souldiver

he/him

4.9

(18)

Timezone

America/phoenix

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

About souldiver

I got into roleplaying games for the thrill of real stakes: a character I cared about could actually die, and something about that possibility made everything else matter more. From there I learned, through years of playing and running, how to fully inhabit a character rather than just pilot one. I run games to build worlds that feel lived-in, whether I’m running for one player or a whole table: NPCs with their own agendas, events that keep moving whether or not the characters are looking at them, and consequences that actually stick. I lean roleplay-forward and character-driven, with a particular love for horror, mystery, danger, difficult choices, and stories where relationships, loyalties, regrets, and ambitions carry as much weight as any dice roll. I run a rules-solid game, but I use the rules in service of the fiction rather than stopping the fiction to admire the rules. If you want a game where your character’s choices and attachments genuinely shape what happens next, come find me.

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

95 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Storytelling

$25 per session

Featured Prompts

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

GURPS 4e, Eclipse Phase, and B/X D&D. This is an appalling question and I resent being limited to three. Mage: The Ascension nearly makes the cut, although on a desert island I presumably control the dominant paradigm anyway.

How souldiver runs games

I run roleplay-forward, rules-solid games in worlds that keep moving around the characters. NPCs have goals, loyalties, blind spots, and agendas of their own, and I prefer preparing situations and pressures rather than scripting how the players are supposed to resolve them. Combat matters when it happens. I enjoy building encounters with terrain, choices, and real tactical consequences, but I don’t use combat simply to fill time; depending on the campaign, it may be central or relatively rare. I want danger to matter because the characters and what they care about matter. My pacing comes from contrast rather than constant action: quiet character scenes, investigation and uncertainty, mounting pressure, sudden danger, and time afterward for consequences to land. I know the rules and try to keep resolution quick; when something genuinely ambiguous comes up, I’d rather make a sensible ruling and keep the scene moving than stop everything for twenty minutes of research.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

…building people, pressures, places, and problems rather than scripting scenes in order. I usually know what the NPCs want and what happens if nobody interferes; then I let the players wreck my expectations.

My favorite trope is...

…the person who is telling you the truth, just not enough of it.

souldiver's ideal table

My table tends to work best with players who get invested in their characters, are curious about the world around them, and are willing to engage with other players rather than treating the game as a series of individual turns. You don't need to be an actor or a rules expert; enthusiasm, communication, and a willingness to make choices are much more important. The atmosphere is relaxed and conversational out of character, but I like the fiction itself to matter. There will be jokes and digressions--we're people playing a game--but when a scene gets serious, I appreciate players who are willing to let it be serious. I try to make room for everyone at the table, and I expect the same basic generosity from players: share the spotlight, respect other people's character choices, communicate if something isn't working, and show up ready to participate.

Featured Prompts

I am for a vibe that's...

…relaxed people playing serious games. We joke, digress, and laugh, but when a scene earns some weight, we let it have that weight.

I love it when a player

…gets invested enough to have opinions. Ask questions, care about NPCs, make plans, get attached to things, and make choices even when there isn’t an obviously correct one.

I think min/maxing...

...can be fun. I do it too. Build a character who’s really good at what they do; just leave room for everyone else to be really good at something too.