Chelsey

she/her

4.7

(6)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Neurodivergent

Voice Actor

Women/Femme Identifying

About Chelsey

Hello, my name is Chelsey! I'm a game-master with over ten years of experience. I got my start in TTRPGs when my father ran an AD&D module for me and my brother called Harold the Hedgemage when we where about ten. I was hooked, I had to share this experience with others. I couldn't get my teeth into all the systems and charts at the time. But I was consumed by the need to create stories. Craft powerful magical items for my future players to quest after. Mind bending puzels and traps with a poetic flare (my father's "go yee not fourth into this room" that sprung if and only if there where 4 people inside has been a gold standard for me for puns.) Most of my early experience as a GM with system mastery was with D&D 5th edition. Over the years I've picked up and run Pathfinder 2e, Numenera, Lancer, Daggerheart, Stormlight archive. I love different and varried systems. I own and collect way more then I'v gotten the chance to play, so if there is a system or setting that you like I would love to look into it! As a trans woman I work to create an empowering and safe environment for everyone at the table. I meet people where they are at and strive to be a fan of them, the world we are creating together, and their character. I love making my games feel personal and alive. I love "scheming" with my players between sessions, giving them the creative license (they always had) to plan spicy twists and hidden dramatic gold (or literal.) I'd be excited to have you at my table!

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Storytelling

$20 per session

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

Playing for my friends at home in middle school. I'd invite everyone I could get my hands on, pass out rule-books from different TTRPGs I had, and just Rule of Cool my way through any rules questions. It was messy, but it kept me hooked and taught me that fun and friends are key.

My favorite books are

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson for it's mix of oceans eleven and pride and prejudice themes baked into a fantasy world with a crunchy magic system. The Sprite and the Gardener. Pastel over-sweet yuri graphic novel. Nona the Ninth, third book in the locked tomb series, I feel in love with the zombie

When I'm not running games I'm...

Making overly long to do lists. Listening to 20+ hour long audiobooks. Thinking about running games. Talking to myself in character voices. Scheming with players about upcoming games. Building plastic model kits. Cuddling with fiance and watching Milo Rossi. Playing ADHD trap games. Fixing linux.

How Chelsey runs games

I love narrative heavy games. Bonds between player characters and NPCs acting as a driving force. I also employ safely tools to facilitate the conversation, pause when we need to, or even rewind ⏪ a scene that was too intense or did not seem honest about what a character would do. The game I play exists in conversation with my party. I can craft abstract and surreal circumstances. Eldrich horror, time travel, body swapping, having a human connection to the lady at the DMV/Adventure guild. Lance's paracasual nonsense has been a big inspiration for me, along with Call of Cthulhu and SCP. I can craft tactically interesting battle scenarios, letting players express their capacity and establishing stakes and urgency. While I tend to prefer short punchy combat, I can accommodate and celebrate long tactical campaigns. (Especially if we can cultivate an opportunity for love to bloom... even on a battlefield.) When I start a game I like to start with touchstones (Daggerheart has an excellent explanation) peices of media that excite me and my players. Everyone brings a vegetable, we put them in stew, then we all eat and be happy. Drawing elements and tones from those to help craft a story or even a game world that will be exciting and engaging for us all.

Featured Prompts

I prep by

Having compulsive daydreaming sessions about what might happen in the next few sessions then writing it down or acting it out. Making sure that I have stat blocks for everything ready. Communicating with my players before hand to make sure I have something exciting for them to engage with!

My games focus on...

Players stories. The world around players exists to challenge and shape those stories, give context to them. A mighty warrior or cunning strategist needs a reason to have to be mighty or cunning. I like to bring players in, give them a shared sense of authorship of the game world we are living in.

Rules are...

What we agree on at the table. They can help us work in a shared environment but are ultimately created by an ongoing process of negotiation and consensus. Also they are pretty neat and game designers generally do a good job writing and explaining them.

Chelsey's ideal table

4-6 players, each bringing a unique character to the table and willing to explore and grow them throughout play. Players who are fans of each-other's characters, (and hopefully the world we make together too.) I want them to dream and scheme with me between sessions. Tell stories about what happened, write backstories for NPCs they met or would like to meet. People who are accepting, willing to make mistakes, and able to make things right after or celibate how it was not a mistake but an opportunity. Mostly, I want a table of people who are kind, willing to accept kindness from others, and excited to play a game.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

Plot twists, character stories, weird spooky stuff, doppelgangers, simulations, romance, compassion, Chuunibyou nonsense, escalating tension and stakes, scifi, fantasy, body swapping, sneaking into a ball, splitting the party, GAY ROMANCE, toxic yuri, nontoxic yuri, finding out you are actually ___.

I love it when a player

adds their creative spice to the world. I love it when they Introduce or offer to play NPCs. Affirming their unique understanding of how the world works. I trust my players a lot, and they trust me. The world exists in conversation, and if something ends up not working, we can always change it.

I think metagaming...

ROCKS! Metagaming allows players to feel the tension of knowing there is a bomb under the table. I love it when characters say genre unaware tropes out loud, "I'll see you tomorrow," in a time loop, or "it's just the wind" when we all know it was not. Or "Who's Dave?" after a false hyda attacks.