Mooching

F

Fauchard1520

Adventurer

• Sep 6, 2017

• #1

It's not rocket science. You go over to somebody's house every week, you bring a six pack and chip in for the occasional pizza. However, as my favorite Munchkin card implies, there's also a strange Bribe the GM With Food factor.

How does your group handle GM contribution to the collective snack budget? Is it waved because he's putting in more work? Does she feed you anyway because you're gaming at her house? I ask because I think there's something interesting to be gleaned here between the nature of a GM's responsibilities behind the screen vs. within the group.

Also, relevant comic.

 

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aramis erak

Legend

• Sep 6, 2017

• #2

I, as a GM, award extra XP for snacks shared with the group as a whole.
I award lesser bonuses for "feeding the GM"... in my preferred but currently unused mode, I generally host, as well, so take rotation in the food about 1/3 as often.

 

Ralif Redhammer

Legend

• Sep 6, 2017

• #3

When I’m also hosting, I generally have chips, salsa, and my home’s myriad supplies of booze (minus beer, because I can’t drink it). I leave the heavy-lifting for food to others, but at the very least I want there to be a baseline of snacks.

When I’m not hosting, I generally bring a bottle of wine over with me regardless of whether I'm playing or running. But that’s generally good practice anytime you go over to someone else’s house for an event.

 

V

VL Darling

First Post

• Sep 6, 2017

• #4

We play online, and I live in another country entirely, so we provide our own snacks. Playing IRL we usually combined it with larger gatherings so hosts provided most of the food, visitors provided dessert, or drinks, or snacks.

That said I posted my GM some white chocolate Timtams, some caramel ones, and a totally trashy vampire muscle tee for the laughs (he and his family liked the cookies, and it turns out my GM looks fabulous in trashy muscle tees and they're great for the gym).

 

ccs

41st lv DM

• Sep 6, 2017

• #5

We generally bring our own.

Sometimes we split a pizza bill.
Sometimes one of us will just announce "hey, I'm bringing _____, who all wants some?"
Now & then we'll grill something - either bring your own or tell the host what to pick up & then chip into the bill.

The usual host loves chili. So about once a month in the winter hell make a collossal amount. We eat about 1/4 of it that night & joke that he'll make the next batch when he uses up the rest (in about a month).
"Chili week" started off as a joke. The guy was learning to cook & had zero ability to judge proper amounts. So he'd always make too much. Since then he's gotten better & its become a plan.
He makes the chili, we bring the rest.

 

Blue

Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

• Sep 7, 2017

• #6

One group we usually get pizza and everyone chips in a few bucks, though as DM I'm often waved off. One guy brings a six-pack for whomever wants one and refuses to take donations.

Another group does individual dinner (most eat beforehand, some order but don't always coordinate it), and people bring snacks and libations to share. Very easy going about it.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we were in highschool/college who was working and had money varied, but I was blessed to be in the company of generous folks. If someone wasn't working we just covered for them, and when they had cash they helped cover for others who were down on their luck at that time. Good people, still friends with most of them.

 

S

Sunseeker

Guest

• Sep 7, 2017

• #7

The GM is accepted to be providing a service to the group above and beyond simply showing up with character sheet in hand.
The Host, if not the GM, is also exempted by the fact that they are opening their doors to the group and providing a place to game.

Rarely do I not have a game where the GM is also the Host.

When I GM, I typically Host. When doing so I often cook for the party. Why? Because $20 bucks goes a lot farther when I cook than when we eat out where we can end up spending 40-60-80 depending on the size of the group and the type of meal desired. When I GM, Host and cook, I usually appreciate it when people bring stuff. Kinda pisses me off when people bring nothing. I mean you don't bring something every session that's fine. But ya start bringing stuff less than half the time, I start getting miffed.

 

Blue

Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

• Sep 7, 2017

• #8

Makes sense. I haven't played in a home where the DM was the host for years so I don't have that view.

I only play weeknights after work - weekends have too many (joyfully accepted) family obligations to have a steady game. Currently I DM at a player's house who is somewhat centrally located - I'm farthest at about 40 minutes. If I tried to host at my place I'd lose 2-3 players as too far after work.

With another group one friend owned a FLGS - we played there and accepted that occasionally he'd get pulled away. Otherwise he'd need to be paying another staff member.

When I used to run a game in my home I wouldn't have a chance to cook - some of my players would arrive there before I got home from work and I wasn't asking my wife to regularly cook for a bunch of my gaming buddies (though she did do it occasionally as a treat), though I usually purchased snacks and drinks so I could host, supplemented by what players brought.

 

Gilladian

Adventurer

• Sep 7, 2017

• #9

I DMV and host. We (3) provide a couple bags of chips and water/lemonade. Sometimes other stuff. One friend brings her drink and sometimes a snack to share, the second brings something once in a while, but he's divorced and broke. Third guy has only been playing a couple weeks, but he brought a snack once, and bought us chips once at the game shop. We rarely order in, but would chip in equally if we did.

 

J

Jhaelen

First Post

• Sep 7, 2017

• #10

In our games the DM is rarely the host. All players (including the DM & host) contribute equally to pay for food & drinks.