A few years ago, you would have been laughed at for this idea. But now some guy is charging $300 for a 4-hour session. And he has a waiting list.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/the-rise-of-the-professional-dungeon-master/ar-AAE2mNm?li=BBnbfcN
Whether or not I'm a good enough DM to pull this kind of thing off, I don't think I ever would try.
It's just bizarre. There's enough pressure being a DM as it is: having the added pressure of "these are complete strangers paying for a service" has to make it significantly worse.
Can you imagine the pressure to not kill off a player character?
Frankly, the idea intrigues me. Probably be a good way to stomach running games I'm particularly fond of (and endure their idiosyncrasies).
I'd charge $120 an hour to put up with lame role-players.
Wow that is great news, I am glad that these DMs are giving it a go so successfully.
I can understand there might be demand for this, but I doubt that just any DM could make it work. I couldn't.
Suckers and their money...
But good for those DMs.
You think with that money he would have some better terrain like Dwarven Forge......
Taking money to GM just seems wrong to me. Also not sure what I think about D&D team building exercises. Sounds like a hustle.
Given the time it takes to prepare to Gm a game, the amount of materials most gms own, and the hassle of just moving your stuff to where ever a group is gaming, I can 100 percent get it. For a 4 hour session that moves at a good pace would take him probably 2 hours for every hour of play time to prepare for, so 300 dollars for a 12 hour effort is IMO fair pay for fair work, IF HE IS GOOD. But that is an easy resolution, if he sucks he gets no more business, since he has a waiting list I think he has found his market. The shocker for me is he has found enough gamers (players) to actually part with money to support their hobby to make this a thing.
(EDITED TO ADD) I see now, the guy is playing to the right base, young folks getting paid a ton of money in high stress jobs (working for google) to sell his wares. Heck the price is justified just considering housing costs in San Fran.
The only way I'd pay for a GM is if she's a topless stripper.
Quote from: Chocolate Sauce;1094984The only way I'd pay for a GM is if she's a topless stripper.
Hear, hear. I would pay extra if she saluted each dead character with the ping pong ball trick. That would make me run like an idiot towards a sea of spears.
Quote from: Chocolate Sauce;1094984The only way I'd pay for a GM is if she's a topless stripper.
Sounds like an ace business plan. Combine Hooters with role playing games. Instead of curly fries, serve up cheetos and Mountain Dew.
Quote from: Aglondir;1094938A few years ago, you would have been laughed at for this idea. But now some guy is charging $300 for a 4-hour session. And he has a waiting list.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/the-rise-of-the-professional-dungeon-master/ar-AAE2mNm?li=BBnbfcN
Eh. More power to him if he can make it work, but I'm not interested in paying a GM or charging to GM.
Hmm...so if you have money to burn, but no friends, you can hire someone to play D&D with you. Ok.
Charging makes a certain amount of sense -- it's like being paid to play music at an event for entertainment, except you're running a game instead. I see some people on Twitter saying to charge $1500/hr though. I think that only works if you're a celebrity.
This subject? Again?
Look. This is not a new idea. As far back as the 80s there were a few groups that required an attendance fee. This was usually not to pay the DM though. But a pool to buy new gaming material. Or for the DM to rent out a meeting space. The first group I ever joined had that. Chip in a quarter a session to help pay for the game room fee. I think even Dragon wayyyyyyy the hell back touched on the idea.
But now we are seeing more people trying to strongly push monetizing being a DM.
The diametric opposite are groups that force players to DM before they can be a player.
Quote from: Omega;1094997The diametric opposite are groups that force players to DM before they can be a player.
That seems like the opposite way to introduce someone to DMing.
Start as a player, observe how the DM does things, think to yourself "Self, I can do that!" proceed to try...
Quote from: Aglondir;1094938A few years ago, you would have been laughed at for this idea. But now some guy is charging $300 for a 4-hour session. And he has a waiting list.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/the-rise-of-the-professional-dungeon-master/ar-AAE2mNm?li=BBnbfcN
Quote from: oggsmash;1094983Given the time it takes to prepare to Gm a game, the amount of materials most gms own, and the hassle of just moving your stuff to where ever a group is gaming, I can 100 percent get it. For a 4 hour session that moves at a good pace would take him probably 2 hours for every hour of play time to prepare for, so 300 dollars for a 12 hour effort is IMO fair pay for fair work, IF HE IS GOOD. But that is an easy resolution, if he sucks he gets no more business, since he has a waiting list I think he has found his market. The shocker for me is he has found enough gamers (players) to actually part with money to support their hobby to make this a thing.
(EDITED TO ADD) I see now, the guy is playing to the right base, young folks getting paid a ton of money in high stress jobs (working for google) to sell his wares. Heck the price is justified just considering housing costs in San Fran.
I'm from and have gamed (as a player & GM) in SF. There's literally
thousands of people looking to play tabletop rpgs in the greater Bay Area, so it's the perfect place to do what he's doing.
Regardless of location, GMs entertain and entertainers should get compensation, even if it's only a free meal :)