Ryan

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/new York

Identity

Neurodivergent

Cosplayer

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

About Ryan

My name is Ryan and I have frankly been obsessed with storytelling since childhood. I often preferred worlds fantastical and imagined rather than the one we find ourselves mired in. I love a good story. Defiant protagonists. Dastardly villains. And, daring adventures. The whole lot fascinated me. I remember early on story time spanned hours with my parents. Then I began to read on my own, encountering my own protagonists, villains, and adventures in the wee witching hours of the night. Yet, I also learned to enjoy history thanks to my Grandpa Mac. He taught an appreciation and a love for history. History fascinated me, with its twists and turned, and intricate plots all woven into one immense tapestry. For me, history is a story as well, sometimes an untold story until stumbled upon in lost tomes and dreary archives. History is a story of human perseverance as our species journeys through time. History also taught me that story arches are not so well defined in real life. The lines between protagonists and villains are blurred. The story is complicated, lending an ear to a more dynamic world. History and fantasy can be worlds in twin realities. Both feature storytellers and legend-makers.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, World Builder

Featured Prompts

My favorite shows/movies are

Current Favorites: TV Series - "Black Sails" on STARZ Movie - "The Duellists" directed by Ridley Scott

My favorite system of all Time is

Cairn. It is simple and elegant. It is worth running and playing for its ease of entry and its ability for gm's and players alike to focus on the story first and foremost.

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

working as a public historian designing museum exhibits, programs, tours, and other initiatives all done in the name of a good story.

How Ryan runs games

As a GM, my style emphasizes collaborative storytelling embracing both roleplaying and combat as tools for the development of a dynamic world. In crafting a collaborative story, I work with the players to build plots centered on their characters and backgrounds. I then integrate these plots into a world embracing an open-world approach of overlapping and interactive plots. Together we tell the story whether by blade or ballad.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

... if clarification from a source book is not easily accessible or discernable, I ask for a group ruling which can quickly clarify the situation and move the game forward. Following the session, myself and any players curious about the rules issue will do some research together to clarify.

My favorite trope is...

the "False Hydra." I got away with this once. The moments of sheer terror as the villagers and their memories started to disappear one by one was spectacular and worth every moment of glee that followed upon the party discovering the truth and defeating the monster. The lesson: make good memories.

Rules are...

... "more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules" - Captain Hector Barbossa Utalize rules so long as they prove helpful 'guidelines' to tell a compelling and meaningful story.

Ryan's ideal table

I enjoy a table of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. This should be a place where everyone can fill a niche and find a comfortable seat at the table. I like a group that is looking to tell a good story together, whether humorous or horrendous, heroic or hedonistic, be their characters verbose or curt, I am happy.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

collaborative storytelling

I love it when a player

states "I have an idea. Why don't we ....(example: unpetrify the illithid to ask him for directions)" and proceeds to come up with the most profound conclusions and confounded solutions relating to their current predicament.

My perfect party mix is

Chex mix or jellybeans! Its an odd crowd pleaser but most people have a favorite flavor and when it comes to party mix, no consensus is good consensus.