Brian
he/him
5.0
(8)
Timezone
Language
About Brian
Hello! I'm Brian, an approaching 40 year old male who has loved story telling my whole life but only recently found TTRPGs (D&D 5E specifically). After playing in a home game that fell apart cause life and family (it was all family members) I didn't play for over a year, which sucked. I reached out locally in my small town and didn't find people that wanted to take a chance, so I found a payed game online that I joined and played in for almost a year. Playing consistently with people that want to be there is an intoxicating experience and ultimately I want to help as many people as I can share in that experience. Since then I have started DMing games myself, completing a Curse of Strahd campaign and I've almost finished with a Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign (currently in the final chapter). I've also started running short form Daggerheart campaigns (lasting 5-10 sessions) to help learn the system and give players a chance to try it. Things you should know about me 1. I find chaos very normal. I came from a large family where everyone talked over everyone all the time. This is both good cause I have a high tolerance for crazy in social situations and bad because sometimes I miss that certain levels of loudness, disagreement, and general chaos can be problematic for some people. I'm working on it. 2. I'm a dog person and my dogs may show up on screen. There are three and they are all the best. 3. I'm not your enemy, I'm here to help you tell a great story and have a blast!
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I wanted to play more TTRPGS and was struggling to find groups in my area. I started playing online where I could but it was a pittance compared to my mental space that wanted to engage with it, so I started, "learning DM skills" (said in spooky voice). The rest is current events (future history).
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Luddite (I'm bad at technology but try, and fail, often) Jovial Punctual (I don't know if this is real but I'd hope they would since I haven't missed a game without more than a weeks warning in over 2 years. Considering how difficult I find scheduling in the rest of my life I'm proud of this).
When I'm not running games I'm...
Playing video games (Silk Song, Caves of Qud, R.E.P.O, Valheim, DRG: Surviver), cleaning the house, walking the dogs, wishing I had artistic talent to capture the beautiful sunsets I see while walking the dogs, and generally trying to not get too invested in online discourse.
How Brian runs games
Honestly, I'm still discovering my GM style. Starting out I have tried to stay close to source materials and I've only finished pre-written adventures. In these I have tried to remain true to the books, but I still find myself filling in the gaps when my players ask questions that just aren't covered or are inadequately addressed in the book. I wrote a lot here, then deleted it. It was about me and things I do, but I think as a GM I try to make my players dreams come to life. I can't catch a boulder and throw it back at a giant, but if that is what you want to do I want to enable that! I want the whole table to be excited as you dramatically describe how you redirect the motion, performing a ballerina-esque spin, and stun the gob smacked face of the behemoth as the rock crunches into jaw and teeth. If in the moment you don't have the words I'll happily describe it. I will take what you say and try to elevate it, making it true in the world. One thing I won't do. I won't make your hero look like a loser. You roll a Nat 1, you don't stumble and fart drawing attention to yourself, unless you want to. Farts can be fun and funny, but I won't make your dramatic character a bag of farts. When my sorcerer tells a psionic beast, "you suck" while casting mind shattering magic, I will describe how in that moment your opinion of this creature suddenly became the most important thing in the world to it, and it knows deeply, at the core of it's very being, it does suck. Cheers
Featured Prompts
I prep by
Panicking, then coming up with a load of ideas, write some down that I remember and ultimately I forget most of it during the session. For games where I have a source book (Curse of Strahd for example) I read the whole thing before beginning the campaign then rereading chapters/sections day/week of.
Rules are...
Flexible if we all agree on it. Rules are boundaries where we can step beyond sometimes, but we don't want to live out there. This isn't just improv, this is dice, and character sheets, and NPCs with stats and dice of their own. This is asking the chaotic randomness for guidance, and going, "eh Ok".
When it comes to voices
I try. I don't remember who had what voice and often they sound southern but by golly I try. Recently my table met a singing character who sang all their dialogue and I went for it. They threatened to make it the party mascot. I retorted with their incredibly short lifespan. But I try.
Brian's ideal table
My favorite thing at a table is being able to laugh. Serious moments can happen, tragic and dramatic scenes may draw you in...but the moment you misspeak and say a word that sounds like innuendo your table losses it and brings it up for the rest of the session. Now if this happens every few minutes it quickly becomes bland and rote, but when these moments happen naturally amidst tension you can see and hear the relief. If we all are able to laugh the second thing I would want is a table of players that choose big bold actions. Let your characters make mistakes and then let the consequences come. We roll dice because we don't want to always know what will happen. Bold choices let us experience things we couldn't possible have happen otherwise. Anyone can barter with a wizard, but to steal from them while trying to convince them to sell you their tower, now that takes moxie.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
Loses themselves in their character. Every time a player makes a suboptimal choice because it lines up more with their characters beliefs or flaws it is the best high! Tactical play is great. Inhabiting your character is better, even unto loss.
I think metagaming...
Hmmm. Metagaming is a bad word, because it has too much baggage. When players make choices that don't align with their character or character knowledge then don't justify it?!? That is when a player has lost the plot. Table talk about strategy out of character is great, just montage it.
My perfect party mix is
At least 1 person who will make choices. If someone has a strong belief or opinion in character that's all I need. As long as any character disagreements don't spill over into real life a little group tension can be great. It's a set up for a character arc. Of course everyone needs to be on board.
Brian's Preferences
Game Mechanics