Jake M

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

About Jake M

Want to be a part of telling a compelling story in 5E Dungeons and Dragons? Then look no further! As a DM that emphasizes storytelling, I love to tell grand tales about good vs evil with internal consistency and respect for the awesome characters you bring to the table. While I do love a good one-shot, my love for the game comes from playing whole campaigns and watching my player's characters grow and change. At the table I run a quick paced narrative game with relevant combat to make sure my players get the most out of each session. I run my games with a Rules as Written mindset that leaves space for players to shine with rare Rule of Cool moments. If you are looking to be a part of a great story then let me be your guide in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Storytelling, Sets the Mood

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I wanted to create the stories and games I wanted to be a part of as a kid. That's the magic of TTRPGs. You aren't bound by the options put forth by someone else like in videogames. I also love figuring out how to pull the most out of a scene for the viewers (i.e. my players) to truly enjoy.

My favorite system of all Time is

5E D&D. There is a reason this game is doing so well. 5E has stood out as the most versatile, possibly the greatest game of all time and it still still maintains simple enough rules to just pick it up and start playing. With the new 2024 rules they have even pushed that quality a step further.

How Jake M runs games

For me, the story comes first. Even in a premade adventure the players need to feel like they're not just playing a great game but like they can walk away compelled to tell this story to someone else. A lot of GMs would emphasize roleplaying right after that. Personally, I think combat takes the second most important spot. This is a game and combat is where all of those game elements shine but combat for combats sake isn't fun. I would say roleplaying comes next because a lot of new players, and even experienced ones, are uncomfortable diving headfirst into acting out a character's dialogue but I've never seen that discomfort derail a game. I have, however, frequently seen combat do such a thing, so I give it more attention. Each aspect of the game has to support the ones that came before. So combat is only important when it supports the story and roleplaying is only effective when it supports the combat and storytelling elements.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

Taking some time researching the issue if I feel it can be solved in about a minute. If I can't solve it that quickly, I will make a call in the moment with the caveat that I am going to look more into this between sessions and may change the way it will work moving forward once I have more clarity.

My games focus on...

The story first. Being able to create a great scene doesn't matter nearly as much as the context of that scene within the larger story. I also believe that combat has to have a relevance to that larger story. Combat that has a purpose is fun but combat just for the sake of it is usually not.

Rules are...

the binding for a boundless world. Without them we are all just kids in a sand box yelling, "NO, my spell is stronger," and that does not make for a fun game. That being said I do leave room for Rule of Cool interpretations for gods, BBEGs, and critical moments for PCs.

Jake M's ideal table

I look for players who want to prioritize a great story and understand they're not "playing the GMs story" but actually that they are part of a group telling a tale for all of us to enjoy. I want people who are excited to play the game but also understand when to step out of the spot light and let others shine. This is easiest when I can find people who are as happy for their fellow players achievements as their own. Lastly, I'm just looking for people to have a good time. I don't want taking this seriously to lessen the fun of it so, while I approach GMing professionally, I never forget that we're still just playing a game (but a great one).

Featured Prompts

I think it's a red flag when players...

Come down on other players. Everyone has different learning capabilities and we don't know what other's are going through. Also, because D&D allows people to experience emotions through the lens of another character it can be therapeutic for people. Don't take that from them.

I think metagaming...

Should be avoided but does have it's place from time to time. Metagaming can make up for how much more in game knowledge and experience your characters have compared to you. The key to this is it must be done quickly. Any metagaming that breaks or stalls the game is not worth it.

I think min/maxing...

Is a great way to make a character...if you're also going to lean into the "min" side of things. You're character's low stats are just as important in storytelling as their high ones. If you ignore them you are ignoring aspects of your character and therefore your story.