OotA Magic Items AL Legality *spoilers*

[Endur]

While I agree that the Wand of Orcus has balance issues and shouldn't be in a PC's possession in campaign like AL, why are people claiming the adventure takes the Wand away from the PCs?
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The adventure explicitly states that the Wand instantaneously attunes to the PC that picks it up. Chapter 17 and several of the other chapters lack a treasure and/or an XP section. So claiming that a treasure section is missing isn't really a statement of intent for the module, its more a statement of inconsistent adventure writing.
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[felwred]

While I agree that the Wand of Orcus has balance issues and shouldn't be in a PC's possession in campaign like AL, why are people claiming the adventure takes the Wand away from the PCs?
[Sblock]
The adventure explicitly states that the Wand instantaneously attunes to the PC that picks it up. Chapter 17 and several of the other chapters lack a treasure and/or an XP section. So claiming that a treasure section is missing isn't really a statement of intent for the module, its more a statement of inconsistent adventure writing.
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It is entirely possible that party members end up with the wand. There's a section detailing the wand forcing itself on PCs to fight Demogorgon. It's not spelled out what happens if the PC's keep it. This concerned me when I read the module and started DMing it that I'd run into AL tables where someone kept the wand. As a DM, you could just TPK the table since the wand's mission is elimination of all life (including PCs) and force and ego check that is virtually impossible to make.

Fred

 

[Byakugan]

Our DM awarded my character (a polearm fighter) a cert for Dwarven Plate last week. Everybody at the table was given something decent, but imo that one was the standout.

Before that, it was only a theoretical 'bet that happens at some point'. Well, it is a real thing in at least 1 state now.

Dwarven Plate is actually already an AL legal item from season 2...it just has no cert. It is one of the alternate Orcsplitter rewards.

 

[Byakugan]

Regarding the Black Dragon Mask, I think only 1 person has it in my area. We looted it off Rezmir in Chapter 6, before she escaped Castle Naertar. Its not even normally part of the story, but it was the last session of the season for us and the DM made her the 'boss' encounter....and she exploded and revived a couple times WoW style.

But the Chapter 2 Scenario is easy. Lv 3 character casts Suggestion on her and says 'only by handing over your magic items and ordering us released can you ensure the final goals of your cult, and you REALLY wanna do that!' DM either does not notice the legendary save, or already used it...game over. Gratz on shiny mask and sword!

 

[RulesJD]

Our DM awarded my character (a polearm fighter) a cert for Dwarven Plate last week. Everybody at the table was given something decent, but imo that one was the standout.

Before that, it was only a theoretical 'bet that happens at some point'. Well, it is a real thing in at least 1 state now.

Dwarven Plate is actually already an AL legal item from season 2...it just has no cert. It is one of the alternate Orcsplitter rewards.

How did you get by the 200+ guards, WoF, etc?

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

How did you get by the 200+ guards, WoF, etc?

My party got past the guards by convincing Themberchaud to take over Gracklstugh. That provided a distraction for them to make their assault and escape. As for the wall, my players climbed nearby pillars and leapt over it. This is a combat that should be run in three dimensions.

 

[RulesJD]

My party got past the guards by convincing Themberchaud to take over Gracklstugh. That provided a distraction for them to make their assault and escape. As for the wall, my players climbed nearby pillars and leapt over it. This is a combat that should be run in three dimensions.

And there you have it folks, exactly as I predicted. Cup cake DMs ignore the encounter descriptions and hand players items. Same with Black Dragon Mask, Elemental weapons from PotA, etc.

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

And there you have it folks, exactly as I predicted. Cup cake DMs ignore the encounter descriptions and hand players items. Same with Black Dragon Mask, Elemental weapons from PotA, etc.

So because I allowed the players to make a deal with a powerful ally and then had the world react accordingly to their actions, I'm a cupcake DM?

The players entered the throne room with the Blackskull as their escort. As the audience began, Themberchaud began his assault on the Hold of the Deepking. The party convinced Blackskull that they would guard the Deepking and that she should take all other available guards to fight off the dragon. It's not MY fault that RNGesus decided to bestow his favor upon the party, allowing them to make a DC 25 Charisma(Persuasion) check. Had they failed, then they wouldn't have been able to attack the Deepking without guard intervention.

As for the Wall of Force, it's not described in the adventure which shape of wall it was. Therefore, I had to make a field decision of which version best fits the physical description of the room. The wall of flat panels fit better than the dome. Once the party figured out the dimensions of the wall, it was all up to whatever RNGesus decided was going to happen on both sides of the screen.

RNGesus also decided that the Deepking's indefinite madness (which the adventure explicitly called for a roll on the DMG table) was that he doesn't care about what's going on around him. His apathy is what allowed the party to get the jump on him.

You forget that this is a game where DICE determine the outcomes of actions. The DM cannot be held accountable for what the dice say happens. I ran this encounter as close to the letter as possible. The dice decided that the players' impossible actions were going to happen and that the enemies were going to be ineffective.

Sorry that my table's experience ran contrary to what you want to happen at your tables. No need to immediately fault and insult the DMs when things don't go the way YOU want them to.

Expect Table Variation...

 

[RulesJD]

So because I allowed the players to make a deal with a powerful ally and then had the world react accordingly to their actions, I'm a cupcake DM?

The players entered the throne room with the Blackskull as their escort. As the audience began, Themberchaud began his assault on the Hold of the Deepking. The party convinced Blackskull that they would guard the Deepking and that she should take all other available guards to fight off the dragon. It's not MY fault that RNGesus decided to bestow his favor upon the party, allowing them to make a DC 25 Charisma(Persuasion) check. Had they failed, then they wouldn't have been able to attack the Deepking without guard intervention.

As for the Wall of Force, it's not described in the adventure which shape of wall it was. Therefore, I had to make a field decision of which version best fits the physical description of the room. The wall of flat panels fit better than the dome. Once the party figured out the dimensions of the wall, it was all up to whatever RNGesus decided was going to happen on both sides of the screen.

RNGesus also decided that the Deepking's indefinite madness (which the adventure explicitly called for a roll on the DMG table) was that he doesn't care about what's going on around him. His apathy is what allowed the party to get the jump on him.

You forget that this is a game where DICE determine the outcomes of actions. The DM cannot be held accountable for what the dice say happens. I ran this encounter as close to the letter as possible. The dice decided that the players' impossible actions were going to happen and that the enemies were going to be ineffective.

Sorry that my table's experience ran contrary to what you want to happen at your tables. No need to immediately fault and insult the DMs when things don't go the way YOU want them to.

Expect Table Variation...

And yet, somehow, magically all tables will RNGesus their way into the gear. Funny how often that works out.

I don't disagree with your table, I disagree with the premise that because an item(s) is written as being hard to get, that it will actually end up being rare. Want to know how many rare items there are in AL? 0, outside perhaps the Class/Race certs and some of the new DDAO stuff. Anything in the books the AL admins should automatically assume everyone will get access to.

AKA, don't allow something exceedingly powerful (*cough* Black Dragon Mask *cough*) just because the author thinks it will be tough to get.

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

And yet, somehow, magically all tables will RNGesus their way into the gear. Funny how often that works out.

I don't disagree with your table, I disagree with the premise that because an item(s) is written as being hard to get, that it will actually end up being rare. Want to know how many rare items there are in AL? 0, outside perhaps the Class/Race certs and some of the new DDAO stuff. Anything in the books the AL admins should automatically assume everyone will get access to.

AKA, don't allow something exceedingly powerful (*cough* Black Dragon Mask *cough*) just because the author thinks it will be tough to get.

I disagree that all tables will always get the gear. One of my FLGS' other DM's tables was unable to get the item from DDAL2-10, because the enemy carrying it ran away before they could stop him.

As for the items included in adventures, that's a decision that WotC makes, not the authors nor anyone from the AL. However, it's up to the authors to place them in positions that are deemed balanced based on the item itself.

The Black Dragon Mask is an anomaly because it was written alongside the PHB. At that point in time, having good CharOp gave parties a significant competitive advantage, because WotC wasn't completely aware of all of the combos they had written into the PHB. Notice that later adventures have placed these items in harder to reach locations than during ToD, with the Deepking's loot being a prime example of that. You want those three items? You better have a scheme that rivals that of Danny Ocean's crew.