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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 11:26AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Jul 24, 2007
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First off, this is entirely hearsay as I head it from a group member last night.
But he says he has heard a rumor that the 2.0 revision will allow you to create a character at any level to play in an RPGA mod. I certainly hope not.
My simple analysis:
Pro
1) LFR is already on the honor system. People can already do this; it's cheating, but it can happen.
2) The original charter of the RPGA was to get people together to create homegames. The living campaigns have become their own monster with certs and organized play. If WotC is trying to transition the living campaigns away from their own entity under DnD, and back to a way of introducing new players, this is the way to go.
3) There is way too much cool stuff coming out each week. How else can you try out all your cool builds without a homegame. See above for commentary on RPGA transitioning players to homegames.
Con
1) LFR is a controlled and accountable campaign and that's why people like it. You earn everything you get. Thus your levels and equipment are more valuable to you.
(Feel free to suggest more cons. This one is good enough for me.)
As much as I hate to see it, things are pointing in this direction. Mods can be replayed. Every character option from every setting can be used. Dedicated character tracking was abandoned. Retraining was expanded to near ridiculous levels.
Let me know what you think.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 11:31AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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Let me know what you think.
I think the rumour is unlikely to be true.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 11:51AM
#3
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I think the odds of this happening are slim, but to be honest I wouldn't care. Set up the rules so that a character created at level x has slightly less wealth than the average LFR character (or some other significant disadvantage) and I don't see a problem.
I know this is heresy to a lot of people. A lot of people thought LFR would be a failure without TU limits, limited access to magic items, or judges signing paperwork. I can already retrain my character so that they are nearly impossible to recognize from one level to the next. Is this really all that much different?
It would give me a chance to play higher level characters with new friends, or to keep up with my buddies because I've been judging too much. As it is I have so many characters I can hardly keep them straight ... and I have less than most people in my area.
Allen.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:01PM
#4
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2) The original charter of the RPGA was to get people together to create homegames.
Was it? I wasn't in the RPGA 25 or 30 years ago, when it started, but I'd been under the impression that RPGA play was originally focused on convention play. Yes, there were RPGA clubs, but RPGA "tournament modules", as I always understood it, were originally written for play at conventions.
At any rate, I suspect it's an unfounded rumor. Then again, I've been surprised before.
"Of course [Richard] has a knife. He always has a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183, and we're barbarians!" - Eleanor of Aquitaine, "The Lion in Winter"
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:06PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jul 24, 2007
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2) The original charter of the RPGA was to get people together to create homegames.
Was it? I wasn't in the RPGA 25 or 30 years ago, when it started, but I'd been under the impression that RPGA play was originally focused on convention play. Yes, there were RPGA clubs, but RPGA "tournament modules", as I always understood it, were originally written for play at conventions.
At any rate, I suspect it's an unfounded rumor. Then again, I've been surprised before.
I shouldn't speak as an expert as I haven't been around for that long either, but that was how it was explained to me from a very early timer. While making sense doesn't make it true, I can imagine how in a time before internet it might have been rather hard to get together a group if your circle of friends was uninterested.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:07PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Nov 21, 2005
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First off, this is entirely hearsay as I head it from a group member last night.
But he says he has heard a rumor that the 2.0 revision will allow you to create a character at any level to play in an RPGA mod. I certainly hope not.
This may get folded into the general rules to cover one-shot adventures and maybe D&D Encounters, but I bet it will be overridden by the LFR section.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:20PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jun 10, 2004
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I certainly hope this is just a rumor. I wouldn't call it impossible though.
If this ends up being true I would strongly consider retiring from organized play until 5e and finding a nice long term home game to commit to.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:23PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Aug 22, 2007
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Hearsay is hearsay. I don't see this happening either, for what my completely uninformed opinion is worth. I, too, would dislike it a fair bit.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:52PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jun 26, 2003
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I for one am a BIG BIG FAN of CCG 1.95, particularly the insane amount of free retraining allowed. Specifically for LFR.
In 3.5 and other earlier editions, you could run with suboptimal stats and still come out pretty well. The 4th edition model, though, is quite punishing for those that don't run good stats and chosen powers / feats / skills.
Let's say that you are a new player, and don't know what you're doing, and are following the advice in the Player's Handbook. Sounds like a reasonable assumption, right?
So you build a dwarf fighter with a 15 Strength that uses axes. Dwarves use axes. It just makes sense. And 15 is plenty strong, isn't it? You're not bulging with muscles like some freak, but you get the job done. (So you think). Now let's say you take some fun feats. You want to be able to speak all the languages of the Underdark, so you have a 14 Int (just for flavor) and take the Linguist feat. And let's just say you make a lot of other fun decisions solely based on how you want to roleplay your character.
For 12 levels.
A hundred fifty hours of play later, you realize your guy can't hit anything. So sad. How many times have you been turned into monster chow? How many times have people muttered behind your back "dude, he's fun to play with, but please, not at my table."
But now there's 1.95. Seriously. Now that's some good stuff right there.
As an organizer and as a DM, I feel very liberated to let new players have all the fun and make all the lousy decisions they want at 1st level, because no matter how wretched their choices, the 1.95 retraining rules save them. Now the character that they think "geez, this guy sorta sucks" again becomes the character the player wants to play.
--
As far as 2.0 allowing create-a-PC-any level -
Personally, I would rather players start at 1st, because 11th and 21st are just confusing to new players. But if you are a new player that wants to play with your gaming veteran buddies - the rumored change would certainly work for you (rather than against you.)
"LFR is a controlled and accountable campaign and that's why people like it"
Mm - now I know I'm taking that quote out of context. But I think LFR has distinctly taken a step away from the accountability of LG, and apparently - from what I hear, the attendance is good, *despite* Player Rewards taking a hit, and *despite* DM Rewards maxing out at 5 games DMed per half-year. (Note: That IS hearsay, I have NO numbers to back that up. Honestly, I have no idea what the numbers are between LFR and LG.)
So perhaps it isn't the controlled and accountable aspects of the LFR campaign that attract the most people.
Although I personally like tight controls and accountability, I think I am rather more the exception than the rule.
"Dude, let's go to the bar!"
"No wai, man, I am like doing my taxes early this year; have phun!"
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:59PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Aug 22, 2007
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So perhaps it isn't the controlled and accountable aspects of the LFR campaign that attract the most people.
Mmm. I'm not at all convinced that my personal opinion about such a change is correct from a player acqusition point of view.
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