Paul

he/him

5.0

(8)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Veteran

Artist

About Paul

My name is Paul. I’m originally from Texas and now based in San Diego. I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs since the early 1990s, starting with AD&D 2nd Edition, and have spent more than 20 years behind the screen as a Gamemaster, including 13 years running D&D 5E alone. For me, tabletop games are all about collaborative storytelling. I love bringing worlds to life and working with players to create memorable characters, meaningful choices, and stories that feel truly epic and personal. There’s nothing better than watching a group come together, surprise each other, and build something unforgettable over the course of a campaign. Over the years, I’ve run everything from classic modules to fully custom homebrew campaigns, from multi-year spanning campaigns to tightly focused one-shots, and I’m always excited to meet new players and tell new stories together whether those players are new to the hobby or as experienced as I am!

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Sets the Mood

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

because I wanted to share with others the joy of collaborative storytelling that comes from a great roleplaying experience!

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

likely spending my time prepping them. You know the drill... making maps, making tokens, building stat blocks... But the time and effort is always worth it when it helps provide the backdrop for a great gameplay experience!

How Paul runs games

I run story-rich, narrative-driven campaigns with a strong emphasis on roleplay and character development, while still giving equal attention to exploration and meaningful, tactical combat. I want every player to feel like their character matters and that their choices shape the world around them. I support the rule of cool within reason, especially when it creates cinematic and memorable moments, but I also value consistency and internal logic. While there is always room for humor to break tension, I aim to maintain a grounded tone and immersive atmosphere, so overly goofy or joke-style characters are not a great fit for my table. Presentation and immersion are very important to me. I come from a strong artistic background and value visual storytelling. I use high-quality professional assets, including maps from CzePeku, Forgotten Adventures, and Darkest Maps, along with scenes from CzePeku and James’ RPG Art, to create a polished and cinematic experience. I also create custom tokens and character artwork for the entire party. I use a few light house rules such as bonus action potion use and a plus two flanking bonus, and I prefer Point Buy for character creation. I run a Session 0 and use Lines and Veils to ensure a safe and respectful table. Games are run on Foundry VTT with Discord for voice, Kenku for music, and DnD Beyond for characters. I also host an active Discord community for players to stay connected between sessions.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

ensuring that all players at my tables have the best experience possible, that they have fun and are involved in the storytelling. This isn't about me narrating my writing to you, it's about us having a great time with each other, building off of each other's roleplaying and reacting to the dice!

Rules are...

helpful and provide structure and a common understanding... BUT... they should never get in the way of the gameplay itself or the table's enjoyment of the game.

Paul's ideal table

My ideal table is filled with players that are actively involved, truly inhabit their characters, know when to share the spotlight and when to have their moments. They don't wait to just play their character, but to involve the others in roleplay moments, cinematic combat and all the twists and turns that the dice gods provide!