Ernest Verrett

I have been playing TTRPG's for decades and Zane Ferraioli has been the best DM ever. I used to travel 2 hours just to play in his games. Zane has the ability to create worlds, rather than just campaigns. No matter what direction I went in, or choice I made, there was an adventure waiting for me. I wasn't just running through the story in his head, I was telling my own story, and the story of those in our group, within the rich world that Zane created. When I met Zane I was already an experienced gamer so it was great finding someone who allowed me the freedom to move through his world as I pleased. When there were newer gamers at the table, he slowed things down and helped players understand not just the game but the repercussion of actions, but never so slow that it bored more experienced players at the table. Creating a challenging game while not turning it into GM vs Character is a difficult balance. Zane placed varying levels of difficulty in front of us and let the dice fall as they may. Every survived adventure felt like a win. Dice rolls were a rush because death was a real threat. Deciding to tackle an impossible challenge and succeeding left you feeling amazing for the rest of the week, because you knew it was hard fought and hard won. I mentioned his name to a friend, someone I must have invited to be a guest at one of our games, and 20 years later they remembered not only Zane but the entire game. He makes that kind of impression. I could write a lot more about Zane, but I will simply end with: if you have a chance to play in one of his campaigns, take it and see it to the end. It is worth every hour and more.