Professional GM: Possible Return

[Dragon Snack]

Aim higher. Charge more and make it worth it.

Realistically, you are only going to max out at one session a day during the week (well, realistically you will be extremely lucky to get that). If they're 5 hours long, that's only 25 hours. If you kill yourself on Saturday and Sunday DMing 12 hour days, there's another 24 hours. Let's be generous and add another hour to make the math easier...

50 hours at $8/hour is only $400 a week for busting your butt (and the hours you aren't getting paid will be going into prep work). Can you live on less than $400 a week in NYC?

That's actually not what you will take home though, since you have expenses. Uncle Sam and Mr Patterson will want their pound of flesh (if I read my tax forms right, it looks like Bloomberg gets a cut as well, but I don't actually live in The City) and to top it off you get to contribute both halves to "your" SS. And if people are paying you to DM, you better have all of the books - especially the newest ones.

BTW, tipping the owner (which you would be) is considered improper by many people, even if it has become more acceptable these days. Don't count on a single penny over what you charge.

Good luck, but I think you would be better served to either do this part time on the weekends (for a little extra spending cash) or put your effort into finding one or two groups who would be willing to pay the big bucks for a DM (maybe some Wall Street fat cats will want to spend their money less conspicuously - on a D&D game!).

[unan oranis]

Stratagies for dm'ing professionally I am not interested in/have abandoned for now:

#1 (the king of france strategy)
Lower your cost of living to zero (become homeless bum) and play for fun. This is not a bad option in north america if your zen enough to get over all the cool toys most of society enjoys. You may want to scoot over to canada for the medicare.

You will probably discover that scouring for snacks in back alleys is very simular to larping, and perhaps a greater level of play will be unveiled to thee.


#2 (the depressingly viable strategy)
Study assorted snake oil new age medicine websites. Borrow some of their language and put together a "mind altering psychic healing circle" or some such; practice pretending to talk to the dead. Charge at least 20,000 per session, you only need one a year.

Might have to establish voodoo cred by mutilating yourself or getting a bizarre tattoo.


#3 (the shamwow strategy)
Claim to have found a way to make money as a dm. Sell a guide on how to do it. The guide is mostly filler centered around advice for creating and selling guides on how to make money dm'ing.

Be wary of releasing your guide as a pdf, and if you do for gawdz sake don't pull it and then claim to be fighting piracy.


#4 (the next generation strategy)
Patiently await the society engulfing ramifications of holo-deck style virtual reality. WOW has demonstrated that dnd will conquer the landscape of shared imagination, which will become the defacto universe as sentient beings know it.

Possible danger/awesomeness of dm's hunting each other down and wizard battling for each others souls ala highlander. I'm coming for your ass by the way ~ best up your game before we meet.


If any of these strategies seems ridiculous your imagination is too weak for the job you're after.

[Jack99]

Originally Posted by Obryn

I don't know I'd want to hire a GM who couldn't get a job at Burger King.

-O

I am not sure I'd want to hire one that applies for a job at BK.

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

It's only been one day since the interview so I don't know for sure if they're not going to hire me.

I think a problem came when I informed them that I wasn't looking for something long-term. The mood of the conversation seemed to change for the worse at that point.

Again, it might be a false alarm but it doesn't feel like one.

Why on earth would you tell them that? Has no one told you how/what to say at an interview?

Okay, aside from the above, I do have two questions.
1) $8 an hour? It sounds insanely low to me, but I know we have it good over here. To compare, what does BK pay?

2) What are your credentials as a 4e DM? How many hours have you had of actual DM'ing so far? Also, what are your credentials from the prior editions?

[aboyd]

Tav_Behemoth's post is great because he talks about real people who actually do GM for money. However, I don't think a guy who flubs a Burger King interview can pull together anything close to what Tav_Behemoth outlined. So...

Originally Posted by Solodan

If you do want to do gaming professionally, maybe you could work something out with a game store or something. Hold popular events at a gamestore, be responsibile for all the advertising and bringing in of new people.

That is a great "fourth type of professional gamer" to add to Tav_Behemoth's list. And importantly, this is something I suspect the OP can do. Head to every gaming store in the region that has a table for gamers, and vow to fill seats around the table, constantly. Have the game store owner pay you as a normal employee, but your job is to get butts in the seats, get gamers walking around the store, get gamers buying sodas & candy bars from the vending machines, get gamers feeling enthusiastic about hanging out there, etc.

It's not only possible, it's plausible for an enthusiastic, charismatic GM who hasn't been able to land "normal" work.

EDIT: everything that you do at that table should be for sale. If you use a Battlemat, at the end of the game you should say, "We sell these, $30 each." If you're running a module, you should say at the outset, "We're running this module, we have 6 copies if any of you enjoy it." You know?

And be prepared to suck it up a little bit. Owners of real small stores are going to expect you to do a bit of everything. You may spend some days standing at the register, looking at the gaming table longingly. There are ways around that, though. For example, if you get a confirmed 6 players for a 4 hour game, the store owner is going to have a real hard time sending 6 people away so you can audit the inventory or something.

Also, probably best to keep games short or have intermissions, so you can rotate people in & out, get them up and walking around the store. I'm thinking 3 or 4 hour games straight through, or 5 or 6 hour games with a good 20 minute break in the middle. Never end a game as the store is closing. Always end at least 30 minutes before closing, so the group has time to mill about and flip through some books (or whatever might perk up their wallets).

[Tav_Behemoth]

Good post, aboyd. In Korea there are game cafes that work on this model. My hosts took me to one in a mall in Seoul. It's kind of like a Starbucks, except that the walls are lined with shelves of games. You order drinks from a menu, buy table time (about the price of a fancy coffee for one hour IIRC), and then request games (also listed on the menu, with descriptions of their playing time, complexity, age range, etc.) The staff will then bring you the game, and if you don't know how to play they teach you.

Part of why this works is that boardgames are a new thing in Korea - Eurogames started the game cafe mania, but even games like Life are a novelty there. Another reason is that most Koreans live under the same roof as other members of their family; renting table space at a cafe is a nice way to get out of the house & have a place to play with your friends. Both of these factors are less true in the US, although the not having a basement that can be dedicated to gaming is certainly something most folks in NYC and Seoul share.

Some things to add to this idea:

- RPGs aren't popular enough in Korea to make it work, but I think they'd be a great fit for a game cafe here. One of the problems that a cafe owner told me about was that he basically spends most of his store's expenses on personnel salaries teaching people to become gamers, and once they do so those gamers are ready to go buy games at a discount on the Internet and play them on their own; just having the table space isn't enough to keep them coming back to the cafe. An ongoing RPG campaign is a great return-business generator, and if you do living-campaign stuff (like having different groups exploring & changing the world all together) it could offer exciting advantages over playing a RPG at home that wouldn't depend on you needing to convince existing gamers that your GMing is superior to what they can do for themselves.

- Nevertheless, the Seoul model implies that you should be available to run as many different kinds of games as the store carries. Part of what you offer the store could be the fact that you're a member of every game company's demo program, like the Looney Labs team or Steve Jackson's MIB, and you bust your butt getting those companies to support gaming at the store. You might also be able to get some support (financial or barter) from those companies.

- To get your foot in the door, you might offer to work on commission for the game store - they don't have to pay you out of their budget, but if you create $200 of sales in an afternoon they ought to be willing to give you $20 or $40 of that. Again, you're not going to be able to make a living this way, but it'd build up your experience, demonstrate the possibilities to the game store, and be a fun way to spend a weekend.

[Captain_Commando]

I've decided to try the business out. Other jobs will be pursued as the business is underway. Flexible hours for the GMing service will make it possible to pursue other sources of income.

I've collected both positive and negative criticism from each of the 6 forums on which I posted this brainstorming thread. A lot of insults but also a lot of insight, even from some of the insults.

There are profound differences between a pay-for-play campaign and a paid-by-the-hour GMing service. Perhaps the most important difference is flexibility.

Here's a new list. This might not be everything but it's a few steps forward from the first brainstorming list. Keep the comments and the suggestions coming.

1. The business is a DnD 4e GMing service paid by the hour. DnD 3.5e or Pathfinder service might be offered as well though 4e will remain the primary rules system used.
2. The cost might be $15/hour. <no tip mentioned> Too little or too much can drive away clients. The existence of a mandatory tip may cause problematic expectations. A 4-hour session split between 5 players would thus be the equivalent of a movie ticket in Manhattan. Special session packages may be offered at higher or lower rates.
3. The service offers 1-shot adventures (original pre-written, published, or custom). Custom adventures may have free prep or prep at an additional charge based on the amount of time and effort required to fulfill the client's request.
4. The service offers teaching games. This may include rules tutorials, game design tutorials (including monster and NPC design), plot writing tutorials, and at-table performance tutorials. Good for both players and aspiring game masters. Special games for math, science, or history tutoring could be offered.
5. The service offers special cooperative war games with DnD miniatures.
6. The service is sold on time and convenience as well as guaranteed quality.
7. Role-playing products could be sold or advertised at the end or during each session.
8. Snacks could be sold during sessions depending on the gaming location.
9. The service will have its own web site, not part of someone else's.
10. All original adventures are tested through the local DnD meetup group.
11. Local comic and gaming stores should be approached for cooperation. Product discounts, coupons for clients, store and service advertisement, and space reservation/rental may be discussed.
12. A menu of [gaming locations + location details] will be on the web site.
13. Special packages could be offered that may include food or renting a conference room at a hotel or space at a store.
14. Gaming products may be sold or advertised on the service website for extra income.
15. A standard survey should be prepared to find out client preferences and maximize their enjoyment. All sessions should be adapted or suggested based on the survey.
16. Breaks for bathroom or food will not be included in the bill. An itemized billing summary indicating time consumption might be necessary.
17. Extra effort must be taken to memorize story elements to provide a more professional level of performance.
18. Attire and behavior should be professional. A nice shirt and slacks if not a suit and tie.
19. A feedback or evaluation survey form could be given to willing clients with space for writing suggestions on how to improve the service or business model.
20. A minimum 24-hour notice will be given if I have to cancel a session. Any less and the next gaming session is offered for free.
21. Character generation will be offered as pregens, partially constructed characters, or up to the client to create. A character creation tutorial could be offered as part of the session.
22. Business networking is crucial to the service's success. Some companies might hire a known professional game master to run team-building exercises. Local Meetup groups will be marketed to including NYC DnD, Board Games and Card Games, SciFi Fantasy, and BizNet. New groups and companies should be marketed to every month if not daily/weekly. The previous attempt at marketing focused on college students and the marketed product was unmarketable.
23. Copies of all receipts for the service should be kept for tax purposes.
24. A contract with carefully written terms of agreement should be issued at the beginning of a session to prevent certain legal problems.
25. All gaming materials will be provided by me (clients can still bring their own though). This will include dungeon master's screen, dice, pencils, paper, dungeon tiles, printed handouts (including reference sheets), cinema stand, action tokens, and washable battle mat. Reference sheets should be no more than 5 pages. Cinema stand is yet to be tested but holds promise. Meticulous memorization of details/rules and innovative use of pre-tested game design tools (ex. battle challenges and moving terrain) will likely enhance the value of the service.
26. RPGA certification as a judge should be pursued. I'll be registering as a member on Wednesday, and the Herald test has been quickened. Higher level judge certification should be pursued as soon as possible. Having DMing experience recorded on the NYC DnD Meetup site is also helpful for attracting clients.
27. A compilation of play tested and refined adventures from the service will be offered to a game company for increased income.
28. A business relationship with a game company might be possible based on how much attention the service gains.
29. For packages including food, perhaps culinary/baking students might be approached for the promise of a share of the haul and/or in some cases a seat at the table and/or experience to add to their resumés and/or a free game session or product. NYC is loaded with culinary/baking students.
30. Professional web support may be possible. Web designers also have a meetup group. Web design students can always use more cash. Perhaps someone will trade web service in exchange for free game sessions or morbid curiosity or just for fun/experience.

[kitsune9]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

For those of you who are unaware, I'm a New Yorker who was about to start a horribly planned business called "Caravan of Blades" back in early March. The business was a pay-for-play Dungeons and Dragons 4e campaign. I wasn't thinking clearly. My father had recently passed away of a heart attack and the experience and aftermath were a bit traumatic (I discovered the body that night). I needed to get a job and picked a bad idea for making money.

Fortunately I put a stop to the horror on the first day when I snapped back to my senses.

Unfortunately despite job-hunting since then I still haven't gotten hired. Yesterday featured an interview at the local Burger King yesterday which I think went very badly. I'm having serious doubts about being able to get a job. My resumé sucks, so much that it might be impossible for me to get anything due to local competition being fierce and better qualified in practically every case.

I'm handing in some more applications over the next couple of weeks, but I'm starting to feel very desperate as well as very pathetic.

I'm contemplating another try with paid game mastering. This time with a plausible sane business plan.

This time practically everything would have to be done differently.

This might be just a false alarm but I'm mulling this over nonetheless.

This will be just brainstorming for now. Actually going through with this would be a last resort. I'm open to suggestions.

So to start things off.

1. This will NOT be a pay-for play campaign. This time I'll be a game master hired by the hour. No sitting around simply hoping for people to show up. I'll be able to cancel in case of emergency.

2. I'll charge $8/hour + tip for my services. It will be relatively inexpensive if my clients are paying as a group. The tip is not mandatory.

3. I'll run 1-shot self-contained adventures for DnD 4e. They can be from a menu of prewritten original adventures I'll offer or published adventures or custom adventures tailored to the clients' preferences (with an extra service charge).

4. I'll advertise my services to local meetup groups and specific local businesses. The local DnD Meetup Group for example has over 800 members, many without a regular group or unable to find games that fit their schedules.

5. My primary hook will be convenience. For example, if someone is planning a special birthday party featuring a DnD game, and no one has the time to prepare a game, that's where a hired GM might be considered. I don't have to try to be the best. I just have to run a good fun game and be available. I'll be providing most if not all the gaming materials.

6. I'll have a web site tailored for the business instead of mooching off another website that is focused on something else altogether.

7. I'll scout out every location that I can find that is conducive to gaming to give clients a broad range of places to choose from if they have no specific one in mind.

8. All of my original 1-shots will be tested and refined through the local meetup group's meetup events.

9. I'll create a relationship with the local privately-owned game store(s) and comic shops. Cross advertisement and possible space rental/reservation.

Captain,

Why not run game days and charge for it? For example, when Living Greyhawk was running, several gamers for in the Pale region would run con days at game stores or at a small hotel meeting room. They would get about 30-60 players for a weekend of gaming. The cost of registration would be about $12-$15 if I remember correctly per person, but they'd get in about six games.

Granted, you don't seem like someone who has the kind of money to start this up, but so let's scale it down a bit and make it just one day and see if you can get a meeting room from a community center or a library. Maybe you can partner with someone who can help pay for the costs of the meeting room while you DM.

Order RPGA mods for Living FR or whatever the RPGA is doing these days and charge a flat rate fee for the module. Granted, you're going to be really busy to run three modules back-to-back (that's 12 hours right there with no breaks), but if you can manage it, you can probably get away to charge something like $10 per person for the day.

Go to Costco and buy a mega pack of candy and sodas and charge something ridiculous like $1 a candy bar and $1.50 a soda (Gamers will buy, they always do).

The economies of scale usually work better if you offer more games over the weekend and have more GMs with you; however, crunch the numbers and see if you can make a profit on it out of a single day. If not, good luck and try something else. If so, go for it, because I'm sure there are lots of RPGA players who'd like to get their mods under their belts if they know there are organized events going on in their area (I went to them and so did lots of other players, so I know there was demand).

As for your resume and job hunting, I don't know your skills, but have you gone to your local unemployment office? They usually have an office that offers workshops on polishing your resume, interviewing, and placement services of their own. Another thing is through temp services to take anything. Of course, all levels of government are hiring and I'd check out your city, county, and state government websites, particularly if they got stimulus money for shovel-ready projects.

Good luck.

[catsclaw227]

What's the target number of games you want to run in a week and for how many hours? This is an important factor, because you should plan on spending 1:1 prep:gametime if you want a professional and well organized game.

Will you be using preprinted, well-done maps in 1sq scale or just a dry-erase battlemap?

Will you be offering any special rewards for roleplaying or any discount cards for players that are repeat visitors?

What do you plan on budgeting for books and materials each month?

[aboyd]

This:

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

The business was a pay-for-play Dungeons and Dragons 4e campaign. I wasn't thinking clearly.

Has turned into this:

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

I've decided to try the business out.

Again. And followed by an OCD-like list of ideas/hopes/goals. And yet nowhere in the list is a bullet point for "get hired by someone who pays my wages to do this." It's all freelance or partnerships, still.

Until you acknowledge that you can only pull this off as a day job that some store owner pays you for, you're going to fail. That's just my opinion, and even more cruelly, I wouldn't hold that opinion for others. Just for you. But I'm actually trying to not be cruel, by giving you a sense of harsh reality. If you can man-up to the truth, then you can deal with the truth and find a way to succeed. And that is going to help you & your mom.

People don't show up for free games sometimes. The idea that you can show up in business attire and somehow it compels people to show up and pay you... well... you're going to have the same experience that you had the first time... namely, no one will show up.

You have to get a day job.

You have to get a day job.

You have to get a day job.

Luckily, game stores hire people. Your day job can be at a game store. They may even let you run some sessions while you're on the clock. But it is nonetheless a day job.

You have to get a day job.

[ardoughter]

aboyd is spot on the money, you may be able to get paid to DM, but you are not going to make a living at it. Principally because people do it for free and you are competing against them. You are only going to get to do it as a job if you can use DM'ing to add value to a game store or game cafe type establishment. The game cafe is an interesting idea but it would require quite a bit of capital to get it running. Also it would be a lot of non DM work because you are running a business also. Are you prepared for that?


In any case a significant amount of your time would be involved in non DM activity.

[Captain_Commando]

Originally Posted by aboyd

This:

Has turned into this:

Again. And followed by an OCD-like list of ideas/hopes/goals. And yet nowhere in the list is a bullet point for "get hired by someone who pays my wages to do this." It's all freelance or partnerships, still.

You have to get a day job.

This is NOT a pay-for-play campaign. Did you even read the thread through?

This is also NOT a replacement for a day job. I'm still job hunting while having this service up. It's not as easy to get a job in NYC as you may think. Most of what I find is in a different borough with lots of competition especially because of layoffs.

There are multiple sources of income in this business plan. My marketing strategy is completely different than what I tried with the pay-for-play campaign. These threads are also NOT part of my marketing strategy. They are for brainstorming.

My mother rented out a couple of rooms so I don't need to make everything. That's why I'm looking for a part-time temporary job. I've got a book with 2 chapters done and notes for the rest of it. Within 2 months it'll be done and I'll have representation. Within another 2 months after that, I'll have an advance and things will be fine.

I just need to pull in a certain amount, less than a full living, to make sure we aren't evicted. I'm still job hunting and will able to continue do so because this buisness will be flexible in its hours. Prep time is much less because I'll likely be recycling many of the same adventures since it is NOT a pay-for-play campaign.

[Matthan]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

My mother rented out a couple of rooms so I don't need to make everything. That's why I'm looking for a part-time temporary job. I've got a book with 2 chapters done and notes for the rest of it. Within 2 months it'll be done and I'll have representation. Within another 2 months after that, I'll have an advance and things will be fine.

I almost wish this was a joke (and it may well be), but on the off chance that you're serious, please don't pin all your plans on getting a book published. The chances of that happening in the time frame that you're describing is remarkably slim.

When I read the above quote, I see someone who may make unwise decisions thinking their break is right around the corner. You cannot fall into that trap.

You can be a writer. But that is a craft that takes talent, skill, dedication, time, and perseverance. Every writer that I've ever met or listened to tells stories of months or years of rejection notices before finally breaking through. Be realistic for the sake of your family and commit yourself to your job search. Learn some interview techniques (google or check your local library). Get in a situation where you can support yourself so you can spend your free time pursuing your dreams. Start saving money so that when the time is right, you can quit your job and pursue your dream. You can do this, just have some foresight.

As for the DMing, you may be able to occasionally run game days or something for some spare cash, but the bulk of your time would be better spent in the job search.

Honestly, what's your dream? Do you want to DM the rest of your life? Do you want to write? If you are going to do anything creative, you need to earn enough income to support yourself while getting your creative career off the ground. That means a steady job (even at Burger King). That also means that there is a good chance that you will be at a job long term (a year maybe two). But it gives you the means to pursue your dream. Just think about it.

[aboyd]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

This is NOT a pay-for-play campaign. Did you even read the thread through?

Well, I... I must have missed that part, because obviously the plan will work now! I should have seen it.

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

I've got a book with 2 chapters done and notes for the rest of it. Within 2 months it'll be done and I'll have representation. Within another 2 months after that, I'll have an advance and things will be fine.

Wow. So, you're all set then, and not at all flailing about in desperation. Good.

[Tav_Behemoth]

Originally Posted by ardoughter

you may be able to get paid to DM, but you are not going to make a living at it. Principally because people do it for free

A good rule of thumb is that people will pay for professional GM services, or for the experience of playing a RPG, only if it's offered as part of something else they're accustomed to pay for.

People pay for someone to educate their kids & give them a safe place to go after school and over the summer, so they'll pay Becky Thomas & her Roleplay Workshop GMs to run games.

People pay for full-service vacation packages in Hawaii, so it seems like a reasonable bet that they'll pay Yax to run a game while they're there.

People pay for walking tours, so they'll pay Ken Hite to use that experience as the basis for a Call of Cthulu session.

People give money to charities, so they'd bid on the chance to play with Dave Arneson in a charity auction.

People pay to gamble, so D&D for Cash can generate some income for its GM.

People pay more for coffee if it's in a pleasant social setting with nice places to sit, so they'll pay for time in a gaming cafe.

The two that are most relevant here are:

People will pay to experience Dave Arneson or Ken Hite's creativity through their game design and writing, so they'll also pay to experience it in a RPG session.

People will pay to go to a gaming convention, so both the people who run games at conventions and the convention organizers can be compensated somehow (although it's usually the organizer who actually gets paid, while the GM typically gets free stuff).

The problems with the first of these is that it's extremely difficult to make any kind of a livelihood with game design or SF/fantasy writing, much less to parlay that into a pro-GM gig. The number of people who earn enough in these fields to make a decent living doing it full-time is similar to the number of professional astronauts or ballerinas. I'm not saying you can't become an astronaut, but you've got to have a realistic understanding of the challenges involved. You can no more expect to have an advance for a novel in two months or two years than you can expect to be in space at that time, and I think you're also deluding yourself about how measly that advance is likely to be.

The problems with the second of these is that the margins are small. If you divide the amount they spend on their trip by the number of hours of gaming enjoyment they get out of it, after you subtract the cost of the other services they're paying for you're not left with a lot to cover the GMing part of things. And people only go to Gen Con once a year.

[ehren37]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

I've decided to try the business out. Other jobs will be pursued as the business is underway.

If I may offer some advice, unless you're still in high school, please go after the other jobs as a priority, even if the DM for hire gig works out. The longer you go without stable work, the harder it will be for you to get a job. You're going to have a hard time explaining this one on any interview, and to most people, its going to look like a big gap in your employment record.

If this works out for you, great. Just get (and dont quit) your day job.

[ehren37]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

18. Attire and behavior should be professional. A nice shirt and slacks if not a suit and tie.

I'd recommend a tux, or on casual fridays, a tuxedo t-shirt.

[Janx]

if you need money, everything you do should lead to making money in as direct a fashion as possible.

Consider how many hours of prep work it takes to run a 4-5 hour session. Add those together, and that's the total time cost to make the money you get for that gig.

Compare that to flipping burgers for $8 an hour (or more I hear). The prep-time to flip burgers is basically travel time to get to work.

At your pricing, you should find that flipping burgers is more efficient, leaving you more time to work on "what you really want to be doing."

Not to bash you, but when you say you think you botched an interview for BK, how does that indicate you have the communication skills to be an exceptional GM. I do give you credit for being aware that you botched the interview, some folks aren't even alert to that. The point though is, to be a good GM, you should have hireable attributes. Not being able to land a job isn't a promising sign.

As a whole. the Pay-to-Play plan is risky (and it is Pay to Play, as in paying money to play). There's too much competition of free GMs, even if I'm surprised that they don't charge for it, given the scarcity of good GMs. You will need to be lucky to get an audience that is willing to pay. That's hard.


If I were going to do a pay-to-play system, I'd go with a flat rate, and write my material to have an estimated duration of 4-5 hours. I'd do a flat rate, because I know my work level increases as head-count goes up. I also don't want to be bothered with managing working minutes, to prove my bill is correct. I'd also screen/interview clients, because I'd want to build a party that can play together (and that I can stand working for). I'd make sure they get the right level of "munchkinism" because frankly, the players are paying me to have a good time, not slog through poverty and depressing realisim, unless they actually say they want that (which is the point of interviewing them).

The reason I don't do a pay-to-play system is that I'd need to be networked to the exact audience that is willing and able to pay. That's harder to find. The people who are paid-GMs have lucked out on finding that audience, and I would bet most of them were ASKED to do it.

We all would love to do something with our hobby and get paid for it. But the fact is, we can't all have dream jobs. Somebody has to flip the burgers, haul the trash, and scoop the poop.

Your best money-making bet is to find something people ARE asking for, and if you can deliver it, do so. That's how you'll get paid. If nobody's asking for a GM, with an "I'll pay him" clause, then it's not a likely market.

[Piratecat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

I just need to pull in a certain amount, less than a full living, to make sure we aren't evicted. I'm still job hunting and will able to continue do so because this buisness will be flexible in its hours. Prep time is much less because I'll likely be recycling many of the same adventures since it is NOT a pay-for-play campaign.

Sadly, that isn't how the writing and publishing industry work. Once you finish a book, you're awfully lucky if you even get a rejection letter six months after you convince a publisher to look at it. I strongly recommend you read the second half of Janet Evonovich's How I Write to get a good, realistic view of the submission process and the time involved. I know excellent authors, ones who write for a living in their day jobs, who have four potential novels out to publishers and have never heard back on any of them.

Considering this, I think the only realistic way to get paid for running D&D is to strike up a deal with a local game store owner. Convince him that you'll run superior games for his customers several times a week, and have him pay you (under the assumption he makes money by getting customers into the game store). I still don't think it's feasible, as volunteers will always be willing to run games for free, but it may be the best hope.

Incidentally, if I were going to try to do this, I'd also get a day job and use the game store gig to supplement my income. It just has no stability or long-term prospects.

[Piratecat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Commando

2. The cost might be $15/hour. <no tip mentioned> Too little or too much can drive away clients. The existence of a mandatory tip may cause problematic expectations. A 4-hour session split between 5 players would thus be the equivalent of a movie ticket in Manhattan. Special session packages may be offered at higher or lower rates.

When you pay for a movie ticket, you're subsidizing the millions of dollars that went into making that movie. More importantly, your buddy Bernie can't make a movie himself.

Sorry to be discouraging, but realistically if my group has a choice between spending $75 on a DM for five hours or buying both lunch and 2 hardback gaming books that one of us will use, I know which we would choose.

[Tav_Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Janx

The people who are paid-GMs have lucked out on finding that audience, and I would bet most of them were ASKED to do it.

When Becky Thomas was a teacher, she had her students do a cartography assignment so she could work on a map for her home campaign & use it as an example. Some of her students noticed her still working on it after the assignment was over and asked her about it; when they heard it was for a game they said "We want to play!" which led to an after-school activity that led to the Roleplay Workshop. Similarly, I've heard of a game designer who was approached by his fans, and I asked Ken Hite to run the Otherworld Excursions walking tour.

On the other hand, JSimpson answered a call (at EN World IIRC) for a pro GM - the fact that it was in his area counts as luck, certainly - and although I don't know for sure I assume that Dave Arneson approached the auction organizers and offered to run a game, secure in the knowledge that people would bid on it. If so, he may have been more willing to do so because it was for a charity rather than his personal profit. As threads like this highlight, the idea of a professional GM is controversial.

Whether it's because of a stigma attached to the idea or because recruiting an audience and organizing an event for them is a lot of work they're not interested in doing, I can confirm that most of the gaming creators I contacted with Otherworlds were willing to do pro-GM gigs when asked, but aren't willing to actively pursue setting them up for themselves.