DM Tip Jar -- is that going too far?

[diaglo]

Bugaboo?

 

[Piratecat]

You're probably thinking that these rates are extremely high. I'll note a couple of things:

1) The customer is paying for my time, and that's what my time is worth.

I used to bill out at $2800 a day as a consultant, and I'm a better DM than I was a consultant. I can't see myself billing DMing at "what my time is worth," though!

Truth is, the reason that there are virtually no professional DMs is that the market won't bear the cost that the DMs are actually worth. With no ability to quantify 'fun', there's not much financial incentive for a customer to pay someone else to provide a game.

 

[MojoGM]

Wow. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the totally negative response, but I am.

Gamers are indeed cheap. The sense of entitlement is overwhelming.

If I was playing with friends it would be one thing, but if I played in a store and the DM had a tip jar out I'd certainly tip if the game was worth it. Entertainment is worth paying money for in my opinion.

 

[ruleslawyer]

I don't think it's so much an issue of "cheapness" as an issue of "paying someone to play a game with you." From an in-game POV, the DM may occupy a totally different role from the players, but on a social level, he's just another guy sitting around the table participating. Consequently, the "chipping in" model works much better than the tipping or payment model.

My time may be (sorry, is) worth a great deal of money from a work perspective, but I don't expect to be paid for my leisure time... and gaming is leisure time, including the planning portion, which is plenty of fun for me, despite the fact that I'm always the designated DM and I run highly plot-intensive campaigns with casts of thousands using highly tweaked rulesets, all of which requires substantial preparation.

Now, having players chip in food and drink or gaming books (or defraying the cost of such) is a different story; not everyone is made of money. I for one wouldn't dream of making someone pay the many and varied expenses of hosting or running a game (and yes, DMs have a more expensive burden on average, if only due to module and campaign sourcebook cost) without contributing something myself, no more than I'd dream of showing up to a party without a bottle of wine or the like.

OTOH, I don't really know what playing at a gaming store is like, so it's possible that circumstances differ there. But I wouldn't game with people I weren't comfortable hanging out with socially, anyway.

 

[Desdichado]

Bugaboo?

Beat me to it!

 

[Festivus]

Considering I buy drinks for my gaming group, donations to the food fund is greatly appreciated. For gaming materials however, I use the recycling money from bottles and cans, and consider it part of the costs of running a game that are mine to bear. Besides, I get a great deal of enjoyment just reading adventures and not actually running them. I did this with War of the Burning Sky (next chapter... please!). I'll glean ideas and enjoy the read but I doubt I will ever run that adventure path... I wouldn't expect others to pay for that.

 

[Driddle]

Wouldn't need a tip jar if you had a decent contract in place.

Bugaboo?

Nope. Retired.
But great ideas never go away.

 

[Tewligan]

Think of it this way. A friend sets up a bowling team for a league. He arranges for shirts. Do you not pay your share of these fees just because he doesn't help you pay for your bowling ball?

While I'm not fanatically for the idea of some recompense for the DM (who almost always has significantly more invested in the game in time & money), I do find this antipathy for helping a DM with expenses that are there for the good of the group strange. I'm not surprised, but it doesn't seem very grounded.

In your example, though, everyone on the bowling team actually gets to keep their shirt, so of course they should pay for them. On the other hand, the DM will presumably be keeping his dice, notes, books, adventures, etc. He can use them in other campaigns, read them on the toilet, or whatever.

A better analogy would be if someone invites his friends over to play on his XBox. If I show up and see a tip jar to help cover the cost of buying his XBox, then is that appropriate?

 

[SiderisAnon]

The whole idea of a DM tip jar is a really odd question.

I fully agree that in a normal private group, it would be nothing more than a joke. Tipping the DM seems silly. After all, you're all getting together to play a game together. The DM is not a waiter. However, I see no problems with player contributing to the purchase of ink, paper & cardstock, miniature, munchies, soda, or any other gaming supplies. (One of my players buys me a set of printer ink every so often because we use a lot of handouts.)

As for the public DM with a pick-up game and a tip jar ... that kind of makes my head hurt, but I don't really see it as any different than some guy playing a guitar on the corner with the case open for tips. You are, basically speaking, panhandling. If you're okay with that, than that's fine. (Just make sure it's legal in your local county.)

Now, if the place you're running charges you to be there or something, then putting up a sign for the pick-up game that says you need to collect a few bucks to pay for the space would be reasonable.


Though I still wonder if you're actually going to get any players for a pick-up game...

 

[papakee]

Any tip jar is going too far in my opinion. They are popping up everywhere as if the employees are doing you some favor by taking your money at the cash register. If you feel your services as a DM are worth monetary compensation, set a price up front. I've found that once you turn your hobby into a business it takes on a whole different aspect.

If you are just needing cash for supplies, ask everyone to throw in a few bucks or rotate buying the books.