Very Hard D&D Campaigns That Are Still Fun

Dungeons and Dragons is a wonderful TTTRPG system that allows players to live out their best fantasy dreams, being able to role-play as a various races and classes. The possibilities are endless, especially with a creative DM at the helm. While the customizable abilities are praised as the system is ripe for home-brewing, Wizards themselves have released some fantastic pre-written adventures.

These adventures cut down on a DM's work as they don't have to decide on a story and setting themselves, and merely need to set up and play what is already written, which is life-saving for busy DM's. But DMs should take care when selecting what campaign to play, as some can be quite deceptively challenging.

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7 Icewind Dale: Rime Of The Frost Maiden

Deadly Encounters

Neverwinter Nights remake Icewind Dale long shot

Rime of the Frost Maiden is one of Wizard's more recent releases that sends players to the frosty tundra of Icewind Dale, a place fraught with dangers and freezing temperatures. Everlasting night has fallen, and now the Ten-Towns are hanging in the balance, waiting for a band of brave adventurers to slay the Frost Maiden and save them all.

But this will be no easy feat. Starting at 1st level is dangerous, as players can die to one well-placed arrow at this level, and with some balancing issues present in some of the encounters outlined in the book, many players will find themselves falling to creatures that aren't even high-levelled bosses.

6 Dungeon Of The Mad Mage

Traps Galore

Dungeon of the Mad Mage is the perfect campaign for players who enjoy the combat and power-play aspects of D&D. There is very little story to facilitate here, but this doesn't mean it is a dull campaign by any means, but for those that value the story-building and RP aspects of the game this might not be the adventure for them.

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Set after the events of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, the plucky adventurers will venture down the entrance to the treacherous labyrinthine dungeon that rests beneath the city for a shot at gathering gold and glory. As it is the domain of the titular Mad Mage Halastar Blackcloak, there is plenty of treasure ahead, but also many perils the party need to be wary of. They certainly would not be the first hopeful group of adventurers that delved into the dungeon only to never return.

5 Out Of The Abyss

Demon Princes On The Loose

Out of the Abyss is one of Wizard's greatest adventures, which sees newbie adventurers heading down into the beautiful but dangerous subterranean world of the Underdark, which normally is a place fraught with dangers thanks to the monsters that call it home and the drow that dwell in the dark, able to see through the gloom and strike without warning or mercy.

OotA takes things to a whole new level, as the Archmage of Menzoberranzan cast a spell that opened portals to the demonic abyss, where many demons and Demon Princes stepped through, including the terrifying two-headed Demogorgon. To make things worse, this Demon Prince is an eighteen-foot tall monstrosity suffering from madness, and carves paths of destruction through the Underdark. It's up to the adventurers to stop him, but as they start at level one, it will be no easy feat to even survive the journey to the final fight, nevermind the fight itself.

4 Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus

Hell Is A Hostile Place

An entire city has fallen into hell, and it is up to the players to save the city, but first they must survive the dangers of the Nine Hells, which is probably the location at the bottom of most adventurers' lists. Devils, demons and the ongoing Blood War are at play here, along with the uncomfortable environment and other dangers ahead.

As it is home to devils, players will likely find themselves accosted on a daily basis as they travel through the Hells, while also trying to combat the overwhelming heat that is constant and pervasive. It is one of the most hostile places for the living to visit, and every passing hour will be a new fight for survival. Some quests are a sure death-sentence for lower-powered parties, so players must be smart, and also lucky, if they are to survive the hazards of hell.

3 Tyranny Of Dragons: Rise Of Tiamat

An Unkillable Villain

The second half of the Tyranny of Dragons campaign is Rise of Tiamat, which sees players preventing the emergence of the fearsome and evil dragon queen, which will undoubtedly cost the lives of millions.

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In this campaign book, the Cult of the Dragon along with the support of chromatic dragons and the Red Wizards of Thay are attempting to free Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells, which will be no easy feat. And faced with an enemy that is said to be immortal and one of the most powerful villains of all, Rise of Tiamat will see its fair share of players fall to her evil machinations. Even if players succeed, she will be banished back into her prison rather than fully die, which leaves the possibility she could escape once more.

2 Curse Of Strahd

Too Many Ways To Die

One of the most popular D&D campaigns is also one of the hardest: Curse of Strahd. This gothic horror adventure traps adventurers in the mists of Barovia, a desolate and depressing land suffering under the iron fist of its vampiric overlord. In order to escape from his lands, players must defeat the vampire and bring hope back to this hopeless land, but doing so is no easy feat.

The land of Barovia is a treacherous one, full of hostile creatures, environmental dangers and horrors that threaten to break sanity. Even just surviving to face off against this campaign villain will be a true test of survival and sheer dumb luck, and no small number of adventurers have died trying, remaining forever trapped in these evil lands.

1 Tomb Of Annihilation

Meat Grinder Mode

D&D Tomb of Annihilation official cover art

With a name like Tomb of Annihilation, it's a safe bet that this campaign will be a tough one, and that is putting it very lightly. In this campaign, players is set on an island known as Chult, but it is anything other than a beach-side escape. A Death Curse has befallen the region which slowly kills anyone who has been brought back from the dead while also preventing any means of resurrection.

This means players have no chance of cheating death, and death is the name of the game here. Tough battles, deadly combat, and the dreaded meat grinder mode all culminate in one sadistic campaign that seems like it is designed to kill the players. Meat grinder raises the death saving throw success number from 10 to 15, and with the Death Curse in place, many players will see their beloved characters fall with no second chance.