Maggie

I cannot speak highly enough of my experience having Nico as a GM. Somehow Nico manages to encompass everything I could ever want from a GM: - Nico has a thorough grasp of D&D 5e rules and campaign/setting lore. He is patient and supportive for beginners, but not in a way that alienates more veteran players (and vice versa!). - On top of being extremely knowledgeable, Nico is also an excellent arbiter of the rules. He encourages player agency and creativity through the Rule of Cool, but ensures that these decisions are fun for the whole table. - He is a Roll20 expert who uses a variety of macros to make gameplay smoother and more immersive. I particularly love the visual macros he employs that allows my wizard to see their fireball or lightning bolt light up the screen. - Nico effectively mixes the different aspects of D&D — combat, roleplay, and exploration — to make sure that every player is getting to do something they enjoy. Within this, Nico creates opportunities to for every character to shine and be successful at what they do best. Even in larger parties, I find Nico does a good job of balancing each PC’s “screentime.” - The combat encounters in Nico’s games are always masterfully done. They are challenging and risky to the PCs, but not overwhelming. One of the great table rules he employs is dynamic initiative, which helps keep each round fresh (e.g., if you roll poorly the first time, you’re not stuck last in 10 rounds of combat). - I also appreciate how well Nico weaves in character backstories, motivations, development, etc. into a prewritten module. This makes our adventure feel unique to our PCs instead of a cookie cutter run. - Moreover, Nico is an effective and compelling storyteller who does a variety of things to help immerse players further into the world and the campaign. For example, Nico selects effective background music that sets the tone for all different kinds of encounters. His use of detailed maps with varying lighting helps players really see the setting as their characters might. Finally, his NPCs feel like genuine characters with their own personalities, motivations, and mannerisms, not just stock people to give a quest or push a plot forward. - Finally, Nico is also a truly personable, kind, and compassionate person. He makes every player feel welcome and included no matter how long they’ve been playing. He adjusts sessions flexibly to accommodate as many people as possible, while also keeping the campaign moving forward. I’m always impressed with how Nico is able to strike that tough balance. There's so much more to say, but I'd like to keep this review at a readable length :) So, in conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Nico as a GM to anyone looking to play D&D!