DM For Hire - Rates?

[delericho]

Hypothetically...

Since I generally prefer to DM than to play anyway, I can't think of a situation where I'd pay to play (outside of a Con, but as mentioned, that's not just about playing).

I don't charge to DM, and really don't expect that to change. I prefer to keep my hobbies fun, and being paid for something makes it work. (Of course, I also prefer to keep my work fun, but sometimes it's not.)

However, if I were to start charging, I would want to make a formal arrangement with the group - a fixed dollar amount per session, regardless of how many players attend, and payable if the game is cancelled with less than 48 hours notice (except by me). The fixed amount would have to take into account the length of the session, but also the length of time spent preparing, and the cost of any supplies required to make the game happen. I would supply all books required by the DM (players would need to supply their own dice, and any books they wanted for their own use), and any other required equipment.

I think I'd probably be wanting about $200 per session (with a session lasting 4-6 hours). So, that's a rate of about $10 per player per hour. If I'm going down the route of charging for my services, I'm going to charge a significant amount for them.

Not that I would expect to have many customers...

 

[Teflon Billy]

When I did it for the Community Centre, I got paid $15.00/hr.

it wasn't worth it.

 

[Crothian]

When I did it for the Community Centre, I got paid $15.00/hr.

it wasn't worth it.

for you or for them?

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

About 15 years ago, I was paid $50 (per session) to run a weekly 2 hour session for 6 weeks at a college summer program for low income kids. I had a blast.

 

[ewalden]

I would be happy to hire someone as a DM. Now that I am older, I have money, but no time. To have somebody else create and manage a world for me and my wife would be fantastic. To be sure, if I were playing with friends, I would not want to pay them or to have them pay me. However, I am not currently doing that. My experience is that getting a big group together consistantly is very difficult and requires huge amounts of time to manage, something I don't have.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Per hour wouldn't be good, as the DM/Players would already know how much time they'd be willing to spend.

Putting myself in the shoes of this would-be "mercenary DM", I'd charge $20 per player per session, with sessions being as short as 3 hours or as long as 6 hours. I mean, a certain amount of intensity has to be maintained for proper "paid" DMing. It's as if you're doing a theatrical performance. After 6 hours, there'd be nothing left to give.

Yes, you could DM for a party of 6 players for 6 hours and only get $120, but hey, if you could do this every day, you're basically making what teachers make in that same amount of time, though your class consists of 6, not 36!

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I would be happy to hire someone as a DM. Now that I am older, I have money, but no time. To have somebody else create and manage a world for me and my wife would be fantastic. To be sure, if I were playing with friends, I would not want to pay them or to have them pay me. However, I am not currently doing that. My experience is that getting a big group together consistantly is very difficult and requires huge amounts of time to manage, something I don't have.

If ya lived in Central Arkansas, I'd ho myself out for ya...

 

[I'm A Banana]

I game to spend time with friends, I think money would easily taint the whole expereince. Do you pay your friends to hang out with you?

Well, when you go to a movie, you pay the theater to spend time with friends. When you go to campgrounds you pay them (and everyone woh makes your gear and travel equipment) to spend time with friends. When you play an RPG, you pay the game company, the food company, etc. to spend time with friends.

Any time you shell out money, you're paying someone else so that you can spend time enjoyably with your friends.

I think this assumes that there isn't a friend who is willing to DM for free. In that case, paying someone else so that I can enjoy time with my friends doesn't seem to be much different from what I usually do anyway.

 

[JamesDJarvis]

i realize i do get paid to DM, at least i do when when of ny house rules is followed:

"Thou shall offer up pizza, snacks and beverages unto the DM"

 

[delericho]

Well, when you go to a movie, you pay the theater to spend time with friends. When you go to campgrounds you pay them (and everyone woh makes your gear and travel equipment) to spend time with friends. When you play an RPG, you pay the game company, the food company, etc. to spend time with friends.

Any time you shell out money, you're paying someone else so that you can spend time enjoyably with your friends.

While all of this is true, in none of those cases are you paying friends to hang out with you, nor are your friends paying you for the privilege, which is probably a fairly important concern.