The upcoming movie Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has sparked a lot of excitement in the D&D community, and many fans of the game are highly anticipating the adaptation of their favorite TTRG to the screen. While the movie is aimed to be enjoyable to any viewer, the game itself has deemed itself a little more niche.
With lots of statistics and rules, not to mention the possibility of playing as a Dungeon Master, it can take a long time for someone to get a handle on fully understanding D&D. For the players who have lots of experience, these are some of the most challenging pre-set campaigns overall.
The Curse of Strahd
The Curse of Strahd is one of the best 5th edition campaigns and has gained popularity over the last year for its gothic, vampire-ridden adventure. While the story, like any campaign, can be altered depending on the DM’s assessment of their players’ abilities, this module contains many difficult encounters that even experienced players would find challenging.
Death House is one of the hardest parts of Curse of Strahd. This introductory dungeon subjects players to dangerous encounters at the very start of the campaign, and has historically caused many character deaths and even TPKs. There’s no lack of formidable enemies down the line too, like Baba Lysaga and her Creeping Hut, which have been known to be hard to defeat.
Out Of The Abyss
Out of the Abyss is a unique campaign set in the Underdark. While it is no cakewalk for players, the module has been proved to be especially difficult for DMs, as it contains a complex, open-world setting that can be hard to run.
Along with its vast amount of cities and dungeons, Out of the Abyss also includes a particularly high amount of NPCs, which means lots of characters for the DM to voice. Overall, the campaign requires a lot of prep work and understanding, which can get confusing for an inexperienced Dungeon Master.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Waterdeep is a two-part adventure module based in one of the regions of the Forgotten Realms, which is also the known setting for Honor Among Thieves. Its first campaign, Dragon Heist, has been notoriously difficult for a few reasons, one being powerful NPCs that can be particularly threatening to characters.
While this adventure isn’t too complex, it can be tough for DMs to manage. There has been some criticism over the game’s writing, which many players have stated requires extra DM work and balancing in order to run smoothly.
Waterdeep: Dungeon Of The Mad Mage
The second module for Waterdeep is a better fit for more experienced players, just like the first. Dungeon of the Mad Mage has a perilous setting, and its vast mega-dungeons can be hard to navigate for both DMs and players alike.
Dungeon of the Mad Mage is less story-based and more inclined to put players to the test. Its 23-leveled dungeon is not for the faint of heart, and would not be a good fit for players who didn’t have much of a handle on the game.
Icewind Dale: Rime Of The Frostmaiden
Rime of the Frostmaiden is a horror adventure set in the arctic tundras of Icewind Dale. It’s been known to be reasonable for players but very difficult for DMs, who must enforce a lot of their personal decisions instead of just getting spoon-fed the story.
Rime of the Frostmaiden doesn’t even start with a clear introduction, but various hooks to choose from. The story itself has been criticized as haphazard, requiring lots of DM ideas and control in order to have a successful adventure for players.
Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Descent Into Avernus is a campaign that is a prequel to the D&D inspired video game Baldur’s Gate III. This module takes players through the first level of the nine hells, and while not the hardest campaign, it is definitely better suited for more seasoned players.
The Dungeon of the Dead Three in this module has known to be specifically brutal. Without the tweaking of an experienced DM, the encounters in Descent into Avernus can prove to be unbalanced and too difficult for players.
Tales From The Yawning Portal
Tales from the Yawning Portal is a collection of modules for the 5th edition of D&D, and is technically more of an anthology than a single campaign. While its collection of adventures ranges in difficulty, its harder stories are perfect for players who have lots of game experience.
One of the modules in Tales from the Yawning Portal is an updated version of Tomb of Horrors, one of the deadliest adventure modules to date. It is both hard to learn as a DM and to play, and its many traps have earned it the title of one of the most difficult adventures of all time.
Storm King’s Thunder
Storm King’s Thunder is a top rated 5th edition module that centers around interactions and fights with giants. It’s best suited for more experienced players for a few reasons, one being its combat. Obviously, a giant is no easy target for a D&D character, and the module has been known to have steadily challenging encounters throughout the adventure.
Storm King’s Thunder can be difficult for DMs, too, as its sandbox style leaves a lot of control and planning for a Dungeon Master. Some giants have been known to be unbalanced as well, calling for an experienced DM’s tweaking.
Throne Of Bloodstone
Sometimes, finding a campaign fitting for D&D masters means looking in earlier editions. In 1988, The Throne of Bloodstone was published as the end of a 4-part adventure series. It is known to be unbelievably difficult, as it is packed to the brim with intense monsters that create a very high-stakes adventure.
To understand the campaign, a player would have to have a wide knowledge of D&D, since it was created long before 5th edition. It couldn’t even be played in the latest edition without serious tweaking. For example, this module is meant for characters of level 18-100, and 5th edition only goes up to 20.
Tomb Of Annihilation
Tomb of Annihilation is considered one of the hardest D&D campaigns to date. It was inspired by Tomb of Horrors, which original D&D creator Gary Gygax wrote to be an ultimate test for players.
This campaign features many deadly forces, from the disease called Deathcurse to a lethal jungle setting. Tomb of Annihilation holds the title as the most play-tested adventure module to date because Wizards of the Coast was afraid that it wasn’t survivable.
