What is the Greatest Dungeon Crawl Ever Published?

[Mercurius]

In your opinion, of course. Definitions of terms can be loose and are at least somewhat subjective, but here are some general guidelines:

By "published" I mean something that is, or was, commercially available; if you have a dungeon crawl PDF for sale on your personal website, I can go with that. A "dungeon crawl" is an adventure (or mega-adventure) that is mostly underground, and at least half in built ruins rather than only or mainly natural caverns. In other words, an adventure that has an urban, wilderness or Underdark component that's fine, but the focus should be the "dungeon" itself (I suppose it could be a dungeon within a larger adventure path or mini-campaign, ala Lost City of Barakus).

Finally, the term "greatest" is even more subjective and is really dependent upon you; it can mean most enjoyable, best written, most intriguing in terms of back-story, most clever in its design, most balanced in terms of encounter types, or all of the above and/or other qualities that you find important. But please explain why it is the greatest!

Now have at it.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Most Famous: Temple of Elemental Evil

Largest: World's Largest Dungeon

Most Epic: Undermountain

Best linkage to campaign setting history: Ruins of Myth Drannor

Best Ecology: Lost City of Barakus

Most novel dungeon design: Ptolus/Banewarrens

Best Introduction to D&D dungeon crawl (tie): The Lost City and Sunless Citadel

Best dungeon crawl than isn't a dungeon: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks


But to pick just one ... for overall size, history, impact, and influence I'd probably go with Undermountain, but it's not the most playable dungeon crawl.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I thought "Night Below" was a good one.

Edit: I loved Undermountain!

 

[MJS]

My most recent experience was playing Dave Arneson's TEMPLE OF THE FROG, DM'd by a gentleman who has one of the OD&D manuscripts Dave sent to Gary, and using Chainmail for combat (essentially 2d6 on a different matrix w group initiative).

Doesn't get much more authentic than that, if such historical matters interest you.

Anyway, TOTF was the most exciting D&D experience I've had since childhood. The mapping is brutal. There is death around every corner. You could blow the mission quite easily.

TOTF certainly deserves mention on any such list. It opens with the PC's on griffons, and if you're smart, ends with dramatic, narrow escape. It's a goddamn masterpiece in adventure writing.

Another favorite, but which I haven't played or GM'd is Gary's LOST CAVERNS OF TSOJCONTH. I've wanted to run that module for over 20 years, but we all home brewed back then. The tournaments I ran, I wrote myself. Wish I still had 'em.

Ok, for honorable mention, I want to plug my own "BARGLE's WONDROUS DUNGEON", which I wrote and ran in the 90's. People loved it. It was simply an insane wizard dungeon, taken to extremes, with colorful PCs as well. And finally a chance for Red Box kids to take their revenge on Bargle for killing our girlfriend!
I should rewrite that one, it's long been lost. I think a lot of folks online would get a kick out of it.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Does Ravenloft count? Because, Ravenloft.

Ruins of Undermountain is probably the worst module I've ever read; I wish someone would release a playable version of it.

 

[the Jester]

I'd have to go with the Temple to Elemental Evil. It's a great big dungeon not far off from being a megadungeon, full of a great variety of foes who can be approached directly (ATTACK!) or more circuitously (dress up as fire cultists and attack the air guys!).

That said, my favorite several dungeon crawls are homebrewed by me- Bile Mountain (in all its iterations) is probably my absolute favorite. No other person can write a dungeon as in tune with my tastes, my players and my campaign.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Does Ravenloft count? Because, Ravenloft.

Ruins of Undermountain is probably the worst module I've ever read; I wish someone would release a playable version of it.

Well, yeah, if the original Ravenloft, of course. Its not what most people think of when they think "dungeon crawl", though it certainly is a good one.

As to Undermountain, the latest version (4E RoU?) was certainly execrable (means 'crap'); I'm thinking more of the original 2E-era boxed set(s).

 

[GX.Sigma]

As to Undermountain, the latest version (4E RoU?) was certainly execrable (means 'crap'); I'm thinking more of the original 2E-era boxed set(s).

Like the one that took 234 pages to describe three dungeon levels (when a good adventure like Castle of the Mad Archmage can do 4x the content in fewer pages)? What a senseless waste of human life.

 

[delericho]

I guess probably "Temple of Elemental Evil". I would recommend against the "Return to..." though.

I'm quite fond of "Castle Whiterock", though I don't know how it would work in actual play. I especially like the colours of the four booklets, though that's pure nostalgia talking.

 

[DaveMage]

Rappan Athuk for me is #1.

My favorite one from TSR was Greyhawk Ruins.