Dungeons And Dragons Game Designer Salary

Anyone know? The project leads vs freelances, how much did Gygax make and whatever. I'm curious.

From everything I've heard...many people working in a professional career field would have to take a pay cut if they wanted to design games for a living. It really is a labor of love, and for gaming to be your livelihood you would have to be REALLY passionate about it.

I personally love me some TTRPG's...but not as much as I love money, and the luxuries and lifestyle that money affords me. So I will not be emailing any resumes/CV's to the gaming companies...unless they need an engineer for some reason.

Blatand bald guess with no basis in reality:

D&D research and design team manager $80,000 +benefits
D&D research and design team member $50,000 +benefits

I seem to recall seeing some very small numbers a couple years ago; along the lines that most people working full time in the industry make $20-$30,000 pa, much less than any 'normal' career requiring comparable skills. WoTC pays more, but not a *lot* more.

Edit: I think it may have been in one of Ryan Dancey's doom-and-gloom posts.

Last edited: Jul 10, 2012

'x' amount per word written...'x' amount per painting acquired/used...'x' amount per each task completed 'cartography', 'editing' etc. One person could make a lot, potentially. Then, again, it's not a normal job. Work odd hours. Work from home or on the go. Freelancers don't get benefits, but they might get to come and go as they choose-from a project. Once they make a name for themselves, I suppose they not only can expect more, but more projects. I suppose a lot of people doing this might have their own company which a larger company hires for one lump sum. It would cut costs and the smaller company could bid for the job. It's mercenary work, I suppose.

I seem to recall seeing some very small numbers a couple years ago; along the lines that most people working full time in the industry make $20-$30,000 pa, much less than any 'normal' career requiring comparable skills. WoTC pays more, but not a *lot* more.

Edit: I think it may have been in one of Ryan Dancey's doom-and-gloom posts.

I remember the same article.

I also remember being really surprised. The average salary in Oz is around AUD65K pa (roughly the same in USD terms) with similar tax rates to the US so I was amazed that people could live on such a low salary.

It also shows how little money really is in the tabletop RPG business.

I remember the same article.

I also remember being really surprised. The average salary in Oz is around AUD65K pa (roughly the same in USD terms) with similar tax rates to the US so I was amazed that people could live on such a low salary.

It also shows how little money really is in the tabletop RPG business.

Video games have proven to be a very powerful rival! Probably cheaper to make and improve upon too.

S. Gaston

Video games have proven to be a very powerful rival! Probably cheaper to make and improve upon too.

A great number of RPG writers or artists have day jobs in the video game industry. The full time WotC staffers are an obvious exception.

I can't think of any other job that pays a poverty-level salary but where your creative outputs are so heavily scrutinised by an angry internet.

Then, of course, you and/or your colleagues will be retrenched twice a year and you find yourself with a set of skills only valuable to Paizo.

Tell me again why anyone with a modicum of common sense sees this as a dream job?

Back to the OP, you also asked about Gary Gygax. As a major shareholder and CEO he would have been doing OK but he screwed it all up and was left with very little from what I understand.

Back to the OP, you also asked about Gary Gygax. As a major shareholder and CEO he would have been doing OK but he screwed it all up and was left with very little from what I understand.

No, it didn't go down that way...I'll have to dig up the story. Im sure there is death, destruction and so forth invovled

Last edited: Jul 10, 2012