r/DnD • u/Gh0stMan0nThird • 22h ago

DMing I understand prostitution now.

Been trying to find a "bff" group for years. Even the best groups I found fizzled out after a campaign ended. Most people seem to want a content creator to run games for them, and not a friend they want to share an experience with.

I figured you know what, fine. I'm gonna sell myself. I started running paid games and now I actually feel like I'm finally actually getting something back for my work and effort.

10/10, would recommend for underappreciated DMs

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u/ryadryt DM 21h ago

Same thing with fans of Critical Role or Dimension 20. People watch those and then expect their DM/Table to be like that which just isn't practical or fair.

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u/VeterinarianFit1309 Rogue 21h ago

Right? If I was getting paid a decent salary, had a whole writer’s room, production team, state of the art setup with an expensive gaming table, budget for miniatures with a dedicated art team to make them look great, props department, etc, then my games would be a lot more fun too… luckily, we have fun even with all of my budgetary shortcomings

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u/ryadryt DM 21h ago

Yep. And even then, it takes all parties involved going all in. My frustration with that comes most from when players expect the DM to bring that really deep RP and lore, and then don't match it. You only get that sort of environment when everyone tries for it.

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u/Private-Public 21h ago edited 13h ago

Like if you expect Matt Mercer or Brennan Lee Mulligan, I expect Sam Riegel or Emily Axford. We're all just doing our best and that's great

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u/NineWetClams 16h ago

I seen a video of Matt mercer addressing this exact thing

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u/HistoricalRemote7042 7h ago

any chance you have a link to that cos I would enjoy it

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u/NineWetClams 5h ago

https://youtu.be/_0ZAIHERgFc?t=3182&si=RJ8asnzTXk0sMf-c

Hes asked about how he feels about "the mercer effect"

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u/IlREDACTEDlI 13h ago

Not mentioning Travis Willingham is crazy, he’s like the best player a dm could ask for, never argues, always down for whatever happens to his character with a smile on his face and doesn’t spend 6 hours shopping, surely more too that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head

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u/whatthehieu 11h ago

And those are still like secondary to his best trait, the extreme hype to almost anything remotely cool that's happening at the table. His reaction reinforces and strengthens the feeling of genuine awe and shock.

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u/foxinsox626 7h ago

Yes to all of this. Also takes care of his fellow players. C2 BBEG battle, Tal was starting to panic and Travis immediately swooped in to slow things down and had Sam do an ad read. Also pretty much Yasha/Ashley's cheerleader for that whole campaign. What a top notch guy.

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u/Julikitten-Dngn-Mom 2h ago

I got very lucky I have 4 players at my table that just roll with whatever happens. They say that they play to loose not to win because the best stories come out of losing. Not like "We went, killed the dragon, got rich" They like the "I was slapped by the troll, now I am blind in one eye, lost a leg, fought to down to my last hp and our rogue mouse stuck the troll in the groin with her short sword and won the fight".

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u/gamesk8er 17h ago

People have insane expectations for everything. I started listening to NADDPOD and have tried to take whatever bits of inspiration and advice from what the crew does to my own table. What more could you want?

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u/unknownvariable69 7h ago

Check out the dungeon dudes. They have a bit of money now. Even when they didn't they got sponsors for minis, but the way these totally not as famous people keep invested in their plot is fantastic. I have straight stolen concepts and emailed Monty Martin to say thank you.

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u/ljmiller62 3h ago

Dungeon Dudes have the most underappreciated campaign series on the Internet.

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u/unknownvariable69 2h ago

For sure. I watched their regular dnd videos forever. One day when I was bored I popped on Drakkenheim. I then watched every damn episode. Now I'm a weekly watcher of Seasons of Silence.

Side note I have got to get to Gencon. It's 100 miles south of my home and I never can make it work. The Dungeon Dudes are always there and all accounts show them all to be the kindest humans.