Willowran
he/him
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About me
As a person I've a passion for escapism through stories. I write and edit for a living, and read for a hobby; the better the story the more engrossed I am. I prefer homebrew settings and stories than published adventures since they make for a less restricted campaign- although I am wary of homebrew mechanics and items since in my experience they are often wildly imbalanced. I'm a big fan of a Pillar System of Perfect Imbalance. Sometimes there's more combat, sometimes more dungeon crawls, sometimes more exploration, etcetcetc- I recognize that it won't always be an even split, but I prefer games that utilize all game pillars rather than using one to the exclusion of others. DnD is a game with mechanics. Mechanics are meant to be used. Games that limit the pillars of play mean players have fewer choices and options, whereas I prefer games that give people more options. My characters tend to be both mechanical and narrative. On the mechanical side of things I usually look for under-utilized blends of mechanics that lead to niche effects, such as a wizard cryromancer maximising Armor of Agathys or a Barbarian/rune-knight specialized in grappling. My PCs try to excel in their field, but have baked-in weaknesses that prevent them from ever reaching 'optimal/power-building' levels. I'm a strong believer in flaws being as fun as strengths. On the narrative side of things I tend to subscribe to the Knife Theory . In a perfect world there are plenty of opportunities to weave my story into the grander narrative, but it shouldn't be required if a DM is taking us in a different direction. I like immersion where possible. I'm always driven to see what's next in the story- whether my own story hook, the DM's, or another player's. I am an extrovert, and comfortable RPing. As a player... well. I've been a DM for nearly a decade now. The same skills that lend themselves to making a fun campaign apply in a PC's seat, too. Everyone has their story and spotlight, and I take as much enjoyment out of helping other PCs see their joy realized as I do pursuing my own. When folks work together both above and on the table, campaigns tend to do well.
My preferences
I like to play...
I like to play games with themes like...
I prefer games that have...
Sandbox / Open World
Reviews I've given (3)
L Sunborn Games
New review
Played 9 sessions
I'm usually a DM. Most of the times as a player I make the handshake agreement that new DMs often struggle. Such is the nature of learning a new format. I've joined so many start-up campaigns that ended because of peoples' lives, PC challenges, DM struggles... Then comes Sunborn. One must give credit where it's due. I joined in a high level campaign, and he: a) knows his setting such that if one asks a question he has the answer b) knows the nature of an open-world campaign, where simultaneous threads progress whether or not PCs engage with them c) is proficient at running high-level encounters- which is something even veteran DMs can struggle with d) knows how to/is capable of weaving personal PC backstories into the world setting (and its trials and tribulations) I've only been around for a handful of weeks, but after a year of trying random DMs on the internet, Sunborn's got to take the cake for being the most mechanically and narratively proficient of the bunch.
The 3rd Gen GM
Played 2 sessions
I was only with 3rdGen for a couple sessions, at the tail end of an ongoing campaign as a somewhat spontaneous replacement for a lost player down the road. The campaign then ended only 2 sessions later, which did not give me a lot of time with him or his squad. Despite this, 3rdGen gave me only good vibes. He knows his world, his story, and his environments. He knows his creatures and uses expanded bestiaries which- as an experienced DnD person myself- helps to keep things fresh. His scene-setting, narrative voice, and mechanical command during encounters were all solid. I only played with 3rdGen for a couple games, but in my opinion he's a strong DM and folks looking for games would benefit from his table.
Joshua
Played 5 sessions
Josh is a pleasant, easygoing DM who is quick to laugh and happy to let players experiment beyond the strict letter of the rules. I joined one of his high-level campaigns and enjoyed the group atmosphere, though the game wasn't quite the right fit for me. The campaign jumped between prepared encounters, with little sense of a broader living world. Descriptions, NPC characterization, and storytelling were sparse, so locations and characters sometimes felt interchangeable. Appearing in someone's hometown felt random, not planned. Combat was also extremely forgiving: powerful enemies routinely fell within a round or two, and our party was never meaningfully threatened. This made my healing-focused character feel largely unnecessary, especially after we received an early Rod of Resurrection. That said, Josh was consistently enjoyable to play with, and I'd gladly join one of his one-shots. Players looking for a relaxed, lower-intensity campaign may find his style a good fit.