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How did hear about The Dungeon Masters and what process did you go through to become one of the DMs featured?
Keven McAlester found me at GenCon… He and one of the producers were “talent hunting” at the convention and approached a bunch of folks there. I have no idea how they actually found me, but my games were listed in the GenCon directory… and I was running a total of six, 6-hour sessions during the four days of Con. They watched me run the game for a bit (I remember seeing them in a doorway or two and just ’staring’) then they approached me during a break between sessions to ask for the interview.
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Why did you agree to be featured in The Dungeon Masters? Did you have a motivation to portray RPGers in a positive light, or just think it would be fun and interesting?
I had about an hour interview with Keven and Kel (the producer). They asked general questions about my gaming and tried to assure me that they really wanted to portray us (Game Masters) as normal, everyday people. I like to think that I am just that… normal and everyday. As for my motivation, I just thought it would be fun. Plus I really wasn’t sure how serious these guys were…. They had this tiny little digital camera sitting on a table. I figured “What the heck. They’ll probably find someone else that’s a lot more interesting, and never call me anyway.”
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How much time (or how many hours) did The Game Masters crew spend filming you over the course of the year?
Wow…. Let me think. My wife says they were only here for about three weeks to follow me around. This may be true. It just seems like it was longer because of the “other segments” of my life that they filmed. I went to a convention in LA for a weekend, where they filmed almost the whole weekend… plus they followed me to Florida for a “last hurrah” game with my old gaming friends. That took another weekend plus. Lots and lots of good times were had and preserved on film… I’m almost disappointed that they had to cut out so much of what really went on, but there is only so much you can put in a film. Total time? I’m not sure but maybe close to 100 hours? Keven would know for sure…
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How long did it take for you to get used to having cameras film your life? Was there any part of the documentary process that you considered intrusive?
Actually, it didn’t feel that intrusive to me. Not that I have someone following me around all the time but Keven just made it feel fairly natural. Meetings were arranged, microphones were taped on/ hidden in clothing, and things just went as natural as they could. I did have to ‘remind people’ that there were microphones and cameras at some point or that this was “all being caught on film”… but for the most part, it was fairly painless. Maybe waking up at 4:30am to let the crew in the house was a bit intrusive… the alarm went off at 5am.
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Did you develop a relationship with the production crew, or a sense of trust with these people?
Actually, I tried to form some kind of rapport with several of the crew… but was deflected off as it is considered “inappropriate” for the working environment. I was told at one point… “Crew and actors should not mix. It’s not good for the film.” So the one guy I THOUGHT I might have had some commonality with, basically pushed me away. The trust was there, but the camaraderie was never going to happen.
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At the AFI Film Festival discussion, the director said he and his people never knew what to expect from you (nudist, Jewish conversion, etc). Do you consider yourself that unpredictable or off-the-wall?
One of my favorite sayings is “Chaos, confusion, mayhem… my job is done here!” I thrive in situations of stress and don’t mind it much when things feel like they’re “going to hell in a handbasket” all around me. I’ve lived through three hurricanes, countless tornadoes, and at least two earthquakes where I was between one mile and 20 miles from the epicenter. I typically rise to the top of the situation and, if no one else knows what to do I will typically take charge. The Air Force taught me to "adapt, improvise and overcome". It’s why I like to be the GM… no matter what story I may want to tell, my players still throw me a curve ball. I change the story to fit the need… and we go on!
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I have noticed from internet postings that Elizabeth wasn’t entirely pleased with her portrayal in the movie and felt the director edited her material to slant her portrayal. Do you think you were portrayed fairly in The Dungeon Masters?
I know that Keven and the editors needed to tell a story about each of us. What they chose to portray about each of us was definitely a difficult thing to decide, having hundreds of hours of film to choose from. The problem with doing a documentary is that you (the audience) don’t always get to see the whole picture. “The devil is in the details”, and though the editor might see the details, or the director might know what they are… to put them all in the film would make it impossibly long to watch and very boring!
Speaking specifically about me, I have noticed that some reviewers of the film seem to think that I am in the Army. This is wrong. I am in the Air Force Reserve. The uniforms are similar, but trust me… it’s the US Air Force that has C-17 aircraft, not the Army. Also, there seems to be this theme about me “dropping everything in Florida (fleeing)and leaving a young son behind”. That is also not quite right. First, he was the youngest of the four children and 20 years old when I left and his mother filed for the divorce. Also, he has maintained periodic contact with me over the last eight years (since the divorce). The difficult part about the entire portrayal of that relationship is that I just live so far away now…. and do not get the chance to see him as often as he and I would like. You raise four children for 16+ years of their lives then suddenly get cut off from them because of a divorce… and try not to miss them!
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How long have you been a DM? Do you ever play as a character?
Wow. This has a multiple part answer. I first was introduced to D&D (the basic version) somewhere back in 1977. A good friend of mine introduced me to the game. I think he had an older sibling in collage and they brought it back home and taught him. He wanted all of his friends to learn so we could all play together. Our first job was to create 20 characters! Yes, 20! This way, he (the GM) could approve them all, and when we ‘died’ we didn’t have to ‘waste time’ creating new characters for his game. After plowing through the first 15 or so, I decided to become a GM. Heck, it was FUN killing things off, but I wanted to watch my friends squirm! I wanted to go into different places and take the characters into different scenarios… basically be in control of the story.
As for do I ever play as a character… the answer is yes. Periodically at a convention (like GenCon or the local sci/fi con here in Seattle) I will “join the ranks” of the players and take off my GM hat. It’s still fun, and believe me, I give the GM a difficult time. I don’t cheat (yes, I know a LOT of the 2nd edition stats of monsters by memory) and I don’t argue the scenario, but I use every known players’ trick that has ever been used against me, to make sure that we (the players) get every benefit we can! It’s even more fun to watch a fellow GM squirm!
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From scenes in the movies, you seem to have an evocative style as a DM. Is that your biggest strength as a DM?
I’m not sure. I do like the emotional impact that I bring to a story. I try to find and make a connection to the players with something that is happening. I try to find some way to make the story come alive, to become almost real. Not that I want to bring a real dragon into someone’s living room, but still… to put the players truly INTO their characters. When a character dies within my regular campaign, I want the players to feel the loss of someone they have grown to love and care for. This is why the sphere of annihilation scenario was so devastating to everyone; including to me. But my other strengths are almost as important. I try to keep the game moving by knowing the scenario…. I know the monsters well enough that a quick review of some basic stats and I know exactly what’s in store for the party (I have been known to accidentally forget some statistic, but… I’m only human). Plus I just love to tell the different stories within my campaign. I never grow tired of it…
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I remember one scene where you were going through boxes of old gaming supplements. Do you tend to use published material or write your own sessions?
Both. I like the published material for the setting. Typically I will use some pre-made dungeon as a basis for the ongoing story, and then throw my characters (and their players) into the basic storyline. Because a lot of the material I use is “really old” (ie 1979-1983 or so) some of my players may be familiar with it. So I use some of my own material to modify the basic module, and POOF! Old story with a new twist! I have actually had a player come to me after a game and say “That wasn’t in the original module, you know” and my reply is typically… “So stop reading the module and play the game as I run it.” I don’t get angry, I laugh…
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In your mind, what’s the best D&D dungeon crawl supplement ever?
Hmm. I know LOTS of people that will hate me for this, but I really like Return to the Tomb of Horrors. It’s evil, it’s deadly and there is NO possible way for the players to win. Period. Seriously! Having run the scenario over 12 different times now, I have YET to have one group (of 12 players running for six hours in each session) to actually succeed in accomplishing the true defeat of the demilich. He is one evil, wicked, nasty and powerful being and there really isn’t any way to stop him. Well… short of the players reading the module information and knowing EXACTLY what to do to defeat him.
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What do you think of 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons?
Truthfully, I have not played it yet. I have seen some of the reference materials and I have heard some comments about the setting, but I cannot give feedback on something I have not experienced.
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What is your favorite all-time D&D setting?
I am caught between The World of Greyhawk and Blackmoor (the original). This is why I incorporate details of both settings into my overall campaign world.
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What was your favorite campaign to DM and why?
My own of course! As I said, I like the WoG materials and I enjoy the original Blackmoor stuff. I take from both what I need to make my world run… and it works for me. I have run the overall campaign (restarted it anyway) three times. It seems to be cohesive enough that my players enjoy it.
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Of the other two DMs in the movie, which one would you rather play a session with?
Actually, I would like to play with both at some time. I ‘accidentally’ bumped into Scott at GenCon a few years ago, during filming. Keven quickly asked me to ‘move out of the scene’ since they were actually trying to film at the time… And though I have never met Liz personally, I have talked in email with her. I find her to be as fascinating as Scott when it comes to games… and think I would really enjoy joining both of them in some one-shot game or another. It would be fun.
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Are you dungeon mastering for any games at the present?
Yes. I have restarted my campaign and I am currently running a “once per month” game for some close friends. We just got started a few months ago and I put the game on hold for several months while I prepared for a local sci/fi convention (www.norwescon.org). I did however run several games at the convention…. and the players actually BEAT the scenarios! Probably a first for me at a con, but it was well played by all players involved. I could not deny them the ‘win’…. GOOD role playing, great dice rolls… it all went into their favor. I still loved it!
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Tell us one thing that didn’t come across in the movie that you would want the public to know about you.
Only one thing? Wow. I am not really a power hungry GM. I know the strength of the power which I hold over the game. It’s my work, its my world. I want my players AND their characters to survive and enjoy the world I have created. Death is a necessary part of this world, and it does happen. Then we move on and start again with a smile…
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If you knew now what you knew then, would you have volunteered to be in The Dungeon Masters? After this experience, would you be in another documentary?
Yes. I actually enjoyed the making of the film. It was interesting to meet the different crew members and the producers. I’m just waiting for the film to be shown in Seattle so I can show all of my friends how it turned out. As for another documentary? Maybe. How much more of my life story can I really tell? And to go a bit further, do I consider myself to be an actor now? No! I like my jobs in the military and as a civilian. I’ll let the professionals be actors and documentary features. It was fun, but not so much fun that I would make a career out of it.
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What other RPGs do you play besides D&D, if any?
Currently, only WoW online. I have in the past played Traveler, Boot Hill, Star Trek, Gamma World, Heroes, In Her Majesty’s Secret Service, BattleTech, and some White Wolf games. There are probably a bunch of games I missed, but they’re all “one of” and either they are no longer available or they have simply faded into legend.
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What question did I not ask you that I should have asked?
I would answer this, but that would be telling…… lol
[...] all fairness, the interviews with the other two cast members, Richard Meeks and Scott Corum, are also online and they seemed to have a good time with the filming and enjoyed [...]