Mari Murdock, a 36-year-old living in Salt Lake City, is able to make $24,000 a year as a professional Game Master (GM). Most weeks her time is spent running three games with an average five-hour prep time per game. She hosts on a new platform called Dungeon Master Direct, which only launched in 2020. Murdock was hired in 2021, according to her interview with CNBC’s Make It which studies how Millennials make and manage their money.
Murdock supplements her income with a part-time writing teacher position with Westminster University. She got her start in the creative and TTRPG field by launching a gaming club at her husband’s college that was a resounding success. She wrote and served as a GM for TTRPG games and enjoyed teaching first-time players. This led to multiple opportunities for her as a freelance writer in the gaming space, including for the Legend of the Five Rings card game. Her background led to her hire by Dungeon Master Direct.
“I went to school specifically to learn how to be a creative writer,” she told CNBC, “so I love that GMing is a creative outlet that allows me to hone my storytelling, plotting, and characterization skills.”
Dungeon Master Direct sets its GM charge at $375 per online game and $500 per in-person game. They also allow booking for corporate evets and private consultation sessions.
