Event Pricing Strategy
Pricing Framework
| Category | Example | Price | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known system + proven DM | Daggerheart, Mork Borg | $10-20/player | Established demand, can charge |
| Unknown system + good DM | Mazes, random indie RPG | Free or tip jar | Marketing/discovery — removes friction for curious newcomers |
| Kid-friendly / seasonal | Mausritter, Land of Eem | Price for accessibility | Upsell books to parents |
Core Principle
Unknown indie RPG events are loss leaders. The value isn’t ticket revenue — it’s:
- Foot traffic and book/supplement sales after the session
- Word of mouth from a great free experience
- Building reputation as the place to try weird indie RPGs
- Supporting the indie RPG ecosystem (brand differentiator)
DM Compensation
- Tom: willing to run free events; pay reasonable flat rate out of pocket when games are free
- Teresa: 20/player if employable
- Jonah: TBD — currently on hiatus
Constraints & Lessons Learned
- Free late-night events caused burnout in 2025 — Panat and Carrie argued about the time investment vs. payoff (people weren’t buying books after)
- Membership program is intended to change this math: memberships subsidize the free discovery events so they don’t need to be individually profitable
- Even at $10, unknown games like Land of Eem had low turnout — price isn’t the only factor but it is a barrier for games nobody has heard of
Decision Authority
Panat makes final call on which RPGs DMs run and how they’re priced.