Being a paid GM is its own adventure
It's been close to a year since I started running games for money.
I started out with a few one-shots of Masks and Thirsty Sword Lesbians until I got to run a few weekly adventures of Masks, Troika!, Noctis Labyrinth, Nibiru, Apocalypse Keys and more.
Given that being a paid GM has become my main income source, it is stressful at times. There are other downsides too, which I could talk about another time.
BUT
I have never played so many games, and for so long, until I became a paid GM.
I got to take part in the tales of Adjo and Nabi in their explorations of the haunted ravines of Noctis Labyrinth.
I got to see a bunch of teen superheroes like Nini, Eli, Selena, Justin, Arthur, Matt, Jake, Val, Cherry, and many others, as they met or faced divine parenthood, evil corporate bosses, criminal overlords, Florida Men, an eldritch goose, the Fairy Godmother, time/space-screwing warlocks, and, worse of all, PROM.
I got to see mythical avatars such as Enkidu, Boudicca, and others, as they traveled the Tree of Life.
I get to see Vagabonds weave the Chronicles of the Skyless World in Nibiru, a whole world contained in a massive space station.
I get to see some really messed up monsters teeter at the edge of becoming the Harbingers of Apocalypse, as they try to stop the apocalypse themselves.
And those are just some of the adventures I got to experience first hand.
Roleplaying games are both passion and work, and that is its own can of worms to unpack since capitalism pushes individuals to monetize their passions to survive.
But make no mistake, I thoroughly enjoy what I do and the players I get to bring along in this ride, and while I am conscious that there will be a time I will change and might need to step down, I will savour every single moment of it with is ups and downs.
