Janus Nemo (he/him)
5.0
(4)
2 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Knows the Rules, Storytelling
About me
I've been hooked on RPGs since a friend first invited me to their game years ago. As much as I love being a player though, I love sitting behind the DM screen even more. I like to run games where there players can feel empowered to tell their own stories instead of someone else's narrative. I prefer to run my own adventures and campaigns rather than pre-written content because creating adventures is as much fun as running them for me. I try to branch out to other systems and have gotten a taste in many as a player, but for all its flaws D&D 5e still always calls me back.
GM Style
When running I like to give a lot of weight to player agency, giving space for the players and their characters to have their own goals and agendas. I love it when players feel like they can take the reigns and start directing their own story, even if it can mean things don't quite go how I expected. If you can come up with a solid plan to kill the BBEG in the first session, I guess I'll have to start fleshing out their second in command. The other side of that is that actions have consequences. I (mostly) don't like surprising players with punishments that they could have never seen coming, but if a bad guy is making a threat you'd better believe I'm willing to follow through on it and it's up to the players to stop it. My games aren't usually overly lethal, but player characters do die so make sure you have an exit strategy. I'll always try to have a solid understanding of the rules so that players can know what rules they have to play by. I'm more than happy to incorporate homebrew or alter rules if it makes the game more fun for everybody, but I think that if we aren't playing by the book everyone should have fair warning. I always try to tailor my style and the rules I use to the type of game I'm running. I'll run a hexcrawl differently to a dungeoncrawl, in some games I might require players to keep strict track of inventory and in others let it be more flexible. I'll always try to make sure that players know what to expect from any game I'm running though so you don't need to worry about being caught out.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (4)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Knows the Rules
Storytelling
Christopher McCarte
Knows how to lead a good story, works well with players for the best experience - overall good fun and good time.
Paul Kerr
They were a great GM, they spent 5 years running a long campaign and a few one shots too so I've had experience playing in both long and short campaigns with them. Was always on top of everything so that if a session needed moved due to a player missing there was no messing about in when to move it to. They done an incredible job at keeping us on track with the long campaign while also allowing for tons of player creative, but always kept us away from any derailment. In the one shots they were great at matching the vibe, some were horror, some were no stakes and some were just like a mini campaign. The group I played in was a mix of veteran and new players, in which they were able to handle the rules lawyering from veteran's but also able to have the patience needed for the new players, to help them learn how to play. I'd highly recommend having them run your game, you won't regret it.
Michael Davie
I was part of a VERY long running campaign Janus ran and the best feedback I can give is I could never distinguish what was preplanned and improv’d. Which is a very high compliment, no matter what you were doing there was always a feeling of purpose and forethought that went into it. He excels at making encounters feel gripping and challenging, with often very dynamic settings and creative monster choices to make certain moments and battles extra memorable. Top notch and iconic NPCs throughout the campaign all voiced very nicely which gave the comfort to the players that they too could RP and not feel silly. Overall a top tier DM and would heavily recommend them.
100ChickenLINDAs
Janus was our long suffering DM for 5 wonderful years. He crafted a world which grew with us as our characters went from peasants to heroes, starting in an isolated corner of the world in a backwater town, to being caught in the middle of warring empires and waking long slumbering dragons. Janus has a knack for crafting real, lively worlds. Where you can really make an impact and feel like you are an important part of it.
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