Should You Pay To Play D&D?

And if so, what kind of DM/Game should you be looking for?

I’m not Reddit person, but I do get updates, the headlines, from a couple of rpg groups and this headline caught my attention:

Would you pay money to play DND?

The query,

“why pay money for a ttrpg game - even if your irl friends don't want to, or don't have time to play (which I get, my DND group also manages to meet only once in a while), there is a lot of like Discord servers and stuff where you can find people interested in ttrpgs and not pay anything.”

My answer to the question, Why pay money for a ttrpg game, is, because it’s easy (ier).

I’m not here to convince anyone they should charge for games or even pay for games. What I am saying is that the market decides what is worth paying for or not. If there were not a market, there would be no professional game masters.

If you’re against the idea of a paid DM, why? There are plenty of jobs people (maybe yourself) do not want to do that they could do themselves, but for one reason or another, either cannot or choose not to, such as

• walking their dog (too busy)

• mowing their lawn (too sweaty)

• maid service (too lazy)

There are a dozen more kinds of jobs with far less value (in my opinion) that we pay out of convenience.

Hiring a DM is just another one of those conveniences. Here a some common scenarios I think come into play when someone is considering paying someone to run a game.

The Curious Person

There are plenty of people who used go (and some still do) to their local community centers, gyms, and YMCAs to see what is being offered. They may see things like knitting classes, leatherworking or some other How To type of classes and for a minimal fee. They pay, get some supplies and learn a new skill and maybe even grow to love it.

Now, there are people who have never played an rpg and are interested but don’t know anyone who plays and they come across platforms like Start Playing, which is like a digital bulletin board for “Come learn Dungeons and Dragons with a professional DM” and that is there entry point into the hobby.

I use to run Learn to Plays at least twice a month at my game store and there was no shortage of people who wanted to learn for $20 and get some dice to boot.

It’s the same with someone who wants to learn how to play guitar, they go online, take a course or sign up for lessons. There are more people, now, who see DM/GM as just another service, no big deal.

The Event Person

I was recently asked to run The One Ring for a group of teens and their leader. I told them I’d be happy to do the first session for free and if they had a good time, they could invite me back. Well, they invited me back, paid $25 a head and tipped me $25.

I’m scheduled to run a game for a group of adults for a man’s 40th birthday. He has never played before. He saw a live play on Youtube and thought it would be cool so he had his wife do some research and my game store recommended me, and I booked the gig for about 10 people (this is making sweat a little, but I have a plan).

Events like these are great because I get to put on a show as well as share with them a hobby they could come to love, but like many people who already play, no one wants to learn the rules or skills necessary to run the game. This is the market speaking. They want an experience minus the prep-time.

The could choose another form of entertainment, like dinner and a movie, but that would likely cost them more than $25 a head.

Helping Others

I am about to go into several schools to play games with students during their after school programs for the purpose of helping them with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Deescalation Skills.

This is why I became a Certified Therapeutic Game Master (yes, it’s a thing) because I know the game can be used to teach leadership skills, help people with their anxiety and build self confidence.

I’ve worked alongside therapists and their clients to help them with their various needs and it’s extremely satisfying to watch a young person come alive and discover something about themselves. And yes, I get paid to do this.

The “No one wants to play my game” Person

You may really love a game or game system but you can’t find anyone willing to play it or run it. This could be an old games like 1e D&D or Star Wars d6 from West End Games. It could also be a new game or an independent game or a genre no one has any interest in but you like Star Trek, The One Ring or Hoard Wars. Maybe you love post apocalyptic games like Gamma World or Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland.

If any of these games or genres were your favorite system or game growing up, then paying for someone to run it, short term, can be of great value, even if it’s just for nostalgic reasons and just for a season.

This may be a one time thing where someone wants to see if “the magic is still there” or maybe they never got to play in a campaign and they’d like the long term experience.

Community

The last reason, I think, people pay to play, is because they seek community and community, it seems, isn’t easy to come by these days for a lot of people for a lot of reasons.

• Why do people pay for a gym membership when they can work out at home?

• Why do people go to a bar to drink when they can drink at home?

• Why do people join book clubs when they can just read it home?

Because, we are social creatures, and dare I say it, we may actually need each other even if we say we don’t.

I’m no saint, by the way, I’ve had to force myself, at times, to go to something social, even a gaming thing, but I know, once I get there, everything will likely be fine and, God forbid, I might even have a good time.

Whether you agree with it or not, professional DM’ing is a thing. I personally hate the word professional, when used with gaming, because it sounds so pretentious, but I don’t have another word that describes this part time gig of mine that I do for gas money, not riches or fame.

If you do get the itch to book a game, to see if the value is there, you can always check out my profile on Start Playing. I have couple of Shadowdark games ready to go.

But what do you think? Have you ever payed to play? What was your experience like?

Have any questions about what it means to be a “professional” DM? Ask away.