Donovan

About Donovan

Experience: I've been playing RPG's for over 40 years. I started out as a wide-eyed newbie who loved the concept of dice that weren't 6-sided combined with the random element of combat. I matured over time, first enjoying the tactics and rules, then enjoying the character development and story-telling. Now, I try to tailor my DM style to suit the party. Though, honestly, when I'm running pre-made adventures, the players tend towards the roll- vs. role-playing, and I'm ok with that. Systems: I started out with the the D&D Basic rules and followed through every iteration of that system, except for 4e. I've run games in Pathfinder 1e, Torg, Cypher (basic, The Strange, and others), Fate, Savage Worlds, Star Trek: Adventures, and others. I've been a player in all of the above, plus a few others - many of those at Gen Con, which I attend annually (and have since it was in Milwaukee). GM Style: I'm flexible. I do enjoy rules crunchiness, but I've also run games that were interactive story-telling at its finest, without any dice rolls for multiple sessions in a row. I like to establish what the group would like in the beginning, especially if I'm running a custom campaign. I like to challenge my players to read up on Justin Achilli's Three-Sentence Character (https://justinachilli.com/2015/01/08/players-toolbox-the-three-sentence-character/) to distill their backstory into 3 sentences that make it easier to engage each player personally. My favorite part of RPG: Experiencing a player that connects with their character in such a way that they put thought into what has happened in the past (both in the game and in their backstory) and use that to color their actions in a meaningful way. Players who put thought into what has happened in past sessions and think about it between sessions and bring it back later. Boundaries: I'm a very inclusive person. I respect differences in opinion and personal outlooks. I expect my players to be open-minded and respectful, as well. Perfection isn't expected, but an honest effort in respecting personal choices and preferences that other players may express is. If a player has any issues or feels uncomfortable, I'm available to discuss it out of game and will try to address the issue privately, as quickly as possible. Generic reminders and specific warnings, when called for, will be issued during the game if things get to that point. Also, I'm not a total prude. If the group establishes itself as such, I'm ok with off-color jokes and references. As long as they are respectful. Rules: I try to follow the Rules as Written, but I'm willing to bend them for story purposes or if they are sufficiently dramatic. I don't have all of the rules memorized, but I'm pretty good at them. If I don't know the proper rule, and it's not immediately at hand, I'll make a temporary ruling, which will stand for the rest of the session, benefitting and hindering both sides equally, until an official ruling is made. The focus is on keeping the game flowing.