I mostly play online but occasionally there is also a local game I go to.
Unfortunately they play fast and loose with the RPGA rules (at the local game) and I didn't realise until someone threatened to report me for a freakin' infraction that what I had been told by them was wrong.
Primarily this concerns one character where I played at 2nd level in a 4-7 mod. Consequently I got a nice piece of loot (a +2 magical armour) and have been playing with it ever since.
What do I do? Do I have to give back the piece of loot? I've had to pass on other items to remain within the level limit so that would mean going back through all the games I've played with that character and figuring out what I passed on, what I'm eligible for, at what time, etc.
In other words, a major head-****.
Dumping the XP and gold isn't too much of a problem, although it creates somewhat of a time paradox since I'm pretty sure I bought potions of healing with some of the gold and used them in subsequent adventures, but other than that it's all good.
And what happens with the story awards and can I play through the module again or is it off limits to this character now?
Honestly, I would recommend reversing everything back to just before the first illegal adventure, and pretending that everything after that never happened. This would leave you with a legal character with legal items and legal story awards. To be even safer, I would also consider all the subsequent legally or illegally played adventures off-limits for that character going forward.
But some other posters might have less drastic suggestions, so stay tuned.
Honestly, I would recommend reversing everything back to just before the first illegal adventure, and pretending that everything after that never happened. This would leave you with a legal character with legal items and legal story awards. To be even safer, I would also consider all the subsequent legally or illegally played adventures off-limits for that character going forward.
But some other posters might have less drastic suggestions, so stay tuned.
He's almost 4th-level. That would essentially ruin the character entirely as there wouldn't be enough mods for him to ever level up.
And another thing, can I even get an infraction for this? It's not like I cheated. I was told the wrong thing and it's not that big a deal in terms of loot or experience or gold. The difference between playing this and a 1-4 mod is like 90xp, 25gp and the fact that I'd have to choose an item from a previous adventure to replace my current armour.
He's almost 4th-level. That would essentially ruin the character entirely as there wouldn't be enough mods for him to ever level up.
Well, you could always work out an alternate solution to provide an appropriate play experience for yourself.
And another thing, can I even get an infraction for this? It's not like I cheated. I was told the wrong thing and it's not that big a deal in terms of loot or experience or gold. The difference between playing this and a 1-4 mod is like 90xp, 25gp and the fact that I'd have to choose an item from a previous adventure to replace my current armour.
Seriously, if you can come up with a comprehensive fix that seems fair and reasonable, and that could have been arrived at through completely legal play, I don't think anyone would fault you. Certainly, you would not be at risk of receiving an infraction, because there is no such thing in the RPGA.
My extremely strict recommendation above is aimed at people who want to be sure they are following the rules.
You should get rid of anything you got from playing the module illegally (gold, items, story awards). The fact that you had to pass on other items is not illegal so you cannot change those decisions.
It is up to you to know the rules, so yes, you could be reported .
Since you were told the wrogn thing, hopefully no one would be that big of a jerk. Really, they should help you to resolve the issue. Mistakes happen (on your part it was a mitake, on the other players' part who brought you into a game you couldn't legally play, it was a blatant disregard for the rules).
Best would be just to get rid of whatever you got from the illegal module and watch out for that group in the future.
You should get rid of anything you got from playing the module illegally (gold, items, story awards). The fact that you had to pass on other items is not illegal so you cannot change those decisions.
This is the approach I'd suggest, as well. To be safe, I'd avoid playing the adventure in question with that PC once he can legally do so, but it's not like there aren't more than enough level 4-7 modules out there to get you from 4 to 7; losing the opportunity to play one module really shouldn't keep you from being able to advance that PC.
It is up to you to know the rules, so yes, you could be reported.
True, from the standpoint that ignorance of the rules isn't a good excuse. OTOH, I do *not* think that this is an issue which, even if brought to the attention of RPGA HQ, would warrant any sort of sanctioning from HQ, at least not for the original poster. I suspect that, if they even did decide to address it, it'd be more along the lines of the remedy described above (i.e., remove the effects of that adventure from your character's history).
He's almost 4th-level. That would essentially ruin the character entirely as there wouldn't be enough mods for him to ever level up.
Not that I'm advocating voiding everything you played with that PC after you played the 4-7 module...but you're simply incorrect in this last statement.
Just counting one-round, standard level 1-4 LFR modules (i.e., no Adapteds, no MINIs, no SPECs), there are currently 20 1-4 modules available. As it takes roughly 9 adventures to get a character from 0 XP to 4th level (probably fewer if you consistently play "high"), that's enough unique modules to get two characters there. Even if you threw out all the 1-4s that you played after the 4-7 (and, in your original post, you noted that your PC was already 2nd level at that point), and didn't replay them with that PC, there'd be more than enough other 1-4s to get you to 4th.
Easy answer:
Fix it, and move on.
Feel free to define "fix" yourself, in a way that feels right to you. No RPGA police are going to come bust down your door and take away your character sheet.
From a practical point of view, there is no difference between "My DM told me the wrong thing" to "I deliberately cheated", since subsequent people who encounter you have no way of distinguishing the two.
One of the side effects of LFR's no-signature log sheets is that a player is fully and completely responsible for everything he writes down. There's no requirement (or evidence) that a DM has ever acquiesced to or approved what you've written down, nor even any indication as to who your DM may have been. If you play an adventure you don't qualify for, or take rewards or items that were not in the module, it's all on your head.
As far as enforcement goes, the RPGA cops are never going to show up at your house and rip up your characters. Enforcement is almost exclusively by social mechanisms. What that means is that if you're seen as the type of person who plays fast and loose with the rules (the usual euphemism for "we think he's cheating, but have no actual proof that he's doing it deliberately"), players who feel that not following the rules (or at least the important ones) indicates a lapse of moral character will be less welcoming or less willing to play with you at all.
Playing an adventure you don't qualify for, and then taking magic items from that adventure and using them in subsequent adventures, is the sort of thing I'd consider a serious offense. If done deliberately, I'd put it on the same level as the guy who uses the teeny-tiny dice and never seems to miss when it matters.
What you need to do to fix it depends on how important it is to you that you be able to later justify your actions, as well as what those you might be justifying your actions to will consider cheating.
Personally, if a player in my gaming group came to me with the situation, my recommendation (barring some unusual circumstances, such as this not being a first offense or an illegal magic item so powerful that play of subsequent modules would have been fundamentally different without it) would be just to excise that adventure from his log and treat it as though it never happened, removing all rewards. You don't get any do-overs on subsequent decisions about what magic items to take, however. Sometimes players miss out on items because of bad decisions and they don't get a second chance. Making a screw up like this shouldn't entitle you to one.
If you consider that unfair, keep in mind that you went on to play other adventures with an advantage you did not fairly earn according to the rules, and the small hardship of having to wait a little longer to get a replacement item is the price you pay.
Others will have different options: Some might say that the character is now irrevocably tainted, and you need to start back at the point before you illegally played an adventure. Some might say that it's just a matter of making the log sheet look legal, so you can temporarily remove the adventure (and rewards) from your sheet now, and add them back in when you hit the level you need to be to play the adventure.
The rules don't say how you're supposed to make your character legal (since the rules assume your character never becomes illegal), so I can't say there's one right answer.
I can see a lot of the fixes working. Here is what I might recommend as the loosest fix that might work. You could delay all rewards associated with that adventure until you make 4th level. Just set those results aside. Lose all XP, all gold, all story awards, all item picks. Play until you make 4th. Then re-activate them making no changes to the rewards. You did play the mod, you did make those choices, you just shouldn't have done all of that at 2nd level.
The upside of this is to you. You get to keep what you did, you just shuffle the order. Since you are almost 4th, even with the XP drop you will likely not drop a level and can be back where you want to be in 2-3 mods.
The downside is that there is very little punishment to you this way. Technically, the adventure is invalid and should be lost for that PC for good. However, the penalties/infractions guidelines is really out of date and it is anyone's guess what is best (probably even the people in charge would need two meetings and three document drafts to settle on what is best).
While you were misinformed, everyone is responsible for knowing the rules. You really should read the CCG carefully prior to play. In the end, the responsibility falls on you to know such basic rules as not being able to play outside your tier. (And it is written in every adventure, so the DM should have known!). I understand that you didn't intend to make this mistake and I think most people will cut you some slack if you take steps to rectify the issue. I think I hear everyone agreeing that you should not keep being a 3rd level PC that is using these ill-gotten rewards. As was pointed out, a lot of this is about the social contract, so you may want to discuss options with those players in your area and see what seems to be acceptable, between reshuffling the order and losing the adventure as two likely extremes.
The RPGA (WPN) is not really interested in punishing players for honest mistakes; just fix the mistake, make the PC legal, and play on.
If you have xp, gp, and a magic item from an adventure which your PC could not have legally played at that time, due to its level, then I concur the simpliest solution is to subtract/withhold that xp, gp and magic item, until such time as you have reach the necessary level (4th, if I understand the situation). Then add the xp, gp and magic item back in. Be careful not to exceed your found magic items allotment.
This method is very similar to what often happens with LFR playtesters who are playing an adventure above their current character level. The xp, gp, and magic item is "banked" against, 1) the adventure being released and 2) their PC reaching the necessary level.
While technically you gained the benefit of temporary usage of the item (and gp) which gave you an advantage, since this is NOT a tournament and competition, there is no need for a punishment.
Keith
Thank you for the replies.
I have no interest in cheating. I never cheat in video games or any other games. I feel it defeats the purpose and point of playing. I play to feel a sense of achievement and to fulfil goals. Cheating, therefore, only cheats me out of my own enjoyment.
So it was an honest mistake that has been rectified. As for the comment that I should know the rules, to a certain extent I agree, but one also has to understand the social pressure. I rocked up to a public game expecting an adventure to be run of a suitable level and had six people wanting to play an advanced mod with the DM saying it was fine. Other than walking out, there wasn't much I could do. I could've pressed the issue and looked like an ass, walked out and looked like an ass, or just gone with the flow and trust that the DM was in the right.
I trusted the DM *shrug*.
Lesson learned, I guess. I'll make sure to take responsibility for my knowledge of the rules for the future.
Thank you for the replies.
I have no interest in cheating. I never cheat in video games or any other games. I feel it defeats the purpose and point of playing. I play to feel a sense of achievement and to fulfil goals. Cheating, therefore, only cheats me out of my own enjoyment.
So it was an honest mistake that has been rectified. As for the comment that I should know the rules, to a certain extent I agree, but one also has to understand the social pressure. I rocked up to a public game expecting an adventure to be run of a suitable level and had six people wanting to play an advanced mod with the DM saying it was fine. Other than walking out, there wasn't much I could do. I could've pressed the issue and looked like an ass, walked out and looked like an ass, or just gone with the flow and trust that the DM was in the right.
I trusted the DM *shrug*.
Lesson learned, I guess. I'll make sure to take responsibility for my knowledge of the rules for the future.
So there were 7 players and 1 GM????? That also is not allowed by the rules.
Thank you for the replies.
I have no interest in cheating. I never cheat in video games or any other games. I feel it defeats the purpose and point of playing. I play to feel a sense of achievement and to fulfil goals. Cheating, therefore, only cheats me out of my own enjoyment.
So it was an honest mistake that has been rectified. As for the comment that I should know the rules, to a certain extent I agree, but one also has to understand the social pressure. I rocked up to a public game expecting an adventure to be run of a suitable level and had six people wanting to play an advanced mod with the DM saying it was fine. Other than walking out, there wasn't much I could do. I could've pressed the issue and looked like an ass, walked out and looked like an ass, or just gone with the flow and trust that the DM was in the right.
I trusted the DM *shrug*.
Lesson learned, I guess. I'll make sure to take responsibility for my knowledge of the rules for the future.
Exactly. Good attitude and all. People make mistakes. I'm in charge of hundreds of judges and I make mistakes. It happens. You fix them when you find them, you are upfront about them, and then you move on and have more fun playing D&D.
Play D&D
Have Fun
Done
Dave C
Play D&D
Have Fun
Done
You're never done. 
Play D&D
Have Fun
Done
You're never done.
Play D&D
Have fun
Repeat till you die of old age
You're never done.
True Dat - I've already had multiple chats about Gencon Indy next year already. I'm just in a never-ending rotation at this point.
You're never done.
True Dat - I've already had multiple chats about Gencon Indy next year already. I'm just in a never-ending rotation at this point.
And we thank you for it!
I have been a DM since 1981. Granted I'm speaking of pencil and paper RPG's, but I feel that the facts remain. In the end, THE DM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING CERTAIN THAT THE GAME IS RUN PROPERLY. If there were to be any sanctions, they should be leveled against the DM, not the players. If the DM cannot stay within the rules of what is being offered, he should not be permitted to run sanctioned events.
If I am running paper and pencil games at home with my group or non-sanctioned games at an event, then my players all know this and know that nothing from my game can be officially added to a sanctioned character. If I'm running an official tournament, however, I don't deviate AT ALL because not only does it keep the game fair for everyone, but also it can have - as in this case - a bad effect down the line.