About the RPGA

[Adso]

I joined the RPGA in order to be a DM at conventions (via the free DM "test") and got my fancy card. However, I still have no freakin' idea what I'm supposed to do. What conventions are there? How do get the adventure to read? What are the rules used? How do I join the Living Greyhawk thing?

I was hoping there would be some info with my card. Even a web address would have been helpful.


Aaron

Howdy Aaron,

The web address you are looking for is www.wizards.com/rpga or simply www.rpga.com.

Now that you are a Herald-Level Game Master you can sanction your own events either at home or at larger venues. You do so by accessing your account (which you can find in the Membership Services section of the Web site), and following the instruction on how to host an event. If you run into problems, e-mail rpgahq@wizards.com.

Hopefully this helps

Stephen Radney-MacFarland
RPGA Content Developer
Wizards of the Coast

 

[DanteHayes]

Woof....

Well, I hate for my first post on these boards to have to be negative but, I want people to understand what people are talking about when they say "RPGA".

When you go to an event, it is more times than not, hosted by a local gaming oranisation, not the RPGA. Although, certainly the club has close affiliations with them. These people do indeed work very hard. Especially the Event Coordinators. They deserve a round of applause at the end of a convention.

The Judges on the other hand, usually get free admision with the agreement to judge X events. And, I have seen more "bad" judges than I have ever seen "good" ones.

But, I don not hold it against the RPGa for the judges because, they are NOT the RPGA. They may be members but, they are not employees. There is a big difference. Sadly, the same thing goes for the Event Coordinators. They do not reflect well upon the RPGA because, they are NOT the RPGA.

The RPGA is the organisation that doesn't reply to enquiries. That sends PDFs of the wrong modules to the poor Event Coordinators. That promises to send cards, modules, magazines and then fails across the board.

I also was working at a game store. We tried to set it up so that we could run the RPGAs "Living Events". They told us that we would have to purchase a specific type of membership. We did. Two and half years and dozens of emails later, we have never recieved a single letter from the PRGA.

I also tried to donate my time and intellectual energy to the Living Greyhawk campaign. I endeavored to work my butt off so that the gaming audience would have a chance to enjoy gaming. The people that were selected to "Coordinate" the regional projects were the most insular people I have ever encountered. After no success trying to get them to treat the other RPGA members in their region who had something to contribute with even the slightest civility, I decided to escalate. Lets just say that nearly three years later, I'm still waiting for the RPGA to even acknowledge the existance of a problem there.

I encourage you all to go to a gaming event and support your gaming community but, it's likely that the hardest working guy there has the same level of affilition with the RPGA as the lamest slob you meet. If you think it's worth your time, become a member. But, don't hold your breath waiting for that letter with your membership card to arrive.

 

[ced1106]

I was part of the RPGA once and I played in a few games. I never got a DM who was worth anything. They were terrible, didn't know the rules, were not consistant, and had no idea how to handle PCs who thought for themselves. Perhaps it was bad luck, or just this area but it left a lasting impression.

I **could** be b/c the DMs have to run a particular written module, and I know I couldn't be an RPGA DM b/c I **cannot** play a module that was assigned to me. I have a few hundred adventures, and would run less than 20 of them. That's less than one percent. I'll just run my own adventures, thanks.

The RPGA adventures I played in (all two of them!) were "average" compared to other con rpgs. However, I'm looking for an "above average" con rpg.

What I didn't like, in my experience, was the lack of help I received in learning how to create a 3e character. Perhaps the RPGA should have on hand pregens (at least to use as templates) for new players.

Still, it was neither a good nor bad experience, I'd do it again at a con.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

ps. Aaron, you should be able to get into game conventions free for just running **any** event. Email me at ced1106(at)aol(dot)com if you have questions.

 

[Ulrick]

Eric Mona screwed me over awhile back so I don't have many positive things to say about RPGA except that I got my money back.

 

[Piratecat]

I'll give you another perspective. I've been an RPGA member for more than ten years. In that time, I've run more than 175 adventures and played in almost as many. If there's a reason I'm a decent DM, it's because of the RPGA; I've learned amazing things from the players and DMs that I've met, and made some of the best friends of my life. Several of the players in my campaign are people I've met through the RPGA.

In that time I've seen some really stinky modules, and some incredible ones that I wished I'd written myself. I've learned to play a pregenerated PC, and learned how to handle problem players. Mostly, I've used the opportunity as a testing ground for trying new DMing tricks and for stealing cool ideas.

I don't have much of an opinion about the RPGA's leadership; I've seen it both better and worse than it is currently, and I always have the feeling that they're trying ambitious things without enough resources. Nevertheless, every module but one I ran at GenCon this last year was pretty darn good, and I had a whole lot of fun.

I find that - just as in real life - judge quality varies. That's why I almost always judge; if I do, I'm partially responsible for how much fun people have, and I can only blame myself if the game doesn't go well.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Why the RPGA should be appreciated

Ok, you go to a gaming convention. You just want to have some fun playing Dungeons and Dragons.
But NOBODY is running a D&D game at the convention! Or if they are, that game (or those few games) are booked.
Hard luck. Try again next year.

You are lucky enough to get into a game. Congratulations.
Of course, you do not know what rules will be used, because you do not know the DM, and so you do not know what rules the DM allows.
You do not know if you may bring a character of your own creation, or must run a character the DM decides you can run. (Running your own character, is funner, in my opinion.)
You do not know if the game will be consistently run, or if the DM will decide to saunter off for an hour (for pizza) and come back, then discuss non-gaming issues for another 30 minutes, then realize there was supposed to be a game at the table.
You do not know if the DM is going to play favorites.
For that matter, you do not even know if the DM is going to show up.

I have had all of these experiences, plus more, at conventions.

With the RPGA ...

You go to the convention knowing you will get to play.
You go knowing you will get to play the character you want to play, or if you choose (and only if YOU choose) a character handed out.
You go knowing your game will start at the time stated, and it will last for the duration stated.
You go knowing your DM will do his or her job.
You go knowing your DM is unlikely to play favorites - it is possible, but not likely, as the RPGA randomly assigns players with DMs.
You go knowing you will be playing by CONSISTENT rules you can rely on. There will be no DMs thumping on your winning strategies and tactics you worked on, because the whim takes them that they don't like your style.
Best of all, you go knowing that even if you did not sign up for one event at the convention, you can play in all the RPGA events - they will go out of their way, bend over backwards, to make sure you get a DM and a table.
If you have friends who wish to play, they can play with you at the table - a situation will not arise where there is room for only you at the table, and not your friends.

Oh yes ... if someone misbehaves at the game, and starts ruining the fun for everyone involved, ala Knights of the Dinner Table, they are removed from the game.
How many of you have had to sit, agonizingly, for a half hour at least (or an hour or longer) listening to someone argue with the DM, then rant and rave over a rule or a specific event within the game?
You don't have to put up with that kind of thing in the RPGA.

 

[Katerek]

I cannot help it Edena.

Have you ever actually been to a con?

I realize that what you said there is an ideal of the way it is supposed to happen. But very seldomly does it happen that way.

For instance, in 2001 my friends and I played in the DnD open at GenCon. It was three rounds long.

One GM sat at the table and ate scabs off his arms. I kid you not.

The first GM was so HORRIBLY biased that there were people NEARBY complaining for us!

The third GM, however, was good. I will give you that.

Now, I dont have a problem with the utopic light that you shed on the RPGA, except that in my personal experience it hasn't been that way. Ever.

I have been to enough cons to be one-upped at a table because soemone knew a judge or an organizer and got to sit out More than Once.

The RPGA is just like any other organization. If you are in the know with enough people, your experience is fine and dandy, but if you are not it isn't.

Oh poop on it, I will shut up, for some reason I keep citing my side of things. I dunno why. Apparently this is a deeper issue for me than I originally thought. Sorry all.

Good luck and good gaming.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Posted: Have you ever actually been to a con?

Answer: I've been to dozens of conventions. I have been a convention goer since 1985. Gen Con. Origins. Three Rivers. Winter Fantasy. Andcon. U-Con. Cubicon. Nova. MichiCon. I could name a few more ...


Posted: I realize that what you said there is an ideal of the way it is supposed to happen. But very seldomly does it happen that way.

Answer: I have been at over 100 RPGA events. It happens exactly the way I've laid it out. The system works ... it works, and they work very hard to make it work.

Posted: For instance, in 2001 my friends and I played in the DnD open at GenCon. It was three rounds long.
One GM sat at the table and ate scabs off his arms. I kid you not.
The first GM was so HORRIBLY biased that there were people NEARBY complaining for us!
The third GM, however, was good. I will give you that.

Answer: I have had a few bad Judges myself in the RPGA. And, a lot of good Judges. It is not easy, being a DM. It is certainly not easy, being one for 12 hours straight, day after day (I, certainly, could not do a good job of DMing, if I had to do it for 12 hours a day, for 3 days straight.)
Also, the RPGA is likely to remove the Judge from Judging, if he eats scabs off his arm. They will not put up with that kind of behavior out of their Judges, anymore than they will put up with disruptive players.

Posted: Now, I dont have a problem with the utopic light that you shed on the RPGA, except that in my personal experience it hasn't been that way. Ever.

Answer: I did not cast the RPGA in a utopian light. I'm saying they work hard and they contribute something very good at conventions. They are a worthwhile organization, and deserve people's consideration.

Posted: I have been to enough cons to be one-upped at a table because soemone knew a judge or an organizer and got to sit out More than Once.
The RPGA is just like any other organization. If you are in the know with enough people, your experience is fine and dandy, but if you are not it isn't.

Comment: All gaming groups have their problems. I never said the RPGA was perfect. What I said was the RPGA provides a chance for a convention-goer to have an enjoyable game, or many enjoyable games, where otherwise that person might not have any chance at the convention.
It is not true that you have to be In The Know to have an enjoyable experience, in the RPGA. I am not In The Know in the RPGA, as it were, and I have had many enjoyable experiences with them.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

To Serpenteye

Hey there Serpenteye, my friend!
Thanks for the compliments.

How are you doing, Serpenteye?
What's going on with you?
How are your friends on the board doing?

Concerning the IRs, I moderated. You, the players, made the IR great. I must give special credit to Maudlin for his maps, and I think everyone knows it was a team effort.
I thought there was a 4th IR going already. The Rokugun IR. Has something happened?
And where is Forrester? He's been gone a long time from the boards.

 

[Canada_K]

I'll throw in my two cents.

I've been in the RPGA for just a few months. I live in the boonies and had to create my own Living Greyhawk group in order to play regularly. Occasioanlly I drive three hours to Calgary to play with the larger club there.

That being said, I agree with both sides of this argument. I've seen some truly exceptional DMs and gifted players. I've also seen the most immature, ignorant, poop-headed behavior I've ever had the pleasure of enduring.

As usual D&D attracts a mixed bag of nuts (I repeat... NUTS!!!!). Some are highly creative and mature. Others are Beavis and Butthead without the keen fashion sense. Such is the nature of this beast. They key is in learning to recognize the warning signs.

As to the RPGA itself, it is a slow, plodding and unresponsive organization. However, it does not have to hamstring your LG club, or your convention. All your really NEED them for is as a source of material, and a reporting area. If you want o get involved or have a difference do it at the local or Triad level, otherwise I think you will be wasting your time.

Anyways, just the observations of a newbie.