Ace

they/them

4.8

(5)

Timezone

America/denver

Language

English

Portuguese

Identity

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

Multi-lingual

About Ace

Hi! I'm Ace, the Game Master with a Masters Degree in Leadership Studies, TESL and Online Course Design. Did I choose that major to become a leader and climb the corporate ladder? Hell no! I started down that path to better my communication skills and become the best game master I could possibly be! Was it worth it? Probably not! Most people don't go into thousands of dollars of debt just to run better games but for some wild reason that is where I end up. My final project was the creation of a "Learning TTRPG Course" that focused on teaching communication skills and the English language through task-based role-playing activities. Anyways, all of this is to say that I have spent a lot of time learning communication skills through the lens of a Game Master and applying those skills in games. I have several years of experience running games both privately for friends and publicly as a coordinator for my college's TTRPG club. If you choose me to be your GM I promise to bring this knowledge to the table to create the best experience I possibly can! You also might help me put a dent in those student loans... Check out my blog, I write about how to apply communication skills to improve your ttrpg experience. https://ttrpgteamwork.substack.com/

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Rule of Cool, Storytelling

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love bringing people together to create a story and have fun! There isn't anything quite like it! I'm a bit of an introvert and TTRPGs give me purpose when interacting with others socially.

My favorite books are

My favorite fantasy author is Robert E. Howard. My favorite Conan stories are "The Tower of the Elephant" and "Red Nails". Another favorite is the Dragonlance series. Outside of the fantasy genre I like Kurt Vonnegut and Hermann Hesse. I also read lots of nonfiction for game ideas.

My favorite shows/movies are

Space Ghost Coast to Coast Aqua Teen Hunger Force On Cinema at the Cinema Bobs Burgers Home Movies Life and Times of Tim Ten Year Old Tom I Think You Should Leave Flight of the Conchords Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist YOLO Crystal Fantasy Venture Brothers Sealab 2021 Haha You Clowns Black Books

How Ace runs games

As a gamer I enjoy the tactical aspects of TTRPGs. As a "theater kid" I also enjoy the roleplaying and improv opportunities that role-playing provides. Since I enjoy both sides of the coin I try to feel out what my players want and provide that to them. I mostly run DnD 5e and Pathfinder which I feel lean more towards tactical combat. If players are interested in a heavy role-play narrative game I usually suggest another system such as Dungeon World. Regardless I try to present interesting situation to explore and challenging combat encounters to overcome. My preference is to run a game that is fun and lighthearted. I tend to avoid heavy or dark topics unless the party is interested in that kind of setting.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

trying to get to the root of the issue and find out what is it the player wants to do but can't. I'm open to adjustments if the players feel that a rule is stifling their gaming experience. What I can't tolerate is people trying to break the system to their advantage. NO PEASANT RAILGUN!

I once ran a session...

in a mortuary. A friend of mine is a mortician and is always on call so we decided to run our games out of his business for his convenience.

Ace's ideal table

I like to create interesting situations and challenging combat for my players. My table is pretty relaxed, its a place to have fun and make jokes. I prefer sincerity over seriousness.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

interacts and plays off the other player characters actions. As the saying goes: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." A TTRPG will only reach its full potential if the characters are building off of each other.

I think min/maxing...

is OK as long as it doesn't trivialize the game for other players. If your character is a little OP I can always add a few more enemies or HP. However, if you max out your persuasion and expect to talk your way out of every conflict that creates a boring predictable game which is not fun for anyone.