After running a published module for either a Fantasy RPG, Supers RPG or Sci Fi rpg so want some suggestions. System doesn't matter - I will adapt the module to whatever game I decide to run.

Also the module needs to be reasonably accessible. In other words 'up the garden path' (or whatever it was called) is probably off the list because I won't pay 500 quid or whatever it costs.

I'll hold my hands up and say in 31 years (or is it 32? God I feel old now) of being a GM I've run about a dozen published adventures, if that, mostly for AD&D and the odd superhero game (Marvel or DC) so I figure it's time for me try try a published adventure again.

Thanks for any advice/inspiration, and I'll get scouring on the usual places (ebay, amazon etc) to tracks adventures down...

Now I want to know what Up the Garden Path was, and why people would pay that much for it.

No Dignity in Death: The 3 Brides. Because it's Vancican and hilarious.

The Purple Worm Graveyard: Short, lurid, sweet.

Quote from: TristramEvans;611063Now I want to know what Up the Garden Path was, and why people would pay that much for it.

From the Acaeum:

"Estimates are that 600 copies were printed, though it could have been slightly less.  Unknown how many copies have survived, but one of the authors, Graeme Morris, doubts that more than 100-200 were actually sold at the two festivals (the rest were presumably pulped).  Contributor Ian Wright, who attended the 1986 Games Day convention, bought his copy there for 2.50 pounds, but also remembers a number of copies being distributed to retail outlets in the area (of which he was the proprietor of one).  Most likely the remaining (unsold) copies from the convention were shipped to retailers rather than destroyed.  Probably less than 50 copies survive today."

And those silly values:

ST1 Up the Garden Path:  GD: $1035 (5/02), VG: $913 (2/03), VG: $1252 (10/04),
  VG: $1906 (9/05), FN: $51 (4/96), FN: $834 (6/01), FN: $1233 (6/02), FN: $864 (2/03),
  FN: $1035 (9/03), FN: $1874 (10/04), VF: $2500 (private sale, 4/05), NM: $1575 (7/00),
  NM: $1666 (private sale, 4/01), NM: $1750 (private sale of the previous 7/00 auction, 4/02),
  NM: $1909 (10/04)

Ridiculous.

Quote from: TristramEvans;611063Now I want to know what Up the Garden Path was, and why people would pay that much for it.

Only for the rarity.  As a module, it's garbage.  And yes I have seen a PDF of it.  I may still have it on my archive disks somewhere.

The Red Hand of Doom.  In between adventuring and exploring dungeons, the PCs must race against time to prevent a goblin horde from overwhelming the scenic Elsir Vale.  They can mobilize the citizenry, strike at enemy strongholds, help evacuate noncombatants, and fight all manner of cool monsters.

It's widely considered the best adventure out there for 3rd Edition D&D.

It's rather expensive on Amazon ($55 being the lowest price).  Here's a cheap one on Ebay.

Quote from: thedungeondelver;611077Only for the rarity.  As a module, it's garbage.  And yes I have seen a PDF of it.  I may still have it on my archive disks somewhere.

Absolutely true.  Actually, most of the really expensive D&D items of this sort, whether TSR or third party, are pretty much junk.  When we talk about the highest quality material, some may hit the $50-75 range, but none are $500+

Heres' Dungeon magazines' list of the top 30 D&D modules of all time, to give everyone something to argue over
 
http://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Dungeon+magazine's+%22The+30+Greatest+D%2526D+Adventures+of+All+Time%22

Frandor's Keep module for HackMaster 5e.

The PDF is only 15 bucks, and it's 160 pages. Set in the Kingdoms of Kalamar world of Tellene, this is military/trading outpost positioned on a small island on a river high in the mountains.  A complete area setting with dozens of notable NPCs, hundreds of rumors, and enough material to raise PCs from beginning to 5th level.

Even if you don't play HM, the book and setting information alone isa worth the price; just plunk it down in your own campaign and restat the NPCs/monsters.

The PDF is tablet/laptop friendly with clickable links that take you from maps to descriptions automatically, freeing you from needing multiple copies open to different pages.

B10 Nights Dark Terror crams more awesome in its 64 pages than just about any mega module of twice the size. You get wilderness sandbox interspersed with dungeon crawls, city adventuring, lost civilizations, a spectacular siege set piece and one of the best evil organizations in the Iron Ring.

Hard copies can tend to be pricey but you can get a free cleaned up PDF by hunting around Dragonsfoot.

I'm rather enamoured of The Grey Knight, a module for PenDragon that hits a lot of the mythic notes of the setting and provides plenty of cool shit to do. It's also winningly presented, with evocative art and tips for the GM in a handy sidebar format.

Decent review here.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #28: Into the Wilds
It's another homage to the classic Keep on the Borderlands, and more sensible and less "chaotic" than that (just like Frandor's Keep). It's available as a download from RPGnow or you can try to find the OOP print version on eBay.

It details the small border town of Wildsgate and four distinctly different dungeons in the nearby mountains. The description of Wildsgate is better than the Keep (but less intricate as, for instance, Hommlet). There's a curse on the town, lots of rumors and adventure hooks.

On the Goodman forum there are two threads that are must-reads:
DCC 28: Into the Wilds (fixing... everything) Listing potential pitfalls of the module, and fixes for them.
None the Wiser's 3-D Wildsgate Excursion... Awesome 3-D SketchUp models of the town of Wildsgate and some of the dungeons. Very good for the DM who wants to visualize the locations before play.


This module is a very good campaign starter.

Quote from: Fiasco;611208B10 Nights Dark Terror crams more awesome in its 64 pages than just about any mega module of twice the size. You get wilderness sandbox interspersed with dungeon crawls, city adventuring, lost civilizations, a spectacular siege set piece and one of the best evil organizations in the Iron Ring.

Seconded. Buy it along with the Karameikos Gazetteer and be happy hereafter.

Among the modules I really liked/gave me memorable experiences there are

- No Man's Land for Call of Cthulhu
- Dwellers of the Forbidden City for AD&D 1E
- The Isle of Dread for D&D Expert. A bit like "Night's Dark Terror: a sandbox crammed of ideas for adventures and places where to set other modules. I actually played Dwellers of the Forbidden City as the culmination of the Isle of Dread mini-campaign.

Are you talking only fantasy here?

Because if not, I really wouldn't have much doubt: Masks of Nyarlathotep.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;611412Are you talking only fantasy here?

Because if not, I really wouldn't have much doubt: Masks of Nyarlathotep.

Well, if we bring out the 16" guns, then "Par delà des montagnes hallucinee", the French edition.

A reason among the multitude? One of the grimmest ending ever written.