How TavernSeat Works

Why Discord? Discord is the core social and communication layer of the tabletop community. By signing in with Discord, we ensure:

• Your identity is tied to a real account that players and GMs can trust
• In-platform communication (chat, session planning, voice/video) is centralized
• Groups and private servers are easy to manage for both free and paid campaigns

Players and GMs both sign in using Discord. This helps us maintain:

• A consistent identity across sessions
• Reputation and reliability tracking
• Seamless coordination before and during games

You'll use Discord to:

• Chat with your group
• Receive session reminders
• Coordinate schedules
• Participate in community discussions

TavernSeat does not replicate what Discord already does well — we integrate with it so you can focus on playing, not managing another chat platform.

Once signed in:

Players can browse:

• Campaigns, one-shots, and ongoing groups
• Game systems (D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, etc.)
• GM profiles, ratings, and descriptions

You can filter by system, session type, open seats, and more.

Free Games

You can join free games directly through the platform, and communication for session planning takes place in Discord with your GM and players.

Paid Games — Why Stripe Is Required

For paid sessions, Stripe payments are required because:

• Stripe provides secure, reliable payment processing trusted by millions of businesses worldwide
• All payments are handled through Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure to protect both players and GMs
• GMs receive payouts directly via Stripe, giving them control over their earnings
• TavernSeat handles platform fees (10%) transparently through Stripe, with no hidden charges

Stripe ensures that:

• Payments are safe
• GMs are paid promptly
• Players can book with confidence

Important: GMs must set up a Stripe account to run paid games. This allows funds (minus platform fees — 10%) to go directly to them, and gives players a trusted way to pay with cards or other Stripe-enabled methods.

Once a seat is reserved, you'll receive confirmation and next steps through Discord.

After booking:

• Join the game at the scheduled time via Discord
• Communicate with your GM and group
• Enjoy the session

Discord is where your in-session coordination happens — voice chats, roll announcers, campaign discussion, and scheduling all take place there.

After play:

• Players can leave ratings and feedback
• GMs build reputation and reliability scores
• You can easily rebook the next session with a Repeat Booking button

This helps the community discover great experiences and makes it easy to continue your favorite campaigns.

Do I have to be on Discord? Yes — Discord is required for sign-in and session communication. It's the standard in tabletop play and ensures reliable, real-time coordination.

Do I have to use Stripe? Yes — for paid games. Stripe keeps payments secure and ensures GMs get paid. There is no alternative checkout method on TavernSeat at this time.