Dora

she/her

5.0

(3)

Timezone

America/los Angeles

About Dora

Hello, all! I'm Dora, your humble Dragon Mother. I've been playing TTRPGs for 6 years, DMing for 4, and been obsessed with all things fantasy for over 30. My D&D gateway drug was Critical Role, and I've been voraciously consuming actual plays, podcasts, and sourcebooks ever since. I've even played in/DMed a few things you can find online and completed a DMing Academy run by Amy Vorpah! :) To me, tabletop gaming is all about creating community through silliness, creativity, and stories, and that was what drove me to DMing. I love having the opportunity to foster supportive, collaborative spaces for people, and I think the more of these spaces we have, the better the world will be. To that end, cultivating and maintaining an atmosphere of "Yes, and", support, and mutual respect is hugely important to me. The most beautiful and magical moments of TTRPGs can only happen when everyone feels comfortable and safe at the table <3

At a glance

2 years on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I wanted to be playing so much more D&D, and I had a bunch of friends who wanted to try playing for the first time! So I bought a DM's Guide, spent way too many hours homebrewing a Very Fantasy World, and I've never looked back :D

My favorite books are

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King - classic, perfect, no notes The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - I love being accidentally and slyly completely emotionally eviscerated The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett - I wish I had written this

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

Full of hobbies! I might be playing guitar, lifting weights, writing (D&D modules and otherwise), singing in choir, crocheting, buying books that I may or may not ever read, playing Magic or Overwatch or TFT, catching up on all my D&D media. Jack of all trades here, and variety is my spice :)

How Dora runs games

Crunchies, beware! Story is the priority at my table. Role-play and improv are what sparked my love of TTRPGs, so I'm here to cultivate those juicy character moments. Rules are helpful tools, but being wacky and taking big swings leads to much more interesting and satisfying narratives! I believe the best games have a good balance of RP and combat (about 2:1), with a dash of puzzle-solving and a healthy dose of shenanigans. There is space both for jokes and mischief, but also for stakes and serious moments. What the best games don't include is real-world discrimination, and I have a zero-tolerance policy for transphobia, racism, xenophobia, or anything of the kind :)

Featured Prompts

I prep by

This is every DM's secret sauce. I personally am in love with the note-taking tool Obsidian, and prep sessions in there with all my world notes. Or you can catch me making maps in Wonderdraft while practicing silly character voices.

My favorite trope is...

A gentle giant Half-Orc/Goliath. Idk if that's a trope, but I love my big lil guys. He may not be a prevalent NPC, but I have one in every game, and he will have a cockney accent <3

When it comes to voices

I may only have a couple of passable accents, but I'm committing h a r d. Doing voices can feel embarrassing for people, so my hope is that by doing mine, my players also feel comfortable to try!

Dora's ideal table

The vibe at my table is supportive, invested, and whimsical. I love playing with people totally new to a system or well-seasoned veterans, as long as everyone is bought in to their characters, each other, and the story. You'll fit right in if you're the kind of person who's made a character with a way-too-long backstory for a one-shot, has dressed up for a Ren Faire, or has let Dimension 20 convince you to take an improv class (guilty on all charges). If you're a beginner who wants to do all these things, but you feel shy or hesitant, that's great too! That's how all the players in my longest-running home game started, too, and now they talk and joke in character all the time. It's all about finding that magic and whimsy and letting it out!

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

Uses a spell or item in a way I've never seen before. Believe it or not, I've seen them more often from new players than veterans!

I think min/maxing...

Is pretty fun! I like when characters make big moves, and min/maxing can lend itself to that. So definitely not a requirement at the table, but if you enjoy it, go off! Just beware, it means there will be holes in your character sheet armor that may or may not come up in play :)