Ace the GM

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How Ace the GM runs games

More than anything else, I want the games I run to be fun and satisfying. In pursuit of that, there are several features that define my play style and how I run games: PLAYER MOTIVATED To me, this means: a) I will always prioritize players having a positive experience and b) the majority of what happens in-game is primarily driven by choices made by the players. It’s important to me that everyone feels welcome and has a positive experience with D&D. Too often when people try D&D, they wind up feeling ostracized or out of place due to a lack of experience or other factors outside of their control. I always try to make decisions that result in a positive experience for everyone and foster a game environment that supports all players. One of my favorite things about D&D is that there are infinite possibilities. Unlike other games, there are no limits to what choices can be made or what endings are possible. In order to emphasize this unique feature, I attempt to guide the characters as little as possible. Ideally, my games are driven by and dependent on the choices that players make as their characters. I will lay out choices and provide information to help while doing my best to not lead anyone toward any specific destination or outcome. COMEDY ORIENTED I am a naturally silly person and I love to make people laugh! Not all games are funny or lend themselves to a comedic tone, but I do really enjoy an opportunity for humor. More often than not, I end up leaning into funny moments that occur in-game and finding humor wherever possible. Brennan Lee Mulligan (a well-known game master) is who I most attempt to mimic in this regard. He is largely comedy oriented, but seamlessly transitions into serious, heartfelt, and even dramatic moments when it benefits the player experience and storytelling. FAIR AND FLEXIBLE: I will adjust my style and tone to match the specific group of players, campaign/setting, and scenario. For example, while I tend to be lenient with rules for the sake of a player learning or having an exciting moment, sometimes I will be strict with the rules for that same reason. If I am running a campaign for players that are not confident with roleplay and love combat, I will adjust the campaign accordingly to be more combat-oriented and provide a more structured approach to roleplay. This does not change the other elements of my style, but is more of a footnote to explain that every rule has exceptions and I adapt my style to fit the situation. As game masters, we consistently encounter unique situations that we need to make rulings on. In those moments, there is often no clear answer and many factors affecting our decisions. Therefore, it’s important for us to remain flexible and assess each situation fairly, based on specific context.

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Ace the GM's ideal table

My table tends to focus on narrative, strategy, and fun. We strive to tell compelling stories through character development and dramatic adventure that are still packed with comedic moments. If you like the social aspect of DnD, improv comedy, and working as a team to solve problems, you’ll enjoy my table. If you’re familiar with the series Dimension 20, that is the general atmosphere I’d like to foster and the tone I’d like to create. I avoid using A.I. in any aspect of my games and I ask my players to do the same (unless it is for accessibility purposes). I always play via video chat with my camera on and I ask players to have their cameras on as well. D&D is inherently a social game and, in my experience, is significantly diminished when a large form of social connection is removed. Being able to see your fellow players not only fosters this connection, but also improves overall communication and the entire gameplay experience.

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