Andrew

he/him

5.0

(4)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

About Andrew

Howdy! I'm Andrew. A few years after I graduated college, some friends suggested we play the Firefly Role-Playing Game for game night. Over the next month, we planet hopped, fought off reavers, and lassoed a satellite. Later that year, a different group invited me to play D&D 5e. I've been hooked ever since. I wear my "Forever GM" badge with pride and have been running games for over 10 years. I love to explore new systems and ways to play. I hope to bring that same energy to StartPlaying and help others connect via games in the same way I have. Games I have enjoyed running include: D&D 5e, Call of Cthulhu, Blades in the Dark, and Triangle Agency. I (chronically) collect games as well, hoping one day to play them. Maybe we will give a new one a spin?

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Storytelling, World Builder, Inclusive

$20 per session

Featured Prompts

I started running games because...

it is always your turn! I love getting to facilitate and craft a game specifically for my players. I majored in history, so I love to read and write. Pouring over adventure modules, and later creating my own worlds, allowed me to stretch my creative muscles in unique ways.

My favorite books are

varied! I have recently picked up reading as a hobby again. In my rotation right now are books on theology and history. I am working my way (slowly) through The Dresden Files, and I was recently introduced to the Discworld series, loving it!

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

enjoying my roles of husband and father, spending time in my community, gardening, playing board & video games, and working.

How Andrew runs games

Playing an RPG is an exercise is cooperative storytelling, connecting with others, and navigating tension and drama. In other words: make believe. As the GM, it is my responsibility to ensure the game is fun and engaging. I do that best by guiding my players where they want to go. Roleplay: Engaging with character backstories or intriguing at a masquerade ball. Combat: dramatic one-on-one duels or overthrowing a villainous noble house. Exploration: Investigating libraries and dark forests or discovering the truth about a character's family history. I try to create an immersion for the characters to explore, but my bigger focus is that the players are engaged and having fun. I regularly joke, talk above table, and check in with players to make sure we are making the most of our time and having a blast doing it! My GM inspirations include Jerry Holkins (PAX, The "C" Team), Matt Colville (MCDM), Chris Perkins (Acq Inc., Dice, Camera, Action!), and Jared Logan (Stream of Blood, Glass Cannon).

Featured Prompts

Rules are...

foundational principals. Without them, you aren't playing a game. Rules keep attention and perspective fixed. But, like all foundational principals, they can be broken or ignored is pursuit of a greater goal. If ignoring a rule rachets up drama or tension, exceptions will be made!

Andrew's ideal table

A perfect table is one that works together as a team to engage each other and tell the best story. Rules are respected but leveraged (or altered) for drama. The spotlight is not only shared, but at times denied in favor of others. The name of the game is fun and connection, not competition and completion.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

cares about what the other players are doing. It is fun to have your character shine, and I do like when a player takes and interest in my world or NPCs. But the best play happens when the players are interacting and supporting each other.

I think min/maxing...

is just a style of play. You want your PC to be the strongest they can be? That's great! That doesn't mean that character is better than the others. There is no "right way" to play a character. Stronger PCs mean stronger enemies! >:)