Michael

he/him

5.0

(5)

Timezone

America/new York

Language

English

Identity

LGBTQ+

Asian

About Michael

Engaged to the love of my life and have a cute Chihuahua named Anna. Most of my life I've worked in the restaurant industry as a sushi chef and recently became a recovering DOTA addict. Since high school I've been a forever DM for my friends, slowly building my roleplaying skills. My true passion is the Planescape setting and I've run many traditional fantasy campaigns, some modern fantasy (Cypher system, World of Darkness, CAIN), and sci-fi through the very strange Radiance system. I've gained experience in drawing my own battle maps and utilizing the great Foundry VTT for DM-ing online.

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, World Builder, Creativity

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

in high school. My friends were looking for someone to GM Radiance RPG and I offered to because I wanted to make friends. I was awful at it but my friends were able to make their own fun out of the nonsensical situations I would put them through. Terrible system though, especially for a beginner.

My favorite books are

Naked Lunch and Last Exit to Brooklyn. I love the abstractness of William S Burroughs' works, the way the author doesn't even know where the sentences will be. Last Exit to Brooklyn is one of the few books I've read where the reality of modern America for the working class is in full display.

My favorite system of all Time is

Changeling the Dreaming 2e and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2e. Both have a special place in my heart for the settings attached to them. Changeling is a somber but heartfelt exploration of what it means to get older while ADnD 2e has so much passion put into its numerous creative settings.

How Michael runs games

As a DM, roleplaying and problem solving are the foundation of the gameplay I present to my players. Almost all combat encounters are presented in a way that can be avoided but only through intelligent roleplay. Of course, sometimes there are villains that can't be persuaded but the most important element of a tabletop game is everyone having a good time so I try to be flexible per the group's dynamic. A lot of what I find interesting in a campaign has been influenced by 2nd Edition Planescape so fantastical investigations and epic journeys scored by moral themes of right and wrong are what I enjoy writing.

Featured Prompts

I once ran a session...

where my players ignored dealing with a Naga slowly taking over a town so that they could run a smear campaign on a tavern that they hated. It ended when the owners of the tavern were dragged out by a mob the PC's gathered then blew the whole thing up with explosives they'd found.

My games focus on...

the importance of player choices and consequences. I try my best to make sure the choices the players make beget a future conflict or encounter. The players can't be heroes (or villains) without them risking their lives or having tough decisions. Otherwise, they are just people.

Rules are...

tools used to facilitate a steady paced roleplaying session. If they ever get in the way of what the GM or players want then they can be bent without much problem.

Michael's ideal table

My table is accepting of all play styles and ideas. There are few suggestions that can't be discussed and what stories can be told are infinite. Everyone should be focused on providing a welcoming atmosphere and cool ideas to each session. Roleplay is encouraged.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

makes a sub optimal choice for the purpose of roleplay or storytelling. In the end, the point of the game isn't to have the strongest character possible, although it is fun to do so. The point is to tell a collaborative story that we all remember a long time after.

I think it's a red flag when players...

start making choices for their other PC's. It is fine to suggest something, but when a player is trying to coerce others into a build the other player doesn't really want, it becomes a danger to the fun of the game. The game isn't your character sheet, its the in character choices you make.

I think min/maxing...

is okay. A min/maxer is someone who has read the rulebooks thoroughly and I can't be mad at someone for putting more time into the game we're playing. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how strong their character is because stats can't help you solve a moral conundrum.