Encounters - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Yokel60

Oct 23, 2014 7:36:40

At our store, we've been playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen since it came out as Encounters, and I own the book and plan on running the rest of the adventure when we're complete with Episode 3, which we should be in the next couple of weeks.  I know we're supposed to report as "Home Play" beyond the 3rd Episode, but I have a concern about continuing the module and new players.  We only have 2 DMs in the store, both running Hoard of the Dragon Queen, and the other DM is a little bit behind me, but will probably catch up or at least be close.  When we're in the later episodes (think episodes 5-8), how are we to treat new players who come into the store, wanting to play?  Make a new first level?  It's going to be very difficult to survive at 1st level.  Am I supposed to tell them to come back for Expedition adventures?  I want to be as inclusive as possible to new players, and we don't have enough DMs nor players to start a new lower level table.

 

Not trying to be critical of AL, just trying to make sense of problems I already foresee.

 

Thanks

 

Yokel

#2

Uthrac

Oct 23, 2014 8:58:00

It's Casual Play, so ...

 

Let the new player make an appropriate-level PC for the game. Explain to the player that since they did not start at Level 1, the PC will not be eligible to play in other Adventuer's League games. However, they can play through the whole HotDQ Casual Play.

#3

Tyranthraxus

Oct 23, 2014 19:01:41

Uthrac: Is that really a good thing to push though?

 

'You can join our 5th Level game, but your character isnt AL legal. You will never have to worry about a logsheet. Everyone else's character will have one though as they can also use their characters in Expeditions also. But you cant do that either'

 

I really dont see that happening. Casual games still get reported and I dont think its good for the AL program in general to have players playing but not really being in AL.

 

I would actually be directing any new players to Expeditions over the high level Dragon Queen.

 

We have to realise here that Once hoard passes the pdf area, its more of a closed game than an open AL game.  Expeditions is really the only then entry point for level 1 characters.

#4

Uthrac

Oct 24, 2014 5:19:33

Tyranthraxus wrote:
#5

Pauper

Oct 24, 2014 9:33:59

I don't like this solution. Local communities should have some wiggle-room, but not at the expense of a global expectation on how to handle basic elements of the OP campaign.

 

For example, I travel to Milwaukee, where I can play in Expeditions at a local game store with the same characters I use in Minneapolis. If I show up with a character whose adventure log from level 5 through 8 is basically all the same day (since I wasn't logging the sessions when I thought they weren't AL-legal), that DM is going to wrinkle his nose and have a hard time not thinking of me as some cheating bastard, when the folks back home know I just wanted to play at the table they were running.

 

You could say that most players won't experience this issue, but the problem is that *this is exactly the situation that Organized Play is supposed to enable*. The point of OP is to allow you to play the same character at a local store, at a convention, or at a store away from home. fi the system breaks when doing this, then the system doesn't work for its intended purpose.

 

The bigger question is whether WotC really views AL as an Organized Play campaign, or just as an extension of their marketing for D&D. As long as the answer to any potential hurdle to play is 'ignore it and just play', regardless of whether or not the OP campaign needs that hurdle to exist for reasons, then we really are just participating in a marketing exercise, not an OP campaign.

 

--

Pauper