Nico

he/him

5.0

(75)

Timezone

America/halifax

Language

English

Identity

Black

Artist

About Nico

What's good, adventurers? I’m Nicolae, a full-time Dungeon Master with over 11,000 hours logged on Roll20 and about 1000 games run on StartPlaying. From mastering macros and APIs, introducing intrigue, to weaving tactical combat encounters, I bring depth and efficiency to every session. My goal is to deliver immersive storytelling where your characters truly shape the world—no two games are ever the same. Inclusivity and respect are at the heart of my table. I strive to ensure each player feels heard and has a genuine impact on the unfolding narrative. Whether you live for intense role-play, thrilling battles, or creative problem-solving, you’ll find a warm, open environment where you can shine. Beyond the tabletop, I’m a musician and producer pouring that same passion into my art. If you'd like a glimpse of my musical adventures, follow me on Instagram or TikTok @musicbyNicolae. Dope. Now let's roll some initiative! Join me, and let’s create stories you’ll be talking about long after the dice have finished rolling.

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

1204 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Knows the Rules

Average response time: 5 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

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

Making music most likely! Whether I'm just practicing drums or writing a new song. Or maybe gaming, I'm pretty into Rivals and Cyberpunk 2077 right now. I also like to practice Capoeira, and watch good TV with my partner.

My favorite system of all Time is

As much as I love 5e, I have to say I'm a really big fan of City of Mist, and really enjoying the couple of games I have going.

People are always surprised when I tell them

That I am a full-time GM! I suppose it's pretty unreal, I get to work at a job I'm genuinely stoked about every day with serious and committed players.

How Nico runs games

Refined GM Style Welcome to a world where every decision shapes the adventure! At my table, Roll20 isn’t just a platform—it’s a gateway to richly immersive experiences that transcend typical gameplay. I harness the power of API scripts and macros to ensure that our sessions are smooth, engaging, and tailored to amplify your enjoyment. Balancing the Pillars of D&D I am dedicated to maintaining a perfect equilibrium among the three foundational pillars of Dungeons & Dragons: combat, roleplay, and exploration. My encounters are thoughtfully designed to reflect both the immediate objectives and the pacing of our campaign, ensuring variety and relevance in each session. Enhancing Combat and Strategy While tactical combat is a thrilling aspect of D&D, I incorporate house rules to add grit and challenge, enhancing the excitement. I equip Player Characters with additional feats, skills, and Ability Score Improvements, preparing them for a campaign that demands cleverness and bravery. For those who relish a robust challenge, I embrace the concept of the "six encounter day," interspersing skill challenges and extended downtime to provide a well-rounded adventure. Tailored Experience and Progression My use of random tables and encounters ensures spontaneity, but the core of my games is always driven by your choices and their consequences. I reward experience points, allowing for organic character growth. New players start with less XP to integrate smoothly, but they still receive access to all the perks acquired by the party, fostering creative and unique character builds that have no problem keeping up, and eventually, being the team player you are, your XP will be on par with those there from the start! Supportive Onboarding New to D&D? No problem! I streamline the onboarding and character creation process, providing you with all the necessary tools, macros, and insights to confidently dive into your new campaign.

Featured Prompts

Rules are...

As Intended, but the Rule of Cool plays an important role at my tables. I want you to feel free to be creative!

I deal with rules issues by...

We can always do a quick google, and if things are still unclear, then we just make a fair ruling in the moment and keep things moving until we can revisit the matter and find more information.

I prep by

Reviewing notes on the past session and setting up as many maps as I feel I may need for the day. It's important to me that I have a good sense of what each character wants and what they might learn going into each session.

Nico's ideal table

I used to focus more on combat, but I love a good bit of roleplay as well! It's important to me that the big battles come with high stakes that we can get truly invested in. To this end I like tables full of players ready to shine a light on one another, and who optimize not only a character, but the party as a whole.

Featured Prompts

My table is not the place for...

Cultural intolerance. If you have a thing against women, trans folk, brown people, learn to become accountable for that, or move along.

I think metagaming...

Has a place–let me cook lol. The meta is that we've all come together to play a cooperative game and have a good time. That means even when "it's what my pc would do," we have to know that something in the nature of the narrative draws PCs together in the name of a unified goal.

I think min/maxing...

Encouraged, I like tough, strategic fights that drain resources. But I think there's a difference between being an optimizer and being a munchkin. But the best optimization is party optimization, and by that I mean ensuring you have many roles covered and only few redundancies.