Ben

he/him

5.0

(7)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

Streamer

Teacher/Educator

Game Designer

About Ben

Hi! I'm Ben (a.k.a. EdwinFelspar) By day, I'm a high school teacher specializing in game design electives. By night, I'm a long-time GM with a deep love for storytelling, worldbuilding, and collaborative chaos. After over a decade in the TTRPG space — mostly running D&D 5e — I've decided to bring my games to StartPlaying to challenge myself, meet new players, and help fund the hobby I love. Let’s tell unforgettable stories together.

At a glance

1 year on StartPlaying

11 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Inclusive

Average response time: 6 hours

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

Honestly, don't remember. I think I wanted to try it out and got a group together at a LGS nearby my University while in college. I had been playing D&D 3.5 and 5th was the new thing on the block. I decided that this was going to be MY game and I'd start my GMing career with that edition.

My favorite books are

I'm a huge Brandon Sanderson nerd. I've read a sizeable chunk of his work on Audible and he inspires me to develop new and interesting worlds of my own.

When I'm not running games I'm...

Teaching HS 3D Modeling & Game Design classes at a local public school. Playing games and streaming on Twitch. Going to concerts at local indie venues. Writing poetry or doing prep for my various TTRPG games. Playing Magic the Gathering with friends, mostly Commander.

How Ben runs games

I run games that are player-driven, character-focused, and rich with narrative depth. My sessions emphasize emergent storytelling — I love seeing how choices ripple through the world and how NPCs and factions adapt to your actions. I’m flexible with tone: I can go full gothic horror, high-fantasy heroics, or somewhere delightfully weird in between. Mechanically, I keep things rules-as-intended with room for cinematic flair. I'm a fan of creative problem-solving, and I always reward clever ideas, bold risks, and strong roleplay. Expect vivid settings, layered plots, and memorable NPCs — with a healthy mix of exploration, social intrigue, and combat. Whether you're a new player or a seasoned adventurer, I aim to make every session engaging, collaborative, and tailored to your party's style.

Featured Prompts

My games focus on...

In D&D I like to create a balance of narrative gameplay and creative problem solving with punchy combat. In the Cypher System my goal is to spend a lot of time role-playing out scenes and focusing on the action in a fluid narrative style with minimal die rolls.

Rules are...

To quote a certain pirate, rules are "...more like guidelines." The rules provide a structure to act within and are tools with which to solve problems. However, sometimes there's just not a rule for that cool thing you want to do. Bottom line, if it's cool, I'll probably allow it with limitations.

When it comes to voices

Highly encouraged but never required. They take a lot of energy and confidence to pull off. Two things I'm not always full of myself.

Ben's ideal table

I like to play with folk who know when to be serious and get really into character, but also know when to laugh and be a bit goofy. I am a very laid back person and like to go with the flow, I try to read the room and provide the experience my players are looking for. I don't work work well with power gamers and rules lawyers. Been both, played with both, it's exhausting.

Featured Prompts

If you're into ___, you're going to love my table

If you're into cheesy jokes, stories in settings that are rich in lore, reactive storytelling, actions having consequences, and player driven plot. I'm your guy.

I think it's a red flag when players...

...play other people's characters. Ask if someone wants help/ideas before making suggestions. ...speak over other players. As a GM my goal is to make sure the spotlight gets shared, but good players will naturally bring others into the conversation. I go over these and more in session zero.

My perfect party mix is

A little bit of everything with most characters having a niche to fill so that we don't all overlap with redundant skills/abilities.