Out of the Abyss (DDEN3) has just been added to the website for download. Included within this document is Appendix A from the hardcover adventure, which appears to contain the same information as presented earlier in Dragon+ magazine.
It contains 2 background features (which appear to be variants of those found in the PHB) and several new bonds. No additional character options are contained in the PDF version of the adventure, and as such - I think we can safely rule out such options being available in the hardcover as well.
As a result - only the elemental evil story origin contains new character options for PCs. You can play Tyranny of Dragons and Elemental Evil characters in the new season 3 adventures (including out of the abyss), and can also create new characters with either of these story origins.
If you choose to create (or play) an elemental evil character however, you will not be able to make use of the new background features from OotA.
Furthermore, if you are one of the lucky few DMs who gain access to DM Faction Kits, the Special Starting Item found in this season's kit can only be used with a newly created Rage of Demons character. You cannot use this certificate with an existing character, nor will you be able to use it with a newly created Tyranny of Dragons/Elemental Evil character as per the FAQ:
Can DMs put their Elemental Evil DM Reward (certificate) on a Tyranny of Dragons Character
No. In order to be eligable for a DM Reward Certificate, a character must be:
- A starting character. That is, a character with 0 experience, and that has not been played in an adventure yet.
- Created with the story origin identical to that of the DM reward certificate. An Elemental Evil character may receive the Elemental Evil DM reward certificate, but a Tyranny of Dragons character cannot.
Thanks for the information. Hopefully this finally puts to bed the uncertainty over any talk of additional class sttuff and races for ROD
You mean I cant make an Assimar Doomguard of Kelemvor with both certs!!! 
It's a joke.
Thanks for the update!
Hail friends, so I have been ironing out some of the kinks that have transferring from the transition of the new season. But I only today recieved my information for the new season due to the fact that my email came in kinda late for the new list of campaign or "sessions" if you will. I ran my first session with the "Out of the Abyss" booklet that I received via Email but I run the Expeditions part of the Adventurers League and my brother-in-law (also the store owner), runs the encounters on Wednesdays. Now my question is that I don't see the Expeditions tag in the booklet, does that mean that I'm idealy not suppose to run it, but more or less run the links for the expeditions encounters? If that is the case, there is only two encounters a month that come out for expeditions, Does that mean I'm suppose to keep running the same encounter repeatedly each week during the month with new encounters coming out each month. If that is the case, does that mean I'm also ideally suppose to have three Expeditons group running atleast once a week, one group for levels 1-4, one group for levels 5-10, and another group for levels 11-16?
Also, how does one get into DM'ing or hosting Adventurers League Epics and/or keep updated on conventions that would allow me to participate in running events in my local area?
Granville7482 wrote:
Magicninja17 wrote: