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Cost Per Player

$20.00
Jacob Klein

Jacob Klein (he/him)

5.0

(6)

3 years on StartPlaying

21 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, World Builder

About me

Hello, friends! Though I am new to running games, I have been playing TTRPGs for ten years and have been a writer all my life with a huge passion for storytelling. I have a BA in Creative Writing and a number of published short stories and poems focusing on the weird, the mythological, and the intimate. When the pandemic hit and I suddenly had a bunch of free time and nothing to do, I decided to give GMing a try and have been hooked ever since. I love the interactive nature of TTRPGs. As someone who has spent so much time by myself working on stories and poems, it is intensely satisfying to be able to sit down and actually see the reactions and expressions of my audience in real-time. I love how unpredictable and personalized tabletops can be and like the ability to tailor the game world to fit the interests of the people experiencing it.

GM Style

As a DM/GM/ST/MC/whatever, I like to bounce between a number of different games to get a variety of different experiences. Vampire the Masquerade is the first tabeletop I seriously got into, but Monster Hearts 2 is the first game I ran and Curse of Strahd is also a favorite campaign of mine. I am also familiar with City of Mists, Darkest House, Agon, and more and am always happy to learn any other game someone wants to try. I tend to lean towards horror-themed and roleplay-focused campaigns but I really enjoy having a variety of different experiences and will always make an effort to find the core of what makes a particular game and campaign style work. The important thing is making sure that everyone is on board with what kind of story we are trying to tell beforehand. In the end, the goal of a good tabletop should always be to bring people together to tell a good, satisfying story that they feel invested in and can take something out of. And so, I prioritize creating a space that is welcoming and diverse and supportive. At the start of every game, I always have a session zero and require every player to fill out a safety and consent checklist. I really enjoy plotlines that involve overcome seemingly hopeless situations and fighting against oppression, but am always respectful of people's boundaries. Other than just being the right thing to do, diverse identities in a setting makes for a more interesting story and when a player gets defensive that means that player is also disengaged. After participating in dozens of creative writing workshops, I am really open to and receptive of constructive criticism and love to hear suggestions for what people would like to see in a particular game and what they think would make it a better experience. My primary goal is to make sure people feel invested, so if people feel like they have partial ownership of the story that means I have succeeded. The GM and the players are working TOGETHER to create a story that is entertaining and meaningful for everyone, so I welcome any tools that can be used to make a game feel more collaborative. In the end, the game is meant to serve the story, not the other way around. I usually use Roll20 to run the game and Discord for communication, but that can change depending on the game and individuals needs. I prefer using video as well as voice because it means that we can use body language and gestures to further enhance our roleplay, but people can do whatever feels most comfortable for them. If you have read all the way to the end, thank you for your time and please reach out to me with any questions or requests you might have!

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