New to RPGA and have some questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

New to RPGA and have some questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Suikoden6272
07-31-07, 02:17 PM Hi I've recently started to play D&D, playing a couple of home games from a starting pack, and a few player made.
My brothers were into D&D, and still are, am the youngest of four so I got interested into D&D pretty early on. I would love to be able to join in on the fun of organized events hosted through RPGA but I'm a bit confused of a couple of elements.

I live in New Hampshire and have located a couple of upcoming games in August, all of which are Living Greyhawk campaign based. I've read the newcomers page and the Getting Started on the Living Greyhawk page. I have not yet registered with RPGA (the membership card deal) but plan on to at first event I go to (which I plan on bring a friend and family member).

I'm still a bit confused on everything, such as do I have to start with a level one and at a Living Greyhawk year 1?

Or could I join Scenario: BIS621LG - BIS6-02 Bissel Year 6 Regional 2 right off from the start? If yes can I start with a level one and the GM just does the APL changes or do I need a minimal level to play?

For a game like
Scenario: WRTOM1LG - COR7-01 Wrath of the Tomb of Horrors
A one-round, core adventure set in the Vast Swamp for characters level 9-15 (APLs 10-16). This adventure is a prequel to the Living Greyhawk DM’s Challenges: High-Level Option.

Could I make a lv 9-15 or do I need to start out with a level one and build him up through other games till I can play this one?

This last question is simply personal, recently I dislocated my knee and had surgery, I can bend it pretty well now but am wondering what is the usual for seating at events like this, am pretty sure it won't be a big problem but I just want to make sure.

Thank you in advance for any and all help that you can give me as I am still learning about the D&D community, and sorry for the huge post.
And if your wondering how I dislocated my knee, its a result from a combination of a young nephew, thick wool rug and Wii Sports.
RBNMare
07-31-07, 02:27 PM I might be of some help, and I'm sure the others on this board will help even more.

You have to start at 1st level. See if there offering any Intro mods at the event your planning on going to. Those mods are geared towards 1st level characters.

As far as seating goes, tables and chairs. you should probably be able to snag a second chair to prop you leg up on. nothing fancy, at least from what I've seen.

Best of luck in you LG career
kenobi65
07-31-07, 02:29 PM I'm still a bit confused on everything, such as do I have to start with a level one and at a Living Greyhawk year 1?

Yes, all Living Greyhawk PCs have to start at 1st level. No, you don't need to start with "Year 1" adventures -- a good thing, too, because LG adventures are "retired" after two years of play, and only Year 6 and Year 7 adventures are currently available for play.

Or could I join Scenario: BIS621LG - BIS6-02 Bissel Year 6 Regional 2 right off from the start? If yes can I start with a level one and the GM just does the APL changes or do I need a minimal level to play?

In theory, you could play this one as your first adventure -- I only say "in theory" because I don't know what APL ranges are offered for that adventure.

What you want to do is (a) find an adventure that supports APL 2 (the lowest APL that LG offers), and (b) find a table of that adventure that's actually being run at APL 2. It's entirely possible that you could wind up at a table for a module that *can* be run at APL 2, but it winds up being run at a higher APL, due to the levels of the PCs at the table.

Yes, the GM calculates the APL based on the PCs that are at the table; if you wind up playing at APL 4 or higher with a 1st level PC, you've got 2 problems: (1) you're going to have a harder time surviving, and (2) you'll only be receiving half of the XP and GP reward for the adventure, because you're playing too far above your level.

Actually, the *ideal* situation would be for you to start out with an Introductory adventure...they're specifically written for 1st-level PCs (and only 1st-levels can play in them).

For a game like
Scenario: WRTOM1LG - COR7-01 Wrath of the Tomb of Horrors
A one-round, core adventure set in the Vast Swamp for characters level 9-15 (APLs 10-16). This adventure is a prequel to the Living Greyhawk DM’s Challenges: High-Level Option.

Could I make a lv 9-15 or do I need to start out with a level one and build him up through other games till I can play this one?

As mentioned above, you need to start at 1st level. Definitely don't try for this one until you're substantially higher level.

This last question is simply personal, recently I dislocated my knee and had surgery, I can bend it pretty well now but am wondering what is the usual for seating at events like this, am pretty sure it won't be a big problem but I just want to make sure.

It can be variable, and that's really a question to ask whoever's running the specific event. What's usual is a large table of some sort, surrounded by chairs.

Hope this helps.
control freak
07-31-07, 02:39 PM one thing that players sadly have to do thier first year is resign themselves to not beable to play the high level adventures (unless your like me and get up to level 6 with 15 TU left and want to do APL8 and APL9 Adaptables) as much as im afrade of playing up i enjoy it, deafeating an APL +4-5 encounter when you are barely able to make the apl gives you a satisfaction that can only be achived by doing that, and gives you a good story to tell others (ok so there we were a level 6... level 7 level 7 and 8 and we were......)

tipicaly i would start out with adventures designed to be played at APL 2 which is tipicaly adventures that have APL2, APL4, APL6, and APL8

a even better adventure is Scourge of the howling horde it takes 5 TU but makes you 2nd level in 1 adventure
Suikoden6272
07-31-07, 02:43 PM Thank you all. After reading this I looked for a APL 2-# and found 2.

Scenario: SECCH1LG - COR7-03 Second Chances at OGC Bissel Buffet

&

Scenario: RIDGR1LG - COR6-03 Riders of the Grave at Collectibles V.

I'll go to medieval august and see if my friends and I can find a APL suited for us (think 3 to 4 lv 1s would bring down the APL if they allow us to stay together :D) and get our membership cards so we can start earning rewards :D.

Again thanks for all your help and I think my leg should be ok, I'll put a brace on to make sure in case I bump it into something like I did today *dang coffee tables*.

And Control Freak I agree with you, getting through a adventure by the skin of your teeth and defeating monsters twice your level is a great feeling (lv 25 cloud in FF7 was a great feeling :D). Still don't know much about TU but will probably learn it as I start to play, (I know its the time based on how long your character takes to do an adventure and until he has to retire)

Sincerely,
Suikoden
kenobi65
07-31-07, 03:34 PM Still don't know much about TU but will probably learn it as I start to play, (I know its the time based on how long your character takes to do an adventure and until he has to retire)

Partially.

Your PC gets 52 TUs for each real-world calendar year. Most adventures cost 1 or 2 TUs to play, and there are other activities that can cost TUs, as well (crafting magic items, joining metaorganizations, etc.) When your PC runs out of TUs, you can't play that PC any further until January 1st of the next year (when your TUs reset).
UMiskatonic
07-31-07, 04:21 PM You have my sympathies with your knee. I've done that twice, and it was the most painful thing I've ever done.

You should be able to stay together, and you should have no trouble finding tables to play at.

Something you maybe haven't thought of is that there might be a fair number of players. If 12 people want to play the same Bissel mod, then the convention staff will divide you into a high level table, and a low level table, and you will both play the same adventure, at different APLs.

You might see a 3rd level character at your table, and might one day be the 3rd level character who is asked to play with a bunch of 1st level characters. But the really wide differences are avoided. You won't be asked to form up at a table with a bunch of 12th level heroes headed to the Tomb of Horrors.
Shieldhart91
08-01-07, 08:30 AM On the contrary, I've played three APL 10s with a Level 4 Tank.

Yes, it was fun.

No, I didn't die.

Yes, the gold made it worth it. Haha.

Good luck on your gaming career, Suikoden. I like playing Suikoden as well. Good to see PS1 freaks around :P
rpgdcj
08-02-07, 09:31 AM New Hampshire is part of Bissel (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/region/bissel), which you've probably figured out. I would recommend signing up on the Bissel Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bissel/), where most of the people who run those games can be found. Where are you located in NH?

The medieval games on Sunday are in Dover, NH, and more precise details can be found on Warhorn (http://www.warhorn.net/relentless/). There are already five people signed up for each of the two slots, and as far as I know, they're all level 3. That means that if you were to join as a level 1, you'd have to play at APL4. Also, your friends would not be able to join you, as there is a limit of 6 players.

I would recommend contacting Erik (his contact info is on the calendar where you found the medieval game days), and see if he's able to add another slot for you and your friends, possibly on another day. As for the physical location, it's in the basement of Elite Hobbies. The stairs could be a problem, and the seats are standard metal folding chairs. Mention your needs to Erik; he may be able to change the venue or find better seats if you need them.

I'm not sure what's up with the OGC Bissel Buffet listed for Friday the 10th. OGC is a gaming convention, which took place last weekend. Contact Nopalzin to see if there's something special going on, but I suspect it's a bug in the system, and those games are not being offered on the 10th.

There are also some games held in Keene, though I don't see any scheduled for now. They'll probably be announced on the Bissel Yahoo group. Finally, if you're far enough south in NH, you might want to consider taking a look at gaming in MA as well.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Suikoden6272 07-31-07, 02:17 PM	Hi I've recently started to play D&D, playing a couple of home games from a starting pack, and a few player made. My brothers were into D&D, and still are, am the youngest of four so I got interested into D&D pretty early on. I would love to be able to join in on the fun of organized events hosted through RPGA but I'm a bit confused of a couple of elements. I live in New Hampshire and have located a couple of upcoming games in August, all of which are Living Greyhawk campaign based. I've read the newcomers page and the Getting Started on the Living Greyhawk page. I have not yet registered with RPGA (the membership card deal) but plan on to at first event I go to (which I plan on bring a friend and family member). I'm still a bit confused on everything, such as do I have to start with a level one and at a Living Greyhawk year 1? Or could I join Scenario: BIS621LG - BIS6-02 Bissel Year 6 Regional 2 right off from the start? If yes can I start with a level one and the GM just does the APL changes or do I need a minimal level to play? For a game like Scenario: WRTOM1LG - COR7-01 Wrath of the Tomb of Horrors A one-round, core adventure set in the Vast Swamp for characters level 9-15 (APLs 10-16). This adventure is a prequel to the Living Greyhawk DM’s Challenges: High-Level Option. Could I make a lv 9-15 or do I need to start out with a level one and build him up through other games till I can play this one? This last question is simply personal, recently I dislocated my knee and had surgery, I can bend it pretty well now but am wondering what is the usual for seating at events like this, am pretty sure it won't be a big problem but I just want to make sure. Thank you in advance for any and all help that you can give me as I am still learning about the D&D community, and sorry for the huge post. And if your wondering how I dislocated my knee, its a result from a combination of a young nephew, thick wool rug and Wii Sports.
RBNMare 07-31-07, 02:27 PM	I might be of some help, and I'm sure the others on this board will help even more. You have to start at 1st level. See if there offering any Intro mods at the event your planning on going to. Those mods are geared towards 1st level characters. As far as seating goes, tables and chairs. you should probably be able to snag a second chair to prop you leg up on. nothing fancy, at least from what I've seen. Best of luck in you LG career
kenobi65 07-31-07, 02:29 PM	I'm still a bit confused on everything, such as do I have to start with a level one and at a Living Greyhawk year 1? Yes, all Living Greyhawk PCs have to start at 1st level. No, you don't need to start with "Year 1" adventures -- a good thing, too, because LG adventures are "retired" after two years of play, and only Year 6 and Year 7 adventures are currently available for play. Or could I join Scenario: BIS621LG - BIS6-02 Bissel Year 6 Regional 2 right off from the start? If yes can I start with a level one and the GM just does the APL changes or do I need a minimal level to play? In theory, you could play this one as your first adventure -- I only say "in theory" because I don't know what APL ranges are offered for that adventure. What you want to do is (a) find an adventure that supports APL 2 (the lowest APL that LG offers), and (b) find a table of that adventure that's actually being run at APL 2. It's entirely possible that you could wind up at a table for a module that can be run at APL 2, but it winds up being run at a higher APL, due to the levels of the PCs at the table. Yes, the GM calculates the APL based on the PCs that are at the table; if you wind up playing at APL 4 or higher with a 1st level PC, you've got 2 problems: (1) you're going to have a harder time surviving, and (2) you'll only be receiving half of the XP and GP reward for the adventure, because you're playing too far above your level. Actually, the ideal situation would be for you to start out with an Introductory adventure...they're specifically written for 1st-level PCs (and only 1st-levels can play in them). For a game like Scenario: WRTOM1LG - COR7-01 Wrath of the Tomb of Horrors A one-round, core adventure set in the Vast Swamp for characters level 9-15 (APLs 10-16). This adventure is a prequel to the Living Greyhawk DM’s Challenges: High-Level Option. Could I make a lv 9-15 or do I need to start out with a level one and build him up through other games till I can play this one? As mentioned above, you need to start at 1st level. Definitely don't try for this one until you're substantially higher level. This last question is simply personal, recently I dislocated my knee and had surgery, I can bend it pretty well now but am wondering what is the usual for seating at events like this, am pretty sure it won't be a big problem but I just want to make sure. It can be variable, and that's really a question to ask whoever's running the specific event. What's usual is a large table of some sort, surrounded by chairs. Hope this helps.
control freak 07-31-07, 02:39 PM	one thing that players sadly have to do thier first year is resign themselves to not beable to play the high level adventures (unless your like me and get up to level 6 with 15 TU left and want to do APL8 and APL9 Adaptables) as much as im afrade of playing up i enjoy it, deafeating an APL +4-5 encounter when you are barely able to make the apl gives you a satisfaction that can only be achived by doing that, and gives you a good story to tell others (ok so there we were a level 6... level 7 level 7 and 8 and we were......) tipicaly i would start out with adventures designed to be played at APL 2 which is tipicaly adventures that have APL2, APL4, APL6, and APL8 a even better adventure is Scourge of the howling horde it takes 5 TU but makes you 2nd level in 1 adventure
Suikoden6272 07-31-07, 02:43 PM	Thank you all. After reading this I looked for a APL 2-# and found 2. Scenario: SECCH1LG - COR7-03 Second Chances at OGC Bissel Buffet & Scenario: RIDGR1LG - COR6-03 Riders of the Grave at Collectibles V. I'll go to medieval august and see if my friends and I can find a APL suited for us (think 3 to 4 lv 1s would bring down the APL if they allow us to stay together :D) and get our membership cards so we can start earning rewards :D. Again thanks for all your help and I think my leg should be ok, I'll put a brace on to make sure in case I bump it into something like I did today dang coffee tables. And Control Freak I agree with you, getting through a adventure by the skin of your teeth and defeating monsters twice your level is a great feeling (lv 25 cloud in FF7 was a great feeling :D). Still don't know much about TU but will probably learn it as I start to play, (I know its the time based on how long your character takes to do an adventure and until he has to retire) Sincerely, Suikoden
kenobi65 07-31-07, 03:34 PM	Still don't know much about TU but will probably learn it as I start to play, (I know its the time based on how long your character takes to do an adventure and until he has to retire) Partially. Your PC gets 52 TUs for each real-world calendar year. Most adventures cost 1 or 2 TUs to play, and there are other activities that can cost TUs, as well (crafting magic items, joining metaorganizations, etc.) When your PC runs out of TUs, you can't play that PC any further until January 1st of the next year (when your TUs reset).
UMiskatonic 07-31-07, 04:21 PM	You have my sympathies with your knee. I've done that twice, and it was the most painful thing I've ever done. You should be able to stay together, and you should have no trouble finding tables to play at. Something you maybe haven't thought of is that there might be a fair number of players. If 12 people want to play the same Bissel mod, then the convention staff will divide you into a high level table, and a low level table, and you will both play the same adventure, at different APLs. You might see a 3rd level character at your table, and might one day be the 3rd level character who is asked to play with a bunch of 1st level characters. But the really wide differences are avoided. You won't be asked to form up at a table with a bunch of 12th level heroes headed to the Tomb of Horrors.
Shieldhart91 08-01-07, 08:30 AM	On the contrary, I've played three APL 10s with a Level 4 Tank. Yes, it was fun. No, I didn't die. Yes, the gold made it worth it. Haha. Good luck on your gaming career, Suikoden. I like playing Suikoden as well. Good to see PS1 freaks around :P
rpgdcj 08-02-07, 09:31 AM	New Hampshire is part of Bissel (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/region/bissel), which you've probably figured out. I would recommend signing up on the Bissel Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bissel/), where most of the people who run those games can be found. Where are you located in NH? The medieval games on Sunday are in Dover, NH, and more precise details can be found on Warhorn (http://www.warhorn.net/relentless/). There are already five people signed up for each of the two slots, and as far as I know, they're all level 3. That means that if you were to join as a level 1, you'd have to play at APL4. Also, your friends would not be able to join you, as there is a limit of 6 players. I would recommend contacting Erik (his contact info is on the calendar where you found the medieval game days), and see if he's able to add another slot for you and your friends, possibly on another day. As for the physical location, it's in the basement of Elite Hobbies. The stairs could be a problem, and the seats are standard metal folding chairs. Mention your needs to Erik; he may be able to change the venue or find better seats if you need them. I'm not sure what's up with the OGC Bissel Buffet listed for Friday the 10th. OGC is a gaming convention, which took place last weekend. Contact Nopalzin to see if there's something special going on, but I suspect it's a bug in the system, and those games are not being offered on the 10th. There are also some games held in Keene, though I don't see any scheduled for now. They'll probably be announced on the Bissel Yahoo group. Finally, if you're far enough south in NH, you might want to consider taking a look at gaming in MA as well.