Best D&D Adventures Where You Can Be The Villain

Summary

• Some D&D adventures allow players to be villains, like Tomb of Horrors, Curse of Strahd, and Out of the Abyss.
• Curse of Strahd includes the option to play as a Dhampir or party member double-crossing allies for Strahd.
• Greyhawk: Slavers gives players the opportunity to take on the role of pirates, slavers, or soldiers working for a violent warlord.

Most adventures that take place in the Dungeons & Dragons universe revolve around the classic good versus evil theme, with players assuming the role of good characters fighting against an evil foe. A creative Dungeon Master can flip this script and give players a chance to play the bad guys, and it’s easier to do with some modules than others.

The villain in a D&D adventure can take a variety of forms depending on the storyline and what the DM has arranged for each stage in the adventure. There might be an element of evil within the party that is secretly working against the protagonists, or a whole party of villains defending their cave, castle, or keep from some busybodies who want to be heroes. Each of the following adventures is part of the Wizards of the Coast adventure library and would make a great start for players who want to be the villain.

Tomb Of Horrors

Linked to The Tomb Of Annihilation Adventures

• Character Levels: 10 – 14
• Author: Gary Gygax
• Release Date: 1975

One of the oldest D&D adventure modules in existence was designed to give players as much freedom as possible when it came to roleplaying and creative problem-solving. It takes place in the realm of Greyhawk, which author Gary Gygax created, and is intended to challenge advanced players.

With that in mind, there’s a lot of villainous potential for a module about a party of adventurers searching through a perilous dungeon for the crypt of a wizard. There might be a rival in the party that plans to turn on his companions and pillage the loot, or another spellcaster with nefarious or dangerous plans for the wizard’s remains.

Curse Of Strahd

Play An Undead Character

• Character Levels: 1 – 10
• Authors: Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters
• Release Date: March 15, 2016

Curse of Strahd is based on the much older Ravenloft module, which was published in 1983, and has similar potential when it comes to players who want to be villains. The conventional adventure is intended to take players through the land of Barovia as they hunt the vampire wizard Strahd von Zarovich and his allies. An important detail is one of the races specific to this module, the Dhampir, a creature that mixes vampire and human ancestry.

A DM will often debate whether or not to allow a player to roll a character of this race because of the evil implications. This is easily mitigated by making one or more members of the party double agents for Strahd, luring them in so the vampire lord can destroy them, or running a whole party of vampires through the module as they defend their territory.

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

A Story Of Thieves

• Character Levels: 1 – 5
• Authors: Christopher Perkins, James Haeck, James Introcaso, Adam Lee, Matthew Sernett
• Release Date: September 18, 2018

Players will disagree on whether the notorious character Volothamp Geddarm is a hero or a villain, but he always seems to get into and start trouble for the protagonists of any adventure. It’s because of him that the main characters begin their search for a massive hoard of treasure hidden somewhere under the wealthy and venerated city of Waterdeep.

It’s the kind of story that lends itself to the morally ambiguous, with the main incentive being loot, and any player can be waiting for an opportunity to take more for themselves. The plot also features several prominent villains, including Manshoon the Manyfaced and Xanathar the Beholder. Depending on how everything unfolds as the players fight toward their goal, a player could take on the persona of one of these prominent antagonists.

Tales Of The Yawning Portal: Dead In Thay

Roleplay A Red Wizard

• Character Levels: 9
• Author: Scott Fitzgerald Gray
• Release Date: April 2014

The fifth adventure in the Tales of the Yawning Portal anthology, which is designed to progress characters from level 1 to level 11, this chapter takes players deeper into the dark society of Thay and the wizards that rule it. The wizard Szass Tam is attempting to open a portal known as the Bloodgate to invade the Sword Coast, and their party is determined to stop him – or are they?

Like the option in the Curse of Strahd adventure, it’s possible to have a party of Szass Tam loyalists waiting to thwart or destroy our heroes at every turn. As those who have played Baldur’s Gate 3 or seen the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves already know, Red Wizards often travel in disguise, using different names, which means one could easily infiltrate an adventuring party.

Out Of The Abyss

The Dark World Of The Drow

• Character Levels: 1 – 15
• Authors: Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters
• Release Date: September 15, 2015

The Underdark is one of the most dangerous places in the D&D universe, but also home to some of its most powerful and evil races. The plot begins when an Archmage of Menzoberranzan​​​​​​, Gromph Baenre, opens several portals to a demonic abyss and isn’t prepared for what rushes out to meet him.

Adventurers with a heart of gold would stop him for the good of all Faerun, but it’s just as likely that a few local Drow or Druegar would swoop in to take the loot, gear, or magical knowledge. This module is an extensive one, consisting of seventeen chapters and four appendices, so if a player is going to be a villain, they have to commit to the role and make sure the DM knows about it.

D&D Starter Set: Lost Mine Of Phandelvar

An Adventure With Multiple Foes

• Character Levels: 1
• Authors: Wizards RPG Team
• Release Date: July 15, 2014

An ideal beginning tutorial for any player or class, this would also work for one who wanted to hone their skills in the art of villainy. This is a first-level module with a simple premise, which is why it’s easier to make adjustments for an evil character. Emphasis is put on role-play and character traits, encouraging players to make an effort beyond dice rolls, making this even more interesting for an evil character, covert or not.

There are four parts to this adventure, the first one involving an encounter with Goblins that ultimately leads to the mine. The DM can give characters their motivations for visiting this region and the city of Phandalin, or players can make them up, and it’s an ideal situation for a character with evil intentions.

Greyhawk: Slavers

The Title Makes It Obvious

• Character Levels: 4 – 5
• Authors: Sean K Reynolds and Chris Pramas
• Release Date: 2000

The previous module in this series is entitled “Scourge of the Slavers,” but this second installment gives more freedom to characters who take an opposing view when it comes to the buying and selling of flesh. The premise of these adventures is to fight back against the slave traders that have invaded an otherwise peaceful land, but it’s just as fitting to take the role of one of the slavers.

The villains in this story hail from the land of Pomarj, and they’ve already been raiding the coastline for ten years when this adventure begins. Players can be pirates, slavers, or thieves, but they can also be soldiers, marching across the coast on behalf of Turrosh Mak, a half-orc warlord with a reputation for violence. Given the options for villains in this adventure, it’s unclear why anyone would want to be one of the good guys.