Paul Barudin
he/him
Timezone
Language
About Paul Barudin
I've been playing TTRPGs for the better part of half my life thus far (17 of 33 years at my count) and in that time I've changed and developed both as a DM and as a player. And through that time I've seen many different systems, and kept trying to learn new ones (with the hope of eventually DMing games in said systems).
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
Largely out of a desire to play the games I had learned to when I was younger but had no groups to play in. Or, when I found groups around me that were running games, they weren't interested in bringing in other new people. I wanted to foster play for myself and others.
My favorite shows/movies are
I have a deep love for AMC's Hell on Wheels and Tomebstone. Star Trek (DS9, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds) are currently in my list of great shows.
When I'm not running games I'm...
Building models for the war-game Warhammer 40k. Often times I will spend time cooking with my step-mom (a thing in common we have discovered we share). More often than not I tend to take sleeps where and when I can, as I can't seem to get enough sleep these days.
How Paul Barudin runs games
While I am ever a lover of a fine RP experience, the folks involved in such scenes need to be animate, and not simply static. To that end, NPCs (both friend and foe, and even those indifferent) are full people. With hopes, flaws, and squalls of their own. I engage with role-play in ways I hope will feel more than simply a static scenario to the players. I also enjoy tactical combat (with the assistance of battle maps and clever thinking). I know through past experience, my combat encounters tend to run a bit more lethal than most. But that is only as a result of expecting (and usually) being out-thought by my players. Clever use of tactics and rules sets will win you the day. I, after all, want you to succeed! I just, may not serve it on a silver platter :D
Paul Barudin's ideal table
Speaking in the broadest strokes possible, I like players who are not just audience members of a play group. "But PB, what do you mean by that?" Great question random voice of the other in my head! Generally speaking I divide players into two large swaths as it comes to RPGs. Actors & Audience members. - Actors are those who chew on the scenery, engage with the stories, challenges, and encounters they run into, and generally speaking truly do see themselves as the actors on the 'stage' we are all playing on together. - Audience members are those players who are there to see cool stuff happen, who are perfectly content to let NPCs have large dramatic moments with each other, (Anakin you were the chosen one/I hate you!). These are the players happy to sit back and watch. Now, there's nothing wrong or better about being one of these types of players over another. I'm sure on a given day, or depending on the game in a single night, a person might be one or the other or both. But I know I as a DM thrive when I've got Actors sitting around my table. When I have Audience members my games feel slow (to me). I really appreciate Role-play. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean adopting a funny voice, acting like a buffoon if you have low intelligence, or expositing your entire backstory/motivation to a PC or NPC. To me, Roleplaying can be as simple as the act of choosing to play into your TIBFs (traits, ideals, bonds, flaws), or really listening and responding to the NPCs and creatures around you. Even a person with an Intelligence of 6 can have a remarkable idea every once in a while. I do not often reward DM inspiration, but on occasion I do like to at critical moments of a character's interaction with stories they've been acting within. I have no other way to incentivize this behavior other than to say this, and to add that speaking in general I am another player at the table, just with a different set of tools to work with. And I'd love to have fun together.
Paul Barudin's Preferences
Systems
Platforms