Step into the mind of Jason Koh, where he'll take you through an immersive journey with unique storytelling and intricate plots. His Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) modules captivate and challenge players. Are you ready to dive in?
Q: Please give the readers a short introduction about yourself. What is your “origin” story, and how did you come about writing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) modules?
Greetings! I’m Jason, the Overlord (read Director) of pop culture agency Neo Tokyo Project, producer of Doujin Market, co-founder of Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League Singapore Community (DDALSG) and Role Playing Game (RPG) Day Singapore, a professional D&D Dungeon Master (DM), and game author.
My love affair with D&D began some three decades ago, when I received a hand-me-down copy of the 1983 D&D Red Box. Since then, I’ve entertained numerous players both on and offline as a DM, with my longest streak being a high-intrigue, political campaign that lasted close to a decade.
My content creation habit started in the early 2000s, when I contributed to multiple forum-based projects and fan zines during the start of the D&D 3rd Edition Open Gaming wave.
Sometime after setting up DDALSG to help bring Singapore’s D&D 5th Edition organized play community together in late 2017, I was introduced to the Dungeon Master’s Guild website and the Adventurers League curated writing program by another author. The caveat was that any content produced must first be commissioned by a convention, or you’d have to be a convention organizer. That was of course perfectly fine by me, since running pop culture events is my bread and butter, and putting together a D&D convention was one of my pet projects anyway.
That was how my first ENNIE nominated title, Ooze There? (co-written with Darryl Ho), came about. I’ve never looked back since.
Q: Tell us more about your D&D adventure, Cat’s Paws, that won a silver in the 2023 ENNIE Awards. Describe to us your creation process of world-building and puzzle design. What makes for an engaging session?
Cat’s Paws didn’t start out as a D&D adventure. The core concept is based off the plot for a Japanese themed murder mystery game we prototyped in the office.
The story beats were the same – the feudal lord is assassinated, and the characters must catch the culprits within a set time frame to clear their names – but this was D&D, so I had to insert a touch of the fantastical.
Since this was also crafted as a homage to the Japanese films I studied and loved, I wanted to present things as respectfully as possible. The Samurai-era theming stayed, I dialed some cultural elements up to eleven, and made the cast cat people so the location would immediately seem familiar, yet magical at the same time. This also meant that cat puns would fit purr-fectly, and I could go with a campier and more whimsical vibe despite the heavy subject matter.
The adventure was also designed with as few rails as possible, which meant that players had enough agency to get creative with their solutions and how they wanted to tackle this whodunnit.
The puzzles, several of which were originally designed for an escape game style setting, were easy enough to adapt and work into the narrative. Without giving too much away, they serve as tangible props that also add a layer of tactility and interactivity to the experience, and solving them is integral to pushing the story forward.
Q: From writing Cat’s Paws in 2023 to writing The Huangfu Heist this year, how has your writing style evolved between both modules?
Cat’s Paws (and The Waystop before that) marked a departure from a more formulaic style focused on genre conventions to something more experimental and cerebral. Of course, some signatures of my writing style and certain mechanics that have become a staple have not changed.
In a sense, I’ve been focusing on making things I’d play, touching on themes I care about, and exploring more elements of Chinese culture in my work. Honestly, it’s liberating and a whole lot more rewarding.
Q: What was the greatest challenge in writing a D&D module, and what were the steps you took to overcome these obstacles?
Procrastination. I write an average of one new module a year because it takes forever to psych myself up to type up a manuscript, even if the scenes and ideas have been stewing in my head for months and it’s all ready to go. I’d either get distracted by work, or some other geeky thing.
That’s why it’s important for authors to have clear checkpoints and deadlines!
Q: On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your adaptability when you’re performing as a Dungeon Master? Any specific instances where a certain scenario didn’t play out like how you would have wanted, and how did you maneuver through those sessions?
Maybe a 9? I’m a seasoned enough Dungeon Master with sufficient rules knowledge and system mastery that few things can surprise me anymore. If the players come up with something cool and creative though, they 100% deserve the win!
Q: As a convention producer for Doujin Market, does the interaction between the community have a part to play when you’re creating D&D content?
Since it’s my show, I can justify indulging my hobby for a bit.
I’m eternally grateful to the admin and mod team of DDALSG, as well as various community members (including several other local game authors) for always supporting Doujin Market and being with us when we run our Intro Games and convention exclusive content.
We’re pleased to say that in the past few years, we’ve managed to introduce more than 500 fresh faces to D&D through Doujin Market, and we’ve also provided several artists (who also play D&D) with opportunities to design the key visuals for our adventures, or to take on corporate work related to tabletop RPGs.
I also have several adventures on the backburner inspired by my experiences organizing Doujin Market and various cosplay events. They’ll probably see the light of day when I stop procrastinating!
Q: In what areas of Singapore do you see an opportunity for D&D to play a role in building creativity and relationships?
Playing D&D is a great way to foster more effective language and communication skills. Whether you’re a player or DM, you’re honing how to effectively convey ideas, resolve conflicts, and to listen actively.
The game also encourages players and DMs to keep their cool, think on their feet, and improvise, which can come in handy in unexpected situations!
Q: Any advice you would like to give to those starting out as DMs?
Read the rulebook. I can’t stress this enough.
Also, communicate with your players. Don’t get too engrossed or invested in the story you’re trying to tell (which I’m sure is cool and you’ve put a lot of effort into). Work with them to integrate their characters into the story. You want their buy-in too!
Finally, the dice don’t actually matter. Don’t be afraid to use a DM screen and to fudge your dice rolls if it leads to a more compelling story. ;)
Q: Any future projects you’re currently working on right now?
I’m currently developing a miniseries for D&D Adventurers League inspired by the Wuxia and Xianxia genres called Swords, Sand, and Silk. The first chapter debuted at TableCon Quest in June this year, and should be available for public play first quarter of 2025!
Q: Where can your D&D modules be found?
My work is available on Dungeon Masters Guild through this link!
Readers of SG Boardgame Design can grab Cat’s Paws at USD $1 using the following promo code!
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