Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Karth_GoblinKnight Sep 23, 2015 20:23:37	As I'm sure you all know, there are very limited options for what you can do with a PC once you play through an AL campaign. Surviving Rise of Tiamat, for example, will leave you with a Tier III character whom must now be retired due to a shortage of legal play options. Outside of Epics, which are limited in numbers in availability, just how many options are there for Tier III play? Right now, I count only "It's All in the Blood", and that's it until "Assault on Maerimydra" in February (really March). Now, maybe there will be an awesome Tier III - Tier IV campaign down the road, but until then, I can't be the only on whom wants to milk a few more sessions out of my battlescarred veteran.   I propose this: why not use the final chapters of the campaign books as their own modules?   From a PC perspective, this seems logical. After all, the heroes whom slew Tiamat probably wouldn't ignore the threat of Elemental Princes walking the Material Plane or demon lords in the Underdark; they'd do something about it. Furthermore, the nature of public play allows any PC to drop into any adventure (assuming appropriate level and legal build) with zero history with either the party or the storyline. (My druid played "Foulness Beneath Mulmaster" despite not being guilty of past transgressions for which he could be conscripted by the guards, for example.)   This particularly makes sense for PotA because each node is a Tier III dungeon and is virtually self-contained. Each node could take multiple sessions to complete, that's true, but it'd offer those high-level PCs something to do. Each node could even be run on either the 'prophet is alive' or the 'prophet summons 'prince' scenario so that the party can get the tools to seal the nodes. Alternatively, the nodes could be run as though the princes have been released, the scenario described in the book for if a party is driven off in the final fight.   This might also work with the final chapters of Rise of Tiamat. I haven't read Road, but I'm guessing that a way could be found to make this work.   To make a long story short: if PCs can be dropped into a campaign with zero history and run with it, I don't think it's inconceivable that the campaign didn't start being run until the party arrived.
#2 Karth_GoblinKnight Sep 23, 2015 20:25:41	I used the term 'module' loosely before. I was going for 'discreet story units offering downtime and renown'.
#3 Kalani Sep 23, 2015 20:55:27	The full list of tier 3 options that exist as of today's date are as follows:   Rise of Tiamat Princes of the Apocalypse (Chapter 5 and halls of the hunting axe only) Out of the Abyss (unknown as I don't own it yet) DDEX 3-4 DDEP3 (Epic; Track 3)
#4 Karth_GoblinKnight Sep 23, 2015 21:02:05	I think you're offering a 'yea', but I wsnt to be absolutely sure: does this mean I can plunk my Tiamat-slaying team into PotA Ch. 5 despite the fact that, for this story continuity, no one has run the previous campaign chapters?
#5 Kalani Sep 23, 2015 21:11:39	Yes. There is no rule prohibiting this. When starting an adventure at a higher level, it is recommended to start at the earliest point possible. In the case of princes and a tier 3 party that would be the very start of chapter 5   Ideally, it is best to start these Adventures at the beginning with new(er) characters, but if you really just want to play your tier 3 characters there is nothing from stopping you from starting the adventure in chapter 5 (or equivalent)
#6 Pauper Sep 24, 2015 11:37:32	Having read through Out of the Abyss, starting in Chapter 5 is going to be something of a downer -- "here, we'll just assume other adventuring parties did all the work and understand what's going on, but you can jump in here and watch the endgame play out."   -- Pauper
#7 Kalani Sep 24, 2015 13:11:57	I don't know how many chapters OotA has (I have yet to purchase that particular adventure). Did you mean Princes, as I was under the understanding that Abyss had a lot more than 5 chapters.
#8 Karth_GoblinKnight Sep 24, 2015 14:11:31	Awesome. Thanks for confirming that.
#9 Pauper Sep 24, 2015 14:19:20	I don't have the book in front of me, so I can't mark specific chapters, but I was assuming the OP was talking about entering the campaign at the point where it would be challenging for 14-15th level characters.   Pretty much everything that happens in that portion of the adventure was either foreshadowed in earlier portions of the campaign, or made possible by the characters' actions earlier in the campaign, mainly starting when they get sent back into the Underdark by Bruenor Battlehammer about level 8, but in a few instances while the characters are trying to escape the Underdark. (The first encounter with a demon prince, for instance, can occur as early as level 3 -- the party is not expected to actually fight the demon prince, of course, but it presages the theme of the campaign.)   -- Pauper