Leyla

she/they

5.0

(10)

Timezone

Europe/madrid

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Neurodivergent

Artist

Women/Femme Identifying

Game Designer

About Leyla

Hi! I'm Leyla, a Transfemme GM from the UK and migrated abroad. I have been playing tabletop games since I was a theatre kid in my tweens, using them to tell stories with the people I adore. I know how important this hobby is and want to bring it to as many people as possible. I have had a history in both improv and acting, but ultimately went to higher education for art and game design, giving me a sort of eclectic skillset that I adore putting to use at my table ahaha. I was relegated the position as forever GM, but love this role dearly. I find running games for others to be a great joy, helping them to explore stories that matter to them and using games to inspire me in turn. My graduation in art left me with a lot of love for ludology as a whole, I love to splice systems together and build mechanics around players based on wider works. A little homebrew helps glue stories together to specific groups in my mind, but I can't get enough of a good crunchy high speed combat system. I spend most of my time breathing in slow burn exploration stories and long running mysteries, I'm a huge sherlock fan and games like disco Elysium heavily made it into my FMP work for my graduation. I spend most of my time either making comics, games or tabletop campaigns as a result of my genre interests, being able to create or play a big puzzle is a joy. I am however also, I think, a sensitive person at heart! I care a great deal for others and want to make folks happy.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Voices, Inclusive, World Builder

$15 per session

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love improv. There's no greater joy than jumping off something a player drops in front of me and turning it into a narrative. I adore ludology so it all fell together and I never looked back.

My favorite shows/movies are

Any good mystery, if there's a good murder plot or political intrigue I'm invested. Though I'm also fond of Lemony Snicket, Wes Anderson and anything a little weird as a means to view our world. Top Picks: Coraline Fantasic Mr Fox A Series of Unfortunate Events Knives Out Cordelia Cupp

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

Working on art commissions, webcomics or playing through my latest hyperfixation game. Will often find myself painting weird abstract game UI just for the hell or it. Might be playing through my old favourites again for the hundredth time too.

How Leyla runs games

I typically run very roleplay and slow burn campaigns. I adore working with players to tell a story, character creation is a particular favourite of mine. However, I also am a sucker for mechanics heavy resource management, exploring a wilderness with a heavy pack and rations, learning what you can afford to carry and when you have to choose to leave things behind. I think systems are beautiful ways to put players in the heads of their character without the stress of performing. I like systems that let me fill worlds with culture and opportunities to world build around player backstories, giving them each a piece to see the world through. I enjoy combat, designing combat encounters is more about attrition with a handful of tactical encounters for me however. I would say if you're expecting wargames, they exist more in setpieces for me, when they help tell stories a certain way. I will admit my worlds can be a little thorny, due to my love of ecologies and worldbuilding, you should come to my table with a notebook ready. Dungeon crawls are best done with a journal in my experience. Generally, I like comedy and angst, and hope to make everyone feel something each session, running each session with a set piece per character outside of dungeon crawls, and inviting the player to decide who they are in world. I love playing with new players, their fresh eyes means that they often make choices that are framed in ways that make for much better stories, all are welcomed.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

Roleplay, Homebrew Mechanics, Mystery and Crunchy Survival. While homebrew is common at my table, it's normally in service of existing mechanics, using other tested systems as reference. I hope to create a sense of a game players can master through strategy in social and survival play.

Rules are...

Vital, but flexible. I wouldn't consider myself rule of cool or rules as written, as I value both in different areas and different settings. RAW comes in for immersing players in a headspace of play. ROC comes to help them tell stories. I try to use both, using relevant systems to fill gaps.

When it comes to voices

I'm delighted by nothing more than playing silly guys and gals. I cannot get enough of immersion in the characters I find with my players. I am quite invested in how I perform too, coming from theatre art and design. I try to create an immersive world with my voices, or at the very least comedy.

Leyla's ideal table

My ideal table is diverse, both in an identity but also a play sense. Ideal play in storytelling games come from the unexpected, and different perspectives lead this. Having players with different strengths also lets everyone shine in different ways, so the more the merrier. I try to mix heavy and light topics together, catharsis comes in exploring what makes us uncomfortable and finding ways to overcome it. But, a good laugh can really make a game worth it at the end of things. I try to keep a friendly table, which means running a tight ship as DM. Bigotry and attacking folks identity is not accepted in any form at my table. Oh, and I am an AI free space! This is expected for my players too, please and thank you!

Featured Prompts

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

Dimension 20 and Critical Role. I do my best to balance a mixture of comedy and group play with heavier settings and crunchy systems play. I mix a lot of homebrew mechanics pulled from a number of systems together to reward improvising and creative thinking, but mastery is rewarded too. Roleplay!

I love it when a player

Shocks me with unexpected play. If when I present all pieces of a puzzle to a player they move in ways that outsmart my plans I delight in this. Creativity is very welcome and encouraged at my table. Use your toolbox fully and I'll be a VERY happy camper.

My table is not the place for...

Right-wingers. I'm queer, and tend to run stories about taking down corruption. I need to know when I put heavy topics on the table, all my players will be respectful in ways that go against right wing politics. I apologise but this is a space for fellow weirdos and outcasts, first and foremost.