Bencompetence

any/all

5.0

(140)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

DMs Guild Writer

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

About Bencompetence

Hello! I’m a GM that has been hosting adventures for well over a decade. My current love is Dungeons & Dragons 5e, where I’ve been hosting paid games for over 4 years now. My style of GMing is a friendly one, where I seek to help the players connect to the adventure in the way that speaks to them. Whether you want a brutally challenging dungeon or a fun roleplay night, I will seek to make that happen. The secret to this dynamic approach is to get to know each player, their character, and what that character means to them. I’m not your rival; I’m your teammate on this quest to tell your story. Don’t think this means my campaigns are walks in the park, though. When players want a challenge, I’m ready to bury some PCs, and my shovel has seen its fair sure of use. For reference, my favorite types of adventures to create are those with deeply immersive settings and memorable characters, such as Curse of Strahd or Odyssey of the Dragonlords. These give me a chance to build and flesh out a world of meaningful encounters, threats, and victories. The last thing I’d like to mention is that I entirely love the chance to teach games to people. Helping them to enjoy and draw the most out of storytelling is a special thing to me, and I take great pride in introducing people to the world of roleplaying. So whether newcomer or veteran, combat-grizzled or deep roleplayer, I’m here to make your adventure happen, and I can’t wait to meet you!

At a glance

5 years on StartPlaying

1106 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Teacher

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love making Tabletop RPGs come alive for players! I adore seeing their OCs and seeing the stories build up. Watching players go from "How do I play?" to excitedly sharing their epic is a dream come true.

I got started GMing...

20 years ago, running swashbuckling heroics in 7th Sea and other character driven games. It's become a joy and a passion. I love hosting and running games for my friends, so I made it my full-time job!

My favorite books are

A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Phantom Tollbooth, and the Thursday Next series. I love anything imaginative, weird, and surprising!

How Bencompetence runs games

ROLEPLAY: I love roleplay and immersive worlds where the players get a chance to realize their characters. I greatly enjoy "tone matching" the players' characters, giving huge moments of challenge and victory to those that seek glory, while players who roleplay or enjoy their character will get consistent character moments to realize their vision. As long as players are getting to carry out how they want to live in the world, I'm happy. COMBAT: My preference for combat is to keep it flowing as quickly as possible in order to maintain the dramatic, theatrical mood of it. To that end, I tend to discourage rule variants that strongly emphasize tactics (such as Flanking). As well, I will sometimes institute soft timers on each turn for players that agree to this, in order to keep the game moving. For players that are newcomers or otherwise wish to take their time, however, I have no qualm matching their pace. VOICES: While my voices aren't great, the personalities are! I am still strengthening my voice acting delivery, but I pride myself on my characters being fully realized, with nuances and behaviors that make them feel real. If you meet someone, they're ready to be a part of your world. STORYTELLING: No railroading. This is your world and your story. I won't hesitate to hold you accountable for your choices, but they are YOUR choices. You are not playing my game. I am hosting your adventure. Come create the story you want to see happen.

Bencompetence's ideal table

My ideal table is one where the players are invested in each other, supportive of their stories and character ideas. I love tables where players are excited to bring big character moments that add to the story for everyone, while also uplifting the stories of each other. My tables are welcoming to veterans and beginners alike, so I love it when players joyfully learn and teach the game together. As well, I want my campaigns to be emotional and worth investment, so I want players that are willing to let the joy be bountiful when it's right, while also allowing heartache and danger to thrive in their hearts. Stories of danger, heartache, and triumph are my favorite.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

is willing to take big risks that could make them look brilliant or foolish. TTRPGs aren't about "winning" but about telling great stories together. When a player commits to the narrative, it is entrancing.

I think it's a red flag when players...

Make the story all about themselves, to the detriment of the table's vibe or the narrative flow. Let your character be vulnerable and need teamwork in a horror game. Let your character be silly and fun in a lighthearted romance game. Don't play a loner. The Family wants to be Found!

My table is not the place for...

Competition or showboating. My tables aren't about "winning" the game or looking better than everyone else. They are about story and collaboration and welcoming fun. I also don't like "Edginess for edginess's sake". While my stories can be dark and scary, I veer away from "shock-value" things.