Chris
he/him
5.0
(6)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Chris
Classic style. Modern storytelling. Real human imagination. Hello, I'm GM Chris. By day, I’m an Engineer and Project Manager. But by night, I’m a lifelong gamer, Storyteller, and Dungeon Master. I’ve been running D&D since 1992, starting in High School with Basic D&D before diving into AD&D 2nd Edition. In 2000 we transitioned into 3.0/3.5 Edition, where I ran games for 17yrs (collectively), and now 5th Edition. Over the decades, I’ve built and run campaigns for dozens of players, most of whom stuck around for years at a time. I started with Dungeon Crawls, but quickly grew into immersive, narrative-driven campaigns that blend adventure, emotion, teamwork and strategy. My style has been described as "Plain Vanilla with Rainbow Sprinkles" - grounded in Classic rules, classes and races, but full of flair, drama, flavor and heart. My tables focus on story, teamwork, and immersion — not rule mongering. I took a break during the chaos of COVID due to personal health issues, but in 2025 with some motivation from my wife and a good friend, I returned to the hobby with renewed purpose — dusting off my old notebooks and sourcebooks, rediscovering my love of worldbuilding and storytelling, and modernizing my old notes and stories for 5e and virtual play. Whether you’re a brand-new player or a veteran looking for story and substance, my goal is simple: To craft sessions that are memorable, emotional, and worth talking about years later. I hope to see you at my next table.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
3 games hosted
Highly rated for: Teacher, Creativity, Storytelling
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
Nobody else in my group wanted to do it. I've always had great story ideas, so I volunteered to run my High School group. As it turns out, I was actually good at it. My main group followed my stories and stayed together for 7yrs before the last of us finally left for college and/or careers.
My favorite books are
The Hobbit and LoTR's (cliche as that may be). I discovered the Fantasy Genre by accident. In 5th Grade, I was assigned a random book to read and write a report on. Teacher handed me my book, and I thought to myself, "What the F is a Hobbit?" Turns out, it was the catalyst for a personal revelation.
My favorite system of all Time is
Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition. I know it's not for everyone, but I REALLY enjoyed the complex mechanics and the deep customization options for character progression. I felt like I had near-unlimited options for creating detailed and captivating stories and campaigns.
How Chris runs games
My style has been described as "Plain Vanilla with Rainbow Sprinkles" - grounded in Classic rules, classes and races, but full of flair, drama, flavor and heart. My tables focus on story, teamwork, and immersion - not rule mongering. I would call my games Balanced-Medium across the board - a healthy mix of combat, roleplay, tactics, challenge, and tone. Enough realism to feel grounded, enough fantasy to feel wondrous. I’ve been running D&D since 1992, with about 23 active years behind the screen. Chances are, I've (nearly) seen it all. Basic D&D 1.0 (2yrs), AD&D 2.0 (5yrs), 3.0/3.5 (17yrs collectively), and now 5e (since mid-2025). I started with dungeon crawls, but quickly grew into immersive, narrative-driven campaigns that blend adventure, emotion, teamwork and strategy. I specialize in Low-Level and new players. Some of my best work lies in the Level 1-5 range. I’ve completely reimagined and rebuilt several published adventures from the ground up, including the D&D Essentials Kit, into full cinematic experiences. My "D&D Bootcamp for New Players" teaches newcomers the key fundamentals and mechanics through immersive storytelling and hands-on play. I also run 1-on-1 'Masterclass' one-shots for a few certain classes, designed specifically to showcase all its 'flavors', and to show new players how that class FEELS and FUNCTIONS, and not just what it LOOKS LIKE on paper. I may be new to digital tools and hybrid play, but I’m an old tabletop pro at heart.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
A classic fantasy feel (a definite 'LoTR Baselayer'), with Flair, Drama, Flavor, Heart. My tables focus on Story, Teamwork and Immersion, with healthy doses of Combat, Roleplay, Tactics and Challenge. I'm not a Player-Killer type of GM, but also not afraid to let characters die from stupid actions.
Rules are...
A guideline. A structure. A skeleton. They are meant to steer us in the right direction. But I have been known to bend rules for the sake of telling a compelling story and keeping the game fun and moving forward.
When it comes to voices
I'm not the greatest voice actor, by far. I tend to 'give it a fair try', and do the best I can. What I lack in recreating the actual voices, I try to make up for in details, so that the players can visualize in their 'Mind's Eye' (i.e. the 'Theatre of the Mind') how it sounds, mannerisms, etc.
Chris's ideal table
My tables are fun and laid back, but we have a clear agenda and goal. The best players are those who are flexible and adaptable, and not hardwired for a specific type of play, or a specific style. Obviously the best fitting players are the ones who like my style of "Plain Vanilla with Rainbow Sprinkles", the classic feel and flow with lots of flair and drama. What that means is I run a Medium-Fantasy table (not High-Fantasy with Multiverse-hopping Space Boats, and not Low-Fantasy where magic hardly exists). I play somewhere between Combat-Lite and Roleplay-Heavy, always with a focus on the story and the experience that I want my players to feel and remember.
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
A classic and grounded Forgotten Realms story (I call it 'Medium Fantasy', as opposed to High or Low Fantasy). A healthy dose of realism and believability, mixed with a large scoop of fantasy and wonder. My tables do not have Spelljammer Space Boats, nor do they have a connection to the Multiverse.
I love it when a player
Really gets into their character, and does their own voice acting, plays into the environment, and inspires other players to dive deep into their characters as well. When one player deep dives, the other players want to experience that as well, and tend to follow suite. Then the whole table has fun.
My perfect party mix is
One of every class, no duplicates. When each character (and by proxy, each player) feeds off of each other with synergy and connection. Where everyone brings a different style, but all those styles vibe together into cohesion, and the party becomes stronger for it
Chris's Preferences
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