Vex (he/they)
4.7
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Knows the Rules, Creativity
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
I've been running games for about 12 years at this point. I've always enjoyed making stories with my players and watching them explore their characters and the worlds we imagine. I try to lean more towards homebrew stories as I prefer to make something unique for each group, and it also allows multiple groups with the same players to have something new each time. I lean much more onto the narrative side of things, figuring out enemies' motivations as well as giving my players and their characters stories and choices that make sense for them. High fantasy is my preference for storytelling but I've been known to dabble in the steam/magic-punk side of things. I have tried a lot of different styles as I've ran and I find the most important thing for starting any game is a Session 0 to make sure everyone is on the same page and we all know what we want. I don't throw people into a game with no warning so I'm very open to new players and always willing to help people get themselves or their friends into the hobby!
GM Style
I always emphasize roleplay, but keep in mind that we are all here to play the game together, to dice rolls can hold as much weight as a well-thought-out plan. I always try to arm my players with all they need for an adventure, and in addition, I have them roll their stats very leniently and give the maximum hitpoints when I can. I want everyone to have their high fantasy story and to be able to be a hero if they feel they need to. I'm not very good at voices but I try to supplement that by keeping track of the impressions characters make on those around them and letting them know their actions aren't happening in a vacuum. My most important tool is a good Session 0, making sure everyone is on the same page and knows who they're playing with and what we're all doing together makes for a good foundation that any campaign can be built upon. As for visual style I'm fond of using Roll20, the tools and UI have been very good to me as they've grown over the years and the ability to modify things when needed is very useful. I love getting a good map and making little random maps to use for my groups' encounters. I do enjoy using a music player for discord calls to try and set a fantasy mood, or a good battle song if things are intense.
Games played
Game platforms used
Vex's Games
![D&D5e Midgardian Sagas [Player-Driven][Open World][🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspg-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com%2F4971a9ff-8726-421e-a0e7-9597d66da760&w=3840&q=75)
Game Master Reviews (7)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Knows the Rules
Creativity
William Drennan
he runs a tight ship and a good game. i have enjoyed all of his games i have played, even when his dice luck is super good.
Billy-Paul
Met Vex at a local gaming store. His games are often humorous, fair, and on more than one occasion shows his knowledge of the game.
timberwolfbrother
A knowledgeable DM with difficult encounters that encourages strategic play. Homebrews unique mechanics that make the experience feel more personal.
Slaryn
I met Vex in university and had the joy of playing with them over the years in several campaigns-- both long term and short term. Some highlights: - Vex really encourages character development, and builds your character with you at the beginning of the campaign. - He helps you to develop your character at the beginning of the game so that you end up with a character to play long term. - He's willing to be flexible with character creation, and he factors the character backstories into the overall game. - Vex's regular setting is a well developed but concise world that isn't just standard Faerun, but is really intuitive to pick up. - They encourage player agency but still provide some direction for the game. - His games are well paced. - Vex has limited tolerance for player bullshit - there are consequences for people who just want to come in and kill a bunch of NPCs without engaging with the story or with people who pull racist nonsense. Overall I'd highly recommend playing with them-- some of my most cherished D&D memories come from his campaigns!
SerLizar
Disclaimer: This review is based on my experiences with Vex as a GM in person. Vex is rather skilled at weaving player character back story elements and goals into the campaign. He is great at balancing the amount of combat and role-play around the preferences of the group. The combats tend to be on the difficult side, so each one will feel quite satisfying. If you want to resolve things through role-play he allows for creative solutions and big impacts on the story from player choices (I managed to get the assistance of a BBEG to deal with another one).
Cast Iron Comics
Having played with this GM through multiple various games, I can say they are great at having a good mix of various things to explore in game and a good amount of material for games. Encounters are very well balanced yet challenging, allowing a player to get invested in the combat.
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