About me

We have all had that moment where we encountered something that sparked our interest in TTRPGs: catching a glimpse of a fantasy cover art, connecting with a heroic character arc in a film, getting caught up in the grand story of a video game – something that inspired us to say “I could do something like that!” For me, that moment came one afternoon five years when, after numerous failed starts, I resolved that if no else was willing to take the DM’s chair, I’d just have to it myself. My whole life had led me to that moment and I haven’t looked back since. My name is J. Lawrence Kenny and in addition to a half decade of Dungeon Mastering, I hold a BFA in Theatre Performance and bring three decades of acting and storytelling experience to my table. Nothing brings me greater joy then when my party cheers, or gasps in horror, or let loose a string of expletives (or any combo of all three!) over a story moment I have spent hours devising just for them. Your characters will be personally tied into whatever is happening - their stories, their goals, will fuel and shape the events of the campaign. And, with a little luck, you will experience a complete character arc with a dramatic and satisfying conclusion…or at least be left with an interesting hook to carry onto the next adventure! At my table you will interact with memorable NPCs, explore unique and expansive worlds, and take center stage in compelling stories that will leave plenty of room for individuality and lateral thinking. Your character will always be the driving force; the underdog overcoming antagonists far beyond their limits, the everyman catapulted onto the stage of grand events, the hero who saves the world. The stories we create together will be far more interesting and fun than the stories we could create alone.

GM style

I am a storyteller first and foremost, and my games reflect that. Whether epic or personal, we will create a story together. Roleplaying will be the primary focus of all my games, with varied and deep NPCs and worlds with unique voices. I am also very skilled at making sure that YOUR character is part of the action; they won't just be "Adventurer #47," they will be vital to the plot, and their presence has meaning. The world exists and evolves beyond you, but YOU are the one who will change it for the better... or worse, if it's THAT kind of campaign. Combat is also a significant part of my games - what fun is an adventure without conflict? - but not every conflict need end in bloodshed or death. There will be well-balanced fights, but I'm very much a fan of alternative win conditions, avoiding conflict altogether, and goals beyond "kill all the enemies." Exploration is involved too, but for most campaigns I tend toward "moving toward a known destination" rather than outright hexcrawls. Of course, every individual campaign is different, and these can vary. I am very open to homebrew (upon review) and I've never once run a module as-written. Rule-of-cool rules within reason, but metagaming and "breaking the system" with very narrow interpretations of rules are not my jam. Feel free to min-max if that floats your boat, but you'll enjoy yourself a lot more if you embrace strong character choices within that. My games are also safe spaces. There will be no bigotry from my players - period. I also make good use of safety features, red cards and the like, which we will talk about during zero sessions, topics to avoid, and acceptable behaviour. That said, if there are certain themes that the party as a whole wants to explore within a safe space, that can also be a thing, as long as I myself am also comfortable with.

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