Jay (Tynethor)
he/him
5.0
(5)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Jay (Tynethor)
One of the reasons I became a teacher is because I love those moments when people figure something out. It’s a mix of surprise, happiness and accomplishment. Being a GM or a player allows you to experience many of the same things, both for yourself and through others. I started GMing a few years ago as a way to spend more time with my nieces, who were into D&D but lived far away. I’ve since played in and GM’d for other groups, mostly D&D but with some Daggerheart mixed in recently.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive
Featured Prompts
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
I haven't played that many systems, but in spite of its clunkiness, I would bring the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. I spent hours pouring over the maps, reading rules for spells and strongholds, and THAC0. I do really like the 5e system. For the 3rd system, I am open to suggestions!
My favorite books are
full of adventure, and intensely emotional. Some fantasy novels certainly meet that, but one of my favorites was The Toilers of the Sea. The whole middle of the book was a one-man fight against the storm and the sea, and looking back it, it was like a sequence of deadly skill challenges.
How Jay (Tynethor) runs games
As a GM, what I enjoy most is whatever causes everyone to have the most fun – that’s why we’re playing the game! I enjoy throwing fodder at the party so they can show off their epic powers, but I also enjoy a climactic fight that includes hard-earned emotional resonance and roleplay alongside challenging, tactical combat. I want to build NPCs for whom you’ll risk your character’s life because of the bonds you’ve forged, and others you’ll go out of your way to thwart. I also really like to empower players to help with the world-building. It creates more imaginative and wonderful things than I could ever devise alone. So, let’s build worlds together! Create characters we’ll never forget, events and stories that would be impossible anywhere else! Accomplish the improbable, and overcome obstacles that help us reveal and trust our powers of imagination! Let’s make friends, let’s grow, and let’s believe in ourselves. As a GM, I want to help foster all of that.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
the player characters. The adversaries and allies are usually designed around character backstory, to challenge or reward them, or help them grow. Since players engage with the world through their characters, starting all prep with the characters is really important!
When it comes to voices
I try, really hard. I'm willing to try different accents and fail miserably, and that's after practicing for awhile! I hope it encourages the players to try different things, and be willing to stretch themselves creatively. Not all voices are accents, though. Tone, cadence, all of that matters.
Jay (Tynethor)'s ideal table
I like to play at and GM for tables where people are willing to try things. In Daggerheart, they encourage players to make the bold move because it leads to a better story, and I 100% agree. That doesn't mean I want people to be reckless and endanger other characters, but taking bold (reasonable) actions is way more fun than inaction. I also like a table that contributes to the world. I want world-building to be collaborative and try to encourage engagement. Two other traits I like: Not taking yourself (or your character) too seriously AND prioritizing everyone's fun over just your own. Sometimes situations are tense, emotional and serious...but sometimes it's good to be a little silly, to do something absolutely ridiculous. In a recent game (Daggerheart), a person with Ribbet Ancestory wanted to use their tongue to grab onto an adversary. The Guardian of the group wanted to grab the Ribbet and swing them, to smash the adversary into the wall. Was it silly? Yes. Did I allow it (with appropriate difficulty rolls)? Yes! And was it awesome? Absolutely. The last point is really important. I want everyone to have a good time, and while I as the GM am partially responsible for that, I can't do it all on my own. If a player sees a chance to setup something for another player, that's wonderful! That makes for a happier table with great synergy.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
Suggests something about the world. I had a player really develop a religion that I had only lightly fleshed out, and it gave me so much to work with! In a recent game, a player was like, "This smell must mean this!" I was thinking something else, but I went with it!
Jay (Tynethor)'s Preferences
Game Mechanics