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Hamster Emperor

Hamster Emperor (he/they)

5.0

(9)

Less than a year on StartPlaying

72 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Inclusive

About me

Hi! I'm an aspiring Game Master looking to branch out from my 5E roots. I love mechanical crunch, discourse about the game/hobby and love to improve. I have about 5 years experience running games, but frankly I would love to get that number even higher with more campaigns, with more systems! My Priorities: Run an engaging, fun and challenging game where players are expected to overcome hardship with creative and ingenious solutions! Foster a narrative where heroes are tested, their dynamics are at the forefront and their choices always matter! Facilitate a space where mistakes are made and being human is understood, while always striving for a better hobby space for all! Run an inclusive and celebratory space for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ members of the community, including talkbacks, safety tools and honest communication! Finally and most importantly, always be learning! If it is a system or mechanic or rule or just how to be a better person/storyteller, I want to hear about it and discuss it! I love nothing more than learning and improving. I hope you do too.

GM Style

Here's the rub: I like jokes. I like dungeons. I like high-stakes, crunchy desperate moments, which we both as characters and players laugh about later. I strive to cultivate an atmosphere of round-table gaming. The best time we can have while playing these roleplaying games is when we can equally distance ourselves from the narrative and have fun around it, and also be deeply compelled by the action therein. We, as players, should be able to joke about the characters and the world, and be friendly with each other about our lives - while still caring deeply for the plight of the world, feeling the drama and the stakes & hoping desperately for our success. In my games, you can expect: - Custom, handmade dungeons, populated by monsters of my own sick imagining - Engaging and dramatic NPCs to aid and oppose you - Moral quandaries and situations that challenge your PC to grow and change - A flair for the dramatic, always setting the stage with stakes and consequence - A world that changes and evolves as you make choices - ones that will return to haunt or delight you! - Strategic combat where very rarely are you left without choices - Lots of homebrew and custom items/feats/subclasses/classes/spells... you get the idea! - Discourse and discussion, and overall a prioritization of fun! I love tactical combat and emotional challenges. The priority is engaging, interesting story telling and character agency. Your decisions will have consequence; I run a game where choices matter, where each event and encounter return to influence the world and characters later. I run a game where discussion is paramount, where the players have as much agency in how and where the world unfolds both in the game and above the table. Fun is first and foremost in my mind, and if it isn't fun, why bother?

Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (9)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Creativity

Storytelling

Inclusive

Melissa Bateh avatar

Melissa Bateh

Played 19 sessions

Love my weekly sessions with this GM. He's been so helpful for this newbie and helped me on my path to becoming a pro.

ThatOneMikeYouKnow avatar

ThatOneMikeYouKnow

Played 18 sessions

We call him the Great Hambino!! His worlds feel rounded. During a calamity it is not only the townsfolk that are affected, but also fractions forming in the local outlander or what-have-you populations. Uprisings are affecting all NPCs, making the world more alive and offering more interesting alliance possibilities. Sessions are mixed combat and mystery/plot - some are talkies and some are walkies - some are do, some are stew. Makes great flavor. One or two party members are downed in combat fairly regularly, mortality is real and you get those - by the skin of your teeth! wins - fights feel well leveled and rewarding. A character or two may have backstories woven into the adventure. Great GM for the mixed group we run of newer and more experienced players and makes it interesting for all of us.

Lee avatar

Lee

Played 8 sessions

Ben is an absolutely amazing dm! I started my first campaign with him and it has been absolutely nothing but wonderful. I have so so much fun every single session. I was (and still am) a newbie and they make it a fun and safe place for me to learn playing d&d. <3

Tim Buff avatar

Tim Buff

Played 29 sessions

Great blend of story telling and battle. A very nice mix.

Chanassala avatar

Chanassala

Best storyteller and world builder ever man. Funnest games you’ll ever play will be with Ben.

Christina Asher avatar

Christina Asher

Ben has been the most well spoken and knowledgeable DM I have ever played with. He prioritizes player enjoyment and safety and creates a fun and inclusive environment. Ben does an incredible job building atmosphere and is always excited about exploring the story the doce will tell

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