Drew
he/him
5.0
(11)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Drew
Hello! I'm Drew, a professional game designer and Dungeon Master with a passion for creating games that make players feel feelings. Triumph should feel earned. Danger should feel dangerous. Characters should form relationships you genuinely care about, face consequences that matter, and occasionally find themselves in situations they'll still be talking about months later. Whether you're brand new to tabletop RPGs or returning after years away, I take special care to make the game approachable, comfortable, and rewarding. You don't need to know every rule or build the perfect character, just be willing to play your character and engage with the world. My games are built around lived in, reactive worlds. NPCs remember how you treated them. Allies have lives and ambitions of their own. Enemies adapt to that annoying spell you always throw at them. Decisions create consequences, sometimes long after you've forgotten you made them. If you're looking for emotionally driven storytelling, meaningful roleplaying, memorable characters, and a campaign where your choices genuinely shape what happens next, you'll feel at home at my table.
At a glance
1 year on StartPlaying
21 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Beginner Friendly, Inclusive
$34 per session
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I was disappointed by a paid GM experience as a player, and swore an oath to provide great tabletop gaming experiences. In that process I discovered several things: 1) My design background lends itself well to TTRPGs 2) I love doing it 3) Spite is an effective motivator
My favorite books are
LOTR , The Witcher, ASOIAF
People are always surprised when I tell them
I sang at a Karoke bar with a former cast member from Glee. I'll tell you which one during a session if you ask!
How Drew runs games
I focus on delivering immersion, emotional storytelling, meaningful roleplay, and a world that reacts believably to what players do. NPCs are one of the most important tools I use to create that experience. I want them to feel like people rather than quest markers or information dispensers. They have motivations, relationships, prejudices, ambitions, and problems of their own. Some will love you, some will hate you, and some may change their minds depending on what you do. I approach the rules from a fiction-first perspective. TTRPGs at their core are about collaborative storytelling, so I won't allow the rulebook to get in the way of a great moment when a reasonable ruling makes more sense. At the same time, actions have logical consequences. If you fire an arrow into a chaotic melee, fail a dangerous climb, insult someone powerful, or attempt something reckless, the outcome may be more interesting than “nothing happens.” I use the circumstances of the scene to decide what makes sense, and I apply those rulings consistently. My goal isn't to punish players, I just believe that immersive worlds include failure and chaos, and failure and chaos make for great stories. I also put a lot of effort into understanding what each player actually wants from the game. If you've written a detailed backstory and want opportunities to explore it, I'll look for ways to weave it naturally into the campaign. If you love tactical combat, I'll make sure there are satisfying encounters where your character can shine. If you're still learning how comfortable you are with roleplaying, I'll give you room to find your footing without putting you unnecessarily on the spot. My background in game design strongly influences how I run a table. I don't believe every player needs to enjoy the game for exactly the same reasons. My job is to understand what makes the experience exciting for you and find ways for those different playstyles to coexist. Expect immersion, emotional storytelling, reactive characters, meaningful consequences, world simulation, and a game designed around the people sitting at the table
Featured Prompts
I once ran a session...
Where the players killed the big bad during the first round of combat. I thought they were going to be disappointed (I was!), but they saw it as a glorious triumph and a demonstration of their insanely good prowess. This was early in my DM career and it taught me to embrace chaos
I prep by
reviewing all of the goals, values, and motivations of the NPCs the players may run into, and give that NPC a schedule that fits. I also review any choices or actions the players took that operate in support or in contrast to those NPCs, and consider what that NPC might do about it
My games focus on...
Characters, emotions, consequences (good and bad), roleplay, and impactful storytelling
Drew's ideal table
My ideal table consists of people that value storytelling and characters over min-maxing and rules. Players who enjoy roleplaying, taking creative risks, and living in a characters shoes, will feel especially home at my table. You don't need to be a trained actor or arrive with a five page backstory, but a willingness to engage with the world, the NPCs, and the other characters goes a long way. I especially enjoy players who share the storytelling burden. People willing to occasionally step into the spotlight, make a bold choice, pursue something their character cares about, or suggest a path forward that I never anticipated. Some of the best moments at my tables come from players taking the story somewhere neither of us expected. Loving the spotlight is by no means a requirement, quieter players are just as welcome. What matters most is being willing to riff off of myself and other players, support each others moments, and make your mark on the world we create together. The vibe at my table is immersive and character-focused, but not relentlessly serious. There is plenty of room for jokes, ridiculous plans, questionable accents, and moments of complete chaos. When the story gets serious, though, I like giving those moments enough space to matter. If you enjoy becoming invested in your character, caring about the people around them, and discovering where the story goes rather than trying to “win” the game, you'll probably fit in very well at my table.
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
Emotionally-driven storytelling, character arcs, character motivations, and embracing the occasional bad dice roll
I love it when a player
Is very excited to roleplay! If we can let go of the table, and fully immerse ourselves into our characters, I love to see players put on their character's shoes and walk around in them
I think min/maxing...
Is not well-suited for the types of games that I run. Mistakes, chaos, and bad rolls can make for great stories, and I ask that my players embrace the emotions that come with "failure". Reject optimization, embrace roleplay
Drew's Preferences
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