DMs: Do you ask players to contribute money for materials?

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

In some ways I charge. In others I don't.
I got tired of my munchies and soda vanishing. As a disabled combat vet, it's a little hard to get work (as soon as they see that I was in the service, they want to see why I got out on my paperwork, and then: Sorry, but we don't have any positions open) so when I buy soda, it's for me and not them.
So, bring your own smokes, soda, dice, books, munchies and figures. Sorry, but I wouldn't support your crack habit, so I won't support your gaming habit.
If someone wants me to run a game over at thier house, I charge babysitter fees. Usually, though, one of my players will send thier baby sister over, or (in the case of our 3 HS players) send thier non-gaming g/f over.

I don't charge anything else, although it is well known that the DM appreciates a pack of Malboro's or a 2 liter of Mt Dew. LOL
We usually game in my front room, so no babysitting charges. If the players want to add something, and I don't have it, whether or not they have it, I won't allow it. Often, if they wanted it bad enough, they bought the book and gave it to me.

Geez, I sound like a mercenary, don't I? I do a lot for them too, provide rides without charging for gas (we just arrange it to take place during the pre-game munchie run), help out with computer problems (or homework for the HS players) or just give them a place to hang out when they can't take thier spouse or parents any longer for a few hours.

So I guess we kind of charge each other.

 

[the Jester]

There are as far as I can tell, two approaches to determining rate of pay. The most basic is to charge your players by the hour. If doing this, you must calculate how much time you invest into planning a session, whether or not you are providing the snacks, and how much you think the players can afford. Or alternatively you can simply charge an annual fee for a preset gaming schedule. Personally I think the by the hour plan works out better for most players as that way they do not feel cheated if they miss a session. Also the DM, if he is good can make that time fly and thereby earn more through longer sessions. I think that $3 - $5 an hour per player is a fairly low rate but in some areas where the players are older and have better incomes themselves, $5-10 would not be outrageous.

Interesting viewpoint.

I actually charge a flat 'per session' fee, $20 per character. That way if someone wants to, he or she can play multiple characters to make up for the party's weak points. For example, when one of the twins was playing the only cleric and he died, the wealthy fellow offered to make a new one so that Preston could make something different. (After all, Rich- ironically enough it's his name- could afford it.)

Oh, let me qualify that- if you die, you don't have to pay to make a new character for the same session, the twenty covers one character at a time for the session (you could even switch them out if circumstances allowed, i.e. not in the middle of a dungeon).

Also, even though a pc with leadership effectively has a second character in their cohort, I don't charge for that, that would be like penalizing a character for their feat choice. I prefer to leave all the feats attractive.

 

[zyzzyr]

As a DM I try to stay fairly well-equipped with books, but I would never expect the players to help pay for it. If, for example, the gaming ends, I want sole possession afterwards.

That said, I usually expect the players to pay for snacks and or dinner. This actually has little to do with the money I spend on books, but instead is a form of compensation for spending 5 - 10 hours preparing for a good session (which players typically do not do).

zyzzyr

 

[Sanackranib]

money

Never. As DM, I buy what I want and need for my game. My cardinal rule, though, is that "if I don't own it, you can't use it". That way, I keep strict control over my game.

All I ask is that each player *must* own their own PHB, dice, and pencil if they want to participate in my game. Since they're all my friends, this was a non-issue.

Can't answer your second question (I game with close friends only).

Ditto to the first part. I started a new group 3 sessions ago so it hasn't come up. but in the past some of my players have contributed to my extensive collection of mini's (up to 20 a pop) so I havn't had to bear the whole cost of the games. I have usually already had the books I needed - and what I don't have I don't allow. (good reason to exclude psionics and psions)

 

[Mercule]

Someone suggested it to me when I was in High School (15 years ago) and I passed on the idea to my players. The only reason I did so was because I had the full set of 1E books, three boxed settings, all the basic D&D stuff, a score of modules, and a chunk of misc books for other games; while half of the players owned a Player's Handbook and the rest _might_ have had dice.

Even so, I didn't really have a lot of conviction about asking for donations, especially since it was not going to be "communal property". I think the total contribution might have bought me two dice.

As it is, my general rule is that if I own the books, I own the rules. Which means I don't usually consult the players overmuch on which rules I'm using or what changes I'm making. Sure, it's the DM as god paradigm, but I don't have a problem with that if I'm putting out all the cash and creating the world myself.

If putting out all the money didn't give me the added control, I'm sure I'd just run a game in Greyhawk with the core rules.

 

[Bagpuss]

I just have to find a way to control my spending urge (though living 1000's of miles away from a well stocked RPG shop helps, though PDFs are still avialable...)

You can't expect your players to pay for your vices. I buy loads more RPG stuff than I'll ever use in games, I just enjoy reading them. I wouldn't expect players to buy something I would buy for myself even if I wasn't running a game.

 

[Gospog]

Well, occasionally, one or two of the players will buy a splat book or supplement. I actually own a ton of books, so we seldom need much. RPG stuff is often given as gifts, and I get a lot every year.

Our newest player has his own dice. Everyone else uses mine.

We cook before the game now, so no chipping in for pizza, but when we did do pizza, some of the players would chip in...occasionally.

That being said, my wife and I really enjoy being hosts, so we like to provide soda and snacks and whatnot.

My 2 newest players, another married couple, (in my new Scarred Lands campaign) are actually very good about bringing soda and snacks. While we already had both soda and snacks handy, I do appreciate the consideration.

Similarly, my wife and I try to always bring something to any game we are invited to. We even try to practice this at conventions, though this has gotten ugly in the past.

The bottom line is: I provide everything, but my players will be playing whatever I want. It's my game...thank you, drive through.

 

[Desdichado]

Wow. You hang around long enough, and you start seeing the same trolls repeated year after year!

 

[Voadam]

Never charged, never been paid for DMing. I certainly would never pay for a D&D game (and thus have never been to a con). This is a hobby for friends. The closest was when my roommate got me the dragonlance book of lairs in hopes of the party escaping the intensity of my Ravenloft campaign. I let them escape for a little while and ran some adventures out of it, but Ravenloft never really lets go and they were all swallowed up again. In junior high I did get one of my friends a game book as a birthday present, and I've gotten my brother a ton and I've received a few as birthday and christmas gifts from family members, but I would never ask my friends to get me books as a condition of running a game.

Now food, we usually get pizza, sometimes chinese and we split the costs among people who are splitting the food. However, one campaign I was in during college, everybody was on their own for dinner and so I would either bring my own stuff or head to the cafeteria during a break.

 

[The Kender]

Everybody has the core rules, that's a requirement. I have enough dice that I can let my players use them, but they get the unlucky set ^_^ So, most of them have their own. I own like Tome & Blood, FRCS, and some other stuff. Nobody has really shown much interest in wanting to use them yet.

Its my general rule never to loan books.