Tacitus

he/they

5.0

(2)

Timezone

Etc/gmt

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Disabled

Neurodivergent

About Tacitus

Scottish GM. Night owl. Horror master. Forever thinking of cool D&D ideas. I have been writing creatively since I was a bairn, and it seems almost natural that it would eventually evolve into the role of a GM. My writing is eloquent and accessible due to years of story writing (and university helped too I guess) so I enjoy adding my own spin to official modules. LGTBQA+ friendly. I myself am non-binary so my games are a safe space for people who may be anxious about their gender expression/identity. I will not accept any form of bigotry, sexism, homophobia or transphobia at my table, both in game and at the table. Not only will you be getting a wee dram of an authentic Scottish accent but you'll also find yourself with a GM that has almost every official D&D book on offer but their own collection of homebrew classes and races written and created by yours truly. An expert at weaving personal story quests for players as well as impromptu moments that come in the chaos of the game, you'll never know what was intentional and what was pulled up out of a sheer panic from players completely derailing the story. Fun all around! Please note - I run D&D 5e 2014 edition, not the 2024 edition.

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

1 games hosted

Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Creativity, Rule of Cool

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

When the GM of my long term group moved on and none of the other players felt confident in taking up the seat. I had been creatively writing for many years prior, so story telling was right up my ally. Little did I know how much I would come to enjoy GMing, and telling stories to an audience.

People are always surprised when I tell them

I was selectively mute as a child. The joys of being an undiagnosed neurodivergent!

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

Being a freelance writer, shiny hunting Pokémon and working as a dog trainer.

How Tacitus runs games

A definite lean towards roleplay, but exploration and combat are not forgotten or neglected. I enjoy giving players a chance to try and figure unorthodox methods around puzzles and other issues, while being subtle about dropping hints when the party is stuck. The best way I often use to describe my DM style is explaining it like this: as the DM I am the party's biggest fan. I am there to facilitate your story, lead you towards your goals, help your character grow and develop. Although character deaths may happen (albeit mercifully rare), I am not an adversarial DM that views the game as me vs. the party. It's not a competition between myself and the party, and it the game should not be treated as such.

Featured Prompts

My favorite trope is...

Rule of Symbolism. I absolutely love symbolism and hidden meanings in things, which will often be present in my naming conventions or how a story might progress.

My games focus on...

Character development. Especially traumatic or emotionally painful events that can not only be a catalyst for your character's primary objective but also cathartic as a player to experience.

Rules are...

There to guide and keep players safe, but are not necessarily set in stone - at least most of them. Often times I'll use the 'rule of cool' if something you're trying to do doesn't exist in the game or goes against its mechanics, especially if it's something out of the box and ingenious.

Tacitus's ideal table

My table are primarily based around character interactions and choices. I like to play my characters with logic behind them - rather than acting like Elder Scrolls NPCs there'll be some level of realism to it. Most commoners (and even nobles) are just ordinary people trying to get on with their lives, rather than blank automatons to be abused. Character voices are not necessary, but I might add a splash of an accent or two for prominent characters. The same is expected of the party - don't come in with the expectations that I'm the next Matt Mercer, and I won't come to the table with the expectations of having a table full of actors. Whatever level of 'acting' you are comfortable with, even if it's super minimal, is welcome!

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Interacts with world lore, or creates a backstory with clear character intentions/goals, a couple of DM hooks, maybe an NPC or two, and a willingness to alter some things when/if asked.

I think it's a red flag when players...

Try to include their sexual fantasies/kinks into the game through any means necessary.

My table is not the place for...

Super sweaty munchkins, min/maxers, murder hobos, chaos goblins, meme characters, or players who can only crack jokes and nothing else.