What's a resonable price-point for entry into the RPG hobby?

[gamerprinter]

That' not how you price on a cost accounting basis. Which you better be using if you want to stay in business. 3rd party POD costs don't get factored in.

Both are factors when I set the price, not one or the other.

In fact, if the final POD price is too high, I am willing to remove content from the product, in order to lower its POD price, if there is a possibility of moving that content to its own smaller supplement, that I can sell separately as a post-publishing product. (I've done just that before.)

 

[Janx]

That' not how you price on a cost accounting basis. Which you better be using if you want to stay in business. 3rd party POD costs don't get factored in.

I think as GP noted, it does if you are the 3rd party.

 

[MichaelSomething]

How about different people will get in the hobby by different methods, so therefore different methods to enter the hobby should be made available so people can enter in the way that would make them most comfortable?

 

[jasper]

#2 pencil $0.10
pack of paper $0.10
Eraser $0.05
Total $0.25. Update if your in-school supply booth is more expensive.
But after about 6 months of playing once a week. $x the cost of PHB and Set of dice.

 

[gweinel]

I think it's a reasonable question to ask if that player, who hasn't invested in his own copy of the rules, is really an equal participant in the hobby. Does someone who never invests in any game book going to be a long-term participant? I've seen quite a few people introduced to the game, but I also usually don't see them continue long term without investing in it themselves.

I also think it's worth looking at who is investing in the game on their behalf if they're not investing themselves.

I have very close friends and great role players (fluff and mechanic wise) that have spent less than $100 in the span of 20 years of roleplaying.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Showing up at a friend's game and using their books sounds about right (and about standard) to me.

Other than that, spending $20ish for a starter set (like the Barnes & Nobles leak implied they would be doing for 5e) is appropriate.

Really, looking at buying a PHB as the initial price point entry is, IMO, completely looking at it wrong. Buying a PHB represents a commitment to the game, and that's what I've always seen in actual practice. People but a PHB when they are sure they are "in," not to try it out. And given the price of other sorts of games out there, spending $50 (or even more) on a book that will allow you to continue gaming for years as a player, with no additional purchases required, is a great deal. (I say this, even when buying new games is bit tough for me to afford right now.)

And when you are talking about games other than D&D, there are full, high quality, previously-commercial games out there that have been released for free. So that's another way to get in.

As I see it, the pricing of entry to the hobby is one thing that is working right as it is.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I wonder how common that is. I would wager it's rare. I'd guess that the barrier to entry for a brand new gamer - the "entry level" one everyone's talking about - isn't cost. It's getting them interested in the first place.

Over on reddit, I see about a post every week from someone who has never played a tabletop RPG before and is trying to get a group of friends to try it out. The Internet is great. It increases the likelihood that someone will read about RPGs and be interested (for example, Tabletop's Dragon Age has done this) and it also gives people tons of resources on how to get into the hobby, lists of great games to play many of which are completely free, and advice on how to roleplay. There's also a preponderance of roleplaying podcasts, videos, and the like to expose people to these things.

 

[Morrus]

(for example, Tabletop's Dragon Age has done this)

Heh! I don't think it's Tabletop's Dragon Age! It was an awesome pair of episodes though. I think I read somewhere they plan to do a spin off RPG show.

 

[jdrakeh]

$45. This assumes a printed rule book plus a good set of polyhedral dice. I just bought the Torchbearer core book for less than $35 (I already had dice, but since they're required to play, I figured I would factor them in).

 

[Yora]

I just got Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea as pdf for 7€. It's a complete game (though without dice) and with my android it's just as good as a printed book.

But there's even free games that are just as good.