Gawain

Things you like in a campaign:

1) I enjoy involved roll play, tactical battles, and long sessions.

2) I like it when players invest in the campaign by forming guilds, outposts, or connections to campaign infrastructures.

3) I like it when the enemy has a reason to fight and the party weighs the morals of killing every last foe on the field.

4) That said, I like a fair bit of grit and hardship. Crimes happen everywhere, the BBG rarely cares if they hurt women or kids, and monsters are into some twisted activities. There is a reason I select "show 18+ games." Grit and realistic horror make a game more engaging.

5) I really like it when players take the time to show up early and reliably. I show up on time it is not too much to ask that the rest of the players do the same.

6) I like the entourage party style. The player gets more than one character and they have to choose which one to send on a mission.

Things you don't like in a campaign:

1) Critical/Botch Charts = It is already a reward/punishment, so any random effect usually punishes the players more than the enemies.

2) Ingame Tangents = It is fine to have random conversations while the DM is preparing or during a five-minute restroom adventure, but off-campaign topics can derail a game. Some players are really bad at that and it defeats why we are playing in the first place.

3) Red Crosshairs = e.g. A mentality that labels all members of a species or organization as an enemy, without rights, that deserves to be dead, outside of wartime. I am all for second-class citizens, heck I played a few, but killing lizardfolk or gnolls on sight is no different than killing Indians for minding their business. If they were considered pests then they would have been eradicated many ages ago.

4) Unorthodox Enemies = I am all for new and unusual enemies but one-dimensional bad guys can get kind of dull. Like I said earlier enemies should have problems that provide them with reasons for being a bad guy. I like cunning, realistic enemies that make me feel immersed in the story, rather than disposable generic speed bumps between roll play. Old tenant = If the town guard could care less if we outright killed these guys, then why should we care? When you think about it, it makes sense. If no one cares about us killing things then how is it entertaining? We might as well be killing paper-mache targets. Some DMs completely ignore enemy behaviors, which is fine on occasion, but as a norm it takes something away from the game. Beast should rarely fight to the death, prey should almost always flee, and enemies should avoid live near or make alliances with things that commonly eat them.

5) Tavern Trolling = Mainly time progression. I have seen a lot of parties reach max level as teenagers. If we end up waiting around in a tavern for the next fool to run in with a quest, then it would be nice if a few years passed between level-ups. It goes to the philosophy that "A dwarf is as dangerous as the length of his beard." Half-Orcs, the shortest-lived characters in the handbook, can gain 3 years per level and still not reach old age before reaching max level. Commonly it takes several years just to earn our first level. This gives enemies time to plan, recoup, and prepare for the next encounter. It also allows players to judge their enemies. A middle-aged fighter will be much more dangerous than a young fighter. Time progression is not always appropriate in a campaign, but when it is, it would be nice if characters caught up to their skill level.

Never been much for anonymity. My real name is Mr. Gawain,
USA Central/Eastern time zone & disabled without many distractions.
I am Getten Old, but still active.
I been playing D&D for decades (Advanced = forever / 3.5E = 20+ years / 4E = It's not really D&D / 5E = A few years) & been using Roll20 for a few years now,
I really like Druids, but I have played most classes and races.
I enjoy involved Story rich role-playing, tactical battles, and long sessions.
Big fan of the Entourage game style.
I'd like to think of myself as level-headed and a pragmatist player, but I have been called many things over the years, just not "late" for a session.
Please Direct message me if you are interested in inviting me into your world.