Paid DM Outlook

I was looking into becoming a full time DM running several games a week. I have noticed that there are hundreds of players looking for places to play and many of them unable to get into a game because there are 8 or more players in the campaign. Each campaign/session would receive the same amount of devotion and my skill as a DM will also improve greatly, although I have ran several games in my past including home games. The question I have is first to Roll20 : Is it acceptable to charge a subscription or session charge to players for running campaigns on Roll20? The other question is for players; What amount seems reasonable to charge for each player per campaign, month or each session for continue play? Some thoughts: Since I would be a professional DM this would be a full time Job, and thus would require sufficient income equal to minimum wage at 40 hours, Lets assume $8.50 as National average. Additional a DM would have Roll20 account and random purchases from the marketplace to keep players interested. Roll20 - $9.99 + $20.00 Additional Sets. Minimum Wage= $340.00 Roll20 - Additional Sets = $29.99 Total: $369.99  If each session was 5 hours and 6 players per session thats equals - 48 players a week $369.99 / 48 players = $7.71 per session $30.84 Subscription Of course you could increase the players to 8 per session: - 64 Players $369.99 / 64 = $5.78 per session $23.12 Subscription There also the option to break the 40 hours up into smaller timed sessions. Running 3 hour games, adding 2 hours to the 40 hour week for 42 total hours, and 14 sessions at 8 players: $369.99 / 112 = $3.31 per session $13.24 Subscription Now in all realistic, running all these campaigns would be a challenge and I estimate a min of 20 additional hours setting up encounters. Of course to keep things motived in one direction you may have only 2-3 campaigns, but each group is running in there own setting. Or one campaign and people playing in all parts of the world. This would be entirely up to the DM of course. Now of course a player paying for a DM session is surely going to want something in return, and typically would want certain perks because they are paying cash. I have a few idea's for that as well. One the DM is still the DM, so a player may continue or stop playing at any time. You could offer players perhaps a 10% addition to starting gold/resources depending on the campaign setting. You could include abstract races. Perhaps a heirloom item incentive The choices are unlimited. Well I would like anyone insight to this discussion. I believe it would interesting and of course your opinions and options are greatly appreciated.

Back when I was a paid DM using another platform, I would charge $5/session per player. 3 games a week, 4 hours a game was the most I could handle, and once you have more than 6 players, the game begins to suffer. Combined with prep work, and it is less than minimum wage. I wouldn't recommend trying to make a career from it, but I found it as a way to encourage me to continue being a DM long after I would have ordinarily shuttered a game due to burnout.

I am currently in a $5/session/player campaign. It is not against the Roll20 rules. (However, you may have higher difficulty than normal finding players, and it has caused arguments in LFG threads before.) As Simon said, though, I would not recommend attempting to use that as your sole source of income.

The Dragon said: The question I have is first to Roll20 : Is it acceptable to charge a subscription or session charge to players for running campaigns on Roll20? Well I would like anyone insight to this discussion. I believe it would interesting and of course your opinions and options are greatly appreciated. Charging for GM services is allowed.  Discussing the subject beyond, "Do you allow this?" is off-topic for our forums. Good places for that discussion would be /r/rpg or /r/Roll20 . As the question has been answered, I will close this thread now.