Ashton Langham

This dude...

Actually kicked me off the table I've been playing at for over a year because I said "lol" when he expected an apology from me because I pinged him twice in the server attempting to get kind of confirmation that he was seeing my unanswered messages over the last 3 months. I've been at this table for over a year and never had issues with waiting for a response or getting one back with in 1 day but at some point he stopped replying and I waited 3 months before messaging him again.

I pinged him on the server a few times to get confirmation that he was able to see my messages, and he simply copied and pasted a passive-aggressive OOO corporate-style message into our DMs telling me he had to "draw a boundary" with me as if I was harasshing him when all I was seeking was confirmation that he received my message because he wasn't responding at all for months at a time at this point.

Somehow, he apologizes but gets angry because he ACTUALLY expected ME to apologize to as well...

Over the last year of playing, I noticed that he subtly talked down to me. In front of the group, he would make snide remarks that I would need to "give away" my personal magic items if I didn't want to use them when he wanted me to use them and made other weirdly subtle, dismissive, and passive-aggressive comments here and there that made me feel unwelcomed. In random group discussions, I've shared my views as a woman of color when topics of race and politics come up only for him to make a dismissive comments or completely cut me off and change the subject like he's Regina George from Mean Girls after soaking in everything everyone else had to share, and engaging with them.

He also admitted he did, in fact, get my messages 3 months prior and just did not respond to them; but he still goes on to copy and paste that same passive-aggressive "stop bothering me" message at the end of this "apology". Then kicks me off the table for responding with "lol".

I had a 100% attendance rate, I showed up to a session from inside of the car less than 16 hours after stomach surgery, and I've been nothing but kind, helpful, and engaging at this table; if I ran an NPC in combat, I spent hours researching their class and features to prepare for the session. I was always engaged and I was the only one managing a running doc of notes for the entire group and the campaign.

Outside of this situation, he almost never has maps, and when he does, 90% of the time, they are just white sheets of paper with black lines and no color or details.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing under Ashton for a while now, and I genuinely think he is an exceptional Dungeon Master. Not only is his storytelling immersive and engaging, but he also has a knack for making every player feel valued and involved in the adventure. Ashton creates a welcoming and inclusive environment, making the game accessible for all experience levels. He’s patient, respectful, and open to all kinds of characters and ideas, which adds a great collaborative feel to our sessions. I was a total newb and Ashton was and remains patient and inviting in his approach!

Whether you’re new to D&D or a seasoned player, I would highly recommend joining one of Ashton’s campaigns. He brings creativity, flexibility, and a true love for the game that makes each session exciting and memorable.

Ashton prioritized each player's experience over his own. He's extremely creative and generates a pathway for each player to enjoy the experience. Instead of monitoring and controlling everyone's experience, he suggests ways to circumvent toxicity between players by offering alternatives to overpowered features or spells that eliminate future issues.

Ashton trusts his players to do the right thing and has no problem leveling with you when he thinks otherwise. He will also work with you to flesh out your character the way you imagined them instead of building your character around game mechanics and challenges.

He came up with ideas for my character that I really loved and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience playing with him. In the last 6 years Ashton has been the ABSOLUTE BEST DM I have and probably will ever have the opportunity to play with.

The only thing I don't like very much are the overly simplified maps, but this could be due to the campaign itself. I've never DM'd so I do not know what tools are at his disposal there.

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.

This is my first time playing through a campaign and Ashton has made it easy to understand and enjoyable to play. He is super knowledgeable about the mechanics and does a great job of teaching newbies like me how to play. He also does a great job of incorporating plot points to weave a fun and enjoyable story. Ashton's group gives me one more reason to look forward to Fridays!