Ben Shugs (he/him)
5.0
(5)
2 years on StartPlaying
7 games hosted
Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Visual Aid, Voices
About me
Hello! My name is Ben. I am a drummer and a proud member of the Jocks Machina team (Go Birds). I have been playing DnD 5e as both a player and a DM for the past 4 years. Those 4 years have seen me adapt to Roll20, Foundry VTT, Theater of the Mind, in-person, and now tackling TaleSpire. Each platform had its advantages and taught me skills to bring to each table, both physically and virtually.
GM Style
My style is very character driven. I am very much a student of Brennan Lee Mulligan and his philosophy of treating players like water and I construct the river path (highly recommend watching Critical Role GM round table to hear more). I also have a few voices I like to play around with and enjoy some roleplaying. It's something I am always trying to improve at and no better time like the present! Having a military background and experience fighting with steel armor and weapons, I love to dive deep into combat. Specifically, I always enjoy thinking of ways to fight that don't just involve throwing dice at a monster. If a player can come up with a good plan, think outside the box, and out-maneuver their enemy, I will always reward that.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (5)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Knows the Rules
Visual Aid
Voices
Relaxed
Played 4 sessions
What can I say about Ben? I think no other GM/DM to date has put in the amount of effort this person has in character creation and integration into his campaign setting. He is sharp on the rules which is a plus for those of you that want a traditional D&D exp. However he is not opposed to using some "Rule of Cool" from time to time, but it doesn't break the campaign. He plays on Talespire which is really neat and he brings tons of assets to the table, and I found it fun to play with that program. He also does not shy away from Roleplaying, if you are a heavy role player he can really bring forward and highlight his abilities and his NPCs all reflect that. Ben is perfect for new and old players of D&D, and if you pass up your chance to play with Ben I believe you'll truly be missing out on an amazing time.
Sodage
Played 1 sessions
His inclusivity of all players, storytelling and use of tabletop tools to set the stage to convey his narrative are unrivaled. Incredible effort and talent!
Randy
Played 7 sessions
Ben is very interactive with his players even outside of game time. Always quick to answer questions and make adjustments so you can enjoy your character's story as much as possible. He has fun voices for his NPCs. He makes me look forward to coming to the game every week. Absolutely Excellent GM!
Luis
He has a great way of telling the narrative to the players that you forget the time and the way he deals with fail rolls. He makes this a fun experience that you would like to fail on purpose.
GM Ben
The Game I have with this guy is one of my all time favorite games I’ve experienced! He uses Talespire and it’s one of the most immersive experiences I’ve had from tabletop rpgs, not to mention the story was really fun and unique!
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