Ashton is a really creative DM, and a great storyteller. I always felt comfortable in his games and he runs the most inclusive campaigns I’ve experienced, welcoming all folks equally. Ashton is also very reasonable when interpreting the rules of 5e. I only give 3 stars because he slept through the times for a few sessions and just dropped our campaign in the end, so we never got to finish it.

Ashton is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive DM, and an excellent pick for beginners like me. His knowledge of D&D is expansive, and yet, he brings exciting homebrew elements to the mix and isn’t so “stuck on the rules” – allowing lively, creative stories to collaboratively unfold!

Ashton is a wonderful DM, he’s very good at working with players when it comes to using homebrew stuff or wanting to alter something, is very patient w/ players, tries to make sure everyone gets a chance to get what they want done in a session, and is very very patient.

He’s the best guy arouuuuund

*what about the characters he murdered?*

WHAT MURDERSSS

(They SAY he murdered…)

Seriously, he’s a wonderful DM with a lot of experience in making sure everyone has a good time. If you come with a backstory, he will work your backstory into the campaign with real and lasting consequences, which is so fun. I love playing with him every week!

Ashton knows the rules well enough to know when to bend them to keep the game fun and players feeling like it’s not just roll n’ tell. He brings everyone into the game and makes everyone welcome.

Introduction: I was new to D&D when I started rolling the dice with Ashton just a little over two years ago. Since then, I’ve participated in two year-long campaigns and a couple of one-shot adventures.

Positives:

* Narrative Skills: Ashton is a solid storyteller. His excitement for how our characters will react to his scenarios is infectious. I’ve been a personal fan of the many “voices” and “accents” he applies to the NPCs in the game; it makes things more entertaining.

* Character Development: My first character had a thin back-story and Ashton helped me find many opportunities to make that character my own. I put more effort into my second character’s back-story, and I enjoyed how Ashton would modify aspects of our campaign’s story to incorporate my ideas. He did a fantastic job doing that for all the players in our sessions.

* Mechanics: Ashton is truly a student of the game and takes a lot of pride in delivering a consistent application of the rules and game mechanics.

* Environment and World-Building: We played pre-built modules for both campaigns, but Ashton added his own flair to the content to make it a more rich and personalized experience for us. He would add in his own home-brewed NPCs to the world and the group would genuinely want to get to know these characters more and interact with them.

* Communication: I’m not going to lie, our little group would produce some bizarre scenarios to play out and in general, Ashton was a great sport at playing along. But at the same time, he came in firm and fair when he needed to squash some ideas that were a little too far out there.

* Challenges: I genuinely enjoyed all aspects of the game that he orchestrated, from general role-play, to puzzles, and combat.

Areas for Improvement:

* If there was any area of improvement, the critique would fall on my group instead of Ashton as a DM. We tend to “take our time” going through scenarios and things can get a bit drawn out. While our group tends to take our time, perhaps Ashton could occasionally guide us to keep the pace up. However, he’s commendable for letting the story unfold naturally.

Conclusion: Learning D&D from scratch can be overwhelming. Add on top of that all the technical items involved with remote sessions. In addition to being a stellar DM, Ashton is amazingly patient with the players new to the game and those of us unfamiliar with the software used for the on-line sessions. I couldn’t be happier with our little group, and I am planning to join up for my third campaign with this guy.

Rating: I can confidently say I’d give Ashton a 10 out of 10. Anyone lucky enough to play a session with Ashton is in for a treat

Whisked to a vivid new realm, Ashton’s homebrew campaign is a masterclass in adaptability and immersive role-playing, celebrating player agency and intricate world-building.

Playing in Ashton’s homebrew Kingmaker campaign has been a role-playing revelation. From the moment our characters were whisked away to this otherworldly realm, every session has been a rich tapestry of intricate NPC dynamics, unexpected plot twists, and deeply immersive character interactions. Ashton’s brilliance lies not just in his world-building, but also in the way he encourages and embraces player-driven role play. He has an uncanny ability to adapt and weave our spontaneous decisions seamlessly into the overarching narrative. Each game feels like a collaborative masterpiece, a testament to his skills as a DM. Truly, this campaign is a hallmark of what D&D should be

This is my 6th campaign with Ashton, and journeying through the ‘Curse of Strahd’ has solidified my admiration for his skills as a Dungeon Master. His storytelling and role-playing capabilities are second to none, vividly painting the haunting landscapes of Barovia and it’s inhabitants in our minds. His thorough grasp of the rules ensures every encounter is not only challenging but also impeccably balanced. Ashton’s fairness and vast understanding of D&D mechanics make every session both an immersive narrative and a masterclass in gameplay. A toast to a DM who excels in every facet of the role!

The Curse of Strahd maps and vtt are really impressive and really immersive…I feel like I’m really there!

I recently started my third(!) campaign with Ashton and have honestly nothing but good things to say. Ashton is a super cool DM who is open to new ideas and making the campaigns unique to the players. He makes big and small changes to the modules that make them more interesting and fun to play. His table is welcoming, flexible, and great for anyone who is still learning the game (and veteran players). D&D is place for me to unwind and have fun and I definitely can do that in Ashton’s games.

This is my second campaign with Ashton. When I started, I was a new player with no DND experience. Ashton took me from knowing I needed to roll dice to a veteran player who now helps other new players get interested in the game.

Ashton has a skill for taking character backgrounds and blossoming them into story arcs within the campaign. He is able to do this in such a way that it fits perfectly within the setting, and they immerse the characters into the world that he is painting for us. Ashton’s skills with painting the landscapes, cities, and environments we explore and bringing the NPCs, both planned and off the cuff, to life truly brings the players into a sense they are there as the heroes of the adventure. He will throw the characters into difficult situations. Still, you can tell he’s rooting for them, and he’s creating these situations so the characters can grow and become even larger heroes in their stories.