Professional Game Masters have been around for a while now, and the arguments surrounding their presence in the hobby have been around for just as long. So, we are going to explore what they can bring to the table, and why you might consider hiring their services.

What is a professional GM?

As with many other services available, there are some who sell their skills, time and effort to those who are willing to pay for said services. This is true also for game masters who offer their services to run games and other aligned moments, like helping with character creation and the like.

What can a professional GM offer?

Professional GMs vary in the services they offer as much as they vary in their experience and quality of service. Whether they advertise their services on a platform like Start Playing, or they run bookings through their own website, all professional GMs will list the services, or what you can expect out of a game session if you make a booking with them.

This might include:

• pre-generated character sheets
• digital or actual maps, depending on whether the session is online or face-to-face
• customised music
• dice provided for the session
• safety tool provided ahead of the game session
• a free session 0.

This is in no way an exhaustive list of what a professional GM might provide, and shouldn’t be seen as a reflection of whether or not a GM is a good one if they don’t provide all these items. Each Game Master’s style and approach is different, and they may or may not require some or all of these.

What to look for in a professional GM

I do advise that if you are looking at potentially hiring a GM for you next session, that you take a look at a lot of them to learn what you like and what doesn’t resonate with you so much. With so much on offer, and so many varieties of GM, it can be daunting at first. Reading profiles, making a list as you come across something you either like or don’t, or something you need to investigate more.

If possible, take a look at reviews. If you are going through a platform that facilitates GM profiles, you will generally find reviews from people who have played directly. Whether positive, negative or neutral, a review should definitely give you insight into whether or not a GM offers the type of experience you’re looking for.

A good GM will always have time for a conversation with a prospective client. If, once you have done some reading about their profile and have shortlisted a GM, you still have questions, a quick text conversation can be a great way to make a better educated decision.

Questions like, “How long have you been running this specific game system?” or perhaps, “How would you deal with this specific type of scenario at the table?” can help give insights into whether or now this particular GM might mesh with your desired play style.

Paid GM or not?

The voices against paid GMs selling their services can be loud. It can be interesting to hear what they have to say, if only to help you decide if a paid GM is the route you want to go down.

One of the main arguments is that paid Game Masters don’t offer anything that a good GM does. On the surface, this argument might hold some weight. While a good GM will show up to a game session with whatever is needed for that session, be it maps or music or the like, a professional GM has a professional reputation to maintain.

This will mean, once booked, they will show up and are less likely to reschedule. Of course, any GM can be reliable, but when you are paid to do a job, there is a certain level of professionalism that will keep a paid GM to schedule. Not to mention, the threat of negative reviews for the next potential customer will always help to lend weight to keeping a client happy with the level of service provided.

Another argument is that TTRPGs are a hobby and that paid GMs are creating a hostile environment for unpaid or hobbyist GMs. I have never experienced this personally, either as a player, as a hobbyist or as a paid GM.

As a player, I have used the services of paid GMs to help introduce me to a new system when I was very strapped for time and only hade a specific date and time available. I didn’t have a friend who was familiar with the system available at that time, and so enlisting the services of a paid GM meant my schedule wasn’t burdened, and I still got what I needed.

In my eyes, this is one of the key benefits of paid GMs – you can book a date and time that works for you without having to necessarily be more flexible than you want to be. With a more casual setting, you may need to accommodate others. Is this a failing? I would say in today’s time-poor society, it is simply a sign of the times, and paid GMs have found a way to provide a service for which there is clearly a need.

Am I biased? Sure. I am someone who offers professional GM services, so of course there is a level of bias there. I am also pragmatic and extremely time poor, so if I want to play a game or learn a new system or setting, I will absolutely hire a GM to help me on a day and at a time that works for me, rather than needing to spend time coordinating with a group of people. That being said, I still play in casual settings outside of a financial, contracted situation. That is another beauty of having paid GMs available – if you don’t want to use their services, you don’t have to, but if they offer a service that is useful to you, you can!

Professional GMs don’t detract from the hobby at all. They provide a level of service that some are specifically looking for. If their services are not something you are looking for, then you don’t have to avail yourself of said services. Sure, you can pay someone to walk your dog for you, or you can choose to hire a dog walker. Having one available doesn’t detract from the other, and the same can be said or paid GMing.

If you would like to see what services I offer as a professional GM, you can check out my profile on Start Playing and book a seat at one of my games. I also offer custom written games, character building workshops, and Storyteller consulting sessions, so feel free to drop me a line, either here or on Start Playing, and we can have a conversation about whether or not my professional GM services are for you!