Yirco

he/him

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Game Designer

About Yirco

I'm Yirco! I've been playing TTRPGs for years and have GM'd for most of that time. I started with 5e but quickly wanted to branch out to other games. Most of my GMing experience, cumulating to about 5 years total, has been with Vampire: The Masquerade, Dragon Age, and Delta Green. In that time I've found my specialty in delivering impactful narratives over the course of a campaign and building living, meaningful worlds for my players to tell their stories in. Most of my gaming experience has been with friends over long distances using online connection and gaming tools, so I'm very familiar with running a game over the internet.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

21 games hosted

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I wanted to play different systems and then I got hooked on the creative drive and the feeling of creating a fun experience!

My favorite system of all Time is

I love a lot of different systems, but if I had to pick one it would probably be the Storyteller System. It's flexible to create rolls for all sorts of situations on the fly, and it can be as crunchy or lite as you want it to be.

When I'm not running games I'm...

Fencing! I've been doing HEMA for about a year and a half now, practicing at least twice a week and going to tournaments regularly. I do Saber, Singlestick, Sword & Buckler, Rapier, and Longsword.

How Yirco runs games

The most important thing at my table is crafting engaging, immersive stories. I put a high emphasis on role-playing, problem solving, and interacting with the world. My games feature a lot of villains and NPCs with strong motivations and conflicts that affect the players and the characters around them. My favorite tool as a GM is the word "but," as in "Yes, but..." and "No, but..." When things are good, there's always a catch or a price you had to pay to get there. When things are bad, there's always an opportunity to salvage the situation or get out with some consolation. This helps make for an exciting story with lots of twists and turns! And also makes the moments of utter defeat or victory more impactful. While I put a lot of emphasis on roleplay in my campaigns, combat is still a core part of many of my favorite games and I feature it often. Combat in my games is meaningful. Every combatant has a goal and (usually) a sense of self-preservation. The stakes are often high and the danger is real. When running games, I use the rules as written as the foundation so that everyone is starting on the same page. I do however use additional homebrew rules or occasionally tweak RAW when I think that it serves the goals of the game better. Once the rules are established, either RAW or with some homebrew, I try to run them consistently. I allow room for the rule of cool in niche situations and for clever use of resources where there aren't clear rules in place, as long as the result is fun and fair.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

How the characters interact with the world, whether that's over the course of a massive story campaign or just in each individual mission. Sometimes that means heavy RP sessions and sometimes it means combat or mysteries. The important thing is that the world is alive and the PCs are a part of it.

Rules are...

The baseline from which we build our game. We start with the rules as written, and from there we might add small house rules or make judgements on niche situations, but I always reserve the right to revert to RAW if things start to look broken.

When it comes to voices

I do my best! I try to give every character something to make them sound like an individual. Usually that's a matter of pitch, cadence, or word choice. I'll do accents to make the world feel more diverse or to connect a character to the setting, and I often spend time outside of game practicing.

Yirco's ideal table

I like to run a fun table where everyone works together to help tell a unique, personalized story. We make each other laugh throughout the game and some of us chat before and after the session. Even if the dynamic is a little different at a professional table, I still try to capture the energy of a group of friends getting together to play a game. Players who are friendly and cooperative will fit right in, especially those who want to get invested in the game world and take initiative in the adventure and the role play.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Asks questions about the game world! I always love the settings I run and it's really encouraging when a player takes an interest in the lore. It's especially great when a player is invested in creating a character who fits naturally into the tone, themes, and vision of a game.

I think min/maxing...

Is great, as long as it's integrated into the character's story and not just a way to power game. I encourage my players to create builds that maximize their abilities, but I also encourage them to roleplay those strengths and weaknesses in a way that makes sense for the character and the setting.

My perfect party mix is

Balanced! I love running a game for a party where everyone has a niche they fill. That way each character can have moments where their unique skills shine, and the party as a whole can interact with as much of the game world as possible.