When will we see tier 3 or 4 AL Adventures?

Clancey · Apr 27, 2016

Sorry, fairly new to AL, but I have seen players build characters based on the goodies they get at upper levels that they will never see in AL time after time. Will we ever get to the point where anything over level 10 is not moot? Are there adventures I haven't seen? Is 5e too new to warrant higher levels?

Tyranthraxus · Apr 27, 2016

If you are referring to Tier 11-16 games there are already a couple that exist.

There is 3-04 and 3-16.

There are also the upcoming AL scenarios from Baldman games that premiere at Gencon. The Phlan trilogy seems to be 3 , Tier 11-16 scenarios. They appear to be released at Gencon as part of the D&D Experience and had been stated elsewhere would be released to dms outside of Gencon after that. (at some point in time).

As to Tier 4, I cannot speculate. I honestly dont see the need to press the Living Campaign higher than level 16. 16 is a great end point ( its generally pretty hard to write a challenging scenario for character levels in that tier). Level 16 puts you up there with some of the most powerful people in the Realms anyway.

Also welcome to AL. It sounds like to need to check out
http://dndadventurersleague.org/ which is the main site for Adventurers league. Its a treasure trove of useful information.

The information on Baldman's games comes from here:
http://baldmangames.com/dd-adventurers-league/summer-schedule/

As personally a fan of D&D when its in single Digit area (ie levels 1-9) Im very happy with whats coming up. Im not a huge fan of any play after that.

Warmaster Horus · Apr 27, 2016

I'd love to see a small number of Tier IV events for AL some day, but I agree that Tier III is not a bad place to finish off from a designer and party perspective. In the meantime it's not too hard to push the denouements of the hardcover adventures into Tier IV territory given the CR of the last encounters there.

CapnZapp · Apr 27, 2016

Clancey said:
Sorry, fairly new to AL, but I have seen players build characters based on the goodies they get at upper levels that they will never see in AL time after time. Will we ever get to the point where anything over level 10 is not moot? Are there adventures I haven't seen? Is 5e too new to warrant higher levels?

I would strongly recommend those players to stop doing that, if they haven't figured it out by themselves already.

Pauper · Apr 27, 2016

Given that WotC hasn't published a hardcover adventure that goes higher than level 16 by design, I'd throw my hat in with those saying that level 16 is probably a good end point for the OP campaign.

I do recall this question coming up in the past, and someone (possibly Skerritt) saying that AL was planning to support Tier 4 with adventure material at some point, but it's not clear at this point when that time is likely to come. Outside of a judicious use of DM rewards, it seems unlikely that anyone has an AL-legal character higher than level 12 that didn't come out of a hard-cover adventure, which are in theory all self-contained campaigns in their own right.

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Pauper

rczarnec · Apr 27, 2016

Pauper said:
I do recall this question coming up in the past, and someone (possibly Skerritt) saying that AL was planning to support Tier 4 with adventure material at some point, but it's not clear at this point when that time is likely to come. Outside of a judicious use of DM rewards, it seems unlikely that anyone has an AL-legal character higher than level 12 that didn't come out of a hard-cover adventure, which are in theory all self-contained campaigns in their own right.

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Pauper

Just playing DDEX3-4 & DDEX3-16 would move a character from 11 to 13.

It would also be possible to have played DDEP3 & DDEP 4 at tier 3.

In addition, at least the first 5 DDAO adventures have tier 3 options. http://dndadventurersleague.org/author-only-adventures/

It is certainly possible to be well above 12 without using the hardcover adventures or DM rewards.

Pauper · Apr 27, 2016

Point taken. It should be noted, though, that the Season 3 and Season 4 Epic have never been run at the same location, and while the DDAO adventures have tier 3 options, only the authors know how many tier 3 sessions they've run.

The larger point, that there are likely only a tiny number of characters at the appropriate level to even consider tier 4 adventures, doesn't seem disturbed by this information.

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Pauper

Tyranthraxus · Apr 28, 2016

Sorry, my original answer was really more on the availability of most of the scenarios. Probably less than 10 percent of the total player base will ever play an EPIC or Author only scenario, so I tend to respond with more general information.

I also view the MM as the genuine block on more high level content as there is what I perceive a lack of High CR material (compared to low CR ) and that can limit any writers ability for high Tier.

Clancey · Apr 28, 2016

Tyranthraxus said:
Sorry, my original answer was really more on the availability of most of the scenarios. Probably less than 10 percent of the total player base will ever play an EPIC or Author only scenario, so I tend to respond with more general information.

I also view the MM as the genuine block on more high level content as there is what I perceive a lack of High CR material (compared to low CR ) and that can limit any writers ability for high Tier.

Yes, for most players I've gamed with in 5e, not playing at conventions in order to access material not available locally your answer was spot on.

About the MM - there is at least one Monster, with stats, not from the MM so I assume it is constructed by the author in DDAL4-01 Suits Of The Mist - the Fire Stirge. I think if it is allowed to use monsters not in the MM, an author can make monsters at any level s(he) can imagine.

Tyranthraxus · Apr 28, 2016

Clancey: Thats assuming the Author has the desire or ability to make new monsters. The fire stirge was also not particuarly powerful. (low CR). (We also dont know if is the actual author of the scenario putting the monsters in in the first place. It could be someone else.)

At any rate, I dont think the AL Admins need to spend their resources on the Tier 4 market. Games of it will be few and far between and now with Baldman providing more content I hope it satisfies more of those people begging for Tier 3 content (Im not one of them)