Elisha (he/they)
5.0
(12)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
11 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Voices
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Howdy! My name is Elisha (like Elijah), I'm located out of Philadelphia, PA, and I've been a Dungeon Master for the better part of the past 8 years. I have a background in improv and stage-theatre which helps me build a more immersive experience for my players. I have DM'd internationally for groups while on my travels. My campaign settings have ranged from serious Strahd-esque adventures to light-hearted Humblewood campaigns. I've DM'd for a variety of dungeon masters, taking notes from each on ways to improve pacing for optimized engagement.
GM Style
I love to keep a nice flow to my sessions without railroading my players. The key to this is story-driven milestones and adjustable scenarios. The players make the game, it's my job as a DM to shape that into a fulfilling adventure. When it comes to setting a scene - I like to pull out all the stops. I curate playlists for background music, combat music, and dramatic scenes while also keeping a soundpad on standby for dramatic effect.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (12)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Creativity
Voices
Elisha was really wonderful at bringing new players into the world in a way that felt incredibly inviting! I think the way they approached *always* explaining a game mechanic, or rule was wonderful because it never assumed prior knowledge and addressed each player on common ground so we could all know we were on the same footing and would be treated as such. All of the rules, and math can be quite intimidating, and I think Elisha handled it with grace. Highly recommend!
I've been playing D&D and other TTRPGs for a long time, and always get pigeon-holed into being the DM. A friend recommended joining their campaign with Elisha at the head, and despite always having a bit of trepidation about a pay-to-play campaign, it's been a blast! Elisha was a fun partner to collaborate with to build a character that fit seamless into an in progress plot. He's also done a great job meeting our adventuring party where we are in terms of story tone. It's helped build a strong rapport amongst a group that's a mix of IRL friends and internet strangers that feels inclusive and exciting.
Playing with Elisha is so collaborative and such a joy! I'm currently in his Humblewood campaign, and the prep work they did for our Session 0 can't be understated. Elisha is great at incorporating character building and the vision we all have for our characters into the story that's being told, which makes every session fresh and exciting. This is my third StartPlaying game and by far my favorite. I look forward to every session!
When I played in Elisha's campaign, he had crafted a world with rich lore and story. As a "forever DM", it was a lot of fun to play a character that was integrated into the world. I worked with him on my backstory and he gave me a lot of freedom. He took my wacky jokes and improvisation and turned it into a small corner of the world my character could call home. Elisha is very good at player freedom and the impact the players have on the story. He's not afraid to change his plans when players do something cleaver or creative (or stupid). There were many times when I was able to use the environment in battle to deal with threats that were meant to be more formidable. Such few words cannot fully describe Elisha's capacity as a storyteller, an organizer, and a friend. I have had so much fun playing in his games. You could not find a more quality DM.
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