In order to entice new players to come out and try D&D 5e public play, Wizards of the Coast has kindly offered up free rewards for DMs and players. We’ve taken a look inside the box of goodies and today we’ll show you everything.
Faction Packs (Player Kits)
A big part of the Adventurers League and 5e public play are the Factions. These are groups who operate within the Forgotten Realms for the betterment of everyone. The five factions have very different means for achieving their goals, but in times of trouble they’ll set aside their differences and work together for the greater good.
The five factions are: Emerald Enclave, Harpers, Lords’ Alliance, Order of the Gauntlet, and Zhentarim. PCs are not required to join a factions, but there are in-game benefits for doing so; the most beneficial of which is getting resurrected for free if you die before reaching level 5.
Player faction packs were introduced last season with the Tyranny of Dragons story line. The faction packs for this season are pretty much the same as the ones from last season. With each faction pack you get the following:
- Folder (with the faction’s logo & colours)
- Faction welcome letter
- Faction membership certificate with Certificate Identification Code on the back
- Faction Sticker
- Tent card: Name on the front, Faction Ranks * Requirements * Benefits on the back
- Trove of Elemental Evil certificate: Elemental Crystal (item) on the front / Neverwinter MMORPG certification code on the back
- Blank Character Sheet
- Blank Adventure Log Sheet
Scans of all the materials for each faction pack are available in the D&D Encounters: Tyranny of Dragons Kit – Preview. The only new item in the players kit is the Trove of Element Evil certificate shown below.
Last season the faction packs were a hot commodity and many stores ran out quickly. If you didn’t get one last season, I encourage you to be at your FLGS on March 18. Supplies are limited so don’t miss out.
You can tell the difference between the faction packs from Tyranny of Dragons and Elemental Evil by the white words “Dungeons & Dragons” printed in the bottom left corner of the new faction packs.
The Dungeon Master’s Pack
The DM packs are full of goodies for the folks who make the games happen. Inside the DM packs are the following items:
- Folder (Elemental Evil logo)
- Special Starting Item for the DM / Certificate Identification Code
- Cheat sheet with NPC quotes
- Name card / Faction Quick Guide
- Magic Item certifications (see below)
It may not have as many items as the previous season’s DM kit, but it’s still pretty slick. See the images below.
| Folder |
| NPC Quotes |
| DM Reward Special Starting Item Certificate Identification Code on the back |
| Tent Card |
Magic Items
Included are 39 magic item certs for the adventure. Included among the magic items this season is an Immovable Rod, Elven Chain, multiple +1 weapons, and +2 armor. If you want good swag for your character, come out and play D&D Encounters on Wednesday nights.
Instructions
According to the instructions the season runs from March 18 through August 26. If you’re not participating in D&D Encounters or D&D Expeditions now is a great time to start. Come out, make a new character, join the Adventurers League, and fight the Elemental Evil! If you’d like to be a DM this season, contact your FLGS and volunteer. We’re always looking for the next great DM.
Visit the Dungeon’s Master D&D Encounters Archive for all of our ongoing weekly coverage as well as other great D&D Encounters articles and resources.
Visit the Dungeon’s Master Pre-Generated Character Library for PDFs of the 5e pre-gens found in the Starter Set.
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View Comments (2)
Great preview as always guys.
Was very pleased with the reception the new edition got here in Leicester (UK) and looks like it will continue to flourish with the new season too.
The magic item certs, I believe, are for the full HC adventure of PotA (and/or the new Expeditions adventures). In the Encounters version, there are many fewer items available... a few potions, one named +1 dagger, a driftglobe, a magic missile wand, and the potential for some 3-use squirrel suits that can only be recharged at locations that don't appear in the Encounters version of the adventure.