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Dungeons & Dragonshas multiple modules aimed at beginner Dungeon Masters and player groups. These aim to streamline your first crack at the hobby by giving the DM simple breakdowns of how the exploration, combat and social encounters play out and telling you the spots where it’s better to improvise than plan everything.
Getting the most out of Dungeons & Dragons requires the investment of both the DM and players, but it doesn’t have to be challenging. Understanding how to make the most of these pre-written modules gives you a strong framework for enjoying other adventures and potentially building your own.
What To Expect From Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle
Does Stormwreck Isle Rely On Other Books?
The adventure is part of a self-contained starter set thatcontains everything needed to run the module. Players wishing to create their own characters instead of using the pre-generated ones included in the set can use the Player’s Handbook.
It makes references to other books, such as the Monster Manual or Dungeon Master’s Guide, but includes all the relevant excerpts needed to run the adventure.
Spoiler-Lite Synopsis
The titular dragons give part of the game away. A big part of the adventure’s overall narrative is centered on theconflict between the chromatic and metallic dragons.
The latest generation of dragons to engage in this conflict are thebronze dragon Runaraand theblue dragon Sparkrender. Runara takes on a guiding role, giving the players opportunities to help locals and gather the strength needed to defeat Sparkrender.
There are generations of D&D lore going into the conflict, but the general rule is that dragons named aftercolours (red, blue, green, black, and white dragons) are eviland metallic dragons(brass, bronze, silver, gold) are good.
At the very least, they’re on the same broad teams in a grand conflict between the two dragon deitiesTiamat and Bahamut. Tiamat does not appear, but a central location is a shrine to Bahamut.
This doesn’t mean dragons are the exclusive characters involved. There are locals to the island on both sides of the conflict, though most are neutral or aligned with Runara.
The module also introduces some less stereotypical fantasy groups, with acolony of telepathic shroom-like myconidsmaking up an early side quest.
Content Warnings
The tone of the adventurekeeps away from most common forms of graphic or triggering content. There are some particular and general content categories that some people might find unsettling.
Potential Edits
Violence
Violence is broadlycartoonish.An example resolution to the first fight is to throw a tarp over them and chase them away.
The DM can describe violence in as much or as little detail as they find appropriate to their group.
Generational Conflict
The primary motivation of the antagonist is responding to thedeath of their parentat the hands of another character.
You cansubstitute a different backstory for this characterwithout altering their motivations or needing to alter the gameplay.
Undead/Rotting bodies
The island isinfested with zombies. They aren’t described in graphic detail but will kill villagers if the party fails to stop them.
You couldreplace the zombies with another creaturewith an equal Challenge Rating (CR), but would need torewrite some of the dialogue and quests.
Suggested Tweaks For Running Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle
With the focus on explaining content for both the Dungeon Master and players, the module does a good job of being accessible. Some groups will prefer to use the written adventure as more of a guide than a manual, making adjustments to fit the style of their group.
Allow alternative starting characters.
Some players will bond more easily with acharacter they created.
As the DM you’ll need tocreate a narrative ‘hook’that pulls the new character into the narrative.
A draconic sorcerer, for example, might be studying the islands to learn about their magical ancestry.
Let players approach the observatory without permission.
Teaches the party they’re allowed to run from fights and should scout locations before exploring.
Setting Sparkrender up as an antagonist before the final chapter.
The module recommends that Runara warn players away from the observatory if they try to approach it.
You can insteadhave them attacked by Sparkrenderor his kobold worshippers.
Don’t worry about punishing them for running. The bruise to their ego will be plenty.
Let players spot the violent fungi if they look for them.
The violent fungi encounter canaccidentally teach players to not try and use skills in combat: The module instructs the DM to keep the hidden fungi concealed even if players actively search for them.
If a player chooses to spend an action actively searching for hidden threats, you shouldallow a perception check (DC13to spot one, DC18 to spot two).
You can explain the myconids not detecting the violent fungi by intoning that they use camouflages that target other senses than sight, making them much stealthier against the myconids relying on those senses.
Remove level scaling from the two sidequests.
Stops the harpy from magically duplicating when the party levels up,staying in line with the description of a singular harpyattacking ships.
Both the Compass Rose and Seagrow Caves havealternative encounter designsso that the second locationthey visit is always harder.
Choose one to have the level one encounter and the other to have the level two encounter.
Suggested Follow-Up Adventures
There isn’t a singular order in which Dungeons & Dragons should be experienced. Instead, work outwhich aspects of the game you and your group found the most enjoyableand search for content that expands on those interests.
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, Wild Beyond The Witchlight
Lighthearted adventure.
Spelljammer is a good module for younger audiences. The light tone turns D&D into a pulp sci-fi story.
Wild Beyond The Witchlight does the same thing for a more fae-themed adventure.
Slaying dragons
Epic quests
Dragonlance takes place in a different setting to the Sword Coast and many other fifth edition modules but captures the same narrative beat ofthe players participating in a great war between and against dragons.
The world of Krynn takes adarker and more melodramatic tone, 300 years after the setting’s golden age was ended by a catastrophe big enough to be capitalised on in history books.
Waterdeep
Regional conflicts with recurring characters
One of the larger locations of the setting can easily contain enough adventures for alengthy campaign stretching from levels one to twenty.
A bit of narrative stitching can bring the same collection of characters from the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist to another module focused on the city.
