StartPlaying logo
game master profile header image
Ryan A. Polk

Ryan A. Polk (he/him)

5.0

(11)

LGBTQ+
Black
Neurodivergent

2 years on StartPlaying

129 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, World Builder

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

About me

Ahoy! I'm Ryan. I've been a part of the Tabletop Community for over a decade, and a Game Master for the last 7 years. Over that time, I've familiarized myself with various systems, from D&D 5th Edition to Vampire: The Masquerade. No matter how new or experienced you are as a player, I look forward to serving as your GM!

GM Style

I run character driven games with strong thematic focuses. My regular sessions usually start with focus on character and end in some form of combat. Expect both complex and thoughtful character moments, as well as some beat-em-up style high octane stupid fun (Sometimes both in one session!) I aim to ensure that my table is a welcoming space for all people, and expect my players to help do the same.

Game Master Reviews (11)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Storytelling

Creativity

World Builder

Sundista avatar

Sundista

Played 44 sessions

great game manager. Very prepared and flexible. Always provides an enjoyable experience.

VeeDubs avatar

VeeDubs

Played 8 sessions

Ryan is so much fun to interact with! On every level of the story he runs. And the world is so well thought out, so obviously lived in, it feels natural to arrive at and thrive in the unique and compelling role in his story that exists for my PC.

Benjamin Boober avatar

Benjamin Boober

I've been playing in a game he's running for a couple years now and it's been super fun. I really like how he incorporate's our character ideas and adds them back into the worldbuilding. One example being that I brought in a short Eladrin character to play in place of my main character (the group was doing something my character wouldn't). And I had originally made her small because I thought it could be a silly thing for a small elf with a tall hat. Then later, when we were helping an npc wizard with a favor, he needed to talk to a long passed mage for the details of some spell components, and the skull was described as very small. The dead mage ended up being Eladrin. So if there are ideas you wanna try out in the setting, he does a great job making them feel like a natural part of the story.

Chloe avatar

Chloe

Played 20 sessions

Ryan is a fantastic G.M. From his thorough session 0 to his constantly evolving homebrew setting (that his players get to interact with and influence) there's so much I love about Ryan's campaign. There's interesting characters with fun and distinct voices. There's cool combat situations. He's always open to letting you try any cool ideas that you might have and he still narrates you to look good, even if you roll poorly. I can't recommend him highly enough as in addition to the reasons Ryan is a great G.M, he's also a patient, kind and fun guy you're guaranteed to have a blast with.

Cory avatar

Cory

Played 25 sessions

I've had 3 experiences on this website when trying to find games. The first two were bad experiences, but it seems that third time is a charm because Ryan has been above and beyond what I was hoping for. I am a forever DM who's hosted a few hundred games for his players over the years, and I know what I'm looking for in a DM. Ryan has it. I'm a veteran and my entire party was full of people who have never played before and the transition was seamless. Its been great and refreshing. He looks deeply at your character and wants to incorporate it into the story in healthy ways. Battle maps that he uses make your abilities more fun; like flinging automatons into pits of lava with repelling blast. Nothing is too controlling and he's open to any fun ideas and character concepts. He even worked with me to coordinate a shopping/personal day for my character when I had to miss a session for IRL reasons. It made me feel like I made up all the lost time of a session that week. The effort and care is there and that is what I appreciate the most. Besides the fact that he's talented at DM'ing as well! Give Ryan a try if you can get into one of his games!

Justin avatar

Justin

Played 16 sessions

Ryan makes learning about our world fun, gives us room to decide what we want to do, and gives us great storytelling even when we go off the rails a little.

What's StartPlaying?

Tabletop Roleplaying Games Run by Game Masters

  • Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.

  • Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.

  • If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.