ShiffD

he/him

Timezone

Asia/tokyo

Language

English

Japanese

Portuguese

Identity

Neurodivergent

Artist

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

Multi-lingual

About ShiffD

I was born in Portland, OR USA. I moved to Japan after college and lived there for about 20 years. The last few years I've spent as much time as i can in Brazil living there off and on but also traveling many other nations . I speak Japanese and Portuguese fluently. My love of adventure and exploration spans both fantasy and reality. I started playing 1e and later 2e as a teen in the early 90s. I played D&D, Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Gurps and shadowrun in college and was the president of RPG club. I was GM early and it stuck. Later as new systems and ideas came about I played many systems including PbA, SW, FATE and games those ilk as well as wargames and many indie games. I have played hundreds of systems and love trying new games and setting ideas. During COVID I played in and ran some 5e games online but couldn't get into it fully because of its many issues. I have created my own TTRPG and setting for it. I made a game that I think covers what doesn't exist and is needed. Besides gaming, I play Capoeira and have traveled the world attending punk, anarchist and Capoeira events. I am an active member of several grassroots anarchist and/or cultural organizations and regularly volunteer time to support community action efforts at the local grassroots level. As you could expect I like CRPGs and read fantasy avidly. I watch all the major films and series like Witcher, GoT etc. as well. My proudest accomplishment is being a father to my sons who both live and work in Japan now.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Featured Prompts

My favorite shows/movies are

Dr.Strangelove True Romance LOTR/Hobbit GoT/House of the Dragon Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul Walking Dead Akira Cidade de Deus Taxi Driver

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

insane fair hilarious

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

exploring the world, playing Capoeira Angola in Brazil or staffing an anarchist collective and driving taxi in Tokyo Japan.

How ShiffD runs games

My games feature a lot of political and moral cruxes akin to the types of situations observed in GoT or the walking dead and I like settings which feature bleak apocalyptic or wartime themes. the feel/play is more gritty. Low magic, or magic with dire consequences. Dark fantasy and the occasionally macabre. Despite the darker/more serious tone of many scenarios I also like to have a light mood around the table and don't take myself too seriously. I like jokes and cutesy lighthearted moments and general shenanigans as the players are encouraged to explore the world and their characters in any way that suits their fancy. If they want to try something silly like trade a paperclip up to a house, so be it. Rule and arbitration conflicts are handled as a group. I don't argue individually with players nor the group. Whatever outcomes seem fair and plausible to the group are possible, rules be damned. I don't fudge dice, rather I would choose not to roll if we know what the outcome should be. I use dice to create excitement and enhance the game and I use rules to help shape the discourse. I don't let rules or dice stand in the way of fair and reasonable story outcomes and play.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

talking to my players. My biggest value as a game master is my system, setting and the prep work I do. I am not here to dictate how to roleplay. The table is for everyone. My job is to lead and support, not manipulate. The table is OURS.

If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...

A team of Kurosawa, Kubric, Jackson, Tarantino and Fernando Meirelles. (Necromancy definitely involved).

My games focus on...

immersion in the gaming world and story

ShiffD's ideal table

My setting and the scenarios I create are very intense and cerebral to match the gritty rule set. Nonetheless I like to keep the table light and fun and inject humor so we don't take ourselves too seriously. It's just a game, and just a story. A bit like the boys but not as gratuitous. I don't revel in gore or sexuality. I keep those on a level closer to GoT or the Walking Dead but with a lighter look at human depravity perhaps more along the lines of Breaking Bad.