Valerie
she/her
5.0
(5)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Valerie
Hi! I’m Valerie — though most players know me as Athena. I'm an artist, gamer, traveller, and most importantly, a professional Game Master who fell in love with D&D in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since. Cozy tables, epic stories, and adventures worth remembering. I specialize in immersive, story-driven adventures that balance exciting combat with meaningful roleplay — all in a welcoming, open-minded space where player comfort always comes first. I love teaching new players and guiding them patiently through their first experience; I want you to leave excited to play D&D again, because everyone deserves to experience the joy that TTRPGs can bring. I began GMing in 2019 as an official Adventurers League DM at a local comic shop, and later transitioned into running online campaigns like Tomb of Annihilation, Curse of Strahd, and Lost Mine of Phandelver. Since then, I’ve run a mix of long campaigns, one-shots, and homebrew adventures for both new and veteran players. My tables are inclusive, creative, and driven by player choice. I love crafting memorable NPCs, layered storylines, and encounters that feel cinematic and alive — where your decisions truly shape the world. Whether you’re brand new to D&D or a longtime adventurer, my goal is simple: ✨ Make sure you feel welcome ✨ Weave unforgettable stories together ✨ And have a blast every session
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Creativity, Inclusive
Average response time: 23 hours
Response rate: 100%
Featured Prompts
My favorite shows/movies are
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Gladiator (the second one doesn't exist), Alchemy of Souls, The Good Place, Solo Leveling, Delicious in Dungeon, 86, and... there are too many. The first two are definite favorites, and the others are spitballs. Love adventure, fantasy, comedy, anime, and much more.
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
1. Creative 2. Knowledgeable 3. Spontaneous
When I'm not running games I'm...
playing all sorts of video games, hanging out with 5 dogs, watching movies and shows, and perfecting or testing delicious recipes (I've been known to combine unusual ingredients with exemplary or... less than wonderful results).
How Valerie runs games
I run a balance of roleplay and combat, but my focus is always on running inclusive content that my players want to play. If I have a group that prefers combat, I make games combat heavy. If my players prefer roleplay, I create more opportunities for roleplay. I am creative and love making unique and unusual situations and encounters - no one wants a boring adventure - so expect to stay on your toes. Things may not be as they seem. I love adding depth to games, and there will always be stakes. Actions have consequences (as does inaction)! Combats will never be the same twice. I try to make combats as engaging as possible without intentionally meta killing you (the NPCs will still try to kill you), but don't think that means that I'm not willing to kill players if things go south (who knows what a series of nat 1s or 20s will do?) or if players get themselves in a sticky situation. My NPCs fight with appropriate intelligence. Be careful diving head-first into situations without investigating or having a plan first. I'm not taking the hydra out of the underground lake if you decide to swim in it at level 5, and the T-Rex is still going to attack you if you run up and punch it at level 3.
Valerie's Preferences
Systems