No Experience? No Problem!
I've been dragging newbies into the hobby for 5 years, with well over 100 players having run with me. If you're not sure about anything but a broad interest in trying the hobby, I've got you!
If you know a bit more: I primarily run EZD6 games and have large amounts of experience in PBTA systems like Dungeon World and Thirsty Sword Lesbians and D20 systems like Shadowdark and Dungeon Crawl Classics. I've also run several games in Into the Odd and offshoots.
Come Play!
Reviews
"Jack is an amazing DM, funny, smart, and rolls with all the punches. He's a great world builder too."
-GoldieRaj
"He does an excellent job at directing group storytelling - mining each player's imagination to get numerous story hooks out of them for constructing a story arc that will interesting each player."
-Kevin F.
"Absolutely amazing GM. Great at setting up the scenes and combat made it interesting at every corner and had us all having a blast and looking forward for another session. Definitely would recommended especially for beginners."
-Oddface
"Jack was such a fun DM to play with! The one shot I played with him was fascinating and complex, and I really felt like as players we were rewarded when used creative and unexpected ideas. He did a great job of making sure all the players felt included and that all the characters had their time to shine."
-Christi
"I'm relatively new to D&D. Jack was actually the one who got me into it and I haven't looked back since. He really puts in the time to create an immersive and genuinely fun experience each time we have a session. Jack also goes out of his way to create an inclusive space where everyone (experienced and new adventurers alike) can feel safe, seen and heard. Not to mention the story telling and voice/character acting are always on point. I would highly recommend Jack to folks who are new to D&D and trying to feel it out, and more experienced players who want a challenge. Jack's passion shows in every session and it is infectious. Don't sleep on him!"
-Jarvon
GM Style
99% of my content is homebrew. Even in published adventures, I believe it is the GM's privilege and responsibility to leave a bit of their creative spark in everything the players will touch.
My sessions typically feature a tactical combat encounter and an opportunity to problem-solve, converse, and otherwise explore the world in-character, with very rare exceptions.
I primarily play EZD6, Into the Odd, Dungeon Crawl Classics, and TinyDungeon with varying degrees of experience in ShadowDark, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Index Card RPG, Avatar Legends, and Dungeon World. Besides those, I am regularly researching and testing new systems and concepts; this exploration along the spectrum has deeply informed my design philosophy and will often lead to my favorite parts of systems bleeding into games built in others.
My games are typically structured around three priorities: Player Agency and Expression, Just Enough Chaos, and Safe Fun.
Player agency and expression is the reason I do this: I live for the magical moment when a player realizes that there are no imaginary walls like the ones they're accustomed to from videogames. All my campaigns can be called "sandbox" by most definitions, and my one-shots allow for a reasonably large margin of creative problem-solving. It is one of my greatest joys to workshop how best to reward my players for solving a problem or encounter with a solution I could not forsee and I'm proud of how often it's something I'm tasked with doing.
Just Enough Chaos is my love letter to the dice. I strongly believe in the joy of randomness and will take every opportunity to allow things to spiral just a bit out of control. I typically roll for loot and some aspects of an encounter in every session I run and I believe my games are better for the level of unpredictability this practice brings. I combine this practice with my love for improvisation to keep my players engaged and constantly wary of (or flirting with) the chance of catastrophic failure at every turn. And if catastrophic failure is the road we go down, it will be every bit as fun and engaging as a total success.
Safe Fun is how we are able to do this thing that we love sustainably. As such, I'll generally start every group with a conversation about who we are and what content could trigger sensitivities, and be sure to tailor games toward player sensibilities. As an anti-capitalist, I strive for equity in all things and despise the tendency that adult life has to grind us down to our most "productive" forms that are so often a desaturated mask we wear to survive our circumstances. I strive for my games to be a place where everyone can be themselves forget about the world outside without fear of judgement or fear of harassment.
I say all this to say that I have NO tolerance for bullying or discrimination. Racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and intentionally stepping on another player's triggers are not welcome at my tables. I understand and recognize that we are all learning and growing, so there is a measure of grace for earnest mistakes, but bigotry and bullying are not allowed in my games and one of the few places where I take a very hard stance.
My goal is an internally consistent world full of believable, if fantastical, characters for players to explore and interact with; they can regularly expect to be asked to describe or explain how their characters do and say things, and in-character roleplay is encouraged. For social encounters, what you choose to say matters just as much as what you roll and will impact dialogue difficulty checks.
Playing with me, you'll get a dynamic setting, compelling NPCs with just a few voices, interesting (and deadly!) tactical combat encounters, and a fun, safe environment where you can enjoy and immerse yourself as a part of a living world.
Rates
One-Shot
A single, self-contained scenario or story. Single night, 3-5 hours.
100$ for a group of 2-4
25$/head for groups of 5-7
Weekly Adventure Scenario
A series of consecutive weekly sessions with a persistent world and story. 2-4 hour sessions.
75$ per session for a group of 2-4
20$/head for groups of 5-7
Minimum 3-session commitment