GMs, here is a little pre-con update for GameCon virtual
UPDATE Event #2702933:
Form the GameCon https://www.gamebewithyou.info/ webpage: "GameCon Virtual is on November 14. Registration is free! If you purchase a t-shirt, your shirt will be available for pick-up at a game store near you in Colorado Springs. GameCon events will take place in Discord, with some game masters also using Roll20.net and other online tools." The event is small this year and I am only expecting 2-4 tables to go off, so we do not qualify for Paizo support meaning that there are no special boons to hand out.
For the GMs who have expressed interest in volunteering, thank you. Due to events in my personal life I will not be able to volunteer to run any games this year, but I will try to be available to help via the Discord channels as needed (see below).
Volunteers should go to
https://www.gamebewithyou.info/volunteer.html and register to run an event. When I got the last update, there were about 50 kids registered to participate and unlike many other hobbies hosted at the event in the past, Pathfinder and Starfinder are well supported using available online virtual table-top (VTT) programs (Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, Astral, Foundry, etc.). Some of these products are web based and some require a client application. Please make sure you know how players will connect to your VTT!
I have a few hours of experience with Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds, so I may be able to help set things up if you need help before the event. I just can't commit to participating in the actual event for family reasons...
All voice communication for the games will need to use the GameCon Discord server due to liability issues when dealing with the kiddos. The next Game Master Discord Training will be 11/8/2020 at 8:00pm MDT. The Discord information and the information on how to advertise your VTT of choice should be listed in the volunteer page for the convention:
https://www.gamebewithyou.info/volunteer.html.
Based on past experience, the kiddos have limited background with Pathfinder 1, Pathfinder 2, and Starfinder let alone the concept of Organized Play, and they will need information about the Society and our local offerings. I will attach the welcome letter and other information in an email to the volunteers listed here to get you prepared. GMs will need to request Society ID numbers for their session and if you have problems, please let me know.
As a virtual volunteer, you will need to prepare your game in the VTT of your choice. I recommend you consider preparing those adventures you already have access to instead of buying and converting a new event.
Try running a PF2 bounty or two, a SF quest, or a PF quest because they are simple to run and designed to appeal to new players. You will want to prepare all of the pregen characters for the adventure and make them available to all players so they can pick and choose.
Some VTTs may have the scenarios already populated for purchase or that you could 'borrow' from another creator. Check on your VTT forums and the Organized Play resources for other options. One of our fellow Venture Officer GMs from another region has several adventures available to borrow in Roll20 for the asking. Details for how to request one of those adventures are available in the Organized Play Foundation Discord server; contact me if you need help with that contact.
I recommend you pre-populate the Society ID number on the pregen character sheets for the game and pre-populate the reporting sheets for the event for easy reporting. About 95% of the time the Society IDs we give out at the event are forgotten as soon as the kids leave the table so I am not concerned about kids with multiple numbers over the years.
Volunteers, thank you for everything you do for this event and for the Society as a whole. I know this is uncharted territory for most of us and an unfamiliar method of gaming, but this is what we do for the hobby we love. We are Pathfinders. We blaze the trail, find the path, and move forward together. Explore, Report, and Cooperate!