Mark

he/him

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

Artist

Teacher/Educator

About Mark

I'm an actor/director/fight choreographer in Los Angles, California. I've been in the hobby for 10+ years. I've run one-shots and full campaigns in a number of systems and editions: DnD 4e/5e, Exalted 2e/3e, Eclipse Phase 1e/2e to name a few. I enjoy story focused adventures that allow for balanced opportunities to roleplay as well as roll dice against antagonists. I do not tolerate racist, sexist, anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric or behavior. I do not support the current US administration. Everything is political. If this is upsetting, I am not the GM for you.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

because I get excited about story. The experience of creating a narrative from the barest set of given circumstances, and watching it grow in reaction to the players' actions is exciting. I also love the sense of immersion that comes from delving into a strange world with familiar yet foreign mores.

My favorite books are

Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K LeGuin Jhereg - Steven Brust The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie Altered Carbon - Richard K Morgan The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson Neuromancer - William Gibson A People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn Age of Spiritual Machines - Ray Kurzweil

When I'm not running games I'm...

a theatre artist/director/educator. My creative partnership, PhysicalLies, produces devised works, creates video essays about theatre, and hosts interviews with other theatre artists youtube.com/@PhysicalLies. I also develop fight choreography with Sword Fights Inc., and teach stage combat.

How Mark runs games

The vibe I like to set at the table is one where each player can approach roleplaying in the manner they are most comfortable, from narrated 3rd person to in-character performance. Each style is valid, so long as it doesn't interfere with others’ enjoyment of the game. I am a fan of the player characters and want to see the players succeed. As the GM, I merely interpret the dice rolls to create tension and to move the story along. I try to create combat encounters that are threatening but not overwhelming. Unless it’s a game where player character death is common, like in OSR games or Eclipse Phase, I try to come up with more interesting outcomes for combat encounters gone wrong than death. That said, if a third failed death save brings a character’s story to an end, I like to provide a moment of roleplay to create some closure in the story as well as offer agency to the player. Humor and out of character comments are fine in moderation, but while we are together, I prefer to keep the focus on the game. When it is a player’s turn in combat, they have the spotlight. I like to see everyone else at the table support that player’s actions, even if their characters wouldn't. Conflicts between characters create story, conflicts between players don't. I use Foundry VTT for its excellent customization and support of rpg systems. I use a mix of general, tactical, and 'theater of the mind'-style maps to help ground scenes and create a shared sense of the world.

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I prep by

following the method developed by Mike Shea, aka The Lazy GM: https://slyflourish.com/lazy_gm_resource_document.html Sometimes I go off-script when I'm excited, and other times I skip steps, regardless I prep in order to feel prepared for what I feel is going to be necessary to run the game.

Rules are...

there to provide a structure/frame for story. Remember when you were a kid, and your friend suddenly changed the rules when you were playing pretend, and you got upset? That's because they broke the rules of the game you were playing. Breaking the rules is cool, as long as we all agree to it.

When it comes to voices

I sometimes do them, and other times don't. I'm a trained performer, and there are some voices in my repertoire I feel very comfortable with, and other I don't. I do not expect my players to be actors. If you have a 'voice' you want to do and it bring joy to you and the rest of the table, do it.

Mark's ideal table

I'm an informal GM: I curse, indulge in light table-talk, and enjoy a good pun. If this is also you, we're probably gonna get on fine. I like a bit of flash, so if we're running things on Foundry, I might play with a module or two to change things up, but if/when technology gets in the way, I'm always willing to return back to the fundamentals of a shared imaginative space. Types of Players that will fit well at the table: -are interested in the world and want to discover mysteries of the past. -are fans of other characters at the table, or NPCs they have encountered. -want to see everyone else at the table having a good time, including the GM. -commit to their choices, but are also willing the change tactics when those choices are likely to cause tension in the group. -are gracious.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

Lore. As in real life, worlds do not exist in a vacuum. I like to include enough lore to give characters context for their actions, and justify the circumstances of the lands and people around them.

I think metagaming...

is fine... if it's in service of the story. Acting on foreshadowing should be the norm, but using that information to skip opportunities for story, cheapens the experience.

I think min/maxing...

is fine... so long as it doesn't reduce the fun at the table. Boosting your characters damage output doesn't particularly disrupt play, but if you boost your characters defenses to high levels, then that drastically reduces the stakes of combat, and combat without stakes is boring.