Official DM Exam

[Kardrack]

Just failed my 4th edition DM exam.  Found out I was not officially a DM after all the events I ran because my supervisor for them never reviewed or registered me, so I had to take a test which pissed me off.  A couple questions pissed me off, like it gave a list of actions and asked if I could do them while dazed.  Some of them were not even under the dazed section in the phb so i assumed that means you can do it, but apparently you could not because they were in ANOTHER section of the book rather than under daze, where it should have been.  So I ended up with a 70% and now I have to wait a day before I do it again.  Also I was going nuts trying to find the rules for underwater combat.  It is not in the PHB and page after page on google just had people talking about naval combat and underwater combat for 3rd edition.  Combat rules really should be in the PHB since it is stuff the players will need to know.

[Zen]

Is this for some hardcore D&D group or something? I've never heard of DM "exams", although I can kind of see why they would exist.

[Kardrack]

Wizards of the coast makes you take an exam to run RPGA sanctioned games.  Even though I had been getting stuff in the mail and had been running games, apparently I was never recognized as a DM by them.

[Zen]

That makes a bit more sense. I've always run campaigns with just friends, so being certified and part of an organization wasn't really a priority.

Well at least you can retake the test very quickly. They probably write the books to be complicated just to make tests more ... interesting. Wonder if Aperture Laboratories had any hand in writing the books.

[Ember]

D&D is a complicated game because the type of people who would play D&D like complicated games. Every time the rules get simplified at all, the experienced people decry how they are ruining the game by making it too easy.

[Kardrack]

I miss THAC0

[Coal Silvermuzzle]

  So is this for sanctioned tournament play or what? In all my years of playing D&D, AD&D I have never heard of a DM test. MTG I use to be a judge, needed a test for that.

[Kardrack]

It is so you can run the RPGA games known as living forgotten realms and receive DM rewards.

I just took the test today again and got cheated.  It said I was wrong and that an active perception is a minor action even though my PHB says it is a standard action.  Apparently to pass the test I have to buy the book again and make sure it is a very recent version or pay for a subscription fee to use their compendium rule database.

[Zen]

Aw man, they run on the BCIT model.

"You want an education? OKAY! But first, bend over and spread your wallet reaaaaaaalllly wide ... yeah ... oh by the way, it's rigged. You're gonna fail ... so be ready for a few ... repeat performances. But we love you! See? Aren't we wonderful! High fives!"

[Kardrack]

Took the exam again and now I have to wait two days to take it because, once again, you are not allowed to use the first run of the PHB, Monster Manual, or DMG in this test.  You have to have bought each new print of the books when they come out because they assume you are regularly on their website checking every obscure section to know when they errata the books.  You know, so your player can have up to date books as well.  Or, you can give them MORE money as for a subscription fee to use their database which is always up to date.  See WOTC now expects people that play D&D to have a lot of money to spend and have nothing better to do than to check their website and D&D news for any changes rather than just enjoying and playing the game.  So now I am not allowed to play the game unless I dish out about $150 for the three core books and more for the D&D essentials line of special books for players to use.  Then like I said, a subscription fee to use their database which is an encyclopedia of everything assuming you know exactly what you are looking for so most players would prefer books.  And since it is a subscription fee, if you stop paying then you lose access to it.  So the only way I can pass the test without getting a bunch more bills for stuff, is for me to cheat by having someone with a subscription help me since this is an open book test.  The TOS on the test is you can not share any info of the test before an after, but this is open book so I should be able to ask someone, that actually can afford subscription costs or buys the books as they update, to check read me the section I need in case there were rule changes.  And no, google doesn't help worth crap.  But you know, even just asking someone to read a section to you since you do not have full access to the new errata stuff is considered cheating in an open-book test.

EDIT:  Oh and I caught the test actually cheating.  When it was asking rules for using invisibility, I clicked on that you must have line of sight to the destination square.  When I finished the test, it swapped the places for line of effect and line of sight answers so it says I picked line of effect.  it shuffled my answers to MAKE me fail.

[Ember]

You are requesting certification from them that proves you are fully up to date on the current rules, so that you may represent them in sanctioned events. Clearly you are not fully up to date on the current rules.

Like it or not, as it stands you don't have the resources at your disposal to pass an open book test, so how could you ever answer a question of this sort if it came up in person?

[Kardrack]

Actually according to an email I received from WOTC, you do not need this to run organized events.  Actually they are phasing out the RPGA system entirely with the wizards play system.  I know that means it is redundant to try to go for this, but I have always wanted to be a registered DM since AD&D and this is my last chance before they get rid of it all together.  But yeah Ember, did you not read the part where I said it shuffled my answer so it made me lose?

[Ember]

Yes, but I don't believe that it happened.

[Maoi Neko]

I just took the test today again and got cheated.  It said I was wrong and that an active perception is a minor action even though my PHB says it is a standard action.  Apparently to pass the test I have to buy the book again and make sure it is a very recent version or pay for a subscription fee to use their compendium rule database.

Actually all the errata is available for free on their website. Its kinda tricky to find it, but it is there.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/updatesarchive