I'm a GM who just signed up for the RPGA (although my registration card has likely not been received yet so I cannot yet log in). A friend and fellow GM of mine have been planning to do a weekly RPGA game day at our FLGS, and our understanding (perhaps erroneous) was thus; that we would help players develop RPGA legal characters that they could then use to play in official adventures we would be running every week. The adventures would be unconnected and the games would be "Dungeon of the Week" episode-style sessions, with players interchanging depending on their availability. But upon some recent reading of RPGA introductory stuff, it seems that ongoing characters can only be used for Living/Campaign games, and for the episodic style games, (Classics, as they termed it), they would have to use characters included with the adventure. I suppose I'd like some clarification on this matter and a possible solution to these plans, if at all possible. Thanks in advance.
You can run your own ongoing campaigns with ongoing characters (even if the adventures/storyline) aren't connected by ordering and sanctioning your weekly play as a "Home Campaign".
The caveat to this is that, by the letter of the rules, you can't run a home campaign in as a store event (not that that's stopped some people, and I don't think anyone will REALLY mind if this rule is bent). The biggest reason for this is that a "home event" won't be listed on the RPGA calendar, while a "Store Event" (where, ideally, you'll order a module from the RPGA's library of games) *is* listed for the public.
So, can you run the style you want to by bending a few rules? Sure. Each participant (including the DM) will receive 1 RPGA Reward point for each session they participate in.
If you DO go with the established campaigns (like Living Forgotten Realms starting in August) and run those modules with those progressing characters, each participant would receive FOUR RPGA Reward points per session.
So there are advantages to doing store events with pre-written adventures.
As for not being able to login - if you got your RPGA # as part of an event, the default password for accounts is "WA98055" (even though it's supposed to be your state code and zip). Try that.
Also, while you may be a GM for your store, to sanction and order RPGA events you'll need to pass the RPGA Herald-Level GM test (currently a 3.5 edition open-book test).
Hope that helps!
I DO want my game to be an RPGA-ordered module and posted as a public store event on the calendar, I just want them to be able to bring their own (again, legal) characters.
However, no other GM is required to accept the characters who level-up in your games in any other game, RPGA sanctioned or not, and they certainly won't be legal LFR (etc) characters. Essentially the RPGA exists almost exclusively to administer the campaigns - while you can get points for non-campaign play, most of the other bits of the RPGA are irrelevant. The only framework for having a character which is 'legal' for a particular game is the LFR-style campaign model. In all other cases, the players are at the mercy of the GM in deciding what characters are acceptable at what levels, and what equipment etc is appropriate.
I think you misunderstood my intent. I don't want to run an ongoing campaign, I just want the players to be able to continue using and leveling their (RPGA legal) characters in a series of RPGA-ordered adventures, just not in one of the campaigns (Realms, etc.) I like the episodic style of the "Classics" adventures (Which I believe also get 4 points), I just want the players to be able to use their own characters instead of included ones, and also be allowed to take their characters to other RPGA events and get points there as well.
I DO want my game to be an RPGA-ordered module and posted as a public store event on the calendar, I just want them to be able to bring their own (again, legal) characters.
Well, if you're playing RPGA adventures (like the upcoming Living Forgotten Realms campaign) there are rules for character creation that have to be followed. As long as those rules are followed, and those characters only gain expereience points, gold pieces, and treasure from Living Forgotten Realms adventures, then you're doing exactly what the RPGA is there for.
Those characters would then be legal for play at any other LFR adventure anywhere.
"Living" adventures don't include pre-made characters (though, the campaign as a whole usually has fast-play characters which are pre-made 1st level characters for players who don't have the time/interest to create their own character).