Richard

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

Europe/london

Language

English

Identity

Published Writer

Game Designer

About Richard

I’ve been running games for as long as I can remember, more than thirty years at this point; I make my living as a science-fiction author, have done for a decade, with the occasional dip into fantasy and historical fiction. I’ve a few RPG credits to my name; I was heavily involved in the adaptation of one of my settings, ‘Battlecruiser Alamo’, a few years back, and I’ve done some work in the OSR, running a fanzine called OD&DITIES back in the day. Growing up, I ran an awful lot of D&D, but in recent years I’ve found myself drawn to other games; I’ve run multiple campaigns of Star Trek Adventures over the last three years, and had two Star Wars campaigns going at once at one point. I’ve been a Star Trek fan for longer than I’ve been a gamer, and love to delve deep into the lore to find fun things to anchor games around. Having a bookshelf full of Star Trek novels is a real benefit! I always run a completely inclusive table; I wouldn’t know how to do anything else. My focus in campaigns tends to be on storytelling and character progression, and it’s always immense fun to watch a campaign twist and turn as the sessions progress. I tend heavily towards the Rule of Cool, and prefer narrative systems that allow for player buy-in, just to ensure the wonderful chaos that can ensue. Above all, I believe that the purpose of a campaign is to have a good time, to have fun, and that is my Prime Directive!

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Rule of Cool

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love telling stories; it's what I do for a living, and I love the process of weaving together epic sagas and stories with my players.

I got started GMing...

A long, long time ago, but I actually enjoy the process immensely, building the campaign and the world, getting into the depths of the NPCs and constructing a narrative for the players to explore.

How Richard runs games

I'm strongly role-play focused; I believe that where gaming is at its best is where DM and Players build the story between them. Even if it might start at the same place, no campaign is ever alike; the players are what make the difference. Whenever I run a published module, I always tear it to pieces, add and remove to give it a personal and unique touch, largely based on the nature of the player characters, but I more usually homebrew my campaigns these days, it's half the fun! I run a completely inclusive game, which I would hope goes without saying. I believe that at the core of everything, this is about having a good time, and that's always my main focus as a DM.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

Roleplay and storytelling first and foremost; these are the aspects that make RPGs truly special and unique.

Rules are...

Rules are there to serve and support the campaign, not shackles to which we should be chained.

Richard's ideal table

I like players who are engaged with their characters, with the story, with the setting, who are there to have fun and to help everyone else have fun also. Those who want to help create and shape the campaign as it grows, weaving themselves into the narrative.