HotDQ: what levels?

[Klorox]

I've been invited to play in a Hoard of the Dragon Queen game.

I'm wondering what level this game will go to?

Any classes I should favor or avoid?

[Khrysaes]

I've been invited to play in a Hoard of the Dragon Queen game.

I'm wondering what level this game will go to?

Any classes I should favor or avoid?

I am playing this now. We are level 14 and apparently near the end of the campaign. I believe we will make a last stop at Waterdeep before heading to the well of dragons.

To be clear, this is at the end of the second book.

Uhh.. about classes... theoretically all of them are okay, Revised Ranger may have a very, very, slight edge in that there are quite a number of humanoids and dragons, but its not going to be anything spectacular.

I am playing a Paladin/Warlock. Last combat we were up against 5 Mages and a Dragon, and it took them like 20 hits to take down half my health, what with Cha to saves, 20 Cha, and Oath of the Ancients.

[Theodoxus]

Having run Tyranny of Dragons, HotDQ ends anywhere between 7th and 10th level. Generally around 8, especially if the DM is planning on going into Rise of Tiamat.

About the only thing I might recommend to avoid is a dragonborn. Properly reacted against by the villagers and such, you'll be persecuted as sympathetic at best - and very well could be considered a dragon cultist and attacked on sight, especially by certain NPCs who've been tortured by half-dragons and other draconic forces.

The HotDQ campaign in general is light on dungeons and heavy on talky-talky. Charisma classes will serve you well. Having the draconic language will serve you well. Being rash or having 'invincible' thinking will get you overwhelmed and captured, possibly dead. But in general, Khyrsaes is correct, everything works.

RoT is the better book, IMO, primarily because it's a lot more open ended and sandboxy. HotDQ is great for a beginner DM as it's pretty railroady and has a lot of hints on what to do if the players go off the rails. Together they run the gamut of a well written campaign that starts straightforward and gains in complexity.