Philip

he/him

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

About Philip

I am a father of one with a passion for all things fantasy. I played the heck out of video games like Oblivion, Skyrim, Dark Souls, Final Fantasy, and others. I aim to always add a sense of wonder and excitement into my games through using rules and die rolls to flavor the storytelling. I got into TTRPGs around 2012. A coworker of mine at the time invited me to his Dragonlance campaign using the Pathfinder 1e ruleset. I was hooked instantly. While I have mostly stuck to D&D and D&D adjacent systems, I have branched out a little bit into World of Darkness, Classic Marvel, and a couple others. D&D 3.5 however is my go to system but I have fun playing nearly anything. I have run several campaigns in 3.5 and 5e with some one shots in systems such as Werewolf and Marvel. I am fond of customizing modules to fit my DMing style. I like letting the dice decide. I am not a stranger to "the rule of cool" and recognize that it has its place in the game but rules and die rolls guide us to create a truly great story. I do not use AI to create any content for my games. I am very analog and like to keep it as 'pen and paper' as possible but I do enjoy Roll20 a lot.

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

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I got started GMing...

I started GMing because my friends and I had a very flaky DM. They would constantly change the system and use rules from other systems without disclosing them. I decided that I would try my hand at it and I kinda became my groups 'forever GM'.

How Philip runs games

I like using RAW as much as possible. Not every ruleset is perfect but most of the they are made with specific uses in mind if you are playing in the style of the RPG. While I am not opposed to homebrewing rules (I have done so many times and even have created my own races, classes, and XP systems) but I think that in players and GMs haste to create something unique and approachable they miss out on the flavor and story potential using the rules as written can have. Using RAW gives the players a concrete expectation of how I will rule things as well. I have a great understanding of 3.5 specifically and can usually tell when a change will affect the game in a negative way. I am very comfortable with customizing any of the D20 systems I have listed. 3.5, my primary system, I have made a plethora of customizations to not only bring it in line with my personal style but also to be able to run other styles of games. I am fond of using rules from other editions to resolve situations. I am particularly fond of Gold as XP from early editions of D&D. It changes the way people see their characters and the game. I run a mix of good RP and tense Combat with a heavy exploration on exploration and player agency. I am experienced with "ad libbing" at a moments notice and I almost never say no, "You can try" is my go to phrase. Resources matter in my games. It helps build tension and creates interesting choices for players. I find myself fair but the dice are not always fair.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Prep? What is that? Just kidding. I do tend to do a lot of ad lib based on the vibe and drive of the players at the table. I have plans that are easily moldable to most situations and I swear by random encounters as a tool that, if used properly, will elevate your world to living level.

My favorite trope is...

I absolutely LOVE the religious villain. Believed to be backed by a higher power and they will not back down no matter the cost. I love that concept. Judge Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame is of course one of my favorite villains.

Rules are...

A tool to be used to add tension and drama to the table. They are not meant to hinder the players but sit as the foundations of their creativity. If there were no rules and we could do anything that would quite boring but doing something with the odds stacked against your can be truly satisfying.