Andrew "Leo" Demarest

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

French

Identity

Streamer

Published Writer

About Andrew "Leo" Demarest

I'm a part-time content creator who loves to dabble and experiment with new TTRPG titles and old ones, from the most recently released Transformers RPG by Renegade Game Studios to some great older TTRPG titles like the D&D 3.5e system by Wizards of the Coast. And if I'm not familiar with the game you're looking for, I'm always an open book and willing to see what type of adventures we can create. When I first got started with being a DM I tried it out with D&D 5E back in 2017 and at the time I had played for about four years worth of games on a pretty consistent basis. From there I grew into other TTRPG titles like D&D 3.5E, Call of Cthulhu, and Star Wars. Admittedly though I had stopped briefly in early 2018 as I had gone off to Marine Corps boot camp but was later medically discharged before completing training. After I came back, I got back into TTRPGs but at a much more defined playset of D&D 5e and 3.5e as those were the two game systems that I was most familiar with. In late 2019, I expanded out into the Pathfinder system and ran my first game with no player experience, and boy was that a doozy. All my players were brand new to Pathfinder, let alone TTRPG, so it was a steep learning curve. But like all good stories, the tales of me being a DM came to a halt at the start of COVID by February 2020 when I had been displaced from my job and had my income cut a third. I won't bore you with the details, but there have been a few rocky steps in my tenure as a DM/GM. With numerous strides in both work-life and everything else, I was able to pursue being a DM again in 2021 with my favorite system D&D 5E. I have plenty of groups that I DM on a weekly basis so feel free to take a look at the campaigns that I have open. If you are interested in me hosting/GMing your table or group of friends outside of my currently listed campaigns, then please send me a message by pressing the Contact GM to get started.

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

1 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

My favorite books are tough to choose, but a story that I absolutely love is Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. Spoiler-free, but I love the sense of adventure that the story brings to life. Some of the books I love are Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series and T.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit

People are always surprised when I tell them

I recently underwent Chemotherapy for Cancer treatment. This comes across as if I don't look like I've gone through it, but players who have been with me before can vouch that I have. Plus, I have pictures of all the times I had to go in for treatment.

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

Hard at work pressing buttons... In all seriousness, I do content creation outside of running D&D games, so when I get a chance, I'll typically record something. If not, I'm out working at my wonderful job.

How Andrew "Leo" Demarest runs games

I like to focus more on the creative side of missions. When I am a GM, I want to encourage my players to do the same. Whether that is by exploring and moving an object in a puzzle or by using discreet tactics to sneak into a compound. Of course, I don't always let my players have their way. Throughout the sessions, I might throw in a scare or two to remind my players that the world around them is constantly changing. Most of the time, this encourages them to blend... at least where possible. But I mainly focused on the roleplay logic and the character's effects (both direct and indirect) on the world around them.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Gathering a general outline on how I want the session to go, not enough of an outline to railroad the players, but enough to know where the story will lead to once the session is done.

Rules are...

Rules are suggestions on how to play the game. It is up to the DM and the Players to interpret those rules. You could say that I lean towards RAI (Rules as Intended), but I will lean into RAC (Rule of Cool) when appropriate.

When it comes to voices

I try to make voices as interesting as possible for my players. If I can make them laugh, cry, or show some emotion with a character's voice, I believe my job was a success.

Andrew "Leo" Demarest's ideal table

When I run a table, I expect three things from my players—engagement, commitment, and fairness. Nobody should come to a table and sit idly in the background, not contributing. Instead, I encourage my players to engage with the storyline, think about their actions with their fellow players, and learn and grow while enjoying a game everyone can remember. It's not fun when only one person is talking in a group when everyone should be contributing in some way. This method of running my table helps me create a welcoming atmosphere, a vibrant group of players, and a space where everyone can be heard, not just seen.

Featured Prompts

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

There are many ways to play D&D, and there are many things for a Dungeon Master to do throughout a session, let alone a campaign. Having someone question every rule call can typically lead to either a discussion or, if necessary, removal from the table.

I think metagaming...

Metagaming is an uncreative playstyle that takes advantage of a game designed to be enjoyed, not min-maxed. I encourage my players to focus on creativity when designing their characters and to think creatively with each other, not just by themselves.

My table is not the place for...

I treat my table as an escape from the real world, and I hope others do the same. Players who are constantly bringing up real-world issues (politics, protests, hate speech) will likely be spoken to privately first to deter the behavior, or removed from the table if necessary.