It doesn't really help that the current 5e DMG is very poorly designed and laid out, and does little to really arm a new DM with what they would need to know to run a game. A new gaming group either figures it out as they go, hitting every possible speedbump along the way, or has to do extensive research outside the official books to figure out how the whole DMing thing actually works. I know I learned exactly nothing about DMing from the DMG; anything I learned, I learned from watching Matt Mercer do it or from reading third-party sources like Angry GM. The 5e DMG is eighty percent crappy creative-writing 101 primer I don't need and 20% random tables of stuff I might actually need, but scattered about in bizarre places where it's super difficult to remember where they are.
A proper Dungeon Master's Guide could go a long way towards fixing the issue.
5e is absolutely the simplest, most dumbed down version of dnd that has ever existed. If you can’t cope with this then you would have had a breakdown trying to figure out some of the intricacies of earlier versions - 1st ed bards or paladins, calculating ThaCo with the variations for different weapons against different armour typs etc.
It doesn't really help that the current 5e DMG is very poorly designed and laid out, and does little to really arm a new DM with what they would need to know to run a game. A new gaming group either figures it out as they go, hitting every possible speedbump along the way, or has to do extensive research outside the official books to figure out how the whole DMing thing actually works. I know I learned exactly nothing about DMing from the DMG; anything I learned, I learned from watching Matt Mercer do it or from reading third-party sources like Angry GM. The 5e DMG is eighty percent crappy creative-writing 101 primer I don't need and 20% random tables of stuff I might actually need, but scattered about in bizarre places where it's super difficult to remember where they are.
A proper Dungeon Master's Guide could go a long way towards fixing the issue.
5e is absolutely the simplest, most dumbed down version of dnd that has ever existed. If you can’t cope with this then you would have had a breakdown trying to figure out some of the intricacies of earlier versions - 1st ed bards or paladins, calculating ThaCo with the variations for different weapons against different armour typs etc.
Running the game and playing the game are very different things. Knowing the rules is not the difficult part of the DM's job regardless of what edition you play.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
5e is absolutely the simplest, most dumbed down version of dnd that has ever existed. If you can’t cope with this then you would have had a breakdown trying to figure out some of the intricacies of earlier versions - 1st ed bards or paladins, calculating ThaCo with the variations for different weapons against different armour typs etc.
Running the game and playing the game are very different things. Knowing the rules is not the difficult part of the DM's job regardless of what edition you play.
For all the folks that say, C'mon, it's no big deal to DM for a group.
I want to ask, then why don't you just pop over to LFG and volunteer to be a DM for free for a few games?
It is a big deal to DM for folks that are not part of your friend group already.
Up until very recently I was running 2 games a week on here and 2 games as part of a West Marsh discord server - all using Roll20 as my VTT. I think that that is more than enough. DM's aren't somehow better than players, or special, or worthy of bonus respect. DM's are just players like myself that are the prime driver of a game and the story that is being played out. A DM without players is just as impotent as a group of players without a DM.
5e is absolutely the simplest, most dumbed down version of dnd that has ever existed. If you can’t cope with this then you would have had a breakdown trying to figure out some of the intricacies of earlier versions - 1st ed bards or paladins, calculating ThaCo with the variations for different weapons against different armour typs etc.
Running the game and playing the game are very different things. Knowing the rules is not the difficult part of the DM's job regardless of what edition you play.
Point out the part where I said it was.
Yurei's entire post was about how 5E's official DM resource, the DMG, does a poor job of being a DM resource. Your answer to that was that 5E is the most dumbed down version of D&D ever and your examples are about rules intricacies. What exactly was I to take away from that then?
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I do not think it is an investment issue. There are plenty of ways to reduce out of session work, and running existing adventure modules just requires reading maybe two or three times of a particular section before you run it for a session.
It is an investment issue but part of the reason being a DM is seen as this massive investment of time is because of the perceived expectations by would be DM on what they think it means to be a DM and frankly if this forum is any indication, the very high expectations I think players have on their DM's.
If a GM worth their salt bothers to do any research, they will encounter plenty of ways to reduce workload to a bare minimum. I do not think it is too hard to stumble upon Matt Colville's videos, and he practically did most of the hard work already for a new GM in the first few videos. LMOP is great and I love it, but I do not think it is ideal to run for brand spanking new GMs with zero TTRPG experience. Matt Colville's short campaign is far shorter and more digestable in my opinion, and can quickly help players decide whether this is a hobby they want to dabble further in. LMOP is too long as my party of five shrunk to three after a few sessions.
You only need to plan one session in advance, maybe two if you know your campaign is relatively railroady. And if the GM is running premade module, all they got to do to prep is to spend an hour or two and just read the relevant sections a few times. Depending on how a GM likes to worldbuild, if they like to explore the world together with their players and let the dice reveal their discoveries, then there is not much you can do to prep since most of the work will be done when you actually play.
All well and good but aren't we specifically talking about DM's that are not worth their salt, aka, new DM's who are doing it for the first time? I know you believe what you are describing sounds super simple (it does to me), but as a new DM enters the hobby just reading and understanding the rules in the players handbook and DMG is a monumental task. After which you are bombarded with all of these storyteller concepts, links to videos not to mention the very high expectations and definitions of what role-playing means. For new arrivals, becoming a DM is a bloody minefield.
I found out about Matt Colville after I was a few sessions into LMOP, so I do not think it takes new GMs that long to come across him or any other teacher, tools, or guides that makes GMing easier and better. Like, even if you do not care about wanting to improve as GM, you will still come across a lot of these resources if you are lazy and you want an easier way to GM. If a person is new to a hobby, I think a reasonable person with even half a brain will do some research, whether they are motivated by wanting to improve or laziness.
I absolutely agree, but I also understand that for a new DM it doesn't intuitively come across as such, and that it takes some experience to really know what is needed (and more importantly, what isn't) to plan one or two sessions. I can offer all the good advice in the world to players who come to me about becoming a DM, but I can't necessarily make them believe it.
I am a pretty lazy person, so I try to find ways to make things more convenient and easier on myself. With how many people see GMing as a chore, I figure most would try to actually look for ways to make things easier on themselves by doing a bit of research online and asking questions. When I first started to GM, dumb old me read LMOP at least three times front to back, and I did not realize how pointless reading it cover to cover more than once was until I started looking up how to GM better with less effort. I still read LMOP a few times cover to cover after that anyways, but I did it from the perspective of enjoying the adventure and reading it on a much more leisurely pace rather than trying to study it and cram information into my brain.
For all the folks that say, C'mon, it's no big deal to DM for a group.
I want to ask, then why don't you just pop over to LFG and volunteer to be a DM for free for a few games?
It is a big deal to DM for folks that are not part of your friend group already.
Up until very recently I was running 2 games a week on here and 2 games as part of a West Marsh discord server - all using Roll20 as my VTT. I think that that is more than enough. DM's aren't somehow better than players, or special, or worthy of bonus respect. DM's are just players like myself that are the prime driver of a game and the story that is being played out. A DM without players is just as impotent as a group of players without a DM.
Hey, good for you, and I applaud your enthusiasm sincerely. But I wouldn't do the work required to be a DM for folks that were outside my friend group unless I was being paid. I don't have that much time that I would give it away so easily. I already do stuff as a volunteer. And I suspect you are in a tiny minority to DM for people you've never met for free.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
For all the folks that say, C'mon, it's no big deal to DM for a group.
I want to ask, then why don't you just pop over to LFG and volunteer to be a DM for free for a few games?
It is a big deal to DM for folks that are not part of your friend group already.
I prefer to play D&D face to face in real life with my friends.
I prefer face to face interaction in real life with people. If I am online, I rather do something more fun than D&D, like binging YouTube videos, listen to ASMR, read the news, play videogames with my friends, etc.
Strangers by definition are not my friends and I do not get the same enjoyment from interacting with them compared to interacting with my friends. It is not so much being a GM that is a chore, it is interacting with strangers that is a chore for me.
Even though it is highly unlikely, if my friends want me to play D&D online with them, then sure, I will do it. If a game store or my coworkers want me to GM for them in real life, I would probably do it too if they bribe me with some snacks and soda. If a stranger asks me to GM for them online though, I am going to say no.
My current DnD group where all strangers, I only want to DM, I have got board of playing and for the past 5-10 years have only done it when I had to, so I went out hunting for a group during the pandemic and found my current one. You don't need to DM for friends, we get online, we play the session and actually it is better because there isn't the general social chat going on we turn up just to DnD, I will be honest I couldn't tell you what there real names are, they are just referred to by character names in chat, in discord etc.
If you like DMing and you don't have a group, as has been my situation for a while, you go out and find players. But I would never charge for my time, I love DMing so I do it cos I enjoy it.
I am a pretty lazy person, so I try to find ways to make things more convenient and easier on myself. With how many people see GMing as a chore, I figure most would try to actually look for ways to make things easier on themselves by doing a bit of research online and asking questions. When I first started to GM, dumb old me read LMOP at least three times front to back, and I did not realize how pointless reading it cover to cover more than once was until I started looking up how to GM better with less effort. I still read LMOP a few times cover to cover after that anyways, but I did it from the perspective of enjoying the adventure and reading it on a much more leisurely pace rather than trying to study it and cram information into my brain.
The point I’m (apparently rather poorly) driving at is that for most players who see GMing as a chore that involved more work than they’re willing to do, researching how to reduce that workload is irrelevant as long as they don’t decide it’s not more than they’re willing to do. DMs will look into how they can be efficient as DMs; players who aren’t DMing and don’t want to DM are unlikely to bother with researching how they could have an easier time as DM. If you’re willing to give it a go, it’s not hard to find advice nowadays - but you have to be willing in the first place, or you won’t be looking.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Thinking at a deeper level than I did at first, I think too many new players is kind of a meta problem. The "ecosystem" will "adapt" by minting new DMs. The meta effect is that the space is flooded with less experienced DMs. Nothing wrong with that per se, it just is what it is. It could potentially be a threat to stop the surging popularity of the hobby. If lots of players are having a bad time because of bad DMs, they might not stick with the hobby. But there's nothing that says that new DMs will tend to be bad. Beginner's mind might even be helpful.
This might be a good time to reiterate that running a good campaign may be the DM’s job, but having a good game is on everyone involved. The best DM in the world isn’t going to make for a fun game if the players aren’t doing their part, and it really is a two-way street. If the players bring their A-game (which doesn’t mean being great either, just being game and doing their best) that will absolutely bring out the best in even the most awkward and inexperienced DM, and if the DM gives it their all even the most shy and clueless players will be able to shine. It’s a shared responsibility, not one to lay at the feet of the DM alone, and that means DMs don’t have to be perfect from the start. “Ok” is good enough. Don’t put that burden of excellence on yourself - you’ll get there if you stick with it, and with a good group you’ll have a ton of fun along the way.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
It's not just that people don't feel confident running the game as DM, playing as a player and playing as a DM are two completely different gaming experiences.
It's like people wanting to play football - most of them don't want to be the goalkeeper, or the referee. They involve totally different skillsets, and the rewards are different depending on which roll you want. Most people want to roleplay to play a single character, to solve puzzles, to win battles and feel the awe of experiencing the scenarios. The DM by contrast wants to play multiple characters, wants to design puzzles and see how they're solved, wants to set winnable challenges that they intend to lose, and enjoy giving the players the experience.
If there are too many players, then a market will develop in which paid DM services become more and more available, which can only be a good thing. Nobody is forced into them, and the alternatives are either learn to enjoy DMing yourself, or don't play.
Which is more challenging because if we move into a system where the only DM's are paid DM's that's not a good thing for WotC. The hobby can't grow (and sell more books) if we create a paywall into playing. Right now the only paywall is the purchase of a book or two. Heck you can play, right now, for free using tools on DDB, between the "Basic rules" and the free adventure.
That said, it puts a lot of pressure on WotC to find ways to help ease people into playing the role of DM with better and better support products. This could be the time where as 5th sunsets and 6th (or 5.5 or whatever it is) comes up, there is more pressure to do just that and make guides to help new DM's understand their part in the game.
Other notes:
It's not "rail roading" it's "Roller Coastering". If you're literally taking away all options, sure that's a railroad and that's bad. Put putting the game on some rails isn't a bad thing itself either - as long as the ride is worth it. The benefit is that you don't plan 300000 scenarios that never get seen because the players didn't pursue them.
One piece of DMing advice I absolutely love and will pass along every chance I get came from Angry GM. In summation/paraphrase: "It's not the DM's job to make the game exciting/good/interesting. It's the DM's job to make the game happen. "Interesting" comes from everybody." The DM's job is to put a game in front of the players; it's the players' job to play that game and do interesting things with what's in front of them. One of the reasons nobody wants to DM is that too many tables try to put EVERYTHING on the DM, and do no real participating of their own. Spread the load a little bit, remember that you do not even remotely have to be Critical Role and trying will ruin your experience, and you'll get far more people willing to DM.
Which is more challenging because if we move into a system where the only DM's are paid DM's that's not a good thing for WotC.
I doubt that this would realistically happen. Even if paid DMs become more popular (which would make sense at least in the environment of playing online), people will always look for a cheap alternative. And the cheapest alternative is always going to be just to DM yourself or convince a close friend to DM.
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Which is more challenging because if we move into a system where the only DM's are paid DM's that's not a good thing for WotC.
I doubt that this would realistically happen. Even if paid DMs become more popular (which would make sense at least in the environment of playing online), people will always look for a cheap alternative. And the cheapest alternative is always going to be just to DM yourself or convince a close friend to DM.
I tried PtoP once and hated it, the player [REDACTED], are unreliable. Well that was my first impression of D&D pay to play expairience.
Which is more challenging because if we move into a system where the only DM's are paid DM's that's not a good thing for WotC.
I doubt that this would realistically happen. Even if paid DMs become more popular (which would make sense at least in the environment of playing online), people will always look for a cheap alternative. And the cheapest alternative is always going to be just to DM yourself or convince a close friend to DM.
I tried PtoP once and hated it, the player [REDACTED], are unreliable. Well that was my first impression of D&D pay to play expairience.
in the last 3 years I have acted as a DM for pay-to-play games at my local shop. The shop pays my rate and charges the players a modest fee per session (the store makes bigger profit from the snack and drink sales each session than the game itself). The players come from all walks of life and with the exception one (and that one is a tale for r/d&dhorrorstories) none of them are "bottom feeders". The fact that they pay appears to drive off the "unreliables" or at least make them more reliable. As to the mental problems? You must be new to the hobby... 90% of Roleplayers have mental issues. (I include myself in that 90% btw).
If there are too many players, then a market will develop in which paid DM services become more and more available, which can only be a good thing. Nobody is forced into them, and the alternatives are either learn to enjoy DMing yourself, or don't play.
I don't really think a paid DM market is likely to arise. Playing D&D is a high-investment, high-reward activity. "Properly" playing it and getting the most out of the experience requires a time commitment of hours weekly for a year or more. DMing requires even more of an investment. To adequately compensate that investment would require a pay rate in the triple-digits per hour of play time (assuming prep time is not also paid). Say you have a four-hour session weekly and four players. That's at least $100 per person per week, or $5200 per year. That's a sizeable hobby investment.
Of course there are DMs now offering paid DMing for less than $100 per hour, but I don't imagine they're doing it as a day job. They are people who get some reward for themselves out of DMing, and are doing it for pay just because if they can, why not?
So I think even if the hobby gets big, paid DMing will never be for more than the wealthy who can afford expensive hobbies (I guess it's cheaper than sailing or classic cars). I guess that's a pretty reachable upper-middle-class level, but it's not available to everyone, and the hobby is already moderately niche as it is.
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5e is absolutely the simplest, most dumbed down version of dnd that has ever existed. If you can’t cope with this then you would have had a breakdown trying to figure out some of the intricacies of earlier versions - 1st ed bards or paladins, calculating ThaCo with the variations for different weapons against different armour typs etc.
Running the game and playing the game are very different things. Knowing the rules is not the difficult part of the DM's job regardless of what edition you play.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
For all the folks that say, C'mon, it's no big deal to DM for a group.
I want to ask, then why don't you just pop over to LFG and volunteer to be a DM for free for a few games?
It is a big deal to DM for folks that are not part of your friend group already.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Point out the part where I said it was.
Up until very recently I was running 2 games a week on here and 2 games as part of a West Marsh discord server - all using Roll20 as my VTT. I think that that is more than enough. DM's aren't somehow better than players, or special, or worthy of bonus respect. DM's are just players like myself that are the prime driver of a game and the story that is being played out. A DM without players is just as impotent as a group of players without a DM.
Yurei's entire post was about how 5E's official DM resource, the DMG, does a poor job of being a DM resource. Your answer to that was that 5E is the most dumbed down version of D&D ever and your examples are about rules intricacies. What exactly was I to take away from that then?
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I found out about Matt Colville after I was a few sessions into LMOP, so I do not think it takes new GMs that long to come across him or any other teacher, tools, or guides that makes GMing easier and better. Like, even if you do not care about wanting to improve as GM, you will still come across a lot of these resources if you are lazy and you want an easier way to GM. If a person is new to a hobby, I think a reasonable person with even half a brain will do some research, whether they are motivated by wanting to improve or laziness.
I am a pretty lazy person, so I try to find ways to make things more convenient and easier on myself. With how many people see GMing as a chore, I figure most would try to actually look for ways to make things easier on themselves by doing a bit of research online and asking questions. When I first started to GM, dumb old me read LMOP at least three times front to back, and I did not realize how pointless reading it cover to cover more than once was until I started looking up how to GM better with less effort. I still read LMOP a few times cover to cover after that anyways, but I did it from the perspective of enjoying the adventure and reading it on a much more leisurely pace rather than trying to study it and cram information into my brain.
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Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
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Hey, good for you, and I applaud your enthusiasm sincerely. But I wouldn't do the work required to be a DM for folks that were outside my friend group unless I was being paid. I don't have that much time that I would give it away so easily. I already do stuff as a volunteer. And I suspect you are in a tiny minority to DM for people you've never met for free.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
I prefer to play D&D face to face in real life with my friends.
I prefer face to face interaction in real life with people. If I am online, I rather do something more fun than D&D, like binging YouTube videos, listen to ASMR, read the news, play videogames with my friends, etc.
Strangers by definition are not my friends and I do not get the same enjoyment from interacting with them compared to interacting with my friends. It is not so much being a GM that is a chore, it is interacting with strangers that is a chore for me.
Even though it is highly unlikely, if my friends want me to play D&D online with them, then sure, I will do it. If a game store or my coworkers want me to GM for them in real life, I would probably do it too if they bribe me with some snacks and soda. If a stranger asks me to GM for them online though, I am going to say no.
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Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
My current DnD group where all strangers, I only want to DM, I have got board of playing and for the past 5-10 years have only done it when I had to, so I went out hunting for a group during the pandemic and found my current one. You don't need to DM for friends, we get online, we play the session and actually it is better because there isn't the general social chat going on we turn up just to DnD, I will be honest I couldn't tell you what there real names are, they are just referred to by character names in chat, in discord etc.
If you like DMing and you don't have a group, as has been my situation for a while, you go out and find players. But I would never charge for my time, I love DMing so I do it cos I enjoy it.
The point I’m (apparently rather poorly) driving at is that for most players who see GMing as a chore that involved more work than they’re willing to do, researching how to reduce that workload is irrelevant as long as they don’t decide it’s not more than they’re willing to do. DMs will look into how they can be efficient as DMs; players who aren’t DMing and don’t want to DM are unlikely to bother with researching how they could have an easier time as DM. If you’re willing to give it a go, it’s not hard to find advice nowadays - but you have to be willing in the first place, or you won’t be looking.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Thinking at a deeper level than I did at first, I think too many new players is kind of a meta problem. The "ecosystem" will "adapt" by minting new DMs. The meta effect is that the space is flooded with less experienced DMs. Nothing wrong with that per se, it just is what it is. It could potentially be a threat to stop the surging popularity of the hobby. If lots of players are having a bad time because of bad DMs, they might not stick with the hobby. But there's nothing that says that new DMs will tend to be bad. Beginner's mind might even be helpful.
This might be a good time to reiterate that running a good campaign may be the DM’s job, but having a good game is on everyone involved. The best DM in the world isn’t going to make for a fun game if the players aren’t doing their part, and it really is a two-way street. If the players bring their A-game (which doesn’t mean being great either, just being game and doing their best) that will absolutely bring out the best in even the most awkward and inexperienced DM, and if the DM gives it their all even the most shy and clueless players will be able to shine. It’s a shared responsibility, not one to lay at the feet of the DM alone, and that means DMs don’t have to be perfect from the start. “Ok” is good enough. Don’t put that burden of excellence on yourself - you’ll get there if you stick with it, and with a good group you’ll have a ton of fun along the way.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
It's not just that people don't feel confident running the game as DM, playing as a player and playing as a DM are two completely different gaming experiences.
It's like people wanting to play football - most of them don't want to be the goalkeeper, or the referee. They involve totally different skillsets, and the rewards are different depending on which roll you want. Most people want to roleplay to play a single character, to solve puzzles, to win battles and feel the awe of experiencing the scenarios. The DM by contrast wants to play multiple characters, wants to design puzzles and see how they're solved, wants to set winnable challenges that they intend to lose, and enjoy giving the players the experience.
If there are too many players, then a market will develop in which paid DM services become more and more available, which can only be a good thing. Nobody is forced into them, and the alternatives are either learn to enjoy DMing yourself, or don't play.
Which is more challenging because if we move into a system where the only DM's are paid DM's that's not a good thing for WotC. The hobby can't grow (and sell more books) if we create a paywall into playing. Right now the only paywall is the purchase of a book or two. Heck you can play, right now, for free using tools on DDB, between the "Basic rules" and the free adventure.
That said, it puts a lot of pressure on WotC to find ways to help ease people into playing the role of DM with better and better support products. This could be the time where as 5th sunsets and 6th (or 5.5 or whatever it is) comes up, there is more pressure to do just that and make guides to help new DM's understand their part in the game.
Other notes:
It's not "rail roading" it's "Roller Coastering". If you're literally taking away all options, sure that's a railroad and that's bad. Put putting the game on some rails isn't a bad thing itself either - as long as the ride is worth it. The benefit is that you don't plan 300000 scenarios that never get seen because the players didn't pursue them.
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One piece of DMing advice I absolutely love and will pass along every chance I get came from Angry GM. In summation/paraphrase: "It's not the DM's job to make the game exciting/good/interesting. It's the DM's job to make the game happen. "Interesting" comes from everybody." The DM's job is to put a game in front of the players; it's the players' job to play that game and do interesting things with what's in front of them. One of the reasons nobody wants to DM is that too many tables try to put EVERYTHING on the DM, and do no real participating of their own. Spread the load a little bit, remember that you do not even remotely have to be Critical Role and trying will ruin your experience, and you'll get far more people willing to DM.
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I doubt that this would realistically happen. Even if paid DMs become more popular (which would make sense at least in the environment of playing online), people will always look for a cheap alternative. And the cheapest alternative is always going to be just to DM yourself or convince a close friend to DM.
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
I tried PtoP once and hated it, the player [REDACTED], are unreliable. Well that was my first impression of D&D pay to play expairience.
in the last 3 years I have acted as a DM for pay-to-play games at my local shop. The shop pays my rate and charges the players a modest fee per session (the store makes bigger profit from the snack and drink sales each session than the game itself). The players come from all walks of life and with the exception one (and that one is a tale for r/d&dhorrorstories) none of them are "bottom feeders". The fact that they pay appears to drive off the "unreliables" or at least make them more reliable. As to the mental problems? You must be new to the hobby... 90% of Roleplayers have mental issues. (I include myself in that 90% btw).
I don't really think a paid DM market is likely to arise. Playing D&D is a high-investment, high-reward activity. "Properly" playing it and getting the most out of the experience requires a time commitment of hours weekly for a year or more. DMing requires even more of an investment. To adequately compensate that investment would require a pay rate in the triple-digits per hour of play time (assuming prep time is not also paid). Say you have a four-hour session weekly and four players. That's at least $100 per person per week, or $5200 per year. That's a sizeable hobby investment.
Of course there are DMs now offering paid DMing for less than $100 per hour, but I don't imagine they're doing it as a day job. They are people who get some reward for themselves out of DMing, and are doing it for pay just because if they can, why not?
So I think even if the hobby gets big, paid DMing will never be for more than the wealthy who can afford expensive hobbies (I guess it's cheaper than sailing or classic cars). I guess that's a pretty reachable upper-middle-class level, but it's not available to everyone, and the hobby is already moderately niche as it is.