Knight Maxwell (he/him)
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
20 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Voices, Teacher
About me
Hi there, I'm Max! I have a HUGE passion for storytelling, and playing RPGs has allowed me to share it with tons of amazing people! I've been running RPGs since I was 13 years old, and continue to hone my craft and skills to this very day! Creating art, doing silly voices, creating props and hand-writing letters are just a few of the many elements of myself I love to put into my games. I love going that extra mile to make my players' games memorable and most of all: fun! Revealing the fabled monster omens have been pointing to, calling back to an element of my players' backstories, showing the antagonist's true intentions, discovering a new ally to bolster the party. Seeing the joy, terror, and elation in my players as I enhance their stories is a feeling like no other, and I constantly seek to deliver that. Some of my best memories are creating these moments for my friends and family, and I've realized that I'd love to share this passion and excitement with others! I'm well-versed in running 5th edition D&D, and in recent years I've also begun to branch out to other systems that will allow my games to be enhanced that much more. I've found a place in the OSR community, and love to replicate that pure feeling of D&D that's captured in systems like Old School Essentials and Shadowdark. I've even branched into Sci-Fi horror with Mothership as well! I'm constantly taking in influence, concepts, and gameplay mechanics from a wide variety of game systems to enhance my own, and am more than happy to branch out and learn new systems!
GM Style
I try to strike a balance of the three pillars (exploration, roleplay, and combat), but over all I try to ensure that my players are engaged and having a fun time! Part of that includes keeping a good pace, putting emphasis on player agency, and trying make sure that each player gets an equal amount of spotlight. I also like to incorporate player backstories and do collaborative worldbuilding whenever able, as allowing my players to have ownership of their own bit of the world helps it feel that much more vibrant and engaging. Doing so allows for great plot hooks and makes the game just as much the players' as it is mine! In service of having a engaging game full of both great heroics and harrowing encounters, I find it paramount to include stakes in my games. Powerful foes, engaging and dynamic combat encounters, a tinge of political intrigue. You have the capacity to be a great hero, and the threat of death is real and present; Foolish actions will bring consequences. My home games/worlds are very flexible, allowing for both narrative-focused games that take player interests and follow a more defined trajectory, and more OSR style sandbox exploration and dungeon crawls with player-facing story set in a unique and novel world, and taking elements and mechanics of both styles to enhance the other. I strive to ensure my games are as high-quality and inclusive as I can muster, and I value communication above all else so that I can ensure hte best game for everybody involved!
Game platforms used
Knight Maxwell's Games
Game Master Reviews (7)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Storytelling
Voices
Teacher
Sheri Elms
Played 20 sessions
Max is knowledgeable and personable. His GM style crafts a rich environment for both the young and inexperienced as well as seasoned players, (our current party has both), using ambient sound including music and weather effects, excellent shared maps and his own voice to individualize the NPCs we encounter, which is a lot of fun ! Max keeps a detailed character sheet for each PC and players benefit from an occasional prompt or reminder to help them keep their character in top form. I highly recommend Max to anyone wanting a rich gaming experience ! Our current campaign is frequently the highlight of my week. Aaaarg !!
Evander Celestian
Maxwell is not just a DM but the master of dungeons, if your considering playing with him then just do it. Thank me later.
Jude Tatum
Max is such an AMAZING GM!!!! I've played several of his D&D campaigns, and I can say with certainty that he is the best there is. He is a master of world building, and I find myself getting lost in his stories every time. My favorite part of his GM style is how he uses the backstories of the players to make an incredibly captivating world, creating many plot twists and surprises along the way. I really recommend Max as a GM for you!! He got me started with D&D as well, so he's great for beginners too.
Damyen Stafford
I've been following this artist for some time now and I can proudly say He is one of the most gifted and bright-eyed people I've ever met. You'd be extremely lucky to have him as your gm.
Goober
Dark and cursed individual, Voice of a god with the demeanor to follow. 5/5 would glaze again
Zechariah
Played 20 sessions
Max is an amazing DM. I have been at tables with all new players and all experienced with him running the game. He is always thoughtful and inclusive with his style of DMing. One of the best things he does is incorporate player backstories into the game and main narrative. Sometimes it is a surprise and other times he works with you outside the play session to collaborate on ideas. He is an amazing world builder that has overall a more lighthearted tone to his narrative and makes sure to include humor that a lot of other DMs ignore. He knows the rules front and back, but never let's them get in the way of the most important thing... making sure the players have fun.
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