Moustafa

he/him

5.0

(1)

Timezone

Asia/riyadh

Language

Arabic

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

Multi-lingual

About Moustafa

My name is Moustafa, but most ppl call me Mic. I’m a 25-year-old college student studying computer engineering and currently in my last year. Theatre is a big passion of mine, and I also dedicate time to humanitarian work in the Middle East—sometimes even with the assistance of the US Air Force, which is ironic given my socialist views, but hey, mutual aid comes in strange forms. I also do community service, like beach cleanups and other local initiatives. When I’m not working or studying, you’ll usually find me playing guitar, running D&D sessions, or watching F1—Max Verstappen is my favorite driver though I am not much of a fan of the Red Bull team. I also love hiking and camping, which I used to do extensively. As for GM'ing I've been at it for ten years on and off, and I have 10,000+ hours in roll 20 and 15,000+ hours in Foundry VTT, and almost all of my hours spent have been spent GM'ing. Something that I pride myself on is that I run the games myself and tailor everything myself so that no matter what happens, the players playing this campaign will always have a new and unique experience than any they have had before, rather than a template made by one G.M. and then given to other GMs that have minimal access and are told to follow the template to the letter rather than provide the players with a unique experience. That is one main difference between this pay-to-play versus others. Think of it as buying mead off the shelf versus home-brewing your own.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Sets the Mood

Featured Prompts

My 3 systems I'd bring to a desert island would be

MÖRK BORG, Mothership, D&D 5E

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

working on biomimetic drones, running a society that revolves around mental health and community involvement, or chilling and playing guitar.

How Moustafa runs games

I run serious, story-driven games where narrative and immersion come first. The world treats itself seriously, and so do the NPCs—they have goals, fears, and a strong instinct to survive. They will fight intelligently and desperately, because in their minds, they are the main characters of their own stories. I value all three pillars of play—roleplay, exploration, and combat—and design my campaigns to support all of them. Some sessions may lean more heavily toward one pillar, but the world itself is built to meaningfully integrate all three. Story always takes precedence. I work with each player to tightly weave their character into the main plot and the setting. Characters are not spectators; they are central to the narrative. Because of this, choices have real consequences. Even actions meant lightly or humorously can lead to serious outcomes, including the loss of important NPCs or lasting changes in the world That said, this is not a humorless game. There are lighter sessions, downtime, and moments to relax—taverns, recovery after missions, and character interactions. I simply expect players to take the story and their characters seriously overall From a design standpoint, I approach GMing like a game designer. With a background in computer engineering and game design, I build worlds as interconnected systems of choices and consequences, with hidden details that can unlock new NPCs, locations, advantages, or complications. Exploration and curiosity are often rewarded.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

the main plot, as the plot and the coherency of the story is the most important thing to me, as to make sure that the game is believable, so that the players can immerse themselves in the world.

Rules are...

provide a shared framework for players and the GM to tell a story. They ensure fairness, clarity, and pacing. But they are tools, not the goal—if a rule harms fun or flow, it should be adapted or ignored to better serve the game.

Moustafa's ideal table

My table is much like my GM style. I expect players to be genuinely interested in making immersive, serious characters so that they can stay in character for as much of the session as possible. I also expect players to create characters that can function well in both combat and roleplay—I believe you can absolutely do both min-maxing and good RP. I expect players to take each other’s characters seriously and to collaborate properly when making decisions, as one person’s choice can affect the group positively or negatively. I also expect players to play adventurers with relatively mundane goals, not heroes of legend. Your character should treat adventuring as a profession or a life decision made for a meaningful reason—after all, why risk life and limb instead of settling down and living a safe life? That question should have a clear answer. I don’t usually use piety systems. Instead, I view actions on a spectrum from selfishness to selflessness. Your character can still be a good person, but what matters is how they see themselves, their moral compass, and how that influences their decisions. Most importantly, you should embody your character. Just like you would, your character likely wants to avoid death. Make someone that you and others can respect and enjoy interacting with—someone who feels like a real person, the kind you’d actually want to be around and talk to. I also really value players who engage with the world itself. I love when players want to explore, follow up on leads, read handouts, and pay attention to the details of the setting. The world is built to be interacted with, and the more you invest in it, the more depth and opportunities you’ll uncover—for both your character and the group as a whole.

Featured Prompts

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

immersive roleplay, grounded and meaningful characters, collaborative decision-making, and a world that rewards curiosity—where following leads, reading handouts, and truly engaging with the setting matters

I think min/maxing...

is good as long as it is held up with good roleplaying.