DM Sophie!
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About me
Dungeons and Dragons (5E) is my special interest. I have been running games for friends and family since 2016, and all of them have left my table happy. It is my belief that roleplaying games can do incredible things for people. Whether it's providing a safe environment to explore genres and stories from the comfort of your own home, or even just as a reason to spend time with friends and loved ones, it has always been my pleasure and joy to bring that to people who are close to me. After discovering startplaying.games, I would love to provide that opportunity to even more people. It is my genuine hope that if you are reading this and considering booking a game with me some time, that you enjoy playing your games with me behind the DM's screen. There are a handful of philosophies that I practice in my games, as well, to make sure my players are having the most fulfilling time as I can possibly provide. For all of my DND games, I believe in sticking closely to the published 5th edition rulebooks, seeing that they are a common-ground understanding of the game and provide everyone I play with predictable expectations of what and how I would run a wide range of encounters, battles, puzzles, and social situations. Below are a few of my core beliefs about what makes a good game of DND: - Safety Tools. In all of my games, even with those closest to me, I use and employ safety tools. The most common are the Session 0, check-ins and a 20 minute break. I also employ X, N, and O cards. Time used for Session 0 and 20 minute breaks are at zero cost. If you have any safety tools that you would like to use in particular, please let me know! I strive to make everyone welcome at my table. - Character Agency. The choices characters and their players make influence their surroundings. The things you do in game matter, and being able to adapt and respond quickly to those decisions is where the magic of DND feels the most real. I will never assume direct control or make choices for your character. - Efficiency. When the game slows down, the fun slows down. Players can get distracted or frustrated when something happens that requires a little bit of work, so I have a handful of strategies to speed things up when these situations happen. - Character Focus. I love reading character backstories, and I love implementing them into my games even more. I believe some of the best DND stories come from a single character having just a little bit of special focus, but not so much that they overshadow the rest of the party. Everyone will get to have a little bit of spotlight, whether it be a social interaction where they get to shine, a moment of combat or action where they can flourish their physical prowess, or a masterful example of infiltration or stealth and subterfuge. I do my best to provide these situations, and even more so, encourage everyone to say "I want to try something crazy". I am open to the discussion of implementing homebrew or supplementary content not published by Wizards of the Coast. Please be aware that I maintain the right to deny or include any supplementary content provided to me, with or without an additional cost, at my option. I also have a handful of options I may offer to include, at no cost. All of which I would be more than happy to discuss and review with parties looking to book their next game with me. I do also maintain a discord server for out-of-game messaging and correspondence.
My preferences
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Reviews I've given (4)
Melody
Mel is the kind of GM that feels like you're playing with a mastermind. She's adept with her application of Foundry VTT, knows how to find rules and apply them fairly, and extremely thoughtful and detail oriented. She's an avid notetaker, and does not skip details. She is a specialist in navigating character growth, and providing examples for characters to shine in particular skill sets. The opposite side is also true; be careful when she says that an encounter is going to be dangerous or hard, because it is going to be meticulously crafted to exploit character weaknesses and pain points in just such a way that is extremely fun to be working against a deficit without relying on overpowered monsters that your characters would have no hope of defeating (unless if she gives you a warning about it in advance) As of my review, she is new to the site as a professional GM, but is a seasoned vet and absolutely worth giving a try. I would be surprised if anyone were disappointed by her process!
Skyler
Skyler is a Dungeon Master's Dungeon Master. She's fun, she's creative, and she's caring. I've played with her in many campaigns over the years and I always get excited when she says she has something special planned. Seeing her evolve from a private DM hosting for fun into a professional DM is equally as exciting. If you're looking for a DM who's new to the scene as a pro DM but is an old hand for the games themselves, Skyler is absolutely worth your consideration!
Deadeye Sam
Played 2 sessions
Playing D&D with Sam is like having your favorite comfort food. She's very cozy and comfortable. She provides an environment where you can kick back and listen to the world going on around you, take some time to think about it, and let her know what you'd like to do, and she's really just happy to be there for you when you're ready. Fun quirk I've noticed is how she says 'Oooh-kay, awesome!' to everything you do, it's her 'response loading' sound. If you want a D&D game where you just have to show up and have someone take care of the hard parts of the game, Sam is for you. She'll take very good care of you the same way she has taken great care of me. I would especially recommend her for beginner players. If all you wanna do is have some fun, chill out, make some new friends, laugh a lot, and test the waters with role play, Sam has a seat saved for you. Finally, Sam is able to accomplish something that I as a fellow Game Master on Startplaying have rarely seen accomplished on the site - She knows that ultimately, the goal is to show everyone a good time. She doesn't need complex plots and twists, she doesn't need bells and whistles, and she certainly doesn't need combat and puzzles designed to take all session. Sam gives you an experience that feels like you're just having fun with friends at the table - And ultimately, THAT is the way the game is meant to be enjoyed.
The Chromatic DM
I played a oneshot with Chromatic and I have to say that, while playing with her, a standout quality of the way she runs her tables is the sense of progression during play. She's great at uniting players who have never played before, doing 'crunchy' bits as she calls it like sheet management and convincing us that our characters actually do work together and setting up the table, and having numbers and math done rapid fire fast. Often one of the major complaints of D&D I hear the most of is how much time combat can take out of a session, but that's not the case with Chromatic. We were able to run 3 combat encounters over the span of 4 hours of play, and not once did I feel like it felt like it was drawing from our allotted play time. If you're a player who feels like they can get lost in the weeds of combat, Chromatic will show you the fun side of rolling initiative. Another thing I loved about playing with Chromatic was her implementation and application of puzzles and player vs. character knowledge. When we approached a puzzle encounter midway through the session, the puzzle she had me solve was not impeding my progress, but rather opening a more convenient path to my objective. When I ended up ultimately failing the puzzle I wasn't blocked from progression, I just had to find another way around the obstacle. This is a perspective I appreciate a lot because it's not walling me off from progressing the story. If you want a fluid, flexible DM, Chromatic is a great choice. Her game knowledge and application of rules versus desires is tasteful and appreciated, and the experience she brings to the table is apparent. As a fellow DM hosting games on Startplaying.games, I recommend her. Our outlooks on the game and our priorities are very similar, and I want to work on myself to emulate her in some of my own ways.