What do you get when an anthropologist that becomes a lawyer that becomes a teacher that becomes a writer becomes a game designer?
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out…”
What is it about storytelling that you most enjoy?
“That moment when all the efforts of every plot point, every piece of character development, every nuanced scene, every tiny detail comes together and just makes sense. When reading a story to someone and their jaw just drops because the big reveal smacks them in the face, I am overjoyed. When one of my stories or adventures causes someone to shout or to cry or to laugh or to cheer, my smile turns to granite.”
What are your favorite systems?
“I most often write and create for Fifth Edition [D&D], because its the most popular RPG out there. But I have played so many others. Big campaigns in Warhammer Fantasy, Agents of Concordia, Symbaroum, Planebreaker (5E) & Lost Citadel (5E) but I’ve either played or collected materials from Fate, Monster of the Week, Star Wars (FFG), Shadow of the Demon Lord, 13th Age, Pathfinder, Black Void, The Witcher, Doctor Who, Dungeon World, Blades in the Dark, Star Trek Adventures and countless numbers from independent creators.”
Why RPGs and other games, why not books?
“I started writing short stories and novellas. But as I’d write them, I couldn’t help but think about the backstory of every character and every setting. Whole cities, whole planets, whole universes were spiraling in my imagination. Every story I have ever written is in a shared universe… or multiverse. I could never in a million years tell all of them. But if I build these worlds, these settings, these characters, and put them out there, other people will create those stories through their play. They will go on and on in more adventures than even I could imagine.”
What prompted you to start taking more time writing materials and publishing them rather than just playing?
“Well, that’s a good question.” long pause “When all else that we have is long gone from this world, our stories can remain. I don’t think I can put any more fine a point on it than that.”
