Hoard of the Dragon Queen™ - D&D Encounters Edition - Preparing the Adventure

Oct 5, 2026

This document provides official introductory guidance for playing the Hoard of the Dragon Queen™ adventure within the D&D Encounters™ and D&D Adventurers League™ organized play frameworks. It outlines the edition’s design for 1st–3rd-level characters, the division into three play episodes, and recommended session length. It also explains player progression limits, how characters are tied to storyline seasons, and what Dungeon Masters and players should review before sessions, including relevant monster and NPC statistics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time57 min

AccessFree to download

D&D Encounters

Introductory edition scope and episode structure

Playing in store and available materials

D&D Adventurers League

Official organized play system and character tracking

Storyline seasons and level limitations

Preparing the Adventure

Familiarize with locations, events, characters

Review monster and NPC statistics

By Wolfgang Baur and Steve Winter Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only. Credits Kobold Press Designers: Wolfgang Baur, Steve Winter Editor: Miranda Horner Interior Illustrators: Aaron Hübrich, Tyler Jacobson, Guido Kuip, Marcel Mercado, Bryan Syme Cartographer: Jared Blando Art Director: Marc Radle Producer: Wolfgang Baur Wizards of the Coast D&D Encounters Edition: Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Chris Tulach D&D Lead Designers: Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford Producer: Greg Bilsland Adventure Contributors: Mike Mearls, Christopher Perkins, Matthew Sernett, Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson Art Directors: Kate Irwin, Shauna Narciso Cover Illustrator: Raymond Swanland Graphic Designers: Bree Heiss, Emi Tanji Project Management: Neil Shinkle, John Hay Production Services: Cynda Callaway, Jefferson Dunlap, David Gershman Brand and Marketing: Nathan Stewart, Liz Schuh, Chris Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Hilary Ross, Laura Tommervik, Kim Lundstrom, Trevor Kidd Organized Play: Helene Bergeot, Scott Larabee, Bern Menth, Chris Tulach, Joe Yochum Playtesters: Melissa Bassett, André Bégin, Mik Calow, Mélanie Côté, Manon Crevier, Ben Danderson, Dave Eadie, Frank Foulis, Rodrigo Gorgulho, Pete Griffith, Liam Gulliver, Jon Harvill, Joseph Kauffmann, Yan Lacharité, Renata Landim, Rodrigo Landim, Éric Leroux, Carlos Eduardo Lopes, Julia Lopes, David Muller, Claudio Pozas, Paula Pozas, Count Response, Sara Servin, Robin Stacey, Jaime Thayer, Keoki Young Disclaimer: The following adventure contains chromatic dragons. Wizards of the Coast cannot be held liable for characters who are incinerated, dissolved, frozen, poisoned, or electrocuted. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Tyranny of Dragons, Hoard of the Dragon Queen, The Rise of Tiamat, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. The Kobold Press logo is a trademark of Open Design and is used by permission. ©2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. D&D Encounters Welcome to a special introductory edition of the Hoard of the Dragon Queen™ adventure, designed specifically for D&D Encounters™ (an official in-store play program) and the D&D Adventurers League™ (the official D&D organized play system) . This edition of the adventure is designed for 1stthrough 3rd-level characters, and is divided up into three episodes of play. Characters who finish all three episodes should reach 3rd or 4th level at the end. Characters of 5th level and above cannot play in this D&D Encounters edition of the adventure, though they can pick up with episode 4 of the full adventure of Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Each episode should be played over multiple sessions of play. For D&D Encounters, the recommended session length is two hours. The full adventure contains additional play beyond this edition (see “Additional Play” at the end of the adventure) . Playing this adventure in store as a part of D&D Encounters is fun and offers additional benefits to enhance the experience. Folios connecting characters to different factions in the world of the Forgotten Realms® are provided for players, containing information and accessories, along with exclusive rewards. Dungeon Masters (DMs) receive a folio as well, themed to the storyline season (for this season, Tyranny of Dragons™) . Check with your store for more details. If you received this adventure and aren’t currentl

FAQs

For what character levels is the D&D Encounters edition designed?

It is designed for 1st–3rd-level characters. Characters 5th level and above cannot play this edition, but they may continue with episode 4 of the full adventure.

How is the D&D Encounters edition structured?

The edition is divided into three episodes of play. Finishing all three episodes should bring characters to 3rd or 4th level, and each episode should be played over multiple sessions.

What should players and Dungeon Masters do before the first session?

They should get to know each episode prior to beginning that episode, familiarize themselves with locations, events, and characters, and review relevant statistics for monsters and nonplayer characters (NPCs).

Oct 5, 2026

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