Can someone point me to where it actually says that if a DM (who gets a DM reward packet) chooses a magic item as a reward, that it does not count against his permanent magic item total when it comes to deciding who gets a magic item.
Example: Someone (Bob) who DMs chooses the sending stones from the DM packet he got for DMing Elemental Evil sessions. He plays at another table, where a magic item is found. Both he and another player (Mike) are interested in an item. Mike has a certificate for an item, and believes that both he and Bob each have one item, so they should roll off (the accepted standard at that table.). Bob has been told that the sending stones weren't supposed to count towards his total.
Who's right, and is there something written down which clarifies this? (since neither individual is willing to back down on an answer of "well, this answer makes sense")
Avross wrote:
Kalani wrote:
Im of the opposite view. Its a magic item, it shouldnt matter if its a rewards items, a campaign award, an item received from up above. Its a permanent magic item and should be counted against the total.
If it isnt, then this information needs to be either added to the actual cert for upcoming seasons, or added to the 2.0 guide.
I should reiterate: the item counts against your magic item tally, however, a fair number of RCs and LCs think it shouldn't count.
What is their reasoning? That people are going to stop dming because the magic item they are being given for dming encounters will penalise them down the track with an item they really want?
If people stop dming because of that, they really shouldnt have been dming in the first place.
It's a nonissue. The DM is not forced to take a magic item. They have the option of gold or several mundane armors - none of which count against your magic item tally.
Tyranthraxus wrote:
Primarchx wrote:
Good point, but it is what it is. People respond well to incentive and as my wife tells the kids, being FAIR isn't the same as being EQUAL. If wanting minor, off-the-books magic items is what finally gets someone to volunteer to DM for AL, well, there are worse motivations out there, I suppose.
Tyranthraxus wrote:
Cascade.rpga wrote:
shivafang wrote:
I'm fourth level and still haven't gotten a magic item; I'd be very disappointed if something I could use finally dropped and I lost out on it to someone with a magic item already, even if it was from a rewards packet.
What I'm learning from this thread is that as a DM in AL I should either a) not use my season Encounters cert for a magic item or b) hold onto it and only assign that cert's magic item to a PC somewhere way in the future when it won't matter as much.
Wow, I'm underwhelmed.
As an aside I belong to a club that has annual dues. Some members get a break on their dues because they perform work to maintain the club. I don't recall feeling any animosity toward their special 'perk' since they're actually working to maintain the club I enjoy, whereas I only use the club's facilities for recreation.
Yeah, I would have no problem with a DM not having to count their magic item when considering distribution. 1) They are putting in a lot of time so that I can play. 2) They are getting 'fun' things like Sending Stones or Bag of Holding, not vorpal blades.
Kalani wrote:
If you're having issues with Encumberance or Max Weight, you buy a mastiff, a pack saddle, and some saddlebags. Boom, no more weight problems and it can follow you into pretty much anywhere you can go.
Ainulindalion wrote:
Pauper wrote:
Ainulindalion wrote:
Pauper wrote:
Pauper wrote:
Ainulindalion wrote:
Pauper wrote:
RCanine wrote:
Storyteller-Zero wrote:
Kalani wrote:
Storyteller-Zero wrote:
Pauper wrote:
Folks,
I know that you all want rewards for being a DM and it is easy to say that being a DM is a reward unto itself. Right now the Admin staff and RC's (myself included) are working on somethings in the background that we have not announced. I can't promise that you all will be happy but I do know that most/some of you will be. In an organized play system like this we can't please everyone and if we try we only serve to alientate even more from playing.
So we are forced to walk a fine line sometimes and work to achieve happiness with as many people as we can. Now what that means is that yes, the DM magic items at the moment DO count against your total permanent magic items list., you do not need to select the Bag of Holding and most DM's I know don't because it is not a very good item. There are other things on the list that are better IMHO. But if I do select the Bag.. it is just something I live with for the moment. That might change... though be forewarned that it might not too.
As far as the DM packets, when scheduling the Encounters back in Feb and March... you could have always asked for more packets from WotC and they would have sent more. Our store needed more and we got enough for 60 people. But yea we still ran out of some faction packets as a lot of people picked Emerald Enclave in my local store. But ALL of our DM's got their DM packets. This is a monior award and it was enjoyed by all of them.
There are other options too. The store could offer means of you giving them your time for their night of promoting games at their locations. Anotherwords It should not just be WotC that is always liable for the rewards that the DM deserves. The store should be kicking in more so if not already doing so. Some stores take a small admission price of a dollar or two and then turn around and give it to their tables DM's in store credit. In this way the DM can purchase the book, some dice, and maybe a snack or two. They could buy their DM's the hard cover adventure, dice or something like that for them maybe instead of asking for admision.
There are SO many ways to reward a DM that does not involve money either. Be inventive and not pessimistic in saying it is all on WotC. As this is not the case nor should it be. We are vehicles of our own design too. 
#AL_RC
Jon Lamkin
Regional Coordinator.
US Plains area
TSRO_Kip wrote:
Thanks for letting us know how things are proceeding. For the record my FLGS has been fantastic in supporting AL and runs five to eight full tables every Wednesday night. We DMs get lots of support from them.
My concern is not so much with rewards from WOTC, but the concept of being penalized for receiving one. I'm hoping for a common sense and reasonable decision.
I think the point is that you're only getting 'penalized' for taking a magic item from the DM awards if you specifically choose one -- there are non-magical DM awards to take if the possibility of losing out on 'kewl magic lewts' bothers you.
If there were no non-magical awards in the DM certificate, then I could better understand the concern. As it stands, if you don't want to be 'penalized' for taking a magic item from the DM award, then don't take a magic item.
--
Pauper
Well, if any of the decision makers are reading this thread. As someone that is *not* going to get one of these rewards, but may be in 'compeition' for another Magic item...... I think the DM reward items should *not* count towards their magic allotment.