Sara
she/her
Timezone
Identity
About Sara
I am an (admittedly somewhat sophomoric) game developer largely working in the realm of what might generously be called 'fan' or 'derivative' works based on already established IPs. My most successful games were run online over Discord and were based on the old CD-ROM series called "Myst" - I converted a single-player point-and-click puzzle game into a fully realized tabletop-like experience with LARP elements for a high of 50 simultaneous players in the same game world, all interacting with each other (and their NPC 'envoys'... yeesh). It was an incredible amount of fun and I've been hunting for a better environment to seek out players - and perhaps find a way to support myself as best I can in the doing - ever since. I'm a 37-year-old transgender woman originally from Southern California. I started making games - little nonsense things out of cardboard and marker - when I was barely 8, and I've been at it ever since. Not every game has been worth showing to other people, and some of what I've shown to other folks maybe should've stayed private lmao, but running games via Discord taught me a LOT about safety tools and prepwork. I like games with themes that resonate with my players, but I also love to challenge them to think in new ways about problems they might have originally expected to be simple. I love clearly negotiated player character romance that doesn't bleed into reality, I love clearly negotiated drama, I love infighting - so long as it's negotiated first.
At a glance
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Featured Prompts
I got started GMing...
after I first saw A New Hope in its theatrical re-release in the nineties. I was so deeply inspired by the idea that you could tell a *Fantasy* story in a *Sci-Fi* setting that I absolutely threw myself into writing, creating, pretending, all of it.
How Sara runs games
I prioritize immersive worlds that you can let your character live and breathe in. I want you to experience much of what they experience - though significantly more safely - and I want you to learn the lessons they learn as they go about things. I don't believe in fudging rolls, I think making the equivalent of a Death Saving Throw should be a huge moment for your character, and I love getting into the details of building up your little town/village/base/bastion/stronghold/kingdom. That said, one of my all-time favorite published adventures is Dungeon of the Mad Mage. With... the right kinds of edits, of course. I don't want roleplay or 'Stardew Valley' gameplay to be laborious, but I do want to understand your characters' motivations scene to scene. I don't want combat to take too long or be too taxing, but I would never take a killing blow from you. I also strongly prefer to run games where players are free to swear, just avoid slurs and definitely don't swear at me or your fellow players. I do have one accommodation ask - if you absolutely must yell (and I do cede that some scenes just demand it), warn me first.
Featured Prompts
I deal with rules issues by...
discussion, primarily. I recognize we're playing an established game, and I do lean towards those guardrails, but sometimes those guardrails are just... not a perfect fit for how reality works! What the source says is important, how the table feels is important, we make the decision together.
I once ran a session...
where two player characters finally met after playing in the same world but separately for MONTHS and they had a big battle with all of their allies and it concluded with an epic duel between them and it was incredible. An experience I hope to recapture.
When it comes to voices
I really really REALLY want to get better - I have a very versatile voice!! But I get so shy. Any encouragement you want to give me about the voices I manage to do in our sessions together will be very appreciated.
Sara's ideal table
I don't fudge die rolls! Especially death saves! When an enemy doesn't have a clear target, I let dice make the decision on who they're angriest at. Sometimes, I'll even throw a die for 'advice' on what happens next. I like being surprised by the story as we go, too!
Featured Prompts
I think metagaming...
...often gets in the way of trying to make a story make sense. It can also lead to a situation where a player is really proud of having found the right combination and accomplished a very powerful build and all, but then... doesn't really... know what to do with it?
Sara's Preferences
Systems
Platforms