Japes
he/him
5.0
(40)
Timezone
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Identity
About Japes
Hey there, I'm Japes (jay-ps), your Game Master and the person responsible for bringing the games together. Fair warning: I'm dyslexic and have a dry sense of humour. Both rule KO here... I first ran D&D as a 10-year-old, which was –cough– 40+ years ago. Over that time, I’ve seen the shared experience of these fantasy worlds is like a simmering cauldron: we all put our ideas in and give it a gentle stir. Then see what it tastes like. There's plenty of room for your imagination to take flight... just don't be like Icarus! Recently I bumped into a guy who played D&D with me when we were teenagers, and he fondly remembered the laughs and cheers around the table, the unexpected outcomes, the fumbled roll, the gloriously ludicrous idea that somehow works, and best of all that critical roll that toppled the big bad. Every table I run is a safe, creative space. All I ask is that we're all courteous to each other. It doesn't matter if you're playing a 1920s FBI agent in a Cthulhu Mythos romp, a piece of Sapient Pearwood in Discworld, or a Fairy Barbarian who growls at enemies. When you're at the table, play it like you mean it. I can't wait to see what you come up with.
At a glance
3 years on StartPlaying
254 games hosted
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Creativity, Inclusive
$30 per session
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Featured Prompts
My favorite books are
Are diverse.... Mort, from Discworld, a comedy about the character Death. The Dune series. Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. There and Back Again, a Hobbit's tale.
My favorite system of all Time is
Discworld Adventures in Ankh-Morpork. The laughs around the table say it all. It is a niche game where you may feel you need to have read every book in the series. Honestly one is enough. It focus's on fun roleplay.
How Japes runs games
These games are best when they’re collaborative. You’ll find those story ideas that have you all agreeing to them are incorporated. Be that a town name or some lore of what happened before the adventure started. You can have a friend in that town, but don’t be to hasty, they can be pressure points too. Yeah, I’ll be playing the part of the those monsters and the Big Bad, and I’ll play them in a way they deserve and that challenges you to find a great solution. In all of this do remember: I’m on your side. Weather you’re new to roleplaying or have enjoyed these games for years, you'll find a warm welcome here. I'm patient and happy to explain as we go, and genuinely enjoy watching as new system clicks in to place for you. If you want immersive stories, meaningful choices, and a table that celebrates both chaos and triumph. Then you're in the right place.
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
I'll make a decision that fits the narrative and later checking to see what the book says. If I'm way off, I'll discuss in discord with the players. Keeping the game fun and moving is far more important that getting it right every time.
I once ran a session...
The session was for Discworld, and they played as Thieves Guild. The tasks was to “steal the show”. Which they did by putting on a remake of “the Rocky Horror Picture show” and did the stealing that way. It was the funniest game I’ve ever been part of.
My games focus on...
Allowing you to roleplay those key moments and have your character stand firm against the tides that rock the narrative. I like having the game play out in a light hearted way, where there are fun & humorous moments.
Japes's ideal table
These games are about having fun, regardless of the setting: D&D, Call of Cthulhu, Mothership, Discworld, and others. There is a time and place for monster saliva to drip, barbarians to charge into the fray, and for you to be knocked to the floor as a chest with hundreds of feet comes barrelling round the corner. With all that said, the framework of the games is the rules. I'll run them flexibly, but not to breaking point. When you try that madcap idea, we'll figure out which skill or stat best fits and see how well you pull it off. I know I'm neurodivergent (dyslexic, with a side order of ADHD... or is that the other way round!) and didn't realise until well after my daughter was a teenager, why I was the way I was. I'm not in the LGBT+ community, but my daughter is. I gave her the space to tell me when the time was right for her. All of this means -I get it- and the tables I run are a safe space for all of us to play these games.
Featured Prompts
I love it when a player
When the dice cause mayhem, and you enjoying where it takes us. When you come up with a fun and unusual way to solve the troublesome situation you find yourselves in.
I think metagaming...
Definition: Is where you the player, know that something your character doesn’t, and then act on it; as if they know it too. Your character can in time learn about these things, and its fun to see that happen.
My table is not the place for...
Bigotry or any of the isms. Take Call of Cthulhu, you can be in the 1920s where tensions are high. There is still a line, that doesn't need to be crossed.
Japes's Preferences
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