I think there's some kind of mental disconnect we're having. I'm not saying that prospective DMs should necessarily have to pay more for their subscription than they might currently. I'm saying that players, who don't need all the tools that DMs do, could have the option to pay less.
Yep, that's the disconnect. I'm not saying it's bad thing for
DM's to pay more than they currently do - I think it would be a bad thing for
DM's to pay more than players do. In fact, if it were at all possible, I would prefer for DMs to pay
less than players do.
(Hmm... some possibility where DMs 'host' VTT games, and for each player who is logged in, the DM gets a credit towards his next subscription renewal? Also, if something like my "Archive" idea from above were put in place, perhaps contributors could likewise earn credits towards a renewal?)
Now, I suppose the option does exist to provide a DMs-only subscription package that contains access to the magazines, the Adventure Tools, the VTT DM client and the Compendium, but really all that removes is the Character Builder.
Yeah. Given that the Character Builder is really the killer app, I don't see how it can be done using any subset of the tools for DMs only.
If I were WotC, I would currently be looking into ways to stop DMs from hosting the characters for all of their players - force the players to get their own subscriptions! (Though I really hope they don't figure out how to do this - I will not play 4e without access to the CB, and I will not pay a monthly sub. The
only thing that may change my mind is if the VTT rocks on toast.)
I don't see any way you can justify a significant discount...
In terms of the tools they would get, you would be right. But DMs contribute more to the game, and to the community, than any single player. A single DM is likely to run games for 5 players, and may run for many, many more. Take that DM out of the picture, and that's a lot of custom that may be lost.
IOW, DMs contribute to the success of D&D, and by extension to WotC, so there's the justification for keeping their costs low.
I'm all for reducing barriers to DM entry, but frankly I have never heard anyone say "I just can't see myself running a game of D&D. It's too expensive!" Instead, what I have heard much more frequently is "I just can't see myself running a game of D&D. It's too time-consuming/difficult!"
No, me neither. But a player might be persuaded to give it a go despite the time costs and despite any lack of confidence. The more WotC can do to lower the barrier to them giving it a go, the better.
(Another thought: something that would be
really good would be "The Starter DM Kit", containing a short, easy-to-run adventure, all the appropriate minis/tokens, tiles, pregenerated characters, and the relevant extracts from the DMG/MM (or DMK/MV!). Basically, a single, relatively cheap, and easy-to-digest route into running that first adventure.)
The area where the most progress can be made in reducing the barrier to entry for new DMs is in convenience, and enormous strides have already been made in this regard since the release of 4e.
Agreed on both counts.