QuietDynamo

he/him

5.0

(7)

Timezone

America/chicago

About QuietDynamo

Hello there! I'm QuietDynamo. I first started playing waaay back in the 70's and have loved tabletop and online games ever since. I'm an easy-going guy who wants players to have fun. I like a 50/50 mix of time spent in and out of combat, and I strive to bring roleplay into every battle. I host asynchronous solo / duet campaigns. "Duet" is for you and a close friend or relative. "Solo" is just you and your faithful animal-companion, making your own decisions and driving the story. I structure my games to help new players feel comfortable. My goal is to help you bring your character to life. The games I run are based largely on the written word, with custom maps and original imagery for every setting, scene, and character to help set the stage. I definitely prefer playing text-based games because being in-character feels much more natural. We come together to weave stories, and players (and dice) drive the narrative. My job is to guide and enhance their storytelling. I'm a big fan of the marginalized and under-represented, and a D&D solo/duet campaign is the safest of safe spaces. LGBTQ+ and new player friendly!

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

53 games hosted

Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Storytelling, Inclusive

$39.50 per session

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

because my kids really wanted to play, and I was the only one in the family with enough spare time and energy to build a world and create a campaign that would give them the kind of positive experience I had at their ages. The more I did it, the more I came to enjoy it.

My favorite books are

the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, if you're looking for something mainstream. If you want something uncommon, then Unlundun or The Mouse and His Child. Tolkien or Lewis if you want a past with heros and quests. Bradbury, Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein if you want an intriguing future.

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

working. Tbh, I'm probably working *while* I'm running games. I'm an engineer and an educator, and I work all hours and kinda all the time. One thing I like about PBP gaming is that I can have D&D in the background all the time too.

How QuietDynamo runs games

I do whatever it takes to help new players feel comfortable getting started. I only host asynchronous solo / duet campaigns. That means no waiting around for five other random people to take their turn or speak their piece. No strangers to make you feel uncomfortable as you try out online roleplaying or learn the mechanics of D&D. No mystery players to ghost the game and grind the campaign to a halt. Just you and your helpful GM, working together to craft an engaging adventure at whatever pace you set. While I do like playing live, in-person TTRPGs, I find that players (including me) struggle with role-playing by-voice in real-time. Play-by-Post frees us up from that pressure and allows players to laugh and commiserate in an out-of-character channel without impacting the seamless story we share in the roleplay channel. My games are not opportunities for me to show off my amazing storytelling skills. As much as possible, I prefer for players to describe their own actions. When your character dodges a javelin thrown by your foe, you get to describe the amazing feat of agility. When you roll a 1 on a stealth check, you get to describe tripping and accidentally knocking over the crystal vase. Of course, sometimes you're just not feeling creative, and I'm happy to fill in the gaps, but I prefer to avoid games where the GM spins out an epic tale while the player just rolls dice. As the GM, I am not your opponent. My goal is to work together to maximize the excitement, tension, humor, and fun that comes from BOTH of us never fully knowing what might happen next.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

understanding the motivations of each non-player character, beast, monster, and villain -- what do they want, and why do they want it? Why are they in this particular setting? There are few mindless minions here; no horde of identical skeletons or brutish orcs to mow through.

My games focus on...

Fun! If the player is having fun, everything else can be figured out and worked through. I want my players to enjoy the act of creative gaming, experiencing how their character's actions and choices impact the flow of the story.

QuietDynamo's ideal table

My table is collaborative. The tone leans toward adventure and action balanced by character-driven storytelling. NPCs have their own lives and motivations. Your foes do as well. Roleplayers and storytellers thrive because they can interact with anyone and anything within the game world, often unlocking unexpected side-quests or developing unusual alliances. If you're someone who'd rather convince the marauding bugbear to mend their ways and join your party, I will happily adapt the campaign in that direction. If you'd rather slash the beast to ribbons before it can injure the villagers, we can work that out too. The beauty of D&D is that neither you nor I know what will happen next. You choose what your character attempts, and the dice determine the outcome. Everyone belongs at the table. I only require communication and respect. In a live game, players typically check in at the end of each session, but since PbP is asynchronous, I like to check in at the end of each quest or when leaving a location to find out how my players are feeling, what stars & wishes have come up, and how we might improve the flow going forward.