Rob
he/him
5.0
(3)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Rob
I began gaming in '86 with BECMI, Gamma World, and Marvel Superheroes and never looked back. I do not claim to have experience in every system, but I have played every edition of D&D but 4, much of Palladium, though that began as a D&D variant before OSR was a thing, Shadowrun, Star Wars D6, Champions, and more. Even systems we don't use have things we can learn, even if it's things not to do.
At a glance
3 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Rule of Cool
Featured Prompts
My favorite books are
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart, Simon R Green's Deathstalker
My favorite shows/movies are
Star Wars, Star Trek (including the Orville and Galaxy Quest), Robotech
When I'm not running games I'm...
running, throwing the ball for border collies, or wanting to play taletop.
How Rob runs games
In a campaign, I view the game as the PCs' story; they set the agenda and decide where to go and when. Often it is the GM's world, but I still leave space for players to fill in. Collaboration at the table makes for a much better game. Game tone is an important consideration for a table. I have loved mythology, particularly Greek, as long as I can remember. But I also grew up on old Scooby-Doo, so I prefer my monsters (demi-)human. As the GM, it is my responsibility to run the world and adjudicate PC senses. I will not try any gottcha moments; "There are no traps" means the thief did not find any; it is not a legalistic argument. Even where magic can influence mood, it is to the player to determine how. GM plotting against the PCs is likewise through the lens of whatever NPC the party has offended enough to warrant plot. The table is about all the players, GM included, having fun, not winning. One-shots are slightly different as pre-gens are often an option and there is less interconnected worldbuilding. But, apart from aiming for fun, they are an opportunity for players and GM alike to decide if it is a workable arrangement for a campaign. So long as everyone obeys Wheaton's Law, a simple "This is not the table for me" is a valid answer. I run a gritty world with a lot of monsters running amok, but I do not care for grimdark. The PCs don't have to be paragons, but I do like them to be heroes, to strive for a better world. I prefer hopepunk.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
George Lucas and Herbert Ross (Steel Magnolias)
My games focus on...
the party. It's their story; my job is to play the rest of the world.
Rules are...
the "physics" of the world that allow me to adjudicate difficulties and such.
Rob 's ideal table
My ideal table is three to six players with open minds, engaged and engaging role-play, and a desire to have fun together. Tabletop is collaborative storytelling with an element of uncertainty/randomness. We should have fun with players working with each other and taking the bait as the GM offers. By the same token, the players should also open up to the GM integrating their characters into the world. The characters should feel like real people and the world should feel lived-in.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
engagges with the game and their fellow players.
Rob 's Preferences
Systems
Game Mechanics