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View Full Version : Rules Q&A D&D Adventurer's League Player's Guide



akaddk
2014-07-31, 11:16 PM
http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/ADVLeague_PlayerGuide_TODv1.pdf

Something more for everyone to nitpick & demolish & argue about!

SpawnOfMorbo
2014-07-31, 11:47 PM
http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/ADVLeague_PlayerGuide_TODv1.pdf

Something more for everyone to nitpick & demolish & argue about!

Well screw you, I'm not going to nitpick or argue about nuthin... And you can't make me argue, so ha!


:smalltongue:

Tholomyes
2014-07-31, 11:48 PM
Since I have no interest in Organized play, there's not a lot in there for me, though I did notice they mentioned one of the rules sources included "Hoard of the Dragon Queen™ appendix A". I don't know what this means in terms of what type of player options this would provide, but I'm curious. While I don't like the notion that I fear this means, in that supplemental material is going to be spread out through these adventure modules (that I honestly have no interest in or care about), it'd at least be better than the apparent lack of supplemental materials on Mearls' radar at the moment.

akaddk
2014-08-01, 12:18 AM
Well screw you, I'm not going to nitpick or argue about nuthin... And you can't make me argue, so ha!


:smalltongue:

Fine! I'll do it for you then!


The Lord Reagent (Knight Commander Ector Brahms), greedy noble houses, and labor guilds vie for control of the town.

I wonder what substances he reacts with? :D

Tholomyes
2014-08-01, 12:25 AM
One thing else I noticed is that we have a more complete (if not fully complete) list of Backgrounds for the PHB, on the third page where it talks about starting lifestyles. The Total now seems to be:

Acolyte, Charlatan, Criminal, Entertainer, Folk, Guild Artisan, Hermit, Noble, Outlander, Sage, Sailor, Soldier, Urchin

Guild Artisan, Sailor and Urchin are the ones, I believe, which we hadn't seen before now, from any previews or the Basic Rules.

CyberThread
2014-08-01, 12:33 AM
nothing to argue about, just an FAQ on how to play

akaddk
2014-08-01, 12:48 AM
nothing to argue about, just an FAQ on how to play

Well, as someone who wishes to get involved in weekly gaming at a local game store that has upwards of twenty odd people attending every week, this document is important to me. It's not just a FAQ, it also outlines everything you need to know about creating characters, DM'ing, participating in and rewards for organised play.

The fact that organised play doesn't require you to bring an owned copy of whatever materials your character uses is, IMO, brilliant. This was a huge block for me engaging in Pathfinder Society (albeit not as huge a block as actually having to play Pathfinder). When an effective character required several hundred dollars worth of materials to scavenge one or two feats or skills or character variations from, I quickly lost interest in the whole concept of organised play.

The other thing I'm liking is the very strict nature of it. Living Greyhawk was such a mess. It's looking like only the WotC adventure paths will be allowed for play and that WotC will be providing those paths on a set schedule. I think this is a great idea as it reduces the incredibly happen stance nature of previous OP efforts from WotC. You can also get the exact same rewards for DM'ing and playing in home games as you can in encounters which means if you get behind, you can form a group at the store or elsewhere in order to catch characters up. Or just don't even participate in public events and get a home group together, get free modules from WotC, and rewards as well.

All in all, I'm looking forward to engaging in the hobby at my local gaming store where, from what small amount I've seen of it so far, seems to be a great collection of people. And this documents looks like it will help facilitate an organised organised play experience.

Noldo
2014-08-01, 04:32 AM
I wonder whether the ”Customizing Ability Scores” –variant referred to in the guide actually means full-fledged point buy or some kind of option to trade a few points from one roll in the standard array to another.

akaddk
2014-08-01, 04:40 AM
I wonder whether the ”Customizing Ability Scores” –variant referred to in the guide actually means full-fledged point buy or some kind of option to trade a few points from one roll in the standard array to another.
Point buy is under "Variant: Customising Ability Scores" in the Basic PDF.

Tholomyes
2014-08-01, 04:44 AM
I wonder whether the ”Customizing Ability Scores” –variant referred to in the guide actually means full-fledged point buy or some kind of option to trade a few points from one roll in the standard array to another.They mean point buy; in the basic rules, it talks about point buy under the heading "Variant: Customizing Ability Scores". With the max reigned in to 15, it's not like it could get as min-max heavy as in other editions, and honestly, the 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 array won't be terribly different than what I'd expect to find from most point buys that often. they'd probably work to round to even post-racial ability scores (unless they want to multiclass).

Monk-with-The-Way-of-Shadow-subclass'd

Lord Raziere
2014-08-01, 04:49 AM
Acolyte, Charlatan, Criminal, Entertainer, Folk, Guild Artisan, Hermit, Noble, Outlander, Sage, Sailor, Soldier, Urchin.

.......how are Charlatan, Criminal and Urchin different? :smallconfused:

ok, lets assume that Urchin for some reason means growing up in hard times at an orphanage and somehow making an honest living in spite of that.

how are Charlatan and Criminal different?

I mean, a con man IS a criminal. cheating people out of their money is just as legally wrong as stealing from them, because its the same thing just different methods. and Criminal backgrounds probably involve a lot of lying anyways.

but lets assume that somehow, Charlatan is not Criminal.

how are Charlatan and Entertainer different?

I mean your both trying to pull off a lie or some such to somebody. good Entertainers is all about making you forget that the story they're telling isn't real and that events your seeing or hearing about did not happen. Charlatans are about running a con to make someone accept the rules they're presenting and forget the rules that you normally follow. not all that different.

so.....yeah, I'm going to have to wait to see how they make a Charlatan different from those two other Backgrounds....

other stuff: Outlander. hm. from foreign lands. is it the barbaric foreigner background, foreigner background in general, or just the barbarian background? curious, since it seems....vague.

and oh yay! Noble and Sailor backgrounds, I knew they would make these. Guild Artisan. kay. Hermit. interesting.

Tholomyes
2014-08-01, 04:57 AM
.......how are Charlatan, Criminal and Urchin different? :smallconfused:

ok, lets assume that Urchin for some reason means growing up in hard times at an orphanage and somehow making an honest living in spite of that.

how are Charlatan and Criminal different?

I mean, a con man IS a criminal. cheating people out of their money is just as legally wrong as stealing from them, because its the same thing just different methods. and Criminal backgrounds probably involve a lot of lying anyways.

but lets assume that somehow, Charlatan is not Criminal.

how are Charlatan and Entertainer different?

I mean your both trying to pull off a lie or some such to somebody. good Entertainers is all about making you forget that the story they're telling isn't real and that events your seeing or hearing about did not happen. Charlatans are about running a con to make someone accept the rules they're presenting and forget the rules that you normally follow. not all that different.

so.....yeah, I'm going to have to wait to see how they make a Charlatan different from those two other Backgrounds....

other stuff: Outlander. hm. from foreign lands. is it the barbaric foreigner background, foreigner background in general, or just the barbarian background? curious, since it seems....vague.

and oh yay! Noble and Sailor backgrounds, I knew they would make these. Guild Artisan. kay. Hermit. interesting.

I'd like to see the bonuses and proficiencies before I start asking "How are X and Y different?" Granted, I'm probably not going to use them as written anyway, and I'll, at best, borrow the background trait. But, I don't think the background proficiencies are all that great for the concept, all the time. For example, I've played a few soldier characters, and none of them would be proficient, from a thematic standpoint, with intimidate (some were, in prior editions, but that was more that class skill lists are the devil, not that it fit their character), most of them wouldn't be proficient in land vehicles, since most were basic infantry, barely trained in any combat, before given a weapon and thrown out onto the battlefield, and I still scratch my head as to why a gaming set is something you need proficiency in.

Lord Raziere
2014-08-01, 05:12 AM
I'd like to see the bonuses and proficiencies before I start asking "How are X and Y different?" Granted, I'm probably not going to use them as written anyway, and I'll, at best, borrow the background trait. But, I don't think the background proficiencies are all that great for the concept, all the time. For example, I've played a few soldier characters, and none of them would be proficient, from a thematic standpoint, with intimidate (some were, in prior editions, but that was more that class skill lists are the devil, not that it fit their character), most of them wouldn't be proficient in land vehicles, since most were basic infantry, barely trained in any combat, before given a weapon and thrown out onto the battlefield, and I still scratch my head as to why a gaming set is something you need proficiency in.

Well it sounds like your not choosing the right background. Soldier sounds like an experienced soldier. As in the kind that has done this for years, and has had time to pick up the culture of the military. Time enough to become grizzled and hardened about intimidating and interrogating prisoners, dicing with the other troops over a few mugs of mead and learning how to cheat with the gaming set to earn money, as well as learn how to ride a horse if he wanted to get away from the enemy in time because darn it running on foot won't get you away from those arrows! or that fireball!

sounds like your characters would've been better off with a Folk background. a peasant given a sword and thrown out into the world with no prior combat experience? that is practically the definition of Folk Hero right there. the time in the military spent is too small for it to be a background for that kind of character.

Tholomyes
2014-08-01, 05:44 AM
Well it sounds like your not choosing the right background. Soldier sounds like an experienced soldier. As in the kind that has done this for years, and has had time to pick up the culture of the military. Time enough to become grizzled and hardened about intimidating and interrogating prisoners, dicing with the other troops over a few mugs of mead and learning how to cheat with the gaming set to earn money, as well as learn how to ride a horse if he wanted to get away from the enemy in time because darn it running on foot won't get you away from those arrows! or that fireball!

sounds like your characters would've been better off with a Folk background. a peasant given a sword and thrown out into the world with no prior combat experience? that is practically the definition of Folk Hero right there. the time in the military spent is too small for it to be a background for that kind of character.Except, folk hero wouldn't have worked either, for most of them. The big problem with trying to pin down a background is that backgrounds are written for the stereotype, and even when a character might cleave largely to a single stereotypical background, they might only fit 50% or so, to the proficiencies listed for it. And many don't even cling too closely to a single background, anyway. For example, One of my favorite characters from campaigns past was a Human Fighter. Simple to pick out the class. However, of the list of Backgrounds I can pick out all the ones that could be argued as fitting in his background at some point or another: Soldier, Folk Hero, Urchin, Criminal. None of them, however, fit it right. While, admittedly, his background was more complex than others, I can pull a couple other characters, and have similar cases where no background really fits them right. Which is why I see no value in using the Backgrounds, as they are in the PHB, rather than picking proficiencies and a Background Trait to fit the character.

Lord Raziere
2014-08-01, 06:03 AM
it doesn't matter how many fit, it matters what fits THE MOST.

you can have brief stints doing other things sure, but the thing you spent most of your time on? thats the background. its not just about what you experienced, its about what experience shaped them the most. a Folk Hero in the army who still thinks and acts like a Folk Hero is still a Folk Hero, because he still thinks of himself as that guy from some small village. a guy who has spent a lot of their life as a peasant but then join the army and was in it long enough to become shaped by the experience into a real soldier, to the point where he goes back home and is now a veteran with psych problems? thats Soldier background.

and so what if its complex? those backgrounds can't all be the formative one, and there is no real perfect 50-50 to this kind of thing. what does he think of himself the most after all that he has been through? thats the background that matters. the one that really shapes the character, the core, not some added on experience on top of that.

characters can go through a lot of things and still have a single background-because thats the background thats really important to them, above all else, what they really VALUE.

or think of the backgrounds more as this:

A Folk hero stepped out a fairy tale where he just killed a vile monster.

A Soldier hero stepped out of a gritty war movie where at least one of his friends died.

A Noble Hero just came out of Game of Thrones and is on the run from Tywin freaking Lannister

A Sailor Hero just got off the dock from a high seas pirate adventure with a pirate map to treasure in the first dungeon

A Criminal Hero just stepped out of heist story that gone south and is now using a fake name.

Joe the Rat
2014-08-01, 11:52 AM
or think of the backgrounds more as this:

A Folk hero stepped out a fairy tale where he just killed a vile monster.

A Soldier hero stepped out of a gritty war movie where at least one of his friends died.

A Noble Hero just came out of Game of Thrones and is on the run from Tywin freaking Lannister

A Sailor Hero just got off the dock from a high seas pirate adventure with a pirate map to treasure in the first dungeon

A Criminal Hero just stepped out of heist story that gone south and is now using a fake name.
Brilliant.

On Urchin/Criminal/Charlatan: Think along the lines of Oliver Twist / The Godfather / The Inspector General. Destitute petty theft vs. organized crime vs. specialty in impersonation for fun and profit. The major difference here is the background traits: Criminals have their underworld contact network, Charlatans have a fully developed and documented second identity. I don't know what urchins would have... impromptu musical numbers?

Yuki Akuma
2014-08-01, 12:16 PM
Impromptu musical numbers would be the best background feature.

eastmabl
2014-08-01, 12:18 PM
.......how are Charlatan, Criminal and Urchin different? :smallconfused:

ok, lets assume that Urchin for some reason means growing up in hard times at an orphanage and somehow making an honest living in spite of that.

how are Charlatan and Criminal different?

I mean, a con man IS a criminal. cheating people out of their money is just as legally wrong as stealing from them, because its the same thing just different methods. and Criminal backgrounds probably involve a lot of lying anyways.

but lets assume that somehow, Charlatan is not Criminal.

how are Charlatan and Entertainer different?

I mean your both trying to pull off a lie or some such to somebody. good Entertainers is all about making you forget that the story they're telling isn't real and that events your seeing or hearing about did not happen. Charlatans are about running a con to make someone accept the rules they're presenting and forget the rules that you normally follow. not all that different.

so.....yeah, I'm going to have to wait to see how they make a Charlatan different from those two other Backgrounds....

Charlatan v. Criminal

The way I would distinguish between the is this:

What a criminal takes by force or threat of force (physical attributes), the charlatan takes by charm and quick thinking (mental attributes).

Charlatan v. Entertainer

There is some overlap between the two, but I don't think they step on each others' toes.

An entertainer is a performer - a rock star, a storyteller, someone who can hold one or many people's attention and convey a tale or song. Even if you're telling a fictional story, your intent is not to steal but to captivate your audience.

The charlatan typically cons either one or a small number of people, and what he does is take by force of personality. His intention is to lie and steal, not to entertain.

Lord Raziere
2014-08-01, 01:18 PM
Brilliant.

On Urchin/Criminal/Charlatan: Think along the lines of Oliver Twist / The Godfather / The Inspector General. Destitute petty theft vs. organized crime vs. specialty in impersonation for fun and profit. The major difference here is the background traits: Criminals have their underworld contact network, Charlatans have a fully developed and documented second identity. I don't know what urchins would have... impromptu musical numbers?

Sage Hero:
judging by how you receive a note about a dead colleague's theory from this background, I'm thinking its either science fiction, mystery or conspiracy thriller. maybe with some refluffing you could even be a detective from a noir story.

Guild Artisan:
I admit, a little hard. but a Guild is like a proto-corporation. you might be say, an alchemist who experienced a lab accident and from the mixing of the chemicals you became....a Wild Sorcerer! aka, a superhero story. or you are an artisan that worked with magical creatures and one day you got bit by a magical bear and now you are.....Circle of the Moon Druid man!

akaddk
2014-08-01, 03:59 PM
Impromptu musical numbers would be the best background feature.

Once More, With Feeling!

SpawnOfMorbo
2014-08-01, 04:07 PM
Once More, With Feeling!

Just once?

You casual.

:smalltongue:

hawklost
2014-08-01, 04:11 PM
Once More, With Feeling!

if you do it again, how is it impromptu now?

akaddk
2014-08-01, 04:45 PM
if you do it again, how is it impromptu now?

I don't know, ask Joss.

EternalHobbyist
2014-08-01, 09:03 PM
Can someone help explain the League Play mechanics to a noob?

I like the idea of having a weekly public game with a consistent story arc to follow and persistent player stats, but I'm not sure how it actually WORKS. Like, if I miss a couple weeks, will I just not get to participate, and/or end up having to make a whole new character over and over if I can only go once per month, for example?

akaddk
2014-08-01, 09:27 PM
Can someone help explain the League Play mechanics to a noob?

I like the idea of having a weekly public game with a consistent story arc to follow and persistent player stats, but I'm not sure how it actually WORKS. Like, if I miss a couple weeks, will I just not get to participate, and/or end up having to make a whole new character over and over if I can only go once per month, for example?

From what little I understand, you'd be able to participate as long as the character is within a certain level range. Otherwise there would probably be catch-up games being run. I think it's highly dependent on the store where you're playing. You can also play in home games or online as a way to either play the full campaign or just to catch up.

Not 100% sure about it though so maybe ask here:

http://community.wizards.com/forums/132311

SpawnOfMorbo
2014-08-01, 11:11 PM
I looked at the rules for the organized play and... Well I like it. I never could stand pathfinder society because well PF rules are so terrible they had to make a mile long list of what you can and can not do with their stuff so that people would be balanced... Should be a clue to them -_-.

With 5e rules, I think I could give organized play abchance again. Plus you know, LE alignment is my favorite (LE not Lawful Mean) so I know which faction (or whatever they are called) I would go for...