Adam (TheMinitaur)
he/him
4.8
(5)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Adam (TheMinitaur)
I'm Adam, an aspiring game developer and D&D GM of 8 years now. As of this year I have 3 ongoing games, one is paid before coming to this platform. Picked up D&D 5e around the time that Xanathar's Guide came out as a player and was intrigued by the subclasses included in the book and tools for becoming a DM. Which, I became after the group I was with during the winter of 2018 had a no-show from the DM. I devised a 10th-level one-shot (which was an interesting learning experience for sure) and the rest is history. Additionally, I'm Interested in branching out into running games in other systems like FATE and Pathfinder, the former for a more narrative driven and flexible system, the latter for a more "crunchy" system with a lot of customisability.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Teacher
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
when the DM for a game I was in didn't show up so I made a one-shot for 10th-level characters. I learnt a lot that day... like a Chimera is not a suitable end boss if it can be dispatched in a single turn.
When I'm not running games I'm...
either trying to develop my own video games in Godot, writing for the games I run or making assets for said games in Blender. I have also begun dabbling in writing my own supplements for D&D 5e and trying to make my own system.
How Adam (TheMinitaur) runs games
If we use 5e Paladin Oaths (go with it) my tenants would be: Player Agency. Ensuring that player decisions have a notable impact on the narrative or scene is just as important as how many numbers they can do. Character Focused. My campaigns and settings tend to revolve around a select few characters that are designed to be memorable and have an integral part to play. Improvisation. Might sound obvious, but I've ran enough campaigns with chaotic players to know that they are gremlins that can never be anticipated. If there's a block, I tend to roll a d6, borrowing the Fortune Roll from Blades in the Dark. I also adore crafting characters *with* my players and will never push them to play something that fits a composition or story. The theory-crafting of figuring out a character concept, detailing the pros and cons of going for a range of classes and subclasses so they play exactly what they want is an excellent feeling. The NPCs I create tend to be few and I aim to make them memorable, the moment "Who was the NPC in the last session" escapes your lips and the other players are silent, I have failed to make a compelling NPC. They are also not there to be pushed around, they can and will defend themselves if necessary. And if the dice are not with me and the action economy leads to their death, they die, I detest plot armour. And to outline that which I prefer to avoid. I'm not a fan of crafting worlds where deities are the focus, their squabbling detracts from the mortals who can be far more complex. Inter-character Rolls, it's up to the player to divulge information. "Lone wolf" or characters that fail to work as part of a group unless it's in an endearing way.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Tommy Wiseau :)
I prep by
… If you've ever seen Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. There's a scene where Gromit is chasing the antagonist on a toy train and is constantly putting tracks down. To put it bluntly, I prep for what I think the players will encounter. Didn't encounter everything? prep is done, etc.
My games focus on...
Your characters interacting with the world I've created. If the world doesn't change in some way because of what the players do, I've done it wrong. Each campaign has at least 2 planned ending and an *unplanned* ending.
Adam (TheMinitaur)'s ideal table
I make my tables as inviting and as open as possible. I have an unlimited patience for the curious, the inexperienced and the jokesters. Forgot lore? I'm fine to remind you, Lose track of an ability? I can wait, You crack a "what if..."? I'll likely laugh along with you and then ask if you'd still commit to the bit (do it coward >:) ). I do keep the games light and jovial, life is stressful enough. But don't be fooled, I am not incapable of bringing down the hammer to hit you with conflict or the feels when it's warranted or narratively interesting. I would love to play with an "Old Guard" player, not to prove myself or to be combative but more to learn from them, how they play, how they think, what they value. I'm of the opinion that there's always more to learn and a player with experience far exceeding my own is something I haven't had.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
asks "would my character know this?" or something to that effect. It gives me no end of joy when a player wants to see how much their character is attached to, and impacted by my game's setting or campaign.
I think it's a red flag when players...
Want to make a "lone wolf" or take actions that harm party members without consulting with the party. Neither of these actions enrich the narrative and actively destroy trust between players. It gives "main character syndrome" and none of us are the main character.
I think min/maxing...
Is a balancing act. I've experienced the good; a dragonborn luchador with a Heat Metal codpiece scorching their grappled victim, and the bad; a player fixated on magic items, but the character had the depth of a puddle in a drought. You have a build in mind but it's how you play that's important.