Distracted DM (he/him)
5.0
(23)
3 years on StartPlaying
470 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Voices
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hey there! Quick rundown of my DMing style for you: 🧙♂️ Veteran DMing and improvisational skills to roll with your choices 🎭 Notable NPCs with immersive interactions 🗺 Quality battlemaps 🎆 Spell effects ⚔️ Engaging tactical combat 🙌 Newbie-friendly attitude with patience to walk you through an RPG There's an amazing feedback loop that happens when both the DM and the players are invested in the game. Whether it be characters, the story, the setting and lore- the more interest you show in the game that we're all enjoying together, the better it becomes! You can see gameplay clips and other content of mine at https://youtu.be/skSi4oFDScs https://youtube.com/@distracteddm https://www.tiktok.com/@distracteddm I'm an enthusiastic, experienced DM that's been playing & running TTRPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons for over 25 years- ever since I walked into a game store as an 11-year-old because it had a chess piece on the sign and I thought "I'd like to be good at chess." There was no chess to be had, but there were plenty of people playing wargames and D&D. The rest is history. I have experience in voice acting, teaching, and general nerddom- though my professional fields have been in Intellectual Property (Gaming, Streaming, Technology) and voiceovers. I love running games because of the choices that players make, the dramatic conflicts that are presented during play, and the way that players develop their characters and personalities throughout campaigns. I am delighted when the party does things that I don't expect- for this reason, I am also an excellent improviser. The world is a living place, though the primary actors are the players every NPC has their own reason for being that motivates them and informs their attitudes. The guard you're talking to in town doesn't know he's an NPC, he's a gruff man that respects the law and wants to safely get home to his family. I enjoy writing, especially scenes and short stories that are inspired by the world and actions that we put into motion at the gaming table. I may present these 'cutscenes' to players every few sessions, as it gives them insight into the world and other goings-on that are adjacent to their actions in the world. I like teaching new players, as well as running games for people that are old hands with the hobby! Welcome to the table, and I'll see you in the dungeon!
GM Style
Most of my adventures are of my own creation: they're often inspired by classic modules, adventures, and literature. If you wish to commission me to run one of the 5e WotC adventures like Curse of Strahd or Out of the Abyss for you and yours I'd be happy to; though I'd suggest permitting me to alter the adventure as appropriate, for the best enjoyment of all involved! I thrive on player creativity and finding out what the players will choose to do next, so I can see how it will shape the world around them. I'll frequently make use of different voices and accents to help immerse you in the world- though I don't expect the same from my players. I consider 'roleplaying' to be making choices for your character, *particularly* if those choices are different from what you yourself would make (I'd take the money and go buy plate mail armor... but Angelos the Paladin would give it back)- speaking in the first-person or in a different voice is icing on the cake. Player choice is paramount in my games, although I will ask that you remember that you're a member of a party working together- disrupting others' fun isn't welcome. Buy-In and consent are important to any game. A solid mix of tactical combat and roleplaying. The slide goes in the direction the players prefer, I think that open communication is important and will at certain points be clear about 'this adventure hook will involve more combat, this one might embroil you in politics and roleplaying.'
Games played
Game platforms used
Distracted DM's Games
Game Master Reviews (23)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Storytelling
Voices
I have played with a handful of DM’s now in my 5 years of experience with DnD, but The Distracted DM is totally next level. He has an amazing world in which the game takes place, he encourages us to be as creative as we can with our characters, he is always polite, fun, and considerate, and his story telling is just so epic! I find myself counting down the hours until the next session every single week. He also has a ton of content on Forge (the site we use to play), which makes the game even more enjoyable! Whether you’re a DnD vet, or a new player looking to get into the game, I highly recommend Distracted DM!
I was quite fortunate to stumble upon Austin, I was looking for a GM to run a CoS campaign and I found Austin's TikTok doing voices for Strahd and others and I was blown away. I contacted him and we worked something and now every Sunday I'm chasing the fumes of my childhood and having a blast. Austin is delightful, patient, and revels in the fun too.
Its hard to put into words how just how great playing in Distracted DM's Campaign is. The world is complex and the story is captivating to the point where me and the other players spend a good part of the week talking and strategizing. His rulings are precise but fair in a way that makes the sessions challenging in the best way possible. I can happily say that this campaign is the highlight of my week and i cannot recommend him enough. 11/10
This was my very first D&D campaign and I can tell you right off the bat I was not disappointed. The videos I had watched before actually trying out D&D were more about rolling the dice and the dm would more or less tell the story but wouldn't do much role-playing. So for my first session, I wasn't expecting role-playing to be a huge part of it. Well after the first session I was hooked! Austin does great voices and seems to be able to adapt very easily to what you want to do. I was lucky enough to be teamed up with some great players that made the experience even better. All the maps and scenes are great! They usually have some sort of effects or background music/sounds playing, which really sucks you into the story. All in all, if you're looking for a dm that checks off every box then look no further, you have found him!
Ultimately the game is about telling stories. A good DM guides his players through a good story, but a GREAT DM lets his players guide the story, and he simple builds on it. This is what Austin does. From the moment you start you are certain of one thing -- he's running this game for you and the other players and he does in masterfully.
Distracted DM finds a good balance of role play/story progression to combat. He is really open to letting the players try to solve problems their way, so much so it's hard to tell if he plans for all the ridiculous possibilities or is just that good at improving NPC reactions & effects on the story.
What's StartPlaying?
Tabletop Roleplaying Games Run by Game Masters
Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.