Next Season of D&D Encounters: Keep On The Borderlands!

Abyssal Maw · August 12, 2010, 11:40:44 AM

I'm very excited for this! I haven't been a fan of the current season because it is pre-gens only, and I kinda hate pre-generated characters. I mean, even if they are good, they aren't that great.

I'm not sure if I'd rather play or DM. I think I might DM!

Seanchai · August 12, 2010, 11:44:50 AM

In an interesting turn of events, you can use your own character for the last five Encounter sessions this season.

Seanchai

Abyssal Maw · August 12, 2010, 11:57:04 AM

Quote from: Seanchai;398595In an interesting turn of events, you can use your own character for the last five Encounter sessions this season.

Seanchai

For Dark Sun? I heard about that. I guess the issue was that the Dark Sun materials were not yet available when they launched the Encounters season.

Benoist · August 12, 2010, 12:40:00 PM

Excuse my completely ignorant question, but what does that mean that the next season will be Keep on the Borderlands? Does that mean that the module is the entire season, playing a few encounters at a time or... Quid?

Abyssal Maw · August 12, 2010, 12:54:42 PM

Quote from: Benoist;398622Excuse my completely ignorant question, but what does that mean that the next season will be Keep on the Borderlands? Does that mean that the module is the entire season, playing a few encounters at a time or... Quid?

Pretty much... 1st season was Forgotten Realms, 2nd season is Dark Sun (that's goin on now..) and the next season is going to be the Keep.

Benoist · August 12, 2010, 12:55:33 PM

Alright then. Sounds cool.

Joethelawyer · August 12, 2010, 07:28:40 PM

AM, I get the gist of Encounters, but how do you actually play it? Is it that every week a couple of new dungeon rooms or wilderness encounters are released and the group goes thru them, killing and looting each room in order? how long does it take to play? how loose/tight is the connection between the encounters and the next ones, and the overall series, which appears to be seasonally based, like a tv show or something? where do you get the encounters....from ddi?

ggroy · August 12, 2010, 07:36:11 PM

Quote from: Joethelawyer;398716AM, I get the gist of Encounters, but how do you actually play it? Is it that every week a couple of new dungeon rooms or wilderness encounters are released and the group goes thru them, killing and looting each room in order? how long does it take to play? how loose/tight is the connection between the encounters and the next ones, and the overall series, which appears to be seasonally based, like a tv show or something? where do you get the encounters....from ddi?

It's basically one encounter per week. They usually take around an hour or two, each week. If players aren't rolling very well, it can take almost two hours.

It could be seen as mindless hack and slash on a railroad. The storyline is kind of secondary.

ggroy · August 12, 2010, 07:44:08 PM

Quote from: Joethelawyer;398716where do you get the encounters....from ddi?

The gaming store receives the 4E Encounters module books every few weeks. For the present 4E Encounters season in Dark Sun, the first five encounters are in the first book. The next five encounters are in a second book. I haven't seen the third book yet, but it should have the remaining last five encounters.

837204563 · August 12, 2010, 07:50:07 PM

Quote from: ggroy;398718It's basically one encounter per week. They usually take around an hour or two, each week. If players aren't rolling very well, it can take almost two hours.

It could be seen as mindless hack and slash on a railroad. The storyline is kind of secondary.

That sounds ... awful, and a great way to turn people off roleplaying. Good job WotC.

Joethelawyer · August 12, 2010, 08:18:27 PM

Quote from: ggroy;398718It's basically one encounter per week. They usually take around an hour or two, each week. If players aren't rolling very well, it can take almost two hours.

It could be seen as mindless hack and slash on a railroad. The storyline is kind of secondary.

so if the storyline is secondary, how is it related to keep on the borderlands? or is that just the name chosen due to name recognition, and an attempt to get older gamers who recognize the red box and the name of the module on board?

ggroy · August 12, 2010, 08:24:40 PM

Quote from: Joethelawyer;398725so if the storyline is secondary, how is it related to keep on the borderlands?

This is completely unknown at the moment. They haven't released the borderlands module yet to gaming stores for next season's 4E Encounters games.

Quote from: Joethelawyer;398725or is that just the name chosen due to name recognition, and an attempt to get older gamers who recognize the red box and the name of the module on board?

Most likely.

VectorSigma · August 12, 2010, 08:54:40 PM

Quote from: 837204563;398721That sounds ... awful, and a great way to turn people off roleplaying. Good job WotC.

It does sound awful, but an old gaming buddy of mine has been running it at the local comic/game shop for a group of youngsters (by which I mean 16-25) who had never gamed before, and they're all having a blast. I asked him if it felt like a 'regular game', and he replied that although it didn't feel like a normal ongoing campaign, he was looking at it like a gateway drug for these newbies. I believe the phrase "it's like Boone's Farm strawberry-flavored wine, you have to start somewhere" was used.

I had meant to drop in on them and sit in for a session or two, but real life conspired otherwise. Would still like to do it.

Abyssal Maw · August 12, 2010, 10:14:37 PM

It's kinda like "Get together for an hour and kill monsters after work". I bring my kids. It's fun.

Zachary The First · August 12, 2010, 10:32:14 PM

Quote from: VectorSigma;398735It does sound awful, but an old gaming buddy of mine has been running it at the local comic/game shop for a group of youngsters (by which I mean 16-25) who had never gamed before, and they're all having a blast. I asked him if it felt like a 'regular game', and he replied that although it didn't feel like a normal ongoing campaign, he was looking at it like a gateway drug for these newbies. I believe the phrase "it's like Boone's Farm strawberry-flavored wine, you have to start somewhere" was used.

I had meant to drop in on them and sit in for a session or two, but real life conspired otherwise. Would still like to do it.

I think looking at it as a gateway is the right way to go about it. Obviously (or at least it sounds like), it isn't designed for hardcore roleplaying or much of a story, but it's a good start, and I don't see any other RPG companies (sadly) with competing programs.

Maybe by playing this, they'll get interested in or exposed to somewhat deeper and different gaming experiences, too. I know the program does quite well for my FLGS, but that's about all I know of it as it runs here.