Gamemaster Dan

he/him

5.0

(19)

Timezone

America/denver

Language

English

Identity

Streamer

Podcaster

Neurodivergent

Teacher/Educator

About Gamemaster Dan

I run horror, sci-fi, and strange fantasy games where choices matter, mysteries unravel, and the best moments are the ones nobody planned. My StartPlaying reviews are still catching up to my actual table mileage: I’ve been a full-time professional GM for years and have run thousands of live online RPG sessions.

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

162 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Voices

Featured Prompts

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

- Shadowdark - BECMI - Call of Cthulhu ... I think you could do a pretty good job of running just about anything with those three.

My favorite shows/movies are

TV: - The Wire - Stranger Things - Andor - Severance Movies: - Out of Sight (1998) - Star Trek II (1982) - Predator: Prey (2022) - Aliens (1986)

The three words my players would use to describe me are...

Funny, fair, and flexible. I keep the game moving, rotate the spotlight, and let you do crazy stuff (for a price...)

How Gamemaster Dan runs games

I like games where the players surprise me, the world pushes back, and the best moments are the ones nobody planned... not even me. I enjoy roleplay, character voices, mysteries, weird NPCs, dangerous expeditions, and players making choices that force me to say, “Let’s find out”. I also like combat that matters: a desperate ambush, a monster you should maybe run from, a tactical problem, or a fight with real consequences. I’m less interested in endless rooms of enemies waiting politely to be cleared, so even my dungeon-crawl games have unexpected, emergent elements. I explain rules clearly, make rulings quickly, and keep the game moving. I check in with players and make sure everyone gets meaningful time in the spotlight. Bring curiosity, teamwork, and bold choices. I’ll bring the goblin voices. Get $10 your first session on startplaying.games: https://startplaying.games/referral/cld0hgnos000tl2084ycb9ut6

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

player choices, mysteries, weird NPCs, dangerous places, and worlds that push back. I like games where the story comes from what the players actually do, not from me dragging everyone toward a prewritten ending.

Rules are...

there to help us play the game, not stop the game. I’ll explain them clearly as I understand them, make a ruling when needed, and keep things moving. If something needs a deeper rules dive, I’ll handle it afterward rather than convening "Rules-Lawyer Court" in the middle of the session.

When it comes to voices

More than one player has told me I should become a professional voice actor... but I use voices to make NPCs memorable, not to show off my acting reel. Suspicious potion-sellers, doomed academics, weird little guys, frightening villains, heroic knights, soft-spoken badasses... all in the bag.

Gamemaster Dan's ideal table

My ideal table is curious, collaborative, and willing to make choices before everything is perfectly safe or perfectly solved. You’ll probably fit well if you like mysteries, dangerous places, weird NPCs, political schemes, horror, dungeon crawls, or poking the world to see what happens. I like players who share the spotlight and treat the world like a real place, not just a menu of encounters. The common thread in my games is discovery. I’m not here to drag you through a script, and I’m not looking for one character’s backstory to become the whole campaign. Bring a character with opinions, goals, and problems... then let the table surprise you. New players are welcome. Experienced players are welcome. The best fit is someone who shows up, plays generously, asks questions, makes bold choices, and can laugh when everything goes sideways.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

mysteries, weird NPCs, dangerous places, political complications, and games where the story comes from what the players actually do.

I love it when a player

...makes a bold choice, brings another player into the spotlight, or treats the world like a real place instead of a menu of mechanics.

My table is not the place for...

players who need one character’s backstory to become the whole campaign, or who want every problem to have a safe, obvious solution. I like teamwork, curiosity, and a willingness to find out what happens.