Caleb | The Gentle GM

he/they

5.0

(10)

Timezone

America/phoenix

Language

English

Portuguese

Identity

LGBTQ+

Cosplayer

Game Designer

About Caleb | The Gentle GM

I go by the Gentle GM. Even in the midst of death-defying adventure or bone-chilling horror, I aim to be a warm and welcoming game master. I've run games for children players, seniors, and all ages in between. I try to suffuse hope, respect, and warmth into every session I run. I offer: 🏳️‍🌈 A welcoming, inclusive play style 🔥 Player-focused flair and action 🧭 Open-ended storytelling 🎭 Action, horror, awe, and comedy in-game ⚖️ Settings with themes of justice and transformation 📆 Over a decade of game mastering experience 🖋️ Know-how with dozens of systems At thirteen, two friends and I huddled around the Dungeons & Dragons 3e starter set, laughing at a natural 20 to breakdown a door with the fighter's head. In high school, I found the Call of Cthulhu rulebook and made investigators with friends, still clueless how to actually play. In 2014 with the launch of D&D 5e and Call of Cthulhu 7e, I committed to running these games and an old love sparked brilliantly to life! I've since taught dozens their first TTRPG! I'm also an inveterate dabbler in TTRPGs. If you're curious if I run a particular game, just ask! Images are used with permission from James' RPG Art, https://jamesrpgart.com.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

5 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

Because I was inspired by a podcast, Gamers with Jobs. I recruited friends and ran with it! The game worlds feel endless and I love helping players encounter them with dynamic life and vibrant color.

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

Basic Roleplaying/Call of Cthulhu - The elegance of the basic mechanics continue to charm me. Heart & Spire - Cheating with two, but these games tell some of the most incredible stories. No Dice No Masters/Belonging Outside Belonging - Just incredible community building and whimsy.

My favorite books are

Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky - I absolutely adore this sci-fi series. Labyrinths, Jorge Luis Borges - An all-time favorite author of strange, elegant stories. The Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold - A loving ecological biography of the landscape around the rustic farm and homestead.

How Caleb | The Gentle GM runs games

First, I lead with gentleness in the form of welcoming respect and calm patience. I have experience with kids, volunteers, and managing employees, which inform a practiced communication style. Having taught many people their first TTRPG, I regularly put those skills to work as a game master. I think that I am also adaptable, curious, and flexible. Adaptable: I always want players to have a choice in my games. That means being nimble and prepared for the unpredictable. This is the player characters' story after all! Curious: As a science nerd and lover of a good story, I want every corner players explore to feel like it is connected to the rest of the world, often with its own rabbit hole to explore. I'm always asking myself, "What can I do that is going to excite them?" Flexible: Even with narrow adventures, I drop in NPCs, curious clues, and artifacts of the larger setting. That also means if they're chasing squirrels, I'll figure out where they're going on the fly!

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

Making a call, then looking into it later. Rules are there to (generally) support a balanced game, but the game and story momentum comes first. Rules do sometimes need reinterpreted by the group for the best play experience.

If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...

Guillermo del Toro. I love big weird creatures and settings, creeping feelings of dread, splashes of horror, and cosmic implications. Del Toro also shines with the small-scale fantasy and fabulism that I adore.

When it comes to voices

I try to give body language, tone, and diction cues to characters. I tend to stand when I'm running game so I can put more of my body into the performance.

Caleb | The Gentle GM's ideal table

I've had players say that they meet the best people through me, and that sets a high bar! I seek out respectful players and foster character vulnerability. This often means I'm specifically making space for LGBTQIA+ players, racially diverse players, and players new to the hobby. I've also run great games for families

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Delivers support to their fellow players, making an opportunity for a "team up" ability, offers a hug or shoulder to cry on (in game), or details a bit of shiny treasure, making it all the more unique. Seeing players build relationships through character and play is incredible.

I think it's a red flag when players...

Quarterback on each other, when one player instructs another what to do in the scene and at the table. Player consent and player character control are big deals for me.

My table is not the place for...

Quarterbacking players, bias, or manipulation. I always use safety tools at my table so everyone has shared control. I expect players to give others a chance to take their own action. More than any of that, I want my table to foster respect, especially for marginalized groups.