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I coordinate two stores and basically act as coordinator at a third when my roommate is unavailable, so finding new blood to run games is pretty important. I've been working on ways to add an extra carrot for people who step up and run.
typically, I offer personal requests to anyone who runs, that they can pick anything they want to play in the near future and I'll make sure this happens for them. especially if it's a 5-9 or 7-11 that wouldn't get run otherwise (we have a lot of newer players right now).
I've tried pointing out the GM star benefit for replay and re-rolls, but those take awhile to accumulate. I do have a few new GMs that are proud to be approaching their first stars and I'm sure there will be more to come.
but the main reason I GM (other than the whole coordinator obligation thing) is the risk-free chronicle sheet. I haven't played a zero xp character in anything but wounded wisp or confirmation in over a year. hell, I typically don't even play a character until they're third level or higher, and I've had a couple that didn't get played until after sixth when they REALLY get interesting.
is this selfish of me, and something I shouldn't be advertising to new GMs? I think it's a great thing, getting boons and xp without risking characters (especially squishy low level characters or race boons), but in a way it also feels like gaming the system, since you aren't risking anything and reaping the benefits.
thoughts?
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I think the lure of risk free chronicles wears off pretty quickly once someone has a couple of 7+s floating around
and the dm star ones are kinda.. meh
I still like them for skipping level 1 and nursing raised characters back to health. And I've definitely had the star bonus be the difference in making a save.
There are some who think that wanting any kind of reward for being a GM means you're "doing it for the wrong reasons." I don't subscribe to that opinion.
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I think the lure of risk free chronicles wears off pretty quickly once someone has a couple of 7+s floating around
and the dm star ones are kinda.. meh
I still like them for skipping level 1 and nursing raised characters back to health. And I've definitely had the star bonus be the difference in making a save.
There are some who think that wanting any kind of reward for being a GM means you're "doing it for the wrong reasons." I don't subscribe to that opinion.
QUITE the opposite here. I'd like to give game day dms some more of what the con day dms get.
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I have almost stopped taking GM chronicles. I only get to play a couple of times a month & want to play when I get the chance. I skipped a level or two of my -1 for GMing and felt cheated. My -2 got one recently just because I like the shield the chronicle offered. My -3 was all GM chronicle until he got dragon disciple because that was the interesting part about his character for me. As I get ready to start my -5 though I am thinking I would rather start him at 2nd level.
As for other GM rewards, I pass on most of the race boons I get (PbP Game days). I try to encourage players to buy their GM a soda (but that is more difficult to do if I am the GM :)
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Our local game store provides incentives for GMs (and players also get a minor incentive too).
For playing or GMing a RPG you get points, 10 points for playing and 20 points for GMing (you also get points for buying stuff, tournaments, playing demos and so forth). People with the most points earned get a store discount, and the points you earn through out the year can be used to get treats, drinks, dice, heck I cashed in 1100 points and got a copy of Munchkin. For players this is more on a side benefit but if you GM 3 or 4 times a month those points add up.
Also if you GM a RPG with 3 or more people at the table you get a free drink.
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I have seen both the upside and downside of this aspect. When you are short of GMs, anything that incentivizes it is a good thing. When you have a decent number, though, you will get a few folks who GM just for the risk-free Chronicle or so on.
As a coordinator, the key thing to look for is that your GMs are providing a great game for your players. If they are just cranking theough the motions to get to the Chronicles, AND the players don't enjoy that style, then you are doing more harm than good to the community. Also watch for GMs who will only run double-credit scenarios like the one-session "modules" for Free RPG day. Rewards are important, but once they become the only reason for GMing you need to start training a new crop.
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I have seen both the upside and downside of this aspect. When you are short of GMs, anything that incentivizes it is a good thing. When you have a decent number, though, you will get a few folks who GM just for the risk-free Chronicle or so on.
As a coordinator, the key thing to look for is that your GMs are providing a great game for your players. If they are just cranking theough the motions to get to the Chronicles, AND the players don't enjoy that style, then you are doing more harm than good to the community. Also watch for GMs who will only run double-credit scenarios like the one-session "modules" for Free RPG day. Rewards are important, but once they become the only reason for GMing you need to start training a new crop.
fortunately, we don't have anyone that seems to be gaming the system that way yet. we do get we be goblins run fairly frequently, but that's more because a) it's short and b) it's fun. getting the second table of GM credit is just gravy.
I'd love to see more stores give discounts to GMs, but that seems to be rare in our area.
I admit, the risk free chronicle definitely helps ease the burden of GMing for me, but as a coordinator I'll run regardless. there are numerous scenarios I've run multiple times for no xp because they're fun to run, or because someone requested them. I prefer to get a chronicle for running, but I'll never deny someone a request just because I've already run it.
Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria
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Well GMs have to get the adventure, prepare the map, get minis and pawns.. etc. And preparing an adventure can take hours.
I am all in favor of more GM rewards, maybe something like boons? Personally I think that GMs should benefit from the communal snack pool without being expected to contribute to it, it is really the least we can do. Of course at tables I am attending, the level of snack consumption is rather high.
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Well GMs have to get the adventure, prepare the map, get minis and pawns.. etc. And preparing an adventure can take hours.
I am all in favor of more GM rewards, maybe something like boons? Personally I think that GMs should benefit from the communal snack pool without being expected to contribute to it, it is really the least we can do. Of course at tables I am attending, the level of snack consumption is rather high.
Thats just a given if the players want to live
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when I first started playing, long before I discovered PFS, I hosted at my place but never GMed. I provided beer/soda and snacks, and sometimes we'd all kick in for pizza or chinese takeout.
I'm a bit more skeptical of taking snacks at PFS from total strangers. it's just a weird thing about me and food, I guess. if it's people I know, it's different.
I never turn down a bribe of beer, however.
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Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria
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Yeah I recently brought a dessrt the PFS and the reception wasn't great. However, baked goods or candied fruit are usually quite the draw.
My experiences with fatty food like pizza are mixed, it is important not to make your GM to tired or drunk.
Disclaimer: Disregard the preceding, if your GM is a big wolf, and you have to weight your chance of escaped with the potential loss of a chronicle sheet^^
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stores offering incentives is one thing, but I'm not a fan of charging players (even donations). if a player wants to buy me a beer or something, sure.
one of my stores offers an awesome 25% discount for coordinators, but not for GMs. my other store doesn't offer anything. another store I regularly GM at has a 20% coordinator discount, 15% GM discount, and 10% "pathfinder" discount on PFS nights.
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GMing is never selfish, regardless of the rewards. GMing is selfless...spending twice the time (and possibly money...maps and minis aren't free) as anyone else to make sure everyone else has a good time.
It's not a free chronicle.
And this goes double for people who travel to make a convention table possible. Chronicles don't fill gas tanks.
So enjoy the XP, the PP, and the no-risk character advancement.
You've earned it.
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In my area there are about half a dozen game stores that host PFS. It's convention around here that each participant at a store-hosted session chip in $2 "entry fee", and the pot goes to the store in the form of credit for the GM.
It's the same in my area. I feel like $2 for an at least 4 hour game session is the cheapest entertainment one can buy in 2015.
50 cents an hour is less than you'll ever pay anybody to put that much effort into any project ever. And for that, GMs, I thank you.
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I GM for the backstory. There is so much info in the scenarios that never see the light of day on the player's side of the table. Also, the time and expense of gming more than outweighs any concern I have about "gaming" the system. For example, Im prepping 3 scenarios right now for Con. I will run 2 on one day and 1 on another. I will only actually play in 1 scenario. Add my prep time with the costs of minis, maps, resources, etc...I think both sides get a fair bargin.
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Venture-Captain, Germany—Rhein Main South
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To be honest I started PFS to get a chance to play Pathfinder myself because at that time (1 1/2 year ago)I Gmed 3 Homerounds and got to play in 1, which at the time was my first Pf game ever and we only got to play one 4 hour seesin every other month. So I had the problem to Gm levelregions I never played myself and I joined PFS to get some experience in these levels of play.
Now I Gm 1 slot at our local Gamedays regulary, have my own PFS-Homegroup and offered to two of my VLs that I can GM if they want to play at their "weekly" tables because I myself have also much fun at Gming. So I got to master Emerald Spire on a roughly 2-3 weeks basis at our weekly Pfs event. I do not know if it is a local occurence but I have the feeling that in our area we have some people that Gm almost always but we also have enough people that will gladly offer to Gm a slot or session if they are asked.
So I think it might be very nice to get some of the Gm-boons outside of convention Gming. (We have next to none big conventions at our area -> I hink the only one that is appliciable for the boons is one in september where I will first Congm.) I personally hope that there will be an opportunity to get a way to refill the starreplays. (I know that there is a boon for that) About the benefits for the Gm stars, I have almost never seen the addition of the stars to make a real difference and I was a bit shocked how fast you can get your stars if you have 2 homecampaigns who are willing to play Campaignmode. And I have realised that if I Gm all of the requested Emeraldspiremodules (4 groups asked -> 1 has already started) I will have far more tablecredit than needed for the 5th star -> even if the other requirements will be a bit more difficult. But this might be the problem if you Gm modules/APs on a nearly 2:1 basis compared with PFS scenarios.
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I GM for the backstory. There is so much info in the scenarios that never see the light of day on the player's side of the table. Also, the time and expense of gming more than outweighs any concern I have about "gaming" the system. For example, Im prepping 3 scenarios right now for Con. I will run 2 on one day and 1 on another. I will only actually play in 1 scenario. Add my prep time with the costs of minis, maps, resources, etc...I think both sides get a fair bargin.
100% on board with this. I feel bad for the writers of scenarios that put so much flavour and fluff into scenarios that never see light of day at the table. I love the NPC backstories and the locations and settings and how they're described.
