Steve Marchion

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Teacher/Educator

About Steve Marchion

Hello, I am a late forties wizard who has been playing DnD for over two decades. The first game I ran was a 3.0 homegrown for the owner of my LGS. Since then I've run games using 3.5, Pathfinder, 5e, and Deadlands. I currently play Pathfinder, Pathfinder 2e, and DnD 5e weekly. We rotate through DMs in the PF groups, and I'm the typical DM for the 5e group. We are currently in my homebrew world in an original campaign. I also have run 5E at PAX Unplugged for TRI and BMG every year except 2024.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Knows the Rules

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I got started GMing...

When I first went into my LGS to buy the 3.0 DMG one of the owners asked if I'd like to run a game. I jumped at the opportunity. Since then I have learned every system I've played by GMing before getting to play much.

People are always surprised when I tell them

I am on a Gossip Girl podcast.

When I'm not running games I'm...

I'm a musician and entertainer. You can find me on Spotify, TikTok, Insta and all that stuff.

How Steve Marchion runs games

My all about having fun while keeping players on the edge of their seat. My adventures feature a living world where nothing happens in a vacuum. My encounters range in design from tactical scenarios that require creative thinking to damage spamming knock down drag out fights. I like to put players in scenarios that challenge their characters' values. The bad guys arent always who they seem and sometimes heroes do the wrong thing. My NPCs often have distinct character voices. My players interactions with PCs and their environment has lasting consequences that reshape the world. My degree of crunchiness varies by system and group. I tend to rules lawyer PF 1e more than 5e because the former assumes you need a rule to do something and the later assumes you can do something unless theres a rule for it.

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I deal with rules issues by...

I will make a ruling in the moment but open it up for discussion after the game. Unless it is something important to get 100% right, I find it best not to slow down game time. Having said that, I find part of the fun in PF1e is dissecting and analyzing the rules when appropriate.

Rules are...

An important chassis to hold a consistent game. Some games like Pathfinder 1e require a deep understanding of the rules to maximize the experience for everyone playing. The 5e and 2024 rules tend to be a bit lighter allowing more room for GM fiat.

When it comes to voices

I love creating character voices. I also will use nondescript accents because a) I'm not great with accents and b) it's a fantasy world and accents can sound however we want them to.

Steve Marchion's ideal table

My ideal players come to the table looking to tell a collaborative story. My style tends to test character values and forces some hard decisions. I find players who have a firm understanding of their character's rules are better equipped to play in this environment. Having a party dynamic that allows each player to have specialties and shine in different moments can make the game more special to everyone at the table; therefore, I prefer players who trust and rely on their party while also contributing to their success.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Gives me ideas for NPCs and encounters without knowing it.

I think metagaming...

Can interrupt the emersion if not fully compartmentalized.

I think min/maxing...

Can be a lot of fun. Min/Maxing really cultivates specialist characters that share the party responsibilities. It's also important to explain those build choices with rich character background.