Dom Fortunato

he/him

5.0

(11)

Timezone

America/indiana/indianapolis

Language

English

Identity

Neurodivergent

Game Designer

About Dom Fortunato

(aka Dominic, Old Scratch, Dom Bombadil, Domzilla, and Glizzy) I run high‑stakes adventures that blend daring exploration with meaningful character growth. My favorite thing about being a Game Master or Warden is watching a group of players discover new facets of their characters while solving problems and overcoming adversity together. I’ve been "hooked online" since I played in my first online game in March of 2025. Since then, I’ve played and run online games in Daggerheart, Knave, Cairn, Shadowdark, Mothership, and Vaesen. Startplaying.games is a fantastic hub for newcomers and veterans alike—easy to jump in and rich with diverse games. I can’t recommend it enough. And I appreciate that they use their success to support important causes. When Start Playing holds fundraisers, I donate all of my game fees to them. My goal is simple: contribute to a safe, welcoming online community where anyone—regardless of age, background, or experience—can enjoy a great tabletop session. Special Offer: Buy a ticket to any of my games and you can bring one friend for free (one‑time per friend). Just message me, and I’ll add them through startplaying.games.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

13 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

Geek Love, The Woman on The Edge of Time, The Left Hand of Darkness, Thieves' World, The Three Body Problem, Another Fine Myth, The Hobbit, The World According to Garp, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Deryni Rising, Dragon Riders of Pern, The Sword of Shannara, Ancillary Justice, The Fifth Season

How Dom Fortunato runs games

I started role playing in 1983 and I've played all of the major RPG systems at one time or another. These days I prefer the New School Revolution, NSR-adjacent, rules light, narrative-forward game systems from indie publishers, such as Mothership, Knave, Into The Odd, Mythic Bastionland, Cairn, and Dolmenwood. And though it's not really an NSR game, I do *love* Daggerheart -- but I tend to run it like an NSR game, which means: ❥ Rule of Cool > Rules As Written ❥ The world exists independently of the player characters ❥ Story emerges from play, not from what the game master prepped ❥ Player skill (critical thinking, role playing) > character sheet mechanics As of January 2026, I mostly run one-shots and short, goal-oriented mini-campaigns in Mothership, Daggerheart, and Knave. In my games: 🗡Your decisions will determine the outcome of the game, which is based on prepared situations instead of a scripted plot. 🗡Your character is competent. We don't roll for every little thing that your character does. 🗡You won’t find fair fights or ever be expected to fight fairly. Combat is war, not a sport. 🗡You’ll experience challenges which pose a high degree of risk and pay off in kind. 🗡You’ll manage resources which are critical to both your survival and success. 🗡You will explore dangerous environments and discover new things.

Dom Fortunato's ideal table

I love running games for players who... ⚔️ play to win and don't fight fair 🎬 support each other and share the spotlight 🙋 welcome other players of all experience levels 📜 show up for a collaborative story telling experience 🗣️ Interrogate the environment and use its features to their advantage 🌍 engage with the game's world in fun, interesting, and unexpected ways 🧠 know how to savor loss, which is always the starting point of another story 💛🤍💜🏳️‍🌈🩷🤍🩵 My table is a fun for everyone - and an inclusive and welcoming place for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks. 🐻🌲🖤🤲