Teresa Jusino

she/her

Timezone

America/los Angeles

Language

English

Spanish

Identity

LGBTQ+

Queer

Hispanic/Latinx

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

Women/Femme Identifying

Game Designer

Multi-lingual

About Teresa Jusino

My name is Teresa, and I'm the Founder of Pomonok Entertainment, a production company through which I create games under Pomonok Games. I've been playing tabletop role-playing games for close to 15 years, and started GM-ing about 2 years ago. I'm most familiar with D&D 5e, and I also love running smaller TTRPGs like DIALECT, ALICE IS MISSING, and SIGNAL TO NOISE. I've also been a professional GM for kids, working as a 'Quest Master' for a company called The Hero's Quest (https://www.jointheherosquest.com/) based in Glendale, CA, which provides an after-school program to public schools in the area where kids can learn social skills and emotional regulation/intelligence through specially-written D&D campaigns. So, I'm absolutely comfortable with players as young as 9 years old at my table! I'm looking not only to run games I've already played and know, but to use StartPlaying as an opportunity to bust out games/systems I haven't yet run, but want to try! Specifically games like KIDS ON BIKES or TRAVELER. I'm not really a swords & sorcery kind of girl - D&D is a huge exception! I love games set in sci-fi, urban fantasy/supernatural, dystopian, or post-apocalyptic settings.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

$20 per session

Featured Prompts

I became a GM because

I love telling stories! Stories are how I've always processed the world around me, and I believe that narrative can help all of us understand ourselves and the world around us better. I hope that I can provide tabletop experiences that are both fun and illuminating!

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

...writing, playing games (tabletop or video games), listening to music, watching TV or movies, or going to see indie theater or live music with friends.

How Teresa Jusino runs games

My favorite letters in TTRPG are the "RP." I love role-playing, and I love giving players the opportunity to role-play and really get inside their characters to live the story of the game as those people. To me, that part of the experience is more important than the number-crunching of combat. HOWEVER -- I want my games to feel like "real life," so I love the randomness of leaving things up to the dice as well as really needing to think about the physical aspects of the characters and their logistics. So, I stay close to things like encumbrance or skill checks. Yes, you have to account for the weight of your supplies to ride that horse or climb into that pit or walk to that castle. :) Yes, you need to remember how much food you have and how much gold you have so as to not die. Yes, I'll ask you to roll a check on certain things no matter what your stats are, because sometimes life throws you a random curveball and your skill won't save you. Combat is obviously meaningful, but I find even more meaning in the more mundane stuff that can make or break someone's day! :)

Teresa Jusino's ideal table

First and foremost -- be kind, considerate, and curious! The only thing I'm intolerant of is intolerance, and I will not abide "isms" of any sort at my table (except "feminism!"). Folks of any gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, physical/mental ability, or religion are welcome at my table, and I expect players to treat me, and each other, with respect. We likely won't be talking politics much, but if your politics lean more right than left, this table probably won't be a great fit for you. My hope is to create a fun and engaging game experience for folks who really want to be immersed in a story for a couple of hours! I would definitely love it for players to connect and make new friends, and there will DEFINITELY be time for all of us to chat and get to know each other! But once the actual game starts, I want players who want to contribute to the story and the group's good time by being ACTIVE about role-playing, planning as a party, and being thoughtful about their actions. Just because it's "not your turn" doesn't mean you shouldn't be paying attention, communicating with your party members, or being otherwise engaged in the campaign's goings-on. Lastly, I want the general vibe to be chill, and to create an environment where inexperienced and experienced players alike can hang out and feel welcome and supported. ** if you're inexperienced at D&D--don't be afraid to message me, or your fellow players with questions about rules, gameplay, or anything else that comes up for you! It's just a game! Don't ever stress yourself out about your character sheet, or how combat works, or what spells to choose. We will help you! ** if you're experienced with D&D--please be patient with this new-ish DM. :) I've only been DMing for about 2 years, mostly doing one-shots, so there will likely be instances where you absolutely know more about something than I do. HOWEVER, I ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt and let me resolve things the way I need to. That said, if we have more inexperienced players in the party, please be open to answering their questions and helping them IF THEY ASK. That's the general rule for everyone: don't be afraid to ask for help, and only offer help when it's requested. I don't want to assume what people know or don't know, so it's up to each of you to let me/each other know where the gaps in your knowledge are, and I hope that players who decide to be here are the kind of folks who are willing to help each other with integrity and humility.

Featured Prompts

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

If you're into interacting with fun NPCs, you're going to love my table! One of my favorite things in the world is creating characters that players love so much they try to add them to the party! :)

I love it when a player

...tries to do something "outside the box!" Sure there are best practices for spells to cast, actions to take, or skills to use in certain circumstances...but I love when players defy expectations and do the brave/unexpected/lunatic thing to try and accomplish a goal. I like being kept on my toes!

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

...tell other players how to play or pressure a player into an action in-game. Give help when ASKED. And there's a difference between making your case and bullying someone into playing how you want. If you want to offer help, ask: "Would you be open to a suggestion, or do you wanna figure it out?"