Celebrity GMs
Ever thought about rolling dice with the legends who created the games you love? Our Celebrity GMs bring their own style, experience, and storytelling straight to your table, giving you a chance to play alongside the people who shaped the game itself.
Mike “Malix” Nystul
Mike “Malix” Nystul is a teacher, storyteller, performer and game master who has been designing games since the earliest days of the hobby. He worked in-house for TSR, FASA, and Mayfair Games on titles such as D&D, BattleTech, Shadowrun, DC Heroes, Chill, Underground, and Role Aids. As a freelancer, he contributed to TORG, GURPS, Champions, and Fantasy Hero.
Under his own Pariah Press label, he published The Whispering Vault, a cult classic horror game. Today, through Nystul Game Forge, he self-publishes titles like NUkED, a fast-moving post-apocalyptic RPG of “mutants, magic and mayhem.”
Heidi Gygax Garland & Erik Gygax Garland (Gaxland)
Heidi Gygax Garland grew up around the gaming industry as the daughter of E. Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons. She worked for TSR at Gen Con, the Dungeon Hobby Shop, and in Marketing. After 30+ years in Hawaii as a corporate executive, Heidi now collaborates with her husband Erik Gygax Garland on GAXLAND gaming adventures.
Erik Garland is a retired CIO, Army veteran, and lifelong gamer who met Heidi at Gary Con in 2015. They married in 2023 and now create adventures together, published under GAXLAND.com.
Harold “Wisconsin” Johnson
Harold Johnson is a veteran game designer, editor, and former TSR manager. He co-created the Dragonlance line, supervised TSR’s design staff, and helped hire iconic designers like Tracy Hickman and Frank Mentzer.
His design credits include The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1980), Secret of the Slavers Stockade (1981), Judge’s Survival Pack, and The Golden Goddess for the Indiana Jones RPG. He also contributed to Forgotten Realms, Spelljammer, and Ravenloft throughout the 1980s and 1990s, shaping much of D&D’s golden era.
Stefan Pokorny
Stefan Pokorny is a classically trained painter, sculptor, and the founder of Dwarven Forge, the pioneering modular miniatures terrain company. His work set the gold standard for 3D painted tiles and has powered many record-breaking Kickstarters.
He has run theatrical D&D games at conventions worldwide, appeared in livestreams such as Founders and Legends and Nerdbauchery, and has been featured in documentaries like The Dwarvenaut (2016). His creative projects include the fantasy world of Mythras and City of Valoria, cartographic works, and the upcoming TV project Destination Fantastic.
Allen Hammack
Allen Hammack has contributed to over 100 products as author, designer, editor, or developer. Hired by Gary Gygax in 1978, Allen edited Gary’s World of Greyhawk setting. Allen was Manager of Designers during the “Golden Era” of TSR. The “Master of Mythology” writes often on using myths and legends of the world in gaming: three books on the subject, the Viking Gods boardgame (which some say foretold the Thor: Ragnarok movie…), and he was a co-editor of Dungeon Masters Guide and Deities & Demigods during the five years he served at TSR. Allen’s most popular module is C2: Ghost Tower of Inverness, which was specifically referenced in the second D&D movie and the TV show The Goldbergs.
Allen also wrote I9: Day of Al-Akbar, and A3: Assault on the Aerie of The Slave Lords and edited the games Top Secret and Boot Hill. Diecast Games published his module Night of the Black Swords. Allen contributed to a Goodman Games book and is working with other publishers on projects.
Allen has advanced degrees in chemistry and computer science and enjoys acting in local theater. After 27 years in IT roles, he retired as a systems analyst and now enjoys analyzing sunsets and local beers at the tiki bar of the American Legion in Fairhope, Alabama, on the shores of Mobile Bay.
Dave Hadden
Dave is the founder and Warden of Worlds at Orthane Productions. He is also the lead author of their main product, The Kingdom of Keshanar. Dave is an entrepreneur and adventurer. Has travelled 75 countries around the world to conduct medical training, restore ancient buildings, climb mountains, sail and play the pan pipes in a Peruvian music group.
Dave’s longest running and most rewarding career, however, has been as a Dungeon Master which he has been doing for 40 years. The Kingdom of Keshanar combines all his passions. It is with a powerful sense of gratitude that Dave and his team at Orthane Productions are able to give back to the TTRPG community both through the delivery of ancient Egyptian themed content and also with charitable works. For Dave, The Kingdom of Keshanar is more than just a game—it’s a way to share his love for role-playing games and mythology with players worldwide. Keshanar reflects his commitment to creating a high-quality, immersive experience for everyone, where players can explore a land filled with ancient secrets and divine powers. His goal is for players to experience the same excitement and discovery that has driven him for decades, whether they are veterans of the TTRPG system or just starting their first adventure.
More about Dave
Before creating Keshanar, Dave led a successful career as a serial entrepreneur. He founded and sold 4 technology companies and was a pioneering innovator in the A.I. based medical decision support and simulation space. Prior to Orthane Productions, he was the Founder of Pro-ficiency, a company that leads the industry in delivering simulation and game-based, immersive learning experiences for healthcare workers and patients across multiple therapeutic areas in support of clinical trials. His companies and inventions have led to the training of more than one million doctors in 90 countries, the support of hundreds of clinical trials, and his research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals. Prior to that, he started Hart Restoration Group, a company that restored ancient masonry buildings, including notable structures in the U.S., the Middle East, and India. He maintains a fascination for ancient buildings and those that built them, especially in ancient Egypt.
All the places to find the Keshanar creators and keep up with the frothy conversation about ancient Egypt-themed TTRPG!
Heather “ValyGirl” Ashcraft
Heather “ValyGirl” Ashcraft has more than twenty-five years of experience in tabletop and live action role-playing. She is a co-owner of Pick Up & Go Games, one half of the streaming duo Geeks Unplugged, an Actual Play actor and GM, and a professional GM through multiple organized play groups. Along the way she has earned recognition as an award-winning roleplayer, designer, and community leader.
Her work spans storytelling, worldbuilding, system design, playtesting, and organizational leadership across a wide range of RPG systems including AD&D 1e, Castles & Crusades, Amazing Adventures, Call of Cthulhu 7e, Pulp Cthulhu, Everyday Heroes, RuneQuest, Star Trek Adventures, Heckin’ Good Doggos, Psychic Kids, and Darkspace. She is also active as a social media content creator, streamer, and advocate for education, diversity, and inclusion.
More about Heather
Heather is proud to represent the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities and is a firm believer that #GamingIsForEveryone. Her philosophy is simple: the strength of education combined with the joy of play creates magic for all ages. She brings that energy to every table, weaving stories that inspire players to imagine, connect, and dream.
Discover more of Heather’s work on Bsky, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or her Portfolio.
Derek “The GeekPreacher” White
Rev. Derek W. White, known as the “Geekpreacher,” is a storyteller, teacher, and game master who has been blending faith, imagination, and gaming for over three decades. An ordained United Methodist elder, Derek has become one of the most recognized voices in the gaming community, serving as the official chaplain for Gary Con since 2015 and leading services at Gen Con, Origins, and other conventions across the country.
As a consultant and designer, he has contributed to projects that explore themes of faith, history, and storytelling in tabletop roleplaying games. He is also the co-creator of DarkSpace, a science-fiction RPG built on Shadowdark rules, and a featured voice in award-winning documentaries like The Satanic Panic and the Religious Battle for the Imagination. Today, Derek continues to champion inclusive spaces for gamers of every background, guiding tables with equal measures of humor, wisdom, and creativity.
All experiences are customized to the group, ensuring a memorable and engaging session guided by years of storytelling and game mastering expertise.