Community

_aerion_ wrote:

This is a concern for folks like me (and, well, ME). 

I was already leery of the "Bigger regions, fewer adventures" tac being adopted with LFR.  Great, I can play stuff from around the globe, thereby expanding my playable material. 

What worries me is the prospect of traveling to a convention and only having 2 or 3 LFR Adventures to play (assuming, of course, I haven't already played any of those at another convention the previous month).  What it's looking like to me is the RPGA is encouraging people to begin LFR as a home game, ordering and running adventures pell-mell to get their character(s) to the next tier (there's a word I never thought I'd use again) so they can be in the level zone to play the NEXT handful of adventures in the next round of release, yadda-yadda ad-infinitum. 

If this is the case (and, please, disperse my illusions if it's NOT!), it seems to me my future as a small convention and game day organizer just became a NIGHTMARE! 

Scene:  SmallCon 09

Player 1:  I'm signed up to play LFRMOD-3 with my sister.  There are dozens of other players here.  Why are none of them playing it?  We drove from Farawayfromhere Iowa to taste your regional flare in person.

Con Organizer:  Well, Sir, it seems all those people already played that particular mod in their basements here locally last month and are here to play LFRMOD-5 with their 6th level characters.  You and your sister are only 3rd level, so you can't play with them anyway.  I'm sorry, here's your money back.  Thanks for driving 4 hours for no apparent reason.


End scene....

Am I totally bonkers here?

No you are not going bonkers, the possibility does exist.  I got turned away last time I went to a convention to play Living Greyhawk because I was too low in level.  Keep in mind I looked up the information on the website before leaving the house.  According to it there was suppose to be a low level game and an introductory level game.  They got canceled for reasons unknown at the last moment. 
In the end even with research it’s a gamble before you leave for a convention.

Yes Aerion, you are bonkers. :D

Look, I understand that passsionate fans (like me) want to scrutinise and extrapolate every crumb of rumour and scuttlebutt going around but surely there is a place at the table for common sense?

What makes anyone think that just because most adventures are playable at home that there will not be a staggered release schedule, as in other living campaigns? Conventions, then gamedays, then home play. It seems pretty reasonable to think that some form of this would be implemented in LFR, no?

As I have said in another thread, players do not belong to one region, they belong to every region. Chris Tulach has stated that regions were allocated to real-world locations primarily for ease of administration - this in no way impacts the play experience.

Also, in my opinion, 4e provides so much more scope for role-playing than 3e that it is no contest. Roleplaying has certainly not been 'shived' like a drunken merchant in a back alley. Although if you come to Westgate, your character certainly might be!

The campaign guidelines will arrive soon and will definitively answer these questions and many more.

Joe

_aerion_ wrote:

My character starts in Waterdeep. He manages to survive Waterdeep-1. What's next for our stalwart young hero?

I would have liked a more regional approach as well, but I am planning to solve the discrepancy by making my characters semi-regional.
One of my PCs is liekly to stick to the Swordcaiast and environs. She is from Luruar. That means that she can travel and adventure with relative safety (give or take several grains of salt and some suspension of disbelief), to Luruar, Waterdeep, Moonshae Isles, and (stretching it only slightly) Baldur's Gate. That's 4 scenarios. I migth even do Nelanther Isles (Core scenario, more stretching), as I got THAT far...
Then head home again, and hope the published scenario (FR1 Scepter Tower of Spellgard) which is near Luruar iirc, is playable in LFR. If not, this'll mean shelving V until next year.
Meanwhile, my other PC travels between Dragoncoast and East rift (taking in Akanul and Tyrmanthyr). Maybe hop over to the other side and do Aglarond/Thesk/Impiltur, though I would say that is a stretch.
No idea which ones would go to visit Zhentil Keep, as it isn't near anything (my East Rift char is likely closest).
I won't adventure in Dalelands (own region) or Cormyr (too much inside knowledge), but you could otherwise make a PC that travels there (Dalelands, Cormyr, Impiltur, Dragon Coast, Zhentil keep).
Yes, for a heroic 'has to stay local' character that is still a lot of travel. There may be coming more stuff out of course, not sure if there will be anything besides the cores and regionals.

Of course, this is all assuming I will play that often that it is needed. If I don't play that often, I might just be able to wait until a new 1-4 lvl regional scenario is brought out.

Gomez