Paying for game sessions?!?

[Rel]

I've DMed for sex before, but never money.

That's just sick.

 

[gunter uxbridge]

I have held games where I not only DMed (minimum 10 hours of prep time.....I'm THOROUGH), provided the venue, provided soft drinks, and cleaned up the mess on my own, yet was still asked to help chip in for pizza.

I love the game. I love the preparation. I don't mind hosting and I don't mind the aftermath, but sheesh....it seems like good form to chip in for something for the DM. I would NEVER ask for anything nor would I expect anything, but it just seems like good manners to offer from time to time.. I can't even imagine asking someone to pay, that just seems wrong. But the occasional, "Hey DM, put down your wallet. We got the bill!" would be appreciated.

Oh well. I was just raised different I guess.

 

[Sanackranib]

DM4sex

I've DMed for sex before, but never money.

That's just sick.

Now that's a perk!
I'll Pay for my oun pizza rhanyou very much.

 

[RSKennan]

I have held games where I not only DMed (minimum 10 hours of prep time.....I'm THOROUGH), provided the venue, provided soft drinks, and cleaned up the mess on my own, yet was still asked to help chip in for pizza.

I love the game. I love the preparation. I don't mind hosting and I don't mind the aftermath, but sheesh....it seems like good form to chip in for something for the DM. I would NEVER ask for anything nor would I expect anything, but it just seems like good manners to offer from time to time.. I can't even imagine asking someone to pay, that just seems wrong. But the occasional, "Hey DM, put down your wallet. We got the bill!" would be appreciated.

Oh well. I was just raised different I guess.

I'm with you. I guess that sentiment might account for my initial willingness to explore the possibility of charging for games. Despite the praise for a well run game, a lot of the other things that go into the game are taken for granted. I guess I don't mind enough, though. I enjoy being a host and everything that comes with it.

 

[Heathen72]

I'm with you. I guess that sentiment might account for my initial willingness to explore the possibility of charging for games. Despite the praise for a well run game, a lot of the other things that go into the game are taken for granted. I guess I don't mind enough, though. I enjoy being a host and everything that comes with it.

It seems there little in the way of established etiquette in the RPG community. I would suggest treating it like a dinner party.
The host goes to a lot of effort preparing a meal, but wouldn't necessarily ask anyone to pay, but a good guest should at the very least bring a bottle of wine. Similarly, in the role playing world, I think the onus is on the players to offer some token of appreciation to the GM - I mean, he or she is hardly likely to ask, and there is clearly no obligation involved, but the GM would really appreciate the thought.

The dinner party analogy works for the "pay to play" discussion too. Sure, most of the time you would prefer to cook for your friends, (and you wouldn't expect them to pay for it either) but on a special occasion you might bring in someone to cater(or even just order a pizza )
Yes, I envision myself at the head a grand empire that will one day be Dial a GM

 

[Larry Fitz]

A Loooong time ago I DM'd for a local community thing at the request of one of my high school teachers. It was at the library and six kids played in the game. I got paid, not much, but nevertheless, I got paid to DM.

At the East Coast Game Faire in New Jersey I bought an awful lot of raffle tickets to play in Peter Atkinson's D&D game (I won several of the slots and so populated the game with my friends).

That being said, my friends never pay me to DM, and that's the difference. I don't see any problem setting up an entertainment business where you charge for the service of DMing... but that's not the same as charging your friends for DMing... money and friends is usually a terrible combination. Of course, so is pineapple and pizza, but some people find a way to swallow that....

 

[Rel]

money and friends is usually a terrible combination. Of course, so is pineapple and pizza, but some people find a way to swallow that....

Amen to that, brother! The pineapple thing I mean.

 

[RSKennan]

I actually like pineapple on pizza. It's gotten to the point where if it doesn't have pineapple on it, I don't want it.

 

[Rel]

I knew that somebody would call me on the pineapple thing. The trick is that I'm diabetic but I love pizza. Most commercially sold pizza has quite a bit of sugar in the sauce already but I just take some extra insulin and go with it. But the pineapple is just a little too far across the "sweetness line" for my taste.

Unfortunately, most of the folks I game with seem to have a taste for it. Which is fine unless we are ordering a communal pizza of sorts. But other than the prohibition on pineapple, I am approximately the least picky pizza eater in the world. A conversation at a recent game session went like this:

Player: I'm ordering pizza. What do you want on it.

Me: I don't care. Anything but pineapple.

Player: What about pineapple and ham.

Me: No combination including pineapple. Anything else is fine.

Player: Anything? What about onion and green olive?

Me: That would be fine.

Player: Dude! That's gross. You'd rather eate onion and green olive than pineapple? What about anchovy and...anchovy.

Me: No problem.

Player: Seriously?! I cannot believe that anybody would rather have that than pineapple.

Me: I really don't care so long as it doesn't have pineapple, ok? Repeat after me - NO %*$*ING PINEAPPLE!

Player: But seriously, you'd rather have pineapple than the anchovy thing. Right?

Me: Your character takes damage.

Player: How about pepperoni and mushroom.

Me: Dandy. Now don't say the word pineapple again or I'll kill your character and give your stuff to the Gnome.

Player: That's just wrong! You know I hate Gnomes! Alright, alright, I'm dialing...

 

[megamania]

I pay at conventions but strictly by the presumption that the GM and game are worth it. Sadly not always the case but generally is. I have heard of this practice but it was more of covering the cost of "renting" a space or room at a store with limited space.