Lyria

Kevin is a great GM, so much so that I looked up the other games he is GMing and signed up for one. His voices, personalities that he gives to his NPCs make for a vibrant and immersive world. He is a master of balancing the game, making sure there are challenging combats while also making players feel powerful, like they have agency, and that they can do the cool things they want to. He does that while still running a RAW game. I haven't seen another GM as good at doing that as he does. If you're looking for a game that follows the technical rules while making you feel like you're as powerful as your character should be in an immersive, tangible world, you want Kevin's game.

Paul genuinely deserves this 5 star review. Originally, I was a bit taken aback by his high level of formality. It wasn't bad, just very different than that to which I am accustomed. I didn't let that put me off, and I'm glad I didn't. He runs games on Foundry, which I appreciate, and clearly has a thorough knowledge of how to work all the ins and outs of the system. He ensures everything runs smoothly, making adjustments between sessions and running through them at the beginning of each to make certain everything is working correctly and the automations go through properly. There is no needing to do things manually with his games. When I had an issue with a particular aspect of the game, Paul took time to not only fix my issue but to meet with me, talk it through, and ensure I was satisfied with the resolution. I appreciated his flexibility, his readiness to solve my concern, and his communication in doing so. He clearly cares about making sure every player at his table is enjoying their experience while still running a challenging RAW campaign.

Edited review: I'm not sure if there are personal issues or something else going on, but Squirrel started cancelling sessions (2, 3 in a row) and doing so oftentimes just a few hours before a session. Sometimes, when sessions would run, they'd start late, take an extended break at the halfway point and end early (refunds were not given nor offered for this experience, although in the interests of full disclosure, I did not ask). I enjoyed Squirrel's GMing initially, but I cannot recommend them any longer until they're able to recommit. 5 star DM. Squirrel makes the game approachable for new players, while still engaging experienced players. One thing I've noted is that Squirrel is open to both questions and "corrections" - when I said at one point "I'm not sure that's correct," they happily went back, checked the rules, and made the adjustment on the spot. No ego, no attempt to justify, just a pure change. This is refreshing, although it's not going to happen often - they have a great knowledge of the rules, both pure and for playing's sake. This makes them a pleasure to play with, knowing that they've got that mastered. I actually have 2 games with them happening, which lets me see the differences - one has a table with more experienced players, one with mostly new players, and Squirrel adapts to both sets with ease and a smile (I'm assuming, it sounds like it). You can tell they really enjoy what they're doing, and it makes it a joy to play with them.

I have now played several sessions with Ego (he's never getting away from the shortening of that name!). My review can be summed up as a consummate professional who clearly puts a lot of time, effort and energy into making his games run smoothly, while incorporating technology that will improve his players' lives. Ego's games run smoothly and "easily" - and that takes a lot of work on his part. There just aren't the bumps and hiccups that you sometimes see with other DMs; the sessions are focused on the game. In terms of balance, he allows for and encourages a lot of role-playing, but his combats are challenging without being punishing, and there are plenty of those too. He makes sure to accommodate the preferences of the table, asking us all during session zero how we'd characterize our own interests. I took the time to be thoughtful about my answer, but I get the sense that Ego is adept at making adjustments even if players don't know, walking in, what they prefer (or answer in ways contrary to their own actual preferences). He also seems very technically adapt - having auto summaries for sessions, playing in Foundry (which I am still getting used to, but he seems quite adept with it), which I prefer to Roll20, and all the other behind the scenes crafting which goes on. I very much enjoy Ego's games, his storytelling and world building (and the dry British humour doesn't hurt). I highly recommend Ego, and I look forward to many more sessions with him!