Foss

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

About Foss

Forever DM near Chicago, running games for over two decades. Started on AD&D, Old World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf) and Palladium (Rifts, Heroes Unlimited). Jaded GenX'er. Avid board and PC gamer. I rarely run modules as written- I enjoy modifying and adding content to fit my table. I don't generally use character voices so I'm heavy on image props and mini-games at the table. My storyteller style switches between grim, heroic, and absurd. For in-person sessions I tend to randomly show up dressed as notable NPCs. I run Foundry VTT using Forge, D&D Beyond, and Discord. I'm always tinkering with new modules, animations, and lighting effects — if it makes the table feel more alive, I'll try to use it. When an adventure doesn't fit what I need, I'll build a small system instead of forcing existing rules to do a job they weren't built for — contracts, downtime activities, chase mechanics, whatever the story actually needs. I've run for the same close groups for years, but I treat a pickup table of strangers with the same prep and the same expectations.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Rule of Cool, Creativity, Visual Aid

$20 per session

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

Robert Heinlein (Starship Troopers), Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide), Kurt Vonnegut (Sirens of Titan), Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Stephen King (Dark Tower).

How Foss runs games

I love taking existing modules and making them fresh — surprises even veteran players won't see coming, without losing what made the original great. My style is action-forward storytelling. I lean heavily on visual props to drive the narrative, and I've been known to cosplay as major NPCs in live sessions. Outside of special occasions, I don't do distinct NPC voices. What that looks like at the table: • Light hexcrawl exploration for structure and visual flavor. • Foundry VTT with session landing pages built in, so recap stays low-effort. • Elevator-pitch backstories — give me three lines on who your character is and why they are the way they are; the rest gets filled in through play. • Encounters that react logically to what you try. Players who think out loud and speculate do well at my table. • Core rules and official content to start — after that, homebrew or third-party material added as needed. My most common variation is using 2014 monsters stat blocks instead of their 2025 versions, or something in between. If there is anything controversial about me: as a former art director, I recognize the speed and convenience Gen AI tools provide. My prop images are often created using Gen AI, albeit with significant amounts of prompt-work and Photoshop. Encounter maps and map assets are human-made or licensed products.

Featured Prompts

Rules are...

Never sufficient to address all problems that a table encounters. When a system doesn't exist in source materials or the system simply sucks, I make systems and mini-games to fill these niches. I prefer to start campaigns with core books only, then add homebrew and third-party content as needed.

When it comes to voices

I don't generally do voices. I prefer to rely on props and mini-games to add flavor to my games. I welcome players to do voices, so long as there is no expectation of reciprocation.

Foss's ideal table

Interested and involved players that likes to commiserate and develop between sessions. A party that enjoys cooking up strategies and game plans. Players that enjoy using spells and tools in clever ways. My pet peeve is players that say "Insight" then roll a d20 expecting that to give a result.