I’ve been enjoying TTRPGs for some time. A means to meet people. Have some fun. Escape the drudgery of life and get creative. Perhaps I’ve lived under a rock, or a boulder, but I’ve come across an entire ecosystem of Professional DMs selling table time. Literal pay to play in a creative world. Where, even with the cash grab of wizards of the coast or the negation of imagination in place of 3D extravagence, we now monetize play, too. Perhaps play isn’t the right word. Something that combines camaraderie, enjoyment, a third space, imagination, and kindred spirits. Whatever that is, its monetization of the experience by a for profit dungeon master feels wrong in some way I can’t quite place.
Why must everything devolve into this? What do we loose when we monetize creativity, community, meeting people to such a degree?
Paying people for their time and effort is not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been both player and GM for a number of groups. I’ve done complete homebrews and used campaigns from both official and 3rd party sources, some free and some paid. It takes a lot of effort and skill to put together and run sessions. I’m totally behind smaller community game shops or even individuals doing this. Even players tossing a buck or two to their GMs to help support the cost of things. The great thing about ttrpgs are that you can pay for as much or little as you want.