Somnus Grey
they/them
4.8
(84)
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About Somnus Grey
Hello there, Somnus (they/sun) here! Writer, Game Designer, Voice Actor, and Gendervoid Entity đ”đ§Ł. Let me be your guide into countless lands of fantasy, fear, and fun. I love creating evocative worlds for you to experience, which will constantly develop as you interact with it and make meaningful decisions. Uncover the setting through play, face untold dangers, and forge memories you'll hold forever. My tables are friendly to complete beginnersâI love teaching people new games and getting you more accommodated to the fun world of TTRPGs. Profile Artwork: Rebecca Luna https://www.artstation.com/lililuna
At a glance
5 years on StartPlaying
789 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Beginner Friendly
$40 per session
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Featured Prompts
I ran my first game...
more than a decade ago with Open Legend RPG! My friend group was rotating through longer adventures (first DnD4e and then 5e) when it was finally my turn. It was supposed to be a DnD5e game but everything changed when I discovered the wider world of TTRPGs from a small kickstarter announcement.
My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be
Mausritter, Ironsworn, and Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition.
When I'm not running games I'm...
designing games, playing solo TTRPGs, forgetting to sleep, or sleeping.
How Somnus Grey runs games
All my games use human-made artwork. AI-Generated content is not allowed at my game tables, including player character tokens. I love to bring the world to life with aesthetically interesting visuals and mood appropriate playlists. I prepare combat tracks for enemy types, ambience for environments, and voice changers for more monstrous individuals. I love allowing scenes to breathe. I take time to describe difficult travel scenes and let you understand the setting more. I let campfire scenes play out longer for player characters to quietly talk about the harrowing day they had and to let the 'smaller' actions be emphasised. These slower 'slice of life' scenes allow a stronger contrast to the visceral speed of dangerous combats or tense chases. I love combat! I emphasise its tactical nature with dynamic terrain, shifting goals, hard to make choices, and varied enemy types. Let's get equally excited and afraid when initiative begins! I love roleplaying out social interactions with NPCsâbe it during town shopping and exploration, or even during combat when they are swearing at you to surrender. I give characters motivations, secrets, and histories that direct their personalities. You are meant to hate some and love othersâmaybe even fall in love. I prefer Situations not Plots. If I'm not running a pre-made adventureâthere is no scriptâyou freely make the choices. The story you find and create together comes from how you interact with a situation. How does it get resolved? What did it cost? What situations develop from your decision? I believe using our improvisational skills to interpret the chaos of the dice fuels creativity. When a dice is used to foretell and speak truths, it is breathed into the world and massaged to comfortably fit.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
the interactions of the player characters between each other, other NPCs, and the world. Sometimes sessions are often only about a few roleplay scenes. Some that may be tense, but more than likely its just building on relationships. Other times, this happens between and around one or two combats.
Rules are...
here so we can play a game and enjoy the fun in the rules. I generally follow the rules but sometimes they stop an intended vibe, so I may omit or use as guidelines - eventually I may search for a different game to use. If we can't remember a rule, we make a quick decision, move on, and check after.
When it comes to voices
I love using them, even if they aren't all great! Some characters may be more 'plain' while others may emphasise speed, loudness, or an accent if I want to test myself. Speaking across the room for far away characters is always fun. Reverb filters for monsters and dreams is a great spice to use.
Somnus Grey's ideal table
Accepting of the đ world we live in and knowing it'll be reflected in our game worlds too! I love my tactical combat with decision making but I also love spending whole sessions with players interacting with NPCs or each other. Players that like to lean on both sides will match well, no matter the game system. Understanding that this is just a game. Sometimes characters die. Sometimes a decision didn't get you the desired outcome. Lets have fun immersing outselves in a fictional world - laughing about it during and out of the game. Understanding that this is a social gathering. There will be chatter before games, during the breaks, and post games. The discord channel for the campaign doesn't have to only be for game discussion - some people may play videogames together! Chilling, hanging out, and vibing at the table is what I hope to maintain.
Featured Prompts
I think it's a red flag when players...
dictate what other players should do. It doesn't matter if this is a tactical teamwork combat game or if this political social scene will have massive ramifications. If its been established that suggestions are fine or they ask - hell yeah - lets have an in-or-out of game discussion.
I think metagaming...
is fine when used to aid the intended vibe of the situation or to clarify GM or Player decisions! Players should be allowed to say what their characters might be secretly thinking or doing without fear that other players will immediately 'cut the fun' by acting like their character knows this now.
My table is not the place for...
roleplaying 'its what my character would do' moments that harm the fun of the table, for example: killing non-combatant NPCs, uncalled for hazing, and undiscussed player-vs-player situations. When such scenes feel like they're about to happen we must okay it or decide something else.
Somnus Grey's Preferences
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