1. Prep time takes time, time that could be better spent working or studying.
2. While people are free to bring their own materials such as dice or sourcebooks, the group/game organizer must have enough supplies for anyone who does not have their own.
3. Game supplies such as miniatures are not free.
4. Things that are stolen must be replaced.
Copied from a handout I saw posted on a billboard at college, advertising $30 per year for membership. This is crazy, right? Like i'm not in some nonsense dimension?
>>46812322
Honestly, the pay wall will probably do alot to filter out children and aspies. If that money is then used to buy aforementioned books minis and stuff for a public setting it could entirely be worth it.
>>46812322
$30 / year sounds like a pretty good deal if it's netting me guaranteed access to a GM, a group, game supplies, materials, and a network of like-minded individuals.
That's basically pennies a session. If you didn't own the PHB, you'd need almost the entire year's worth of sessions just to justify purchasing that one book.
I'm a forever DM in a small town, though, so what do I know.
That just sounds like a GM who's had some very bad experiences.
>>46812322
Thirty bucks a year for guaranteed GMing sounds interesting, but it could also just be a super-controlling GM.
Ask around and see if he's booted people for bullshit, or had good reason, and if there's a trial period.
>>46812322
I make it a routine to go near people who ask money for GMing and offering what they offer for free.
Is it bad that I just want to have fun running a game? Yes, I could be studying/exercising/curing cancer during that time, no matter how it turns out, but I had already made the decision to not do crunches, but tell a story about asshole riding a boat in an underground cavern.
I don't like getting paid for GMing, it just feels scummy and wrong. I mean, why pay some asshole to run a game for you when you could get something that could enertain you for arguably much longer, like a videogame?
In a live environment, only one person ever has to buy the rulebooks anyway, Are you sure it was 30 a year and not a semester or something though?
>>46813022
No, it said 'per year'. I'll try and find it next time I go in.
I wonder what happens if you get kicked out mid-game, do you get a refund?
>>46812322
Sounds like a pretty good deal.
Main problem people have with paid GMs is that people prefer playing with people they legitimately know, and adding monetary exchange to that cheapens the whole deal.
It's like the difference between a prostitute and a girlfriend.
>>46813225
I don't think you can expect that kind of personal relationship atmosphere in a club environment. Like i'd love a college club of all tactical 4e where nobody bothers roleplaying, but if I wanted to do character stuff i'd find my own group.
>>46813440
I've never been in a RPG 'club' before, but I am part of a local RPG community online where you find and create groups to play with.
With my current group, I only knew the GM beforehand and not very well, but after a few months of playing with them it's like having a second group of friends.
The situation in the OP is a little different, considering it's yearly and not per session, but the idea that everyone is paying for an experience puts me off. Not only would the GM only be doing what he's being paid for, but everyone else would expect to get their money's worth. I can't imagine that's a fun situation to play in.
On the other hand though, I'm certainly not the type of person that hates jokes and distractions when playing. Most of the fun when playing for me is the company, and I'm not one for getting fully into character and immersion etc.
>>46813440
Thinking about it, 4e would probably be perfect for this kind of thing. It justifies the prep work, miniatures and map making stuff.
Printing shit can cost a lot.
