Dan

I am only 2 sessions in with her as a gamemaster but my character already has a solid alter ego, theme song, fleshed out connections in my backstory. She has fun enhancing ideas for house rules on some aspects of the game and takes people's stories and brings them to life. Fun impressions and does not waste time. From the moment the session starts to the end, it is solid game play and I feel I get my money's worth. I was shocked to learn she is a newer DM as she handles things like a pro. Will definitely be seeing this campaign out till the end and the fun seems to just keep building. Absolutely worth trying out and she presents her house rules up front to better let you know if you'll be a fit. I am about 4 years in on Startplaying but I believe Belle is going to be on my regular rotation in the future for campaigns after this one ends.

I have now played a full campaign with Chris and have signed on for a second campaign. I loved getting the feel of my character developing throughout the campaign and developing with the other players. Some cried on the closing triumphant last session. Now playing a new campaign, I see he has range in different vibe and atmosphere just launching and the players have different approaches too. Fun voices and small touches like spell effects being visually represented in live update way that helps pick up a battle a week later like we never stopped. Sound effects at the right time also help with suspense and he fosters an environment where humor and creativity abound. 3 hours always zip by and next week can never get here too soon. After a year of playing with him, I recommend him more now than I already was when I first started with him.

Eric maintains a Rules as Written environment but still encourages creative gameplay and solutions. His flavorful depiction of characters has me legit loving some characters and getting irritated at others like they were real individual people. He exhibits amazing range in character personalities, voices, etc. He often blends players' backstory into his campaign and fosters interaction amongst the players. I actually went back and personalized my character more and fleshed out things i wanted to develop in terms of their driving force because of Eric's style of DM'ing. I have a definite belief that Eric cares about your characters and thoughtfully weaves them into an immersive, inclusive story. He has a wonderful way of making everyone feel involved and a part of the story, turning the spotlight from one person to the next. The storytelling is on point and the voices are very welcome and entertaining. the fact i strongly dislike one of your characters, really like another, repeat what one says as an anecdote, find one quaint... speaks well to your range and ability to make the characters come to life. Finally, he helps talk through what people loved in each session and what people wanted more of to constantly improve his game hosting.

Update: Have now played with this GM for close to 3 years and have completed 2 campaigns (Call of the Netherdeep which expaneded into Wildemount expansion, and a Ravnica campaign that expanded crazily into a Faerun/Witchlight campaign that ended full circle with the Ravnica villain). Still in Domains of Dread campaign that he setup himself weaving in the known lore with crazy twists of his own including a domain that is made up but feels like it fits perfectly with the known world. It has been a crazy blends of insane laughter, tense anxious moments of dread, and bizarre twists and turns. I genuinely am having the most fun playing this campaign out of the 4 i'm playing in right now. I think playing in a more custom world of his own showcases his other talents more than playing in the sandbox modules of other set campaigns (though Call of the Netherdeep was still fun). He has also woven the backstories of various characters together at different points making for a more immersive compelling storyline. Definitely worth giving this man a try no matter what campaign you sit in on. He lives to world build and has done decent working with neurodivergent folks (myself def included). One of the most dedicated GMs I have met. Has lots of resources, builds his own maps and constantly is trying to improve the experiences he offers. This is my third campaign with him and one of which went beyond the set module and he continued it to high level (almost to 20 but we opted to retire). His enthusiasm is obvious whenever he shares a new idea, gaming tool, or plan to improve our sessions. Quotes popular culture around gaming, and incorporates knowledge on several topics into the gaming session (including when we jacked a casino haha). He knows quirky and less known combinations of character builds and balance RAW with rule of cool rather well. I am currently in a campaign where has built his own domain of dread from just studying sources, his own knowledge, and clear love of gaming and it actually feels legit like it came out of the source material. I have high functioning anxiety and ADHD and he is still able to handle me on my off days and still chill me out and make the session fun. He was the first GM i have had when i started StartPlaying and is still one of my primary GMs (in 2 of his campaigns out of 4 im playing concurrently). I highly recommend him.