Is it worth it to hire a Professional Dungeon Master?
“Why should I pay to play when I can just read the books and DM a game myself?”
…Let me tell you.
Tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs) like D&D are complicated as hell. The #1 comment I get from potential players is something to the effect of, “We’re a group of enthusiastic newbies, and we just tried to play a game on our own after reading the manuals and watching a bunch of online tutorials. It was [paraphrase] a goddamned mess.”
This is less of a Shameless Plug than you think, and more of a friendly PSA. Games like D&D are best learned at the table, and while reading the manuals and watching videos can certainly be helpful, it takes an experienced Dungeon Master (DM) to guide players through their first session. Even if that session is utilizing a pre-made module from Wizards of the Coast (WotC), someone with 0 tabletop experience will have a helluva time running the game. DMing is Hard Work. It is far more than just reading from a manual; it involves massive prep, strategy, a decent knowledge of all the races/classes/spells/abilities in the game, and excellent improv/storytelling skills, not to mention an understanding of the basic rules of game-play in general and the ability to referee said rules among various personality types while maintaining a fun and balanced game. TTRPGS are the ultimate example of “Learn by Doing”.
If you are a solo player, or a group of people looking to learn, it’s well worth it to hire a Pro DM. Why? Well, let’s throw some numbered lists your way!
Think of what we pay for a 2-3hr movie theatre experience nowadays (sadly). $20-30 after tax/credit card fees plus $10+ in concessions. So we’re valuing our entertainment value at roughly $40-50 for a 3-hour experience. Most D&D games run 4-6 hours, so let’s say conservatively we’d value it at the same price as a movie, even though it should technically be more. I know that paying $200+ for a game of D&D seems steep, but if you have 5 players, that’s $40pp, about the same as you’d be paying for a movie and popcorn/soda.
You’re not just paying for the game experience when you hire a DM. For every hour of game-play, a DM spends roughly an hour in prep. So a 6 hour game is really 12 hours of work, plus travel (unless you’re playing virtually), which is under $12/hour compensation. Plus, a Professional DM will generally provide all materials needed, including manuals ($30+ each, and you need at least the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide to run a game, plus probably the Monster Manual), battle grid, miniatures, dice, character sheets, writing implements, sound and (if you’re lucky) lights & costumes. You’re saving your friend group easily $200 by hiring someone to bring all that stuff to the table.
A ton of players give up in frustration after trying (and failing) to start their own game with friends. Sadly, this prevents a huge % of people from truly experience the awesomeness that is the TTRPG. Avoiding this frustration for a positive first-time experience is a huge boon. And going forward, you make a new friend who can run an ongoing campaign, letting you and your group drink the night away without worrying about any of the hard work that comes with being DDM (Designated Dungeon Master)!
Even for veteran players and DMs who own the materials and know how to play, it can be well worth it to hire. You know you are getting quality, versus asking a random friend to DM, or paying to join a virtual game at Start Playing Games or at a hobby shop. Trust me, I’ve done both, and the quality is a real mixed bag. It may be cheaper, but you are not assured quality as you are when you go with a trusted, established DM with reviews, credentials, etc.
You get to enjoy a stress-free time, and you are giving yourselves an impartial third party to help navigate rules and potential confrontation. D&D is a social game where there are often conflicting personality-types at the table, and I’ve been in the middle of my fair share of drama as both a player and non-professional DM. You don’t want to have real-life fights with your friends because of a petty in-game dispute, right? Generally speaking, when there’s an outside DM at the table, party members are far more likely to respect the house rules and let this person be the bad cop, instead of hashing it out among themselves. A good DM will tactfully and gracefully handle inter-player (or inter-character) conflict without anyone’s feathers getting ruffled.
And of course, hiring a professional helps support an entrepreneurial nerd trying to spread the love of TTRPGs to everyone he/she can! So while it may be tempting to try and figure it out for yourselves, you’ll be saving yourself time, energy, stress, (and money) by hiring someone to provide the materials and game-play experience. But please, by all means try and do it yourself…and when you throw your hands up in exasperation after 3 hours of rule-arguing, feel free to send us an Inquiry! Happy Rolling!