FREE RPG DAY!

[bobrunnicles]

I am astounded and in awe of your total, nay, legendary greatness, the magnitude of which threatens to overwhelm the harsh nature of the universe and bring peace and prosperity to the entire cosmos. I can only grovel in abject admiration at your perfect feet and prostrate myself before your unmeasurable goodness and pathetically beg for your world-renowned goodwill.

Finally! Someone who understands me.

Please Miss - can I have a module? I promise I will love it and cherish it for always....oh, and play it too, I will I will I will.

Bob

Aww...now how can I refuse such a request?

For my one magnanimous gesture for today, I'll grant your request. Drop me a line at christina at misfit-studios dot com.

Christina

Mail is on it's way By the way, did I mention how your eyes are like limpid pools of sunshine, and your smile spreads joy beyond the horizon? It certainly spread a ray of light in this direction today, that's for sure

Bob

[grodog]

I had the pleasure of playing the GG Free RPG Day scenario today with tacojohn and Mark (one of the other regulars in our AD&D game), and it was quite run. I definitely enjoyed the verticality of the dungeon. We got about 1/2 way through, per tacojohn, though I don't know when, offhand, we'll be able to meet to wrap up. (Our one-shots tend to work out this way...).

I'll get around to scanning the map I made as we proceeded through the dungeon, and will post it to my site, soon-ish (I have a few other items to scan after getting back from Lake Geneva Gaming Con, so it shouldn't be a big deal to scan the extra map too).

[tadk]

so I went to the only local game shop, who assured me they had ordered for this, and come to find out they didnt.

So now i need to find a way to get the Wicked Fantasy module in another way

Sigh

Tad

[ChristinaStiles]

So now i need to find a way to get the Wicked Fantasy module in another way

Sigh

Tad

All is not lost. See Joseph's post under General Discussion. Looks like these adventurers will become $2 modules.

Good deal!

[trancejeremy]

I hope next year you encourage stores to make more of an event of it.

I went to my FLGS (or closest thing to one), which is actually not a bad store for RPGs, despite also selling comics and anime and stuff like that, and they didn't have an outside sign for it. The clerk didn't tell anyone. They just had a table with the stuff dumped on it. Not even a sign on the table explaining what it was. They didn't mention it on their own website (which they update weekly).

Going from the thread at ENWorld, my experience is pretty typical.

It seems to me, it's basically rewarding stores that largely don't care about RPGs. There needs to be more of a tie in to how the store promotes RPGs, I think. Include signs or a fold-up display as well. Maybe an instruction sheet for employees.

I also think there needs to be more of a criteria for what gets offered by the companies for free RPG day. A lot of the things available were just quick play rules, which IMHO, should be free year round, since they are cheaply printed and really don't offer much except quick play rules, which are simply an ad for the rulebooks.

I picked up the C&C Quick Play rules because it promised a Castle Zygyg adventure in it, but upon inspection, the adventure is only 3 pages, and that is pretty much just a description of a prison/workhouse, not an actual adventure. Some Game Stores were only giving 1 item per customer, and if I had driven 45 minutes to get to the store and only gotten that, I would have been quite upset.

I mean, it's a great thing to get people to try C&C, I guess, but a lousy way of getting people to get into the game store.

It seems like Goodman (and Paizo) were the only companies that were offering something really really desireable.

[goodmangames]

Jeremy, I'm sorry your store didn't do much more than that! I've already heard first-hand of several dozen stores that turned Free RPG Day into an event, with mini-cons, in-store demos, surveys, and other things. The store I went to had a table set aside and a staffer there giving away goodies. A store my friend went to in California was running a mini-con. There are a number of retailer-only sites out there, and based on the comments there, a lot of stores are very satisfied with the turnout.

This year's event was put together in less than 6 months based on an idea I had at lunch with my marketing guy. Next year we have 12 months to plan. 12 months to plan means you have enough time to accomodate the longer lead times of certain larger publishers. This year's "proof-of-concept" -- which went very well, considering most stores had customers showing up before opening to claim the goodies -- has persuaded a great many stores that this day is worth turning into a real in-store event.

And I already have some fun ideas about next year's module. We already run a tournament every year at Gen Con... why not a Free RPG Day tournament? Stores get some prizes in addition to the tournament module, and players can post their scores online. That's just one idea among many, and there are enough success stories from this year to convince me that next year will be huge.

[ChristinaStiles]

This year's event was put together in less than 6 months based on an idea I had at lunch with my marketing guy. Next year we have 12 months to plan. 12 months to plan means you have enough time to accomodate the longer lead times of certain larger publishers. This year's "proof-of-concept" -- which went very well, considering most stores had customers showing up before opening to claim the goodies -- has persuaded a great many stores that this day is worth turning into a real in-store event.

I think time of year may have been an issue for the low turnout where I was, Joseph. Rock Hill is a college town, and the free day took place during the summer semester, so most students who may have had an interest in the day were back at their respective homes.

Vacation time was another factor. It's beach time around here, and most of my gamer friends had already scheduled to be away for vacation that weekend.

One other comment. We have a strong RPGA following in South/North Carolina. Most of them play Greyhawk, Living Arcanis, and lately Blackmoor. If you could at least get Paradigm Concepts and Zeitgeist involved next year with some product, if not Wotc, then I think interest would perk around here. With these folks, if it's not going to help them in their RPGA games, then they aren't interested.

I've still to hear how it went over in neighboring Fort Mill. I'll try to find out. Joseph, if you'd like a liaison coordinator in the South, I'd be glad to do what I can to help make next year's event the best it can be.

Christina

[ChristinaStiles]

so I went to the only local game shop, who assured me they had ordered for this, and come to find out they didnt.

So now i need to find a way to get the Wicked Fantasy module in another way

Sigh

Tad

Actually, Tad, I have one left over. Drop me a line with your mailing address (email is address is in above threads), and I'll send out this Monday with Bob's shipment.

Christina

[Donny DM]

Dude I traveled like 25 miles from where i live to get the wicked fantasy factory module. I just got lucky and found 4 other modules that looked good. The Sad thing is I work and order RPG's for a store. Discovered free RPG day after it was too late to sign up. Would of helped if you advertised in Alliance order catalog like 6 months ahead of time.

But these things happen and we are signed up for it next year.
I plan to run like 2 or 3 modules next year for my store that day.

[goodmangames]

Would of helped if you advertised in Alliance order catalog like 6 months ahead of time.

But these things happen and we are signed up for it next year.
I plan to run like 2 or 3 modules next year for my store that day.

Hi Donny,

I'm glad you participated! This year we had no support from our distribution partners prior to the event. This was one of the reasons our logistics were limited to the USA. It would help everybody if you, in your role as a retailer, encouraged Alliance and your other distributors to support Free RPG Day next year. Their support would mean increased publicity (such as Game Trade, which didn't participate this year) as well as an easier time making it global in reach. We're also working on some additional in-store support for next year, in addition to the freebies, so I think it will be a fun time for all!

Thanks,
Joseph

[timemrick]

I picked up copies of DCC #51.5 and WFF #0 yesterday.

My wife used a DCC module (#14) for her first attempt at GMing, which has gone much better than she was expecting, so I got #51.5 for her. Now that she's read it, she's debating whether she wants to run a new campaign after her current one, and if so, it might be #51.

I've read WFF #0, and while the optional rules aren't really my cup of tea, the adventure itself is pretty interesting, and it might find its way into a future campaign (such as the next time I run something in Green Ronin's Freeport).

[w_earle_wheeler]

Sadly, none of the game stores in my area (4 of them in a 30 mile radius) participated in Free RPG Day.

I'd certainly like to get my hands on the DCC released, but I don't care if I get the first printing or the next -- assuming that there is going to be a second printing.