J. Alan Grimm (n/a)
5.0
(5)
3 years on StartPlaying
11 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, World Builder, Voices
About me
I'm a narrative focused improv gm. I prefer to think of myself as a storyteller, actually. Probably due to my propensity for World of Darkness games. I've run a myriad of games and have experience with even more. I've run Hunter, Vampire, and Dark Ages, as well as other games such as, Pathfinder, the Witcher, and Star Wars FFG. I largely focus on character in the various games I've run. I like nuance and complication and I encourage players to explore their character's personalities and motivations. I also like fun. I firmly believe that you can still take a game seriously with a healthy dose of comedy. I don't run linear games. I'm not a ferroequinologist, ya see, so I don't like rails. I have a story idea, some hooks, and a solid world foundation. Everything else is off the cuff. I've had great success with that. Consequently, I'm able to adapt to basically anything that's thrown at me. Most of my best moments came totally on the backfoot. Improv is golden. the only rule I have is be good to each other. I have no prejudices on religion, politics, or identity (of any kind). If you have opinions on these subjects I'd recommend keeping them to yourself. These are the kinds of subjects that almost invariably cause problems when brought up (regardless of what side you take). That being said, however, I am more than comfortable with exploring these themes in games and in groups. I'm comfortable with what you're comfortable with. Don't take that to mean I'm a brand safe conformist or something. It's just that I've had a long time to explore games of wildly varying tone and maturity. You wanna play a magical fantasy game where all the weapons are made of candy, fighting taffy toad monsters on a rainbow bridge? cool. But, If everyone wants to have a campaign exploring the complexes and nuances of real world political themes, I'm cool with that, too. Just know what you're getting into. So, about me: I'm 35 years old and I've been gaming since I was 14. I've played with many groups and run a good few games as well. My tastes are eclectic, but I have a fondness for dice pool games. Most prominently, World of Darkness. If you are looking for a DnD game, I must sadly inform you, that I cannot help you. 2nd edition is how I started, but Dnd is low on my list of preferred games. As such, I don't feel qualified to run a campaign with the system. I think you're in luck though, because there are a great many other GM's who will be glad to help you out. My main advantage, if you will, is that I run the weird games. Wanna play Changeling: the Dreaming? I got you. Fading Suns? I'm your man (Michael Bubble). Wanna play a party of Hutts of the Outer Rim in a Star Wars FFG game focusing on political intrigue, blackmail, and assassination? I'm your Huckleberry. The thing is, I need the job, but I love the craft. I love the impromptu collaboration that forms between GM/Storyteller and the players/characters. I love being surprised and having to think on my feet. I love how simple throwaway lines spark entire arcs in a campaign or character. In short, I love what I feel is the purest form of storytelling. A group of people sitting around the fire telling stories. Only difference is that we have rules and structure (guidelines really) and we have Discord voice chat instead of a fire. But really, it's all the same.
GM Style
I'm a narrative focused improv gm. I prefer to think of myself as a storyteller, actually. Probably due to my propensity for World of Darkness games. I've run a myriad of games and have experience with even more. I've run Hunter, Vampire, and Dark Ages, as well as other games such as, Pathfinder, the Witcher, and Star Wars FFG. I largely focus on character in the various games I've run. I like nuance and complication and I encourage players to explore their character's personalities and motivations. I also like fun. I firmly believe that you can still take a game seriously with a healthy dose of comedy. I don't run linear games. I'm not a ferroequinologist, ya see, so I don't like rails. I have a story idea, some hooks, and a solid world foundation. Everything else is off the cuff. I've had great success with that. Consequently, I'm able to adapt to basically anything that's thrown at me. Most of my best moments came totally on the backfoot. Improv is golden.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (5)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
World Builder
Voices
Linda Thompson
He was very helpful in getting me up to speed with game rules and character creation but the best part was creativity in the worlds he described, scenes, NPCs and just making sure everyone got to play to their strengths. We're gamed every weekend for 8 months and nearly got to finish the campaign before the holidays interrupted and it was a very satisfying progression. He also has a great deal of variety of games that he has run and that brought a lot of depth to the game we were playing. I am not an experienced gamer despite having played at various times for the last 20 years with my sons, so that experience was valuable to me.
Kain
Knows how to include individual characters and group efforts, makes the game interesting and fun with creative plots and storyline.
Dangus
The GM really allows you complete freedom to explore the world in which you are playing. He is inventive and quick on his feet, able to shape the events surrounding your adventure. And that’s what he makes it, about your adventure. He researches source material, creates storylines that you can choose or not choose to follow. I never felt I was being guided with rails. The GM also does well for character creation, personalities and attitudes are distinct. You can even suggest characters to create for the world, potential story and character arches and he will invest his time in that. I have never heard him say anything offensive, he is always kind and understanding. He is knowledgable about the source material and rules. He is patient with new players and will assist you in creating the character you want. Best GM ever. You will not be disappointed.
Claire
He's great at improvisation and always ready to roll with our wackest of schemes. While he claims to be improvising on the fly, he carefully tracks what we do and is able to bring back incidents and accidents we mistaken thought as unimportant for long term payoff. Lots of fun.
Alex
Very detailed world building, and very involved with character creation.
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