Ryan Jones
he/him
5.0
(6)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Ryan Jones
Howdy! I've been a GM for about six years now, playing weekly with my usual crew and introducing friends and family to the game using plenty of one-shots. This game has given me a great deal of joy and excitement over the years, and I'm hoping to pass that on to my players and continue to grow this wonderful hobby.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, World Builder, Creativity
$20 per session
Average response time: 20 hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
My favorite books are
The Master and Margarita The Eragon Series The Witcher Series The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit The Hitchhiker's Guide series Anything by Mark Twain
People are always surprised when I tell them
I'm not the manager... or the owner... I just work here... or I'm shopping.
When I'm not running games I'm...
rock climbing, gardening, playing the guitar, playing video games, watching movies, reading, writing, hanging out with my cats
How Ryan Jones runs games
I enjoy a good mix of combat, roleplay and exploration, with a focus on unique worldbuilding and verisimilitude. I like when there is a good balance of levity and seriousness, and when the story takes a route that I may not have anticipated. Ideally, it takes on a life of its own. I encourage my players to stay in character to maintain immersion for the whole table, and to incorporate fun, actionable goals into their backstories to help them take a more proactive approach to their adventuring. I love a slow burn, punctuated by epic payoffs.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, Jim Henson, Ridley Scott. One of these things is not like the others, but still...
I once ran a session...
that involved an unhinged Ancient White Dragon and her long-dead wizard rider. The players were high level, and in order to avoid a fight with the angry dragon, they brought the wizard back to life. That was conversation I was not expecting to have to role-play...
Rules are...
necessary but flexible. I favor rules as intended over rules as written, and specific rulings over general, strict rules. But you can't bend the rules effectively if you don't know them in the first place.
Ryan Jones's ideal table
I like players who are willing to roleplay (at least their players goals and decisions) and engage with the fantasy world around them. The ideal vibe is light-hearted but immersed. Knowing your characters abilities is also a plus, as is taking the initiative when it comes to notes, recaps, loot, etc.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
takes the initiative, whether it's exploration or conversation. Sometimes you just need someone to do the thing. I had a player whose character had poor impulse control, so if she saw a button, she pressed that button. Or all of the buttons... all at once...
I think metagaming...
should be kept at a minimum. I think of it as a form of dramatic irony. In ttrpgs we are each other's audience, both watching and writing the story simultaneously. It deflates the tension when everyone knows everything relevant to the situation.
My perfect party mix is
whatever allows the players to have the most fun! It also depends on what kind to story you want to tell.
Ryan Jones's Preferences
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