James D'Amato: Taking TTRPGs to the Everyday Man

James D’Amato is perhaps one of the most-read TTRPG writers today, even if most people never realized it.

D’Amato is best known for the One Shot Podcast Network, a collection of shows dedicated to exploring various TTRPG systems. But he’s also one of the principal authors of the Ultimate RPG series, a collection of books printed by Simon and Schuster that are system-neutral supplements for fantasy and general RPG games. These are the generic books that your mother might buy you after hearing that you like those “Dungeons and Dragons.”

D’Amato has been writing these books and supplements since 2018. He came to the hobby through his college’s TTRPG club around the same time as D&D 3.5, but also spent time reading other games like Call of Cthulhu and Shadowrun. D’Amato eventually decided to launch One Shot in 2014, where he would play as many systems as he could. That later led to the Network, which currently hosts over a dozen active RPG-related podcasts and dozens more in its archives.

His work at the network eventually earned him his first contract with Simon and Schuster, where he wrote the Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide, a collection of exercises and practices that he used to create backstories, in 2018. That book turned into an ongoing series of RPG resources and decks designed to appeal to the average person.

D’Amato’s Evolving Views of What an RPG Is

Writing a TTRPG guide for a general audience requires careful consideration and specific ideas before it can be published. While it’s often easy for insiders like me to use terms like OSR, rules-lite, or PBTA, the majority of people have no idea what those concepts are or how they work. So, how do you communicate about the hobby to the average user?

This practice has evolved for D’Amato. While D’Amato’s initial book drew a lot on his own experience DMing games from large to mid-tier TTRPG publishers, his views expanded as he was exposed to more of the industry.

A significant moment of change for the podcast host was Metatopia, a New Jersey convention for game designers to experiment and explore new ideas with fellow designers. This is one of those events where amateur game designers and professionals mix and test out all their weird ideas. (It’s also on my to-do list at some point.)

Metatopia caused him to realize how “wonderfully expansive the idea of a role-playing game is, how it far outstripped my already diverse experience of what I thought.” And he’s tried to communicate what that means through his books.

“There are ways to create mechanical hooks that will unlock people's creativity through different structures and different means all over the place,” D’Amato added. “I never assume that role-playing isn't for everyone. I believe that what people see as the mainstream RPG structures that are traditionally important to role-playing aren't for everybody. But there are games and experiences that, if people allow themselves, might open those new players up to experiences that allow them to discover something that they love and that they find empowering, beautiful, and even moving.”

D’Amato is not entirely fond of the “what is an RPG” section of books, however. Many books on the market dedicate a few paragraphs or multiple pages to explaining what a TTRPG is. This concept seems entirely unnecessary when compared to other industries, according to D’Amato. “You don't open a game of Monopoly and see the rules explain how you're going to pretend to be a landlord using dice and positioning mechanics. They assume you know what a board game is, and they explain the rules of that game within that framework.”

Instead, he focuses on the story hooks and ideas that help draw a player in, whether it is a backstory they are invested in or a world that feels interesting to them.

Expanding Beyond Game Accessories

Most of what D’Amato writes would be considered “accessories.” They’re supplemental tools that any player or DM can acquire and incorporate. There’s no need to learn new rules, master new mechanics or buy extra material for it to be useful. But the author has been striving to move beyond accessories in the future.

D’Amato started experimenting with his recent work. Oh Captain My Captain, a card game based on the For the Queen framework, was the first deck-based TTRPG published by Simon and Schuster, exploring the players’ relationship with their captain through open-ended questions. The game was a stark contrast from his other work, but provided a framework that was easily accessible and open-ended. His latest project was the Ultimate RPG Worldbuilding Deck, a collection of cards containing rumors, story arcs, and inspiration for your average fantasy game. The Deck builds on his past work of providing worldbuilding resources, but converted them into a question format that fits well on cards; something that Simon and Schuster are convinced will do well based on past sales metrics. (all of the content is new, D’Amato affirmed.)

The author remains in a unique position, as his work serves as a sort of test opportunity for convincing major publishers that TTRPGs might be worth their time. While his supplemental and game accessories seem to sell well, his games (Oh Captain and The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book) haven’t found the traction necessary to succeed in the eyes of executives, according to Rascal News. It’s placed him in a position where he has had to negotiate to have those products created by Simon & Schuster. He is expanding beyond Simon & Schuster with an upcoming project that Possible Worlds Games will publish.

D’Amato seems intent on continuing to work with Simon & Schuster for now (tariffs haven’t impacted any of his work,) including the upcoming Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide that he is co-authoring with Dillin Apelyan in 2026. His books may not seem as innovative as the phenomenal games featured by indie designers and award shows. Still, their contributions may help bring this hobby to the attention of more people through sheer exposure alone.

Thanks to James for chatting with us!

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