Chris
he/him
5.0
(28)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Chris
Hail and well met! My name is Chris! I've been a lover of fantasy and gaming since I was a kid. I'm currently a high school teacher of English, history, and psychology. I love watching a story come together and watching a party be creative and build synergy and power throughout a narrative. Beyond games and stories, I love travel, music (playing and listening), the outdoors (biking, kayaking, skiing), and reading (history, culture, religion, and philosophy).
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
22 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Sets the Mood, Storytelling
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Featured Prompts
My favorite books are
At various points in my life, I've been obsessed with the following books/authors: -Lovecraft -David Foster Wallace -Stephen King -R.A. Salvatore -C.S. Lewis -Christopher Stasheff -Alex Garland's "The Beach" -Hemingway
My favorite shows/movies are
I'm an English major and current English teacher, so I have tons of favorites, but here are some related to my love for DnD adventures: -Willow -Indiana Jones -Lord of the Rings -Monty Python -Stranger Things -Pet Sematary -Princess Bride -Walking Dead -Last of Us -The old BBC Narnia movies -Goonies
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
-Prepared -Creative -Flexible (I hope!)
How Chris runs games
I see the GM's most important job as providing a platform and scenario in which players can shine and tell their own story and then facilitating their storytelling through the ruleset of the game they are playing. A good session should include lots of player interaction, fair challenges, surprises, plausibility, and a balance of story, setting, exploration, social interaction, and tactical battle. All players should be included, and scenarios should be created such that all characters can shine and--across a broad time frame--have an opportunity to use all of their toolset to impact the game meaningfully.
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
First, by knowing the rules and being familiar with commonly-encountered grey areas. If uncertainty arises, I issue a quick on-the-fly ruling (typically in favor of the player(s) to keep things flowing, then research the issue before the next session and share that permanent ruling with the group.
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Cecille B DeMille - Epic scope, spectacular action sequences, and attention to detail in creating exotic settings.
Chris's ideal table
-I like players who create characters whose personalities extend beyond their stats. Voices and accents aren't required, but in-character roleplaying from the group helps the story comes alive. -Characters who monopolize the spotlight and undermine, overshadow, or sabotage other players may not be in the group for long. -I expect experienced players to be thoughtful about the difference between helpful coaching for new players and trying to control their characters for them. -I like players who buy in to the adventure presented but are creative and inventive within that framework.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
surprises me with a creative use of an item, power, or spell.
I think it's a red flag when players...
monopolize the spotlight.
I think min/maxing...
Is fine if you can make a character that it makes sense for.
Chris's Preferences
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