I figured I'd put myself out there for hire as a GM. But since I work 12-16 a day, 7 days a week, I literally can't afford to be cheap. I can't afford to GM unless I'm getting paid at least as much as I'd make working a different job.
So I'm asking what people would expect from a paid GM. What would be worth it, what wouldn't?
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You should probably try a paid DM or two to see how good they are and what they charge.
From the prices I've seen I don't think most folks doing this make even minimum wage+benefits doing it. It's just a side gig for pocket money.
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I wish you all the best of luck! I do know there are paid GMs out there who do quite well for themselves. Hopefully you'll be one of 'em!
As for me, I worked as a paid DM in the summer of 1991 for a summer school program. One game a week, two-hour sessions. Got paid $50 a game for six weeks. It was fun and the kids had a blast. That was for a good cause, as it helped bring a lot of shy kids out of their shells and make new friends.
But going all the way back to my earliest days with AD&D1e, a friend was constantly telling me I should charge people to play in my games. I didn't want to do that. This is my hobby and if I make it a job, I won't like it anymore. It would just be another "Do this, do that, get it done in time for Saturday" grind and I can't and won't do it.
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Transparency is definitely important, if your players are going to be your bosses, too. Make sure they know what your style is, what you're willing and unwilling to feature in your setting--anything about your comfort zone that might make your GMing incompatible with the comfort levels or expectations of prospective players. I can think of a few limits I'd feel blindsided by as a player if I only learned about them after, things I'd generally take for granted would be depicted when playing in a published setting like Golarion.
Brace yourself--if you're GMing for money, players' feelings are going to matter a lot. I know I'd never have the stomach for paid GMing for that exact reason. Actually, come to think of it, I've done a lot of what most would call paid GMing, and sure enough, it's very challenging at times. You really have to be open with what you will and won't cover, and alert to the comfort levels of your players, too. People will get hurt if you're not. This advice is offered entirely sincerely.
I would add versatility to transparency. You'll need to be able to match up with multiple different groups' play styles.
Great feedback, thank you.
Aside from trying to earn money more enjoyably, I have a another reason, to gain experience with broad spectrum of players.
I see GMing as an artform worth studying in a scholarly way, akin to musicians studying music theory and composition. Well, I pretty much need to do those studies myself at the moment since no one else has to my knowledge. Though there are a few generic studies of rpg mechanics, but that's tangential to GMing at best.
So I'm definitely well aware of needing to be versatile, transparent, and clear.
Lol, I'm not talking about some sort of official actual study. I'm talking about getting personal experience with a variety of people and noting how I dealt with it and whether successfully or not.
It's like going to a park and counting how many people are playing frisbee. It's not involving the people in any direct way. I'm also not worried about publishing anything about other people, just my own experience.
Yes and no. I don't really consider myself in a good position to run experiments proper or anything. But I do study the various sub aspects such as literature and acting. I also study GMing observationally, such as comparing Mercer from Critical Role, and a ton of guides on techniques, such as prepping encounters guides, using initiative guides, etc. I then actually try them out in games I run with just me.
I can't get people to try test rules, so I definitely couldn't get people for a proper experimental study.
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Make sure you factor in the cost of milk, players are notorious milk drinkers.
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I used to be a milk drinker, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
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Since I have no refrigerator, players must see to their own milk needs. Also, you are responsible for picking up after your own cows.
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Since I have no refrigerator, players must see to their own milk needs. Also, you are responsible for picking up after your own cows.
No refrigerator to rummage through is usually a deal breaker for most people.
You should probably get a refrigerator, a box of baking soda, and a half jar of off brand pickles. And something wrapped in aluminum foil for added mystery and so they can complain on the way home about how you shouldn't have something wrapped in aluminum foil in the fridge for some reason.
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YOU'RE NOT MY SUPERVISOR!
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A refrigerator won't fit in my car, which is also my home. Upside is, I'm by default a house call GM!
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A refrigerator won't fit in my car, which is also my home. Upside is, I'm by default a house call GM!
I've been there! Hopefully it gets resolved soon!