Semih Saydam
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About Semih Saydam
Hi! My name is Semih (though I usually go by Sammie online). I’m a 24-year-old trans fem college student who has been running D&D 5e games both online and in person for the past nine years. During that time I’ve run a variety of campaigns, focusing mainly on homebrew settings while occasionally running official material such as Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. I’ve loved DMing since I was a teenager, when I first started running games for my friends after school, and I haven’t lost that passion since. I love storytelling, especially in a TTRPG setting, because it allows many different voices to come together and create one (mostly) cohesive story. For me, the most enjoyable parts of DMing have always been meeting new people, running games for fun and interesting characters, and sharing plenty of laughs with my players along the way. So if you’re looking for a story-rich game, feel free to join my adventure!
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
$20 per session
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I got started GMing...
in high school. The first game I ran was fully improvised and used a very simple set of rules (and was very unbalanced) but it got me and my friends hooked! From there I learned how to play DnD 5e and have been running games ever since!
The three words my players would use to describe me are...
Goofy, Fun and Imaginative
When I'm not running games I'm...
I'm either playing video games (usually management or rouge likes), at Uni or studying for Uni classes.
How Semih Saydam runs games
My games are very character driven and roleplay forward. I enjoy building stories around the players’ characters and giving them space to interact with the world, its lore, and each other. While combat certainly appears in my games, it usually isn’t the central focus of every session. I like to emphasize exploration, worldbuilding, and meaningful character interactions. Many of the challenges in my games can be solved in multiple ways, through clever planning, investigation, negotiation, not just by punching it real hard. I typically run games for smaller groups of around 3–4 players. I like smaller parties as it then lets me have more time to sped on each player and their character's backstory. When necessary, I adjust encounters or rewards such as providing additional potions or loot to help balance smaller parties and make sure everyone has the tools they need to succeed. Though I am relaxed by nature that does not mean I do not look out for my players though. I myself am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and treat cases of discrimination or insults with the weight they require. I do not allow bigotry or the like at my table as my games are supposed to be a safe place for my players. Overall, I aim to create a relaxed and collaborative table where players feel comfortable engaging with the story, experimenting with their characters, and contributing to the world around them.
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I prep by
Planning out a few general ways the following session might go while making plans in the background concerning areas/characters that the players can't interact with at the moment, giving me control over the wider narrative while leaving the immediate events up to the player's choices.
Rules are...
needed to have good game but aren't the end all be all. I am more concerned about everyone having fun than following arbitrary rules.
When it comes to voices
I try my best but I'm not that good so I try to keep characters distinct through their their word choices and my narration.