Chris McGowan
he/him
5.0
(20)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Chris McGowan
I've always enjoyed the rise and fall, the highs and lows, the victories and defeats, in stories. As a reader and writer as far back as I can remember, I fell into a world and went on an adventure with those characters and then inevitably, a new world would come along and I'd go follow them... Later in life, I became an improviser. The spontaneity of both the creator and the audience to create a similar story was always a thrill. TTRPGs, for me, feel very similar. Whether as player or GM, we are telling an improvised story together. We are creating it as we go and who knows what'll happen! It, for me, is a pure exercise in storytelling. Let's create a story together!
At a glance
5 years on StartPlaying
304 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, Creativity
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Prepared, invested and story-centric.
How Chris McGowan runs games
I enjoy all aspects of TTRPGs, though admittedly I'm a roleplay-centric GM. Plenty of combat and puzzles to go around, but with my background in improv (trained in both Chicago and Los Angeles), a shared narrative draws me in for each session. I bring surprises, fun times, variety of characters to meet and mysteries to solve. I can't wait to see who we get to meet and how their story unfolds!
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
calling it in the moment, maybe looking up something quickly. If it's contested, I'll hear the player out, rule to keep things moving, and research post-session. At next session, I'll review what I learned (both from other tables and other research) and make a definitive ruling going forward for all
Chris McGowan's ideal table
I favor story over combat. While combat is essential to nearly every TTRPG, I am not too concerned with min-maxing or optimum builds. If a player is into it, fantastic. But my goal is to help us tell a compelling story, that the players shape, and one tool is combat. So players who want to lean into the roleplay aspect of table-top gaming will find my vibe fitting there's. I think you if you love the "1" roll as much as the "20", and enjoy laughing, with a healthy dose of dread and danger, then you'll like my vibe.