Summary
While many DMs prefer to come up with their own campaign settings or adventures, it’s worth noting that fifth editionDungeons & Dragonshas a wide array of modules and bespoke sessions that players and DMs can choose from. These pre-written adventures can range across multiple genres, including horror, epic fantasy, and more.
However, if you’re a Dungeon Master and you’re looking for a particularly chaotic adventure to run for your table, look no further than this list of totally out there campaigns. These adventures are perfect for more outlandish parties or players who prefer to be a bit chaotic when they play.
Feywild Ball
The Boreal Ball is a small campaign setting offered in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide that sees players attend the mystical Boreal Ball in the Feywild. Hosted by the mysterious Baron of the Boreal Ball, this unending ball takes place in an ice palace and plays host to all manner of fey creatures, including Dyrads, Pixies, and Hags.
This setting is a little light on details, but if you’re looking for an easy chaotic setting for lower-level players, then the Boreal Ball is perfect. This adventure is good for seventh-level players, but could easily be tailored for lower levels as well.
Business Intrigue
The adventure known as ‘The Orrery of the Wanderer’ has a lot of familiar tropes that longtime Dungeons & Dragons players and DMs will be familiar with. However, what makes this adventure genuinely fun is the fact that it takes place in the Acquisitions Incorporated module.
For those not familiar, Acquisitions Incorporated is a module for fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons that allows players to assume the roles of mundane nine-to-fivers. You can, in essence, run anything from a small business to a Succession-style business empire in Acquisitions Incorporated, all the while traipsing about on adventures with friends. The tone of this module is incredibly fun and equally chaotic.
Battle of the Bards
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftis a fantastic horror-based module for DND players. This module introduces dozens of different ‘Domains of Dread,’ horror-inspired realms with Darklords presiding over each one, and a certain set of rules that players must follow to escape.
Kalakeiri is one of the more light-hearted campaign settings in this module, and perfect for high-charisma parties that love chaotic roleplay. In this campaign setting, players can compete in Battle of the Bands-style competitions, and may even discover the dark side of fame. All in all, this backdrop is great for chaotically inclined tables that love to roleplay more than anything else.
Moral Fable
‘The Price of Beauty’ is one of many different adventures in the Candlekeep Mysteries module. Like Ravenloft, Candlekeep Mysteries allows DMs to string a variety of different adventures together, all through the lens of intrigue and mystery. ‘The Price of Beauty’ is a particularly fun adventure that warns players about the dangers of vanity.
In this adventure, players will discover a strange book with a mirror on the front and attempt to uncover the mystery surrounding an acolyte’s disappearance, as well as foil the plots of a coven of hags. Just be careful not to get too engrossed in your own reflection.
Magic School
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaosis a Dungeons & Dragons Magic: The Gathering crossover adventure, in which players can travel to Strixhaven, the world’s premier magic school, and roleplay as students attending magic school ala Harry Potter.
Besides the fact that the overall tone of this adventure is pretty hilarious, it’s also full of memorable NPCs to roleplay with, extracurricular clubs, and a very robust dating sim element. If your table loves making chaotic roles for seduction, then Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is the module for you.
Space-fairing Adventure
Overall, this adventure is pretty high-stakes and definitely sees players taking on some more dramatic roleplay moments. However, the real chaos of this adventure comes with its backdrop: namely, Wildspace. In this adventure, players will get to travel the far reaches of the Astral Sea in their very own Spelljammer.
The main benefit of this adventure for a chaotic party is the types of encounters players will get to have. There are all manner of chaotic and unique monsters found throughout this module. Plus, getting to fly a Spelljammer through Asteroid Fields and other space hazards can prove incredibly fun and challenging, even for more distractible parties.
Metropolitan Mystery
Waterdeep: Dragon Heistis one of my favorite modules of all time to run and to play. In this adventure, players will get to take on ownership of a storied tavern in the fabled city of Waterdeep, all the while looking for a fabled treasure vault that is said to lie somewhere deep beneath the city. However, players may soon discover that they’re not the only ones looking for the vault.
Selecting different seasons in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist can alter the types of encounters that players will find. For the most chaotic options, I would recommend setting the adventure in Spring or Fall, as the antagonists of each of these adventures are quite fun.
Metatextual Theatre
This is another adventure that can be found within the grander module of Candlekeep. In this adventure, players will happen across a copy of a play called ‘The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale’, which tells the story of a bard who was turned evil. However, the play is not all it seems, and actually serves as a portal to a demiplane.
What’s most fun about this adventure is that the copy of the play itself serves as a metatextual reference to the key antagonist of the adventure. Plus, players who enjoy all things theatrical are sure to enjoy the play-like backdrop of this adventure.
Train Heist
This adventure can be found in the ‘Keys from the Golden Vault’ adventure module. This module contains several different adventures, all of which revolve around heists or capers of some kind. This one is far and away the most chaotic and exciting, thanks to its unique setting.
In this module, players will have to board a train known as the Concordant Express, which is currently housing a mysterious prisoner known as ‘The Stranger.’ Players will be tasked with unraveling the mystery of this prisoner, what his crimes are, all the while exploring the unique locale of the Concordant Express.
Macabre Fairytale
Last but not least, Dementlieu is another demiplane found in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. Similar to the Boreal Ball, this adventure takes place in the fabled city of Dementlieu, which throws a weekly masquerade ball for the realm’s mysterious Duchess.
However, the ball is not all it seems. While this adventure does have a dark tone to it, the world of Dementlieu is very chaotic and fun, filled with cabaret theatres, fairytale versions of hags, and a fun play on the Cinderella story.
