DM Kayden

he/him

4.6

(10)

Timezone

America/new York

About DM Kayden

I make the first session free for everyone at my table—whether it’s session zero or you jump in at session 30. I do that because I know what I’m doing. I know the experience I provide, and I’m confident in my ability to give every player a good time. I’ve been DMing for over 20 years. I’ve told stories around kitchen tables, in Discord servers, and everywhere in between. I care about giving players real choices, strong character moments, and games that feel like they matter. You don’t need to know every rule or have the perfect backstory—I’ll meet you where you are. My job is to make sure you’re having fun, your character gets their moments, and the world reacts to what you do.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

21 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Sets the Mood, Storytelling

Average response time: 3 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

Because I had too. I didn’t choose this life. This life chose me. When others were unwilling or incapable of shouldering the weight, it was I who bore it so that others could play. I was a reluctant master of dungeons but a master nonetheless. I’ve guided countless heroes since.

My favorite books are

Wheel of Time series. For me, those books started this whole journey. I didn’t even care about fantasy as a genre until I read those. Now I’m in deep. I may be here physically but my mind is in other worlds.

People are always surprised when I tell them

I was hatched. Apparently being born of dragon egg isn’t a thing. Humph. Go figure.

How DM Kayden runs games

I run games that are a mix of roleplay, combat, and exploration. I don’t overcomplicate things, but I keep the stakes real. Actions have consequences. NPCs have personality. Encounters are fast and tactical, but never a grind. My tone adjusts to the players—gritty when it needs to be, light when it fits. I build around your choices and lean into the stuff you care about. You’ll never feel like a background character at my table.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

RAW, but I also do what feels right. I don’t try to cheat the characters. I try to make sure that I rule fairly and logically. I also focus on resolving rules issues quickly so I’ll make a call and if it turns out it was a bad call I’ll give some sort of benefit to the character in-game later on.

I prep by

A magician never tells his secrets

My games focus on...

The characters and the story. I like letting players explore their personal arc and make meaningful choices in the main arc. I do this for the story, and of course, for the vibes.

DM Kayden's ideal table

Every table is different, but I like to promote comfort and camaraderie at my tables. I definitely keep the conversation going between sessions and trust me when I say this has improved my games so much. D&D is a game that gets better the more you relax and let go of self consciousness and the less strange the strangers are around the table the easier this is to do. So I like to make things feel chill. It’s worked well for me.

Featured Prompts

I am for a vibe that's...

Comfortable. I’m here to provide an experience, yes, but I also want it to feel chill. There’s nothing like a dnd game between people who have gotten comfortable with each other. I’m always in the chat between games to help keep that social atmosphere going for that reason.

I love it when a player

Gets into character. Even though I like a balance of roleplay, I love when a player really gets into the character they’ve created. I’ll vibe off that all day.

I think it's a red flag when players...

Want to play evil characters. I do not provide platforms for people to roleplay antisocial behavior and things of that nature. I do create stories full of moral dilemmas and don’t expect the players to be exemplars of good but I don’t provide a forum for others to act out evil. Unless it’s cartoony.