It’s Fun to Play at the R-P-G-A.

D&D Books by Daniele Muscetta at Flickr

So Monday night I snuck off from the regular gaming group and played an RPGA Dungeons and Dragons game down a the Game Parlor in Chantilly. I have always been a bit biased against the ‘organized play’ systems out there, but I have been thinking about using some of the RPGA elements in my kids games and thought I should try it out. The game itself was great fun, as has been almost every D&D game I have played. There is something inherently fun and silly about the hobby, the other players and the DM game were all good people which can make all the difference. It was the DMs first time running an RPGA game, but he did fine given the restraints of the system. The party was a bit odd, a fighter, a bow ranger, a wizard and two Warlocks which made for some awkward moments, but we got through the adventure with a minimum of pain.

The RPGA games are set for four hour sessions, ours was supposed to be from 6pm to 10pm and that time constraint does really effect how people play. There is still role playing, but there isn’t time for elaborate negotiations or backstory, the adventurers need to get out the door and on the road asap. In many ways, this is what the 4e haters think the new game is all about and after playing in an RPGA session I see where the view comes from. That said, I can’t imagine it was any different for the RPGA games in 3e, I think it is the nature of the beast. Apparently Wizards of the Coast is about to start to release Dungeon Delves, even shorter sessions that are stripped down to nothing but the combat, I am sure this will make the 4e haters even more bitter as these really will be video game sessions of fantasy combat. I am sure the Dungeon Delves could be fun if you had some time to kill, but I do think you are stretching these by calling them role playing games, they are closer to straight fantasty miniatures games.

The Pros of RPGA style gaming are the standardization, the easy availability and the social aspect.  Much like Games Workshop games you can count on a game being run close to the same way if you play in a game anywhere around the world. It is also good for people who lack regular groups as they tend to be held at shops and conventions and can be walked into cold. The players are likely to be good folks and the DMs will know their rules pretty well. If you wander into a random game you might run into some real obnoxious people, but in my experience this is pretty rare.

The Cons are the time restraint, a steep learning curve and the simple nature of the adventures. The time constraint applies real world pressures to the fantasy in uncomfortable ways. There were many spots of rush, rush, rush during the game session, which while understandable, were not adding to the fun really. The frustrations a group would feel with a new player who didn’t really know their stuff would be very real as the rewards and experience are tied into how much is accomplished. In addition there are some fairly lengthy rules that you should be familiar with in addition to the D&D rules before you turn up for a session that cover the character creation and RPGA regulations. The sort of game you get is not going to be very deep, it must be kept pretty simple and that may frustrate players who want a bit more of an open feel to their gaming. The game was mostly one encounter after another as per the scenario design.

Would I play again? Yes. It was a fun way to pass the time with good company and that is what I look for in a game. The RPGA playstyle may be a cut down version D&D in many ways, but that doesn’t make it a bad time. Am I still thinking about using parts of this style of gaming in my kids game? Yes again, at home I can get by most of the restrictions a shop session has and the structure may help our kids focus in a bit. I still have to check out the refereeing side of the RPGA, and I will write that up when I get a chance.

For another look at this sort of gaming check out World of Alidor, who had a terrible first game but a better second one. He is more experienced with RPGA style gaming and is talking about Living Forgotten Realms, an RPGA sub campaign. The game I played in was in the Living Forgotten Realms as well, but that is just the flavor of the game it doesn’t really  change any of the mechanics or change the dynamic really.