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The Chronicler

The Chronicler (he/they)

5.0

(12)

Streamer
Asian
Neurodivergent
Published Writer
Teacher/Educator
Game Designer

3 years on StartPlaying

6 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Teacher

About me

Characters are what make a story come to life. Without them, the world is just a setting with no moving plot. I put the central focus of my storytelling on the drives and desires of the player characters and the NPCs I run, in order to tell the story from the ground-up based on their interactions and conflicts of interest. I started running game in 2002, playing AD&D (2nd edition) with friends in a Haggen's food court. Since then, I've run everything from White Wolf to Dark Heresy to Savage Worlds, always looking for new mediums to tell stories through. I've even made a couple homebrew systems and subsystems of my own! I almost always write my own stories and campaigns, but will sometimes run pregenerated adventures to stay current on trends and new GMing techniques. I also make custom campaigns for birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, etc. If you want me to make you something special, just reach out to me and we can talk details.

GM Style

A well-rounded style that focuses on interactions between players and the world around them. Expect a sense of realism and danger, balanced by fairness and player autonomy. Your actions will affect the world, and may sometimes have unintended consequences... I weave foreshadowing, symbolism, and other indirect methods of storytelling into the characters and plot, so if you sense I'm hinting at another level of depth, dive in! There are usually 'Easter Eggs' for inquisitive or attentive players that allow parties nonviolent or creative ways to solve problems. Expect creatures to behave realistically, including in combat. Guards subdue and interrogate, beasts run when injured, bandits run when they lose the upper hand, mind flayers and zombies eat brains, etc.

Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (12)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Storytelling

Creativity

Teacher

Harrison  avatar

Harrison

Played 3 sessions

I recently played in a fantastic six-session D&D adventure hosted by The Chronicler. The story centered on escorting the last owlbear through a land ravaged by industrialization, a theme that set the stage for an adventure full of danger, emotion, and hard choices. The Chronicler did an incredible job of immersing us in a world where nature was struggling against the encroaching reach of industry. Each area we traversed felt vivid and full of life—or, in some cases, the haunting lack of it. The grasslands were teeming with large, primal beasts that tested our party's strength and creativity. The desolate landscape, home to terrifying manticores and chimeras, presented survival challenges that kept us on edge. Finally, Nap’s Pass, where wyverns ruled the skies, made for a heart-pounding climax that pushed us to our limits. What really stood out was the DM's skill in setting the scene and creating a rich atmosphere. Every encounter was thoughtfully crafted, and the scenarios challenged us not only in combat but also in our decision-making. We were often presented with multiple solutions to a problem, which allowed us to explore our characters’ abilities and the narrative in ways that felt rewarding and meaningful. Overall, the adventure was a thrilling experience, thanks to The Chronicler's storytelling and game design and creative NPC's. I highly recommend joining one of their campaigns if you get the chance.

Megan avatar

Megan

Played 2 sessions

Looking for a dynamic and engaging story? You've found the right GM! The Chronicler is a masterful storyteller and dream weaver, truly bringing this medium of cooperative storytelling to life. Player actions and decisions matter, and at his table you really can change the world through interacting with it. Hero or villain, you can expect a deep and satisfying experience with the world and other people in it. I have seen Chronicler run a gamut of different games and playstyles, from slice-of-life to large-scale epic battles, from homebrew worlds to standard D&D to sci-fi spacefaring adventures, with campaigns ranging from a single session to years-long campaigns. His ability to weave a compelling story with character buy-in makes any setting enjoyable. The Chronicler has lots of experience with D&D 5e along with other gaming systems. This wealth of knowledge keeps game moving along quickly, and allows each character to shine within their build and abilities. As a woman, I often have trouble settling in at game tables and being comfortable. The Chronicler has a lot of experience with diverse tables and inclusive groups. He is adept at putting himself in other people's shoes and steering game away from uncomfortable areas while still sometimes tackling challenging social issues. My favorite game with The Chronicler (so far), I played as a male Boros Skyknight in the Ravnica setting, to explore the ultra-masculine military world through the lens of fiction. It was a great chance to address real-world mindsets, and learn more about ourselves and how to approach others through a safe environment at the table. (Plus the aerial combat was pretty awesome.) 10/10 Would play again. TL:DR: Chon is a great storyteller, adept at reading the table and tailoring the story to the players while applying the setting and rules to create a seamless roleplay experience.

Ivelios avatar

Ivelios

Played 1 sessions

Good at making original content and adjusting d and d to match a variety of different stories.

Not Mz avatar

Not Mz

the story and how we planed what we were gonna be doing all in general it was fun time would do it again

Kyle avatar

Kyle

He is a great, creative, and energetic DM/GM. Very open to unique ways of thinking and has the best interest of the setting in mind while helping everyone get to the same page.

Juliette avatar

Juliette

The Chronicler is a great GM, he makes every session fun and brings all the characters to life. He makes great voices for the NPC's. He ran a one-shot campaign for my birthday that was mixed with the Hobbit and Sherlock Holmes, the story was well-formed and flowed easily. The enemies were very fun to defeat. The Ravnica campaign he ran for almost 2 years was also great, he never made a player feel left out and made sure to go back and forth between characters during each session so every character had time to play their characters and develop their characters story.

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