Kelly

he/him

5.0

(3)

Timezone

America/denver

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

Game Designer

No Gen AI

About Kelly

I ran my first game when I was 8 years old. It was a free form DnD style game I ran for a bunch of friends at a YMCA Camp. I have always been happiest in my life when I was running games, it is a creative outlet that I focus my hope on for a brighter future. My games revolve around hope and progress. I tell stories that are meant to be a light in an otherwise dark world. But make no mistake, I am not all sunshine and unicorns all the time, there will be times in my games when your heart will feel like it will never know warmth again. But it is always calculated to engineer a low that make the highs that much better. I have no issues running high level games, in fact I love the high-level stuff because the game pivots from - "How are we going to do a thing?" to "What are the consequences of us doing a thing?". I find that way more compelling and fun. I added my 3 rules to my profile, but here is the tl;dr 1) We are a team, no one will betray the party. We all respect each other. 2) We are working to make a story together, it is not GM vs. Player. 3) THE PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSTED TO WIN! This a game, we are all here to have fun.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Rule of Cool, Knows the Rules

$20 per session

Average response time: 8 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I ran my first game...

It was around a huge bonfire at a YMCA camp "Overnight". I really don't know how it started but I began a "Chose Your Own Adventure" story about a group of heroes laying siege to the castle of the Evil Lord. There were no rules or dice. Just a bunch of kids creating a story together.

I started running games because...

I have a need to tell stories. I have to do it, if I don't I get cranky and sad. Running games gives me hope in humanity. Our ability to be creative is our greatest strength, and we are better together.

My favorite books are

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit. Those stories are the perfect example of a story that has multiple layers. On the surface they are an epic adventure of Good vs. Evil for the fate of the world. But when you look deeper it is a profound commentary on the meaning of Good and Evil.

How Kelly runs games

Players at my table will be respected and heard. I believe that we are all working together to create a tale that no one single person could create. I focus on character development, roleplay, creativity, and problem solving. I call it collaborative storytelling. All of us at the table have a reasonability to show up and be engaged with each other, not just when it’s your turn in combat. I do have combat in my games, but the game is not designed around it. And in most cases, there are solutions to encounters that don’t need violence. Combat is rarely the end goal, but a means to advance the plot. We are all responsible for our fun. I expect my players to bring a willingness to build the world with me and not just be a passenger. I expect players to not ask me, “Can my character do a thing?” I expect my players to simply say “I do a thing”. And we discuss the details from there. There has to be give and take between players and Storyteller. I greatly enjoy running high power campaigns because the mindset is not about the players wondering if or how they can do a thing. It’s about what the consequences of doing a thing will be. That is why my favorite game genre is Super Heroes. I have 3 ironclad rules: 1) We are a team, no one will betray the party. We all respect each other, both in and out of character. 2) We are working to make a story together, it is not GM vs. Player. 3) THE PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSTED TO WIN! This a game, we are all here to have fun.

Featured Prompts

My favorite trope is...

WTF??? My favorite trope is the plot twist. I love leading my story down a path of an obvious outcome, only to completely turn things on their head. I am known for the unexpected plot twist and the long burn setup/payoff.

My games focus on...

I focus on consequences of actions. My games are centered around what happens if you do a thing. Not can you do a thing. I expect my players to be an active participant in the game, we are making this story together. Don't ask me if you can do a thing. Just say you are doing it.

Rules are...

Guidelines. Rules allow us to have risk and chance in our games, they are not the reason for the games. I look at Rules as a way to balance the experience between the players, and attempt to make the game "More Fair". Rules give us a framework to exist within, at my table the Rule of Cool is king.

Kelly's ideal table

I am having the most fun when the players are having the most fun. The best table is active, playful, creative, and unapologetically wacky. I expect my players to take as much responsibility in creating the world as I do. Also I love to have players do things that are unexpected, the best sessions surround a botched roll sending the players in a totally random direction. Or an entire medieval army scale war encounter ended before it started because of a single well placed pony gank. I want players who tell me what they are doing, not players who ask if their character can do a thing.

Featured Prompts

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

Story and Character development is king. If you commit to me I guarantee you will laugh, cry, rage, weep, cheer, cry some more, and at the end you will sit exhausted and satisfied.

My perfect party mix is

Players having fun. I could, as others have, go on about the trinity of DPS,Heal,Tank. But the best party is when everyone is participating and people are communicating. A party that works together well doesn't need to be min/maxed.

My table is not the place for...

Meta Gaming or Min Maxing. I don't care that your level 2 rogue can do 6 septillion damage in a single hit. That doesn't impress me, I design all my games to as fair as possible. The enemies are as hard as they need to be to give you a challenge. Any build is viable given the right player.