Sam I M

he/him

Timezone

America/detroit

Language

English

About Sam I M

Hello all! I have been GMing for 15 years now. I started with Starwars d20 which is what KOTOR was based on. From there I moved on to 3.5th Edition D&D, converted to Pathfinder 1e, then back to 5th Edition D&D, and finally landed on Pathfinder 2e as my primary system. I have ran GURPS, Mutants and Masterminds, and World of Darkness. My favorite thing about GMing, and TTRPGs in general, is seeing how I can make all the pieces fit on the fly. Taking a character's backstory and baking it into the story so well that you wont be able to think of one without thinking of the other. Characters growing and changing as the story progresses in key pivotal moments is what TTRPGs are all about.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Average response time: 24+ hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

My friends and I wanted to play the Star Wars d20 system, but not one of us knew what we were doing. Since I was the one pushing for us to all get together and play, I jumped on the grenade that was GMing. Since then I have taught over thirty or so people how to play various systems. I love it!

My favorite books are

Just about anything written by Brandon Sanderson. Tress of the Emerald Sea is by far my favorite standalone book, but series wise the nothing beats the Stormlight Archives. Bridge Four! I enjoy any book that gives you enough information to puzzle out the ending, but makes you work for it.

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

Taking care of my three daughters. I am as of now a stay-at-home dad while my wife works full time. I garden, listen to audiobooks and TTRPG podcasts while I clean, and keep up the home. I enjoy video games, especially those that require crafting or rogue-lites, and have a monthly board game night!

How Sam I M runs games

My GMing style is all about the story of the characters. Combat and role play are essential pieces of the puzzle, but nothing holds a candle to taking a character idea and having it baked into the world. Focusing on the story of the characters means that not only will the world change depending on your actions, so with the character themselves. My goal is for everyone to have fun and to be able to Yes And player's ideas in a way that keeps the story going and everyone on board. I take gaming very seriously, and if someone is uncomfortable or not having fun, it is my job to address that. Goofy nonsense games are great! Gritty tactical combat with super serious role play games are also great! When you want one and get the other, it can be pretty disappointing. I have introduced over 30 people to TTRPGs over the years. I am very familiar with new players, experienced players, and everything in between. Taking someone who doesn't have a fantastic grasp on the rules and having them mesh well with folks who really know there stuff takes experience. I have that experience in spades!

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

Talking. Communication is key. If you talk with me, I will talk with you and whatever issues there are we will get through them together. I am a natural mediator and will hear most anyone out. TTRPGs are meant to be enjoyed, so when one person isn't having fun it needs to be talked about ASAP.

My games focus on...

Stories. I tie each player character's story into the main plot line. Not everyone is the main hero of the overarching narrative, but each character is the main character of THEIR story. My job is to tell that story with the players both individually and collectively.

Rules are...

The main point of TTRPGs is to tell a story and enjoy ourselves. If someone isn't enjoying themselves, the rule is broken. If people are unable to tell a story they want to tell, the rule is broken. If there are conflicts between players because of these two ideals, it is my job to navigate that.

Sam I M's ideal table

My ideal table is one where each player contributes, supports, and adds on to each other's stories. With this patchwork of ideas and personalities, we can create amazing narratives that otherwise would have never happened together!

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

throws in to an idea in a way that no one else did. That means without that specific person at that specific time, that idea would never have come to light. Emotional states of PCs that I wouldn't have considered, odd solutions for odd problems, unique variations of an otherwise bad solution, etc.

I think min/maxing...

is for ideas, not for numbers. If you have an idea for an interesting story, I want that character to be the best version of that. Unfortunately min/maxing has a reputation for what I like to call White Room Math-ing. Sure in a vacuum your character is the best numerically, but where is the story??

My table is not the place for...

T. R. A. S. H. Transphobic, racist, abusive, sexist, and homophobic. TTRPGs are for everyone. My tables have a 0 tolerance policy, though I have had insightful and productive conversations with players who did not realize what they were doing was problematic. Either way the problem will be resolved