Ph.D. political science. Outschool Teacher. Pro GM. Game-based learning. Opinions are my own.https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3m6i3hmnjg22zMilestone achieved!25 Nov 2025 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6i3hmnjg22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3m4xt4ftqoc23Autism doesn’t limit my perception — it expands it. I notice the systems within systems. The way rules shape action. That’s where understanding starts.06 Nov 2025 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4xt4ftqoc23https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lyxvgfxwls2oGamified learning—quests instead of assignments, badges instead of grades—can make education feel like an adventure. I’m team XP over bell curve grades any day.16 Sep 2025 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyxvgfxwls2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lykxxijzds25Ever noticed how GM-ing a game session feels like facilitating a town hall? Same skills—narrative, agency, empathy.11 Sep 2025 14:37 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lykxxijzds25https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lwp5af2h4224Everyone! Want to find like-minded people to talk about how to write better player characters or NPCs and make better stories together at the role-playing table? I just opened a community for that! We can share resources and pick each others' brains! See you there! https://www.skool.com/role-playing-explorers-club-5112/about?ref=3aa16b9b53474f2aad14eebc9367c63b18 Aug 2025 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwp5af2h4224https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lwmtykig422aIf you're interested in learning more about how politics work through the lens of political science- I'm here for you! https://www.skool.com/hellstroms-politics-lab-6075/about?ref=3aa16b9b53474f2aad14eebc9367c63b17 Aug 2025 21:41 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwmtykig422ahttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lufyyferrs27The way players handle moral dilemmas in Delta Green says a lot about how they see authority, security, and humanity. I’ve had better political debates at the table than in some seminars.20 Jul 2025 17:32 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lufyyferrs27https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3ludnn7v2cc27🌕 LIVE NOW: When the Wolfsbane Bloom 🌕 Tonight, the pack is sent on a grim errand—to track down Graveseeker, a missing Theurge whose mind may be shattered... or worse. 🔴 Tune in now on Twitch.tv/MythMachin3 #WerewolfTheApocalypse #TTRPG #ActualPlay #WorldOfDarkness #W5 https://Twitch.tv/MythMachin319 Jul 2025 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3ludnn7v2cc27https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lud5njuoyk27XCOM Ironman mode feels like being a political decision-maker during a national emergency. Public trust. Limited resources. Every death matters. Also, aliens. I've wanted to turn into a classroom simulation for some time.19 Jul 2025 14:17 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lud5njuoyk27https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lu6ojug6ek23As someone autistic, I’ve found TTRPGs offer structured social engagement with creative freedom. It’s part system, part story. Feels like home. Anyone else find this kind of play uniquely comfortable?17 Jul 2025 19:36 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu6ojug6ek23https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3ltzguk6shs2iOne reason I love Vampire and Delta Green: they’re emotional simulations and political ones. You don’t just manage power—you navigate fear, loyalty, and corruption. A political scientist’s dream sandbox.15 Jul 2025 17:35 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltzguk6shs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3ls5al464xk2j🧛‍♀️ We're LIVE! 🧛‍♂️ Vampire: the Masquerade – Paper Chase Part 10 starts NOW! The hunters made their move. The Coterie struck back. Blood was spilled. Secrets exposed. Now the city holds its breath. 📺 twitch.tv/mythmachin3 #VampireTheMasquerade #TTRPG #ActualPlay #WorldOfDarkness #ChicagoByNight #V5 https://twitch.tv/mythmachin321 Jun 2025 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3ls5al464xk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lryiyualus2aI’ve seen players develop real emotional awareness through roleplay. Games aren’t just stories—they’re social labs. Anyone else see emotional growth at the table?19 Jun 2025 21:50 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lryiyualus2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lrlg3sarts25Have you ever brought something from a game table (like facilitation, empathy, or scenario planning) into your professional life? I ended up turning my classroom into a live-action role-play.14 Jun 2025 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrlg3sarts25https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lqpdem2pts2b👾 XCOM nerds, humor me: Design a new alien. What’s it called? What’s the worst thing it can do to you? Bonus points if it’s even more irritating than a Sectopod.03 Jun 2025 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqpdem2pts2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lq6rpq73622q🛸 The Resistance Needs You — XCOM 2 Live Now! 🛸 Join me on the frontlines as humanity fights back against the alien occupation! 💥 📍 Tune in now: www.twitch.tv/mythmachin3 #XCOM2 #TacticalGaming #TwitchStream #TurnBasedStrategy #MythMachineLive #SaveHumanity https://www.twitch.tv/mythmachin327 May 2025 22:52 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lq6rpq73622qhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lq67ooeqac2zYou came to do a job. Instead, you lit the fuse on prophecy, politics, and powers older than the Empire itself. Oops. Play the most epic fantasy campaign you never heard of! https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmax0b70h00c9zxx2yicp748127 May 2025 17:29 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lq67ooeqac2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lptqtvio2s2qCosmic horror fans: You need to read this. “In the Hands of the Unknown” by A.E. Hellstorm is one of the most chilling, well-written horror books I’ve read in a long time. Incredible atmosphere. Terrifying slow burn. Characters that stick with you. https://www.amazon.ca/Hands-Field-Researchers-Book-ebook/dp/B00OQO1SFC23 May 2025 13:37 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lptqtvio2s2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lpev7qe7fs2cI don’t “mask” when I GM, I'm in the zone! With empathy, and obsession-level prep, the world comes to life. And my tables are better for it.17 May 2025 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpev7qe7fs2chttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lpcqopqxks2cThe best lesson plans? Half-designed, half-improvised. Just like a good campaign arc.16 May 2025 19:19 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpcqopqxks2chttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lp7mjzfdcc2cClan power structures. Bureaucratic inertia. Different stories, same gears turning. That’s why I GM and teach policy—it’s all systems within systems.15 May 2025 13:27 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp7mjzfdcc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lp63p2hvxc2j🔥 Time to suit up, Soldiers! 🎯 XCOM2: Tactical Chaos & Hard Choices 🎥 LIVE now on Twitch → www.twitch.tv/mythmachin3 High-stakes missions. Brutal decisions. 95% misses. Let’s lose soldiers together. #XCOM2 #TurnBasedStrategy #TwitchStreamer #TacticalGaming https://www.twitch.tv/mythmachin314 May 2025 22:53 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp63p2hvxc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3loy37dte422xWho told the street gang to follow the Coterie anyway? youtu.be/HI5uFbFX8dY https://youtu.be/HI5uFbFX8dY12 May 2025 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3loy37dte422xhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3loovxvtv7k27🟢 Delta Green Twitch Announcement – “The Briefing” Begins A mansion in St. Louis blows up. Delta Green now has to clean up. 🧬 Delta Green: The Briefing – LIVE in 5 🎥 Z Cell is on the scene. 🔴 www.twitch.tv/mythmachin3 #DeltaGreen #TTRPG #CosmicHorror #ActualPlay #MythMachin3 https://www.twitch.tv/mythmachin308 May 2025 22:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3loovxvtv7k27https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lom3ht3rx227RPGs need mechanics that cater to all 4 of Bartle's player types: Killers (physical combat), Achievers (Using that Intelligence stat), Socializers (social combat), Explorers (mechanics for foraging in the wild). Propose your own weird mechanics.07 May 2025 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lom3ht3rx227https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3logtzafe7227Trust is the soil. Growth is what happens when it’s there. That’s true in classrooms, campaigns, and anywhere else people meet.05 May 2025 17:04 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3logtzafe7227https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lobyjbuqgs2x🩸 Vampire: the Masquerade The masquerade cracked. Tony barely survived the Succubus Club. Charlie lost control in public. 🧛‍♂️ Chicago by Night – Forged in Steel: Paper Chase p5 🎥 LIVE in 20 on Twitch → www.twitch.tv/mythmachin3 #VampireTheMasquerade #VTM #TTRPG #ActualPlay #ChicagoByNight https://www.twitch.tv/mythmachin303 May 2025 18:41 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lobyjbuqgs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lnxfwrdj6c24“Why would anyone agree to this?” — The core question of both good policy and good GMing. Story matters.29 Apr 2025 13:42 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnxfwrdj6c24https://bsky.app/profile/hellstrommikael.bsky.social/post/3lnvx44s74s24Hang out with me as the election results come in! https://youtube.com/live/xSk1MwXsrt4?feature=share28 Apr 2025 23:44 +0000at://did:plc:o7qnrp6evf2w3psrdlrsjoau/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnvx44s74s24