Daniel

he/him

5.0

(1)

Timezone

Asia/singapore

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

About Daniel

I’ve been a tabletop roleplaying gamer since 1978 and have been running games since 1979. Decades later, I still find being a Game Master enormously fun. My ideal group is a cadre of creative people, each free to bring their own ideas, personality, and play style to the table—while making sure their choices don’t come at the expense of anyone else’s enjoyment. I believe the best games are collaborative: everyone gets a chance to shine, and together we create something none of us could have made alone. To me, rules are useful guidelines, particularly when they help maintain balance, fairness, and equity among players. But rules should support the shared experience, not get in the way of having fun. When necessary, I’m happy to favor the spirit of the game over the letter of the rules. Storytelling is also a major part of my life away from the table. I’m the author of six published fantasy books, along with many more nonfiction books, and I bring that experience with characters, worlds, and narrative to every game I run. I'm originally from the USA but live in Southeast Asia. Outside of gaming I like to write code and fiction, do stuff with my wife and daughter, practice martial arts, and enjoy the universe.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Rule of Cool, Beginner Friendly, Inclusive

$15 per session

Featured Prompts

I ran my first game...

I was 12 years old when I ran my first game. This was in the days of D&D 1st edition, and I did a mix of modules and custom encounters. The adventures I ran people through are the classics like White Plume Mountain and Against the Giants. Those are memories I treasure, and I like to make new ones.

People are always surprised when I tell them

I live and run games from Asia. I'm currently in Manila, Philippines. Since my work schedule is flexible, the timezones work out for me to game with people in North America. My 7AM is usually 7PM EST.

When I'm not running games I'm...

Read and writing fiction, spending time with my wife and family, and practicing martial arts.

How Daniel runs games

I try to be positive and encouraging. I love it when players surprise me with cunning plans, witty dialogue, and deep character expression. I delight in giving every player their moment in the spotlight, which is why I am careful about player design balance (especially in D&D). To help facilitate player fun I provide a mix of roleplay, combat, and plot. I do my best to master the rules and game engine so players feel that the details fade away in favor of the experience. As a fan of Asian martial arts cinema I often try to portray action in a high energy, dynamic way. I don't go too long on battlefield description, as that can slow the game. Also, I usually help players through character creation, including session zero, so they are ready to jump in. When I make mistakes, I admit them. When a rule needs to be changed so people continue to have fun, I change it. The goal is the enjoyment of the group, not rigid adherence to a rule. Sometimes a player doesn't work out. Unless things go really wrong, usually I help them identify a better group for their playing style. It's a nice thing to do and sometimes a player wrong for one type of game I run is better in another game. For example, someone who wants romance might be better for an intrigue-based game rather than a dungeon crawl game.

Daniel's ideal table

I prefer creative people who support other players when they get spotlighted. My games are for generally good characters doing the best they can in worlds threatened by dark forces.