INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A LEGAL ADVENTURERS' LEAGUE CHARACTER

WHAT IS THIS?

This document provides rules for creating and advancing characters within the D&D Adventurers League (AL), an official public play program for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Companions to this guide are in D&D Beyond’s forum.

CREATING A CHARACTER

Use the character creation rules from the Player’s Handbook (2024), abbreviated as PH 2024, with the following notes. You begin play at 1st level. Unless specified, see the sidebar for available rules choices. 

Step 0: Choose Your Campaign. See the Appendix. 

Step 1: Choose a Class. 

Step 2: Choose a Species or Custom Lineage, Background, Equipment, Language, and Trinket.

•Custom Lineage. If using the Custom Lineage option (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, TCE), choose an Origin or uncategorized (not updated as Origin, General, Fighting Style, or Epic Boon) feat. 

•Feat. Uncategorized feats can only be chosen when character options do not specify a category. The uncategorized Fighting Initiate feat (TCE) is not a workable option. 

•Background. Use any available background or create a background from Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024), abbreviated below as “DMG 2024,” 

Step 3: Determine Ability Scores. Your ability scores are generated using the Standard Array or Point Cost. 

Step 4: Choose an Alignment. Non-evil alignment only. 

Step 5: Fill In Details. 

•Deity: Clerics must and other classes may choose a campaign’s deity or one not specific to another world. 

•Faction: You may choose one faction from the Basic Rules (2014)’s Appendix C or campaign lore at character creation or anytime the opportunity arises in the adventure. Faction benefits are detailed within adventures. You may only have membership in one faction at a time and switch whenever you’d like. The Red Wizards faction is not an available choice.

STARTING PLAY AT 5TH LEVEL

You may create a 5th level character instead of starting at 1st level. Receive your standard gear from your class and background, 500 gold pieces, 40 downtime days, and one of the following magic items. 

•+1 weapon
•+1 shield
•+1 rod of the pact keeper
•+1 wand of the war mage
•+1 all-purpose tool (TCE)
•+1 amulet of the devout (TCE)
•+1 arcane grimoire (TCE)
•+1 bloodwell vial (TCE)
•+1 dragonhide belt (FTD)
•+1 moon sickle (TCE)
•+1 rhythm-maker’s drum (TCE)
•Bag of holding

PLAYING ADVENTURES

You can play one character in a session of any adventure that is available for D&D Adventurers League (Appendix), provided your character meets the campaign and level requirements for play (see the tier table below), and your character hasn’t yet played the adventure content, including updated versions. Each adventure has a tier associated with it, which tells you what level characters can participate in.

TIER BY CHARACTER LEVEL 

PLAYER AND DM ETIQUETTE

In addition to following the group’s code of conduct, be respectful, share the spotlight, pay attention, be ready for your turn, ask for consent when needed, and check in on the enjoyment of others. Faithfully follow character creation guidance and create a character that doesn’t impinge on the fun of the DM and fellow players. Be respectful of player characters. For example, characters affected by conditions are temporarily limited or stopped from performing actions, but characters with disabilities shouldn’t be limited or stopped from acting because of their disabilities.

CLASS ABILITY ADAPTATIONS

ARTIFICER

Artificers are the only characters who can create magic items outside of a Bastion. Use DMG 2024’s “Crafting Magic Items” section (assistants can only be Bastion hirelings) and rules from their Magic Item Adept ability to create one item at each of the following levels—10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th. The item created must be tier appropriate (see the “Tier-Appropriate Rarities” table below), as found within the DMG 2024, be an available campaign item, and be of a type available for purchase in the campaign (no firearms, additional features, or sentience).

WIZARD

The Order of Scribes wizard “Wizardly Quill” optional feature allows you to copy 10 spells of 4th level or lower, or 5 spells of 5th level or higher, for 1 downtime day.

NON-UPDATED FIGHTING STYLES

If your character has the Fighting Style class feature, you may choose non-updated Fighting Styles from available sources, as a Fighting Style feat.

SPELL ADAPTATIONS

Most instantaneous spells without listed durations, except for spells such as raise dead, restoration, and reincarnation, expire at the end of the adventure, using the spell's description and DM’s discretion. Some spells require downtime days (see “Downtime” below). For a spell feature that needs to complete a timed task before the character can use it (like “cast every day for a year”), spend 1 downtime day for each day the spell description needs. Spells requiring the caster to make a save must be cast in front of the DM.

Clone. A vessel cannot grow another clone until the first clone is utilized. 

Find Familiar. Other than the familiars listed in the spell’s description, only familiars with specific class and campaign documentation are available (see also “Event Awards and Other Certificates”). 

Nystul’s Magic Aura. The caster cannot place another illusion on an additional creature or object until the first spell’s duration has ended, or it is dispelled. 

Simulacrum. A simulacrum can’t cast simulacrum or any spell duplicating its effect. 

Teleportation Circle. Permanent teleportation circles can be at the specific location of the character’s owned building or business, established temple of their faith, or permanent headquarters of an official organization where they‘re a member. See “Downtime” for trading location information. 

Wish. This spell must be cast in the presence of a DM during the session and only affects characters at your table. Downtime days cannot be used to recover from stress and losing the ability to cast wish can only be undone by wishing for a reroll. The effects of any wish made for something outside the bulleted list in the spell’s description are at the DM’s discretion, using that guidance. All the effects of your character’s simulacrum casting wish are experienced by your character. If that results in the inability to cast wish, it extends to any future simulacrum they create, as well as wish cast by deities via Divine Intervention or similar class features.

PLAYER’S USE OF DM MATERIALS

A player’s use of information from the DMG 2024, DMG (2014), Monster Manual, MPMM, Beast of the Jungle Rot (Guild Adept), or an adventure’s DM information, is limited to what is needed for their character’s class abilities and found in the magic item description or stat block.

LOGGING PLAY

You must keep a legible character log, in any form, to track rewards, note adventure titles or one-shot codes, any important information from play of adventures, Bastion turns, and other changes to your character.

LEVELING UP

You gain a level at the end of each play session that completes an Adventurers League one-shot adventure or a part of an official D&D adventure, at your discretion. If you’d like to continue playing at your current level, you can decline to gain a level. You keep any rewards earned (see “Rewards” below). You gain hit points listed as the fixed value for your class (plus any modifiers) when you level up. Once you achieve 5th level, you may choose a magic item as presented in “Starting Play at 5th Level” above. A campaign may allow you to “leave” an official D&D adventure between sessions to play other adventures allowed within your campaign, but you may be ineligible to return if you level out of the adventure you left. Consult with your DM if you’re going to play those adventures.

REBUILDING YOUR CHARACTER

You may rebuild any aspect of your character between sessions using their most current and similar campaign guidelines. However, you only retain your campaign, equipment and magic items earned from play, and lose feature and class items from aspects your character no longer possesses. When a wizard is rebuilt to a different class, in addition to removing the class equipment spellbook, the player also removes the spells learned from leveling but keeps purchased spellbooks and spells copied using downtime.

REWARDS

The following provides information on rewards you could earn—magic items, coins and other treasure, story awards, and Event Awards and other certificates.

MAGIC ITEMS

Before the Session. If you or your character obtained magic items from play or events, you must limit the number of magic items you bring to play sessions based on the table below. Scribed scrolls, brewed potions (see “Downtime”), and any item carried by a creature under your control (attunement is subject to DM discretion) counts against you carried limit. 

If your character currently benefits from a persistent effect, include the magic item that bestowed that benefit in your carried limit, by the item’s rarity. 

Your character may carry one of your rewarded Event Awards into a session, counting it as a common magic item towards your carried item limit (a mundane mount or non-mechanical trinket doesn’t count toward the carried limit).

CARRIED MAGIC ITEMS BY TIER

Uncommon, rare, very rare, legendary, and unique permanent magic items are included in the “Uncommon+” column. If the rarity is unspecified, use the rarity of a like item in the DMG 2024 with no additional mechanical properties or only those from Special Features tables, otherwise it is unique. Legendary magic items may only be used in tier 4 play. 

Common permanent magic items are included in the “Common” column. Artificer infusions do not count as carried magic items. 

Consumable items include magic ammunition and any non-attunement magic item that isn’t rechargeable and must be consumed if used (potions, scrolls, etc.); this includes single-use items (elemental gem, etc.). Unconsumed consumable items count toward your carried item limit, using the “Consumable” column. If a used consumable item’s effect persists beyond the session the item was consumed, the persistent effect is not considered a consumable but counts toward the character’s carried limit by the item’s rarity. Multi-use consumables (Keoghtom’s ointment, etc.) up to the maximum uses normally found count as one consumable each toward your carried limit. Smokepowder and magical ammunition count as one consumable per 5 shots, rounded up. 

You must similarly limit the number of boons (including epic boon feat) you bring to a play session based on the ALPG's "Carried Blessing, Boon, and Charms" table.

CARRIED BLESSING, BOON, AND CHARMS

Items, blessings, boons, and charms not carried into a session remain in your inventory. 

During the Session. Whenever your party finds one magic item or only one blessing, boon, or charm is awarded to one player character; the party determines who uses it for the remainder of the adventure—even if it is not tier-appropriate (see the table below) for that character. During this session, it does not count towards your carried limit.

TIER APPROPRIATE RARITIES

The following also apply. 

• Choosing. If an adventure directs you to choose a magic item, your choice must be a tier-(or lesser) appropriate item, from the DMG, or a rewarded item from the adventure (no firearms, sentient, or wish granting items). When directed to choose the type of magic item (longsword, studded leather, etc.), choose a type available for purchase as described in “Buying and Trading Gear,” below. 

• Persistent Effects. If your character has already benefitted from a magic item that bestowed a persistent effect (ex: manual of golems), they cannot benefit from the same persistent effect given by a second item. 

Artifacts are story items (see “Story Awards and Story Items”) during the adventure. 

Destroyed, consumed, lost, or abandoned items, blessings, boons, and charms are removed from your character and cannot be reacquired unless rewarded again through play. Unless the item’s destruction is specifically stated in the adventure or D&D Adventurers League Adaptation Guide, permanent magic items can’t be destroyed. If your multiclass character loses an item and its loss renders them ineligible for one of their classes, you must rebuild your character to qualify or remove the class. 

At the End of a Session. Each character keeps any magic items, blessings, boons, or charms the party or a character within the party obtained that wasn't consumed or destroyed during the session. However, some adventures offer each character in the party an identical reward or their choice of a similar reward. For example, if everyone in the party obtained identical magic weapons or, alternately, each chose a different weapon type, at the end of the session, each character only keeps the reward obtained as an individual. 

Characters of lower tiers that encounter a legendary magic item as a reward may possess it, but it remains unavailable for use until 17th level. Artifacts cannot be kept but can be replaced with a +3 armor, +3 shield, or +3 weapon (based on campaign, no firearms). The following also apply. 

• Obsolete Item Rewards. If an adventure rewards an item only available as an older version of updated content (e.g. +X net, a PH 2014 weapon), make a like-for-like substitution from the PH 2024, for an item of the same rarity (e.g. replace a +X net with a 2024 +X weapon, no firearms). If there isn't an obvious like-for-like substitution, replace the item with one of PH 2024's +X weapons or +X armor of the same rarity (no firearms). 

• Unavailable Items. Some adventures reward magic items unsuitable for public play. For example, evil items, items that change a character’s alignment to evil, require an evil alignment for attunement, or a character would need to perform an evil act to obtain them are not rewardable items. Love charms, wish-granting items, items that distribute gold or magic items, and items that don’t specify their spell are unavailable. Items that obliterate matter, send player characters to unspecified worlds or locations outside of the character’s campaign, or are detrimental to player characters are not earnable.

COINS AND OTHER TREASURE

Whenever your party finds treasure of a monetary value, they can keep it with them to use during play. Any remaining treasure unused at the end of the adventure is converted into gold pieces and divided evenly between all the characters. The DM can assist in this process. 

Mundane items, such as found equipment, are divided however the party chooses at the end of the play session. Characters may sell claimed mundane equipment for half its gold value. 

Firearms. If rewarded in an adventure, firearms may be kept. Characters proficient with martial weapons are proficient with firearms. Bullets and smokepowder are required for firing. Bullets can be rewarded in an adventure, purchased from the DMG 2024, or crafted by a character proficient in smith’s tools, as described in PH 2024. Outside the adventure where gunpowder was acquired, it is treated as smokepowder and found or purchased for 50 gp in packets of five shots. Unless specified in the adventure, smokepowder can’t be used as an explosive device.

STORY AWARDS AND STORY ITEMS

When applicable, the DM may ask if characters possess a story award or story item. The party determines which characters hold story items and, in certain circumstances, story awards, for the purposes of that adventure. 

Story Awards. Some adventures reward characters for an accomplishment with a story award that may only have significance in future adventures in the same storyline. Story awards are sometimes presented as a handout or certificate, and might not use the term “story award.” 

Story Items. Story items are items or effects that are designated in the adventure or D&D Adventurers League Adaptation Guide as important to completing a storyline or the adventure. Story items are only useable during sessions of the storyline or official D&D adventure.

EVENT AWARDS AND OTHER CERTIFICATES

Event Awards. Players might attend an event and receive a full color certificate, such as a pet or interesting trinket, as a reward for event participation or engaging in a specific activity. In the past, they were called “Legacy Awards.” Unlike other rewards, these are attached to the player, not a specific character. When the player has a choice of type, they make the choice on receipt of the item. The type must be available from the PH 2024, excluding firearms. 

Awards for Rules Options. Past certificates that allowed players to create a character with a non-Adventurers League rules option are still valid (except the Oathbreaker paladin subclass), but the conditions specified on the certificate must be followed, using the most current and similar source information. Trading Post Items. Events with D&D Adventurers League support (see the D&D Adventurers League Organizer’s Guide) allow players to trade for other items, including limited run items not available from adventures. 

Non-AL Awards. Some non-AL D&D adventures (like Infernal Machine Rebuild) include rewards, specifying what can be transferred to a D&D Adventurers League character.

DEATH, DISEASE, AND CURSES

During sessions of play, if you die, are subject to a lingering effect such as a disease or curse, or are removed from the adventure, you deal with the consequences for the duration of the session of play. At that session’s conclusion, you may choose the following fate: 

• You return your character to life or remove the negative effect. If you were removed from the adventure, you gain rewards earned until removed. You may gain a level. 

• You retire the character, succumbing to your fate. 

If you are returned to the adventure before the conclusion of the session of play, you may earn all the rewards offered to the party, including during your absence.

DUNGEON MASTERS AND REWARDS

Your Dungeon Master (DM) may have additional guidance through documentation on adjudicating specific rewards and can be asked about using a particular reward during play.

BETWEEN PLAY SESSIONS

BASTIONS

Your character may build a Bastion as described in the DMG 2024, beginning with one Cramped and one Roomy facility. You must have a Bastion map showing the use of floor space, clearly showing where basic and special facilities are located, as well as an easily referenceable scale. A Bastion’s facility costs to build or enlarge a space in GP must be paid. You have 20 times your character level in days to add basic facilities or enlarge them when you first decide to build a Bastion (at or after level 5). Special facilities are gained at the character levels and are chosen by you at the time your character reaches the required level. 

Bastion Turn. Between sessions, you are given one Bastion turn for your character, participating in the adventure. Each time you take a Bastion turn, 7 days is assumed to have passed since the last Bastion turn. You can use this time to calculate how long it takes for certain orders to resolve, and to determine how long it’s been since you initiated adding or enlarging a basic facility. Bastion turns must be documented clearly on your character log for DM review as needed. DMs adjudicate any rolls made from a Bastion order. We suggest planning Bastion Turns in advance, especially if you are participating in more than one adventure a day or for a multi-day event. 

Orders. No facility’s order can result in the same product in a row. The Maintain Order can be given but only returns an “All is Well” event result. Each character benefiting from a Bastion Order describing their participation must spend the listed cost of downtime days. When making a Craft: Magic Item order, the item created must be as found within the DMG 2024, be an available campaign item, and be of a type available for purchase in the campaign (no firearms, additional features, or sentience). 

Rebuild a Bastion. You may rebuild one Bastion facility (replacing an existing facility with a new one), provided you adhere to all requirements on special facilities and pay any increased GP and time costs. If the rebuilt facility requires more time than currently available, you must wait until the time cost is paid before using the facility. Facilities with orders that have yet to be fully resolved may not be rebuilt. 

Combining Bastions. Characters within the same session may combine Bastions and benefit from orders in the sessions they play together.

BUYING AND TRADING GEAR

Sell and Buy. You can sell and buy equipment and spell components using the rules in the PH 2024. Gear must be from an available player’s source for the character’s campaign. Cantrip through 5th level spell scrolls can be purchased for double the crafting “Spell Scroll Costs” table in the PH 2024. Potions of appropriate rarity can be purchased for the consumable prices as described under the DMG 2024’s “Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost” table. 

Availability of these items is subject to DM discretion. Any player character can purchase a spell scroll, even if they aren’t the intended caster, but they may not purchase them upcast (e.g. 5th level cure wounds).

Loan. Equipment and consumable items can be lent to other characters during play but must return at the end of the session (unless it’s been consumed or lost). Characters from different campaigns, playing a multi-campaign adventure together, may share magic items in this way. 

Trade. Permanent magic items, except for Unique and character-created magic items, can be traded with characters in your character’s assigned campaign. Trading permanent magic items with other characters is on a one-for-one basis of equivalent rarity. Certificates (if present) must also be traded or destroyed. Event and Trading Post magic items must include their documentation.

DOWNTIME

You earn 10 downtime days between each session of play. Between sessions, your character can use downtime to participate in activities requiring time to complete, as listed under “Crafting Equipment” in the PH 2024 and non-updated downtime activities from PH 2014. The following lists exceptions and additional activities that are available. 

Adventure activities are available only once, unless specified otherwise. 

Catching Up. Spend 10 downtime days to gain a level. If you are building a 5th level character, ask your DM if they want you to wait to catch up between sessions or before your character’s first adventure. 

Copying Spells. Use guidance from PH 2024’s “Expanding and Replacing a Spellbook” to copy spells found in adventures, except it costs 1 downtime day per spell up to 4th level and 2 downtime days per spell 5th level and above. If you’re copying spells from another character’s spellbook, you may do so immediately after a session of play in which both characters were present. 

Trading Magic Items. Whenever you trade a magic item, you spend 5 downtime days. 

Trading Teleportation Circle Locations. After playing a session together, each character who created a teleportation circle and is of the same campaign spends 10 downtime days to trade knowledge of one circle location and sequence. The downtime cost is halved when the circle shared is at a temple location they have the same faith in or an organization of the same membership.

REGISTERING FOR GAMES

To find a league game, check the SB-AL LFG channel in Discord. To register for an adventure, click the green check mark to confirm your attendance. If you have any questions, contact the DM and they can answer your query to the best of their ability.

Adventure titles and scheduled dates will be posted in the SCHEDULE and the Discord calendar. Each scheduled night will have its own Discord lobby for players to chat. Games are first-come, first-served, with priority given to new players for any repeat adventures. 

The SB-AL is for players 18 and older; if you’re under 18, check out our D&D for kids games on the 9V CALENDAR with parental guidance. Participation in the league is free, but we appreciate our patrons who support us through PATREON, helping us keep the games running. There are a few perks for being a supporter, check it out.

SB-AL GAMEPLAY

The online league uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5.24 rule-set as well as Legacy and 9V content. We use Roll20 as a virtual tabletop. Game night meetups are held via voice and video on DISCORD, with characters built and tracked using DnDBEYOND. 

Thank You

May Fortuna’s Grace Shine Upon You!

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