Welcome to Roadworthy! This is a chance to show off a Road Crew Judge and allow them to share their experience and wisdom. We provide these profiles to help provide insight into their personality and style, and maybe give up-and-coming Judges some advice on improving their game.
The Road Crew theme for 2018 is Strange New Worlds! Head out and find unique places to run games for willing participants. Do something that makes us take notice! Who knows, maybe we’ll put you up on our website. Jump on into the Road Crew program for your chance!
We cross down below the Mason-Dixon line to visit Georgia with our latest Roadworthy Judge. With a punk aesthetic and a drive to entertain, this Judge brings the action all over the Atlanta area. A big welcome to Judge Jay Domingo!
Roadworthy: Judge Jay Domingo
What’s your name, where do you live (and game), and how would you describe yourself?
My name is Judge Jay. I live in Covington, GA right outside of Atlanta. I run and play Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, and D&D 5th Edition games at Joystick Game Bar in Atlanta where I am part of a collective of GMs called the Order of the Owlbear. It’s basically the 1910 School of Paris for table-top RPG dungeon masters.
I fancy myself a Murder Hobo Judge but everyone knows if you lean into that too much you end up with an empty table. I’m much more cuddly than that and I love empowering my players to try anything. I also believe in the judicious use of the Luck Roll to make the impossible possible.
Please, please tell the story of how you discovered gaming.
My good friend Tony Meloro, creator of Grey Flowers and Mystic Punks, was talking to me to me about DCC and Appendix N because of our shared love of pulpy pop/trash culture. I took to the old-school retro flavor immediately. This game speaks to me and I try to run it much as possible.
The DIY community around the game is so inspiring. Discovering DCC was like discovering SST Records and punk rock and finding all the creativity bubbling around this little scene. Judge Brendan’s Black Flag pin on his RPG battle vest is testament to the punk rock aesthetic of this crew.
How did you first discover DCC?
I discovered gaming through middle school, when the teachers said we could vote on the books we wanted to read and talk about in class and one of the other students suggested Deathtrap Dungeon and we all voted for it! It was amazing! A book in which we choose what the protagonist would do?! Awesome!
As of “right now,” how many Road Crew games have you run in 2017? Or 2018?
This year was the first year I joined the Road Crew. I’m on the 7th or 8th Road Crew swag item but I’m sure I’ve run more games than that.
What’s your favorite Road Crew game experience so far?
Running Reliquary of the Ancients for Free RPG Day 2018 at Heroes and Villains Comics in Warner Robins, GA had me teaching an 8 year old the wonders of a TPK. His dad immediately snapped up the DCC Quick Start Rules and vowed to continue his son on his dark path.
Tell us where you run your Road Crew games.
On Mondays and Tuesdays if I’m there, Joystick GameBar is the place to die a heroic death in a 0-level Character Funnel. Also, Bread and Butter Bakery in Covington has a D&D at B&B night that my friend Ian Steele does and maybe there will be a Road Crew game or DCC Wizard League/ Spell Duel tournament going on.
What advice would you give to other Road Crew judges?
The best advice learned from The Dark Master is taking all the familiar tropes and monsters of the game and changing up the stats and details. This will make things strange and new for the players and will bring more excitement to your table, without tasking yourself too hard. It’s probably good life advice as well.
And if I can, I’d like to send a shout-out to my regular Straight Out of Shrift Town group. It’s 5e, but heck if I didn’t have them start out in the DCC classic funnel, Portal Under the Stars.
