so i joined a campaign in December, at the time it was f2p but the dm postponed the start until jan. then when we started he announced that he is going to start charging in February, $30 per player per month. he also runs 3 other campaigns (premade modules) that he charges for. I would be fine with this if it was a pro dm who did great homebrew content but the game were playing is Dragon of Ice spire Peak, first few sessions were on roll20 with massive lag, and last 2 were on forge without lag. the dm is playing the campaign to the letter exact quests exact rewards no imagination he says hes only charging half this month since hes starting p2p mid month. I do not plan on staying with him after this campaign. I am in another homebrewed campaign that is f2p and an amazing dm so i may be biased. but at the same time i dont like the idea of leaving the rest of my group high and dry by dropping out and not paying. so my dilemma is as follows : should I pay the $15 to finish a subpar campaign or be a dick and bail bc i dont feel its worth it? I really dont like being mean and leaving a bad image

My Take:

1. I personally would never play in a play-to-play D&D pen and paper game ever. I certainly would not play in one where it was not announced as pay to play from the start.
2. I agree that leaving puts some strain on your co-adventurers but to be honest it was really placed there by the DM in my opinion.
3. Once committed I would not leave a campaign unless the original expectations of play were not being met or some RLF situation arose that took me away from the game.

Ultimately it is up to you but for future campaign's stay away from the pay-to-play as in most cases you will generally feel like it's not enough.

You shouldn't feel obligated to spend money on a game simply because other people are doing so.  The DM sprang this pay-to-play shit up on you unexpectedly; that would be a big red flag to me, even if I could afford the game.  This particular DM is attempting to charge you for something he'd already previously agreed to provide for free.  That's not cool.  let the other players know, if you can, that your leaving is nothing against them at all, you're simply not comfortable with how this abrupt introduction of (a fairly frickin' stiff) monthly subscription for the game was handled.

I agree with Yurei.

Since this DM has started charging for his game then the contract between you and him has become financial instead of just for fun.

Therefore you should only pay for it if you are enjoying it.

The other players are probably thinking the same thing.

BTW, you aren't going to be a dick by bailing - you are acting quite sensibly to the change in contract. The DM, in theory, can easily recruit another player to fill your place - and that player will be aware of the actual cost involved from the start.

Also, it is the DM that is leaving the bad image, not you.

i personally would bail. Even $15 a month per player for a prewritten, published, online, campaign is, imo, a lot. Some would say its not much. I pay for IRL sessions, but its $3 per game and supports the DM's purchases.  It all boils down to your own cost/benefit analysis though and no one can do that but you.

I have no issues with the concept of pay-to-play D&D. However, that being said, unexpectedly pivoting a game from free to pay-to-play is not okay in my book. Paying for D&D is something everyone getting involved with the DM should be aware of before they even think about contacting the DM.

As for leaving the campaign; don't feel bad about it. If the DM wishes to charge, they should offer a service worth what they're charging. If you don't feel that's the case, you should leave the game. You wouldn't be in the wrong for doing so.

I agree with others that you should leave the campaign. 

As for what to do with the other members of your current campaign and how to alleviate your guilt over leaving them "high and dry",  If you have the option, you should send each a private message on Discord (or whatever you all use for communication) explaining your reasons for leaving the campaign.  You will want to specifically note that you were not happy with how the subscription was handled and think the particular subscription fee is far in excess of the services rendered.  l would also toss in an apology to them, noting that you are sorry you did not get to know their characters better.  You can always throw in a personal anecdote about something you liked about their specific character.  It is likely they will already sympathize with, or at least understand, your reasons for leaving, and a compliment can go a long way to dissipate any remaining resentment you have.

Quote from RijuToshu >>

[...] at the time it was f2p but the dm postponed the start until jan. then when we started he announced that he is going to start charging in February, $30 per player per month. [...]

That right there... That is false advertising, at best. I am not one of the guys that is opposed to P2P, I believe in the demand x supply concept, and if there is people willing to pay, then people should be allowed to provide, BUT... this one is shady.

I don't think you should never stick to a campaign you're not having fun on - this is a game, after all - and playing with someone that is essentially baiting you with a F2P to transition on a P2P is just nuts.

You're not being a jerk and you shouldn't be worried on sticking because of a "bad image". This is like not breaking up with a person you hate to not leave a bad image with their family.

I pay $5 per session and play every 2 weeks for a Tomb of Annihilation campaign, but the DM is great and we play a ta game store that gives us a free beverage and snack with every session. The drink and snack are like $2-3, so it feels like a good deal. But if he had suddenly started charging mid campaign, I would be out in a flash. Outside of a store setting, I don't really understand charging for D&D. It actually costs me money to DM the group I run, between minis, notebooks, supplies, etc. I ask the group for donations to the D&D fund, and they all pitch in a little when they can, but I can't imagine actually forcing them to pay for my game.

One unusual justification I ran across once for paid games is that getting someone to pay for something means they show the **** up.  Too many people treat a commitment to game night as an easy, casual thing they can blow off whenever they feel like, which makes scheduling a nightmare and really hurts everybody else's fun if Sam only shows up for two games in five.  Get a bunch of people to pay for sessions, even if it's a mostly trivial amount?  Suddenly they'll make an effort to be there, because now they want to get their money's worth.

It's a cheap trick, and not necessarily the best way to get people to stop treating game night like a casual blow-off, but it's certainly a way, and if the DM is providing access to books or tools the group can help with that to an extent.  So yeah.  Not opposed to pay-for-play, but this particular story sounds seventeen kinds of sus.  No dice here.

Quote from trigojon >>

I pay $5 per session and play every 2 weeks for a Tomb of Annihilation campaign, but the DM is great and we play a ta game store that gives us a free beverage and snack with every session. The drink and snack are like $2-3, so it feels like a good deal. But if he had suddenly started charging mid campaign, I would be out in a flash. Outside of a store setting, I don't really understand charging for D&D. It actually costs me money to DM the group I run, between minis, notebooks, supplies, etc. I ask the group for donations to the D&D fund, and they all pitch in a little when they can, but I can't imagine actually forcing them to pay for my game.

I think there is a difference between forcing and simply charging.

To the OPs post first and foremost, this DM is a piece of shit and you should bail.  Your mental health and happiness supercedes everything else and it’s ok to be selfish.  If you want to save face and present the best image?  Simply communicate it on your way out.  “This game started as a free to play, then you started charging.  While it’s not a big charge, this really wasn’t discussed so much as imposed and I felt guilt tripped more than included.  Sorry, but I’m not going to be in a good mental space to continue this and provide the other players with a good companion with, and I don’t want to ruin their D&D experience either so I’ll be leaving effective immediately.”

At the end, the DM is providing a service.  Moreso if it’s a homebrew setting, because we’re talking about content creation.  I don’t see anything inherently wrong with charging for D&D games if there is some minimums put forth.  Minimums to me include fleshed out worlds, battle maps with minis and a pretty verbose knowledge of the rules and the ability to adjudicate edge cases quickly while roleplaying appropriately.  Charging 10 dollars per player or whatever the end goal is really does amount to opportunity cost, and to the point about players actually showing up?  I’ve been in three paid to play games, one charged 5, one charged 15 and one charged 25.  You’d be “amazed” at the percentages of no shows at each tier.  5 dollar tier was basically who cares money.  15 dollars was like a Netflix subscription, and people treated it like it.  Most cared, one guy was iffy.  25 dollars and no one missed games over a year and half baring some insane work/life balance stuff they easily could back up.  

If there's money involved, there's money involved. That works both ways. If the DM feels their services are worth financial compensation, they're free to charge a fee; but equally so, if you're being charged a fee you're free to walk away if you feel the services provided are not worth it. Now sure, there's some middle ground possible: it's decent to keep the other players in mind and it might be reasonable to give the DM a chance to improve their game for a couple of sessions, just as it's not a bad idea for the DM to give you a free taste and let you see what you'll be getting for a session or two. Both sides accommodating the other a little bit tends to make for better results. But in the end it comes down to value. You apparently got a few free sessions at least, so you got a sample. Springing P2P on you is a bit sketchy, but you know what you can expect. I don't know how many hours you'll get for your money, or how enjoyable playing with this group is aside from the DM, but from what you describe ("campaign to the letter, no imagination") I don't think I'd consider this good value for money (maybe not for time either - I really enjoy D&D, but I don't have an abundance of free time; I have better ways of spending a couple of hours per week on a poor online game to begin with). The situation's changed, it's perfectly ok to change with it. 

Pay to plays are entirely legitimate. DMing is a lot of effort and time and isn't easy. While I enjoy DMing for friends, I would want compensation if it were among strangers or mere acquaintances. Even if it weren't P2P, I'd still give gifts to the DM if I were a player.

Still, this is bit of a d**k move. Most charitably, he's never DMed before and just realised how much work it is, and decided that he needs an income to justify it. Persoanlly, I'd have a frank chat with the players that it's currently unsustainable, and suggest a donation based system for the rest of the campaign - pay if you want, but it's not a necessity.

Uncharitably, it was a ploy all along. Get you to join, commit with your character, story and time so you don't want to leave, abandoning your investment and letting down your party. If I felt that this was the situation, I'd leave out of principle. Do my own campaign if I wanted to carry on.

You started with the premise that, among other things, it was free. There is nothing wrong with you backing out when that premise was changed. Depending on the exact situation, it may even be the moral thing to do in order to discourage future dishonest behaviour.

OP's situation could be construed as being on the receiving end of a "bait and switch" and if that's the case it crosses the line of "fair play" on the DM's part.  Paid TTRPGing is a hot button for some folks, but I'm fine with the concept and have even been paid myself.  But setting up a game and then announcing fees right before start after a two month delay is sorta like a pusher "first one's free" hustle.  There is nothing wrong with offering a free game that converts to a paid campaign with the free sessions offering a preview of what the paid service will offer ... if that set up is clearly communicated that continued participation will lead to a paid situation.  If that wasn't communicated, you have no social obligation to the paid dynamic.  If it was communicated and you misinterpreted, you made a mistake and the right thing to do is to apologize for the misunderstanding and move on.  If the DM is professionally minded, and they should be if they're collected money, they should understand those misunderstandings happen and may adapt their practices so their free to pay shift dynamic is more clear in their solicitation.  

So if paying to play the game doesn't make you comfortable or incurs a financial hardship you weren't anticipating, simply tell the group "I'm sorry, I wasn't prepared for the games shift into a paid game.  I am not in the position to enjoy a paid game so will have to bow out.  Sorry for any misunderstanding on my part."  Now the DM or other players may castigate you or blame you for sinking the game.  That's scapegoating and just understand that whatever vent you may receive doesn't apply to you and is really about a poorly established dynamic over which you had no control.  In fact, after you bow out, I'd say you have no obligation to respond or read any communication from the group sent your way.  Say your peace and go find a game that meets your standards of honest and fair play.  

Was the game in question advertised on DDB?  Soapbox moment, because of the lack of quality assurance on behalf of most of the usual suspects for hosts of LFG/LFP postings (DDB, Roll20, etc), the paid gaming space is rife with this sort of shadiness and questionable business competence.  Nowhere else on this or other forums is anyone allowed to post any other form of game related service for a fee/pay (art, campaign development/editing, writing services, muzak, etc) without it getting pushed to the Advertisement sections.  It's one of those not even extra mile, just a few literal spatial inches, that I think would protect the community from disappointment on account of fraudulence or incompetence from folks exploiting the LFG market. 

Paid DM here. So take this opinion as just my perspective.

  I am not sure about it being a "bait and switch" thing (that implies premeditation, not convinced that applies based on the OP)... But the DM did pull what I would call a D*** Move. Assuming he (the dm) recently decided to start charging for services; he still should have waited until the current campaign was finished before charging the OP (for any additional games going forward from that point). Switching mid campaign? That just makes the DM look greedy.

As a side note were it me; I would mention soon after deciding to charge for services that I would begin doing so with any NEW campaigns but all current campaigns would be brought to satisfactory conclusions for free first. 

You aren't being a dick by leaving, it was stated as free at the start and now suddenly it isn't. That's a perfectly fine and valid reason to leave.

I was a paid DM for a short while, this is just poor form my dude. Get outta there.

Are the other players paying? Who knows, they might feel the same way as you. Just tell them "Hey, I'm leaving the campaign because I don't like having to suddenly pay for it, just wanted to let y'all know." and you'll be all good.

There are plenty of people who want to play, you don't need to pay. Paying doesn't guarantee a good DM or a fun group.

I generally don't like p2p but someone who has often DMed in community centres for underprivileged kids, covering the hire cost of the room can become a burden.  For this reason, I pay half the cost and then split the remaining half between all the players.  When I do community DM stuff, I usually have nine players, and each one pays £3 a week.  

That makes the total for the players half £27 and I pay £27, totalling £54 a week, which pays for the room hire.  

That said if one of the kids who come to my community games can't afford that £3, I would not prevent them from playing. I would pay the extra £3 that, that kid couldn't afford.  I do advertise as charging £3 per session, however, simply because if I had to pay out the entire cost, that would be £216 a month, which over the year adds up.  

I do not make any profit from running the game, all money pays for the hire of the room. 

I agree with everyone who says that, if the change of terms from F2P to P2P unannounced, midgame, bothers you, you should drop with a clear conscience.

As for DMs charging, I personally like the idea of charging beforehand, for the aforementioned reason of people being more likely to show. I also like the "per month" idea because they have already become financially obligated in that respect, and if they miss the first couple sessions in a month, they will be paying more to be re-inserted, which might incentivize them to pay early and attend each session, to get more "bang for their buck."

If you decide to leave, and if I was in your situation I would (although I would address to the group why I was leaving, being franker to the DM in a sidebar separate message), no one really has any reason to judge you, the game you are playing became something you didn't sign up for and offered a commitment too, basically the rules of engagement changed.

The group I play with is a group of friends, in person, and is free, which I know is not the reality for all situations. Most of the game costs, have come up by the DM (either stuff he had, or things he created, he's really good at some projects), that being said folks have been bringing things to game nights (beverages, food, etc) since before I joined and we've continued that even after I joined. I'm currently the one who bought things on D&D Beyonder, who has the subscription and who bought most of the books (which the DM keeps joking that I should stop my book problem) and I'm the one who creates the homebrew classes and what not or items after they are approved and/or created by the DM so that they can use with D&D beyond.... I also get that our setup is not going to work for all groups, but we enjoy it.

That's the main point you seem to be okay with being in that particular campaign, for what you agreed to do (as in a free campaign) and even now your thought process isn't the fact you are not willing to pay for a D&D game, you just don't feel this one is worth the money/cost that is being sprung on you. Doesn't sound like you are enjoying it so it's probably in your best interest to move on.