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Urban Arcane Games

Urban Arcane Games (he/him)

5.0

(6)

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Knows the Rules

About me

Hi I'm Craig at Urban Arcane Games based in (sometimes) sunny Scotland! I started playing TTRPG back in the ancient times of 1989 and was made GM not long after. I moved from an interesting pre teen interpretation of Runequest onto warhammer fantasy roleplay 1st edition which we sorta read the rules this time, I then moved on to D&D red box and later AD&D in my later teens and been hooked ever since. I discovered the World of Darkness during the '90s and fell deeply into vampire the masquerade and the other game settings. All this gave me the sense of creating stories and improvisation rather than hard rules as written. I totally welcome beginner players and look to make every player feel welcome at my virtual table. Also as a native Scot enjoy the accent!

GM Style

Relaxed, I tend to read the room and switch up the action to roleplaying and back again in regards to how the players are enjoying it at the time. I do deploy the rules as written when it is PvP and explain consequences of your actions taken. I prefer to tell/create a joint story with the players and don't punish for poor choices they can make great stories - "Fail Forward".

Social
Game Master Reviews (6)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Creativity

Teacher

Knows the Rules

Dave avatar

Dave

After delving into multiplayer board games with friends, I thought giving RPG a go and went along to play Hadleys Last Hope, hosted by Craig. Although nervous and unsure at the start, Craig as the GM made sure to explain the game mechanics thoroughly and gave an immersive introduction into the game. Playing through the game with our team, the character dynamics affecting our decisions, with Craig watching over us, playing off our actions and reactions, adding twists and turns, really made the experience fantastic. Truly feeling that you are worried what awaits around the next corner (or peeking from a nearby vent), makes the game even more fun. I had an awesome time and will definitely be returning!

Matt Hay avatar

Matt Hay

I've used Craig as a GM for years. I really enjoy his campaigns. We've done Vampire, Hunter, Alien and various other systems. What I love about Craig is the balance between letting us do our thing and progressing the story. Every session is fun and his quote book is legendary. I believe our group hold the record for the Alien pre-gen campaign for survival. I think that was more luck than anything. He also let me create my Zombie Fishing Team, which was legendary. Zombie Fishing is a great sport.

Qarrian avatar

Qarrian

Top notch! Knows the rules, which is important, but more importantly crafts stories that you want to be a part of and can't wait for the next episode. If you're a new player, your character will get as much time to shine as more experienced "old hands".

Scott McLaren avatar

Scott McLaren

I've played a few game systems with Urban Arcane Games GM. With each new system they go over the rules and talk you through how to use your skills/stats for each time they are used; Each encounter/scenario is explained and if it is PVE/PvP then the outcome of each of your actions are asked and the outcome then determined blending the application of the rules system with a more descriptive style rather than just a straight forward "you hit, you missed". This also means that if a player or group comes up with a completley outlandish or chaotic approach to a problem then the GM will help work out what rules to apply or modify to help achieve the desired outcome where possible and then lets the players actions drive the outcome of the story rather than driving them directly towards a pre ordained outcome. This also means that the players will have to deal with the consequences of any actions they take as they will be woven into the game, especially if it runs for more than one session.

Chris Llewellyn avatar

Chris Llewellyn

I have played the alien game with urban arcane games. I had no idea what was happening but my batshit lunacy was herded and corralled into a meaningful gaming experience. Overall fun was had by all! Would I play again? Yes I would and I may even try contain my tears of joy at surviving my first contact with the alien. However my player ultimately sacrificed himself for the greater good only to have no one survive (thumbs down for that). just go and play you may just have fun.

Andy Perry avatar

Andy Perry

When he ran my game it was easy to understand what was going on and what to do (new system I hadn’t played). Very inclusive and supportive.

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