Inside the RPGA: Discussion with Michael Lee.

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A little while ago, Michael Lee the point of contact for Aglarond in the Living Forgotten Realms campaign, agreed to let me pick his brain about the RPGA.  He has some interesting reasons for getting involved in the RPGA, and a little more info about how to do it.  Thanks to Michael Lee for his time!

First, tell us a bit about yourself.  What got you into D&D?  How did you get involved with the RPGA?  How long have you been with them?

I was ten when I colored my first dice with a crayon. That was about twenty-four years ago. I’ve been hooked ever since.

I, like a lot of people thought the RPGA served up canned adventures that could never match the home game experience. When I started playing Living Greyhawk a few years ago, I found out that I was only partly correct. Organized play can never replace a home game, and it doesn’t presume to. The strength of Living Greyhawk, and now Living Forgotten Realms is the shared world experience. You can play with anyone, anywhere, anytime.  

What are your duties as a point of contact?

I am here to answer questions, and facilitate play. I’m “the grease” in the gears.

How many people are there in your region?

I don’t have a total count, but its’ in the thousands.

What do you think the RPGA’s biggest selling points are?

Free adventures, instant community, and WotC support. Unlike previous shared-world campaigns, LFR is at the core of D&D, not an afterthought.

Any detracting points?

You just won’t get the intimacy and immersion of a long-running home game. There is simply no replacement for a group of good friends playing together regularly with the same DM.
That said, there is no reason why a DM couldn’t use LFR adventures as content for a home game. The DM can work LFR into a home game. You’d just need to keep a campaign legal version of your character if you intend to play him at a public event. This maintains an even playing field for all players where your home game may be generous or stingy with rewards.

What’s the easiest way to get involved for a player? for a DM? For an adventure writer? An event organizer?

Learn all about LFR here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lfrx/welcome
You’ll find information about creating a character (just like the book really), events & local clubs, and information about writing adventures & organizing events.
The best thing to do is to learn what you can on the LFR section of the D&D Website, then find your region, and join the discussion group (yahoo Groups for now). It’s the fastest way to find other players, get questions answered, and get plugged-in to the campaign.
Feel free to contact me directly (especially if you are in the Southeast USA) at michaeljameslee at gmail dot com.

Name the coolest thing (that you can tell us) that will be happening in the future for the RPGA.

LFR and 4th edition are fully integrated. The support for this campaign is phenomenal. We just saw an amazing success for the first World Wide Living Forgotten Realms Game Day last month which features a special one-time all day adventure. We’ve seen an explosion in the growth of the RPGA since 4e.
With new adventures releasing every week, and a record number of players, it’s my personal opinion that we are entering a golden age of organized play. Don’t miss out under the assumption that this is supposed to be the ONLY way to play D&D. It’s just another, VERY fun way to play. If you haven’t already, you need to try LFR.

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