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We have a fairly long running gaming group which slowly adds and loses players. Recently, since April, myself and another of the group have been running PFS on weeks when we can't get whole group together for our regular campaign. But as yet we have not been able to convince the others to actually register their character here. I'm not talking about a lot of sessions, 7 I think, and everyone has the Chronicle sheets and keeps coming back for the games but won't register. We don't even play Pathfinder as our regular campaign and still some of these guys have purchased Pathfinder books.
So what pitch can I use to get them to register?
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So what pitch can I use to get them to register?I guess first, why is it that they don't want to register? They don't think they'll ever play these characters outside this group? They don't care about the organized play aspect? They don't have 1-2 minutes of free time? :)
Your first two points would be correct, I'm going to reserve PFS numbers for them before we play again to kind of give them the hint again. I'm pretty sure they would like the PFS at our local game store but none of us really have the free time to game more than once a week. But I would like to get them involved in our local PFS.
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Your first two points would be correct, I'm going to reserve PFS numbers for them before we play again to kind of give them the hint again. I'm pretty sure they would like the PFS at our local game store but none of us really have the free time to game more than once a week. But I would like to get them involved in our local PFS.So what pitch can I use to get them to register?I guess first, why is it that they don't want to register? They don't think they'll ever play these characters outside this group? They don't care about the organized play aspect? They don't have 1-2 minutes of free time? :)
I still have this issue from time to time with players in my own society. What I usually do, is if they are not registered, and/or RSVPed for the event, they are the first ones to get kicked to the second table if we have an full table.
As for those who RSVP, they usually will get an awesome item, Free Wayfinder, Bag of Something, Discount during their next shopping trip, that sort of thing.
Also another thing that may be holding you up is, if you are not properly advertising that you are running a PFS Group, people may not take you seriously enough to get involved. Either you are running a home group or an official society, but whatever you decide, you have to declare it.
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Also another thing that may be holding you up is, if you are not properly advertising that you are running a PFS Group, people may not take you seriously enough to get involved. Either you are running a home group or an official society, but whatever you decide, you have to declare it.
Good point maybe I will contact our local Venture Captian and see about offering to take a couple of players, within limits of course. It could help fill out our group on the shorter days and get them to take the "organized" part a little more seriously.
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Also another thing that may be holding you up is, if you are not properly advertising that you are running a PFS Group, people may not take you seriously enough to get involved. Either you are running a home group or an official society, but whatever you decide, you have to declare it.Good point maybe I will contact our local Venture Captian and see about offering to take a couple of players, within limits of course. It could help fill out our group on the shorter days and get them to take the "organized" part a little more seriously.
Good stuff, Pathfinder Society grows! HUZZAH!!! You'll have loads of fun being a PFS GM. Best of luck to yah's!
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Just a note that you should not give out free items for OP characters. While it would probably never be a problem if they don't play their characters anywhere else, if the players do take those characters to another GM, they would have items which are illegal.
Better to come up with some other local incentive.
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If your friends have the time, remind them that if they register they may be able to participate on the PbP games with them. I am not 100% clear on how PbP for PFS works, I seen it mentioned in the guide though, and it might be an option for those who are lacking a solid group or a lot of free time.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Well, if they're just going to be playing a home campaign, I can't think of a good reason why they should register characters. Paizo doesn't ask players to register if they're playing through an Adventure Path, or a series of Pathfinder modules. If it's just a home campaign that's using Pathfinder Society scenarios, then I don't really see the issue.
Except maybe to help you out, if you're looking to get GM credit.
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"If you register your characters, I will administer the antidote."
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Well, if they're just going to be playing a home campaign, I can't think of a good reason why they should register characters. Paizo doesn't ask players to register if they're playing through an Adventure Path, or a series of Pathfinder modules. If it's just a home campaign that's using Pathfinder Society scenarios, then I don't really see the issue.
Except maybe to help you out, if you're looking to get GM credit.
Reporting is still important, even for home games. Paizo can still use the data for knowing which scenarios are being played.
And with the Faction success being tracked on new scenarios, reporting may "unlock" certain things for factions down the road.If none of the players have IDs, it makes it hard to record the Prestige they are earning for their factions.
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Our PFS home group consists of about 11 different people and I think only three of them have registered their characters. I provided them with numbers and still have a copy of the card with their name on it (and top secret code) so that they can finally enter it when they can, even if they lost the card. I keep using the same numbers for them.
The trouble with this group is that it is mostly families, Dad's and their kids who could care less about the stuff online. They believe they will never play at a Con or a local venue, so they don't bother.
Maybe I will have to offer them a free reroll during the session if they register their characters. I have four shirts that I could use so people don't think they are cheating too much.
I gave up hounding them a while back and now just lump them into two categories - Outside users who will use their PCs in other areas, and Inside users who only play a handful of times a year at our home.
If your buddies have a remote chance of using their characters in an outside venue, encourage them to register and maybe a free reroll is all it will take.
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I'd offer the free reroll for registration too. It's minor and as long as they understand that it's for your game alone, there is no damage. Also let them know that it helps you earn your stars, and once you get to 4 stars you get access to special scenarios. It's the least they could do since your eating the cost of the scenario and running it for them.
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Hiya Andrew,
Sorry you couldn't make last night's session at Game Theory. Folks had fun, but I think they might've been able to use your expertise. Perhaps another time.
Anyhow, you might point out to them that it'll help your standing in the Society if you can log the sessions that they've played (after all, those games would count towards your Star-ranking).
And, at worst, your players will have an account with Paizo that they can use for whatever fell purposes they decide - buying stuff, seeing what new things are in the pipeline for imminent release, access to the PRD, checking out the forums, etc, etc.
Hope to see you again at the GT sessions.
OM [aka Joe]
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To be honest, so long as you reserve them PFS numbers and they know that this is their number and keep the reservation card, they have their PFS number. It does make it a pain to report (as the fields don't auto-populate), but what we've tried to do from time to time is have our iPhone or iPad available to register their character for them.
Also I generally recommend paizo.com/prd instead of www.d20pfsrd.com as there is a big "Pathfinder Society" link on the left. In addition this gets them on the Paizo site and they might find other Paizo products they want to buy.
Offering a free in-house reroll, or some other small, in game reward (auto-succeed on one disease saving throw, or an auto-hit on the scenario after you registered). However note that it can't be a "permanent" bonus... it can't be a free item or gp or PA, as that would go against the PFS rules.
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Tell them:
1) It "helps you". It makes it easier to report (auto-filling fields) and it gets you GM stars that can earn the group access to special scenarios and perhaps other goodies in the future.
2) It helps if they (heaven forbid) lose their chronicles.
3) When you successfully complete scenarios, it helps your faction in the faction war. (It's ok to embellish the truth here).
4) It helps brings more Paizo resources to your community and more support to your type of gameplay. (See convention vs homeplay thread for details).
5) It only takes 5 minutes and you can turn off any spam mail.
If all that fails (you're too nice), give them a temporary number (make sure you make a backup photocopy of those numbers), write it down that it was used on LazyX, and use it whenever they show up. Maybe eventually they'll register.
I think it's actually pretty cool seeing all of the events you've played and GMed.
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Hiya Andrew,
Sorry you couldn't make last night's session at Game Theory. Folks had fun, but I think they might've been able to use your expertise. Perhaps another time.
Anyhow, you might point out to them that it'll help your standing in the Society if you can log the sessions that they've played (after all, those games would count towards your Star-ranking).
And, at worst, your players will have an account with Paizo that they can use for whatever fell purposes they decide - buying stuff, seeing what new things are in the pipeline for imminent release, access to the PRD, checking out the forums, etc, etc.
Hope to see you again at the GT sessions.
OM [aka Joe]
Thanks for the advice Joe, my new plan for GT is to just show up without scheduling myself and take my chances getting a table, at least I won't discourage anyone else from signing up that way.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 4
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... I will contact our local Venture Captain and see about offering to take a couple of players, within limits of course. It could help fill out our group on the shorter days and get them to take the "organized" part a little more seriously.
Sounds like a good plan. Contact your local VC - wait that's me. Let me know which day and how many players.
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... I will contact our local Venture Captain and see about offering to take a couple of players, within limits of course. It could help fill out our group on the shorter days and get them to take the "organized" part a little more seriously.Sounds like a good plan. Contact your local VC - wait that's me. Let me know which day and how many players.
Will do, I hope to be able to "anounce an event" two weeks in advance. Currently we will not run PFS on Sept. 26th. And we need a different location for Oct 2nd. which will probably be a PFS game.