Benjamin

he/him

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

Identity

Neurodivergent

No Gen AI

About Benjamin

You either die a player or live long enough to become the GM... or, secret third option: you just jump into GMing at the start. I have been a GM for over 3 years now, after having bought and read the core rulebooks for 5e during my two weeks of paternity leave. I love me some homebrew, and always want to find ways to twist my favorite media into my games, but I also love a classic mimic encounter.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

$10 per session

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I got started GMing...

I started GMing right after my child was born. I had a lot of idle time all of a sudden that I didn't seemingly have before, so I spent that time diving deep into D&D and Dimension 20 on Dropout. This seemed really up my alley, but none of my friends were up to GM, so I took the mantle.

My favorite shows/movies are

In no particular order: - Star Wars - Blue Eye Samurai - Treasure Planet - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - Game Changer (iykyk) - Mike and Molly - World of Io - Angel Beats - Harry Potter - ATLA - and most of the Marvel movies

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

When I'm not running games, I am usually trying out a new recipe, trying to min/max Stardew Valley, running around with my kid, or I'm still thinking of new ways to playfully mess with my players using Boblin the Goblin and his bag of holding.

How Benjamin runs games

I got a little bit of everything. Voices in social encounters, tactics in combat encounters, and let's toss in a riddle for funsies. I take inspiration from multiple bits of media, as well as other systems and genres, and just like my at-home cooking, it's all going in the same pot.

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I deal with rules issues by...

By being plain with the group. Rule of Cool, sure, but if there is an issue a mechanic or some of my homebrew, I will bring it up to the group for a vote on how to proceed after reading RAW. If we, as a group, can't come to a consensus, then we will stick with exactly RAW for fairness.

If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...

I would like to think they are directed by Rob Reiner and Mel Brooks. Little bit of serious, little bit of fun, with everything coming to a twisted but satisfying ending that makes you want for more.

Rules are...

Meant to be toyed with. Twisted, bent, coiled, melted and reforged, but never broke. Rule of Cool is good as long as everyone agrees and is having fun.

Benjamin's ideal table

My table has a little bit of everything, ranging from notetakers to jokesters to min/maxers to bookworms. As long as everyone understands that we are all here for a good time, then we can all vibe together and play off each other's strengths and weaknesses, both in character and as players.

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I love it when a player

Asks if they can do something or says "So I would like to do *blank*". The possibilities of these games are endless, and so should our imaginations. The only thing holding you back from doing the super cool thing is yourself.

I think metagaming...

Metagaming is inevitable, once you've played TTRPGs long enough. Eventually you will just remember what creatures are resistant to fire or what has legendary resistances. However, if you can find a narratively satisfying way that your character would already know that info, then I am all for it.

I think min/maxing...

Min/Maxing is like pulp in orange juice: some people like it, but ask around before just pouring a glass for everyone. I know its my jam, but if that's not the vibe of the group, then maybe dial it back a notch. Hercules wasn't a genius, Einstein wasn't a brute, and no one is the best at everything.