Adam

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

About Adam

Hello! I have been running TTRPGs for almost 25 years, starting with AD&D but moving quickly to 3rd edition DnD, continuing to Pathfinder, and on to 5th edition, trying out a number of other systems in-between. My most recent obsession is Draw Steel and am looking forward to adapting some classic adventures to it. My first official campaign setting was Dark Sun (because those were the books I was able to get from my older brother), but my favorite has always been Planescape. More than anything, I love homebrew and have designed many worlds -- most of which I've since forgotten. I've evolved quite a bit in two decades, and now focus on content that my players are actually going to see and interact with, including complex NPCs, well-conceived plots, and narrative consequences of player actions. Nothing makes me happier than when my players surprise me, taking a scenario I've conceived and flipping it on its head or interpreting it in some way I'd never considered. For my style, my favorite thing about TTRPGs is running difficult (often deadly), exciting combat that challenges my players, but even with that, I have to balance it with RP and a proper story, collaborating with my players, or I feel the TTRPG experience is undercooked. I want everyone at the table to have fun, and I take my job as gamemaster very seriously. Not about TTRPGs: I love my wife, my kids, and all of our pets.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: World Builder, Storytelling, Knows the Rules

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

when I finally got a hold of my older brother's AD&D books and realized that if I wanted to play, I was going to need to run the games myself. That was 25 years ago, and I've been running games ever since.

When I'm not running games I'm...

spending time being with my family and trying to be the absolute best dad to my three kids that I can.

My favorite books are

Malazan: The Book of the Fallen (especially Memories of Ice and the Bonehunters), the Dresden Files, the Licanius Trilogy, the Wheel of Time, and most of the Cosmere.

How Adam runs games

I love encounter design, and running challenging high-stakes tactical combat, usually with monsters that have unique mechanics I've designed myself. I rarely run an encounter that isn't substantially threatening to the PCs (unless it's something they've triggered themselves), and combat is my favorite part of every TTRPG. That said, I love RP and need to balance the combat with role-playing and exploration, or the game won't feel fulfilling. I love being able to sit back and watch players portray their characters, revealing and discovering things about themselves as the game goes on. I do my best to make sure there are opportunities for that, and I would say my game is 60/40 combat to RP, though I can modulate that a bit either way, based on the group. My ideal campaign is something like Final Fantasy Tactics -- nail-biting, story-significant combat, punctuated by significant character development, complex villains, and plot twists.

Featured Prompts

Rules are...

there for consistency and to help everyone have an enjoyable experience. They can be stretched, but shouldn't be broken. If you have a cool idea, I will help interpret the rules to make it work--but sometimes the answer is just no.

I deal with rules issues by...

hearing my player(s) out, and the making a ruling. The ruling will stand, but I will revisit the situation and clarification between sessions to decide how I want it to work moving forward.

I prep by

constantly thinking about the game and how I can make it better for my players. Prep is never done.

Adam's ideal table

I love an active, engaged table. I like players who engage with the world like it's a real place, and think about the potential consequences of their actions--and don't mind unintended ones. My favorite players can separate player and character, and they can cultivate things like rivalries or, as players, help each other achieve their respective goals, even if their characters don't necessarily agree. I like players that respect each other's time and enjoy seeing their companions succeed. I am happy to help guide players--especially new ones--with the rules as we go, but combat is a core part of my games, and the sooner you know how your character's abilities work, the better off you'll be.

Featured Prompts

I am for a vibe that's...

welcoming, collaborative, and encouraging. I want people to feel free getting into character and enjoying playing how they want to play, whether it's full optimized or just not. Both can work well at my table.

I love it when a player

pays attention, gets immersed in the setting, and surprises me with their own creative solutions to challenges.

My perfect party mix is

any combination of classes, so long as their characters have distinct personalities and play off of each other. I enjoy fun character rivalries, characters driven by their own personal mission in addition to the main quest, and characters that have unique twists.