D&D Encounters: March of the Phantom Brigade

[peach]

@tikk: it's not that i don't like essentials - in truth i've never read them. i just don't want to spend money for almost the same thing i already have and know. what new format in the fall? will essentials be replaced or not officially allowed?

[MENTION=83250]null[/MENTION]: exactly - once i get to lvl2, i HAVE to buy the essentials book(s) or subscribe to ddi.

on the format - i like the physically smaller version; i don't like rules repeated in both; i don't like needing 2 books to have the "standard" classes - fighter, rogue, cleric, wizard, ranger.

 

[Nullzone]

You could probably get your DM to sit with you and help you make one with his copy of the books if you asked nicely, but yes, ultimately WotC wants people to buy product. That's kind of the point of the program, get people into stores and interested in the game so they invest in it

The new format thing mentioned is a super hard challenge along the lines of the Ultimate Delve or Championship game(s) hosted at Gen Con and similar. One encounter, really brutal. Players should expect to bring their A game.

 

[peach]

i am interested in the game which is why i bought the core books when they first game out. now it seems like my investment is for naught if i want to do anything WOTC sanctioned. the whole idea of "you have to buy the new books or you can't be official" is why i don't buy GW stuff anymore.
so if the core books aren't supported/allowed - are any of the power books - martial/divine/arcane? i'm assuming not based on previous posts.

[MENTION=83250]null[/MENTION]: you mean bring their E game

 

[Nullzone]

The superdelve is not Essentials restricted, people will be able to use material from any sourcebook in the 4e line, including dungeon/dragon magazine updates.

 

[fjw70]

I have been interested in Encounters since the beginning, however I have limited gaming time and haven't been able to work it into my schedule. Maybe I will for the next season (season 4?).

 

[peach]

fj: i too have been interested in encounters and this is 1st time i'll have the schedule to do it which is why i'm asking.
if i was you i'd hold off on any purchases since season 4 might be "only" something not essentials (E2.0, 4.5e). don't mean to sound all negative but i can't keep buying books for the "fundamentals"; errata, addendum, extras - count me in. yes, yes i know i'll get a lot of "then don't play" so skip it. i'll play but don't like be forced into rebuying the standards.

 

[fjw70]

fj: i too have been interested in encounters and this is 1st time i'll have the schedule to do it which is why i'm asking.
if i was you i'd hold off on any purchases since season 4 might be "only" something not essentials (E2.0, 4.5e). don't mean to sound all negative but i can't keep buying books for the "fundamentals"; errata, addendum, extras - count me in. yes, yes i know i'll get a lot of "then don't play" so skip it. i'll play but don't like be forced into rebuying the standards.

I have all the 4e books already (pre-E and E) so I am ready for anything.

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Something else that should be noted is that starting with this season they are heavily emphasizing the creation of your own character; anyone who walks in and wants to use a pregen is doing so with the level 1 cards you see at wizards.com, the pregens never level up. If you want to track xp and level up, you'll need to make your own sheet.

Edit: To be more precise, the issue is that xp is going to be tracked and accrued by the individual player, independently of the content of the season; your very first week of attendance during the season you start at L1, 0xp, and go forward from there, regardless of how deep in the season you are. So you can play with a pregen for the full duration of L1, but as soon as L2 hits you'll need to make your own sheet for it.

The community levels up and puts out sheets for the pregens. The community also makes some great tools for the DM's to use that makes being a DM easier. Every organizer/DM should peruse the March of the Phantom Brigade forums at WOTC.

***As a side note they have not created the new seasons specific forum yet but it will appear at the above link when they do***

 

[Nullzone]

The community levels up and puts out sheets for the pregens. The community also makes some great tools for the DM's to use that makes being a DM easier. Every organizer/DM should peruse the March of the Phantom Brigade forums at WOTC.

***As a side note they have not created the new seasons specific forum yet but it will appear at the above link when they do***

This is how it's been done before, sure; because all players leveled up at specific intervals in the season. (i.e. for season 3, you leveled up at the end of chapters 2 and 4.)

The next four seasons (and this is straight from the horse's mouth) will not work this way. Your xp accrues personally and independently of the seasonal progression. If you make every session, yeah you're probably going to make level 3. But if you show up late in the season and haven't played, you're going to be at level 1, 0 xp. Or let's say you attend the first month's worth, take a break for a month, and then come back; you'll be at level 1, ~500 xp, regardless of how far the rest of the players have progressed. Pregens will not level up, because they want the incoming players to play with the pregen, and then say "Okay, this is awesome, I'm going to make my own character". And clearly there's nothing stopping someone from simply copying the pregen and leveling that up...it's not like the pregen character's design is copyrighted.

Obviously this doesn't stop the community from continuing to level the pregens up if they want to, but it's my feeling that they're kind of defeating some of what WotC is trying to do by anchoring the pregens at level 1. I will happily work with any player who wants to make a sheet and doesn't have their own copy of the books, though I will certainly try to sell a book to them; HotFL/FK are only $20 apiece and have a LOT of content for that price, especially if you don't already have a burgeoning library of 4e products.

 

[GameDoc]

fj:if i was you i'd hold off on any purchases since season 4 might be "only" something not essentials (E2.0, 4.5e).

I think you've been misinformed about future seasons of Encounters vs. the new (not yet officially named) tournament style play coming in the fall. The latter is not replacing Encounters, it's a seperate and additional form of organized play. WotC will now have three forms of organized D&D:

1. Living Forgotten Realms: Entire 4e content, targeted at anyone and everyone.
2. Encoutners: Essentials content, targeted an 4e newcomers and busy people in need of a short-term campaing with briefer gaming sessions.
3. New Unnamed Program: Entire 4e content, tournament style dungeon delves targeted at experienced players who can run optimized characters and engage in tactical play.