Free RPG day

[goodmangames]

Hi everyone,

I just got off the phone with Aldo (organizer of Free RPG Day) and I have a special offer for anyone whose store hasn't signed up yet:

I will personally cover the cost of three additional stores signing up for Free RPG Day this year. Right now. June 21 -- two weeks away!

There are a couple caveats:
* First come, first serve. Call Aldo directly at Impressions (925-240-0862) to sign up ASAP. Your STORE must call, not you. It's YOUR job to tell the store their signup is FREE if they say "Joe Goodman sent me."
* Why only three stores? Because there isn't much product left. Your store will get the same number of items as a normal kit, but the number of publishers will be less. The event is officially sold out so your store is basically getting an ad hoc kit pieced together from all the overrun items. There WILL be a lot of the Goodman Games FRPGD module (I printed extra) and the rest of the publishers may be a bit of a mix.
* Act fast! Free RPG Day is right around the corner. To get everything packed and mailed in time, the store really needs to call in the next couple days.

I hope this helps solve some of the concerns. Get in touch with your participating stores today!

[Wingnut]

That's crazy! What is this Goodman guy doing!?!?!

Joe is correct --- we can do this, but one more caveat --- it has to be a store in the U.S. because of shipping time. The shipment wouldn't make it in time trying to get through customs in any direction.

So, get your store to call!

Best,
Aldo Ghiozzi
Owner
Impressions
Organizers of Free RPG Day
aldo@impressionsadv.net

Hi everyone,

I just got off the phone with Aldo (organizer of Free RPG Day) and I have a special offer for anyone whose store hasn't signed up yet:

I will personally cover the cost of three additional stores signing up for Free RPG Day this year. Right now. June 21 -- two weeks away!

There are a couple caveats:
* First come, first serve. Call Aldo directly at Impressions (925-240-0862) to sign up ASAP. Your STORE must call, not you. It's YOUR job to tell the store their signup is FREE if they say "Joe Goodman sent me."
* Why only three stores? Because there isn't much product left. Your store will get the same number of items as a normal kit, but the number of publishers will be less. The event is officially sold out so your store is basically getting an ad hoc kit pieced together from all the overrun items. There WILL be a lot of the Goodman Games FRPGD module (I printed extra) and the rest of the publishers may be a bit of a mix.
* Act fast! Free RPG Day is right around the corner. To get everything packed and mailed in time, the store really needs to call in the next couple days.

I hope this helps solve some of the concerns. Get in touch with your participating stores today!

[Raven_Crowking]

Joseph Goodman, you are a prince among publishers.

[GnomeBoy]

I suspect Joseph is suffering from SWM withdrawals...

[Mungeon Daster]

Awesome, thank you Mr. Goodman!

[Caffiend]

After the debacle at our FLGS last year... This is truly a boon for some of us. Hat's off to you, sir.

[Rick]

Thanks in advance for running it, Rick! I think there may be some pregenerated PCs posted on the Goodman Games website about a week prior to the event, if that is helpful. I hope that you and your players have a great time. If it isn't too much trouble, please let me know how it goes. Thanks!

Yeah, some new pre-gens would not be unappreciated, thanks! And count on that post-session report.

[Tortog]

... So I tell you what...I will remove every obstacle for that store in Grand Junction participating next year. Tell them I will spend an extra $85 next year to personally subsidize their participation in 2015. And if you will help with some promotion (maybe run a game at the store?) I bet we can make it an awesome event for you in 2015!

LOL! That's seriously awesome of you to do that (and everything else) and I wish I could, as this is the solution I came up with as well, but with the 3rd Saturday rule it will be 2016 before I can next participate directly in FRPG day. If possible I was thinking of sponsoring it anyway. I'll have to talk to them and see if they're interested in your current offer. When my wife and I discussed the costs of going to Denver for the event she was quick to point out that it's actually 2 nights food and lodging + entertainment for her all day because - "Playing in a game for a couple of hours is one thing, but if you think I'm going to hang out at a game shop all day you're crazy." When we added it up the cheapest we could come up with was was well beyond the $85, so I just looked at her and said "What the hell? Let's just go down to the local shop and write them a check and help sponsor the event!"

I do plan to spend as much time as I can between now and then introducing as many people as I can to DCCRPG.

Finally, in terms of your suggestion on downloading PDF's, we (Goodman Games) already offer a free PDF to anyone who runs a game on Free RPG Day (see http://www.goodman-games.com/worldtour.html if you would like to participate). As a DCC RPG 3PP, you are welcome to tag on....I will host and promote anything DCC related that you want to offer.

Again, wow... and thanx! I'm embarrassed to admit that I should have been clearer about the fact that I was speaking as the owner of a start-up publishing business wondering if I'd ever be able to do anything like provide FRPG material. I've gotten a couple of other random submissions to Cognition Pressworks asking if I'd be interested in publishing, so it got me to wondering just what is and isn't in the realm of possibility. Especially since one of the potential clients a rather tantalizing offer from an author that wants me to help them design and publish a detailed world environment for the setting of their novels and as a system neutral 'sandbox'. It's safe to say that production of non-DCCRPG content for FRPG day is not part of my immediate future, but maybe some day.

The original concept behind Free RPG Day was to create an event that drives customer traffic to game stores. I have personally seen that work many times. Game Kastle here in CA had lines out the door last year -- it felt like I was signing autographs for hours! That's why publishers give out print products...it gets customers in the door buying stuff. I agree with your idea to also include downloads to accompany the event. It's a good add-on as the event grows. Ever since the first FRPGD so many years ago, the store count has expanded every year. (For me personally, my print run on this year's FRPGD module is the largest I have ever done.) And even with more kits available, the event sells out every year.

To the rest I must of course bow to superior wisdom and experience. As for the highlighted part, if a few people here and there could show up at non-participating shops with a downloaded module on FRPG day, at the very least, the extra bump in foot traffic could demonstrate the potential benefits of signing on to the ever expanding wave of FRPG day fun.

[finarvyn]

Whenever possible, buy something along with your free goodies.

This can't be said often enough. My local game store does participate, but I have no idea why. He only stocks a small RPG selection because he says that he just can't move the product. Most of his store is full of board/family games, collectable card games, and miniatures games.

By all means, buy something when you get your freebie. The store owner has to pay for the "free" stuff and if he doesn't see a rise in sales he'll probably stop participating.

[Pesky]

Yeah, some new pre-gens would not be unappreciated, thanks! And count on that post-session report.

Goodman Games has posted the pregens here. These 7 pregens were an actual playtest party that survived the crawl. Enjoy!