Kai
he/him
5.0
(5)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Kai
Hey all, Kai here. It’s been about six or so years since I first sat in the GM’s chair, though I’ve been dabbling in the TTRPG space since I picked up the Player’s Handbook for DnD 4th Edition all the way back in 2012. More relevantly, I’ve been writing character arcs, moments, and emotional dramatic moments for roleplaying purposes since 2007. I’ve studied for and received an advanced diploma in game design, and I bring both of those experiences to my table with the goal of forging an environment that allows characters to be tried and tested in both combat and narrative fashions, shining brightly as they do. I run all my games on Talespire, which allows me to create sprawling maps with a high degree of detail that can be viewed from any angle; not just top down.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Visual Aid, Storytelling, Inclusive
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
Because I was inspired by my GM (and also he took a break). Didn't work out too well the first few times, but I kept failing forwards, and I'd like to think I've got a good handle on things now. That, and there's just some magic about watching people enjoy the stuff I put out.
When I'm not running games I'm...
Prepping for my own games by writing quests, story arcs, and what have you. In my spare time, I like to game, read stuff on AO3 or Spacebattles, trawl Reddit (I know, I know), or go touch grass with the boys.
How Kai runs games
I love roleplay, narrative arcs, environmental storytelling, traps, and challenging combat; I don’t believe any of those are mutually exclusive. I enjoy tailoring content to the player characters and letting them show off their character highs and lows alike. I’m a big fan of a structured, linear experience rather than an improv heavy sandbox; if you’ve ever played old Bioware or Obsidian games, you’ll know what I mean - the player characters are deeply entwined with the “main plot” of the story, and might detour for sidequests, but will ultimately see the main storyline to its end, with their choices affecting how things turn out.
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Rules are...
A good foundation to build on. Knowing the rules of a game and keeping to them helps keeps things from devolving into bumping action figures together and saying "I win", but they're ultimately bendable and breakable if it enhances the story being told by the player at my table.
Kai's ideal table
At my table, roleplay permeates pretty much everything it can. Exploring the depths of a forgotten ruin, trading blows with stalwart foes, restoring fallen allies before they expire, that one chest tucked away in a corner that everyone else missed - I like to give player character personalities the chance to shine in each and every situation. In addition to that, I’m a sucker for narrative plotlines that burn slow and run deep, and try to incorporate them as early and as often as possible. Combat is designed to be challenging, but be assured that you won’t always have your nose to the grindstone - the pace varies, and can range from a desperate struggle to survive an ambush or overwhelming odds to casual competitions for how many kills you can get with your fellow party members. I encourage and aid in optimization towards a character vision, but I dissuade powergaming do-everything builds that disrupt the game - depending on the vibe of the campaign I intend to run, I may also restrict or ban certain spells, abilities, class or subclasses for a smoother experience. As part of my combat philosophy, I also try to avoid inflicting conditions that remove a player’s ability to play - Stunned is the most notable offender, but not the only one.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
Works with me to incorporate their character into the world and setting, and gives me multiple options for plot hooks in their backstory. I love making stuff out of what players give me; if something in your backstory catches my eye, you'll probably see it in the campaign proper at some point.
Kai's Preferences
Systems