Writing up an idea from in person chats: āDemystifying DMāingā - a session where those who are hesitant to DM get to see behind the curtain as a session is prepped and then run.
Format would be -
Two tables of DM + 3-4 players who would like to start DMāing
Each DM takes an hour, starts from a blank sheet of paper and talks through how they set out a session, tricks of the trade, judging balance, etc.
DMās swap tables and run the adventure for the other table - so each table plays an adventure they know was cooked up in the past hour ~ target 2.5-3hrs game time
End of session, take 30 mins to talk through where things went sideways, how the DMās adapted on the fly, kept things moving, etc.
Goal is to demonstrate how fun games do not require vast amounts of work and to encourage people to give it a shot.
(Could be scaled up with more DMās/tables if lots of folk are interested)
Could be followed up with āI want to run my first gameā support where first time DMās can request a couple of experienced players to be guinea-pigs so they can give it a try in comfort.
Except weāre already asking people to pay dues at WOW/Keepersā¦
Except itās been (according to Neil) years since enough donations came in to cover website costsā¦
Even though I am an inactive member of RPG Vienna, Iāll drop by to see what itās about, how and why the needs of the RPG Vienna community have changed, what solutions have and have not worked and what steps are required to keep the loving community flourishing. I can also share my experiences with other Vereins. (also Iāll bring Coup).
So Iāve spent a bit more time to read and digest the posts in here and the other thread.
The original post maybe started off with a slightly different goal but two of the bullet points in the OP are definitely Verein related (the first one in particular!) which is probably why the discussion has become more about the Verein than anything else.
I still think the question of:
Why should RPG Vienna āVerein-ifyā? should be answered. Whether itās in this thread, in person on the 22nd or a bit of both. Once that question has been answered, it leaves space for the other things like future events etc.
Iām seeing some good arguments why a Verein is not needed but not many arguments for why it is neededā¦so far
This could easily be solved by making the fact that @Neil is paying privately for website costs more publicly known on the forum. I, for example, donāt even know how I would donate to Neil if I wanted to. Maybe this can be fixed with a link or something in every V.A.L.U.E game post? And/or DMs can mention it at the end of their games? Just by sheer curiosity, how much do you need to cover the costs Neil?
Edit: so far there havenāt been any complaints/questions about WoW keepers entry fees. Itās still much, much cheaper compared to playing in a Cafe/Restaurant and we could even store minis or other things there if needed.
I posted a PayPal link at some point and got a couple of donations that way (which Iām eternally grateful for) these days it costs me around 30 euros a month. I also set up a Patreon fairly recently but I decided to not make it public in the end. It always feels a bit dirty for me when the subject of money comes up
However, the subject of money seems to be a driving force for the Verein idea.
If people organize an event, couldnāt they just have a tip jar that goes towards the volunteers getting a kƤsesemmerl and a beer on the day?
We did that for Night of the Rolling Dice and it was a sizable amount, enough that I dont feel comfortable being responsible for it in any way @SilentButDeadly What was the actual amount?
Okay, lets move Verein stuff to the Verein thread and leave this poor thread for just general ideas xD
In my opinion you shouldnāt feel bad about setting up a Patreon and if youāre OK with it I would petition include as a regular link together with the rules in each VALUE post. 30ā¬/month is a sizeable amount for you to pay on your own but if each regular member subscribes to your Patreon itās probably 1ā¬/month/person and thatās really no big deal. And if there is more than you need, it can go towards books etc for the community
BTW thought of going out for some food after the meeting in the nearby Diwan Holzkohlengrill place. Relly impressive and have some very reasonble-priced options. Lots of vegeterian options too. Not sure if they serve booze though.
Sign up here if you would like to join for after-meeting dinner. Planning to make a reservation by Friday.
Unfortunately I wonāt be able to make the meeting. But you can write me on Discord or in the forum if you need something from me (design, website, whatever).
Vereinsakademie [-> a Verein that org. lectures/workshops on how to start & esp. run a Verein]
(all links are in German)
@Otschi
a few of the folks want to start a Verein
this is about helping them how not to get lost (esp. in accounting) and tell them about what to take care of ā¦ esp. if you have started/run a Verein yourself
there had been the idea to Verein-size RPGVienna in general started by 2 people ā¦ but (at least) I think that this thought had been buried unless we at least x20 the numbers of our regulars note: we are ~16 regulars right now
mostly this is hanging out with @AmLash (who will be late) and @Neil though
seems to be the far more reasonable approach
Update location - WOW keepers
ā¦ still not sure if I can make it
the numbers of our regulars