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Grayson

Grayson (he/him)

5.0

(16)

Neurodivergent

3 years on StartPlaying

220 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Voices, Teacher

About me

I started playing D&D in high school, funny enough I didn't like it. Turns out it was all due to the kind of DM and players I was with. Once I played with another group and DM with 5th edition. Something just clicked, and I found my favorite hobby. Hello I'm Grayson. I'm your very stereotypical nerdy guy, but hey lets just say it's classic haha. Growing up I loved playing make believe with my friends, and that hasn't changed, only how we do it. Instead of action figures and lightsaber fights in the park, I roll dice, make worlds, do voices, and narrate the action of heroes with my friends. I love story telling, world building, acting, and gaming. D&D combines all my loves into one amazing hobby. I've been playing D&D since it came out in 2014, and I've been running games of all sorts since then. In person, online, free, paid, friends, strangers, new, experienced, etc. What I love about this hobby is it allows for a deeper connection and more creativity then videogames or movies. YOU get to fight the kraken, YOU get to run past traps with treasure in hand like Indy, YOU get to fight group of Aliens like in Avengers, YOU get to travel across the world of darkness with the last shred of hope, YOU get to do all the things you have seen in books, movies, & video games... as a character of your design and deeply connected to the setting and campaign by working with the DM. YOU get to do so much, and you get to do it with others, people who you can eventually call friends. When we talk about the stories in our games, we don't talk about it like a scene we saw in a movie, we talk about it like it actually happened, like it was us involved. That is part of the magic of TTRPGs like D&D. Please read my full profile, and read my game postings carefully. I think the game works best when everyone is on the same page, and agree on playstyle.

GM Style

I love to role play, do voices, and really get into character. I run my worlds like they are living breathing worlds. NPCs and monsters behave like real people, and have depth. You can trick them or expect them to act like dumb video game AI's haha. I try to get players to think about their character, and role play them. This doesn't mean they have to do a voice. Role playing is more than accents and voices. Simply think about who your character is, and how they feel, and what they think. Then act on that. That's all you really need. I like to run the game using all three pillars of gameplay. Combat, Exploration, & Social Interaction. All of these things are done Role Play 1st, Roll Play 2nd. This means role play, narrative, description, and ideas come first, then we use the rules, dice, and other aspects of the game to figure that other stuff out. The rules are important yes, but they aren't set in stone, or the final authority. I the DM am the final authority. I try to be fair, and consistent when I house rule or homebrew. Combat comes up only when it makes sense and when in dangerous places, or if the goal involves combat. Combat ranges from simple monster bashing to tactical hard core danger. It will depend on the combat and the opponents, the goals, and the environment. Character death is possible in my games. I never aim to kill, but I for sure aim to challenge. Death can happen from that challenge. Balance is very important to me, and I run the game Mostly Rules as Written and Rules as Intended. However, I do use Rules as Fun and Rules as DM'ed when I think it's needed. I welcome discussion and questions, but I do have the final say as the DM. Also whether I run a free game or a paid game. I treat them exactly the same, if you pay me, its to run the game... not to cheat, break the rules, or get special treatment. I value my players thoughts and opinions, and I aim to give them a good game and what they want, but not if it's at the expense of the game as a whole or negatively impacts other players. I do use house rules in my games, many of which aim to do the following. - Increase challenge - Increase realism - Help establish theme, tone, and setting - Help establish class identity - Fix common sense stuff - Encourage role play over just mechanics - Balancing Some important examples are - Gaining a level of exhaustion upon failing death saves - Stricter Requirements on Feats & Multiclassing - Free feats to help with character creation ideas (even in 2024 5e) - Additional languages for spell casters - Additional equipment - Training & Time based leveling along with milestones

Game Master Reviews (16)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Storytelling

Voices

Teacher

Joe Salmons avatar

Joe Salmons

Played 108 sessions

Grayson is a great DM - he works with you to incorporate your character and background into the story so you feel like a part of the campaign. Good storytelling, a mix of combat and roleplay, and an all-around stellar DM. 100% recommend - if you haven't played with Grayson, then you're missing out.

Shalom avatar

Shalom

Played 90 sessions

Grayson is a very good DM. He is an amazing voice actor, and I love the way he writes his NPCs. Every NPC feels detailed and thought out. When interacting with the NPCs you can feel their personalities in their way of speaking and their reactions. He describes scenes and can set tones very well. Along with the music and details of whats happening, Grayson is able to bring perfect atmosphere to important (or even unimportant) moments. Grayson is ready to double check rules and mechanics to assure players of what they are able and not able to do. Which is always nice for any new players. He ensures that are still playing DND, and we are in a world with realistic social expectations. Grayson wants all the players to have fun and participate in the game. He makes sure players are comfortable and will ask our opinions a lot of the time. The price Grayson sets for his games are very modest, because with all his skills and effort it makes an amazing experience.

Cassie avatar

Cassie

Played 90 sessions

TLDR: You’ve found your next GM; you can stop browsing. Play in Grayson’s game. You’ll thank me later. Long version: At this point, I have played 100+ hours with Grayson, and I intend to keep playing for as long as he doesn’t get sick of me. Grayson is kind, communicative, responsive, and sensitive, all while running incredibly immersive games with high stakes, deep emotional resonance, and satisfying narratives. Grayson’s games are worth every penny and then some. I began playing in Grayson’s game last fall with a group of strangers. Before we started our game, I was nervous about being overlooked as the only woman in the group, but I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about; Grayson’s table is very equitable, inclusive, and safe. Grayson shows careful effort in making sure every player feels valued and enjoys the game. He's fantastic at balancing PC spotlights in the story and reading the temperature of the group during gameplay, gently reining in players who tend to take over, and nudging players who haven't made any choices or spoken up in a while. Grayson offers surveys for player feedback and acts on the feedback immediately. He’s very approachable and eager to answer questions or help in any way he can. When my schedule changed and I could no longer play with that first group, Grayson reached out to me and set up a new group with me and three irl friends. We’ve been playing this game together for 8 months so far, and have no intention of stopping. Ever. We’re all already talking about what our next campaign will be after we defeat Strahd (or after he turns us all into Capri Suns). Grayson’s storytelling and immersion abilities are truly masterful. Our game is THE HIGHLIGHT of my week (and I say that as a person who participates in a lot of other fun activities, including 3 other dnd groups). Grayson flawlessly weaves every character’s backstory into the game, even despite running a pre-written module. The emotional beats are powerful, the combat feels intense, the social encounters are rich, and I would die for a particular NPC. Grayson’s ability to make fictional people and situations feel incredibly real is amazing. Grayson is a fun and compassionate GM to play with. I’d recommend his table for players who prefer a very “Rules as Written” game, who enjoy great character voices and roleplay, and who are looking for reliability, consistency, and communication from their GM. I’d also recommend him for new players; he’s great at patiently explaining why he rules a certain way, and his rulings are very consistent. Overall, I’d describe Grayson as a Nat 20 GM. Give his game a try, you won’t regret it.

Allen avatar

Allen

Played 79 sessions

I really can't put into words the atmosphere that Grayson creates through music, voices, and world building. As a new player who values the storytelling over all else I was surprised that Grayson not only delivers the story but the combat and roleplaying is top notch as well. When he took all my character ideas and weaved it into the story I knew this was going to be a good experience. I appreciate how prepared he is with his rules and interpretations as a newcomer, because if I have a question if i CAN do something I trust Grayson's ruling and judgement. I also enjoy the inclusive and fun atmosphere outside of roleplaying that he allows. To him no one has dumb questions, everyone is made sure to be heard, and no one is excluded. If you are looking to begin your D&D experience or looking for your next campaign Grayson is THE DM to go with.

George  avatar

George

Played 74 sessions

Grayson strives to create an immersive world that reacts realistically to the actions of the player characters. They're ruling are fare and they keep the game rolling smoothly. The campaigns do have a number of homebrew rules to increase the potency of martial classes and bring some outlier abilities into line, so make sure to read through those and that they are agreeable to you.

Hardy avatar

Hardy

Played 72 sessions

I do not exaggerate when I say that Grayson is the best DM I've ever had for Dungeons & Dragons 5e. Where do I even begin? I suppose first with something that means a lot to me personally: he gives as much of a damn about your character as you do. He will work with you to shape your character's backstory into something that fits into the world, integrating them into the world and story overall. And he will especially help you shape your character's story going forward into the campaign. The terms "makes your character feel like a part of the world" definitely applies - your character did not just spawn fully formed into the world, they have lived in it all the way up to the point you first start playing them, and you get to experience their journey moving forward from that point. And this is just something that I personally really like, but the fact that certain feats and multiclassing must have story reasons for their inclusion makes those decisions feel far more impactful and cool. Then there's the world building and atmosphere Grayson puts into his games! Holy smokes, I cannot count the amount of times Grayson's descriptions, in tandem with choice music/ambience, have made me feel awe or anxiety or whatever else he is trying to convey. And even if you don't feel any particularly strong feelings, you definitely get a vivid idea as to what kind of environment you're in. Also, the homebrew that he's created injects a great amount of fun into playing melee classes especially. Grayson is really good about communication with the players, be it concerning rules or story or above table talk, and be it with all the players at once or one on one. He is always open to feedback, and gives it back in equal measure. I struggle with expressing my thoughts, especially when it comes to providing feedback, but TL;DR - Grayson's an incredible DM. He cares about your characters, he cares about the world he's built for the players, and he cares about his job as the DM.

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