Adventures in Dungeons & Dragons don't tend to happen in just any random building or stretch of forest. Dungeons are a significant enough part of the game to make up half of its name, and they tend to be some of the most remarkable and iconic parts of their adventures.
From tombs to fortresses to much, much more, adventures in premade materials for D&D Fifth Edition tend to take place in particularly exciting places. Whether they have unique designs, are home to spectacular threats, or have the benefit of history behind them, some of the locations visited in premade 5e adventures tend to be very cool indeed.
10 Castle Ravenloft Is Iconic Enough To Name A Setting
The Ravenloft D&D setting takes place on a plane known as the Realm of Terror, the Land of Mists, or the Demiplane of Dread. Despite lending its name to the setting, Ravenloft is actually the name of Strahd von Zarovich's castle in the land of Barovia, and it makes a triumphant reappearance in Curse of Strahd.
As the central dungeon of the adventure, the players are likely to make several visits to the castle. Castle Ravenloft is far too vast and full of threats to explore in one go. Housing traps, vampires, magical items, and even exotic equipment like firearms, there is plenty to keep anyone entertained in Castle Ravenloft, and it has a tense, enthralling atmosphere of danger to it.
9 The Tomb Of Horrors Has A Lengthy History
One of the most infamous adventures in all of Dungeons & Dragons is the Tomb of Horrors. Designed in the days of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to be as lethal as physically possible, the dungeon is full of lethal tricks and traps, capable of killing adventurers who set so much as a foot wrong.
Although made to be a deliberately-unfair challenge, the adventure is popular enough to be remade frequently, including in the Tales from the Yawning Portal anthology book. Aside from its genuinely intelligent and vindictive design, the Tomb of Horrors has so much infamous history behind it that conquering its depths gives an undeniable thrill.
8 Candlekeep Is An Ancient Fortress Library
The titular setting of Candlekeep Mysteries isn't actually a dungeon in and of itself. Instead, it serves as the hub for the book's other, anthological adventures. Despite being relatively free of threat and adventure, Candlekeep itself remains one of the more interesting locations published in a premade 5e campaign.
Candlekeep is a library that is near-impossible to enter without permission. It holds vast stories of knowledge, ranging from histories to fictions to prophecies. Candlekeep is one of the most important places in the entire Forgotten Realms. Although only the hub for players to engage with a number of other adventures, it is the most distinctive location its book.
7 Grimskalle Is A Repurposed Giant Fortress Housing A God
The Far North in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is home to plenty of fascinating locations, but few are more distinctive than Grimskalle, the fortress where Auril the Frostmaiden resides. An abandoned frost giant fortress located on the Isle of Solitude, it forms part of the heart of the adventure, including housing the Tests the players must complete to proceed.
Grimskalle contains plenty of danger - including the campaign's final boss - but also plenty of reasons to explore. Players have the potential to unlock the very powerful Blessing of Auril, making it distinctive even amongst the adventure's other cool areas. In addition, it simply has an appealing design shaped to look like a skull.
6 The Yawning Portal Is Notable For Its Inhabitants
Taverns and inns are something of a cliche in Dungeons & Dragons, infamous for being the go-to starting location for almost any party. Nonetheless, there is one that manages to stand out as cool, even alongside ancient castles and vicious deathtraps: the titular hub location of Tales from the Yawning Portal.
The Yawning Portal is an inn in the city of Waterdeep with a good reputation and a long history. Among its other features, it contains routes down to the infamous Undermountain. However, what truly sets it apart is its clientele. The Yawning Portal is a favorite haunt of adventurers who gather in the evenings to boast and tell stories, making it one of the most interesting spots in the Forgotten Realms.
5 Strixhaven Is An Adventure-Filled Academy Of Magic
Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos, a campaign that crosses over with Magic: the Gathering, is one of the more limited campaigns in regards to its locations, with much of the action taking place in the titular academy. However, it proves itself to be more than enough to carry an entire campaign.
Combining the best parts of a magical boarding school with the best parts of university, Strixhaven has impossible magic as a part of everyday life. With capable magical teachers, five houses with diametrically-opposed magical philosophies, and five immensely-powerful dragons officially running the school, it has plenty to set it apart from any other location in D&D.
4 The Amber Temple Is A Hidden Repository Of Forbidden Power
Much of Curse of Strahd is focused around Castle Ravenloft, or the three remaining towns that survive in Strahd's domain. One of the most interesting locations in the campaign exists far away from these, however. The Amber Temple, located at the end of a long and dangerous mountain path, is home to the most dangerous beings in Barovia, creatures that put Strahd to shame.
Guarded by creatures such as an arcanaloth, flameskulls, and amber golems, the Amber Temple is a grueling trial for any party, but well worth the effort. Its lowest level houses amber vestiges, the shattered remains of dangerous beings - implied to be the Dark Powers of the Realm of Mists - who can offer the PCs powerful abilities that come at debilitating costs.
3 Undermountain Is Fifth Edition's Largest Dungeon
Located underneath the city of Waterdeep, Undermountain is a vast underground space bursting with threats and treasure. As such, it forms almost the entirety of the campaign Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, as players venture into its depths.
With 23 floors, each of which has its own unique inhabitants and situations, it has something to appeal to any player. From a crashed Spelljammer ship and a colony of mind flayers to the subterranean city of Skullport and a Githyanki occupation, the entire area is simply bursting with cool things for the players to attempt to survive.
2 The Tomb Of The Nine Gods Is Suitably Climactic
The campaign Tomb of Annihilation deliberately draws from the old Tomb of Horrors adventure. Its finale takes place in the Tomb of the Nine Gods, a dungeon that takes and expands on the best parts of the latter while leaving out some fo the more dated bits. This creates a tense and dangerous dungeon crawl, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.
The Tomb, aside from being stuffed to the brim with traps designed to maim and murder adventurers, is home to a number of impressive beings. Housing an abeloth, the soul monger, an atropal and Acererak the demilichich himself, its most notable part still remains the titular Nine Gods interred within it. These dieties are dead, but will nonetheless provide player characters with aid to slay Acererak.
1 White Plume Mountain Is A Dungeon Full Of Variety
A beloved classical dungeon, White Plume Mountain is home to the adventure of the same name, re-released for 5e in Tales from the Yawning Portal. The mountain is home to three legendarily-powerful magical items: the trident Wave, the warhammer Whelm, and the notorious magical sword Blackrazor.
However, White Plume Mountain is cool for more than the artifacts within. The adventure is deliberately varied and full of puzzles, aiming to make players take a creative approach to problem solving. The dungeon is home to an enormous glass bubble housing a giant crab, a menagerie of magical creatures within a ziggurat, a room entirely lacking in friction, and much more. All in all, it's one of the most creative and cool regions in all of Dungeons & Dragons.