MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
I have mixed feelings about AL. I really miss the old days when you could play mid-to-high level one-offs in RPGA tournament modules using pre-gens.
With AL I could only play at low levels for a long time because I couldn't play frequently enough to level up into the higher tiers.
I play AL because it is one way I can easily get a chance to play instead of DM.
Now that I found a regular game that works for my schedule, I'm finally leveling up a character. The game itself is pretty similar to any regular group, since we are the same group of players week after week, with the exception is that I can take my character to a con and finally sit down at a higher tier table to play.
I generally prefer to play non-AL D&D games at Cons but they are becoming very uncommon.
The one thing I love about AL, however, are the Epics. You have around 100 players playing in one game. Tables are group by tiers (i.e., 1-4, 5-10, 11-16, 17-20) and each tier is grouped into tables with 6 players. Each tier has objective and the able report their progress to the Epic organizer. In some, games tables can ask for assistance from other tables. In other games, there are NPCs that travel from table to table presenting additional challenges and boons. The last one I played into two weeks ago was a fundraiser, so you buy reroll tickets. Which you need because the DMs are encouraged to make things especially deadly.
In Epics, you are running against the clock with frequent announcements about other teams' successes, so there is cheering throughout the game.
Playing AL, for me, is worth it just to level up characters to play in the Epics.
With AL I could only play at low levels for a long time because I couldn't play frequently enough to level up into the higher tiers.
I play AL because it is one way I can easily get a chance to play instead of DM.
Now that I found a regular game that works for my schedule, I'm finally leveling up a character. The game itself is pretty similar to any regular group, since we are the same group of players week after week, with the exception is that I can take my character to a con and finally sit down at a higher tier table to play.
I generally prefer to play non-AL D&D games at Cons but they are becoming very uncommon.
The one thing I love about AL, however, are the Epics. You have around 100 players playing in one game. Tables are group by tiers (i.e., 1-4, 5-10, 11-16, 17-20) and each tier is grouped into tables with 6 players. Each tier has objective and the able report their progress to the Epic organizer. In some, games tables can ask for assistance from other tables. In other games, there are NPCs that travel from table to table presenting additional challenges and boons. The last one I played into two weeks ago was a fundraiser, so you buy reroll tickets. Which you need because the DMs are encouraged to make things especially deadly.
In Epics, you are running against the clock with frequent announcements about other teams' successes, so there is cheering throughout the game.
Playing AL, for me, is worth it just to level up characters to play in the Epics.