So I guess, where do I go from here? I have DM'ed off and on since 3th edition was released, and I have been playing since AD&D. But I'm sure there is more than just downloading the adventure and running it.
What should I know and do to me a RPGA Home game run smoothing and properly?
Thanks.
I have some questions about running RPGA Home games. I checked the FAQ post on how to start and report an event. I passed the Herald Level 4th edition test.
So I guess, where do I go from here? I have DM'ed off and on since 3th edition was released, and I have been playing since AD&D. But I'm sure there is more than just downloading the adventure and running it.
What should I know and do to me a RPGA Home game run smoothing and properly?
Thanks.
Actually, there's not much more to it then that.
Download the module, read it, make your notes.
Get your players together, have a venue.
Make sure you get everyone's RPGA number (and give them new numbers if they don't have them already - you can get numbers by e-mailing [email]dci@wizards.com[/email]).
When you're done, fill out the tracking form, and report the adventure. Viola! You're done.
Also, reading the first few pages of the adventure, and the last few ('treasure and rewards') will make things clearer - or help you to realise things you need to ask about!
If you're planning to run the delves, or Star Wars, or some other RPGA thing I've not noticed yet, you probably don't even need to do that much!
When you're done, fill out the tracking form, and report the adventure. Viola! You're done.
Is everything included in the adventure packet, like the tracking form?
Also, I assume that I have to stick to the adventure packet pretty closely. But my group can get pretty creative at times (we once took down a whole pirate ship with a pair of Boots of Levitation and a Horn of Fog in 3rd ed.).
Are there specific rules for the DM to follow?
Thanks again. Lots of questions, I know.
(we once took down a whole pirate ship with a pair of Boots of Levitation and a Horn of Fog in 3rd ed.).
That'd be an interesting story to hear
While we're asking questions.... Do the players have to fill anything out online? Like updating characters or something? I seem to remember reading something about that, but I can't find a place to add or update characters anywhere
Is everything included in the adventure packet, like the tracking form?
For an LFR adventure, the ZIP file will contain 3 separate PDFs:
- The adventure itself
- The story awards (a one-page PDF with three identical awards; you'll need to print that page out twice)
- The tracking form (note that each adventure has a unique tracking form, to reflect the unique story awards and DM questions for that adventure)
I assume that I have to stick to the adventure packet pretty closely. But my group can get pretty creative at times (we once took down a whole pirate ship with a pair of Boots of Levitation and a Horn of Fog in 3rd ed.).
Are there specific rules for the DM to follow?
These days, the RPGA encourages "DM Empowerment", which does let you modify the adventure, to a certain extent. You do need to keep the awards (XP, GP, treasure bundles) unchanged from what's in the adventure, and making significant changes to the plot may make it interesting for when your players play later adventures which refer back to the one you changed.
While we're asking questions.... Do the players have to fill anything out online? Like updating characters or something? I seem to remember reading something about that, but I can't find a place to add or update characters anywhere
It's helpful if your players go online and at least enter their character(s) name. Other than that, there really isn't any other info that the player can enter.
When you're logged into your account, you click on the "My Characters" link, and that'll take you to the area of the site.
It's helpful if your players go online and at least enter their character(s) name. Other than that, there really isn't any other info that the player can enter.
When you're logged into your account, you click on the "My Characters" link, and that'll take you to the area of the site.
If you joined using a DCI card, and haven't had a D&D event posted to your number, you may not yet have the My Characters link activated for your account.
You can contact customer service (there are copies of the link scattered all over the place in the boards, I am not going to repost it, as I don't have it available right now) and ask to have the D&D player mode activated.
You can use a pseudo-link to the my characters page for your account to let you enter characters before it is activated. You need to be logged into the RPGA member area, then just change the last part to mycharacters.aspx or something like that. Again, the link is posted in a few spots around here.
Or, if you are only going to be playing a single mod, you can let the GM and system create a default character for you during the reporting process, which also turns on the D&D player mode, so you can edit the character's name, and add additional characters later.
But, I have another question. Are the Scales of War adventure legal in any of the RPGA sanctioned campaigns? Or more specifically, the LFR's?
Also, my players are really pushing for me to run RPGA. Are characters from Home RPGA games legal at Convention RPGA games?
I ask because we live about 2 hours from Columbus, and they are wanting to take more than just a 1st level character to Origins.
Thanks again.
[Edit] Also, are there time limits to Home games? I know there used to be something called Time Units. Are those still around?
But, I have another question. Are the Scales of War adventure legal in any of the RPGA sanctioned campaigns? Or more specifically, the LFR's?
No, you can't play Scales of War as LFR adventures (and, LFR is the only RPGA campaign at this time).
Also, my players are really pushing for me to run RPGA. Are characters from Home RPGA games legal at Convention RPGA games?
If you run LFR adventures for your home group, and you (and your players) follow the LFR rules for character generation and advancement, then they can certainly play those same characters in LFR adventures at conventions.
If you run a "homebrew" campaign, even if you sanction it for RPGA credit, no, the characters from it cannot be played in RPGA games at conventions.
Also, are there time limits to Home games? I know there used to be something called Time Units. Are those still around?
There are no Time Units in LFR. An LFR character can play as many adventures as he qualifies for (keeping in mind that any particular LFR adventure is only playable by characters in a 4 to 5 level range, and a particular LFR character may only play a particular adventure once).
Invoking the death charity clause (I think it was called), is this a one time thing, or can a player do it every game? It really doesn't say either way that I saw.
I heard you can do it every game, but that means your character would never "perm".
After reading the Character Creation guide, I have a question. Again.
Invoking the death charity clause (I think it was called), is this a one time thing, or can a player do it every game? It really doesn't say either way that I saw.
I heard you can do it every game, but that means your character would never "perm".
If necessary, you can, indeed, invoke the Charity of Death clause every game. However, if you do, you might want to stand back and examine your PC's build and the way you play him, since that is going to be a bad thing as time goes by.
Remember that you get full XP for all completed encounters, and half XP for the encounter that killed you, but no story awards, bundle choices or GP for any module you invoke the Charity of Death clause in, so you could wind up leveling up, again and again, without any more gold than you got to start off with.
"Sure, I have all 30 found item slots open, I am at 30th level, but I have only the same equipment I started with." Not good, really. AC 20 is fine at first level, but AC 35 is not going to do you much good at 30th level. And a "to hit" of +7 at first level is pretty good, but a "to hit" at 30th level of +26 is not going to shine as well...
Does a player have to earn the reward card in order to use it?
I have a player you has several of the actual reward cards and a letter that came with them that includes a password to the pdf with all the reward cards in it.
The other players don't have the cards. Are they allowed to print them off and use them? Is so, are they allowed to use any of the cards in the pdf, including the quest card?
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Another question, it the character isn't "Houseruled" on the character builder, is it RPGA legal, other then the background?
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It says that full racial write ups in the Dragon magazines are legal. I just want to double check, a person could play a Gnoll or Warforged right (since those have full write ups)?
No, you need to use the campaign guidelines for the campaign you are playing in order to be sure that they are legal. LFR has its own set of rules, for example, and the guidelines provided for LFR in the CB need to be corrected to make sure the PC is legal.
And yes, Gnoll and Warforged are legal races in RPGA campaigns.
Not another "Are Warforged legal?" thread!
Not another "Are Warforged legal?" thread!
I didn't step on a land mine here did I?
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Ok, I can only think of one more question right now (I say that now, but you know I'll have more).
I downloaded my first adventure to run in a sanctioned Home game this weekend (CORM1-1). I read through it, and it appears that all the loot/gold is passed out at the end of the adventure.
Is this true?
If so, how do you reconcile with the players that they found a magic item or gold half way through a game, but can't get it until the end?
I didn't step on a land mine here did I?
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Ok, I can only think of one more question right now (I say that now, but you know I'll have more).
I downloaded my first adventure to run in a sanctioned Home game this weekend (CORM1-1). I read through it, and it appears that all the loot/gold is passed out at the end of the adventure.
Is this true?
If so, how do you reconcile with the players that they found a magic item or gold half way through a game, but can't get it until the end?
An item (or even gold) found "along the way" can be used for the course of the adventure.
The final results of what they want added to their character sheet isn't compiled until the end of the module.
IE - Bob finds a Flaming Longsword +1 off MiniBoss in battle#1. He can use that all game long (assuming the party doesn't object, of course).
At the end of the game Bob can choose between that Flaming Weapon +1, or the Amulet of Protection the party found later - or he can just take a larger share of gold (forgoing the weapon AND the amulet) - or he can take a healing potion and perhaps just a smidge more gold.
He cannot leave the mod with the weapon, and an amulet (or weapon + potion, or weapon + extra gold - repeat for all combos).
:D
This has no effect on how things pan out at the end of the adventure - each player can take the same bundle but make it a different weapon, the player who used the item in the adventure can take a different bundle, etc etc.
This has no effect on how things pan out at the end of the adventure - each player can take the same bundle but make it a different weapon, the player who used the item in the adventure can take a different bundle, etc etc.
I read this and then read the Rewards Summary, and now I have a question. Lol.
When players choose a Bundle, can 2 different players choose the same bundle.
Eg: Player 1 gets Bundle A, but the rest of the players can still choose Bundle A if they want.
Or does each player choose one of the bundle, removing it from the list of available bundles?
Eg: Player 1 gets Bundle A, now the rest of the party can't choose Bundle A since it's gone.
I thought the second one was correct. Which way is it?
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Where can I order more RPGA cards?
Yes, more than one player may take the same treasure bundle. There's nothing keeping all 6 of your players from all taking Bundle A, if that's what they all want.
Where can I order more RPGA cards?
Several possibilities here. Easiest and fastest one is if you have a local game store (FLGS) which runs Friday Night Magic and/or the D&D Dungeon Delves. They will usually have an abu=ndance of extra cards, so you can just request a few.
Another is to send an email to [email]dci@wizards.com[/email] (assuming you are in North or South America, other contacts are listed in the FAQ sticky) with your RPGA number, the number of cards you want/need (remember that they are padded in sets of 25, but you can request "loose" cards, too) and your mailing information. They will mail a batch out to you, butthis can take up to several weeks to arrive.
In the middle is contacting folks who might have spare cards, convention organizers, nice folks on the boards, other local LFR GMs, etc. and seeing if they would be willing to give/mail you some membership cards.
And, if you are a Magic Organizer, I believe someone mentioned a way to order them through the Magic part of the Event Sanctioning link in the member area.