James is our Professional Game Master based in the beautiful historic town of Cambridge. We caught up with him for a brief chat to see how he is getting on during lockdown and for a little insight into his take on running games of Dungeons & Dragons.

Hey James, how have you adjusted with taking your regular Dungeons & Dragons game online? 

It was a little strange at first but once I got the hang of Roll20 I realised the potential to really up the scope of what would be possible in person. To actually have the players see the dozens of enemy pirate ships heading towards them was really cool.  

What do you think makes a good player?

Someone who knows how to listen to the other players and take on board what they’re saying whether that be in a roleplay scenario or planning an ambush. 

When you run your games, what is it that you love the most?

I love taking my players to exotic locals and traversing the wilderness. Lord of the Rings was probably my first experience in fantasy and the epic journey undertaken is something I really enjoy. It also allows me to make a ton of maps which is a great bonus. 

If you've never played before, what advice would you give a beginner D&D player looking to join one of your games?

I’d tell them not to worry too much about the mechanics of their character. Tell me what characters from film, TV and books they love and we’ll create a character based on that, if I don’t already have one prepared! 

A lot of players are often put off by all the rules in D&D, do you have any advice for those players that are perhaps hesitant to get stuck in? 

The rules can be daunting but when you get down to it, it’s as simple as you roll a dice, we do a bit of simple addition and then I let you know whether you managed to do what you wanted to. Whether that was pick the pocket of a town guard or leap from the top of a tower onto a moving dragons back. The benefit of using a professional DM is not having to worry about the rules and after a while of playing you’ll pick up more than you think!