Right off the bat, being acknowledged on some kids since fair board is one of the coolest things ever. If you ever needed proof that your work matters, just remember that kid who's curiosity you helped foster.
I'm 38 years old, and started playing DnD when I was 37. Up until my introduction to DnD last 1-1.5 years ago, I was not a healthy person. I was drinking, using drugs, harboring self sabotaging guilt, unprocessed grief for both of my late parents, terrible diet, and pervasive burnout from undiagnosed autism. My wife's friend introduced me to DnD and I was skeptical at first, but the more i played, the more positive takeaways I was getting. Along the way, I have learned a lot from Bob about DnD of course, but more importantly, Bob always conveys optimism, positivity, patience, and healthy habits. Bob, the value of your content is paramount, and I am glad I could learn more about this wonderful hobby from you while I continue my work towards being the person my family deserves, and the person I want to be. You're a real one, thank you.
Lol I feel for that 14 year old, I'm 18, but I'm basically in the same exact situation of "never played the game but have to gm", and you and a bunch of other dnd youtubers have really have helped a lot.
While there's tons of absolutely great and valuable D&D channels out there, this one really feels like a proper established home for the community with how chill it is
On the spell creation topic... As someone that runs games when I can, I love having an arsenal of "forgotten spells" that players can discover. Most of them are utility spells, but I also sometimes borrow silly ideas from literature. You never know what might be found in some recently unearthed scroll or spell book. Same thing for unusual items. It is good to spice up treasure now and then with things that are just totally unknown and new (to the players).
@@johnhansen4794 Well, that would be a possibility. I know I once gave someone "Ridcully's Hat Trick". It keeps your hat from getting blown off, because "A wizard without a hat was just a sad man with a suspicious taste in clothes".
I love this. The first group I joined everyone was kind of mean and would make me feel dumb for not knowing things, even though I expressed I was new to the game. Your channel has been a huge help and comfort. Happy holidays everyone ✨️
Probably the most important thing in having a good time playing an RPG is playing with people who you get along with. Obviously a group that is mean and makes you feel dumb isn't a good fit. But it can also be differences in philosophy, like a group that loves a lot of tactical combat when you prefer role play heavy or old school sandbox exploration vs. epic quest high fantasy. Find players you vibe with and then you'll probably have a good time.
A spell that has its effects related to the casters HP is a really fun idea, so much you can do with it that will still fit well in the D&D world, might even end up being more balanced than most 'official' spells of high level... Adding in some new elements of risk/reward or resource management to a spell in this case based on how beaten up you are is just a fun mechanic. Most of the best spells and magic items are the ones with at least a small twist on the simple universal stuff, it just makes the world more real when crazy old Garry tinkers and creates something novel. Just makes the world feel unique, gives the sense that magic is no so codifed and solved you can never be thrown a curveball. For instance an immoveable rod that when you click it petrifies you, so both you and the rod are now "immoveable" sounds like a terrible item, but some players will find a great fun way to use it depending on the exact mechanics. And even if they never actually find fun ways to make use of it the story of that time the wizard so certain this was a regular immoveable rod turned into a statue till the party figured it out is something that will live on.
The HP spell idea reminds me of Pokémon moves that scale their power to your HP-could be pretty fun and sort of a "last resort" move when things are dire!
I love this and I love that you have cultivated a community like this that you'll get these kinds of messages. Also that that first kid was so interested in that question that they wanted to do a whole project about it rules! Maybe that'll get them more interested in math and statistics, the way this hobby spreads is great
One quick thing; make sure you take time for yourself in this content creating adventure that you’re on. Something tells me it can be quite mentally taxing. I bet you have to have high constitution to play the gameyou’re playing 😅Thanks for taking the time to come say hi to me up at pax. Somehow I was fortunate enough to talk just about every major content creator there and chatting with you was the nicest. Real talk: Bobs a genuine dude that genuinely loves TTRPG’s.
What a great wholesome video. I love the young up-and-comer's enthusiasm. I'm currently enthusiastic to get my hands on DELVE, but will wait patiently for it to properly be done :)
Loved the video, I wanted to say, even as an experienced GM (though still a young adult) your videos helped me a lot. With all the things you see online abut D&D, it's difficult to get the confidence that, no, you aren't doing it wrong and your videos helped with that, encouraging creativity while giving information ! On an unrelated note, my own ttrpg in the making is a rewriting of a ttrpg rulesbook I wrote at 15, you'd be suprised at how good teens are at making games ! Love from France
For the spell creation, it depends on whether you are creating homebrew just for your own group(s), or if you are creating stuff that you want to put out for the world to use. For your own group(s), the only thing that matters is if it's fun or not. If you want to put it out for the world, balance starts to matter some more.
Merry Christmas! And like dang near every game dev, and OG D&D player, DM, and author, and Jack Sparrow: "the rules are just guidelines." Happy gaming.
Happy holidays, Bob. Nice to see good old videos about... anything. I mean - these type of videos are the best. It's not about hype, but more about... real people! Real people, who play Ttrpg... from kids till adult ages! Thank you for keep your channel in that direction!
Merry Christmas Bob! Thank you for this video. The wholesomeness started my Christmas day off right. Thank you for always being an upbeat guy. You're one of the channels that absolutely save me during the difficult times in my life. May you always keep building!
sorry, a twelve year old wrote and playtested an entire ttrpg, in a matter of days?! thats genuinly impressive! kid, if you see this, keep being awesome!
Thanks for this Bob. Amidst all the craziness that goes on these days in the D&D community, it's really this kind of positivity and recognition of the spirit of the game that you exhibit here that's important. Everything else is extra. Cheers.
The HP spell idea reminds me of Pokémon moves that scale their power to your HP-could be pretty fun and sort of a "last resort" move when things are dire!
Bob, i loved the choose ur own video, but my favs that u used to do were the ones of showing the reality. The walking, jumping strength, drinking a potion, etc. absolutely love those videos. Anymore coming??
This is pure wholesomeness!!!! You’ve built something so special here and spread so much positivity and joy. You are so kind and creative and explain things in a way that’s easy to follow and breakdown complex rules to what they’re really saying. Thank you!
For spells, since you brought up homebrew ones, I think one of my favourites I've seen in any game, D&D or not, is from Gozr - My Body Is Bread. I forget the exact mechanics for it - I've not played Gozr, just watched an AP of it, but it pretty much does what it says on the tin. Turns the caster's body into bread so that they can feed the party, I think with the downside being that rations taken from the caster's body does damage to the caster.
Merry Christmas Bob this was the perfect video for the day. I loved seeing this fan mail from our community's younger members. Good to see some active minds trying to make their own stuff.
Hey Bob. I can understand how this would give you the good vibes for what you do. I am in my 50s and have been playing and running RPGs since I was 13. I really enjoy your channel. I started with AD&D back in the day and played into 2nd ed (probably not doing it right but having fun with it). Not a days I pay other games as 5E really doesn't float my boat and I've learnt to love classless and leveless systems. I've introduced my kids and nephew to RPGs. As young adults now they enjoy playing too. Last night my son and my nephew while on summer break here in Oz sat down with me and we started a few sessions of The Walking Dead where they played themselves surviving a zombie apocalypse in our regular beach get away. So much fun just making stuff up at the table and turning it into a survival story. RPGs are perfect for some holiday fun. Not much equipment required, just a book, dice and paper (and of course some imagination). Thanks for your channel. Keep it up.
4:40 Oooh! Effects that scale off player HP are present in some other systems; D&D just tends to avoid it because an effect that scales off HP will be at its most powerful at the beginning of combat, and D&D combat tends to prefer spells and powers that become more powerful _later,_ if anything. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with an effect like that, though, and it does line up with characters (especially martial characters) being _overall_ more powerful at the start of combat, before any damage has been taken or resources have been expended.
The positive attitude and ambition of these young players makes me think that the future of our hobby is in good hands. Thanks for being a good role-model, Bob! I still remember my first attempt at homebrew...the fearsome Stapler Beast, a monster that spat out giant staples to pin adventurers to the wall...
Congrats on reaching this audience. It must feel pretty rewarding, although, given your former experiences working with this age-group, maybe not surprising for you? Your videos tend to convey sincerity and optimism, which makes you approachable despite generation gaps, whether it's kids, 15 years younger than you, or grognards, 30 years older. Thanks for another solid year of content, Mr. World Builder.
4:40 my partner demanded I pause so she could rant about how it's okay to use mechanics that aren't in the base system. There was some ranting about Mercer's Blood Hunter class, and some about her previous homebrews. I agree with her. It was still hilarious to watch her get so riled over this.
I have loved your channel's focus on having fun with ttrpgs ever since I first heard you say that intro in the very first video of yours I came across. You absolutely achieve that goal! I have happened to find you right as you're putting your focus back on videos for beginners and right as I'm getting into DnD and preparing to be a DM for the very first time (in what would be my second ever game). And it's been a very lucky find! I've shared your basic combat tutorial with the absolute beginner player I'm going to be DMing for (we're doing a little duo campaign for our first time playing together), and she found it really useful and fun. And she appreciated your nice vibes as much as I do. :) Thank you for your work!!
Dude... this is truly heartwarming. Wow. What a Christmas video to behold! Bob, if you can, definitely put out stuff like this more often. You know, chill stuff like this where we get to celebrate this wonderful community, we're all a part of. Seeing things like this really puts a smile on my face.
That's dope Bob! I remember back many years ago(early 90s), when i was playing in college. Dice back then were not as well made then as today, though even today dice can be wonky, and we ended up testing all of our dice. No salt though. We just had a bowl of waterand let the dice drop to the bottom. The ones that were off still sank to the bottom with the heaviest side down.
so wholesome! some acknowledgments are way better than money. I have never made one cent on any of my art, but someone does have a tattoo of it. congrats on the science project acknowledgment!
I have said it before and I will say it again Thank you so so much for the wholesome, positive energy you bring to the community. Your content is great and I come to you and Ginny for advice first always, but I truly think your overall attitude and outlook are what set your channel appart.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
NGL, if my name was in the acknowledgements in some kids science fair project, I would actually cry.
The best.
This is giving “Santa replying to his letters from kids” energy and I love this so much. Bob you’re just the best!
Haha, yeah, perfect Christmas video 🎅
You're a cited source in a peer-reviewed study!
Right off the bat, being acknowledged on some kids since fair board is one of the coolest things ever. If you ever needed proof that your work matters, just remember that kid who's curiosity you helped foster.
I'm 38 years old, and started playing DnD when I was 37.
Up until my introduction to DnD last 1-1.5 years ago, I was not a healthy person.
I was drinking, using drugs, harboring self sabotaging guilt, unprocessed grief for both of my late parents, terrible diet, and pervasive burnout from undiagnosed autism.
My wife's friend introduced me to DnD and I was skeptical at first, but the more i played, the more positive takeaways I was getting. Along the way, I have learned a lot from Bob about DnD of course, but more importantly, Bob always conveys optimism, positivity, patience, and healthy habits.
Bob, the value of your content is paramount, and I am glad I could learn more about this wonderful hobby from you while I continue my work towards being the person my family deserves, and the person I want to be.
You're a real one, thank you.
I'm 31 and have played ttrpg from around 5 or 6, great to have you on board with the hobby big guy
@CircusFoxxo it's great to be here, thanks!!
One of us, one of us!
Lol I feel for that 14 year old, I'm 18, but I'm basically in the same exact situation of "never played the game but have to gm", and you and a bunch of other dnd youtubers have really have helped a lot.
I've done it too
Happy holidays, Bob and all reading this ❤
Thank you 🎉
@@RollForTuraco I hope it’s a merry and bright day for you, bud 💚❤️
@CP-yo6dd Likewise! Have the best day ever!
Happy Holidays to you, random internet person.
While there's tons of absolutely great and valuable D&D channels out there, this one really feels like a proper established home for the community with how chill it is
On the spell creation topic... As someone that runs games when I can, I love having an arsenal of "forgotten spells" that players can discover. Most of them are utility spells, but I also sometimes borrow silly ideas from literature. You never know what might be found in some recently unearthed scroll or spell book. Same thing for unusual items. It is good to spice up treasure now and then with things that are just totally unknown and new (to the players).
Bees.
caster is surrounded by bees
bees are friendly to caster but no one else.
lol.
@@johnhansen4794 Well, that would be a possibility. I know I once gave someone "Ridcully's Hat Trick". It keeps your hat from getting blown off, because "A wizard without a hat was just a sad man with a suspicious taste in clothes".
@@tunin6844XD I love Ridcully lol
@@tunin6844I love that!
Aw Bob you're going to be a great dad.
I love this. The first group I joined everyone was kind of mean and would make me feel dumb for not knowing things, even though I expressed I was new to the game. Your channel has been a huge help and comfort. Happy holidays everyone ✨️
Probably the most important thing in having a good time playing an RPG is playing with people who you get along with. Obviously a group that is mean and makes you feel dumb isn't a good fit. But it can also be differences in philosophy, like a group that loves a lot of tactical combat when you prefer role play heavy or old school sandbox exploration vs. epic quest high fantasy. Find players you vibe with and then you'll probably have a good time.
Helping the kid with his science fair project is just Perfect. Shows there are wonderful people out in the world.
A spell that has its effects related to the casters HP is a really fun idea, so much you can do with it that will still fit well in the D&D world, might even end up being more balanced than most 'official' spells of high level... Adding in some new elements of risk/reward or resource management to a spell in this case based on how beaten up you are is just a fun mechanic.
Most of the best spells and magic items are the ones with at least a small twist on the simple universal stuff, it just makes the world more real when crazy old Garry tinkers and creates something novel. Just makes the world feel unique, gives the sense that magic is no so codifed and solved you can never be thrown a curveball.
For instance an immoveable rod that when you click it petrifies you, so both you and the rod are now "immoveable" sounds like a terrible item, but some players will find a great fun way to use it depending on the exact mechanics. And even if they never actually find fun ways to make use of it the story of that time the wizard so certain this was a regular immoveable rod turned into a statue till the party figured it out is something that will live on.
The HP spell idea reminds me of Pokémon moves that scale their power to your HP-could be pretty fun and sort of a "last resort" move when things are dire!
Must be a warlock. It should be a warlock's.
Bob helping a kid's science project is such a wholesome W
I love this and I love that you have cultivated a community like this that you'll get these kinds of messages. Also that that first kid was so interested in that question that they wanted to do a whole project about it rules! Maybe that'll get them more interested in math and statistics, the way this hobby spreads is great
Those emails were very wholesome and made me feel all warm and fuzzy on this cold Christmas morning
One quick thing; make sure you take time for yourself in this content creating adventure that you’re on. Something tells me it can be quite mentally taxing. I bet you have to have high constitution to play the gameyou’re playing 😅Thanks for taking the time to come say hi to me up at pax. Somehow I was fortunate enough to talk just about every major content creator there and chatting with you was the nicest. Real talk: Bobs a genuine dude that genuinely loves TTRPG’s.
Yes. Don’t forget to be human too
What a great wholesome video. I love the young up-and-comer's enthusiasm. I'm currently enthusiastic to get my hands on DELVE, but will wait patiently for it to properly be done :)
Thanks Bob. Merry Christmas buddy
Loved the video, I wanted to say, even as an experienced GM (though still a young adult) your videos helped me a lot. With all the things you see online abut D&D, it's difficult to get the confidence that, no, you aren't doing it wrong and your videos helped with that, encouraging creativity while giving information !
On an unrelated note, my own ttrpg in the making is a rewriting of a ttrpg rulesbook I wrote at 15, you'd be suprised at how good teens are at making games !
Love from France
The science fair one is amazing.
Such wholesome emails. You're doing so much good! I really think TTRPGs help kids with so many skills.
This was a great video to discover this channel with, definitely a subscriber from here on.
Wait, evidently was already one but tried to subscribe again...lol
You inspired kids & they inspired you back, cool cycle !
For the spell creation, it depends on whether you are creating homebrew just for your own group(s), or if you are creating stuff that you want to put out for the world to use.
For your own group(s), the only thing that matters is if it's fun or not. If you want to put it out for the world, balance starts to matter some more.
As an expert in both diconomy and dicology, I can confirm that dice enact their free will by fudging themselves sometimes.
Oh God, I'm tearing up, this is so cool
2:35 Alright who is cutting onions in here? What do you mean "that's how hormones work"
Merry Christmas Bob! I hope you get a nice alpaca blanket or something practical for Christmas! Stay amazing!
The world needs more videos about favorite comments.
Merry Christmas!
And like dang near every game dev, and OG D&D player, DM, and author, and Jack Sparrow: "the rules are just guidelines." Happy gaming.
I love ALL Bob World Builder videos!
What an excellently wholesome way to open up Christmas morning. Happy holidays, Bob!
Happy holidays, Bob. Nice to see good old videos about... anything. I mean - these type of videos are the best. It's not about hype, but more about... real people! Real people, who play Ttrpg... from kids till adult ages! Thank you for keep your channel in that direction!
Merry Christmas Bob! Thank you for this video. The wholesomeness started my Christmas day off right. Thank you for always being an upbeat guy. You're one of the channels that absolutely save me during the difficult times in my life. May you always keep building!
I love how genuine you are!
That first store is one of the most happy and wholesome things I've ever heard
Happy Holidays, Bob. You just gave me an idea for my kid's science fair as well.
Happy holidays!! Thanks for this. Keep up the great work!!
Hi Bob, Happy holidays! I love the Champions of Norrath book 😊
So wholesome! Love this-keep building, friends ❤
sorry, a twelve year old wrote and playtested an entire ttrpg, in a matter of days?! thats genuinly impressive! kid, if you see this, keep being awesome!
Great Video! You’re like Santa dropping D&D and RPG knowledge Around the World!
2024 was a great year for this channel!
Thanks for this Bob. Amidst all the craziness that goes on these days in the D&D community, it's really this kind of positivity and recognition of the spirit of the game that you exhibit here that's important. Everything else is extra. Cheers.
I love that the first kid bolded your name
The HP spell idea reminds me of Pokémon moves that scale their power to your HP-could be pretty fun and sort of a "last resort" move when things are dire!
Keep inspiring the youth as they will be the ones to carry the hobby forward, even when companies like Hasbro make missteps.
HELL yeah brother! This is what it's all about. Keep being such a swell guy.
You literally are the Bob Ross of DnD and ttrpgs
You're a real one, Bob.
Bob, i loved the choose ur own video, but my favs that u used to do were the ones of showing the reality. The walking, jumping strength, drinking a potion, etc. absolutely love those videos. Anymore coming??
Thank you for sharing. I love your videos and your infectious enthusiasm for role playing games.
Dude I smiled through that whole first email story. That’s so awesome. Keep up the good work!
Happy Holidays!
This is the most wholesome thing I've ever imagined. Good for you, Bob. Keep on doing fun, wholesome stuff. You are awesome!
This is pure wholesomeness!!!! You’ve built something so special here and spread so much positivity and joy. You are so kind and creative and explain things in a way that’s easy to follow and breakdown complex rules to what they’re really saying. Thank you!
Happy Hoglidays!
Merry Christmas Bob, great video, I love hearing these stories.
Thank you for such a wholesome video for Christmas morning!
Merry Christmas Bob!
Solid video. Good job! Keep it up!
fantastic! You get fanmail! I wonder what kinds of design decisions go into making Maze Rats without ever hearing about maze rats?
For spells, since you brought up homebrew ones, I think one of my favourites I've seen in any game, D&D or not, is from Gozr - My Body Is Bread. I forget the exact mechanics for it - I've not played Gozr, just watched an AP of it, but it pretty much does what it says on the tin. Turns the caster's body into bread so that they can feed the party, I think with the downside being that rations taken from the caster's body does damage to the caster.
Merry Christmas Bob this was the perfect video for the day. I loved seeing this fan mail from our community's younger members. Good to see some active minds trying to make their own stuff.
Very wholesome
best holiday video ever
Hey Bob. I can understand how this would give you the good vibes for what you do. I am in my 50s and have been playing and running RPGs since I was 13. I really enjoy your channel. I started with AD&D back in the day and played into 2nd ed (probably not doing it right but having fun with it). Not a days I pay other games as 5E really doesn't float my boat and I've learnt to love classless and leveless systems. I've introduced my kids and nephew to RPGs. As young adults now they enjoy playing too. Last night my son and my nephew while on summer break here in Oz sat down with me and we started a few sessions of The Walking Dead where they played themselves surviving a zombie apocalypse in our regular beach get away. So much fun just making stuff up at the table and turning it into a survival story. RPGs are perfect for some holiday fun. Not much equipment required, just a book, dice and paper (and of course some imagination). Thanks for your channel. Keep it up.
4:40 Oooh! Effects that scale off player HP are present in some other systems; D&D just tends to avoid it because an effect that scales off HP will be at its most powerful at the beginning of combat, and D&D combat tends to prefer spells and powers that become more powerful _later,_ if anything. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with an effect like that, though, and it does line up with characters (especially martial characters) being _overall_ more powerful at the start of combat, before any damage has been taken or resources have been expended.
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas Bob, it’s awesome to see this wholesome content! Your content is always so positive, keep it up!
This was fun, lol. Happy holidays to everyone that celebrates one.
This is truly beautiful dude
All your emails are gonna start with im 12 and love your videos. Lmao😂
Getting Love from India! Bob's gone Global. Now he just need one from the ISS, and he'll be out of this world.
What a wonderfully wholesome video.
The positive attitude and ambition of these young players makes me think that the future of our hobby is in good hands. Thanks for being a good role-model, Bob!
I still remember my first attempt at homebrew...the fearsome Stapler Beast, a monster that spat out giant staples to pin adventurers to the wall...
This needs to be a regular feature, please!
A heartwarming video- perfect for Christmas!
You’re the man Bob!! Merry Christmas!
This was SO cute!
Happy holidays, Bob!
Congrats on reaching this audience. It must feel pretty rewarding, although, given your former experiences working with this age-group, maybe not surprising for you? Your videos tend to convey sincerity and optimism, which makes you approachable despite generation gaps, whether it's kids, 15 years younger than you, or grognards, 30 years older. Thanks for another solid year of content, Mr. World Builder.
Merry Christmas Bob
All the best for 2025
Love the vibes here, Bob. A very merry Christmas to you and yours!
Love this, this is just great man!
Well done, Bob. Add to the 12 year old making your own game keep on doing what you're doing
This is so wholesome! Love it!
Happy Ho Ho day. Keep on gaming!
Bob's just a chill dude, man.
4:40 my partner demanded I pause so she could rant about how it's okay to use mechanics that aren't in the base system. There was some ranting about Mercer's Blood Hunter class, and some about her previous homebrews. I agree with her. It was still hilarious to watch her get so riled over this.
CYOA was cleverl and I probably ran through each outcome. Happy Holidays!
I have loved your channel's focus on having fun with ttrpgs ever since I first heard you say that intro in the very first video of yours I came across. You absolutely achieve that goal! I have happened to find you right as you're putting your focus back on videos for beginners and right as I'm getting into DnD and preparing to be a DM for the very first time (in what would be my second ever game). And it's been a very lucky find! I've shared your basic combat tutorial with the absolute beginner player I'm going to be DMing for (we're doing a little duo campaign for our first time playing together), and she found it really useful and fun. And she appreciated your nice vibes as much as I do. :) Thank you for your work!!
Dude... this is truly heartwarming. Wow. What a Christmas video to behold!
Bob, if you can, definitely put out stuff like this more often. You know, chill stuff like this where we get to celebrate this wonderful community, we're all a part of. Seeing things like this really puts a smile on my face.
That's dope Bob! I remember back many years ago(early 90s), when i was playing in college. Dice back then were not as well made then as today, though even today dice can be wonky, and we ended up testing all of our dice. No salt though. We just had a bowl of waterand let the dice drop to the bottom. The ones that were off still sank to the bottom with the heaviest side down.
Hi bob
so wholesome! some acknowledgments are way better than money. I have never made one cent on any of my art, but someone does have a tattoo of it. congrats on the science project acknowledgment!
I have said it before and I will say it again
Thank you so so much for the wholesome, positive energy you bring to the community.
Your content is great and I come to you and Ginny for advice first always, but I truly think your overall attitude and outlook are what set your channel appart.
That first one was boss.
Thanks for sharing such a touching video.
I love all Bob World Builder videos!
Loving your whole thing Bob. Keep being awesome.