Why I judge for the RPGA (and why you should too)
Starting at 8 am on Thursday, I had just 76 hours to give to GenCon. Due to scheduling constraints, my husband and I had to leave Indianapolis by noon on Sunday. In this time, I had to sleep, eat, play games, hang with friends, and network. As it was, I had so little time to do everything I wanted to do, and yet I gave 10 of those precious hours to the RPGA. Some of my friends have asked me why and I'd like to answer their questions here.
Giving Back
I've received numerous kindnesses from members of the D&D community, especially from RPGA members. I met Mark ( @AsmodeusLore ) at PAX East and he encouraged me to ask Wil Wheaton and Scott Kurtz for their autographs and shared in my excitement when they signed my DMG. He also encouraged me to run some games that weekend, particularly the DM Challenge. And he was kind enough to put my husband and I up for a night during our great GenCon road trip.
Marcel ( @Mudbunny74 ) and Dustin ( @WolfStar76 ) are both my go-to community guys whenever I have a question about online D&D resources. Both have encouraged me to become more active in the community and in the RPGA. Dustin is the person who threw me to the delves when my learn to play group finished early, giving me the confidence I needed to give it a shot.
These are just three of the people who've nudged me to give public play a try. And I know that by participating and running games, I'm paying forward that kindness to others. I'm reminded each time I run that not everyone has a home group, at least not one that will play 4th edition. During PAX East, I heard a number of people waiting in line express that this was their only chance to play for the foreseeable future. Giving a little over 10% of my time to make that happen doesn't seem like that much of a sacrifice to me.
Leveling My Game
War often changes the cultures of those involved in interesting ways. Back when travel was difficult and information scarce, war provided one of the few opportunities for large-scale cultural exchanges. The crusaders brought back technologies and spices from the Middle East just as G.I.s returned with a love of tiki drinks and pizza.
Fortunately, war is not the only mechanism for such exchanges. While many of us play with just one or two home groups at a time, the running and playing games with the RPGA gives us the opportunity to play with many different people in a short time span. Only after experiencing a number of different players, from different backgrounds, is it possible to grok what the different play styles mean and how they influence game play.
Besides, I love analyzing how other people play or run games and see what ideas I can steal from them. And I love it when someone tells me that they are going to steal an idea from me. While the Internet is a great forum for information exchange, nothing can replace seeing it in person, being able to interact with it and have a conversation right there about it.
Additional Benefits
The RPGA is a real community and they are very welcoming of those willing to spread the love of the game. In addition to these highly personal perks, tangible rewards are often given as well, everything from books to passes to hotel rooms.
So, that's why I give time to the RPGA even during my first GenCon. I hope you'll consider volunteering as well.
Trackback URL for this post:
The Delve is a great step from "Learn To Play" in that now that you've taught some people how the game works, you get to hand them the "meant and potatoes" of the game in a brutal, fast-paced, yet still VERY fun environment.
I knew you'd do well in there, and I'm glad to read that you had a good time with it. When I *do* get the chance to judge, the Delve is one of my favorite things to attack at a big show. The stakes are low, the speed of play is addicting, and it's assumed that players won't make it all the way through, so players seldom get upset when their character bites it. :)
Regardless, I'm glad I was able to be an influence on you at the show, and I look forward to any time you want to donate at the next show. Mebbe we'll drag you out to DDXP? :)
I just had my first taste of RPGA gaming this past weekend at the D&D Game Day, and I couldn't agree with you more. I had a bast, and definitely expanded my horizons some too. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to level up their game.
Good for you Sarah. Although I missed GenCon this year, I plan on DMing next year. Yesterday I DM'ed the Game Day and had a blast. Many of the Players had no idea what was happening when we started, but they ended up having a great time, bought some books, and are planning on coming back for the next encounters season.
BTW I liked your idea for the Humongous Monster-City for the Open Design project. I'm definately stealing that if it's not worked into the book.
@Wolfstar, I'm not sure the group I ran through knew that part of the delve (nor did I really for the matter but I know now). They definitely treated it more like an adventure, looting the bodies, looking for treasure, etc. But it was still a lot of fun and much easier on me than a 4+ hour session :)
@Jason, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! We had more than enough DMs to run the game day here, so I played and had a blast.
@yoohootom That's so awesome. I think Dark Sun is appealing to a lot of players. The damage the monsters do is just crazy and the harshness of it can be a lot of fun, even if it's just in small doses. I'm glad you like the Monster-City idea. :)
Hello,
After getting in on a Red Box demo at Gen Con I am hoping to try to help out next here and locally as well. Just wanted to say great post. Oh and sorry if I babel on twitter. Nervous about meeting internet celebs.
Post new comment