The Improv Rule of "Yes, And..." Can Make You A Better DM
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- In this video I describe the improv comedy rule of "Yes, And...". I also use this concept to explore how its use can make you a better DM. 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons uses a lot of improv, so why not learn from the improvisers that came before us. Disclaimer: I'm no expert at either of these things! I am a fan and hobbyist of both, so please bear that in mind while critiquing! Thank you for watching!
I am not sponsored in anyway by Dimension 20 or Dropout. (For more information on either, see here: www.dropout.tv) #DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #BrennanLeeMulligan #Improv
Clip 1 from Fantasy High Season 1 Ep. 12 (The Sisterly Showdown): • The Sisterly Showdown ...
Clip 2 from Fantasiy High Season 2 Ep. 1 (Sophmores Start) : • Sophomores Start | Fan...
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PLEASE do more dimension 20 content, Brennan and the show is SEVERELY underrated and imo better/more approachable than critical role.
Thank you very much! I hope to. Dimension 20 was actually what restarted my interest in 5e, and I completely agree!
They also have visuals, which is nice because I lack a minds eye.
I'm most definitely stealing the "rock music once made everyone pregnant" for a future game.
You should see the rest of what Aguefort says in that bit. The babies were all born on the same day at around the same time, and they were all born with mohawks, sunglasses, and cool jackets already on their bodies. Then on their 18th(?) birthday, they were all at a concert together to celebrate their shared birthday, and at the concert they ascended to a higher plane of existence that contained only rock music.
Yes and I thoroughly enjoyed the video
Now that's the use I wanted to see
Great video! You touched on it briefly, but almost as important as saying yes, is saying no. I'm not sure if it ever comes into improv, but I use "no, but" as an opposite to "yes and". Essentially, you are figuring out what their goal was when they said something, and try to get to that goal without breaking the rules or the logic of the world. Requires a similar way of thinking as "yes, and", and stops the characters breaking the verisimilitude without a flat "no, you can't do that"
I absolutely agree. In improv at least, "yes and" is more of a mindset than a "rule." Once you learn the benefitial mindset of cooperative storytelling and narative efficiency, you become more adept at bending that "rule." You move on to replace "yes and" with "yes, but" "no, but" "yes, yet" and so on (when appropriate). Obviously, "yes" to everything won't always work in a game with stakes and rules. Well put!
This is great info for new and old DMs! The spontaneity of the collaborative story is my favorite part about D&D 🤙
Its mine as well! Thank you for the kind words!
finally some brennan love
Thank you for the insight! I took ONE comedy improv class and could never see any of Critical Role or D20 the same because of the different way my mind had to work in order to achieve the common goal of whatever exercise we were doing.
So, this reminds me a bit of the principle of "failing up." Basically how that works is instead of someone failing something like a skill check and brining the story to a dead stop, they succeed the check, but there's now a complication. Example, If a rouge were to try and pick a door, gets a nat 1, and they just can't anymore... well now the story hits a dead stop. But, if the rouge still manages to get a nat 1 and instead of not being able to pick it, the lock makes a a loud sound that alert nearby guards. It let's the story keep moving while there's still a penalty for faliure. Sometimes this dosen't work like in combat, but for more narritave parts of the game it's wonderful. idk if "Yes, And" follows the same prinicples, but it feels like there's some similarities. Mainly with continuing where othets left off.
This is genius
Hey!!!! What a cool video! Always wanted a deeper relation between D&D and Improv theater, would love to see more!
Thank you!
Good video dude 👍 you laid out your thoughts and explained them really well
Thanks for the awesome content! Big lover of Dimension 20 here, too. Subscribed!
Another improviser! Nice! Those pictures are classic improv troupe photos.
My favorite example of this is with Kristen and the harvestmen lol
imo one of the best "yes and" is HildaHilda
Being a compulsive liar also hepls
The system "Pugmire" and "Monarchies of Mau" literally has the Yes And mechanic built into every character's background. There is a shared resource among the players called fortune. Every background has something like, "Spend fortune to say you know someone in this location..." or "Spend Fortune to pull an item you just 'remembered' (gave yourself) that you have in your back pack out..." It has been used to great affect in many of the games I have run.
GM: "You all arrive in the border town of Snowfields, a fair sized city with a mingling of cats and dogs with the occasional rat. There is a merchant district, taverns scattered throughout, and a large guard outpost where both nations work together. What do you do?"
Player: "Well we really need an ally who can sneak us across the border. I will spend fortune to use my Friends in Low Places trick."
Player now in character:* "Come on guys I know a guy here who might have a way to get us across the border. He works as a mid ranking guard and I have a little bit of an in with him."
GM: "Okay you head out to the guard outpost and ask for Joshua Terrier..."
AND BOOM! the game just keeps going and the player just created an entire NPC. The rules even state the GM has to roll with what the player says. The fun part is 'how' the GM rolls with it. Like in this instance I made it so the guard contact is on disciplinary leave because he got caught up in an investigation of how many smugglers were getting through on his shift. Now the players had to figure out how to get their guy on the inside back in power so he could help them slip through.
I think this can be great advice for players as well ^^
Let's do a skit about game stores who say no. My local game store has banned ( from all play ) clerics, psionics, Elves, dragonborn, and many other races, no more than 2 magical items, no multi-class, no requirement to level up except $10 a week, no xp allowed only 1 mile stone per two sessions of gameplay, so a level 20 character costs $400! Now this game store is in a town with less than 50,000 people. Outrageous!
I can't understand the face of your avatar, pls help