Brian
he/him
5.0
(5)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Brian
I am a Navy submarine veteran, retired as of 2020, now traversing the obstacles of civilian life with my wife of 25 years and two girls, 8 and 13. I started playing TTRPGs while on active duty where my first experience was D&D 3.5e in 2010. I tried my hand at GMing a 3.5e game a few years afterwards, and failed miserably. I played off and on with friends until 2018 when I began to get the itch again to try my hand at GMing. I began with 3.5e until I decided I wanted to see how 5e struck my fancy. Since then, my favorite hobby has been consumed by TTRPGs and I've never looked back. After the debacle with 5.5e, I, like many others, began expanding my library, having played PF2e and run ROOT, Call of Cthulhu, Monster of the Week, and Delta Green. I’ve also got my eye on trying Blades in the Dark, Mörkborg, Daggerheart, Alien, Draw Steel, Sword World, and Our Brilliant Ruin. My goal as a GM is to try and help my players tell the best story never written for them and their characters. For context of my preferences, I am a fan of the following creators: Legends of Avantris, the Dungeon Dudes, Chaotic Neutral, the Glass Cannon Network, MCDM, and Push The Roll w/ Ross Bryant.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Knows the Rules, Beginner Friendly
$20 per session
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I wanted to regain that spark of creativity that I felt the US military had beaten out of me. Uniformity in a high stress environment can really drive a service member to put things like that in a box. Now I'm just trying to pry it back open.
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
D&D 5e, Call of Cthulhu, and Blades in the Dark
When I'm not running games I'm...
Monitoring the TTRPG scene. I often surf the news and see what the latest releases might be, the leaps of faith being made by small businesses, and the missteps being made by the corporate machines. I find the ins and outs of the TTRPG world fascinating.
How Brian runs games
I try to put together the minimum requirements to run a game and let the players dictate the tone of the story. Whether that be through roleplay or combat, I try to include all players and their tastes, but I also like the dice to help tell the story. In longer games, I enjoy inserting backstory elements of players into gameplay in as meaningful a way as possible.
Featured Prompts
Rules are...
Rules keep the world on track and help manage expectations in most situations. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes grandma can lift that car over her head to save her grandchild. Sometimes the wind hits you just right and you make that impossible leap to safety.
When it comes to voices
I try to do voices for fun, but I often degrade over time. We aren't all voice actors, after all. Fun is the name of the game no matter the weird sounds coming out of our mouths.
Brian's ideal table
My ideal table includes players who want to tell an epic story. They come with interesting yet simple backstories that can be integrated into the game while driving the narrative forward. Additionally, they are invested in their fellow players’ stories, encouraging each other to be in the spotlight. The tone is not always serious, but everyone feels respected and is having a good time.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
Encourages their fellow players. The collaborative storytelling is the icing for me. As a GM or a player, I get hyped when other players crit, makes a tipping point roll, or creates a killer RP moment. I look for others to do the same.
My table is not the place for...
Hate. TTRPGs have been shown to help people navigate their mental health struggles. That said, my partner is the licensed therapist, not me, so come learn who you are, be welcoming of others, and seek help from professionals for those struggles too tough to bare with no judgement from here.
Brian's Preferences
Themes