Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Setzer_G Aug 11, 2014 15:20:35	I have been asked by my FLGS to run DnD at the store again. Both the wife and I were really big into LG through it's run and are excited to see that Organized play in that vein was getting a jump start. The store owner has ordered Encounters. So I suppose my questions are:   What is the main difference between Encounters and Expeditions, if any? If there is a difference, can I run Encounters adventures for Expeditions and vice versa? How do I get ahold of Expedition mods if the other stuff (Encounters) is ordered by the store? When will this material be available for either Encoutners or Expeditions? It sounds, as I'm reading, that Expeditions is more like my beloved LG than Encounters. Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful, even if you could just point me to something to read that will clear it all up for me. Thanks.
#2 Skerrit Aug 11, 2014 15:34:53	The first portion of the Horde of the Dragon Queen has been chunked up into 1-2 pieces and given out for free as Encounters that you play each each in order. The Expeditions adventures are the standard 4 hour OP adventures you would be used to from LG days. You may run either or both. Expeditions adventures can be ordered for a store or convention. Go here (http://dndadventurersleague.org/) for more details. Both the Expeditions and Encounters are available for order now.
#3 Greyson Aug 11, 2014 21:25:44	Hey, Setzer_G. Let's get you some good answers.   Encounters is and continues to be the Wednesday night gaming action in stores only. Each Wednesday night's session should run about two hours. These sessions are scheduled to run from 20 August 2014 to 25 March 2015. The forthcoming Encounters season specifically features the adventure Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Your retail location should have a PDF of that adventure for the first three episodes, which should be provided to you for free. Check with them. The full adventure of the same title is available now and has all of the episodes for the full Encounters season. The PDF just gets the season started. Your store should also have some faction binders for players and a DM folder. Ask about that, too. And remind your store to sign-up every month for Encounters, as the Wizards Play Network accounts for the Encounters program monthly, even though the single season spans many months.   Expeditions are the same as the scenarios from the Living Greyhawk, designed to run in about four hours. They can be run at your discretion, generally outside and apart from Encounters. Like Encounters, Expeditions adventures can be obtained through your store or the store's event coordinator (if it has one). You will not need any Expeditions for Encounters, as they are different play experiences. Encounters and Expeditions are not interchangeable. Remember, Encounters in an official sense is only the Hoard of the Dragon Queen adventure Wednesday nights. Expeditions are good fare for weekend in-store games days or conventions. For example, you might order two or three Expedition adventures for a monthly gameday on a Saturday in the store, or at a local convention. The first three Expeditions material shall be available for download starting 18 August 2014, and they trickle out after that.   So, check with your store. If they asked you to run Encounters, they should provide Hoard of the Dragon Queen in PDF (or a way to get to it) or the hard cover. If they want you to run Expeditions, they'll set that up internally and provide you those PDFs (or, again, provide you a way to get them) for non-Wednesday night action.   You should get the D&D Basic Rules, Adventurers League Player's Guide, some pre-gens, blank character sheets and Adventurers League log sheets. You and your players shall need these for both programs. All are available here as free downloads: http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/events/adventurers-league-resources   I hope this helps. It answers your questions more thoroughly then pointing you to a web site that has scattered information. The dndadventurersleague.org web site is more of a blog and not really given to presenting information in any codified way except as articles on a given day.   Let us know if you need anything else. I may have missed something in my haste to answer, You may PM me if you like, as I can help you get anything you need.   Setzer_G wrote:
#4 Setzer_G Aug 12, 2014 5:45:56	That really does answer a lot, thank you both. I'll likely go talk with the owner when she's in later today. Get things all straightened around. If we get a core group together who gets the rules down and character abilities, then it should be easier to transition to Expeditions from Encounters. I can usually do a fair bit with running a mod an evening, but certainly not while there are people still learning the game again.    It looks like, from reading the ALPG, that as long as we log the sessions from Hoard, we can use those some characters in Expeditions once familiarity sets in. That should be a great middle ground, if true.   Again, thanks!
#5 Pauper Aug 12, 2014 8:49:58	Setzer_G wrote:
#6 Greyson Aug 14, 2014 18:52:46	Setzer_G wrote:
#7 reddaemon Aug 15, 2014 13:17:13	Can you play in both with the same character?  Like if you play in Encounters on Wednesday, can you play an expedition on Saturday?  What about the Starter adventure?  Can you play that and Encounters at the same time, etc?
#8 TheBreen Aug 15, 2014 22:02:35	reddaemon wrote: