Kyô Shinya

I've been playing for more than two years with Ardis, and he is one of the best game masters I've had in close to 15 years of TTRPGs. - In terms of player engagement and inclusivity: At the beginning of the campaign, he made sure to check with every players what their comfort levels were for different themes that might pop up during the game, as well as ask for red lines. He then continued to check up with players every few months, making sure that the vibe he was setting suitted everyone. When asked to change certain aspects of his engagement with players or characters, he immediately asked for clarification and adapted to suit the needs of the player without jeopardising his own style of DM-ing (ex: introducing "stars & wishes" debriefs at the end of sessions to allow for highlights and improvements). - In terms of immersion: We have been playing on Foundry, and in addtion to making sure his visual aids are the most accurate and immersive possible, he also set up regular updates of the modules he installed, sometimes going all the way to develop his own modules to fit the vibes and moods he wanted to introduce to the game (including soundscapes for crits, actions or spells). We always have immersive instrumental music playing during sessions, and he regularly times his narration to the music for the best dramatic effects. Finally, all our NPCs have different voice tones and rythms, which is always appreciated in terms of immersion. I see other peope have already mentionned the storytelling and creativity so I'll stop here, but I absolutely recommend Ardis as a DM.