Hey the comments on the last episode, "Sociology of D&D" were locked for understandable and depressing reasons. But I really wanted to thank you for making it, so I thought I would just do it here. I am past 30 now and only recently have started very tentatively exploring playing D&D myself, even though I have bought all the core rulebooks since 3.5e when I was a teenager, and spent hours reading them and making up characters and scenarios etc. And even now, still I am only playing with my boyfriend because I just never have felt comfortable in "nerd culture" spaces despite like 90% of my interests being super traditional "nerd culture" interests. Your example of the hypothetical GM's "middle eastern friend" was so on point for me. I am white, so I haven't felt excluded because of my race/cultural background, but as a woman it is almost exactly the mode of exclusion I've experienced. Nobody really said I couldn't play or shouldn't play with them, there were just subtle ways of talking and certain assumptions made that made me feel -- exactly, as you say, unwelcome and sometimes actually uncomfortable. And I know lots of those guys, and like 'nerd culture' generally, didn't and don't think they're pushing women and people of colour away from their games/passions, or that their attitudes or behaviour are problematic. So, I hope, for those of them who are well-intentioned but misinformed, your example is a really useful trigger for them to re-evaluate. Anyway, thank you so much for making the video, and for the feeling and sincerity with which you delivered it. Especially the bit about really having to dislike a person before you want to make them feel unwelcome around you. It just all was really great, and it made me feel really, like ... validated and included. Gosh that sounds so corny... But, really, thank you so much. PS. Your 1950s bandstand presenter voice is a thing of both beauty and wonder.
I also wanted to leave a comment on the previous video. My first GM was openly gay, and that perspective was included in his world. So when I took over GM'ing, I never thought anything of it. I was confused by that paragraph at the start of 5e that boiled down to "be inclusive" because it seemed redundant to me, and a needless reminder that this is fantasy, that anything we want can be done. I don't tend to address sexuality at all in my games (I don't want to play that kind of game), and I like to change up gender roles from time to time to keep players on their toes. I also like to include lots of cultures, as it keeps things fresh and interesting to explore new places. But my group is largely the same as the one my first GM had, and there have been no opportunities to play with people who might take issue with western Fantasyland. That was a good breakdown of the topic, and a good reminder of the issues that can go into it, as well as making people feel excluded by default. Well done.
It depresses me to think there was anything wrong with what he was saying as broadly the message I got was "Consider your players wants and perspectives when making your game and designing your setting". Which seems like pretty solid advice. Obviously you want a setting you as a dm enjoy as well but I tend to find there is a pretty big overlap in "stuff I enjoy in a game" and "stuff other people enjoy in a game". Seeing as how I've mainly played within the same group most of the time I've never come up against those kind of issues and feel quite lucky for it.
@@shade081 Nope. He did not. He was very contradictory in the video. He said that rape freaked him out in DnD. - I bet, if his players were to rape another player for fun, he would be freaked out, even if the players have fun. Not everyone is going to be an ideological fanatic.
Matt, you brought up the "whole body DM screen," and though that does seem weird... Today, we play on Roll20 without Cameras, and it's sort of like the same thing. At times, I'm biting my lip to keep from laughing at the zany ideas the PCs have. I drop my head on my desk as they make horrible decisions... I can have these emotions without them knowing, so all they have to go on is my narration and the map. huh... odd. It all comes full Circle =D
Ignore the asshat from before, using a Fully Body DM screen seems weird at first, but it honestly is way more beneficial to the DM and making sure that they don't spoiler the players, and then the players can do whatever they want without knowing what they might be planning could potentially be incredibly stupid.
As a Roll20 DM, I agree. There are times that my players are discussing their plans that I just shut up and wait for them to come to a decision. I remember playing face to face, the players would always try to read me. So yeah, online tables have brought us full circle.
Ive been told that I’m very difficult to read, so I don’t really worry about my players reading me. Besides, I know how to give off false tells. Not being able to read my players, that would be unnerving to me as a GM.
Hey Matt, I think it's really Sad You had to deactivate commentaries on the previous video, but I totally get it, so I'm using the space on this video to thank you for the previous one. It was one of the best and problably the most needed, thank you!
@@justinr5433 that’s a very complex question and response that it would take many paragraphs to work through. For instance, diversity or a different mindset on what is allowed at the table could make it not fun for one or more (e.g. running an Underdark campaign and having the drow use slaves). In that instance you cannot run that setting where all would enjoy - making the difference of opinions a problem. However, I welcome strategic differences and approaches to problem solving, which is where the true strength of diversity shines.
I know these vids are super old and no one will probably see this, but i really want to say this. The video before this fucking slaps. Hearing Matt say those things with such conviction made me so, so happy. If you're reading this Matt, Thank You.
Man, your last video "The Sociology of D&D" was one of the best and most thoughtful D&D-videos I have watched. Comments on that video is turned off so I'm putting my comment here instead. I also intensely liked one of the preceding ones, "Why we play D&D", these videos together put your channel in the absolute top-tier of D&D channels on YT and that says a lot because there are a LOT of D&D channels on YT. It is also very inspiring to continuously see that you put all of your decades of experience in use in such a deeply humane and satisfying way which is expressed by your very genuine statement of "if you had fun, I had fun". You totally get it and you are helping other people also getting it!
It's pretty iffy to add a comment about a previous video rather than this one, but he actually turned off comments on "The Sociology of D&D" and he was right to do so. I can't imagine the shit-storm he must have stirred up with it. First things first, in that video he said sexual violence (rape) has no place in D&D. He is 100% right about that. Everything I type from he forward is a secondary point to this. Second thing...uh...second. He says specifically that Books are not D&D, and D&D is not books. He says that, but his earlier comments make it appear as if he doesn't really believe that. I think it's true. I think the two have things in common, but they are not the same thing. Third thing third. Books very often hold up a mirror to the reader. Not specifically of the reader (though that can happen), but of the very real world they live in. Books are meant to do just that. So, when a writer includes sexual violence in their books (as George R.R. Martin does in his A Song of Ice and Fire series) most likely they are doing it for realisms sake, to show the horrors of it, not to glorify it. Colville doesn't seem to understand this. That's OK. He can be wrong about that one thing. He's not perfect, no one is, and I don't expect him to be. But he's also not above criticism. That's my very specific criticism. I'm very late to the party, and I suspect no one will ever read this, but it had to be said.
I had to lie to my players just last night. The gnome ranger landed an ensnaring strike with disadvantage against a displacer beast, and the beast failed the saving throw to avoid being ensnared. And after I loudly and excitedly announced "you ensnare the displacer beast!" the player reminded me that large creatures have advantage against the save. So I rolled again and rolled a 20... At this point the party was already amped up because the beast already took out one player with a single hit, and restraining it was a huge turning point in the fight. So I just let them have it. According to the rules and the dice, the beast was free, but as the DM I thought it would kill the excitement in the room.
Alternatively in this case you could have argued away the advantage against the save by stating the displacer beast isn't in a good position to use it's position/size to any real effect that would indicate any kind of advantage. When you roll a dice you gotta be prepared for the critical success or failure, at a key moment a reroll could spell doom for an encounter. When the situation calls for it, as the DM you can decide to take into account other features of the gameplay that might not be explicity covered by the rules in order to avoid stealing a players thunder. Or in other words, a kind of cheating that doesn't involve an outright lie. I'm not saying what you did was wrong because you clearly had a justification for it, but in future you're not always going to have the opportunity to fudge dice rolls when it's needed. So adding in reasons to give or take away advantage on a dice roll is a powerful tool you can use. And/or giving players inspiration dice as a reward for playing in character if you feel the party might need it.
What level were your players when they fought the displacer beast? also how many players? I've always though the displacer beast was a cool monster, and was wondering how it went for you and your players!
Few games into my first DMing and it’s going great. All 5 of the players are now together and coordinated in the town and walking through the streets to head to one of many available quest leads. They are accosted and attacked by bandits and ruffians. After a few rounds of combat I say “as you complete your spell you see another of the redband bandits slink out of the alley beside you and start to charge forward…” I get a few stares and someone said “we didn’t know who they were yet” and we all laugh. I then say “he says as he walks forward ‘you picked the wrong day to mess with the redbands… and this is a cocky threat and not because the DM had a lapse of judgement” and we all had a laugh. Easy enough to retcon
Eventually I'll do a video about playing D&D online using a Virtual Tabletop. I have a lot of experience with Fantasy Grounds and in spite of it's ABSURDLY bad UI, I think it's great. The reason I bring it up is because one of the many amazing benefits of running D&D over FG is it gives the DM the power to, with a click of a button, roll, say, a History check for each member of the group and tell you the results without the players seeing. That lets the DM do some neat stuff. "Duncan, you remember hearing about...," without asking the players to roll. Does a lot to aid immersion. It also lets you roll Stealth and Perception for the players without alerting them to the results. Of course, Passive Perception is meant to handle this, but in my experience Passive Perception is typically too low to be useful.
+kkplx Yes I have used roll20 for the last 6 months, I love the light and shade effect, but my players hate it as they cannot see where they have been. I try to remind them that if they were in a real cave, they would not be able to see back where they came from then. I fully agree with fudging rolls when necessary, both in favour and out of favour of the PC's I have for years been reprimanded by other GMs for doing it. I do not abuse it, not make it obvious. However I think a GM has a duty to look after the narrative and without players that falls flat on its face.
+Matthew Colville Roll20 is FG without all the extra stuff to get in the way. Its a barebones kit that is there to just help us play DND instead of fiddling around with all the fluff that available in FG or tabletop simulator.
+kkplx In my own personal DM experience, I HAVE to fudge many rolls to keep things challenging because two of my players have insanely good rolls (their average hit rolls are around 15 on the dice) and my average roll is a 5... meaning I generally miss 90% of the time with my enemies. So I'll generally fudge a few rolls to hit my characters a biit more often and make sure they feel like there's an actual chance they might get killed before they steamroll everything I put before them (I already have to adjust encounter levels 2-3 levels higher than their own just to make it more interesting and hard.) My players know I'll do this but could not tell you when, because I always give them a number. All I 'really' do is sometimes, when I roll a 5, I'll shift the dice to 13 instead... (hilariously, some times my shifted higher 'roll' is still not enough to hit them lol) There's two rolls that I never fudge though... and that's natural 1's and natural 20's.
This is an old series, but I just want to say that I really appreciate the previous episode, "The Sociology of D&D". I hope that, you being a man, a lot of guy nerds have found your voice easier to listen to and have considered inclusion in their games. Personally, I don't care if people mess up, just that they get better.
I just watched episode 8...again. Fucking bravo, sir. I've never watched a dnd video that made me say, "Hell YES! This isn't just dnd...this is how LIFE should be." I am a river to my people!
Hey man, I know you're probably never going to see this, as this series was posted a little while ago, but I just wanna say that episode #8 really made me think. I'm new to DnD as a player, and I was pretty sure that I wanted to DM, but now I'm 100% convinced that I should. Everyone should, or at least they should try. To facilitate that feeling, that feeling of inclusion amongst people you don't even necessarily consider your close friend is an incredible thing, and something sorely needed in the world today. So I just want to thank you. It was a very touching video.
I’m in the process of putting together a campaign. My first full world creation. During that video I started thinking about some of the NPCs I have created. I thought about their descriptions. I will now be going back and altering some of those descriptions, because that is not the world I want to share with my friends and players. Please note, I have a mixed heritage from at least four different cultural backgrounds. I grew up with people from many different cultural backgrounds. I have worked with people from all over the world. I’ve been to every state in the union but two, Puerto Rico and I’ve been to or lived in 9 different countries. I know that basic pleasantries in at least 6 different languages (I’ve forgotten more than I remember in those languages). I have played characters from many different ethnic backgrounds and I’ve played both male and female characters in many different TTRPGs. And even I was falling into the Fantasy Land stereotype when creating my world. Fantasy Land is not going to be my world. I cannot say how grateful I am for episode 8 (video 9) in this series for changing the course of my world and my campaign.
Just want to echo the other replies, that 3 years after these videos went up, I'm watching them in preparation to DM for the 1st time. Some of the stuff in episode 8 I have never thought about and some I hope will NOT be relevant in the games I run. But it certainly made me think, and that will surely make our game better. So, thank you.
+Akernis There's a lot of Adversarial DM culture we're still saddled with from the 70s and 80s and the Let The Dice Fall Where They May tradition is part of that. And that's cool! I have a lot of fondness for that style of play, but I've proven to myself sufficiently that you can foster that feeling of "this is real, Matt's not just making up answers, it's down to the dice" without letting the dice ruin the experience. It just takes practise.
I have and will continue to to fudge rolls when it makes sense from a story perspective. I've also done it when I've screwed up and made an encounter too hard.
For me as a Swedish RPGamer having grown up with the Nordic Roleplaying that baffles me that people look down on fudging. We're raised with the one rule that the GM is always right, not the system mechanics, not the setting material, not the dice results and if one wants to go so far to say that not even the players are right and that it's a trust in each other, that everyone is there to make everyone feel entertained, that drives and is at the root of the hobby. Dice can ruin that experience, system mechanics can put limitations on how a group want to experience the game and a setting and hinder the possibility of character concepts and story development.. None of that should dictate the experience. They are all but tools to use for entertainment as you (GM/group) see fit. A lot of times talking with different RPGamers online it seems that the element of trust in each other, that everyone is there to make sure everyone else, not just yourself, are entertained, seems lost, and I wonder what's the point then? People being held hostage by "it's the only game in town" and similar situations and that's just horrible. GM's job is to know the players, to get to know the players, to use that knowledge to manipulate them into having fun. Something that some time sgets lost is that the players should also try to make sure they are entertaining, to their fellow players and their GM. Trust in your group and roleplay situations in which they get opportunities to act and roleplay and further storylines. Course that hopefully come smore and more with experience. But I often, way to often see people mention how they have gotten stuck and forgotten what it's all about (mutual entertainment).
definitely agree with the sentiment. when i DM, i try to follow one major rule: try to make sure the players are having fun. i've noticed that the dice often have a "mind" of their own and occasionally roll for a very bad outcome that might cause mutter or uproar of a not having fun kind, and i like having the freedom to subtly alter things to go a route that i feel would be better for group morale. of course not saying at all that a game should be all sunshine and rainbows without any challenge or drama, just that sometimes incidents pop up that would royally fuck things up in a not funny or epic way and are better off just avoided. i had one person in my last group who had the worst luck at dice rolls and i really liked having the power to "balance" that out a bit to make playing a much more enjoyable experience for him, as opposed to him just making a character with shit stats, constantly failing at everything he tried to do, and as a result just giving up and leaving the game. situations like that are what DM fudging helps to fix. just my two cents.
As a rule, I won't fudge a roll to a player's detriment, but if the Ogre rolls a 20 against the wizard, I reserve the right to change it to a "glancing blow" instead.
Really loving this series. I especially loved the previous one. I am a queer woman who started playing D&D at the beginning of covid. I am now 59 - so late to the game so to speak. Our DM has been playing for 30 years and he is fantastic. He suggested these videos when I said I might one day like to DM. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insight and thanks for being inclusive.
I am 50 and haven't played since 1st edition. love this series. Thank you for the very well done videos with informative content. Excited to get back to playing.
I've watched multitudes of long time DMs talking about running the game, but with every episode it becomes clearer that you are the perfect guy to talk to me about it on youtube^^ PS: Dooblidoo (did i spell that right?) might be my new favourite thing ever =)
+Dhalgrim I stole "Dooblidoo" from the vlogbrothers! They were a big inspiration to me in starting this channel. Glad you're getting a kick out of the series!
+Matthew Colville Aww I was starting to enjoy the "Blah Blah." First time I heard you say it I was like "That is a Dooblidoo but I will accept blah blah as an alternitive!"
+Matthew Colville Hank and John rock! You 3, Prince Ea, boogie2988 & Emergency Awesome are my favorite RUclipsrs. Another great video Matthew.... still loving them and smiling every time I watch one.
DM: "Player 1, Roll perception" Player 1: "got a 20!" DM: "You notice some particularly nice looking flowers in the rocks appx 20 yards ahead on the left side of the road." Yes, I have players roll perception for random reasons. This way they never know if a failed perception was important.
F Huber DM: *Rolls a die behind the screen.* Player on watch, roll perception. Player: I got a 14. DM: You hear the insects in the night go silent. A moment later they start up again. What are you doing? If they wake the party and do a search, they will get a later start the next day to allow for a full nights rest. If they insist on getting up early the magic users will not be able to renew their spells and every one will risk suffering from fatigue later in the day. DM: The remainder of your watches go uneventfully. A lower roll would result in an unnerving feeling of something not right. A nat 1 would result in them being certain that they heard movement or a voice from somewhere behind them. (Maybe it was someone rolling over or mumbling in their sleep.) A higher role would have revealed a rustling in the underbrush in an indeterminate direction and distance. A total of 20-24 would reveal the direction, but no the distance. A natural 20 or a total of 25 or higher would reveal the direction and approximate distance. A search in the darkness by anyone but a ranger would reveal nothing. A ranger would have a very high dc to find anything. Maybe it was an assassin or a spy. Maybe it was some vile creature scoping them out. Maybe it was just some random forest creature. Who knows? I find this to be a very effective method of adding tension to the game. I use it sparingly and usually when the players aren’t paying attention, have become too complacent or as a foreshadowing of something to come later. Or maybe I’m just fishing for ideas from the players on what they are expecting so that I can tailor the adventure to them. ;) The world may never know. And I’m not telling.
Thank you, Matthew Colville, for making all of these videos. Because of your help, I started DMing for my small group of three friends and I just got a compliment I won’t forget. One friend confided in us that he began to lose interest in d&d but my story reinvigorated his interest. I have only you to thank for being such an influence in my style of story telling as well as role play. You made my friends have fun. So I had fun. So I hope, in turn, you have fun learning this.
Matt, I know it has been an age since this series came out, but I felt I had to comment. I am sorry that comments for the previous video had to be turned off. As a white, middle aged, straight, western european male I wanted to say your previous video brought me to tears. Thank you for being the voice for reasonable, empathetic and most importantly genuine human beings put there. I applaud you for what you have done for this past time and I hope you have found happiness and joy bringing those exact same things to everyone you have encounter in the world. Bravo. You are an inspiration.
I had a lot I wanted to say about your previous video but as comments are disabled, I wont, other than to say I thought it was a great message. I am really enjoying your series here and find it very informative and inspiring :)
I get why he disabled the comments though, totally understandable. RUclips is not a good place to talk about sensitive topics when there is just one person to moderate the comments.
You are incredible :) I've run 3 sessions total as a DM, and my players will THANK you for all the improvements to come from your advice. Stay cool, Mr. Dooblidoo. Peace. Out.
I want to thank you for previous video. It made me open my eyes to potential failures on my part, having ASD, to look in the best interest of other player's wishes and fantasies. It's always a struggle for me to socialize a lot, and I feel a strong improvement lately, but I would've definitely fall into that little trap if you didn't tell the viewers about it. :D
So I recently found this series, and I just want to compliment you. Even though you seem to focus ALOT on the official D&D 5e and such, this is great system agnostic advice. Which I appreciate being a pathfinder GM myself. Keep on rocking!
I have a hard time holding the idea of Pathfinder as a "different system" in my head, although I realize there are people who strongly do. If someone invited me to play D&D and busted out Pathfinder, it would be like busting out AD&D or 4E. Just another version of the game.
I feel the same way, but, if you did not know, there has been a wave of 5E specific content on youtube right now, and when I look up videos for mechanical content, it always goes back to 5E which might not tell me how splash weapons or action economy works in Pathfinder. But, on the other hands, advice videos that can work with almost ANY system is great. Which is why I'll keep watching your videos sir.
Kinda weird to be catching up on these older episodes, hear Matthew talking about wanting reach 5K subs someday, and looking down to see he currently has 413K :P This channel really has come a long way in 6 years :)
Just wanted to say that episode 8 was fantastic. Those horror stories about certain groups of players is exactly why I won't play with complete strangers through DND meetup sites, or even people at comic shops. (I tried the latter once, thinking it would be better than internet strangers, and my wife and I were sufficiently creeped out by some of the players, ending that plan permanently.) I've been trying over the years to put together a group with coworkers, but my office only has about a dozen people, so there's not a lot of volunteers. Going to be trying again with just two other players later this month, which is why I'm studying up on your videos!
From three years in the future, I want to thank you MC for Ep 8 (it is even more relevant as we near 2020 than it ever has been before), as well as these tips. I DM'd for a little under a year, then real life and our firstborn kinda put that on hold. Two years later now and I'm ready to jump back into it and this playlist is a wealth of knowledge, so thank you! PS lol@5k subscribers; a mere three years later and you're at a whopping 325k!
Love this episode, I am new to DnD (a few months in) and my DM uses an iPad or laptop as a DM screen, gives him the access to all information he has on his devices, can even show us how a character or magic item looks like. I like the idea of the DM roll our perception check for us, because it's true that whenever he saids 'roll a dexterity check' or 'roll a perception check' we are all like 'uh oh, something's going on'
How do you find the difference between narrating how something looks vs. being shown? I really don't know if it's better to try to describe something and let the imagination paint the picture or just show a picture.
Hey since the comments on the last episode were deactivated, I'm just going to comment here about it. I actually emphasizes the struggles in the world and see which of the struggles they care about. As an example, slavery is accepted in the world I created and even child slavery is accepted. One of my players felt very touched by this subject. I asked her if she preferred if I didn't mention it anymore in my games but she instead decided to change her background to make her character an ex-slave instead of an urchin. In fact, she is now some sort of a freedom fighter: She actually stole a slave kid form a slave merchant to try to liberate him... and it worked. The next mission I prepared is based on that completely unscripted act the party decided to do: They are going to escort ex-slaves and return them to their families. So instead of making everyone equal and there is no struggle, I put players in different situations than what they are used to be and give them an opportunity to change the status quo of the world in the game. They want to fight for the liberation of slaves, fine, I'll do missions about that so they feel they have an impact on the game. One of the player wants to be recognized as a person instead of a freak of nature? Fine too, I'll give them the opportunity to do so. To me, it's not about living in magic land where every one is equal, it's to create an unequal world where the PCs can change it for the better.
You're a good DM. Incoprorating the player needs and desires into the game is exactly how it should be done and provided they know the risks/stakes it can be very rewarding to play out that fantasy.
Been using a DM screen since 1987. Custom built wood to hold 2 pages of 8.5x11 in portrait on the front and hinged to another 2 in landscape to make up the sides. I play exclusively with grown ass adults who would not cheat. That said, I still don’t want them accidentally seeing the dungeon map, the overland map, the prepared notes, not to mention the notebooks and module book I keep back there. I currently do all my rolls behind the screen but am in the process of building a custom dice tower that would allow me to choose to roll in the open or behind the screen depending on which hole I drop the dice in on the tower. Thanks for the great videos. PS- No matter how many times I hear it, it always makes me laugh. “Wow, they don’t fuck around with the VIP service here.” Possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever heard a D&D tuber say. Thanks again!
Man, that last episode of this series, the 8 about the sociology of d&d was one of the most inspirational video on the youtube. I just want to thank you for that.
@@byakko9895 There's no way you can moderate that kind of comment section on youtube. Even on a forum with dedicated moderators you would have all sorts of emotional language being used. It's a drawback to online discussion, you can't ever really discuss serious topics without having two defined sides arguing their own case as if they're in a debate club. It doesn't work.
I just had Session 0 with some co-workers this week, and am bingeing this playlist to get ready for the adventure in a week or two. I’ve gotten so many ideas from you, and am feeling empowered to give them a great experience. Thank you for this wonderful content!
I've watched a number of these and appreciated them all. But it was episode 8 that made me a subscriber. I understand why comments were turned off, and grieve that that is necessary, but kudos to you for making that episode Matthew. I am loving this whole series. But that was special. Thank you.
yeah I too love extremely generic d&d advice that panders to the lowest common denominator types with meaningless buzzwords like "inclusive" and the requisite condemnation of "western European white males." just so brave and bold I could almost cry!
There's lots and lots of comments about #8 and I hate to add to that, but I just had to say that video really touched me. It was beautiful and eye-opening too, as I'm about to narrate my very first campaign soon. I deeply thank you for this series and I admire you for the 8th one. Keep on going man, love your work!
This comment is unrelated to this video. It is in regards to your previous video. The Sociology of D&D. I only wanted to say, I have been enjoying your videos and they've been extremely helpful in my journey of learning to DM. And after that video, I not only enjoy your videos but have a lot of respect for you. I can only imagine the immense amount of messages and comments you receive, and IF you see this.. Thank you for all of your help.
Piggybacking off your conversation about the DM rolling for stealth and perception, I play with a DM who rolls all character's checks for finding and disarming traps. It takes away a temptation to metagame from us because we don't know that the rogue just rolled a 3, so there's no reason for, say, the wizard to step up and say "No, no, you must have missed something, let me try." Because the wizard wouldn't do that.
Sir, I just want to say thank you. I ran my first game of DnD last night with some good friends, and to say I lifted a good chunk from your first video for the dungeon is an understatement! With that said, I intensely enjoyed the experience, it was not only an absolute blast, but three people who had never played before all agreed: They liked it infinitely more than they thought. That is all thanks to your wonderful videos, your wonderful spirit, and putting it out into the world. Thank you for being a river to your people!
seriously man, fantastic series it has helped me become such a better dungeon master and my players who we have played with me for a solid 3+ years, two of my players comment after our session last night "hey, man idk what you did but that session was amazing, probably the best we have had yet good job man!" i sent them the link to the playlist they are also gunna check it out thanks man
If you want a good, cheap, DIY DM screen here are the steps on how i made mine: take a box and cut off the folding parts, i used a pretty big box but you can choose your size, then cut off 3 parts of the same size, then tape or paperclip papers on the box parts, and the. Tape all the sides together. You can decorate the side that the players see if you like!
Dear Matt, Thank you for all your DM running the game videos. I always relax listening to your musical tones and philosophical thoughts. Congrats on getting over 397k subscribers - you smashed your 5000 target. All the best.
I can’t comment on the sociology of dnd video, so I’ll say it here: thank you so much for that video. I really wasn’t expecting you to have talked about those subjects in this series, but it was a pleasant surprise. You really restored my faith in community and humanity.
ArvelDreth what's wrong with that? If you choose to play a race then you should define your mindset to how that race plays. Of course you don't necessarily do that but if you are going to play your character as something they are not normally then you need to create a convincing backstory. You don't see to many elves crazy about mining in mountains and gaining gold or to many half orcs as calm and relaxed as a halfling. Sure they are out there but it's not common. But if someone does want to play someone like that then it is possible, just with the proper building blocks.
@WeaponizedLizardMen I would say that depends on the player and their DM's expectations of their players when creating their characters. Not every game's going to have a hardcore focus on the backstory. You're probably not going to have a full party of story driven players. Not every DM is going to place restrictions on their player's character creation, particularly when they're just starting to play a game together. Maybe that elf is hired help to guard the mines as there's been attacks by wild beast. Or maybe that stat bonus and racial skills of an elf are better for what the player had in mind. Or maybe the player just thinks playing an elf is fun for their first character!
I ran my first game on a night my regular group wasn't all there and they said they loved it. Took a chance to make voices, describe attacks, the environment and the works. Result, they loved it. Thanks for these videos. Your thoughts on the game are right up my alley. Please keep up the great work!
Yours is "When we last left our heroes" My table on roll20 is always playing "Sweet Home Alabama" and the players realize that the game started when i switch the music xD
Hey! I Don't know if you still check comments, but thank you for making these videos! I wanted to comment on your last video, The sociology of DnD - but comments are disabled. I can understand why. I just want to thank you for making that video, and bringing attention to those sorts of things. I'm the DM in my local group (that is also mostly women,) so I don't have to worry about rape and things coming up in sessions, but I can only imagine how awful that must be for those that do experience it and don't want to. Overall your videos are awesome! You bring up a lot of little things I I have not thought about before, and overall I hope I can improve my quality of DMing. Thanks for being awesome!
That's a bit sexist, to say women can't be as vile and awkward as dudes. I played in a game for a few sessions where the only female player played a female drow and her background was some edgy shit like : Sold as sex slave at about 12 and been used as a toy for years before killing her "master" but in the end she was enjoying it soo much that she was actively trying to fuck every male NPC / PC we met (even drugging some). But take it that's cool cuz women can't possibly have disgusting and uncomfortable fantasies. That's what annoyed me about that video. The presumption that if you are a white male playing D&D you are racist, sexist and make rape jokes while every minority/female is gonna be a saint in your game.
Teodor I don't think that's exactly what he was saying (although I could be wrong, I was going stuff as I watched the video) but I totally agree with the points you made.
So, I just watched the previous video, and of course I get why the comments are disabled, but I did want to express myself about it. I'm a girl and I just started playing about half a year ago. So far I haven't encountered that at all, but when I started to get interested and looked info up, there were a lot of post about women worried about other people's behavior. There were forums looking for all female groups and some stories like those, at least where they felt uncomfortable. I feel lucky and also sad about the reality, but there are awesome people out there as well and it shouldn't discourage anyone to play. Some people are assholes, don't waste your time, just walk away and play with other people. That also a great thing about playing this game, meeting all sorts of people along the way. By the way, epic line at the end.
Thank you for this great video and thank you for bringing up both the idea of controlling stealth and perception checks as a GM. The idea of controlling the players stealth roll is brilliant and I might just have to borrow it. For perception I'm inclined to go the same way or use "bad" perception as a tool to misdirect the players from what is really going on. - Player: "I rolled a 11 for perception" - GM "You notice twigs on the trees to the right of the road are broken, it seems someone left the path and walked into the woods here" While in reality what they where hoping to notice where the 3 goblins who hid in the trees close by.
I know you disabled comments for episode 8, but I really wanted to say this: Thank you. I cut my teeth DMing one-shots for absolute beginners to D&D in a pub in Nottingham (the same Nottingham that's obsessed with 'Robin Hood') every other Monday. I never knew who my players were until they showed up on the night, so it was difficult to gauge what players wanted from D&D. In a long campaign, the trick would be to include a little bit of everything. I once ran a four-session campaign with each session representing one of the four cornerstones of D&D gameplay: Stealth/Strategy; Survival; Roleplay and Combat. But in a one-shot? I found the easiest was to try and go for something like your "Capitol" (Incidentally, I used Waterdeep for that. Faerun already has a huge, multicultural Port-City). Or I'd go the other way and describe 'Blackthorn'; a Hamlet that was just off the main trading route between Baldur's Gate and Tor Garon. It was founded by travellers and merchants, and the distinctly multicultural populace of it reflects that: An Apothecary run by an old Dwarven Couple who also make the Tavern's speciality "Dwarven Strongmead". The Humans who run the Tavern - "Wagons & Flagons"; a rest stop for travellers who can get a meal and an ale whilst their horses and carriages are tended to; it is run in partnership with the local Blacksmith; a wizened old Red Dragonborn whose scales were just turning brown/black at the edges, partly from age and partly from working in his Dragonfire Forge for so many years. He also performed sermons for anyone who cared to pray with him, as he was a Forge-Domain Cleric by class. I did once get accused of 'pandering to the SJWs' when my focus on multiculturalism was spotted in a game. I was initially going to just let it go and continue with the game, but when he tutted and muttered after I initially ignored him I figured this needed addressing. "How is this pandering?" I asked. When he told me he didn't like the 'unrealistic' idea of a hamlet having all these different people on it, I initially joked "...but you're okay with dragons, Tarrasques, Demons, Orcs and Tieflings and all those other totally realistic aspects of D&D, right?". I then explained: "Blackthorn is born of merchants and travellers; not everyone is Human. The Dwarven Couple were chosen as Dwarves because Dwarves live for 400 years or so, and they are perfectionists by nature, which lends itself extremely well to the study of alchemy: Time plus dedication = results. The Blacksmith is a Dragonborn because frankly many of us have loved the idea of swords forged in dragonfire, and yet the concept of that is sorely underrepresented in D&D. A Dragonborn Blacksmith is the only realistic way that can be a thing. The Humans running the Tavern isn't a token representation on their part; humans make up 80% of Faerun's demographic." I did not enjoy the rest of that game. An awkwardness descended onto the table after that and not only did it limit the fun the players were having, but I was of a mind to simply phone the rest of the game in and just be done with the session as quickly as possible. I'd change the demographic in my games to suit Nottingham locals, but I don't know who the next group is going to be. Chalking it up to it just being the nature of the beast.
One of my favorite things about your videos Matt is how quickly you speak. I’m a fast talker myself and I find your videos extra engaging due to that! I watch other creators on .25x or .5x speed sometimes lol, but no need on yours! Keep it up!
Take a shot every time he says "doobly doo" lol In all seriousness though keep doing these man, easily makes the top 5 DND content channels on RUclips.
Just watched episode 8. Your awesome man! And inspiring. Had some rape jokes at the table last week and got I pretty bloody angry. but no one got me... Thought I was being over dramatic... Thanks for the solidarity. I really appreciate your understanding of the game, and you seem like you've dumped a lot of ego for applying yourself the way you have. Respect bro :)
Rape jokes and things like it are a rough one. I'm of the mindset that there's nothing wrong with any kind of joke, but certain kinds of jokes are a poor choice for people you don't know well, and are very difficult to manage to tell without a very bad reaction. Those people (usually) tell those jokes not because they actually view things like rape to be laughable events, but because they turn dark things humorous to either be edgy, or make it seem less scary. Usually to be edgy. Despite saying all this, I've never told a rape joke because I can't think why I would need to or how to even form one without sounding cringey. What's weird is, I think what he was talking about was rape being used in fantasy, and the way he was wording it, it sounded like he was talking about people putting their sexual fantasies into DND campaigns. Which sounds like the most awkward and weird thing I have ever heard. I'm pretty comfortable with who I am and what I like, but... what?
TheGreatYukon >Sexual D&D Oh, yeah, that happens. there's at least a thousand horror stories you could read. recommended (and least graphic) reading is the little blurb about the "Magical World" on 1d4chan, which was inspired by a comic that complains/makes fun of pretty much the same concept. It's... So, SO weird, and I don't know why anyone would even do that to their group of people they know in real life... I guess erotic roleplaying is a valid form of expression? I wouldn't want to knock on anybody who does, because there are a lot of unofficial books on it, so SOME PEOPLE must be putting in the effort and having a good time, but at the same time it's important to realize that most normal players are, well, normal players, and you should really discuss it first (if your players are even up to discuss it) because stuff like this SHOULD NOT HAPPEN out of the blue, if at all.
I always did wonder why "The Book of Erotic Fantasy" even existed, musta forgotten for a moment. I know there are communities of BDSM practitioners that meet up, have dinner, that sort of thing. It wouldn't surprise me if those were the people using these books. But like in BDSM, you don't just whip that shit out and expect everyone to know what's going on and be interested. Usually want to run that by people first. So yeah, surprise rape scenes are not courteous. Not sure who needed that shit spelled out.
I'm not sure it's limited to BDSM, sex-based groups, or any official circles, based sheerly on the vast array of kinds and colors there are on the internet, and the fact that any given roleplaying forum would gloss over saying "Keep so and so to PMs if you even bother doing that." I think it probably could happen with just a group of friends who are okay with what's happening, but they're also probably as much of a minority as those BDSM circles, and they've probably already had to meet and discuss things like that before D&D was even part of their passtime together. That, and I've been told there's 2 or 3 good paragraphs in BOEF discussing cultural attitudes toward sex and love that might be potentially useful and interesting to the even RARER minority of players who play half-orc/half-elf/homebrewed-half-anything and have parents or family members that are not functionally dead. But yeah, surprise rape isn't good at all, and surprise sexual features can also be morally messy depending on what the party's okay with. At the same time, odds are if they're doing it, a quick "that's not very good, stop that!" like Matt did in his video was probably all they really needed, since a surprising amount of people clam up the more uncomfortable they are and nobody ever told them.
@@YukonHexsun I'm a female player (now a DM for many years) and I've have rape thrust upon a character of mine before. No one at the table mentioned that kind of content was allowed when I joined the game; and at the time I hadn't been playing long enough to know to ask about it. The rape was described by the DM in very graphic detail, not even the courtesy of a fade-to-black, and he actually expected me to play along with it by describing how my character reacted to each part of the violation he described. I was mortified, and more than a little afraid for my own real-world well-being: I was the only girl there, and none of the other players did anything other than look at me expectantly after each DM description (despite the fact that I was quite obviously shaken and incredibly uncomfortable with the situation). I almost quit the hobby after that; I didn't even try to play D&D again for a whole year afterward. With all that said, I do think the some parts of the Book of Erotic Fantasy are quite good and have a valid place either in the game or in a DM's consideration of how their game world works. For example, the section on mind controlling magic and consent, and how using magic to force consent is unambiguously immoral, is something people should bear in mind in a world that includes charms and enchantments. Also, for anyone reading this who's new to the game, or has only played with close friends before, please learn from my mistake: ask about the kind of content allowed at the table when you join a game with people you don't know really well. And if you're in a game where you haven't asked about what content is allowed at the table, discretely ask the DM about it just as a precaution.
Thanks for this and all your videos, I'm currently making the transition from player to DM and I've been working through your playlist of videos and find them incredibly inspiring and helpful.
I notice you disabled the comments on video #8 but I felt I had something interesting to contribute so I wanted to add this here, hope you don't mind. You discuss that there are certain fantasies that seem to show up that you find distasteful, certain themes and story elements, for example rape; and cite Game Of Thrones as an example. Well, I'm one of the GMs that includes these elements in my games. I include rape, torture, racism, sexism, class warfare, slavery, and extreme poverty. I have these things in my game because I feel it makes my game more enticing. I use them as narrative elements and have them act as a contrast to the glorious, heroics of the campaign. It makes the setting feel dark, foreboding, and serious in a way that dragon attacks and orc raids don't.... But how do I make sure that I don't upset or offend people. How can I be sure that someone who's been a victim of sexual violence but isn't open about this, doesn't feel excluded or feel they're reliving painful memories. How do I make sure someone from a minority ethnicity doesn't feel marginalised by a game setting with overt racism and slavery in it. Well, I ask them openly in my session zero to do something specific... the "traffic lights" list. I give each player a piece of paper and I say to them. I'm happy to run any tone of game, from whimsical fantasy to dark and foreboding. I'm happy to include extreme violence, gore, and sex; and make the game graphic is people want a horror aesthetic, or scale that back entirely if people want a more Tolkien like fantasy. Given that. I want everyone to make three lists of things. Green, Amber, and Red. The Green is for elements you'd actively like to explore. This can be anything from "Pirates" to "Good vs. Evil" or even something specific like "Roman Empire" or esoteric like "What it means to be kind", it can even be something mechanics based like "Fight Dragons", "Political espionage game" or "Traditional dungeon crawl". Whatever things you're excited to explore add to the green list. The Amber list is for things you're interested in but want to have handled tactfully. Like for example if you're happy for their to be sex in the game, but you'd prefer we "fade to black" and just ignore any details, put that in the Amber list. The important list is the Red list. This is where you put your hard limits. If you really don't want a setting that includes slavery, add it in here. If the tradition short drunk Scottish miner stereotype for Dwarfs annoys you and you'd hate to have to deal with them, put them here. If you have something that particularly upsets you or a phobia you don't want to deal with add it here. One player I know always adds 'Spiders' to this list, which is good because the Drow are a race that worship spiders, have giant spiders, and follow a spider-demon god; so if he plays they're either not in the setting or I change them. Anything can be added to the red list. Once the lists are made, I'll compile them together and give out a copy of the red list. This is the "hard limit". These things are not to be discussed or done at the game table. That way we all have a good time. I like my system, and as the GM, I also make my own list. I for example had my girlfriend have a miscarriage so I find the subject quite upsetting. I add things like "Miscarriage" to Amber, and "Horror Foetal Imagery", "Pregnant women in peril" to the Red column as it's bothers me. Certain video games like The Binding Of Issac are impossible for me to play due to the foetal body horror. I'm also physically disabled so I add, "PCs unable to cope with disabilities" as a Red as well. I'm happy for someone to play a one-legged person or a blind person, but they need to be overcoming their disabilities and be awesome in spite of them. It's too sombre to see a character being portrayed as helpless due to disabilities. This makes everyone closer I find, and for long campaigns it helps to ensure that we've got a game that will explore what we want, and avoid what will upset us all. Hopefully this was an interesting comment. Great series Matt. It's a shame you felt the need to disable comments on the other video but I can see it's a delicate issue. Hopefully you don't feel I overstepped the mark here.
TornadoCreator You mentioned PCs overcoming their disabilities and being awesome despite them, well that reminded me of a character that I last played He's basically a swordsman from a desert country, but due to certain events, his right arm was severed, and he was right-handed. Despite this though, he ends up an extremely dextrous character, being able to wield his sword with great speed and precision, and ended up being one of the coolest swordsmen ever.
Finding out that players change in some games due to the pressence of a woman geuninely disturbed me, and I don't get disturbed easily. My campaigns, much like yours, already feature all of this horrible stuff (And Its happened to a PC, at one point. What happened, I'll leave you to guess.) I have a player that's squicked the fuck out by things like eyeballs and fingernails and sinews, but sometimes, he'll have to bite the bullet because in a horror campaign (Many which I run. I ran a 2-player campaign called *The Devil's Keep*. I'm sure you can imagine what wondrous tortures happened there.) so maybe that's why I was affected so strongly. My mind just went 'What? No way...' and I started worrying that the female players in my campaigns feels that way. On the complete flipside, in a campaign I am in _right now_, run by an older woman with 2 other women as players, It seems to feature a lot more horrible stuff than most campaigns. I don't think It's a gender issue, just that some GMs sees It as a playground, and more diverse players just means more pieces.
@@ninjabastard666 I'd consider you to be unrational based on that comment. A little compassion goes a long way. There's no need to label people 'special snowflakes' if they feel genuinely uncomfortable by situations in the game, even if you don't.
I realize that I am 2 years late to this party, but I wanted to say that running a "Session 0" in order to create a "traffic lights" list it a great idea and very reasonable .
I really like the idea of the stealth and perception checks not being public for the players. Adds just enough tension to the game and I will be using that for my game going forward. Also, just wanted to say a very big thank you for doing these videos. Not many people DM and as someone who has been doing it since age 13 (none of my friends were creative enough as kids to run games), I find all of your videos insightful and I appreciate your commitment to the DM genre :D Recommended your videos to the DM of my current game I play in (Yay I get to actually be a player) and he has enjoyed them as well. Much respect and I look forward to every other video you make.
Thank you for this! We game in a space without much table real estate, so I taped two small plastic photo albums together - the kind you get at the dollar store - and filled the pages with small prints of the characters' stats and common monsters, along with any cheat sheets I need. The outside can be customized with pictures of whatever the current setting is. It's cheap to make and super handy!
Just stumbled across your series by accident, and I've binge-watched the first 8. You, sir, are inspirational, entertaining and educational. It's been a long time since I DM'd, and your videos are up there with Matt Mercer's and Satine Phoenix's! Thank you! :D
A friend of mine bought a plastic, three-panel menu cover from a restaurant supply company, typed up his own pages to slide into the slots, and used that as his DM screen when he ran our campaign. It was very durable and the cover itself was less than $5!
I just want to say that as a new play to table top RPGs you videos have been very helpful to start running a game as a DM. These videos have help me get new players to have lots of fun. im hooked at this point and I will continue to watch for tips and new ideas to introduce to my players. I would love to have a seat at your table though, I feel like it would be an amazing learning exp. Well keep them coming
You nailed it with your initial thought on this one. I have been running a CoC campaign for a while now. At the start of the game, asking the players to summarize the previous session and their current situation has opened all kinds of doors/ideas because what they perceived (especially in a game like CoC where there is a lot of mystery) was so much different than how I perceive game events. Sometimes what they think is going on gives me better ideas than I had previously planned.
Just got a reply from him today on twitter. The 9th episode is this one. He missed one in the numbering of them and he's gonna get around to fixing it. Relax, you didn't miss out on anything ;)
Hey Mathew, back to the game after a few decades away and even more recently picked up the DM role again. Introducing a new generation (literally) to the great joy of the game. And they love it! So far your DM series has been absolutely spot on. I wanted to comment on the last video but see you've disabled comments. However, I had to let you know that I (for one) totally 100% agree with every single word you said. Back when we were teens I did experience some of the negatives you recount; prepubescent nonsense I guess, but it was there. I'm sure even those boys have grown up now. Thanks for the great work bro, really appreciate it. Peace back at ya brother
I love the idea of having the players recap the last session. My most recent group took this to heart when I offered a small reward for doing it, and insisted everyone take turns. They wrote up the events like it were a diary entry and read it at the start of the game. I didn't say that I wanted it done this way specifically that was all on them and it was fantastic.
I will be DMing my first campaign starting in late Summer / Early Fall 2018, and I want to thank you for all of these videos. They are an amazing resource as a new DM and they have a lot of ideas and guidelines for me to incorporate into my game.
Thanks for making these videos! Going to DM once my friends and I are done our Strahd campaign. It will be my first time dming, so it seems like a lot to drink in! Binge watching all your videos!
I couldn't comment in the previous video and I just wanted to say that I was in a really bad day and that video made me feel better, I think is because I could see the love that went into making it. Thank You !!
So, you role their perception and stealth for them? That's genius, dude. I love it! I always thought it was a weakness for people to know each others numbers, your party can't see your own hiding characters either. This works so well.
Loving your videos so far. I have started an after school DnD club to introduce it to my middle school students, but learning to DM was causing me some stress and you are helping that a lot! #8 was magical by the way!
There is no need for the DM to roll for a player in order to keep information hidden. If your players do not say something along the lines of "I'd like to take a closer look" or "What do I see?/What does it look like?" they are not actively Perceiving. Active Perception and Passive Perception are designed for this reason. If you want to know if a player can see something, without cluing them in, consult their Passive Perception. For stealth just don't tell them if they succeed or fail. This preserves the feeling that the player is in control of their character while retaining the uncertainty of success. It also keeps with the mechanics of feats like Luck and other abilities that a player might have that can augment a roll. Think about how a player might use bardic inspiration on a stealth check if you won't tell them how high they rolled. While the player likely will not know if a enemy has spotted them they will likely be aware of how loud they are being and how low behind that wall they are. Just say something along the lines of "You duck behind that wall." or "You back up into the shadows." Say something that confirms that you know that they are in stealth and have the number you need to check against. Do not say "You are hidden." or "You successfully duck into the shadows." The game was designed with these things in mind. Please try to make use of them.
+Willis Pearson I think you'd discover, if your player rolls a 3 on their stealth check, they have a *pretty good idea* how well-hidden they are. :D And maybe that makes sense to you as the DM. It's how I run the game now. But if you want a more immersive game, where there's tension surrounding hiding ("was I seen? Can they see me?") just as there would be in the real world, you have the option of making those rolls behind the screen and telling your players "Well, you certainly think you're hidden!"
+Matthew Colville Sorry if my first post sounded a bit abrasive it was not intended to be so. It was mostly just suggestions for how to get the same or similar results from the standard play. While I understand the value of immersion consider the fact that this kind of house rule literally takes the dice from the players hands and puts them into yours. If your players are ok with that fantastic. My opinion is that this kind of suspense and tension can be gained without house ruling. If a player rolls a 3 I would suspect that the action that would result would be quite obviously not sneaky. By hiding every sneak roll you are forcing every single time they sneak to be high tension and stress. The standard results in a nice balance of tension and skill sometimes you are on point and get it done sometimes you fall on your face but still other times you just don't know. I don't see how closer to realistic you can get. All in all how you want to play is up to you. As long as you are playing its all good in my book. There are times when you have to bend or even break the game to have the fun you want to have. Its just my opinion that you should try to get at that fun within the system before you start adding complexity. Have fun and game on!
+Willis Pearson Was meaning to say this in the post above but I got carried away. I am enjoying this entire series a great deal. You and Matt Mercer's videos of DMing are some of the best on the net. Most other DMs like to make How I DM videos and call them How to DM videos. You provide many positions and never try to suggest there is only one way to play. With the advent of D&D's popularity on RUclips I have been waiting and crawling the site for good unbiased DM advice. Love your work and now your channel!
There is a WALL of text below. In response to a post from 2 days before I responded about a post from almost a year ago. This is important for a DM to understand so please read on I know its long and gets a bit ranty but if you care about this situation you should read the whole thing. I await responses I would wonder if the character knew he failed or not and why or why not. Remember that 1 represents the action of sneaking that 1 is him being bad at sneaking. What does that mean to the character? That means stepping on creaky floorboards, knocking over a vase, or 101 other ways get noticed. He can still roll a 1 and succeed his check here (there is no critical fail or success on ability checks in 5e). What if the thing he is hiding from also rolls a 1 and has a -1 modifier. That is a situation that is interesting in a game. Explain that in game. The character steps on a creaky floorboard at the same time that the creature gets distracted by a rat making noises in another room or hundreds of other funny or interesting or suspenseful situations that you have just boiled down to you don't know why you got caught but back here I rolled a 1 for you. These actions take place they are not just numbers on dice. Every time you roll a die there is an action and that action reflects the result of the die. You are saying that a player/character that got a 1 on sneak would not know it was being loud and standing in plain view. Why was he spotted and would his character also know if he was being noticeable? On a 1 yes he would most likely know on a 15 sneak vs a 16 perception perhaps not but that is built into the difference of the roll. What if they get a 20 sneak but the creature gets a 21 perception. It has to reflect the action as it happens in game not just I got a 13 and you got a 14. Roleplay not Rollplay. If I fail to hit there is a reason why. If I fail to sneak there is a reason why. Those reasons are why the player knows the results of their actions. Should you hide the attack roll as well? Why not? I have players all the time uses success and fail on hits to find the AC of a creature. Well at some point in a fight you know how hard something is to hit. The excuse of immersion is frail. Why would the character not know? I can give thousands of situations where they would and can thank of only a few where they would not and those involve them barely failing the check. Do not make choices for the player because you think it feels better for them that way. Doing it only on stealth rolls can also bring in the issue of the thief feeling like he never gets to roll. You roll almost all his checks but not the barbarians. Why? Because the DM feels that you will like it better this way. This creates problems and solves nothing you can not force immersion and if D&D needs more immersion then I don't know what the word Roleplay means.
hey Matt, i really like the stealth and perception idea. it gives the game a more narrative feeling and i may try it out myself. Keep up the good work.
not sure if it'll help at all, but i had an experience with a metagamer recently. what worked for me was i (and one of the other players) told him a few times during one session to stop metagaming everytime he did it. eventually, after him doing it consistently, i (as the DM) made him roll an extra save during a party madness saving throw as a "result" of his character being fed information from an unknown otherworldly source. he went along with it and got a madness as a result of it. at the end of the session, i called him out and asked him if he knew why i'd punished him, to which he replied "supposedly" metagaming. i told him straight out that he WAS metagaming and that he needed to stop, and cited a few examples of what he'd done earlier. after that, he stopped doing it and things went pretty well from then on. just tell the metagamer to stop, and after 3 (or w/e) strikes, punish them somehow (and incorporate it realistically into the game if that's your preference). if they get pissy about it, explain to them that they're making the game less enjoyable for everyone else, and if they don't stop it, you'll continue dishing out punishments or even ask them to leave the group. at that point it's up to them to decide whether to stop doing it, or just leave the game because they're too immature to stop being selfish. if you're a player and not a DM, i suggest talking to the DM about it. they should be capable of handling situations like this. hope that helps somewhat. sorry for the long answer :P
If you homebrew a lot of your monsters (or modify them heavily), it's hard to metagame because they wont know what the hell they are. Another suggestion I read on Facebook that I think is really clever, and this is also about monsters, is to not give your monsters the exact same stats. It makes sense that, in a group of 10 orcs, a few would have lower or higher AC, different weapons, etc. Directly confronting the players is great, but setting up your game so that metagaming is genuinely difficult is not only great for experienced players who may have trouble pretending to not know something they know very well, but throws a wrench into the plans of people who meta constantly. Also, it sorta depends on what's "metagaming" to you. I don't see the issue with sharing actual health totals with the healer, because those numbers exist to stand in for what the characters can see; wounds, a slumping guard, even a limp, and just keeping track of who's been getting hit and how hard it looked like they got wailed on.
@@YukonHexsun I homebrew almost all my monsters. I treat the monster manuals as a guide, but individual monsters will vary widely, just like people in any group do. Some monsters are the same in name only. I had a player once who was one of those people who had literally memorized the monster manual, but it didn't help him any when my monsters weren't like the ones in the book.
I agree with your idea of going with the players ideas, many of times the most content and story progression i get is listening to the player banter before and after game. Like you, i've traditions as well, i allow an hour of player banter and catching up before game starts and an hour (or two) of time after game for players to come to me and give their opinions, suggestions, and ideas.
I love to up the tension by requiring players to roll perception for nothing. Or randomly roll and write something down. If they ask I just smile and say you don't notice anything.
You have the eyes of ray bradbury, the brows of orson wells, and the beard of wolverine. For this I salute you
And the speech patterns of Niel deGrasse Tyson.
I thought he was Kevin Smith's cousin.
lol, I was thinking Wolverine too!!!
Kinda getting the Mifune vibe beard-wise, but maybe that's because of the Rashomon clip.
It's Hankerin' Fernail!!!
Hey the comments on the last episode, "Sociology of D&D" were locked for understandable and depressing reasons. But I really wanted to thank you for making it, so I thought I would just do it here. I am past 30 now and only recently have started very tentatively exploring playing D&D myself, even though I have bought all the core rulebooks since 3.5e when I was a teenager, and spent hours reading them and making up characters and scenarios etc. And even now, still I am only playing with my boyfriend because I just never have felt comfortable in "nerd culture" spaces despite like 90% of my interests being super traditional "nerd culture" interests.
Your example of the hypothetical GM's "middle eastern friend" was so on point for me. I am white, so I haven't felt excluded because of my race/cultural background, but as a woman it is almost exactly the mode of exclusion I've experienced. Nobody really said I couldn't play or shouldn't play with them, there were just subtle ways of talking and certain assumptions made that made me feel -- exactly, as you say, unwelcome and sometimes actually uncomfortable. And I know lots of those guys, and like 'nerd culture' generally, didn't and don't think they're pushing women and people of colour away from their games/passions, or that their attitudes or behaviour are problematic. So, I hope, for those of them who are well-intentioned but misinformed, your example is a really useful trigger for them to re-evaluate.
Anyway, thank you so much for making the video, and for the feeling and sincerity with which you delivered it. Especially the bit about really having to dislike a person before you want to make them feel unwelcome around you. It just all was really great, and it made me feel really, like ... validated and included. Gosh that sounds so corny... But, really, thank you so much.
PS. Your 1950s bandstand presenter voice is a thing of both beauty and wonder.
I totally agree with your comment, and literally came on here planning to write the same thing. As a woman i really appreciated the message!
I also wanted to leave a comment on the previous video. My first GM was openly gay, and that perspective was included in his world. So when I took over GM'ing, I never thought anything of it. I was confused by that paragraph at the start of 5e that boiled down to "be inclusive" because it seemed redundant to me, and a needless reminder that this is fantasy, that anything we want can be done.
I don't tend to address sexuality at all in my games (I don't want to play that kind of game), and I like to change up gender roles from time to time to keep players on their toes. I also like to include lots of cultures, as it keeps things fresh and interesting to explore new places. But my group is largely the same as the one my first GM had, and there have been no opportunities to play with people who might take issue with western Fantasyland. That was a good breakdown of the topic, and a good reminder of the issues that can go into it, as well as making people feel excluded by default. Well done.
It depresses me to think there was anything wrong with what he was saying as broadly the message I got was "Consider your players wants and perspectives when making your game and designing your setting". Which seems like pretty solid advice. Obviously you want a setting you as a dm enjoy as well but I tend to find there is a pretty big overlap in "stuff I enjoy in a game" and "stuff other people enjoy in a game".
Seeing as how I've mainly played within the same group most of the time I've never come up against those kind of issues and feel quite lucky for it.
Reminder that white liberals are literally the only one with an outgroup bias.
No other race has this.
@@shade081 Nope. He did not.
He was very contradictory in the video. He said that rape freaked him out in DnD. - I bet, if his players were to rape another player for fun, he would be freaked out, even if the players have fun.
Not everyone is going to be an ideological fanatic.
Matt, you brought up the "whole body DM screen," and though that does seem weird...
Today, we play on Roll20 without Cameras, and it's sort of like the same thing. At times, I'm biting my lip to keep from laughing at the zany ideas the PCs have. I drop my head on my desk as they make horrible decisions...
I can have these emotions without them knowing, so all they have to go on is my narration and the map. huh... odd. It all comes full Circle =D
@OX XY Seems kinda mean
Ignore the asshat from before, using a Fully Body DM screen seems weird at first, but it honestly is way more beneficial to the DM and making sure that they don't spoiler the players, and then the players can do whatever they want without knowing what they might be planning could potentially be incredibly stupid.
As a Roll20 DM, I agree. There are times that my players are discussing their plans that I just shut up and wait for them to come to a decision. I remember playing face to face, the players would always try to read me. So yeah, online tables have brought us full circle.
Ive been told that I’m very difficult to read, so I don’t really worry about my players reading me. Besides, I know how to give off false tells.
Not being able to read my players, that would be unnerving to me as a GM.
God imagine choosing to use Roll20. How young and naïve we were 3 years ago
Firefox crashed while loading this video so all I heard was Matt say "FUDGE!" loudly and then my browser closed.
10/10 video, Matt, would watch again.
Leon S. Kennedy then the how hell did you post this??
Lunar Emerald probably after repairing Firefox.
Leon S. Kennedy 😂😂 that's pretty good
Leon S. Kennedy wow
Hey Matt, I think it's really Sad You had to deactivate commentaries on the previous video, but I totally get it, so I'm using the space on this video to thank you for the previous one. It was one of the best and problably the most needed, thank you!
Rare are the comments I agree to as much as I agree to this one. Thanks João Sol, well said!
Hear hear! Hail Matt!
It’s sad that controversial opinions are brought up but only one side is entertained and then comments are turned off when people disagree
@@teers6258 I have a hunch: what do you think diversity of identities brings to a setting, narrative etc.?
@@justinr5433 that’s a very complex question and response that it would take many paragraphs to work through. For instance, diversity or a different mindset on what is allowed at the table could make it not fun for one or more (e.g. running an Underdark campaign and having the drow use slaves). In that instance you cannot run that setting where all would enjoy - making the difference of opinions a problem. However, I welcome strategic differences and approaches to problem solving, which is where the true strength of diversity shines.
I know these vids are super old and no one will probably see this, but i really want to say this. The video before this fucking slaps. Hearing Matt say those things with such conviction made me so, so happy. If you're reading this Matt, Thank You.
I just read the top comment which is saying the exact thing i just said but better. Small world
Man, your last video "The Sociology of D&D" was one of the best and most thoughtful D&D-videos I have watched. Comments on that video is turned off so I'm putting my comment here instead. I also intensely liked one of the preceding ones, "Why we play D&D", these videos together put your channel in the absolute top-tier of D&D channels on YT and that says a lot because there are a LOT of D&D channels on YT. It is also very inspiring to continuously see that you put all of your decades of experience in use in such a deeply humane and satisfying way which is expressed by your very genuine statement of "if you had fun, I had fun". You totally get it and you are helping other people also getting it!
🙌🏻
It's pretty iffy to add a comment about a previous video rather than this one, but he actually turned off comments on "The Sociology of D&D" and he was right to do so. I can't imagine the shit-storm he must have stirred up with it.
First things first, in that video he said sexual violence (rape) has no place in D&D. He is 100% right about that. Everything I type from he forward is a secondary point to this.
Second thing...uh...second. He says specifically that Books are not D&D, and D&D is not books. He says that, but his earlier comments make it appear as if he doesn't really believe that. I think it's true. I think the two have things in common, but they are not the same thing.
Third thing third. Books very often hold up a mirror to the reader. Not specifically of the reader (though that can happen), but of the very real world they live in. Books are meant to do just that. So, when a writer includes sexual violence in their books (as George R.R. Martin does in his A Song of Ice and Fire series) most likely they are doing it for realisms sake, to show the horrors of it, not to glorify it.
Colville doesn't seem to understand this.
That's OK. He can be wrong about that one thing. He's not perfect, no one is, and I don't expect him to be. But he's also not above criticism. That's my very specific criticism. I'm very late to the party, and I suspect no one will ever read this, but it had to be said.
I had to lie to my players just last night. The gnome ranger landed an ensnaring strike with disadvantage against a displacer beast, and the beast failed the saving throw to avoid being ensnared. And after I loudly and excitedly announced "you ensnare the displacer beast!" the player reminded me that large creatures have advantage against the save. So I rolled again and rolled a 20... At this point the party was already amped up because the beast already took out one player with a single hit, and restraining it was a huge turning point in the fight. So I just let them have it. According to the rules and the dice, the beast was free, but as the DM I thought it would kill the excitement in the room.
Alternatively in this case you could have argued away the advantage against the save by stating the displacer beast isn't in a good position to use it's position/size to any real effect that would indicate any kind of advantage.
When you roll a dice you gotta be prepared for the critical success or failure, at a key moment a reroll could spell doom for an encounter.
When the situation calls for it, as the DM you can decide to take into account other features of the gameplay that might not be explicity covered by the rules in order to avoid stealing a players thunder.
Or in other words, a kind of cheating that doesn't involve an outright lie.
I'm not saying what you did was wrong because you clearly had a justification for it, but in future you're not always going to have the opportunity to fudge dice rolls when it's needed.
So adding in reasons to give or take away advantage on a dice roll is a powerful tool you can use. And/or giving players inspiration dice as a reward for playing in character if you feel the party might need it.
What level were your players when they fought the displacer beast? also how many players? I've always though the displacer beast was a cool monster, and was wondering how it went for you and your players!
You absolutely made the right call.
This is the way.
Few games into my first DMing and it’s going great. All 5 of the players are now together and coordinated in the town and walking through the streets to head to one of many available quest leads.
They are accosted and attacked by bandits and ruffians. After a few rounds of combat I say “as you complete your spell you see another of the redband bandits slink out of the alley beside you and start to charge forward…”
I get a few stares and someone said “we didn’t know who they were yet” and we all laugh. I then say “he says as he walks forward ‘you picked the wrong day to mess with the redbands… and this is a cocky threat and not because the DM had a lapse of judgement” and we all had a laugh.
Easy enough to retcon
Eventually I'll do a video about playing D&D online using a Virtual Tabletop. I have a lot of experience with Fantasy Grounds and in spite of it's ABSURDLY bad UI, I think it's great.
The reason I bring it up is because one of the many amazing benefits of running D&D over FG is it gives the DM the power to, with a click of a button, roll, say, a History check for each member of the group and tell you the results without the players seeing.
That lets the DM do some neat stuff. "Duncan, you remember hearing about...," without asking the players to roll. Does a lot to aid immersion.
It also lets you roll Stealth and Perception for the players without alerting them to the results. Of course, Passive Perception is meant to handle this, but in my experience Passive Perception is typically too low to be useful.
ever play on roll20?
it's the online platform I've played on for the past 3 years
+kkplx Yes I have used roll20 for the last 6 months, I love the light and shade effect, but my players hate it as they cannot see where they have been. I try to remind them that if they were in a real cave, they would not be able to see back where they came from then. I fully agree with fudging rolls when necessary, both in favour and out of favour of the PC's I have for years been reprimanded by other GMs for doing it. I do not abuse it, not make it obvious. However I think a GM has a duty to look after the narrative and without players that falls flat on its face.
+P Burrow the thing is, neither I nor my players enjoy fudged rolls - instead I give them tools to compensate for RNG in the form of action points
+Matthew Colville Roll20 is FG without all the extra stuff to get in the way. Its a barebones kit that is there to just help us play DND instead of fiddling around with all the fluff that available in FG or tabletop simulator.
+kkplx In my own personal DM experience, I HAVE to fudge many rolls to keep things challenging because two of my players have insanely good rolls (their average hit rolls are around 15 on the dice) and my average roll is a 5... meaning I generally miss 90% of the time with my enemies. So I'll generally fudge a few rolls to hit my characters a biit more often and make sure they feel like there's an actual chance they might get killed before they steamroll everything I put before them (I already have to adjust encounter levels 2-3 levels higher than their own just to make it more interesting and hard.)
My players know I'll do this but could not tell you when, because I always give them a number. All I 'really' do is sometimes, when I roll a 5, I'll shift the dice to 13 instead... (hilariously, some times my shifted higher 'roll' is still not enough to hit them lol)
There's two rolls that I never fudge though... and that's natural 1's and natural 20's.
This is an old series, but I just want to say that I really appreciate the previous episode, "The Sociology of D&D". I hope that, you being a man, a lot of guy nerds have found your voice easier to listen to and have considered inclusion in their games. Personally, I don't care if people mess up, just that they get better.
Your hair has a 20 Charisma. Most impressive
I don't know why this made me laugh so hard, because it's true!
I just watched episode 8...again.
Fucking bravo, sir.
I've never watched a dnd video that made me say, "Hell YES! This isn't just dnd...this is how LIFE should be."
I am a river to my people!
Hey man, I know you're probably never going to see this, as this series was posted a little while ago, but I just wanna say that episode #8 really made me think. I'm new to DnD as a player, and I was pretty sure that I wanted to DM, but now I'm 100% convinced that I should. Everyone should, or at least they should try. To facilitate that feeling, that feeling of inclusion amongst people you don't even necessarily consider your close friend is an incredible thing, and something sorely needed in the world today. So I just want to thank you. It was a very touching video.
I'm a very new DM and and I totally agree
Good obversation Liam
I’m in the process of putting together a campaign. My first full world creation. During that video I started thinking about some of the NPCs I have created. I thought about their descriptions. I will now be going back and altering some of those descriptions, because that is not the world I want to share with my friends and players.
Please note, I have a mixed heritage from at least four different cultural backgrounds. I grew up with people from many different cultural backgrounds. I have worked with people from all over the world. I’ve been to every state in the union but two, Puerto Rico and I’ve been to or lived in 9 different countries. I know that basic pleasantries in at least 6 different languages (I’ve forgotten more than I remember in those languages). I have played characters from many different ethnic backgrounds and I’ve played both male and female characters in many different TTRPGs. And even I was falling into the Fantasy Land stereotype when creating my world. Fantasy Land is not going to be my world.
I cannot say how grateful I am for episode 8 (video 9) in this series for changing the course of my world and my campaign.
Just want to echo the other replies, that 3 years after these videos went up, I'm watching them in preparation to DM for the 1st time. Some of the stuff in episode 8 I have never thought about and some I hope will NOT be relevant in the games I run. But it certainly made me think, and that will surely make our game better. So, thank you.
Tom Letowski Goodluck on running the game! PS: you might be nervous but the players are supportive you will always get better.
Thank you! You are the first GM I have heard talking about it who don't actually look down on fudging rolls where it would be appropriate.
+Akernis There's a lot of Adversarial DM culture we're still saddled with from the 70s and 80s and the Let The Dice Fall Where They May tradition is part of that.
And that's cool! I have a lot of fondness for that style of play, but I've proven to myself sufficiently that you can foster that feeling of "this is real, Matt's not just making up answers, it's down to the dice" without letting the dice ruin the experience. It just takes practise.
I have and will continue to to fudge rolls when it makes sense from a story perspective. I've also done it when I've screwed up and made an encounter too hard.
For me as a Swedish RPGamer having grown up with the Nordic Roleplaying that baffles me that people look down on fudging. We're raised with the one rule that the GM is always right, not the system mechanics, not the setting material, not the dice results and if one wants to go so far to say that not even the players are right and that it's a trust in each other, that everyone is there to make everyone feel entertained, that drives and is at the root of the hobby.
Dice can ruin that experience, system mechanics can put limitations on how a group want to experience the game and a setting and hinder the possibility of character concepts and story development.. None of that should dictate the experience. They are all but tools to use for entertainment as you (GM/group) see fit.
A lot of times talking with different RPGamers online it seems that the element of trust in each other, that everyone is there to make sure everyone else, not just yourself, are entertained, seems lost, and I wonder what's the point then? People being held hostage by "it's the only game in town" and similar situations and that's just horrible.
GM's job is to know the players, to get to know the players, to use that knowledge to manipulate them into having fun. Something that some time sgets lost is that the players should also try to make sure they are entertaining, to their fellow players and their GM. Trust in your group and roleplay situations in which they get opportunities to act and roleplay and further storylines.
Course that hopefully come smore and more with experience. But I often, way to often see people mention how they have gotten stuck and forgotten what it's all about (mutual entertainment).
definitely agree with the sentiment. when i DM, i try to follow one major rule: try to make sure the players are having fun. i've noticed that the dice often have a "mind" of their own and occasionally roll for a very bad outcome that might cause mutter or uproar of a not having fun kind, and i like having the freedom to subtly alter things to go a route that i feel would be better for group morale. of course not saying at all that a game should be all sunshine and rainbows without any challenge or drama, just that sometimes incidents pop up that would royally fuck things up in a not funny or epic way and are better off just avoided.
i had one person in my last group who had the worst luck at dice rolls and i really liked having the power to "balance" that out a bit to make playing a much more enjoyable experience for him, as opposed to him just making a character with shit stats, constantly failing at everything he tried to do, and as a result just giving up and leaving the game. situations like that are what DM fudging helps to fix. just my two cents.
As a rule, I won't fudge a roll to a player's detriment, but if the Ogre rolls a 20 against the wizard, I reserve the right to change it to a "glancing blow" instead.
Really loving this series. I especially loved the previous one. I am a queer woman who started playing D&D at the beginning of covid. I am now 59 - so late to the game so to speak. Our DM has been playing for 30 years and he is fantastic. He suggested these videos when I said I might one day like to DM. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insight and thanks for being inclusive.
I am 50 and haven't played since 1st edition. love this series. Thank you for the very well done videos with informative content. Excited to get back to playing.
I've watched multitudes of long time DMs talking about running the game, but with every episode it becomes clearer that you are the perfect guy to talk to me about it on youtube^^
PS: Dooblidoo (did i spell that right?) might be my new favourite thing ever =)
+Dhalgrim I stole "Dooblidoo" from the vlogbrothers! They were a big inspiration to me in starting this channel.
Glad you're getting a kick out of the series!
+Matthew Colville Aww I was starting to enjoy the "Blah Blah." First time I heard you say it I was like "That is a Dooblidoo but I will accept blah blah as an alternitive!"
+Willis Pearson Man I don't even know why I said "Blahblah," it's CLEARLY a Dooblidoo!
+Matthew Colville Hank and John rock! You 3, Prince Ea, boogie2988 & Emergency Awesome are my favorite RUclipsrs. Another great video Matthew.... still loving them and smiling every time I watch one.
+Matthew Colville Dooblydoo was invented by Wheezywaiter, I think haha
DM: "Player 1, Roll perception"
Player 1: "got a 20!"
DM: "You notice some particularly nice looking flowers in the rocks appx 20 yards ahead on the left side of the road."
Yes, I have players roll perception for random reasons. This way they never know if a failed perception was important.
Thanks for this tip, gonna use it when I start
Passive perception doesnt go in? Kinda lame when i belive the pcs have eyes ?
random perception rolls are a hallmark of lazy DMs. if you can't describe it effectively why is it even in your campaign?
Now they are going to investigate the hell out of the flowers for rest of the session
F Huber
DM: *Rolls a die behind the screen.* Player on watch, roll perception.
Player: I got a 14.
DM: You hear the insects in the night go silent. A moment later they start up again. What are you doing?
If they wake the party and do a search, they will get a later start the next day to allow for a full nights rest. If they insist on getting up early the magic users will not be able to renew their spells and every one will risk suffering from fatigue later in the day.
DM: The remainder of your watches go uneventfully.
A lower roll would result in an unnerving feeling of something not right. A nat 1 would result in them being certain that they heard movement or a voice from somewhere behind them. (Maybe it was someone rolling over or mumbling in their sleep.)
A higher role would have revealed a rustling in the underbrush in an indeterminate direction and distance. A total of 20-24 would reveal the direction, but no the distance. A natural 20 or a total of 25 or higher would reveal the direction and approximate distance.
A search in the darkness by anyone but a ranger would reveal nothing. A ranger would have a very high dc to find anything.
Maybe it was an assassin or a spy. Maybe it was some vile creature scoping them out. Maybe it was just some random forest creature. Who knows?
I find this to be a very effective method of adding tension to the game. I use it sparingly and usually when the players aren’t paying attention, have become too complacent or as a foreshadowing of something to come later. Or maybe I’m just fishing for ideas from the players on what they are expecting so that I can tailor the adventure to them. ;) The world may never know. And I’m not telling.
Thank you, Matthew Colville, for making all of these videos. Because of your help, I started DMing for my small group of three friends and I just got a compliment I won’t forget. One friend confided in us that he began to lose interest in d&d but my story reinvigorated his interest. I have only you to thank for being such an influence in my style of story telling as well as role play. You made my friends have fun. So I had fun. So I hope, in turn, you have fun learning this.
Matt, I know it has been an age since this series came out, but I felt I had to comment. I am sorry that comments for the previous video had to be turned off. As a white, middle aged, straight, western european male I wanted to say your previous video brought me to tears. Thank you for being the voice for reasonable, empathetic and most importantly genuine human beings put there. I applaud you for what you have done for this past time and I hope you have found happiness and joy bringing those exact same things to everyone you have encounter in the world. Bravo. You are an inspiration.
I had a lot I wanted to say about your previous video but as comments are disabled, I wont, other than to say I thought it was a great message. I am really enjoying your series here and find it very informative and inspiring :)
GenXBeholder Seriously great message. I don't often comment, but I absolutely agree and must say so.
I get why he disabled the comments though, totally understandable. RUclips is not a good place to talk about sensitive topics when there is just one person to moderate the comments.
The new revised edition of the screen has listened to your advice as the tables are more useful now. Good advice btw
You are incredible :) I've run 3 sessions total as a DM, and my players will THANK you for all the improvements to come from your advice. Stay cool, Mr. Dooblidoo. Peace. Out.
I want to thank you for previous video. It made me open my eyes to potential failures on my part, having ASD, to look in the best interest of other player's wishes and fantasies.
It's always a struggle for me to socialize a lot, and I feel a strong improvement lately, but I would've definitely fall into that little trap if you didn't tell the viewers about it. :D
So I recently found this series, and I just want to compliment you. Even though you seem to focus ALOT on the official D&D 5e and such, this is great system agnostic advice. Which I appreciate being a pathfinder GM myself. Keep on rocking!
I have a hard time holding the idea of Pathfinder as a "different system" in my head, although I realize there are people who strongly do.
If someone invited me to play D&D and busted out Pathfinder, it would be like busting out AD&D or 4E. Just another version of the game.
I feel the same way, but, if you did not know, there has been a wave of 5E specific content on youtube right now, and when I look up videos for mechanical content, it always goes back to 5E which might not tell me how splash weapons or action economy works in Pathfinder. But, on the other hands, advice videos that can work with almost ANY system is great. Which is why I'll keep watching your videos sir.
Kinda weird to be catching up on these older episodes, hear Matthew talking about wanting reach 5K subs someday, and looking down to see he currently has 413K :P This channel really has come a long way in 6 years :)
Just wanted to say that episode 8 was fantastic. Those horror stories about certain groups of players is exactly why I won't play with complete strangers through DND meetup sites, or even people at comic shops. (I tried the latter once, thinking it would be better than internet strangers, and my wife and I were sufficiently creeped out by some of the players, ending that plan permanently.)
I've been trying over the years to put together a group with coworkers, but my office only has about a dozen people, so there's not a lot of volunteers. Going to be trying again with just two other players later this month, which is why I'm studying up on your videos!
Keep it up mate! I had a dry spell that lasted years, and now I'm finding players again.
Why were you creeped out by the comic shop patrons?
From three years in the future, I want to thank you MC for Ep 8 (it is even more relevant as we near 2020 than it ever has been before), as well as these tips. I DM'd for a little under a year, then real life and our firstborn kinda put that on hold. Two years later now and I'm ready to jump back into it and this playlist is a wealth of knowledge, so thank you!
PS lol@5k subscribers; a mere three years later and you're at a whopping 325k!
Love this episode, I am new to DnD (a few months in) and my DM uses an iPad or laptop as a DM screen, gives him the access to all information he has on his devices, can even show us how a character or magic item looks like. I like the idea of the DM roll our perception check for us, because it's true that whenever he saids 'roll a dexterity check' or 'roll a perception check' we are all like 'uh oh, something's going on'
How do you find the difference between narrating how something looks vs. being shown? I really don't know if it's better to try to describe something and let the imagination paint the picture or just show a picture.
Just found this series - love all of them so far, but especially #8. Thank you!
Samantha Bice same
@@DeedeeDirt y idiot Iris
From one Human Matthew to another,
You are super helpful and you are truly an amazing person.
Hey since the comments on the last episode were deactivated, I'm just going to comment here about it.
I actually emphasizes the struggles in the world and see which of the struggles they care about. As an example, slavery is accepted in the world I created and even child slavery is accepted. One of my players felt very touched by this subject. I asked her if she preferred if I didn't mention it anymore in my games but she instead decided to change her background to make her character an ex-slave instead of an urchin. In fact, she is now some sort of a freedom fighter: She actually stole a slave kid form a slave merchant to try to liberate him... and it worked. The next mission I prepared is based on that completely unscripted act the party decided to do: They are going to escort ex-slaves and return them to their families.
So instead of making everyone equal and there is no struggle, I put players in different situations than what they are used to be and give them an opportunity to change the status quo of the world in the game.
They want to fight for the liberation of slaves, fine, I'll do missions about that so they feel they have an impact on the game. One of the player wants to be recognized as a person instead of a freak of nature? Fine too, I'll give them the opportunity to do so. To me, it's not about living in magic land where every one is equal, it's to create an unequal world where the PCs can change it for the better.
You're a good DM. Incoprorating the player needs and desires into the game is exactly how it should be done and provided they know the risks/stakes it can be very rewarding to play out that fantasy.
Been using a DM screen since 1987. Custom built wood to hold 2 pages of 8.5x11 in portrait on the front and hinged to another 2 in landscape to make up the sides.
I play exclusively with grown ass adults who would not cheat. That said, I still don’t want them accidentally seeing the dungeon map, the overland map, the prepared notes, not to mention the notebooks and module book I keep back there. I currently do all my rolls behind the screen but am in the process of building a custom dice tower that would allow me to choose to roll in the open or behind the screen depending on which hole I drop the dice in on the tower.
Thanks for the great videos.
PS- No matter how many times I hear it, it always makes me laugh.
“Wow, they don’t fuck around with the VIP service here.” Possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever heard a D&D tuber say. Thanks again!
Man, that last episode of this series, the 8 about the sociology of d&d was one of the most inspirational video on the youtube. I just want to thank you for that.
And the one that needed the most discussions in the comment section, but that was disabled.
@@byakko9895 There's no way you can moderate that kind of comment section on youtube. Even on a forum with dedicated moderators you would have all sorts of emotional language being used.
It's a drawback to online discussion, you can't ever really discuss serious topics without having two defined sides arguing their own case as if they're in a debate club.
It doesn't work.
I just had Session 0 with some co-workers this week, and am bingeing this playlist to get ready for the adventure in a week or two. I’ve gotten so many ideas from you, and am feeling empowered to give them a great experience. Thank you for this wonderful content!
I've watched a number of these and appreciated them all. But it was episode 8 that made me a subscriber. I understand why comments were turned off, and grieve that that is necessary, but kudos to you for making that episode Matthew.
I am loving this whole series. But that was special. Thank you.
yeah I too love extremely generic d&d advice that panders to the lowest common denominator types with meaningless buzzwords like "inclusive" and the requisite condemnation of "western European white males." just so brave and bold I could almost cry!
This man is amazing - is there a Nobel prize for greatest DM ever?
There's lots and lots of comments about #8 and I hate to add to that, but I just had to say that video really touched me. It was beautiful and eye-opening too, as I'm about to narrate my very first campaign soon. I deeply thank you for this series and I admire you for the 8th one. Keep on going man, love your work!
This comment is unrelated to this video. It is in regards to your previous video. The Sociology of D&D. I only wanted to say, I have been enjoying your videos and they've been extremely helpful in my journey of learning to DM. And after that video, I not only enjoy your videos but have a lot of respect for you. I can only imagine the immense amount of messages and comments you receive, and IF you see this.. Thank you for all of your help.
I was born after you got started and now i'm using your videos to DM my first game in a week, that's kinda trippy to me
Ling G do you mean you were born 3 years ago? or 30
“I sound like I’m at the bottom of a well”.
pause.
Say hi to Timmy for me. ;)
Piggybacking off your conversation about the DM rolling for stealth and perception, I play with a DM who rolls all character's checks for finding and disarming traps. It takes away a temptation to metagame from us because we don't know that the rogue just rolled a 3, so there's no reason for, say, the wizard to step up and say "No, no, you must have missed something, let me try." Because the wizard wouldn't do that.
These just get better every week. This channel has to be the greatest asset a DM could ever, ever find.
Incomming deck of many things! Really interested on how you handle that trainwreck...
judging by the video you don't. you don't handle the deck. :P
Sir, I just want to say thank you. I ran my first game of DnD last night with some good friends, and to say I lifted a good chunk from your first video for the dungeon is an understatement! With that said, I intensely enjoyed the experience, it was not only an absolute blast, but three people who had never played before all agreed: They liked it infinitely more than they thought. That is all thanks to your wonderful videos, your wonderful spirit, and putting it out into the world. Thank you for being a river to your people!
I love being reminded of crossovers between Nerdfighteria and Critters.
seriously man, fantastic series it has helped me become such a better dungeon master and my players who we have played with me for a solid 3+ years, two of my players comment after our session last night "hey, man idk what you did but that session was amazing, probably the best we have had yet good job man!" i sent them the link to the playlist they are also gunna check it out thanks man
If you want a good, cheap, DIY DM screen here are the steps on how i made mine: take a box and cut off the folding parts, i used a pretty big box but you can choose your size, then cut off 3 parts of the same size, then tape or paperclip papers on the box parts, and the. Tape all the sides together. You can decorate the side that the players see if you like!
The Gamers Of The Apocalypse Fire
Was really hoping, there were better option to be presented here. Thanks for the tip!
There are dm screens on Amazon for only 11 bucks, one of the cheaper of d&d items on there.
I just used 2 long folders, and I stapled the printed pdf's on. Works pretty well.
I use pieces of foam board.
Dear Matt,
Thank you for all your DM running the game videos. I always relax listening to your musical tones and philosophical thoughts. Congrats on getting over 397k subscribers - you smashed your 5000 target. All the best.
There's no DM screens in the doodly-doo :(
I can’t comment on the sociology of dnd video, so I’ll say it here: thank you so much for that video. I really wasn’t expecting you to have talked about those subjects in this series, but it was a pleasant surprise. You really restored my faith in community and humanity.
I almost cried at the end of episode 8. I fucking loved it
I had some disagreements with it, nevertheless a good episode.
whats to disagree? He hit everything pretty much on the nail.
WeaponizedLizardMen The idea that your race governs your thought process.
ArvelDreth what's wrong with that? If you choose to play a race then you should define your mindset to how that race plays. Of course you don't necessarily do that but if you are going to play your character as something they are not normally then you need to create a convincing backstory. You don't see to many elves crazy about mining in mountains and gaining gold or to many half orcs as calm and relaxed as a halfling. Sure they are out there but it's not common. But if someone does want to play someone like that then it is possible, just with the proper building blocks.
@WeaponizedLizardMen I would say that depends on the player and their DM's expectations of their players when creating their characters. Not every game's going to have a hardcore focus on the backstory. You're probably not going to have a full party of story driven players. Not every DM is going to place restrictions on their player's character creation, particularly when they're just starting to play a game together.
Maybe that elf is hired help to guard the mines as there's been attacks by wild beast. Or maybe that stat bonus and racial skills of an elf are better for what the player had in mind. Or maybe the player just thinks playing an elf is fun for their first character!
I ran my first game on a night my regular group wasn't all there and they said they loved it. Took a chance to make voices, describe attacks, the environment and the works. Result, they loved it. Thanks for these videos. Your thoughts on the game are right up my alley. Please keep up the great work!
Yours is "When we last left our heroes"
My table on roll20 is always playing "Sweet Home Alabama" and the players realize that the game started when i switch the music xD
I’m not a DM but I feel that as a player this helps me understand and respect what the DM does… and maybe help me not get my character killed..
I love the term doobly doo. I giggle every time I hear it!
This was an incredibly thought-provoking collection of DM tips and style decisions
Hey! I Don't know if you still check comments, but thank you for making these videos! I wanted to comment on your last video, The sociology of DnD - but comments are disabled. I can understand why. I just want to thank you for making that video, and bringing attention to those sorts of things. I'm the DM in my local group (that is also mostly women,) so I don't have to worry about rape and things coming up in sessions, but I can only imagine how awful that must be for those that do experience it and don't want to.
Overall your videos are awesome! You bring up a lot of little things I I have not thought about before, and overall I hope I can improve my quality of DMing. Thanks for being awesome!
That's a bit sexist, to say women can't be as vile and awkward as dudes. I played in a game for a few sessions where the only female player played a female drow and her background was some edgy shit like : Sold as sex slave at about 12 and been used as a toy for years before killing her "master" but in the end she was enjoying it soo much that she was actively trying to fuck every male NPC / PC we met (even drugging some). But take it that's cool cuz women can't possibly have disgusting and uncomfortable fantasies. That's what annoyed me about that video. The presumption that if you are a white male playing D&D you are racist, sexist and make rape jokes while every minority/female is gonna be a saint in your game.
Teodor I don't think that's exactly what he was saying (although I could be wrong, I was going stuff as I watched the video) but I totally agree with the points you made.
I laughed so hard at the low key, matter of fact 15 second destruction of GRRM i had to fast forward one vid to comment. And I LIKE the guy's work.
So, I just watched the previous video, and of course I get why the comments are disabled, but I did want to express myself about it. I'm a girl and I just started playing about half a year ago. So far I haven't encountered that at all, but when I started to get interested and looked info up, there were a lot of post about women worried about other people's behavior. There were forums looking for all female groups and some stories like those, at least where they felt uncomfortable. I feel lucky and also sad about the reality, but there are awesome people out there as well and it shouldn't discourage anyone to play. Some people are assholes, don't waste your time, just walk away and play with other people. That also a great thing about playing this game, meeting all sorts of people along the way. By the way, epic line at the end.
Thank you for this great video and thank you for bringing up both the idea of controlling stealth and perception checks as a GM.
The idea of controlling the players stealth roll is brilliant and I might just have to borrow it. For perception I'm inclined to go the same way or use "bad" perception as a tool to misdirect the players from what is really going on.
- Player: "I rolled a 11 for perception"
- GM "You notice twigs on the trees to the right of the road are broken, it seems someone left the path and walked into the woods here"
While in reality what they where hoping to notice where the 3 goblins who hid in the trees close by.
I know you disabled comments for episode 8, but I really wanted to say this: Thank you.
I cut my teeth DMing one-shots for absolute beginners to D&D in a pub in Nottingham (the same Nottingham that's obsessed with 'Robin Hood') every other Monday. I never knew who my players were until they showed up on the night, so it was difficult to gauge what players wanted from D&D. In a long campaign, the trick would be to include a little bit of everything. I once ran a four-session campaign with each session representing one of the four cornerstones of D&D gameplay: Stealth/Strategy; Survival; Roleplay and Combat. But in a one-shot? I found the easiest was to try and go for something like your "Capitol" (Incidentally, I used Waterdeep for that. Faerun already has a huge, multicultural Port-City). Or I'd go the other way and describe 'Blackthorn'; a Hamlet that was just off the main trading route between Baldur's Gate and Tor Garon. It was founded by travellers and merchants, and the distinctly multicultural populace of it reflects that: An Apothecary run by an old Dwarven Couple who also make the Tavern's speciality "Dwarven Strongmead". The Humans who run the Tavern - "Wagons & Flagons"; a rest stop for travellers who can get a meal and an ale whilst their horses and carriages are tended to; it is run in partnership with the local Blacksmith; a wizened old Red Dragonborn whose scales were just turning brown/black at the edges, partly from age and partly from working in his Dragonfire Forge for so many years. He also performed sermons for anyone who cared to pray with him, as he was a Forge-Domain Cleric by class.
I did once get accused of 'pandering to the SJWs' when my focus on multiculturalism was spotted in a game. I was initially going to just let it go and continue with the game, but when he tutted and muttered after I initially ignored him I figured this needed addressing. "How is this pandering?" I asked. When he told me he didn't like the 'unrealistic' idea of a hamlet having all these different people on it, I initially joked "...but you're okay with dragons, Tarrasques, Demons, Orcs and Tieflings and all those other totally realistic aspects of D&D, right?". I then explained: "Blackthorn is born of merchants and travellers; not everyone is Human. The Dwarven Couple were chosen as Dwarves because Dwarves live for 400 years or so, and they are perfectionists by nature, which lends itself extremely well to the study of alchemy: Time plus dedication = results. The Blacksmith is a Dragonborn because frankly many of us have loved the idea of swords forged in dragonfire, and yet the concept of that is sorely underrepresented in D&D. A Dragonborn Blacksmith is the only realistic way that can be a thing. The Humans running the Tavern isn't a token representation on their part; humans make up 80% of Faerun's demographic."
I did not enjoy the rest of that game. An awkwardness descended onto the table after that and not only did it limit the fun the players were having, but I was of a mind to simply phone the rest of the game in and just be done with the session as quickly as possible. I'd change the demographic in my games to suit Nottingham locals, but I don't know who the next group is going to be.
Chalking it up to it just being the nature of the beast.
wow, you really showed that racist alt-right neo-nazi bigot! amazing! I just love how INCLUSIVE and PROGRESSIVE 5th edition is! W O W !
@@leshtricity Awww, did the little edgelord Peterson fanboi get triggered?
@@leshtricity
You're subscribed to fox news. Im convinced your IQ is in the single digit range.
One of my favorite things about your videos Matt is how quickly you speak. I’m a fast talker myself and I find your videos extra engaging due to that! I watch other creators on .25x or .5x speed sometimes lol, but no need on yours! Keep it up!
Hey! This video is old and you probably won't see it but is there a reason that there is no longer any links to dm screens in the description?
Take a shot every time he says "doobly doo" lol
In all seriousness though keep doing these man, easily makes the top 5 DND content channels on RUclips.
Just watched episode 8. Your awesome man! And inspiring. Had some rape jokes at the table last week and got I pretty bloody angry. but no one got me... Thought I was being over dramatic... Thanks for the solidarity. I really appreciate your understanding of the game, and you seem like you've dumped a lot of ego for applying yourself the way you have. Respect bro :)
Rape jokes and things like it are a rough one. I'm of the mindset that there's nothing wrong with any kind of joke, but certain kinds of jokes are a poor choice for people you don't know well, and are very difficult to manage to tell without a very bad reaction. Those people (usually) tell those jokes not because they actually view things like rape to be laughable events, but because they turn dark things humorous to either be edgy, or make it seem less scary. Usually to be edgy. Despite saying all this, I've never told a rape joke because I can't think why I would need to or how to even form one without sounding cringey.
What's weird is, I think what he was talking about was rape being used in fantasy, and the way he was wording it, it sounded like he was talking about people putting their sexual fantasies into DND campaigns. Which sounds like the most awkward and weird thing I have ever heard. I'm pretty comfortable with who I am and what I like, but... what?
TheGreatYukon
>Sexual D&D
Oh, yeah, that happens. there's at least a thousand horror stories you could read. recommended (and least graphic) reading is the little blurb about the "Magical World" on 1d4chan, which was inspired by a comic that complains/makes fun of pretty much the same concept. It's... So, SO weird, and I don't know why anyone would even do that to their group of people they know in real life...
I guess erotic roleplaying is a valid form of expression? I wouldn't want to knock on anybody who does, because there are a lot of unofficial books on it, so SOME PEOPLE must be putting in the effort and having a good time, but at the same time it's important to realize that most normal players are, well, normal players, and you should really discuss it first (if your players are even up to discuss it) because stuff like this SHOULD NOT HAPPEN out of the blue, if at all.
I always did wonder why "The Book of Erotic Fantasy" even existed, musta forgotten for a moment. I know there are communities of BDSM practitioners that meet up, have dinner, that sort of thing. It wouldn't surprise me if those were the people using these books. But like in BDSM, you don't just whip that shit out and expect everyone to know what's going on and be interested. Usually want to run that by people first. So yeah, surprise rape scenes are not courteous. Not sure who needed that shit spelled out.
I'm not sure it's limited to BDSM, sex-based groups, or any official circles, based sheerly on the vast array of kinds and colors there are on the internet, and the fact that any given roleplaying forum would gloss over saying "Keep so and so to PMs if you even bother doing that." I think it probably could happen with just a group of friends who are okay with what's happening, but they're also probably as much of a minority as those BDSM circles, and they've probably already had to meet and discuss things like that before D&D was even part of their passtime together. That, and I've been told there's 2 or 3 good paragraphs in BOEF discussing cultural attitudes toward sex and love that might be potentially useful and interesting to the even RARER minority of players who play half-orc/half-elf/homebrewed-half-anything and have parents or family members that are not functionally dead.
But yeah, surprise rape isn't good at all, and surprise sexual features can also be morally messy depending on what the party's okay with. At the same time, odds are if they're doing it, a quick "that's not very good, stop that!" like Matt did in his video was probably all they really needed, since a surprising amount of people clam up the more uncomfortable they are and nobody ever told them.
@@YukonHexsun
I'm a female player (now a DM for many years) and I've have rape thrust upon a character of mine before. No one at the table mentioned that kind of content was allowed when I joined the game; and at the time I hadn't been playing long enough to know to ask about it. The rape was described by the DM in very graphic detail, not even the courtesy of a fade-to-black, and he actually expected me to play along with it by describing how my character reacted to each part of the violation he described. I was mortified, and more than a little afraid for my own real-world well-being: I was the only girl there, and none of the other players did anything other than look at me expectantly after each DM description (despite the fact that I was quite obviously shaken and incredibly uncomfortable with the situation). I almost quit the hobby after that; I didn't even try to play D&D again for a whole year afterward.
With all that said, I do think the some parts of the Book of Erotic Fantasy are quite good and have a valid place either in the game or in a DM's consideration of how their game world works. For example, the section on mind controlling magic and consent, and how using magic to force consent is unambiguously immoral, is something people should bear in mind in a world that includes charms and enchantments.
Also, for anyone reading this who's new to the game, or has only played with close friends before, please learn from my mistake: ask about the kind of content allowed at the table when you join a game with people you don't know really well. And if you're in a game where you haven't asked about what content is allowed at the table, discretely ask the DM about it just as a precaution.
Thanks for this and all your videos, I'm currently making the transition from player to DM and I've been working through your playlist of videos and find them incredibly inspiring and helpful.
I notice you disabled the comments on video #8 but I felt I had something interesting to contribute so I wanted to add this here, hope you don't mind.
You discuss that there are certain fantasies that seem to show up that you find distasteful, certain themes and story elements, for example rape; and cite Game Of Thrones as an example. Well, I'm one of the GMs that includes these elements in my games. I include rape, torture, racism, sexism, class warfare, slavery, and extreme poverty. I have these things in my game because I feel it makes my game more enticing. I use them as narrative elements and have them act as a contrast to the glorious, heroics of the campaign. It makes the setting feel dark, foreboding, and serious in a way that dragon attacks and orc raids don't....
But how do I make sure that I don't upset or offend people. How can I be sure that someone who's been a victim of sexual violence but isn't open about this, doesn't feel excluded or feel they're reliving painful memories. How do I make sure someone from a minority ethnicity doesn't feel marginalised by a game setting with overt racism and slavery in it. Well, I ask them openly in my session zero to do something specific... the "traffic lights" list.
I give each player a piece of paper and I say to them. I'm happy to run any tone of game, from whimsical fantasy to dark and foreboding. I'm happy to include extreme violence, gore, and sex; and make the game graphic is people want a horror aesthetic, or scale that back entirely if people want a more Tolkien like fantasy. Given that. I want everyone to make three lists of things. Green, Amber, and Red. The Green is for elements you'd actively like to explore. This can be anything from "Pirates" to "Good vs. Evil" or even something specific like "Roman Empire" or esoteric like "What it means to be kind", it can even be something mechanics based like "Fight Dragons", "Political espionage game" or "Traditional dungeon crawl". Whatever things you're excited to explore add to the green list. The Amber list is for things you're interested in but want to have handled tactfully. Like for example if you're happy for their to be sex in the game, but you'd prefer we "fade to black" and just ignore any details, put that in the Amber list. The important list is the Red list. This is where you put your hard limits. If you really don't want a setting that includes slavery, add it in here. If the tradition short drunk Scottish miner stereotype for Dwarfs annoys you and you'd hate to have to deal with them, put them here. If you have something that particularly upsets you or a phobia you don't want to deal with add it here. One player I know always adds 'Spiders' to this list, which is good because the Drow are a race that worship spiders, have giant spiders, and follow a spider-demon god; so if he plays they're either not in the setting or I change them. Anything can be added to the red list.
Once the lists are made, I'll compile them together and give out a copy of the red list. This is the "hard limit". These things are not to be discussed or done at the game table. That way we all have a good time.
I like my system, and as the GM, I also make my own list. I for example had my girlfriend have a miscarriage so I find the subject quite upsetting. I add things like "Miscarriage" to Amber, and "Horror Foetal Imagery", "Pregnant women in peril" to the Red column as it's bothers me. Certain video games like The Binding Of Issac are impossible for me to play due to the foetal body horror. I'm also physically disabled so I add, "PCs unable to cope with disabilities" as a Red as well. I'm happy for someone to play a one-legged person or a blind person, but they need to be overcoming their disabilities and be awesome in spite of them. It's too sombre to see a character being portrayed as helpless due to disabilities.
This makes everyone closer I find, and for long campaigns it helps to ensure that we've got a game that will explore what we want, and avoid what will upset us all. Hopefully this was an interesting comment. Great series Matt. It's a shame you felt the need to disable comments on the other video but I can see it's a delicate issue. Hopefully you don't feel I overstepped the mark here.
TornadoCreator You mentioned PCs overcoming their disabilities and being awesome despite them, well that reminded me of a character that I last played He's basically a swordsman from a desert country, but due to certain events, his right arm was severed, and he was right-handed. Despite this though, he ends up an extremely dextrous character, being able to wield his sword with great speed and precision, and ended up being one of the coolest swordsmen ever.
Finding out that players change in some games due to the pressence of a woman geuninely disturbed me, and I don't get disturbed easily. My campaigns, much like yours, already feature all of this horrible stuff (And Its happened to a PC, at one point. What happened, I'll leave you to guess.) I have a player that's squicked the fuck out by things like eyeballs and fingernails and sinews, but sometimes, he'll have to bite the bullet because in a horror campaign (Many which I run. I ran a 2-player campaign called *The Devil's Keep*. I'm sure you can imagine what wondrous tortures happened there.) so maybe that's why I was affected so strongly. My mind just went 'What? No way...' and I started worrying that the female players in my campaigns feels that way. On the complete flipside, in a campaign I am in _right now_, run by an older woman with 2 other women as players, It seems to feature a lot more horrible stuff than most campaigns. I don't think It's a gender issue, just that some GMs sees It as a playground, and more diverse players just means more pieces.
Don't invite precious snowflakes to play in your world, it just ruins it for rational people.
@@ninjabastard666 I'd consider you to be unrational based on that comment. A little compassion goes a long way. There's no need to label people 'special snowflakes' if they feel genuinely uncomfortable by situations in the game, even if you don't.
I realize that I am 2 years late to this party, but I wanted to say that running a "Session 0" in order to create a "traffic lights" list it a great idea and very reasonable .
I really like the idea of the stealth and perception checks not being public for the players. Adds just enough tension to the game and I will be using that for my game going forward.
Also, just wanted to say a very big thank you for doing these videos. Not many people DM and as someone who has been doing it since age 13 (none of my friends were creative enough as kids to run games), I find all of your videos insightful and I appreciate your commitment to the DM genre :D
Recommended your videos to the DM of my current game I play in (Yay I get to actually be a player) and he has enjoyed them as well. Much respect and I look forward to every other video you make.
"jay and i are having a friendly rivalry.... i only have about 5000 subscribers but i'm catching up."
234,000 subscribers.
Thank you for this! We game in a space without much table real estate, so I taped two small plastic photo albums together - the kind you get at the dollar store - and filled the pages with small prints of the characters' stats and common monsters, along with any cheat sheets I need. The outside can be customized with pictures of whatever the current setting is. It's cheap to make and super handy!
"We'll have another episode talking about ______________ ." While editing . . . brings out notebook, writes, "must do episode about _____________".
Just stumbled across your series by accident, and I've binge-watched the first 8. You, sir, are inspirational, entertaining and educational. It's been a long time since I DM'd, and your videos are up there with Matt Mercer's and Satine Phoenix's! Thank you! :D
A friend of mine bought a plastic, three-panel menu cover from a restaurant supply company, typed up his own pages to slide into the slots, and used that as his DM screen when he ran our campaign. It was very durable and the cover itself was less than $5!
Katherine Nash Wow! That actually sounds like a great idea! I might try that, as I don't actually have a screen right now and it could be useful
I just want to say that as a new play to table top RPGs you videos have been very helpful to start running a game as a DM. These videos have help me get new players to have lots of fun. im hooked at this point and I will continue to watch for tips and new ideas to introduce to my players. I would love to have a seat at your table though, I feel like it would be an amazing learning exp. Well keep them coming
It's the deck of many things!
I just want to thank you very much for doing those videos. I have recently started DMing my own 5e campaign and your videos really helped me a lot!
In response to episode #8, you're still playing to win.
You're just winning at life.
You nailed it with your initial thought on this one. I have been running a CoC campaign for a while now. At the start of the game, asking the players to summarize the previous session and their current situation has opened all kinds of doors/ideas because what they perceived (especially in a game like CoC where there is a lot of mystery) was so much different than how I perceive game events. Sometimes what they think is going on gives me better ideas than I had previously planned.
Um, does episode 9 of this series exist? I enjoy every episode, and would hate to miss one, but I am unaware of its location. Thanks.
I spent ages looking for episode 9 too.
Just got a reply from him today on twitter. The 9th episode is this one. He missed one in the numbering of them and he's gonna get around to fixing it. Relax, you didn't miss out on anything ;)
Thanks for seeking this out and saving me some time.
WHERES VIDEO NINE. IM ANGRY!!
Sweet, I was well confused. spent the last few mins looking for it. Thanks man!
Hey Mathew, back to the game after a few decades away and even more recently picked up the DM role again. Introducing a new generation (literally) to the great joy of the game. And they love it!
So far your DM series has been absolutely spot on. I wanted to comment on the last video but see you've disabled comments. However, I had to let you know that I (for one) totally 100% agree with every single word you said. Back when we were teens I did experience some of the negatives you recount; prepubescent nonsense I guess, but it was there. I'm sure even those boys have grown up now.
Thanks for the great work bro, really appreciate it.
Peace back at ya brother
It bothers me fairly often that exhaustion isn't on that screen
I love the idea of having the players recap the last session. My most recent group took this to heart when I offered a small reward for doing it, and insisted everyone take turns. They wrote up the events like it were a diary entry and read it at the start of the game. I didn't say that I wanted it done this way specifically that was all on them and it was fantastic.
The doobly do. Are you a nerdfighter?
I will be DMing my first campaign starting in late Summer / Early Fall 2018, and I want to thank you for all of these videos. They are an amazing resource as a new DM and they have a lot of ideas and guidelines for me to incorporate into my game.
Running The Game #8 - best RPG video ever.
Thanks for making these videos! Going to DM once my friends and I are done our Strahd campaign. It will be my first time dming, so it seems like a lot to drink in! Binge watching all your videos!
Comments were disabled on last video, but I want you to know that what you said in it meant a lot to me.
Subbed.
I will DEFINITELY be using the phrase "curating the experience" at work from now on 😂😂😂
I couldn't comment in the previous video and I just wanted to say that I was in a really bad day and that video made me feel better, I think is because I could see the love that went into making it. Thank You !!
So, you role their perception and stealth for them?
That's genius, dude. I love it! I always thought it was a weakness for people to know each others numbers, your party can't see your own hiding characters either. This works so well.
Love these videos! And also that you say dooblydoo :D DFTBA
Loving your videos so far. I have started an after school DnD club to introduce it to my middle school students, but learning to DM was causing me some stress and you are helping that a lot! #8 was magical by the way!
There is no need for the DM to roll for a player in order to keep information hidden. If your players do not say something along the lines of "I'd like to take a closer look" or "What do I see?/What does it look like?" they are not actively Perceiving. Active Perception and Passive Perception are designed for this reason. If you want to know if a player can see something, without cluing them in, consult their Passive Perception.
For stealth just don't tell them if they succeed or fail. This preserves the feeling that the player is in control of their character while retaining the uncertainty of success. It also keeps with the mechanics of feats like Luck and other abilities that a player might have that can augment a roll. Think about how a player might use bardic inspiration on a stealth check if you won't tell them how high they rolled. While the player likely will not know if a enemy has spotted them they will likely be aware of how loud they are being and how low behind that wall they are. Just say something along the lines of "You duck behind that wall." or "You back up into the shadows." Say something that confirms that you know that they are in stealth and have the number you need to check against. Do not say "You are hidden." or "You successfully duck into the shadows."
The game was designed with these things in mind. Please try to make use of them.
+Willis Pearson I think you'd discover, if your player rolls a 3 on their stealth check, they have a *pretty good idea* how well-hidden they are. :D
And maybe that makes sense to you as the DM. It's how I run the game now. But if you want a more immersive game, where there's tension surrounding hiding ("was I seen? Can they see me?") just as there would be in the real world, you have the option of making those rolls behind the screen and telling your players "Well, you certainly think you're hidden!"
+Matthew Colville Sorry if my first post sounded a bit abrasive it was not intended to be so. It was mostly just suggestions for how to get the same or similar results from the standard play.
While I understand the value of immersion consider the fact that this kind of house rule literally takes the dice from the players hands and puts them into yours. If your players are ok with that fantastic.
My opinion is that this kind of suspense and tension can be gained without house ruling. If a player rolls a 3 I would suspect that the action that would result would be quite obviously not sneaky. By hiding every sneak roll you are forcing every single time they sneak to be high tension and stress. The standard results in a nice balance of tension and skill sometimes you are on point and get it done sometimes you fall on your face but still other times you just don't know. I don't see how closer to realistic you can get.
All in all how you want to play is up to you. As long as you are playing its all good in my book. There are times when you have to bend or even break the game to have the fun you want to have. Its just my opinion that you should try to get at that fun within the system before you start adding complexity.
Have fun and game on!
+Willis Pearson Was meaning to say this in the post above but I got carried away. I am enjoying this entire series a great deal. You and Matt Mercer's videos of DMing are some of the best on the net. Most other DMs like to make How I DM videos and call them How to DM videos. You provide many positions and never try to suggest there is only one way to play. With the advent of D&D's popularity on RUclips I have been waiting and crawling the site for good unbiased DM advice. Love your work and now your channel!
Willis Pearson Player tries to hide, player rolls a one. I wonder if the player *knows* he failed or not........😉
There is a WALL of text below. In response to a post from 2 days before I responded about a post from almost a year ago. This is important for a DM to understand so please read on I know its long and gets a bit ranty but if you care about this situation you should read the whole thing. I await responses
I would wonder if the character knew he failed or not and why or why not. Remember that 1 represents the action of sneaking that 1 is him being bad at sneaking. What does that mean to the character? That means stepping on creaky floorboards, knocking over a vase, or 101 other ways get noticed. He can still roll a 1 and succeed his check here (there is no critical fail or success on ability checks in 5e). What if the thing he is hiding from also rolls a 1 and has a -1 modifier. That is a situation that is interesting in a game. Explain that in game. The character steps on a creaky floorboard at the same time that the creature gets distracted by a rat making noises in another room or hundreds of other funny or interesting or suspenseful situations that you have just boiled down to you don't know why you got caught but back here I rolled a 1 for you.
These actions take place they are not just numbers on dice. Every time you roll a die there is an action and that action reflects the result of the die. You are saying that a player/character that got a 1 on sneak would not know it was being loud and standing in plain view. Why was he spotted and would his character also know if he was being noticeable? On a 1 yes he would most likely know on a 15 sneak vs a 16 perception perhaps not but that is built into the difference of the roll. What if they get a 20 sneak but the creature gets a 21 perception. It has to reflect the action as it happens in game not just I got a 13 and you got a 14. Roleplay not Rollplay.
If I fail to hit there is a reason why. If I fail to sneak there is a reason why. Those reasons are why the player knows the results of their actions. Should you hide the attack roll as well? Why not? I have players all the time uses success and fail on hits to find the AC of a creature. Well at some point in a fight you know how hard something is to hit. The excuse of immersion is frail. Why would the character not know? I can give thousands of situations where they would and can thank of only a few where they would not and those involve them barely failing the check. Do not make choices for the player because you think it feels better for them that way. Doing it only on stealth rolls can also bring in the issue of the thief feeling like he never gets to roll. You roll almost all his checks but not the barbarians. Why? Because the DM feels that you will like it better this way. This creates problems and solves nothing you can not force immersion and if D&D needs more immersion then I don't know what the word Roleplay means.
hey Matt, i really like the stealth and perception idea. it gives the game a more narrative feeling and i may try it out myself. Keep up the good work.
Can you please do a video on how to deal with players who meta game too much?
not sure if it'll help at all, but i had an experience with a metagamer recently. what worked for me was i (and one of the other players) told him a few times during one session to stop metagaming everytime he did it. eventually, after him doing it consistently, i (as the DM) made him roll an extra save during a party madness saving throw as a "result" of his character being fed information from an unknown otherworldly source. he went along with it and got a madness as a result of it. at the end of the session, i called him out and asked him if he knew why i'd punished him, to which he replied "supposedly" metagaming. i told him straight out that he WAS metagaming and that he needed to stop, and cited a few examples of what he'd done earlier. after that, he stopped doing it and things went pretty well from then on.
just tell the metagamer to stop, and after 3 (or w/e) strikes, punish them somehow (and incorporate it realistically into the game if that's your preference). if they get pissy about it, explain to them that they're making the game less enjoyable for everyone else, and if they don't stop it, you'll continue dishing out punishments or even ask them to leave the group. at that point it's up to them to decide whether to stop doing it, or just leave the game because they're too immature to stop being selfish.
if you're a player and not a DM, i suggest talking to the DM about it. they should be capable of handling situations like this.
hope that helps somewhat. sorry for the long answer :P
If you homebrew a lot of your monsters (or modify them heavily), it's hard to metagame because they wont know what the hell they are. Another suggestion I read on Facebook that I think is really clever, and this is also about monsters, is to not give your monsters the exact same stats. It makes sense that, in a group of 10 orcs, a few would have lower or higher AC, different weapons, etc. Directly confronting the players is great, but setting up your game so that metagaming is genuinely difficult is not only great for experienced players who may have trouble pretending to not know something they know very well, but throws a wrench into the plans of people who meta constantly.
Also, it sorta depends on what's "metagaming" to you. I don't see the issue with sharing actual health totals with the healer, because those numbers exist to stand in for what the characters can see; wounds, a slumping guard, even a limp, and just keeping track of who's been getting hit and how hard it looked like they got wailed on.
@@YukonHexsun I homebrew almost all my monsters. I treat the monster manuals as a guide, but individual monsters will vary widely, just like people in any group do. Some monsters are the same in name only. I had a player once who was one of those people who had literally memorized the monster manual, but it didn't help him any when my monsters weren't like the ones in the book.
I agree with your idea of going with the players ideas, many of times the most content and story progression i get is listening to the player banter before and after game. Like you, i've traditions as well, i allow an hour of player banter and catching up before game starts and an hour (or two) of time after game for players to come to me and give their opinions, suggestions, and ideas.
I love to up the tension by requiring players to roll perception for nothing. Or randomly roll and write something down. If they ask I just smile and say you don't notice anything.
You are the best person ever. I've gotten so much advise from just nine videos. Thank you!!
If you’re a cheap steak like me then you can just make your own screen with a cardboard box.