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Judd Karlman

Judd Karlman (he/him)

5.0

(13)

DMs Guild Writer
Streamer
Podcaster
Published Writer
Game Designer

3 years on StartPlaying

2 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Inclusive

About me

I'm an Ennie-nominated writer and podcaster who has contributed to Sons of Kryos, The Sixth Ring - a Trophy Podcast and Daydreaming about Dragons. I GM and play regularly on the Actual Play twitch-stream if you'd like to see my play-style first-hand. I regularly write about gaming on my blog, Githyanki Diaspora. Ask me about my GM+2 games, a perfect gift for the gaming buddy you haven't rolled dice with in years, taking inspiration from Elric and Moonglum as well as Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser or even True Detective. Please contact me and let's book a game.

GM Style

My motto is Context, Cool Stuff and Consequences. I live to play to find out and will exerience sincere delight in the ways you will surprise me with your imagination and outside-the-box thinking. At the end of the session, we will all be amazed at where we ended up. Games not listed below that I would love to run are Into the Odd, Trophy Gold, Under Hollow Hills and Apocalypse World.

Game platforms used
Social
Game Master Reviews (13)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Creativity

Storytelling

Inclusive

Rich (ThatOldDM) avatar

Rich (ThatOldDM)

Played 1 sessions

Fantastic journey through Rock if Braal. This had pirates. Dock Masters. Vampires. And a Ship Combat! Wonderful and improvisational!! :)

Mad Jay avatar

Mad Jay

Played 1 sessions

A Warden and an Illithid take on a job from a ghost pirate?! Judd leans into the strange, making it engaging, fun, and accessible to everyone. I'd do that ghost's job again!

Jolly Fats avatar

Jolly Fats

Judd's ability to create situations that are fun to resolve or navigate is unparalleled, and I've never seen a GM run a game like this before. Judd's approximation of a plotline allows for massive player control, and Judd's knack for finding interesting narrative moments is the glue that fuses the whole storyline together. You'll risk your life for NPCs that just *matter* to you, you'll build and destroy civilizations, and you'll feel the pressure of critical decisions and pitched battles alike. Play early - playing late will leave your mental gears running wild for hours and you'll never get to sleep.

Frank Hablawi avatar

Frank Hablawi

Judd is incredibly talented and brings out the best in his friends at the table. If you want to be part of a genuine and fulfilling gaming experience, play with Judd!

Sean avatar

Sean

I've gamed for years with Judd and it has been some of the best gaming in my life. He's so good at listening to the players contributions and building from there. Judd is an honest, compassionate, and considerate GM, and I love the stories we've told together!

Jim avatar

Jim

Judd is probably the best GM I've ever had the good fortune to share a table with. He is endlessly creative while always holding space for and encouraging the creativity of players. He has a brilliant knack for establishing situations that challenge characters in ways that make for engaging and exciting play. His familiarity with games ranges from the foundations of the hobby to the latest games to come out, and he's great at connecting the game and the players so that the group can tell great stories together. I've gamed with him for decades, and will always jump at the chance to play in a game that he's running.

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