Honestly this book screams, regular D&D not AL. Anyway, I have heard 16-24 hours, but looking at it I can see up to 30 hours which is not good for AL. Depends on how you run it, but basically 6 hours a chapter will keep you on track for AL, so if you cannot keep that average you need to increase pace or you will level out of book before end.
Books are not made for AL directly, never will be most likely.
It is extremely clear why they did what they did to AL, its to deal with this adventure. They should have done it like they did Rise of Tiamat and just say characters cannot take from hoard of treasure at end. That would have been much cleaner.
Edit: Looks like it is 5 chapters of the 8 with 5-8 being the choose your villain chapters, so there are 4 ways to play this same book. That puts 6 hours a chapter for AL. That seems reasonable.
Keep in mind that for the HC the DM is allowed to adjust the points rewarded based on whether the party "makes progress" towards their goal. In my opinion, this flexibility should allow the DM in an HC to award as many points (up to 1/hour) as seem appropriate for the required rate of progression.
Wait waterdeep dragon heist is NOT adventures legal?
Why not?
It is legal.
It's just that the new rules could put a slower party at about level 6-8 before they finish if they don't use slow progression. Then again, you could say that about all of the hardcovers. The new advancement system is about time, rather than encounters. The hardcovers were designed so that the encounters should put you at the appropriate levels at the appropriate time, but the new advancement system doesn't really fit the hardcovers so easily.
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I'm currently DMing 2 versions (Spring and Summer) and playing in 2 versions (Summer and Winter) all under AL. Chapters 1 and 2 are 4 hours each, Chapter 3+ dependent on how the party wishes to explore. If you have a fixed group for the ongoing sessions I'd recommend to have everyone agree on taking the DM's advice on times when to slow progress, etc. so that the group remains within correct party levels.
It also can be done in a cut down stream lined version with chapters taking under 4 hours. This means cutting out some side quests and steering folks into set factions, etc. to help all the goals align.
It really depends on how roleplay-focused your group is. My (roleplay-loving) table is 6 hours into chapter 1 and I would guess they have another 60-90 minutes until chapter 2 starts.
How did you handle chapter 2? The group didn't have any money to make use of the reward from chapter 1, so the entire Inn story line is out. Only one person in the group is even interested in modifying their character to join a faction, what with the Adventure League faction rules this season.
How did you handle chapter 2? The group didn't have any money to make use of the reward from chapter 1, so the entire Inn story line is out. Only one person in the group is even interested in modifying their character to join a faction, what with the Adventure League faction rules this season.
Also, if one of the players joins a faction, then the party can complete the missions as a group
We are starting chapter 2 tomorrow, so I’ll let you know. I know a couple plan on looking into Force Grey and the Zhents. After their missions, I might have other faction agents approach other members who seem like good fits for the faction and give them a sales pitch and a sample mission to see what kind of work would be in store for them. If they aren’t interested, it will be a bunch of tavern and Trollskull Alley role play. I think I’ll have various people go to their tavern to introduce them to some people they might find useful in the future. My table likes to role play so I don’t think they’ll have an issue with just running a tavern for a while.
Zhents is the one faction they're interested in. I may just stretch the RP section out and send them on a very roundabout meander for the Zhent faction mission.
Where did the Volo's Guide to IOUs come from? The module references that Volo can't pay the adventurers the GP promised and was giving them the inn in its place. Or to put it another way, is that Adventure League legal?
Where did the Volo's Guide to IOUs come from? The module references that Volo can't pay the adventurers the GP promised and was giving them the inn in its place. Or to put it another way, is that Adventure League legal?
It's from the AL Content Catalog. It's possible Volo has several favors he can pull from the local guilds to get the refurbishment done for the players.
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Glad you pointed that out. I hadn't checked for his season. I did notice it is fairly vague and Volo can give them the full 1,300 to get the inn going. I have a feeling that he is only meant to give them the initial 1,000. But, that makes the inn feel more like a punishment than a reward. "Here is a 'reward' now you own 300GP + expenses." I know the RP is to get the inn up and working, but the table will get frustrated. I already know two will try to bargain with Volo to just sell the inn and give them the GP promised (treasure points in this case).
The rest of the group is probably 50/50 as to accepting for story and letting the inn die a slow agonizing death as GP and downtime are never spent for running a business.
Ok I just played chapter 1 having not really read anything about it other than content catalog and that it looked well written. At the end Volo does not have the money to pay the characters hence he gives the deed. Content catalog
How the heck can he loan 1000gp when he does not have the money to pay the original offer of 100gp each person. If he has that to loan, we should have been paid and not gotten the deed!
Oh, it gets better. There are additional costs to opening the inn (of which the players don't have) and then more costs to run (again a sad lack of GP) and after you spend all that GP you roll on the 'Running a Business' table in the DMG (and you can spend GP to make the role better but. . .) and then around 40% change of costing even more GP per roll.
So what are the adventure league rules for selling the inn? Volo gave them the inn instead of paying what he promised, so my players are now wanting to sell it. They would be happy for the 100GP per player (600 GP for the group). This is selling at a great loss but they're ok with it. My question is can they be awarded Treasure Points or just given the gold or is the entire thing a waste of time?
is the entire thing a waste of time? Yes. Content Catalog does not have that option, and it's not written in adventure to sell it.
Makes me glad I am playing this one regular D&D and don't have to do anything with the inn, but sleep there. I can spend all my time committing crime to make money.
The inn became a plot point. No gold spent on acquiring it, setting it up and no gold earned for running the inn. Basically it became a place for the characters to stay for free in the city. Add in the lack of faction availability to the module mix due to season 8, a very unsatisfying session.
Have some creativity, people. Remember in all the AL adventures it reminds you that you are the DM and you are empowered to change stuff! If the inn seems uninteresting and unfulfilling because of AL rules, then I see nothing wrong with tweaking some things to make it interesting. If gold is a problem and the party isn't interested in factions, reassign the faction missions in chapter 2 as missions from local artisan guilds willing to help fix up the place for a favor. Throw in some random encounters involving the inn. There are lots of ways to make it fun and rewarding without tying a gold value to it.
What I want to know is where to find the info for AL specific rewards, items, and whatnot for WDH.
AL killed the ability to buy faction items, you are no longer allowed too. The reason peoelp are not interested in factions is they went out of their way to diacourage people fron joining them, yet this book higly encourages them.
With that being said i joined a faction because it made sense role play but with red war was extremely disappointed with story result that you saves the peole and they hate you for it. Wait what?
Now i have to hide the fact that i was part of the group that helped people? Perhaps i was better off being a necromancer and animating everyone.
But this book acts like that never happened before. So if i do al i have one thing which says dont join factions and the book which says do
Good day,
How many hours to you guy think each chapter will take if i ran the HC as al?
I got a copy of the book. But cant find relevant info.
Thank you and God Bless.
Honestly this book screams, regular D&D not AL. Anyway, I have heard 16-24 hours, but looking at it I can see up to 30 hours which is not good for AL. Depends on how you run it, but basically 6 hours a chapter will keep you on track for AL, so if you cannot keep that average you need to increase pace or you will level out of book before end.
Books are not made for AL directly, never will be most likely.
It is extremely clear why they did what they did to AL, its to deal with this adventure. They should have done it like they did Rise of Tiamat and just say characters cannot take from hoard of treasure at end. That would have been much cleaner.
Edit: Looks like it is 5 chapters of the 8 with 5-8 being the choose your villain chapters, so there are 4 ways to play this same book. That puts 6 hours a chapter for AL. That seems reasonable.
Keep in mind that for the HC the DM is allowed to adjust the points rewarded based on whether the party "makes progress" towards their goal. In my opinion, this flexibility should allow the DM in an HC to award as many points (up to 1/hour) as seem appropriate for the required rate of progression.
Wait waterdeep dragon heist is NOT adventures legal?
Why not?
It is legal.
It's just that the new rules could put a slower party at about level 6-8 before they finish if they don't use slow progression. Then again, you could say that about all of the hardcovers. The new advancement system is about time, rather than encounters. The hardcovers were designed so that the encounters should put you at the appropriate levels at the appropriate time, but the new advancement system doesn't really fit the hardcovers so easily.
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I'm currently DMing 2 versions (Spring and Summer) and playing in 2 versions (Summer and Winter) all under AL. Chapters 1 and 2 are 4 hours each, Chapter 3+ dependent on how the party wishes to explore. If you have a fixed group for the ongoing sessions I'd recommend to have everyone agree on taking the DM's advice on times when to slow progress, etc. so that the group remains within correct party levels.
It also can be done in a cut down stream lined version with chapters taking under 4 hours. This means cutting out some side quests and steering folks into set factions, etc. to help all the goals align.
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Wary the wizard who focuses on homebrew, for he can create nightmares that you wouldn't even dream of
Wow thanks! So much,
I love your advice on the 4 hours for Chap 1 and Chap 2.
It really depends on how roleplay-focused your group is. My (roleplay-loving) table is 6 hours into chapter 1 and I would guess they have another 60-90 minutes until chapter 2 starts.
How did you handle chapter 2? The group didn't have any money to make use of the reward from chapter 1, so the entire Inn story line is out. Only one person in the group is even interested in modifying their character to join a faction, what with the Adventure League faction rules this season.
Also, if one of the players joins a faction, then the party can complete the missions as a group
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We are starting chapter 2 tomorrow, so I’ll let you know. I know a couple plan on looking into Force Grey and the Zhents. After their missions, I might have other faction agents approach other members who seem like good fits for the faction and give them a sales pitch and a sample mission to see what kind of work would be in store for them. If they aren’t interested, it will be a bunch of tavern and Trollskull Alley role play. I think I’ll have various people go to their tavern to introduce them to some people they might find useful in the future. My table likes to role play so I don’t think they’ll have an issue with just running a tavern for a while.
Zhents is the one faction they're interested in. I may just stretch the RP section out and send them on a very roundabout meander for the Zhent faction mission.
Where did the Volo's Guide to IOUs come from? The module references that Volo can't pay the adventurers the GP promised and was giving them the inn in its place. Or to put it another way, is that Adventure League legal?
It's from the AL Content Catalog. It's possible Volo has several favors he can pull from the local guilds to get the refurbishment done for the players.
Feature Requests || Homebrew FAQ || Pricing FAQ || Hardcovers FAQ || Snippet Codes || Tooltips
DDB Guides & FAQs, Class Guides, Character Builds, Game Guides, Useful Websites, and WOTC Resources
Glad you pointed that out. I hadn't checked for his season. I did notice it is fairly vague and Volo can give them the full 1,300 to get the inn going. I have a feeling that he is only meant to give them the initial 1,000. But, that makes the inn feel more like a punishment than a reward. "Here is a 'reward' now you own 300GP + expenses." I know the RP is to get the inn up and working, but the table will get frustrated. I already know two will try to bargain with Volo to just sell the inn and give them the GP promised (treasure points in this case).
The rest of the group is probably 50/50 as to accepting for story and letting the inn die a slow agonizing death as GP and downtime are never spent for running a business.
Ok I just played chapter 1 having not really read anything about it other than content catalog and that it looked well written. At the end Volo does not have the money to pay the characters hence he gives the deed. Content catalog
How the heck can he loan 1000gp when he does not have the money to pay the original offer of 100gp each person. If he has that to loan, we should have been paid and not gotten the deed!
Oh, it gets better. There are additional costs to opening the inn (of which the players don't have) and then more costs to run (again a sad lack of GP) and after you spend all that GP you roll on the 'Running a Business' table in the DMG (and you can spend GP to make the role better but. . .) and then around 40% change of costing even more GP per roll.
So what are the adventure league rules for selling the inn? Volo gave them the inn instead of paying what he promised, so my players are now wanting to sell it. They would be happy for the 100GP per player (600 GP for the group). This is selling at a great loss but they're ok with it. My question is can they be awarded Treasure Points or just given the gold or is the entire thing a waste of time?
is the entire thing a waste of time? Yes. Content Catalog does not have that option, and it's not written in adventure to sell it.
Makes me glad I am playing this one regular D&D and don't have to do anything with the inn, but sleep there. I can spend all my time committing crime to make money.
The inn became a plot point. No gold spent on acquiring it, setting it up and no gold earned for running the inn. Basically it became a place for the characters to stay for free in the city. Add in the lack of faction availability to the module mix due to season 8, a very unsatisfying session.
Have some creativity, people. Remember in all the AL adventures it reminds you that you are the DM and you are empowered to change stuff! If the inn seems uninteresting and unfulfilling because of AL rules, then I see nothing wrong with tweaking some things to make it interesting. If gold is a problem and the party isn't interested in factions, reassign the faction missions in chapter 2 as missions from local artisan guilds willing to help fix up the place for a favor. Throw in some random encounters involving the inn. There are lots of ways to make it fun and rewarding without tying a gold value to it.
What I want to know is where to find the info for AL specific rewards, items, and whatnot for WDH.
AL killed the ability to buy faction items, you are no longer allowed too. The reason peoelp are not interested in factions is they went out of their way to diacourage people fron joining them, yet this book higly encourages them.
With that being said i joined a faction because it made sense role play but with red war was extremely disappointed with story result that you saves the peole and they hate you for it. Wait what?
Now i have to hide the fact that i was part of the group that helped people? Perhaps i was better off being a necromancer and animating everyone.
But this book acts like that never happened before. So if i do al i have one thing which says dont join factions and the book which says do