Next Encounters Season

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

tjf

Oct 23, 2014 7:42:27

Is there any word on what direction they will take for the next Encounters season or when it will start?

Our group is continuing with the HOTDC storyline at the moment.

#2

Uthrac

Oct 23, 2014 9:02:45

Speculation (rampant on the interwebs) is that the new season will kickoff in March 2015, be Elementally-themed, and be highly focused on low-level (encouraging players to create new Level 1 PCs for the new story arc).

 

No official word has been released, but there are signs pointing in these general directions ... 

 

Check out announcements by Sasquatch Studios about Princes of the Apocolypse.

(Reply to #2)

TheGimper

Uthrac wrote:
#4

Coredump00

Oct 26, 2014 0:49:50

The whole point of Encounters is to have low level adventures being played so new people can come and join and try it out.  Also lets folks try out new character concepts.  You can continue playing HotDQ and Tiamat as AL... it just won' t be Encounters.

#5

TSRO_Kip

Oct 26, 2014 1:44:44

Coredump00, I agree with you somewhat. Encounters is for anyone to come and play a game each and every wed nights. It is not JUST for new players. Or for people to "try" it out. I have been to many Encounters sessions and people come to Encounters to play the game. It is not just new players but veteran players and such too. They come to play on a regular basis each and every week.

(Reply to #5)

Coredump00

TSRO_Kip wrote:
#7

CarlT

Oct 26, 2014 17:39:32

The current season of Encounters ends in Mid-February.  However, officialy, if you continue to play the HoTDQ beyond the firest three episodes, you are not playing Encounters and the game is supposed to be registered as Casual Play (still legal AL play).

 

 

From the Adventurer's League site:  http://dndadventurersleague.org/get-involved/dd-encounters/

 

[quote]

~~OK, it’s November/December and you’ve completed the complimentary portion of the Hoard of the Dragon, now what?

One option is to continue playing by picking up with Episode Four of the for purchase adventure. ... If your store elects to continue playing the later episodes of Hoard of the Dragon Queen you’ll need to schedule the games as “Casual D&D Event”s in the WER once the characters are over 4th level. The reason for this change of scheduling is that D&D Encounters is for level 1-4 characters only, now that your out of that level tier you’re not longer playing D&D Encounters. Now, there’s no reason why you can’t continue to play on Wednesday nights, just don’t call it D&D Encounters if there’s not going to be level 1-4 play.

"

Alternately, the players could switch over to playing Expeditions adventures in the same time slot.

 

FWIW.

 

 

 

 

#8

pedro2112

Oct 27, 2014 15:57:22

Encounters, by definition, only is from levels 1 to 4. We finished up episode 3 of HotDQ a couple of weeks ago, but the group wanted to play on. I had the hardbound book, so we continue to play at the game store as "Expeditions" instead of Encounters. 

(Reply to #8)

Coredump00

pedro2112 wrote:
#10

WSmith

Jan 04, 2015 18:53:47

It is now January 2015. Has anyone seen anything more solid or offical concerning the next season of Encounters starting mid-Feburary/March? 

#11

Byakugan01

Jan 05, 2015 4:32:21

Our group is going through Chapter 4 of HotDQ....The only thing I want to see is eratta for the PHB, and some adventure edits that adds some magic items and scrolls....I'm getting tired of the 'low'(nearly 0) magic campaign.

 

 

#12

Pauper

Jan 05, 2015 9:06:34

The announced release date for both the Adventurer's Guide and the Princes of the Apocalypse adventure is March 17, though Premier stores will get these books early.

 

I'd expect the new Encounters season to officially begin on March 18 (the first Wednesday after the official release).

 

Skerrit has mentioned that the ALPG will be updated some time in January.

 

--

Pauper

#13

Enevhar_Aldarion

Jan 06, 2015 18:59:31

The only problem with this info about the next books is that it has only appeared on EN World, not here on the Wizards site, product listings on Amazon have disappeared, and Sasquatch Game Studios, the people supposedly in charge of making these two books, looks to have both an inactive website and Facebook page.  These books may still be coming out, but will probably be delayed or switched on the production schedule with a different plotline and set of books.

 

If they are looking at a new season starting every six months, then I am hoping they stay on schedule, regardless of the next plotline that should start some time in March.

#14

Undrhil

Jan 06, 2015 19:51:26

I have asked previously about the fact that each new season seems to indicate a want/need for players to make new level 1 characters and was told that there would be opportunities to continue playing Tyranny of Dragon characters.  However, unless they make a change in the ALPG, characters going forward will not be allowed to use options from the new books, as they are still supposed to use the Tyranny of Dragon's ALPG options.  Only new characters will be allowed to use the new options going forward.

(Reply to #14)

Pauper

Undrhil wrote:
#16

Kalani

Jan 07, 2015 7:16:33

It has been stated that there will be higher level expeditions (L5+) released at/near the start of the next season. In addition, I am under the belief that Princes of the Apocalypse is a super-adventure. As such, players are more than able to use their tyranny of dragons character in the later parts of that adventure - and log it as casual play (not to be confused with a non-AL game). There is also nothing stopping a DM from starting his campaign in a later episode (Episode 5+). 

 

Encounters is the only exception to this rule: Tables which are specifically designated as "encounters" must start at Episode 1, and will only be allowed to complete the first 3 episodes of the super adventure. Upon completing episode 3, the DM will have a choice. They can either:

 

  • Start the adventure again with new characters. 
  • Transition the game to Casual play, and continue the super adventure.
  • Run Expeditions and record the sessions as Casual Play (Expeditions).

At least one table at your store should ideally be running Episodes 1-3 of the super adventure each week, in order to remain compliant with the Encounters season. 

#17

TDarien

Jan 07, 2015 13:16:06

Pauper wrote:
#18

Kalani

Jan 07, 2015 13:24:32

Skerrit (aka Greg Marks) is is the Associate Resource Manager for AL. He frequents the forums from time to time, and has stated in this forum that the new season begins March 14 or 18th (I forget which). 

#19

Skerrit

Jan 07, 2015 14:15:23

Hi,

 

I don't have the date in front of me as I'm on my phone, but the 18th of March rings a bell. As for the for the DnDAL PG, we are still on track to release that this month with details for the next season.

 

Greg Marks

DnDAL Associate Resource Manager

#20

Skerrit

Jan 09, 2015 17:49:13

Hi All,

 

The Admins are actually meeting right now and we are going through a lot of your feedback. It's taking us slightly longer to gather it all than I had expected, so it looks like the DnDAL PG is likely to drop in February instead of January, still well before the first premier of the next season.

#21

DM_HEEGZ

Jan 10, 2015 15:36:01

Thanks for the updates. I just need to know when I need to apply for the AL to get the new access codes for season two. My players are really digging the adventures and have already started asking what the next season holds.

#22

Pauper

Jan 20, 2015 9:18:59

Official press release on WotC D&D site today. Items of note:

 

- Princes of the Apocalypse is being publicly released on April 7. The press release notes that the book "includes an epic adventure for levels 1-15", which suggests that the adventure will not be broken up into two books as Horde of the Dragon Queen/Rise of Tiamat was.

- No mention is made of the previously-referenced Adventurer's Guide, but the release notes that "a free download will be available in mid-March that includes more new races plus the player content available in 'Princes of the Apocalypse', just in time for the start of the Elemental Evil season of the D&D Adventurers League". The adventure will include rules for genasi as a player race.

 

I expect we'll here more from the AL admins as the date approaches.

 

--

Pauper

(Reply to #22)

TheBreen

Pauper wrote:
#24

Kalani

Jan 20, 2015 12:00:46

TheBreen wrote:
#25

Nolwelen

Jan 20, 2015 12:31:12

This might be a stupid question, but does the start of a new season always entail that Encounters and Expeditions (the campaign as "Casual Play" option) of the preceding season cease to be AL sanctioned play options? Or do these adventures remain in the sphere of AL sanctioned play incessantly? 

#26

Kalani

Jan 20, 2015 12:37:07

Nolwelen wrote:
(Reply to #23)

TDarien

TheBreen wrote:
#28

Skerrit

Jan 20, 2015 12:57:11

Pauper wrote:
#29

Skerrit

Jan 20, 2015 13:03:27

Kalani wrote:
#30

Kalani

Jan 20, 2015 13:35:50

On a related note - I will be taking over as Event Organizer and Store Rep for next season and I am not sure exactly how I go about updating the list of Reps. My reason for doing so are twofold:

 

  • Christina Frost, The Regional Coordinator for Western Canada and official Event Organizer for the Sentry Box, Calgary (Alberta) has been AWOL since August. She was originally absent for health reasons, but has since failed to update us as to whether she wishes to continue in either capacity.
  • This resulted in another of our Store DMs taking over as Event Organizer for the Sentry Box (Calgary) for the remainder of the season, however he is unable to continue in this capacity next season.

As such, I am taking over as Event Organizer and Store Rep for the Sentry Box, Calgary (Alberta) - but am uncertain how exactly we should go about updating the Wizards website with the new contact information.

 

Edit: After looking on the dndadventuresleague website, it appears the position for Regional Coordinator, Western Canada is currently vacant - so that answers one question.

 

http://dndadventurersleague.org/2015/01/western-canada-rc/