Sean Patrick Fannon

he/him

5.0

(8)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

Game Designer

About Sean Patrick Fannon

I am a 38+ year veteran of the interactive entertainment fields, especially in the tabletop RPG and related spaces. I mentored and freelanced for dozens of game design and publishing companies; have written many dozens of books, articles, and related pieces; handled communications, social media, and promotional strategies for all of the companies I've been associated with; did event planning and execution for DragonCon, the Game Manufacturer's Association, and other entities; and I've been running and playing RPGs for 50 years. I have no social fear. I have run some massive roleplaying events featuring dozens of players, as well as long-running campaigns that have sometimes lasted over a decade. I believe in heroes, and in facilitating the "power fantasy" of heroism in worlds of danger where innocents need protection. I believe in epic experiences, grand adventures, and meaningful immersion in a shared story. My Wikipedia article covers a great deal of my professional RPG experience - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Patrick_Fannon

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

3 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, World Builder, Storytelling

Average response time: 2 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

My favorite shows/movies are

The LotR Trilogy, the Avengers saga, Babylon 5, Firefly, just about any epic fantasy anime.

The three words my players would use to describe me are...

Epic, Heroic, Cinematic

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

Working on RPG material to run my games and publish. I really love this stuff.

How Sean Patrick Fannon runs games

I run player-facing games that place the PCs firmly in the "stars of the show" focus. Lots of action; I believe some of the best RP happens during combat, not in spite of it. I am definitely a "Rule of Cool" GM. The rules are meant to create a fair playing field, but I won't let them prevent a player from coming up with (and executing) a neat idea or truly heroic and over-the-top action. I want folks to feel like they can really BE the heroes they are imagining in their minds. I use lots of voices and inject even the lowliest creatures with some personality and presence, and the NPCs of my world of living, breathing, believable people that players can truly get to know and develop friendships, relationships, rivalries and more. I genuinely believe the greatest gift I have is collecting people around a "table" and bringing a world to life for them, while ensuring they feel their presence in that world matters.

Featured Prompts

If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...

The Russo Brothers

My games focus on...

Epic, heroic experiences and stories where what the Heroes do matters. The players are the reason for the game, and their PCs are the stars of the show. There's lots of action (and combat), but there's also a ton of roleplaying and expanding the greater story.

Rules are...

a foundation for shared language and foundation fairness in character creation. They are, however, only a framework for creating exciting and meaningful experiences; I never allow them to get in the way of something "cool" or "important."

Sean Patrick Fannon's ideal table

You want to play a Hero. You want to be on a team of fellow Heroes who learn to rely on one another and face down any odds. You want those exceptional moments that make your spine tingle, such as when Aragorn says "For Frodo" before charging the gates of Moria, or when Captain American finally says "Avengers... Assemble."