Preston (he/him)
5.0
(6)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
16 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, World Builder
About me
25 years ago, I played an elven ranger who fought Daleks in Mirkwood. Since then, I’ve been a mega game writer, actor, improviser, amateur pro wrestler, emcee and slam poet. I’ve run hundreds of sessions across multiple editions, coached dungeon masters and coordinated lore teams to build compelling worlds. Collaborative storytelling games are my favorite form of theater, and helping bring your player characters to life with my co-pilot (Fritz, our mini-dachshund) is the best job I’ve ever had. Hello and welcome! 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Welcoming - safe, inclusive, respectful play is a must. Help me open gates instead of keep them! 🏳️🌈 Creds 🧙 Founder of the world’s largest weekly, in-person, ongoing D&D mega campaign, featuring over 20 DMs and 100 players. ✍️ Nationally competitive spoken word artist 🧑🎤 Professional public speaker 🤯 Still paying for a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance 🤺 HEMA Student
GM Style
I love to dig into the motivations of your character and then put them into challenging, dramatic situations. My games are tightly paced, with all players engaged in every situation. I fearlessly empower my players to deeply impact the narrative course of the game. My goal is to encourage each player to be a great storyteller, and to give them big, significant choices to explore their character and the world we build together. Highlights ⚡ I love improvising around shenanigans. 📜 I begin with your character and build from there. 🤝 We are all responsible for each other’s fun! 🐉 Keep your NPCs emotionally available. Keep your Villains MORE emotionally available. 🎲 Dice Tell The Story ✍️ Narrative focused more than combat focused. ⚔️ Quick fights: theatre of the mind. Boss fights: fancy maps and tactics. 🔮 Combat emerges from drama, not the other way around! 🎭 Sometimes we’re here to laugh. Sometimes we’re here to feel the feels. 🌏 The best worlds are the ones we build together. 💀 Combat difficulty scaled to player preference. 🔥 Not here to recreate imperialist fantasies. 🍻 Here to crush evil, tear down barriers and build communities. A good balance of silly and serious. 🏰 Players are heroes who may disagree, but are always on the same team. 🦺 RPG safety is important. I play like your adversary, but cheer you on like your ally.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (6)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Storytelling
Creativity
World Builder
I have played in over a dozen full length campaigns with 8 different GMs and Preston is by far my favorite. Some of my most memorable moments in DnD have come from his campaigns. He is an amazing story-teller where we as the players always felt in control of our own destiny. He implemented our character backstories to shape the world in which we played and the plot of our main campaign. The world, story, and characters were presented really well and the experience was immersive and compelling. Highly recommend!
Blessed be the Gods! This is an immersive, published, storyteller and voice actor, who makes your character feel like part of the world rather than feeling like you have to fit into it. Creative and thoughtful role play and combat situations leave you on the edge of your seat with every character contributing meaningfully in both. This is not an experience like most DMs on SP where the same worn out encounters are played over and over. If you want that go play a video game for Pelor's sake! If you want to be a hero of your own story and not someone else's... look no further.
From the very beginning, Preston set the tone with his rich storytelling. The Victorian twist he added to the classic Curse of Strahd module breathed new life into the campaign, making it feel both familiar and refreshingly unique, including for a few of our party who had played the module before. Think Crimson Peak vibes meets Bram Stoker's Dracula. His attention to detail in crafting the world was impeccable – from the fog-shrouded streets of Barovia to the eerie, candlelit interiors of Ravenloft, every scene was immersive. I really appreciated Preston's dedication to player agency. He encouraged us to think creatively and rewarded our ingenuity, which made us feel truly integral to the story. His flexibility and quick thinking in response to our... unexpected decisions showcased his deep understanding of the game and his commitment to ensuring we all had a fantastic time. Our characters felt meaningful and critical to the success of the game. Preston's combat encounters were thrilling and challenging, always perfectly tuned to test our skills. We definitely plunged headfirst into certain encounters we had no right to be in, and even failures in such endeavors resulted in character growth and an emotional attachment to the game. He had a knack for creating tension and excitement, making every battle feel significant. Moreover, his use of ambiance, music, and props added an extra layer of engagement that made each session feel totally immersive. It was evident that Preston cared deeply about the game and our enjoyment. He fostered a collaborative and inclusive environment where every player felt valued and heard. His genuine excitement was infectious and kept our group eagerly anticipating each session. If you ever have the chance to join one of his games, do not hesitate – it will be an experience you won't want to miss.
If you want a custom playing experience with a veteran D&D player, then Preston is your guy. I have had so much fun over the last year playing at his table! We played Curse of Strahd in the most unique way ever, each character's backstory was woven seamlessly into the pre-made plot of the campaign. After particularly tough sessions, he will check in on players in case things may have been too scary or creepy, making sure we are all comfortable at the table and adjusting his storytelling and plots in order to accommodate. He encourages us to come up with wild out there solutions to problems, guiding us through the story while not making it feel like we are being pushed in a direction. He's even gone so far as to change his own plans because he liked what we (the players) chose to do and the improvisation that he is capable is just mind-blowing. We've already started our next campaign and from before session zero we (the players) have been involved in plotting and world-building. The excitement I had while we worked together at the table to figure out how all our characters knew each other and what elements we wanted to see come up in the story left me eager to start our new campaign. No one else has ever even come close to the level of engagement and creativity as Preston has as a DM. Our D&D nights are the absolute highlight of my week every week.
Preston has an absolute GIFT for world building and weaving in story elements not just from your character but from the D&D world in general. A strong knowledge of the rules, Preston also will often go with what is best not just for the story but player enjoyment, while staying true to the D&D world. He does amazing voices, is extremely patient for those who forget the intricacies, and honestly makes even the module games seem like brand new home brew with all of the attention to detail and clever twists, turns, and plots he comes up with. 15/10
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