MGMike

he/him

4.1

(9)

Timezone

America/detroit

Language

English

Identity

Veteran

Disabled

Neurodivergent

Published Writer

About MGMike

I am a new Dungeon Master who has been a D&D 5E player for 4 years and completed several in-person and online D&D campaigns and one-shots. I have soaked up as many tips as I could from paid, professional DMs including Critical Role's Matthew Mercer and Brennan Lee Mulligan, as well as a few DMs right here on StartPlaying! I have known from the moment I started my first session of Out of the Abyss that I wanted to be a DM; by the time I joined the fight against Vecna, I collected a comprehensive list of rules I wanted to incorporate, as well as a list of things I wanted to do differently. I challenged DMs by coming up with creative solutions to problems, knowing that one day my players would do the same to me. I am now at a point where I want to share what I have come up with. I look forward to rolling with you!

At a glance

Less than a year on StartPlaying

8 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Teacher, Creativity

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

Featured Prompts

My favorite books are

Choose Your Own Adventure Fantasy

My favorite shows/movies are

Lord of the Rings Critical Role MCU Movies

When I'm not running games I'm...

playing them!

How MGMike runs games

My games will have an appropriate balance of roleplay, tactical combat and puzzle-solving. While the majority of the table rules come from D&D 5e 2024, I have incorporated a few homebrew rules and modified some 2024 rules - all of which are clearly defined in my Discord server. For everything else, I follow the Rule of Cool. Since it is impossible to define all possible rules in advance that may come up, any decisions I make during the session will be briefly explained to players upon request. My door is wide open for players to privately discuss any issues or concerns they have. I recognize there are different types of learning styles, so every session will have a visual 2D map, a list of NPCs to remember as they appear, and any other aids necessary. My goal is to reduce the amount of time players take to write notes while still making sure they have the information they need to enjoy and advance the story.

Featured Prompts

I deal with rules issues by...

hearing what the player has to say and seeing if there is a compromise that can be made. If not, I ensure the player at least understands why I made the decision that I did.

I prep by

coming up with a plan and thinking of ways to sabotage that plan, because that is exactly what a player is going to do!

Rules are...

meant to be bent, but generally not broken. I believe the spirit of the rule is just as important as the letter of the rule, if not more so.

MGMike's ideal table

The player who will most enjoy my table are... ...those new to D&D who want a supportive place to learn. ...players who let their creativity run wild with their character. ...veteran players who desire to share their knowledge and experience. ...those who want to see their character come alive and develop in meaningful ways as the story progresses. I have certain expectations of those at my table: 1) Part of the Rule of Cool is keeping your cool. You may ask for clarification of or a variance to a rule or decision, but please do not argue. 2) No meta-gaming as a character or as a player; please let players play their own characters; don't tell them what or what not to do. 3) No obscene comments or actions in or out of game.