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GMing without Herald

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
feragore_dup
Feb 25, 2009 0:44:27 I've been playing RPGA LFR for a few weeks now and I decided to try and take some of the weight off the 2-3 people that usually run so they can play more often by running a game now and then.

So, I looked around to try and find an online source of the adventure that's lined up and after a while of searching find that I need to be an official Herald-level GM.

Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I take the test and fail it. And considering how badly I failed it, I wouldn't be able to retry for a good while. Especially as it essentially requires photographic memory of all 3 rulebooks (I assume they don't count as a 'study guide'; the website makes about as much sense as an Escher drawing).

Now my situation is this: I'm lined up to run a game, but I'm not an RPGA GM and I blew my chance at being one.

Does this mean it'll have to be run by someone else? Is it even possible to report a game without being an official GM? If it is still possible to run, is there any way to access the adventure materials? The alternative would be having access to the materials on the day, not nearly enough time for someone that hasn't GMed before to figure everything out without wasting time.
#2
howie23
Feb 25, 2009 1:42:11 1. You don't have to be a Herald to run, just to order the adventure. Have one of the 2-3 you are relieving order it, you run it, they report it.

2. When you take it again, remember it is open book. You don't need a photographic memory, just the knowledge of where/how to find the answers.

David
#3
feragore_dup
Feb 25, 2009 2:30:48 So I can use the rulebooks as I take the test? I had figured I couldn't being that it wouldn't be very 'official' if you had to look everything up when you have a rules issue.

Saying that, being able to recall creature X's power list doesn't strike me as 'basic core rules knowledge'. Basic core rules knowledge would be basic core rules knowledge, how line of sight works and so on. A lot of the questions were very specific; neither basic nor 'rules'. All it needs to do is go one step further and talk about a Drow's Cloud of Darkness or a Battlerager Fighter and we eliminate core too.

Also, the judge center never mentioned it was open book. It is mentioned vaguely here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/gmprogram/herald but figured as that is 5 years old and referring to 3.5e and not 4e, it would be very much out of date. For starter's, the pass rate is different.

How exactly can they report the event though? Wouldn't it just flare up an error when they try to enter me as the DM? It would be an epic feat to put themselves as DM, considering that they're playing.
#4
sithobi1
Feb 25, 2009 2:42:55 No, there is no error.
#5
Kurald_Galain
Feb 25, 2009 6:45:04
Also, the judge center never mentioned it was open book. It is mentioned vaguely here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/gmprogram/herald but figured as that is 5 years old

Yeah, parts of the WOTC website are in dire need of updating.

At any rate, the Herald exam is intended to be easy, and is intended to be open book. Also, I don't think you can report adventures unless you're a Herald.
#6
Jiji
Feb 25, 2009 6:47:11 I report players all the time that sit in the judge's seat for me and I have never had an error with them not being Herald level.

I would say contact your Senior GameMaster and enjoy the ability to allow them to play in their own events.

BTW thank you from someone that is blessed with players like you.
#7
kenobi65
Feb 25, 2009 9:25:17 As others have noted, passing the Herald-level test is what qualifies you to be a Senior GM (i.e., the person who orders and sets up an event). You don't need to pass the test to GM an RPGA adventure, if someone else has set up the event.

And, yes, it's meant to be open-book. The RPGA doesn't expect you to have photographic memory; they want to know that you know where to look for the answers.
#8
jeffv
Feb 25, 2009 12:46:28
And, yes, it's meant to be open-book. The RPGA doesn't expect you to have photographic memory; they want to know that you know where to look for the answers.

Precisely. The Herald exam is intended to be a test of skills that the RPGA actually expects a GM to have. You're expected to be able to find basic information and answer questions in a reasonable timeframe with the books for reference. You're not expected to have the books memorized. When you're at the table, you'll have reference materials at hand (we hope), so the exam is set up the same way.

You say that "what powers does this critter have" isn't basic core rules knowledge, and to a point you're correct. However, the Herald-level GM exam isn't really testing an in-depth knowledge of the application of the rules. We aren't looking to make the Herald exam a significant barrier to entry into the GM program. The test is designed to make sure that you have access to the core rulebooks and enough knowledge of those books and the rules system to find the answers to factual questions. It's also meant to be something of a tuition test - we hope that some of the questions make you look in places in the rulebooks that you hadn't yet explored and help you learn something about the game, even as you show us you know how to find that information.

As to noting more clearly that the exams are open-book, I'll see what I can do about that. Because of the way the Exams section is laid out in the judge center it may be difficult to get that note specifically added to the RPGA exams, but I'll see what (if anything) can be done.

--Jeff Vondruska
Judge Center Content Manager for RPGA/D&D
#9
gc1ceo
Feb 25, 2009 20:39:21 Photographic memory?

I don't think anybody could pass a 4E test if you couldn't do it open book, unless the pass/fail point was 50 percent since everybody forgets certain details.

Personally to give myself an extra challenge unofficially I wrote my answers first of those off memory before I looked up, although I only had like a 40-50 percent off memory and anything from the MM I failed from memory.
#10
Darkwolf_Bloodsbane
Mar 04, 2009 16:13:07
Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I take the test and fail it. And considering how badly I failed it, I wouldn't be able to retry for a good while. Especially as it essentially requires photographic memory of all 3 rulebooks (I assume they don't count as a 'study guide'; the website makes about as much sense as an Escher drawing).

It's OPEN BOOK.

You can take it once every, what, 24 hours?

REGARDLESS of your previous score.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 feragore_dup Feb 25, 2009 0:44:27	I've been playing RPGA LFR for a few weeks now and I decided to try and take some of the weight off the 2-3 people that usually run so they can play more often by running a game now and then. So, I looked around to try and find an online source of the adventure that's lined up and after a while of searching find that I need to be an official Herald-level GM. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I take the test and fail it. And considering how badly I failed it, I wouldn't be able to retry for a good while. Especially as it essentially requires photographic memory of all 3 rulebooks (I assume they don't count as a 'study guide'; the website makes about as much sense as an Escher drawing). Now my situation is this: I'm lined up to run a game, but I'm not an RPGA GM and I blew my chance at being one. Does this mean it'll have to be run by someone else? Is it even possible to report a game without being an official GM? If it is still possible to run, is there any way to access the adventure materials? The alternative would be having access to the materials on the day, not nearly enough time for someone that hasn't GMed before to figure everything out without wasting time.
#2 howie23 Feb 25, 2009 1:42:11	1. You don't have to be a Herald to run, just to order the adventure. Have one of the 2-3 you are relieving order it, you run it, they report it. 2. When you take it again, remember it is open book. You don't need a photographic memory, just the knowledge of where/how to find the answers. David
#3 feragore_dup Feb 25, 2009 2:30:48	So I can use the rulebooks as I take the test? I had figured I couldn't being that it wouldn't be very 'official' if you had to look everything up when you have a rules issue. Saying that, being able to recall creature X's power list doesn't strike me as 'basic core rules knowledge'. Basic core rules knowledge would be basic core rules knowledge, how line of sight works and so on. A lot of the questions were very specific; neither basic nor 'rules'. All it needs to do is go one step further and talk about a Drow's Cloud of Darkness or a Battlerager Fighter and we eliminate core too. Also, the judge center never mentioned it was open book. It is mentioned vaguely here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/gmprogram/herald but figured as that is 5 years old and referring to 3.5e and not 4e, it would be very much out of date. For starter's, the pass rate is different. How exactly can they report the event though? Wouldn't it just flare up an error when they try to enter me as the DM? It would be an epic feat to put themselves as DM, considering that they're playing.
#4 sithobi1 Feb 25, 2009 2:42:55	No, there is no error.
#5 Kurald_Galain Feb 25, 2009 6:45:04	Also, the judge center never mentioned it was open book. It is mentioned vaguely here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=rpga/gmprogram/herald but figured as that is 5 years old Yeah, parts of the WOTC website are in dire need of updating. At any rate, the Herald exam is intended to be easy, and is intended to be open book. Also, I don't think you can report adventures unless you're a Herald.
#6 Jiji Feb 25, 2009 6:47:11	I report players all the time that sit in the judge's seat for me and I have never had an error with them not being Herald level. I would say contact your Senior GameMaster and enjoy the ability to allow them to play in their own events. BTW thank you from someone that is blessed with players like you.
#7 kenobi65 Feb 25, 2009 9:25:17	As others have noted, passing the Herald-level test is what qualifies you to be a Senior GM (i.e., the person who orders and sets up an event). You don't need to pass the test to GM an RPGA adventure, if someone else has set up the event. And, yes, it's meant to be open-book. The RPGA doesn't expect you to have photographic memory; they want to know that you know where to look for the answers.
#8 jeffv Feb 25, 2009 12:46:28	And, yes, it's meant to be open-book. The RPGA doesn't expect you to have photographic memory; they want to know that you know where to look for the answers. Precisely. The Herald exam is intended to be a test of skills that the RPGA actually expects a GM to have. You're expected to be able to find basic information and answer questions in a reasonable timeframe with the books for reference. You're not expected to have the books memorized. When you're at the table, you'll have reference materials at hand (we hope), so the exam is set up the same way. You say that "what powers does this critter have" isn't basic core rules knowledge, and to a point you're correct. However, the Herald-level GM exam isn't really testing an in-depth knowledge of the application of the rules. We aren't looking to make the Herald exam a significant barrier to entry into the GM program. The test is designed to make sure that you have access to the core rulebooks and enough knowledge of those books and the rules system to find the answers to factual questions. It's also meant to be something of a tuition test - we hope that some of the questions make you look in places in the rulebooks that you hadn't yet explored and help you learn something about the game, even as you show us you know how to find that information. As to noting more clearly that the exams are open-book, I'll see what I can do about that. Because of the way the Exams section is laid out in the judge center it may be difficult to get that note specifically added to the RPGA exams, but I'll see what (if anything) can be done. --Jeff Vondruska Judge Center Content Manager for RPGA/D&D
#9 gc1ceo Feb 25, 2009 20:39:21	Photographic memory? I don't think anybody could pass a 4E test if you couldn't do it open book, unless the pass/fail point was 50 percent since everybody forgets certain details. Personally to give myself an extra challenge unofficially I wrote my answers first of those off memory before I looked up, although I only had like a 40-50 percent off memory and anything from the MM I failed from memory.
#10 Darkwolf_Bloodsbane Mar 04, 2009 16:13:07	Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I take the test and fail it. And considering how badly I failed it, I wouldn't be able to retry for a good while. Especially as it essentially requires photographic memory of all 3 rulebooks (I assume they don't count as a 'study guide'; the website makes about as much sense as an Escher drawing). It's *OPEN BOOK*. You can take it once every, what, 24 hours? REGARDLESS of your previous score.