Swolecat (Paul)

he/him

5.0

(36)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

Military Veteran

Disabled

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

Voice Actor

Game Designer

About Swolecat (Paul)

Hey there! I’m Paul (aka Swolecat). I’ve been sitting behind the GM screen since 1998, and over the last two decades, my favorite part of this hobby hasn't changed: it’s the laughs, the high-stakes drama, and the friendships that form around a shared story. My goal is to give you that classic, comfortable "home game" feeling where everyone feels welcome, included, and heard while weaving in the kinds of details that make a digital game feel alive. What you can expect at my table: A Welcoming Atmosphere: Whether you’ve been playing since the 90s or you're opening a character sheet for the first time, you have a safe seat here. We always start with a Session 0 to chat about boundaries and make sure everyone feels secure before the dice roll. Characters with Heart: I love full voice acting, distinct accents, and bringing NPCs to life. I don't just read boxed text; I want you to feel like you're talking to real people with their own quirks and agendas. Immersive Worlds: I use tools like D&D Beyond and Roll20 to layer in custom maps, ambient music, and sound effects to help set the mood and draw you into the scene. Player Freedom: I run my games pretty close to the rules so your choices and tactical victories feel earned, but I’m a big believer in the "rule of cool." If you come up with a wild, creative idea that makes the story better, I’m always going to root for you to try it. If you're looking for a relaxed, engaging table where we take the story seriously but never ourselves, I’d love to have you. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and let's roll some dice.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

29 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Voices, Sets the Mood

$20 per session

Average response time: 1 hour

Response rate: 80%

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

The Dark is Rising, The First Law Trilogy, Robinson Crusoe, Starship Troopers, Kidnapped, Preacher, Sandman, Lucifer, Swamp Thing, Welcome Back Frank.

My favorite shows/movies are

The Princess Bride, LOTR Trilogy, Ready Player One, Lost in Space, Rick and Morty

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

Reading, working out, and spending time with my family! I also spend a lot of time painting minis and writing content.

How Swolecat (Paul) runs games

My style of GM is as close to RaW as possible, but with allowances to abide by the “rule of cool” sometimes. I write all my own material in my own world and I try to balance combat, exploration, and roleplay equally.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

My ruling as DM stands in the moment, but I’m more than happy to have an OOC conversation off-table about it so there are no ill feelings. I’m always open to constructive feedback

Rules are...

As close to RaW as possible without restricting player agency and often allowing deviations for very cool moments.

When it comes to voices

I have a few up my sleeve ;)

Swolecat (Paul)'s ideal table

I prefer a table where everyone is collaborative. I do not like loot goblins, disruptive players, or pvp in any form. Throughout my years of DMing I have noticed that for some reason personality issues surface quite often in TTRPGs, whether it’s ego, hogging the spotlight, or trying to live out a power fantasy. I’ve found that if the issues can’t be corrected in one conversation, often the best choice for everyone is to remove the player. On the flip side, one of my greatest joys is watching a player who is uncomfortable with social interactions and roleplaying come out of their shell and embrace their character and the story. I like combat to be challenging (but not impossible), so having players who like being challenged is a bonus. Even if a player character dies, death is never the end (unless they want it to be).