Extremely Involved Newcomer Looking to Get Involved

Hello everyone,

Pleased to meet you. I'm a long time online player of tabletop games, starting with AD&D way back when in AOL chat rooms and on the boards of the day. So, yeah, I was always a geek. Pathfinder came along later and I quite love it! :)

I'm new around these parts, primarily because I'd really, really love to get involved in a regular Pathfinder campaign. I have been reading quite a bit, but I look to the recruitment board and see that every campaign already has hordes of applicants. It sort of makes a newcomer feel like they'll never squeeze through the crowd.

The reason I'm so eager is partly because I'm bored out of my mind, partly because of distraction from pain. I have an incurable syndrome and I'm stuck in bed, which is kind of lousy, as you'd imagine. What's worse, I am surrounded by all of these Pathfinder books I read but never get to use! It's a great distraction from the pain of my condition, though, so I have to imagine that playing would only be more so.

I'm really open to any style of play. I've played a lot on a MUSH (which is like a MUD, if any of you know the term) but there are a lot of people and the characters don't have anything resembling consistent groups. You don't really get to stand out, so a more intimate group-style campaign would be great.

I'd be willing to try chatrooms, tabletop programs, play by post, whatever one has in mind. In my situation, there really isn't room to be picky! On the bright side, being bedridden, you know you have an absolutely committed player - something I've read is an issue for many GMs here. I'm not goin' anywhere! That, and I respect my commitments, besides.

So, I'd appreciate some direction on how to get my foot in the door when everything seems to be absolutely swamped. I've read that there aren't many actually new players in the community, but you've got one here! If a GM finds they'd like to consider me for their group as they happen by the post, well, so much the better! I'm a friendly guy, not a rules scholar but plenty passable, and looking forward to having some fun.

Hmmmm....

Well, the first thing to do to get into a PbP game is to apply. Sure, it's a shot in the dark when there's a lot of competition, but let's be honest: a lot of applications are tired old stereotypes posted by folks who struggle to translate a thought into a coherent set of sentences. Speaking for my own campaigns, your apparent communication skills alone would put you solidly into my "definitely take another look" pile. Thus, competition might not be as stiff as you think. Don't just look at monstrous recruitment threads and assume you'll never be picked; you have to apply before you can get in. :)

I believe there's a thread around here (possibly stickied?) that gives a lot of tips for getting into a game; find it and give it a read.

I'm personally probably going to be starting up a new campaign in the fall(ish), but it won't be Pathfinder: it'll be D&D 5E. Doesn't get you using those books you're staring at longingly, but on the other hand, there are usually fewer applicants, which likely helps your chances.

Best of luck!

I appreciate the reply, Jiggy. Thanks for the compliment on my writing abilities, as well. You get pretty good at it when it's all you can do! ;)

That said, I've been looking at the recruitment forum and there just doesn't seem to be much open for a newcomer like myself. It's disappointing, but it was at least worth a shot to try.

PS: I think I'd probably need my hand held via Skype or something, the first time I attempt to make a character for general submission! Account's armkuroyama (displays as Kuroyama) if anyone wants to do that, or heck, to just talk Pathfinder.

Every PbP veteran in the forums was a newbie at one point. You've just got to apply and keep applying. If you aren't selected for a recruitment, politely ask the GM what you could do to make yourself more selectable.

Every now and then, someone will run a recruitment specifically for newbies, but most of the time, just applying to games until you get a break is your best shot.

Every PbP veteran in the forums was a newbie at one point. You've just got to apply and keep applying. If you aren't selected for a recruitment, politely ask the GM what you could do to make yourself more selectable.

Every now and then, someone will run a recruitment specifically for newbies, but most of the time, just applying to games until you get a break is your best shot.

Hi Joana,

Thanks for the advice. I might've been a little unclear in my prior post, though.

When I went to consider the recruitment forum, it seems that every campaign I'd glanced at is already closed.

I grant that I could've missed a few, but I also admit that I'd hoped for something now, rather than months from now. I have shingles right now, on top of my usual chronic pain, to anything to get my head away from all of that!

There are new campaigns starting all the time. It won't be "months" before something new pops up; maybe days or a week (admittedly, that's still not "now" ;).

I see that right now there's a lot of PFS in the recruitment thread; looks like a new Gameday coming up. If you don't play Society, that does exclude a lot of the existing options. If you're willing to give organized play a try, however, that opens a lot of doors. Society scenarios are short and there are a lot of them on offer at any given time; it's a good way to get some quick experience.

If you're not interested in Society play, just keep an eye on the Recruitment forum. Look for new threads with a low number of posts to pop up.

Another way to maximize your chances of getting into a game is to apply when GMs are looking for replacements for players who have dropped out. There are usually fewer people willing to jump in the middle of a game, so there's less competition.

By the by, my Skype information was somewhat incorrect. I supply this because at least one person has kindly PM'd wanting to help me get started. I'm always happy for that, and to make new friends!

My username is armkuroyama, but it may show up as Jason LaFlair. Either way, I'm the only armkuroyama on there. Looking forward to hearing from folks!

I think you might like Woldian Games. Here's a post that describes it in more detail, straight from the horse's mouth.

Going back a few pages in the Recruitment thread might be useful; I recall they had a lot of Roll20 drop-in games posted a while back.

You may want to sign up for Roll20 - they have recruitment for Skype/online games there.

I've been toying with the idea of posting a guide on successful recruitment from the player perspective, since I've gotten into all the games I applied to. In the interest of helping you out, here's a quick breakdown:
- Follow what the GM asks for.

- Look for a niche to fill the party needs; what characters have other people posted? TBH, it often comes down to playing divine. A recent recruitment guide pointed out it's better to pick the players than the build, but I think a lot of the latter still happens. At the very least, a lone cleric will stand out more than, say, three rogues.

- Be thorough in your applications (backgrounds, full character sheet, personality, appearance). Especially from a new player, it helps a GM get a sense of how the character will play. Don't have them be too long, though, since a wall of text might be off-putting to read. It usually takes me until the next day to really get something together I'm satisfied with.

- Have a 'hook' to your character descriptions, something that would make someone remember or want to read more about them. My latest character is a half-orc noble, which definitely raises some questions. Interesting flaws (e.g. drug addiction, big gossip) are also good to have.

- Include a reason as to what your character is doing in that setting or why they would be interested in the adventure. If you're re-using a character from a different recruitment, make sure to alter it to fit the campaign.

- If a recruitment thread doesn't ask for an RP sample, but you consider it a strength, feel free to provide one anyway (maybe in a spoiler).

Nowadays, I also like to provide a bit of description in my application posts summarizing the character, what her role would be in a party, and her strengths.

... or you can just check out this brand spanking new guide.

Hello all,

Firstly, thanks so much to those of you who have been helpful and welcoming. All advice is certainly appreciated. A few people have offered me spots in their games. Although not everything quite fit, it was nice to see that there are GMs not only willing, but eager to give a chance to the newcomer. Please feel free to continue offering!

Ellequoi, good advice all the way through. I took your suggestion and have contacted Woldian Games to make a query, having given what they're about a read. Maybe something longer term will come of that!

For what it's worth, I started PbP gaming on the Giant in the Playground forums (the site that hosts the Order of the Stick webcomic). In comparison, the Paizo applications are pretty light, both in length and number.

Something to keep in mind when looking for games to apply to is that you're not truly competing against every other applicant. Most GMs shoot for some semblance of party balance (for better or worse), so you're usually only competing against other characters that share the same role as your character. In fact, that's often how I'll decide what type of character to submit. If there are seventeen applicants for a game and nine of them are melee fighters but only two are divine casters, I'm throwing in with a divine caster.

I've been fortunate enough to get in on a PbP campaign, and it's quite fun. A veteran group of GMs running several parties in different parts of the same game world.

Having said that, I go back to the fact that I'm disabled and have tons of time on my hand. I'm pretty much glued to my computer for something to do, and one post per day (that being the rule of the campaign I'm in) isn't quite enough for me!

Is anyone else out there still looking to welcome a relative PbP newbie? I received a lot of offers when I first posted, but I believe I'm looking for an ongoing campaign starting with characters above level 1.

Would be grateful for any contacts!