Japes

he/him

5.0

(32)

TOP GM

Timezone

Europe/london

Language

English

Identity

Neurodivergent

About Japes

Hey, I'm Japes (jay-ps), your Game Master and the person responsible for bringing the game together. I've been running games for long enough to know that the best moments are never the ones you plan. They're the critical fumble at the worst possible time, the ridiculous idea that somehow works, the NPC everyone decides to adopt. I'm here for all of it. My games are built around the choices you make. The world reacts to those and you’ll see the story evolve. This means that no two sessions ever go quite the same way. I love roleplay, both as a player and GM, along with us all having a laugh during the game. At the heart of it, I feel it's the escapism of these fantasy adventures that we're all here for and I enjoy being it all together and make your adventure the centre of it. Something else that is I find very rewarding is guiding a new player until they find their feet and surprise themselves as what they can do. I endeavour to make every table a safe, creative space and part of that is for us all to be courteous to everyone at the table. Whether you're playing a 1920s FBI agent hunting Cthulhu Mythos monsters, a piece of Sapient Pearwood in Discworld, or a Fairy Barbarian growling at enemies as you fly over the wizard's head in D&D. Its great to see you, play them like you mean them. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

231 games hosted

Highly rated for: Teacher, Creativity, Knows the Rules

Average response time: 7 hours

Response rate: 100%

Top Game Master

One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

• The Wasp Factory, which has a macabre storyline. • Mort, set in the Discworld and features Death and his horse Binky. • The Dune series, a gritty read. • Hitch-Hikers Guide series, that gave the answer 42. • There and Back Again, a Hobbit's tale.

My favorite system of all Time is

1st: Discworld Adventures in Ankh-Morpork.* The laughs around the table say it all. 2nd: Call of Cthulhu, for the roleplay and tabletop horror. Others: D&D, Daggerheart, Alien, Blades in the Dark, Night's Black Agents. It's roleplay that I really like. *This may well change again.

How Japes runs games

Are you the sort of player, who likes the win handed to you on a plate? I’m guessing not, and I totally agree with that. Your choices should make a difference, the challenges must be real, and your victory will be hard earned and the adversity along the way makes it all the sweeter. I love those moments when the table erupts: the critical fumble at the worst possible time, the perfect plan that somehow actually works. When they happen, I'll be laughing and cheering right alongside you. Be you 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 it click 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...

When rules issues come up, I'll make a call and look it up after the game; otherwise it gets in the way of the flow. Often a player will find the reference mid-session and if I were wildly off, we'd retcon the situation.

Rules are...

Rules are the framework for the adventure, where you try things you'd never do in real life. I run 'Rules As Intended' with a generous helping of 'Rule of Cool', because the goal is always fun. There is a limit, and that's when it's no longer fun for everyone at the table.

Japes's ideal table

Players from different countries and playstyles, all at the same table, that's what makes this fun. I'll push you to lean into your character's strengths, flaws and to add personality to your actions, even in combat. Those little touches make the character truly yours, and they matter just as much as the rules. The moments that stick aren't always the dramatic ones. Sometimes it's the unexpected joke that makes the whole table lose it. Those shared memories outlast any session.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

• Allows their character to be unique in ways that enhance the narrative. • Laughs, when the dice cause mayhem and things don't go to plan. • Come up with a fun and unusual way to solve the trouble you find yourselves in.

I think metagaming...

An example: Where your character has never dealt with a Vampire, so wouldn't know that sunlight hurts them and you need wooden stakes. Whereas you the player, know that from films and books, or worse looked up the Monsters stats. Its acting on that knowledge that is metagaming.