Dragonsbane

he/him

5.0

(8)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

Educator

Game Designer

About Dragonsbane

I started in 1983 with the classic Basic Set and B2 (if you know what this is, this might be the game for you). Summer camp was AD&D, college was 2nd edition, and then aftwerwards Third Edition and Pathfinder followed, then Fifth Edition, then Cypher System, and through all of it I was the Forever DM. Hard to believe that was 40 years ago, over a dozen campaigns in my custom gameworld since 2014. Hundreds of adventures before that. I wrote conversion rules and supplements for Cypher System and had them published since my players loved them, and we wanted a change of pace for a while. Pathfinder 1st Edition is what I am running for adventures and campaigns these days, with full crunch in combat as well as during the RP-focused games I run. Outside the game I am a veteran educator, teaching advanced music and technology. I live in the woods and I hike constantly with my wife and doggo, enjoy life in my 50s, and lament not being able to play more.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: World Builder, Storytelling, Beginner Friendly

$20 per session

Featured Prompts

I ran my first game...

at summer camp in the early 1980s. I had no idea what I was doing, the players had fun, and I got the golden feather as the top person in that activity two summers in a row.

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

Pathfinder 1E, Cypher System, and perhaps D&D 5E with a stack of house rules.

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

either creating worlds, reading, training my dog, hiking in the woods, or contemplating existence.

How Dragonsbane runs games

My games are dark and grounded and strive for realism and immersion. I run Pathfinder 1e with heavy roleplay, crunchy tactical combat, and a world that is complex and populated with huge varieties of nations, power groups, and NPCs. Sandbox or story-driven, and frequently both. The world moves forward in tandem with the players as we together make amazing new stories. The gameworld of Mazariim is custom and built from play since 2014. A huge amount of material has been created over the years, and my players often comment on how it seems like a published setting. I do voices for key NPCs when I feel I can pull it off. The games have risk and rewards. There is no plot armor and almost no resurrection waiting at the temple. Romance and sexuality is never a part of these games. Session Zero sets the remaining expectations, and I run a thorough one as we create characters that will work together, have interwoven backstories, and make a complimentary team. I am looking for mature players who want a gritty world where choices carry real consequences. Characters are rolled up during Session Zero, never brought in from outside. The campaign and setting determine which races and classes are appropriate, and I will work with you to build something that fits. This is how the best characters get made, when the world comes first and the character grows out of it, with constraints breeding creativity. I run adventures and full campaigns. At the moment most will be adventures until I lock in a great group of players. I do small groups so everyone has more chances to RP and swing their sword.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

role-play first and foremost, even in Pathfinder 1 with skills helping determine outcomes of RP in tandem with the RP itself. Of course there is crunchy combat, plot development, character arcs, and a continuing story behind the scenes that helps the players feel like its a real world.

Rules are...

important and help the game be fair, balanced, and fun for everyone. As a DM of many decades, I do use a few house rules to make my game as close to my vision as possible.

When it comes to voices

I will at times add to the RP with one. I can do a number of accents decently, although the voice does not carry the show.

Dragonsbane's ideal table

Players who can show up on time, understand their characters, and know the basics of the lore are the main things I look for in new players. Role-play comes before roll-play, but both are important. The ability to work together as a team, play well with others, and being fair are also important.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

role-play and crunchy combat

My perfect party mix is

balanced - martial, arcane, divine, skill monkey. Of course, this is up to the players.

My table is not the place for...

extreme descriptions of gore or violence, or any sort of romance or sexuality RP or discussions. There are no discussions about politics, religion, divisive social issues or current events.