Steffan Mouton - Fang & Fable

he/they

5.0

(2)

Timezone

America/chicago

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Artist

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

About Steffan Mouton - Fang & Fable

Howdy hey! I'm a Dungeon Master with over 15 years of experience running games and shepherding players through amazing experiences. The role was foisted upon me when some friends in college said they wanted to try this new-fangled thing called Pathfinder. I was the only one who had previously played an RPG, that being DnD 3rd edition, so I took up the mantle of game master for that group. Little did I know it would light a fire in my heart that burns to this day. I have a deep love for games in general, with a huge wall of board games behind me and degree in game programming on my resume. I firmly believe that the more specific mechanics of certain games lend themselves toward specific experiences. I believe people ought to be willing to try new systems to pursue new experiences! I am of course comfortable with D&D, it's fantastic, but I love to run indie games for those beautiful, unique storytelling tools. Running many systems has taught me skills to enhance every game I run. Pathfinder taught me how to crunch, Dungeon World taught me a solid foundation for RPG gaming via campaign fronts and soft/hard actions, Blades taught me to always been skipping to the action (when appropriate of course) and how mechanics drive the experience, Numenera taught me to be comfortable with not knowing or understanding and how to bask in wonder. Come, sit by the fire, and tell a story with us over at Fang & Fable.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, World Builder

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love nothing more than exploring a new world. Sharing that experience with others means I never know exactly how things are going to go, and that's the real magic of RPGs for me!

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

Wildsea, Dungeon World, Wilderfeast. I like weird and imaginative games that give license for infinite exploration. These fit that bill for me the best!

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

Cooking the Cajun food I grew up with, cuddling with my cat, playing survival video games with my friends, reading fantasy and adventure, and playing board games with my wife!

How Steffan Mouton - Fang & Fable runs games

Exploration is the beating heart of adventure! Discovery and pushing through the darkness are the things that drive me as the shepherd of a game world. I love nothing more than to facilitate this exploration for my players. Seeing the wonder of discovery in their eyes and hearing it in their voice gives me life. Whether it's the big reveal of the cult leader, or the 12th day of survival in the unforgiving wilderness, seeing what happens next WITH my players is the greatest thrill. With me as your Shepherd, you can expect deep exploration, strong dungeon experiences, and fleshed out NPC factions. I never come to the table with my own story to tell. That's for the players to lead. I arrive with my bag full of tricks, events, situations, tools, and themes and apply that to help my players build the story and world they want to see. I always run a session zero to determine exactly what kind of theming my players want, and how often they want to be deep in a "dungeon" vs their downtime. With that knowledge, I prepare scenarios that follow, but I believe in playing to see what happens! Of course, I love some excellent role play. I adore some deep combat strategy and tactics. But I see these as tools to service the development of the world itself. Getting immersed in the world is, to me, what makes the role play more vivid. It's what makes the combat stakes that much more real. Every time I sit down at a table, I hope to bring my players into the world with me, and experience it through their exploration of it. Together, let's see new worlds and bring them to life!

Featured Prompts

My favorite trope is...

the collapsed ancient civilization. Who doesn't love that feeling of delving into a Dwemer tomb in Skyrim? The fallen empire trope fills our worlds with questions, half truths, and mysterious dungeons!

My games focus on...

Exploration, Imagination, Adventure, and Wonder. RPGs are the ultimate escape for me, so I fill my games with imaginative scenarios, factions, locations, npcs, and creatures. I love the weird and the wild.

Rules are...

meant to be followed to achieve the experience a game is trying to give you. A great game will have rules that create that experience. That said, I have no problem bending them when they become a pain point, but I like all players to be on board before I change anything!

Steffan Mouton - Fang & Fable's ideal table

I run a table of highly collaborative storytelling. I firmly believe in the principles of being a fan of the characters and filling the world with wonder. If a player asks a question, I might turn it back on them and ask if they have an idea of the answer. This back-and-forth is us building the world together, and I make note of every player answer. Our world grows with every question. I prefer moderately rules-light games, and I tend to run them somewhat strict adherence to the rules. I believe a well-written game produces great results when adhered to somewhat tightly. I of course allow for Rule of Cool within reason. Many of my favorite moments over my long years of DMing came from creative interpretations of the rules, and I think that is wonderful.

Featured Prompts

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

Worldbuilding and Exploration. These are the pillars upon which I run my game. The sense of wonder should never die down at my table.

I love it when a player

offers up worldbuilding ideas. I push for it often while we play, and I will ALWAYS write down their ideas and use them later. A shared story is better than one entirely written by me.

My table is not the place for...

aggression, murderhobo-ing, or PvP without EXPRESS consent. In fact, nothing between players at my table happens without consent. This is a hard line in the sand for me.