RPGA Worry

I just joined the RPGA as a GM, did ye olde Herald test, lalala, and I plan to GM some at Gencon and, hopefully Origins. For someone who has never played in a Living Campaign, never played RPGA, and generally leaves the bean-counting up to the players instead of memorizing all the synergy bonuses and whatnot himself, should I cool my heels? The RPGA has a very anal retentive feel to it when I start reading their rules and regulations, and I fear that I will sit down with four players that all want an adventure that's clean cut and as per the rules and I will completely fumble, not only getting the players mad at me for four hours but the RPGA as well. I am NOT a new DM; I am quite experienced and know I run a good game, but do I have something to fear from diving headfirst into the RPGA machine?

Thanks!
Eltern

use Init cards, take things one step at a time, and you'll be fine.

I was the same way you are and i did great.

Don't worry about it. From what I hear their are great DMs in the RPGA and also some really loosy ones. Same with the players, though; so give it a shot at Origins and see how you like it. Read the module, show up a little early to your table, and that places you in the top 50% of Con DMs right there

Crothian said:

Read the module, show up a little early to your table, and that places you in the top 50% of Con DMs right there

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Well shoot

The RPGA posts all that stuff just so it's liad out. Since there's such a wide variety of players, there is somewhat of a necessity for clarity in that information.

My experience with the RPGA has typically been great. I do have one gripe however. I used to DM..a LOT, but I got burned out pretty bad because of a couple players. There tends to be a rules lawyer or fricking idiot savant autistic geek scumbag at EVERY table. The other 5 players are fine and fun, but there is ALWAYS one person who's duty in life is to rag on a DM for whatever assanine problem he has with the game, the world, or the way you run the game.

...so, I took a break and came back with a new attitude. Those players are still there, but not at my table for long. I have one rule: PLAYERS GOVERN THEIR OWN. When one player is an idiot at the table, I no longer deal with it. I walk away from the table with one or two reasonable players and tell them to deal with it or the game is over.

There's one at EVERY table. I sh*t you not. Don't take their crap. Kick those fricking idiots out of your game IMMEDIATELY. Believe me, the more often you do that, word will get out and those dorks will not come back to your table and will hopefully quit the RPGA.

A lot of DM's quit the RPGA because of people like I am describing and don't have the BALLS to address the real problem: the ONE player who's an idiot.


jh
Denver




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Most of the rules are common sense. I think there was pressure from Hasbro to streamline RPGA rules to make it more like DCI. Just use your common sense, report the scenarios and you'll be fine

As far as cheating most of the players tend to police their own. Word quickly gets out about cheaters.

I've been DMing Living Greyhawk mostly since the campaign came out. I've had fun about 95% of the time. Sometimes the power gamers get to me but then I have fun DMing a more "role" playing table rather than a "roll" playing one.

Mike

qstor said:

I've been DMing Living Greyhawk mostly since the campaign came out. I've had fun about 95% of the time. Sometimes the power gamers get to me but then I have fun DMing a more "role" playing table rather than a "roll" playing one.

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That's about the same for me It always seems like PC's in the middle levels are more interested in 'getting through' the scenario to get the x.p., but in the low levels and at the higher levels players tend to relax a little more and 'role' play a bit more.

jh

qstor said:

I've been DMing Living Greyhawk mostly since the campaign came out. I've had fun about 95% of the time. Sometimes the power gamers get to me but then I have fun DMing a more "role" playing table rather than a "roll" playing one.

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I find that if you focus on role-playing, the roll-players get bored to tears and start to avoid your tables. Best solution, and no rules are broken.

Just remember to keep the right attitude. I use organized gaming groups
like the RPGA to meet new people. It is sometimes more a means to network
and socialize across the country/globe than anything else, at least for me.

Plus, if you GM enough, they'll send you free minis (according to the GM rewards info).

I don't know what campaign you're thinking of judging but the Living Greyhawk judges yahoogroup has some good advice that may help you get a feel for judging in the RPGA. (Just keep in mind that different campaigns will use different rules--Living Greyhawk, for instance uses 3.5 and the FAQ, Living Arcanis uses 3.0 without the FAQ, Living Kalamar uses 3.5 but not the FAQ, and of course, Living Dragonstar and Living Spycraft use their own systems).

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/LGDMs/

As far as not having all the synergy bonusses, etc memorized (I know most of them but I have a good memory for that kind of thing), that shouldn't be a problem unless you start vetting players characters ("So, how did your 12th level bard/mindbender score a 40 on his sense motive?...wait, what's that synergy from? Do synergy bonusses stack?") without a secure grasp on what is and isn't accurate to the rules. If you forget that the orc sergeant gets a +2 bonus to his bluff check in a particular situation and let the PCs by accidentally, the PCs aren't likely to find out about it unless you tell them and aren't likely to complain even if they did somehow find out. On the other hand, if you try to push the rules by having the mummy monk 4 use his flurry of blows with slam attacks while getting 2/1 power attack (there's about 3 different rules problems with this combo) or have trolls claw/claw/bite while grappling, you may have some players ask what's going on. Then again, I imagine they'd do that in a home campaign as well.

Eltern said:

I am NOT a new DM; I am quite experienced and know I run a good game, but do I have something to fear from diving headfirst into the RPGA machine?

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I would recommend that you see if you can find some nearby RPGA events and DM at them before the cons, thus getting some experience with their systems. There is a LOT of paperwork in LG.

Duncan