QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The rules of the table, no fine print.
Everything you might want to know before you gather your party — what Summon is, what it costs, and how we're building it. Straight answers, plainly stated. If we haven't answered it yet, it's probably because we're still building it.
What is Summon?
Summon is a marketplace for booking professional Game Masters for tabletop RPGs — online from anywhere, or in person at partner public venues like game stores and cafés. You find a GM whose style and system fit your table, book a seat, and show up ready to roll. Think of it as the circle you draw to call a great GM to your game.
How much does it cost?
The GM sets their own price. When you book, you add one flat 7.77% on top — that's Summon's only fee. Your GM keeps 100% of their price and 100% of their tips. Summon takes 0% from GMs. The fee is lucky sevens, flat, and it never comes out of your GM's pocket.
Any other fees? Give me the complete list.
Here it is — every fee that will exist on Summon. If it's not on this list, it doesn't exist. Players: the flat 7.77% booking fee, plus card processing passed through at cost — that's the ~3% the payment networks charge on any online purchase. We never mark it up, and you see your exact total before you pay. GMs: $0 — no commission, no listing fee, no cut of tips. The only charges are optional extras you choose: instant payouts (~1% — standard payouts are always free) and the background check for the Verified badge. Game stores: $0. Tips: 100% to your GM, always.
Is it in person or online?
Both. Online games work anywhere your GM runs them. In-person games run at trusted partner public venues to start — game stores, cafés, and similar spaces. Home games are coming as we grow, but at launch, in-person means a public partner table.
Where are you launching?
Birmingham, Alabama first, then city by city — we'd rather do one town right than fifty halfway. Online games are available wherever GMs are, so if your GM runs virtual tables, distance isn't a barrier.
Is it safe to book someone I don't know?
Here's exactly how we handle it: GMs can opt into a provider-paid background check through Checkr to earn a Verified badge, so you can see who's been background-checked before you book. Stranger-matched in-person games run at public partner venues, not private homes. And Summon is 18+ only at launch. We won't promise you a guarantee — we give you the checks, the badges, and public spaces, and you decide.
What systems can I play?
Any of them. D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Blades in the Dark, your weird indie darling that only six people have heard of — every system gets equal footing. We don't bury the small stuff to push the big stuff. If a GM runs it, you can find it.
What's the Party Finder?
It's a feature we're building: a way for solo players to find a group and split a GM's price, so you don't need to bring four friends to get to the table. Rolling solo shouldn't mean sitting out. It's coming — not live yet — and it's the piece we're proudest of.
How do GMs get paid?
GMs keep 100% of their listed price plus 100% of any tips, with same-week payouts. Your money is your money — we don't sit on it, and we don't take a cut of it. Summon only makes money from the flat fee players add on top.
When can I use it?
Soon — we're bootstrapping this and building it right. Join the waitlist and you'll be first through the portal when the beta opens, Birmingham first. We won't pretend there's a crowd already waiting; we're gathering the party now.
THE CIRCLE IS BEING DRAWN
Still have a question? Get in early and ask us.
The beta opens soon, Birmingham first. Players, Game Masters, and game stores — claim your spot before the doors open.