Tim

How Tim runs games

I tend to run very cinematic games that are nonetheless grounded, taking the characters and their emerging stories seriously, yet still making room for wit and whimsy. I encourage players to know their characters both on and off the character sheet, and enjoy when they get creative and surprise me. New players are usually welcome and we'll learn what your character can do together. I believe in The Rule of Cool. I love roleplay and drama, but won't digress into tedium (you can share tales by the fire, or flirt with the winsome elf at court, but you'll never spend an entire session haggling with a shopkeep). You'll meet NPCs with depth and personality, some of whom will become vital participants in your stories. This includes the monsters, who have their own behaviors/personalities, motivations/goals, strategy/tactics, and may even occasionally bear grudges. The tone of our adventures will vary, ranging from comedic to swashbuckling to heartbreaking to high drama. I will lean into horror fairly often as I feel monsters shouldn't just be things you fight, they should be terrifying. And dungeons? You know how scary it is to go in a dark hole in the ground knowing there are unknown monstrosities waiting within? Things will get dark sometimes, and I pull few punches. Unless the description says otherwise, my games are meant for mature folks. If it could happen in a grown-up novel or movie, it might happen in my game. That said, I'm not a jerk. I'm not going to put your characters into insensitive or inappropriate circumstances. Bad things can and will happen, that's the nature of drama. "Mistreat your heroes" is the first rule of compelling fiction, and my goal is to challenge your heroes in and out of battle. Fear not, though, it's not going to be unending misery. I'll never lose sight of the fact that we're here to have FUN. I play mostly by the book, but occasionally change rules if I think the change will help the game. Rule Zero applies: the DM decides. One thing I will often change is any rule I feel limits dramatic possibilities. For instance, abilities that "always" succeed or "never" fail will "nearly always" succeed or "almost never" fail in our games. It's very impressive that your ranger nearly always finds the way... but it's great story when he misses something and leads you into a haunted swamp. Everybody falters sometimes. But in my games, dark as they may occasionally be, everybody also gets their chance to shine. Let's play.

Systems

Platforms