Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Enevhar_Aldarion Sep 05, 2015 23:04:56	There are already threads, and comments within threads, that talk about how Out of the Abyss, and the new Encounters season, start with the characters as prisoners with no access to their gear. I have not seen the new book yet, but some of the talk from people who have it is that characters may not ever find their starting equipment. So two questions about this.   First, has anyone seen the Encounters pdfs yet and can say whether they go "by the book" or if there are options given just in the pdf for characters to get their equipment, so that brand-new players to AL games, or D&D 5th in general, will not feel screwed over?   Second, for the AL Admins. It is already in the rules as a strong recommendation to not bounce back and forth between Encounters and Expeditions and such. But with how this one starts, I can see veteran players intentionally doing this in order to "fix" the equipment issue for their character. So should DMs be reiforcing this rule to players so that they do not, for example, play Encounters one week, play an Expedition over the weekend, then show up at the next Encounters with a beefed-up character, potentially throwing things out of balance?
#2 Abracastabra Sep 05, 2015 23:34:15	I haven't seen the PDF, just own the hardcover, but to clarify, there is an entry that tells DMs that they can place the characters valuables in a place more accessible to the players. I'm unclear if the intent is for them to still be locked up.  So technically, the option is actually in writing even in the hardcover. The contents of the chest that had PC gear is described as ""Additionally, the chest contains any valuables once held by the characters and NPCs, including any spellbooks, components, focuses, and magic items lost to the adventurers." I don't think that includes other types of gear. Obviously someones halberd shouldn't fit in a chest...but if it was a magic halberd?....dunno. Anyway, there is no guarantee a given DM will do this , so your concerns and questions are still perfectly valid.  I sat at a DM's table the first time I played AL and he said "By the way, if you haven't heard of me, I'm the DM who is not afraid to kill your character." So...probably not that guy.     I raised the question as to whether, with the option to remake your character from levels 1-4 , lots of folks will be doing so because you get a new starting package that replaces the old. I can totally see the situation you are describing though.
#3 MerricB Sep 05, 2015 23:52:50	There is a room which has all of the PC's equipment in it, as well as suggestions for placing it elsewhere if they don't explore that room.
#4 Noon Sep 06, 2015 3:57:15	OP, did the people who said PC's might never find their gear take it that you cannot simply move the gear into the path of the PC's, no matter which way they go?   Granted, that's fairly meta. But then again players feeling 'screwed over' is largely a meta thing as well.
#5 Nozareem Sep 06, 2015 4:48:24	I have looked over the book.  And as a player I must say this feels very Dark Sunish in the way of difficulty.  I see a lot of PC getting killed early on if not TPKs in this campaign.  So In my opinion I don't see why playing both expedtions and encounters would really matter having a better.  Having better chance of helping the party surviving and yourself seems to me to be a good excuse.  In this season all I want to do is help the party survive,  because if there are new players there not going to have fun if they keep getting killed.
#6 SteveMND Sep 06, 2015 7:11:18	Also, there's discussion on these sorts of questios already at this thread if you're interested, OP.
#7 Nozareem Sep 06, 2015 7:35:35	This is why in some respects playing both encounters and expedtions dosent seem like a bad thing when many people PC will get killed in the early game due to strong CR.  Yeah disarm but if you miss you could be dead quick Like I said in my other post on a similar topic this csmpaign feels real Dark Sunish in difficulty.  I read the book and can tell there will be a lot more TPKs in this csmpaign then the others especially if the players only play Out of The Abyss and don't play any of the expedtion thst may give them a better chance for better items in the way of certs.
#8 Noon Sep 06, 2015 18:30:43	Nozareem wrote:
#9 Coredump00 Sep 06, 2015 21:43:11	Our LGS group 'locks in' characters as suggested, so that they can't play expeditions if they are currently in an encounters chapter/episode.  Further, we encourage folks to have an 'encounters PC' and an 'expedition PC' so they don't have to worry about it.  Just tonight we (DMs) were discussing it, and will also discourage folks from rebuilding their characters**.... the encounters is more like a standard home campaign, while expeditions are more like pick up games.    I can tell you that players trying to rebuild just to get their starting gear, will not get the results they anticipate.     **There is a disinction between someone new that is trying something out, and someone experienced that is trying to game the system.
#10 Nozareem Sep 07, 2015 13:27:43	This season is the most difficult season thus far and while it will be fun for experienced players like myself and others on here, new players that run into getting there charactes killed might get turned off by the experience.
#11 MasterNamer Sep 07, 2015 14:27:39	The characters can't be killed in the traditional sense, as the adventure simply brings them back at no cost if they actually die, and the drow only try and knock characters unconscious. It may be tricky to get out, but eventually something will gel.
(Reply to #11) Coredump00	Nozareem wrote:
#13 Byakugan01 Sep 08, 2015 4:37:03	So...if all the PCs commit suicide at the beginning of the session, then they can use Faction Charity to come back to life in town....DM can send everyone home early, or start an actual game session.   I haven't seen any of the module yet, but I dropped out of AL last month because of the high degree of dumb AL rules getting in the way of the fun.    I was already leery of bothering to show up to try out season 3...as soon as they starting mentioning a certain ubiquitous dark elf they lost my interest.  Then there was all the talk about sunblades at lv 2....strike 2.  Now hearing the first session is one of the most reviled D&D cliche's. Spend a bunch of time making your character...aaaand all your stuff gets taken away.  At least with the gold standard of 'you start at the inn' there is some variation....someone could scream, or maybe a brawl breaks out.....etc.   I am making some assumptions, so maybe they are unfounded.  But UGH.  Very close to 0 optimism so far.
#14 MasterNamer Sep 08, 2015 5:26:30	Pg. 26 and 27 give several examples of how the adventure brings people back to life should they die. Pg. 8 states that the drow don't kill any of the prisoners. The adventure seems to be designed to encourage creative player actions rather than tpk a party stripped of resources.
#15 SteveMND Sep 08, 2015 7:06:24	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #13) zingbobco000	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #14) Coredump00	MasterNamer wrote:
(Reply to #13) Coredump00	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #17) MasterNamer	Coredump00 wrote:
#20 Tyranthraxus Sep 08, 2015 18:29:24	Can we put the Drizzt thing to rest please? He appears on a random encounter table randomly. Thats it.   I for one love what Im hearing about the Scenario. I want the characters to have to really work at it to survive. To know that running away is the ... thing to do, not hanging in there hoping the dm will throw them a bone and softball it for them.
#21 Noon Sep 08, 2015 21:35:19	Nozareem wrote:
#22 Tyranthraxus Sep 09, 2015 1:25:52	I think new players in any rpg have to be 'shown the ropes' for the first couple of sessions. Brand brand new players (ie never played an rpg before) sure, but those coming from an older edition who may have never played 5e before to me .. dont really count as new players. They have gamed before, they probably know the dont split the party and so on.     Im going to give the brand brand new player a lot of leeway. I might even show them what happens when an npc tries to escape.. maybe someone they were starting to like. For players simply new to the edition, these guys are gamers already. They just dont know the mechanics.  If they dont know by now when to fight and when not to, the change in edition isnt going to help them solve that roleplaying issue.
#23 Byakugan01 Sep 09, 2015 2:01:15	I never said I don't like AL...In fact, I have repeatedly said I do like AL, and that I want it to succeed.  I am allowed to think there are serious problems with the system, and to voice my opinions as such, and still like the concept of AL.  I also never said RoD is worse or better than anything, only that I was very skeptical about trying it.  I was pretty clear about not having read the adventure yet and that I was making assumptions that I could be wrong about.  I got my free copy of OotA tonight, but I haven't looked at it yet.  It's a good thing I got it free, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.   One of the things I have also talked about a few times is how little feedback there is from people who tried AL and quit for some reason.  Most people who quit will never be heard from again in a place like this, and that is too bad.  That sort of data is/should be highly valued by companies.  So I am doing them a favor and letting them know why I decided to quit.  Some of those reasons are with the edition itself, and some of them are entirely because of AL    Main reason is because of the seemingly arbritrary, sweeping rulings.  Also, what I consider AL essentially saying 'F U' to the players on several occasions, and constantly relying on their corporate robotic hierarchy where nobody ever accepts responsibility for mistakes or tries to correct them.  If a problem is pointed out and IF it is acknowleged then we are told it'll take 2 more seasons before a change is made.    Problem with the module?  sorry that was the boutique we hired.  Problem with that ruling we just issued?  sorry our bosses had a meeting about it and decided already....problem with a lack of errata?  Sorry we cant make decisions w/o Hasbro's consent.  I don't claim to have all of the solutions, but I have shared many ideas about ways to improve things over the last several months.  Nobody is required to listen to them, but they are there nonetheless, free for the taking.   I stopped recommending trying AL to people because it seems like its already in a bad place.  It's got a lot going for it.  Maybe in a few seasons they'll start fixing things.
(Reply to #23) Coredump00	Byakugan01 wrote:
#25 Noon Sep 09, 2015 19:32:19	Well I'll say that I'm having disinterest in continuing AL - it's a big bunch of restrictions for no gain, since you buy the books now and the free stuff is one shots (and it's all railroaded).   But shooting them down on some missing equipment and the idea PC's will just insta die without it...nah, I wouldn't lose interest over that.
#26 Nozareem Sep 11, 2015 4:07:51	Noon wrote:
(Reply to #26) Coredump00	Nozareem wrote:
#28 Granville7482 Sep 12, 2015 20:20:55	By the book the Starting chaper of that adventure, it's very difficult to get killed. Tortured and made an example of yes. But even suicide kind of fall under the portfolio of a certian really evil npc bringing you back from the dead because you are worth more alive than a corpse. It's eluded however that the NPCs can die and maybe even should die at intervals. You sure have a lot of them.
#29 MasterNamer Sep 14, 2015 9:13:39	How are dms supposed to address the random magic items that can be called for during the escape through the underdark? Is there a list of approved items as there is for orcsplitter, are we to use the magic item table, or are the characters unable to find random magic items?
(Reply to #29) Ainulindalion	MasterNamer wrote:
#31 Kalani Sep 14, 2015 10:50:30	Also - unlike previous adventures, OotA has a certificate for the random item which states something to the effect of "refer to this Adventure to determine this item".   Random items are legal in OotA, although I haven't read the encounter in which this item occurs yet so I cannot speak to whether the adventure gives a list to choose from or refers the DM to one of the random tables in the DMG.    I suspect that an FAQ will be created which prohibits certain items which would be too powerful in AL if the list is too broad.
(Reply to #31) Ainulindalion	Kalani wrote:
#33 Coredump00 Sep 14, 2015 14:20:17	"Chances are" it will not be a disruptive item.... but I would still love some input from AL-Orbital-Command on how to deal with this.  I saw the same "we are discussing it" posts.... so hopefully something soon.
#34 Mistwell Sep 14, 2015 19:23:29	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #21) Pauper	Noon wrote:
(Reply to #35) MasterNamer	Pauper wrote:
#37 Kalani Sep 15, 2015 11:32:51	If a creature is aiming for a knock-out blow, they would resort to melee weapon attacks - in which case, massive damage does not enter into the equation as the blow is non-lethal. Ranged attacks or spell attacks are automatically lethal and have a chance of killing the PCs. Should this occur, as a DM I would simply fudge the damage to be just shy of a lethal hit, and instead leave the PC dying (as they are trying not to kill the PCs). I would then allow the party to stabilize the PC, or failing that - have one of the drow peel off to stabilize the PC (wasting their turn to do so). This would be very appropriate actually, as it would be a clear way of showing the party that the Drow plan on capturing (rather than killing) the party without metagaming.
(Reply to #36) Pauper	MasterNamer wrote:
(Reply to #35) Coredump00	Pauper wrote: