Heroes needed! Are you game?

D&D Encounters is an exciting, weekly campaign that plays out one epic encounter at a time. As you defeat enemies, solve puzzles, finish quests, and perform heroic deeds, you’ll earn Renown Points that you can use to get exclusive rewards. Each session only takes 1-2 hours to play, so it’s easy to fit your game in after school or work. And each week there’s a new and exciting challenge. Jump in anytime!

The Story So Far

Adventure Background: Storm Over Neverwinter

The frontier city of Neverwinter has persevered in the face of calamity. Yet even as the city rebuilds, an insidious threat rises from within its walls. Neverwinter’s citizens are succumbing to an inexplicable madness, while from the shadows, an evil cult of Asmodeus spins sinister plans. Unless a group of heroes rises to stop these perils, Neverwinter might face an even greater danger on the horizon.

This D&D Encounters season takes characters from levels 3-6. It also includes an optional online component, which allows players and Dungeon Masters to convert the adventure to the D&D Next playtest.

Previous Season: Against the Cult of Chaos

An ancient evil stirs in the Caves of Chaos, chipping away at its prison, while the forces of chaos converge on the nearby town of Hommel Lane. Monstrous raiders, marauding bandits, and missing villagers portend a terrible fate for Hommel Lane, and the world, if unchallenged.

D&D Next Conversion

Two Ways to Play

Of course, there are a great many players who enjoy playing D&D 4th Edition, as well as players excited about the D&D Next Playtest. And so, this season of D&D Encounters will support both D&D 4th Edition and D&D Next, with conversion rules! This means that during the first week when players make their characters, they’ll also need to decide which version of D&D they want to play. Dungeon Masters who choose to run this season under D&D Next rules will be able to download conversion notes at www.dndnext.com.

D&D Next Rules

If you choose to play this season using D&D Next rules, things will be a little more involved. Your store/play group will need to do the following:

Talk to the players at your store and your D&D Encounters organizer. Find out how many people are interested in playtesting D&D Next and how many want to continue playing 4th Edition. Gauge players’ interest, and coordinate with any other DMs to try to ensure that everyone (including you) has the opportunity to play in his or her preferred type of game.

Visit dndnext.com and sign up for the playtest.

Download the playtest packet and review the documents, paying close attention to the How to Play and DM Guidelines files.

Read and print the Storm over Neverwinter conversion notes (in the playtest packet). This file contains instructions, guidelines, and statistics blocks for adapting the adventure to D&D Next.

Familiarize yourself with the adventure, and get ready to run D&D Next!

D&D Next Playtest Agreement

(54 Kbs PDF)

Creating a Character

Bring Your Own Hero to the Table

If you’re like many players, you’ll want to build your own 3rd-level character to bring to D&D Encounters, using the standard character creation rules presented in the Rules Compendium, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, or Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. Of course, you can also use the D&D Character Builder to create your character as well.

For this D&D Encounters season, players can create characters using any official 4th Edition materials, including options presented in Dragon magazine.

Players who took part in the D&D Encounters season, Lost Crown of Neverwinter, can reprise their characters from that campaign. (In terms of XP earned, they begin this adventure at the start of 3rd level, just as other characters do.) Such characters bear the mantle “hero of Neverwinter” and receive a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based checks to influence most natives of the city, except Lady Nidris and the enemies in this adventure.

If a character attained 4th level in Lost Crown of Neverwinter, the player can use that character at level 4 in this season at the DM’s discretion. In this case, consider raising the difficulty of the encounters with the suggestions presented.

Gaining Experience, Leveling Up, and Earning Rewards

Each week, as you face monsters and overcome obstacles, you’ll gain experience points that will enable you to eventually level up your character. If you manage to play most or all of the sessions this season, you can hit 6th level by the conclusion of the story.

At the end of each session, your DM will award your Experience Points, as well as your Renown Points (which earn you Rewards).

Pregenerated Characters

Pregens

(4.8 Mbs PDF)

Want to DM a D&D Encounters Session?

Dungeon Masters Wanted

D&D Encounters can’t happen without people behind the screen—the most important seat in the house. With D&D Encounters, DMing is easy. Your store organizer will have everything you need—the adventure, maps, tokens (for PCs and Monsters), as well as all the other game materials you and your players will want and need.

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