RPGA Rule Question - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

RPGA Rule Question

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
raiden_drake
Mar 24, 2008 11:15:56 I DM mostly on homebrew campaigns I was never really interested on
RPGA but I was discussing with a friend about what is valid and what not in a RPGA game. He told me that if I created a character that is a cleric of Boccob but instead of taking level of cleric I take levels of sorcerer (with all the mechanics that it includes) I have to say that it is a sorcerer not a cleric, even though the char may believe that his powers come from his god, and he may act like a cleric, pray and all that...

Does RPGA really enforce that much on the character background? I though it was mostly rules enforcement not fluff enforcement... is this true? Because if it is, it sucks...
#2
WolfStar76
Mar 24, 2008 11:21:34
I DM mostly on homebrew campaigns I was never really interested on
RPGA but I was discussing with a friend about what is valid and what not in a RPGA game. He told me that if I created a character that is a cleric of Boccob but instead of taking level of cleric I take levels of sorcerer (with all the mechanics that it includes) I have to say that it is a sorcerer not a cleric, even though the char may believe that his powers come from his god, and he may act like a cleric, pray and all that...

Does RPGA really enforce that much on the character background? I though it was mostly rules enforcement not fluff enforcement... is this true? Because if it is, it sucks...

The rules aren't really quite that specific.

I'd recommend that if you sit down at an RPGA table you let the other players know what's going on "Well, really my character is a Sorcerer, but he THINKS he's a cleric" but in-game, anything goes.
#3
raiden_drake
Mar 24, 2008 11:26:19
The rules aren't really quite that specific.

I'd recommend that if you sit down at an RPGA table you let the other players know what's going on "Well, really my character is a Sorcerer, but he THINKS he's a cleric" but in-game, anything goes.

That what I was saying, but he was really stubborn that I couldn't do that I HAVE TO ACT like a sorcerer. I only wanted to confirm with someone else, thank you very much, I have my answer.
#4
kenobi65
Mar 24, 2008 12:45:09 Yup. Your friend has some odd ideas about the RPGA rules.

So long as you aren't trying to pass your PC off as something it isn't (i.e., so long as you aren't trying to cast cleric spells as a sorcerer), and so long as you tell the DM and the players what the "real story" is up front, you really shouldn't have an issue.
#5
hassansabbah
Mar 24, 2008 16:42:17 Even "tell other players what you really are playing" isn't an RPGA rule. It's common sense and courtesy. Normally, you don't have to reveal (nor should you necessarily want to reveal) what your PC really is; you could let others draw their own conclusions.

EDIT: Add: "It can even be more fun that way."

However, RPGA is all about facilitating organised play. With this facilitation, it becomes feasible and easy to play every adventure with a different group of people who don't know you or your PCs very well. That group may have some expectations about the party make-up. For example, the other players might feel that they will not have any fun when their PCs head into great danger without a healer to patch them. If you announce that your PC is a cleric, but fail to announce that s/he is not a dedicated healer, those people will not have fun. And this is a game; we're here to have fun.

You can find the RPGA rules on the RPGA website.

Baris
#6
kenobi65
Mar 24, 2008 17:28:46
However, RPGA is all about facilitating organised play. With this facilitation, it becomes feasible and easy to play every adventure with a different group of people who don't know you or your PCs very well. That group may have some expectations about the party make-up. For example, the other players might feel that they will not have any fun when their PCs head into great danger without a healer to patch them. If you announce that your PC is a cleric, but fail to announce that s/he is not a dedicated healer, those people will not have fun. And this is a game; we're here to have fun.

Well said. I don't usually have a problem with a player who doesn't want to reveal his PC's real name, or exact classes, or whatever. What I do have a problem with is a player who's playing so coy that he won't even tell you what his PC's role in the party is going to be (or, if he leads you to believe one thing, and it turns out to be something else entirely).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 raiden_drake Mar 24, 2008 11:15:56	I DM mostly on homebrew campaigns I was never really interested on RPGA but I was discussing with a friend about what is valid and what not in a RPGA game. He told me that if I created a character that is a cleric of Boccob but instead of taking level of cleric I take levels of sorcerer (with all the mechanics that it includes) I have to say that it is a sorcerer not a cleric, even though the char may believe that his powers come from his god, and he may act like a cleric, pray and all that... Does RPGA really enforce that much on the character background? I though it was mostly rules enforcement not fluff enforcement... is this true? Because if it is, it sucks...
#2 WolfStar76 Mar 24, 2008 11:21:34	I DM mostly on homebrew campaigns I was never really interested on RPGA but I was discussing with a friend about what is valid and what not in a RPGA game. He told me that if I created a character that is a cleric of Boccob but instead of taking level of cleric I take levels of sorcerer (with all the mechanics that it includes) I have to say that it is a sorcerer not a cleric, even though the char may believe that his powers come from his god, and he may act like a cleric, pray and all that... Does RPGA really enforce that much on the character background? I though it was mostly rules enforcement not fluff enforcement... is this true? Because if it is, it sucks... The rules aren't really quite that specific. I'd recommend that if you sit down at an RPGA table you let the other players know what's going on "Well, really my character is a Sorcerer, but he THINKS he's a cleric" but in-game, anything goes.
#3 raiden_drake Mar 24, 2008 11:26:19	The rules aren't really quite that specific. I'd recommend that if you sit down at an RPGA table you let the other players know what's going on "Well, really my character is a Sorcerer, but he THINKS he's a cleric" but in-game, anything goes. That what I was saying, but he was really stubborn that I couldn't do that I HAVE TO ACT like a sorcerer. I only wanted to confirm with someone else, thank you very much, I have my answer.
#4 kenobi65 Mar 24, 2008 12:45:09	Yup. Your friend has some odd ideas about the RPGA rules. So long as you aren't trying to pass your PC off as something it isn't (i.e., so long as you aren't trying to cast cleric spells as a sorcerer), and so long as you tell the DM and the players what the "real story" is up front, you really shouldn't have an issue.
#5 hassansabbah Mar 24, 2008 16:42:17	Even "tell other players what you really are playing" isn't an RPGA rule. It's common sense and courtesy. Normally, you don't have to reveal (nor should you necessarily want to reveal) what your PC really is; you could let others draw their own conclusions. EDIT: Add: "It can even be more fun that way." However, RPGA is all about facilitating organised play. With this facilitation, it becomes feasible and easy to play every adventure with a different group of people who don't know you or your PCs very well. That group may have some expectations about the party make-up. For example, the other players might feel that they will not have any fun when their PCs head into great danger without a healer to patch them. If you announce that your PC is a cleric, but fail to announce that s/he is not a dedicated healer, those people will not have fun. And this is a game; we're here to have fun. You can find the RPGA rules on the RPGA website. Baris
#6 kenobi65 Mar 24, 2008 17:28:46	However, RPGA is all about facilitating organised play. With this facilitation, it becomes feasible and easy to play every adventure with a different group of people who don't know you or your PCs very well. That group may have some expectations about the party make-up. For example, the other players might feel that they will not have any fun when their PCs head into great danger without a healer to patch them. If you announce that your PC is a cleric, but fail to announce that s/he is not a dedicated healer, those people will not have fun. And this is a game; we're here to have fun. Well said. I don't usually have a problem with a player who doesn't want to reveal his PC's real name, or exact classes, or whatever. What I do have a problem with is a player who's playing so coy that he won't even tell you what his PC's role in the party is going to be (or, if he leads you to believe one thing, and it turns out to be something else entirely).