Gabriel Luhman

he/him

5.0

(4)

Timezone

America/phoenix

Language

English

About Gabriel Luhman

Howdy! I'm Gabriel, a fan of Dungeons and Dragons since youth, and have been both running and playing games for over a decade. I particularly enjoy settings like Ravnica and Strixhaven for some of my games, but I have run modules like the Mad Mage, Descent into Avernus, and Lost Mines of Phandelver, to name just a few. I pride myself on my flexibility and improvisation with engaging descriptions and combats. I hope to run a good game for you!

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I adore getting my players to feel something. Fear for a giant incoming boss, sadness when a beloved NPC perishes, whimsy when a little creature crosses their path, or joy when they finally come across the treasure they've been searching for. The shared stories that arise from that are what I crave.

My favorite system of all Time is

Dungeons and Dragons 5e 2014. I've been running it the longest, I've got the most memories with it, and the limits are non-existent when it comes to what you can accomplish with the system itself.

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

Playing games, reading, fencing, foraging for mushrooms, or prepping for a game! I personally love IP's like Dark Souls, Magic The Gathering, Monster Hunter, and Bloodborne, and I take a great deal of inspiration (at times entire settings) from these to help conjure games my players love.

How Gabriel Luhman runs games

My players can expect intriguing dungeons with puzzles and valuables, fast-paced combats with all manner of creatures, and plenty of exploration into new (or old) places. I would say the best thing about my GMing style, according to my previous players, is my descriptions—they have been vivid, captivating, and detailed enough that I have elicited emotions of all kinds. I prioritize giving each of my players spotlight, roleplay opportunity, magic items, and opportunities for growth so that the entire table feels like they are providing and have opportunities to enjoy the game. What makes me the most unique is my ability to improvise—out of my 10+ years of gming and playing, I've only ever needed to pause the game to go pick up the pizza.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

We gotta talk about it! I tend to go by the book, but reading the book with the wrong intentions can be a little tough. If you can make a statement for why it would fit your character or why it would be reasonable- odds are you're fine. Communication is key for these things.

I prep by

I take where the players are, what I think they'll do, and their options and resources laid out in their minds, and I see where I think they could go. I get a few ideas, a few additional hooks and answers to mysteries they're pursuing, throw in some loot, and make breaks or improv from there!

My games focus on...

Exploration, Dungeon crawling/puzzles, survival, combat, and narrative storytelling. This doesn't mean I throw roleplay to the wayside, but I personally enjoy giving my players details, context, and information through cues from the environment, secrets they uncover, and rewards for their cunning!

Gabriel Luhman's ideal table

My table is organized, cohesive, and focused. Players who remain engaged, invested, and cunning fit well into my groups. The general vibe is joking and fun-loving before or after a session, but during the game I try to keep everyone as in character as possible, with the story and narrative progressing almost constantly. If you find yourself to be one wanting to stay in character, playing together with teamwork and planning, with an emphasis on as much character-to-character as there is character-to-NPC roleplay, my table is for you!

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Puts descriptions to mundane actions! When a player describes how their character walks through a door, or cuts a goblin, or eats their food, it adds a wonderful amount of depth and fun into the game. I'm all for that sort of thing!

I think metagaming...

Should be kept to a minimum—I believe it takes players out of their immersion, which is the opposite of what I would like.

I think min/maxing...

Perfectly fine! I love it when my players come up with as strong of a character as they can—it gives me more leeway in encounters, and I find the teamwork that stems from multiple min-maxers combining builds in interesting strategies can be fun.