Michael

he/him

5.0

(6)

Timezone

America/new York

About Michael

I was given the D&D Red Box Basic Set when I was a kid and D&D and other role playing games have captured my imagination ever since. I've been playing and running D&D and othe role playing games ever since and doing so has shaped my life in profound ways. I am at my best running open world, sandbox style games where players have agency over their character's actions and fates. I like presenting worlds where dangers are ever present and the skill of the player as well as the stats of the character are challenged. I am experienced in many different role-playing game systems including all editions of D&D, Pathfinder (1e/2e), Traveller, Stars Without Number, FATE, Dungeon World, Palladium Books, Savage Worlds, and many other games. I'm always learning new games and exploring new ideas and always trying to improve my skills as a player and DM/GM.

At a glance

4 years on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Inclusive

Featured Prompts

I got started GMing...

right around when Gary Gygaz passed away. I decided to start a campaign with my friends as an homage to him. That campaign ran for 8 years and has sparked nearly 20 years of continous GMing... including multiple nearly decades long campaigns and many different groups in person and online.

The three words my players would use to describe me are...

fair, engaged, supportive.

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

enjoying time with my family, trying to teach myself guitar, and discovering new music to listen to.

How Michael runs games

I am at my best running open world, sandbox style games where players have agency over their character's actions and fates. I like presenting worlds where dangers are ever present and the skill of the player as well as the stats of the character are challenged. I run games where there are multiple courses of action available and the choices players make have meaningful consequences. I run worlds that react to my players actions and feel alive and consistent. I run games where player agency is the most important aspect. I consider myself first and foemost a referee of the game. I present the world fairly and avoid bias as much as possible. I roll the dice in the open and I appreciate the times when an interesting dice roll result takes a session in an unexpected direction..

Featured Prompts

I prep by

designing situations and environments. I prep situations not plots. I rarely have a preplanned plotline or narrative, I instead consider the environment and the motives of the various factions.

My games focus on...

player agency and freedom of action. My games are ususlly run as open sandboxes where players can take actions and make choices and those choices drive the story/action.

Rules are...

guidelines to support a fair and balanced environment for roleplaying. Rules need to be detailed enough and are important such that players understand the nature of the world and have agency, but they shouldn't have the final say and should always conform to the needs of the group.

Michael's ideal table

A group of friends or potential soon to be friends gathered together to enjoy a shared imaginary adventure. Players are respectful and kind to each other at my table and I will look out for and help each player have a fun and enjoyable time. There should be snacks and inside jokes aplenty but also there should be moments of intensity when an important combat or situation develops in game.

Featured Prompts

I love it when a player

gets into the world. Planning out and discussing the things they want their character to do and achieve in the game world. When they take the world as real and consider and plan their character's place in it.

I think metagaming...

is a part of the game. Metagaming is the reward a player deserves for playing as often and as long as they have. An experienced player has earned the right to use the things they learned in the past in their current game.

I think min/maxing...

is choice for the player to make. It is their choice to min/max to a specific build. But a min/maxed character will be challenged in other ways in my games. Focusing on one aspect should leave you vulerable elsewhere. It is at a player's own risk to neglect certain aspects of their character.