Isaac
he/him
5.0
(7)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Isaac
I started with theatre and improv in my teens. I went on to do both professionally for a while before cycling through an eclectic career that involved mental health services, politics, education, analytics, and more. In 2020, I left behind the life of a permanent address and have been traveling the world ever since. I bring to my tables a diverse background, a deep love of telling stories, and a sincere desire to feel big feelings with my players. I tend to favor the RP and story aspects of the games, while combat is a tool for those goals rather than the central focus of the game. I am unapologetically queer and so people can expect many of the characters in my worlds to be, as well. I believe that if the fantasy world I create is less diverse and interesting than the real world, then I have utterly failed at the entire point of the thing.
At a glance
1 year on StartPlaying
8 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher
Featured Prompts
My favorite shows/movies are
From The Good Place to the first few seasons of Game of Thrones. Anything that defies your attempts to guess what will happen next while never letting anything happen that doesn't Make Sense for the characters to do (which is where the latter seasons of GoT went wrong).
When I'm not running games I'm...
Traveling the world. I spent most of 2024 in Asia. In 2023 I did a full circumnavigation of the globe, visiting four different continents including my first trip to Africa.
How Isaac runs games
I bring to my tables a diverse background, a deep love of telling stories, and a sincere desire to feel big feelings with my players. I tend to favor the RP and story aspects of the games, while combat is a tool for those goals rather than the central focus of the game. Combat still happens, but random encounters usually don't. Fights have a purpose and choices, both in and out of combat, will matter.
Featured Prompts
My games focus on...
Feeling big feelings. Emotion. A story that doesn't make you feel things is a story not worth telling. Expect conversations with me about what you (the player) are wanting to feel and experience through your character. And then expect to get what you asked for in ways you may not have expected.
Rules are...
tools for fun but they should never get in the way of fun. I am ALWAYS open to a "can we make it so that..." adjustment in the service of a good time, BUT I will also almost certainly look for a way to have that come back to bite you when the bad guy uses it, too. :)
Isaac's ideal table
If you're familiar with the "Types of Players" discussed in the D&D DMG... Actors and Storytellers will have the most fun at my table, while Explorers and Problem Solvers will also have a lots to love. Optimizers, Instigators, and Fighters might be more frustrated, but are encouraged to message me to talk out what you're looking for to see if we can accommodate. Socializers are welcome, but we're here to play the game first and foremost, not just hang out. Disruptive players that aren't interested in moving the story forward might be asked to find a table that is a better fit for them. Basically, players will have the most fun at my table if they focus on character personality and history, letting those things drive choices and spur consequences in the spirit of danger, discovery, and drama. Players that are more focused on building a character sheet that will be the most powerful in combat will likely feel unfulfilled. Those that get bored during the talking parts of a session will definitely have more fun elsewhere, and those that think chaos is it's own reward may not get along well in the settings I tend to build.
Featured Prompts
If you're into ___, you're going to love my table
Feeling big feelings. Both "positive" and "negative". Triumph. Heartbreak. Inspiration. Despair. Love. Hate. Elation. Sorrow. The goal is to be invested in the character and their story while helping each other along their own; to suffer and soar together in equal measure.
I love it when a player
really understand the WHY of their character, let's their character lead the way, and commits to the motivations and priorities that are important to that character, rather thinking about what will have the best outcome on a meta level.
I think min/maxing...
is boring and better suited for video games. And also, it simply won't work at my table. Character-driven choices get rewarded. Optimization gets punished. I promise that you will never get the upper hand with a "broken build". I'll simply make everything harder to compensate.
Isaac's Preferences
Systems