Tess

she/her

5.0

(15)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Podcaster

LGBTQ+

Queer

Neurodivergent

Teacher/Educator

Women/Femme Identifying

About Tess

Hi y’all! I’ve been running games across a variety of systems for a decade, spending most of my time with Powered by the Apocalypse games, though I’ve spent my fair share of time with D&D 5E. My work as a GM centers player agency and celebrates diverse players, characters, and worlds, with a particular focus on making space for the queer community. My biggest success in the TTRPG space is producing Moon Harbor Heroes, a Masks: A New Generation actual play podcast, with a rotating cast of 24 performers, and our spin-off series, Moon Harbor Extended. My expertise, as mentioned above, is in Powered by the Apocalypse games: Monster of the Week, Monsterhearts, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Avatar Legends, Babes in the Woods, and, of course, Masks: A New Generation. I also love exploring more indie games, such as Yazeba’s Bed and Breakfast, Die Laughing, Honey Heist, Anyone Can Wear the Mask, and Don’t Rest Your Head. My newest interest is the Stormlight RPG; as a massive Cosmere nerd, I’m excited to explore that world. I’ve run a few one shots and am eager to play more of it. Whether you’re a new player looking to play a game for the first time, an experienced player looking to explore an unfamiliar system, or a veteran looking for games to join, I’m your girl! Reach out! I'd love to help bring your stories to life!

At a glance

3 years on StartPlaying

6 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher

Average response time: 16 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love creating worlds (I'm a playwright, a director, a musician, a podcaster, etc.), particularly when I can collaborate with others to do so, so a college friend of mine suggested I try GMing. He was a forever GM, so it *might* have been selfishly motivated, but I appreciate it nonetheless!

My favorite books are

Mostly fantasy and horror nowadays: - I'm finishing a reread of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books and Isles of the Emberdark is my favorite book of all time. - I adore queer horror: Chuck Tingle, Andrew Joseph White, Grady Hendrix, etc. - And what horror nerd doesn't love Stephen King?

My favorite system of all Time is

Masks: A New Generation. I love a fail-forward mechanic: I don't want a failed roll to stop action, but rather propel the story forward. I have had players who wanted to fail, because it makes things interesting. Plus I love a superhero story, particularly one that explores identity and growing up.

How Tess runs games

I prioritize story and roleplay over the system and live by the rule of cool. Systems are crucial, of course – you can’t run a game without rules and structure – but I can’t count the number of times I’ve said, “Oh that’s rad, that just happens” or something like that. We’re creating a collaborative story and building a collaborative world; I don’t want a bad roll to stop that. On that note, I’m very much a “fail-forward” kind of GM. It’s the reason I love Masks and many Powered by the Apocalypse systems: failed rolls in my games don't stop the action. A failure just means that things will go awry, sometimes hilariously, sometimes catastrophically. If you’re a high-level wizard casting Fire Bolt, it’s going to happen; there’s no reason that spell wouldn’t go off. But a failure might mean the flames hit a precious artifact, a member of the royal court, or, even worse, the barbarian you’ve been crushing on for three sessions. I love making collaborative sandboxes. I encourage players to throw out world-building details or to jump in with a “Can I suggest that X happens?” Your game is not my novel; I don't need to control every single beat. My table will also always be welcoming; I’ve felt excluded far too many times as a trans woman to ever do that to others. You’re welcome with me, virtual or otherwise, as long as you’re kind to your fellow players.

Featured Prompts

I once ran a session...

Where literally everyone, myself as the GM included, wept at a character's death. It was such a heartbreaking moment, but there was also a lot of comfort in it. The group felt united in those emotions and it solidified how powerful these stories can be.

My favorite trope is...

Messy queer love triangles. I know that's a very niche trope but you see it a lot in modern media (Challengers, Sex Education, Euphoria, Faking It, Glee, etc.). I love it when queer characters can be bad people; let me be messy and cause drama.

My games focus on...

Personal stories in the midst of massive threats. I want to see the way your character grows while they are facing a supervillain who is going to destroy Earth or while they're going up against an army of dragons. Pressure is a great catalyst for change; let your characters grow with it.

Tess's ideal table

Most importantly, my tables are accepting and inclusive. I'm always going to put players first, in every facet of their identity. I want to hear the stories that you tell as your authentic self, not what you feel obliged to tell based on what you've experienced with GMs before. Other than that, my tables are filled with laughter. There are big emotions, yes, but I want us to find reasons to crack jokes, do ridiculous things in character, etc. That's harder for some games than others, but there's never an excuse to be deadly serious the whole time. Games should be fun for everyone. I'm also not a fan of "competitive" players. RPGs are collaborative; I don't want anyone trying to min-max to have the best build ever and "win" every combat. Make big and strong characters, but let that stem from the narrative, not from a desire to be better than everyone else.

Featured Prompts

I think min/maxing...

Is boring. It's not original to try to build the best character just to make sure you win every combat. Failure is equally fun in a story; I want to know what happens when your character flubs an attack and how they react, not see someone dominate every moment.

My table is not the place for...

Bigotry, hatred, etc. If you're the kind of person who says "All lives matter" or if you voted for Trump, don't join my games; I promise you that you won't have a good time.