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Yana Underwood

Yana Underwood (any/all)

5.0

(5)

BIMPOC
Voice Actor
Game Designer

Less than a year on StartPlaying

4 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Storytelling

Average response time: 11 hours

Response rate: 80%

About me

I was once described as an "angst ho". In that moment I truly understood being completely offended by something I 100% agreed with. I get my inspiration to run games from the storytelling school of mid 2000s traditionally female demographic cartoons, Totally Spies, W.I.T.C.H. and Barbie Movies (Princess and the Pauper is the best one, that is the only correct answer) as well as stories that are absolute gaggles of smashed together mythos, fantasy and theism like the Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials and The Mortal Instruments(not beating those angst ho allegations). All this to say I focus and specialize in narrative games. Between my actual GM experience of about 5 years on top of another 3 as a player, the story is where these games live and breath for me, plus with a healthy dose of theater and improv experience I find delight in being in character and bringing worlds to life. I would go as far to sat that I live and breath ttrpgs, and at any given moment there is a coins toss chance I am thinking about a campaign I am currently running, or one that I would like to run. I love discovering new systems, one of my most treasured possessions is a flash drive full of digital rulebooks, and I love involving my players in my obsession. Whether getting them involved in worldbuilding together to have them feel more involved in the world, or conceiving personal plots for them, My goal is to be a yes first GM, that I will do what I can to make the absolute nonsense my players want to do into a reality. I'm not the best at combat encounters, but I strive to make combat more than just a back and forth, and offer stakes, or alternative goals during conflict. Plus I can, and love to hurt my players in other ways (:< (with consent of course). In terms of on-boarding, I have a 0.5 interview process, consisting of 1on1 session 0 interview to see if a potential player will fit in with the game/group and go over table policies. If a potential player is invited to join, there will be a session 0.5 for character building and integration and any lore questions the player may have, followed by their first session with their character. All of these will be free of charge, to ensure the player also feels they are integrating well and intend to continue with the game. Overall I seek to offer the a safe, comfortable and healthy environment for myself and players to immerse ourselves in the heights of what this form of storytelling has to offer

GM Style

I am an experienced improv performer in addition to my years of running TTRPGs. I run narrative heavy games, often both in terms of content and in the amount of roleplay and story that is emphasized in game. I enjoy getting into character, preforming and doing voices and accents, and encouraging my players to do the same, exploring and delve into the minds of their own characters. Combat usually takes a backseat, as its not usually my favorite part of a game, but I always try to make my combat interesting and engaging when it does occur. Planned combat usually happens once every 8 sessions in terms of combat focused systems like 5e, but players may find themselves in an unplanned combat scenario depending on their behaviors in the world. I always enjoy getting players engaged and involved in creating parts of the world, from as small as their characters' family and community in their youth, to developing entire nations and societies with players, as much or as little as they want to be involved with. Ensuring that players feel their contributions are important, and taking their actions into account in how the world around them is changed as time progresses is one of the most important, and one of my favorite aspects of being a GM. My games tend to run as scheduled so long as a minimum of 2 players are available. For better and worse, the joke of “what do you call the person who wants to play D&D the most: The GM” is wholly accurate in my case. Even in the event only a single individual is able to attend, I occasionally will run solo oneshots that may have bearing on the main game.

Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (5)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Inclusive

Creativity

Storytelling

Tzeentch avatar

Tzeentch

Played 4 sessions

I've played 4 one-shots so far with this GM and after each one I walked away with an emotional bond with the world and its characters, as well as my own character, that I've sometimes gone entire campaigns without establishing. I attribute this to Yana's incredible skill at roleplaying and the room they create to allow players to flourish. My favorite moment was when I was playing a character pretending to be a distraught friend of someone who the person I was talking to was friends with, because for a solid minute I forgot either I or my character were pretending.

mermer avatar

mermer

I wouldn't call Yana a Game Master; he is a Storyteller, a Companion, a Guide. And sometimes a dragon from ages past, a kick-ass privateer, a...whatever Hailtrep is, a chilling, mind-twisting villain, a douche master-wizard who you just want to punch in the face. He takes you on an adventure through living lands where you meet friends and foes, challenges and fears, sadness and silliness. If, like me, you enjoy: - real characters - player agency - vibrant, non-static worlds - a fantastic mix of social situations and exploration, occasionally flavoured with some unique combat - bending rules when it makes for great storytelling or player moments - someone who roots for the players but also challenges them - bloody good fun then you've found your 'game master'. Thank you, Yana, for all of the above and more. Best ttrpg experiences I've ever had.

Walden “Art” Berger avatar

Walden “Art” Berger

I've played 3 one-shot with Yana and loved each one. They're amazing at building an atmosphere that's intriguing and compelling and they're great at encouraging players to dig into the story how they want to approach it. There was space for humor, sillyness but also deeper emotions. The characters have all felt very engaging and the voice acting for each was really good, from the angry older bostonian boss to the snarky blasé teenage college student. They've been great at redirecting us when we've needed it and very comprehensive and helpful when someone required guidance (whether it was during character creation or in game when the rules weren't clear). They crafted helpful maps during combat. Overall it was an awesome experience and I really recommend it. (On the bit about inclusion I've had two characters being POC and one of them be queer as I am myself. None of that was ever an issue. And there was even an important plot point in one about racism. All of that to say even if I couldn't delve super in depth about this since they were one shot. I think Yana does a good job at inclusion and never felt uncomfortable or anything of the sort)

Tana avatar

Tana

Yana comes into every session with great preparation, fun ideas, and a great generosity to allow players the freedom to truly explore the space of the campaign! They create a fantastic tabletop experience through and through; highly recommend!

Kaylin Madison (sugarpink) avatar

Kaylin Madison (sugarpink)

Has been a great DM and very flexible with ideas and storylines, will keep you guessing 24/7 and amazing at voice acting and sound effects!

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