Xan!!!
he/they
5.0
(23)
Timezone
Identity
About Xan!!!
Globetrotting fire-breather turned therapeutic GM. Cool, now that I've got your attention. I'm Xan, if the Therapeutic GMing is what got your eye the check out my psychology today listing at the bottom! What I like to do and what I've done are neat, so I'll list them a bit further down. Here's who I am though. I'm a life-long storyteller and performer. A bit of honeysuckle helps the southern gothic horror go down easy, and yes, I do in fact want to see a picture of your pet/s. I'll give you a run for your money with a pun contest *any* day of the week, and I live by the motto "Manic enthusiasm is still enthusiasm". Games have brought me joy, relief, and catharsis over the years and I can say without hesitation that they, and the friends I've made through them, have been a huge positive impact on my life. So I'm here to pay that joy back and be the background tapestry for your happy memories and kickass stories. "Rule of Cool" always par for the course and expect me to be just as invested in your characters as you are. I love to flesh a game out through how your character sees the world, "you walk into the market and an unexpected scent brings you back home for a split second. What is it?". I prioritize safety and making sure that I'm making my game suited to the players, not the other way around. Feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to talk about booking a private game or consultation about your own game. I'd love to help you make your own time as a GM the most rewarding it can be. I'm also available if you are looking for guests or experts in the topics at the intersection of mental health and TTRPGs. I'm also a founding member and the Director of International Relations for "Gaming The System(s)!" A 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocating for the applied use of games in Therapy and Classrooms And, the numbers! 30+ Featured Speaking events (including: PAX, Origins Game Fair, Save Against Fear, and The Therapeutic and Applied Gaming Growth Summit) 11 Years professional GM 1 published adventure in Rock and Roll 5e (zine) 50+ homebrew materials for DnD 3.5/5e, Pathfinder, VtM, Daggerheart and more 4 Hacks written 1 original game developed 1 Full length game in development 34 years of being a total badass Therapeutic Skill building‽‽ With games (or just with a cool coach)‽‽ Yup! Full disclosure though, listings on Startplaying *are not* therapeutic sessions. Those require a different approach, intent, and structure. Reach out on my Psychology Today page if you're interested and I'm happy to have that conversation with you on a HIPAA compliant server! 🤘 https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1380727
At a glance
5 years on StartPlaying
135 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Storytelling
Average response time: 22 hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
Simple, there weren't any other GMs in the small southern town I'm from and it turns out I really enjoyed bringing a whole world to life. Don't get me wrong, I still love to play when I can. But I run games that I'd want to play in, and it just so happens that there's a lot of games I want to play!
I got started GMing...
Waaaay back in 2004 when I bought the Monster Manual III for DnD 3.5. I had no idea what any of the weird numbers or math meant but the creatures were cool enough I had to figure everything else out. One roll of the dice in Jr High was all it took to get me hooked for life.
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
The Wildsea - Lots of trees? ✔ Jellyfish People? ✔ High strangeness? ✔ Chainsaw boat? ✔✔✔ Orbital Blues - Cowboy Bebop & Firefly but feel all the feelings (and get xp for it!) Daggerheart -D&D flavor, none of the math. Bonus pick: My WIP homebrew system, I'd have to actually playtest it then 😂
How Xan!!! runs games
I have a background in improv, traditional theater, and voice acting so telling the story is where I thrive. If you are looking for a GM who dives into NPC voices, builds worlds to suit your wishes instead of the same premade stories, takes a cinematic approach to scene setting, and strongly believes in the "rule of cool" then look no further. I prefer to keep things in the realm of Theater of the Mind, but I do enjoy VTT character sheets and have no problem using a grided map when we're doing some crunch combat. As long as I have more than a passing familiarity with the system we're rolling with, I'm delighted to work with you to write some homebrew to fit your style without breaking the game. My usual stories have themes of hope, choosing the least destructive option in bad situations, emotional turmoil, and/or fighting a corrupt power that looms over the players. I like a good grim story too, but I don't run games with a rating above R. As a GM I value open collaboration with my players instead of the more traditional antagonistic player vs DM mindset. I'll keep some things hidden, but you'll know that there is something I'm not reveling will, no "gotcha!" style moments with me. I am a strong believer in safety tools pre-game, in game, and find stars/wishes after the sessions to be supremely helpful in making sure that everyone stays invested in the story. I'm here to run the story you want to play in, not the one my ego has decided is the "right" one.
Featured Prompts
I prep by
There's a "To-Do" list for me, and an editable group doc for the all of us to use when the lore drops. For personal prep, I record my side of the session in its entirety, and then give future-Xan a quick recap and heads up about future plans. Past-Xan's thoughts turn into Future-Xan's prep notes.
My favorite trope is...
Leaning into the camp of the story. Be the saddest, baddest, blues-iest space cowboy in Oribital Blues. Be the over-the-top diva of your dreams in They Came From Beneath The Sea! Games are too short to not cut loose a little and play how the story craves.
My games focus on...
Tales of hope and leaning into the story the system wants you to tell. People make cool characters and together we make cool worlds for them to inhabit. I'm not setting out to break any characters, but if that happens on the way to the epic conclusion it'll happen in a way that feels *right*.
Xan!!!'s ideal table
A singular "Ideal Table" is something I don't think can exist anywhere outside of a bubble. Different stories and systems demand different things from the same players, people are messy and even the best of us have let life bleed into the game at least a few times. That said, I think there are some things that make a great table stand out from the rest. 1) A shared collaborative mindset. We're all characters or elements in the same story. Spotlights might shift between sessions but no one character is the main protagonist and no character is forced to always play second fiddle. Like the saying goes, there are no small players, only small characters (or something like that). 2) An understanding of what we're here to do, and what we're here to *not* do. We're here to tell the same story, to have fun as peers, and do bonkers things that will live on in legend. No one is excited to go to a game where arguments happen at the drop of a hat and if players need to constantly be reminded of where we are and what's happening because of outside distractions 3) Consideration for other players (and the GM too!). I want your characters to win, you should play characters that are at least willing to be part of the story. Cheerlead each other, give the benefit of the doubt where you can, and have a willingness to keep the table a safe a chill space. 4) Personal one here, but be ok with at least a little humor. Sometimes games can get into heavy places, but it's still a game and we're still here to have fun. Its not a question of *if* a pun will happen, but *when* the next pun is going to happen. (That nightmare fuel creature is still going to eat like cheap leftovers though, sorry about that.)
Featured Prompts
I am for a vibe that's...
a blend of enthusiasm to play a cool game with cool folks, mixed with confidence behind the GM screen and a pure curiosity and delight at the next unexpected turn the story will take. Players are unpredictable and that's the best.
I love it when a player
Asks questions about the scene or other characters that bring more life into the story. "This tavern wasn't known for any special dish, but now that you ask its actually known for a braised mushroom cutlet, what does the sizzle and smell of grease make your character thing ok?
I think it's a red flag when players...
Don't want to talk about what they (or other players) are and aren't comfortable with at the table. DM me if you need to DM me something private, but we need to have a shared understanding of what will and won't fly when we're telling a story together.
Xan!!!'s Preferences
Systems
Game Mechanics