OotA Magic Items AL Legality *spoilers*

[RulesJD]

So I'm going to keep this as vague as possible to keep people from abusing knowledge about magical items within the adventure. But suffice to say, there is access to some AMAZING magical items in OotA, in theory. One example is the Wand of Orcus, which has been ruled to not be AL legal.

However, there are other fights that can potentially give out some ridiculously good things. One example is access to a +2 piece of armor that otherwise doesn't exist anywhere else in AL.

These encounters involving fighting NPCs that list the magical items as in their possession. Moreover, there are certs for those items. However, they are not included in any Treasure section like most other AL magical items. Not being listed in a Treasure section was the rationale for not letting players keep the Wand of Orcus. Lastly, the encounters are setup that there is no way physically possible for any rationale DM to let their players ever beat the NPCs holding those items, but I know certain...player friendly...DMs are going to give them out anyways.

So what's the ruling on this one?

 

[kalani]

Please read the following to see if those items have been accounted for... The cloak for example (which has a cert but is not found in the adventure), is a possible reward given to the party by King Bruenor at the end of the adventure.

http://dndadventurersleague.org/amendments-to-out-of-the-abyss/

 

[Pauper]

Also, the Wand of Orcus is not something anybody can actually keep -- the adventure states as much, if you've read it.

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Pauper

 

[RulesJD]

Please read the following to see if those items have been accounted for... The cloak for example (which has a cert but is not found in the adventure), is a possible reward given to the party by King Bruenor at the end of the adventure.

http://dndadventurersleague.org/amendments-to-out-of-the-abyss/

It does not appear to be addressed in the amendments. I am thinking the stuff on page 82 of the hardcover.

 

[kalani]

As that is one adventure I have yet to purchase, I cannot be of much more help unfortunately. If you want a quick answer, might I suggest asking this in the official DndAL group. Otherwise, you could always wait until Greg or Robert notices your post here.

One thing I have noticed however, is that the hardcover adventures seem to make the assumption that magic items used by an NPC combatant are lootable. The list of certificates are consistent with this observation.

For example: Talis (an NPC from Hoard of the Dragon Queen) has two magic items in her possession that come with certificates. The same holds true for Resmir's sword. None of these items are specifically listed anywhere within the adventure as lootable treasure

The Wand of Orcus is a special exception however, as I am under the understanding that the adventure makes it plainly clear that the PCs are unable to keep this item.

 

[StinkyEttin]

As a general rule, characters retain equipment, items, and treasure found in a given encounter's treasure section. If it's not found there, they can typically use it until the end of the session at which point it is lost.

 

[RulesJD]

As a general rule, characters retain equipment, items, and treasure found in a given encounter's treasure section. If it's not found there, they can typically use it until the end of the session at which point it is lost.

That's what I thought, but then see Kalani's post above where magic items (with certs) weren't in Treasure sections but are AL Legal.

 

[kalani]

The early modules (Tyranny of Dragons hardcovers and LMoP) are kind of an exception to the rule however, as they were written prior to the release of the MM or DMG (and were probably 90% finished during the 5E playtest). Later modules have been better about including lootable treasure in the treasure section of each chapter.

Were I to run these adventures today however, I would probably not allow players to loot these items as they were not specifically stated as being treasure in their relevant encounters. With that being said, I don't foresee running these adventures again as HotDQ is very stingy on the gear until the final chapters, and RoT is not well designed for AL (requiring a lot of DM cludgery).

Also, I am only speaking about the hardcovers (which the AL staff has no control over). When playing Expeditions, you cannot loot things that are not specifically stated as being treasure in the adventure's text. In a handful of cases, some of this lootable treasure has been missed on the table at the end of the Expedition (eg. full plate armor in one adventure), but is still lootable none the less.

 

[Pauper]

It does not appear to be addressed in the amendments. I am thinking the stuff on page 82 of the hardcover.

I'm guessing, as the intent of that encounter isn't to be a combat encounter, that AL simply doesn't consider the items lootable because they don't anticipate the party fighting, or at least not fighting the being holding the loot. (Given the placement of that encounter, the party would be unlikely to survive the aftermath, IMO.)

--
Pauper

 

[RulesJD]

I'm guessing, as the intent of that encounter isn't to be a combat encounter, that AL simply doesn't consider the items lootable because they don't anticipate the party fighting, or at least not fighting the being holding the loot. (Given the placement of that encounter, the party would be unlikely to survive the aftermath, IMO.)

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Pauper

Agreed, but why have certs for it then? You know players are going to roll up to tables with those items, especially the dwarven one.