Shawn
he/him
5.0
(4)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Shawn
As the father & stay-at-home caretaker of two young boys (ages 9 & 6), I've applied my training as an Ontario Certified Teacher to help my little ones start their Role-Playing journey. I began running in-person role-playing games roughly 27 years ago, and hosted my first online campaign via a typed group-chat only a few years later. As an "always GM/DM", I've crafted countless campaigns in D&D 2nd, 3rd, 3.5, and 5th edition, as well as Vampire the Masquerade, Pathfinder, Ecopunk 2044, and other role-playing systems. Currently, I focus on utilizing the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset, with minor tweaks to fit my unique campaign worlds.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Teacher
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
In high school, I hosted sessions during lunch hour once a week. My group started with 3 players and ballooned to 8 as we explored D&D 2nd edition. While initially quite combat-oriented, my 2nd campaign group played an RP-heavy horror campaign on weekends, with some home-brewed insanity mechanics.
When I'm not running games I'm...
coaching grassroots soccer for youth. I've coached introductory & grassroots soccer for children from 1.5 to 14 years of age, and loved almost every minute of it. I'm an Ontario Certified Teacher dedicated to raising my 6 & 9-year-old boys, teaching them baking, and volunteering with Scouts Canada.
How Shawn runs games
My campaigns often begin with investigative role-play, as characters unravel and discover the mysteries of the world around them, journeying ever further from the safety of their homes. While combat may be a solution, many situations can be resolved through creative means, unlocking an unending array of potential scenarios for players to discover. I tend to work more with "open worlds" that are largely in an "undiscovered" form. While there may be people & races across the globe, they may never (or rarely) have come into contact. Maps are both rare and exceptionally incomplete. This doesn't mean there isn't something more out there, just that the characters & their people may not know anything about it.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
exploring unknown regions and finding creative solutions to grey problems. Worlds are fractured, civilizations unmet, villains unapparent, and making the least bad choice might be the route to go. Combat as a solution makes life harder in the long run, as the player's actions affect the world.
Rules are...
flexible. While I find rules to create a good, basic skeleton, they can also hamper the flavour of a campaign. As a result, they are often bent to help improve the enjoyment of gameplay. If it sounds like it'd be cool and seems somewhat plausible, give it a try; it just might work.
Shawn's ideal table
My ideal table includes players from different backgrounds eager to engage & explore a campaign. My players will explore their characters' backgrounds, talk to random NPCs, and prefer to wheedle out of combat in favour of non-violent solutions. While not exceptionally outgoing, players at my table should feel comfortable speaking up and contributing their thoughts and opinions as the campaign unfolds. As a GM, I provide the backdrop and hooks, but it's up to the players to direct their actions and discover their story.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
uses their character's background to send their story in an unexpected direction. While investigating a robbed storehouse, they take into account their time as a poor urchin to gather alternative foods while protecting future stores, or their farming past is used to teach small-scale urban gardening
I think it's a red flag when players...
fight first and think never. Whether they're fighting NPCs/monsters or other players, jumping straight to a violent solution dramatically limits the direction of a story. Sometimes a fight may seem unavoidable, but it should never be the first or only option.
I think min/maxing...
is a waste of time. Players that min/max will find opponents that are min/maxed or protected by plot armour. If you're looking for a numbers-based game, another GM will be a better match.
Shawn's Preferences
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Game Mechanics