Russell Hawkins

he/him

4.9

(15)

Timezone

Etc/gmt

Language

English

About Russell Hawkins

Hello friends of the gaming table! My name is Russell and I've been player and GM now since 2009. I have been a fantasy nut ever since seeing Star Wars (re-releases early 90's) and the LOTR films (early 2000's). I devour fantasy books wherever I can get my hands on them (Brandon Sanderson is my current favourite) and love fantasy CRPG's (first introduced to me in 1999 by way of Baldur's Gate). My first GM described the experience to me by comparing it to CRPG's saying 'In those games you typically have option A, B or C. Well at the table your options go all the way to Z and beyond. If it can be done, you can attempt it. Doesn't always mean it will work though.' Since then I have loved playing and running a whole host of systems too numerous to name, creating great stories with great people and having truly memorable moments that become inside jokes or core memories for the group. This hobby allows us to experience infinite worlds and situations beyond the scope of reality and that is entertainment at its pinnacle. Thank you for reading to the end, and I hope to see you at the table fellow adventurers!

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

91 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, World Builder, Beginner Friendly

$25 per session

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I have always been enthralled by fantasy tales since I was a child. Being a GM allows me to my brand of creativity to an audience, whilst also allowing them to engage with the process, as we bounce ideas off one another.

My favorite shows/movies are

LOTR and Gladiator sit at the top of my cinematic favorites. Both are sweeping epics with spectacular themes, clear villains and epic heroic journeys. Last spot goes to The Sopranos. A vile character given enough humanity to be understandable. I try to measure my villains to Tony Sopranos depth.

My favorite system of all Time is

Savage Worlds. Considering my prevalence for D&D 5e you'd think I'd choose that, but I am a huge fan of savage worlds ease of access and streamlining. Exploding dice are always fun and I love that it is a truly setting & genre agnostic system (D&D to me will always work solely for fantasy)

How Russell Hawkins runs games

My first and foremost priority as a GM (and as a player, though to a lesser degree) is to be open and understanding with the others at my table. If a player is having a bad time, then it is something that I will address above all other concerns. We come to the table to have fun because we love these games, and the community of people that have grown around them. My GM'ing style is definitely a 'Roleplay first' approach. I like combat, puzzles, exploration, politics all that juicy stuff that can make for exciting adventures, but to me the heart of the game is the players and their characters. It is how and why your characters interact with these elements that are important to me. What is your characters motivation? What are their aspirations? What/Who do they love? What/Who do they hate? Your characters are the stars of my game, and I want them to shine so bright they can be seen from orbit. My preferred software is Foundry VTT, as I have a lot of experience running games on it, making it simple for me to both use and teach to others. I have ran numerous campaigns IRL, and have logged a good healthy 781 hours on Roll20 (not counting the hours on Foundry VTT) and have ran 5 (3 online 2 IRL) long form campaigns (running weekly for a couple of years) to completion. If you have any questions about anything, please let me know. May your life be full of Crits!

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Gathering my notes from the previous sessions, and comparing them to my plans for future sessions. The players almost always do something I did not consider, so I look at my villains objectives, and consider how (if at all) they will react to the players actions

My games focus on...

The players experience first and foremost. How they interact with the world and with the NPC's, trying to get them invested in a world that is wholly make believe, but still feels real and carries emotional resonance. The rules are simply a framework for this style of play.

When it comes to voices

I try to give characters distinct voices or accents to differentiate them without having to constantly say which character is speaking. That being said I have no professional training with voices and my Irish, Scottish and Welsh accents often blend together to create a truly horrific mess!

Russell Hawkins's ideal table

My ideal table will be one filled with players looking for a collaborative story-telling experience first and foremost. Players that are excited to create deep back stories and see them explored, with an idea for a character arc across the campaign (maybe more than one depending on completion).