If you were to pay someone for running a game for you, what sort

>>55133500
I'd expect something super safe and controlled, like Adventure League.

It's not what I would WANT, but it's what I would expect.

>>55133500
I would spit in his face for charging for gm-ing and then gm my own game.

Disgustin jewry.

>>55133500
>If you were to pay someone for running a game for you, what sort of things would expect from the Game Master?
If money is on the line, then I'd like perfect pacing, interesting descriptions with imagery, fun NPCs that are fully voiced, complete understanding of the rules, satisfying storyline.

>>55133500
Depends on the price class.

>>55133500
I wonder this also. I see this on roll20 all the time and the only perk seems to be (if you pay, you'll take it seriously, and I brought one of the premade modules)

>>55133500
I am expecting engaging NPCs, thought out plots, some maps and a very good understanding of the rules.

>>55133500
Mostly an overinflated ego and a game that has at best been halfheartedly thrown together.

>>55133535
That. And scene fitting music.

>>55133500

Painted miniatures for EVERY encounter

Terrain/Buildings

Suitable background music, which changes based on what is happening

Mood lighting (dim for underground/night time)

Interesting storyline with characters, all voiced differently, with costumes (or at least accessories)

Vetted players so no faggots will be part of the experience

How much am I paying?

>>55136481
Oh yeah, and awesome hand-drawn maps (have to be high quality)

>>55133535
>>55134749
>>55136481
>>55136523
How much do expect to be charged with this much attention to everything?

>>55133500
>what sort of things would expect
Disappointment.

>>55133500
>If you were to pay someone for running a game for you, what sort of things would expect from the Game Master?
More than they were able and/or willing to provide at any given price.

>>55137023
Look, people with the disposable income, free time, and taste to be in the market for what you're looking for will always have high standards and low price elasticity. There's a reason only a select few make money GMing, and then usually they're preying on the rich and dumb which is naturally exploitative and soul-destroying - and, more importantly, not profitable in the long term.

>>55136481
So you want a videogame.

Paying for someone to make up imaginary shit for you over the internet. How far we have fallen. Sorry, if it's a real life game and the GM puts in effort for it, I will buy the snacks and drinks for the game. I have that happen in real life, I put effort into running a good campaign so I get stuff in return because people are nice and feel indebted.

I have a friend who has two kids, he is my age (early 20s) and works in a factory type job from lunchtime til midnight just about to support them, his girlfriend made him quit our group and as a result he considered paying to join a roll20 game online. I felt so sad for him I offered to run a game on roll20 which I fucking despise using because I hate online roleplaying. He suggested I GM for money, a suggestion I thanked him for, and his high opinion of me, but explained I would never do that because it's like being a prostitute.

>>55142809
>I would never do that because it's like being a prostitute.

This, but regarding all wage labor.

>>55142809
>I would never do that because it's like being a prostitute.
What, doing something you find fun for money is like being a prostitute?

>>55142809
It's just supply and demand. People with disposable income paying for convenience. If they had the time and inclination to try their luck with randos, they'd save their money and do so.

That said, Jesus Christ get some perspective. Being paid to act as a storyteller is not even remotely similar to sex work, you fucking loser.

>>55141812
>requiring painted minis and physical terrain
>tactile, hands on, analog
You think that's more like a videogame?

>>55133500
My money back.

Why the fuck would I pay money for someone to DM when the DM I have now does it just fine?

>>55142809
Nothing wrong with buying snacks and drinks as payment, but there are a bunch of you. Should everyone just buy 4-6x the amount of drinks and snacks needed, and either get fat as fuck or stuff the GM's fridge for no reason?

Part of grown up, worthwhile life in society is rewarding contribution and then making the most of those rewards so that you can improve your contribution for next time.

If you're stuck in the "keep 'em poor" mindset, you're missing out on where your hobby can go.

>>55143282
People pay prostitutes for sex despite being able to get sex for free all the time. It shouldn't be that hard to understand.

>>55143309
Considering I don't understand that shit either, the analogy doesn't really help.

>>55143332
What if your GM didn't want to do it anymore, or went in a direction with you really didn't like until you couldn't take it anymore, or moved to another country, or had a bad break up with the other people in the group, or just plain died?

>then I'd find another obviously
Well what if it doesn't work out and you get tired of looking? What if you want someone that will be more professional, more prepared? What if you wanted someone with a large pool of players that they can draw on to fill in an absence, or put together a group on the fly made up of people guaranteed on an individual level to enjoy and just "get" the game immediately, as well as get along with each other?

>>55143534
>Well what if it doesn't work out and you get tired of looking?
Then I stop actively looking and just kepe an eye out every once in a while. No game is better than paying money for one.

>What if you want someone that will be more professional, more prepared?
Then I'll look for one who will do it for free. My experience with "Pay me to DM plz" hasn't shown me any reason to think they're better than people who do it for free. Just greedier.

>What if you wanted someone with a large pool of players that they can draw on to fill in an absence, or put together a group on the fly made up of people guaranteed on an individual level to enjoy and just "get" the game immediately, as well as get along with each other?
Then I look for a DM that has those, but isn't going to demand being paid every week.

>>55137023
I'd pay $50 a week.

>>55143969
What is it about games that makes it unacceptable to trade money for them? Is it a matter of being sacred, like sex in some cultures?

>>55144179
Mostly because I can get equal or better quality of games from playing with friends. That and the two DMs I knew who decided to start charging were the worst DMs I've ever played with.

One was just boring, then decided to start charging. After being called a fucking idiot for a few days straight, he got the hint and stopped trying. He's improved last I heard, but I'm not finding out unless my current group breaks up.

The other was just bad. Every NPC acted the same (unhelpful jackasses that refused to help us in any way, shape or form, even to do jobs they specifically want us to do), encounters were unbalanced as fuck, maps were just copy/pasted off google, and he kept having to stop every 30 minutes to take a smoke break. We played with him for 3 weeks. Should have been less, but I was trying to be optimistic.

Eventually he heard that people charge to DM and thought he could do the same, and refused to GM for us again unless we paid him $50 each every week. I still see him every once in a while, generally trying to get a group going, which falls apart the second he mentions he's charging them, and to this day he still seems genuinely baffled as to why he can't get a group going.

So yeah, my experience with to-pay GMs has been less than positive, and I don't see a reason for it when I can easily find free GMs who are just as good or better.

>>55144388
>$50 each every week
I haven't even read the rest of your post, that just jumped out at me and I'm still laughing.

That guy isn't just a terrible GM, he's a terrible businessman; probably not the best person to judge a potential service on. When I recover from this hilarity I will type up a proper response.

>browsing roll20
>pay to play game
>$10 per week
>looks like a generic 5e game
>nothing in listing to indicate that players will get a superior quality game in exchange for their money
>people still applying despite dozens of nearly identical listings for free games
For what purpose?

File: 1610928_10152841889043053_1921608289184827240_n.jpg (14KB, 296x181px) Image search: [Google]

14KB, 296x181px

OP here guys.

Interesting discussion. Let me raise some points.

I live in an area where there is a surprising amount of people interested in playing, but no one wants to run ever. Even if they do run, the games only last about 5 sessions before the whole thing falls apart.

I'm am a willing and competent GM with about 75% of what you guys have listed here is necessary to run and be paid for it.

I don't do full blown maps yet - I use a white board and minis.

And I don't do music for everything, just combat.

I, personally was thinking only 10-20$ pp
- depending on the group size or if I would have to travel to the group.

I figure that is quite reasonable.

It is interesting that people are crying that it is like prostitution. Well I argue, if you have a good set of skills, why not be paid to put them to use?

>>55142870
...Yeah, reread what you just wrote. DMing is something that matters to me, doing it for money cheapens it and also adds strange motivations to the interaction.

>>55142941
>That said, Jesus Christ get some perspective. Being paid to act as a storyteller is not even remotely similar to sex work, you fucking loser.
You know how I can tell you've never GMed?

>>55144983
People will pay for it.

Usually when something costs money, most people believe it is better than free equivalents.

Usually when things cost more money, people think it's even higher in quality, still.

This is just basic human psychology.

>>55142809
tell your friend to start looking for a divorce lawyer now if they are married, otherwise to start thinking of custody of the children. Demanding girlfriends who you have children with, who start trying to control yoir life, is a bad sign, especially if she is not employed as well.

>>55137023
About 10 USD per session, not too far from the standard movie ticket price and a fair shot that people will return for future sessions.

>>55146851
senpai, I don't care desu

Do ya thing, I'll do mine, no sense to hate y'know?

I would gladly pay $20 for good GMing in GURPS and by good I mean GM handling all the crunch smoothly. Wouldn't pay for any other system though.

>>55152332
$10-20 per player. 3-4 players. Maybe 3 hour session with an hours prep. $40-80 for 4 hours not too bad.

>>55142809
I guess you dont have Netflix, buy books, go to movies, have a t.v, videogames or any other creative stuff.

>>55146851
The only thing I would say would be.
When I run I run the games I want to play in and run. They act over-the-top action filled block buster, all flash type deals.I dont deal with minis on maps, facing rules, range(outside of he is a too far) carrying food or any of that poop.

If Im getting paid to run I would do the things im not too found of because it then becomes a business.
>They want to powergame
>They want to be vampire angels
>They want to use minis and put things down to the inch.
ok fine.

>>55133500
Blowjob

>>55133500
I don't know, but I get paid.

I have a pretty deep bag of tools to add value to the regular GM experience. Here's just a taste:
- a large pool of players of varied interests, skills, experience, and personalities to pull from to quickly make your perfect group
- lots of experience running different kinds of games in different kinds of systems for different people, as well as an openness to and facility with new ideas and desires
- a practically bottomless pool of game premises, plot structures, plot transitions/twists, character arcs, encounters, dungeons, set piece battles, puzzles, etc. within a framework that makes the creation of novel arrangements easy and fun
- skill and experience working with people of all types to effectively draw out their unexpressed desires, difficulties, and preferences in order to get a game going, to decide or to resolve a disagreement
- clean, accessible, well-furnished, well-lit, well-ventilated, dedicated play area with adjoining washrooms, showers, weight room, swimming pool, and sizable parking lot
- durable, atmospheric terrain, miniatures, and other supporting props for pretty much any game type and system
- administrative support such as private online community spaces that handle scheduling and integrate with your phone, reminder SMS, and access to digital sourcebooks, etc.

Honestly I could go on but you get the idea. If you expect to make real money, you have to put in real amounts of time, work, and resources to give people a reason to use your service over something they can get for free. I can get a young, inexperienced person who has never played a pnprpg, no peer group who is interested in playing, and only has a vague idea of what attracts them to the idea and what kind of game or system they might like, and have them enthusiastically playing a game with their friends or new friends that same day.
(character limit)

File: 1389135394118.jpg (499KB, 1600x1173px) Image search: [Google]

499KB, 1600x1173px

>>55154858
By the second session, they're going out and learning things about the system and setting (if it's a formal one) on their own and developing their own ideas of what they want to do. By the third session, they're hooked.

>>55154883
Yeah I can see paying for that.

I'd only pay if the guy is hosting at his flat/house and bought beer and snacks for everyone

>>55154858
What area are you in?

>>55155216
Bullshit. DMing is something you do with your friends. Like I would pay some turn to be my friend.

>>55160226
*turd

>>55152250
She is employed. But I agree. However giving him that advice would make him rage out at me for obvious reasons.

>>55152633
>netflix
Yeah 10 bucks a month for more movies/tv than you could watch in a lifetime.
>tv
Nope.
>video games
Yep, and the price-to-time ratio works out to about 10 cents per hour
>other creative stuff
Like pencils and pens? You mean how I consume art? Most of it is free online.

>>55154858
I have all of this too except the YMCA shit. And I do it for free. Your move.

There was a story that some people started paying their GM weekly so they could devote full time to it, instead of dealing with work and stuff.

>>55133500
>>55133513

No need to be racist, but this is exactly what happening in San Janpan this year.

>>55134581
That's different, you are paying for access to shit on Roll20 to keep it running, but you are not obligated to.

>>55146851
No, don't charge directly, and especially not 10 bucks. They an do math. Say you have four guys and run a 3 hour session--that's a bit more than 13 bucks an hour under the table and probably more than they get paid.

Yes, there's prep and all that shit, but they're not going to be thinking that.

Instead, ask that they chip in for supplies and snacks, and skim off the top, maybe run a fund for dwarvenforge minis after the game has gone on for a year.

File: 1437748764883.jpg (87KB, 500x500px) Image search: [Google]

87KB, 500x500px

>>55162299
From Australia, min wage is far more. So $10 an hour isn't really much. Sorry Americans.

I essentially do that for my own circle of friends currently.

As with prep, I have yet to meet a person that doesn't understand the prop involved. Running games can be taxing.

>>55161770
I don't think I could maintain the building if I didn't charge, honestly. How do you do it?

In any case, my players are happy, and I've never even heard of anyone else with a better setup. I suppose if someone wanted to throw down the resources to do the same thing in my area for free, I'd lose some people. But unless the guy's independently wealthy he won't be able to keep it up. Building maintenance, property tax, buying new materials, catering overhead, this shit adds up.

In any case, if you're running 20+ sessions weekly and not quitting your day job, I applaud you. I couldn't do it.

>>55133500
Intimate knowledge of the system and storyline.
Excellent at setting a tone and background, including music and maybe props.
Engages the players at all times and makes sure everyone's invested.

And you know what? I got that and more when I paid to be in a one-shot at a convention. Granted, that's a one-time deal, but I honestly think that's how it works best.

I'd expect him to watch my inbred retarded autistic children for four hours while I go across the street and drink myself into a stupor while asking what went wrong with my life.

>>55162553
You run 20+ sessions weekly? The fuck? Either explain more about your situation in clear english or stop talking.

>>55154858
>>55157549

Seconded. Name your demesne, sir.

>>55165731
How about you ask me a plain question, and I'll answer it?

And it was a serious question I asked earlier: if you provide "all of this except the YMCA shit" without charging a dime, how do you do it? I really want to know.

>>55166665
How big is your "pool" of players?

>>55166665
I run sessions. But 2 a week not fucking 20.