Jared S
he/him
5.0
(11)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Jared S
Greetings from the northern wilds! I'm a "forever DM" but not in a bad way. I love DMing, because why limit yourself to one character when you can be all of them (less the PCs)?! DMing is my outlet for imagination and creativity. I don't draw, I'm not musical in any way, but what I am is a storyteller. Since childhood my head has been overflowing with ideas that had no outlet until I discovered D&D. I love to homebrew and I love constructing epic, sprawling campaigns that evolve and grow with the players' contributions. I'm a published author and have been a freelance writer for D&D back in 3rd Edition days. I'm looking to run D&D games, but I've run many other systems. Favourites include Aberrant, HERO System, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, Chronicles of Darkness (I particularly enjoy Beast: The Primordial!), Rifts (Savage Worlds and the original Palladium system), but my greatest love is for Hackmaster 5th Edition. So I'm also interested in creating "Learn to..." campaigns with different systems. I would love to give new players and seasoned D&D players a chance to explore new systems and see what else is out there in the vast galaxy of games. I've been playing RPGs since 1983, and DMing since 1984. But: Years of experience mean nothing if you can't adapt, adjust, and innovate to make your game the best experience for everyone at the table. My two tennets of gaming are: "Games are meant to be fun" and "Don't be afraid to get weird". Let's roll some dice.
At a glance
2 years on StartPlaying
100 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Teacher
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I have ADHD and could never focus on playing a single character exclusively for long. Instead, I realized I could be *all* the characters other than the PCs and be just as entertained by how the world I create are shaped and re-shaped by the players' actions.
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
Hackmaster 5th Edition, Chronicles of Darkness, and HERO System 5th Edition. Between those I think every game style and genre would be covered really well.
When I'm not running games I'm...
a husband, father, and pet furniture/pet transportation system. I teach college level chemistry and I love to write (which explains why my games are so detail-heavy).
How Jared S runs games
I love to weave stories with the players. I'm not a voice actor or an artist, but I'm a storyteller and my games reflect that. I love campaign play--long or short, I want my players to feel a sense of satisfaction when the last roll hits the table. I want them to feel the weight of history and the epicness of their deeds when they walk away. I tend towards slightly more crunchy combat but I love the fluff of lore and worldbuilding even more.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
an unholy amalgamation of David Lynch and Mel Brooks.
I prep by
carefully planning for all possible player contingencies. Hahaha, who am I kidding?! "Prep" is a loose structure that the players can interact with and engage in while being infinitely flexible to accommodate anything they might come up with. Flexibility is the keyword for all my games.
Rules are...
a hook to hang your hat on, not a straightjacket to confine you. I once read in an RPG book, "This is YOUR book. You paid for it. If you don't like anything in here, change it." I've taken that to heart over the years.
Jared S's ideal table
My tables are welcoming and inclusive. Interparty conflict is possible but should NEVER interfere with everyone's enjoyment of the game. A good sense of humour is essential.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
completely forces me to re-write the course of a campaign with creative thinking and questions. Make me think. Make me adapt. Show me a path I hadn't considered before and we'll go there together.
I think min/maxing...
can present its own fun and its own challenges. It's not something I personally enjoy but other people take great joy in finding all the ways to get the most 'bang for their buck' out of a system. Just don't be surprised if all those extra bonuses don't help in every situation. ;)
My table is not the place for...
prejudice, intolerance, or any sort of hate. This isn't the place to try to work through your issues with an individual or group. This is a table where we respect and support each other.
Jared S's Preferences
Systems
Game Mechanics