Silence

I played in a one shot Stormlight game Casey came up set in a post Oathbringer Alethkar. I had an absolute blast with both the system and with Casey's table. He had a really firm grasp on the lore, which as a Cosmere super fan I appreciated, but also nailed the vibe. His characters were rich and inviting, reminiscent of Sanderson archetypes in the best sense, and he performed their voices with gusto. The scenario was dynamic and tense, with subtle breadcrumbs to follow but room for experimentation. I'm still new to the Cosmere RPG rules so I was really glad that he was able to answer my mechanics questions as well. There was a decent amount of combat in this session but it all flowed smoothly, even when I was struggling to roll above a 10 it still felt like a cinematic bout against powerful foes. Overall I'd definitely recommend Casey and hope to play with him again in the future.

When playing the role of the DM in a ttrpg, you have a lot of responsibility, and many expectations to meet. Every player comes in with slightly different expectations. When everything gels, it can feel like magic - a shadow play across the wall that snaps into three dimensions, pulling you in with an irresistible gravity. I’m playing in a solo, play by post homebrew DnD campaign with DragonWraith, who I will efficiently refer to as DW hereafter. The brew in question is… wholesomely refreshing. Part familiar, part novel. The quantity and quality of ideas are all there, that knowledge of story and structure, and the cunning to assemble new pieces to the delight of the audience. If you like a premise in one of her open games I’m sure you’ll approve of the real deal. But premise, setting, plot, that’s the seed. DMs are gardeners, not planters. DW gets this, and has the juice to make good on those promises, to cultivate and nurture seeds into living things. She is engaged and present in a way that makes me feel spoiled. She is feeding back what I, the player, have done, weaving the ideas and the decisions into the story like they were always expected. Because a good DM knows when to let stories and NPCs they have dreamed and sculpted be ignored or knocked over by the player’s experience. I don’t believe in a best way, an ideal DM, or a perfect campaign. This hobby is too malleable and too collaborative for such a finite, hyperbolic stance. So when contemplating their game offerings, I want you to be assured that her methods and commitment to the game have been entirely above reproach. But most delightful, and perhaps most vital, DW is having fun in our game. It’s not a mere hustle, not a simple transaction. We’re playing Dungeons and f’ing Dragons, and the DM is happy to be there. What brighter, greener flag could you possibly ask for?

Noralf puts a lot of time and craft into his play-by-post games. He gives the game color and structure and also works smoothly with players to let them asynchronously direct the story. He also knows when to jump in and move things along, so things keep progressing at a good clip without burning off momentum at every locked door or combat planning conversation.