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John AKA The Smoking GM

John AKA The Smoking GM (he/him)

5.0

(13)

Streamer
Artist
Voice Actor

Less than a year on StartPlaying

14 games hosted

Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Teacher, World Builder

About me

I’ve been a player and runner of roleplaying games for over 30 years. I fell in love with the hobby at a young age and have had the bug ever since. I’ve played so many different games over the years that it would almost be comical to list them all. I like to joke and have fun in my games and not be overly serious when it comes to playing. While there is a time and place for everything, and some things can definitely be too much or over the top when it comes to cracking jokes, I mainly focus on the fun of the games and making it an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. I enjoy creating homebrewed narratives and teaching others how to play any given game. I once ran and owned a tabletop game store for a few years in Austin TX and really enjoyed introducing new players from all walks of life to new games, as well as letting veteran players join in as well. We would have fun once a week and break up the constant work that running a game store demands. Plus, it was something I loved and made time to do. Running a store was a busy business after all. I am now freer with my schedule and would love to fill that time with the games I love with the like-minded people I enjoy sharing it with.

GM Style

I like to give each element a chance to be showcased when playing a RPG, relying on the three pillars of Exploration, Combat and Roleplaying. A good mix of the whole of what makes RPG's so fun in about equal amounts. I also enjoy a good combat style game that has less roleplaying aspects, such as HeroQuest and the like. Just to get into a game and chuck dice with some friends kind of vibes.

Social
Game Master Reviews (13)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Knows the Rules

Teacher

World Builder

Maxx avatar

Maxx

Played 11 sessions

John keeps his sessions engaging, communicates very well with each player and has loads of experience in the RPG realm. It’s evident he puts a lot of work into each session. Highly recommended!

Dave avatar

Dave

Played 2 sessions

John is a lot of fun as a GM. He is very prepared and does great voices. And he is hilarious.

Dire avatar

Dire

Played 2 sessions

Updating Review. I have now been a part of 9 different sessions spanning 2 different games. Every single game has been amazing! John's forethought and amount of preparation make each game very immersive. He takes time for newbies like me to explain the game rules extensively. There is always a positive vibe in his games which is rare in gaming culture these days. So if you are looking for a fun, positive, immersive GM to run an adventure for your party, I highly suggest John to be that man.

Wydawg avatar

Wydawg

Played 1 sessions

Played Aliens Rpg Tonight was amazing love to get to shoot aliens. I was just looking for a game tonight and THESMOKINGGM came through with music, maps, and overall cool. Helped to figure out tokens and took the time to explain the rules and figure it out on the fly. The entire party was onboard and made me feel welcome. Give it a try was a blast. Thanks for a Fun Friday Will be looking forward to playing again

Menace avatar

Menace

John is one of those Dm's that really immerses you in a story, not just it being a good time you really feel like you have agency in the story. Hammer out those concepts. You won't regret it.

Stigma avatar

Stigma

I've had to pleasure of playing Hero Quest with John every week for about 5 months now. I had never played the game and was brand new to the community. John was extremely helpful getting me set up and comfortable with the game mechanics. I found not only an extremely fun way to end my week but a new group of friends that I genuinely can't wait to talk with. My experience with John and Hero Quest has been phenomenal. It's a game to remember, every game. I would recommend anyone who happens to stumble across this review to join in. You will find yourself on here leaving a very similar review to mine. I look forward to all of our future games and I hope to meet you there as well. Happy questing to all adventurers and may the rolls be in your favor.

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