Epics and Specials for sale on DM's Guild

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Trellian

Explorer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #1

I'm sorry if this has been addressed earlier, but I did look down a few pages without luck, and even tried a search..

Is there any plans of making the Epics and other specials (I've read about one where Melisande's backstory is revealed) available through DM's Guild? With the myriad of fan-created adventurers and mammoth WOTC campaigns in variable quality, I've found the AL adventures a good read (haven't got the chance to play any yet, unfortunately). Stringing together some of the adventures from a season or two (or three) could make for a fun campaign. There are so many details and NPCs that pop up several times.
But there doesn't seem to be a proper finish to the season for those who cannot participate in the big Con specials in the US. So the players may never get revenge on Vorgansharax and they might never try to stop Mulmaster from being sunk. The Rage of Demons have Six Knives of Nomerthal though, so that might be the exception.

I get that you are trying to make the Epics epic and the Specials special in order to increase convention numbers, but would it impact anything negatively if you released it on DM's guild a year or two after taking place?

 

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KahlessNestor

Adventurer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #2

Epics I am not sure. One needs a large number of players and tables for those. There was talk of releasing the author specials eventually, but no timetable. Robert Addicci has said he has a checklist that he wants to accomplish before he releases his and that it is very near complete, so there is that. I believe Elisande's story is revealed in a normal module, so you should be able to get it. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to play in Greg Marks' author only at CODCon.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

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Tyranthraxus

Explorer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #3

I believe its been stated many times in the facebook group that the Admins have no plans to release these to anywhere else but Conventions who request them. Like you said, its a draw for the convention to boost the numbers they are getting.
(In fact about 6 months ago, we got a whole flurry of different people on facebook almost demanding they be allowed to play the epic outside of a convention. Ill never play one either, but again Ive always found the whole multiple tables contributing to a objective a bit .. false in some respects. )

(One thing thats puts me off this conversation topic in general was a guy I saw on Reddit pleading for someone to send him the epics for each season because he needed a complete 'set'. Like AL was some GI JOE collection he had to finish off. )

I think its far more likely the Admin only scenarios will get released someday down the road. How long that road is I dont know, but I think that will be your avenue for the 'special scenarios' you are chasing.

Keep in mind there are also the upcoming Baldman game releases (and there are a lot of them) . That should certainly fill any hole for future content.

 

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skerritthegreen

Explorer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #4

Epics will not be released. DDAO adventures might be, at the author's discretion. This would require to write a new DDAO they could run (we don't want them running on that is available for sale) and we are discussing an embargo before such a thing could happen. The most common suggestion at the moment is 2 years.

 

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Trellian

Explorer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #5

I understand that Epics are multi-table special events that doesn't really make sense to release. It's just that.. there doesn't seem to be a final chapter of the season if you purchase the modules for a home game. Maybe Baldman (or whoever) can design something for the DM's Guild, like a one-table friendly modified version of the specials.

 

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skerritthegreen

Explorer

• Apr 22, 2016

• #6

Trellian said:

I understand that Epics are multi-table special events that doesn't really make sense to release. It's just that.. there doesn't seem to be a final chapter of the season if you purchase the modules for a home game. Maybe Baldman (or whoever) can design something for the DM's Guild, like a one-table friendly modified version of the specials.

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Well, none of the Epics are really the end of the season. DDEP1 happens between DDEX1-3 and DDEX1-4. DDEP2 happens between DDEX2-15 and DDEX2-16 (this one might be looked at as a capstone to the season). DDEP3 happens between DDEX3-4 and DDEX3-5. DDEP4 happens between DDAL4-1 and DDAL4-2.

I believe there are plans for "specials" of some kind in the works, but none that rework the Epics for one table. Such an adventure would not be AL legal.

 

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Tyranthraxus

Explorer

• Apr 26, 2016

• #7

Also Baldman games seems to be basing their scenarios around the Triad. 3 scenarios all linked. Possibly a beginning a middle and an end. Which I think is a great concept .

 

Eltab

Lord of the Hidden Layer

• May 5, 2016

• #8

Trellian said:

Maybe Baldman (or whoever) can design something for the DM's Guild, like a one-table friendly modified version of the specials.

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A few years back, I got in on an LFR Epic at a very small Con, which had only two tables total - one low-level and one mid-level. Instead of an army storming a castle, it felt like a Special Forces raid. It was most cool.
But I've never "peeked behind the curtain" to see how Epics are written, or how/if they (collectively or an individual one) can be modified successfully for one-table play.

Edit: It would be awesome to see such a thing done, but I expect it to be at the bottom of the to-do list.

 

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RulesJD

First Post

• May 5, 2016

• #9

For what it's worth, if you want an experience that is significantly better than this season's epic:

Just play DDEX 1-14 and take the fight all the way through at the end.

 

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RCanine

First Post

• May 6, 2016

• #10

Trellian said:

I understand that Epics are multi-table special events that doesn't really make sense to release.

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While I think it's fine for the admins to decide they don't want to release the specials, I also think it's pretty important to dispel this. The specials a single-table adventures enhanced by interactivity; they tend not to break the core AL assumption of 1:3-7 players. While there's definitely something to be lost by playing the specials without 200 of your closest friends, but the entirety of a three-tier adventure could be experienced by as few 12 people, making it grist for birthday parties, corporate events, and FLGS events.

That they don't is more a factor of strategy and artistic vision than game mechanics. And possibly some awkward publishing logistics if the specials are multi-author. That is fine, of course, but I think there's space for smaller interactives--"epicettes" if you will. But there's no way to do that in AL right now.