Justin

he/him

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Neurodivergent

About Justin

Hello! My name is Justin, and I've been playing DnD since shortly before the pandemic. I started as a player and despite having a mostly written (literature) background, I quickly fell in love with the hobby as an additional way to roleplay with other like-minded people! Not long into playing, I noticed a void in my friend group of someone willing to be the "dedicated" GM, and thus I stepped into the role. I have been the "forever DM" ever since, and it's something I don't really mind! I enjoy creating worlds, crafting stories for my players to enjoy, and listening to every wacky and out-of-this-world idea someone could come up with for the situation at hand! I am 24 years old and have plenty of spare time at the moment!

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

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I became a GM because

Partially to fill a role, partially because I genuinely enjoy creating worlds, spinning stories, and watching and/or hearing the excitement from players when something clicks!

I got started GMing...

Shortly after I began playing! The pandemic just hit, my friends and I were all bored, and out of my entire friend group at the time, I was the only one who could seemingly hold a table together the longest when it came to running a long-term campaign!

The three words my players would use to describe me are...

Dedicated, Passionate, Creative

How Justin runs games

So! I am definitely more of a "roleplay-heavy" kind of Dungeon Master. Combat is fine, great even(!), but I try not to ever have it be the main focus if I can help it. I personally find combat to often be a drawl, drag, especially with higher levels which make it infinitely more difficult to balance appropriately; either fights last too long and become stale or the party steamrolls the encounter(s). Not that there's any problem with the latter! I just value roleplay more than combat! I also strongly believe in the Rule of Cool rather than RAW. Despite DMing for several years, I do not have every rule or mechanic etched into the back of my brain ready to pull out at a moment's notice like a rule's lawyer. DnD, to me, is most fun when my players can attempt outlandish things and as long as it's somewhat plausible -- letting them roll and seeing what comes out of it! I do try and give further life into my NPCs by using voices, both serious and goofy, but I am no professional voice actor and my range is limited (aka not that great), but that's what makes it fun!

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I prep by

Either by cramming everything I've loosely thought of for a session into a notepad a few hours pre-session, or making visual maps weeks in advance that may or may not even be used. There is no in-between for me, I fear !

My games focus on...

Roleplay and Rule of Cool. I want you guys to feel strong, I want your characters to succeed, and I want to experience those bonding moments between PCs. Combat is welcome, naturally!

When it comes to voices

I try. I don't require anyone to use voices at my tables, as I myself am not a professional VA by any means. That being said, I often try and usually embarrass myself in the process!

Justin's ideal table

Players who prioritize roleplay opportunities over combat opportunities. Combat, in some cases, is unavoidable depending on the scenario. I think that's something we can all accept. But there are often so many ways to de-escalate a situation that just need to be attempted (whether it succeeds or fails is a completely different story)! I try to foster a friendly, welcoming, environment at my tables as well. Even if the roleplay gets heavy, I still want us to be able to laugh together at funny phrasings, silly encounters, etc.

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I love it when a player

Gets creative with their rolls! This could mean a wide assortment of different things, but I'm specifically honing in on justifying using acrobatics over athletics or something of that nature!

I think min/maxing...

Is perfectly acceptable as long as it doesn't sacrifice the roleplay and/or vision of the character. Some of the best characters are born from weird min-max ideas. I've done it before with a warlock, so I get it!

My table is not the place for...

Player/Table PVP. I don't encourage it. I don't foster it. I am all for inter-party conflict as long as it's kept to roleplaying. Party PVP, in my experience, is a mess and usually stems more from OOC character bleed than anything else!