To avoid spoilers for Mentopolis, skip ahead to 22:14: that will jump you to the Candela Obscura segment :) I love how much care and attention was paid to actual mental health issues when they made Mentopolis. It could SO easily have been... I can't find the right words, but it could have been BAD, as far as leaning into tired mental health tropes, or playing into some of the stereotypes, etc? But they avoided ALL of it.
Awesome, but put your spoiler warning closer to the top - it's cut off by the "see more" function. I suggest something like (spoilers - skip to 22:04 to avoid details)
I truly wish I had GM's I could have played with that had Brennan's attitude. Even when i ran my games, If I had actually had this as a proper guide, my gut would have clicked "YES!" in regards to how he sees things. Thanks for saying what I couldnt even really think.
Brennan is so relatable highlighted in him saying that his mind might be like a gas station on fire. Its just perfect 🔥 its already bad and it could get so much worse 🔥
I always really liked GURPS take 10 choice, just like you are saying about trivial roles. But even better is when the players can say "I take 10" without knowing 100% that the challenge is in fact trivial. So I'm pretty sure driving home from work is trivial so I take 10 on a drive test, but uh-oh I failed the roll and ended up in a fender bender.
Never has I understood i characters whole deal faster than “Ivana Popoff”, and can we talk about that *spoiler warning for those that haven’t watched the ending of mentopolis” but that double Nat 20 into traps Nat 1 is a comedic miracle
I mean... For the halving thing in D&D... Couldn't it be a "Take a 10" and add your stat bonus? It's not ideal, but at a high level of attack or skill with an specialized ability you'd often end with a value of 20.
I almost wonder if you could just take the modifier? Might only work at higher levels of play but once the proficiency bonus gets high expertise can really crank some skill checks
Ill say this. I think its a pretty privileged standpoint to say putting the power in the players hands feels better. I like dnd and the dm to player system for a reason. Its my job as a dm to make the stakes feel real. To make my player feel emotions based on the story and to feel like that story is fair and in the rules. A dm playing as a player might enjoy being able to decide consequences for themselves because they already know the game in and out and will happily act out the role play of any harm they do themselves. For a normal player i find that it makes it too...Staged. It doesnt feel as real anymore. It feels like a show not a game. The dice and rolling all feels...empty. The stakes feel gone. Its just wish fulfillment and a play. I like dnd because it feels like a game i can lose. It feels like a game I earn my wins in and earn my losses. I want my players to know that stakes are real so i see that excitement and real joy of winning a hard fight and see the sadness of a real loss (Which usually has some magic way to be fixed but that can depend). That real connection to the player is lost like this. And I hate that. I play games because i want to give the experiences to my players i carefully craft for them. Not an audience. So watching these new shows i feel disconnected from what i had in common with them. As a dm you arent god. You are the world. You are the one that is trusted to give your players what they didnt even know they wanted. To craft moments for them that would never come from the person themselves. And give them a stage to grow and roleplay on if they so choose to. Splitting that responsibility just feels like im watching something without any soul and it will never be for me.
I've always found Brennan's storytelling to very masterfully implement consequences on the player characters, and I think the accusation that he lacks that is a warped and uncharitable interpretation of both his point and his actual body of work.
@@lydiafayre9806 I agree with that? In case you didnt read im saying exactly what you are saying. He is an amazing dm that creates an amazing world and makes very realistic and fair choices based on and around the players decisions and characters. My complaint is on systems like candela that take away that power from a dm like brennan and put it in the other players hands to basically dm themselves which TO ME ruins most of the draw of the game. Stakes dont feel real when i decide the outcomes myself. I dont feel like its a game anymore when its just everyone acting out an individual part. It becomes a play or a show. And i dont watch dnd for a show i watch to see my favorite people play dnd. I watch to see challenges and story crafted by the dm as a result of the players actions that the players themselves are surprised by! That the real person feels emotion from. When you give someone a hammer and say "hit yourself with it as much as you feel is appropriate" 99% of people will not smack themselves dead or in mortal danger. Most people would lightly tap themselves. Another portion would tap themselves only enough to see a lasting impression. And a rare few would smack themselves so hard they truly suffer as both character and player but even then its not nearly as exciting as when the player has to watch the dm roleplay as the thing they are fighting and they dont know what will happen. That mystery. That fear. Real fear of consequences. Thats what i watch for. And Candela is exactly the opposite. Its why i like call of cthulu even with its flaws because its common for truly bad things to happen and they stick. A group that goes in ready for that ahead of time is always filled with the most joy. The most drama. The most impactful story that resonates with the players themselves. Tldr:I dont like shows i want to watch a game with stakes decided by the dm not the players.
Great if that works for you. Plenty of players prefer to take a more active role in telling the story. Weird take to say it's a privileged position. It's just a different style of play.
Just saw some videos of him on strike at the Universal lot, solidarity to all the workers. Brennan Lee Mulligan is truly one of the greats.
Every interview I see of Brennan, I always hope to have some news of the Citizen Doctor Abraham Mehermblur! That character is my favorite ^^.
Moosbrow for me! But yes Brennan is a treasure!
Bolo
Who knows? Maybe the big twist of Mentopolis will be that The Big Guy will die and be reanimated as Citizen Doctor Abraham Mehermblur!
The first of the four
Simple machines
Is the inclined plaaaaane!
@@fitnessteacher1845Oh, you mean the ancient dragon who masqueraded as an Aeorian reporter? Yeah, she's cool.
Brennan and Hank's dueling bird facts tonight were so great. Brennan really can't help himself when it comes to displaying his knowledge about birds.
I always really enjoy hearing Brennan's thoughts about game building and the nature of gaming. His background in philosophy makes perfect sense.
Every single one of these interview questions always slaps, excellent hosting
I thought there was nothing that could make me more excited to see Brennan and Luis Carazo play together again...
To avoid spoilers for Mentopolis, skip ahead to 22:14: that will jump you to the Candela Obscura segment :)
I love how much care and attention was paid to actual mental health issues when they made Mentopolis. It could SO easily have been... I can't find the right words, but it could have been BAD, as far as leaning into tired mental health tropes, or playing into some of the stereotypes, etc? But they avoided ALL of it.
Awesome, but put your spoiler warning closer to the top - it's cut off by the "see more" function. I suggest something like (spoilers - skip to 22:04 to avoid details)
@@curtisholsinger6023 Weird, I can see it, thought it was close enough :) Will move it up.
Fantastic interview! Great to learn more about Mentopolis and the work behind the scenes to bring it to fruition :)
Brennan's mind palace is a larping summer camp
Such a great interview. Thank you for sharing some solid DM tips and pulling back the curtain a bit on mentopolis!
His point about the halving mechanic is so so good
Brennan saying he's an OG Nerdfigter makes me so happy
that P4A interaction involving bean injecitons was BLeeM and Hank Greens fIRST INTERACTION!??!
that is amazing and very on brand lol
Put Mike Trapp in the thumbnail please. He is doing amazing work this season
I truly wish I had GM's I could have played with that had Brennan's attitude. Even when i ran my games, If I had actually had this as a proper guide, my gut would have clicked "YES!" in regards to how he sees things.
Thanks for saying what I couldnt even really think.
Always appreciate these interviews!
Great interview, thank you!
Brennan is so relatable highlighted in him saying that his mind might be like a gas station on fire. Its just perfect
🔥 its already bad and it could get so much worse 🔥
I NEED Brennan to get Luis Carazo on D20! He's my favorite TTRPG player that I haven't seen on any of their seasons yet!
I always really liked GURPS take 10 choice, just like you are saying about trivial roles. But even better is when the players can say "I take 10" without knowing 100% that the challenge is in fact trivial. So I'm pretty sure driving home from work is trivial so I take 10 on a drive test, but uh-oh I failed the roll and ended up in a fender bender.
Oh, Conrad Schintz is Conscience. Damn. I've been trying to figure him out. Lol
They discuss that more explicitly in the cast follow up the day after each episode. Very worth watching.
Yeah, took me a bit. Im Pulse and A. Tension were clear, but it took me a while to catch Con Schintz
I definitely couldn't figure him out until they straight up said it in Adventuring Party.
Love Brennan in everything he does!
Never has I understood i characters whole deal faster than “Ivana Popoff”, and can we talk about that *spoiler warning for those that haven’t watched the ending of mentopolis” but that double Nat 20 into traps Nat 1 is a comedic miracle
Why does Brennan have a webcam from 2008
Reminds me of the anime cells at work. There is a darker version. Cells at work black I think it was. For someone who doesn't take care of their body
Not just on the players?? Bouta rewatch every episode of Mentopolis rn Brennan I s2g
I think it’s clear; the big guy is chronically depressed to the point of catatonia, ad a result of living under the crushing affects of capitalism.
I mean... For the halving thing in D&D... Couldn't it be a "Take a 10" and add your stat bonus? It's not ideal, but at a high level of attack or skill with an specialized ability you'd often end with a value of 20.
I mean that’s kind of what bards and rogues can do at higher levels where on certain expertise skills they can’t roll below a 10
I almost wonder if you could just take the modifier? Might only work at higher levels of play but once the proficiency bonus gets high expertise can really crank some skill checks
22:15 is the Candela Obscura topic folks if you're looking for it
Ill say this. I think its a pretty privileged standpoint to say putting the power in the players hands feels better.
I like dnd and the dm to player system for a reason. Its my job as a dm to make the stakes feel real. To make my player feel emotions based on the story and to feel like that story is fair and in the rules.
A dm playing as a player might enjoy being able to decide consequences for themselves because they already know the game in and out and will happily act out the role play of any harm they do themselves.
For a normal player i find that it makes it too...Staged. It doesnt feel as real anymore. It feels like a show not a game. The dice and rolling all feels...empty. The stakes feel gone. Its just wish fulfillment and a play.
I like dnd because it feels like a game i can lose. It feels like a game I earn my wins in and earn my losses. I want my players to know that stakes are real so i see that excitement and real joy of winning a hard fight and see the sadness of a real loss (Which usually has some magic way to be fixed but that can depend).
That real connection to the player is lost like this. And I hate that. I play games because i want to give the experiences to my players i carefully craft for them. Not an audience. So watching these new shows i feel disconnected from what i had in common with them.
As a dm you arent god. You are the world. You are the one that is trusted to give your players what they didnt even know they wanted. To craft moments for them that would never come from the person themselves. And give them a stage to grow and roleplay on if they so choose to.
Splitting that responsibility just feels like im watching something without any soul and it will never be for me.
Absolutely wild comment
I've always found Brennan's storytelling to very masterfully implement consequences on the player characters, and I think the accusation that he lacks that is a warped and uncharitable interpretation of both his point and his actual body of work.
@@lydiafayre9806 I agree with that? In case you didnt read im saying exactly what you are saying. He is an amazing dm that creates an amazing world and makes very realistic and fair choices based on and around the players decisions and characters.
My complaint is on systems like candela that take away that power from a dm like brennan and put it in the other players hands to basically dm themselves which TO ME ruins most of the draw of the game.
Stakes dont feel real when i decide the outcomes myself. I dont feel like its a game anymore when its just everyone acting out an individual part. It becomes a play or a show. And i dont watch dnd for a show i watch to see my favorite people play dnd. I watch to see challenges and story crafted by the dm as a result of the players actions that the players themselves are surprised by! That the real person feels emotion from. When you give someone a hammer and say "hit yourself with it as much as you feel is appropriate" 99% of people will not smack themselves dead or in mortal danger. Most people would lightly tap themselves.
Another portion would tap themselves only enough to see a lasting impression. And a rare few would smack themselves so hard they truly suffer as both character and player but even then its not nearly as exciting as when the player has to watch the dm roleplay as the thing they are fighting and they dont know what will happen. That mystery. That fear. Real fear of consequences. Thats what i watch for. And Candela is exactly the opposite. Its why i like call of cthulu even with its flaws because its common for truly bad things to happen and they stick. A group that goes in ready for that ahead of time is always filled with the most joy. The most drama. The most impactful story that resonates with the players themselves.
Tldr:I dont like shows i want to watch a game with stakes decided by the dm not the players.
Great if that works for you. Plenty of players prefer to take a more active role in telling the story. Weird take to say it's a privileged position. It's just a different style of play.
someone make a TLDR for this pls