Hello potential new friends! After 5 years of DnD 5e I decided to finally see what all the fuss with Pf2e was about around 9 months ago, and wow the grass really is greener! I've had a few games in a living world server, and a short time in a Triumph of Tusk campaign until we TPK'd last week (RIP Dravosh Black-Plate 😭) but the majority of my experience with TTRPGs is as GM. Will you help this GM break the curse and let him play in your game? I sure hope so! But I am nothing if not thorough, so please allow me to take the floor for a few minutes!
About me: TTRPGs!
I GM'd campaigns and numerous one shots in the DnD 5e 2014 system, using many homebrew rules along the way. I understand and appreciate the demanding nature that is being a GM. If I had to guess, roughly 80-90% of my time playing is as a GM.
I'm a very dedicated and passionate player that prioritizes honouring the schedule. Life happens of course, but I have an excellent attendance record and I expect the same from everyone else. I vastly prefer games where people aren't leaving early or failing to attend regularly, as it ruins the immersion when your character is suddenly not present and puts unfair pressure on the GM to write a way for it to flow naturally.
I prefer non-linear games, but specifically *not* full-on sandbox games. I like when there's always something to do and a clear plot, goal or theme is in mind, but how and when we tackle it is purely up to us as the players.
I take the game seriously and will respect the bread crumbs GMs leave us players, i'm not the type of player who makes the "completely ignore the GM and walk the opposite way" decisions that are seemingly made just to test a GM's improv and patience.
I love both roleplaying and combat, and prefer games where a healthy mix of both is expected, though I don't mind sessions where one or the other takes up the majority of the time. Exploration is important too of course, but I see it more as a "necessary pillar" rather than something I actively talk about inbetween games.
I have a lot of free time as I do not work, so scheduling with me will be very easy. My availability is on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I mentioned that I live in the GMT time zone in the title, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to be in the same time zone as me for this to work, though if your game starts beyond 1am on my end then unfortunately that is just too late for me to be starting a potentially 3-5 hour session.
I am a power player, I enjoy making builds with informed decisions that push a certain power fantasy to it's limits, but that doesn't mean I'm just a meta junkie who needs to dish out infinite damage. I've played many styles of gameplay, like martials, tanks, ranged casters, buff casters, healers, party faces etc. I just like playing my roles to their maximum potential!
I highly value the "flavour is free" and "rule of fun/cool" attitudes in my games. If I want to take a certain mechanical playstyle of a feature but don't like the flavour/RP implications, allowing me to flavour it differently goes a long way in my books. For example flavouring a spell to have an aesthetic it doesn't ordinarily have, like a fireball instead being described as an explosion of holy energy or hellfire! Mechanically nothing would change! Just RP :)
Foundry is my preferred VTT as it's simply fantastic, but i'm open to other VTTs too, as long as it's not Roll20. I quit it for Foundry for a reason, and I don't see any reason to go back.
I'm not willing to pay for your game, and i'm not comfortable being on camera until I get to know people first. If the game is going to be streamed I should be informed first, but I am ultimately fine with that and I personally welcome the chance to be a part of a larger community that may come of it.
About me: Personal anecdotes!
I'm 28 years old, and often the leader and party face of the group. I tend to play with shy and quiet players so I am comfortable in this position, but I'm also fine with others taking the lead too. Everyone should have their moment in the spotlight!
I am a loud and passionate person, much to my wife's dismay XD I try to remain self aware of this, often poking fun when I catch myself, but sometimes I may slip up. Please just let me know if and when this happens, pobody's nerfect!
I try to keep the energy high with jokes and banter, and I will always try to make sure everyone is engaged and having fun in a sociable manner. I will nudge my fellow players to get a word in if I notice them being particularly quiet.
I enjoy learning about the rules and pride myself on being able to help the game run smoothly even as a non-GM; I'm often considered the "rules expert" in my groups, and have gladly helped many folks with running Foundry smoothly with tech support and recommendations.
I tend to play tanks and supports in both video games and TTRPGs. I like protecting others and enjoy fulfilling my power fantasy of being a reliable ally that will always have your back. In combat I find the thrill of melee combat to be very enticing so I will usually play a character capable of being on the frontlines.
About you and your group!
If this hobby is just "something to do" for you or your table then that is valid, but it is simply not the style of table i'm looking to join. I'm seeking a group of players who is as excited to play as I am, and who truly loves the hobby! Bonus points for being active inbetween games, it would be awesome to be social outside of game days too.
I won't stick around if there are bigoted people who are racist, sexist, anti-LGBTQ+ etc. Empathy is a valuable trait to me, and is unfortunately sorely lacking in this day and age. If just the act of reading this statement is making you "cringe" then please just do us both a favour and go away.
I expect everyone to stick to and honour a schedule that is agreed upon. Obviously exceptions will be made from time to time, but I am a firm believer that this is how a game thrives instead of slowly dying. A committed player is an invested player!
I expect healthy communication to be frequent and welcomed. If a disagreement happens or constructive feedback is offered, be open, honest and let go of stubborn egos. We're all here to have fun and if there's a sense of awkwardness due to feeling unable to speak up, then said fun will not be allowed to thrive. This goes particularly to the GMs out there, if you react poorly to taking constructive feedback then you gotta work on that chum!
I will write elaborate and detailed backstories for my characters, and games where those backstories are indulged and made part of the ongoing story are vastly superior to those where the GM is simply telling a story at you instead of with you. This is a collaborative storytelling game, if you only want the story to play out your way then go write a book!
I expect everyone to engage in every aspect of the game, not just some of it. If you are a primarily RP or combat focused player then that is valid, but we will simply not mesh well if you aren't engaging until your favourite activity is happening. The classic "not paying attention until it's your turn" is a huge pet peeve of mine as a GM.
Sharing the spotlight is a crucial skill as a player! Try to remain self aware and realize when you're not letting others get a word in. Prompt others to speak up when they're being quiet, and politely apologize and allow them to speak when accidentally speaking over people.
If i'm joining an existing game then please work with me on how my characters are going to be introduced, do not just plop me in the scene with 0 context given and put all the onus on me as the newcomer to explain why. It puts an unfair amount of pressure on me to maintain immersion in a world I couldn't possibly know yet.
Rules disputes should prioritize player fun first. If you don't know the answer to a situation where the player wants to do something fun then you should on average consider allowing it and figuring out specifics later. Of course there are occasionally exceptions to this, where a player is asking to do something so significant that it might break the balance of things, such as asking to do something that would result in an encounter being instantly defeated. In these moments I feel that a quick research is warranted, but it shouldn't be left to linger long and a decision should be made swiftly.
I'm happy playing with newer GMs and players, but I expect you to do your part in making sure the game runs smoothly. This means for fellow players you gotta do the bare minimum and at least learn the basics of what your character is capable of! For GMs this means doing the necessary research to make sure your next game is going to run as smoothly as reasonably possible. I'm not expecting you to be encyclopedias of knowledge, and I know the human brain isn't infallible, but if you need to regularly pause the game for long periods of time to check basic information then you're going to disrupt the flow of the game.
Well now, if you read this far you either skipped to the end or you're dedicated enough to read a post that I put a lot of effort into, if it's the latter then you and I will probably get along! If it sounds like I'd mesh well together with you/your group then please do DM me!
Thank you for your consideration, enjoy your day and tell your loved ones you love 'em <3