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 to start, with in-person play at partner venues next. 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 pay that price plus one Summon service fee line. 7.77% of that line is ours, the only fee we charge; the rest is the card cost, at cost, so nothing gets added later. Your GM keeps 100% of their price, and Summon takes 0% from GMs, and no cut of tips. Lucky sevens, flat, the same for everybody — and it never comes out of your GM's pocket.
Any other fees?
No. Your bill is two lines, and that's the whole of it. Here's who pays what. Players: the GM's price, plus the one service fee line above. That line carries Summon's 7.77% and the card cost at cost, which is what the payment networks charge on any online purchase, never marked up. You see your exact total before you pay, and nothing gets added later. GMs: $0 — no commission, no listing fee, no cut of tips. The only charge is the optional background check for the Verified badge, if you want one. Game stores: $0. Tips: $0 — Summon takes no cut of a tip. In-person sessions, a later milestone, will add a small safety line, shown before you pay like everything else and never folded into the 7.77%. If money has already been collected and a refund is due, you get the GM's price and Summon's fee back; the card cost is the one part that doesn't come back, because the card networks keep it.
Is it in person or online?
Online to start — every game at launch runs online, anywhere your GM runs them. In-person is next on the build list: sessions at trusted partner venues, meaning game stores, cafés, and similar public spaces, never private homes. That work is underway; it isn't open yet.
Where are you launching?
Everywhere — Summon is nationwide from day one, no single launch city. 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 chosen to be background-checked before you book. And when games do move off-screen, stranger-matched tables will meet in public partner venues — never a private home. Summon is 18+ only. 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, and Summon takes no cut of tips. Summon takes nothing out of a payout. Your money is your money, and we don't take a cut of it. Summon only makes money from the flat fee players add on top, so the whole business runs on filling your table, not on trimming your rate. Exact payout timing gets published before launch.
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. 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, nationwide. Players, Game Masters, and game stores — claim your spot before the doors open.