5 D&D Adventures to Run For New Parties If You’re Tired of Doing Curse of Strahd
In almost every story of a player’s first Dungeons and Dragons adventure, the Curse of Strahd is often one of the ones their group experiences first. There is a good reason for this, as the horror themed adventure against the vampire Strahd von Zarovich has a brilliant atmosphere and a solid narrative that quickly gets characters invested into the structure of the iconic TTRPG. However, while Curse of Strahd is far from overrated, it is an adventure Dungeon Masters can get burnt out of after running it over and over, especially when there are other fantastic stories that are equally as good at introducing D&D to newer players.
5th Edition D&D has seen the production of many new adventures, including some redesigned to give beginners of the tabletop game extensive campaigns to explore. Unlike the Level 10-20 Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall adventure recently published for D&D‘s overhauled 5.5e rules, some stories are meant to start at lower levels to help ease newcomers into building characters. Some new D&D players want adventures that aren’t simply meant to be a one-shot, with proper challenges and interesting set-ups that hook them into the story right away.
5. Out of the Abyss
If newcomer players want to keep the same tone as something like Curse of Strahd, Out of the Abyss is another excellent 5th Edition adventure with a similar level curve to try. Taking place in the Underdark, this adventure starts with players captured by dark elf Drow, having to band together and mount a daring escape into the subterranean realm. The Underdark is an incredibly dangerous but oddly compelling setting for D&D, full of odd magics and underground societies, including Mind Flayers, Duergar, and even living bipedal fungi. The Underdark is a well-known location in D&D, even being the subject of recent UA playtesting twice.
The intense premise at the start of Out of the Abyss mimics the dark, oppressive feeling of Strahd’s tyrannical rule in Barovia, but replaces gothic tones with survival horror and tense mechanics tied to staying alive in the Underdark. The journey to discover an escape from the Underdark is a driving goal that is feels more urgent than other D&D adventures, even Curse of Strahd. In Curse of Strahd, the main goal is to defeat the vampire lord to get out of Barovia, but that goal of “kill the BBEG” is fairly standard when it comes to D&D stories. Escape can be a much more straightforward goal for newer parties, making them more interested in plot hooks tied to that objective.
A plot about escape quickly escalates into a battle against demons, creating an adventure full of chaotic battles and foes unlike anything D&D usually offers. Designers of Out of the Abyss have compared it to something like Alice in Wonderland, where the Underdark is easily a rabbit hole full of deranged characters and settings to explore. While the gothic horror of Curse of Strahd is classic, perhaps beginner players with a desire to go wild in their character choices would have a better time in Out of the Abyss.
4. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
Lost Mine of Phandelver is often a D&D adventure new Dungeon Masters run for even newer players, as it is a simple dungeon dive against some of the game’s weakest monsters. This is a good way to introduce players to the TTRPG, but it doesn’t provide much of an adventure, like most Level 1 one-shots. However, 5th Edition D&D expanded this adventure into a full campaign called Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, a journey that expands the story that Lost Mine of Phandelver sets up.
This game lets players explore a settlement outside the initial dungeon, discovering a plot against the village of Phandelver where they have to thwart armies, stop corrupted spellcasters, and find pieces of a broken obelisk artifact. Cosmic horror and unexpected mysteries add a lot of intrigue to this adventure’s story, but what makes it appealing to beginners is how easy it is for DMs to run. This is a classic D&D story without too much fanfare, with simple plot points and steps to follow in ways that Curse of Strahd doesn’t.
One of the big problems with Curse of Strahd is how there is a random element to the important artifacts players have to hunt down across Barovia. The tools needed to defeat Strahd can have complex locations, with Castle Ravenloft also being a huge, complex mega-dungeon that new time DMs can struggle to run. By comparison, Phandelver and Below is something DMs can run for newcomers to focus more on teaching the game to new players. If you’ve tired of the complications innate to Curse of Strahd, perhaps the straightforward nature of Phandelver and Below will be appealing.
3. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Waterdeep is a classic 5th Edition D&D setting too, representing a large city that immediately puts players into an urban environment rather than a corrupted land or oppressive Underdark. As a result, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist might be a better game for players looking for a social element to their games, as Curse of Strahd has far fewer NPC interactions than most adventures. Players looking for traditional vendors, markets, or a criminal element will find that in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist more, where “normal” people are more frequently found.
Curse of Strahd‘s characters are haunted and depraved to help set that world’s tone, so Waterdeep: Dragon Heist can be better for parties who want to socialize more. This adventure focuses on a treasure hunt within the city of Waterdeep more than any specific heist, where a huge some of gold is rumored to be embezzled somewhere. In the process, players gain access to a tavern they can own and upkeep, eventually launching an investigation into where the gold might be. Competing against agents of powerful underworld lords, players will be in a constant game of cat and mouse to discover the keys to a vault with this treasure.
The goal to find a fortune is certainly more light-hearted than Curse of Strahd, creating a tone newer beginners might be more open to. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is hardly a “dark” or “foreboding” adventure, without even too much combat or evil monsters. Battling against criminals to keep a fortune out of their hands feels less like Curse of Strahd‘s horror movie and more like an fun action film. If Curse of Strahd‘s tone isn’t for everyone, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist might give you the atmosphere new players have a better time adjusting to.
2. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Players who want the same kind of desperate tone as Curse of Strahd may want to check out Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, a 5th Edition adventure that takes players from Levels 1 to 12. Similar in scale to Curse of Strahd, this game revolves around a frozen land locked in eternal winter by a lesser god named Auril the Frostmaiden, creating a perpetual cold that turns survival into a constant battle. Much like Barovia’s mists and constant evil monsters, Icewind Dale’s remote winter forces players to fight against environmental hazards just as much as literal threats.
The theme of winter here creates a different kind of atmosphere than the gothic setting of Curse of Strahd, tying the dangers of the world into something natural rather than supernatural. A party of characters here can explore a much larger wilderness sandbox than Curse of Strahd, as the adventure doesn’t direct you to limited locations. The Ten-Towns of Rime of the Frostmaiden represent ten isolated, paranoid settlements where desperate locals turn to harsh measures, creating multiple zones where players have to navigate complex situations together.
Psychological and folk horror in this game heavily reflects movies like The Thing or The Revenant, where the mysteries behind the winter are tied to ancient magics and eternal grudges. Confronting Auril the Frostmaiden is only one of several steps in this game, creating a more open-ended adventure than Curse of Strahd in some ways. Exploration across the frozen tundra can be just as nerve-wracking as a vampire-infested land, making Rime of the Frostmaiden an almost perfect alternative to Curse of Strahd in many ways.
1. Storm King’s Thunder
For players who want to feel like heroes of legend, Storm King’s Thunder has a greater scale than most D&D adventures are able to provide. This adventure focuses on Giants, the hierarchy of huge and ancient creatures who draw their power from primordial magics of fire, storms, ice, and more. Among the deadliest enemies in D&D, Giants can also make powerful allies, which is what this adventure creates well within its story. A plot about the king of Giants draws players into a plot as grand as an epic Greek mythology legend, creating a sense of importance Curse of Strahd doesn’t really give.
One of the best parts about Curse of Strahd is how, at the beginning, it seems like your party stands no chance against Strahd himself, as his status as a villain is felt everywhere you go. Players looking to capture that same feeling in another adventure can find it in Storm King’s Thunder, where initial interactions with Giants make your party feel like underdogs from the start. So, as you begin to triumph against Giant enemies, your party begins to feel incredibly powerful, giving newer players that power fantasy that gets them hooked into the TTRPG for life.
If your party still wants to do Curse of Strahd, any of the listed adventures can be great to do as a second campaign after it too. As an introduction to the tabletop game, there are no real wrong answers, especially when you consider how many 5th Edition stories are designed for newer players first. When it comes to trying Dungeons and Dragons for the first time, your players’ choice should reflect a consensus of what story premise they like the most, whether its the reliable horror-themed adventure of Curse of Strahd or something different.
What is your favorite D&D adventure for new players? Let us know in the comments below!