IvanGMT (he/him)
4.9
(15)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Sets the Mood
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 80%
About me
Tabletop games open the possibility for great experiences. If done right, they can be deeply fulfilling and meaningful. I've read plenty of fan-favourite fantasy books, seen just about every relevant fantasy movie and read countless texts regarding myth and story-telling. This is my DM fuel which allows me to give players a great ''theatre of the mind'' experience, a worthy investment of their time and money. this is why I charge for the service. I have been actively GM-ing since 2019, the longest campaign lasted 3 years (bi-weekly schedule). I have had players of all ages at my table, still friends with plenty of them. I've hosted more than 100 games, to about 60 different people. My favourite: fantasy writer: Joe Abercrombie recent fantasy series: GoT fantasy movie: LoTR game: Witcher 3 I prefer the stories we tell at the table to be in the vain of dark fantasy. Gritty and somber, melancholy yet still maintain a degree of humour. Humour really works well within a darker setting, especially when imbued with sarcasm. I also enjoy giving players plenty of freedom. If they want to ignore the main quest and instead rally all the hyenas in a neighbouring jungle, dub themselves beast-masters, then lead the gargantuan host of hyenas and storm the white walls of Minas Tirith? I'm all for that.
GM Style
Full theatre of the mind. No maps, no visual handouts, no VTTs. It's all words along with a bit of music/ambient sounds. I find this to be the best method, because it does not distract from the main idea: Immersion. It allows for a natural flow without interruptions or down-time. I have my camera on, you can have yours off, if that's your preference. Combat is fast, enemies hit harder and have less hp. This is so that the combat does not drag and the pacing does not suffer. Character backstories are greatly appreciated and incrorporated into the story. The atmosphere of the game is a collaboration, if most players tend to play a certain style then the game will likely adopt that style of demeanour/energy. As players in my games, you can tackle a situation with different routes, in a way, you have the possibility to be micro GM. This means you can put certain objects, living things into the game, here's an example: ''GM: The thief you've been chasing climbed the building using advanced acrobatics and was seen entering the balcony, located some 40 feet above ground level, how do you pursue?'' The obvious choice is climb - which would have you roll for climbing. But as a player, you can manifest a different scenario by asking: a) is there an entrance with a staircase leading up to said balcony? b) it there a trebuchet close by, with which we can launch the entire party into the balcony door? c) etc,.. The more ludacris/unlikely your request, the harder the chances are it will work, but the option is there. I never mentioned any staircases or trebuchet's in my initial description > that was the player manifesting both options.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (15)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Storytelling
Sets the Mood
Ivan is a born storyteller - we played a one shot game and we only used our imagination - no visual aids. The campaign had a lot of detail and allowed for some creative experiments to take place. Keeping track of everything and knowing what to do as a complete beginner required some kindly offered help, wich was given. Would recommend it for everyone that feels ready for a non digital characters sheet and a vivid imagination that thrives on creating scenes and imagery.
Ivan did a great job and has some very interesting mechanics that help keep the game flowing without getting bogged down in the rules. He tells a good story and is very thematic in his approach. He was a pleasure to play with and I look forward to more sessions with him.
I had an amazing time playing the one shot. The adventure was a perfect mix of tension and fun the party dynamics made it incredibly enjoyable. Ivan was awesome with the use of flavor for the campaign. How often do you see a paladin sliding down the street on his shield!
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