New York Comic Con DM Signup
Welcome! Thanks in advance for your interest in DMing at New York Comic Con 2025 for Baldman Games. Without DMs and helpers like you, shows like this would not exist. I’ve always said that even when you’re DMing, you’re gaming, and that’s never a bad way to spend the day. We’ve drummed up some of the best benefits we can to entice you to swap over to the dark side of the DM’s screen.
D&D in NYC is our partner organization for the third year for NYCC! They are NYC’s only Wizard’s supported Adventurers League program, running charity events and local D&D sessions. This year they will be exponentially growing their fundraising efforts for The Trevor Project to beat last year’s $4,500 achievement! There will be merch on site and online as well as the return of their incredibly popular fundraising table slots! More information can be found at www.dungeonalliance.org
DMing is a great way to give back to your hobby, and we have some really great rewards that make helping out even easier – plus it’s a great way to attend the show and save some serious $$. You can earn a free badge to the show or even a spot in one of our hotel rooms next to the convention center (a huge perk). It’s also a great way to make new friends and immerse yourself in the show community, more than a casual attendee ever could. Our DM pool organizes events most nights of the show to help build camaraderie and let everyone blow off some steam after a long day of gaming. Our judge retention rate is extremely high, so fair warning: once you work for us, you’ll probably come back and do it again next year.
Now for some show terminology:
- Badge Level: If you DM at Badge Level, you’ve worked enough to earn a free badge to the show. This badge is paid for by the Baldman Games staff.
- Room Level: If you DM at Room Level, you’ve worked enough to earn a spot in one of our hotel rooms. These rooms are for four nights (Wed. night to Sat. night), and we put three to four (see details below) people in a room. We do our best, though, to put you in a room with the roommates you prefer whenever possible. So if you are unsure about staying with strangers your first time, then get a couple buddies to DM with you, and we’ll put all of you in a room together. We all win!!
- Slot: This one confuses a lot of people and is a very old term from the RPGA days. A slot is the same as saying a shift. In the case of NYCC 2025, a slot is two hours long. Every event and day is put together using slots so events line-up nicely, start and end at the same time in relation to each other, and help you put together a schedule that fits your needs easy as possible. The slots in our main D&D play space are numbered so the first slot on Thursday at 11am is called Slot 1. The last slot that runs from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday is Slot 17.
- Slot Zero/Slot 0: So if the first slot is called Slot 1 then what the heck is Slot 0? Slot 0 is any game that runs before the show itself, allowing our DMs to see a game they will later from the player’s perspective. Usually these are done so DMs can prepare to run a better game. Seeing things from a player’s perspective then preparing it is a huge help for some. Sometimes these are also special DM-only events done as rewards for them helping out. Regardless of whether you get to play an event before the show or not, you are always expected to be prepared when the show starts and it is game time.
- Judges: “Judge” is just a fancy word for “DM.” It is a remnant from a bygone era, but we are so used to saying it that sometimes it slips through. If we say “judge,” we mean “DM or other type of gamemaster.”
Now on to some event specifics:
- D&D Demo Event: This is a 20 to 30-minute taste of D&D. It’s still a 2-hour shift of work, but you’ll run the same adventure multiple times as folks are brought over from the queue (with breaks as needed). It is fast-paced and a lot of fun and it’s an excellent opportunity for newer DMs, as preparing one mini-event for repeated play is a lot easier then a 2-hour one. This will be using the new Heroes of the Borderlands boxed set. Everything needed is included in this box.
- D&D Learn-to-Play Event: This is our 2-hour (90 minutes of play) fast-play event. It makes for a great time and is very popular at the show. It’s also an excellent opportunity for newer DMs who want something easier to prepare then a 4-hour adventure. This will be using the new Heroes of the Borderlands boxed set. Everything needed is included in this box.
- Forgotten Realms Preview: Run one of 5 mini-adventures from the new, and unreleased, Forgotten Realms books coming out in November. 3rd level pregens provided for the players (90-minutes of play).
- Stranger Things: Run a cool preview piece of the new Stranger Things boxed set. Goal is to have these sets onsite to use (fingers crossed – 90-minutes of play).
- HQ: You will get to know this gang well as the show goes on. These are my minions whose job it is to take care of all the little things going on around you at the show so you don’t have to. Their job is to make sure you have everything you need, so all you need to do is focus on your game and give your players a fantastic time. They are long-time DMs and staff members, most of whom have been doing this 10+ years – and some closer to 30. We usually have a few open spots each year for helping with paperwork and reception here. This is great for example if you want to help DM and get a free room but your significant other doesn’t DM. We can put them to work earning a room in another fashion, and you can still share a room together. We have many couples who do this.
Well, hopefully that was helpful in getting you up to speed on what we are about and how you can help us help you. Now on to the nitty-gritty details that hopefully will now make more sense to you.
For New York Comic Con everything at the show (outside of HQ staff) works on 2-hour shifts. This means the show has 17 slots from start to finish as listed below:
D&D Events Schedule
| Thursday Oct 9th | Friday Oct 10th | Saturday Oct 11th | Sunday Oct 12th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 11am-1pm | Slot 6 11am-1pm | Slot 11 11am-1pm | Slot 16 11am-1pm |
| Slot 2 1pm-3pm | Slot 7 1pm-3pm | Slot 12 1pm-3pm | Slot 17 1pm-3pm |
| Slot 3 3pm-5pm | Slot 8 3pm-5pm | Slot 13 3pm-5pm | |
| Slot 4 5pm-7pm | Slot 9 5pm-7pm | Slot 14 5pm-7pm | |
| Slot 5 7pm-9pm | Slot 10 7pm-9pm | Slot 15 7pm-9pm |
Benefits
What you earn at the show will to go towards your badge and hotel. You will not be cut a check at the end of the show (but neither will we hand you an invoice if you don’t make enough to cover everything). A minimum of 8 slots (16 hrs) will get you Badge Level, and a minimum of 14 slots (28 hrs) will earn you Room Level.
Please note that hotel room spots are a matter of limited availability.
Non-Employee Compensation: Regardless of which benefits level you choose, you are doing work for hire. You are not an employee of Baldman Games LLC at any time. This is why you get to pick when you run, what you are running, etc.
Code of Conduct
Please make sure you have read our code of conduct and ask any questions you may have before filling out this application. By submitting it you are agreeing to follow the rules and guidelines contained within them.
Events running at New York Comic Con 2025
D&D Demo Event: This is a 20 to 30-minute taste of D&D. It’s still a 2-hour shift of work, but you’ll run the same adventure multiple times as folks are brought over from the queue (with breaks as needed). It is fast-paced and a lot of fun and it’s an excellent opportunity for newer DMs, as preparing one mini-event for repeated play is a lot easier then a 2-hour one. This will be using the new Heroes of the Borderlands boxed set. Everything needed is included in this box.
D&D Learn-to-Play Event: This is our 2-hour (90 minutes of play) fast-play event. It makes for a great time and is very popular at the show. It’s also an excellent opportunity for newer DMs who want something easier to prepare then a 4-hour adventure. This will be using the new Heroes of the Borderlands boxed set. Everything needed is included in this box.
Forgotten Realms Preview: Run one of 5 mini-adventures from the new, and unreleased, Forgotten Realms books coming out in November. 3rd level pregens provided for the players (90-minutes of play).
Stranger Things: Run a cool preview piece of the new Stranger Things boxed set. Goal is to have these sets onsite to use (fingers crossed – 90-minutes of play).
Fundraising Table: We are selecting premier DMs who are well known in the NYC area to host a professionally-run module for donors of $20 or more. If you are interested in bringing *your own work* please check this option off and Anthony Samaha will reach out to you directly. These should be 2-hour slots, but if you need 4 hours we can discuss it. This is truly free form and is built to show the incredible creativity of local artists and DMs.