TravOfAllTrades

he/they

5.0

(11)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

About TravOfAllTrades

Hello! My name is Travis (he/they), and I have a whopping 15 years of experience running games of Dungeons & Dragons across a variety of editions, timespans, and settings. I have spent most of my life just outside of Lake Geneva, WI, the birthplace of the game, and I fell in love it when I stumbled across a starter set at a local garage sale. The rest is history. I have a bachelor's degree in English with a certificate in creative writing, and I am attending classes to earn a master's degree and become a mental health counselor. As such, I run games to experience the joy of building rewarding narratives and creating memorable stories in a collaborative setting, but I also run games to offer others a safe and encouraging environment in which they can express and enjoy themselves.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

20 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Storytelling

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

after I stumbled upon a 3.5e starter set at my neighbor's garage sale! I was 12 years old, and had no understanding of the rich history of D&D nor its relationship to the town in which I lived, I just thought it looked fun. Turns out I was right! I've been hooked ever since.

My favorite books are

Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. I love compassionate heroes, diverse characters, personal journeys, epic fantasy, and dramatic action.

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

prepping games! I am an over-preparer, and I can't get enough of this hobby! When I'm not planning tabletop games, though, I'm usually exercising, reading, playing video games, or watching movies, shows, or YouTube content with my wife.

How TravOfAllTrades runs games

I tend to run fast-paced games with clear goals, direction, and stakes, and I like to weave these adventures in ways that keep the players and their characters close to the heart of the narrative. I value creative descriptions, expressive role-playing, and out-of-the-box tactical combat. My priorities are actively including everyone at the table and making sure that each player-character has their chance to shine. And I love to run games with diverse, open-minded players who strive to lift each other up and seek inspiration from each others' stories. I strongly value the humanist component of art and therefore will never use AI in any step of my creative process, including my TTRPG work. AI-generated content (such as a character portrait) isn't banned at my table, but it's not something I'm comfortable using myself.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

telling a great story while still leaning into the game-ified elements of the medium. I love rewarding character moments, lore drops, and roleplay, but I like to draw them out and dramatize them through a healthy mix of combat, exploration, social encounters, skill challenges, and puzzles.

Rules are...

a great foundation! Sticking to the rules as often as possible helps build meaningful stakes, and its limitations and boundaries can allow creativity to flourish in the most fascinating ways. That being said, when a specific rule is illogical or otherwise hindering fun at the table, I may modify it.