Matt
he/him
5.0
(7)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Matt
My tables tend to be collaborative, fun, sometimes silly, but also dramatic and dangerous. I love both conversations that could go sideways and the occasional moments of dramatic silence before things get bad. I'm a published graphic novelist living in Portland, Oregon. Some of my books have landed on Vanity Fair's best of the year list, which is a roundabout way of saying I spend a lot of time thinking about how stories work and what makes a moment feel earned. I've been running tabletop games for three years across a range of systems, and I can't get enough. A theater background means I enjoy the challenge of playing a scene in character and finding the real emotional highs and lows of the story we create together, from the most crushing heartbreak to the most ridiculous, unplanned, completely perfect moment of triumph. I'd love to play with folks who are invested in being inclusive and helping each other have a good time making a great fun story.
At a glance
2 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Teacher
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
After years of listening to The Adventure Zone and watching Dimension 20, I wanted to see if actually playing TTRPG could be as good for the soul as watching. It turns out, it's even better.
When I'm not running games I'm...
writing and drawing slice of life graphic novels.
How Matt runs games
I tend to prep situations, based on what's happened before, not plots. Before a session I know who exists, what they want, and what's about to explode. Where it goes from there is on the players. I usually start every session with an inciting incident to get things moving, but I'm not steering toward a specific ending. NPCs have actual agendas. They'll surprise you. Choices can have wonderful and terrible consequences, whatever's the most fun. If, sadly, a PC dies I care more about a death feeling earned than proving the game is hard. Combat is atmosphere first. I'm just as happy in a tense negotiation or a weird social scene as I am in a knock down drag out fight. Tables I run tend to be funny and fun, but pull back regularly to find dramatic moments that actually land. Camera preferred but optional.
Featured Prompts
Rules are...
Rules are there to create stakes and challenge, but not to get in the way. If something's unclear and starts to hurt the fun, we'll make a call and look it up between sessions.
Matt's Preferences
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