David Silberstein
he/him
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About David Silberstein
I’ve been running tabletop RPGs since the mid-1980s across 10+ systems, with a focus on original, player-driven campaigns rather than off-the-shelf modules. I’m a published adventure writer on DriveThruRPG and Itch.io, with hundreds of downloads to date. I come from an art-school background with training in drama, cinema, and creative writing, which informs how I pace scenes, portray characters, and build atmosphere. I run best for groups of 4–5 players and specialize in tailoring each campaign to the table’s preferred tone and playstyle, whether that’s serious, atmospheric play, lighthearted chaos, tactical combat, or roleplay-heavy intrigue and mystery. My goal is to leave players with a distinctive, memorable experience that feels personal to their table and worth coming back for.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
At age 10, in the 80s. I heard about D&D from a friend: "It's a game where the players can attempt to do anything, and the game never ends - you can keep playing it forever". I was immediately hooked. almost 40 years later - I'm still playing
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Dedicated, Captivating, Relentless
How David Silberstein runs games
I favor rulings over rules and prioritize immersion at the table. Tone is flexible and driven by player preference. I’m equally comfortable running gritty, serious sessions or lighter, goofy, or epic play, depending on what the group wants. I usually run original material and enjoy tailoring adventures and campaigns to the specific interests and playstyle of the table.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Tim Burton or Guillermo del Toro
When it comes to voices
I’m comfortable using distinct voices and mannerisms to make NPCs feel real and easy to engage with.
David Silberstein's ideal table
The ideal table is comprised of players all dedicated to lift up the story, and each other. Leveling up, getting that personal character arc drama - they are all second to supporting the game. Ideally, players are not identical (this never happened) - and each has their own preference (combat, leveling, mysteries, role-playing). All players should have some desire to role-play: It doesn't need to be over the top drama / theatre, and not necessarily include making voices - but it's can't be just about crunching numbers and rolling dice. The emergent story is king
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
being swept into another world
I love it when a player
comes up with an idea or strategy I haven't planned or foreseen at all. Even if I have to toss days/weeks of prepping down the drain
I think metagaming...
is annoying. I'd rather have players play their characters, not meta-gaming.
David Silberstein's Preferences
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