Aletheia

she/her

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Disabled

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

Women/Femme Identifying

About Aletheia

Hi! I'm Aletheia, or just Alli for short. I'm a queer, trans woman whose time is largely filled by either playing games or thinking about them. I've been playing TTRPGs for much of my life, over a decade of which has been spent GMing. I got my start in D&D 4e and 5e, but have been exploring and loving other systems since then, such as Lancer and Monster of the Week. I love telling stories with people and seeing what they love about these games and genres and tropes, and I hope to have fun telling stories with you!

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, Knows the Rules

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I wanted to tell the kinds of stories that only I would, but at the same time, I wanted to hear stories from other people. As GM, I set in a motion an ever-changing world, and the players forge their own paths within it, affecting the world as there are affected by it. In a word, collaboration.

How Aletheia runs games

As a writer, my style is very focused on narrative and themes. I'll often say in 10 words what could've been said in 5, all for the sake of immersing you in a world not quite our own so you can feel like you're a part of the story we're telling. Roleplay for me tends to lean toward the dramatic, with big, clear-yet-complex emotions and heavy (though not always dire) stakes. Combat, for me, is yet another narrative tool, and the way that tool is used depends on the system. For a game like 5e, it should flow like theater, with rising and falling action and a clear vibe as to what the story is saying. In Lancer, it's much more tactical, a puzzle to figure out and a means of expressing your character's skills and toolkit. But in the end, every combat encounter should serve the story in some way. Ultimately, I'm here to tell stories with you all, and I'm excited to see what you'll bring to my table!

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

... the way power and systems affect and the environment. The structures that mold society do so in often invisible ways, and the people that profit from them have a vested interest in obscuring them. I like to try and shine a light on those structures through play.

Rules are...

... the things that make choice interesting. If you could do whatever you want whenever you want, then any given thing would be as unfulfilling as anything else. By putting limitations on what these characters can accomplish, it makes their achievements that much more satisfying.

When it comes to voices

Word choice and tone matter more than pitch or accent. Rather than try to embody where the character comes from, it's much more immersive to embody how the character presents themselves.

Aletheia's ideal table

My ideal table is full of people who can enjoy some puzzling tactics situations but who ultimately want to tell a story. Sometimes, the "right", answer is narratively unsatisfying, especially if you're playing a character with flaws and biases that would push them towards the less optimal outcome. Ultimately, if you can see what the right choice is and choose not to do it for the sake of a compelling narrative, I think you'll fit right in.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

... takes initiative in a scene. A lot of players are nervous about hogging the spotlight or having "main character syndrome", but sometimes you just are the main character of a scene! So long as you're considerate of when it's another character's time to shine, never be afraid to take up space.

I think it's a red flag when players...

... can't take no for an answer. As a GM, I try to "yes, and" as much as possible, but sometimes I have to say "no, but" or just straight up "no" for the sake of narrative stakes, tension, or internal consistency. If you can't accept that, I can't trust you as a collaborator.

I think metagaming...

... can be used for good. Full immersion is all well and good, and trying to avoid acting on outside knowledge is a good standard practice, but if you see a moment to enrich the story by intentionally doing something "wrong" based on the information you have as a player, I'd say go for it.