DM Dan Knight
he/him
5.0
(26)
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About DM Dan Knight
Watch the short video pitch for the TL;DR version of my origin story: https://youtu.be/htEhWDgKbsU I run character-driven, story-focused games, where player choices, dice rolls, and gumption drive the plot and adventures forward. I prepare situations, people and problems - and then let you decide how to handle it all. I’ve been obsessed with this stuff for most of my life. I grew up obsessed with mythology and fairy tales, and in the mid-80s I fell into D&D through Dragonlance and the old Gold Box computer games. While other kids were outside doing whatever normal kids do, I was pulling apart hit points and monster design to see how they worked. That obsession eventually led me into theatre and film. I directed Troll Bridge, a Pratchett-approved Discworld movie that received a heart-warming amount of attention, and Blood on the Game Dice, a love letter to tabletop gaming. Now days I'm back behind the DM screen, and doing what I can to torment and delight in the name of collaborative storytelling.
At a glance
4 years on StartPlaying
265 games hosted
Highly rated for: Voices, Storytelling, Creativity
$30 per session
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Featured Prompts
I became a GM because
I realised filmmaking was just DMing with loaded dice, less budget, and actors who grumble about rolling death saves.
People are always surprised when I tell them
that after seeing Blood on the Game Dice, Wizards of the Coast founder Peter Adkison invited me to GenCon, where he had me film David R. Megarry running his original home-made version of Dungeon! (the board game that helped spawn D&D).
When I'm not running games I'm...
researching obscure lore, writing up monologues, and practising silly voices in the grocery aisle like a normal person.
How DM Dan Knight runs games
Character-driven stories, lore-rich and canon-aware. I build layered NPCs and thread your backstories into the campaign so your choices move the plot, and emotional momentum builds. If you lean into the tone, themes, and hooks I throw you, the story sings and the payoffs land. Expect crunchy tactics and encounters built to spotlight each character. I don’t fudge or pull punches, so victories feel earned. The game runs on Foundry Virtual Tabletop, heavily customised for an immersive player-facing experience: dynamic lighting, vision, animations, the works. Scenes are backed by licensed Syrinscape music and ambience to underscore the emotional beats. You still roll your dice and manage your sheet; Foundry just provides the stage. These games come in flavours: heroic, grim, weird. The menu’s set. Grab a seat at the table that suits your taste.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
me. Oh, okay fine, Peter Jackson then—but the Braindead Jackson, not the Lord of the Rings Jackson. Or at least, so says the guy who spent half his life making a Tolkien tribute film shot in New Zealand...
I prep by
playing loud mood music, throwing down a battle map, and generating art for the tokens and treasures. My notes are a corkboard of red string without the corkboard.
Rules are...
the building blocks of the universe. They serve the story, breed creativity, and give unhinged chaos a safe word.
DM Dan Knight's ideal table
My table is collaborative, character-driven, and tactically sharp. Players who thrive here arrive with a clear concept, lean into the adventure’s tone, and make proactive choices that move scenes forward. I reward players who engage with the environment and use narrative to flavour their actions. Table culture is respectful, curious, and team-oriented: share the spotlight, play your role, and support the party’s goals even when your character is messy. We use light safety tools and lines/veils so everyone can stay immersed without unwelcome surprises. Tech is simple: a decent mic with minimal background bleed and a stable connection for Foundry access. I feed off table energy and seeing you lets me catch reactions, time beats, and bounce off your roleplay so scenes flow smoothly. Cameras are encouraged for this reason, but never required.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
leans so hard into their character that even I forget they’re not real.
I think min/maxing...
can get in the way of enjoying the game. Play the character, not the sheet - you can't "win" an RPG. You either have great characters, or you don't, and no amount of spreadsheet toomfoolery is going to change that.
My perfect party mix is
is a wizard with a plan, a barbarian with opinions, a goblin who presses red buttons, a paladin quietly reconsidering their life choices, and a healer to mop it all up.
DM Dan Knight's Preferences
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