Aran
he/him
5.0
(3)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Aran
Greetings all! The name's Aran. I'm a twenty-five year old fella from the United Kingdom and I've been DMing for around 9~ years now, with a fair portion of that time spent on Roll20 and Talespire. I'm fairly well-experienced on both sides of the DM's screen. Thank you for taking an interest in my game(s)! If I had to describe myself simply, I'm a guy that loves discussing all manner of media, hobbies, and interests - fantasy media, games, literature, worldbuilding, you name it - even ones that aren't my own. I simply enjoy folks being passionate! As such, I hope to hear about your hobbies as well, and get to know you guys as players! D&D's a lot more fun when it's a game played with friends, as opposed to strangers. I always make sure to take the time to chat with y'all between games and I hope that this game's good enough to inspire you to do the same! D&D is very much my main creative pursuit. I create custom maps, miniature's, and mechanics for near-all of my games, and I'm always happy to tweak things to create an enjoyable experience for all. To extrapolate on my experience; I was the president of my College's D&D Club - granted, the main experience that gave me was knowing that nine players might be a bit too many! I've been playing actively since then, near-always running two campaigns simultaneously. If there's one thing that hasn't changed since back when I started, it's that I love doing voices for all my NPC's. I'm no thespian, but I try my damndest to be! If you're searching for a game with a focus on narrative and roleplay – where your character actually lives in and impacts the world – then I may be the DM for you!
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Voices, World Builder
Featured Prompts
My favorite books are
The Earthsea novels by Ursula Le Guin! I'm an absolute sucker for her magic system and the connection between it and the world itself. I'm also a big fan of Lord of the Rings (shocker!) and the Drizzt novels by R. A. Salvatore. My version of Faerûn is influenced by all three series!
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Having asked them, my players each gave different answers. The consensus was; - Communcative/Attentive (I know it's two, but the meanings are so similar!) - Creative - Smart A few other words thrown out were 'goat', 'diligent', and 'funny', though I personally disagree with the last one.
How Aran runs games
I'd say the games I run are a fair mix of the three pillars; however, it's a roleplay game first-and-foremost. The characters are deep, ever-evolving, and develop alongside the world & NPC's. In lieu of overly frequent combats, I often run challenging encounters that require a good grasp of mechanics to see through, with various environmental/'boss-like' mechanics to keep the battle shifting and prevent it turning into a slog. More than my testimonials, my game's been described as akin to certain games/movies over the last couple years. Some close examples of the vibe would be Dragon Age: Origins, LOTR, Final Fantasy, and Campaign 1 & 2 Critical Role. A majority of my campaigns are high-fantasy, epic, and the party are most certainly the heroes. That doesn't mean they can't stumble, but they always try to get back up again. Though I've also run a number of more down-to-earth style games, along with grimdark settings - my tastes are quite varied, and I'm sure you'll find something that tickles your interest! I'd like to think that there's something for everyone in my games. However, I can say this much with certainty - if you're looking for a deeply immersive game that continues to evolve even between the sessions, you're looking in the right place! I'm an active roleplayer, I write small prompts or 'challenges' for your character to flesh them out, but more than anything I'm always happy to talk about these games. It isn't work to me, it's an earnest passion.
Featured Prompts
I prep by
.. making a lot of maps, mini's, and a LOT of notes. I run my games on Talespire, a 3D VTT, and visual fidelity is super important to me. Near-every location has a fully-realized map, the important NPC's have mini's I make myself (thanks Heroforge), and I try to create as immersive a game as I can!
When it comes to voices
I try them all! I can't promise voice-actor level quality, but I've got a good microphone and put my all into things. It's good that I don't run cam games, since you'd be seeing all the odd facial contortions I make for my NPC's!
Aran's ideal table
My table is open to players of all backgrounds and experience levels! I'm always excited to meet people who want to jump in, get involved, and have a great time together. New groups can feel intimidating at first, but I pride myself - and my players - on being genuinely welcoming, patient, and encouraging. Everyone at the table is there to create something together, and it’s incredibly rewarding when people feel comfortable enough to really throw themselves into the game and have fun with it. In general, a majority of my players err on the younger side (20's to 30's), and there’s a strong sense of levity and fun at the table. People crack jokes, make funny (subjectively!) memes about NPCs and their characters, and don’t get too bogged down in the nitty-gritty of mechanics. While my games aren’t rules-lite by any means, I do lean toward the Rule of Cool in the players' favor more often than not (though that definitely doesn’t mean the campaigns aren’t dangerous)! Overall, anyone looking for a good time and a group that enjoys being engaged at the table and creative together will fit right in. Whether you’re brand new to Dungeons & Dragons or a seasoned veteran, there’s absolutely a seat for you at my table. Cheers!
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
.. gets involved! The games I run offer a lot of opportunity for continued characterization between sessions, through active text roleplay, writing challenges, character playlists and, mostly, discussion. The players talk a lot about their PC's, and it really helps flesh them out at the table!
Aran's Preferences
Game Mechanics