Mae (they/them)
4.9
(70)
4 years on StartPlaying
893 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Storytelling
About me
Welcome all! My name is Mae (they/them) and I love creating memorable tabletop experiences. D&D was love at first sight for me. I watched a single episode of a stream and by the end of the week I had a DMG. Another week later and I was attacking my friends' characters with goblins as they tried to take some trade goods to Phandelin. That adventure and many more since then have helped me to learn about myself, support myself and follow my dreams. It brings me great joy to inspire creativity in others as our journeys cross paths above the board. Many of the aspects I now know about myself were learned through gaming. The freedom my initial DM provided allowed me to explore my identity. I embraced my queerness, gained confidence in my storytelling skills, came to understand the importance of safe spaces in fostering inner growth, and discovered that I love teamwork so long as proper boundaries are communicated. It is my goal to create a safe table so players can enjoy the very freedom that helped me to grow so much.
GM Style
My primary goal when running games is creating a space where each player feels safe and free to embrace their creativity. I use direct communication to create boundaries each group can agree upon. These boundaries provide the foundation upon which the story will be built. I then try to fill in any gaps as each player adds new pieces to the story structure. This allows players to take the lead and create whatever they wish with the confidence that it will all come together in the end. I run both homebrew adventures and printed modules. My homebrew adventures start at level five where I can throw players directly into a sandbox. They are fully player driven with character decisions creating ripple effects that emanate throughout the adventure. Players in my module campaigns are able to experience a similar feeling and power over their environment should they wish. Modules often come with a smaller and more regional scope as well as some linear objectives. I am happy to follow this if that's what the party is looking for. I am also happy to toss out the module if players decide to take their characters away from the module objective. I will fill in whatever gaps are needed. A game altering decision like that would first require consent from the entire party. All of my games share my general DM style. Besides player agency, I also focus on brining NPCs to life using voices, art and personality quirks. I use maps and scenes from Cze and Peku and supplement those with some maps of my own creation. Sound effects from Syrinscape also aid in the immersion. I try to keep the story momentum going with a steady game tempo and generously reward characters throughout their journeys. The "Rule of Cool" is used at my tables. An rulings developed that way become house rules for the campaign to maintain consistency. Players can expect high stakes combat in most sessions. I don't enjoy killing characters, but I love trying to get as close as I can. Intimidating or persuading enemies mid-combat is encouraged if a party wants to lean into some chaos. Thank you for reading my ramble if you've made it this far. I hope you find the right table for you and have a great day!
Games played
Game platforms used
Mae's Games
Game Master Reviews (70)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Inclusive
Storytelling
I only had Mae as a DM for a short amount of time. Still, they've run a great game full of impressive levels of prep work, and custom battle maps, including our very own bastion, and have a great understanding of 5e systems and the improvisational chops to run a long-lasting and player-agency-focused game. They even roll with the punches dealt to the campaign through random loot tables. (A Staff of the Magi? At level 6?!) A real treat for new and experienced players.
Skilled and experienced DM, gives every player their time in spotlight. Knows the rules, and either keeps them in check or helps less experienced players with their choices, and keeps the game running pretty fast paced. Still allows rule of cool and player creativity. The world and NPC's feel real. The one-shot dragged on quite a bit longer than estimated, but this was partly players taking there time. Still that was a bit of a downer towards the end of the one-shot, and one player had to leave before the end. Cut 1 h of the duration, and it would have been 5 stars.
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