5e Dungeons & Dragons Campaigns
Essentially a collection of related adventures, these epic stories require months - sometimes a year or more - to complete. The story is huge, the plots and sub-plots are complicated, the cast of characters are diverse, and the danger is great. Even players who’ve never played a roleplaying game before can thrive in a campaign because the group learns and grows together: they become familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, develop tactics that maximize each character’s talents, and share in the risks and rewards.
In Search of the Unknown (3-6 players, starting level: 1-2)
Rogahn the Fearless and Zelligar the Unknown are legendary names. Even you, a young fledgling in a town far from the great cities of your world, know of their reputation — even though their tale begins long before you were born. The elders and the sages speak both names with respect, even awe, in a distant admiration for the memories of the two legendary figures…
But the discovery of a crude map purporting to show the way to the hideaway of the two men, a place apparently called “Q”. You have this map, and if it is accurate, it could lead you to the mystical place that was their home and sanctuary. The risk is great, but the challenge cannot be ignored.
Keep on the Borderlands (3-8 players, starting level: 1-2)
The realm of civilization if narrow and constricted. Always the forces of Chaos press upon its borders, seeking to enslave its populace, rape its riches, and steal its treasures. If it were not for a stout few, many in the Realm would indeed fall prey to the evil which surrounds them. Bold adventurers from the Realm set off for the Borderlands to seek their fortune. It is these adventurers who, provided they survive the challenge, carry the battle to the enemy. Such adventurers meet the forces of Chaos in a testing ground where only the fittest return to relate the tale.
Into the Borderlands (3-8 players, starting level: 1-2)
Play both In Search of the Unknown and Keep on the Borderlands in one long campaign. Using the Keep as a base of operations, search for Rogahn’s and Zelligar’s stronghold and rid the borderlands of the forces of Chaos.
This one takes quite a while to complete.
Lost Mine of Phandelver (4-5 players, starting level: 1)
Neverwinter is an expensive city and you are low on coin. Fortunately, your patron and friend, Gundren Rockseeker, hires you to escort a wagon to Phandolin. Gundren has gone ahead with a human warrior to attend to business while you follow with the supplies. It’s not glamorous work, but 10 gp each is solid pay for such an easy job.
This was designed to be an introductory campaign to Dungeons & Dragons, so the story is fairly straightforward and the mission objectives clearly defined. Don’t make the mistake of believing it is a low-risk adventure, though.
Keys from the Golden Vault (3-6 players, starting level: 1)
Not a campaign in the strictest definition, but this collection of heist-themed adventures can stand on its own. This isn’t simply a testing ground for a party of rogues (although an all-rogue party could be successful) - it’s 13 missions that will test your ability to work together, create a plan, focus on the objective, and improvise when everything falls apart. Each success brings great rewards.
Empire of the Ghouls (4-5 players, starting level: 1)
10 years ago, darakhul allied with the vampires of Morgau invaded and conquered the kingdom of Krakova, heralding the birth of the Greater Duchy of Morgau. This was only the beginning of schemes of Nicoforus the Pale — ruler of the Ghoul Imperium. Few on the surface world are aware of the danger amassing in the underworld and fewer still realize how dire the situation truly is. Minor incidents in the free city of Zobeck are the first pieces to a huge puzzle of political intrigue and undead savagery.
The scale of this campaign is unmatched but I would caution newer players to become more familiar with the game mechanics before playing it.
Princes of the Apocalypse (4-5 players, starting level: 1 or 3)
The first signs are always small: bandits on the roads, pirates on the Dessarin River, monster sightings throughout the Sumber Hills — all too close to the lands of civilized folk. To top things off, a delegation from the dwarven city of Mirabar has gone missing. Are these events all some bizarre coincidence or is there a deeper reason behind them?
This campaign has an option to start at level 1 and resolve local troubles before launching into the true campaign, or you can start at level 3 and jump right into the main action.
The Temple of Elemental Evil (4-6 players, starting level: 1)
Years ago, the village of Hommlet nearly fell to a great neighboring evil. The nearby Temple of Elemental Evil, a grand edifice of wickedness, was defeated after a great battle and thrown into ruin forever… or was it? Bandits have started to ride the roads again and there are other ominous signs afoot. It is now whispered that the demonic evil at the heart of the Temple was not truly conquered but merely imprisoned. Even now, agents of evil, malevolent beasts, and far worse creatures are conspiring to return the Temple to power and enslave the surrounding lands.
Castle Amber (4-6 players, starting level: 3-5)
The Amber Family, a bloodline of wizards and warriors, fled their homeland to escape persecution for their dark sorcery and occult crimes. In their new world, they built a lavish manor while their magical and military might kept entire nations at bay. However, jealousy and murder brought down a terrible curse and the Amber Family finds itself apart from time and space, imprisoned forever within the confines of their great castle.
You awake on the steps of the castle, plucked from your world to be trapped under the curse that befell the Ambers. To escape, you must find a way to break the curse of Stephen Amber. Failure means a lifetime of imprisonment in Castle Amber — where lifetimes can be very short indeed.
Isle of Dread (4-6 players, starting level: 3-7)
You found a map a page from a ship’s log in a treasure hoard miles from the coast. The captain, identified only as “RB”, describes an island inhabited by primitive tribes with legends of great treasures hidden throughout the depths of the islands interior. The island is in the Thanegioth Archipelago — of which reliable maps do not exist. This island is surely rife with opportunities for adventure, treasure hunting, and amassing fame and fortune.
Who knows? Once you’ve taken all you want, perhaps you can establish trade routes and retire to a life of comfort.