Andrew

My two sons and O had a fantastic time playing with Nri, highly recommend that you give him a try. As a special treat for my two sons, I grabbed 3 seats in a one shot with Nri so that we could have a chance to all be PCs for once. When I booked, I reached out to him and confirmed that he would be fine having them in the session and he welcomed them with open arms, lining up the session to match up with their abilities as players, as well as keeping it interesting for my boys who can get distracted during sessions. Nri set up a world, full of unique NPCs each with their own personalities, unique voices, and point of view within the world he has built. We loved interacting with the NPCs in the beginning, trying to barter for goods, and ultimately rolling terribly on some charisma checks. Nri set up the world for us to fail forward, finding ways around our abysmal charisma to ensure we could enter the dungeon well equipped, and boy did we need it. There was some really great lore within the dungeon that explained the choices that went into the environment. Everything was well thought out and there was rationale behind every turn, every decision, every adversary inside the dungeon. The combat was efficient and quick. There was no grind while waiting, Nri knew the motivations of each NPC fielded and had a course of action for them that was quickly resolved. We made it through two combats within 2 hours time, which is better than I do in my one-shots. From a tools side, Nri is well versed in his use of DDB and R20. He had music set to all the scenes that changed as you went from inside to outside a tavern, initiated combat, or took a rest. With the amount of prep that he put into the session, it’s clear why it ran so well. 10/10 session, will be looking for him again in the future when I can.

So it was purely by luck that I came across one of Sebastian’s games. The one shots I had lined up for the week fell through, a work dinner was rescheduled, and low and behold I was itching for a game and found a one-shot, run at level 10, right when I was available. The rest is internet history. I had a blast playing in that first one-shot with Sebastian; he does a great job with role play, improvs off the actions of your characters like a pro, and runs dynamic encounters with multiple mobs rather than a one-dimensional BBEG with a sack of hit points. He makes the actions of your PC feel heroic, and has you on the edge of your seat wondering if the team can claw their way out of a hole. What really stands out, though, is his encyclopedic understanding of game mechanics, rules, class abilities, and spell specifics. This is key in having a high level one shot run smoothly. He provides context for his rulings, so that the player can understand the foundation and align with the decision. His rulings have always been fair, he follows the rule of cool, and isn’t stingy with the GM’s inspiration. I had such a good time with the first one-shot that I jumped at the opportunity when I saw another that fit my schedule. More than just Sebastian, the games are amazing because of the community of players that he’s built around him. Every single player that I have played with has been enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and just a blast to play with. It’s a community of respectful players that ensure that they share the spotlight, each PC has the chance to be the protagonist in their own story, and this is just a convergence of story arcs that bring them together for 4 hours. If you’re on the fence, this is your sign to jump into the pool.

Heading into the first session, I was concerned how the progression to the Greenest keep would play out with only 3 PC’s. I’ve run the first chapter of HotDQ before and remember my PC’s slogging through the town, fight after fight, on the brink of death the whole time. To say Mike exceeded my expectations would be an under statement. Mike’s experience sets him apart from other GM’s I’ve played with. Rather than having the encounters feel like separate events, one after the other, he crafted the story to feel like one continuous sprint through a town under attack to the relative safety of the keep. He captured the realism and danger that our characters faced as we fought for our lives. Where we failed, we failed forward, having an avenue of escape in an otherwise deadly world. The thought and preparation that Mike put into the session made it one of my favorite sessions as a player, and has given me a lot to think about as a GM. Mike is great at adapting the story to fit the rolls, painting a picture of successes and failure to keep you engaged while allowing for player agency in a story that is famous for railroading. Thinking beyond the characters, he thought through how the keep defenders would react to a breach in the walls, how they would support the PCs, and how long it would take them to react. I was emerald in the battle and on the edge of my seat the whole time. I’m anxiously awaiting our next session and recommend Mike to anyone looking for a seasoned and fair GM, that is happy to challenge you as a player, but also celebrate your success.