest that will keep your players engaged until they reach the end.

The adventure starts with a group of adventures searching for Phandelver’s lost Mine – an abandoned ruin full of mysterious magic items and powerful foes. Along the way, they’ll face ancient monsters, explore dungeons filled with traps and treasures, unravel plots set by cunning villains, interact with multiple factions all vying for control over Phandalin’s future – and hopefully return victorious!

Lost Mine of Phandelver features richly detailed maps and plenty of character backgrounds for everyone to pick from – adding even more depth to an already intricate storyline. With varying levels of difficulty available, adventurers can stay willing engaged whether they’re bravely fighting dragons or skulking through dungeons without much risk at all. It’s perfect for groups that are just getting into the hobby – they’ll get hooked on role-playing while having fun at the same time!

Pros & Cons

Lost Mine of Phandelver is widely regarded as a great starting place for D&D adventurers and by some, considered the best low-level mega-adventure for new players. It is designed for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, and can be completed with a group of 4-6 players who can follow instructions, stay in character, and carefully manage their hit dice throughout their encounters. As a new adventure, Lost Mine provides plenty of rewards as your party explores the environment and navigates its unique inhabitants.

Pros:

Suitable for new players: This adventure was developed with newer players in mind with simple explanations and straightforward goals.
Dynamic environment: An interesting mixture of underground grotto encounters as well as outdoor adventures provide an engaging world to explore.
Storyline-driven campaign: Following a storyline helps guide your party through the adventure while presenting enough variability to keep things interesting.

Cons:

As written, this adventure may take more than one session to complete, depending on how deep into each encounter your party wants to get.
Cannot access any higher level characters or spells added after publication. The content contained within Lost Mine of Phandelver was included at time of publication in 2014 so any additional materials released since then are not compatible with this particular setting and adventures must be conducted using only what’s provided within its pages.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The Hoard of the Dragon Queen adventure is a great way for both novice and experienced Dungeons and Dragons players to jump into the game. It’s a five-chapter adventure module that takes place across several different locales, providing plenty of challenges and opportunities for exploration.

In addition, the adventure is packed with plenty of NPCs, monsters, and other interesting encounters that can be customized to the group’s level of ability. So, let’s dive into what makes the Hoard of the Dragon Queen a great adventure for both beginner and veteran players!

Overview

Hoard of the Dragon Queen is a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition adventure created by Wizards of the Coast and released as part of the Tyranny of Dragons story arc. It was written by Steve Kenson, Wolfgang Baur, Jim Bishop, and Chris Sims as part of a concerted effort to continue developing a strong and viable D&D 5e experience for both veterans and newcomers alike. This adventure was designed to be accessible to both new players and veteran dungeon masters.

The story follows the adventurers as they battle against a band of draconic tyrants who command an army intent on sacking villages throughout Faerûn. The corrupt Cult of the Dragon is entrenched in not only elemental evil but also depravity in all its forms. Faerûn (and her cities) is threatened with destruction if adventurers cannot take control of this chaotic situation before it spirals out of control.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen sets a basic story arc for multiple adventures, providing DMs with plenty to build upon or expand upon when constructing their own games or campaigns. Narrative themes involve battling oppressive schemes from dragon worshiping cultists, braving deep dungeons and dark forests, navigating devious traps without succumbing to death’s touch, and exploring political intrigue amongst Faerûn’s powerful families. Players will learn how even small acts can drastically shape society for better or for worse. Players will develop their characters over time with each module being an additional step into maturity mechanically speaking; Mastering specialized skills sets in order to emerge victorious in intense boss fights!

With plenty of challenging quests included BoTDQ provides more than enough content content that can keep you entertained for hours on end!

Pros & Cons

Hoard of the Dragon Queen is an official Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition adventure designed to introduce players to the world of D&D and its mechanics. It follows the characters as they investigate a draconic invasion that is threatening civilization and how they battle the menacing cultists behind it.

The adventure offers plenty of opportunities for new players to take on interesting roles and make choices that shape their own narrative; however, it can be frustrating for experienced players due to its slow-paced progression and lack of open-ended exploration. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of this exciting adventure.

Pros:
It is well suited for introducing newer players to D&D 5e.
The story provides interesting plot development filled with intense moments throughout.
Players get to choose which side they want to join, instead of being forced down one path.
It offers plenty of opportunities for roleplaying in defined scenarios with individual goals instead of just one overarching goal from start to finish.
Cons:
Too much time is devoted creating background stories that limit character growth until later in the adventure arc.
There are limited open world exploration opportunities and intrusions from other campaigns within this linear story line.
Creating a balanced party will be challenging without having access to all player races or classes right away, since some characters may not be available until later levels in the game progression system.

The Curse of Strahd

The Curse of Strahd is one of the most iconic Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e) adventures. It’s a great choice for beginner Dungeon Masters, because it offers a great story, interesting characters, and simple rules. Moreover, it’s a great way to introduce your players to the world of Dungeons & Dragons and make them feel like they’re getting an epic adventure right from the start. Let’s dive into the details and find out why this adventure is so great for beginners.

Overview

The Curse of Strahd is a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition adventure that takes place in the magical land of Barovia. It was written by Chris Perkins and published by Wizards of the Coast in 2016. The adventure serves as the official introduction to the Curse of Strahd storyline, where you take on the role of one of twelve adventurers delving into a dark and deadly mystery unfolding in Barovia.

The adventure begins with an invitation from Strahd von Zarovich, master vampire and ruler of Barovia—the same figure featured in the classic gothic horror novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker. As soon as your party arrives they are cursed and can no longer leave the mist-covered realm without his permission. If they’re brave enough to face the darkness ahead, they’ll find themselves unraveling long-forgotten secrets and confronting monstrous horrors at every turn.

With more than ninety unique locations throughout Barovia, your group will devise new strategies for survival at each step as they work their way through this harrowing quest:

Mount Ghakis plus Castle Ravenloft
Two separate miniature villages captured under Strand’s rule: Krezk plus Vallaki

Curse of Strahd provides a fantastic blend of investigative exploration, puzzles to solve along with fights both simple and complex which keeps players engaged from start to finish! From the locations listed above, your adventurers will explore loads of unique locations on their search for items with secrets unlocking powerful equipment like magical weapons along with scrolls purging curses put out by Strand himself!

Pros & Cons

The Curse of Strahd is an adventure module for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), set in the fictional, dark fantasy world of Barovia. Written by award-winning designer Christopher Perkins, this self-contained story arc deals with a powerful vampire lord named Strahd von Zarovich and his nefarious schemes. Players must work together to unravel the secrets, defeat Strahd and escape from dread Barovia. Designed for beginner players and Dungeon Masters, it can be played as a standalone quest or incorporated into a longer campaign.

Pros:

Flexible structure – The Curse of Strahd is a highly modular adventure that can be played as a stand-alone module or tied into an existing campaign. This allows Dungeon Masters to customize their game play and adjust it to fit their party’s experience level and narrative preferences.
Rich story – This adventure contains multiple interesting side stories that provide ample opportunity for roleplay and exploration.
Slower paced – Unlike other adventures, players are given more time to explore Barovia’s hidden mysteries rather than just bulldozing their way through combat encounters. This engagement makes The Curse of Strahd great for those who are looking for more than just hack & slash role playing sessions.

Cons:

Linear plot – Many people will find the narrow pathways leading from start to finish too limiting, making it harder to build organic stories around player choices or stakes in combat encounters depending on character build styles or levels. You also couldn’t explore other locations outside Barovia during your sessions without skipping parts of this story arc module’s content entirely or restructuring its flow significantly.
Difficulty Curve – There’s no challenge scaling system built into this D&D 5e Adventure module making it difficult for the DM adjust its difficulty for different parties or campaigns at higher levels without introducing additional gameplay mechanics outside those offered here such as crafting extra magical items or monsters via homebrew ruleset sources materials etcetera if desired by your group at all.

Storm King’s Thunder

Storm King’s Thunder is a great Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition adventure module for beginners. It is the perfect introductory adventure for new players, as it contains action, adventure, and plenty of excitement while also providing a great way to learn the game. This module is designed for characters of levels 1-11 and is divided into two parts. There is also a variety of combat options and rewards for characters to enjoy. Let’s take a closer look at this adventure and see what you can expect when you play it.

Overview

Storm King’s Thunder is a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition adventure designed for players levels 1 to 11. It follows the iconic journey of a group of adventurers as they explore the savage wilderness and battle epic monsters.

The story begins in the Sword Coast North where an ancient evil has awoken and is wreaking havoc across Faerun, from tiny villages to grand cities. The players must travel from town to town, gathering clues, collecting powerful artifacts, battling monstrous creatures, and facing off against unfathomable evil forces trying to stop them from unraveling their secrets.

Storm King’s Thunder covers many different aspects of the game, allowing novice players a chance to get comfortable with combat mechanics, role playing scenarios and skill challenges. It also provides further opportunities for more experienced players to explore deeper encounters and puzzles in order to complete their task. There are several locations that can be visited throughout the adventure including Raven Rock Holdfast, Neverwinter Wood and Icewind Dale. Along with various side quests which help make this campaign more engaging by providing multiple paths with equally rewarding experiences such as gaining allies or experience points.

Overall Storm King’s Thunder is an excellent choice for beginners due its fun storyline and challenging gameplay that ensures both new comers and seasoned adventurers alike will be entertained while they traverse Faerun on their devouring mission!

Pros & Cons

Storm King’s Thunder is an adventure designed by Wizards of the Coast for players beginning their Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition journey. It has a great story and introduces new players to the world of adventure. However, there are some pros and cons that must be taken into consideration before embarking on this quest.

Pros:

The campaign easily adjusts to any number of players with a great range of power levels, making it suitable for beginners.
This adventure offers a large scope featuring multiple quests, dungeon crawls, and scenes where characters can solve puzzles or interact with NPCs.
This campaign also offers healthy rewards which can make up for low-level characters’ lack of experience in dealing with higher difficulty challenges.

Cons:

Storm King’s Thunder requires players to deal with a lot of large amounts of information at once, which could intimidate newbies.
The storyline may feel overwhelming if players are not familiar or comfortable with fantasy concepts like giants or dragons.
Combat encounters might be too challenging if the party is not well balanced or if they don’t pay attention to their surroundings while questing.

Out of the Abyss

Out of the Abyss is one of the most popular D&D 5e adventures for beginners. It is a great way to introduce a new group of players to the world of D&D and get their feet wet.

Out of the Abyss is a thrilling journey through the Underdark, where characters will battle monsters, allies, and villains along the way. Let’s take a look at what makes Out of the Abyss a great adventure for beginners:

Overview

Out of the Abyss is an epic Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition adventure for characters of level 1-15, written by famed game designer and co-creator of the 5th edition Tracy Hickman. This critically acclaimed adventure features an opportunity for characters to explore the abandoned Underdark city of Maerimydra, outwit demon lords and drow rulers, defend against crazed monsters, explore the depths of never-ending caverns and delve into ancient secrets.

With devilish politics, colossal monsters, deep secrets and an intense combat system to keep players on their toes, Out of the Abyss is sure to challenge even the most experienced player.

Players can expect an epic storyline that encompasses multiple locations and different objectives as they progress through Underdark cities such as Blingdenstone or Sloobludop.
This adventure also provides plenty of opportunity for character development with a non-linear progression allowing players to create politically powerful allies or join forces with unique side characters.
Out of the Abyss also offers a chance to acquire powerful artifacts, magical items or critical information while facing off challenging enemies from mindflayers to beholders.
This fast-paced game series pushes players into strategic fights filled with hidden traps and minions ready for them around every corner.
Whether you seek a story arc about defending innocent lives or confronting evil cults – Out of the Abyss has it all plus more!

Pros & Cons

It is important to consider both the pros and cons before embarking on your Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition adventure.

Pros of selecting an adventure from Out of the Abyss are that it is an ideal exploration into a pre-prepared story, which can make it easier for novice players to come up with roleplaying ideas as well as help in developing D&D storytelling techniques. This pre-built story also allows for intermediate players a more detailed cutscene narrative, aiding them in storytelling and problem solving. Other benefits include a significant setting expansion with details about places, monsters and important NPCs – creating a immersive game experience for the party.

Possible cons may include a lack of invention from players when adhering too closely to a preset story, or they may struggle with puzzle based areas despite coming across highly praised brain teasers. Experienced Dungeon Masters may find Out of the Abyss too linear in its progress or that it struggles to keep up with their inventive ideas as they develop their homebrews.

Overall, Out of the Abyss serves as an excellent way for newbies and veterans alike to test D&D 5th Edition rulesets and mechanics – making it one of the best D&D 5e Adventures for Beginners.

Conclusion

Although there are many great Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition adventures available, these have been hand-picked as the best DM-friendly adventures for new, inexperienced players. As an added bonus all of these setting provide a great initial taste of playing this fantastic game without having to commit a large amount of time to a single campaign. As you and your players gain more experience in the world of D&D, you’ll gradually be able to build upon the fun and adventures already experienced in these recommended settings.

The Curse of Strahd is a great starting point for beginners due to its eerie Chernobyl-inspired environment, offering plenty of horror vibes, Grimm fairy tales and classic D&D feel. The Hoard of the Dragon Queen is ideal for those looking for an action-packed high fantasy adventure series with lots of battles and dragon encounters, while Out of the Abyss provides an exciting yet challenging descent into forgotten depths.

However these are by no means the only adventures available; more experienced players can use their own resources or look into pre-existing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns from previous editions to craft unique stories with endless possibilities. For those on a budget or looking into testing out tabletop RPGs with friends, free winter themed Dungeons & Dragons adventures such as The Sunless Citadel can provide hours upon hours of entertainment and exploration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best D&D 5e adventure for beginners?

A: The Lost Mine of Phandelver is an excellent adventure for beginners; it is designed for a party of four to five players and is relatively straightforward. It also introduces players to the world of Dungeons and Dragons in an easy and exciting way.

Q: How long is the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure?

A: The adventure can take anywhere from four to eight hours of game time to complete.

Q: What materials do I need to play the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure?

A: You will need the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Player’s Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. You will also need the official Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure module to play the adventure.