Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 battles14 Dec 12, 2014 8:23:52	Like many AL enthusiasts who picked up a copy of the DMG, I immediately began thinking about which rules would (or should) be added to the Player's Guide. While there are a number of new rules worth discussing, the one that strikes me as the most useful and easy to integrate is adding "Gaining Renown" as a permissible downtime activity.   I'm the organizer for Expeditions at my FLGS in Raleigh, North Carolina. We run 2 tables per week, but the majority of my group is new to D&D/5E—as a result, I've had to DM almost every week since September. I have two 5th-level characters, but I've only been able to actually play Expeditions once. And, since DMs only get XP and downtime for running, my characters have a combined 1 renown point.   I'm getting to play(!) 1-10 next week, but I've already resigned myself to the fact that my character (a) doesn't qualify for the special Harper mission and (b) won't get another chance to play the mod. Which sucks. I appreciate that DMs are finally getting credit for running, but those of us who don't get to play as much are really missing out on the faction system.   I don't think DMs should get renown points for running. However, allowing players to spend their extra downtime on a few renown points would help bridge the gap and allow everyone to get the full Adventurer's League experience.     TL;DR—"Gaining Renown" with downtime should be added to the ALPG, because those who primarily DM can't gain enough renown points to fully enjoy the faction system.
#2 Pauper Dec 14, 2014 0:58:42	While I can see where a DM would be able to use the rule to ensure that her characters advanced with DM awards can participate in special missions, I fear that incorporating this rule would trivialize the process of gaining renown for player characters. The point of requiring a character to restart from zero renown if he changes factions would seem to be to provide a disincentive for simply changing factions for metagame considerations -- if a character can simply spend 30 downtime days before running a 'special mission' adventure with a specific, popular award to qualify for that special mission, it seriously lowers the barrier for metagaming the faction system.   -- Pauper
#3 Sorxores Dec 15, 2014 10:29:46	for a player, renown is fairly easy to get and up to now, doesn't serve much purpose. with 3 renown point you become rank 2 in your faction, with 5 point and character level 5 and 2 secret mission you gain rank 3 etc...   The DDEX module give 1 renown with the option for a second renown fairly easily, doing the math quickly, you need 6500Xp to reach lvl 5, each DDEX give 600XP so you need to run 11 adventure, that mean a minimum of 11 renown and potentially upt o 15 renown if you do the side mission (which are not secret mission). Untill they bring a reputation vendor taht allow you to buy usefull item (magical item for example) using renown point, or allowing you have follower and apprentice once you reach higher rank, I don't see why a player would spend his downtime gaining renown instead of training to reach lvl 5 faster, or craft a new armor/weapon or learn a new language/tool.   Specially if you need to reach rank 2 to access the secret harper mission in DDEX1-10 (didn't do it yet so I don't know the details) then most regular player who reach lvl 5 will have more Renown then they can use. even player who change faction (other then RP, I don't see any real reason to change faction at the moment, since the "side mission" are usually link with main mission (kill the dragon that you were going to kill anyway, explore teh dungeon that you were to explore anyway, i think the one that might get missed would be bringing back the traitor in town for trial instead of killing him outright) and all you gain is 1 extra renown, so why dropp all your renown to gian 1 extra renown, on a optimazation point of view it doesn't make sense, but on a RP factor (someone join the Zhentarim because they are a big family helping each other, then learn down the road that they are an evil orgnanization might want to change faction and join the harper (descriibe as an anarchiste manipulating organization , when they are in fact a good align organization).   Even for faction change I don't see why you would loose all renown, Harper still know you did great thing, they will be please to have you join their side since you can bring precious infomartion about the Zhentarim. Yes if in a near future, your faction rank will benefit you, then it might be usefull to faction hop for free, but as of now, faction benefit are based on your level and are the same for all faction (you can easy access to resurection before level 5) and nothign else (some extre renown for the same faction, but that is as usefull as the renown system is, so useless as of now)   talking about renown, anyone know when the benefit being with a faction and increasing in the rank will give? or is it suppose to be a purely RP factor.
#4 Skerrit Dec 15, 2014 16:50:19	Sorxores wrote:
(Reply to #4) Undrhil	Skerrit wrote:
#6 Skerrit Dec 18, 2014 10:41:02	We also hope to have the information for the March season in that update as well. That way people have it two monthes out and have time to plan.