Tim Wetzel

he/him

5.0

(9)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Artist

Teacher/Educator

About Tim Wetzel

I love games! I will try almost everything and I get so much joy out of helping others have fun and play games as well. I have been game-mastering for several decades. Although D&D 5.5e is the game I play most often, I also run Daggerheart, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Shadowrun, and most recently Marvel Multiverse RPG. I have been DMing since 1979! I feel like I am still a kid at heart. I run games both in person and online. I love to try to create the most emersive experience I can - I use a TV with Foundry VTT for battlemaps in person and Roll20 and Foundry for online games. For my long term games, I love to provide my in-person players with a personalized 3D printed miniature - a side hobby of mine. I also enjoy playing tabletop games like Imperial Assault, Clank, Robo-Rally, and Battletech.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Teacher, Knows the Rules

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

when I was in junior high and haven't looked back. I enjoy using my imagination in conjunction with others to create a fantastic engaging story.

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

DnD5.5e - always the game I seem to slip back into. Daggerheart - I enjoy the opennes of the gaming system and the full reliance of the players on developing the game. Shadowrun - a mixture of magic and science fiction - what's more to love?

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

tutoring people in 3D Animation and Modeling or teaching kids and adults Kenpo Karate.

How Tim Wetzel runs games

I tend to lean toward what the players want. I have run games in which players are deep into roleplaying and others in which the main purpose is to laugh, joke, and is "acting-light." I like to keep a game moving and will use encounters and combat to do so. I try to mix up different types of challenges but will also lean towards what the table desires. I prefer my players to be heroes - they can be morally gray, but I don't want my players to be chaotic evil. I avoid mature situations and descriptions.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

knowing the general plot before the game begins. Then planning for the next couple of sessions ahead of time. I usually start with the story plot and figure out the maps or encounters (combat, puzzles, social, etc) from there.

Rules are...

guidelines to be followed, but story or fun always override the rules.

When it comes to voices

I try to give memorable characters a unique voice, but am definitely not a voice actor!

Tim Wetzel's ideal table

I try to create a fun, comfortable, welcoming environment. I run games at about a PG-13 level, keeping things adventurous and engaging without leaning into overly dark or extreme content. The atmosphere is fairly relaxed, but the game world still responds to player choices—actions have consequences, and outcomes are earned. While character death is possible, it’s never something I force; it only happens when it naturally follows from the situation and decisions made.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

- adds to the world themselves during the game. "Hey, can I visit, Bob, in town? He runs a blacksmith around here..."

I think metagaming...

can break story immersion. And it can harm others play or enjoyment. I encourage players to play what their character knows, not that they have the entire Monster manual memorized.

My perfect party mix is

Magic User, Rogue, Cleric, Fighter. If I were to play the 4 roles: - Sorcerer for power - Rogue Thief for challenges - Cleric of War for healing and fights - Barbarian because I like to mix things up for the other 3. :)