Grin Without a Cat (James)
5.0
(4)
4 years on StartPlaying
55 games hosted
About me
Greetings! I began playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was in middle school back in 1983 (yes, I am that old, lol). Ever since then, I have been addicted to the game, as a player, of course, but especially as a Dungeon Master. My campaign setting is an original homebrew called the World of Paenterre. Currently I am delivering the content via D&D Beyond, Tale Spire, Syrinscape, and Discord.
GM Style
Focusing on the social aspects of the game, my sessions tend to have a lot of dialogue between players and NPCs, and I encourage players to roleplay amongst themselves as much or as little as they are comfortable with. That said, who doesn't enjoy a good tactical battle! So when combat occurs, we employ 3D battle maps and tokens, and play it out on the virtual table top (Talespire), board-game style. I consider myself Chaotic Good as a DM, meaning that I play mostly by the rules, but have no fear of bending them whenever I feel it suits the story or the mood of the table. Ultimately my goal is to provide my players with a quality entertainment experience to the best of my ability. To that end I am always open to hearing from you how I can better make that happen. And I expect my players to always remember my Golden Rule of D&D... "Bring the drama to the game, not to the table." :) Besides the full DDB access and character artwork, my sessions also feature voiceover introduction/recaps, complete with music and sfx.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (4)
Maryna
Played 7 sessions
Love playing with James!
Alekto
Though I have only played for a short time, GWaC has been a great game runner. He shows a huge time/creativity investment in the world he has built, the characters, and the plot lines he plans. He is organized and conscientious with maps, lore, NPCs, carefully released exposition, and TotM detail. I have enjoyed every session so far and always look forward to the next.
Zachary
James is a DM that has a long history with tabletop games running all the way back to ADnD and it shows. He ran a fair game and I didn't see a reason to argue with his ruling. That didn't mean it was easy though, as there were many challenging situations that had to be methodically thought through as a party. Most importantly, he always sets sound expectations for what his game will be like. Although some situations still surprised us, I never felt like I prepared myself for the wrong table.
DakotaKid
James is creative with his storytelling, visceral with his descriptions, but doesn't let it bog down the gameplay. It's clear that he has a passion for storytelling, encourages the players to explore his custom-built world with vivid descriptions and a willingness to let you character be creative. He keep his encounters clean and well thought out. His sessions are a great balance of RP, combat, and storytelling that worked great for me. In our games he used a combination of D&D Beyond, Roll 20, World Anvil and Discord. He clearly knows those systems well, but does not expect you to - he's always happy to help those not 'in the know' get acclimated and feeling comfortable. He knows his stuff as far as rules go, but also is able to make snap judgments (without having to pour over rule books) allowing his players to actually have freedom in their choices and to be creative with their characters, which is what I love about D&D!
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