Dominic

he/him

5.0

(10)

Timezone

America/indiana/indianapolis

Language

English

Identity

Neurodivergent

Game Designer

About Dominic

My name is Dominic (aka Old Scratch). I love to introduce people to role playing and to game systems they haven't played before! While I have been playing and running games for many years, I played my first *online game* in 2025 and I've been hooked ever since. I'm amazed at how much fun I've had playing (yeah I not only run games but often times play a character) in a variety of game systems and with people all over the world. This is a fantastic platform for new and experienced players alike and I can't recommend it enough. 🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔🌙 I donate my game fees to every charity fundraiser that Start Playing Games sponsors. I’m here because I love gaming and I want to create a safe and welcoming place for players of all ages, backgrounds and experience. If you buy a ticket to one of my games you can bring a friend for free (one time per friend) - just message me about this and I will add them through startplaying.games

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

8 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Inclusive

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

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 Dominic 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.

Dominic'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. 🐻🌲🖤🤲