Learn about D&D organized play options

[Thaumaturge]

I know new people would like a chance to try out the game without losing xp, so I certainly wouldn't want to take the ability to retrain away entirely but I think putting a restriction on it would at least make people think about it before changing.

This is a good point. They could institute a 10gp/level cost the character needed to pay to retrain. Even that would be a speedbump for a significant percentage of players.

Thaumaturge.

 

[exile]

I am not in favor of character remakes at all. If it must be allowed, I think the character should pretty much be fixed by 2nd level (as in PFS) or maybe by 3rd level; didn't they make a big deal about the importance of 3rd level in 5E/Next somewhere?

 

[Warunsun]

This i find a bit weird. I think i preferred LFR retrain rules where you could not change your race, class or background.

This is designed so that someone who starts with the Basic D&D download or the D&D Starter Set will purchase the Player's Handbook and be able to use it for expanded options. With the very limited scope of the entire Adventure League I am not bothered in the slightest with this retraining rule. There is a lot of other things I would like to see tweaked or expanded. In fact, this generous retraining rule will help get Encounters tables together. Perhaps someone made a fighter at GenCon and came home there is no clerics around at their game store. They could switch over for the benefit of the group and keep their magic armor or whatever they brought home. The Adventure League is a very different animal than any previous Living Campaign. They aren't setting it up the way I would have preferred but it is what it is.

 

[Alphastream]

I think the nature of the campaign dictates how retrain rules work. In LG, your primary character was a big deal because it was you face in the community over 5-8 years (people knew each other's characters and the PCs' deeds, mannerisms, etc.). Retrains of something like class and race would have hurt play in that campaign.

In LFR, retrains really weren't a factor beyond things like people abusing new rules or shifting ability scores. That's really pretty minor.

At the same time, most times I try out a new game as DM I like to let players remake their PCs over the first few session. A number of organized play campaigns do this. It lets you join in without fear that you are locking in your choices. Make a PC, play, and if you really aren't happy you can make a change. Most players won't do it. Most players into the story also won't make the change.

If the first levels go by quickly, or if the seasons of play cause PCs to be set aside after a year or less, then that retrain period won't make a big difference.

 

[jodyjohnson]

A look at some of the materials for OP.

http://christulach.tumblr.com/post/90500080149/just-some-stuff-lying-around-the-office

 

[Plaguescarred]

Kit looks niice!! I like the faction cards design

 

[Alphastream]

New article up on the Expeditions part of Adventurers League.

It does a nice job of explaining the history behind living campaigns and the thought process that took part in creating Expeditions. There are some interesting bits in the article. For example, you use character creation rules for a particular story/season, but can continue playing beyond that season. They also mention that convention organizers can order the adventures and provides a link. And, it says that the delay between premiere and local convention/store ordering may be about a month. That's pretty good.

 

[obsid]

The way I see it is you can home play tyranny of the dragons to your hearts content. Or you can play the D&D Expeditions at stores. Or you can mix and match as you wish between the two (making sure to keep good records).

If your too high level (from playing home games with a character) you might not be allowed to join the D&D Expeditions (start a different character and level them up earlier) If you gain a level between home games, that's up to your home DM to decide what he wants to do about it. That said gaining a level or two doesn't seem to make you that much more powerful compared to earlier editions.

 

[Warunsun]

The way I see it is you can home play tyranny of the dragons to your hearts content. Or you can play the D&D Expeditions at stores. Or you can mix and match as you wish between the two (making sure to keep good records).

If your too high level (from playing home games with a character) you might not be allowed to join the D&D Expeditions (start a different character and level them up earlier) If you gain a level between home games, that's up to your home DM to decide what he wants to do about it. That said gaining a level or two doesn't seem to make you that much more powerful compared to earlier editions.

If I am understanding what I am reading about the program while you definitely could do Tyranny of Dragons at home and try to catch Expeditions in a store but there is going to be an extremely limited number of Expeditions modules around. It seems to me that the best way way to support the Encounters program would be to try to play Tyranny of Dragons in the store with the Encounters folks there. It seems to me that if everyone involved with a store doesn't support Tyranny there then there wouldn't be a viable group around to even try to schedule and run the occasional Expeditions scenarios. If a game store sees no people buying or playing D&D Fifth Edition for weeks on end why would they bother to get Expeditions a few times a year?

 

[jodyjohnson]

First 3 Expedition are up for sanctioning.

DDEX1-1 Defiance in Phlan, DDEX1-2 Secrets of Sokol Keep, or DDEX1-3 Shadow on the Moonsea.

http://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/dd-expeditions-september-2014