Chris Stagno

he/him

5.0

(10)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Identity

Game Designer

About Chris Stagno

I am a long running GM who facilitates game experiences across the spectrum, having played and run over a fifty different game systems. I manage a long standing (6 years!) online community where like minded gamers can come together in a safe space to experience fun and comradery at the table.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Beginner Friendly

$25 per session

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I ran my first game...

Shortly after the Pandemic started - with other hobbies of mine upended I wanted to find a way to keep my friends together while still doing something gaming and fun

My favorite shows/movies are

Ghostbusters, Breaking Bad, Cowboy Bebop, Lord of the Rings, Aliens, Howl's Moving Castle

My favorite system of all Time is

Dungeon Crawl Classics - there is so much variability and you never know what's going to happen. It also reframes games to provide much more of a risk-reward to dungeon delving that I find is not present in more trad designed amalgams. For fun at the table, Dungeon Crawl Classics is my #1

How Chris Stagno runs games

I embrace the philosophy of "play to find out" and you'll find my games are all about what happens at the table, and how that drives the game or narrative forward from there. Expect high highs and low lows as your choices reverberate throughout play. I look to center everything we do within the fiction, and go from there, no matter the system we're playing. I specialize in non D&D systems, so if you're looking for something different, you've found the right place.

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I prep by

Considering beats and what is likely to happen based on the activity from a previous session, but I always treat it as guidelines. No matter what system I am running, player choices and agency is what matters most to making sure the emergent narrative is one we'll all look back on fondly.

Rules are...

Important as a framework that brings out the vibes and limitations of a game, however I think that the fiction is always king, and am happy to be sold on ideas outside the periphery if they will make great moments at the table.

When it comes to voices

I do like to do them! I am better at some than others (I am certainly no professional in this regard) but I find that this plus mannerisms helps me to better convey without words what kind of character the players are interacting with.

Chris Stagno's ideal table

My ideal table consists of players who are: - Engaged and present during game time at the table - Appreciate a good joke - Want to play to find out - Lead with the fiction I am generally a pretty chill GM, and I am always down to take moments at the table to discuss and further the narrative we're telling together. I embrace the spirit of collaboration, in that I want everyone to help prop each other up so that we elevate what we're doing to be the most fun for everyone.

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I am for a vibe that's...

In line with the system and narrative we're trying to tell. I treat game systems like a sommelier treats wine, I think that they are all good at doing something and should be brought out when the time is right.

I love it when a player

Embraces their characters fears, weakpoints and insecurities. I think this opens up opportunities for emotional depth when the going gets tough, and makes it all that much sweeter if they are able to overcome them.

My table is not the place for...

DIsrespect, of myself or any other players. Everyone is here to have a good time, and has planned time out of busy adult days to do so. Nobody should feel made to feel less than, disrespected, or worse during game time.