Deja Gonsalves

she/they

5.0

(9)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

Women/Femme Identifying

About Deja Gonsalves

27y.o. Creative writer from Athens GA. I got into tabletop and DnD right before starting college, then took off during my college years in the local RPG club. After graduation in 2020 and the everything that happened, having my crew of ttrpg buddies and baddies to go after kept me sane. Now I want to extend that magic to others also looking for a bit of creative release in a hectic world. I've played mostly DnD 5e and am gradually adjusting to the recent updates in 5.5, and also have some experience with the Lancer rpg system.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

28 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Inclusive

Average response time: 4 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

Originally it was a very straightforward reason: as a creative writer I saw DnD as the perfect training grounds, and the DM as the bravest author of them all. As I played and refined my stories, I learned that not only are DMs brave, they're magical. I take that truth with me in every game.

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

DND 5e, Lancer, and Vampire the Masquerade.

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

Playing games! Whether it's other dnd campaigns or video games, I'm pretty well entrenched. But when I'm doing no gaming at all, I write.

How Deja Gonsalves runs games

Over the years I've found I enjoy working with my players a lot for what happens in a session or a region, especially those with a more robust backstory that I can then incorporate into populating a town or a lair for a mini-boss. I leave a lot of room for roleplay, but don't skimp on combat either, especially during travel. I plan grand arcs and webs of villainous networks for my players to unravel or tie knots in as they see fit. I'm also very easy to amuse, so good jokes and meme chats in the discord are aplenty. I value an organized 'home base' for campaigns, you can expect a book keeping tab, a dice rolling tab, and an index of npcs/locations to name a few tools in my belt. Open to playing/organizing outside of discord if players have better websites or tool bots they prefer to use.

Featured Prompts

My favorite trope is...

A mage becomes tempted into necromancy and over ambition. A warlock wants to break their pact after hurting those closest to them. A cleric or paladin's faith is shattered by the pettiness of their diety.

My games focus on...

A satisfying arc. Down to the session, if it doesn't feel like enough was accomplished or plot lore was missed, then I quickly find ways to rectify it in the next session. Occasionally there's cliffhangers, but that also usually comes with a complete 'arc'.

When it comes to voices

I love when my players can do voices, even though I'm middling at it myself. (Half the time I forget, haha) but I do usually provide an accent mention for my players to imagine, such as describing which letters are emphasized or skipped.

Deja Gonsalves's ideal table

I like a table of eager players that want to immerse themselves in the world and their characters. Ttrpg experience or player age isn't a setback, it's an opportunity to make new memories and learn about oneself. My style is relaxed but still on task, adaptive, and rewarding.

Featured Prompts

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

Note taking and creative mages. I reward those who skirt the big puzzle with a crafty spell or that gradually realize the twist through their own observations. I also love to play with themes as we visit new locations/fight certain monster types.

I love it when a player

I'm happiest when a player is comfortable in their dynamic role at the table, whether that's the face, the note takers, or the intimidating silent martial muscle. I work with them to make sure that experience is what they want and see that their immersion is rewarded.

My perfect party mix is

I've played in and run games for a broad range of party sizes and dynamics over the years, but I always find a druid, a paladin, a warlock, and a fighter.