GM Inkblood Demon

he/they

5.0

(42)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Queer

Voice Actor

Game Designer

About GM Inkblood Demon

Welcome adventurers, investigators, monster slayers and detectives! I'm Inkblood Demon, a Professional GM who has logged over 2,000 hours on Roll20, GM’d over 275 games on StartPlaying, and draws upon well over a decade of experience in TTRPGs. My philosophy is that a good GM understands how to embrace the unique preferences of their tables. Every group will be different, and that’s the beauty of TTRPGs! I specialize in adapting to every table and tailoring content so players can play the game they want to play. Whether it’s a horror game like Call of Cthulhu, or a high fantasy adventure like D&D, the players will have engaging and immersive content. I have more details about how I run my games in the GM Style section. There's no wrong or right way to enjoy the contents of a game. Speaking of content, it's best to address that now. TTRPGs often contain harsh content. I will respect your boundaries to ensure your enjoyment. I've had a player with a bug phobia, players who don't like overly gory scenes, etc. We will communicate with one another and make it work. In my personal life, I’m an author, a former attorney, an uncle, a podcaster, and a family man. I love creativity, learning, and I love teaching. Many of the reviews I have received speak to my creative ability and penchant for teaching. This might be because I come from a long line of teachers, or my enthusiasm for game systems, but I love the gritty details of a game, as well as teaching new and lapsed players. I view part of my job as paying it forward: I was blessed to be brought into the TTRPG fold many years ago, and I want to do the same for others. However, I have plenty to offer veteran players as well. My games are not easy. You will be challenged in them, fairly of course, regardless of the system. I hope to see you at my table, and be sure to check out my GM Style Section below!

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

384 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Rule of Cool

Featured Prompts

The three words my players would use to describe me are...

Creative, immersive, and professional. Creative: I blend the world, my narrative, and most importantly, the player's ideas, into the game to make something distinctly unique. Immersive: I have a talent for making the game feel real. Professional: I treat this like a career because it is.

I became a GM because

TTRPGs are a unique artform where players get to collaboratively tell stories with one another! Some of the best times in my life are at the table. I'm an ambassador for the hobby and wish to spread the joy I've been fortunate to experience. No career that I've had comes close to this one.

I got started GMing...

During the pandemic while finishing up law school. I had been a GM before, but never professionally. What started as an outlet for expression and storytelling has turned into a fully fledged career and I wouldn't have it any other way.

How GM Inkblood Demon runs games

Onboarding and Balancing the Needs of Players: I pride myself on being a good teacher. If that means a player wants to make a character with me in discord, receive a tutorial on how to play their build/class or a pre-generated character, I’m more than happy to do so. It will not take long to acclimate a character to the game. You won't slow down the game with me as your GM. Overall Style, Regardless of Game System: I embrace the mechanics of game systems, but I love the rule of cool. If a rule is in question, tie goes to the player. I don't nerf classes or game content: I'm not scared of power gamers or a group that wants a more toned down experience in any setting or game system. I love running high-level games in D&D/Pathfinder, and I enjoy characters that grow strong in horror campaigns, such as Call of Cthulhu. My favorite accomplishment as a DM was taking first time players to level 20 in a custom campaign. In short, the rules matter and aren’t thrown out, but the tabletop experience I provide enables characters to feel as strong and competent as they actually should be. Roleplaying, Regardless of Game System: Roleplaying is a vital part of the tabletop experience. Your decisions matter, and they often come to fruition in your character driven actions. I accentuate what and how your character wants to do with the rules of any given system. This includes letting a player tell me why they’re choosing to “role for this skill and not that one,” with their understanding of the nuances of the situation. Or, more simply, you tell me what you’re going for, and as long as it makes sense I’m good with it. How do I add to the RP experience? The NPCs you encounter will have custom voices and exist not just to move the story around, but to enrich your world. I’ll augment your RP experience by providing music, custom handouts, maps, stories, poems, and a slew of other items to give you a great setting in which to explore your character, their relationships with the NPCs and their group, and themselves. In historical settings I am particularly skilled at infusing history and realism. For instance, in my Victorian Era Cthulhu games I’ve spent innumerable hours researching the setting. Combat in D&D: No one does combat like I do. Your fights will be fulfilling as the difficulty level will be appropriate. Your foes will be presented narratively and intelligently, so you feel like you’re going against something real. Those wild monsters might attack the first person in front of them like the tank, or go after wounded and softer prey, such as a wizard. Combat will be fast-paced and engaging. I’ll make combat work for you and the party by challenging your strengths: you have AoE spells, that’s good because you’re going to need them, and if you’re built for single target damage that’s great, because I have a stout foe for you. I own every book in the fifth edition and have remade and tailored older monsters as well. You will use every bit of your resources in my fights, and you’ll be a happier and more rounded player for it. Not every will be, nor should it be, an epic battle as that wouldn’t make sense. Sometimes you just hit the right combat matchup, or you stumble upon enemies weaker than you. It’s just ‘how it would be’. Come to my table and achieve high levels, acquire legendary items, slay epic enemies, and experience what a high octane setting can feel like! Combat in Call of Cthulhu: It’s hard to justify shooting Cosmic Gods to death. But you’re not going to be doing that very often. You will utilize your smarts, your resources—such as guns, fire, ambushes, etc.—to overcome potent foes that are far stronger than mere mortals. But you’ll also be able to use mental tactics, such as mentally tricking your foes, or utilizing magic and artifacts (beware the ill effects as such power comes with a cost) while you fight to keep your life AND sanity intact. Combat will be less battlefield oriented with a strong emphasis on description, roleplay, and theater of the mind. While the game is more orientated

Featured Prompts

Rules are...

Important, but not everything. When I homebrew a rule, you'll know what the "real" rule, my rule, why I deviate from the norm/how I interpret the rule. I'm proficient in understanding the rules as written vs. rules as intended. I don't mind going with player preferences, either.

I prep by

I am meticulous. I take constant notes during the session, write a recap for my players, and then review that recap and my notes. Then I review the module/my written work, cross reference any potential rule confusion, and often join a pertinent discord channel/refer to my colleagues.

I once ran a session...

During a power outage! It was the 1st session in a brand new Call of Cthulhu Campaign--The Horror on the Orient Express--that is still currently running I might add. Through the power of discord on a phone, a flashlight, and the physical copy of the module, I was able to finish a successful session!

GM Inkblood Demon's ideal table

My ideal table consists of players who want to have fun. My tables usually have players who become friends with one another because I strive to create an enjoyable environment. Even though many of my games are serious in tone--no worries, I run some light-hearted content like Water Deep, for instance--people still joke, laugh and have a hell of a good time. If you're playing D&D, you'll have fun if you enjoy combat, meaningful roleplay, and high fantasy settings with a dash of humor and horror. I, of course, can adjust my style to fit any table, and do particularly well as a teacher to new players while challenging and enthralling veterans. For my horror games: you'll enjoy how descriptive I am, how nuanced the storytelling and the mysteries are. It won't take long to see that I've been highly influenced by Stephen King, Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Agatha Christie, Dickens, and Shakespeare. I have a penchant for creating dark and eerie ambiances that suddenly shift into unadulterated terror.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Gets into the game. Whether you are locked into roleplay, or combat, or both, your excitement is always contagious. I especially love it when players combine the two! Maybe the series of successful attacks speak to your need to fell a wicked foe, for instance. RPing that is rewarding!

I think min/maxing...

Perfectly acceptable, especially when the power and strengths of the characters are justified in a logical backstory for the setting and are demonstrated through roleplay! I love a good ole crunchy character and believe they can accentuate roleplay.

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

Having your needs catered to is what I excel at as a GM. This doesn't mean you get a machine gun in a Call of Cthulhu game, or your level three fighter has a vorpal sword. But, if you enjoy having concepts show up in a game that you asked for, you'll have a blast.