dmchuck.bsky.social
Owner/Operator at Malve Studios
Professional DM
DM from time to time on Negative2Charisma
Sound Guy
Partaker in all things Foolish
220 posts
178 followers
586 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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👀
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Maybe thats another measurement for "rigidity" of a system. If it takes more than a few seconds to calculate a "drain" mechanic effect on a character *on paper* then there is something that needs to be re-thought.
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$40 for 4 hours is what most people spend going to the bar or eating out with friends. $60 if there's an "experience" involved. People unwilling to spend $40 are probably mixing cocktails at home and hosting a dinner or game night.
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and other bits of admin that it takes to keep these kinds of things open for people to get into.
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you'll find yourself needing more money or working it like a full time job at $20/hr outside of prep time. $300-400/table for 4 hours pays the GM at $30-35/hr of work, gas, physical materials, probably dinner for the DM, and a private space. The little bit of profit the company takes pays for ads
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I like this kind of rate for someone who hasn't charged before that's learning to get into the professional aspect of it. You can find a ton of people charging that kind of rate. Personally, I started at $20/seat and that was fine at the time. Once you get to doing it consistently, though
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Feel free to reach out sometime when you're interested. I'll get you in on an online one.
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Not everyone is. But the perspective is nice.
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is there to have an enjoyable experience.
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Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. I've personally found that people are more flexible when everyone at the table pays because they know everyone paid. They want to get their money's worth, but don't want to make it to where other people feel cheated. It forces civility sometimes and ensures that everyone
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There are also people that are just *better* at these things than others, usually through training or practice.
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That's why I include the musician comparison. Let's find another service or experience that you could do as a hobby. Writing, painting, car maintenance, cartography, cleaning a home (some people have made it a hobby), cooking. There are people that do these as jobs and others as hobbies.
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This is good. Now let me ask this question. Would you think that people who 3D print for money are bad for the hobby or 3D printing or musicians who make great music shouldn't be paid for their efforts?
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No, this is good. I asked the question on purpose. Your input is valuable and valued.
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Better than average to encourage consistency (paying typical helps unless life is life), and (in my experience) a standardized set of rules that aren't home brewed to the point that the game is no longer the game. Prepped laminated images for location descriptions are a nice bonus.
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Okay, so by these standards, you've defined a hobby DM. A pro should have at minimum the following: miniatures and terrain for those with aphantasia for combat in particular, prepped maps and props, private space, some semblance of mood lighting and music. They should be able to handle a table
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That's a pretty solid baseline. What about consistency, terrain, and environment? What's the minimum expectation?
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5 is average. 4 is minimum. 6 is where the money makes the most sense for everyone involved.
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As for a showcase, I'd gladly let you sit in on one of my RanDnD drop ins or one of my long term online games.
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We're new. Only been around since October. www.malvestudios.com/services is the page for the breakdown on what the GM vs the company makes. I could send you the player response form from the audition process if you want to see what my focus is.
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That's a great question. Define a normal tabletop experience.
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That's valid.
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Oh, that's not per player lol. That's for a table of 6.
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In case you were wondering, I do this professionally and own a pro DM contracting business that runs at these rates. We vet our DMs based on my expectations and definition. If you can't meet the minimum, we don't hire you on. I asked the question to see if my expectations are unreasonable lol.
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For a professional that's been doing it for years, I would expect $300-$400 for a table of 6 for a 4 hour one shot in person. For online, if it's a drop in, $40 a seat per session and for long term $35.
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Personally, I expect a few things. I expect a good grasp of rules (don't have to look up the differences between conditions, etc.), expertise with the three major pillars of a TTRPG, enough people skills to handle any table well (customer service type stuff), and high production value.
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I disagree. There *has* to be a definition of a bare minimum for Pro GM, a bare minimum expectation. Let your other flares that separate you from the other professionals. There are hobby DMs that are 100% bringing the quality I would expect from a pro.
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Thank you, btw, for keeping this civil, open, and honest. It's not easy to talk about money in a hobby, especially in a public way.
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I think that's fair. My issue comes from the lack of definition of what a Pro DM is supposed to bring to the space. As it stands, if you don't have a table or don't want to be in person, your options are limited. You can go to SPG and hire any ole schmo for $25 and you might have just an awful time.
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If it's just that your life has under gone a massive change and your priorities have changed to fully drop your games, that's just part of life.
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For the entire table to have. I've found that when someone has a problem, financially or scheduling, most people are willing to be flexible if it can create a solution to keep everyone at the table. Paying to play builds in consistency and helps *everyone* at the table prioritize the game night.
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A good pro DM, in my opinion, won't let whether your character is there or not effect the game the players are playing. If you need to drop for financial or personal reasons, I don't think anyone, pro or not, would have hard feelings about it. If it's a scheduling thing, then it becomes a discussion
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I don't just use my favorite OST. I've got hundreds of hours of music that I time as perfectly as possible to keep the mood correct.
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For online, I don't just go buy maps. I make 90% of the maps my players see myself. I use Foundry and have mods that make things look really good and gameplay smooth. I use my in person lights in my background. I make things easy for people to use and stay patient when they ask for help with tools.
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I do both, but most people relate to the in person more. Personally, I use modular 3d printed and painted terrain and minis. I have a few lights I picked up cheap off of Amazon that do the mood lighting perfect. I've got multiple Bluetooth speakers put together in a mesh around the room. I do props.
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Well, I'll tell ya this much; I would expect much more than grid paper and markers with wooden tokens and mancala beads. Probably more than the playlist on a phone. Mood lighting. On top of how they handle a table, experience with the rules, etc.