The Battle Bard

he/him

Timezone

America/new York

About The Battle Bard

Greetings! I'm Michael aka The Battle Bard. If you're looking for a Game Master that puts story and character before anything else. I'm your guy. Like most of us in the community, I got my start in tabletop roleplaying with D&D. But since then, I have grown to love so many different systems. I now much prefer more rule-lite systems that get the mechanics out of the way of telling a good story. My philosophy as a game master is that I am a player at the table as well. It's less about you being in my world, and more of us creating one together. If you'd like to check out some of my work, you can catch me on the actual play TTRPG podcasts, "Dueling Dungeon Masters" or "Random Tables." https://linktr.ee/pth.official Proficient Systems: - ICRPG (Index Card RPG) - Quest - EZD6 - Tiny Dungeons - Avatar Legends (Powered by the Apocalypse) - D&D5e

At a glance

2 years on StartPlaying

How The Battle Bard runs games

My philosophy as a Game Master is this: I am as much a player at the table as the Player Characters... I just have a different role to play in building the story. It's less about you being in my world, and more of us creating a world together. I may have vague ideas for a story, but I like to follow the lead of the players to fill in the the details. Inclusivity: All are welcome at my table. No matter your sex, gender, sexual preference, skin color, religion, mental or physical disabilities, you will be seen and heard. Safety: We are here to have fun and tell interesting stories, not harm one another. I will be sure to implement safety tools prior to any session. If at anytime you are uncomfortable with what is happening, we have the ability to shift course and make changes on the fly so that you may better enjoy the story. We must all respect the boundaries of others at the table, and I won't hesitate to stop and address issues with my players. Improvisation Focused: When prepping for sessions, I generally come up with a web of story beats/interesting moments. Vague ideas that can shift and change as the heroes make decisions. Random NPCs, monsters, clues, and puzzles can be thrown in at any time depending on choices made and directions taken by the players. Combat/Conflict: I much prefer "theatre of the mind" and visuals rather than maps and minis when it comes to combat. Cinematic descriptions and creativity can sometimes be stifled when looking at pieces on a board. That being said, there is a time and place for everything. Sometimes it's necessary to keep track of where everything is on the battlefield, so I am never opposed to using these tools to aid anyone at the table who needs it. If you'd like to check out some of my work, you can catch me on the actual play TTRPG podcasts, "Dueling Dungeon Masters" or "Random Tables." You can find them here: https://linktr.ee/pth.official