In preparation for GenCon we’ve scoured our archives and compiled the most useful convention tips for players and DMs. Of course, most of these tips are suitable for any gaming environment, so if you’re unable to get to Indianapolis next weekend we think you’ll still find this collection helpful.
Tag: Dungeons and Dragons
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Wimwick’s Newbie Plans For GenCon
The best four days in gaming begin next week. This will be my first trip to GenCon and I’m looking forward to the experience. I’ve heard all about it from Ameron and of course I’ve read about it through various other blogs. Still there is an aura of mystique that surrounds the event and I’m eager to arrive and investigate everything that GenCon and Indianapolis has to offer.
With that thought in mind I’ve put together a list of the top things I’d like to accomplish while at GenCon this year.
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Character Creation Tips
When creating a new character there are many things to take into consideration. Everyone’s got their own idea of how to make the best character; there isn’t just one right way to do it. The abundance of choice can often be overwhelming so we’ve poured through our archives and found some great resources to help steer your decision making.
The pre-generated characters for the D&D Open Championship: A Hole in the World are now available for download from Wizards of the Coast. If you’re going to GenCon and you plan to participate in the D&D Championship, then you’re about to get very excited.
Until yesterday we knew very little about the tournament. Now we know just about everything. The characters begin the adventure at level 25. Anyone fortunate enough to advance to the finals gets to use the level 30 versions of those same characters. Wizards of the Coast not only gave us the pre-gens ahead of time, they provided the character builder files. This is a huge relief. I was really worried that they would provide same crappy little truncated cards like they have for almost every other game using pre-generated characters. (If you’ve been reading our weekly write-up on D&D Encounters Dark Sun you know all about the issues with those pre-gens).
What makes Dark Sun different from any other campaign setting? This question more than any other has motivated people to come out and try D&D Encounters over the past seven weeks. At first there was a lot of interest. People who used to play in Dark Sun came out to see the 4e version of their beloved campaign setting. Others were just curious to see what all the fuss was about. And for five weeks D&D Encounters did not disappoint.
Fury of the Wastewalker chapter 1 exposed the players and their characters to the harsh desert environment of Athas that makes Dark Sun so unique. The PCs struggled to survive in the blistering sun while trying to outrun a strange and vicious obsidian sand storm. Add to that the ever-present threats of the desert creatures determined to kill the PCs and take their food and water. Dark Sun quickly earned a reputation for its brutality and grit – and rightly so. This isn’t the light and fluffy D&D of the Forgotten Realms.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide recommends that an adventuring party be comprised of five adventurers with all four roles being covered. Of course there are going to be instances where only three of four roles are represented in an adventuring party. Maybe you’re playing in a public game, like and LFR adventure, and none of the players brought a PC to fill one of the roles. Or maybe none of the players in your group enjoy playing a particular role.
Some would argue that the controller is not an essential role. Of the four roles most players feel the controller is easily the most dispensable. About a year ago we ran a poll asking which role a party could do without. The controller won that dubious honour hands down. While the early heroic tier might support this viewpoint, it quickly becomes evident that controllers are indispensable by the time a party hits the middle of the paragon tier. Controllers are more than capable of carrying a party forward to victory. The fact is you want a controller in your party.
But what happens when this vital member of any adventuring party is missing?
We’ve updated our LFR Treasure Bundle List. We’ve added 23 new adventures to the list bringing the total to 124. Among the new entries are 13 paragon adventures. That brings us to 18 adventures in the P1 band (level 11-14) and 4 adventures in the P2 band (level 14-17). With GenCon only a few weeks away, our list can help you decide what adventures to play in order to get that special item you’ve always wanted before you get to Indianapolis.
This week I’m going to share more of my experiences from D&D camp, but I’m going to focus on the things that I learned from the kids and offer some advice for getting younger people into D&D. See last week’s Confessions of a D&D Camp Counselor for an introduction to D&D Camp.
I was really proud of my kids this week. I was fortunate to have four of the six kids I worked with the previous week and two new kids who were very clever and eager. Since I knew the kids a little better I decided that I should branch the programming out a bit. So in addition to playing D&D we did 3D paper craft dungeons and monsters, monster building and a LARP (live action role-playing game).
Delving through dungeons with a non-standard party is an invitation to failure in most instances. What happens when the most stereotypical member of the adventuring party is missing? Defenders represent the key trait that all adventurer’s need, toughness. Defenders are the embodiment of nobility, honour, duty and physical perfection. Legend and fiction are full of characters that embody the spirit of the defender: Lancelot, Conan, Elric and Beowulf all fit the description. Warrior’s any adventurer would want by their side.
What happens to an adventuring party when this key element is missing? What happens when the tank, the individual who absorbs all the damage, is missing? What adjustments does a party need to make to ensure it can successfully navigate the challenges that face it?
The PC began chapter two after an extended rest and a level bump. The desperation they felt during the previous couple of encounters was replaced with the confidence that accompanies power. Full hit points, maximum healing surges, better attack scores, better defense scores and best of all they’re out of the blazing sun and away from the obsidian storm. So began week 6 of D&D Encounters Dark Sun.