adnd was a beast. squishy fireball was just game stopping calculations waiting to happen. i was more of a lightning bolt fan, which reflected off of solid surfaces (dungeon walls) and could hit targets multiple times when used right, or yourself if used wrong
The only real way you likely to really get D&D is if you actually play it. For example in that version the players handbook is 130 pages and the DM's guide is 240 pages of rules. The monster books are their own thing and there 4 of them including the Gods book. It's lot to sink your teeth into if you don't have a reason too.
I like to imagine that Seth doesn't have any players for any of his games. He's actually suffering from dissociative identity disorder and plays out entire campaigns by himself. Each of his characters are actually facets of his own identity, with whom he battles constantly. The campaigns are him trying to regain control over his fractured self where he must corral the individual parts of his psyche to work together to become whole again. I'm rooting for you, Seth.
Ha ha! I'm a bit late to this party but you just won the award for "best RUclips comment ever". 🙂 But, consider: having Disassociative Identity Disorder would make it WAY easier to have an RPG game-night, rather than relying on other players who always cancel on you. You'd have a gaming group already with you wherever you go! Sanity is overrated, eh? 🙂 Thank you Seth! (And Kirk is OBVIOUSLY the best captain.)
@@johnedgar7956 Funny you should say that, my game looks like it's going to break up due to players getting disinterested and the DM having issues outside of game night. A little DID could be handy right now!
But he can only do it once without somebody learning fireball to the same level. Probably for the best; doing it once is epic, doing it all the time is cheap. Unless you become a magical SWAT team like Tactical Breach Wizards. That could be a cool derail.
I remember having to do something similar to do a staged demolition on a warding tower using our fighter's spare shields, a crap ton of alchemical fire I had brewed up for a troll war that never happened and some universal solvent to hold the charges in place.
While everyone is talking about Star Trek, the true genius behind this video is how Seth shows what it's like to get distracted during game, however there's a lot underlining the surface with the discussion of Star Trek while in the Trap Room. For the Star Trek, I find that the Topic of leadership is interesting and it poses Alot of good questions about the nature of Leadership, it's positive and negative in the writing Context of the show. All the while in Juxtaposition to the only player in the room doing any focus work on the Trap they are in, calculating every inch of the room while seeing if a Spell like Fireball would be the solution to escaping. Seth's approach in this video is awesome and I'm just happy to see another new video from him too.
Well... I guess we found out why Todd is Seth’s favorite. Comes up with an epic way to solve their problem (that’s also plausible) and still wants to Role play it out.
And true. :D He was less reckless (and attention-hogging) than Kirk, less cold and distant than Picard and generally more relatable as a person. He had a good sense of humour, was willing to get the job done and used what tricks he had available to do what was expected of him as well as not compromise his ideals, even when the two were at odds.
@@johanneskaiser8188 He was also pragmatic when the time came. He made hard calls and was willing to get his hands dirty. He was diplomatic when needed, and fought when needed. He unified a station of vastly different cultures in very difficult times. Sisko WAS the best captain. Period.
And is then proven to be a genious, almost like a conformation of this as the correct answere. Though if not Sisko I think the video really did make a great case for Kirk,
Todd is definitely a physicist for his day job. Smart people tend to appear stupid at the table, but always have the best ideas. Like making a petard while they're arguing about Picard.
If he were, he wouldn't need to look up the sphere surface equation. But I agree - smart people do tend to play more recklessly than the others - I think they just need to vent in some way, preferably without thinking too long and hard about the task at hand, unless necessary.
"The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."- Capt. James T. Kirk; Star Trek, "Shore Leave" That's why I like playing Dwarves; nothing better than singing about gold and drinking ale...and complaining about those damn prissy elves...and hitting things with my hammer.
He might have also just encountered similar things in another system and adapted it. I remember seeing a story somewhere where apparently a grenade and an elevator ended up being a real bad combo in Shadowrun, which is a system we already know they've played. :P Or maybe enjoyed shows like MacGuyver or Burn Notice. Pretty sure one of those had something about directing the force of an explosion on it. :P
Kirk and Picard have different strengths and weaknesses. Kirk is a fighter who makes quick decisions, leads from the front, and will protect his crew and his ship. Kirk bends and breaks the rules to bring victory (mostly in the movies), seeking to do what is right rather than what is allowed. Kirk is the best captain to have during a time of war and facing the unknown. Picard is a diplomat who considers a problem from all angles before making a deliberate decision, and tries not to risk his crew or ship. Picard has violated Starfleet regulations, but the instances are rare, and often unavoidable or accidental. Picard is the best captain to have during a time of peace. It is also worth pointing out that they captained different kinds of ships, most likely due to the different level of imagination and money available to their respective shows. Kirk was down to business with no holodeck and almost no recreation available on the ship, while Picard had the equivalent of a luxury cruise liner housing a crew and their families. When deciding the best captain one would want to serve under, take this into consideration and account for the bias.
Excellent points. Sisko is the military Governor of a prominent port city. It's kinda like of a U.S. officer was put in charge of a Korean, or Philippine, Naval fort, and port city, that was built up by the Japanese after the war.
@Capt777harris I do understand how television production works. Things have been sliding toward a more overt social, political and economic commentary for decades, and we know what leading ideas guide Hollywood. The focus of my original comment was staying on topic with the video; who is a better captain, not which show had the better premise.
@@georgeryan8267 Q, especially John de Lancie's Q was my favourite of the recurring guest characters introduced in TNG. When he basically got to play a sillier, yet more evil equivalent in a certain young girls cartoon only made that show better. At least until the writers no longer knew what to do with his character.
The Dude figures out how to get out, but wants to roleplay for the fun of it and for character development. Every else taking it as their own. Darn shame. *Shakes head* The unsung hero.
This is brilliant! I remember many game sessions that degenerated into geometry, trig, and calculus exercises! I guess when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, right? Well, when we were in high school, everything looked like a story problem!
Ross from accursed farms just did an episode on star trek. The episode Symbiosis basically shows that Picard has had the worst implementation of the Prime Directive. He definitely caused at least one apocalypse in that episode, likely two.
@@z.adkins862 I feel like they were going to go somewhere with that, everyone forgets his next line. "I'm not Picard" "I know, you're much easier to provoke!" but then he never shows up again to make good on his threat. Honestly I'm glad for it, Q doesn't really fit into the story that DS9 is trying to tell, but it gives Sisko points I don't think he deserves.
Wesley was involved. Roddenberry used him to work out his problems with being a bad father. Of course Wesley solved the issue, Wesley was the GM's favorite NPC.
Yes, Sisko got a promotion from commander to captain late in the series run. I think that O'Brien complimented him by saying something like, "You're the best captain I ever served under."
I had much fun watching this episode. But my favourite moment is 6:45, when GM is so happy with creative players that he almost agrees on the spot that the plan will work. Happened so many times to me as a GM, great feeling.
I friggin love Todd...and I'm absolutely him in this situation. Not pay attention to the fandom argument to the side, come up with some wild plan involving everyone's capabilities, then be like, 'Oh, but my character wouldn't do that because roleplay reason, so let's roleplay that out..." I'm just gonna say Todd's my spirit animal and be done with it.
The only thing really missing from this video, and I completely understand for brevity as it is already over 8 minutes, was any counter argument in favor of Picard
@@HenshinFanatic do you think that show counts for anything? I have refused to even watch any post Voyager Star Trek, including the 10th film. It is all trash writing and has no impact how how great of a captain Picard is in TNG.
Oh, sorry, I misread your statement as reasons for Picard being crap. Which is why I even brought that [expletive redacted] show into conversation. I apologize for my initial misunderstanding. Still hard to believe that a character would be so hated by their actor that something like ST:P would be inflicted on them.
I'm unfamiliar with your channel, but I really thought this was going to go in the Picard direction. Thanks for getting so much right in this video. Kirk will always be the greatest captain of the Enterprise for me. You just can't win against childhood nostalgia.
As a former military _man_ *(uh... I mean +2 Vorpal Sword),* I've always said I would prefer to serve under Picard over Kirk... but there's a lot to be said about the fact that Kirk would be a better wartime captain and Picard being the better peacetime captain. I served during a time of peace (if you consider lopping the heads off Lava Monsters as "peacetime", which... how could you not?) so, that probably has a lot to do with why I gravitate to the deliberative, sensible style of Picard. Kirk is a loose cannon and Picard is... a bureaucrat; and both are a valuable asset to have when the situation calls for their very particular talents. So, really, *the best one was whichever Peanut-head it was who appointed them to their respective commands.* But I digress. Back to my story... now, where was I? Oh yeah... *So just then, the Peanut-head said...*
As a DM I often wondered what happened when I left the room. Whenever I returned and asked: "OK. So what are doing?" Just blank stares in return. All the time. Now you've enlightened me.
Another great video. It really captured the feel of the type of sidebar conversations that go on in a real game. the debate itself was fun too. Awesome on several levels.
Wait 'til you're old enough that some of the group have enough hearing loss that their conversations Tend To INCREASE IN VOLUME AND TAKE CENTER STAGE...
I adore Picard, but I concur that Kirk was able to the same duties with less due to his leadership and ever-present action. If push came to shove Kirk would get his hands dirty to due the work that was needed. But on the other hand Kirk wasn't the type of captain that'd be able to please the likes of Q through charm and debate, or at least without firing willy-nilly or going on a goose chase for yet another alien artifact holding incredible power. And the bridge crew of Enterprise-D was far more involved in solving the conflicts of episodes than the periphery of Kirk's Enterprise (besides Scotty). OST Enterprise was a Helian dialog with a sole leader always holding the situation together, while TNG Enterprise was a single unit that, as indicated in Best of Both Worlds, was capable of functioning with its patriarch out of the picture. For Beat of Both Worlds (spoilers!) I knew Picard wasn't gone forever, but the strength of the crew with his successor Riker was so strong I was hard-pressed.to believe he'd return. But that's just me. Take my words with as much salt as you like.
Also, Gene Roddenberry wouldn't allow disagreement amongst Starfleet officers in the early bit of TNG; he had the notion that in a utopia, everyone would always agree, and conflict would only come from external sources. So Picard literally could not have surrounded himself with contrasting officers. As Roddenberry's influence waned, they were fortunately able to start incoporating more differences of opinion amongst the crew.
@@snate56 Yes, but in that episode all that Kirk could do was bide time until a solution hopefully showed itself and, like I said, shoot at the relic of unimagined power. It was a Q-ex machina that saved him in the end, with Trelane's parents stopping his antics like he was a spoiled child. Kirk could only play a Q's games and cheat - never win.
I go with Kirk as bestie because he was doing it with minimal prior Star Fleet overall experience to draw from. He was like third generation in deep space after Archer and Pike. (Well, until the Star Trek universe history got tangled and rewritten anyway). Kirk had to wing it on guts and personal leadership while the later Captains had a lot more institutional framework in their crews and training to go from. (Assuming it was all 'real'. Our world's politics, social standards and such affected the stories of course. Kirk was essentially a classic WWII officer hero).
This was a well done comparison in my opinion. And demonstrates the difference in story telling between the 60s and 90s. Victor Davis Hanson just did a talk comparing Patton to Ajax, saying basically "even civilized societies need rough men to combat evil." Kirk was the borderline that a military commander needs to me. TNG just assumed that the crew could shift to a war footing at a moment's notice.
Man you never disappoint. I wish I had a GM like you. Lorne Greene was better as Adama. He never compromised his beliefs, never gave his son undeserved power, kept the fleet on purpose, still listened to his council even though some like Ray Millands were dirty. Plus I wanted to be Dirk Benedicts Starbuck, but turned into the Richard Hatch Apollo (the loving single dad with my own Boxey that grew into a studly man) James T. Kirk by far. Kirk solved many of the problems himself. Look how many of the times Spock actually complimented him on using logic as the way to win. His advisors work to strengthen him even while in conflict with him. Riker as a captain, might have become a Kirk eventually. Picard got people killed and seemed cold as hell about it.
Picard got the smallest percentage of his crew killed of any of the Star Trek captains. scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/95724/which-captain-ordered-the-most-crew-to-their-deaths It makes sense because Picard thought things through, something Kirk pretended to do on occasion.
Controversial opinion: Captain Archer is underrated. He was the first to go out into deep space, so had no other captains to learn from. And then think about his accomplishments under that lens.... Yeah, he did pretty well, all things considered....
I love the hyper specificity of the older edition spell descriptions. The fireball does state that it doesn't have much pressure, so in this case it's down to whether it has enough heat to melt the door, which is getting into physics...er...maybe it's best that the 5th edition descriptions are simplified LOL.
IIRC 1st edition had lists of damage thresholds for inanimate objects, including doors. Seth could've pushed the grainy details even further if he wished.
Holy crap Seth! Words truly fail me! You are a very talented person! I can only imagine what the future holds for you! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us!
I enjoyed TNG for its special effect and some story-lines... but the TOS has my vote for the original sci-fi plot and some very ambiguous questions for the time.
Ok,, let's put Kirk and Picard in the same situation again. Both beam down to a primitive world and want to convince Tiamat to please stop destroying the locals. Picard: Greetings mighty Tiamat. I represent a great federation of planets and would like to reach an accord... Tiamat: Zzzzzzzzzz vs. Kirk: *punches out all of Tiamat's minions and shags her to boot. Tiamat: Oooh, I can't resist you. Take me with you! Kirk: Sorry baby, I only have one woman and her name is Enterprise.
Not gonna lie, Wesley was my favorite character when I was a kid, and I still look back on his episodes fondly. Plus, Wil Wheaton is pretty dang awesome.
Yo I absolutely love these videos lmao. I sometimes forget you are playing all of these characters yourself. You are very good at acting it out. I'd really, really love if you made more of these!
What a great video, Seth. Please, keep them coming. Now, about the issue at hand: If you're fighting Romulans or Klingons or some other kind of space barbarians, Kirk is the best choice. If you are on a diplomatic mission, then send Picard
Okay, did not see that comming. Todd is the one who really thinks about a plan? Would have thought, he'd be the disruptive one. Well, explains, why he is your favourite player.^^ (01:13)
This is an excellent piece of writing with flawless execution. A reasonable and interesting debate is framed by a room puzzle that is framed by the promise of pizza. All of this room-in-a-room builds up expectations. Then, when the pizza is delivered, we get a solution to the puzzle and a well-formed argument that says something leadership as well as about this ideal gaming group: the whole story unfolds naturally from the characters. You're keeping good company, Seth!
Man, I really love the skits and these Gang Presents. And I agree with Todd - Sisko is my favorite. You are an amazing creator, a unique and talented person who makes me happy that youtube exists. Please keep it up. I've recently binged through all your RPG Philosophy videos together with all the Traveller reviews including the latest one. So keep 'em coming because I'll be watchin'!
Thanks to the audacious and insane plan of an NPC: Inquisitor Azakir Halgriv of the Ordo Xenos, not only did the the PCs of my Rogue Trader campaign manage to get a hostile Imperial Navy contingent, which for all intents and purposes, had them cornered to stand down, but also captured the upstart Inquisitorial Interrogator Eisen Venris leading them without firing single shot, was pretty awesome, pretty much the stuff of legend, actually.
1.1 thousand likes versus 1 dislike? Jesus, man, that' some good stats. "I am also a big fan of how "the chad" does want to play and he has his mind on the prize, and subverting expectations (in a good way) with math and science being his tools. And possibly inventing shaped charges in a fantasy setting even though his character wouldn't touch it with a 10 feet pole.
I think the magical thing about the old versions of D&D was the exploitation of magical effects.. the circular wall of force with a hole was really usefull in dire situations kkkkk.
As the old meme goes, "I didnt ask how big the room was, i said I cast fireball!" lol. Great video as always and I'm not even a Star Trek fan, God bless you Seth, love your videos!
1st: Kirk. 2nd: What alternate universe is this that Todd is the mastermind player? Shouldn't he be wearing the mustache and goatee like in "Mirror Mirror "?
Been haunting your channel for a while. I reaaaaaaaaaaaally like when your npc's get some breathing room. I love Jack, but he always gets the good lines. Please make more vids in this vein. Please. Odama for the win!
*I've stumbled on this after seeing the Star Trek films for the first time (currently just wrapped up with The Undiscovered Country) and I'm loving it*
Oh, I’m totally on this! 1) Kirk was the best captain, because of wisdom, (also the originator of the term “Panspermia”) 2) Using AD&D first edition spells to create a “shaped charge” Like 👍 3) Star Trek and Battlestar galatica see Ronald D. Moore
Janeway!!!! She's the only captain that successfully United two different crews who distrusted each other, survived completely alone without backup. And believed in Starfleet ideals so much, she kept creating mini federations all over the delta quadrant to try to solve her problems.
Me: I'm good at D&D
Also me after hearing Todd's plan: I know nothing
This should be a top comment
Imagination is a weapon. Those who fail to use it die first. :P
I hope I wasn't the only one who spent the whole argument waiting to find out how Todd was going to fix their problem.
adnd was a beast. squishy fireball was just game stopping calculations waiting to happen. i was more of a lightning bolt fan, which reflected off of solid surfaces (dungeon walls) and could hit targets multiple times when used right, or yourself if used wrong
The only real way you likely to really get D&D is if you actually play it.
For example in that version the players handbook is 130 pages and the DM's guide is 240 pages of rules. The monster books are their own thing and there 4 of them including the Gods book. It's lot to sink your teeth into if you don't have a reason too.
Picking Sisko and solving the puzzle but playing it in character for interesting drama... Todd's coming up winner this time!
Yep!
Is Todd the leader?
I like to imagine that Seth doesn't have any players for any of his games. He's actually suffering from dissociative identity disorder and plays out entire campaigns by himself. Each of his characters are actually facets of his own identity, with whom he battles constantly.
The campaigns are him trying to regain control over his fractured self where he must corral the individual parts of his psyche to work together to become whole again.
I'm rooting for you, Seth.
Ha ha! I'm a bit late to this party but you just won the award for "best RUclips comment ever". 🙂 But, consider: having Disassociative Identity Disorder would make it WAY easier to have an RPG game-night, rather than relying on other players who always cancel on you. You'd have a gaming group already with you wherever you go! Sanity is overrated, eh? 🙂 Thank you Seth! (And Kirk is OBVIOUSLY the best captain.)
@@johnedgar7956 Funny you should say that, my game looks like it's going to break up due to players getting disinterested and the DM having issues outside of game night. A little DID could be handy right now!
That sucks. Sorry to hear your group is having trouble.
@@SSkorkowsky Thanks, Seth.
Things may work themselves out in the end. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Did Todd just invent the magical equivalent of a shaped charge?!
Yes.
Affirmative
But he can only do it once without somebody learning fireball to the same level. Probably for the best; doing it once is epic, doing it all the time is cheap. Unless you become a magical SWAT team like Tactical Breach Wizards. That could be a cool derail.
Sure looks like it!
I remember having to do something similar to do a staged demolition on a warding tower using our fighter's spare shields, a crap ton of alchemical fire I had brewed up for a troll war that never happened and some universal solvent to hold the charges in place.
That was pure gold. A classic debate and a player being clever with what he has.
And the best part was it was Todd who figured it out, I always believed in him
Pure gold. Nice seeing Todd being something other than the "villain" player.
While everyone is talking about Star Trek, the true genius behind this video is how Seth shows what it's like to get distracted during game, however there's a lot underlining the surface with the discussion of Star Trek while in the Trap Room.
For the Star Trek, I find that the Topic of leadership is interesting and it poses Alot of good questions about the nature of Leadership, it's positive and negative in the writing Context of the show.
All the while in Juxtaposition to the only player in the room doing any focus work on the Trap they are in, calculating every inch of the room while seeing if a Spell like Fireball would be the solution to escaping.
Seth's approach in this video is awesome and I'm just happy to see another new video from him too.
Yes, this was a brilliant video by Seth. It has so many layers in so many ways.
Couldn't agree with any of this more!
Your acting skills are amazing, I legit believe these are different people as I'm watching.
@@deepqantas I guess Vichrae is talking about all four of the guys.
@@HlewagastizHoltijaz I think I heard a *fwooom* as that joke zipped over your head. lol
The props help. But yeah, I completely forgot that dude was just arguing with himself for 5 solid minutes.
Well... I guess we found out why Todd is Seth’s favorite. Comes up with an epic way to solve their problem (that’s also plausible) and still wants to
Role play it out.
When he's not acting as the worst player ever. ;)
Yeah but he gets paid for that :p
"Who's your fave? Picard or Kirk?"
"Sisko."
Well played sir. Well played.
And true. :D He was less reckless (and attention-hogging) than Kirk, less cold and distant than Picard and generally more relatable as a person. He had a good sense of humour, was willing to get the job done and used what tricks he had available to do what was expected of him as well as not compromise his ideals, even when the two were at odds.
Sisko was the correct answer. XD
@@johanneskaiser8188 He was also pragmatic when the time came. He made hard calls and was willing to get his hands dirty. He was diplomatic when needed, and fought when needed. He unified a station of vastly different cultures in very difficult times. Sisko WAS the best captain. Period.
Sisko was the best
And is then proven to be a genious, almost like a conformation of this as the correct answere. Though if not Sisko I think the video really did make a great case for Kirk,
Todd is definitely a physicist for his day job. Smart people tend to appear stupid at the table, but always have the best ideas. Like making a petard while they're arguing about Picard.
If he were, he wouldn't need to look up the sphere surface equation. But I agree - smart people do tend to play more recklessly than the others - I think they just need to vent in some way, preferably without thinking too long and hard about the task at hand, unless necessary.
@@Gashren good point, maybe an engineer then?
@@Colouroutofspace4 Still would know the formula, perhaps he's in IT, Data Coms or if he's an engineer Electronic or Electrical.
"The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."- Capt. James T. Kirk; Star Trek, "Shore Leave" That's why I like playing Dwarves; nothing better than singing about gold and drinking ale...and complaining about those damn prissy elves...and hitting things with my hammer.
He might have also just encountered similar things in another system and adapted it. I remember seeing a story somewhere where apparently a grenade and an elevator ended up being a real bad combo in Shadowrun, which is a system we already know they've played. :P
Or maybe enjoyed shows like MacGuyver or Burn Notice. Pretty sure one of those had something about directing the force of an explosion on it. :P
Todd was the hidden mastermind of the group all along
and he is a barbarian
@@yalkn2073 or is that just what he wants us to think?
@@willnorman-bargo Yes, he's actually playing a Tabaxi Monk crossclassed with Sorcerer.
Kirk and Picard have different strengths and weaknesses.
Kirk is a fighter who makes quick decisions, leads from the front, and will protect his crew and his ship. Kirk bends and breaks the rules to bring victory (mostly in the movies), seeking to do what is right rather than what is allowed. Kirk is the best captain to have during a time of war and facing the unknown.
Picard is a diplomat who considers a problem from all angles before making a deliberate decision, and tries not to risk his crew or ship. Picard has violated Starfleet regulations, but the instances are rare, and often unavoidable or accidental. Picard is the best captain to have during a time of peace.
It is also worth pointing out that they captained different kinds of ships, most likely due to the different level of imagination and money available to their respective shows. Kirk was down to business with no holodeck and almost no recreation available on the ship, while Picard had the equivalent of a luxury cruise liner housing a crew and their families. When deciding the best captain one would want to serve under, take this into consideration and account for the bias.
Excellent points.
Sisko is the military Governor of a prominent port city. It's kinda like of a U.S. officer was put in charge of a Korean, or Philippine, Naval fort, and port city, that was built up by the Japanese after the war.
The had 4d chess and that harp-thing Spock was playing on the NCC-1701.
@Capt777harris I do understand how television production works. Things have been sliding toward a more overt social, political and economic commentary for decades, and we know what leading ideas guide Hollywood. The focus of my original comment was staying on topic with the video; who is a better captain, not which show had the better premise.
One is a mastermind at chess and captain of the debate team, and the other is the quarterback of the college football team.
@Capt777harris Then Picard and Discovery came out and things got even worse!
Lol... Sisko punched Q. End of debate
At least for me Q was always so annoying
@@georgeryan8267 Q, especially John de Lancie's Q was my favourite of the recurring guest characters introduced in TNG. When he basically got to play a sillier, yet more evil equivalent in a certain young girls cartoon only made that show better. At least until the writers no longer knew what to do with his character.
@@HenshinFanatic Which was a shame, I did like that character in a certain young girls cartoon
The Dude figures out how to get out, but wants to roleplay for the fun of it and for character development. Every else taking it as their own. Darn shame. *Shakes head* The unsung hero.
The GM knows the way he said "Your" plan. Me thinks he'll make sure Todd get's his just rewards come loot time.
I haven't even watched this yet...
But the answer is The Sisko.
It's always The Sisko.
This is brilliant! I remember many game sessions that degenerated into geometry, trig, and calculus exercises! I guess when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, right? Well, when we were in high school, everything looked like a story problem!
When the only spell you care about is fire ball.
In my experience, if all you got is a hammer, everything looks like a screw...
Ross from accursed farms just did an episode on star trek. The episode Symbiosis basically shows that Picard has had the worst implementation of the Prime Directive. He definitely caused at least one apocalypse in that episode, likely two.
Everytime I hear this debate I always feel like captain sisko never gets the respect he deserves in these debates. You did right by him though.
He's the Scotty of Trek leaders, always just below the limelight while doing the same miraculous feats.
For me it goes Kirk, Sisko, and then Picard.
All I'm saying is that Q showed up on DS9 ONCE and got punched in the face. He never came back.
@@z.adkins862 "Picard never hit me!"
@@z.adkins862 I feel like they were going to go somewhere with that, everyone forgets his next line. "I'm not Picard" "I know, you're much easier to provoke!" but then he never shows up again to make good on his threat. Honestly I'm glad for it, Q doesn't really fit into the story that DS9 is trying to tell, but it gives Sisko points I don't think he deserves.
Wesley was involved. Roddenberry used him to work out his problems with being a bad father. Of course Wesley solved the issue, Wesley was the GM's favorite NPC.
Fireball really IS the solution to every problem.
I taught Sunday school for over a decade, and I can tell you right now: It’s harder to keep your players on track than a room full of children.
As a player: sounds about right.
Wasn't Sisko also captain of the Defiant?
Yeah that's why he still counts
I was thinking the same thing.
You mean the USS Pimp-Hand?
Yes, Sisko got a promotion from commander to captain late in the series run. I think that O'Brien complimented him by saying something like, "You're the best captain I ever served under."
And the universe's most heavily armed space station
I had much fun watching this episode. But my favourite moment is 6:45, when GM is so happy with creative players that he almost agrees on the spot that the plan will work.
Happened so many times to me as a GM, great feeling.
Glad they went with the Battlestar Galactica reference at the end. If they mentioned Babylon 5 commanders too, the discussion would end in fisticuffs.
B5 is teh 💩
A new video from the gang on my birthday, thanks Seth!
Happy B-day fellow Skorkowsky fan!
Bob BOb : Have a fantastic birthday!!!
Happy birthday! 💐
I actually want to hug Todd right now. Because I did this exact thing once- came up with a great plan that my character would be totally against.
Oh and I've seen like seven or eight episodes of Star Trek so I don't care.
This is my favorite vid Seth has ever made. I can't compliment the writing and concept enough, it's ingenious.
Great to see another episode of "The Gang". Also, Todd is absolutely right, Sisco was awesome!
I find it funny that Patrick Stewart kept his belongings packed during season 1 because he absolutely believed he was going to be fired
Kirk Versus Picard a.k.a. How To Invent A Shaped Charge In D&D
I friggin love Todd...and I'm absolutely him in this situation. Not pay attention to the fandom argument to the side, come up with some wild plan involving everyone's capabilities, then be like, 'Oh, but my character wouldn't do that because roleplay reason, so let's roleplay that out..." I'm just gonna say Todd's my spirit animal and be done with it.
The only thing really missing from this video, and I completely understand for brevity as it is already over 8 minutes, was any counter argument in favor of Picard
See the entirety of ST:P for poignant examples. Worst own Character assassination I've ever seen.
@@HenshinFanatic do you think that show counts for anything? I have refused to even watch any post Voyager Star Trek, including the 10th film. It is all trash writing and has no impact how how great of a captain Picard is in TNG.
Oh, sorry, I misread your statement as reasons for Picard being crap. Which is why I even brought that [expletive redacted] show into conversation. I apologize for my initial misunderstanding.
Still hard to believe that a character would be so hated by their actor that something like ST:P would be inflicted on them.
FYI - that wasn't an "Away Team" in the ST: TOS, it was a Landing Party.
I'm unfamiliar with your channel, but I really thought this was going to go in the Picard direction. Thanks for getting so much right in this video. Kirk will always be the greatest captain of the Enterprise for me. You just can't win against childhood nostalgia.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Go Todd!
I Def wanna see more of these. love the trio anytime they show up
As a former military _man_ *(uh... I mean +2 Vorpal Sword),* I've always said I would prefer to serve under Picard over Kirk... but there's a lot to be said about the fact that Kirk would be a better wartime captain and Picard being the better peacetime captain. I served during a time of peace (if you consider lopping the heads off Lava Monsters as "peacetime", which... how could you not?) so, that probably has a lot to do with why I gravitate to the deliberative, sensible style of Picard. Kirk is a loose cannon and Picard is... a bureaucrat; and both are a valuable asset to have when the situation calls for their very particular talents. So, really, *the best one was whichever Peanut-head it was who appointed them to their respective commands.* But I digress. Back to my story... now, where was I? Oh yeah...
*So just then, the Peanut-head said...*
I was first utterly confused at this, until I saw the name and realized that this isn't cocksuckery at all.
Just started reading Ashes of Onyx. Man, that's a real page-turner. Well done. I'm hooked!
Glad you're enjoying it.
As a DM I often wondered what happened when I left the room. Whenever I returned and asked: "OK. So what are doing?" Just blank stares in return.
All the time.
Now you've enlightened me.
Change the question to 'Which captain would you rather be?' ...Kirk of course!
Another great video. It really captured the feel of the type of sidebar conversations that go on in a real game. the debate itself was fun too. Awesome on several levels.
Wait 'til you're old enough that some of the group have enough hearing loss that their conversations Tend To INCREASE IN VOLUME AND TAKE CENTER STAGE...
@@jopinofcabra We are all in our early to mid 40s, so we are getting there. lol
So...we can all agree that this video is a work of genius, right?
Goddamn, Seth. Well done.
I adore Picard, but I concur that Kirk was able to the same duties with less due to his leadership and ever-present action. If push came to shove Kirk would get his hands dirty to due the work that was needed. But on the other hand Kirk wasn't the type of captain that'd be able to please the likes of Q through charm and debate, or at least without firing willy-nilly or going on a goose chase for yet another alien artifact holding incredible power. And the bridge crew of Enterprise-D was far more involved in solving the conflicts of episodes than the periphery of Kirk's Enterprise (besides Scotty). OST Enterprise was a Helian dialog with a sole leader always holding the situation together, while TNG Enterprise was a single unit that, as indicated in Best of Both Worlds, was capable of functioning with its patriarch out of the picture. For Beat of Both Worlds (spoilers!) I knew Picard wasn't gone forever, but the strength of the crew with his successor Riker was so strong I was hard-pressed.to believe he'd return.
But that's just me. Take my words with as much salt as you like.
Also, Gene Roddenberry wouldn't allow disagreement amongst Starfleet officers in the early bit of TNG; he had the notion that in a utopia, everyone would always agree, and conflict would only come from external sources. So Picard literally could not have surrounded himself with contrasting officers. As Roddenberry's influence waned, they were fortunately able to start incoporating more differences of opinion amongst the crew.
@@candidgamera
That doesn't explain TOS.
Kirk had Q first... his name was Trelane.
@@snate56 Yes, but in that episode all that Kirk could do was bide time until a solution hopefully showed itself and, like I said, shoot at the relic of unimagined power. It was a Q-ex machina that saved him in the end, with Trelane's parents stopping his antics like he was a spoiled child. Kirk could only play a Q's games and cheat - never win.
I go with Kirk as bestie because he was doing it with minimal prior Star Fleet overall experience to draw from. He was like third generation in deep space after Archer and Pike. (Well, until the Star Trek universe history got tangled and rewritten anyway). Kirk had to wing it on guts and personal leadership while the later Captains had a lot more institutional framework in their crews and training to go from. (Assuming it was all 'real'. Our world's politics, social standards and such affected the stories of course. Kirk was essentially a classic WWII officer hero).
This was a well done comparison in my opinion. And demonstrates the difference in story telling between the 60s and 90s. Victor Davis Hanson just did a talk comparing Patton to Ajax, saying basically "even civilized societies need rough men to combat evil." Kirk was the borderline that a military commander needs to me. TNG just assumed that the crew could shift to a war footing at a moment's notice.
Holy crap, first time I’ve ever watched a video while it was still under double digits. Love your stuff, Seth!
Man that is some classic dnd shenanigan solution right there.
Everbody knows the best captain was Jason Nesmith. "Never give up, never surrender" :P
This is true.
I loved the use of Todd in this video
Todd sitting over there as the barbarian figure the universe out. Like O'Neil and T'ealc being the brains in Window of Opportunity.
If you did Spock versus Riker - it would've been a 5-second video.
I disagree, both were awesome in their own ways. IMO.
Didn't expect this type of video, but it was good! 😁😁😁
Man you never disappoint. I wish I had a GM like you.
Lorne Greene was better as Adama. He never compromised his beliefs, never gave his son undeserved power, kept the fleet on purpose, still listened to his council even though some like Ray Millands were dirty.
Plus I wanted to be Dirk Benedicts Starbuck, but turned into the Richard Hatch Apollo (the loving single dad with my own Boxey that grew into a studly man)
James T. Kirk by far. Kirk solved many of the problems himself. Look how many of the times Spock actually complimented him on using logic as the way to win. His advisors work to strengthen him even while in conflict with him. Riker as a captain, might have become a Kirk eventually. Picard got people killed and seemed cold as hell about it.
Picard got the smallest percentage of his crew killed of any of the Star Trek captains.
scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/95724/which-captain-ordered-the-most-crew-to-their-deaths
It makes sense because Picard thought things through, something Kirk pretended to do on occasion.
Controversial opinion: Captain Archer is underrated. He was the first to go out into deep space, so had no other captains to learn from. And then think about his accomplishments under that lens....
Yeah, he did pretty well, all things considered....
This was super-cool dude. Really enjoyed the debate. Gul Dukat was the best captain...
The Founders are pleased.
I love the hyper specificity of the older edition spell descriptions. The fireball does state that it doesn't have much pressure, so in this case it's down to whether it has enough heat to melt the door, which is getting into physics...er...maybe it's best that the 5th edition descriptions are simplified LOL.
IIRC 1st edition had lists of damage thresholds for inanimate objects, including doors.
Seth could've pushed the grainy details even further if he wished.
@@NefariousKoel Object hardness was still a thing in 4e I think.
Seth, you have truly outdone yourself on this one. This is the most entertaining thing I've seen in a week, maybe longer.
Holy crap Seth! Words truly fail me! You are a very talented person! I can only imagine what the future holds for you! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us!
I enjoyed TNG for its special effect and some story-lines... but the TOS has my vote for the original sci-fi plot and some very ambiguous questions for the time.
Ok,, let's put Kirk and Picard in the same situation again. Both beam down to a primitive world and want to convince Tiamat to please stop destroying the locals.
Picard: Greetings mighty Tiamat. I represent a great federation of planets and would like to reach an accord...
Tiamat: Zzzzzzzzzz
vs.
Kirk: *punches out all of Tiamat's minions and shags her to boot.
Tiamat: Oooh, I can't resist you. Take me with you!
Kirk: Sorry baby, I only have one woman and her name is Enterprise.
Only question I ever thought was hard
Trick question, the answer to any Star Trek related question is always dislike of Wesley.
Wesley: The poster child for nepotism.
As a child yes. As he got older he was better.
Which is too bad, as the actor is a great guy.
A sickly mo foe, closely followed by Riker
Not gonna lie, Wesley was my favorite character when I was a kid, and I still look back on his episodes fondly. Plus, Wil Wheaton is pretty dang awesome.
I love the dialogue in this episode.
Yo I absolutely love these videos lmao. I sometimes forget you are playing all of these characters yourself. You are very good at acting it out.
I'd really, really love if you made more of these!
When someone asks you Kirk or Picard, the correct answer is Sisko.
My favourite Star Trek captain was the Scott Bakula one: Jonathan Archer(?)
No one never consider Sisko... sighs...
Suddenly Sisko!
FAITH RESTORED!
What a great video, Seth. Please, keep them coming. Now, about the issue at hand: If you're fighting Romulans or Klingons or some other kind of space barbarians, Kirk is the best choice. If you are on a diplomatic mission, then send Picard
Okay, did not see that comming. Todd is the one who really thinks about a plan? Would have thought, he'd be the disruptive one. Well, explains, why he is your favourite player.^^ (01:13)
Shout out to Todd for casually creating a shaped charge with magic spells. What an absolute boss.
This is an excellent piece of writing with flawless execution. A reasonable and interesting debate is framed by a room puzzle that is framed by the promise of pizza. All of this room-in-a-room builds up expectations.
Then, when the pizza is delivered, we get a solution to the puzzle and a well-formed argument that says something leadership as well as about this ideal gaming group: the whole story unfolds naturally from the characters.
You're keeping good company, Seth!
Todd finally gets to be the good player this time!
Man, I really love the skits and these Gang Presents. And I agree with Todd - Sisko is my favorite. You are an amazing creator, a unique and talented person who makes me happy that youtube exists. Please keep it up. I've recently binged through all your RPG Philosophy videos together with all the Traveller reviews including the latest one. So keep 'em coming because I'll be watchin'!
Yay!!! Thanks for bringing the gang back! Their thoughts are epic! And that Mithral door solution? Spectacular!!
This is amazing. I need more of this.
Thanks to the audacious and insane plan of an NPC: Inquisitor Azakir Halgriv of the Ordo Xenos, not only did the the PCs of my Rogue Trader campaign manage to get a hostile Imperial Navy contingent, which for all intents and purposes, had them cornered to stand down, but also captured the upstart Inquisitorial Interrogator Eisen Venris leading them without firing single shot, was pretty awesome, pretty much the stuff of legend, actually.
1.1 thousand likes versus 1 dislike? Jesus, man, that' some good stats.
"I am also a big fan of how "the chad" does want to play and he has his mind on the prize, and subverting expectations (in a good way) with math and science being his tools. And possibly inventing shaped charges in a fantasy setting even though his character wouldn't touch it with a 10 feet pole.
I like to think the dislikes are due to the fact that smart device screens are finicky, leading to mispressed buttons.
I think I'll try that combination some day ... It kinda is like a force cannon....
Kirk all day!
I wonder how Picard can handle the Kobayashi Maru
I regret that I have but one "like" to give.
And yeah, Sisko is the best.
I really had fun watching this video, gj!
That spell idea was awesome.
So say we all!
I think the magical thing about the old versions of D&D was the exploitation of magical effects.. the circular wall of force with a hole was really usefull in dire situations kkkkk.
Love "The Gang Presents" videos. Keep working them in when you find the inspiration!
Turning DBFB into a plasma torch. Nice.
As the old meme goes, "I didnt ask how big the room was, i said I cast fireball!" lol. Great video as always and I'm not even a Star Trek fan, God bless you Seth, love your videos!
Holy shit man. This is amazing, both on the surface and beneath it, this is an amazing video. I hope to see more like this in the future.
That was your best skit yet, Seth!
1st: Kirk. 2nd: What alternate universe is this that Todd is the mastermind player? Shouldn't he be wearing the mustache and goatee like in "Mirror Mirror "?
Amazing video, I could watch a whole movie of you playing with yourself like that
Thoroughly enjoyable. Well done!
I rewatched TOS this year and from a person who's now 38 kirk was a kick ass leader. All of the tropes are blown out of proportion.
Been haunting your channel for a while. I reaaaaaaaaaaaally like when your npc's get some breathing room. I love Jack, but he always gets the good lines. Please make more vids in this vein. Please. Odama for the win!
*I've stumbled on this after seeing the Star Trek films for the first time (currently just wrapped up with The Undiscovered Country) and I'm loving it*
Oh, I’m totally on this!
1) Kirk was the best captain, because of wisdom, (also the originator of the term “Panspermia”)
2) Using AD&D first edition spells to create a “shaped charge” Like 👍
3) Star Trek and Battlestar galatica see Ronald D. Moore
Sisko was technically a ship's captain for a few episodes. That was the point of introducing the Defiant.
Janeway!!!!
She's the only captain that successfully United two different crews who distrusted each other, survived completely alone without backup. And believed in Starfleet ideals so much, she kept creating mini federations all over the delta quadrant to try to solve her problems.
That's so real.
For whatever reason this video did not show up in my feed. I had to open up the video list on your channel.
Favorite Starfleet captain:
Hoshi Sato
Enterprise
In a Mirror, Darkly
Thoroughly enjoyed this video! I love the characters around your table.