Derrick (he/they)
5.0
(39)
4 years on StartPlaying
495 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Storytelling
About me
I've been in love with TTRPG's since the first time I sat down to play with friends after school a good 10 years ago. That initial sense of freedom and wonder at being able to have a character do anything I set my mind to, to craft wonderful adventures with my friends on the fly has never left me. It’s become something I’ve wanted to share with anybody I get the chance to, pushing me to become a game master so I could make the perfect space for all of my other friends to get to have the same kind of wonderful experience I did when I first started playing tabletop games! After a decade of long spanning campaigns with my friends, and making new friends along the way I realized I’m never having more fun than when I see big smiles on all of my players' faces, or hearing them talk excitedly after a game. I realized it’s become more than just a hobby for me, it’s what I want to do in order to make a difference in the world and meet new people, and that’s what brought me here. With me you’ll find expansive and epic journeys with high stakes, fighting off magic masterminds of untold evil and befriending great dragons to aid you on your quest! You’ll find yourself filling the minds in our game world with your fame and your pockets with fortune on daring heists into a vampires magically protected castle! You might even find yourself in for something smaller scale, a silly romp at a tavern that has everybody bursting out laughing when one of your new friends does something completely unexpected and takes you along for the ride. No matter what sort of adventure it is that you want, I’ll enthusiastically give you the best place to set it into motion or find yourself sucked in. After all, I think everyone deserves the chance to create their own fantastic characters and make their own beautiful stories, and I'm always happy to help players - new or old - get the most out of their gaming experience. So if you need one on one help walk through making your very first character and crafting the perfect backstory, or if I’m talking with a veteran about nailing the *perfect* plot point right on the head to shock the rest of the party in a way that’s fun for everybody, know that you are in great and patient hands! So come on in and take a seat! Get friendly and tell me about this character you are cooking up so we can see what sort of adventures we can go on!
GM Style
I love running a good story that’s satisfying for the whole table, and making sure everyone gets their moment to shine every session while keeping a steady line of communication to ensure you are getting your money’s worth when you are in one of my games. One of the best ways to do this, I’ve found is utilizing a players backstory whenever I can! You can expect me to work with you on your backstory, expect me to ask questions and even offer you the chance at spoilers related to what I have planned for your character in case you would like a little forewarning to think about how they would react to what is coming up, or give me input on another direction you would like the story to go. Nothing puts a bigger grin on my face than seeing the barbarian finally track down the person they’’ve been seeking vengeance on during the whole campaign, or the wizard finally saving the person they cared for most. Those kind of moments are what I live for!. In my games, you can expect every combat to have a purpose. To establish the threat of existing within a forbidden land, alien and strange to the characters, as they attempt to journey past it. To make them feel powerful, as a horde of goblins that they once feared at the beginning of their adventure merely buckle before their might with how strong they are now. My combats can be a tense ebb and flow of strategy as you face off with the schemer who has been behind every trial you’ve faced so far, every bit of planning and preparation you’ve done crucial to landing the final blow on that campaign long villain. I never want a fight or action scene to feel forced, or like it wasn’t crucial to whatever it is that’s happening in the game. Everything you come across has a story and a reason for being there, and sometimes that means you might be able to talk your way past a tough fight if you’re clever enough! You’ll find you have a lot of fun in my games if you are a team player, excited to work with the others in your group to enhance their stories and looking to them to help enhance your own. Stay flexible, and open, and be willing to listen to others so that when it’s your time to shine you know everyone else will be absolutely enrapt in listening to you in your time of triumph or tragic, vulnerable moment. More than anything in the world I want to foster groups where my players can spend an hour of the session talking to each other in character, delving into each other's backstories and becoming closer as secrets are revealed and shared, and then talk for hours after the game about how much fun they had. If everything you just read gets your heart pumping with excitement to start rolling dice, then don’t be shy because you sound like the perfect player to me!
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (39)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Inclusive
Storytelling
I recently finished a 2+ years campaign with Derrick. An amazing experience to say the least. Fostering such a beautiful sense of community in us as players and making us all feel welcome and integral to the story. Very accommodating and open, while keeping our PC on their toes, with inventive plot and combat. 10/10 recommend.
Derrick creates a fun, inclusive, and expansive experience for their players! I’m new to the group, and we’re all new to Pathfinder, but Derrick makes sure at every session that we feel good about the choices we’ve made for our characters and learn a little bit more about the game as we embark on our adventures. It’s evident that Derrick has a passion and a talent for being a GM - not to mention the amount of work they clearly do between sessions to make everything run smoothly when we arrive. Derrick is also available between sessions to chat with us, to workshop ideas and backstories, and to explain any new rules changes that impact our game. In our sessions, Derrick is able to paint a rich, exciting fantasy world through visual aids, music, and descriptions. They also facilitate role play expertly, so that even our more introverted or quiet players have ample opportunity to jump in on the action. I can’t say enough great things about Derrick and I’m looking forward to continuing our game together!
Playing in a game run by Derrick has been such an incredible and life changing experience. Throughout the game I have felt nothing but support as I navigate the world of D&D mechanics and role play. As a queer individual, the community that has Derrick fostered has allowed me to be myself and participate in a way that feels genuine, safe, and authentic to my lived experience. Derrick's focus on player accessibility, team building, and fun has made playing D&D the best part of my week, every week. Their safety mechanics have made our game feel incredibly comfortable to engage with, and I know that if something ever came up, Derrick's open door policy would ensure that I as a player would be heard and respected. Their sense of humour always has me laughing, and making goof's during our campaign has always been encouraged and rewarded. His games utilize a variety of immersive tools such as forge-vtt, music, voice acting, and roleplay interactions and battles that leave you on the edge of your seat. Derrick is open to player feedback and allows you to co-create your experience within the game. Their attention to detail, genuine vibe, and creative energy make game experiences so much more enjoyable. I highly recommend playing in a campaign with Derrick, they are simply the best.
I played a one shot with Derrick. Even tho it was a freebie he came in well prepaired and one could tell a lot of effort went into prepairing the session. Derrick also spent a lot of time assisting players who had trouble creating characters prior to the session and was very patient during the session with explaining how the rules work etc. Personally I also enjoyed the fact that he made sure that every player got some time in the lime light if they wanted. Overall 10/10 experience, definitely would recomnend and Ill be on the look out myself for any campaigns that Derrick runs that fit my schedule.
Hmmm where can I start with Derrick the GM. I have been in over 100 sessions with this man. Four campaigns as a their player, two as a fellow player to play with and even had the opportunity to run a little session for as well. They bring such a good vibe to the table and a wicked sense of humor. Derrick is the one GM that will take any concern to heart and will always insure players fun and safety. If you have a heavy role play session they will check up after and make sure everyone involved is feeling alright with what happened or if emotions ran high they are there to make sure it is a safe to feel those feelings. They have some of the most dynamic maps I have seen that pull you right into the place and the music is all the more reason to forget that you are home on a computer. Character creation is one of the most fun a process can have besides playing the game and Derrick is there to bounce ideas off of and make sure you fit organically in the setting. Like your character was always meant to be there, and they can work with quite a bit or a little. I once gave this man a character concept and a vague backstory npc and maybe three other things that were reasons why they were so angsty. and he weaved such a beautiful story arc from it somehow. I am still baffled and impressed. The art they provide is great as well and tends to lend well to the setting of which ever campaign you are in. Yes they do, do voices and yes sometimes it makes everyone at the table laugh but that is definitely part of the charm. They create rich beautiful stories from modules, that honestly are this weird gorgeous hybrid that fills in a lot where the WOC left blank or unanswered. And that alone should make your mouth water, take my word for it. I've played a lot of games and honestly I can't go back to normal modules after seeing how much work that he puts into his and makes them feel like a homebrew like setting. Yes they are that fleshed out. Now I think I will stop gushing about Derrick and their hot romancable npcs (oh wait that's a juicy tidbit information) and their over all awesomeness and ability to tell stories. You have to experience it yourself and I highly hope you do. You won't regret it.
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