Joe
he/him
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Identity
About Joe
My name is Joe Gaylord, I work in games as Lazarus Game Lab. I've been playing RPGs for over 25 years, and since 2018 I've been publishing my own content and games on DTRPG and Itch. I run smart games that I hope get people thinking. I enjoy puzzles and moral conundrums for players. I also enjoy games that draw on global mythology and diverse cultures. I'm not a flashy DM with a lot of technical wizardry behind me, I play simple old school games and tell stories you'll never forget.
At a glance
1 year on StartPlaying
$20 per session
Featured Prompts
I ran my first game...
I think it was a hack of a Pokemon game my nephew had. The game was basically an RPG with one adventure, and I built out the rules so we could keep playing.
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
Honestly, I'd be making my own within a week. But: D&D5e - Light, fluffy, easy to run 1000 Year Old Vampire - Good for solo or duet play Never Tell Me the Odds - Just a treat to play and to experiment with
When I'm not running games I'm...
Either writing games, writing other things, or mentoring startups.
How Joe runs games
I lean toward games that are roleplay heavy and smart. I enjoy cultural references, subtle humor and games with moral dilemmas built in to them. My games tend to have an element of mystery or intrigue to them and even what looks like a simple hack and slash encounter often holds a hidden depth to it. I tend to hew very close to the rules and keep things mechanically tight for games I design. That way everything feels fair and by the book.
Featured Prompts
I prep by
getting the world and the arc of the adventure ironed out clearly, and having a bunch of pathways which I think people might pursue.
Rules are...
a key skeleton you need to build games on, but like your skeleton, if they become clearly visible, something has gone wrong.
When it comes to voices
I try, but I can't promise much. I'm working on it, I swear. (Oh, right, I also swear)
Joe's Preferences
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