Scott

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Neurodivergent

Artist

About Scott

I have been playing TTRPGs (mostly D&D) for over 25 years and regularly GMing for more than 15. I love seeing creativity and out-of-the-box thinking from my players. It's where I get the most joy being a game master. TTRPGs are my primary passion and favorite art form, especially with the recent addition of VTTs. I was recently diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, I am queer, and I enjoy drawing and reading.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

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

D&D 5e as I have the most experience with it, Dresden Files because I swear I will play it someday (and the heavy books make for good bludgeoning tools), and Scion 2e so I can continue the 5+ year game with my friends.

People are always surprised when I tell them

that I really enjoyed 4th edition D&D, and as I've gone over it again over the last year I have found that I enjoy it even more, especially with the use of VTTs. I enjoy the tactics and I enjoy how easy it is to add in or swap out elements of gameplay as needed.

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

working on artwork while listening to audiobooks or live plays, or I'm playing Kingdom Hearts again.

How Scott runs games

My main GMing style can be summed up in “work smarter not harder” and I tend to use minimal notes with heavy improvisation (inspired by the Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master). I tend to follow the rules more strictly for longer adventures and campaigns while being more flexible when running one-shots, where those looser rulings are less impactful. I enjoy running roleplay, and have been known to have multiple roleplay sessions to progress the story, though I usually try to get in at least one opportunity for combat each session. I enjoy setting up tactical combat, and will often try to add in interactive elements to my battle maps to make them more dynamic. Overall I enjoy making the adventures a fun experience and adding in extra detail where I can. I am most experienced running homemade adventures, but have recently started using modules.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

reviewing the characters and taking general notes on the planned story without actually planning out every step, that way I can reveal the plot to the players organically while allowing them freedom to explore the world. I'm just starting to use modules, so my process for those is still developing.

My games focus on...

heroic fantasy and helping players build epic moments in game. I like to personalize adventures to the characters where I can, and I like each character to have their own personal villain/quest alongside the central plot. I am not great at running Horror or Romance.

Rules are...

a general guideline that allow for fair play, though they can be bent for fun and unprecedented moments. I tend to stick to rules as written, but give flexibility for logic and the rule of cool. In some cases, we can even make up an unaccounted for rule and adjust as needed.

Scott's ideal table

My ideal table is cooperative and creative, willing to boost up other players for their moments while also allowing themselves to explore fun ideas without letting their imaginations get bogged down by rules and mechanics (within reason, of course). I do not do well with lone-wolves, disruptive chaos goblins, "main character" types, nor rampant murder hobos.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

finds a way around a problem that I did not foresee. This includes combats and puzzles. In fact, with some of my recent games (as of writing), the players have managed to avoid all but a couple of Boss fights through roleplay and negotiation.

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

tell others how to play their characters. This shows a lack of respect for the their choices, even if it is meant to be helpful. If a player needs help, they can ask, or if they seem to be struggling we can ask if they want advice. Trying to dictate how they play interferes with their player agency.

I think metagaming...

is unavoidable. Most of my long-term players are GMs, and we lean heavily on knowledge skills and roleplay. I will also switch up weaknesses or reskin creatures when dealing with experienced players (something that may make heavy metagamers feel cheated).