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Simon Magnus

Simon Magnus (he/him)

5.0

(23)

2 years on StartPlaying

345 games hosted

Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Creativity, Teacher

Average response time: 2 hours

Response rate: 100%

About me

I've wanted to explore other worlds for as long as I've been able to speak and read. When a family friend placed a D&D manual in my tiny hands, they doomed me to a life spent in those other worlds. I don't regret a single moment spent there. I've been playing TTRPGs regularly for over twenty years now (more than half of them as an adult!), and have never gotten tired of it. Whether it's inhabiting the role of a character unlike myself or facilitating a world for other characters to trailblaze, I just can't get enough of this form of storytelling. One of my favorite parts of this hobby is watching how different people react to the circumstances of these worlds. That's why I love GMing so much - I can't wait to be surprised!

GM Style

I believe one of the greatest strengths of TTRPGs is their ability to create unique, emergent stories built upon the agency of its main cast (the Player Characters!). That's why I endeavour to provide a deep, interesting world for players to explore and try my best to serve as a neutral arbiter for those explorations. You can expect to face challenging encounters and tense moments, and when you triumph you'll know you did so on your own merits. I trust my players to forge their own narrative journey, and I've never been disappointed by the incredible stories they create. I strive to create a welcome and inclusive table. Everybody should feel safe and respected, and my wish is for all players to feel they can fully participate in the game without fear of discrimination, harassment, or exclusion.

Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (23)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Knows the Rules

Creativity

Teacher

Fractured Solace avatar

Fractured Solace

Played 162 sessions

Knows the rules and will take the time to look into anything for clarification. Has great timing and pacing. Was incredibly fun to play with and look forward to other games run by him.

Christian avatar

Christian

Played 120 sessions

Simon is an excellent GM who runs a fun, properly paced game. He's very knowledgeable about PF2 rules as a result is a great choice for new players. He managed to run a game where half the party were goblins without losing his mind - if you know Pathfinder goblins, this was no mean feat. :) Excellent choice of GM, would recommend.

Mac avatar

Mac

Played 108 sessions

Simon is the first GM I played Pathfinder with something, and that is something I am very thankful for as I had never played this system before beyond a oneshot. To say he's good at being a teacher is an understatement, he helped me understand alot of the intricacies of the game. Beyond that, he's just a fantastic storyteller and very good at being creative. The thing I appreciate most and can't sing his praises enough on is his ability to weave a narrative. If you feel on the fence about trying to dip your feet into a game I definitely suggest Simon to you. You won't be disappointed.

BugOut avatar

BugOut

Played 87 sessions

Great opportunities for RP, great GM spontaneity. Good NPCs, story telling, world building.

John avatar

John

Played 86 sessions

I'm really happy to have picked Simon as a GM via StartPlaying and would do so again without a second thought. He knows the adventure path we are playing inside out along with great knowledge of the wider world lore allowing external information to be woven in seamlessly if the need arises. The NPC characters all feel and sound unique with personalities and appropriate knowledge going well beyond what I imagine is provided in the source material. His understanding of the system rules, nuances and being able to clearly communicate how they apply to our players abilities and situations in game has been brilliant for me as a near beginner and for the more experienced players exploring new abilities. I also appreciate the ability to handle my hesitancy or forgetfulness rule wise without making me feel like an idiot. The VTT side had been flawless with any player issues resolved quickly along with being happy to research and implement plugins or changes to assist players experiences should they be needed. As well as all of the above he's also easy going and is happy to teach, learn and laugh along with the players. Playing with Simon will set the bar high for other GMs you have in the future, take that as a positive or a negative as you will :)

Josh avatar

Josh

Played 85 sessions

I've played in a few sessions with Simon now, and overall it's been a very positive experience. Simon comes to the table prepared, and he knows the vast majority of the ruleset without needing to look at anything (at least to any extent that it's noticeable during play). He does stick to the rules, which is something I personally like because for every rule you let slip you're diminishing some aspect of the game and perhaps other players' characters. We've had some brutal fights; Simon doesn't hold punches much, which I like because it creates more memorable encounters. He GMs fairly and plays the NPCs realistically, including combat. I would recommend him to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted but more focused session. 5e players might have a little shock, I know the players I GM for were Dragon Game players before and found the system a bit shocking at first due to the sheer amount of rules and math. Fortunately, Foundry VTT automates almost all of the math. If you're expecting a cupcake distribution ceremony, aka coming from 5e, you won't get that. Learn the system or you'll always make suboptimal decisions. I was in a game with another GM who let a couple players spend 45 minutes negotiating on the price of a tapestry that wasn't even real loot, while the rest of the party had to sit there bored. Simon is not that GM; he keeps the game moving while still allowing for a sensible amount of RP, and puts a good amount of effort into fleshing out the NPCs in roleplaying scenarios.

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