Tales from the Yawning Portal

Tales from the Yawning Portal is a collection of seven classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures updated for modern rules. It’s not a single story but a toolbox of deadly dungeons and challenging encounters. If your group likes combat-heavy, old-school dungeon crawls with minimal hand-holding, this might work—but it’s not for everyone.

Verdict: Only buy this if your group enjoys brutal, combat-focused dungeons with little story guidance for the Dungeon Master—it’s great for nostalgia or a meatgrinder campaign, but terrible for beginners who want narrative depth or balanced difficulty.

At a Glance


System	Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Best for	Experienced groups who enjoy combat-heavy, lethal dungeon crawls
GM required	Yes
Player count	4-6
Session count	50–100 hours (depending on dungeon completion)
Tone	Old-school, lethal, combat-focused

The One-Sentence Verdict

Only buy this if your group enjoys brutal, combat-focused dungeons with little story guidance for the Dungeon Master—it’s great for nostalgia or a meatgrinder campaign, but terrible for beginners who want narrative depth or balanced difficulty.

Who This Adventure Is For

Experienced DMs who want to run deadly dungeons without much prep. The book assumes you can fill in gaps—it doesn’t explain how to hook players into dungeons or how to adjust difficulty when a monster one-shots a level 1 character. For example, The Sunless Citadel (the easiest dungeon in the book) still has instant-kill traps and enemies that can TPK (total party kill) an unprepared group. If you’re comfortable tweaking encounters on the fly or enjoy punishing gameplay, this works.

Groups that love combat-heavy sessions. Over 80% of playtime in these dungeons is fighting monsters, disarming traps, or looting rooms. There’s almost no social interaction or faction play. White Plume Mountain is a famous example: it’s a gauntlet of bizarre, deadly puzzles and fights with almost no NPCs to talk to. If your players want to strategize in combat or enjoy “tactics-first” play, they’ll like this.

Players who enjoy old-school D&D’s lethality. These dungeons were originally designed in the 1970s–80s, when characters died often and resurrection was rare. For example, The Tomb of Horrors (included here) is infamous for traps that kill without rolls (“you step on a tile and die instantly”). Some groups enjoy this style as a challenge—others will find it frustrating.

Who Should Skip It

New DMs or groups with first-time players. The book offers zero advice on balancing encounters, pacing sessions, or linking dungeons into a campaign. For example, Dead in Thay is a massive, confusing dungeon meant for high-level parties, but the book doesn’t explain how to prepare players for it. If you’re still learning rules or how to improvise, avoid this.

Groups that prefer story-driven games. There’s almost no character development, NPC relationships, or plot twists—just rooms full of monsters. Forge of Fury is a typical dungeon: you clear out levels of orcs, then fight a dragon at the bottom. If your players want to negotiate with villains or uncover mysteries, they’ll be bored.

Players who dislike unfair deaths. Many traps and monsters feel cheap by modern standards. In Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, poison gas fills rooms every 10 minutes, forcing players to rush or die. If your group gets angry when a single failed roll kills their character, pick something else.

How Long Does Tales from the Yawning Portal Take?

Each dungeon takes 2–6 sessions (4–12 hours) for most groups, but some are much longer. The Sunless Citadel (the shortest) can be finished in two 3-hour sessions if players move fast. Dead in Thay (the longest) might take 20+ hours because it’s a sprawling, nonlinear dungeon with dozens of interconnected rooms.

The entire book could last 50–100 hours, but it’s not a continuous campaign. The dungeons are unrelated—you’d need to invent reasons for players to travel between them. For example, after finishing The Sunless Citadel, there’s no story link to The Forge of Fury. Some DMs drop these dungeons into their own worlds as side quests.

Pacing depends heavily on your group’s playstyle. If they methodically search every room for traps, double every dungeon’s runtime. The Tomb of Horrors could take 30 minutes if players charge ahead (and die) or 10 hours if they inch forward testing every tile.

What to Buy

You only need two things:

Tales from the Yawning Portal – The hardcover or digital version. The book includes all seven dungeons, monster stats, and maps, but no miniatures or handouts.
The D&D Basic Rules (free online) – Since this isn’t a starter set, you’ll need rules for character creation and combat. Download them here.

Optional but helpful:

Dungeon Master’s Guide – For help balancing encounters or creating story hooks.
Pre-generated characters – Because many dungeons will kill PCs fast. Wizards offers free ones here.

Play This Next

If your group likes Tales from the Yawning Portal but wants more story: try Ghosts of Saltmarsh. It’s another dungeon collection, but with stronger NPCs and a town to connect quests.

If they want even deadlier old-school content: Tomb of Annihilation is a full campaign with a brutal dungeon (and dinosaurs).

If they hated the lethality: Lost Mine of Phandelver (free with the D&D Starter Set) is a balanced beginner adventure with combat, puzzles, and roleplaying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this suitable for beginners?

No, Tales from the Yawning Portal is designed for experienced players and DMs who enjoy challenging, combat-heavy dungeons with little narrative guidance. Beginners may find the difficulty and lack of story frustrating.

Q: Can the dungeons be played as a continuous campaign?

No, the dungeons are standalone adventures. DMs will need to create their own story links or integrate them into an existing campaign world.

Q: Are the dungeons balanced for all levels?

No, the included dungeons vary widely in difficulty, from low-level challenges like The Sunless Citadel to high-level death traps like The Tomb of Horrors. DMs should carefully assess which dungeons suit their group’s level and playstyle.