About us
We are game masters, facilitators, and storytellers who believe that shared stories can help people feel more connected, seen, and brave together.
Where Berlings begins
Berlings Beard is a direct nod to Berling, one of the four dwarven smiths who forged the legendary necklace Brísingamen for the goddess Freyja in Norse mythology. In those stories, Berling and his kin work out of sight, shaping something rare and powerful that only truly comes alive in the presence of the embodiment of love, beauty, and magic.
That is the energy behind Berlings Beard: a master-craft, building something special for someone else’s moment in the spotlight. At Berlings Beard we are the maker at the forge. Every great adventure, like every mythic artifact, is carefully crafted before it reaches the table.
sixteen years ago
We began running games for friends and small groups, and grew into projects focused on role-playing games and how they positively improve human collaboration.
Storytelling, problem-solving, and the exploration of new viewpoints to better understand ourselves and others is where this work begins. This leads us help groups connect in a way that screens, lectures, and icebreakers could not.
Today, Berlings Beard focuses on crafting experiences that are as easy to plug into a schedule as any other activity, but with the depth and heart of a shared story that people remember long after the session ends.
What Berlings Beard believes
Safe and welcoming for beginners
Story-first, not rules-first
Player agency with gentle guidance
Experiences with purpose
We are storytellers and
experience designers
Ben
Ben grew up in Brooklyn and brings a background in both game design and production to every table he runs. A lifelong games enthusiast, he builds flexible narratives that make it easy for new players to step in while still giving seasoned D&D veterans something to chew on. Drawing on more than a decade of design experience, Ben crafts uniquely tailored stories for each group and develops novel challenges for every character at the table.
Many of Ben’s adventures are self-authored and evolve with each new party that plays them, so no two sessions ever feel the same. If you sit down with Ben, there is a good chance you will walk away with a new favorite character.
GM Specialty
Custom-built adventures that adapt to the players and grow with the campaign.
Chris
Every year, Chris serves as the lead playwright mentor for the Young Playwrights Festival at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, supporting emerging voices in shaping their stories for the stage. As a game master, they bring that same care to the table, helping players build rich characters and then leading them on heroic journeys through epic, thoughtfully constructed settings.
GM Specialty
Bespoke character arcs and long-form heroic journeys that play like a living ensemble drama.
Kyle
Kyle specializes in high-energy D&D that remixes familiar genres, institutions, and tropes, blending parody, humor, and emotional depth with pointed social commentary. He is the creator and DM of Thy Staff of Power, a Christian satire actual-play podcast and YouTube series that reached more than 20,000 subscribers in its first nine months. Beyond the table, he has worked across media, marketing, and strategy, including roles in nonprofit production, Hilton Hotels, and currently as Director of Strategy at Indigitous US.
GM Specialty
Fast-paced, parody-driven campaigns that turn big ideas into accessible, character-centered stories.
Ron
Ron believes that play is a powerful way to unwind, connect, and try on new roles, whether you are a first-time player or a returning hero. He has a knack for reading the room and shifting gears in the moment so the story always feels alive and responsive.
GM Specialty
Unwavering tempo and quick adaptation, keeping energy high while smoothly responding to whatever the players throw at him.
StoryTaylor
In addition to running games with Berlings Beard, Taylor works as a Lore Writer for The Mechanic’s Guild podcast and operates his own professional GM service, Story Taylor. At the table, he loves taking beloved stories—from Bridgerton to The Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things to The Phantom Tollbooth—and translating them into living, breathing tabletop worlds that players can explore from the inside.
GM Specialty
Transforming familiar books, shows, and films into fully immersive tabletop settings tailored to each group.
Percy
Percy’s academic writing on performance and play appears on HowlRound Theatre Commons, in Dramaturgy and History: Staging the Archive (Routledge), and in the Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays Vol. 2. At the table, he brings a dramaturg’s eye for structure, theme, and nuance, creating campaigns where character choices and hidden histories matter. His favorite games include Kids on Bikes, Our Haunt, and Sleepaway.
GM Specialty
Campaigns for queer and trans players that blend original monsters, layered worldbuilding, and secret histories woven into every corner of the map.
How it works
We handle the prep and facilitation so you can focus on your group.
years of professional game management
affiliated education centers and schools
dynamic storytellers
unique participants
Our Partnerships
Ready to bring an adventure to your group?
If you are curious about how story-driven games could work for your event, classroom, or team, we are happy to talk it through with you.