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The Biggest DM Strategy Differences
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- Опубликовано: 12 авг 2024
- Learn how the different DnD DM's of #criticalrole and #dimension20 narrate, prep and run their D&D games. We look at Matthew Mercer, Brennan Lee Mulligan and Aabria Iyengar.
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00:00 - Matthew Mercer Is The Best DM In The World
00:21 - How Matthew Mercer Narrates
00:55 - Obvious Mimic Sponsor
01:30 - What Matthew Mercer focusses on
02:22 - The third thing Matt does
02:57 - Brennan Lee Mulligan Is The Best DM In The World
03:16 - How Brennan Lee Mulligan Narrates
04:15 - What Brennan Lee Mulligan focusses on
04:43 - The third thing Brennan does
05:38 - Aabria Iyengar Is The Best DM In The World
05:46 - How Aabria Iyengar Narrates Like A Movie
07:00 - What Aabria Iyengar focusses on
07:59 - Who actually is the best DM?
08:58 - And one more thing...
#criticalrole #dimension20 #dungeonsanddragons #dnd
Another tip for Aabrias style of narrating: If maybe the camera terms are too much, but you still want to show your players something or convey such a sense of movement, use terms like "we move", "we fly". This gives the sense of bodyless motion, without maybe breaking immersion through terms like "camera" or "zoom".
This is very true!
I like to employ the term “mind’s eye” when describing something no player sees
A DM I used to play with had the term “we shift our focus” and I really like that.
Camera movement descriptions immediately break immersion for me. It makes the game feel like my character is an actor in a movie, and not directly experiencing the story.
I understand it’s descriptive value, but RPGs are not movies. Players don’t want to play actors in a movie. They want to be the characters IN the movie.
Absolutely! "Our focus shifts to..." "Our attention is pulled to.." there are many ways to do it, find what works for you and your table.
In my DMing I tend to take the descriptive style and level of world building of Matt, the "surprise mother-fucker!" Gut punch moments and in the heat of the action intros of Brennan, and the "Now what you don't see" moments of Aabria. I've kinda grown more an more as a DM over the last couple of years and my players are almost always engaged and last session told me that I am an amazing DM and story teller. I was blushing a lot.
Yeh dude, it's nice when you notice the difference in your style and how it evolves but nothing better then players saying it to you
Absolutely true. You might not be the actually best DM in the world, but players praising you for how you DM the game surely feels like it (well at least from what I can see lol I didn't DM'd a game yet but I can imagine the feeling)
"But you are certainly the best dm on the table at your game night when you dm" ... thx m8 appreciate it 🤣🤣🤣
It needs to be said, a DM can only shine when they have the players that step up and work together to master craft a story.
VERY glad how you ended up doing this video. It makes me sad when people pit these three against each other. They're all great, they all have different styles, and they're all friends! I don't think they'd want to be pitted against each other, because they're just glad they finally get to play for once instead of DMing!
The GMs of Exandria.
It’s honestly *so fun* watching them work together and borrow from each other!
Preparing my second game as a DM and this really helps me and makes me less less less anxious....... thank you for this amazing video!!!
thank you for the comment!
If Bonus Action had a nickel for every time someone in this comment chain was DMing their 2nd game, he'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's strange that it's happened twice.
I have never been a better DM than now I understood that copying famous DMs was the wrong way. I do as I am, as I feel, and how my players react.
The Mercer effect is real and it's hard to stop thinking we have to mimic him. Too anxious? Be yourself. Stop constrain yourself, you have enough shit to think about, being DM ;)
XXX
I'd like to give a shout out to a great DM, Monty Martin of the Dungeon Dudes. Currently watching Dungeons of Drakkenheim season 1 and I really like his style!
They have video guides for running the Drakkenheim campaign too. Amazing. (I just started season 3)
I havent seen that countdown for segment length on any other channel, but honestly its really nice. Cool to include it
Now I'm curious to see your analysis of what Brian "Murph" Murphy (Not Another D&D Podcast) brings to the table. One thing I've observed is that he's a master of giving his players enough rope to hang themselves -- He loves to paint a priority then dangle lots of little tantalizing side objectives into a scenario, and see if the players forget about their main objective. And if they do, hoo boy, he will punish them for it. It's ingenious because the players absolutely feel like the result is their fault: They had every chance to prevent it, but they got sidetracked.
(Oh, you did! :) Mind you, I feel I found a different skill of his. :) )
I feel like Murph frequently gets overlooked when it comes the DM pantheon and he really should be up there!!! Naddpod is the perfect balance between goofs and emotional devastation and it deserves all the love.
I'm very impressed with your ability to make such high quality videos so quickly for such a new channel. It's not like your'e saying things that have never been said before, but I haven't seen anyone put these tips and ideas into such easy to understand and quick useful videos as you have. Well done man
The ending is like
“Who’s a good boy? You! You is a good boy!”
Also where’s my boy Griffin McElroy, who is incredible at using sound design and music to set the mood, and utilizing the pc traits and characteristics to create both hilarious and gut wrenching moments where players are pushed to decide what of the two evils their character is going to choose? TAZ Balance was my first DnD podcast lol, it holds a special place in my heart
I like how Trevor Devall ( Me Myself & Die) DMs his Solo RPG
You should make a video about Anthony Burches (Dungeons and Daddies) DM style works. Imo, hes one of the most impressive dms i have seen. He manages to have a simultaneously super goofy mood, and then switches to the emotional aspect super well. His whatever style of dming (best way i can say it lol) really gives his players almost compete control of the narrative.
brennan improv ability is insane, he lets players do basically whatever they want, sometimes the story does a sharp turn and he is ready for it
This is how most DM's ran their games for decades. Its only recently that being shoehorned in to an adventure path has become the norm.
Amazing content, keep up the great work!
thanks!
thank you, this is rlly helpful
Thanks for this! I really appreciate the pep talk at the end, it's hard to tell my own style as a DM even though I've been DMing for about two years now. I do the conjoined setting, which has been awesome to worldbuild, I think my biggest struggle is having a firm grasp of description because it feels like I stumble a lot. Just wish there were more practical tips than "practice makes perfect", like obviously it does but I want some direction on how to help my table have a great time NOW, not just later when I've practiced more.
Practice does make perfect, but I do understand where you're coming from.
That said, the two biggest things that helped me become better (yet still improving) are:
If you have time, write the description down, and read it. If you are happy on how it sounds, that's your description.
If you aren't, edit it and repeat untill you are. You don't have to memorize it, but having reharsed it a couple of times, and reading it before the session will help you remember the important details while retelling it at the table.
On the other time, if you have not time, take your time and close your eyes, picture what it needs to be describe and ad-lib it.
And as a final note, remember to go through all the senses, describe not only what they see, but also what they hear, smell and feel on their skin.
Maybe even propose what a character might feel or remember (eg. "The smell of apple pie in the air is so similar to the one you, [CHARACTER NAME], was so accostumated growing in your village, you even might even feel a little bit of nostalgia").
Careful though with this one, remember to always give your characters the final say in it.
And yeah, sorry about the wall of text. I really got into it.
Take notes the next time you play of what areas of description you feel need work; mine is that I often forget to set up the setting and atmosphere when I’m improvising, while I can narrate combat and character actions without any issues.
Something I’ve seen recommended a lot is to practice outside of game time by narrating your life. If you’re driving down the road and the lights hit the wet pavement in a way that feels magical, try describing it out loud. Stuck in a waiting room? What elements can you focus on to make the room feel cozy, or creepy and suspenseful? How would you describe your coworker as an npc?
Find or make lists of adjectives and adverbs by mood (horror and fantasy use different words). Read novels or poetry out loud so you can hear the language tricks (e.g. fight scenes use shorter sentences and words to keep the pace quick and elevate the reader’s breathing/heart rate, while horror writers lean into visceral words and analogies and sounds that make you *feel* and shudder). Read a transcript of a liveplay out loud - writers do this (by typing out pages) if we want to learn how to mimic, say, Jane Austin’s style of description or Lee Child’s fight scenes. Spending time speaking like Brennan will help you to sound like him when you want to in-game faster than just listening to him.
I certainly pick and draw things from most of the DM's I've watched. In the first session, or after a long break from a campaign, or in the last session, I usually do the camera thing when describing and setting the scene. I also write some descriptive and more evocative description to narrate the beginning of each session, and I find that it works like a divisor from the pre-session chatting to th actual game, but for most other moments I use more common and quick descriptions. And I certainly tend to focus a lot of my prep work into plot details, clues and particular scenes that I imagine would occur.
I don't know what I could comment, I just really liked the video and I wanna help you get into the algorithm
Thankyou!
Matt's style is something I've always wanted to try and felt that his style works best for what I envision my sessions like. Hell I'm still in the process of making my own setting. But I'm absolutely horrendous at describing things but slowly working towards it
I hear you. But I bet you're also pretty good at certain aspects of DMing! Maybe the key is to lean in on what you are good at
Saw it from a mile away, not that you were hiding it much :P.
Fun video, thanks
🤣I rolled poorly on the stealth check.
@@BonusAction Let's call it a cood performance roll :D
Deception yet again being forgotten by everyone 😢
@@nicholainissen Deception would apply if he tried to actually deceive, he was obvious intentionally which I'd say is performance. Because performance is the skill that's usually more forgotten anyway :)
Very cool video
If this sort of things work for you, then go for it. But I also think that low prep is something that needs to be addressed. Following all these tips means a lot of prep and, for a lot of people (if not for most), too much prep can ruin your experience and ultimately ruin the experience of everyone at the table. I like to approach my games as having a rough idea of where I see the story going, but I don't really know what's going to happen. I improv a lot and let my players contribute to the story too with their ideas. That way, the world feels alive, no one knows what's gonna happen (including the GM) and the players care about the world and the characters they are deeply impacting.
9 Hells, this is an awesome video
“Forget everything you know” me while driving 💀
Pretty great channel
In a nutshell: "Just do what these guys do"
It's officially a bromance😂
Dont forget the amazing Brian Murphy.
I thought that too, hes one of my favorite dms
Thanks
I really forgot everything I know!
“Steal from each other, it makes us all better” -Matt Mercer
Nice Wennan Wee Wulligan reference, lol.
Learn from the best, adapt what fits you and your table. My style is a mix of all 3 of these. I dont do nearly as much world building as Matt, but I do enough that the world feels fluid and alive. Narration is different for everyone. I do sometimes write down my descriptions and read them off because yes, Brennan is just built different and Aabria's players first approach is really how all DMs should go about things. WHile you should also be having fun as the DM, if your players arent having fun then you really are doing it wrong. D&D is a game, first and foremost, and if you're not having fun, whats the point of playing?
What happened to the cat at 3:27? Did they just get yeeted off of the windowsil?
I cant pay attention when the only guy dressed up is frickin tiger
This video is so funny 😂😂😂
Also yes aabriya is the best dm in the world
Brennen is a treasure and must be protected
Aabria tooooo
Ich forgot so much during this video I don’t even know my name anymore
*claps*
👏
He said forget everything you know at the end of the video, so... I don't know anything now
This is also a good video for people who don't get the hype around Critical Roll as the long narration is really designed more for a live play show then a fun tabletop session with friends. I like Matt Mercer but I find a lot of his DMed games unwatchable because of all the narration - even when I'm already invested in the characters or setting. On the flip he's a delight to watch in games where he's a player like Escape from the Bloodkeep because he's great at playing interesting and well rounded characters. I find the other two do much better job of balancing exposition and roleplay by letting the players or audiance fill in the blanks and is more like a real game of DND vs a professionally scripted show.
And remember; Matt and Brennan have been DM's for decades! Matt started around 14; Brennan when he was 11; I've been a DM for less than five years. I'm not on Matt or Brennan's calibre, but my players still thoroughly enjoy what I bring them.
Don't worry about 'stealing' ideas, or copying famous characters; tropes are tropes for a reason, they work.
Communication is key; find out what your players are expecting, or hoping to get out of gaming with you. Role play, story, combat, blend of everything?
And ask for honest feedback, ideally one on one, so they don't feel pressured to be nice to save face or your feelings. (personally, I offer my players questionnaires on what I'd like feedback on, and anything I should be aware of, every few sessions)
As long as everyone at the table is having fun, that's what matters!
Remember children, matt brennan and aabria are some of the best dms in the world, but no one is THE best dm in the world
Why isn't the dude from Mystery Quest here :D ?
I cant tell you how much i love the not so subtle critic of trying to be another DM. Learn from who others who came before, but never forsake your style to be another DM. You sont have to be a Mercer or a Mulligan, you just have to be you. Do what works for you and your table. You will never be one of these DMs but that certianly doesnt mean you cant be great in your own way.
It would be cool to hear about some other DMs out there. Can I suggest Johnny Chiodini and his magical technique of just saying “sure, why not, roll a d20” when their players ask for something daft or crazy. This encourages out of the box thinking and frequently produces something special. [Edited to correct Johnny’s pronouns]
Johnny's pronouns are they/them, but I agree completely
@@MurderTurtle you are correct. I have updated my comment. Thank you.
My players think I'm the best DM in the World! Um, of course they're all new to D&D so I'm the ONLY DM they've ever had!!😂
BLM was the first one I've seen (in Dimension 20) so he's still the best imo. He truly is built differently, I'm floored every time he comes up with a beautiful narration, a funny NPC or a gut punching moment (just saw ExU Calamity...😢).
But I do like Matt's way of describing the world. First thing I saw was his one shot with Stephen Colbert. It was so sweet how Stephen went back to his youth playing D&D. He fell in love and so did I xD
I watched ExU with Aabria and I'm soooo not into her DMing style for this. I noticed the cinematic way of describing things but I don't think it's that interesting, unfortunately. I prefer her as a player. She was great in ExU Calamity!
Try out stuff like Misfits & Magic or A Court of Fey & Flowers for more Aabria. Her EXU is good, but it's not my favorite of hers
@@XS_Overlord Hi! Thanks for the recommendation. I started ACOFAF last year but didn't watch past the 1st EP as the story and setting didn't interest me much. I'd have to try again this year but be more willing to let the story start before deciding to drop the season.
I haven't seen Misfits and Magic but if it's better than ExU it's a good start xD
Where's Anthony Birch 😂
"But what about brian murphy-" "FUCK"
Give someone Dream Theater. That would be so good. Edit: I'm going to leave this here... but... it clearly wasn't supposed to be on this video. I hate autoplay sometimes.
Books are usually not narrated in second person, but usually either first or very commonly in third. Personally, I run my games in third person, but many GMs do not. Even Matthew Mercer runs in second person, and that is why I will not copy his style. I have never watched Brennan Lee Mulligan, but that sounds very much like what I am doing. Even though I have not to kill darlings since I have no plot in the first place, just running loosely with a theme and giving the players the wheel into the hands so they drive the story they want to tell within the framework of the given theme allows me to focus completely on whatever is necessary in the moment to make a character arc possible. The film style of narration that Aabria Iyengar is also not for me, I prefer more the book style, for me the words are what I use to paint pictures, but by telling what a camera would see. Guess I developed my styles years ago before all those shows started and thus never have looked at any of them for ideas, but I would not be surprised if I do to find one or two tricks by everybody that I could use, just like I borrowed great ideas from people I have played with in the past.
would the best dm in the world be the person who INVENTED the game?
Bruh...
2:54 He hates D&D and talking about LARP camp! His favorite ttrpg is INVESTING in MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS!
DM advice: i use battlemaps and minis to spark the imagination but i tend not to use character sheets and the more complicated stuff because i just like the fun not being perfect sooo.
My issue with Mercer is he and all his players are trained actors and they are paid to provide us content. Granted Brendan does now too. But I think he became better while Mercer seems to have not been as good over the years.
No one has ever said Aabria is the best
Kek
My goodness is Matt not the best DM in the world. He isn't even particularly good. He's just one of a very very very small number of DM's to have any notoriety whatsoever.
Aabria is absolutely not the best DM in the world. She's not even a *good* DM.
Honestly, I don't like Aabrias DM-ing style at all... Matt and Brennan are awesome. Love Matt Colville DM-ing style also. Everyone can learn a lot from him.
Thank you, I feel so bad but I just can't get into the stuff she d.ms
Please stop including Abria in these videos, she’s awful. I’ll assume it’s because she’s pushed down viewers throats but she’s terrible. Should not be in the conversation of great DMs along with MM and BM.
Abriya gets included as “one of the best” because she is on the CR payroll. I often get bored listening to her and she is an average DM at best. But the first two, are spot on.
Woh a bit harsh there, 'only because she is on the CR payroll'. She was known before CR and had done the Live Play Rounds before CR. Granted I agree she isn't as nice to listen to as an audience member as the other two, she is a great GM to her players. She has great understanding of the basic that let her players have fun. It's kinda like watching an artist draw a basic landscape. The end results are mediocre but the line work and the steady hand are a great skill to showcase.
@@ruga-ventoj it’s not harsh. She is boring and not one of the best DMs. She’s mid.
Its hilarious to see you talk about "Murder your Darlings" when referring to these actual play, online GM's. They all plan their sessions out months if not years in advance, with very little real, honest player choice. Like come on, you cant have someone do just anything if your gonna market and sell a product. Either that or you only recruit the safest, least dynamic players.
so most of the vid was filler
How so?
I'm team Brennan all the way. I find Mercer kinda boring, talks too much, and often sounds like he's reading his monologues rather than speaking off the cuff. Aabria is a great DM but doesn't possess the talent for voices and accents that the very best wield. Brennan possesses a combination of comedic wit, philosophical wisdom, acting range, and emotional awareness as though he was created in a lab to be the ultimate GMing machine
The world's best DM was Gary Gygax