Conflict
Rob McPerhson and I discuss how "conflict" is an intrinsic part of the D&D experience; constructive and destructive conflict between PCs, but also how every PC requires an internalised conflict pushing them to adventure. We cover a few tools for resolving conflict both at the table and away from it, and how "my guy" syndrome can quickly and easily ruin an otherwise good game.
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod
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[Music]
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hello and welcome to the first episode
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of thinking critically a d d discussion
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my name is danilo and we are flying out
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of the gate with our first topic
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conflict today i'm joined by rob
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mcpherson the dm for our pill somner
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campaign and a contributor to wizsafe
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media rob thanks again for coming on can
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you tell us a bit about yourself
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yeah hey how's it going i'm i'm rob uh i
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started playing d d in 2018
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joined my friend jason's game um very
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typical edgy
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rogue tiefling assassin character
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yeah i kind of got hooked more or less
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immediately
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i've been dming for
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a couple of years
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as you mentioned i i run a game for for
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yourselves and a few of our friends
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here i'm playing a couple of other games
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yeah
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it's it's a
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it's a funny old game d
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there's something about it that
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keeps us all coming back
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yeah yeah it's never it's never exactly
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the same thing
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depending on who you play with depending
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on what kind of world you're playing in
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whether it's home brew
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whatever it is there's
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so much variety
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and i know fifth edition gets kind of a
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bit of a bad rap sometimes because of
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you know various things um
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but
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yeah i've played a i played a new minera
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campaign a long time ago
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it was quite a short-lived one um and i
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had a lot of fun with that but
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d d i think
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like it's the the best known rpg for for
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a good reason
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[Music]
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all right thank you very much so
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let's dive in then to one of the meteor
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topics
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out the gate what does
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conflict mean to you within the dnd 5e
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context
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to me
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i think if you look at it mechanically
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you like
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anytime you roll the dice in d d it's
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there's some degree of conflict involved
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um whether it's
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rolling initiative whether you are
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rolling persuasion deception
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stealth
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like it's all it all ties back to
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one kind of force
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pressing against another
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i guess yeah i
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one thing i
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i really like is that you as you as you
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mentioned you only need to have played
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literally a single session or even less
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you know even half a session to have had
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some experience with with conflict in
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the in the broader sense which i think
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is great it has
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negative connotations maybe with the you
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know the dictionary definition but when
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you bought sure when you ball it you
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know d down to it that's that's that's
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the game man
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[Laughter]
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yeah it's a bit even even down to the
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role-playing aspect
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there's
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you know
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bilbo baggins went on an adventure
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because he was bored
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right in the hobbit he he on his
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eleventy first birthday he was like i'm
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gonna i'm i'm done with the shower i'm
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gonna go off on an adventure because i'm
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i'm tired of this place that in and of
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itself loosely you could call
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conflict like he's conflicted with his
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current way of life he's he's not
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satisfied with the status quo so he's
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gonna go on an adventure the same
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applies to
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almost any character that you build
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um
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at least in my experience
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is gonna have a degree of
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duress they're gonna have something
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that's pushing them to become an
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adventurer or
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pushing them into circumstances that
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they're not necessarily prepared for but
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will lead to
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hopefully an interesting campaign or a
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session or a one shot so like some some
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internal conflict that that drives them
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basically yeah exactly
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yeah i think sometimes
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i think that's more difficult than you
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know it's easier said than done i think
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that topic like
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we all love
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making new characters some more than
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others but i think that's quite quite a
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fun element of it you know piecing
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together for sure yeah this that and the
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other but i think certainly for maybe
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lesser experienced people and again i
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think it's a topic i'm going to come
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back to quite a few times especially
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those that have come from perhaps
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predominantly video game backgrounds
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having that responsibility is
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a huge
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addition that they're not ready for you
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can't just say yeah i'm a rogue okay
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right click start click to start it's
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now i'm a rogue and
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i
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my parents died and then they got
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resurrected and now i have to go and
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kill them and
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yeah
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absolutely it's it's the trouble with
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d d being as accessible as it is it's so
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easy to create a character to roll up a
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character sheet
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um and that character then exists you
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have that character you can play that
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character
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but what drives them
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what's their
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you know if that i've never encountered
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a player character
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um
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that is
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really happy
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uh and has a great home life and
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there has no reason to to venture beyond
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their their home or their town
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um
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because
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that would kind of
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it would be an amazing challenge as a as
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a player yeah for sure to play that
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character
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yeah because it begs the question of
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like why are you out risking your life
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if you've got you know like a wife and
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kids at home for example and it's like
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well you know my daughter's gonna be
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pretty uh upset if i just
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i just die because i'm after some
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treasure
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and you know that but there immediately
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there's a potential yeah i've got this
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great family life but you know we're
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destitute
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i need gold where's gold dragons dragon
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swords they have
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they have gold cool i will go and find a
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dragon that's that's
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some kind of kind of inner conflict or
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or personal conflict of
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you know living within your means is
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difficult
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so how can i better my my life for me
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and my family i'll go and get through
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that's
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very
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easy character motivation
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but it's derived from conflict
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yeah it's a really good point because
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we've kind of bridged that we've
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mirrored the
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player character and player there so
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that you know the
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the player might sometimes struggle with
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themselves in trying to
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think up something that you know they
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might be setting high standards for
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themselves to say oh god i need to i
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need to write a
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a page worth of decent backstory here to
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you know to live up to expectations
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and again that backstory has to be good
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for the character themselves exactly
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yeah i've played with people that have
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written
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kind of half a page of a4 notes just
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very broadly being like oh yeah he's
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he's from this this background he's he's
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this kind of guy
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um but i've equally played with people
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that have written
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30 page backstories and given
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the the not me as the dm thankfully but
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that dm it's a blessing and a curse i
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suppose because that damn then has
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a treasure trove of of
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people and and things to to throw at
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that character and and weave into that
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story for them
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but equally
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that's a lot of work to tie it into any
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work that you've already done
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it's yeah it's tricky
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in my current campaign two of my players
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uh probably two of the extremes
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so one kai i think it was a page and a
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half it was literally like
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seven years ago and then a flash forward
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to like halfway in between and then
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here's what's happening today to kind of
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chronicle where he got from a to b to c
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which was which is really good and it
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was written as a piece of fiction rather
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than a piece of
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dry
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text
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yeah which is always nice and then i
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have another player who in his in his
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defense is his first game of this ilk
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and this is a shortcoming that i've
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realized
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on on my part and that i allowed him to
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do it but he went with a bit of a the
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amnesia trope
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so it was
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i was like okay that's that's fine it
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makes sense you know at the time i was
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saying you know that's fine you're a
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newbie let's just hit the ground running
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kind of thing but then
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what i've
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come to realize is that that is actually
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a huge barrier to enable him to role
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play
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i suppose because he doesn't know who
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his guy is
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yep and there's literally no well
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there's no there's no conflict
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it's literally just like i i don't care
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what we do because i don't care about
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anything yeah i've got nothing that ties
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me to the world
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that would cause me one way or the other
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if you're playing
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a true neutral character
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maybe
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but even then
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you have the
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the external factors of
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the life that you've lived that might
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push you forward mm-hmm
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yeah there's still things you you you
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know which you would find abhorrent even
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true neutral yeah
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yeah so that that's something that
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i've had to understand
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myself and to try and you know and i
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have i have
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i worked with him
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when i realized that's you know
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a problem
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not a problem is too strong a word but i
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want to enable him
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um so i've worked with him to kind of
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flesh flesh it out and have tied it in
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to the backstory
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00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,440
because it provides you an opportunity i
285
00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:40,160
suppose to to wreck on stuff to say okay
286
00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,680
well you were
287
00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,080
amnesiac
288
00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:46,240
or you are an amnesiac you don't
289
00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:48,320
have any memories but that's not to say
290
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:51,040
you haven't lived a life let's work out
291
00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,560
where you have been and how that might
292
00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,800
filter in and
293
00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:56,480
you know that can that can be their
294
00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,519
personal quest is to regain their
295
00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,720
memories
296
00:09:57,519 --> 00:10:00,560
yeah yeah and that's that's something
297
00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:03,120
i've got planned and eventually they'll
298
00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:05,360
get to that arc and that chapter which
299
00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,880
i'm looking forward to because that's
300
00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,360
after all said and done is actually
301
00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,040
going to be quite a big payoff because
302
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,720
it's it's this you know you're drawing
303
00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,920
back the curtain and there's here's all
304
00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,839
this stuff that you didn't know before
305
00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,839
and now you know
306
00:10:15,839 --> 00:10:20,000
what are you going to do with that
307
00:10:16,839 --> 00:10:22,079
information oh god you know i'm i'm a
308
00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,440
different person now
309
00:10:22,079 --> 00:10:24,800
so yeah i'm quite i'm quite looking
310
00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,920
forward to that
311
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:30,320
do you think that
312
00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,800
at the table between
313
00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:34,800
players say you've got player a is super
314
00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,560
backstory or super
315
00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,480
into it i suppose for lack of a better
316
00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:42,079
term and then you've got player b who
317
00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:44,320
isn't as much or is not capable of being
318
00:10:42,079 --> 00:10:47,680
as into it do you think that
319
00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:49,760
has ever caused any conflict either in
320
00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:50,720
game or at the table
321
00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:52,399
uh
322
00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:55,040
yeah
323
00:10:52,399 --> 00:10:57,279
i've seen it i've seen it happen um
324
00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,880
yeah the first campaign that i ran uh
325
00:10:57,279 --> 00:11:02,320
not that i ran that i was i was a part
326
00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:04,480
of i think we had
327
00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,640
a couple of characters so i'd come in as
328
00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:09,680
this is my first dnd campaign i'm quite
329
00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,519
eager i'd written a decent backstory and
330
00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:12,720
and worked with the dm quite a lot to
331
00:11:11,519 --> 00:11:14,880
build a
332
00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:17,040
background that could be tied in
333
00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,279
in some way awesome and then there were
334
00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,839
the other characters that i just met and
335
00:11:19,279 --> 00:11:26,160
within the space of maybe like three or
336
00:11:21,839 --> 00:11:27,680
four sessions it became quite clear that
337
00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,680
some of the characters wanted different
338
00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,959
things from the game yeah
339
00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:32,560
and and
340
00:11:30,959 --> 00:11:33,920
some characters weren't especially happy
341
00:11:32,560 --> 00:11:36,399
with the choices they've made in
342
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:39,279
building that character and were like
343
00:11:36,399 --> 00:11:42,000
almost suicidal um
344
00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:43,440
kind of like going like headlong into
345
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,920
into
346
00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:48,079
like unspeakable odds
347
00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,800
alone trying to be the hero which is you
348
00:11:48,079 --> 00:11:50,240
know
349
00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,920
there's nothing wrong with wanting to be
350
00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:55,760
a hero it's d yep but for the sake of
351
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,839
letting us get to freedom and we're kind
352
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,920
of like well no we can all escape we can
353
00:11:57,839 --> 00:12:00,800
all get out you don't you don't need to
354
00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,680
do that
355
00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:06,000
and he was there kind of like being the
356
00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:08,480
the go on get out before it's it's too
357
00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,760
late for me it's like a master yeah it's
358
00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,639
like it's absolutely not too late for
359
00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,760
you if we can we can all escape
360
00:12:12,639 --> 00:12:15,440
we've got loads of time on the clock
361
00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,320
don't worry about it
362
00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,839
um
363
00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,920
so yeah i think
364
00:12:17,839 --> 00:12:21,760
maybe less from a
365
00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,800
preparation standpoint but more from a
366
00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:27,760
general what do you want from d and d
367
00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:30,000
what do you want out of this story
368
00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,120
this session
369
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,440
i've definitely seen some kind of
370
00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:34,399
conflict arise there yeah do you have
371
00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,639
any
372
00:12:34,399 --> 00:12:38,959
tips or guidance on how to to mitigate
373
00:12:36,639 --> 00:12:40,639
that because i'm just thinking
374
00:12:38,959 --> 00:12:41,839
that is
375
00:12:40,639 --> 00:12:44,399
such a
376
00:12:41,839 --> 00:12:46,000
balance between
377
00:12:44,399 --> 00:12:48,079
three to six
378
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,160
different most likely completely
379
00:12:48,079 --> 00:12:52,480
different people in game
380
00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,839
i try to encourage people being family
381
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,200
members or friends beforehand just
382
00:12:53,839 --> 00:12:56,639
because it makes that a little bit
383
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,839
easier
384
00:12:56,639 --> 00:13:00,320
and and
385
00:12:57,839 --> 00:13:02,959
they they they all were friends um like
386
00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,560
i was i think everyone knew someone else
387
00:13:02,959 --> 00:13:06,800
at the table
388
00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,800
um a lot of them were were work
389
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,399
colleagues through
390
00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,519
kind of apple and and
391
00:13:10,399 --> 00:13:13,200
different
392
00:13:11,519 --> 00:13:15,040
kind of they'd work together in various
393
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,959
different places
394
00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,519
yeah i was i was very much an outsider
395
00:13:16,959 --> 00:13:21,040
in that situation and that i i knew two
396
00:13:19,519 --> 00:13:22,959
of them i knew the dm and one of the
397
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:25,279
players and was introduced and kind of
398
00:13:22,959 --> 00:13:27,440
made friends with everyone else that way
399
00:13:25,279 --> 00:13:29,200
that makes me feel better from joining
400
00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,839
your campaign when i was in the
401
00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,959
literally the identical position exactly
402
00:13:31,839 --> 00:13:35,120
yeah
403
00:13:32,959 --> 00:13:36,959
but that's i was gonna say in terms of
404
00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,720
conflict at the table i i'm fortunate
405
00:13:36,959 --> 00:13:39,760
enough that
406
00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,680
it's not that i've never played with
407
00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,199
anyone i didn't know because that's how
408
00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:44,320
that's how we met
409
00:13:43,199 --> 00:13:46,839
but
410
00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:50,000
i knew psy and psy said oh my friend
411
00:13:46,839 --> 00:13:52,160
danilo who plays d d he'd be great at
412
00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,800
the table is it called he joins in and
413
00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,880
it's like yeah absolutely because i knew
414
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,160
sai i trusted sai and
415
00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,680
it's kind of like oh if you're vouching
416
00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,199
for this person then absolutely they're
417
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,040
welcome
418
00:14:01,199 --> 00:14:04,480
yeah the
419
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:07,120
the kind of conflict that i've never
420
00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:08,880
fortunately had to experience is the
421
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,639
playing with complete strangers and
422
00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,480
running a game for people you've never
423
00:14:10,639 --> 00:14:14,560
met before because that's
424
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,560
a challenge that i can imagine
425
00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:18,000
requires a really specific skill set to
426
00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:20,720
be able to
427
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,399
kind of surmount yeah i see
428
00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,000
you see a lot of like looking for groups
429
00:14:22,399 --> 00:14:26,800
you know and roll 20 in that and looking
430
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,800
for dms and i've thought to myself
431
00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,880
before how
432
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:33,600
you know how does or how can that work
433
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,519
because you're just going in completely
434
00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,600
completely blind but i guess
435
00:14:35,519 --> 00:14:39,680
yeah i guess it does somehow because it
436
00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,040
wouldn't be yeah successful otherwise
437
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:44,160
and i feel like it's just setting
438
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:45,920
expectations really early it's talking
439
00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,800
taking a session zero even if that's
440
00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,880
only half an hour 40 minutes saying
441
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,399
cool what kind of game are you guys
442
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,959
looking for
443
00:14:52,399 --> 00:14:58,079
you know what's off the table in terms
444
00:14:54,959 --> 00:15:00,320
of content are there any kind of
445
00:14:58,079 --> 00:15:01,839
hardline taboo subjects that you don't
446
00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,160
want is you know
447
00:15:01,839 --> 00:15:06,560
are we running a murder hobo game are we
448
00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,959
running a story heavy game it's
449
00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:11,279
a lot of conflict in that regard i feel
450
00:15:08,959 --> 00:15:12,560
like that could be mitigated very early
451
00:15:11,279 --> 00:15:15,040
by
452
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,639
very clear communication yeah i think
453
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,240
that's uh i'm just thinking now that i
454
00:15:16,639 --> 00:15:20,639
think session zeros are like job
455
00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,160
interviews in that they're super
456
00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:23,920
important but you never really get the
457
00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,440
opportunity to do enough of them to get
458
00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:28,959
better at them
459
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:29,759
because i basically did one and it was
460
00:15:28,959 --> 00:15:30,880
well
461
00:15:29,759 --> 00:15:33,360
i have to say it probably wasn't as
462
00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:36,000
successful as it could have been i ran
463
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,519
it more as a to be fair it was all three
464
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,720
completely new players it was more of an
465
00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:42,720
introduction to d rather than a typical
466
00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,560
session zero so that was a again another
467
00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,639
learning point for me and that
468
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,720
those two things are probably different
469
00:15:46,639 --> 00:15:51,199
that's um that's how this get the our
470
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,920
campaign got started oh yeah
471
00:15:51,199 --> 00:15:56,720
yeah um i'd never run it before i'd i'd
472
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:59,120
been playing for about a year or so
473
00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,720
and and i was like i really wanna like
474
00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,720
the the group was in london and i was in
475
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,560
southampton so i was like well i need to
476
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,800
i need to play
477
00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:09,120
but if i if i can't find a group to join
478
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:12,240
i'll start one yeah um so it just took
479
00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,759
to asking people i knew are you
480
00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,680
are you interested in playing dnd i know
481
00:16:13,759 --> 00:16:17,040
this is maybe something you'd be
482
00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,399
up for
483
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,720
and yeah for me it was as much a
484
00:16:18,399 --> 00:16:23,120
learning experience of being a dm and
485
00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,800
running a game as it was then learning
486
00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,000
how to play it
487
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,440
which i
488
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,560
could have could have led to some really
489
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,639
bad habits yeah but i feel i feel i've
490
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,880
been quite lucky in that if i've made
491
00:16:32,639 --> 00:16:38,639
mistakes in terms of rules or whatever
492
00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:40,160
then it's not a a massive deal it's oh i
493
00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:42,880
think this works this way and then in
494
00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:44,160
future we'll do it correctly yeah
495
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,519
i think
496
00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,839
a big a big part of it's just being
497
00:16:45,519 --> 00:16:49,839
respectful it's just
498
00:16:47,839 --> 00:16:51,680
yeah respecting your players time your
499
00:16:49,839 --> 00:16:53,920
players respecting the time you put into
500
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:55,120
preparing a game
501
00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:58,160
a lot of
502
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,519
the the at the table conflict aside from
503
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,160
in game
504
00:16:59,519 --> 00:17:04,160
that could be yeah again mitigated by
505
00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,839
mutual respect and communication i think
506
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,720
that's a fairly
507
00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:11,199
easier said than done but oh yeah
508
00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:14,640
a fairly easy kind of template for
509
00:17:11,199 --> 00:17:17,199
avoiding clashes um i think
510
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,600
aside from i think one or two
511
00:17:17,199 --> 00:17:22,079
experimental one shots that i'd done the
512
00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,439
first longer length campaign
513
00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:26,319
was with
514
00:17:23,439 --> 00:17:28,000
a large group again i think six in total
515
00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:30,720
of younger
516
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:34,720
you know late teens at the time
517
00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:37,600
and i gotta say a couple of those were
518
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,600
confrontational i suppose and they
519
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,720
had one in particular had a real big
520
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,799
problem with
521
00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:45,360
that separation of
522
00:17:42,799 --> 00:17:47,600
player character to character
523
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:49,600
sure which i still find difficult
524
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,960
playing because if i'm ever being you
525
00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:54,559
know mean it still feels bad to me yeah
526
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,640
every time i do i have to apologize and
527
00:17:54,559 --> 00:17:58,080
be like i care but
528
00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,640
my character don't care
529
00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:03,440
just just for clarification this is
530
00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,320
this is vic acting yeah
531
00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,000
yeah
532
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,000
i'm terribly sorry if you're lost out of
533
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,760
game but in game uh let's move on
534
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,720
because
535
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,120
but he
536
00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,320
there wasn't any of that and i'm afraid
537
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:16,240
to say it almost got to the point where
538
00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,600
i had to be like okay you're going to
539
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,039
have to stop
540
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,600
doing these things that you're doing
541
00:18:19,039 --> 00:18:22,880
because that's now just just being rude
542
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,799
in real life
543
00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,480
yeah it's quite obvious you're not
544
00:18:24,799 --> 00:18:28,400
playing the game anymore it's tricky
545
00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,080
because especially when you get a
546
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,919
a degree of oh it's what my character
547
00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:35,200
would do
548
00:18:31,919 --> 00:18:37,600
there's a there's a difference between
549
00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,520
playing a role and being a dick
550
00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:42,240
yep
551
00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,360
you can you can play an evil character
552
00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,720
and not be
553
00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,760
horrible to the people you're at the
554
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,840
table with
555
00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,840
yes yeah again it comes down to
556
00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,280
motivation what's what's driving your
557
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,679
character
558
00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,440
to do the things they're doing
559
00:18:53,679 --> 00:18:56,799
if you really think about it an evil
560
00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,559
character someone that's got truly
561
00:18:56,799 --> 00:19:00,240
malicious intentions
562
00:18:58,559 --> 00:19:01,919
probably cares about themself more than
563
00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,679
anyone else and thus would do anything
564
00:19:01,919 --> 00:19:06,720
to keep themselves
565
00:19:03,679 --> 00:19:09,360
out of conflict yeah would probably push
566
00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:12,320
others into conflict sure but wouldn't
567
00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:13,840
begin to antagonize the people there
568
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,919
ostensibly if they're in your party
569
00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,400
they're keeping you alive yeah
570
00:19:15,919 --> 00:19:20,799
that you need them
571
00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:23,600
so yeah there's a
572
00:19:20,799 --> 00:19:26,480
there's a very
573
00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,640
yeah there's a kind of an easy line to
574
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,320
draw when it comes to
575
00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,240
playing in uh an evil character or
576
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,640
playing in a specific way that's like oh
577
00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:37,440
it's what my character would do yeah um
578
00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:39,919
there's an easy line to draw between
579
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:42,240
being a character and
580
00:19:39,919 --> 00:19:43,760
being an [ __ ] at the table but it's
581
00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:47,280
yeah
582
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:50,320
i think some classes obviously more
583
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,679
susceptible to that for rightly or wrong
584
00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,960
reasons so
585
00:19:51,679 --> 00:19:55,520
to take the two
586
00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:58,480
class extremes you've got wizards who
587
00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,919
are typically intelligent typically
588
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,919
polite
589
00:19:59,919 --> 00:20:05,200
just just by dinner
590
00:20:01,919 --> 00:20:07,200
being academic i suppose they might be
591
00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:09,919
yeah they might be aloof but they're not
592
00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,799
mean or foolish and then on the other
593
00:20:09,919 --> 00:20:13,440
end of the table you've got the
594
00:20:10,799 --> 00:20:15,679
stereotypical barbarian who
595
00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:18,799
can be stereotyped as
596
00:20:15,679 --> 00:20:20,880
full hardy and you know charge headlong
597
00:20:18,799 --> 00:20:23,760
into battle so you've got the the meat
598
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:26,000
heads and the and the nerds yeah yeah so
599
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,840
wizards are mechanically difficult but
600
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,520
then i think the other side of the same
601
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,799
coin is that
602
00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,799
barbarians are
603
00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:35,760
more difficult to role play because
604
00:20:32,799 --> 00:20:37,600
you've gotta really for sure find that
605
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,039
middle ground of
606
00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,880
i would
607
00:20:39,039 --> 00:20:43,440
jump off the cliff and not care about
608
00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:46,240
hitting the ground in 30 seconds time to
609
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,919
chase this goblin off but
610
00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,520
i'm not gonna because then that's just
611
00:20:47,919 --> 00:20:52,080
gonna waste two hours of everybody's
612
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,200
time at the table yeah then my my party
613
00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,200
then has to
614
00:20:53,200 --> 00:21:00,400
scale that cliff to pick up my dead body
615
00:20:55,200 --> 00:21:00,400
and revive me if i'm lucky yeah it's uh
616
00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:04,480
yeah yeah it's making intelligent
617
00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,159
choices you can you can play a character
618
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:08,080
and and
619
00:21:06,159 --> 00:21:10,320
and and
620
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,600
play them
621
00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:13,840
clever like yeah
622
00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,880
making smart choices for the cards so
623
00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:18,559
yeah they my character might do this
624
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:21,440
but they've also got a degree of
625
00:21:18,559 --> 00:21:23,760
self-preservation yeah
626
00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:26,480
one thing i liked reading a little while
627
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:28,159
ago about that barbarian because it's
628
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,840
something i've had in in the post on the
629
00:21:28,159 --> 00:21:31,360
game
630
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:33,120
of like danielle knows
631
00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:35,600
well thinks he might know the solution
632
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:37,440
to this puzzle but vic probably wouldn't
633
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,200
have crossed the tees and dot the eyes
634
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,480
to come to that conclusion
635
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,400
which unfortunately just leads to a bit
636
00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,960
of frustration because you're like yeah
637
00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:46,320
somebody else just i remember a puzzle
638
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,320
quite early on that was it was to do
639
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,240
with like sliding panels within a wall
640
00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,640
to make a
641
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,840
a relief of a sun rising in the sun
642
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,440
setting and
643
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:58,559
people were kind of tinkering with bits
644
00:21:55,440 --> 00:22:00,320
and pieces and as soon as vic knew where
645
00:21:58,559 --> 00:22:01,679
stuff was supposed to go he just walked
646
00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,600
up and pulled
647
00:22:01,679 --> 00:22:06,400
the panel off the wall
648
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,840
and shoved it into the right place yeah
649
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,760
it worked i was like yeah okay i'm
650
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,679
satisfied with that so
651
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,280
yeah that's that's a solution to the
652
00:22:11,679 --> 00:22:14,960
puzzle but that's all that's that's
653
00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,200
something i can imagine
654
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,720
a barbarian absolutely doing
655
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,760
oh good i'll take that i'll take that as
656
00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,200
a compliment
657
00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:23,280
but there the the thing i was reading
658
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,360
was saying basically like the barbarian
659
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,720
might not you know in game might not
660
00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:29,520
have worked out that there's a you know
661
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:31,520
a hidden lever behind this
662
00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,840
fake wall but then perhaps they rolled
663
00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,919
really high on investigation
664
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,559
awkwardly high from the dm's perspective
665
00:22:35,919 --> 00:22:39,360
versus say the wizard who rolled low and
666
00:22:38,559 --> 00:22:42,159
it's
667
00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:44,159
a dumb idiot for 30 seconds but then the
668
00:22:42,159 --> 00:22:45,600
way they you know you'll get out claws
669
00:22:44,159 --> 00:22:47,760
there they described it was basically
670
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:49,679
like the barbarian doesn't
671
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,600
work out that there's a lever there
672
00:22:49,679 --> 00:22:53,600
perhaps he's just like
673
00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,120
tired and leans against the wall and he
674
00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,159
happens to lean against the bit that's
675
00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:58,400
got the
676
00:22:56,159 --> 00:22:59,440
the hidden lever behind it
677
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,120
yeah
678
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,400
it's frustrated and
679
00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:04,080
you know where the false wall is he
680
00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:06,480
punches the wall and he punches through
681
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,280
it yeah just straight through it oh hang
682
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,840
on
683
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,840
you're welcome guys
684
00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,320
so yeah that was quite good and i guess
685
00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:15,600
that some way to bridge
686
00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:17,840
you know where the dice are telling a
687
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,679
slightly different story to what might
688
00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,440
ideally be happening
689
00:23:19,679 --> 00:23:23,919
one thing i
690
00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:27,200
see or read a lot about especially on
691
00:23:23,919 --> 00:23:29,360
various subreddits is if i if i had a
692
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,720
pound for every time there was a post
693
00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:34,240
about
694
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:37,760
a dm saying my player does xyz or a post
695
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:42,320
that says my dm does abc and i don't
696
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:42,320
think it works i'd be a millionaire yeah
697
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,919
there's no shortage of people that don't
698
00:23:44,159 --> 00:23:47,679
want to talk to each other exactly
699
00:23:45,919 --> 00:23:49,520
that's what i'd say like the answer is
700
00:23:47,679 --> 00:23:51,600
always just like have you
701
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,799
did you talk did you talk to them
702
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,520
oh no
703
00:23:52,799 --> 00:23:57,039
i just sat in silence for five games
704
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,840
yeah it baffles me that people are
705
00:23:57,039 --> 00:24:02,799
willing to stew on something and and
706
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:04,799
really let it ruin their game
707
00:24:02,799 --> 00:24:07,039
as a dm and i'm sure you'll probably
708
00:24:04,799 --> 00:24:08,960
agree my my biggest concern is making
709
00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:10,400
sure the players on my table are having
710
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,760
fun yep
711
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,600
that's the only thing i really care
712
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,679
about because when my players are having
713
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:18,400
fun i'm having a good time yep
714
00:24:15,679 --> 00:24:20,480
the reason i put the work into if i'm
715
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,080
doing a homebrew campaign build build
716
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,600
the towns and the the
717
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,840
npcs and
718
00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:28,000
planning encounters and puzzles
719
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:29,120
is because i want to see you guys
720
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,600
enjoy
721
00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:33,840
that like if if there's something at the
722
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:35,440
table either from the way i'm running
723
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,679
the game or
724
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:40,080
from another player
725
00:24:37,679 --> 00:24:43,840
i would hope that
726
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:45,440
we're all mature enough to discuss it
727
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,520
a great example
728
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,679
and it's it kind of ties into conflict
729
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:53,279
quite nicely my friend nathan's initial
730
00:24:49,679 --> 00:24:54,720
character nephros tiefling rogue who
731
00:24:53,279 --> 00:24:57,360
they started off that way became a
732
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:59,360
tiefling warlock
733
00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:01,600
tied to the hells
734
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:04,320
over time became
735
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,520
more evil yeah you could say
736
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:08,080
yeah
737
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:10,159
did some pretty nefarious things
738
00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,400
but came to me and said i don't really
739
00:25:10,159 --> 00:25:15,520
want to play a bad guy because no one at
740
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:17,760
the table likes me no no no one else in
741
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,279
the party likes nefros
742
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,760
um i was like well yeah you keep on
743
00:25:19,279 --> 00:25:24,320
doing really shady stuff which is fine
744
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:26,320
you're allowed to and you're dealing
745
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,679
with the consequences of it as as we
746
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,400
play
747
00:25:27,679 --> 00:25:29,919
which
748
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:32,159
you know if you're happy to do then call
749
00:25:29,919 --> 00:25:34,240
but if you're not happy doing that let's
750
00:25:32,159 --> 00:25:36,480
work something out and now we've got
751
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,840
a really dastardly
752
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,760
npc
753
00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,679
villain
754
00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:44,159
that used to be a player character that
755
00:25:41,679 --> 00:25:45,440
has now kind of been given to me as the
756
00:25:44,159 --> 00:25:47,600
dm to
757
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,600
do what i will with and there's some
758
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:52,000
it's really cool stuff that i've got
759
00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:53,600
planned with that character now um by
760
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000
virtue of
761
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:58,400
being able to have a conversation with
762
00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,320
nathan the player and say and him being
763
00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,559
kind of comfortable saying yeah like
764
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:05,120
this this isn't the most fun i could be
765
00:26:02,559 --> 00:26:07,840
having yeah which i really i really
766
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:10,880
appreciated him coming to me with that
767
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:13,679
it made me feel like i'm doing good jobs
768
00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,600
at the dm that he's able to yeah also
769
00:26:13,679 --> 00:26:17,600
yeah that i'm able to
770
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,640
hopefully make the rest of the the rest
771
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,640
of the party
772
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,919
have a better time by virtue of not
773
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,840
dealing with
774
00:26:21,919 --> 00:26:25,840
an evil bastard in their ranks well i
775
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:27,679
can i can tell you if anyone's ever
776
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,760
struggling for something to galvanize
777
00:26:27,679 --> 00:26:32,720
the players there's nothing better than
778
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:34,799
one of the former party members
779
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,960
turning on them and then suddenly you've
780
00:26:34,799 --> 00:26:38,960
got the rest of the table who are like
781
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,400
man i don't care about whatever the hell
782
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,919
saved the world quest we were on before
783
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,240
that guy's got to die
784
00:26:41,919 --> 00:26:46,159
yeah yeah it's got to go down it's a
785
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,600
matter of principle yeah the world can
786
00:26:46,159 --> 00:26:51,960
wait because
787
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,960
like jim he's a bastard
788
00:26:53,039 --> 00:26:57,440
uh yeah so yeah i gotta say that was you
789
00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:59,120
know i made a great table experience as
790
00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,120
well as the rest of the players and who
791
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:03,120
didn't know that was gonna happen
792
00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:05,039
yeah which um
793
00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:07,200
yeah it's part of why i love dming is
794
00:27:05,039 --> 00:27:09,279
that you get kind of a
795
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,640
a front row seat to that kind of stuff
796
00:27:09,279 --> 00:27:14,320
playing out um i always try to run the
797
00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:16,080
game as though it's not
798
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,120
it's not my game it's your guys's game
799
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,919
i'm just
800
00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:21,760
giving you the the fuel if you like sure
801
00:27:19,919 --> 00:27:23,120
i'd say the vast majority of that was
802
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,120
nathan's idea
803
00:27:23,120 --> 00:27:27,120
and i was all too happy to roll with it
804
00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:28,880
yeah awesome yeah
805
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:31,679
yeah i'm trying i think if there's my
806
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:34,240
current game there are conflict between
807
00:27:31,679 --> 00:27:35,760
some of the players no we're not quite
808
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,720
well perhaps they are and maybe i need
809
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,080
to start
810
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:39,600
bridging that
811
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,799
subject with them
812
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,399
as maybe some of them aren't aware
813
00:27:40,799 --> 00:27:44,080
that's even something you can
814
00:27:42,399 --> 00:27:45,760
you could even do
815
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,480
so yeah
816
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:50,080
yeah which again is i guess one thing i
817
00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:53,600
don't think
818
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:55,440
it does as a system or framework is
819
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,520
communicate the commitment i guess
820
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,760
there's a way to put it so
821
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:02,080
sure especially if you start a longer
822
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,279
campaign and i get that there's short
823
00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,720
campaigns and there's you know five
824
00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:06,000
sessions there's one shots and whatnot
825
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,840
but especially starting a longer
826
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,840
campaign that i'm always forthcoming and
827
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,960
saying look this thing i'm thinking of
828
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,399
running is
829
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,799
long
830
00:28:12,399 --> 00:28:16,799
think about what you want to play
831
00:28:14,799 --> 00:28:18,399
for new players
832
00:28:16,799 --> 00:28:21,200
if they're like oh i'll just want to
833
00:28:18,399 --> 00:28:23,360
cast spells so i'll be
834
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,279
a sorcerer and i go
835
00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:27,760
okay they're a bit complicated you're
836
00:28:25,279 --> 00:28:29,360
going to be okay with that yeah be fine
837
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:32,640
and then three levels in they're like
838
00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:34,559
what the hell is any of this stuff
839
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,080
what what is metamagic what's going on
840
00:28:34,559 --> 00:28:39,440
what yeah i mean
841
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:40,320
yeah what is a spell slot
842
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,399
i would
843
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,399
i would always tend to
844
00:28:42,399 --> 00:28:47,120
so i started a another campaign
845
00:28:44,399 --> 00:28:48,080
for a a another bunch of guys at work
846
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,320
that
847
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:53,360
i was very kind of keen to say
848
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:55,360
try like if you want a a a fun
849
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,480
experience to begin with try these
850
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,799
classes out
851
00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:01,200
try fighter try
852
00:28:58,799 --> 00:29:03,440
rogue it's quite easy to play yeah
853
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,120
druids aren't especially difficult
854
00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,720
there's a bit more to them in that
855
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:09,279
you've got your your b shapes and the
856
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,159
different circles and stuff
857
00:29:09,279 --> 00:29:12,159
but
858
00:29:10,159 --> 00:29:14,480
these are the kind of the ones that are
859
00:29:12,159 --> 00:29:17,039
probably slightly more
860
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,559
accessible to begin with
861
00:29:17,039 --> 00:29:19,919
and a few of them were like oh i quite
862
00:29:18,559 --> 00:29:21,120
like the idea of a sorcery it's like
863
00:29:19,919 --> 00:29:24,159
okay
864
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:26,960
take a read through it look through the
865
00:29:24,159 --> 00:29:29,120
the player's handbook at that class
866
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:31,520
and if all of it looks good to you or
867
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:33,440
even most of it looks good to you
868
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,960
by all means if you're confident playing
869
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:37,039
that but i'm
870
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,880
again going back to the main focus i
871
00:29:37,039 --> 00:29:41,120
want you to have fun
872
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:43,840
and i don't mean to stress out about how
873
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:45,760
many sorcery points you have left and
874
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,840
any of that like yeah it's far easier to
875
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:50,480
just do i get sneak attack yes or no
876
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:52,320
cool loads of damage great yeah which is
877
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,799
which is a really rewarding for lower
878
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,480
level players to have that sneak attack
879
00:29:54,799 --> 00:29:58,640
on top it's just like oh i don't barely
880
00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,080
have to do anything and i've out dps
881
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,840
everyone else
882
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,000
i'm i'm having fun
883
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,600
yeah well that that's i think part of
884
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:09,919
why i went for a rogue is looking
885
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:12,159
through the php early on some of the
886
00:30:09,919 --> 00:30:13,440
bits and pieces you pick up quite early
887
00:30:12,159 --> 00:30:15,919
were really
888
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:18,880
appealing sneakertech being one
889
00:30:15,919 --> 00:30:20,720
um i worked with jason the dm to create
890
00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:23,440
a like a custom
891
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:26,320
specific assassin background awesome
892
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:28,320
based on my backstory and so instead of
893
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:30,159
being able to cast darkness i was able
894
00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:32,480
to cast silence
895
00:30:30,159 --> 00:30:34,559
and like little kind of tweaks like that
896
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:37,520
were really really really good fun
897
00:30:34,559 --> 00:30:39,600
yeah that's awesome
898
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,559
so we've talked a bit about conflict
899
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:44,080
around
900
00:30:40,559 --> 00:30:46,000
the table and problems with
901
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:49,120
between players and problems between
902
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:50,960
players and the dm and
903
00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,640
oh man i i don't know i think about it
904
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,559
because any time i think about it i just
905
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,640
recall some of the horror stories you
906
00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:58,320
hear and it's like of people saying this
907
00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,480
one guy just
908
00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,799
this guy openly cheats
909
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,480
yeah what do we do about it and then you
910
00:31:02,799 --> 00:31:06,880
find two days later they've replied to
911
00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:09,519
the subreddit and it's like oh yeah the
912
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:11,440
dm owed him some money so he was just
913
00:31:09,519 --> 00:31:12,320
like allowing him to cheat and i'm just
914
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,880
thinking
915
00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:18,000
man this is what this is bonkers yeah in
916
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:20,880
what world does that happen
917
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,720
surely yeah it's just it's bonkers
918
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:25,600
yeah so that was that one
919
00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,960
yeah i don't understand
920
00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,320
not just how
921
00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,519
how you can get yourself into that
922
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,440
situation
923
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:32,399
yeah but how the other players allow it
924
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,960
to happen
925
00:31:32,399 --> 00:31:37,200
yeah how how people are willing to just
926
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:40,399
sit there and say yeah this is fine i
927
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:42,320
guess yeah and so clearly it's not yeah
928
00:31:40,399 --> 00:31:46,399
um yeah
929
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:47,360
i'll get him i've stunned you into
930
00:31:46,399 --> 00:31:49,120
yeah
931
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,200
some of the yeah some of the horror
932
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:53,919
stories are
933
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:55,840
it beggars belief that
934
00:31:53,919 --> 00:31:58,159
the tables can be that bad but then yeah
935
00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,200
equally you look at
936
00:31:58,159 --> 00:32:01,360
some of the
937
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:03,120
some of the replies
938
00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:05,440
to a lot of those threads
939
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,320
and and that the the one
940
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,720
that
941
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:10,640
the most common reply that i see
942
00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,910
that yeah there is an argument for it is
943
00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:14,399
like his table his rules
944
00:32:12,910 --> 00:32:16,000
[Music]
945
00:32:14,399 --> 00:32:17,519
fair enough if you if you don't want to
946
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,760
play at that table
947
00:32:17,519 --> 00:32:21,519
or you know the dm wants to play a
948
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,720
specific game and that's communicated
949
00:32:21,519 --> 00:32:24,080
well
950
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,840
fair enough
951
00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:28,720
it's when
952
00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:31,120
when it's at the expense of
953
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,360
the players experience yeah
954
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,360
it just doesn't seem
955
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,800
to make any sense to me like there's no
956
00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,000
value there
957
00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,360
[Music]
958
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,880
and the logical
959
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,120
end point of that
960
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,799
his table his rules is that
961
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,960
the other players go okay well we don't
962
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:48,080
want to play with those rules so goodbye
963
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:50,080
and then yeah
964
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:54,150
neither does anyone else so
965
00:32:50,080 --> 00:33:01,109
it doesn't have a table anymore yeah
966
00:32:54,150 --> 00:33:01,109
[Music]
967
00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,559
so i want to talk before we go on to
968
00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:12,000
anything else um talking of
969
00:33:08,559 --> 00:33:14,080
nephros and his nefarious ways
970
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:16,240
in terms of conflict between
971
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:18,080
player characters
972
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:21,919
and i am
973
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:24,960
quite against any extended or
974
00:33:21,919 --> 00:33:27,360
serious pvp i don't feel like i know the
975
00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:30,159
framework isn't built for pvp it's just
976
00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,960
not designed to be balanced yeah in any
977
00:33:30,159 --> 00:33:32,320
way
978
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,760
i'd agree with that there'll be a min
979
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:36,640
max cookie cutter build that would just
980
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,559
be any other class any day forever yeah
981
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,320
you know short bounce of i might from a
982
00:33:38,559 --> 00:33:43,120
dagger at him that kind of stuff i don't
983
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:46,480
mind but what are your thoughts on pvp i
984
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,919
feel like within reason it's fine
985
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,600
and that's that i suppose the caveat of
986
00:33:47,919 --> 00:33:52,000
within reason is is difficult to
987
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,840
quantify yeah it would vary table by
988
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:56,399
table group by group but i think as long
989
00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:58,880
as it's not disrupting the flow of the
990
00:33:56,399 --> 00:34:00,880
game and it's not significantly
991
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,080
detrimental
992
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:05,120
to
993
00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:07,039
any individual's experience then it's
994
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,599
to a degree it's fine
995
00:34:07,039 --> 00:34:12,800
this uh you you've got a
996
00:34:09,599 --> 00:34:14,960
a lawful good paladin and a a sneaky
997
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:17,440
chaotic good rogue and the character
998
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,359
good rogue wants to pickpocket this
999
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:22,720
ponzi shopkeep
1000
00:34:19,359 --> 00:34:24,400
and the paladin's like i stop him
1001
00:34:22,720 --> 00:34:25,520
that's perfectly reasonable
1002
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,320
[Music]
1003
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,159
you know
1004
00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,800
you have
1005
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:32,639
conflicting roles there to to see who
1006
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:34,399
comes out on top like maybe dexterity
1007
00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:36,000
versus strength
1008
00:34:34,399 --> 00:34:37,520
that kind of thing i feel like is is
1009
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,520
fine
1010
00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,280
it's when it comes to
1011
00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:42,240
i'd you know i draw my sword and stab
1012
00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,399
him
1013
00:34:42,240 --> 00:34:44,399
yeah
1014
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,879
then i'm kind of like whoa hang on but
1015
00:34:46,079 --> 00:34:52,159
what's to what end yeah
1016
00:34:48,879 --> 00:34:54,079
why are you why are you doing that um
1017
00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:56,879
that's a good point cause i've never
1018
00:34:54,079 --> 00:34:59,359
i think i've ever been in that position
1019
00:34:56,879 --> 00:35:01,280
no and i i can't i can't recall a
1020
00:34:59,359 --> 00:35:04,079
situation where i've had i've had to
1021
00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,079
step in and be like
1022
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:10,480
one of the biggest things i i i'm
1023
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:10,480
vehemently against saying no
1024
00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:17,680
i'm far more inclined to say well maybe
1025
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:20,160
we could okay you could try this or roll
1026
00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:21,680
through it and then
1027
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,440
coming up with
1028
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,359
let's say you know i want to jump off
1029
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,440
the back of this car onto the one next
1030
00:35:25,359 --> 00:35:29,839
to it yeah it's you know you've already
1031
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:31,920
set the scene where it's that's a
1032
00:35:29,839 --> 00:35:33,359
ridiculous jump and
1033
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,880
you don't have any magical items that
1034
00:35:33,359 --> 00:35:36,000
can allow you to propel yourself that
1035
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,000
far so
1036
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,599
sure roll for it
1037
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,680
they roll incredibly well so it's like
1038
00:35:39,599 --> 00:35:43,280
yeah you don't quite make that jump but
1039
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,880
you land next to it and you're holding
1040
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,560
on to the edge of the car and your feet
1041
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,920
are dragging along the ground yeah next
1042
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,520
turn you can pull yourself up kind of
1043
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,960
like yeah yeah i feel like that's a
1044
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:53,040
reasonable kind of thing when it comes
1045
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:55,200
to pvp
1046
00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:56,839
fortunately i've never had to deal with
1047
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:59,040
i stab him
1048
00:35:56,839 --> 00:35:59,920
yeah i just can't see how that would
1049
00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,599
ever
1050
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:04,079
end we just have two players roll dice
1051
00:36:01,599 --> 00:36:05,760
at each other for half an hour and yeah
1052
00:36:04,079 --> 00:36:06,960
which which for everyone else at the
1053
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,800
table is
1054
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:10,720
kind of boring um
1055
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,960
well actually more likely it's the
1056
00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:15,520
paladin rolls level nine smite and just
1057
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:17,680
disintegrates the ropes yeah
1058
00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:19,599
yeah so oh i disengaged it's like no too
1059
00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,119
late dude you made a
1060
00:36:19,599 --> 00:36:23,280
yeah sorry
1061
00:36:21,119 --> 00:36:24,640
i'm curious do you think that maybe
1062
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:26,480
holds some
1063
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,480
players or some player characters
1064
00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:30,480
back in terms of
1065
00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:33,440
there's that gray area of this is this
1066
00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:35,440
is maybe not quite my guy territory just
1067
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,760
yet but it is also
1068
00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:39,359
not i'm just not sitting on my hands
1069
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:41,200
there's that middle ground of this is
1070
00:36:39,359 --> 00:36:42,960
still within the realm of possibility
1071
00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,880
that i would do
1072
00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:47,760
sure but but they have to say no because
1073
00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:50,320
it would lead to pvp and they're almost
1074
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,839
internalizing the no so the dm might not
1075
00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,839
have said no but they've said no to
1076
00:36:51,839 --> 00:36:55,680
themselves which in a way is
1077
00:36:53,839 --> 00:36:59,040
yeah i kind of just expect because it's
1078
00:36:55,680 --> 00:37:01,200
gonna yeah ruin the game and
1079
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,200
yeah that is that is just as bad because
1080
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,960
you don't want anyone to
1081
00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:07,280
feel like they can't act to feel like
1082
00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:09,359
they can't do stuff
1083
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:11,200
but matt merson made the the you can
1084
00:37:09,359 --> 00:37:13,440
certainly try phrase
1085
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:15,760
famous and and yes
1086
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:17,359
i'm all for giving even the most
1087
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,480
outlandish ideas
1088
00:37:17,359 --> 00:37:19,839
ago
1089
00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:21,520
i had a character
1090
00:37:19,839 --> 00:37:24,079
in one of the games i ran they found
1091
00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:27,040
this abandoned shack with a dead body
1092
00:37:24,079 --> 00:37:29,280
and there was a mug like a stein on this
1093
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,960
table and they grabbed the stone and it
1094
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,880
was a mimic
1095
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,839
and they were like okay um
1096
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,040
i want to bury my
1097
00:37:34,839 --> 00:37:40,160
hand was like
1098
00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:42,640
okay sure how so i'm going to use
1099
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:44,480
my sword to stab into the ground and
1100
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:46,720
move as much dirt as i can shove my head
1101
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:48,720
down and cover it all over so that this
1102
00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:51,119
mimic suffocates
1103
00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:53,359
yeah and i was kind of like that's
1104
00:37:51,119 --> 00:37:55,760
there's a weird genius to that yeah and
1105
00:37:53,359 --> 00:37:56,960
i hadn't considered for a second that
1106
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,560
that would be a way to deal with
1107
00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:00,240
something that had latched itself onto
1108
00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:03,119
your arm yeah but it made sense and i
1109
00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:05,040
was like okay yeah roll dexterity i
1110
00:38:03,119 --> 00:38:07,119
guess or athletics to see like how
1111
00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:09,599
quickly you can move enough earth to to
1112
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:10,880
bury your arm wrist deep yeah and then
1113
00:38:09,599 --> 00:38:12,480
there was other characters like oh i
1114
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:14,000
moved earth to make the space so that
1115
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,040
you could it was like okay cool this is
1116
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,240
brilliant
1117
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,760
but yeah
1118
00:38:16,240 --> 00:38:19,440
that kind of stuff i'm fine like that
1119
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:22,000
i'm all for
1120
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:23,839
like i i'm absolutely
1121
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:25,680
in favor of people
1122
00:38:23,839 --> 00:38:26,880
going with
1123
00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:29,440
whatever they
1124
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:31,359
consider to be an option
1125
00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:32,960
um if they if they think you know oh i
1126
00:38:31,359 --> 00:38:34,560
could probably do this i can probably
1127
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:37,520
get away with this
1128
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:40,560
a great example would be early on in in
1129
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:42,400
our campaign you were you came to
1130
00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,960
an abandoned tower where there was a
1131
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:46,960
young lady oh yeah the top of it and a
1132
00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:50,480
troll and you wanted to get up to the
1133
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:53,520
top so vic the the goliath character
1134
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:55,280
launched the gnome character
1135
00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:57,200
up through the window
1136
00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,560
and that's kind of a bit of a hell mary
1137
00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,880
thing but it's like yeah absolutely roll
1138
00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,079
for it see if you can do it there's that
1139
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:03,440
school of thought that says it's
1140
00:39:02,079 --> 00:39:06,000
basically yes
1141
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:08,240
but so yes you can
1142
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:09,599
leap to the other carriage but you'll be
1143
00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:10,960
falling off the side do you think you
1144
00:39:09,599 --> 00:39:12,480
can turn that on its head for the
1145
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:15,040
situation of
1146
00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:16,880
the paladin wants to stab the rogue in
1147
00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:19,680
the shot with a no butt do you think
1148
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:21,359
there's any legs to that concept and i
1149
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,400
know you just said you don't ever want
1150
00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:24,320
to say no
1151
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,119
but yeah i think i don't ever want to
1152
00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:30,320
say no on on principle
1153
00:39:27,119 --> 00:39:32,160
in in principle in reality
1154
00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:33,880
you have to right you have to
1155
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,680
there has to be some degree of
1156
00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,520
[Music]
1157
00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,240
but again i feel like that's something
1158
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,599
if
1159
00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:41,280
it's difficult because
1160
00:39:39,599 --> 00:39:43,040
it's not necessarily something you would
1161
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:45,359
foresee
1162
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:46,800
and discuss in a session zero
1163
00:39:45,359 --> 00:39:48,560
i know i think thinking about it i've
1164
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,200
never i've i've never brought it up when
1165
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,800
i've
1166
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,960
talked to people it's like oh yeah are
1167
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,640
you guys likely to fight each other
1168
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:56,640
yeah because in my head it's like that's
1169
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:58,880
no of course not you're you're a team
1170
00:39:56,640 --> 00:40:00,480
yeah you know you guys are
1171
00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,560
a party because you help each other
1172
00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,400
survive like
1173
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:06,800
fighting each other is
1174
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:08,319
diametrically opposed to keeping each
1175
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:10,800
other alive yeah it should be the last
1176
00:40:08,319 --> 00:40:12,319
thing on their to-do list yeah but in
1177
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,640
that kind of situation it doesn't have
1178
00:40:12,319 --> 00:40:15,680
to come down to the character leaving it
1179
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:18,560
could be
1180
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:20,480
another character steps in
1181
00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,839
puts a hand on the shoulder no we don't
1182
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:24,079
need to do it
1183
00:40:21,839 --> 00:40:25,680
or you don't need to do this let's talk
1184
00:40:24,079 --> 00:40:27,599
about it
1185
00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,640
because i'm willing to bet up to that
1186
00:40:27,599 --> 00:40:30,640
point
1187
00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:32,480
those characters had probably come to a
1188
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:34,880
head you know they'd probably had
1189
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:36,560
clashes before they hadn't been resolved
1190
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:38,720
yeah in order for it to get to the point
1191
00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:40,480
where that paladin is likely to
1192
00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:43,280
want to go that far to
1193
00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:44,400
harm the other player character yeah
1194
00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:47,680
or
1195
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:50,480
it's very it's very early on and that's
1196
00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:52,160
that's kind of a bullet dodged
1197
00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,720
in saying hey that's not the game we're
1198
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:56,560
playing yes yeah for sure and if and if
1199
00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:58,079
that's the game you want to play i'm
1200
00:40:56,560 --> 00:41:00,319
sure there are tables there there are
1201
00:40:58,079 --> 00:41:03,359
groups that are all for it
1202
00:41:00,319 --> 00:41:05,520
the one i the ones i play
1203
00:41:03,359 --> 00:41:07,920
it just doesn't make sense to me
1204
00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:10,240
yeah no i agree and i think again
1205
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:12,400
another potential failing on my part for
1206
00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:13,520
my campaign is that to time for what
1207
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,960
you're saying there about you know
1208
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,040
you're a party you're working together
1209
00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:18,160
you're trying to keep others alive the
1210
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,760
way i
1211
00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:22,400
engineered it probably from an
1212
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,599
experience point of view was
1213
00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,520
let me deal with getting you all
1214
00:41:23,599 --> 00:41:26,560
together and sending you off on a
1215
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,960
mission
1216
00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:32,720
but what that has bred is that they are
1217
00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:35,440
a party out of circumstance rather than
1218
00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:37,200
anything else there's not a huge amount
1219
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:38,880
of loyalty there perhaps less than i
1220
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,480
would have liked
1221
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,400
and you know they've been through thick
1222
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,240
and thin they've killed people and
1223
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,839
nearly been killed and
1224
00:41:44,240 --> 00:41:48,960
so on and so on that you'd hope would
1225
00:41:45,839 --> 00:41:52,400
breed a level of familiarity there but
1226
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:54,640
what is working against these guys is
1227
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:57,520
basically all of them are
1228
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:59,200
concealing something or lying about
1229
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,040
something or
1230
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,520
not completely forthcoming with all the
1231
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:05,280
information so that the best characters
1232
00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:06,560
are right the best characters have
1233
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:08,720
something
1234
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,440
some kind of dark secret that they're
1235
00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:12,640
either trying to outrun or
1236
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,880
eventually
1237
00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:16,800
pursue and take care of
1238
00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:21,119
yeah i kind of feel like
1239
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:22,480
the the most cliche you meet in a tavern
1240
00:42:21,119 --> 00:42:25,280
can be
1241
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:26,960
an entirely circumstantial grouping of
1242
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:30,480
individuals
1243
00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:33,520
it's tricky um i i've seen session zeros
1244
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:36,400
played before where where you'll play
1245
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:38,079
two or three small groups
1246
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,040
where you know it's like you two know
1247
00:42:38,079 --> 00:42:41,200
each other
1248
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,040
yeah um one mechanic i've seen that
1249
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:46,240
works really interestingly
1250
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:48,319
um is everyone at everyone's character
1251
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:51,440
at the table knows at least one other
1252
00:42:48,319 --> 00:42:53,760
character oh okay even just six degrees
1253
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:56,079
of separation yeah i think
1254
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:57,680
so in theory there's
1255
00:42:56,079 --> 00:42:58,400
they've got ties to each other ahead of
1256
00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:00,640
time
1257
00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:02,480
so it could be okay so you both grew up
1258
00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:05,359
in the same orphanage
1259
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:07,599
um one of you went off to be a ranger
1260
00:43:05,359 --> 00:43:10,000
and you've been kind of looking after
1261
00:43:07,599 --> 00:43:12,000
uh this estate and the other one's gone
1262
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:12,960
off and has joined the local thieves
1263
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,160
guild
1264
00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:16,960
the one that joined the local thieves
1265
00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:18,560
guild knows offense yes
1266
00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:20,480
tired of being offense and is looking
1267
00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:22,640
for something a bit more exciting to do
1268
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:25,119
and then it circles back so everyone has
1269
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:26,800
a tie in something or another i think
1270
00:43:25,119 --> 00:43:29,119
that's a great idea yeah it's a really
1271
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:31,520
cool idea um because it gives reas like
1272
00:43:29,119 --> 00:43:32,880
everyone a reason to
1273
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:35,040
want to stick together it's like no i
1274
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:36,319
can vouch for that guy that guy's cool
1275
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,760
but equally
1276
00:43:36,319 --> 00:43:38,960
you've got people that have never met
1277
00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:40,400
and may have
1278
00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:41,760
conflict and may have opposing
1279
00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,160
viewpoints and
1280
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:46,640
opposing motivations
1281
00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:48,480
which is you know can be great it can be
1282
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:51,119
great storytelling at the table yeah it
1283
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:52,930
can lead to some really cool if not in
1284
00:43:51,119 --> 00:43:54,560
some instances really horrible
1285
00:43:52,930 --> 00:43:57,119
[Laughter]
1286
00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:58,640
you know events occurring yeah
1287
00:43:57,119 --> 00:44:01,040
but that makes the
1288
00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:02,960
that's the game now that idea yeah i'm
1289
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:04,720
gonna have to think about about that
1290
00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:06,880
i've gone unfortunately the other way
1291
00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:09,040
i've kind of stepped into an interim dm
1292
00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:11,280
role for a little bit and of you know
1293
00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:13,280
short-term kind of re-running a chapter
1294
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:14,960
that i'd run before went the other
1295
00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,720
direction just said
1296
00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,680
like i can't we haven't got time and i
1297
00:44:16,720 --> 00:44:19,839
can't be
1298
00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:21,599
bothered essentially to go through the
1299
00:44:19,839 --> 00:44:24,160
rig and roll of
1300
00:44:21,599 --> 00:44:26,319
a couple of sessions of wind up yeah so
1301
00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:28,560
i just said you're all treasure hunters
1302
00:44:26,319 --> 00:44:29,920
and you've known each other before so
1303
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,119
don't worry about that
1304
00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:33,520
you're already traveling together
1305
00:44:31,119 --> 00:44:35,920
looking for a piece of treasure but that
1306
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:38,720
has its own pitfalls i mean the role
1307
00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:40,960
play in the first session was no less
1308
00:44:38,720 --> 00:44:42,720
difficult than it is in any other given
1309
00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,880
session because
1310
00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:45,920
the player characters just the players
1311
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,599
still didn't really know each other's
1312
00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:49,599
player characters so it was this middle
1313
00:44:47,599 --> 00:44:51,839
ground of we don't need to talk because
1314
00:44:49,599 --> 00:44:54,480
we're friends but also i don't actually
1315
00:44:51,839 --> 00:44:55,920
know anything about you or how you or
1316
00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:57,760
how you'll act so
1317
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,280
yeah so hey remember that time that we
1318
00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,960
raided this tomb it's like no that
1319
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,079
didn't happen so uh
1320
00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:04,640
uh
1321
00:45:02,079 --> 00:45:06,000
yeah yeah of course it did yeah that's
1322
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,839
that's one of the things that we shared
1323
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:10,160
is no
1324
00:45:07,839 --> 00:45:10,160
okay
1325
00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:14,319
yeah
1326
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:16,319
yeah exactly it must be really difficult
1327
00:45:14,319 --> 00:45:19,440
because
1328
00:45:16,319 --> 00:45:22,720
yeah it's tricky yeah that i wouldn't
1329
00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:24,319
completely recommend unless maybe you've
1330
00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:26,079
you let the player share a lot of time
1331
00:45:24,319 --> 00:45:28,000
beforehand to
1332
00:45:26,079 --> 00:45:29,760
hash that you're on the road and
1333
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,760
you know you've got to camp for a few
1334
00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:33,440
nights before you get there who's taking
1335
00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,040
the watch have a conversation
1336
00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:36,720
yeah yeah
1337
00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:39,839
yeah and i think it's tricky as well
1338
00:45:36,720 --> 00:45:42,000
when you've got certain players
1339
00:45:39,839 --> 00:45:43,359
especially less experienced players
1340
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:46,960
quite often are less
1341
00:45:43,359 --> 00:45:48,560
willing to to role play and it's
1342
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:49,680
entirely understandable on the basis
1343
00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:51,119
that it's
1344
00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:53,599
kind of scary when you've never done it
1345
00:45:51,119 --> 00:45:56,240
before for sure it's really like it can
1346
00:45:53,599 --> 00:45:58,400
be really uncomfortable being like oh uh
1347
00:45:56,240 --> 00:46:01,839
yes i'm
1348
00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:05,599
this uh i'm i'm a dragonborn of course
1349
00:46:01,839 --> 00:46:07,680
yes great i have scales i think so yes
1350
00:46:05,599 --> 00:46:09,599
my parents oh i hadn't thought of that
1351
00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:10,720
um
1352
00:46:09,599 --> 00:46:12,720
oh
1353
00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:16,480
yeah they're
1354
00:46:12,720 --> 00:46:16,480
because it's dnd of course they're dead
1355
00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:20,319
when you're when you're sitting next to
1356
00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:23,119
a player who's like and my second cousin
1357
00:46:20,319 --> 00:46:26,000
removed um he did the wedding dress for
1358
00:46:23,119 --> 00:46:28,960
my nephew who um who are currently
1359
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:30,079
residing in this continent and
1360
00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:32,079
and then there's just you sitting there
1361
00:46:30,079 --> 00:46:34,160
like this hammer that i'm carrying it's
1362
00:46:32,079 --> 00:46:35,920
uh it's been blessed
1363
00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:38,720
by this this deity that you've probably
1364
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:40,640
never heard of because i came up with it
1365
00:46:38,720 --> 00:46:42,960
with the dm and don't worry about it
1366
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,920
that'll come out later i'm sure yeah
1367
00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:46,000
yeah
1368
00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:49,040
what what's the important information
1369
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:51,040
here is screaming the new player
1370
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:52,960
everything and nothing that's that's the
1371
00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:54,480
game
1372
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:58,560
told you everything about me and you
1373
00:46:54,480 --> 00:47:00,319
still have no idea who i am yeah um yeah
1374
00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:01,920
do you think that
1375
00:47:00,319 --> 00:47:04,400
actually we touched it earlier in terms
1376
00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:06,640
of avoidance so i asked my girlfriend
1377
00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:08,240
before coming on i said
1378
00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:09,760
what does
1379
00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:11,760
outside of even d and d what does the
1380
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:14,079
word conflict mean to you
1381
00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:16,640
and she said i don't know i i try to
1382
00:47:14,079 --> 00:47:17,680
avoid it at any given situation and i
1383
00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:19,599
said that's that's actually a pretty
1384
00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:22,079
valid point like
1385
00:47:19,599 --> 00:47:23,440
that conflict avoidance is i think
1386
00:47:22,079 --> 00:47:24,480
what a lot of
1387
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:27,119
sensible
1388
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,520
people try and do in their daily lives
1389
00:47:27,119 --> 00:47:31,119
you know absolutely because conflict in
1390
00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:34,480
a in a very
1391
00:47:31,119 --> 00:47:36,640
black and white sense is is bad
1392
00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:38,240
right it's it's it's
1393
00:47:36,640 --> 00:47:40,400
disrupting
1394
00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:41,440
the norm is is it's it's getting in the
1395
00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,520
way of
1396
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:45,440
doing what you want to do or being
1397
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:46,400
comfortable with
1398
00:47:45,440 --> 00:47:48,319
yeah
1399
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:50,640
i'm lucky in that i haven't experienced
1400
00:47:48,319 --> 00:47:52,800
any players ever have that problem of
1401
00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:54,720
wanting to avoid conflict
1402
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,559
that the officer said that'd be a really
1403
00:47:54,720 --> 00:47:58,400
interesting player to play though
1404
00:47:56,559 --> 00:47:59,760
really interesting characters to play
1405
00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:04,160
that's one of the things that attracts
1406
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:06,800
me to the paladin oath of redemption is
1407
00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:09,040
it where they're basically a pacifist
1408
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:11,680
and that everybody can be redeemed and
1409
00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:13,839
that combat should be the the last the
1410
00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:16,160
absolute best thing so i'll never strike
1411
00:48:13,839 --> 00:48:17,599
first yeah which i love as a for the
1412
00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:20,079
exact same reason that that would be
1413
00:48:17,599 --> 00:48:21,680
really interesting to be like no like
1414
00:48:20,079 --> 00:48:23,200
yeah we're being attacked by women on
1415
00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:24,319
the road but you don't know what they've
1416
00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:25,839
you don't know what kind of life they've
1417
00:48:24,319 --> 00:48:28,079
lived they might you know they might
1418
00:48:25,839 --> 00:48:29,280
have been orphans and been beaten up and
1419
00:48:28,079 --> 00:48:30,640
maybe they're trying to find food
1420
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,680
because they haven't eaten in three days
1421
00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:33,040
maybe they're trying to steal their
1422
00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:35,599
rations
1423
00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:36,400
which i i would love to see more of
1424
00:48:35,599 --> 00:48:38,240
those
1425
00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:40,480
characters because it still breeds
1426
00:48:38,240 --> 00:48:43,119
conflict but with a completely different
1427
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:44,720
spin yeah absolutely because
1428
00:48:43,119 --> 00:48:47,520
especially if you've got
1429
00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:48,559
more bloodthirsty player characters
1430
00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:51,680
that are
1431
00:48:48,559 --> 00:48:54,079
no they deserve to die they attacked us
1432
00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:55,440
and then you've got a very reasonable
1433
00:48:54,079 --> 00:48:56,960
viewpoint of
1434
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,960
well no they don't deserve to die we
1435
00:48:56,960 --> 00:49:02,480
don't know who they are yeah
1436
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:04,480
we don't know what's driven them to this
1437
00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:06,079
let's talk to them
1438
00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:07,920
meanwhile you might have
1439
00:49:06,079 --> 00:49:09,599
uh you know your warlock eldritch
1440
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,559
blasting them to death
1441
00:49:09,599 --> 00:49:12,559
yeah
1442
00:49:10,559 --> 00:49:14,000
yeah you need mature
1443
00:49:12,559 --> 00:49:15,520
players and maybe slightly more
1444
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:18,160
experienced players to pull that off in
1445
00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:20,480
a way that everybody has fun
1446
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:22,559
because it's very easy for the paladin
1447
00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:24,720
in that example to be like no let's talk
1448
00:49:22,559 --> 00:49:26,480
to them at all like eldritch blasts and
1449
00:49:24,720 --> 00:49:28,400
then the paladin goes well i didn't get
1450
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:29,200
a chance to play my character again so
1451
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:31,760
yeah
1452
00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:34,480
and then that can quickly turn into a a
1453
00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:36,559
you know a nathan neferos situation of
1454
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:38,960
i'm not i can't do anything here yeah
1455
00:49:36,559 --> 00:49:40,640
i'm not having let's let's let's pivot
1456
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:41,760
to something that's going to be helpful
1457
00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,920
to the party and that i'm going to
1458
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,079
probably have more fun playing
1459
00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:47,040
yeah it does remind me though there was
1460
00:49:46,079 --> 00:49:49,440
um
1461
00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:51,520
one of the most fascinating encounters
1462
00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:54,880
that i've ever seen was
1463
00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:57,280
an injured guard rolls into town
1464
00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:59,280
um and they're they're speaking about
1465
00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:00,480
there's a goblin group
1466
00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:03,119
kind of that have
1467
00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:04,880
invaded like the local woods
1468
00:50:03,119 --> 00:50:06,480
um so the adventurers go off to confront
1469
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,240
them and they sneak up
1470
00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:10,079
and one of them happens to speak goblin
1471
00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:12,400
so she they she sneaks up a little bit
1472
00:50:10,079 --> 00:50:13,200
closer and starts listening in
1473
00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:15,359
and
1474
00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:17,359
the way i'd thought of it was that they
1475
00:50:15,359 --> 00:50:19,119
had been ousted from
1476
00:50:17,359 --> 00:50:21,040
their town like the little kind of
1477
00:50:19,119 --> 00:50:21,920
goblin town that was up in the mountains
1478
00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:24,480
by
1479
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:27,520
a dragon a dragon had come and been like
1480
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:29,440
no this is my space now yeah go go away
1481
00:50:27,520 --> 00:50:31,200
and quite rightly they were like right
1482
00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,800
well we need to leave
1483
00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:36,640
and they were hungry and they you know
1484
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:37,920
they were scavenging and this this
1485
00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:39,680
guard had
1486
00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:42,640
seen goblins immediately thought no they
1487
00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:45,599
need to die the goblins attacked them
1488
00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:47,359
and they got the best of him so he ran
1489
00:50:45,599 --> 00:50:49,440
and they were very much kind of like
1490
00:50:47,359 --> 00:50:50,720
cool you you can't stay here but we're
1491
00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:53,200
not going to fight you we have no
1492
00:50:50,720 --> 00:50:55,119
intention of fighting you
1493
00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:57,920
and it was all contingent on them having
1494
00:50:55,119 --> 00:51:00,000
the the ability to
1495
00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,800
listen and empathize
1496
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,720
yeah
1497
00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:03,440
and
1498
00:51:02,720 --> 00:51:04,960
i
1499
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:06,319
completely forgot that that character
1500
00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:07,760
could speak goblin and i wasn't
1501
00:51:06,319 --> 00:51:09,680
expecting
1502
00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,800
that that to happen i had the the fight
1503
00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:13,200
ready
1504
00:51:10,800 --> 00:51:15,440
yeah i was entirely expecting it to be
1505
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:16,640
yeah a couple of bug bears a bunch of
1506
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:18,640
goblins
1507
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:22,880
and uh yeah they'd come to blows but no
1508
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:25,040
they they took a very empathetic route
1509
00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:27,200
and it was awesome
1510
00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:29,040
i was kind of taken aback by it i was
1511
00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:31,119
like yeah this is
1512
00:51:29,040 --> 00:51:33,520
really unusual and i don't know quite
1513
00:51:31,119 --> 00:51:36,640
what to do with it but i i'm i'm here
1514
00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:38,480
for it yeah sounds great yeah i want to
1515
00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:41,040
try and think of ways to engineer that
1516
00:51:38,480 --> 00:51:43,520
now in my campaign
1517
00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,520
or something similar to that effect yeah
1518
00:51:43,520 --> 00:51:50,200
and i feel like the that's
1519
00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:50,200
another way that conflict can work is is
1520
00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:54,960
a massive part of dnd
1521
00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:57,119
you know when whenever you hear someone
1522
00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:59,040
someone talking about
1523
00:51:57,119 --> 00:52:00,720
how to prepare for a session like how
1524
00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:02,160
much time you should spend and you say
1525
00:52:00,720 --> 00:52:04,319
you know you want two or three
1526
00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:05,920
encounters
1527
00:52:04,319 --> 00:52:07,680
i feel like an encounter doesn't have to
1528
00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:09,599
be combat no
1529
00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:11,440
it doesn't have to be
1530
00:52:09,599 --> 00:52:13,200
rolling initiative and having a fight an
1531
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:16,160
encounter can be
1532
00:52:13,200 --> 00:52:18,400
like what i've just described yeah
1533
00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:20,319
doing a bit of stealth and and
1534
00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:22,400
encountering these these creatures and
1535
00:52:20,319 --> 00:52:24,079
trying to understand more about their
1536
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:26,000
situation
1537
00:52:24,079 --> 00:52:27,280
from a role-play perspective that's way
1538
00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:28,240
more valuable
1539
00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:29,599
yeah
1540
00:52:28,240 --> 00:52:32,319
you'll learn way more about your
1541
00:52:29,599 --> 00:52:34,559
character and your party and maybe even
1542
00:52:32,319 --> 00:52:35,920
the world that you're inhabiting
1543
00:52:34,559 --> 00:52:38,800
through that kind of encounter then you
1544
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:38,800
will a fight
1545
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:45,359
and it's kind of a
1546
00:52:43,839 --> 00:52:48,400
it's it's a conflict but it's an
1547
00:52:45,359 --> 00:52:50,079
avoidance of conflict in a way yeah
1548
00:52:48,400 --> 00:52:51,359
it's kind of dealing with conflict in a
1549
00:52:50,079 --> 00:52:52,480
a
1550
00:52:51,359 --> 00:52:54,480
a non
1551
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:56,319
you know it's it's spoken words instead
1552
00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:58,800
of pointy sticks
1553
00:52:56,319 --> 00:53:01,599
yeah it's quite poetic in a way
1554
00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:04,000
it's nice a nice utilization of
1555
00:53:01,599 --> 00:53:06,079
conflict avoidance in in a good sense
1556
00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,119
rather than the preconception i had of
1557
00:53:06,079 --> 00:53:09,920
it being
1558
00:53:07,119 --> 00:53:12,240
a negative thing of being
1559
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:14,800
too timid or too scared to do anything
1560
00:53:12,240 --> 00:53:16,880
so i do quite like that take on it of
1561
00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:18,960
there are always choices which is
1562
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:20,720
something i've said to to my guys before
1563
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:23,680
like there's always there's always a
1564
00:53:20,720 --> 00:53:25,200
choice very rarely is there
1565
00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:27,200
not a choice
1566
00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:30,000
and that's that's where
1567
00:53:27,200 --> 00:53:31,680
kind of railroading gets into interplay
1568
00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:34,640
and that's a
1569
00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:35,839
whole other conversation yeah yeah
1570
00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:38,079
if we
1571
00:53:35,839 --> 00:53:40,000
take it up a couple of levels then
1572
00:53:38,079 --> 00:53:44,079
because one thing that we haven't talked
1573
00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:45,040
about much is i guess to close the loop
1574
00:53:44,079 --> 00:53:47,040
a little bit is the dictionary
1575
00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:50,079
definition of conflict so
1576
00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:52,800
in terms of things like nations at war
1577
00:53:50,079 --> 00:53:54,720
and geographical borders being
1578
00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:57,359
fought over and
1579
00:53:54,720 --> 00:53:59,599
other kind of in universe
1580
00:53:57,359 --> 00:54:02,240
aspects of conflict
1581
00:53:59,599 --> 00:54:04,800
yeah like macro conflicts
1582
00:54:02,240 --> 00:54:07,920
yeah i can i i'm not i haven't read the
1583
00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:09,359
art war or anything so i'm not in
1584
00:54:07,920 --> 00:54:11,680
a good way
1585
00:54:09,359 --> 00:54:13,200
in a place to start
1586
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:16,720
fabricating
1587
00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:18,000
wars um a a dm friend of mine
1588
00:54:16,720 --> 00:54:20,079
jamie
1589
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:22,800
his campaign
1590
00:54:20,079 --> 00:54:24,960
he basically had his player characters
1591
00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:27,599
at the vanguard of a you know battalion
1592
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:30,240
of soldiers so you know they had
1593
00:54:27,599 --> 00:54:31,680
x hundred soldiers and he's asking me
1594
00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:32,800
he's like down low
1595
00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:36,079
man
1596
00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:38,319
what why have i done this
1597
00:54:36,079 --> 00:54:39,359
like how do i how do i get the players
1598
00:54:38,319 --> 00:54:41,760
to manage
1599
00:54:39,359 --> 00:54:43,839
a battalion like food rations you know
1600
00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:45,280
flanking yeah you know how long is it
1601
00:54:43,839 --> 00:54:47,440
going to take for them to march like
1602
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:49,520
morale i was like man don't worry
1603
00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:51,680
you're on your own power because there's
1604
00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:54,400
that's that's a whole kind of
1605
00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:56,640
i think there's a matt covale book
1606
00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:58,559
that addresses that kind of stuff
1607
00:54:56,640 --> 00:55:00,079
i think he's he's come up with a rule
1608
00:54:58,559 --> 00:55:02,000
set from what i understand is a really
1609
00:55:00,079 --> 00:55:04,000
elegant way of of dealing with that kind
1610
00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:06,880
of
1611
00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:07,760
scale of combat but yeah like that's the
1612
00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,280
kind of
1613
00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:11,200
you may need to look at some home brew
1614
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:12,400
stuff yeah for sure
1615
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:14,559
for that
1616
00:55:12,400 --> 00:55:17,040
but it's kind of like um this the the
1617
00:55:14,559 --> 00:55:18,640
most recent the current campaign of
1618
00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:20,480
critical role
1619
00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:22,000
is set within
1620
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,839
a continent that's got two warring
1621
00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:25,920
nations
1622
00:55:23,839 --> 00:55:28,000
kind of conflict on a grander scale and
1623
00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:30,559
can be used to
1624
00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:32,559
dictate the tone of of the world that
1625
00:55:30,559 --> 00:55:36,160
the players are in
1626
00:55:32,559 --> 00:55:39,520
uh which is quite a an an interesting
1627
00:55:36,160 --> 00:55:41,359
that i hadn't considered until now no
1628
00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:43,839
me neither but then now we've mentioned
1629
00:55:41,359 --> 00:55:46,160
it out loud it seems like such an
1630
00:55:43,839 --> 00:55:48,880
obvious thing because cult history is
1631
00:55:46,160 --> 00:55:51,119
shaped by well like the world wars for
1632
00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:53,440
example have forever changed the course
1633
00:55:51,119 --> 00:55:54,960
of history and during that time
1634
00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:57,200
it very much
1635
00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:58,960
colored everybody's day-to-day
1636
00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:01,119
interaction absolutely you don't know
1637
00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:02,799
who's listening the you know propaganda
1638
00:56:01,119 --> 00:56:04,400
being dropped by planes and that kind of
1639
00:56:02,799 --> 00:56:06,960
stuff that's yes
1640
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:09,920
and even even looking more recently if
1641
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:11,680
you look at the
1642
00:56:09,920 --> 00:56:13,440
not to get too heavy
1643
00:56:11,680 --> 00:56:15,520
but like just just from a matter of
1644
00:56:13,440 --> 00:56:17,839
perspective you look at the the us
1645
00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:20,079
invasion of iraq
1646
00:56:17,839 --> 00:56:22,000
so you've got soldiers from the u.s side
1647
00:56:20,079 --> 00:56:24,079
that are going because
1648
00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:26,240
there's a war on terror and they have to
1649
00:56:24,079 --> 00:56:27,680
go yeah but then you've got innocents on
1650
00:56:26,240 --> 00:56:29,119
the other side that are kind of like
1651
00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:31,040
well there's this invading foreign
1652
00:56:29,119 --> 00:56:32,960
faction that are
1653
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:35,200
destroying buildings that you know that
1654
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:38,960
was my school
1655
00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:41,280
so there's there's an opportunity from a
1656
00:56:38,960 --> 00:56:43,200
character perspective
1657
00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:45,760
there's inspiration there you could draw
1658
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:48,720
on if if you're if you're building a
1659
00:56:45,760 --> 00:56:51,119
world or playing in a world that is
1660
00:56:48,720 --> 00:56:53,119
based in you know heavy
1661
00:56:51,119 --> 00:56:55,599
military combat
1662
00:56:53,119 --> 00:56:58,960
from both sides you could have
1663
00:56:55,599 --> 00:57:01,200
perspectives of
1664
00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:04,400
conflict and and the different ways that
1665
00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:06,319
conflict affects and and motivates those
1666
00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:08,079
those characters
1667
00:57:06,319 --> 00:57:10,799
there's a lot of opportunity there yeah
1668
00:57:08,079 --> 00:57:13,040
and i'm now kicking myself for not using
1669
00:57:10,799 --> 00:57:14,960
or seeing that opportunity before
1670
00:57:13,040 --> 00:57:17,040
before establishing a world
1671
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:18,799
but there's always the beauty of
1672
00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:20,400
homebrew is that there's always ways to
1673
00:57:18,799 --> 00:57:22,400
um there's always other continents
1674
00:57:20,400 --> 00:57:23,599
there's other worlds tweak it tweak it
1675
00:57:22,400 --> 00:57:24,720
on the fly
1676
00:57:23,599 --> 00:57:28,000
yeah
1677
00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:30,480
i think if i'm being kind to myself it
1678
00:57:28,000 --> 00:57:33,119
would be because i wanted to focus it on
1679
00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:34,559
the day-to-day but as in you know make
1680
00:57:33,119 --> 00:57:36,799
the players the stars of the show and
1681
00:57:34,559 --> 00:57:38,160
not have these kind of faceless
1682
00:57:36,799 --> 00:57:40,240
generals
1683
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:41,680
dictating you know a bunch of stuff that
1684
00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:42,480
um maybe
1685
00:57:41,680 --> 00:57:44,640
yeah yeah
1686
00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:47,520
removes agency yeah so very real sense
1687
00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:48,799
they're they're war heroes right yeah
1688
00:57:47,520 --> 00:57:50,319
they're if you're if you're putting them
1689
00:57:48,799 --> 00:57:52,880
in a situation already where they're in
1690
00:57:50,319 --> 00:57:56,480
charge and they have the opportunity to
1691
00:57:52,880 --> 00:57:59,040
to win huge battles
1692
00:57:56,480 --> 00:58:00,640
then the war hero s aspect of that is
1693
00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:02,799
baked in
1694
00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:06,079
and everyone wants to play dnd to be a
1695
00:58:02,799 --> 00:58:07,680
hero or or a villain yeah i gotta go and
1696
00:58:06,079 --> 00:58:09,210
do some homework now i think which
1697
00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:11,119
wasn't my intended outcome of this but
1698
00:58:09,210 --> 00:58:13,280
[Laughter]
1699
00:58:11,119 --> 00:58:14,880
to kind of have a think about how to how
1700
00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:16,640
to introduce that but i don't know if
1701
00:58:14,880 --> 00:58:19,520
you've had any experience or playing any
1702
00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:20,799
games where that larger scale stuff has
1703
00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:22,799
come into it
1704
00:58:20,799 --> 00:58:24,960
there's always conflict between like the
1705
00:58:22,799 --> 00:58:27,200
thieves guild and the local guard or the
1706
00:58:24,960 --> 00:58:29,040
pesky scamps but is there any more i
1707
00:58:27,200 --> 00:58:31,520
guess seriously toned stuff that you've
1708
00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:33,920
ever been a part of in terms of like war
1709
00:58:31,520 --> 00:58:35,599
gaming or anything like that well
1710
00:58:33,920 --> 00:58:36,400
i guess not necessarily war it could
1711
00:58:35,599 --> 00:58:38,400
just be
1712
00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:39,920
conflict at large i suppose there's a
1713
00:58:38,400 --> 00:58:42,160
better way to put it so just between
1714
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:45,520
political houses could you know there's
1715
00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:48,079
a layer of you know noir intrigue there
1716
00:58:45,520 --> 00:58:49,839
i've always been fascinated by that i've
1717
00:58:48,079 --> 00:58:52,240
never played any any wargaming stuff i
1718
00:58:49,839 --> 00:58:55,200
played warhammer when i was uh a bit
1719
00:58:52,240 --> 00:58:58,000
younger very briefly but i never spent
1720
00:58:55,200 --> 00:58:59,520
the time to fully grasp the rules
1721
00:58:58,000 --> 00:59:01,760
yeah
1722
00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:03,599
i don't blame you yeah but speaking of
1723
00:59:01,760 --> 00:59:06,559
kind of noir intrigue and then political
1724
00:59:03,599 --> 00:59:09,760
intrigue um i've got two of the the dnd
1725
00:59:06,559 --> 00:59:11,280
source books the dragon heist book
1726
00:59:09,760 --> 00:59:14,160
and the
1727
00:59:11,280 --> 00:59:16,240
eberron book both have a lot of not
1728
00:59:14,160 --> 00:59:20,160
warring factions but
1729
00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:21,680
conflict between houses and and
1730
00:59:20,160 --> 00:59:23,440
political parties and stuff and that's
1731
00:59:21,680 --> 00:59:25,680
that's reading through those books it's
1732
00:59:23,440 --> 00:59:27,839
fascinating it's kind of
1733
00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:29,680
uh it definitely covered one of the
1734
00:59:27,839 --> 00:59:31,920
characters that i created for one of the
1735
00:59:29,680 --> 00:59:33,200
campaigns i play in it's a goblin
1736
00:59:31,920 --> 00:59:35,839
artificer
1737
00:59:33,200 --> 00:59:37,520
wow cool yeah i'm very much of the
1738
00:59:35,839 --> 00:59:38,319
opinion if i have the opportunity to
1739
00:59:37,520 --> 00:59:39,839
play
1740
00:59:38,319 --> 00:59:41,359
something weird
1741
00:59:39,839 --> 00:59:45,200
i'd much rather do that than a human
1742
00:59:41,359 --> 00:59:47,040
fighter yeah because i'm i am a human
1743
00:59:45,200 --> 00:59:49,119
i'm not a goblin i'm not uh one of the
1744
00:59:47,040 --> 00:59:51,920
other characters i'm playing is a leonin
1745
00:59:49,119 --> 00:59:53,520
barbarian yeah which is kind of like
1746
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:56,240
yeah of course i want to be a seven foot
1747
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:57,680
tall lion kid yeah why wouldn't i want
1748
00:59:56,240 --> 01:00:00,880
to play that but yeah the goblin
1749
00:59:57,680 --> 01:00:02,720
artificer is kind of like a
1750
01:00:00,880 --> 01:00:05,119
the motivation behind the character was
1751
01:00:02,720 --> 01:00:08,000
was a spy i wanted him to be an
1752
01:00:05,119 --> 01:00:10,160
unassuming oh i'm just a tinkerer i just
1753
01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:11,680
yeah i just build these little toys when
1754
01:00:10,160 --> 01:00:13,040
in fact he's trying to gather
1755
01:00:11,680 --> 01:00:14,960
information
1756
01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:17,760
hmm yeah that's awesome i need to check
1757
01:00:14,960 --> 01:00:19,119
out those books i have one of the uh i
1758
01:00:17,760 --> 01:00:21,359
think i have the most more recent
1759
01:00:19,119 --> 01:00:23,200
eberron book and i know
1760
01:00:21,359 --> 01:00:26,319
from from a cursory look through some of
1761
01:00:23,200 --> 01:00:29,200
it it's you know houses
1762
01:00:26,319 --> 01:00:32,000
there's a ton of really cool stuff
1763
01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:33,599
within the eberron side of d d uh it's
1764
01:00:32,000 --> 01:00:35,440
it's always like because it's more kind
1765
01:00:33,599 --> 01:00:38,160
of pulpy and
1766
01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:39,920
kind of got like arc trains and yeah
1767
01:00:38,160 --> 01:00:41,599
it's it's very very cool
1768
01:00:39,920 --> 01:00:45,040
yeah i think i'd like to
1769
01:00:41,599 --> 01:00:46,640
either dm or be a part of a
1770
01:00:45,040 --> 01:00:48,319
i'm more
1771
01:00:46,640 --> 01:00:50,079
grounded it doesn't seem like the right
1772
01:00:48,319 --> 01:00:51,040
word because you've just said arc trains
1773
01:00:50,079 --> 01:00:52,559
but
1774
01:00:51,040 --> 01:00:56,480
yeah i think you know what i mean i
1775
01:00:52,559 --> 01:00:58,960
guess less fan fantasy and more more
1776
01:00:56,480 --> 01:01:01,359
pulpy yeah exactly as you said yeah to
1777
01:00:58,960 --> 01:01:03,440
just have
1778
01:01:01,359 --> 01:01:05,520
for combat to be the exception rather
1779
01:01:03,440 --> 01:01:08,400
than the rule so when there's a fight
1780
01:01:05,520 --> 01:01:11,359
it's oh okay this is something's gone
1781
01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:13,119
wrong here to have to bear arms is
1782
01:01:11,359 --> 01:01:14,400
is a big deal whereas i think most
1783
01:01:13,119 --> 01:01:16,640
campaigns
1784
01:01:14,400 --> 01:01:18,160
your goblin example was unusual because
1785
01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:20,319
as you said yourself you're expecting
1786
01:01:18,160 --> 01:01:21,599
them to just fight them most campaigns
1787
01:01:20,319 --> 01:01:23,599
it would be
1788
01:01:21,599 --> 01:01:25,280
fighting is is the rule and then
1789
01:01:23,599 --> 01:01:26,640
anything else is the exception so yeah i
1790
01:01:25,280 --> 01:01:29,119
think i'll be quiet and i feel like
1791
01:01:26,640 --> 01:01:30,559
that's kind of ingrained through like if
1792
01:01:29,119 --> 01:01:33,359
you've got a player
1793
01:01:30,559 --> 01:01:34,960
a party of level one characters and they
1794
01:01:33,359 --> 01:01:36,640
meet in a tavern and you need them to
1795
01:01:34,960 --> 01:01:39,359
clear out the basement because there's a
1796
01:01:36,640 --> 01:01:41,440
rat infestation
1797
01:01:39,359 --> 01:01:42,559
like that that's a very
1798
01:01:41,440 --> 01:01:44,480
stuck
1799
01:01:42,559 --> 01:01:46,319
kind of introductory experience that
1800
01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:48,640
teaches players you're going to have to
1801
01:01:46,319 --> 01:01:50,960
fight stuff yep which isn't a bad thing
1802
01:01:48,640 --> 01:01:53,440
to learn because you likely will have to
1803
01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:56,160
fight stuff that's a significant portion
1804
01:01:53,440 --> 01:01:58,799
of the mechanics of dnd yeah
1805
01:01:56,160 --> 01:01:59,920
i feel like there's a huge benefit to
1806
01:01:58,799 --> 01:02:01,039
ingraining
1807
01:01:59,920 --> 01:02:02,960
yeah like you said there's always
1808
01:02:01,039 --> 01:02:04,880
options
1809
01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:06,799
yeah good choice
1810
01:02:04,880 --> 01:02:07,839
there is always a choice
1811
01:02:06,799 --> 01:02:10,640
which is
1812
01:02:07,839 --> 01:02:13,280
easy to forget i think from both players
1813
01:02:10,640 --> 01:02:14,799
and the dms oh for sure perspective
1814
01:02:13,280 --> 01:02:15,599
yeah in terms of
1815
01:02:14,799 --> 01:02:17,599
i'm
1816
01:02:15,599 --> 01:02:19,200
expected to or
1817
01:02:17,599 --> 01:02:21,760
i should be doing
1818
01:02:19,200 --> 01:02:24,799
this or have we have we talked about
1819
01:02:21,760 --> 01:02:27,039
that yet is easy to forget that kind of
1820
01:02:24,799 --> 01:02:29,599
stuff yeah
1821
01:02:27,039 --> 01:02:31,920
do you have any other thoughts or
1822
01:02:29,599 --> 01:02:35,440
comments on on conflict and how it is
1823
01:02:31,920 --> 01:02:38,480
within the dnd 5e framework
1824
01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:40,000
i just find it fascinating
1825
01:02:38,480 --> 01:02:42,160
when you when you kind of gave me give
1826
01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:43,440
us the the list of kind of topics to
1827
01:02:42,160 --> 01:02:47,280
discuss the first the first one that
1828
01:02:43,440 --> 01:02:50,480
jumped out was conflict because it felt
1829
01:02:47,280 --> 01:02:52,640
so integral to dnd
1830
01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:54,720
it drives the game itself which i think
1831
01:02:52,640 --> 01:02:56,000
is is is a very
1832
01:02:54,720 --> 01:02:57,280
fascinating
1833
01:02:56,000 --> 01:02:58,880
concept
1834
01:02:57,280 --> 01:03:00,640
it's great because
1835
01:02:58,880 --> 01:03:02,000
if i had my mom in the room and said mum
1836
01:03:00,640 --> 01:03:03,119
i'm playing this game it's all about
1837
01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:04,799
conflict
1838
01:03:03,119 --> 01:03:06,400
she'd be like why are you playing such a
1839
01:03:04,799 --> 01:03:08,799
horrible game
1840
01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:11,280
why would you want to do that yeah but
1841
01:03:08,799 --> 01:03:13,920
i'm i'm fascinated to see
1842
01:03:11,280 --> 01:03:17,280
someone play a character
1843
01:03:13,920 --> 01:03:20,640
that has nothing to gain
1844
01:03:17,280 --> 01:03:20,640
from going out adventuring
1845
01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:24,640
i kind of want to i can't imagine it and
1846
01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:26,720
i want to see it done is that like
1847
01:03:24,640 --> 01:03:29,200
chaotic neutral then i guess
1848
01:03:26,720 --> 01:03:31,200
of just like i'm just here to be alive
1849
01:03:29,200 --> 01:03:32,720
so let's live it
1850
01:03:31,200 --> 01:03:34,480
i've got i've got no reason to come out
1851
01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:37,119
adventuring i've got no reason to join
1852
01:03:34,480 --> 01:03:39,599
this party but i'm going to because
1853
01:03:37,119 --> 01:03:42,319
well why not yeah
1854
01:03:39,599 --> 01:03:44,640
adventure calls adventure calls yeah
1855
01:03:42,319 --> 01:03:47,839
that can be quite a good foil to other
1856
01:03:44,640 --> 01:03:48,640
players who have got very strong ties
1857
01:03:47,839 --> 01:03:49,440
yeah
1858
01:03:48,640 --> 01:03:52,160
very
1859
01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:53,119
reasonable motivation to want to go out
1860
01:03:52,160 --> 01:03:55,359
and
1861
01:03:53,119 --> 01:03:56,960
do the hero stuff
1862
01:03:55,359 --> 01:03:58,720
as opposed to
1863
01:03:56,960 --> 01:04:00,640
you've got just some some guy that's
1864
01:03:58,720 --> 01:04:02,160
just like oh you know i've got i'm bob
1865
01:04:00,640 --> 01:04:04,960
better to do
1866
01:04:02,160 --> 01:04:04,960
i'm also here
1867
01:04:05,440 --> 01:04:08,559
all right well in that case then i think
1868
01:04:07,839 --> 01:04:09,520
we've
1869
01:04:08,559 --> 01:04:12,480
i
1870
01:04:09,520 --> 01:04:14,400
ironically as broad and yet precise as
1871
01:04:12,480 --> 01:04:16,160
the term conflict is i feel like we've
1872
01:04:14,400 --> 01:04:19,039
exhausted it but also only scratched the
1873
01:04:16,160 --> 01:04:20,799
surface yeah in the same breath
1874
01:04:19,039 --> 01:04:23,440
absolutely so
1875
01:04:20,799 --> 01:04:24,960
i certainly think that based on what
1876
01:04:23,440 --> 01:04:27,599
we've talked about today there are
1877
01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:29,839
springboards for other avenues of
1878
01:04:27,599 --> 01:04:31,520
discussion down the line
1879
01:04:29,839 --> 01:04:32,400
but i think for today we've come to a
1880
01:04:31,520 --> 01:04:34,640
nice
1881
01:04:32,400 --> 01:04:36,000
bowtie of
1882
01:04:34,640 --> 01:04:37,599
closing the loop
1883
01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:40,400
so
1884
01:04:37,599 --> 01:04:42,319
all that's left to say in that case is
1885
01:04:40,400 --> 01:04:44,400
thank you very very much you've been a
1886
01:04:42,319 --> 01:04:45,839
great guest thanks for having me that's
1887
01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:47,839
all right it's just
1888
01:04:45,839 --> 01:04:49,119
super insightful super fun and i felt
1889
01:04:47,839 --> 01:04:50,079
like i've learned
1890
01:04:49,119 --> 01:04:51,839
a lot
1891
01:04:50,079 --> 01:04:54,079
and i'm frustrated with myself
1892
01:04:51,839 --> 01:04:56,079
in a good kind of way i've got my own
1893
01:04:54,079 --> 01:04:58,319
internal conflict right now as what my
1894
01:04:56,079 --> 01:04:59,599
next step should be but no
1895
01:04:58,319 --> 01:05:01,359
thank you very much
1896
01:04:59,599 --> 01:05:02,640
thank you
1897
01:05:01,359 --> 01:05:04,319
and thanks to everyone at home for
1898
01:05:02,640 --> 01:05:07,039
listening next episode i'll be talking
1899
01:05:04,319 --> 01:05:09,330
to jack wayne about ability thank you
1900
01:05:07,039 --> 01:05:14,520
and good night
1901
01:05:09,330 --> 01:05:14,520
[Music]
1902
01:05:17,820 --> 01:05:20,889
[Music]
Rob McPherson
Guest