Ben

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

About Ben

I’ve been playing TTRPG’s for over thirty years and have been running them for more than twenty. As a GM, it’s most enjoyable when the players are engaged and immersed in the world and can’t wait to explore. Many players, though not all, have an idea of what they want their characters to be and ideally, what they’ll grow into. Those are promises that I want to help deliver on; I won’t guarantee outcomes, however, the player will always be presented with choices that allow their character to transform. These changes are addressed in discussions before and afters sessions and if a player is truly uncomfortable with a decision, then we change it. I’m a huge fan of Session 0. After getting clear ideas of backstories, it’s my job to weave them all together so the characters are incentivized to work together but hopefully already starting to trust each other. These sessions end with me getting the players’ input on what type of adventure they’re looking to have next session. Character customization is fantastic! Making custom magical items, abilities, and anything else that makes the character unique so the player can fully invest in a play style and persona is what I’m after as a GM. My recurring NPC’s all have some eccentricities and I do give them different voices. While I have many specific stories about the games I’ve played in and run, there’s not enough space to do them justice. I’d be happy to tell you all about them another time.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Rule of Cool, Creativity

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

At first because we needed someone to run the game and no one else was wiling. I'm so glad I did! I was terrible - I've gotten confirmation that this is no longer the case. I take great pride in weaving character stories together and melding them with the plots that I have in store for them.

My favorite books are

I mostly read fantasy and non-fiction books. A very interesting book that might appear to just be about marketing at first glance is The Magical World of the Wizard of Ads. I like new things with interesting language and I very much like ancient things with strong imagery.

My favorite system of all Time is

Currently DND 5e. I believe it to be the natural successor of 2nd edition (if you're familiar). All the other iterations (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, etc) were necessary for 5e to become what it did. The lower levels are balanced the systems mostly make sense and I'm also just so very used to using it.

How Ben runs games

I enjoy RP a great deal and while it's not required, it often leads to a more rewarding experience. I tend to front load the players' choices; the party will decide on which threads they follow, if any, and where they're going. Once they decide I build the sessions based on those decisions. I have a love of creating tailored magic items for players and have been known in the past to make characters over-powered. I've run games from 1st to 20th(+) level and can balance the encounters easily enough. The players should be able to make characters that no other person can simply build - whether it's from custom feats, powers, synergistic abilities or the way the player brings their character to life. I'm capable of running hack and slash but it's not my favorite. As a fiction writer and huge fan of Session 0, I want the players involved in the narrative and it's my job to make it clear that the characters have real and lasting effects in the towns, cities, dungeons, and other places they travel. I do the voices (terribly) and want the characters to have lasting and meaningful relationships with the NPCs. Without the dramatic tension, it's just a hack and slash and I prefer to help players build their characters' stories.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Going over the decisions the players made and then building several encounters, writing flavor text to make it more immersive, and sorting out the repercussions of success and or failure.

My games focus on...

For the sake of dramatic tension, the themes and obstacles usually have serious content: life and death scenarios; some political intrigue; and good vs evil on epic scales. That said, the absurd is my territory and I stomp around in it like Shrek in his swamp.

When it comes to voices

I can do a number of different voices but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some overlap. Sometimes bad accents will pop up and I'm (sadly) not above using cliches. I do my best to make it clear who is talking and to have fun.

Ben's ideal table

The most important thing is that the players get along well! I don't expect everyone to roll over on decisions but conversations are always preferable to debates. Players who like to keep the fun and dice rolling are very welcome here. The tension should come from the story and the danger not inter-player. Inter-character conflict should be handled as part of the story and not bleed into player interactions. If you're into serious topics with outrageous outcomes, and ridiculous side quests, then have a seat.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Has a goal or idea for their character and they bring it to me so we can weave it into the overall story. Whether it's creating something new, becoming something outside the rules, or chasing a long held goal. It's always interesting and super fulfilling when it happens.

I think min/maxing...

As a recovering power-gamer, I have zero issues with min/maxing. Do your best! Break the game if you can! I have infinite monsters and come from the school that bad DM's kill characters and good DM's make characters (NOT PLAYERS) wish for death. Please play - I'm not as awful as this makes me sound

My perfect party mix is

I do not expect this, however, I would love to see a party build their characters so they meshed in as many ways as possible: mechanically, socially, and even spiritually. Not that they would always be aligned with respect to goals but that they would sacrifice aims to aid their party members.