Lex

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

Streamer

Podcaster

Published Writer

About Lex

I am a science fiction author and podcaster, and I have just published my debut novel. Running TTRPGs is a longtime favorite hobby of mine. I've been GMing for over 35 years. I started out with AD&D 2nd ed. Some of the games I've run include D&D 2nd, 3rd, 3.5, & 5th editions, Vampire the Masquerade 2nd ed, Changeling the Dreaming 2nd ed, West End Games Star Wars, Star Wars Edge of the Empire, Star Wars Force & Destiny, Pathfinder, Numenera, Star Trek Adventures, and Daggerheart. I plan to run The Expanse RPG in the near future. I've also podcasted (a lot) about GMing. I created and hosted the GM Intrusions podcast and the Game Master's Journey podcast. Between the two I've done over 400 episodes. I've also GMed some actual plays on my YouTube channel and both podcasts. I have a lot of experience GMing for strangers. I ran a number of Numenera games at Gen Con, and I've run Numenera, Pathfinder, and D&D 5e at game stores. I ran my first games in high school, and most of the players I recruited had never played a TTRPG before. So between that, running at Gen Con and game stores, and running actual plays and other online games, I have a lot of experience teaching new players RPGs. I actually quite enjoy it. I've found new players to be some of the most fun players I've gamed with. I've run a lot of games online, usually using Roll20 or just using theater of the mind on Discord. I've recently switched to using Foundry. I've found that being a writer and a GM use a lot of the same mental muscles, and I love doing both.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: World Builder, Inclusive, Creativity

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells The Radch Trilogy by Anne Leckie The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks

My favorite shows/movies are

Murderbot Pluribus Severance Stranger Things The Expanse The Witcher Supernatural Star Trek the Next Generation Star Trek Deep Space Nine Star Trek Strange New Worlds Cowboy Bebop

When I'm not running games I'm...

Reading, writing, watching TV, playing bass, cooking, baking, hiking, knitting.

How Lex runs games

I usually go for a balance of roleplaying and combat in my games. I've run sessions before with no combat and sessions where we don't even roll the dice. I'm a firm believer in only rolling the dice when it's unclear if you can do the thing and failure would be interesting. Otherwise I usually don't call for a roll. I'm usually a fan of "the rule of cool" although I don't take it to extremes. I like verisimilitude in my games, so rule of cool won't let you break the laws of physics (unless that's allowed in the game/setting) or do something that's obviously impossible. I'm a big fan of the players, and I really love collaborative storytelling. I love it when players get invested in the world and setting. I am not a "player character killer," but I'm also willing to let the dice fall as they may. The only time I tend to fudge dice rolls is when the outcome that results from the roll is one that will be unfun for the player doing the roll and the rest of the players at the table. I'm a strong believer in doing my best to give the players what they want as far as the game experience. In our session zero I will ask questions to determine what kind of game the players want, and I'll do my best to deliver that. Personally, I tend to prefer light-hearted games with a lot of humor and fun, but also with serious, high-drama moments. I like a balanced experience. I am unfortunately not someone who is good at doing voices or accents, so I won't be able to provide that.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

I usually know the rules of a system well enough that I can make rulings on the fly that are within the spirit of the system, even if I don't remember the particular rule. I'm willing to look a rule up if the players want and it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game too much.

My games focus on...

everyone at the table having a good time and feeling safe to be themselves and be creative without judgment, on telling an interesting, exciting, and compelling story together. I focus on the player characters and let them direct the action as opposed to following a predetermined plot.

Rules are...

the beginning not the end. Rules can't cover all possibilities. A good GM is willing to improvise and go beyond the rules. However rules help to maintain fairness at the table, and a good GM always carefully considers the consequences before changing a rule. The rules should be understood first.

Lex's ideal table

My idea table is one where the players all respect and genuinely like one another. I like a vibe of cooperative storytelling. I love players who focus on making decisions based on the story, their characters' personalities, and what they would do in the situation, and leave it to me to worry about the rules. I really appreciate players who try to make sure everyone gets their turn in the spotlight. I love players who get into the game, the setting, and their characters. I appreciate players who support one another and their ideas. I love it when a player puts their character into danger because it's the right thing to do, even if it may turn out badly for their character and even the whole party. I love it when PCs are heroic and take risks to do the right thing.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

makes sure all players are contributing to the story and getting a chance to shine. I love it when a player values the ideas of the other players. I love it when they follow the story and their characters' personalities and motivations as opposed to metagaming or following a plot.

I think metagaming...

has its place. Sometimes metagaming can be a distraction and detracts from the story and experience. Other times metagaming helps everyone at the table to communicate and get what they want out of the game while avoiding player conflicts and hard feelings.

I think min/maxing...

is kind of missing the point. I get wanting to play a capable and powerful character. But if you have a good GM and you trust them, you'll get there without min/maxing. I think it's much more fun for everyone to focus on making an interesting and entertaining character who's fun for you to play.