Grant

he/him

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

About Grant

Greetings, adventurers! My name is Grant, and I have been fascinated with telling stories since I was in 5th grade (almost 20 years ago, gosh I'm old). I started picking up D&D 5e about eleven years ago, and have been DMing since then. Since I started playing, my style of play has evolved into something I really love. I am very new player friendly, and am happy to introduce them to the game. I love to heavily homebrew my games to really tailor it to the group’s tastes and desires.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

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I became a GM because

I enjoy telling stories, but I’m truly passionate about crafting worlds where these stories can happen organically. I became a GM because I love being a world architect-crafting the deep history, the complex, characters, and the hidden mysteries. We start with a world, and we end with a saga.

My favorite books are

The Faithful and the Fallen; Of Blood and Bone by John Gwynne Mistborn Original Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson The Licanius Trilogy; Hierarchy by James Islington The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

My favorite system of all Time is

D&D 5e (2014). Not for the rules as written, but for the robust and flexible foundation it provides. It’s the perfect chassis to build upon. It’s simple, but it is endlessly homebrewable. It allows me to create deep, mechanically unique experiences without having to reinvent the wheel.

How Grant runs games

In my games, players can expect a truly sandbox experience where your choices drive the narrative forward in an open-world setting. I specialize in player-driven questing, allowing you to pursue ambitions, rivalries, and discoveries without a rigid plot—your decisions shape the world around you. Factions play a central role, with deep political intrigue, alliances, and conflicts that you are encouraged to engage, manipulate, or lead. Story arcs emerge organically from your character backstories, weaving personal histories into the larger tapestry of the campaign for meaningful, character-focused progression. Exploration is handled via a hex-map travel system, emphasizing strategic resource management, random encounters, and the thrill of the unknown as you navigate vast, living landscapes. What sets my GMing apart is maximum homebrew customization: I have a plethora of classes, subclasses, items, spells, and mechanics tailored to your concepts, enabling unprecedented character depth and creativity. Expect rich RP opportunities amid tactical, high-stakes challenges where preparation and ingenuity reward bold players. Join me for an immersive journey where your agency reigns supreme.

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I prep by

Building a robust and dynamic sandbox, not a linear plot. I focus on creating intriguing locations, complex factions, and memorable NPCs. During the game, I use random tables and my own creativity to react to players’ choices in real-time. This allows a world that feels alive and unpredictable.

My favorite trope is...

The “living world.” I love stories where these setting itself is a character that grows and changes alongside the party. Such as a struggling frontier outpost can become a thriving city. My joy comes from seeing the world tangibly evolve as a direct result of the player’s choices.

My games focus on...

The ripple effect of the heroes’ choices. My goal is to create a world that not only reacts to the party’s decisions but is permanently changed by them. The story is what happens when the party decides how to solve them.

Grant's ideal table

My goal as a GM is to provide a premium, deeply immersive, and collaborative storytelling experience. My games are built on a foundation of trust, player agency, and the belief that the best stories are the ones we discover together. The general atmosphere at my table is one of "defiant hope." We will explore a world that is often grim, mysterious, and unforgiving, heavily inspired by the tone of games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Our stories are mature and grounded, focusing on flawed characters who are trying to do the right thing in an impossible situation. While the world is challenging, our table is not. The vibe is collaborative, friendly, and focused on teamwork. To ensure everyone feels comfortable exploring these themes, we use safety tools, primarily Lines and Veils, which we will establish in Session 0 to create a safe and respectful space for everyone. I see my role as the director of a gritty, character-driven fantasy film, and you are the star actors. To facilitate this, I favor a cinematic "theater of the mind" style, using dynamic, hand-drawn sketches for combat and exploration rather than rigid, static battle maps. This keeps the game fluid and focused on your creative interactions with the world. The players who will thrive at my table are proactive, engaged, and love to invest in a world that invests back in them. I welcome both veterans and players brand new to D&D—experience is not required, but an open mind and a collaborative spirit are. You're a great fit if: You are a Collaborator: You enjoy building a story with the table, not just having one told to you. You love it when your character's personal goals become a major part of the campaign. You are an Explorer: You have a natural curiosity. You're the kind of player who wants to know what's over the next hill, what that strange ruin is, and what secrets the NPCs are hiding. You are a Strategist: You enjoy a genuine challenge. You see a gritty inventory system or a tough combat encounter not as a penalty, but as a puzzle to be solved. You are a Roleplayer at Heart: You care about your character's motivations and their relationships with the rest of the party. You enjoy the quiet moments by the campfire just as much as the epic battles. I believe in matching the right players to the right table. My style may not be the best fit if you are primarily looking for a very lighthearted, comedic game, a high-powered "superhero" fantasy, or a simple dungeon-crawl with minimal story. I run a game with mechanical depth and serious, mature themes, and I want to be upfront about that experience. Know you are paying for a professional, reliable, and expertly crafted experience. I promise to provide a living world that reacts to your choices, to be a fair and transparent arbiter of the rules, and to always prioritize your character's story. My door is always open for communication, and I am committed to building a safe, respectful, and unforgettable campaign with you.

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I am for a vibe that's...

A collaborative challenge. The world is tough, the monsters are smart, and the dice are real. But we at the table are a team dedicated to telling a great story. We are all on the same side, working together to see how the heroes overcome the immense odds stacked against them.

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

Soulsborne games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls, you’re going to love my table. I specialize in building worlds with deep, environmental storytelling, challenging combat where every victory is earned, and a dark fantasy atmosphere that emphasizes defiant hope in the face of overwhelming odds.

I love it when a player

becomes a co-author of our world. When they don’t just react to the story, but actively add to it. When they write a journal entry from their perspective, design a banner for their guild, or come up with a compelling personal goal that drives the narrative in a new, unexpected direction.