Mike Pisani (he/him)
5.0
(6)
3 years on StartPlaying
About me
After over a decade in the entertainment industry, I have pivoted my focus to my passion for tabletop gaming and my gaming company Escape Plan Games. My time working in the film and television industry allowed me a chance to pick the brain of many great artists and storytellers, and to apply that knowledge to my game mastering. Working professionally in narrative media has helped shape my approach to both storytelling and combat inside of tabletop rpgs. I am eager to bring my passion for this hobby and my love of communal storytelling to you and your group and to help you shape your next great adventure.
GM Style
I blend a healthy amount of roleplay with tactical combat. I am willing to adapt to a group's desire to play a more theater of the mind combat if requested. I will try to bring out a little character in each of my players so they are not just a collection of equations, and understand that good roleplay isn't just about making a funny voice. Everyone deserves their moment at the table and we will work together to find opportunities for your character to shine. I treat failures as opportunities and not banes when running TTRPG's. I think that allowing the dice to steer the story can lead to humor, tragedy, surprise, and any number of outcomes that fudged rolls would never lead us to. I will not ask you to make meaningless checks, if we roll the dice there will be gravity to the outcome. I firmly believe that this is where some of the magic in this sort of storytelling lies. The story belongs to all of us but is also guided by chance and if we stay open to that we will both find ourselves in places we never expected.
Games played
Game platforms used
Game Master Reviews (6)
Jamie Lee
Mike is a great GM for first time players or veterans. Hes great at helping you navigate or follow rules. I had an awesome time playing Curse of Strahd with him and he is who got me into D&D and helped me be more confident about playing. There were some really funny moments and fun characters he introduced that really added to the storyline.
Ben Pisani
Mike runs a good game. He takes player considerations seriously and has a great understanding of how to run games and how to spice things up at the right moments. I would recommend him to anyone looking to roleplay. He has a solid grasp of multiple systems, but, more importantly, what makes roleplaying fun.
Sam Knapp
I've been playing with Mike for several years and he's one of the best GMs I've played with. Do his sessions have engaging stories, twists and turns, unique combat scenarios and moral quandaries? Yes. But most importantly, Mike puts player agency and decision making first. He listens. This might sound cliche and obvious, but I've played with enough other GMs to know when the players are driving the narrative instead of feeling like you're on a railroad. I highly recommend giving Mike a shot at leading your next session. It's some of the most fun I've had rolling dice.
Michael Graham
Mike has run games for my group for many years. Not only is he is extremely knowledgeable about the rules of various game systems, he is also one of the most passionate people you'll ever meet. Mike loves games more than anybody I know. So much so, he's has even made his own (and it's really, really good) Being an extremely adaptable GM, Mike can laugh along with a goofy group, roleplay with the thespians, or crunch the numbers with the min/maxers. If you want your game night to go off without a hitch, he's your guy.
Relael
Mike was fantastic- he ran Curse of Strahd for us for over a year, and it was heart-wrenching to finish. He gave us plenty of room for shenanigans, while keeping seven players on target, which is no mean feat if you know our group. He also showed us no mercy, because Strahd. We had an absolute blast and I would recommend Mike to any group, new or experienced.
William Richardson
Mike is one of the best Dungeon Masters I've ever played with. Mike is an expert with many systems and knows the rules that you don't. But what sets Mike apart is that his role playing skills are unbelievable. His ability to play the world that you are experiencing only adds to the experience and elevates your role playing. Fantastic DM.
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