#RPGaDay2024 - Day 6 - A #FreeRPGDay at The Portal

Day 6 of #RPGaDay2024 isn't as easy as it looks, "RPG That is Easy to Use.  

It's one of those deceptively easy questions I've answered over the years so many times.  I'm addressing my reasoning in a similar prompt later this month.  

Perfect time to use the alternative prompt system.

Day 6 -  "Portal"   7 on a d10 - "simple mechanic"

May was  #FreeRPGDay around the US, a day akin to Free Comic Book Day.  Participating stores pay the company a fee per kit, which is loaded with items from a variety of publishers that are intended to be given out for free.  If the store is smart, they'll use the free stuff to lure folks in for events, for sales, or simply good publicity.  

My daughter had a basketball tournament three hours away on Saturday, so instead of stopping by my  FLGS, I took a quick detour an hour into my trip and stopped by The Portal in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  There, in the back room usually reserved for gaming, was a large white folding table chock full of stacks of printed matter, dice, pencils, and even full sized decks of card used for storytelling... all free.

The store manager sat behind the table and alternated between playful banter with the folks coming in, and the look of dread as certain folks droned on about topics we weren't quite sure they were interested in.    I'm proud of myself, for knowing a ton of RPG lore (I was granted the title 'Game Guru of the Lehigh Valley" in the 90s) and biting my tongue at the last second, instead of becoming the "Well, actually..." guy.   

My simple mechanic?  The droning patron who was having trouble picking a free item  (people could choose one of each if they wanted them) but dropped a doozy, "I don't know why stores don't promote role-playing more than those stupid card games and miniatures."

You know, the revenue generators in the business plans of many stores?  In the decade of working in stores, an active CCG day would generate more sales in packs than role-playing might in the entire month.  

Role-playing beyond demos is tough to dedicate an established group, even worse if the group is static and eventually not accepting new members.  Six players role-playing can overwhelm the card gamers and wargamers if they're in the same room, and if you're dedicating private space, a smart manager should be calculating how they benefits the profit by square foot.  

Of course, when the manager offered the fellow a chance to run his favorite games he rattled off, the patron simply stepped aside, "No, I don't want to run anything, I wish someone else would do that." 

And that is why the Flesh and Blood CCG had it's own night and you're three or four favorite games don't, buddy.  That game apparently had a small dedicated group willing to show up on advertised nights week over week, until others noticed them, asked them questions, and fell into the fold.    Now it's a much larger group... and it's making the store money... which makes them want to host more events and allow the game to grow.  

And the store is still trying to sell off an six extra copies of Spelljammer at heavy discounts.  Everybody says they want something, but when it's offered nobody pulls the trigger.  Makes sense that every new book afterwards only had one or two copies in inventory. 

That being said, I grabbed my few items, including dice, some modules, and something called Mayhem at the Truffle Festival by 1985 games, picked up some discounted paint that was beyond my mortal skills to save, and continued my drive to South Jersey, 

I'll leave a link from ENWorld describing the potential swag you could have gotten.  There's always next year!