Payton

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

About Payton

I started GMing over 10 years ago and I haven't stopped loving it since! I have 14000+ hours on Roll20 and am extremely familiar with it's evolving tools. I love to read new TTRPGs and am always familiarizing myself with new rulesets to tell new stories with those at my table.

At a glance

2 years on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: World Builder, Inclusive, Storytelling

$25 per session

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

when I was 14 years old! I first started running superhero games with my friends and from then I was bit by the TTRPG bug! When I wasn't participating in one act plays or show choir, I was using Roll20 to play with people across the world! I cherish the stories I've gotten to tell with others since.

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

M&M 3e because it's such a robust and complex system that I think you can use to tell wonderful superhero stories (but a lot of other kind of stories as well!) I'd also bring Cypher System and Kids on Bike! I'm planning for the long term and I think those systems can be kit bashed a bunch!

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

Preparing for games? For real though, I enjoy taking walks and watching horror movies. I'm a big fan of musicals! I'm not much of a video gamer, but I enjoy long-form documentaries on niche topics like amusement parks and ethics in writing. I also write a bunch! And when I'm not, I am sleeping.

How Payton runs games

I am a very flexible GM. I've run tactical games that have required concentration and have had high-stakes combat and I've run more relaxed, world-building focused games that's more about the relationships between the PCs and NPCs. I enjoy collaborating with players about their characters and always want to help them to tell the story they are interested in telling. I throw rocks and add bumps in the road, but I believe that the journey wouldn't be interesting without it. That said, I know when to be gentle and when to be mean and how to keep it all fun. I look to understand my players and GM around their particular wants and needs in a story and I believe I do a pretty good job of it! Some of my favorite stories have included high society intrigue, small town mysteries, and gritty mercenary campaigns.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

making the fairest ruling in the moment (unless it is very important) and making a note to come back to it later!

My favorite trope is...

is Lethal Joke Character. I love silly characters that prove to, for some reason, be the biggest threat on the field.

Rules are...

important to understand and follow so you can make the proper exceptions to let everyone feel cool! Rule of Cool is great, but not if it comes at the expense of choices other characters made!

Payton's ideal table

I like players who are fans of the characters. Who love their own character, but are willing to put them through the ringer to give them interesting experiences. The players that see failure as an option. I like those who are eager to engage with the stories of the NPCs around them and make relationships. A lot of players will fit well at my table, whether they are more the quiet or loud type, as long as everyone comes with a friendly vibe and without a chip on their shoulder. I don't want anyone to come in putting down the ideas of others in a way that discourages free, creative thinking while we're all writing this narrative together.

Featured Prompts

I am for a vibe that's...

fun and engaged with the story! I want to tell a lot of stories with any party I run for and I want everyone to take away something from the story. I run a lot of genre-pieces that play to the tropes of different archetypes and I like it when players are fans of their characters and others.

I love it when a player

Gives me scene ideas! Things that they want to see that I can incorporate into the next session! Or even the next scene! If they want to talk to specific NPC, have a moment alone with another PC, or anything in between, I'm game.

I think metagaming...

is an interesting and complex topic. I don't like metagaming being used to gain crazy advantages, but I also think it helps smooth over experiences. When a player knows another scene is happening and metagames to make sure they don't intrude on it too soon, I'm happy to see some meta-awareness.