Ashton MacSaylor
Describe yourself and your play style. “I am a game designer, professional DM, and long-time forever DM. I run a professional gaming company, with 7 other DMs who work for me, running paid games. We've got a few DM's Guild materials out there, but this RPG is our first foray into seriously publishing a full, independent RPG. As a DM, I lean toward cinematic, story-focused games. I don't particularly fancy dungeon crawls or pointless combats. I like it when the conflict serves the story, rather than the other way around. I don't like encounters for their own sake; I want every scene to move the story forward. I love finding the story in a game as it emerges, leaning into the dramatic plot twists and the climactic final confrontations. I love getting into the character's heads, both the PCs and NPCs, discovering what makes them tick, and revealing the incredible story that can emerge through play.”
Tell us about your favorite NPC to have run. “Not sure this is my favorite ever, but at the top of my head right now. About two hours ago (as of writing this) I was running a very cool NPC in one of my professional games: a spirit called the Watcher, who lives deep in the Black Woods. It takes the form of a larger-than-life bear with the head of an owl and the antlers of a stag. It has three eyes, but each eye looks like a clock face, with the third, central eye, dominating all of them. They wanted to ask it questions, and it demanded a price. When it spoke, the world seemed to shrink and shiver, and the players just about peed themselves when they realized that they needed to come up with a gift not just to get what they wanted, but even just to leave alive. They paid a king's ransom: one player gave up his treasured magical weapons, twin shadow blades that can turn anyone they kill into a shadow which obeys the wielder. And they got the answers they sought. At the critical moment of its speech, its voice grew louder and deeper, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away, and a bell seemed to toll with each word it emphasized, and then they lost track of some time and came to outside of the forest. The players were raving about how awesome that guy was, so yeah, it was a memorable moment :)”
Is there anything else you'd like to tell potential players to help them get to know you? “Like I said, I run a very story-focused, roleplay-heavy game. Come ready to dive into the inner psychology of your character! The more you bring, the more I can give you back.”
Find Ashton online, @ashtonmacsaylor on Twitter, or www.sunsailorproductions.com
