Yanas
he/him
5.0
(53)
Timezone
Language
Identity
About Yanas
🧙🏾 Greetings, Adventurer! And welcome to my table! I appreciate you stopping by. 📚 My time as a biologist has taught me that humans are a storytelling species, and I would love to help you tell your heroic story in a fun and fantastical way! 🛠️ I enjoy constantly experimenting with storytelling tools, game design concepts, world-building, voice impressions, and digital tools to create engaging and immersive experiences for my players. 🎲 I have been rolling dice and telling stories with my friends, family, and local gaming club in South Africa for over a decade now. My love of fantasy began with Brian Jacques' Redwall series and other fantasy novels, then moved on to JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series, and now I get to tell my own fantasy stories for a living!
At a glance
3 years on StartPlaying
583 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Sets the Mood, Beginner Friendly
$25 per session
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Featured Prompts
I started running games because...
Fantasy is a great way to decompress from reality.
People are always surprised when I tell them
I have a doctoral degree in Marine Biology.
When I'm not running games I'm...
Experimenting with new tools and consuming media to feed my games. Reading, watching, or playing stories or engaging in scientific research.
How Yanas runs games
👯 My foremost priority is that everyone has fun together as a group. 🐺 Player agency is my second priority. I try to allow as much freedom as possible without breaking things. 📚 Even in pre-written modules, I strive to integrate my players' characters' personal story arcs into the narrative. 🧚🏻 I lean toward a high-fantasy and somewhat light-hearted style of play, primarily focusing on role-play and combat. 🎭 I enjoy putting on voices for my NPCs and engaging in meaningful roleplay. 🗺️ I enjoy building captivating worlds and crafting immersive experiences for my players. 📖 I run the rules as intended for a fun group experience rather than how they might be written.
Featured Prompts
If my games were Movies they'd be directed by...
James Gunn
My games focus on...
a delicate balance between all the things everyone at the table finds fun.
Rules are...
an important framework to help run the game, but they are not set in stone or to be used at the cost of verisimilitude or a good story.
Yanas's ideal table
My ideal table is where everyone's playstyles complement each other. We respect the table rules but bend the game rules when needed. We share the spotlight and might have lighthearted moments, but we also respect deep moments.
Featured Prompts
I am for a vibe that's...
Fantastical and fun but grounded and immersive.
I love it when a player
goes with the flow and we yes and around the table as much as we can.
My table is not the place for...
making people feel unwelcome or uncomfortable.
Yanas's Preferences
Systems
Platforms
Game Mechanics