Welcome to Detect Thoughts!
This series is something that I have wished for as a resource, particularly since my favorite DM does not use Facebook, and as such does not have access to the official Facebook groups for the Adventurers League. This makes it hard for him, and others, to stay up-to-date and consistent with their tables. It my intention to maintain a living document, inspired by the one that Lysa Chen put together for DMs transitioning their rewards to Season 8, that collects official clarifications, guidance, and rulings. Hosting it here on the AL website ensures that more community members will be able to access it, and it will be easier to find guidance when you need it.
Each installment will review the additions to the document in a blog post, as well as compile them into a PDF that can be kept with your Adventurers League materials. The information that we round up here will find its way into the appropriate documents when the next revision of our documentation comes around.
You can find the latest printable version of Detect Thoughts here.
Regarding DM Quests:
To determine the eligibilty of CCC adventures for “current season” play for DM Quests, please reference the “added to catalog” date on the CCC’s page on the DMs Guild.
DDAL 08-07, 08-08, and 08-09 had their descriptions updated to “A DMM adventure” from “A WDH & DMM adventure” in version 8.07 of the Content Catalog. This does not impact the current DM Quests, and the Quests will still be valid as written.
Regarding DDAL00-05 Winter’s Splendor:
The enduring spellbook is a common magic item that can be unlocked and then purchased for 2 TCP.
Regarding Animal Companions:
Certed animal companions are normal, non-magical animals that can be revived using Raise Dead, given that there is a body to raise.
Regarding Dungeon of the Mad Mage:
Story Items obtained in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist may carry over and be used in Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
Regarding Magic Items:
Common magical weapons or suits of magic armor obtained via the “This is Your Life” tables are of the same type of the armor or weapon obtained as starting equipment for your class. This magical item replaces the mundane version you would have obtained as starting equipment.
Regarding Admin Rulings:
Older adventures sometimes include magic items with additional quirks, such as the wolfskin cap (Hat of Disguise) from a Season 4 adventure. Upon completion of the adventure, do characters unlock the item with quirks or without?
Items are unlocked specifically as they are found in the adventure.
How do I award Season 8 rewards for mixed-tier parties?
Characters receive rewards based on their tier. If a group of T2 and T3 characters spend 4 hours adventuring, the T2 characters receive 4 treasure checkpoints, while the T3 characters receive 8.
In groups consisting of mixed tier characters, DMs earn a number of advancement and treasure checkpoints equal to what the highest tier character would earn.
In cases such as an Epic that consists of multiple tiers of tables, all DMs will receive checkpoint rewards as if they ran a table of the highest tier that the adventure accommodates.
Is it ever AL legal for item trades between two characters of different tiers?
Yes, but note that both PCs still need to trade on a one-for-one basis for items of the same rarity and magic item table location, and both have to pay 15 downtime days assuming they are not at the same table (which is unlikely since they are different tiers).
As always, feel free to reach out to us at community@dndadventurersleague.org, on Twitter at @DnD_AdvLeague, or in the Facebook Adventurers League and Adventurers League DM groups.