ZRBillings
they/them
Timezone
Language
Identity
About ZRBillings
Hello, I'm Z! I've been a novelist for well over two decades and recently finally took the plunge into playing the fabled Dungeons and Dragons. I always wanted to, but I'm a big visual person I feel it just really helps me get immersed into the game better, so for a while, I just held off. But- as technology has advanced and finally having played it for the first time this year I really felt compelled to give it a go. My wife threw me into the deep ending knowing I wanted to DM and I haven't looked back. Part of the reason I got into DMing is it just fits with my personality. I love to write, but I don't typically write within the same world more than once. I like giving snapshots, one concise great story, and then moving on to the next idea. I just have so many that I don't want to sit and write seven novels in one world when I could write seven novels that each explore their own worlds. DMing really is just an extension of what I've already been doing for years. I've even been working on a dating simulator so again- it really just plays into my strengths and experiences already. Now. I haven't been playing as long as other DMs obviously so I definitely continue to improve at it with each session, I however can confidently say in terms of storytelling and world-building I do honestly believe I am on par with any other professional DM. I only run games out of my own setting so I have to be. The rationale is pretty simple. One it's honestly just more enjoyable for me and two I find it's more enriching for players because even if they've sat and watched hundreds of hours of DnD lore videos I can still surprise them with monsters, locations, or events because it's (more or less brand new). I personally feel like it's allowed my players to be maybe more invested, there's more reason to- roll nature on a monster or animal, there's more opportunities to make history rolls about different events or races. So that's my pitch! I hope you'll consider joining us for an adventure or two in the world of Aiag!
At a glance
1 year on StartPlaying
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I'm a novelist, and I more or less started writing at 13 as a means to entertain and connect with my friends, so it's basically just going back to what made me fall in love with writing in the first place.
My favorite shows/movies are
To keep it simple, I'll list 5 shows, 5 movies. Shows: Fullmetal Alchemist (original), Stranger Things, The Bear, Spider-Man ('94), One Piece (Live-Action). Movies: The Crow, Fellowship of the Ring, Twilight, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, The Amazing Spider-Man.
When I'm not running games I'm...
It varies, I'd like to say, "writing" but most of my time writing is now for D&D. Honestly, I'm probably playing Marvel Rivals or Smite 2 if I'm not working or preoccupied spending time with my wife and 6 dogs.
How ZRBillings runs games
Roleplay is big with me, I try to give every character some sort of voice though my rollidex of voices is still developing so some probably get repeated. I'm a big purveyor of "the rule of cool" and "story comes from failure." Not a big rules person I'm cool with bending or ignoring certain ones that don't really service the story or the game at the moment. I don't take things too seriously so quirky, dumb, joke characters are embraced in my games. Again I don't run DnD straight from the book so definitely plenty of homebrewed rules, and some tweaks to existing ones. Death is a definite possibility though I'm not striving to wipe the party out I very much treat it as a sort of sandbox world until a path is chosen then the railroading kicks in more. I find if you don't do any railroading at all players can quickly have no idea how to proceed or what they should do. I do a mix of milestone and exp leveling, the idea is "you can over level all you want, but if you hit a point where you need to be a higher level to experience the next possible adventures or this one felt particularly impactful you'll level."
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
Taika Waititi, and I won't apologize for it.
My games focus on...
The journey, more so the destination, I think. Outside that, I'd say they really intentionally or otherwise seek to question everything, constantly pushing the convictions of characters and causing them to reflect on their notions of the world and others.
Rules are...
Guidelines. I stick to them plenty, but I've homebrewed plenty of mechanics for my setting, and changed plenty of spells and how they function for the sake of in-world logic. I mean- the Dungeon Master's Guide is pretty clear that you're intended to take what you want and want what you take.
ZRBillings's ideal table
My present group is pretty liberal, and all, but maybe 1 member is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. We don't shy away from anything; to be honest, it's pretty much all up for exploration. It is 100% a table that embraces whimsy like vampiric geese and banana ducks, and absurd plans. But also, it's a table that can turn on a dime and suddenly be very serious, discussing many ethical dilemmas and making some very morally questionable decisions.
Featured Prompts
I am for a vibe that's...
That's not afraid to embrace the absurd and just do the dumb thing, do the bit, but also has the- desire to experience those uncomfortable moments, those moments of anxiety, or moments of frustration. Be able to devel into sensitive themes and explore what it is that makes us human.
I think min/maxing...
If that's how you like to play, then cool, I'll just have to throw deadlier encounters at you.
ZRBillings's Preferences
Systems
Platforms
Game Mechanics