GM Grimnir

he/him

5.0

(8)

Timezone

America/vancouver

Language

English

About GM Grimnir

I have been playing and running games over thirty years now, mostly home games but also branching out into online groups since almost five years ago, around when I started getting interested in virtual tabletops. There's just something special about the mix of storytelling, collaboration and game elements that I've never wanted to stop doing, even after decades of gaming. I love it when people bring me characters that they are eager to weave into the setting and story, and see where this weird little exercise in collaborative storytelling takes us.

At a glance

5 years on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher

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I got started GMing...

when I got started playing, back in the late 80s. I still game with the same people as back then, and we all took turns running games. Still do, though I'm currently running the game for that group as well. I love the storytelling and the way my plan never survives contact with the players.

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

doing everything. I have two amazing teen boys, work, community involvement, reading, and sourdough. Somehow I manage to cook, as well.

How GM Grimnir runs games

You can expect a mix of humour and serious moments. I love the tactical combat of the mainstream fantasy RPGs, but even in the thick of detailed combat and positioning, the role play never stops. Enemies will sometimes do the thing that they would do, even if it's not the ideal tactical choice. That said, expect me to run challenging combats with lots of RP opportunities during and between.

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I deal with rules issues by...

making a ruling in the moment, and looking it up post session. Next session begins with housekeeping that may include clarifications from last session. There are a lot of rules and I like to get them right (I know them pretty well), but let's not let them slow down the game.

Rules are...

at their best when they serve to let people know what to expect in the game, and at the worst when they get in the way of cool story elements. Sticking closer to the rules allows for consistency, but not so close we trip over them.

When it comes to voices

always make it at least somewhat different from my regular speaking voice and am generally consistent in what voice a given NPC has. I'm no pro voice actor, but I do pretty well on that front. There's no obligation for PC voices, though.

GM Grimnir's ideal table

I run a relaxed and fun table. While it's important to keep things moving and stay on task, the occasional tangent can be a lot of fun before getting back into the game. Players who weave their characters into the fabric of the setting and campaign bring me great joy, I love integrating that kind of character into the plot more deeply.

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I love it when a player

pays attention to the setting and theme of a campaign and fits their character into it. Makes my job of integrating their backstory and goals a lot more fun.

I think min/maxing...

is just another way to have fun. We're role-playing, but we're also playing a game. I do have the warning that a lot of the 'theorycrafting' I see misses a lot of opportunities, though. In Pathfinder 2e especially, it's far more effective to optimize your whole party together.

My table is not the place for...

bigotry of any kind. Keep that far away from my table. Not only can it interfere with other people's fun, it's the right thing to do.