Mike was the DM for my first ever experience playing D&D, and what
an experience it was! Elves, serpents, merchants, forests with enchanted
creatures, you name it, it was probably in that game! I felt
transported into the world and played
the role of an English Elf (although my poor imitation of a British
accent made others question my true origin haha), but nonetheless, Mike brought us through ups and downs, good and evils, forests and towns, and
the whole game was full of laughter, strategic
battles, and good conversation. He made the game enjoyable and far
easier to learn than I had expected, as I was slightly intimidated at
first. I was involved in a game of about 6, (7 including the DM), and 4
of us had never played before, but Mike made it
immersive enough to keep the experienced folks entertained all the
while keeping us newbies focused and having nothing go over our heads. A
wonderful DM, a wonderful game, and I look forward to the next time I
have the opportunity to play.
Chelsea Gale
I'd heard of Mike Nystul and knew of the AD&D spell named after him, Nystul's Magic Aura, but I'd never met him in person until I attended the Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Celebration in Anaheim California, back in February of 2017. It seemed like a pleasant little diversion to have a celebrity Dungeon Master run a quick game, so I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing I noticed was the amazing props he had brought. A fully modular 3D dungeon is what we adventured in, and that was really quite cool. But, to my surprise, that wasn't the best part. Not even close. As it turns out, Mike Nystul is a ridiculously good Dungeon Master. I could have played the game using pennies as miniatures on a blank table, and I still would have been able to see everything in my mind's eye. Mike's ability to draw his players into the scenario and make them vividly see and feel what is going on was, in my many years of tabletop gaming, entirely unparalleled. Plus, this was just a one-and-done quickie adventure with a throwaway character! I can only imagine how incredible playing in a campaign with a story arc would be with Mike. Anyone who has the opportunity to game with Mike Nystul, do yourself a favor and do it. I guarantee you won't regret it. The only down side is that odds are, after experiencing the masterful storytelling and NPC portrayal skills that Mike has to offer, playing with other Dungeon Masters will feel like a cheap black and white photocopy of the real thing..
Jarrod Kailef
We asked Mike to run a one-shot game for my friends and I for my birthday last year and it was fantastic. Most of us had either never played before or only had minimal experience. Mike was able to provide us with our characters complete with full character sheets as well as a concise but effective tutorial that set us up for a great time. We did two sessions and were able to walk out of the dungeon victorious. Mike makes it easy so we could focus more on the adventure and having fun while still learning how to play the game. It was a a lot of fun and we all look forward to another session, possibly a campaign.
Sean McClure
Mike Nystul is a dynamic, exciting, engaging, and challenging DM. What I like about Mike the most is he is able to adapt to the gaming style of his players and make it fun. He can accommodate the entire game to the style you want to play. The campaign can be a monster slaying event to a murder mystery as difficult as Sherlock Homes faces. Mike is witty and trained in improve skills so he uses multiple voices, body language, humor and is extremely creative during the game.
Don’t be fooled, he won’t make it easy for you to win, yet the challenge is always a blast to go through. He can also accommodate the age level you need. He has the ability to make the game fun for 7 years olds riding unicorns on rainbows or for 90 year olds that want to be the best looking bard in the bar. Even in 1 day-8 hour sessions and Mike has never disappointed me.
My Husband and I agree on how much we enjoy Mike running events. And really, I am a difficult customer as I expect a lot after so many years of playing. I have participated in DND for over 35 yrs, played from DND from 1st edition to 5th, LARP’d, and been to GenCon 10 times. I share this because Mike has been the MOST remembered and positive DM experience I have had. I would be more than happy to talk with anyone considering him for an event.
Tatianna Smith
Speaking as a business professional with over 15 years of management experience in the telecommunications and medical device industry and hire/fire responsibilities; I would definitely hire Mike as a GM.
As long as I have known Mike, he has never used a published module. All of his adventures were his own custom creations. Which meant that you never knew what was coming. His NPCs and monsters are always played in character and with a good dose of humor when applicable. His games are always filled with laughter and suspense. He always knows how much lethality to put in his adventures to make the deadly but not impossible. Other GMs that I have played with just don’t measure up to Mike. I believe he is uniquely qualified as a Game Master. You will not be disappointed.
Wayne Palmer
The thing I find most striking about Mike's DM style is his confidence. He sets the scene and weaves a story with practiced ease. He brings colorful characters and locales to life with what seems like no effort at all - even when it is obvious he has spent hours crafting a session's worth of encounters and challenges, and who knows how long crafting the world-garden he grows them in. He is able to react to actions the players take in the blink of an eye, in ways that make sense for the narrative, while letting them employ their creativity.
When not rolling dice at the table, he's always looking for feedback and ways to improve the experience, to tailor it to the kind of adventures his players like best, the type of heroes they want to be. He has an even hand when making judgments on murky rules, and knows how to handle player stress or get a game that's gotten bogged down moving again.
In short, you can tell he's done this sort of thing before, many times. There's a wisdom that only the most veteran DMs have, and a natural ability to improv and make games memorable that only storytelling savants possess. Mike has both. And when I see him weave them together in an epic campaign, I see real magic at work.
Michael Crary
