Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Ocule Sep 04, 2014 16:53:12	So I am a DM at the local gamestore and have been doing episode 1 of horde of the dragon queen however i am running into a major problem that is bothering me to no end maybe i missed something. In this particular episode you are expected to go through the entirety of episode 1 without a long rest but episode 1 takes a long rest.   Show Episode one time is tracked from 9pm to 4am each mission takes 1 hour and each short rest is tracked as well
#2 Undrhil Sep 04, 2014 19:53:42	I'm not an official.   However, once a character starts a "module" or "episode", they are in that module or episode until it is completed.  Alternatively, they can have their character drop out of the module or episode, but that means they get nothing from it and they keep nothing they had found between starting the module and dropping out of it.  It's as if they were never there, in their character's mind.  This might make it so the other members can't continue, since a legal table is minimum 3 characters.   So, if someone sits down to play episode one of Horde of the Dragon Queen, they will need to be (a) level 1 and (b) there for the entire playthrough of the session.  If it takes multiple weeks to do, this means their character is out of play for other modules during that time.  In LFR, there were mods designed this way as well, such as Sceptor Tower, which generally took 6 weekends to clear with a moderately skilled party and limited you from playing that character *at all* until you finished the mod, one way or another.
#3 Ocule Sep 04, 2014 20:25:28	Can you show me where it says that for AL just so i can show the other DMs?
#4 Uthrac Sep 05, 2014 7:39:43	Page 12 of the ADVLeague PlayerGuide, bottom of the left column.   Here's how we're handling it: (and we explain this to the players up front):   1. Episode 1 is designed for four Level 1 PCs; Episode 2 = Level 2; Episode 3 = Level 3 (if you're brining a higher-level PC, expect to make more work for the DM to scale)   2. At the end of each session, the DM will provide rewards (including XP). Episode 1 is capped at 300 XP. Even if you hit 300 XP, you cannot level up yet - because you must have a long rest or end an episode to level up.   3. The reason for this capping is so that PCs do not "level out" before finishing the adventure. Once you advance to Level 4, you cannot continue in Encounters.   4. The reason that there is much more XP for the cap is because this program is for the more casual player. A player can miss a couple of sessions and we want them to still hit Level 2 for Episode 2.   5. That said, for the every week player, there are many adventurers in the area. Once you hit the cap, you can bring in a different/new character (Level 1) the following week(s) to complete the missions. This way, you're not "wasting the opportunity to earn XP for one of your characters."   6. When the next episode starts, you can level up any of your PCs who have earned 300 XP and choose any of your Level 2 (or 1) PCs. Rinse, repeat.   So far, every player "gets it" when this is explained to them. They'd rather not put extra work on the DM to "up the challenge" because they level up early, AND they really don't want to miss out on the last few sessions because they "got ahead" and out-leveled the adventure.   Good luck!
#5 Ocule Sep 05, 2014 8:39:43	What about playing other games before finishing an episode?
#6 Uthrac Sep 05, 2014 8:50:54	Ocule wrote:
#7 Uthrac Sep 05, 2014 9:00:30	One other side note we point out ...   Play options become REALLY limited when PCs hit 5th Level. As in ...   • You can purchase and run Hoard of the Dragon Queen as a campaign. • There is one Expeditions Adventure (DDEX1-10) available in November. (Next batch is Winter Fantasy at the end of January.)   Uh ... I think that's it.   So, players (for the most part) haven't figured out yet that there's a wall coming of lack-of-mid-level-content which will force them into secondary PCs anyway. (i.e. Yay November! I get to play my Level 5 PC! Okay ... so played that adventure ... all remaining content is pretty much Levels 1-4 unless I can jump into a Hoard campaign .... Hrm.)   So, if the player's mindset is "I want to play a lot and level up quickly," it's a nice reality check to point out that leveling quickly now just means having a new Level 1 PC later ... and when the rest of the group is in Episode 3, Level 1 PCs can have a difficult time surviving. (Poor squishies!)
#8 Ocule Sep 05, 2014 9:11:43	Yeah that's what I was trying to figure out. We have a few power players whp alternate between horde and lost mines so we have a few level 2s at most tables. It has saved them from more than one tpk. And if a player dies they get a free resurrection before level 4? Btw thanks for the help
#9 Blade2718 Sep 05, 2014 9:30:25	Ocule wrote:
#10 Arilon Sep 05, 2014 10:22:55	My question is along the same lines:   1.  We played Encounters on Wednesday, September 3.  We started  HotDQ.  We did three encounters in Episode 1.   2.  At next week's encounters, the DM who ran my table may not be there, and some of the other players may not be there.  But at least of the players will be.  Let's say I choose to run next Wednesday, and I have a couple of return players, but who haven't finished Episode 1:  what encounters do I run?  Any of the encounters that neither of them undertook/completed?    I don't understand, really, how you handle a multi-session episode with a varying player and DM base.
#11 Ocule Sep 05, 2014 11:20:23	With what uthrac said, you start an episode and recieve nothing until conpletion exp caps out at 300 until you finish it. Any resources expended that renew on a long rest stay expended until you have downtime to long rest even with new party the following week. You can play other adventures between sessions if you complete them you can bring your new ability to your original episode. Rests included. You risk continuity errors and outleveling the adventure if you do. Am I correct?
#12 Arilon Sep 05, 2014 11:24:16	Well, our DM gave us experience the other night, and we only completed 3 of the encounters.
#13 Arilon Sep 05, 2014 11:25:18	Oh, maybe I'm missing something - is there a particular time when a new episode starts?
#14 Ocule Sep 05, 2014 11:30:59	Being still a new thing not all the dms are sure how to handle it thats why I posted this question. Ive been asking my players whose completed what and if the whole table earned their 300 xp already might just advance them to episode 2 early
#15 Uthrac Sep 05, 2014 11:42:30	Arilon wrote:
#16 Arilon Sep 05, 2014 11:56:47	So the trigger to move on to Episode 2 is to complete all the encounters in Episode 1?  Got it.   As for the rest, thanks Uthrac!
#17 CoreyartustheSecond Sep 05, 2014 17:14:20	Honestly, I would hope there would be a better explanation of how this works for the next campaign.     AL has obviously experienced a LOT of confusion regarding HotDQ and Phandelver because of their episodic/part structure, experience allocation, leveling, etc.  It feels more like something was shoehorned into something else, with no real overt or clear structure articulated in any of the materials.  "Episodes", "Sessions", "Parts", "Continuous weekly play but drop in whenever and don't expect everyone to be back next week"...    Good grief, it's almost a hot mess. It seems really obvious that AL needs to address this for next time, or people wouldn't be asking these things all the time.  And the poor players have no idea what to expect from week to week--who they'll be playing with and whose gonna DM...  Thank goodness I have an Organizer at my store that knows what they're doing and made informed guesses.  Doesn't sound like others are as fortunate.   Take note, AL.  I think most players will give you the benefit of the doubt because you're launching a new OP campaign, but these seem to be easy fixes that could be addressed with simple instructions for next time around early next year...  You are the "Organized" in "Organized Play"...
#18 Uthrac Sep 08, 2014 8:59:00	Arilon wrote:
(Reply to #18) TDarien	Uthrac wrote:
#20 TheGimper Sep 11, 2014 18:56:11	Undrhil wrote:
#21 Uthrac Sep 12, 2014 5:24:17	TDarien wrote: