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DMBen

DMBen (he/him)

5.0

(8)

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Teacher

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

About me

Hi, my name is Ben. I run Dungeons & Dragons 5E 2024 games. I have been a DM now for over 2 years. I am here to host games in my Homebrew world, The Great Divide. I want to expand and grow my world and I find the best way to do that is by telling stories within it. However my stories need heroes & adventurers, that is where you come in. Your story will be wrapped up in my world, you can become stories that are told for centuries or heroes that are celebrated every year for their bravery and courage. I love to create unique maps for my players, with every village, town, city and battle map created by me. Premade maps never fully incorporate everything I need, this allows me to create maps that fit perfectly into the story, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the world. I know that every character created is unique, I encourage players to embrace their backstory as it is my job to weave your story into the world. It can be as simple as revenge over a fatal family incident or a complex mystery you are trying to unravel. It is my honour to bring these stories to life. D&D at its core is all about having fun round a (virtual) table, with new or existing friends. That is what I try to bring to my table. Whether you're completely new or have years of experience, we all want to enjoy ourselves and escape into a new world. I hope I can deliver that to whomever sits at my table. I aim to include session 0 for all new players for free. If you are interested in any of my sessions, please contact me directly and we can set up a call to discuss characters, while outlining expectations for both the player & me. D&D is an inclusive game, I welcome all LGBTQIA+ players to any of my sessions and will have zero tolerance to any bigotary towards players at the table.

GM Style

📖 Story Driven - I like to take what my players write in their backstory and use that to create an engaging plot. A plot will have lots of different avenues to explore, crawling deep into the world of the great divide, players have the chance to influence the world with their decisions, with every action having consequences. Some good and some not so much. 👸 Roleplay - I encourage players, especially new, to interact with the world. I try to give all non playing characters (NPCs) characteristics that make them feel original. With voices and personalised pictures/tokens at the forefront of that. Interacting with NPCs & players is one of the wonderful parts of D&D, I encourage and help new players to embrace roleplay. 🗺 Maps - I enjoy creating maps for my campaigns, it helps me and the players truely experience the space they are in. Whether they have just arrived in a new town or are fighting bandits on a coastal path. I create the map to match the adventure the players choose. All maps are original and made for each individual campaign.

Game platforms used
Social
Game Master Reviews (8)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Creativity

Inclusive

Teacher

Sophie avatar

Sophie

I would highly recommend Ben as a DM. I've been fortunate to have him as DM for our current campaign. He creates a fun, engaging environment where everyone feels comfortable getting into character, asking questions, and contributing to the story. His sessions are well-organised, with a great mix of roleplaying, combat, and exploration. The worldbuilding is thoughtful without being overwhelming, and he does a great job adapting the story to the players' choices. He's also really good at keeping the game moving while giving everyone a chance to develop the storyline taking into account their backstory. Whether you’re new to D&D or have been playing for years, Ben makes the game enjoyable and easy to get into. He's creative, supportive, and clearly puts a lot of care into making sure everyone at the (virtual) table is having a good time. This is my first D&D campaign and he has made me feel very included and supported, giving me a chance to develop my character and improve my confidence throughout the campaign. Highly recommend as a DM.

Ben Goodair avatar

Ben Goodair

I played a 6 month campaign with Ben and was so amazed. It was my first time playing d&d and the efforts he went to, making sure everyone was comfortable were so impressive to me. I always felt so free to be whoever I wanted and that he would respond to whatever energy I wanted to give. He created a whole world with a narrative which I felt fully into, we had small skirmishes and huge battels. But he mixed these with sessions where we would spend time exploring our character's backstories. The detail he created to bring out our characters' lives into the narrative was so much fun and so impressive. I mentioned my character had an ex-wife and children who he wasn't in touch with and Ben fully bought into it, creating an entire event building up to this moment where I would save my child and rebuild a relationship. I can't recommend Ben enough, and will always be grateful for the space he created of friendship, kindness, and whatever silliness we bought that given day.

Lydia  avatar

Lydia

Ben was my DM for a Halloween one shot session and it was so fun and spooky! We were five players and our characters met at Bloodstone Manor for the annual monster hunt! Our group had mixed levels of experience from beginner to expert and Ben could adapt to all of us. Ben is a fun DM, very personable and chill so you feel comfortable with him really quickly and our session had a lot of laughs. His characters are all great and there’s plenty of stories to explore in his world of fantasy! Highly recommend :)

SimĂŁo "Pixel" avatar

SimĂŁo "Pixel"

I've had the pleasure of playing with this Dungeon Master for over a year, both in a long-running campaign and through several one-shots, and every experience has been fantastic. Right from the start, you'll find him incredibly friendly and genuinely supportive of his players. He's always considerate of any concerns or issues that come up, fostering a comfortable and welcoming environment at the table. What truly stands out is his ability to empower players. He's exceptional at letting you be creative and proactive, and he expertly reacts to your choices, making the world feel truly responsive and alive. His grounded world-building skills are evident in the established campaign we've been part of, which has been an absolute blast. Even in the one-shots, he crafted living, contained stories that were incredibly engaging. If you're looking for a DM who will support your creativity, build immersive worlds, and ensure a great time, you've found him!

David Lee avatar

David Lee

- Been playing in Ben's campaign for around 2 years and always enjoy the sessions, good variety of role play and combat elements which usually link well to the story. He allows us players a lot of freedom and gives time for in character conversations to build connections in game. - Ben puts time into having maps prepared for many locations and visuals for a number of npc's too. - Easy to talk to about the campaign and happy to take player suggestions. - Highly reccommend

Imogen avatar

Imogen

Ben is the kind of Dungeon Master that makes every session feel like a collaborative adventure rather than just a game. His ability to weave character backstories into the larger narrative ensures that every player feels like an integral part of the unfolding tale. He's ideal for both beginners as he knows the rules well and explains them clearly, but he’s never bound by them when the story or the moment calls for flexibility. One of the most memorable experiences from our campaign was the arrival of the Calamity Circus, hosted by the fabulous, purple-bearded drag dwarf Gertrude. Between carnival games, spontaneous role-playing, and the sheer joy of stuffing odd trinkets into inventories, it was a perfect example of how Ben fosters pure, playful immersion. This being said, he takes character arcs seriously and there have been moments of absolute cinematic drama. Also, no one is ever left behind. Ben makes sure that every character has their moment in the spotlight, pulling them into key story beats in ways that feel organic and meaningful. His world is populated with a diverse cast of NPCs, many of whom become recurring favorites. His custom maps and digital aids ensure that everyone always knows what’s happening, making the experience even richer. He also has sounds effects and atmospheric music playing which gets you more into the world. At the heart of it all, he genuinely cares that people are having a good time. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a total newcomer, Ben creates a space where you feel welcomed, engaged, and part of a comunity. A masterful storyteller, a thoughtful guide, and a DM who knows how to balance chaos with connection—Ben is the kind of DM you hope to find and the one you’re lucky to have.

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