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summery of my question: is Godsmouth Heresy preferable as a first module than Crypt of the Everflame to a group of newbies with an expirienced GM? Should I introduce the newbies to the game by handing out pregenerated characters and teaching them as the game rolls or should I explain evreything out first? and are 6$ an hour a reasonable amount to charge for the game?
Hey,
I am and have been a GM for quite some time now - the past 10 years, I believe. Now that my last year in high school is nearly over, I decided to start making money from my hobby and run some D&D to some 7th graders for it. Now, the way it looks like I'll have a group of 5-7 children (I won't take more even if more will sign up as I think huge group unable good gaming), most of them with very little playing experience and all of them without any real understanding of the rules. What I hope to accomplish is not only having an enjoyable game with them but also helping them understand the game.
So my plan is to hand out pregenerated characters (perhaps the Paizo iconic, perhaps something of my own brewing), and sort of explain the relevant rules for every encounter they face so that they'll get to try out the rules the very first time they hear them. Do you think this is a decent way of doing this?
Anyway, I'm also wandering which PF module best suits my needs here. there's Crypt of the Everflame, which seems to go along precisely with what I planned. I worry about this one, however, since I don't think it's continuation, Masks of the Living God, would hook newbies as much as it does old timers... is the Godsmouth Heresy better?
And as a side note and last question: do you think 6$ an hour from each kid is legitimate, given that I plan to do 4 one and a half hour sessions per month? For me that's about 180 bucks a month and I also have a day job…
-Thanks!
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I think it is great that you are willing to GM for younger players that are new to the game. I think your basic plan for helping them through is good, and Crypt of the Everflame is definitely a good mod to start with. If you are playing 1-1/2 hour sessions, I don't think you need to worry too much about the next mod in the series; you will be months before finishing in any case. And nothing stops you from doing it as a one-off, and moving on to another mod.
In answer to your last question: No. No I do not think that is legitimate. Charging to GM Pathfinder? I hate to tell you, but there are a lot of people who can GM for free out there, including one of the Grade 7 students (which is, frankly, probably a better learning experience for them).
I am sure you have a lot to offer as a GM, but I can count on my thumbs the people I would directly pay to have GM for me. I have been playing RPGs for 32 years now, GMing for easily 25 of those, and it would never occur to me to charge someone to play a game with me. Heck, I'm currently laid off from my job; you think I wouldn't want to get paid to play Pathfinder right now?
Personally, I think you are doing the hobby a disservice by trying to charge for a service you should be happy to provide. And in my opinion, it is made even more irresponsible that you would do this to kids in Gr. 7, who really have no way to know better. When they go to their next GM and find out they could get this for free, at best they are going to resent you.
Anyway, my two cents. You are free to ignore or respond. And I am certainly interested to read other opinions. Cheers!
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I wrote quite a lengthy response to that, too lengthy perhaps but, alas, the program ate it.
This is the recap of my points:
1) I don't think that in general charging money from considerably younger, inexperienced people to play with them is wrong. Consider yourself taking a chess class, a basketball high school team or even an art class. Both you and you tutor, the one who'll be charging you, probably love the hobby you pay him to teach you. Can't you play basketball on your own? of course you can! but you'll still pay in order for you to be able to play with your group while the couch oversees you. I, for example, spent two years of my life GMing a certain group. All of that group, me included, also took part in a weekly D&D session with a real veteran who ran really fan games - meaning, while we were playing with each other for free, we also paid to play with someone older and more experienced, and since we all enjoyed the game greatly we were all fine with that.
2) Less than a year from now, I will be recruited to a rather elite force in my country's army. that means I'll be busy for, like, 8 years. Before that, I want to make true a dream that I’ve been having for a while, and that is having an awesome vacation with my amazing girlfriend and my best friends, who I really wish to keep in touch with now that school will be over and think that sharing the experience of a trip together with them will help that cause. that means that I need a LOT of money and fast. Therefore, if I don't earn money from doing something in the following months, I'm simply not doing it. Running D&D as a business is, sadly, the only way I can afford to run it. I think my dream is worth it, and maybe that's just me being selfish but I think that if there is a time and a way to be selfish, it is now and by charging people as if D&D was a class.
anyway, I hope to hear your opinion on the matter and thank you for the response :)
2) Less than a year from now, I will be recruited to a rather elite force in my country's army. that means I'll be busy for, like, 8 years.
"Taking the black?" ;)
Sorry couldnt resist with your name being what it is. :) George RR Martin ftw.
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2) Less than a year from now, I will be recruited to a rather elite force in my country's army. that means I'll be busy for, like, 8 years."Taking the black?" ;)
Sorry couldnt resist with your name being what it is. :) George RR Martin ftw.
indeed, the win belongs to Mr. Martin :)
Alas, I will be joining the sea forces, probably similar to the U.S navy, on a special training course that will lead me, in a munber of years, to be commander of my own ship (yay!). there is still a chance I'll be rejected from this force but evreyone who knows me believes I have a very good chance (sorry, this has nothing to do with anything but I am super excited and so I rumble :))
Good Luck in your military endeavors. :)