Chris MacKay

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/toronto

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Veteran

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

Artist

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

About Chris MacKay

Hi there, my name is Chris but I also go by Bearded Boggan due to playing way too much Changeling: the Dreaming over the years. I am a Canadian who has been playing and running various TTRPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons, Changeling: the Dreaming, Vampire the Masquerade for the last three decades. I also am a published game writer and designer with over 50 publications (mostly from the hay day of the 3.5 DnD OGL) as well as a small press publishing company called "Mad Scotsman Games" I've run since 2003. My degree in English Literature actually ended up helping me with a career outside of teaching! Woo! I tend to be the forever DM but that works out well because I love telling immerse stories and doing collaborative storytelling with my players. If you are looking for games with a heavy roleplaying focus, deep lore and everything in between, look no further! I look forward to gaming with you all.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

61 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Storytelling

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

...when I was about 15 years old. I always possessed an over active imagination and found that collaborative storytelling with my players was the perfect outlet. My first GMing experience was with Palladium Fantasy and AD&D.

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

Vampire the Masquerade Revised or V5, DnD 5.5e and Pendragon.

People are always surprised when I tell them

That I tend to run games more "off the cuff" than with planned out plots or published adventures. I use notes and a story outline but in the moment is a place of strength for me. I enjoy the flexibility it gives me and allows my players to really help guide the stories.

How Chris MacKay runs games

The games I run tend to be player-focused and built around collaborative roleplay. I work closely with my table to create the world based on what my players enjoy and what they wish to play. They have just as much say in creating the game as I do and I value their input immensely. I tell dramatic stories with consequences built on player actions and decisions. I try to create a variety of NPCs and storylines that creates a sense of a "living world" and enrich the immersion of my players. Exploration and combat are also quite enjoyable and I use maps and descriptive writing to run both. I don't tend to run combat heavy games but do enjoy a good dungeon crawl every once and a while. Inclusion and accessibility are extremely important to me and I want my games to be chill, relaxed places for us to unwind and game together. All are welcome.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Creating the NPCs I want to use, making some notes on the loose plotline I have and then just going with it "in the moment".

Rules are...

Good guidelines but if the Rule of Cool can apply without breaking the game and my players enjoy it, let's go!

When it comes to voices

I do alright but I'm no voice actor. I am rather proud of my Russian and Scottish accents though, since I tend to play a lot of dwarves...

Chris MacKay's ideal table

If you enjoy play by post games with well organized and thought out lore, deep roleplaying and creative freedom in adding to the story, you'd love playing at my table.