Summary
- Candlekeep Mysteries offers short, beginner-friendly adventures to keep players engaged despite scheduling issues.
- The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde is ideal for new players, presenting unique lore in a familiar D&D setting.
- Dragon of Icespire Peak provides a classic D&D adventure with quests suited for both dedicated and unreliable players.
Tabletop RPGs have exploded in popularity over the past few decades, led by the now-household name brand of Dungeons & Dragons. The current updating of One D&D is intended to represent the next generation of the game as it becomes part of the online and digital world, and the complete version is expected to launch in September 2024.
Considering the myriad of choices available, having a list of the best D&D campaigns for beginners is helpful. A single bad experience with a TTRPG session might turn a potential gamer away forever, and that's every DM's nightmare. It's important to find the perfect adventure for a party of low-level characters that's fun, interesting, and also challenging, but not so difficult that everyone's character risks certain death every time they roll the dice.
Updated September 18, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Not every module for low-level players is for beginners, and often, adventures for higher-level players start with a short time in tutorial mode. With this in mind, the Wizards of the Coast have an even bigger selection of the best D&D campaigns for new or inexperienced players. Dungeons & Dragons is relatively easy to learn at first, but mastering it can take a lifetime, and there's a vast library that players can start with, especially with the ongoing creation of homebrew materials.
18 The Joy Of Extradimensional Spaces, Candlekeep Mysteries
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: January 1, 2020
- Author/s: Graeme Barber, Bill Benham, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, et al.
- Character Levels: 1-16
A common issue among beginners and veterans alike is getting everyone together. Life happens, and missing out on parts of a long campaign can be discouraging. Fortunately, anthologies like Candlekeep Mysteries resolve that issue with a series of short yet intriguing adventures.
This is the anthology's first adventure and the only one set at 1st level. It starts with a typical quest, which is finding a cure for a plague ravaging a village. It becomes a hunt for the wizard himself after he disappears, leaving only a single trace, a book entitled The Joy Of Extradimensional Spaces.
17 The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: December 26, 2006
- Author/s: David Noonan and Mike Mearls
- Character Levels: 1-6
This module uses the 3.5 D&D rules, which differ from the 5th edition in some ways. However, with the extensive updates and revamps currently taking place in the D&D One universe, it's up to the DM to decide which system is best for this party and their adventure.
Which path they take is determined by either good, neutral, or moral alignments, making The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde ideal for those who might be new to the concept. The module walks a fine line between having some unique, complicated lore, along with being derivative enough to feel like an authentic D&D adventure. Features include a dungeon which was once the site of a savage battle between demons, celestials, and the various other factions that support either side.
16 The Wild Sheep Chase
Winghorn Press
- First Published: January 1, 2020
- Author/s: Graeme Barber, Bill Benham, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, et al
- Character Levels: 4-5
A short and sweet one-off adventure, The Wild Sheep Chase begins when a group of adventures, who are trying to take the day off, are interrupted by a disgruntled critter of the ovine persuasion. A Scroll of Speak with Animals unveils that our heroes have inadvertently involved themselves in an old grudge match with a magical twist.
The story isn't exactly about livestock. There's only one sheep in this adventure, and it isn't even a real sheep. It spoils the twist slightly to reveal that this is a Wizard who's been changed into a woolly, speechless beast by an angry former student. The goal of the adventure is not only to restore the Wizard, but also to defeat his former student and his minions, and restore some magical stolen property.
15 Lost Mines Of Phandelver, D&D Starter Set
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: July 15, 2014
- Author/s: Wizards of the Coast
- Character Levels: 2-5
Included in the original D&D Starter Set, Lost Mines of Phandelver is designed as both a tutorial for new players and a testing ground for low-level characters. It's iconic in itself, often the first recommendation from any DM to those less experienced.
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It comes with a set of premade characters and a simplified rulebook to make the experience even more beginner-friendly. For a module that's easy on both the players and DM, Lost Mines of Phandelver is a classic.
14 Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle: D&D Starter Set
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: October 4, 2022
- Author/s: Wizards Of The Sword Coast
- Character Levels: 1-5
For those looking for a shorter adventure, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle is a prime choice. It's part of the newest D&D Starter Set, as a spiritual successor to the 2014-released Lost Mines of Phandelver. The 5th Edition has changed drastically since its release, and this modernization is noticeable in Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.
It addresses an issue often brought up by newcomers regarding the accuracy of the game's title, and just to keep everyone happy, this is an adventure that features dragons. If a new player joins a game called Dungeons & Dragons, that's what they're expecting.
13 Book Of The Raven, Candlekeep Mysteries
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: March 16, 2021
- Author/s: Graeme Barber, Bill Benham, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, et al
- Character Levels: 1-10
The Library of Candlekeep was one of the most important locations in the early Baldur's Gate video games, and it appears again in this campaign. This book arrived in the library via a raven courier, and the bird had little to say about where it had come from or why. The Book of the Raven is a 3rd level introduction to the Shadowfell, the realm of Shar which BG3 players can visit briefly, or even Barovia if DMs want to avoid Curse of Strahd' s notorious House of Death.
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In addition to the Shadowfell and travel to other planes, there's also a treasure map hidden in the book that not all players will find. When they do, they can use it to build a different adventure instead of following the other two possibilities.
12 Curse Of Strahd
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: March 15, 2016
- Author/s: Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, et al
- Character Levels: 1-10
For the more ambitious beginners happy to start with a longer more serious campaign, Curse of Strahd is among the best. The campaign is quite dangerous, and players should be prepared to lose a character or two. Its introductory module, House of Death, is also notoriously lethal, so it's recommended to tweak encounters or run an alternative like Candlekeep Mysteries or Book of the Raven.
Strahd is an incredible and fleshed-out villain, even having his memoir in "I, Strahd," and the setting of Barovia is deeply intriguing, as are its inhabitants. While it has its challenges for new DMs, it's an experience and one that all D&D players should try if given the chance. There's a Revamped version of the module that also includes a tarokka card deck, Barovia-themed posters, and a Creaures of Horror book.
11 The Wild Beyond The Witchlight
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: September 21, 2021
- Author/s: Various authors
- Character Levels: 1-8
For an unusual but still beginner-friendly campaign, The Wild Beyond The Witchlight is unrivaled, especially for those looking for a non-traditional adventure. If they want, a party can complete the campaign without fighting a thing, and as it's based in the Feywild, there's always something weird going on. It can be very role-play-heavy, focusing on diplomacy and charisma over dungeons and loot.
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While that won't suit every party, it's perfect for those comfortable role-playing and eager to do so. The Feywild also allows for some fascinating character choices, for those who are creatively inclined.
10 The Murkmire Malevolence, Keys To The Golden Vault
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: February 10, 2023
- Author/s: Heroic Maps
- Character Levels: 1st
This is the introductory adventure in the module The Keys To The Golden Vault, and it's the perfect place to begin an adventure. The Varkenbluff Museum of Natural History is the setting and players are tasked with retrieving a mysterious egg before it turns into an Eldritch Horror.
The twist to this story is that the Golden Vault isn't something that players break into. It's a small golden chest that gives players a mission when they open it with a golden key, an object the DM will place in their possession in a manner of their choosing.
9 Descent Into Avernus
Wizards Of The Coast
- First Published: Sep 17, 2019
- Author/s: Chris Perkins et al.
- Character Levels: 1-13
There are a lot of new D&D players that have been drawn to the tabletop version of the game through the popular video game title Baldur's Gate 3, and Descent Into Avernus forms part of the backstory for the game. The Tiefling refugees that are hiding in the Druid Grove in Act 1 are fleeing from the city of Elturel after it was dragged into the Nine Hells.
This campaign explains more about certain characters that are mentioned in BG3 but never appear, such as the Fiend Zariel, the devil that enslaved Karlach and rules Avernus. Elturel was eventually returned to its rightful place in Faerun by a dedicated group of adventurers, which is the basic plot of the campaign.