Today’s Tales From the Tavern mini-interview features Jack Kellum (Of Gods and Gamemasters)
He makes worlds. He builds gods, villains, and monsters for a variety of games. He runs games, and has for 41 years.
You can find him at ofgodsandgamemasters.com,
on Twitter at twitter.com/JackGogsbane or at Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jackgogsbane , Tumbr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/of-gods-and-gamemasters @Jackgiantkiller@dice.camp on Mastodon
and on YouTube at youtube.com/@OfGodsandGamemasters
Great, let’s see what Jack has to say!
Do you prefer GMing or Playing, and why?
I like both, but generally end up GMing just because I have tons of experience, skill, and more time than other people to prep.
What is your favorite(s) book?
I love so many books, but the Lord of the Rings is high up there, along with the Dresden Files, the Chronicles of Amber, the Dark is Rising…
If you created a TTRPG about anything, what would it be like?
I’m doing so, and the first setting is an urban fantasy setting which draws heavily from real world folklore rather than pop culture, with vampires, fae, dwarves, trolls, gargoyles, werewolves, wizards…the whole gamut of supernatural critters.
You can create a creature by making any real world object, plant, animal sentient. What would it be?
I’d want to do it several times, but the first one would probably be a sword, and I’d be sure it was sapient as well as sentient. In addition, it’d have to be given motility to go with its self awareness, so it could be free. Dangerous, but fun.
What do you think is absolutely essential in creating a safe space for all in a TTRPG game?
Being on the same page. However you get there, formal tools or just having played with the folks for a long time, you all have to have the same expectations, and it has to be clear which topics can be broached at the table and which ones can’t. Every player, every group, are different, and what one enjoys might trigger someone else’s PTSD or other trauma.
Anything else you’d like us to know:
I’ve got a Patreon at Patreon.com/ofgodsandgamemasters, and a Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/ofgodsandgamemasters66683. I make monsters, gods, vilains, even whole pantheons on commission, and my supporters get weekly content…shifting away from DnD right now over the OGL debacle. Thanks for inviting me to share!
Thanks, Jack!
