Stephen

he/him

5.0

(16)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

DMs Guild Writer

Educator

About Stephen

I'm a writing teacher, a community builder, and a dad. My favorite way to use this skills is telling stories around a table. If you enjoy games that spark the imagination and stories that forge strangers into friends, we'll have a great time together. I'm comfortable teaching many game systems to players of all ages (I've taught my daughter and her grandparents!) and have a passion for introducing people to the hobby. I'd like to be an elf, but I'm probably a hobbit. Currently Reading: The Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb Currently Painting: High Elf Bloodbowl Team - The Tor Anle Whitehoofs! Currently Playing: Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

97 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, Creativity

$30 per session

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

I love reading and read about an hour every night before bed. So, it's really hard to pick a favorite. I love the grimdark fantasy of Joe Abercombie, the swashbuckling heist hijinx of Scott Lynch and the Lies of Locke Lamora, and the deep worldbuilding and characters of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.

How Stephen runs games

I create an immersive roleplaying environment, where players are invested in their characters point of view and emotions, using: NPC voices Atmospheric music Evocative descriptions Tools for developing characters Integrated character backstory and motivations At the same time, I run a player-focused game. Using feedback forms, I create a game that caters to players' tendencies and their characters' desires.

Featured Prompts

I once ran a session...

I ran adventures for my library and a middle school group. The middle school was a table of 7 middle schoolers, which was more than enough. The library group got up to 12. My limit to middle schoolers is now around... 4.

Stephen's ideal table

I love an engaged table. Some of my favorite moments in GMing come from when I talk the least because my players are so engaged in the world that they are inhabiting it themselves. A word that I keep coming back to with my style is "immersive." One of my favorite thing to do is set an atmosphere for players and feeling the mood of the room change. That's not to say that we don't have fun and get silly, just that those are my favorite moments around the table.