Us too. We sponsored a lot of APs in 2022 and 2023.
Running games for pay as another income stream for TTRPG companies
- Thread starter MNblockhead
- Start date
Hussar
Legend
Start Playing takes a cut from the price charged for the game. And, note, that 20 bucks per session is typically per player.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
If seen $50, but that is less common these days it seems. I've noticed a trend where the really popular DMs go off and start their own thing. People trying to make a living, or at least a profitable side hustle, off of professional DMing are more interested in committed groups of players who'll be play a session every week for an entire campaign.
I've seen higher than $50 for a session but those tend to be online sessions tied to conventions run by celebrity DMs (live play personality, game designer, etc.). It is more like a back stage pass, you play a 3-4 hour session and have some time after words to hang out, ask questions, etc. The real expensive ones are tied to charity drives.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Simple, they take a small cut in exchange for providing a well-known platform. Nearly anyone who want to get started running games for money will need a service like Star Playing or Roll20's find-a-game site to find players. It's a similar business model to many other find-a-freelancer type of sites like Guru.com, Upwork, Freelancer.com, etc.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I guess what you mean by many times and how often. But I have run one scenario a couple of dozen times or more for different groups and each time feels completely different because you cannot predict what people will do.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
This helps a lot, I'm sure. There are some GMs who regularly run Alice is Missing. It is basically the same scenario every time, but it can be a very different experience with each group of players.
I would not want to do it, but I wouldn't want to run games as job and turn my hobby into work. That said, my job is one that pays well mostly because it takes time and experience and licenses to get to the point to be able to do work that most people would find mind-numbing and soul draining with regular spikes of high stress. Most of us are not making livings doing things that the average person would find "fun."
For those with the personalities and talents to run great paid games for strangers, and enjoy the work, all the power to them! I'm glad it is an option for me as a customer.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I hear ya. I don't want to either! I run for pay about a half dozen to nine time a year and it covers beer and food for the night and I have a great time, and the DMs who run games sometimes meet for a separate drinks night just to talk gaming and extend our networks of games and gamers. Win-Win-Win.
But yeah, as the person who runs this whole operation has said, "I made my hobby into a job and now I no longer have time for my hobby."
aramis erak
Legend
I don't think it's a bad idea, but I'm not the audience for it
Nothing. While Mearls seems nice enough, celebrity GMs don't appeal as a generality, If, however, it cost me nothing but a hour's drive, and isn't D&D 5, sure.
There are a few I'd happily drive twice that far... but none of them for D&D, and none for more than a basic convention entry. Gideon if he's running Justifiers; Marc Miller for Traveller 5 or 2300, John Wick or Ken St Andre. If the blurb is right, Mike Stackpole, Mike Pondsmith, Andrew Peregrine, Monica Valentinelli (formerly of MWP), Ginni Di, Alexis Cruz, David Blue, David Hewlet...
Prices do go higher than $40/seat on SPG, but they're pretty rare. I think it's a side-gig for most folks at the ~$20 average prices; I've been fortunate enough that over the last couple years I've been able to make it my primary source of income, I have players that will pay my cost per seat. Some play multiple games per week.
To others asking about how SPG makes money, they take a 10% cut of the seat cost.
Re: game companies looking into pay to play, I'm not entirely sure about it for companies themselves BUT lots of companies like Evil Hat, Paizo, WotC, Limithron, etc. do sponsored events with SPG. GMs run the games and get PDFs of the book/adventure/whatever.
Actually I believe that DnDB's "welcome to DnDB" email now includes a link to SPG.
Regarding "turning your hobby into work," I will say that going pro with GMing means that I don't run my old West Marches game 2-3/week now like I did pre-COVID. Some of my friends n players from back then helped me get started and still pay for seats at my tables, but most of my players now found me through SPG.
Edit: I still do games with my old players n friends, I will say that because I primarily run DnD for my paid groups, I can run/play non-5e games with my friends since they know I don't want to do 5e all the time. Great excuse to play other games/systems
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MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Curious, now that you've been running games as a job/side job for some time, do you still play TTRPGs for fun on a regular basis or do find yourself now wanting to do something else with friends other than TTRPGs?
I've never had a job that involved what others would considered "fun", much less a hobby. The best analogous example I can think of is friends who are musicians. Most musicians I know DO like to hang out and play with other musicians, jamming with other musicians or just hanging out and playing at a party is different than performing for an audience. The main thing I've seen that annoys musicians is people who expect them to perform for free. Like, inviting a musician to a party and asking them to play for people.
But I don't think that translates well to paid GMing. I guess the closest would be if I were running games all week and some friends inviting me to a game night and asked me to GM, I expect my attitude would be "I run games all week, I would love to have an opportunity to join as a players, but I'm not interested in running another game, especially for free."
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