However, it seems like there's no place to register online. It looks like you have to attend an event, contrary to what was stated on the podcast.
Is this true? Because I'm not in a position to go to a convention at the moment, but I'd love to run Living Realms. Am I missing some blatantly obvious page or something?
Thanks in advance.
~Unniloct
Dig around here for info on the Living Realms RPGA. If all else fails, you could try PMing WolfStar76, who is the VCL for the RPGA section of the forums.
Appear!!!
:D
Watch me make WolfStar76 do tricks!!
Appear!!!
:D
*appears in a cloud of what appears to be smoke. . . but you soon realize is steam. That he's quickly tying his robe shut is somewhat humorous*
Jeez, MB! I told you, ask first before the summons! I was enjoying a nice late-night sauna!
Razzin' frazzin' showoff.
Howdy Unniloct! Glad to see you're interested in the RPGA.
As mudbunny pointed out, we DO have an entire section of the forums all to ourselves (I wouldn't be surprised if this gets moved by Webster when he gets a chance, but that can wait), but I'll be happy to answer your questions here in the meantime. So listening to this week's D&D podcast, I got all excited to take this test they mentioned and register online as an RPGA "Herald-level" DM. I'm a newbie DM who's looking to possibly run the Living Forgotten Realms for my local players.
Awesome! I'm glad the podcast is generating a little buzz. LFR is a lot of fun, especially for being free of charge.
However, it seems like there's no place to register online. It looks like you have to attend an event, contrary to what was stated on the podcast.
Is this true? Because I'm not in a position to go to a convention at the moment, but I'd love to run Living Realms. Am I missing some blatantly obvious page or something?
Alas, no. There's no place to register online, per se. IE - there's no webpage to get a membership number. There was a few years ago, but many many people were signing up to get a number, then never using it and never playing. This leads to database bloat, which leads to other bad things so the online registration was disabled.
So, it's true that the easiest way to get a number is to attend an RPGA event. Mind you, this doesn't have to be at a big convention. This can happen at retail game stores, game days in public locations (libraries and colleges seem to be popular) or even finding a small group of RPGA members who play at home and asking if there's room for one more.
To help you find public events, check out the Event Calendar. Click on the Dungeons and Dragons logo (don't confuse it with the D&D Miniatres logo, however), and do a search in your state for upcoming games. If there's an open public game in your area, make a character, show up, and bam, someone will hand you a membership and you're up and running. (Your new RPGA number will usually be active in 24 hours - just as soon as the GM reports the session you just played)
On the other hand if you have a DCI# (from playing Magic: the Gathering, Axis and Allies, or D&D Miniatures) that's now valid for RPGA play (and vice-versa) because the RPGA database has been merged into the DCI database.
Lastly, if neither of those applies, you can contact WPN (the Wizards Play Network) by sending an e-mail to [email]dci@wizards.com[/email] and asking them to mail you a card. They usually get a card (or cards - if you want to get some extras to signup friends with) out in about a week. You'll have to mail it back and wait a few weeks for it to be processed, so this is the slowest path, but it's an effective one all the same.
Yeah, uh, it looks pretty much like you have to attend some sort of event from these pages. Is this really the case? Because if so, then the podcast was SEVERELY misleading.
As above, there ARE other options, they're just not as fast/efficient.
I'm not sure what about the podcast was misleading in that regard (as I dn't recall any promises of signing up online) but I'd be happy to clarify anything you feel was less than straight-forward. In addition, I'd suggest you checkout the RPGA FAQ (and I'm always taking suggestions for new questions or how to improve the FAQ) in the RPGA forums as well. As mudbunny said, feel free to PM (or keep asking questions here) and I'll be happy to answer them.
As above, there ARE other options, they're just not as fast/efficient.
Right around 7:19 on Episode 24 of the podcast:
Mike Mearles (sp?): Now let's say I don't normally make it out to conventions, how can I take part in the campaign?
Chris Tulac (sp?): Oh, that's easy enough to. So the campaign is supported basically at any level you want to be involved. If you just want to sit at home with your home game and play Living Forgotten Realms adventures, you can do that. It's simple, basically all you need to do is have one guy in your group, that probably is your DM, just be a Herald-level DM through the RPGA. That's pretty easy to do, you can just go the website, wizards.com/rpga, and you can sign up to become a Herald-level Game Master, which makes you an organizer in the Wizards play network. From that you can just order adventures for your group and download those adventures and play those adventures, and report the activity. You can do that as just a home game, you can set up things for retail stores, you can do that at gameday or at a convention too. So, whatever level of involvement you want, you can just head to the RPGA website, take the simple test of knowledge which basically is twenty questions of fourth-edition knowledge. It's open-book, so don't worry, y'know, you don't have to worry about having to memorize all the fourth-edition rules; it's very easy to become an organizer in the RPGA. And once you're done with that you're pretty much ready to go, you have access to a huge library of adventures.
This is just what I heard in the podcast, so I'm posting it here. And I totally understand the thing about database bloat, and I might be able to attend a local event at some point in the future (I live in a small town and looking at the schedule we don't have many upcoming events), but it's really no big deal. I was just wondering about this.
Right around 7:19 on Episode 24 of the podcast:
Mike Mearles (sp?): Now let's say I don't normally make it out to conventions, how can I take part in the campaign?
Chris Tulac (sp?): Oh, that's easy enough to. So the campaign is supported basically at any level you want to be involved. If you just want to sit at home with your home game and play Living Forgotten Realms adventures, you can do that. It's simple, basically all you need to do is have one guy in your group, that probably is your DM, just be a Herald-level DM through the RPGA. That's pretty easy to do, you can just go the website, wizards.com/rpga, and you can sign up to become a Herald-level Game Master, which makes you an organizer in the Wizards play network. From that you can just order adventures for your group and download those adventures and play those adventures, and report the activity. You can do that as just a home game, you can set up things for retail stores, you can do that at gameday or at a convention too. So, whatever level of involvement you want, you can just head to the RPGA website, take the simple test of knowledge which basically is twenty questions of fourth-edition knowledge. It's open-book, so don't worry, y'know, you don't have to worry about having to memorize all the fourth-edition rules; it's very easy to become an organizer in the RPGA. And once you're done with that you're pretty much ready to go, you have access to a huge library of adventures.
This is just what I heard in the podcast, so I'm posting it here. And I totally understand the thing about database bloat, and I might be able to attend a local event at some point in the future (I live in a small town and looking at the schedule we don't have many upcoming events), but it's really no big deal. I was just wondering about this.
Ah, okay, I see the confusion.
He's right, it does just take the GM passing the test, but he started from the assumption (as an RPGA Content Manager might do) that everyone in the group is already in the RPGA.
Hopefully I've steered you onto the right track, and again - if you can't make it to an event, you can always e-mail a request for cards.
It's simple, basically all you need to do is have one guy in your group, that probably is your DM, just be a Herald-level DM through the RPGA. That's pretty easy to do, you can just go the website, wizards.com/rpga, and you can sign up to become a Herald-level Game Master, which makes you an organizer in the Wizards play network. From that you can just order adventures for your group and download those adventures and play those adventures, and report the activity. You can do that as just a home game, ...
I would like to know if this is correct? I too live in a very small town (35 milles from nowhere even further to events) and while I do not DM much I am a member of RPGA and would like further information on participation, downloading and the reporting aspects that are mentioned in the podcast. Do you have any links handy so I can research
?I would like to know if this is correct? I too live in a very small town (35 milles from nowhere even further to events) and while I do not DM much I am a member of RPGA and would like further information on participation, downloading and the reporting aspects that are mentioned in the podcast. Do you have any links handy so I can research
That's all correct. One RPGA Herald-certified GM can order the module(s) from the RPGA to let you play for free. They don't even have to be the one running the module, ANY RPGA member can run the adventure. The person ordering the modules (the Senior GM) is then responsible for reporting the results of your adventures when you're done.
I registered for an RPGA membership in Mar of this year at the D&D Exp in Virginia. As of yet, I am still not a member. This has made me sad!
You should be in the system.
Try logging in again. Use your new 9-digit number, and the "default password" of WA98055 (case sensitive).
If that still doesn't work, contact customer service by signing up at http://wizards.custhelp.com.