D&D 5E Don't know if this is the best place to put this , but I have questions about the En5ider service.

I have no idea about what this actually IS, or rather what exactly it comes with. Disclaimer, I have never used Patreon so when I click the En5ider thing it takes me to the Patreon page. There it says I can pledge some amount of money PER article. I was under the impression this was a subscription based service kind of like Wizards back when 4e was out. The per article thing is what I'm concerned about. Do I have to buy each article individually? Do I get the previous content if I sign up with the single dollar? I'd be more than willing to do the 5$ sub if it's just a monthly thing which is why I am here asking this. I don't want to get hit with like 5(or however many are out) charges for back issues if each one costs 5$.

Thanks for your time! Feel free to move this topic to a more appropriate place if there is one.

It's a patronage system, rather than a subscription system. A bit like being a patron of the arts during the Rennaissance, except it's crowdfunded.

So you decide what you think articles and adventures are worth to you. $1, $1000, whatever. You pledge that amount per article, and when we make an article, we get paid that much. You choose how much - you get them whatever you pledge (it's basically a pay-what-you-want system).

The added bonus is you can add a monthly cap, so you will never pay more than that per month. You still get everything, but the cap you set prevents the monthly cost exceeding what you feel it's worth/can afford/want to pay.

No, you don't get charged for back issues, and yes you get them all.

Think of it like this: you're not paying for articles, you're paying someone to create articles. So the existing articles - they're done. You don't have to pay for them (as long as you're a patron and contributing *something*). But if you want the creators to make more articles for you, then you pledge an amount towards that. As long as enough people pledge, we make more.

Does that make sense? You will never be charged more than you say you want to be charged, however much or little that is.

We publish 4 (sometimes 5, but mainly 4) items per month. So if you feel $5 per month is your limit, you could maybe pledge $2 per article, but with a cap of $5 per month. You'd still get the all, but you wouldn't pay more than $5 total.

How's this as a little guide?

Confused about EN5ider and/or TRAILseeker? Here's how they work!

EN5ider and TRAILseeker both use a crowdfunded patronage service called Patreon. This service allows people to pay creators to make new stuff.

Patronage of the arts is an ancient tradition. Many of the famous composers and artists of whom you have heard throughout history had wealthy patrons. Those patrons supported the artists with funding, enabling them to continue creating.

Patreon allows you to be a patron of the arts; but instead of one wealthy patron, it crowdfunds lots of smaller patronage pledges.

From your point of view, it's a lot like a subscription, but there are some differences.

You Pay What You Want
First, and most importantly, you're a patron, not a subscriber. What that means is that you choose exactly how much you wish to give the creator. In that way, it relies on an element of goodwill, but it also means that you decide what it's worth to you, or what you can afford.

You Pay Per Article
Instead of paying a set monthly amount, you pay a small amount per article or adventure. You get charged every time the creator makes a new article or adventure, until you cancel (which you can do very easily).

You Set A Monthly Limit
However, you also choose a maximum monthly amount. That might be $1, $5, $10, $20, $100, whatever you feel appropriate. No matter what happens, your payments will never, ever exceed that amount. The beauty of that? Your payments don't exceed that amount, but what you get is not limited by it! You still get everything!

The three above elements give you complete control over the limits of your patronage. You can get access to everything the creators make, at whatever price suits you.

How Much Content Is Produced?
Generally speaking, we aim for four items per month, including one adventure and one system-neutral item. We may sometimes extend that to five. You only pay for what we make, and you pay no more than the monthly limit you have set. This makes it very, very safe for you - you are completely in control! You're the generous patron, after all!