In a module with mini adventures, can you keep playing if you levelled up outside the level range after a mini adventure?

Question

I'm DMing for an online "Adventurer's League" group. I'm currently using DDEX1-1 (Defiance in Phlan), which consists of five mini adventures, each granting 100 XP at the end of the mini adventure.

The one hour recommended play time is always stretched to three hours, so I decided to host one mini adventure per day. Then it occurred to me that the PCs might level up from 2 to 3 in the middle of the adventure, but between mini adventures.

Can a PC that levelled up in the middle of the adventure, but between mini adventures, keep playing the mini adventures?

This DDEX1-1 has level range of 1-2, if I interpret this line correctly.

This introductory adventure is designed for three to seven 1st- level characters, and is optimized for five 1st level characters. It can also be played by 2nd level characters, although those characters might have a much easier time playing the adventure. Characters outside this level range cannot participate in this adventure.

Answer 1

A character cannot be played in DDEX or DDAL content it has out levelled.

The D&D Adventurers League Player & DM Pack includes the Content Catalog, which dictates the allowed level bands. You've already included the reference that covers whether or not they can play:

Characters outside this level range cannot participate in this adventure.

From the DDAL Player's Guide, in the character Advancement Section:

Advancing Your Character. XP must be applied immediately. If you advance to the next level, you do after the next long rest or at the adventure or session — whichever happens first.

While some people think of the "mini-modules" as one big module, they're not. Characters receive rewards for them at the end of each section, and must apply those rewards immediately.

A character can play DDHC content it has out-levelled...

...but there's a catch. Also from the DDAL Player's Guide, in the Character Advancement section:

You can’t begin adventures outside your tier, but can continue to play if you’ve “leveled out of it,” but if you advance beyond the level range of a hardcover adventure and play in another hardcover adventure, you can’t return to the first.

In effect, as long as the character is low enough to start a DDHC adventure, they can continue if they level out as long as they haven't played another DDHC in between. Typically, this happens when a character is used for DDHC and DDAL/DDEX content.

Advice

Either move on to non-introductory content or run Season 7's introductory modules, both of which also allow the full Tier 1 level range. Note that Season 7 does have the added complication of the Death Curse, details are in the Player's Pack.