Matthew
he/him
5.0
(10)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Matthew
Hello! My name is Matthew and I've been in the TTRPG space for ten years, being a game master for 5. I love the act of creation, and I believe that the best games are explored through multiple mediums, like art, poetry, dance, musical numbers, and even the occasional recipe. Story is the most important thing humans have invented, and I would love the opportunity to spin one with you. I am a tutor and game master living in Brantford Ontario. I have a degree in medical sciences, and spent most of my free time in University playing in and running games for the Roleplaying Club. I am a published poet, and I loved to bring that emotion into my games. As a neurodivergent kid who loved creative writing, I found that TTRPGs were a perfect way to spend time with my friends and share all the creative ideas that we've been holding in. I have a long background in improv comedy and theatre, so be prepared for an expressive experience.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Voices
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I love the act of mutually creating a story together. The people in this hobby are always so creative and I'm constantly blown away with what they bring to the table. I love performing as well, and GMing gives me a chance to throw out wild character voices and story concepts without fear.
My favorite books are
My favourite of all time is the count of Monte Cristo, but I love reading many genres. My favourite author is Sally Rooney for how her contemporary stories connect with me on a personal level, and I love the genres of fantasy and horror for the concepts that make me think of life in new ways.
When I'm not running games I'm...
usually trying to learn something new. I love practicing art, reading books, and spending time with my family. I'm also a huge fan of cooking, and am trying to complete one dish from every country as a long term fun goal. I also enjoy creative writing, and often pull in those threads to my games.
How Matthew runs games
As a GM, I put a lot of emphasis on player choice and agency. The tone of the game, the goals of the characters, and the solutions found should be dependent on the input of my players, as their effort is what makes any of this possible in the first place I try to take a multimedia approach to TTRPGs, so don't be surprised if a musical number, dance, or recipe manages to find its way into the narrative. My games are centered on roleplay and a mutual story that unfolds due to player action, though combat is also common. I make all my own homebrew content, so expect something you haven't seen before. I love exploring all kinds of genres, though I find my tables are always tired from laughing after most sessions. I am a huge fan of practicing game design principals, so the combat in my games often features unique objectives, strange enemies, opportunity to influence combat with roleplay, and a host of unique items and subclasses to keep everything fresh. I would describe my games as emotional, though what emotion changes from game to game. I have given one player multiple recurring nightmares in my horror game, and brought another table to tears in a tragedy. Please let me know what you are and are not comfortable with so we can guide the story and set boundaries together.
Matthew's ideal table
My table style involves everyone recognizing what they want out of the game, and then working together so that everyone can get their best experience. I have a comedic and dramatic background, so players who are looking for comedic beats or dramatic moments are always welcome. I like the players at my table to remain engaged, respect the choices and wishes of their teammates, and to let me know directly what they're hoping to get out of their actions. Remember that though I'll pretend to be your adversary when you pull off a clever move that "ruins my plans", I'll always be rooting for you and excited for your wins.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
Provides me a hook for me to use in the story later. The player characters that give me creative direction and limitless options for personalized events and encounters. Each TTRPG character has had around 20-400 years of events to pull from, so when they let me peek in there to pull something out :)
I think it's a red flag when players...
talk down or dictate actions to other players. While a recommendation or reminder of someone else's features can be helpful, a table is a space for mistakes to happen and for skills to grow. No one is entitled to control the choices of others, and being a mentor does not mean playing their character
My perfect party mix is
One that covers many roles in both classes and character dynamics. Whenever I get a party together, I like to have all the players create the cast as a group, that way its a cohesive unit where everyone helped fleshing out every member of the cast.
Matthew's Preferences
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