Alex Lawler

he/him

4.8

(8)

Timezone

Etc/gmt

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

About Alex Lawler

The world is a strange and multifaceted place, wilder and more complex than we can imagine. Sharing our stories is the only way to make sense of it, and when we gather around to share in a story as closely as we do in an RPG, then we grow to understand the world more deeply in the process. I have been using RPGs to learn more about the people of the world for over 10 years, both playing and running, and I have a lot more to explore, and a lot of ideas of how I could explore it. I specialise in historical real-world games with a supernatural bent, but I have run games ranging from the grim darkness of the far future, to heroic adventures in the worlds of faerie. I want to see, feel, and share, as many human experiences as I can through this wonderful medium, and if I can make it my job, it would be a dream come true. I look forwards to you joining me on the journey. In addition to the games listed, I have other games which are available for custom booking. Check this link and see if any of them interest you, then message me and we can discuss further. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JgmS_N5IWzCJu2w1nB6GZuimFFy4Kw490qnEVqVm1RQ/edit?tab=t.0

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

31 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I have wanted to make and share stories with people for as long as I can remember. And I want the freedom to introduce people to strange and interesting things they might never have considered before.

My favorite system of all Time is

Unknown Armies, 2nd Edition. It shares DNA with Call of Cthullhu, but this time, the unknowable, eldritch being of great and terrible power, which lurks behind the facade of normal life, is humanity itself.

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

Educating myself on storytelling theory and criticism, history, religion and mythology.

How Alex Lawler runs games

My main focus as a GM is story and roleplay. I as the GM am here to construct a scenario and have plans for how it will develop satisfyingly, and you as players are here to have your characters influence and be influenced by the events unfolding. I also do not use pre-written modules, though I may take inspiration from them, and while I do use some pre-existing settings I tend to modify them heavily and I only write my own campaigns. I run an inclusive table, I not only seek to provide a safe space for people who need the support, I actively encourage diverse player groups to bring different perspectives to the table. Though I tend to start hands-off, and allow my players as much freedom as possible to approach things as they wish, I encourage players to be detail oriented about their methods and goals, to give suggestions on and ask questions of the scene in front of them. I can then make the scene responsive to your choices, focus most on what matters to you, and tailor each game, scene by scene to the party and the players. I welcome players coming to me with questions and notes about their characters, and I love it when I get to do some character work with my players. If you struggle with fleshing out your character or need to know more about the scenario at hand and how your character might fit into it better, then I am here to help. In a scene, I love to play out different characters with whatever voices I can muster. I give them as much personality as I can, my way of inviting you in to do the same. The first thing I do when planning out a scene, is make sure I have characters there that you can latch on to. My challenges tend to be more based on social, political, or even philosophical manouvering, making difficult decisions and piecing together information over difficult combat. But with the right system, a good, challenging combat scenario is a lot of fun, and feels appropriately climactic. Player Character death is a common bugbear, and I have rules for how I approach it. In short, I do not kill player characters, but I still have serious consequences for reaching the point where you would normally die (0HP for example). I don't like to end stories prematurely, but you may get character development you never wanted. I do have three exceptions to this rule 1: If a player asks me to kill their character, that can be done, though I encourage players to stick with their character until the end of the campaign 2: If the moment of death would be especially resonant for the character and the story, I will ask the player if they are willing to have their character die in that moment, but they retain veto 3: During the big climax of the campaign, when everything is on the line, then all protections go out the window. It is time to do or die. Finally, I have the choices available for different styles of game, either more traditional adventures where you can enjoy yourselves and have a good time without too much consideration of some of the darker elements you interact with. Or more dramatic stories, where we dive into those darker elements of the world and try to grapple with them. These more dramatic games are something I'll require maturity and consideration from players with, and with an eye to respect for the material, I may disallow some behaviours I would otherwise be happy to play with in a typical game. But by taking things more seriously, by chosing to grapple with this unpleasantness, I know it can take you emotionally to places you might not otherwise go. The key word there however, is choice. I have a huge array of different game concepts available, and I like to talk to players and figure out what game best suits the group.

Featured Prompts

I once ran a session...

Where my players did nothing but talk in a McDonalds, in character, for the whole session, because they had so much to consider and to share with each other, and to ask of each other, to try and come to grips with how to handle the complexities of the situation.

My games focus on...

Storytelling and character agency. I can set the themes, the scenarios, and help guide the tone, but there is no story without characters, who inherently shape the story as they encounter and react to it.

When it comes to voices

I always try and imbue a character with character in their voice, but sometimes I worry about going too big in case it just sounds ridiculous. I want to get better at ignoring that impulse, though.

Alex Lawler's ideal table

Players who'll fit in well at my tables are those who love narrative, who love to really inhabit a character, who are willing to explore emotional highs and lows, and sometimes even very difficult concepts. In short, writers and theatre kids.

Featured Prompts

I am for a vibe that's...

Best suited to the game being played, and the story being told.

I love it when a player

Is curious about the world and the characters in it, especially the other player characters. Exploration is more than just diving into the depths of dungeons, it's diving into the depths of people around you and the systems they work within.

I think min/maxing...

Gets a bad rap. Because being good in some areas and terrible in others, is how you can make a character rounded and fun to play. Don't try and be good at everything, you have a team who can step up and take over when you fall flat.