Giles Margerum

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

Etc/gmt

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

Game Designer

About Giles Margerum

Hello Players! My name is Giles. I'm sure it will be lovely to meet you. I hope we get the chance to tell a story together! My primary goal is to create a space where players can feel comfortable and safe to have fun and tell a story together. I've been running games since 2013 and it is my greatest passion in life. I thrive on collaborative storytelling and the unique experience each group will have at the table that can never be perfectly replicated by another group. You will have heard the term "rule of cool" before and I certainly believe in that philosophy. If a rule needs to be tweaked or even ignored to allow for the narrative to be satisfying then I will always do that. Why should your character have an unsatisfying arc just because of a bad die roll? I have a degree in game design. I'm working on my own RPGs and I run Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Agon, Gravity Rip, Wanderhome.

At a glance

2 years on StartPlaying

2 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Teacher

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

To make friends in a new city. I wanted to play DnD or something similar, and the simplest way I could do so was to run the game myself. I got the idea listening to The Adventure Zone rpg podcast.

My favorite system of all Time is

Powered by the Apocalypse. Of every system I've run it feels like the most laser focused to provide the intended experience. Forged in the Dark is a close second.

How Giles Margerum runs games

My games tend to have a strong focus on roleplay. I prefer the game to bend around a strong narrative arc rather than a rigid adherence to realism. Tell me broadly what you want for your characters and your campaign and together we can make that adventure happen, but also find joy in the unexpected! I tend to argue that you should leave a lot of blank space when making a character. The best time to find out who they really are, is while you play.

Featured Prompts

I once ran a session...

Using no system at all. It was the finale of a game I had run for 2 years that changed system several times, and no one system seemed to fit. My players and I trusted each other so much at that point, and new the characters and the world so well.

Rules are...

Elastic. They are excellent for creating the intended experience of a game, but the moment they get in the way of what would otherwise be a really satisfying narrative beat, they can be stretched or broken.

Giles Margerum's ideal table

Truly, I'm not sure yet! I want more experiences of different games and new players so I can become a better GM. All I ask is that people show up, and we'll see where we go from there.