Tower of the Black Pearl! One Shot! Beginner Friendly! Pirates!

Mr. Ryan combines a common-sense approach to gaming that leaves the players in a realm where choices have consequences and real-life factors come into play. He makes sure that there are boundaries and conditions that ensue with every choice your character & party make. Mark’s worlds do involve the panorama of creatures, monsters & player characters that D&D embraces; but outliers are treated appropriately & with an explanation of why things are the way they are. For example: • You want a magical sentient sword? Roll periodically for control over it, or it controls you! • Try to use your great sword in a narrow passageway? Mark will ask you describe how you are going make it a viable weapon in such close quarters. • You play a Tiefling? Sure, you can. But here come the townsfolk who are none to happy to see you – ‘outsider’! Note that the mundane does not predominate either – you can find your party stuck in the shadow-realm, or trying not to annoy a Qilin, or trudging through an extra-planar hell-scape or just a down & good o’l dungeon crawl. He will not bog-down game-time with the mundane minutia of day-to-day expenditures or things that matter little. He has a reason for any roll or activity your characters must account for. Inclusively, you’ll just a good time developing your character and delving deeper & deeper in the game’s world-scape. Along with his knowledge of Medieval history and history in general, give an excellent backdrop to any campaign he manages. If You want a sense of realism and an adventure steeped in a setting that has historical accuracy and references? Marks’ your DM. Its Marks’ game – but your adventure!

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a completely new player with very little frame of reference for what constitutes a good or bad DnD experience. There is a good chance that points I make fall more in line with overall comments on DnD rather than feedback for the gamemaster himself, moreover comments may also reflect my inexperience with the game and would not be relevant for experienced players. The new player experience was overall great, and Mark really shined at helping me assimilate core information, allowing me to establish a firm foothold despite joining mid-campaign and despite my relative inexperience. Outside of combat scenarios, Mark made sure to guide the game in a way that did not feel forced by giving us the necessary information or nudges to handle new developments without removing any sense of our own agency. During combat, I felt a little bit more out of my depth due to the sudden increase in complexity presented and I struggled a little bit with knowing what I was allowed to do and what actions I should take, although Mark did help ease these burdens. On top of this, the pacing of the game felt slower during combat scenarios and there were noticeably long periods where I felt I had less to contribute. Hopefully with a little bit more confidence, these issues will resolve themselves. With regards to world-building, Mark's usage of online visual aids really aided in setting a concrete tone and giving me a stepping stone with which I could better visualise the narrative, keeping the experience both exciting and engaging. Overall, Mark was clearly knowledgeable and very professional, and I really enjoyed the experience. The few issues I had involving combat, owing to my inexperience, did not overshadow the things I did enjoy. I am looking forward to my next game session!

Mark is a fantastic GM. His games are really fun! With an enormous background in history and a talent for world-building that has balance and context, his games and campaigns are always fun. Mark is GREAT at keeping “the amazing” amazing. One of the tricks of fantasy games I think, is being in a world of fantasy with cause and effect, or limitations, or boundaries, shaped by cause and effect. Without this, the fantastical become the mundane. Things that ought to be bizarre, shocking, or amazing become normal, unremarkable, and boring. Mark’s has a true talent for creating inhabitable worlds that are always amazing. Mark is at his best when he describes a medieval town, or a dwarven forge, or an elven city, with all that ought to be there. How the citizens live and think and fear. His adventures have resonance and weight. Great fun!

Mark has been an incredible Game Master who consistently goes above and beyond to bring stories to life. I’ve had the pleasure of playing several different systems with him including Dungeon Crawl Classics and D&D 5e, and no matter the setting or format, he delivers a rich, immersive experience every time. What truly sets Mark apart is his flexibility and dedication. He’s been extremely accommodating of my hectic work schedule, even going so far as to open up one-shots just so I could jump in and play while we looked for other players. Whether it’s a play-by-post scene, a fast-paced one-shot, or a long-form campaign, Mark brings the same level of care, creativity, and narrative depth to every session. I’ve played multiple characters under his guidance, and he’s helped breathe life into each one with thoughtful worldbuilding, meaningful interactions, and memorable NPCs. His games are the kind you look forward to all week. Highly recommended for anyone who values storytelling, flexibility, and a DM who truly cares about the players and the world he builds.

Mark is such a great GM! He brings years of experience to the table and always has answers to questions. He is great at storytelling and actually adds knowledge of medieval warfare, which has been incredibly interesting to learn about. I’d recommend him to anyone. :)

Mark is a talented GM with a wide and deep set of skills that weave together every session to provide something very fun and entertaining. It is clear his level of knowledge is deep, and coupled with the excellent resources pulled from various places in the RPG sphere, he never fails to provide a layered and engaging story. While the level of preparation that goes into each session is very high, that doesn't mean you are locked into a linear path - there is never a player-created situation, no matter how wacky and creative, that Mark cannot embrace and turn into a consistent and engaging story. Would definitely recommend.