Aedan A

Finchy, or whatever variation on the theme he’s going by on discord today, is simply one of the most incredible DMs. Where to begin? First, I guess, it’s worth mentioning almost all of his games are set in his own highly developed homebrew world, mainly in the region of the Western Reaches. It’s a really cool place, kind of more Renaissance than mediaeval, analogous to our own Age of Discovery as Finchy likes to explain it. The world itself is incredible - a vast range of complex, intriguing NPCs, from the mundane to the international and I fully expect cosmological level (although none of my campaigns with him have progressed that far yet). Finchy has wonderful ideas for campaigns that go well beyond any standard module, which creates a beautiful, living and breathing world that the characters can influence, indeed sometimes with a little overlap even between his different games. And in terms of the experience of playing with Finchy? I fell in love with the style of his games the moment I began - narratively, he has the perfect soporific, almost hypnotic, yet still fascinatingly engaging voice. He also achieves a range of different voices for his NPCs, all of which are engaging, appropriate, and interesting (although some overlap between different games, ha ha). I loved it so much I immediately signed up to any other open games, and now play in 7 different campaigns with him. He’s just that good - and each of them uses the most beautifully unique premises to keep you engaged. In terms of character creation, Finchy is a master at working with the player to create complex, fully rounded characters that are both a pleasure to play and to engage with other PCs. He also has developed his own randomised character creation system, which if you choose to use it (you don’t have to) gives you bonus in game rewards. It’s pretty damn cool. Finchy is also a master of Foundry, introducing a lot of useful automation and fun mods for a smooth flow - when the server isn’t lagging, of course, virtual tabletops being what they are. One of my favourite things about his approach as well, however, is rather than just using battle maps, he also introduces a series of beautiful animated vignettes for the screen between scenes. If you want complex characters, a clever DM with a beautifully worked out campaign, genuine attention and care given to your characters and their back stories, Finchy is pretty much perfect, definitely the DM for you. Thinking outside the box is often rewarded, as are clever solutions, shenanigans and fun, but he will also be true to his world and the rules, telling you when something, you know, just isn’t feasible. It’s a good balance that adds to immersion and realism. As does his inclusion of several alternative rules, like lingering injuries, which happen often enough to keep things interesting for your characters but not debilitate the game. Combat is always challenging, but the potential for death is real every single time. First and foremost, however, to my mind, Finchy is a storyteller: committed to the world, his campaigns and his players. A simply sublime DM. Couldn’t recommend him more.

First and foremost, Knotty is the most wonderful DM you will ever meet. Out of session - kind and welcoming, fascinated by backstory, a true DM who really cares about all of her players as people, and perhaps even more importantly ensuring that everyone is at a good table with which they will gel - maybe even fall in love. I had my share of DMs who didn’t pay enough attention to likely table dynamics before finding Knotty’s incredible table, and I consider myself so lucky to have done so. In session - complex, intriguing, fun, but also hilarious, and an absolute master of improvising around the crazy and random shit the party might make go down. She is also deliciously, delightfully cruel and/or challenging, with the most entertaining love as a DM of really finding ways to mess with her characters and absolutely get the best out of them in RP. Knotty really is the perfect DM, especially for RPers - combats are also fun and challenging, but it’s getting the most out of your character, your party, and the interactions between where she truly excels. A master of the art, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to share an adventure with. If there’s ever a space at her tables, I wholeheartedly recommend you join in.