Joe (he/him)
5.0
(8)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Rule of Cool
About me
Hi, I'm GM Vio [Viowulf, Vio, Joe] By day I'm a scientist (Nerd), by night I'm a GM (Geek). I'm also a husband, dad, and a combat veteran if we want to use identity tags. I've been playing tabletop games since AD&D 2nd edition. As a player I have enjoyed playing Pathfinder 1st and 2nd edition, Delta Green, Starfinder, and D&D 5e. Since the big COVID world event I've really embraced the GM opportunity, finding that I really enjoy running games as a GM even more than playing. As a GM the system I found I like running best has been D&D 5e as it feels the most natural, simple, and welcoming system for so many friends that haven't played before. I love the escape from the real world that role playing provides and especially thrive sharing it with new players. The favorite thing I try to bring into my games would be pulling from the player characters personal narratives, so that the team feels; as a collaborative, they are the main characters brought together by fate, and not just the person passing by who picked up a sword. I've run a variety of short stories and a couple campaigns. My player base has spanned a strong range of personalities being both children and adult, family, friends, coworkers, and strangers. I've run games both in person and through Discord with Roll20. May the dice ever be in your favor.
GM Style
I try to share session focus equally between roleplay and dungeon crawl. In roleplay I try to commit to memorable characters the team will want to interact with who have their own motivations and stories. Within combat I desperately turn the focus away from perfect tactics and try to embrace the emotion, intent, and intelligence of the foes. I like the 'default to yes' rule [from Justin Alexander]. The easiest ruling for a GM to make is 'No'. When you use 'No', everything is simple: There are no complications. No consequences. You don't create anything. 'Yes' moves action forward and creates new situations for us as a team to respond to. I enjoy using maps to set a theatrical background, be it world or battle maps. I try to find a way to incorporate some dungeon crawl into most the games. I think failure is just as enjoyable as success, and our shared stories aren't just about winning the game. Most importantly I want everyone to roll dice and enjoy playing.
Games played
Game Master Reviews (8)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Teacher
Rule of Cool
Mike G
I played in a long term campaign ran by Joe based on the classic ADnD adventure: Night Below. Joe does an excellent job bringing the setting alive with creative interactions with npcs and evocative environments. He understands proper pacing to keep the campaign moving while also leaving the players room for character growth. Even though it was based on a prewritten adventure if never felt that way. Joe came prepared to play on time each week. He is fair when it comes to the rules, but knows when to set them aside. Over all it was one of my favorite campaigns to play in and I would definitely recommend Joe as Game Master.
Ralerin
Joe introduced me to D&D and I have been hooked on the game ever since. As a GM, he ran a handful of one-shots to teach me and other mutual friends the basics of the game. This lead to playing in more than one campaign. Joe has always been helpful with learning the ins and outs of the game. He has been very passionate and creative with the stories and worlds he’s created for our characters to adventure through. I would recommend Joe to anyone looking to have a fun D&D session with a GM who is easy to befriend and be creative with.
Digital D
In every campaign that I've played with Joe I've had "THAT" moment. Some of you know the one I'm talking about. It's that moment where your character gets the chance to truly shine. The kind of moment you tell your friends about years after the game has ended. THAT moment. The moment you play the game for. If you know, you know and if you don't know, well, give Joe a chance and find out! 😀
Yitheni
Joe is a very knowledgeable DM who pulls from years of experience to create a fun and challenging setting to play in. He communicates well and is receptive to player input/suggestions.
Chamista
So far I’ve only played a two-shot with Joe as my DM. With any luck, that will change! Joe is phenomenal!! He has such a talent for story telling and role play and wrote an incredibly well balanced and interesting two-shot that allowed for player creativity and fun without things going off the rails. His timing is also great, with our two sessions finishing exactly when he said they would. He was able to work seamlessly with seasoned players and newbies alike, making sure everyone knew what was going on without holding people’s hands. Of the 6-7 DM’s I’ve played with, Joe is hands down one of the best! I can’t recommend him enough.
Chiz
Joe is an incredibly dedicated game master. He ran the Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign for my group, along with several one-shots, using 5th Edition D&D. Each session was four hours or more, and not once did he arrive unprepared. There was never a moment that the game was brought to a halt as he did an unbelievable amount of research and arrangement ahead of time. He fosters an atmosphere ripe for character development, beginning each of our sessions with a period of where the players are encouraged to provide interesting facts or background information about their character. He takes detailed notes and incorporates elements of your character's background into the story in thrilling and shock-inducing ways. Most of all, he has improvisational skills that allow him to weave a scene out of any curveballs you throw at him. He is a master storyteller and ensures all at the table are involved. He's great at spreading the wealth when it comes to player involvement. He is also very open to ensuring players are comfortable with the subject matter. He is dedicated to inclusivity and player welfare. When I started playing with Joe, I was pretty new to TTRPGs. He was very patient and walked me through the rules. If you are looking for a Game Master who is all of the above and more, I cannot recommend Joe enough. Every session was a blast.
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