Advice on Whether or Not to Join Encounters

[Saracenus]

I'm not an event organizer, but no, I don't think that's copacetic. Encounters is intended to be free to players, from my understanding. This store is probably not doing what they're supposed to be doing in this regard. It's up to you whether you want to reach out to Wizards of the Coast of not, but I don't think this is what they want stores doing with the free Encounters materials they provide.

I really hate to be the one to correct you on this one (I really like your posts, well almost all of them...)

However, it is pretty kosher for event organizers to charge for events, even encounters. In fact WotC encourages it:

Remember, you set the ground rules for entry each week. Setting a nominal fee for play, providing purchase incentives, and adding additional perks with a buy-in are all ways in which you can show players that the D&D Encounters experience is valuable and worthwhile – certainly worth a bit of investment on their part.

You can see it for your self in the Organizer Packet for Dark Legacy of Evard (its pretty much the same for Lost Crown of Neverwinter):
Wizards Play Network Official Home Page

Now, making Encounters a competition certainly is outside the spirit of what DDE is attempting, a casual level entry for new players. Its hard to accept new players when you are trying to win $1,000 as a team.

I speak to this as the DDE WPN Organizer for Guardian Games in Portland, OR.

I have talked with my store owner and she is personally against entry fees, she makes enough on the food, accessories, gaming gear, beer and a host of other things.

Spelling corrected in read.

 

[S'mon]

I wouldn't regard $10 per 2(?) hours as a nominal fee, either - that's about what going to the movies costs. Although maybe not in New Jersey.

 

[delericho]

I had a lot of fun at game day, and I could forgive a lot in the spirit of inducting new players and generally celebrating the game... however, I admit our DM was terrible...

The only real saving grace was how great the party was...

That puts me in a bit of a spot, as I don't want to overshadow the DM or be 'that guy', but I want these new gamers to learn the rules and experience a fun season.

Ugh, what do I do?

Become DM. That way you get to introduce new players (win!), you get the benefits of the great group (win!), and you get to avoid the bad DM (win! well, assuming you're a good DM!)

Granted, there may be a problem with the existing DM, but if Encounters is well subscribed, having an extra pair of hands to share the load can only be a good thing. Alternately, you could pitch it to the other guy as "giving him a chance to play for a change", or something like that.

Seriously, I think that's the way to go.

Edit: Well, I guess I should have read the whole thread first!

Given that DMing this season seems to be off the table, I'd give this season a miss. I'd maybe consider giving it a go next season, but in the meantime I would also be looking for another store/table where the game is better, and play there instead. Basically, consider the store from your OP to be your backup plan for next season!

 

[OnlineDM]

I really hate to be the one to correct you on this one (I really like your posts, well almost all of them...)

However, it is pretty kosher for event organizers to charge for events, even encounters. In fact WotC encourages it:



You can see it for your self in the Organizer Packet for Dark Legacy of Evard (its pretty much the same for Lost Crown of Neverwinter):
Wizards Play Network Official Home Page

Now, making Encounters a completion certainly is outside the spirit of what DDE is attempting, a casual level entry for new players. Its hard to accept new players when you are trying to win $1,000 as a team.

I speak to this as the DDE WPN Organizer for Guardian Games in Portland, OR.

I have talked with my store owner and she is personally against entry fees, she makes enough on the food, accessories, gaming gear, beer and a host of other things.

Thank you for the correction! As I said, I'm not an event organizer so I didn't have first-hand knowledge of WotC policies on charging for Encounters (and I had no idea that document was freely available online - thanks for the link).

That said, I think S'Mon is right that $10 isn't "nominal". $2 or $3, maybe, but $10 seems like a lot. Don't get me wrong, I understand that the store is charging that much to fund the prize pool, but as you said, that in itself is problematic.

 

[Nullzone]

@Pour : The DM really shouldn't have taken those sheets, you left them there for the other players, not him. I would stop by at the next session and ask them if they got the sheets you left at the store for them, and then give them all your business card so they have your email address if they ever want to talk about the game, and leave it at that. You don't even have to talk to the DM or mention that he had the sheets, just follow through with the players so you can stay in touch and be done with it. No reason to burn your bridges with them just because of the DM, after all.

Territorial DMs suck, sorry to hear you're having trouble with that

And I'll also chime in with "omg $10!?" cause that's just crazy to pay $40/mo to play 8 collective hours of gaming.

And the tournament thing is just wrong IMO but I can see how that could also draw in new players too...unfortunately it's likely to draw in the wrong kind and possibly snuff out some real interest in the game due to the suffocating competitiveness that some people will bring

 

[Pour]

Kind of a promising turn of events in the drama that has become the Real Encounters DMs of New Jersey...

The DM gave at least one person's sheet out with my email last night in hopes he'd convince me to come back. I think they're down to 4 people in their group when every other table has 6. Maybe the DM gets a cut of the prize money, or had a change of heart.

In any case, that doesn't change how he DMs or how the shop runs things, and I just recently got a new job where weekday games were going to be difficult for me to begin with. I'm still calling it a missed season, but I appreciated the courtesy, especially from the player.

I did manage to shoot the player an email back, though, and offered to DM some games when I have free time. I'm hopeful he and his fiance will be game.

-

And movie tickets around here are $9 for matinee and as much as $12-15 for night. It's an expensive place to live.

 

[chitzk0i]

I totally understand this situation. The regular DM for the Encounters sessions I went to was actually outstanding, but his job called him out of town from time to time. The back-up DM he chose was... pretty bad. He wasn't as awful as the OP's DM, but it still put me in an awkward position. I was trying to get another chance to play. I already have someplace where I'm randomly asked to DM. I don't need another one.

 

[GameDoc]

$10 is outrageous! If you consider that's $140 to participate in each session, you can buy yourself all the books needed to run a campaign at home for cheaper.

The competition between tables is definately antithetical to the spirit of Encounters. That's what Lair Assault is supposed to be for. Maybe when Lair Assult debuts, they'll take Encounters back to it's original purpose?

The store where I run encoutners was having a real problem with players not dropping any money, but the owner is opposed to table fees. Player spending picked up when we introduced Fortune Cards. This season we implemented a rule that you must be able to manage and advance your own character by your third session. To balance that out, the store owner offered hefty discounts if players would buy the book(s) needed to manage their characters in the store. It's working well so far.

I have talked with my store owner and she is personally against entry fees, she makes enough on the food, accessories, gaming gear, beer and a host of other things.

... did you say BEER?

Now contemplating a move to Portland...