What is your opinion on paid games? That is, TTRPG tables that you pay to be a part of, whether it be on a per-session basis or one time payment to the GM?

Always thought it's a meme that doesn't actually happen. If it does happen it sounds like a grift and I can't imagine it being fun. But I don't think it really happens.

>>95897401 (OP)

>>95897401 (OP)
Decent side gig when the circumstances align, especially if you can get 2+ groups going, but unreliable in the long term (like any gig-based hustle), especially now that AI text engines went mainstream.

It's no different than prostitution. And, if you're going to cross that line, might as well see if you can combine the two.

don't care

>>95897401 (OP)
I get why people do it and how it can be a good thing that is mutually beneficial, but the majority of paid GMs I've seen out there are shameless con artists, running the same D&D modules a dozen times per week for randos on Roll20, asking 20USD or more per player, per session to read directly out of the Curse of Strahd book for a few hours.

GMing is thankless work, but if someone has one module or campaign book, or even just one that they wrote themselves, and they are just offering to run it over and over, for anyone who shows up, no changes made, they are just a cunt and I hope they never get to play or run any games for the rest of their lives. They don't deserve this hobby.

The ideal opposite of this would be someone charging a reasonable amount per person primarily as a way to mutually incentivize the GM to put together a good, original campaign, and for the players to be invested enough to actually pay attention, be engaged, and enjoy the game. Players are vetted and the GM is clear about the intentions of the game, it's tone, concepts, and so on. Everyone is benefited by tossing in a few bucks.

>Soulful
Libraries paying GMs to run local clubs for youths
LGSs paying GMs to run local clubs to attract more customers
>GIGACHAD
GMs who run low effort, overpriced games for discord trannies

>>95897513
I would like to get into the paid ERPG market

>>95898088
You couldn't pay me enough to be a GIGACHAD. The Discord trash is THAT bad.

>>95897401 (OP)
As a veteran DM, the concept has seemed enticing when I've been strapped for cash, but then I remember how high-maintenance and demanding players can be when you're doing shit for free...it can only be worse when they're paying customers, right?

>>95897401 (OP)
My line of thinking is that people deserve what they'll tolerate. It makes no difference to me.

>>95897401 (OP)
GMs are usually awful retards. So I'm thinking paid ones can at least put out some quality.

>>95898326
>awful retard thinks he deserves to be paid
>this somehow makes him capable of quality

>>95898571
>if I put in some effort for a change, I might make money out of this

I don't like it on the grounds I don't fully know or trust what I'm about to be paying for. Too many play and DM styles can easily conflict and I don't want to pay to sit in on a game where things are going to be lame. I certainly don't mind ponying up for food and drinks but I feel that's a different set of circumstances that fall more in line with good manners and customs.

>>95898617
An awful retard doesn't stop being an awful retard just because there's money on the table. Just means you're paying for an awful retard to be retarded and awful.

I hook my GM up with $5 per session as a donation, because the tards he has to wrangle each session is quite something. With that said, 4/5 games I played he showed up saying he didn't have time to prep and spends a lot of the table time on smokes breaks or discussing things completely unrelated to the game, so that might come to an end in the very near future.

>>95897401 (OP)
I don't think the $20 per person per session is worth having to run games as a business transaction instead of just having a good time with friends, and players turning into even worse retards now that they're paying customers and know they can start demanding shit and you can't just kick them out.

>>95898952
Where do I buy friends instead?

>>95897401 (OP)
If the group needs any materials, such as sourcebooks, the players collectively pitch in to purchase them.
This is the only acceptable form of "paid" DMing: Covering the expenses rather than actively profiting.

>>95897401 (OP)
Not for me, but if other people are making it work out, then good for them. Although given that there are already a lot of discussions regarding how much the GM should directly cater to the players vs handling the games their way, I wonder how the factor of being in a contract affects that dynamic.

>>95897401 (OP)
I can't imagine paying or being paid for my GMing any more than I can imagine paying or being paid for sex.

Paid GMs have my pity.
Players who must pay to get games have my contempt.

>>95898088
>GMs who run low effort, overpriced games for discord trannies
Wouldn't do this under 500k USD
>>95899320
They're called hoes and one japanese guy married one through paid TTRPGs

>>95897414
I knew a guy who supplemented his government benefits with being a paid GM, it absolutely happens.

>>95897401 (OP)
If players weren't such flakes it wouldn't be needed. It's a weird thing where when you have to pay for something you value it more. I've never played in or ran a paid game but if I didn't have a group already I'd consider it.

>>95898026
>GMing is thankless work
This is stupid and wrong. Every session I have ever run or played in ended with people thanking the GM and offering sincere gratitude and appreciation. If that's not the norm, there is a problem.

>>95898026
>shameless con artists, running the same D&D modules a dozen times per week for randos

It makes no difference to me that stage actors used the same script the day before before a different audience. I don't care that 1 000 000 other randos played through Neverwinter Nights before me. Thousands of dinners will go to any particular popular murder-mystery dinner performed by the same actors. Thousands of people will have run through the popular modules and that won't make the module better or worse for me if I play it tomorrow or next week or next year or if I played it before them. How does other people playing the module factor in at all?

If those pc guys want to play a game and the dm guy is putting in effort to know the module and the rules, which repeated playing of it will probably take care of even if he doesn't know them before, what's the problem?

Paid DMing is currently my actual job, ask me anything.
Few things I will point out:
I charge $20-30 USD per person per session depending on the specific game I run. All my games are short 2-6 or so session modules of my own making. I work with players to help make their characters/builds and I provide them tokens and artwork.
I have made friends with plenty of my customers and have several repeat customers as well.
My initial fear when I started was that when running becomes a job, that I would lose the passion because it's now a job. That was thankfully not the case. I get to enjoy running the games and seeing the players enjoy running them as well.
I have a few ground rules but the big one is that players are not entitled to make demands purely because they paid me. They are free to receive a refund if they are unsatisfied with how I run things (partial if I already made art for them) (I have not received a single unsatisfied player)
By experience, paid players have not flaked NEARLY as much as free players. The only times have been genuine emergencies for said players. The paid players also have all been far more passionate than any free player has been, and game quality has been high. I do not need to hold their hands, outside of helping new players learning the system.
The quality has been so consistently good, that I am not sure I will ever go back to running free games again, outside of running for actual close friends maybe.
There are plenty of lazy schmuck DMs out there that run pre-written adventures and put in the minimum effort because they are only in it for the money, that much is true. But there are also plenty of DMs that do put in the work and do put in the effort, and they do deserve the money they make.

Eh. Do your thing.

>>95905056
I'd laugh in your face if you were at an FLGS and asked me for money to play a game. But if other people wanna pay for it? Good for you I guess.

>>95903791
Usually happens when playing with a group of strangers or people who take what the DM does for granted. So it's not the norm, but it mentally sticks out to those who deal with it.

>>95897401 (OP)
You may as well just pay some deranged Slavic expat to punch you in the gut a few times. The sensation is similar and arguably the money is better spent. Dmitri at least contributes to the local economy when he wants a drink.

As that other anon said. It is basically prostitution. People who can't get a woman to sleep with them pay for it, gamers who can't get friends to play with pay for it. Its the same thing, just with less bodily fluids.

>>95905056
How much prep time do you take for a session on average? Are you using AI in any capacity?

>>95905129
I would never use AI for several reasons one is AI sucks and two is that the communities where I advertise my paid GMing are very much against AI and I'd rather not be banned
Session prep time is generally a couple disjointed hours over a period of a week prior to session time. When I advertise I say the time of day and day of the week but once I have enough players for the game I decide on a date, spend a week helping them with all their shit to get ready for the game, and then run the game. It's my own pre-made modules so everything else is already prepared ahead of time.

>>95904767
You've missed the point spectacularly, and I suspect it's because you're a faggot trying to make a living running 5e modules on roll20

>>95905341
>can't get even randos to stay in my game so now I project hard

>>95910187
You are surprisingly illiterate for someone who think he can win internet arguments.

>>95910255
>surprisingly illiterate
>who think he can
Ironic.

No one wins an argument outside Debate Club anon. Except me. And I already won. Deal with it.

>>95910695
Oh no. A single letter was missing. Guess you won the internet argument by being a pedantic faggot and running away from the stupid bullshit you said earlier.

>>95897513
>It's no different than prostitution
That applies to any salary job.