Hard telling not knowing. Given that WotC isn't calling the new edition a new edition and saying everything is backwards compatible, I'm inclined to think it's business as usual until you hear otherwise.
agree with guesses are just guesses....and hopefully they don't follow their track record where they clearly state you can only use the most recently published set of character creation options (for things like races)...which just goes directly against the whole 'backward compatible' idea...imo.
i wouldn't be surprised if they scrap it all together. It's certainly not comparable to what it was.
i wouldn't be surprised if they scrap it all together. It's certainly not comparable to what it was.
It is indeed a shadow of its former self. Once upon a time I'd argue that AL's a great way for FLGSs and conventions to introduce D&D to beginners. Nowadays it's "cool" enough to not need any introduction, and with WotC focusing on online play and digital purchases they've tossed AL and FLGS support by the wayside. It's sad to see.
I wouldn't say they have tossed AL and FLGS support by the wayside. Organized play is still a huge part of the game. They just out-sourced the administration of much of it during the pandemic. D&D Virtual Play Weekends are still huge. And if an FLGS wants to get DDAL going, all they need to do is reach out. The problem is, the FLGS' are not reaching out. I know of 4 in my extended metro area that are running DDAL every weekend, but they can't be bothered to contact the Wizard's Play Network to get their store on the site. The one I support directly has a Discord for their shop and that is the only place they promote ANYTHING. So it is no surprise their shop is quite empty most days. It is a chicken-or-egg thing. Stores don't reach out and promote, so the company doesn't see demand. But the lack of demand makes the stores not want to waste resources promoting things that seem unpopular.
I DM the D&D afterschool program at my school. Can I use and document the AL adventures there or if I can only log time in an event setting? I enjoy using Treasure of the Broken Hoard because it is a great example of a variety of playstyles for new players.
Actually WoTC does indeed appear to have tossed DDAL aside to a large degree:
* The old dnd.wizards site with dedicated DDAL pages, the Yawning Portal event page for VDDWs, and tons of free resources for DDAL was quietly removed in mid 2024. DDB may be many things, but it is not a good replacement for a dedicated DDAL website/page. Searching DDAL at the top of DDB shows no results. You have to know to come to the forums, go to one of a few specific discords, or rely on Google SEO to bring you to the DDB page you need. It was already not the most user-friendly program, but this obfuscates it from people who may have an interest even more than before.
* The major US Play Organization that runs VDDWs, Baldman Games (BMG), are moving away from creating and running DDAL content in favor of the similar but very different "Legends of Greyhawk" campaign. Convention play will be largely limited to this and other to-be-announced options over the typical DDAL offerings. I don't know if this was their choice or a directive from WoTC, but it doesn't bode well for the future of DDAL. Before this we had already lost the alternate hardcover campaigns and "seasons" that used to be unique content for DDAL.
I have my issues with DDAL and how it's run, but I want it to continue. I wish WoTC would slow down on the books and VTTs to give their actual players and organized play options some much needed love.
I DM the D&D afterschool program at my school. Can I use and document the AL adventures there or if I can only log time in an event setting? I enjoy using Treasure of the Broken Hoard because it is a great example of a variety of playstyles for new players.
If you are running games using the AL rules and limitations then you can log those games no matter where you play or run them ... at home, at school, at a local game store, at a convention or anywhere else. The constraint is that the games be run using AL approved adventures, using AL rules (basically no homebrew or house rules though rulings on rules that aren't clear are fine), and AL legal characters created using the rules provided in the latest player guide.
So, if you are running AL adventures at school then the players can log their character advancement and the DM can earn service awards.
“If a rules option appears in a previously published sourcebook such as Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything or Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and was updated in the 2024 rules, use the updated rules”. https://19216811.cam/
How will 5.5 impact AL? Will i still be able to play my 5th edition characters? Will I be forced to change them to conform to the new rule mechanics?
Hard telling not knowing. Given that WotC isn't calling the new edition a new edition and saying everything is backwards compatible, I'm inclined to think it's business as usual until you hear otherwise.
agree with guesses are just guesses....and hopefully they don't follow their track record where they clearly state you can only use the most recently published set of character creation options (for things like races)...which just goes directly against the whole 'backward compatible' idea...imo.
i wouldn't be surprised if they scrap it all together. It's certainly not comparable to what it was.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
It is indeed a shadow of its former self. Once upon a time I'd argue that AL's a great way for FLGSs and conventions to introduce D&D to beginners. Nowadays it's "cool" enough to not need any introduction, and with WotC focusing on online play and digital purchases they've tossed AL and FLGS support by the wayside. It's sad to see.
I wouldn't say they have tossed AL and FLGS support by the wayside. Organized play is still a huge part of the game. They just out-sourced the administration of much of it during the pandemic. D&D Virtual Play Weekends are still huge. And if an FLGS wants to get DDAL going, all they need to do is reach out.
The problem is, the FLGS' are not reaching out. I know of 4 in my extended metro area that are running DDAL every weekend, but they can't be bothered to contact the Wizard's Play Network to get their store on the site. The one I support directly has a Discord for their shop and that is the only place they promote ANYTHING. So it is no surprise their shop is quite empty most days.
It is a chicken-or-egg thing. Stores don't reach out and promote, so the company doesn't see demand. But the lack of demand makes the stores not want to waste resources promoting things that seem unpopular.
There are tons of AL games at three different hobby stores in my area as well as online.
I DM the D&D afterschool program at my school. Can I use and document the AL adventures there or if I can only log time in an event setting? I enjoy using Treasure of the Broken Hoard because it is a great example of a variety of playstyles for new players.
Actually WoTC does indeed appear to have tossed DDAL aside to a large degree:
* The old dnd.wizards site with dedicated DDAL pages, the Yawning Portal event page for VDDWs, and tons of free resources for DDAL was quietly removed in mid 2024. DDB may be many things, but it is not a good replacement for a dedicated DDAL website/page. Searching DDAL at the top of DDB shows no results. You have to know to come to the forums, go to one of a few specific discords, or rely on Google SEO to bring you to the DDB page you need. It was already not the most user-friendly program, but this obfuscates it from people who may have an interest even more than before.
* The major US Play Organization that runs VDDWs, Baldman Games (BMG), are moving away from creating and running DDAL content in favor of the similar but very different "Legends of Greyhawk" campaign. Convention play will be largely limited to this and other to-be-announced options over the typical DDAL offerings. I don't know if this was their choice or a directive from WoTC, but it doesn't bode well for the future of DDAL. Before this we had already lost the alternate hardcover campaigns and "seasons" that used to be unique content for DDAL.
I have my issues with DDAL and how it's run, but I want it to continue. I wish WoTC would slow down on the books and VTTs to give their actual players and organized play options some much needed love.
If you are running games using the AL rules and limitations then you can log those games no matter where you play or run them ... at home, at school, at a local game store, at a convention or anywhere else. The constraint is that the games be run using AL approved adventures, using AL rules (basically no homebrew or house rules though rulings on rules that aren't clear are fine), and AL legal characters created using the rules provided in the latest player guide.
So, if you are running AL adventures at school then the players can log their character advancement and the DM can earn service awards.
“If a rules option appears in a previously published sourcebook such as Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything or Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and was updated in the 2024 rules, use the updated rules”. https://19216811.cam/