James Harris (Lost Fables) (he/they)
5.0
(6)
4 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, World Builder
About me
Hey, y'all, I'm James! Born in the frozen wilds of Alaska and living in the Utah red rocks, I played my first beautifully catastrophic game of D&D(3.5e) in my junior year of high school and was instantly hooked. With over ten years as a GM and with decades of experience in theatre and improvisation, my goal is to create immersive tales with your characters at the center. I put a heavy focus on creating a colorful, living world to serve as backdrop to your decisions and interactions. But don't get too comfy! Though I'm an RP aficionado, I also love putting interesting obstacles in the party's way, often leading to explosive combat (mapped and unmapped) where your powers of strategy will be challenged and I'll make sure every strike gets the dynamic and hard-hitting description it deserves. I have a penchant for punchy kills. Perhaps most important of all to me is that my players get to enjoy their characters to the fullest. Even in a quick one-shot, I will do my best to take each character's backstory, motivations, and unique quirks into account whenever possible. This story belongs to you. And as an avid and meticulous homebrewer, my world is always waiting for new tales to enrich it. I have the mechanical know-how to back it all up, and I'm more than happy to take the time necessary to help players understand every aspect of the rules as well! We're all in this together. If stories loaded with personality, rule of cool, rewarding action, and a personal touch are what you seek, then my table might just be for you.
GM Style
- I like to balance the gameplay pillars of Roleplay, Exploration, and Combat as much as I can, with the overarching goal of enriching character experience and a fulfilling narrative. - I am never against my players; I'm just at a different side of the table. I follow a two-pronged approach in running my games, which I'll call Production and Interaction. - Production means creating a fully fleshed-out world, complete with illustrative descriptions, entertaining characters, and histories to be explored. I want you to feel like you are immersed in a colorful and rich setting. - Interaction means I follow the improvisational principle of "Yes/No, And/But," which means just about any action can progress the story. A successful action might have consequences, just as a failure might provide something unexpectedly helpful. Try impossible things, be curious about little details, explore the world, and that world will be shaped by your choices, to some extent. Put simply, I like exciting descriptions, interesting NPCs, and giving entertaining answers to player questions.
Game Master Reviews (6)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Creativity
World Builder
If possible, I would choose all of the options given to describe James as a DM. Our campaign with them in the world they created, along with our characters' backstories he incorporated in, was some of the most immersive, challenging, and fun game play I've experienced. He keeps the game moving while allowing for players to express their characters as they wish. (Without breaking the rules too much!) You come to the table knowing James is prepared, open to ideas, knowledgeable, respectful, and professional. James is also highly skilled in interpersonal communication and is there to help you with whatever you come across in the game. I don't think you can go wrong with James and I highly recommend him.
Played multiple years with James at the head of the table, always had a great time, makes the table fun for everyone regardless of experience level, amazing world builder when ir comes to his game designs and delivery at the table, also his NPCs were always fantastic, funny, and well thought out
I have played 3 campaigns with James as my DM. They are great at world-building, both when it comes the basic lore of the world they have created and with interweaving the players' backstories and desires into that world. They also know how to make the game fun in the moment, from using atmospheric playlists to knowing when let the rule-of-cool win.
If you like a GM who crafts stories from your own characters backstory and adds them into the world building, you will like James. They are very inclusive and know what they are about when it comes to rules. They also knowwhen the rule of cool should come into play. They are a great GM!
James ran a year-long campaign with our group and it was amazing. They wrote us an original story, that touched on every single player's backstory and desires for their character development, even as those desires changed over time. They were always responsive and generous with their time and knowledge, even outside of game days. I was amazed by the attention to detail, their obviously extensive improv experience, and their ability to make memorable NPCs. If you have the chance to have James DM your game, do not hesitate. We have tried other DM's since, and James has spoiled us forever, I fear.
Enthusiastic and passionate, James runs an incredibly fun and well crafted game! They ran the first game I got to play in and were kind, patient, and receptive as I bombarded him with questions and ideas for my character Bertha's backstory. They did an amazing job writing a compelling narrative that made me feel like my character had agency in the world and set up situations that allowed me to play the character to its fullest. 11/10 would recommend James for anyone looking for a DM who creates and runs a safe and inclusive game!
What's StartPlaying?
Tabletop Roleplaying Games Run by Game Masters
Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.