MJ's Gaming Solutions

05/08/2026

I’ve been running TRPG for the last month - my “crew” has consisted of experienced RP-gamers and game masters.

The systems primary dive mechanic is amazingly intuitive: roll under your Stat or Save number on a percentile die. Stat number plus relevant skill modifier grants a bonus sometimes… this inspires and rewards creativity.

MOTHERSHIP is a sci-fi horror RPG… think the Aliens movie franchise… but my players are playing it more gritty sci-fi with a bit of dark comedy. 😁 Next session things will change for the worse.

There’s a free Companion App for the game, too!

Let me know what questions you have about the game. 💕 ✌🏻

05/07/2026

MJ's Gaming Solutions is now on SKOOL! If you're looking for TRPG instruction or know someone who is, or if you're an aspiring game-master looking for guidance, learn more about our community and join us through the link below. https://www.skool.com/mjs-gaming-solutions-2993/about

Learn to play tabletop roleplaying games (TRPGs). It’s basically like improvisational storytelling with as many rules as the group needs to have fun.

04/15/2026

Scheduling availability has been interrupted for this evening. No game at Ministry of Brewing tonight.

Stand by for updates…

Also D/GM Mica is now on Groupfinder for TRPG stuff.

😁 💕 👋🏻

04/08/2026

No gaming at Ministry of Brewing tonight. I’ll return next week.

Still working on OD&D projects - and found an artist to collab with - Shae with Barnyard Brats agreed to produce art for my upcoming D&D adventure modules and supplements. 😳 🎉

https://www.instagram.com/barnyardbrat?igsh=MWt1cndtbDl4MHIzYw==

Cheers to new partnerships!

73 Followers, 146 Following, 16 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from BARN YARD BRATZ 🫆 ()

03/27/2026

I showed up for the weekly Champions game, last Saturday, and we didn’t have enough players for the GM to feel a benefit from running the story he’s been carefully crafting over the past several months.

I offered to run Dungeons & Dragons, from the 1974 edition of rules that I’ve been toting around and burrowing through lately.

Fifteen minutes later we had two Fighting-Man characters and a Magic-User character ready to go delving. With a paltry 1d6 hit points each (+1 for the Fighting-Man characters), and 3d6 x 10 gold pieces spent on their armaments, I sketched a quick background for our tale. The players stitched their player characters (PCs) into the story; a tale as old as time - brash adventurers who had grown up together in the same small village - Rivermount.

Most of the time when players asked for details about the world, I pushed back on them to create that piece of OUR world. For example, one player named the hometown during our session. Over the decades that I’ve been running D&D and other RPGs, I’ve learned to lean back - be the adjudicator and the guide and not necessarily the sole architect of the world. This technique worked well last weekend.

For my part, I knew there was a dungeon to be delved, but didn’t know where it was in relation to “home town.” Another player determined that the ruins to be delved were a half day march from the home village. They set out at dawn and arrived near midday. I took note and these things became part of our growing world.

The best part of using such a classic set of rules with such a quick character creation system was that the players began roleplaying almost immediately. There was more role play in this session than I’d seen in many of my recent sessions using newer and more complex game systems.

Throughout the week, I’ve been mapping and adding to the world. Going back to the original rules has been a fun way of reengaging with my beloved D&D.

03/21/2026

One of the coolest rules I “rediscovered” in my explorations of the ancient texts was this “No critical hits and no fumbles.” In an old Dragon magazine issue, Gary Gygax explained his rationale by describing the fact that there are more monsters than PCs… therefore monsters will statistically score more critical hits than the PC.

So… when I run these original D&D sessions, next month, this will be my rule - No Crits and No Fumbles!

Other old school rules? All weapons do 1d6 damage, there are no character skills, and there are three classes: Fighting-Man (or woman! I’m not a misogynist), Magic-User, and Cleric. However you want to play the game, these three classes can manage your style.

Hope to see you at the table, next month!

03/21/2026

I wanted a stylish but useful and highly customizable dice tray to carry to games.

I am very pleased with this one… now loaded with a handful of my favorite dice, and festooned with stickers from Justin Sirois’ Severed Books.

As the photos show - it also holds your tablet or cell phone.

And it’ll carry a few pencils!

Features: Easy to carry: The right size means that your dice tray will not take up too much space in your game area and can be easily put into your game bag with other accessories. Practical gift: Suitable for most dice games, you can use the dice tower in almost all games about dice, ex...

03/20/2026

In April, get ready for a blast from the past as I unleash a series of 'one shot' gaming marathons featuring the OG tabletop role-playing game - the 1974 edition of D&D that's older than some of my referee's bad habits. I've dusted off my trusty binder and cracked open Outdoor Survival, because apparently wilderness survival and finding the nearest exit are key to success. After deciphering enough of the ancient texts - Chainmail and original Dungeons & Dragons rules, I've mastered character creation, combat sequences, and building dungeons for 'fun and profit' - aka separating my players from their treasure. Join me Wednesday nights in April at Ministry of Brewing - 1900 East Lombard Street, in Baltimore City. From 6 pm to 9 pm.

03/12/2026

After watching ’ video - 5e DM tries to explain the OSR, I looked at my bookshelf of bought/bought and read/ bought & tried /bought & never ran TRPGs…

I’m a D/GM that’s been in this hobby since 1983. I love these games and I live this life. TTRPGs are my passion and my art.

So… inspired me to craft the following “playlist” for the remainder of 2026…

Vagabond TRPG - looks great, don’t have it, but I will track it down and give it a go!

Mörk Borg - I have several expansions and supplements for the game (including CyBorg and Pirate Borg)

OD&D - I have printed copies of the Wizards of the Coast reprints… I’m finally going to run it this year!

Twilight:2000 4th edition from Fria Ligan - I backed this project on Kickstarter then sought and acquired many of the old adventure modules and rulebooks for 1e and 2e. It’s time to turn the Cold War hot and roll the clock back to summer, 2000.

Mothership - I love this game and have amassed a considerable collection of rulebooks and supplements. I’ll be running this one, soon!

MARVEL Multiverse Roleplaying Game - an absolutely beautiful game with a cool 3d6/d20 mechanic that the publishers trademarked as d616 - IYKYK! Looking forward to running this one, too! Not sure yet, what the scale will be… Neighborhood Heroes, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, or Galaxy Defenders?

Sickest Witch - going to hold this one till October! My friend created this game and I’m a huge fan of his work. Finally going to carve out the time and make this one happen!

Cairn 2nd Edition - I really appreciated the simplicity of this game’s design. I happened upon the 2e box set while questing for TRPG shops in Toronto, ON. Really looking forward to running it!

Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0 - I fell hard for this game when we first met more than 30 years ago, now. It’s time to come back and run an idea that’s been bouncing around in my head… troupe style play… the PCs are the Board of Directors of their own Corp! And the PCs are the top tier troubleshooters for that company… one group of players… two groups of player characters - one group in the Board Room and the group on the streets.

I’ll post here as I develop the campaigns and I’ll share my after action reports to let you know how things went, things I loved or hated about the system and what my players thought…

And here’s the video that inspired my 2026 Playlist…

The OSR is the Old School Renaissance, a movement designed to harken back to an older age of RPGs with things like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Basic D&D, an...

11/04/2025

Good morning, Gamers!

This year has been tremendously difficult for me. Between losing a dear friend back in May, and resigning from my government job in October…

Life has been happening quickly.

In the midst of all this however, TRPG gaming has remained my one consistent rock… holding me from falling into the abyss.

For the month of November I’m living abroad and will be diving deeply into all manner of games that I’ve carried with me and any new games that I find while I am here.

Thanks for your time, and please stay tuned.

🤘🏻 🎲 🐉