Michael Bender

Hi, my name is Michael! My pronouns are they/them, and I have been a Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) Dungeon Master (DM) since 1982! My first set of DnD dice required a crayon to colour in the numbers, and it came in the original box (I bought it second-hand at a garage sale). I fell in love with the possibilities and have guided heroes through dungeons, sewers, caves, forests and seas ever since. I have a BA in Social Work, a Masters in Education and a Master’s certificate in School Counselling. I am currently a Learning Specialist and Learning Consultant for grades 10-12 at SelfDesign Learning Community and the lead educator for the Minecraft and High School Chat and Play groups there. I also taught for 18 years in private and public schools in the United States. I currently play the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. I usually create my modules and build my worlds to keep it fresh and to limit the amount of research I have to do to learn about the adventures before my characters experience them. I encourage players to manage their characters as if they are playing the part rather than using their own intellect and wisdom. I also discourage chaotic evil, as all party members deserve to play the entire game, so fighting each other is not the focus. The goal is to find the hero in each character, create an amazing story together, and, of course, have fun!

My first Dungeons and Dragons game lasted 22 straight hours. Don't worry, we will keep our sessions to 2 hours each 🙂