High-level play in the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons offers some of the most thrilling and unpredictable experiences, but finding well-designed adventures for levels of the fourth tier of play can be challenging. While most campaigns focus on mid-level play, some modules push characters into godlike power, massive battles, and legendary encounters.

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These adventures offer mythic threats, planar conflicts, and high-stakes challenges, ensuring that even the most powerful parties are tested. Whether delving into ancient ruins, facing world-ending horrors, or battling deities, these high-level adventures provide some of the best late-game content for 5e.

7 Princes Of The Apocalypse

Elemental Chaos And World-Shattering Power

Art by Johan Grenier

While Princes of the Apocalypse is primarily an early-to-mid-level adventure, its final confrontations with the Elemental Princes make it a thrilling high-level experience. The campaign is designed to take characters from levels 3 to 15, but DMs can easily extend the scope, making the final battle against the Elder Elemental Eye a true level 20 challenge.

The adventure revolves around four destructive cults, each devoted to an elemental power seeking to reshape the world. The deeper players delve into their plans, the more they uncover ancient rituals, extraplanar entities, and immense forces struggling for dominance. The final battle against Tharizdun’s influence is an epic conclusion, pitting players against elemental lords that can shake reality itself. For groups who love battling god-like foes and reshaping the world with their choices, this is a fantastic high-level adventure.

6 Alkazaar’s Appendix

A Mystery Wrapped In Undead And Forgotten Secrets

Art by Viko Menezes

From the Candlekeep Mysteries anthology, Alkazaar’s Appendix is a level 16 adventure that sends the party on a hunt for a long-lost artifact hidden deep within the Anauroch desert. This journey quickly escalates when they discover an undead guardian, a forgotten history, and a secret too dangerous to remain buried.

Unlike many high-level adventures, Alkazaar’s Appendix doesn’t just throw powerful monsters at players—it emphasizes exploration, lore, and puzzle-solving. However, that doesn’t mean it lacks danger—ancient traps, desert horrors, and magical threats ensure that combat remains intense. For groups that enjoy a balance between investigation, moral dilemmas, and high-stakes combat, this mystery-laden journey is a great pick.

5 Xanthoria

A High-Level Battle Against A Plague Of Death

Blights by Brian Valeza

Also from Candlekeep Mysteries, Xanthoria is a level 17 adventure that plunges players into a horrific fungal apocalypse. A deadly spore-based corruption is spreading, threatening to turn all living creatures into mindless, fungal horrors. The source? A lich druid named Xanthoria, who has twisted nature into something horrifying.

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This adventure stands out due to its dark fantasy and horror themes, blending high-level combat with psychological terror. Players must navigate twisted forests, decayed ruins, and fungal-infested creatures before facing Xanthoria herself—who is not just a formidable spellcaster but also has the terrifying ability to spread her plague with every attack. For players who want high-level threats with a horror twist, this adventure delivers.

4 Lost Tales Of Myth Drannor

Elven Legends And Forgotten Magic Await

art by Bruce Brenneise

Set in the legendary ruins of Myth Drannor, this adventure is perfect for level 15+ parties looking to test their skills in arcane ruins filled with ancient magic and deadly foes. Originally released as part of Dungeon Masters Guild, it features lost elven artifacts, rival factions, and powerful forces vying for control over the city’s secrets.

High-level play often involves world-shaping choices, and Lost Tales of Myth Drannor delivers by letting players influence the fate of an ancient civilization’s remnants. Expect encounters with spellcasters wielding long-lost magic, undead horrors from past wars, and rival adventurers trying to claim Myth Drannor’s power for themselves. For groups that love Forgotten Realms lore and arcane mysteries, this adventure is a must.

3 A Convergence Of Gods

The Line Between Mortal And Divine Blurs

Art by Nestor Ossandon Leal

One of the most unique high-level adventures, A Convergence of Gods, puts players in direct conflict with divine forces, testing their power against beings who shape reality itself. Designed for level 17+ characters, this adventure explores the aftermath of a celestial war, where players must decide the fate of fallen gods and unravel divine conspiracies.

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Unlike most adventures, this one pushes roleplaying to the forefront, as players must navigate divine politics, cosmic rivalries, and the temptations of godhood. While combat is still a major factor, the real challenge lies in making choices that shape the heavens themselves. For groups looking for a story-driven, philosophical, and high-stakes adventure, this is a top-tier choice.

2 Invasion From The Planet Of Tarrasques

Because One Tarrasque Isn’t Enough

Art by Chris Rahn

What’s more terrifying than a Tarrasque? An invasion of them from another world, of course. This adventure embraces the most chaotic, ridiculous, and destructive aspects of high-level play, pitting level 20 characters against several world-ending threats.

Instead of a single, nearly unbeatable creature, the players must strategize, rally armies, and find ways to stop an extinction-level event. Expect over-the-top combat encounters, massive destruction, and game-breaking magical abilities as the party faces creatures that should never exist in numbers. While not the most serious adventure, it’s a hilarious and absurdly fun challenge for those who want to end their campaign with an apocalyptic bang.

1 Waterdeep: Dungeon Of The Mad Mage

The Ultimate High-Level Dungeon Crawl

Art by Aurore Folny

Few fifth edition adventures cater to high-level parties from the start, but Dungeon of the Mad Mage delivers an expansive, multi-layered mega-dungeon designed to take characters from level 5 all the way to level 20. Set beneath Waterdeep, this sprawling adventure is filled with deadly traps, strange pocket dimensions, and bizarre magical phenomena, all under the control of the unpredictable Halaster Blackcloak.

This adventure tests players on every level, from tactical combat and dungeon survival to negotiating with factions and uncovering ancient secrets. With 23 floors, each with its own theme, ecosystem, and dangers, it provides an unmatched level of variety in high-level play. For those who love intricate dungeon delves, bizarre magical challenges, and long-term campaign potential, there’s no better choice than the Mad Mage’s lair.

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Dungeons & Dragons

9.5/10 Original Release Date 1974 Player Count 2+ Age Recommendation 12+ (though younger can play and enjoy) Length per Game From 60 minutes to hours on end. Franchise Name Dungeons & Dragons Publishing Co Wizards of the Coast

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that first took the world by storm in the 1970s, and continues to enchant millions of players today. With a seemingly endless number of modules and campaigns for you to play, as well as the possibility to do your own thing, you'll never get bored of playing D&D. 
 

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