About me

Having been introduced to TTRPGs a decade ago, Ace spent very little time as a player before he found himself thrust into the illustrious and cursed position of "the forever GM" (RIP his stack of player character ideas). He has since found time amongst a varied theatrical career and writing, and writing, and writing some more to keep at least one game running at all times. One late night - or, more accurately, very early morning - whilst session planning, it occurred to him that, somewhere, somehow, there had to be an avenue for him to share his passions with a wider audience than the five who have shared his table for the past 18 months. Enter StartPlaying.Games, and you! Hello, hey, howdy! If you're looking for cinematic games which focus on collaborative storytelling and robust, character driven storylines, you've found the right GM! To me, TTRPGs have always been an optimal avenue for telling and experiencing stories. Much like a good ol' video game RPG, you can delve into worlds unknown and lose yourself in other minds and motives, you can live and breathe the fantasy. Tabletop, however, allows more creative freedom than digital RPGs might, and introduces deep human complexity in how parties of characters interact with each other. With your fellow adventurers (or mis-adventurers!), you shape the story just as much as the story shapes you. At my table, you can expect a plethora of sensory masterworks shared through spoken word, handmade maps, curated soundscapes, and attentive downtime interactions. I've spent the majority of my life jumping from one stage to another, and have over a decade of experience in improvisational work, collaborative storytelling, and multimedia expression. This skillset blended with the powers of ADHD and altogether too much time on my hands leads to an experience curated to be as novel as it is enthralling. While I enjoy leading players through some of the darker parts of fiction and the human condition, I am a firm believer in safety tools and open communication across the table. TTRPGs are supposed to be fun, after all, and we can't have fun if we're uncomfortable or feel unsafe. If you're not interested just yet, feel free to come poke around the Ace of Spades Games discord at https://discord.gg/dfx9GaWRZy where you can talk to me directly and meet some of my past and present players. I hope to see you there. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to share stories with you!

GM style

🂡 - Vivid imagery tailored to all senses 🂡 - Encouragement and cultivation of roleplay 🂡 - Safety first storytelling to facilitate deep dives into complex and intriguing topics 🂡 - Handmade maps, assets, ambient soundscapes, and playlists 🂡 - Plethoric resources hosted on a moderated discord server 🂡 - An open and welcoming table led by an LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, disabled GM 🂡 - Homebrew worlds tailored to your party and unique spins on preexisting modules 🂡 - "Yes, and" collaboration preference, a healthy mix of Rule of Cool and Rules as Written (I like to see my players thrive!) 🂡 - Improv and theatrical skill to enhance NPC interactions and worldbuilding 🂡 - Downtime extras like written roleplay and community chatter 🂡 - Themes spanning from the dark and horrific to fluffy romance to pastoral calm 🂡 - A readiness (and excitement!) to teach; I love helping newbies!

Games played

Game platforms used

What's StartPlaying?

Tabletop Roleplaying Games Run by Game Masters