Brian
he/him
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About Brian
RACE: (Mostly) Hairless Talking Ape VARIETY: North American CLASS: Catholic Charities SUB-CLASS: Manager BACKGROUND: Nerd
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
If I wanted to play, I had to DM.
People are always surprised when I tell them
I am an introvert.
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Every. Word. Matters. (I literally overheard a long-time player say this to a new joiner within the first fifteen minutes of their meeting.)
How Brian runs games
A whole lot of people went to a whole lot of trouble developing, play-testing, and publishing Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons, so I trust that they did the job correctly and leave the published "rules" alone. Instead, I concentrate my time on bringing the world your PC inhabits to life, crafting custom opportunities for character development. Cannot stress enough -- I do NOT program video game experiences for any reason, including combat. There's no Roll20, Foundry, or similar platform to be found here. My campaigns are always Theatre of the Mind, and place much high emphasis on coherent plot, character development, use of metaphor and irony, and other literary standards, rather than "cinematics" or rushing headlong from one combat to the next. I have two long-lived and well-developed "game worlds" in which adventures take place, and never make use of Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Krynn, or other published settings. If requested, I can conduct players through the gothic horror landscape of Ravenloft -- but be advised I will NOT run "Curse of Strahd" or make use of "Van Richten's Guide" for any reason. At my table, all players are equally new to the setting and its dangers, to assure a level playing field.
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
. . . consulting the printed material. And, as an English major with honors, I will authoritatively tell you if the presence or lack of commas changes meaning in a sentence.
I once ran a session...
... in which a single roll of "natural 20" in the PCs' favor made the players wail, "No!" Then, half of them cried.
My games focus on...
. . . depth of world-building, PC character development, and striving for the moments that makes players sit back with big eyes, murmuring, "Holy shit! Then that mean . . . and THAT means . . ."
Brian's ideal table
I am merely Virgil, guiding players and characters, alike, as they explore and adventure through an unknown, hostile setting. Players have full agency to ignore my "hooks" (both the obvious or subtle) and take the narrative in any direction that makes sense for their characters. Virgil is not here to say no, simply note the results of your decisions and actions, then inquire what's next. He will remind you at the outset, however, that the world is alive and aware, reacting to PC activities, either positively or negatively, as their own actions dictate.
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
Character development, plumbing the depths of world-building, and collaborative story telling
I think min/maxing...
Strongly indicates you're really looking to play a video game, not a table top role-playing game in virtual space, which is what I offer.
My table is not the place for...
. . canonists, rules lawyers, the senseless cash-grab that is 2024 DnD, or those seeking a "proving ground" in which to test their latest character "build."
Brian's Preferences
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