Carl
he/him
5.0
(5)
Timezone
Language
About Carl
I started playing D&D in 1984 with the red Basic set and have played or run every edition since. I've published adventures for Dungeon Crawl Classics and Swords & Wizardry, and my podcast Flagons & Dragons earned an ENnie nomination. What that means for you: I've seen every way a campaign can fall apart, and I know how to keep yours from going that way. When I'm not behind the screen I'm a dad with a career and a mortgage. I understand that your Wednesday night is scarce and expensive. I'll be ready for it.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Inclusive, Rule of Cool
$20 per session
Featured Prompts
I ran my first game...
Summer. 1986. Two friends and I set up camp in a wood-paneled basement for a sleepover. While they rolled characters, I got the honor (challenge?) of being DM. Nobody could figure out the d4, so we used a d6. Magic missiles were... awesome.
People are always surprised when I tell them
...that I've been running D&D since 1984. I'm not a content creator or a performer, just a dad with a job and a mortgage who still needs somewhere to be creative and escape my phone for a few hours a week.
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Well-rounded, patient, and impossible to knock off course. Players wrote them, which is the only reason I'll repeat them.
How Carl runs games
I use a story-first approach, using rules as needed, but I encourage players to think before using the character sheet as an interface. What would your character do? What does your character want, fear, or need? Use your imagination, and then we can use the rules to make it happen. I'm not here to tell my story. I'm here to enable the players to tell their story, which is the sum of its parts. I enjoy the voice-acting, and setting up the villains, monsters, and hazards that will challenge the player characters (and the players!), which lays the groundwork for a fun and memorable campaign. I do my best to find the sweet-spots for each group, because each group is different.
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
If there's ever confusion or disagreement, I favor the players and move on. Dive into the books after the game, so we're not wasting time during a session. Which decision yields the most fun? Choose that in the moment, and discuss the rule in greater detail later.
My games focus on...
...the three things D&D does well: a good fight, a good conversation, and a good mystery. You'll see a healthy mix of each. If you only enjoy one of the three, we're probably not a match.
When it comes to voices
I love voice acting. But not every NPC will get one. Only the most important and recurring characters will get a voice. A character's voice is an extension of their personality and background. If players cringe or raise eyebrows when I speak in the voice of a foil, then I've done it right.
Carl's ideal table
Fellowship. I want my players to feel like a team, aligned in their goals, invested in each other, telling a story that ends up being about all of them. If you're looking for a table where your character works against the party, this isn't it. Wonder. Even experienced players deserve new lands, new villains, and challenges they haven't seen before. Nobody should be able to guess what's behind the door. Agency. My job isn't to tell you a story, it's to build a world worth exploring and then get out of your way. What happens is up to you. That means a table that's warm, curious, and a little chaotic. We start on time and we end on time. New players are welcome. I'll teach you everything you need as we go, and nobody at my table has to know the rules to have a great night. Veterans are welcome too, but you won't be able to rely on knowing the monster manual.
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
If you're into the moment a plan falls apart and everyone improvises anyway, you're going to love my table.
I love it when a player
...does something I didn't plan for. The best sessions I've run are the ones where somebody tries a thing so crazy that I have to put the notes down and figure it out with them.
My table is not the place for...
...players who'd rather compete with each other than with the world. Rivalry between characters can be interesting. Rivalry between people at the table isn't, and I'll shut it down.
Carl's Preferences
Systems