Jump to content

Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?


CorpCommander

Recommended Posts

A few years ago I got back into the Hero System thanks in large part to Rod Currie for running an excellent game at Origins and the Hero Designer software (which made life sooooo much easier!)

 

I ran a fantasy campaign for 18 months, having converted the Witchfire Trilogy (Privateer Press) over to Fantasy Hero (which, in my humble opinion, worked much better than D20.)

 

About 18 months have gone by since that campaign ended and I am thinking of starting a new one. However things have changed. I don't see the old gang much any more as many have moved on. Recruiting new players has always been a big challenge for me.

 

What general advice do people have for recruiting new players?

 

--Pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

A few years ago I got back into the Hero System thanks in large part to Rod Currie for running an excellent game at Origins and the Hero Designer software (which made life sooooo much easier!)

 

I ran a fantasy campaign for 18 months, having converted the Witchfire Trilogy (Privateer Press) over to Fantasy Hero (which, in my humble opinion, worked much better than D20.)

 

About 18 months have gone by since that campaign ended and I am thinking of starting a new one. However things have changed. I don't see the old gang much any more as many have moved on. Recruiting new players has always been a big challenge for me.

 

What general advice do people have for recruiting new players?

 

--Pete

1) Post on Players section of Hero Board.

2) Go to GenCon, Origins, or other local 'cons and GM some games. Mention at every game that you are in need of players for your campaign.

3) Do demo(s) at FLGS that have a game room and mention you are in need of more players.

 

I have done all of the above and it worked out well. Got over 15 players for my two Pulp Hero games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

Additionally, check out local game stores and see if there are game postings or online message boards.

 

Also, try Googling your location and "role playing game" or "RPG" and see if that brings up any gaming groups near or local to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

Check the player finder forum on these boards.

 

Go to your local brick and mortar store.

 

If you live near a college(and are around that age) check to see if they have a gaming club. Most do, and most colleges allow for a organizations to have a few "non-student" members. EVen if you don't officially join, you can often still "hang around".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

quick google check using "nashville rpg club", found this site. Don't know how current it is:

 

http://home.adelphia.net/~adurston/NAGCL/NA7.html#TN

 

TENNESSEE

 

Adventurer's Inn

Contact: Dan

3822 Sutherland, to be precise, next to Forest Hill & Sutherland.

(423) 531-1142

Notes: open every day, except Monday, from 4PM-2AM. Sunday Again, supports all

major gaming systems; ongoing stuff includes Call of Cthulhu, AD&D,

and Battletech games and regular random Magic duels. Food and beverages

available in-store. Memberships are $12.50/month

 

A Game A Day (AGAD)

Contact: Keith Kail

1312 Memorial Blvd. %23D

Murfreesboro TN 37130

1-888-281-4263

E-mail: gamehob@aol.com

Home Page

Meetings: Meet at Gamemaster Hobbies in Murfrresboro, TN every Saturday

for whichever league is going on.

Interests: Lots of Games Workshop. Every Weekend hosts a league day.

Silent Death and Dragon Dice on Wednesday. C23 and BattleTech CCG on

Tuesdays during the summer. Magic: Arena will start soon.

Notes: 615-896-5333 or toll free: 1-888-281-GAME

Area: Middle Tennessee

 

Alpha Psi Phi (Tennessee Tech's Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gaming Club)

Contact: TTU Box 5226

Cookeville, TN 38505

(615) 528-7871 (Bill Langston, Secretary/Treasurer)

E-mail: wfl4468@tntech.edu (7.95)

Meetings: Wednesdays at 8:00, Henderson Hall 306B on campus

Gopher: gopher.tntech.edu,

/TTU Campus Info & Services/Campus Orgs/ Sci-Fi & Fantasy Club

Conventions: Sponsor and run Highland (Highland IX Fall 1995)

 

Games Central Station

Contact: Mark A Jackson

1916 Longhunter Lane

Nashville, TN 37217

(615) 367-1628

E-mail: gamemark@bellsouth.net

Meetings: We meet the 2nd Friday & 4th Monday of every month from 6:30 -

9:00 pm at Gamemaster Hobbies in the Hickory Hollow Mall (Antioch, TN...

a suburb of Nashville)

Interests: The focus is open gaming, especially multi-player board games.

We especially like German games like Settlers, El Grande, Lowenhurz, and

American games like Junta & Guerilla.

Notes: New players are always welcome... we want to be a place for people

to become involved, not just for a bunch of old gamers to sit around and

beat up on each other.

Area: We have a no CCG, no RPG, no minatures policy... our focus is board

& card games.

Cons: We haven't done anything yet... but we have dreams.

 

HMGS - Midsouth

Contact: Major Bill Harting

101 Taylor Road

Estill Springs, TN 37330

(615) 649-5366

E-mail: majorbill@infoave.net

Notes: Regional arm of the HMGS. Monthly meetings. Publishes "The Dispatch."

 

McCord Tri-Cult

Contact: Lars M McCord

P.O box 16075

Johnson City TN 37614

E=mail: cyberphreak2@juno.com

Meetings: East Tennessee State University Places vary

Interests: Vampire: The Masquerade, Magic the Gathering, Battletech:RPG,

Battletech:CCG Star wars:RPG, Star Trek CCG

Notes: Hacking, fraud, vandalism, lots of neat stuff. ( Ed note. :) assumed )

Area: We average about 5-10 members at a time. We are a fairly new group.

Cons: Knoxville Cons.

 

Other Worlds

Contact: Jason E. Brown

3801 Dayton Blvd

Chattanooga, TN 37415

(423)870-1074

E-mail: othrwrld@cdc.net

Meetings: We are open Tues-Friday 11-9 Sat 1-10 and Sunday 1-6

Interests: We provide free gaming space and lots of gamers for just about

all systems.. Historical doesn't do well here but RPG's CCG's and

wargaming such as WH Fantasy, WH40K, Warzone, BATTLETECH are all run

on a regular basis...

Notes: 48 Hour GAME-A-THONS are run ever couple of months, open on FRI,

Don't close till Saturday.. Gaming of all kinds..

Area: RPG's, CCG's, and Wargaming

Cons: We always attend Chattacon in January

 

Riverbluff Irregulars

Contact:

Memphis, Tenneessee

E-mail: Tankrider@aol.com or Tbears39@aol.com

Interests: Games played by type: almost everything! WWII naval, WWI naval,

Span-Amer War naval, WWI air combat, WWII infantry 1/35th, WWII infantry

1/72, 15mm ACW, 20mm WILDWEST, Star Trek maxx, 15mm Ancients-DBA, all

sorts of Board games, card games(enemy in sight, Rise of the Luftwaffe),

Warhammer, soon to be adding several other games to this list as the

miniatures are completed (20mm Spanish civil war)

Games most often played: 1/35th WWII infantry- frontline rules 1/2400

naval ----Genaral Quarters rules, Wild West -------- Wild west rules

Star trek maxx ---- star trek maxx, Blue Maxx ----------- Blue maxx,

15mmACW--- fire and fury rules

Notes: we are a very open group. We do not "charge" anyone to play or

participate in our games. If a person feels compelled to "buy" their own

Miniatures to have their own set, Great! But it is not necessary. we Welcome

any and all interested participants. Our group meets every THURSDAY at 6pm

(sometimes 5pm) til ??? other prospective game times are sunday afternoons.

WE gather at GAMEMASTERS in East Memphis at 6554 Quince RD, this located just

off the Nonconnah expressway at Kirby parkway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

 

What general advice do people have for recruiting new players?

 

--Pete

 

Pull players into the game as quickly as possible. Always have some pregenerated characters ready for those not versed in the Hero System or even those who are fluent with it but didn't have the time or background to build a character for your particular setting. Tell them upfront that they can keep and use these pregenerated characters ongoing if they like them, or you can offer to stop the game a little early and generate characters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

Try a little marketing. You can give something away with your name and phone number on it. This can get expensive, so look for something cheap.

 

Maybe a thrity-two ounce cup with a sports or kid's fantasy imprint you can get for a buck. Buy a few (dozen?) then write (with a Sharpie pen) your name, phone # and "GM at large" or similar on them. Give them away at the FLGS, to people from your area you meet at cons, etc. Makes it easier for them to remember you, and a mug is less likely to get lost than a slip of paper.

 

Oh! Obviously: business cards. You can get about 100 or so online for free. ($5.00 shipping). Pick you message, a nice background, and give those away when you run out of mugs. Easier than trying to write your number on a randome scrap of paper, and also less likely to be lost since they fit in a wallet.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Starting up a new campaign -- Recruitment ideas?

 

You could what I did.

 

Go to parties, talk about your hobby, ask total strangers if they want to play, stop when you have enough people. Word'll spread soon enough.

 

Or.

 

You could just go club people in the head, tie them to a table and force them to have fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...