I'm considering becoming a DM pimp

For at least a few session, certainly. If we're talking GMing in person, I'm gonna be more hesitant and FAR more willing to bow out if shit gets weird or bad. But you're likely to at least get a session or two unless you're TRULY fucked up so if looking to pay someone to GM you I'd go for a one-shot first to test the waters.

If you're looking to be paid to GM.....no. Don't even bother. Its one thing if you're doing it for conventions or at some big store that runs a bunch of games a week out of it that are in need, but to just hire someone to play a game for you and your friends? That's gonna be rare, inconsistent, and probably a bad time and idea.

How is it taxed?

>less than minimum wage
Only jealousy, my friend. Got the federal minimum down here.

If I dm a game, it's because I'm excited about telling a collaborative story. I've invited the people who I think will have the best chemistry, I've chosen the system that will facilitate it the best, and I've chosen the setting/background that I think will provide the most interesting opportunities.

If I were being paid to DM, the implication is that I'd be running a system I didn't choose, for people I don't know, telling a story I'm not invested in. Assuming even a minimum of 1-2 hours prep, 2-4 hours of playing... $40 is not very attractive.

If I had some level of veto power or if I could vet the players in advance, it's possible. I enjoy the hobby, and I enjoy playing with new people because they bring such different flavors to the mix... But I gotta know they're cool first, you know? Because the "paid to DM" thing really sounds like a group of players who aren't going to be fun to play with and are going to expect me to cater to their specific desires, which runs counter to the collaborative aspect that's so appealing to me.

Plus you gotta factor in out of game GMing time too. I usually spend at least 2 hours prepping for each hour of actual session time, sometimes a lot more then that. I've probably got about 30 hours of time spent so far on the next game I'm going to run, and need to do a whole lot more work on the world before I am ready for session 1.

$10 an hour? No way in hell.
I'd rather GM for people I like/know for free than get paid at a rate like that.

What is an attractive number for you?
$100?
$200?

If you're doing more than an hour of prep you aren't DMing well.

It's not a job; you're being financially rewarded for your hobby.

My hobby isn't "playing with randos". If I don't know these people, it's not my hobby, it's a job.

I don't think so, most of my prep time is doing things like world building, or coming up with interesting mechanics for fights, or cool buildings etc, I enjoy doing all of that stuff. I'm not trying to script every encounter or something like that .

I would do $40 a session if they would guarantee I get enough assured sessions to make it worthwhile to create the campaign.

>Are they successful?
Yes.
>How do they fulfill the high demand for GMs with the very limited supply?
The invisible hand.

Fair point; I should have mentioned I was only interested in people with a decent level of interpersonal skills.

How are they successful?

Explain th invisible hand as what your exposing directly contradicts the logic of a free market

OP what you should do is see how much interest you can generate, hire a couple of DM's for like $100 a session or whatever, charge an entry fee of $10, supply miniatures and sell drinks and food and make money that way. A one off match making fee is no way to do it and if you're charging $40 per session you have to make sure these guys aren't just going to stop telling you that they're meeting up.

it sounds like you dont care about money and you just hate randos

>How are they successful?
They introduce players to GM's.
>Explain th invisible hand as what your exposing directly contradicts the logic of a free market
You don't know what the invisible hand is.

>Low supply
>high demand
>all needs are met by everyone
I think I'm going to stop responding to you as you don't have any insight to offer.

So open a gaming store?

I think OP's original idea was a decentralized system of getting DMs matched to different groups in their area, compensating them, and maybe setting up locations? I imagine it would have little overhead as it could all be coordinated electonrically over a simple personal computer.

>all needs are met by everyone
That's where you're confused, champ. Pay more attention in marketing 101 next week.

Little expenses*

no, don't open a gaming store. how did you get that from what i said?

40 bucks a session? Since you've got nothing on you resume, I demand a 90 day trial period free of charge to see if you're actually worth it.

Payment means expectations. A good DM, solid sessions and zero Veeky Forums autism. I'm Not paying for a comprehensive list of banned classes, spells, feats and races.

I don't see how your model is viable when it will be about $40 of expenses per session. Which means to break even the players and GM would have to buy $40 worth of food. I mean I've heard of fa/tg/uys but that's ridiculous. The players wouldn't buy obscenely upcharged food and drinks, or they might bring their own.

Location isn't an important enough aspect to the game to set that as the sole point of profit from business.

If I was getting paid for it I would go full event-planning host mode with half of the money getting put back into making it a real experience. Supply dice, miniatures, food, professionally printed materials, maybe eventually some commissioned art. Really go all-in.
Though at that point $40 per session might not cover it.

Eh, he's still right when you factor in prep time.

plus:
>entry fee

What if DM's had to go through an interview process before being able to join or even training/shadowing?

>So open a gaming store?
Nah--corporate events. Get paid phat stax to get everyone a well painted mini and run a few games per month for them in a nice conference room.

1 GM: $100
6 players a group; $60
$100-$60=$40

This was the end goal. I have a background in leading an organization that runs team building and community development workshops for different groups around my city. We do physical workshops with different games and initiatives but I was thinking the normie DND market could be tapped to the same effect.
The idea was to take or train talented GMs to create fun and engaging experiences to help bind groups of normies who want to get into the game but don't know where to start and also a way to build community for businesses and local organizations. Think corporate retreats but instead of trust falls you're helping your coworker's dwarf paladin leap across a lava pit.

you get 5 groups going that's $200

So each DM is only paid $40 still?
Not a bad idea, although the overhead would have a pretty low cap.

I'm not going to go any further then my stance. Payment is fine if you deliver a solid game

Fair enough, I respect that.

idk, the figures are all malleable, you offer a great experience and you can charge more.

So the evolution would almost be a conference or a destination from high quality GMing.
That's a neat idea although I think it'd be easier to connect decent GMs to groups than to find/train amazing GMs to draw groups.

picture this user:
>up and coming tech millionaire waltzes through the front door of a ritzy ass hotel
>he spots a sign reading "user's Premier Veeky Forums Conference: level 7, Ball Room"
>He catches the elevator up and then walks down a hall way adorned with pillars and other nice things
>arrives at a big double door with security posted out the front and presents his pass
>"Thank you sir. Good luck on your quest"
>Upon entry, he receives a glass of champagne, a well made prop weapon/item befitting his class and a slutty cosplayer loops her arm around his and laughs at his awkwardly stuttered joke
>individual cheeto's with toothpicks sticking out of them and mini-pizza's are brought around by caterers
>there is a mountain dew ice sculpture in the middle
>DM is some normie-core failed actor or motivational speaker
Entry price: $200

>Personalized dice tower handcrafted by indigenous aboriginal tribes from the roots of a sacred tree
>hand crafted game table, adorned with carvings of previous group's exploits and room for the current groups with ample room for sheet, dice, pencis and snacks.
>center is a spot specifically set for the game map, with the space just large enough to get to the board without being in anyone's way.
>maps made of sheep's skin and etched by hand using medieval crafting methods.
>world class comedian invited to each group to bring flair and unrivaled humor to the heroic exploits.

Entry price: $250

>clothing sizes and measurements submitted beforehand allowing for personalised costume and prosthetics to be tailored
>NPC's are rotated betweeen 3-5 different actors from the SNL cast
>background music performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
>plots and settings designed by GRRM (that's why he has been so inactive lately, he's working for me)
>entire campaign is televised to an audience of over 50 million avid viewers
it is paying for itself now

Nah kiddo, I do it for eating my fill and hold a monopoly in my area

Better service would be coaching GM's and players how to avoid being That Guy faggots.

>>plots and settings designed by GRRM
such a pity, it seemed promising.

>snl cast

Risky

- Pay is far too low for me.

- Would give the players a feeling of entitlement to have their niches/MR's and plot lines delivered.

Now if players want to buy me pizza, or beers (some do) I am happy to accept them.

Really the key thing is to be nice and collaborate with your GM, tell him things you'd like to see, tell him what you liked. A good session where everyone is telling me how much fun they had or how much emotion I drew out of them by killing an NPC makes me feel so motivated I am buzzing with ideas for what to do next whenever I am not busy.

Nah, I would follow you around and when you found the poor faggot that would be willing to pay, I'd step up and tell them "I can do it for free."

Brit bong here. I'd be looking at about £80 per session for a 4 hour session. Which works out at £20 per hour or £20 per person per session assuming a 4 man group. Anything less isn't much worth the considerable amount of effort.

Kek

I would definitely consider it. I've basically done that for a smaller payment as a club activity, but all the participators were at least acquintances of mine. The biggest factor that makes me doubtful is the stranger danger.

What if we changed the game. What if we altered the rules so that the role of a GM isn't just to make male and monsters but to run the game as it's lead facilitator. That his responsibilities explicitly include making sure high and low points of the session were included in a post game wrap up. That he has the authority to make decisions for the best of the group, and that he runs the show.
We need to return to the days of the Patriarch DM.

If it consisted of normies who saw DND on Stranger Things or Community, and were looking to have a fun time rolling dice and making a story how would you feel?

Not that user, but newbies are way better at taking the game as it comes than oldies who feel the need to question every bit of the system and everything the GM presents to the table. The worst game I ever ran was made so terrible by this one faggot who thought he knew how the game should work who kept complaining and making me go to the stupid rulebook to prove him wrong.

Adding to this: I wouldn't do it for pay, though.

Why not?

I don't think it's new vs old.
People that have dmed for any amount of time make the best players in my experience

>like selling your art
If I'm gonna whore myself, I better get paid loads.
and I'm not talking cum loads.

Because it would color the interaction.

Yes
I like dming

Does it color the interaction if you have to pay a therapist?

Yes? The entire point of a therapist is that you create a barrier so the interaction is impersonal for them. I wouldn't want that kind of awkwardness in my games.

Let's say I've got a baseline of £0 as my fee for if I get to have a full-on GM tyranny where I decide the system, the limits, the storyline, etc.

>players choose a decent system +£5
>players choose a shitty system +£15
>players choosea godawful system liable to make me gouge out my own eyes +£40
>players get to make non-homebrew characters of their choice +£10
>players get to add homebrew characters +£25
>players get to add ridiculously overpowered homebrew characters +£40
>players make a half demon half wolf pokemon master dark swordsman class who uses the soul of his dead raichu to self-administer shock treatment to restrain his rampant homolust +£120
>players are competent, interesting, and play together well -£20
>players are inexperienced, struggle slightly will roleplay but still have fun as a group mostly +£0
>players do retarded shit constantly and whine about consequences, and constantly seem a stolen twiglet from all-out pvp +£50

I'd do it, but if it was so bad I'd get paid a decent amount, I'd probably end up letting people just bribe me for rerolls and free skills.

I don't think that's the point of the transaction, user.

I already am the patriarchal DM, and I take great pleasure in running games where I fill that role for free.

To me dming is like painting, I have to be enjoying it, forget about slogging through armies to get them table top ready.

Passion vs a chore. This is of course specific to me.

Everyone is tabletop ready if you're a good DM.

The hardest part of being a good DM is getting rid of disruptive players, I've only had to kick 2, but seriously some people just dont play well with others.

The idea every player is good if the DM is good is stupid.

Duh it wouldn't be called free market if you charged for it, now would it?

I would agree; It's the toughest call. Exiling is one of the hardest things to do.

When I was in college, I'd make 3$ per hour (per PC) DM'ing for randoms. If there were more than 5 players, I'd need an offering of somesort. (Like a cigar or two. Maybe a coffee or energy drink. Shit like that.)

Someone inevitably got upset that I was charging and tried to do their own thing. For about two weeks, maybe a month, I had a few less players. They came back, much more willing and thankful.

>mfw nobody even considered PREP TIME and SKILL to be a factor in quality
>mfw someone commends you on "your sanity"

Was considering getting back into DM'ing, but Veeky Forums reminds me of what kind of players would be sitting at the table. Then the other kinds of people who are too smug to go through any sort of interview, but get pissy when somebody shows up wanting to play "SONICHU XZ, son of SONICHU X. Last hope of the universe!"

tl;dr
I don't do flat rates. It's per-player / hours played.
If I have fun, the session costs less.

ahh shit I sound like a whore.

No you sound like a man who has a skill and believes he is worthy of being compensated for it.

No. And how would you be making money off of this anyway?

Coming to Veeky Forums reminds me of how many people who enjoy this hobby have poor interpersonal skills, both DMs and players.

Players pay $50 I pay DM $40

i like gming but i prefer to work on my own thing.

How do you ensure that you have a good group to share your own thing?

It was more about the time compensation, but ultimately the same thing I suppose. I appreciate the benefit of the doubt, user.

People focused on fantasy have less interest in reality.

>I've actually had to pull people aside, ask them to leave and take a shower before returning.
>give them money for a store run
>don't actually want anything from the store
>just an excuse for them when they get back
>"Where did he go?"
>he volunteered for a store run

I've been called out on this being a dick move, but I'm not really sure what else I should've done. Kicking people out doesn't fill tables, nor does it actually fix the problem.

If anyone wants general DM advice or anything like that, just ask.

When my local gaming store wanted to run Adventurers league the DM's were paid in gift cards at the store. It was 20$, which wasn't much, but still a nice incentive. But then again, i would have done it for free. I'd be doing it still, if i had the time

>If I offered your $40 a session to GM for a group of random people in your community would you do it?
Let me point this out:
If I asked you if want to eat a sandwich I just made, would you? Maybe. Maybe not.
But if I offered you $40 to eat a sandwich I just made, would you?

>"Hey want to eat this sandwich?"
...uh, no thanks. I'll make my own sandwich.
>"I'll give you 40$ if you eat it."
the fuck is wrong with the sandwich? what did you do?

You wouldn't be a DM pimp, because DMing is legal and wouldn't require that kind of protection. You would just be a DM whore.

Exactly.

>"Hey want to GM this game?"
...uh, no thanks. I'll find my own game.
>"I'll give you 40$ if you run it."
the fuck is wrong with these players? what did they do?

I dont think being a DM is as valueable as being an organizer who gets players together to play regularly

Half of the players i know can GM decently so i dont think paying money is worth it

If an experienced GM however put a lot of effort into a campaign and also organized the players and made sure that everybody shows up every week, i'd pay a monthly subscription fee of 40 dollars or something

What if told you it was a new group composed of individuals from mainstream circles, drawn to the game from media like Stranger Things or Community?

Nothing wrong with sounding like a whore, man

How are you going to find people willing to pay to get into an RPG group when there are lots of alternatives offering the service for free?

if it's a new group I would happily run a straightforward game to familiarise them with the system

i don't really care where they learned what d&d is

What if players who miss sessions had to pay a fine?

Go away IRS. Taxation is dictionary definition extortion

>all of these DMs in this thread thinking their skills are actually worth being PAID CASH MONEY FOR

Can't help but laugh. Did you forget you're posting on Veeky Forums or something? You're merely a member of the horde of trash you look down upon.

Because I offer a quality DM who can facilitate a quality experience for new groups.

A good DM is very rare, and many new groups have no idea where to start.