Dear fellow game masters and story tellers,
Dear Johnn, thank you for this opportunity.
My name is Stephan Hornick from the lustrous grape fields of South Germany. In real life I am married, have three kids, and work as a project manager in the multi-billion mega solar business in Japan.
My biggest hobby was always roleplaying games. I started playing when I was 9 back in 1988. I started with a D&D box I found at a flea market after watching this popular TV show Dungeons & Dragons at that time in Germany. Thinking back, it had a great influence on me.
Over the years I never stopped playing, but soon leveled up to become the game master for our group on a full-time basis´(even as we should have attended school, and even when I moved several times and had new groups...). I enjoy both very much, but recently I try to achieve an even greater level of understanding and performance in both.
I have a multitude of fantastic stories in my mind, that I won't ever be able to tell all, as we are not playing even half as much as new stories develop in my head. I have no problem improvising and most of my spontaneously fleshed out NPCs are a great joy at the table. The pacing is mostly alright and I love world building and sandbox PC based, low level experience story arcs.
Nevertheless, I find it difficult at times to (a) decide on which story I want to tell and to not combine them too much, (b) outline the basic steps of a campaign so as to not make it too huge, (c) to really put the PCs into the focus and not the story I want to tell, and (d) to cope with some very different styles and expectations of roleplaying within my current group.
I really want to learn, so all cues and hints are very much welcome!!
And now the crunch. Here are some of the systems I have run (through many different editions): D&D, AD&D, and again D&D mostly in the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Vlath, and Dark Sun universe, The Black Eye (Das Schwarze Auge), Exalted, M.E.R.S., Midgard, Rolemaster, Runequest, Hârnmaster, GURPS, Elfquest, Vampire the Masquerade, Sabbath, Werewolf, Changeling, Mage, Dark Ages, Kindred of the East, Bastet, Wraiths, Mummies, Hunter, and many more of the World of Darkness series, Plüsch, Power und Plunder, Toon, Superhero 2044, Splittermond, Thieve's World, Star Wars, Cyberpunk 2020, Numenera, Call of Cthulhu, and of course Earthdawn and Shadowrun.
My absolute favorite worlds are Dark Sun (AD&D3.5) and Shadowrun 5.
Currently, I am running two Shadowrun 5 campaigns (alas, currently on hiatus due to my latest fertility role: I am father! Again!
), and a Splittermond adventure with my eldest son and two friends.
My favorite die would be the d30. Just because it is so seldom and I never met another player with one of those.
Apart from this, I like the Star Wars dice for their shift to descriptions instead of success/failure patterns.
And I love the versatility of the d10 / d100 in general the most.
But whatever the die, I find myself with extraordinary luck when I need to role well. Although I believe the very bad roles are even more fun.
So, hi! Nice to meet you all!
And I am surprised to find SO MANY interesting people here.
I am looking forward to discussing with you on how to create better adventures!
Stephan