Dynamics

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welcome thinkers to season three episode

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23 of thinking critically today's topic

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is dynamics

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and before we begin another announcement

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for those of you who are regular

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listeners of the show you'll know that

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last friday i did a charity stream for

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the naomi house and jax place children's

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hospice here in the uk and it was a

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resounding success we smashed the

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donation goal 117

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of the target over 600 pounds raised by

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everybody so

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firstly thank you to all those who tuned

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into the 12-hour charity stream it was a

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very

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interesting experience

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and thank you to all those who have

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donated

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one of the donation rewards

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was a shout out at the show so now i'm

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going to go through all of those who

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qualified

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thank you to

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alexandra john russell dexterity martin

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ian zach

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leon damo zander timothy tom

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jacob david and john

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now on with the show

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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and today i'm joined once more by the

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foolish swami thank you ever so much for

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joining us can you tell us all again a

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little bit about yourself hi everyone

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i'm the foolish farmer my name is ian

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and i'm from belgium a european

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professional dungeon master and social

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worker

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i

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tend to

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mostly go for dnd whenever i play my

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games because it's the one i feel less

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restricted with and i'm mostly

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fascinated by the social aspects of

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dtrpgs and by

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the story styling aspect of it of course

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and this is now your second i've had the

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pleasure of hosting you two times the

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first time was as we just discussed

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uh way longer ago than i'd care to admit

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back in season 1 episode 10 on

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a

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on the topic called structure which is

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as

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obtuse and abstract as perhaps today's

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is

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which brings me neatly on

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to today's topic which is

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dynamics so what does that mean to you

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in the d framework well i thought about

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it a little bit earlier today and i jot

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it down

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just a few

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words and i think

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the first thing that came into my mind

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was group dynamics and then

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directly second after that was party

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dynamics because they're so close to

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each other and then the other two i

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thought about were game dynamics and

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story dynamics okay well remember that

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list because i will forget but let's

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let's go through it then so my first

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question to you there

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is

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how are you differentiating between

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group and party so when you say grouper

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do you mean the players yes all right

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that that sounds like it's going to be a

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meaty topic

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yeah the group for me is the players and

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the party is how the characters they

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play

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okay all right then so i am

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based off of what we discussed last time

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and your your own personal areas of

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expertise irl i'm expecting this group

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dynamics one to have some

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quite uh actually put this revealing and

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insightful thoughts way up outside of my

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area of expertise so uh

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what are your thoughts on

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how the group dynamics then impacts the

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game

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well it hugely depends on which type of

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group you play with i often have a

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completely new group where even players

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who don't know themselves because a lot

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of the things i run are one shots

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that are kind of

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free to join you don't need a pre-made

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party to join them so

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i often have players who are new to the

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game or players who are new to the group

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and that changes a lot on how you run

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your game

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because you want everybody to feel safe

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and welcome

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so one of the things i

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think about when i'm going towards a

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group is

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who are the people sitting at my table

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and i can usually pretty easily almost

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instantaneously know who i'm dealing

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with but one of the

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most important parts of that is having a

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shared or open space

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and there's a few things you can you can

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implement to

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create that safe or open space but i

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think the first thing you should

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consider is the size of your group

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um because studies have shown

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that when we look

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towards the

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different roles we take in groups

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especially when it comes to meetings

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professional meetings that it's

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important those roles can be shifted

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and that there's not always a very

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concise

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leader or concise notetaker for example

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and that the ideal size

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for that participation is three to eight

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people okay that's why i never go above

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eight and i

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don't like

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running with two people

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except if it's something they've

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specifically asked like oh we want to be

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just two people having a story together

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we're just like a two-man party that's

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kind of just we want story-wise then

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that works perfectly but if you're

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getting new groups um

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what seems to work best is three to

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weight players i don't know how many

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players you have in your group

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a good good question a pertinent

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question

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as i had six before the holidays and now

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one guy is going on a

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indefinite hiatus for the time being so

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that's going down to five

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but um

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there's a few other changes regarding

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party dynamic that i wanted to go into

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in the next bit but before we go on to

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that i

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really really really like the idea of

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bringing in the studies and the the

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academic

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side of

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meetings and group group dynamics as you

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put it i can't there's no better word

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than to use the topic of the show

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so yeah group dynamics and i'm a fool

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because i've been in like a professional

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career

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which is full of meetings as i'm sure

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most people will know uh for

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the last

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14 years of my life i've been in a

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professional environment where you have

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meetings and never once

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in my dnd life has the thought crossed

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like maybe i should think

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how the two things overlap

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and i i can i can absolutely see that

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being a very

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very

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interesting overlap there and like we

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have mentioned briefly on the show and

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in previous episodes around um

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kind of like tuckman's four-stage model

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of of group forming you know forming

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storming norming and performing and that

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kind of stuff and that is also you know

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i studied that back at university a

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decade ago

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and

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that is very much applicable to

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a d d group both the players and the

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characters

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which is

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an interesting kind of

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way to think that there's in parallel

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there's two separate groups which are

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wrestling with their own dynamics

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some of which are impacted by the other

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ones

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i don't know how deep down that rabbit

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hole i want to start thinking because

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uh there's there's an awful lot there

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but um

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yes no and well the other thing i wanted

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to mention was um

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what's good about today's show is that

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obviously

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listeners will know that idm my main one

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campaign which is the same six slash

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five players now for two and a bit years

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three years probably

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so

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you know contrast to yourself it's all

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people i get very well with it's people

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i've

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been blackout drunk with it's you know

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i've had loads of social

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times with them and stuff compared to

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how

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what you do it's it's people you already

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feel safe with before you go onto the

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table indeed yeah like

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i yeah so i i can

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i can't comment from experience in terms

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of like

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an unsafe

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environment i'm maybe i'm perhaps i'm

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fortunate that i've never been in a

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situation where i felt like that or

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certainly hope i'd never put anyone else

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in that thing but i'm pretty sure i

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haven't um

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but now as i said yeah six six players

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down to five although one is still

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obviously in the group and lurking in

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the in the chat and it's probably no

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doubt going to be

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having a severe case of fomo as the

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weeks go on but

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have you already had a first session

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without the sixth person it's it's

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tomorrow night

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okay

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that time at time of recording it's

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literally 24 hours away almost to the

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hour well i would say try to pay close

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attention to

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how

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one person leaving the group affects the

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group dynamic because that person will

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definitely have some few roles that he

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or she admits to when stepping towards

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the table and those roles will have to

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be filled so we will see people who are

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reluctant to take over those roles or

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people who will be eager

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and

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because you're a

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friend group it's very safe for all of

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you to do but if you're a new group

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that can be quite um intimidating when

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you you talked about the example about

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having professional meeting and how

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those group dynamics are there as well

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well you can very easily if you're a new

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player to dnd i'm just trying to make

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the comparison if you're a new player to

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dnd never played it before and you've

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paid this guy being me

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to get your first experience you don't

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know anyone at the table so you get into

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your local gaming store or local gaming

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shop or however you want to call it you

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know there's been a reservation made at

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that table and you walk towards that

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table and you see at that table already

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eight people sitting how likely are you

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to sit down and start talking with any

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of them

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but take that same example but instead

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of eight people there's three

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people sitting

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how lucky are you then

288
00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:08,399
so that's why the size is very important

289
00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,399
for people to

290
00:10:08,399 --> 00:10:13,120
feel safe feel welcome

291
00:10:10,399 --> 00:10:14,959
to feel like they're a part of a group

292
00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,600
another part of

293
00:10:14,959 --> 00:10:20,079
this statistic being

294
00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:22,240
an audience eight plus you you're

295
00:10:20,079 --> 00:10:24,399
pushing to what i would consider an

296
00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:27,519
audience as in a passive

297
00:10:24,399 --> 00:10:28,959
consumer rather than a member of a team

298
00:10:27,519 --> 00:10:30,720
so yeah i can absolutely you know to

299
00:10:28,959 --> 00:10:33,200
answer that question yeah absolutely you

300
00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,959
would be less uh you'd be more reluctant

301
00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,640
because you kind of just assume i'm just

302
00:10:34,959 --> 00:10:38,720
here for the ride that's why with my

303
00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,399
professional groups i try not to go any

304
00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,720
higher than five

305
00:10:40,399 --> 00:10:45,440
especially if they don't know each other

306
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:47,120
because there's two reasons five is not

307
00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,720
too much to actually have a voice in the

308
00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:52,240
group even if you're new or if you're

309
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:54,240
quiet and it means that they are an

310
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,480
uneven number

311
00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,000
so it will make it harder for them to

312
00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,760
sit still

313
00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,040
what i mean by that is as they can be

314
00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,360
indecisive

315
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,640
if if they're they have a

316
00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,560
a problem and they're thinking about how

317
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,839
to solve it yes and they're taking a

318
00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:09,440
vote there's always going to be one

319
00:11:07,839 --> 00:11:11,200
group with three votes

320
00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,800
so they it's a it's a group that will

321
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,640
keep going forward the moment you have

322
00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,519
an even number in your group those

323
00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,200
things

324
00:11:15,519 --> 00:11:18,560
can get quite dragging

325
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,480
mm-hmm

326
00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:22,320
i thought i i'm smiling i'm grinning

327
00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,399
here because i love

328
00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:26,480
those kind of things back in my academic

329
00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:27,839
days i was very hot on my surveys and

330
00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,920
things like you know central tendency

331
00:11:27,839 --> 00:11:31,279
bias and fence sitting and all that kind

332
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,920
of stuff so when you do a survey

333
00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:35,680
questionnaire i always like to do it on

334
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,440
an even number conversely because you

335
00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:39,440
can't just pick the middle one then so

336
00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,320
if you have a scale of four you have to

337
00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:41,600
pick

338
00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,760
three and four being slightly more

339
00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,800
positive and one and two being slightly

340
00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,200
negative

341
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,279
otherwise everybody just blasts three as

342
00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,200
neutral don't care neutral don't care so

343
00:11:49,279 --> 00:11:54,480
it's a similar thing and that's why it's

344
00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,360
ticking that same box for me in that

345
00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,839
i

346
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,279
even if that binary decision comes up at

347
00:11:57,839 --> 00:12:01,200
some point in a campaign which it might

348
00:11:59,279 --> 00:12:03,040
not but i think most will have at some

349
00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:05,600
point should we

350
00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:08,399
steal or kill or should we run or should

351
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:10,399
we hide there'll always be that decision

352
00:12:08,399 --> 00:12:12,560
at some point that comes up that's like

353
00:12:10,399 --> 00:12:16,000
gonna split the party

354
00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:17,680
to use the the trope and

355
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,240
yeah i i'm just grinning now because i

356
00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:21,680
just love how elegant that situation is

357
00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,360
to having an odd number of players to be

358
00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:24,720
like well it's going to be very quickly

359
00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,079
resolved because

360
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,519
three of you are going to want to do x

361
00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:28,639
and only two of you are going to want to

362
00:12:27,519 --> 00:12:31,360
do y

363
00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:32,480
it also gives all of them an important

364
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,560
vote

365
00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,440
because each vote will count toward the

366
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:37,839
end

367
00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,760
so there's no space to be indecisive

368
00:12:37,839 --> 00:12:41,120
because if one person is in the size

369
00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,279
indecisive

370
00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:46,000
then the party can go on it's gonna be

371
00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:49,360
two against two for example

372
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,959
yeah forcing forcing the decision there

373
00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,959
which is quite interesting and the other

374
00:12:50,959 --> 00:12:55,040
thing i wanted to mention there about

375
00:12:52,959 --> 00:12:56,320
i'm going to say power dynamics as you

376
00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,160
said i've

377
00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,680
pay close attention to

378
00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,120
my new party going forward tomorrow

379
00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:02,399
night which i absolutely will this i'm

380
00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,200
so glad we're recording this tonight

381
00:13:02,399 --> 00:13:04,399
because it couldn't have come at a

382
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,760
better time

383
00:13:04,399 --> 00:13:07,920
and what i'm going to do is listen to

384
00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,600
this one actually drops again

385
00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,920
after a few weeks of actually playing in

386
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,839
the new dynamic and look back at myself

387
00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,480
and probably call myself an idiot uh but

388
00:13:13,839 --> 00:13:18,839
that's the benefit hindsight but uh i

389
00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:22,959
think a lot of people are

390
00:13:18,839 --> 00:13:25,920
sometimes reluctant to think of

391
00:13:22,959 --> 00:13:28,160
their players at their table in that

392
00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,839
way in that like

393
00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,320
power dynamic way like there's a

394
00:13:29,839 --> 00:13:33,040
decision maker there's a leader there's

395
00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,600
a

396
00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,360
you know a more passive player

397
00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,120
this that and the other and yeah

398
00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,560
sometimes they're lined the lines are

399
00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,920
blurred between

400
00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:43,279
characters and players but more often

401
00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,519
than not you know ultimately it's a

402
00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:48,480
human game for humans to play together

403
00:13:45,519 --> 00:13:50,800
as a social event so it's

404
00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:53,680
if you really drill down to it it's

405
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:55,040
it's down to the players behind them and

406
00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:56,959
i don't think there should be that

407
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,639
reluctance to

408
00:13:56,959 --> 00:14:00,320
thinking about your party or your

409
00:13:58,639 --> 00:14:03,120
friends in that way because it can help

410
00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:05,440
as especially as a dm to

411
00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,360
build those

412
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,199
engaging and sometimes difficult

413
00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,040
encounters because you can kind of play

414
00:14:09,199 --> 00:14:12,480
on those tropes you know

415
00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,480
you can kind of

416
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,839
put the character who you know the

417
00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:16,959
decision maker

418
00:14:15,839 --> 00:14:18,560
in

419
00:14:16,959 --> 00:14:20,399
prison or something or whatever so you

420
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,440
know remove them from the equation to

421
00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:23,279
then

422
00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,440
stir the pot

423
00:14:23,279 --> 00:14:28,079
a little bit as it were i think one of

424
00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,600
the reasons why players don't like to be

425
00:14:28,079 --> 00:14:31,600
or to hear that you're thinking about

426
00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,760
them in that way is because it makes

427
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,639
them feel i think ostracized is that

428
00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:39,839
right but uh in a way yeah i imagine

429
00:14:36,639 --> 00:14:42,160
it's one one one thing they feel yeah um

430
00:14:39,839 --> 00:14:44,639
but what it actually does is that it

431
00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:47,120
creates an environment where you as a

432
00:14:44,639 --> 00:14:48,959
game master can very well control the

433
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,639
speed and the narrative of your game

434
00:14:48,959 --> 00:14:52,160
because you know your players very well

435
00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:55,519
because you know them as friends and as

436
00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:59,199
people and not as a statistic and

437
00:14:55,519 --> 00:14:59,199
one of the things i've done before um

438
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,279
they're gonna listen to this they're not

439
00:15:00,639 --> 00:15:05,440
gonna like it but um sometimes you have

440
00:15:03,279 --> 00:15:07,600
some plot points or some blood hooks you

441
00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,839
wanna throw at your party

442
00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:12,639
but you want them to take their time

443
00:15:09,839 --> 00:15:13,839
before they actually go through with it

444
00:15:12,639 --> 00:15:16,560
i will throw

445
00:15:13,839 --> 00:15:17,920
those plot hooks at the

446
00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,880
more

447
00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:22,160
passive players yes and it will work

448
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,839
perfectly on the narrative and they

449
00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,000
won't even know themselves

450
00:15:23,839 --> 00:15:27,760
but they will do two or three other plot

451
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,680
points before they get to the passive

452
00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,519
players pop point because then

453
00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,199
it's all they have left to do for

454
00:15:31,519 --> 00:15:35,199
example they've exhausted all the other

455
00:15:33,199 --> 00:15:38,720
options yeah yeah and then they will

456
00:15:35,199 --> 00:15:40,800
find a major um story

457
00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:42,560
development through that plot point

458
00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:45,279
but it's it's sometimes when i when i

459
00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:47,199
want some emotions or

460
00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:49,360
some story to linger

461
00:15:47,199 --> 00:15:50,639
a bit longer i

462
00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,160
play with them

463
00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:53,600
and i play with them in different ways i

464
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,199
play with them by giving them plot hooks

465
00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,360
but also play with them by

466
00:15:55,199 --> 00:15:59,279
i'm talking with them separately i talk

467
00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,800
a lot with my players when i'm at gm

468
00:15:59,279 --> 00:16:02,880
especially when i'm on a long time

469
00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,240
campaign i try to talk with them i try

470
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,519
to ask them what they like what they

471
00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,279
didn't like what they want to see

472
00:16:05,519 --> 00:16:09,199
changed by the next session all those

473
00:16:07,279 --> 00:16:10,639
things especially if they pay me but one

474
00:16:09,199 --> 00:16:11,680
of the things i'm going to do is i'm

475
00:16:10,639 --> 00:16:13,600
going to talk with them about their

476
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,920
characters and what their characters

477
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:17,920
wants to achieve in this world

478
00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,279
i'm going to look for a way how i can

479
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,680
connect them to

480
00:16:19,279 --> 00:16:22,639
allies npcs but also to other players

481
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,399
and

482
00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:26,160
a shared unison

483
00:16:24,399 --> 00:16:28,399
of what they want to achieve

484
00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,480
and i need to think about the way my

485
00:16:28,399 --> 00:16:32,880
group works and what my group dynamics

486
00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,560
are to be able to work this way

487
00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,800
it's something that speeds up my game

488
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,880
and that always will give my players the

489
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,880
feeling of that they're in charge it

490
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,720
gives them this um

491
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:45,040
everlasting sandbox

492
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:47,920
because i know how to

493
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:50,560
work them it's not the right term but

494
00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,000
i know what makes them tick

495
00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:55,120
so i also know

496
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,639
what will set them off on an adventure

497
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,040
yeah you know the opposite yeah of

498
00:16:56,639 --> 00:17:01,360
course but i think the most important

499
00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:03,759
part of that is having a safe space

500
00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:06,160
especially with very new players and

501
00:17:03,759 --> 00:17:08,880
a safe space is one that is shared and

502
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,959
open and it's very easy to say that you

503
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,039
need to create a safe space but there's

504
00:17:10,959 --> 00:17:15,039
different practices to do that i know

505
00:17:13,039 --> 00:17:17,120
some gyms who use

506
00:17:15,039 --> 00:17:18,959
red light green light orange light to

507
00:17:17,120 --> 00:17:21,360
know when to draw the curtain or when

508
00:17:18,959 --> 00:17:25,199
not to yeah but one of the things i try

509
00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:26,640
to do are very simple ones i try to

510
00:17:25,199 --> 00:17:29,679
ask my players to talk about their

511
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:31,840
characters before a session for example

512
00:17:29,679 --> 00:17:32,880
what's the favorite breakfast of your

513
00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,120
character

514
00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,320
it's very simple question but it creates

515
00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:38,400
this

516
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,320
space between the players where you know

517
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,080
this about me and i know this about you

518
00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,520
and the more they know about each other

519
00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,600
the safer they will feel because they

520
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,200
will feel some kind of connection can be

521
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,280
a bad connection can be a good

522
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:51,840
connection that doesn't actually really

523
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:53,919
matter but it will create these spaces

524
00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,640
and when i get a new group one of the

525
00:17:53,919 --> 00:17:58,240
first things i ask is what's your name

526
00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,440
what's your character's name what's your

527
00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,000
experience

528
00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:04,240
just these very simple questions but if

529
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:07,039
i have a veteran player at a table

530
00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,880
he will know this is a newbie i might be

531
00:18:07,039 --> 00:18:10,400
able to help this person with this or

532
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,919
with that

533
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,240
or maybe i need to give this person a

534
00:18:11,919 --> 00:18:16,480
little bit more space to actually get

535
00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:19,600
into the spotlight

536
00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:22,080
yeah i have a list of um

537
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,080
you know inconsequential fluff

538
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,080
questions like

539
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:28,480
what have you got in your pockets

540
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,919
you know to the character uh and

541
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,039
obviously that's

542
00:18:29,919 --> 00:18:32,559
you know you don't have a you don't have

543
00:18:31,039 --> 00:18:34,480
your you know your great sword in your

544
00:18:32,559 --> 00:18:35,679
pocket so it makes them think

545
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,840
about

546
00:18:35,679 --> 00:18:38,559
those minor details

547
00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,280
but

548
00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:43,120
what i'm getting at is it helps to

549
00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:46,480
the more information you have the more

550
00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:48,559
you can plot that kind of social

551
00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:52,000
network of

552
00:18:48,559 --> 00:18:55,200
connections and boundaries and lines and

553
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:57,200
things to build off of or or not go near

554
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,440
or whatever it might be so even even

555
00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,200
those small inconsequential things like

556
00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,080
what have you got in your pockets

557
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,400
lint

558
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,080
like nothing it's it still paints a

559
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,760
picture there for everybody both the

560
00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,120
characters and the players

561
00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,559
and it still

562
00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,880
provides

563
00:19:10,559 --> 00:19:14,960
value to most games

564
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,080
it also leads to players being able to

565
00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,640
talk

566
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:20,880
amongst themselves during breaks

567
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,880
or just before games or

568
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,880
for example if you have two people in

569
00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,640
your game who really love to paint

570
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,559
figurines

571
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,160
but it's the first time playing together

572
00:19:28,559 --> 00:19:31,600
and they don't know each other

573
00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,120
and

574
00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,559
you just ask for the game about your

575
00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:36,480
hobbies and it and they say i like to

576
00:19:34,559 --> 00:19:38,000
paint figurines well they're gonna have

577
00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,440
something to talk about even when you're

578
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,280
not at the table

579
00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,360
and so that opens a connection between

580
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:45,520
them and from that connection they'll be

581
00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:47,919
able to um

582
00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,679
easily shift roles between the group

583
00:19:47,919 --> 00:19:52,400
they'll feel more comfortable

584
00:19:49,679 --> 00:19:54,080
about speaking their mind about taking

585
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,520
control about

586
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,840
sitting backwards because they know

587
00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,120
they're talking to a person

588
00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,280
they know you're talking to another

589
00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:03,760
human being and

590
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,799
not some kind of weirdo they've just met

591
00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,720
or

592
00:20:04,799 --> 00:20:08,480
yes some hooded figure who's sitting

593
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:11,200
there with them at the table who's just

594
00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:13,360
only grabbing dice all the time and not

595
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,919
really talking anything else it gives it

596
00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:18,080
makes it humane

597
00:20:15,919 --> 00:20:19,600
exactly that is the bit that

598
00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,039
i think

599
00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:23,919
is

600
00:20:21,039 --> 00:20:25,360
sometimes missing i've seen a lot of you

601
00:20:23,919 --> 00:20:26,720
know session zero stuff i've seen a lot

602
00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,919
of the safety tools that we've already

603
00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,200
alluded to

604
00:20:27,919 --> 00:20:31,200
but i haven't

605
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,120
heard of that

606
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:36,080
injection of humanity

607
00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:38,400
that much that spend time spend 15

608
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:40,640
minutes doing a funnily enough a

609
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:43,440
traditional icebreaker that you do very

610
00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:45,360
often in corporate environments

611
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,720
and team building exercises for that

612
00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:50,400
exact reason to be like let's get rid of

613
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,559
some of those boundaries

614
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:55,679
let's let everybody relax

615
00:20:52,559 --> 00:20:58,559
and i know this first hand

616
00:20:55,679 --> 00:21:00,559
because i have gone to way back when

617
00:20:58,559 --> 00:21:03,760
before i had my lovely group of players

618
00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:05,840
that i do now i have partaken in a

619
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,080
couple of random

620
00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,400
you know just turned up one night

621
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,520
at a gaming

622
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,679
scene

623
00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,280
and you know ahead of time on facebook

624
00:21:13,679 --> 00:21:17,120
plan to join you know who's looking for

625
00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,159
a player okay i guess i'll join your

626
00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:19,679
table

627
00:21:18,159 --> 00:21:21,679
and

628
00:21:19,679 --> 00:21:23,679
that game was

629
00:21:21,679 --> 00:21:26,480
desperately missing everything we've

630
00:21:23,679 --> 00:21:29,039
just discussed in the last 20 minutes

631
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:31,200
because if we if we boil it all down if

632
00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:32,480
you really look into it why do you play

633
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,760
d d

634
00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,039
you can't tell me it's first story

635
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,360
because if you want a really magnificent

636
00:21:35,039 --> 00:21:39,200
story go [ __ ] read a book

637
00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:40,960
you can you can tell me it's because of

638
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,400
the mechanics and i really love how dice

639
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,760
work

640
00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,360
there's a lot of other ttrpgs who have

641
00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,600
those kind of mechanics who may even

642
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:50,960
have better mechanics if you talk about

643
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,080
with some people

644
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,400
they

645
00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,360
for example one one of the um selling

646
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,200
points

647
00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:58,559
while people are trying to sell me call

648
00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,559
of duty is because they think the

649
00:21:58,559 --> 00:22:02,559
dynamics work better in in that game

650
00:22:00,559 --> 00:22:04,960
just purely mechanically for me the

651
00:22:02,559 --> 00:22:06,960
reason i play d d is because i'm

652
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,480
you're creating a story but it's with

653
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,159
other people it's for the social

654
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,240
interaction that you play a lot of

655
00:22:10,159 --> 00:22:13,440
people play the indeed to just have fun

656
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,720
and beers

657
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,960
and they don't really care about

658
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,960
anything else so for me the core of the

659
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:21,760
game is at that if you want to do a

660
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:23,600
great role-playing game you can

661
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,280
but you don't care about

662
00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:27,360
having these other people around you and

663
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,679
table on which you can bounce ideas off

664
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,760
and and go completely nuts and the way

665
00:22:29,679 --> 00:22:35,120
you want to then there's there's no

666
00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:37,840
point you can just do any uh video video

667
00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:40,080
game go play baldur's gate 3 or go play

668
00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:42,640
um i don't know dragon age inquisition

669
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:44,400
i'd go go play world of warcraft

670
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,200
but it's about that social interaction

671
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,600
and

672
00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,280
but that that's why i'm so concerned

673
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,679
about the social aspect of the game

674
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:55,120
because for me that's the core of it

675
00:22:51,679 --> 00:22:57,360
yeah i i completely agree like

676
00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:59,679
when it comes down to

677
00:22:57,360 --> 00:23:02,559
there's so many discussions around

678
00:22:59,679 --> 00:23:04,480
you know fudging dice and avoiding tpks

679
00:23:02,559 --> 00:23:08,559
and and so many questions i see online

680
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:10,640
that are like in fact the dm at my dm in

681
00:23:08,559 --> 00:23:13,120
in one of the games i play in

682
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:15,520
he knows that i obviously dm and and do

683
00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:18,400
the podcast and stuff so he i guess i'm

684
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:20,320
considered his confidant for

685
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,840
the questions and he trusts me again

686
00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,360
part of that social contract he trusts

687
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,640
me not to me a game if he tells me stuff

688
00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:26,640
that's coming up and one of the

689
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:28,960
questions he had recently was like

690
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,640
i've got a combat account coming up and

691
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,799
should i

692
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:34,720
lower the difficulty because of the

693
00:23:32,799 --> 00:23:37,200
state that some of the player characters

694
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,520
are in and how you haven't really taken

695
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,320
time to rest and you know some people

696
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,400
have

697
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:45,200
you know lost all their spell slots and

698
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:47,039
haven't short-rested to heal

699
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,520
and bear in mind i'm talking about

700
00:23:47,039 --> 00:23:51,200
my party so i'm negatively impacting my

701
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,960
own character's

702
00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,600
likelihood of survival here but i was

703
00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:57,120
like no no way man like no way because

704
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,320
the logical

705
00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:59,600
end point

706
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,799
of that

707
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:06,320
is the the lower we get in hp and

708
00:24:02,799 --> 00:24:08,240
spell slots the easy make the fights

709
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:11,679
until we end up fighting a dragon with

710
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:13,679
two hp and ac5 because

711
00:24:11,679 --> 00:24:15,200
there's only one of us left standing

712
00:24:13,679 --> 00:24:17,520
that's like

713
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,520
i've taken that to an extreme i know but

714
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,000
that is the way

715
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:24,960
that he was suggesting absolutely do not

716
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,480
agree with that logic i'm sorry i

717
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:29,120
don't know

718
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:31,520
no because it works that way for your

719
00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:32,799
party and and i'm sure it works fine and

720
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,640
and

721
00:24:32,799 --> 00:24:36,159
if i'm having the idea of the party you

722
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:38,880
have that i have then

723
00:24:36,159 --> 00:24:40,799
you're 100 correct but sometimes you

724
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,960
have these kind of parties who are just

725
00:24:40,799 --> 00:24:45,120
there because they want to feel like

726
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:47,360
[ __ ] heroes and they want to slay

727
00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:48,880
some monsters and they don't really care

728
00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:50,559
about anything else

729
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,480
and if you are going to play that way

730
00:24:50,559 --> 00:24:54,240
with them and they're going to

731
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,159
die some kind of character

732
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:57,760
it won't work for them

733
00:24:56,159 --> 00:24:59,520
because they're the kind of players who

734
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,679
come to a game to

735
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,760
before the game chat 20 to 30 minutes

736
00:25:01,679 --> 00:25:04,960
about their personal lives and about how

737
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,880
things going with their kids and their

738
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,120
wives and everything else in their work

739
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,799
and then they just want to sit down turn

740
00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:12,000
off the old nub

741
00:25:10,799 --> 00:25:15,919
and

742
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,919
just have fun throwing dice with their

743
00:25:15,919 --> 00:25:19,039
friends and they want don't want to

744
00:25:17,919 --> 00:25:20,640
think about consequences we're

745
00:25:19,039 --> 00:25:23,120
constantly talking about consequences of

746
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:25,039
characters in dnd but in some groups

747
00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:27,120
consequences don't care

748
00:25:25,039 --> 00:25:28,799
they don't care about it and it's it's

749
00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:30,080
fine it can be great if that's the way

750
00:25:28,799 --> 00:25:32,080
you want to play

751
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,360
i've had tables where there's where

752
00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,640
you're in the middle of role-playing

753
00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:37,039
there's time to talk about other

754
00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,880
people's personal lives

755
00:25:37,039 --> 00:25:40,720
and that's okay as long as everyone in

756
00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,559
the group is okay with that indeed

757
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,520
indeed and just to be clear i don't i'm

758
00:25:42,559 --> 00:25:45,840
not

759
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,480
suggesting that that is a wrong way to

760
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,279
play by any means the point i was trying

761
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,440
to

762
00:25:49,279 --> 00:25:53,360
build to was actually of your own in

763
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:56,159
terms of for me at least

764
00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:57,840
when you start getting to that level of

765
00:25:56,159 --> 00:25:59,840
scriptedness

766
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,679
for me it's not telling a story together

767
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,600
anymore it's

768
00:26:01,679 --> 00:26:05,039
reading a book when i know that we can't

769
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,799
lose

770
00:26:05,039 --> 00:26:09,200
because the day i'm not gonna let it

771
00:26:06,799 --> 00:26:12,000
happen for me then i'd be like well i

772
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:14,559
could read the you know all of the rings

773
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,840
and have a fantasy

774
00:26:14,559 --> 00:26:17,440
story there that's a million times

775
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:20,559
better than whatever nonsense we've been

776
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:23,600
putting together for the last year

777
00:26:20,559 --> 00:26:25,440
i i think i get what you're seeing

778
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,880
and i think we're actually talking about

779
00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,679
the same thing and i'm looking for a

780
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:31,360
good way to explain it and

781
00:26:29,679 --> 00:26:33,760
i'm gonna use a very good way do you

782
00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:35,279
know um the scene in the hobbit where

783
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:37,279
legolas

784
00:26:35,279 --> 00:26:39,360
shoots off the shield and kills like a

785
00:26:37,279 --> 00:26:42,480
dozen orcs where it's physically

786
00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:43,679
impossible to do so um and then he

787
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,919
walks up

788
00:26:43,679 --> 00:26:47,200
falling rocks um

789
00:26:45,919 --> 00:26:48,159
i mean i've seen i haven't really seen

790
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,080
the hobbit i've seen all the rings a

791
00:26:48,159 --> 00:26:52,880
couple times but i i mean i can picture

792
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:55,360
it so yes we'll say let's just take a

793
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,279
lot of rings then for example yeah if

794
00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:59,039
you're gonna tell a lot of the rings to

795
00:26:57,279 --> 00:27:01,200
a george rr martin

796
00:26:59,039 --> 00:27:02,480
group yeah fan group they're gonna hate

797
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,559
it

798
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:07,440
you can't run lord of the rings with a

799
00:27:04,559 --> 00:27:09,120
group who is george rr martin minded

800
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,480
they're gonna love the way you play

801
00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,279
intrigue and the way you're gonna kill

802
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:14,960
off characters but if you're just having

803
00:27:13,279 --> 00:27:17,360
a lord of the rings group who just wants

804
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:19,440
to be these fantastic heroes

805
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:21,279
with a few challenges in the way then

806
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,760
you have to play him that way

807
00:27:21,279 --> 00:27:26,399
so it's a part of group dynamic is is

808
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:28,399
not only the dynamics in the group but

809
00:27:26,399 --> 00:27:30,320
the dynamic the whole group has towards

810
00:27:28,399 --> 00:27:32,880
you as a dungeon master as well as a

811
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,520
game master and the way you feed on to

812
00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:38,399
that yeah the the the

813
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,320
the personality of the group as a whole

814
00:27:38,399 --> 00:27:42,559
you know greater than some of its parts

815
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,720
yeah oh oh

816
00:27:42,559 --> 00:27:46,000
there we go and that that's why i talk

817
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,679
about um

818
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,000
having um

819
00:27:47,679 --> 00:27:52,240
beer and battle groups and having um

820
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,720
social intrigue groups and having these

821
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,880
kind of um almost actor

822
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,320
playing groups

823
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,159
and it's something i've i've started

824
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,919
developing when i started gm and

825
00:28:00,159 --> 00:28:03,360
professionally because now i have all

826
00:28:01,919 --> 00:28:06,720
these kinds of groups

827
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:08,799
and all of them are fun in their own way

828
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,000
the challenge for you as a gym i find

829
00:28:08,799 --> 00:28:11,360
personally

830
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,559
is to

831
00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:17,360
find what makes you tick with them

832
00:28:14,559 --> 00:28:19,760
find what what draws you into gaming

833
00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:21,520
with them in their way

834
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,120
if you want to be a professional gender

835
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,000
master it's something you have to think

836
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:27,679
about

837
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:32,000
i'm not personally a big kind of dungeon

838
00:28:27,679 --> 00:28:34,960
delving pure combat type of guy

839
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,039
but i have a group like that right now

840
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,799
and so i'm thinking about what's the

841
00:28:37,039 --> 00:28:40,559
challenge for me here what am i going to

842
00:28:38,799 --> 00:28:43,600
get out of this game personally so i

843
00:28:40,559 --> 00:28:45,120
don't get burned up in the end

844
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,240
you know because if i'm just going to

845
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,399
run a group

846
00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,320
with that type of dynamic and i'm not

847
00:28:48,399 --> 00:28:52,320
that type of dynamic myself

848
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:54,080
i'm going to get reluctant to it and i'm

849
00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:56,080
not going to prepare and the game is

850
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,559
going to go down and i can't do that

851
00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:00,480
it's a professional setting yeah yeah so

852
00:28:58,559 --> 00:29:01,760
one of the things i i've started doing

853
00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,080
and and

854
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:07,120
i think one of the best ids i've ever

855
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:09,200
had with them was running um

856
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:12,240
that house and the christmas rot

857
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:15,039
and so i can i'm creating a kind of

858
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,080
curse of struts setting with a lot more

859
00:29:15,039 --> 00:29:18,159
um

860
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:20,480
not particularly underground dungeon but

861
00:29:18,159 --> 00:29:23,360
dungeon structures and now i'm gonna

862
00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:25,679
place those little bits of lore and and

863
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,840
story in those dungeons something i'm

864
00:29:25,679 --> 00:29:29,279
not used to doing so i'm finding a

865
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,600
challenge there for myself which keeps

866
00:29:29,279 --> 00:29:33,760
me going which keeps me interested

867
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,200
and that's also a dynamic in itself what

868
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,919
can i get out of this group and what can

869
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,360
this group get out of me

870
00:29:37,919 --> 00:29:41,360
yeah i like to

871
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,720
think of it in my head as a more a

872
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:45,360
visual learner

873
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:47,600
is you know like two sign waves

874
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,279
on a you know sound you know sound waves

875
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,880
and the dm is one and the players of

876
00:29:49,279 --> 00:29:53,200
several players of the group as a some

877
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,039
of us as a legion as some of us whole

878
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:57,760
and when those two

879
00:29:55,039 --> 00:29:59,440
sine waves are in alignment you know

880
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,120
they are amplifying each other and

881
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,640
everybody's having a lot of fun but

882
00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,960
sometimes they kind of shift out of

883
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,480
alignment a little bit and

884
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,159
i've had that

885
00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,000
you know it's i think the thing

886
00:30:08,159 --> 00:30:11,520
everything we've talked about is as with

887
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,640
humans

888
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,360
it's always

889
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:17,360
variable right things change over time

890
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,600
everything changes over time not to

891
00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:21,120
sound too nihilistic and that entropy

892
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,039
and stuff but uh

893
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,200
humans and and what they like and don't

894
00:30:23,039 --> 00:30:28,559
like in groups as a product of that

895
00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:30,399
change over time as does the dm so even

896
00:30:28,559 --> 00:30:33,760
in my own game for the last three years

897
00:30:30,399 --> 00:30:34,799
like i've had periods of uh you know

898
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:36,799
resonance

899
00:30:34,799 --> 00:30:40,399
where the sine waves have been 100

900
00:30:36,799 --> 00:30:42,240
aligned and i'm stoked for every

901
00:30:40,399 --> 00:30:44,799
fortnight every session

902
00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,159
and i'm you know getting a lot out of of

903
00:30:44,799 --> 00:30:48,399
prep um

904
00:30:46,159 --> 00:30:49,279
and i've had times where those two waves

905
00:30:48,399 --> 00:30:52,240
kind of

906
00:30:49,279 --> 00:30:54,080
move out of alignment like uh

907
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:56,720
to use a pop culture reference uh sync

908
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:59,279
rate in neon genesis evangelion uh

909
00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:01,679
and the think great lowers and

910
00:30:59,279 --> 00:31:04,159
you know it's it's a bit more of a chore

911
00:31:01,679 --> 00:31:05,440
and it's a bit more of a oh god yeah i

912
00:31:04,159 --> 00:31:07,440
do have to go and

913
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,480
throw that combat encounter together let

914
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,880
me

915
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,480
oh i guess they could fight

916
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,799
let me just throw a mimic because it's

917
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:16,480
easy and i could just throw it in and it

918
00:31:14,799 --> 00:31:19,760
kind of fits anywhere and

919
00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:21,679
uh and you know it it changes over time

920
00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:23,360
that's think great and

921
00:31:21,679 --> 00:31:25,919
which is which is my visual

922
00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:27,600
representation of what you could say

923
00:31:25,919 --> 00:31:30,159
you know dynamic

924
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,039
alignment i guess is one way to put it

925
00:31:30,159 --> 00:31:34,320
and

926
00:31:31,039 --> 00:31:36,080
i think being aware of that can solve

927
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:38,320
lots of problems so like you were saying

928
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:39,360
like oh maybe i'm not

929
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:42,080
you know maybe i'm not really having a

930
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:44,640
lot of fun and if you if you think like

931
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:47,120
why and you do like a five wise analysis

932
00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:48,559
and you get down to it and you

933
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,240
you have i think maybe it's just a

934
00:31:48,559 --> 00:31:51,840
temporary thing maybe

935
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,120
a couple other players are going through

936
00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,799
something in their personal lives and

937
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,640
that shifted the dynamic of the party at

938
00:31:54,799 --> 00:31:58,720
the table and it's

939
00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:00,720
therefore impacted you and oh okay

940
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,880
that's fine let me see how i can

941
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:05,120
can work with that and stuff it's those

942
00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,880
you know just having that

943
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,039
layer of thought

944
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:11,279
when it comes to

945
00:32:09,039 --> 00:32:13,200
the dynamics of the table and the people

946
00:32:11,279 --> 00:32:16,399
there and considering they're all human

947
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:20,480
and humans change because we are

948
00:32:16,399 --> 00:32:22,559
variable creatures over time can answer

949
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:24,320
like so many questions so many quote

950
00:32:22,559 --> 00:32:28,120
unquote d d questions

951
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:28,120
that come up online

952
00:32:31,930 --> 00:32:38,240
[Music]

953
00:32:36,159 --> 00:32:40,960
well last time we talked i was still

954
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:43,440
running my stunking standard campaign

955
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:45,200
and because of covet lockdowns we were

956
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,760
forced to go playing online

957
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:49,120
i had a group of 8 players online it's a

958
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:52,399
mess

959
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:53,840
so i started asking my players if

960
00:32:52,399 --> 00:32:56,000
do you want to play online or not some

961
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,360
of them said they didn't want to so i

962
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,360
kept playing with a smaller group and

963
00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:01,360
then after a while some of them said

964
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,960
we actually do want to play because it

965
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:05,120
seems like there's no end

966
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:07,039
and we want to play some dnd because now

967
00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,640
we actually have more time than before

968
00:33:07,039 --> 00:33:10,960
and it would be fun

969
00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,960
so i started playing every week i'm

970
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,960
splitting the party in two story-wise as

971
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,440
well it worked perfectly two groups of

972
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:20,559
four they all had their own narrative

973
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:22,240
going forward but still i felt struggle

974
00:33:20,559 --> 00:33:24,240
especially when the group coinjoined

975
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,960
again and they would ate again i felt

976
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,640
struggle something was wrong in my game

977
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,240
and i felt my players not being

978
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,480
enthusiastic as the way they were when

979
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:35,519
we were on table and stuff like that

980
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:37,519
so i asked them i kind of did a survey

981
00:33:35,519 --> 00:33:39,600
between my players and i asked them now

982
00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:40,480
that we're playing online what are you

983
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,559
trying

984
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,320
to get out of it

985
00:33:42,559 --> 00:33:46,640
why are you playing online

986
00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:49,279
and most of them just said

987
00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,880
i just want to have fun and be together

988
00:33:49,279 --> 00:33:52,559
with friends because there's no other

989
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,880
way of doing that right now and that's

990
00:33:52,559 --> 00:33:56,480
why i want to keep playing the campaign

991
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,720
and so i said okay

992
00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,880
i dialed down a bit on the story

993
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:03,039
and did some very weird different things

994
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:05,679
with my game tried some very

995
00:34:03,039 --> 00:34:07,760
few things for example

996
00:34:05,679 --> 00:34:09,200
one night they got into a

997
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,359
dwarven bar

998
00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:13,520
and that whole night consisted of

999
00:34:11,359 --> 00:34:16,399
drinking games

1000
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:18,079
that we played at the computer together

1001
00:34:16,399 --> 00:34:19,119
instead of actually going through the

1002
00:34:18,079 --> 00:34:21,440
narrative

1003
00:34:19,119 --> 00:34:22,879
i've set up mazes that they could find

1004
00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,879
out in in

1005
00:34:22,879 --> 00:34:27,040
on the computer with drinking rules

1006
00:34:24,879 --> 00:34:28,800
according to them because we just wanted

1007
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,560
to have a fun night but i told them

1008
00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:32,399
beforehand that if they wanted we could

1009
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,919
do a drinking game so we

1010
00:34:32,399 --> 00:34:36,000
played for two hours and then we drank

1011
00:34:33,919 --> 00:34:38,159
for two hours

1012
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:40,879
and it's it was these weird little

1013
00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:43,839
implements that gave them the energy to

1014
00:34:40,879 --> 00:34:45,599
go on with the story

1015
00:34:43,839 --> 00:34:46,960
because they knew that

1016
00:34:45,599 --> 00:34:49,040
we could go for a bit of story but

1017
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,639
there's gonna be these fun times where

1018
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,879
we're just hanging out together and

1019
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:54,480
we're just being friends and and we can

1020
00:34:52,879 --> 00:34:56,560
actually do what we used to do at the

1021
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:59,440
table together

1022
00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,880
so the environment can have a very big

1023
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:03,359
difference for your place and it can

1024
00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:05,760
really change the way they want to play

1025
00:35:03,359 --> 00:35:07,760
i've had a player who went to a divorce

1026
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,839
very tough time for him

1027
00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:10,640
he didn't see me beforehand

1028
00:35:09,839 --> 00:35:12,480
but

1029
00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,240
i had a very big encounter that night

1030
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,320
one of the main bosses

1031
00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:18,640
and i remember very well i

1032
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:20,240
we printed out a lot of maps and and

1033
00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:22,400
all different kinds of stuff

1034
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:23,440
and so i was building up towards it for

1035
00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,960
an hour and a half and then when the

1036
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,560
combat started i said let's take a five

1037
00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:29,760
minute break

1038
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:32,079
that player started crying at the table

1039
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:34,079
and i had no idea what was going on

1040
00:35:32,079 --> 00:35:36,240
and it's why i'm telling this is because

1041
00:35:34,079 --> 00:35:38,240
i want to state out that it's still

1042
00:35:36,240 --> 00:35:39,119
about humans so

1043
00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:41,200
i went

1044
00:35:39,119 --> 00:35:43,040
to him gave him a hug because he's a

1045
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:44,560
very close friend to me asked him what

1046
00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,280
was going on he told me he was getting

1047
00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,560
the

1048
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,480
divorce

1049
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,400
and we talked a bit about it and i told

1050
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:52,480
him what do you what do you want to do

1051
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:54,640
now

1052
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:56,079
because we're a group of friends

1053
00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:58,400
everybody

1054
00:35:56,079 --> 00:36:00,800
will take a step aside for him for his

1055
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,320
needs in that moment

1056
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,920
and it's it's kind of like giving the

1057
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,680
spotlight

1058
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:08,240
because we have to look at it as a human

1059
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:09,200
way and he said the only reason i came

1060
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:11,680
tonight

1061
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:13,119
is because i wanted not to think about

1062
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,800
it

1063
00:36:13,119 --> 00:36:16,800
and at that moment i knew that i had

1064
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,920
been able to entertain him for an hour

1065
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,920
and a half

1066
00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,960
in a game while he was just getting

1067
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,280
divorced

1068
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:25,680
and i was able to take off his mind of

1069
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:27,520
that that is gold

1070
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:29,599
no matter what anyone tells me to meet

1071
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,280
personally that's gold and that's why he

1072
00:36:29,599 --> 00:36:32,640
came

1073
00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:35,440
so i changed the shift to the group

1074
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:37,440
dynamic and i even went further into the

1075
00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,320
narrative

1076
00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:41,760
just

1077
00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:44,320
to keep him getting at it yeah keep his

1078
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,440
brain on it yeah i started describing it

1079
00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,200
more i

1080
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:49,200
try to do more special effects with my

1081
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,280
mouth and all these kind of things um

1082
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:53,440
making special sounds and

1083
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,400
really getting everybody interested into

1084
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:57,040
it and

1085
00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:58,079
making dice rolls very important

1086
00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:01,359
because i

1087
00:36:58,079 --> 00:37:03,760
i knew from that moment that i was there

1088
00:37:01,359 --> 00:37:05,440
to entertain him for a little bit

1089
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:06,640
and afterwards we were going to talk but

1090
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,640
i was there to entertain him that was

1091
00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:11,440
his purpose at the table that's what he

1092
00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,640
was seeking out of it and as a dungeon

1093
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:14,720
master

1094
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,680
i'm not telling you to lose yourself

1095
00:37:14,720 --> 00:37:18,400
but

1096
00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:20,720
it's part of what you do

1097
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:24,400
yeah i mean my

1098
00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:26,480
my equivalent isn't quite um to that

1099
00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:29,440
level however i think i've mentioned it

1100
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:31,440
on the show before where um

1101
00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:33,520
long story short is you know i i was

1102
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,240
thanking my players for something or you

1103
00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,560
know

1104
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:39,680
for their continued attendance

1105
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:41,680
at my crazy adventure um

1106
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:43,359
orchestrating for us all

1107
00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:45,359
and one of them was like

1108
00:37:43,359 --> 00:37:46,320
not like no way man we've been going

1109
00:37:45,359 --> 00:37:48,880
through

1110
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:51,680
you know lockdowns in the uk and

1111
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,800
pandemics and being stuck at home with

1112
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,119
the kids

1113
00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:57,440
and all that kind of stuff so like

1114
00:37:55,119 --> 00:37:59,839
i actively look forward to our game

1115
00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:02,480
every two weeks because it's it's this

1116
00:37:59,839 --> 00:38:03,760
you whiskers away to this fantasy land

1117
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,200
where i don't have to think about any of

1118
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,640
that nonsense

1119
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,640
and gang can just

1120
00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:11,040
sit down and

1121
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:13,280
shoot fireballs and i was like oh

1122
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,320
i didn't know i was

1123
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:16,079
yeah

1124
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:19,040
you're welcome i guess i

1125
00:38:16,079 --> 00:38:20,800
i didn't realize it was that you know

1126
00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:22,160
important to you and like when you said

1127
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,119
there that's golden that's when i was

1128
00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,640
like

1129
00:38:23,119 --> 00:38:25,920
i had the same feeling probably that was

1130
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,920
going through your head at that time i

1131
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,920
was like wow okay

1132
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:32,960
cool

1133
00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:35,520
and that's when you can actually talk

1134
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:37,599
about body dynamics

1135
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:39,200
when you start seeing each other as as

1136
00:38:37,599 --> 00:38:40,720
humans

1137
00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,720
i'm not saying as friends because some

1138
00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:45,280
groups will never be friends sometimes

1139
00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:46,800
you just have have a weird group or have

1140
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:49,040
a lot of people who don't who don't know

1141
00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:51,280
each other together but um

1142
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,920
one of the things i often hear complain

1143
00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:56,000
about when we talk about party dynamics

1144
00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:57,760
is um knowing when to take and when to

1145
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,119
give the spotlight

1146
00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:00,640
and the moment you start seeing each

1147
00:38:59,119 --> 00:39:02,640
other as people

1148
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:05,680
you know you're not giving away the

1149
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:08,079
spotlight but it means you're putting it

1150
00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:10,079
on another human being

1151
00:39:08,079 --> 00:39:12,640
and people will be less reluctant in

1152
00:39:10,079 --> 00:39:14,400
giving it yeah that i think it's an

1153
00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:17,359
underrated requirement

1154
00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:18,880
of ttrpgs is

1155
00:39:17,359 --> 00:39:21,200
social intelligence if that's the

1156
00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:24,400
correct term i don't know but that kind

1157
00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:26,079
of empathy of knowing hey

1158
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:26,960
that player hasn't spoken for quite some

1159
00:39:26,079 --> 00:39:28,800
time

1160
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,640
maybe we should give them

1161
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,920
some time and it like you said i like

1162
00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:33,680
that idea of

1163
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:35,280
you're not giving up the spotlight

1164
00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:38,079
you're shining it on someone else i like

1165
00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,839
that idea because it's quite like

1166
00:39:38,079 --> 00:39:41,040
you're you're becoming the cameraman so

1167
00:39:39,839 --> 00:39:42,880
you're not losing the spotlight and

1168
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:44,480
sitting in darkness you're becoming a

1169
00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:46,480
pivotal part of the scene by giving the

1170
00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:48,000
spotlight to somebody else by being a

1171
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:50,079
member of the production team i think

1172
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,520
it's quite a nice way to think about it

1173
00:39:50,079 --> 00:39:53,359
and it builds in that collaborative

1174
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:56,480
notion but yeah that

1175
00:39:53,359 --> 00:39:58,720
that social intelligence of like i you

1176
00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:00,160
know these people are having a moment or

1177
00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:02,560
i need to step back i've been you know

1178
00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:04,079
i've had my time i i've i was you know

1179
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:06,640
had a one-on-one on the dm because i was

1180
00:40:04,079 --> 00:40:08,319
doing speak with plants for example for

1181
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,119
10 minutes so

1182
00:40:08,319 --> 00:40:10,800
you know

1183
00:40:09,119 --> 00:40:12,000
none of the other players got really a

1184
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,200
look in

1185
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,480
then maybe if i you know if i don't

1186
00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:15,359
speak for plants or 10 minutes maybe

1187
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,400
i'll just

1188
00:40:15,359 --> 00:40:17,920
i'd be able to step out of the

1189
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:20,000
conversation for a little bit just just

1190
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:22,160
to give everybody else

1191
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,880
some time if if indeed

1192
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:26,079
that's what they want and that that is

1193
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:28,160
just

1194
00:40:26,079 --> 00:40:29,839
super super super important i think it's

1195
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:31,280
so so

1196
00:40:29,839 --> 00:40:33,359
one of the hardest things to train and

1197
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,480
to learn if you're not fortunate enough

1198
00:40:33,359 --> 00:40:36,960
to have some kind of innate

1199
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:40,079
understanding of it already but it is

1200
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:42,480
that that's what pays

1201
00:40:40,079 --> 00:40:44,160
insane amount of dividends like way more

1202
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:46,319
than any kind of

1203
00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:48,560
optimal character builds way more than

1204
00:40:46,319 --> 00:40:50,319
any kind of note takers like oh everyone

1205
00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:52,000
loves a note taker yeah they're great

1206
00:40:50,319 --> 00:40:53,040
but if that notetaker is disruptive and

1207
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,680
never gives

1208
00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:57,200
other characters times to you know times

1209
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,560
the talk or

1210
00:40:57,200 --> 00:40:59,920
always needs to have the last word or

1211
00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,960
something then

1212
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:02,880
they're not

1213
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,319
they're bringing way less value

1214
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,319
you know they're taking value more than

1215
00:41:04,319 --> 00:41:09,760
they're bringing by being the note taker

1216
00:41:06,319 --> 00:41:11,440
uh in my opinion but i think as you see

1217
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,319
everything we've talked about boils down

1218
00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:15,440
to that that human experience as we said

1219
00:41:14,319 --> 00:41:16,400
and

1220
00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,480
it's tough

1221
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:20,720
it's tough i personally

1222
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:23,040
partially blame um

1223
00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:24,319
media for that and and especially

1224
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:25,680
fiction because

1225
00:41:24,319 --> 00:41:27,040
if you read a book it's always about the

1226
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,480
main character if you look at a movie

1227
00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:30,079
it's always about the main character if

1228
00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,319
you play a game you're always the main

1229
00:41:30,079 --> 00:41:34,160
character we always identify with the

1230
00:41:32,319 --> 00:41:37,599
main character

1231
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:39,119
and so people step towards a

1232
00:41:37,599 --> 00:41:42,319
indie game and they think oh we're

1233
00:41:39,119 --> 00:41:44,319
creating a story i'm the main character

1234
00:41:42,319 --> 00:41:45,119
you're not the main character the group

1235
00:41:44,319 --> 00:41:48,000
is

1236
00:41:45,119 --> 00:41:49,359
yeah it's a very weird way of thinking

1237
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:51,280
but to me personally it's the correct

1238
00:41:49,359 --> 00:41:52,560
way the group is the main character and

1239
00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,839
sometimes the story will be a little bit

1240
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,680
more about you and sometimes it'll be a

1241
00:41:53,839 --> 00:41:56,560
little bit more about anyone else but

1242
00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:58,880
yeah

1243
00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,960
it doesn't add any less value to you or

1244
00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,880
your character if someone else is taking

1245
00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:05,760
control for a minute

1246
00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:07,839
and actually it adds value to it because

1247
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:09,119
it will show the way you can connect

1248
00:42:07,839 --> 00:42:11,440
with each other

1249
00:42:09,119 --> 00:42:12,880
as characters and as people

1250
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,480
and and that's what i mean with that

1251
00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:16,319
shared open space

1252
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,760
the more we talk out of character with

1253
00:42:16,319 --> 00:42:19,359
each other the more we know about each

1254
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,119
other more friends we can become and the

1255
00:42:19,359 --> 00:42:23,359
better we can play but the more we know

1256
00:42:21,119 --> 00:42:25,040
about each other in character

1257
00:42:23,359 --> 00:42:26,800
also gives us connections to each other

1258
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,480
and will make us less reluctant to give

1259
00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:30,480
up that spotlight because we know we can

1260
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,920
trust a person the other person with

1261
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,960
that spotlight they're not going to

1262
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:37,920
abuse it and we're going to get it back

1263
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:39,920
yep precisely which is why i do count my

1264
00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:41,440
blessings in that i'm obviously very

1265
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:43,599
familiar with

1266
00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,960
my players and in fact three of them

1267
00:42:43,599 --> 00:42:47,520
come around

1268
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:49,359
every other week for board game night so

1269
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:51,280
we have time we have a lot of time then

1270
00:42:49,359 --> 00:42:54,960
and it's very good

1271
00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:56,240
you know espionage time for me to get a

1272
00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:57,599
temperature reading on how they're

1273
00:42:56,240 --> 00:43:00,880
feeling about the campaign and various

1274
00:42:57,599 --> 00:43:02,079
things that are happening as a dm uh

1275
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:04,720
but uh

1276
00:43:02,079 --> 00:43:05,920
you know i as i said i'm very lucky that

1277
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:08,000
we have

1278
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:09,359
those connections between us i mean

1279
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:11,359
that's not to say you know it's a

1280
00:43:09,359 --> 00:43:12,880
perfect game obviously by any stretch

1281
00:43:11,359 --> 00:43:13,760
because that doesn't exist no game is

1282
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,760
perfect

1283
00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,760
no matter how much popular media would

1284
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:19,760
maybe like you to think

1285
00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:21,520
but i'm i'm really in love with this

1286
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:24,240
idea that we've had of

1287
00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:28,400
considering the quote-unquote the group

1288
00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:30,800
as its own entity that needs to be

1289
00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:34,560
fed and watered and needs to be

1290
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:37,440
you know catered for and considered and

1291
00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:39,040
perhaps it's an experience thing for me

1292
00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,560
all the the kind of classes that i've

1293
00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:41,920
played but i

1294
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:44,000
have a wizard

1295
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:46,160
uh i think my level 10 or 11 and now in

1296
00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:48,400
another campaign and for wizards it's

1297
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:50,319
very easy to

1298
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,839
to try and steal that spotlight in any

1299
00:43:50,319 --> 00:43:53,760
given situation because of their

1300
00:43:51,839 --> 00:43:56,400
versatility because of the breadth of

1301
00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:58,160
the spells available to them

1302
00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,839
even in combat because you're so squishy

1303
00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:01,839
you can very quickly become

1304
00:43:59,839 --> 00:44:03,440
the victim who needs saving which is a

1305
00:44:01,839 --> 00:44:04,960
main character again

1306
00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,839
um so that

1307
00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:10,160
is actually quite a good exercise for

1308
00:44:07,839 --> 00:44:11,680
learning those social cues and learning

1309
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:13,839
when to be like

1310
00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:15,760
i could trivialize this encounter entire

1311
00:44:13,839 --> 00:44:16,880
encounter with one spell but let me you

1312
00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:18,000
know

1313
00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:19,680
let me just see how it's going to play

1314
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,560
out for a little bit or

1315
00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:23,680
all this that and the other and what i

1316
00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:26,160
love

1317
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:28,880
even more about this is that it's again

1318
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:32,000
a perfect perfect crystal

1319
00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:33,760
clear delineation between player

1320
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:36,240
and character and it's

1321
00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:39,200
how you open the show was with that

1322
00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:41,280
player dynamics and then party dynamics

1323
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:42,400
and this is this is one way where they

1324
00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:44,079
are so

1325
00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:45,839
so different

1326
00:44:44,079 --> 00:44:47,440
is is that the player always has that

1327
00:44:45,839 --> 00:44:49,359
choice to shine that spotlight on

1328
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:51,359
somebody else when

1329
00:44:49,359 --> 00:44:53,200
obviously in in quote unquote real life

1330
00:44:51,359 --> 00:44:54,880
as if fighting dragons would ever be in

1331
00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:56,800
real life but um

1332
00:44:54,880 --> 00:44:58,720
you know that might not happen

1333
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:00,560
but it's a responsibility it's a it's a

1334
00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:01,920
boon you have to be able to do that to

1335
00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:02,880
other players to be like hey i you know

1336
00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:04,240
i'm not going to trivialize this

1337
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:06,640
encounter because i know that guy wants

1338
00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:08,800
to talk to these guards so i'm

1339
00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:10,160
let's see how i'm i'm here for the ride

1340
00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,280
i want to see it happen i'm not just

1341
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:12,960
going to

1342
00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:15,440
sleep uh

1343
00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:18,160
command because

1344
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:20,480
i i can read the scene i can read the

1345
00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:22,560
room to put it in one contrived

1346
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:24,240
platitude

1347
00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:25,920
i personally love playing wizards

1348
00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:27,280
because you talked about your tenth

1349
00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:29,119
level wizard

1350
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,720
i love them i don't love them because of

1351
00:45:29,119 --> 00:45:32,800
their versatility i don't love them

1352
00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:34,640
because of the great spell clusters and

1353
00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:37,920
all that

1354
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:39,760
um crap excuse my fringe um

1355
00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:41,839
i don't care about that at all what i

1356
00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:44,319
love about playing a wizard is that a

1357
00:45:41,839 --> 00:45:46,240
wizard on his own is very weak

1358
00:45:44,319 --> 00:45:48,640
especially in the beginning and the

1359
00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:50,319
wizard needs friends

1360
00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:52,160
a wizard always needs friends because

1361
00:45:50,319 --> 00:45:54,000
he's he's not a meat shield he's going

1362
00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:57,200
to go down very quick and he needs

1363
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:59,040
people he can trust so i never play the

1364
00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:01,599
victim with my wizard i always flip it

1365
00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:03,280
over as a wizard i

1366
00:46:01,599 --> 00:46:05,599
often take control

1367
00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:08,000
but i don't control i seek friendship

1368
00:46:05,599 --> 00:46:10,640
with my wizard up later wizard um a very

1369
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:11,839
scrawny guy very nerdy guy his name was

1370
00:46:10,640 --> 00:46:14,480
jean-luc

1371
00:46:11,839 --> 00:46:16,480
so the name says it all if you're a bit

1372
00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:19,359
um towards the friends um

1373
00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:21,440
build it let me see it that way um

1374
00:46:19,359 --> 00:46:22,480
and um he was a guy who never had any

1375
00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:26,079
friends

1376
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:29,280
and we played uh lost my fendelver

1377
00:46:26,079 --> 00:46:30,720
and we were all dwarfs so

1378
00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:33,200
one of the things i wanted for this

1379
00:46:30,720 --> 00:46:34,960
character at the end is to have friends

1380
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:36,960
so that meant that i had to interact

1381
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:38,640
with all the different characters

1382
00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:41,119
to know what they were about how they

1383
00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:42,400
were and if they would be fitting to be

1384
00:46:41,119 --> 00:46:45,920
friends with

1385
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:47,760
my character and in that way doctor i

1386
00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:48,800
incorporated something into the

1387
00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:50,000
character

1388
00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:50,960
that

1389
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:53,920
made him

1390
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:56,640
kind of reliant on other people

1391
00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:58,319
and it made him

1392
00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,839
think about group dynamics as a

1393
00:46:58,319 --> 00:47:01,839
character and it made him

1394
00:46:59,839 --> 00:47:04,000
think about the importance of not being

1395
00:47:01,839 --> 00:47:06,720
left alone and not being a kind of party

1396
00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:08,160
who whereas everyone just does what they

1397
00:47:06,720 --> 00:47:11,280
want to do

1398
00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:13,839
he needed a well-structured

1399
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:16,319
and to get a working party just to

1400
00:47:13,839 --> 00:47:16,319
survive

1401
00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:20,400
and it's one of the few ways that you

1402
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:22,559
can implement that that group dynamics

1403
00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:24,480
into your party dynamics

1404
00:47:22,559 --> 00:47:27,440
you could make a rogue who's very quiet

1405
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,040
who's very good at picking locks

1406
00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:31,440
but he can't talk

1407
00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:34,160
at all he's not charismatic at all and

1408
00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:36,319
he will have a need

1409
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:37,440
for someone to take that over so it

1410
00:47:36,319 --> 00:47:39,040
which will

1411
00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:40,960
make him turn toward another party

1412
00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:42,000
member maybe a bard who's very good at

1413
00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:45,839
talking

1414
00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:48,000
but the bard he's not very good at

1415
00:47:45,839 --> 00:47:50,319
wilderness survival or he doesn't have a

1416
00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:52,480
lot of hit points so he will need maybe

1417
00:47:50,319 --> 00:47:53,839
some kind of meaty kind of guy who can

1418
00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:56,319
help him with that that's where you get

1419
00:47:53,839 --> 00:47:58,640
to do it and that's how i think you

1420
00:47:56,319 --> 00:48:00,640
should create party dynamics

1421
00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:02,319
what's the saying the sum of the

1422
00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:03,280
the whole is greater than the sum of its

1423
00:48:02,319 --> 00:48:07,280
parts

1424
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:08,880
yeah that's what your party should be

1425
00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:10,800
and i mean

1426
00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:11,599
after me singing the praises about my

1427
00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:13,200
group

1428
00:48:11,599 --> 00:48:15,440
very much that was a problem they they

1429
00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,079
felt for longer than i should have let

1430
00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:17,839
it

1431
00:48:16,079 --> 00:48:20,480
be felt to be honest when they first

1432
00:48:17,839 --> 00:48:23,839
started playing it was very much

1433
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:26,000
six discreet character main characters

1434
00:48:23,839 --> 00:48:27,599
reluctantly being

1435
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:30,000
traveling together they were all

1436
00:48:27,599 --> 00:48:31,520
aragorns

1437
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:33,760
yes yeah and various different

1438
00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:36,240
incarnations of the character yeah

1439
00:48:33,760 --> 00:48:39,839
the different times in his life for sure

1440
00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:41,760
um and it yeah it was very much like

1441
00:48:39,839 --> 00:48:43,280
but i i love that example you know it's

1442
00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,640
it's

1443
00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:47,839
even if i think about my own you know my

1444
00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:50,800
core friend group we have personalities

1445
00:48:47,839 --> 00:48:53,040
and dynamics in real life and

1446
00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,160
we used to bring something unique to the

1447
00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:56,000
table

1448
00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:58,559
uh and it's

1449
00:48:56,000 --> 00:49:00,720
it i think it is that it is that main

1450
00:48:58,559 --> 00:49:02,800
character syndrome that you mentioned i

1451
00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:06,160
think makes

1452
00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:08,160
is is a filter stands in the way of

1453
00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:09,760
that train of thought for players and

1454
00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:12,160
their characters because

1455
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,359
it's very easy for

1456
00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:14,960
you know maybe three onwards for a

1457
00:49:13,359 --> 00:49:17,200
wizard or whatever for most classes to

1458
00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,400
be to at least think

1459
00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:19,760
i am

1460
00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:21,200
unstoppable

1461
00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:23,040
you know i am

1462
00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,800
i could do almost everything or maybe

1463
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,640
i'm not wise but

1464
00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:27,680
what does that mean whatever let's move

1465
00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:29,680
on

1466
00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:32,160
so it's it's to see the wood for the

1467
00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:34,160
trees and be like no no i need you know

1468
00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:36,000
my guy needs something

1469
00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:39,040
my character needs something or someone

1470
00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:41,760
that isn't a health potion

1471
00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:44,000
it can be quite tricky sometimes

1472
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,000
when i'm about to play a

1473
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:49,920
long time campaign i ask for three

1474
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:52,559
things want need and weakness

1475
00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:54,720
once being what the character wants very

1476
00:49:52,559 --> 00:49:56,880
simple usually some kind of

1477
00:49:54,720 --> 00:49:59,599
materialistic thing

1478
00:49:56,880 --> 00:50:02,400
could be i want to have fast wealth or

1479
00:49:59,599 --> 00:50:05,119
vast knowledge or i want to find a wife

1480
00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:07,280
um and then i ask for their need and the

1481
00:50:05,119 --> 00:50:09,200
need is something in a character

1482
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:10,640
that they don't know

1483
00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:12,800
they need it

1484
00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:15,200
and they often confuse what they want

1485
00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:17,760
for example um someone wants to get a

1486
00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:19,760
girlfriend but they need to

1487
00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:22,079
um

1488
00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:24,240
get more confidence self-confidence to

1489
00:50:22,079 --> 00:50:26,400
actually be able to get one

1490
00:50:24,240 --> 00:50:28,480
and then i go to their weakness and ask

1491
00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:31,359
them what's their weakness and to go on

1492
00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:34,800
with the given example yeah it could be

1493
00:50:31,359 --> 00:50:38,240
um i'm shy around women because i've

1494
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:40,079
never had a female figure to talk to

1495
00:50:38,240 --> 00:50:43,520
and then i'm gonna look in the party and

1496
00:50:40,079 --> 00:50:45,359
then look for someone who can actually

1497
00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:46,400
help them with that need or with that

1498
00:50:45,359 --> 00:50:49,680
weakness

1499
00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:52,000
and for example if someone has a

1500
00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:53,599
female character they're playing

1501
00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:56,319
i'm going to look for situations to set

1502
00:50:53,599 --> 00:50:58,160
those two up together

1503
00:50:56,319 --> 00:51:00,079
which will make that one

1504
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:02,240
the first person realize that that

1505
00:51:00,079 --> 00:51:05,040
character could actually work with their

1506
00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:07,599
character and actually help them

1507
00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:09,760
and and maybe they'll think of the want

1508
00:51:07,599 --> 00:51:12,000
like oh this guy's looking for a wife oh

1509
00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:13,760
that's a female perfect

1510
00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,200
i see yes and the other person will

1511
00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,960
think no [ __ ] way i'm going to play a

1512
00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:19,200
wife

1513
00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:21,440
but in that process the character will

1514
00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:24,319
learn to talk to women

1515
00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:26,559
because they've gained a friend

1516
00:51:24,319 --> 00:51:28,400
and it's that way you can actually

1517
00:51:26,559 --> 00:51:30,480
put your players together

1518
00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:31,760
over a longer time and and make them

1519
00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:33,599
create something that's bigger than

1520
00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:36,079
themselves

1521
00:51:33,599 --> 00:51:38,640
not everybody is as socially savage in

1522
00:51:36,079 --> 00:51:40,640
it or a storytelling savage unit as you

1523
00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:42,480
might be as a dungeon master or as a gay

1524
00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,440
master but you can always talk with them

1525
00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,440
about it

1526
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,040
you can sometimes tell one or two

1527
00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,440
players what you're planning

1528
00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:50,400
or how you're trying to toy with those

1529
00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:51,760
dynamics

1530
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:54,000
or why they're important towards each

1531
00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:57,440
other or you can have npcs tell them

1532
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:58,960
with some kind of prophecy or whatever

1533
00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:01,440
and it's the way you play with those

1534
00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:03,440
dynamics in and out of game that will

1535
00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:05,119
create a very strong group that will

1536
00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:08,160
want to play together

1537
00:52:05,119 --> 00:52:10,400
and i try to do that as a dungeon master

1538
00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:12,559
professionally and i try to give that

1539
00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:14,720
away

1540
00:52:12,559 --> 00:52:18,240
what i mean is

1541
00:52:14,720 --> 00:52:20,400
i don't want a group to be reliant on me

1542
00:52:18,240 --> 00:52:22,559
to have a great game

1543
00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:24,000
so before i start a longer campaign i

1544
00:52:22,559 --> 00:52:25,680
ask the players if there's anyone who

1545
00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:27,680
wants to get the um

1546
00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:29,520
who wants to be the the game master

1547
00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:32,800
afterwards after that campaign and i

1548
00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:35,599
take them behind the screen with me

1549
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:37,760
after sessions or after a big plot point

1550
00:52:35,599 --> 00:52:40,400
and i tell them how i did it

1551
00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:41,920
because it's a social game it should be

1552
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,920
enjoyed socially

1553
00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:45,280
it's not something for me to make money

1554
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:47,359
out of

1555
00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:48,960
i don't want them rely on me if they

1556
00:52:47,359 --> 00:52:50,000
want to keep playing with me because

1557
00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:52,480
they

1558
00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:53,839
the certain skill set i have or

1559
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:55,119
they just like looking at my face

1560
00:52:53,839 --> 00:52:57,119
whatever

1561
00:52:55,119 --> 00:52:58,880
then that's okay

1562
00:52:57,119 --> 00:53:00,800
but i don't want to be relying on me

1563
00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:05,119
they never should be

1564
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:05,119
teaching man to fish as they say yeah

1565
00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:10,960
well thank you uh for this discussion

1566
00:53:08,000 --> 00:53:12,400
time really has gotten away from me uh

1567
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:14,640
today

1568
00:53:12,400 --> 00:53:16,559
is there anything we haven't yet talked

1569
00:53:14,640 --> 00:53:18,960
about i mean for me yeah because we

1570
00:53:16,559 --> 00:53:20,319
didn't even touch like 80 of my notes um

1571
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:22,800
because we were talking about the real

1572
00:53:20,319 --> 00:53:24,480
juicy bit the the really important juicy

1573
00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:26,480
bit so i'm much

1574
00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:28,640
i'm super happy with that but uh for

1575
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:31,200
yourself which i think we haven't really

1576
00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:32,800
touched upon yet well i think we have

1577
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:34,160
the better part of my notes have been

1578
00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:36,480
discussed

1579
00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:38,800
but we don't do this quite often so if

1580
00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:40,880
there's anything you want to ask me

1581
00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:42,720
get any information out of me just go

1582
00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:44,160
ahead and ask me

1583
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:47,119
okay well i did have one question that i

1584
00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:50,480
was sitting on for since the beginning

1585
00:53:47,119 --> 00:53:52,160
uh but now is a good time as any

1586
00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:53,599
it was mainly i think you mentioned

1587
00:53:52,160 --> 00:53:56,720
earlier on about

1588
00:53:53,599 --> 00:53:57,920
kind of making a effort to

1589
00:53:56,720 --> 00:54:00,160
you know read the players listen to the

1590
00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:01,280
players understand how their

1591
00:54:00,160 --> 00:54:03,599
their

1592
00:54:01,280 --> 00:54:04,800
the role that was it was up the role

1593
00:54:03,599 --> 00:54:06,640
within

1594
00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:09,040
the group

1595
00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:11,440
and my question was is that

1596
00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:13,040
are you doing are you actively doing

1597
00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:15,200
that as like a you know subroutine in

1598
00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:17,280
your brain when you're running a game

1599
00:54:15,200 --> 00:54:18,720
are you actively making a cognitive

1600
00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:21,119
effort to be like

1601
00:54:18,720 --> 00:54:22,800
oh the foolish army will remember this

1602
00:54:21,119 --> 00:54:24,720
when when somebody kind of steps forward

1603
00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:26,800
and makes a decision is that

1604
00:54:24,720 --> 00:54:28,960
something you're actively doing

1605
00:54:26,800 --> 00:54:30,640
yeah i do um

1606
00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:33,280
but it comes very easy to me if i'm

1607
00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:34,960
honest it's something i always do when

1608
00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:37,760
whenever i'm at parties as well or just

1609
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:40,160
having drinks with friends

1610
00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:42,000
i like to have everyone included into it

1611
00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:44,240
and it i think it's part of

1612
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:46,480
why i'm a social worker and

1613
00:54:44,240 --> 00:54:47,839
being a social worker has only made it

1614
00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:50,000
stronger

1615
00:54:47,839 --> 00:54:51,520
but i will look at my place and i will

1616
00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:53,280
think about especially if it's new

1617
00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:55,760
players or a party that has been

1618
00:54:53,280 --> 00:54:57,599
pre-made about your group dynamics and

1619
00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:59,760
um

1620
00:54:57,599 --> 00:55:01,119
i will ask some sometimes just one

1621
00:54:59,760 --> 00:55:03,359
specific player what do you think about

1622
00:55:01,119 --> 00:55:05,440
this or what do you think about that and

1623
00:55:03,359 --> 00:55:07,680
there's one thing that's even

1624
00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:10,720
stronger than asking them

1625
00:55:07,680 --> 00:55:13,200
um and that's one of the things i do and

1626
00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:14,799
it's called um

1627
00:55:13,200 --> 00:55:17,680
i think you would translate it in

1628
00:55:14,799 --> 00:55:21,960
english as uh derose of leery uh lee

1629
00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:21,960
rewritten as uh l-e-a-r-y

1630
00:55:22,480 --> 00:55:25,200
okay and it takes it

1631
00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:28,240
[Music]

1632
00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:30,559
it's kind of a diagram a circle where

1633
00:55:28,240 --> 00:55:32,880
the way people connect

1634
00:55:30,559 --> 00:55:34,880
for example

1635
00:55:32,880 --> 00:55:36,559
you can be um

1636
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:37,680
it's not about being happy or depressed

1637
00:55:36,559 --> 00:55:40,160
or being

1638
00:55:37,680 --> 00:55:41,680
angry or anything like that it's more

1639
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:43,680
like

1640
00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:45,680
uh people who are instigators who will

1641
00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:49,760
easily take the first step or people who

1642
00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:51,839
are more reluctant or reliant on others

1643
00:55:49,760 --> 00:55:52,720
and one of the things it says is that we

1644
00:55:51,839 --> 00:55:54,400
can

1645
00:55:52,720 --> 00:55:56,559
actually

1646
00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:58,000
make other people behave

1647
00:55:56,559 --> 00:56:00,880
when we start mirroring their own

1648
00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:03,680
behavior so if you're a player in my

1649
00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:06,799
group who rather waits for the others to

1650
00:56:03,680 --> 00:56:08,319
take control then i as a player in that

1651
00:56:06,799 --> 00:56:10,240
game for example

1652
00:56:08,319 --> 00:56:12,240
will stop taking that control

1653
00:56:10,240 --> 00:56:14,400
and i'm not giving you

1654
00:56:12,240 --> 00:56:16,480
exactly the spotlight but i'm giving you

1655
00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:19,280
the opportunity to take it

1656
00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:21,040
and often people will tend towards

1657
00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:21,839
doing the exact opposite of what you're

1658
00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:23,839
doing

1659
00:56:21,839 --> 00:56:25,920
at that moment so if i'm the one who

1660
00:56:23,839 --> 00:56:28,960
keeps giving in a relationship i could

1661
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:31,520
stop giving so i could receive

1662
00:56:28,960 --> 00:56:33,280
it's a real kind of manipulation

1663
00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:36,400
but it's actually an honest one

1664
00:56:33,280 --> 00:56:38,480
because we're talking about dynamics

1665
00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:40,240
and how we look towards each other

1666
00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:41,680
it's for example when you have a friend

1667
00:56:40,240 --> 00:56:44,079
who keeps talking

1668
00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:45,839
um or who never talks and you're always

1669
00:56:44,079 --> 00:56:47,280
the one talking

1670
00:56:45,839 --> 00:56:48,960
if you want that other person to talk

1671
00:56:47,280 --> 00:56:50,559
because you're generally interested in

1672
00:56:48,960 --> 00:56:52,240
what you're saying

1673
00:56:50,559 --> 00:56:54,240
you just want to know how their day was

1674
00:56:52,240 --> 00:56:55,680
but they don't tend to talk

1675
00:56:54,240 --> 00:56:56,880
you could try to just

1676
00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:59,440
be

1677
00:56:56,880 --> 00:57:00,880
a little bit more quiet and just ask

1678
00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:02,079
them how to tables

1679
00:57:00,880 --> 00:57:03,359
we're not pushing them into the

1680
00:57:02,079 --> 00:57:04,960
spotlight we're giving them an

1681
00:57:03,359 --> 00:57:06,960
opportunity to seize it

1682
00:57:04,960 --> 00:57:08,559
and i think that's very important

1683
00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:11,040
we're not giving anyone the spotlight

1684
00:57:08,559 --> 00:57:12,880
i'm not telling someone to do something

1685
00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:14,559
i'm just giving them the opportunity to

1686
00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:16,079
and it's very easily

1687
00:57:14,559 --> 00:57:17,520
done in a game

1688
00:57:16,079 --> 00:57:19,839
when you go

1689
00:57:17,520 --> 00:57:21,680
to talk with

1690
00:57:19,839 --> 00:57:23,440
going to talk with a guard it's kind of

1691
00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:24,960
social interaction and you're usually

1692
00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:26,240
the one doing the social interaction but

1693
00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,440
you know there's a friend who's a little

1694
00:57:26,240 --> 00:57:29,440
bit

1695
00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:30,640
shy but he could actually his character

1696
00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:32,160
could do it as well because he's a

1697
00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:33,920
soldier so he's charismatic but he

1698
00:57:32,160 --> 00:57:35,280
doesn't play that part of social yeah

1699
00:57:33,920 --> 00:57:37,760
you can just go before the encounter you

1700
00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:40,079
can my character turns his head my head

1701
00:57:37,760 --> 00:57:42,160
my character turns his head towards

1702
00:57:40,079 --> 00:57:44,160
person x and asks

1703
00:57:42,160 --> 00:57:47,119
do you want to take this one do you want

1704
00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:48,880
to try talking yeah and it's easily done

1705
00:57:47,119 --> 00:57:50,799
it's it's it's kind of mirroring that

1706
00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:52,799
behavior and giving or giving the

1707
00:57:50,799 --> 00:57:54,720
opportunity to seize that spotlight and

1708
00:57:52,799 --> 00:57:56,640
not pushing the minute

1709
00:57:54,720 --> 00:57:58,720
yep giving the opportunity rather than

1710
00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,400
pushing them in subtle but a very

1711
00:57:58,720 --> 00:58:01,599
important difference

1712
00:58:00,400 --> 00:58:04,319
there

1713
00:58:01,599 --> 00:58:05,920
well uh thank you ever so much for that

1714
00:58:04,319 --> 00:58:08,400
discussion today

1715
00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:09,839
is there anything you would like to

1716
00:58:08,400 --> 00:58:12,480
promote

1717
00:58:09,839 --> 00:58:14,319
um not really right now we're working on

1718
00:58:12,480 --> 00:58:15,680
the website so

1719
00:58:14,319 --> 00:58:18,160
it's a little bit bits and pieces

1720
00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:20,880
everywhere right now um i don't have any

1721
00:58:18,160 --> 00:58:23,920
book coming up but if anyone has any

1722
00:58:20,880 --> 00:58:25,520
questions about what i'm talking or just

1723
00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:27,280
needs some advice or some help or

1724
00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:30,480
whatever or

1725
00:58:27,280 --> 00:58:32,880
you think about something i've said and

1726
00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:34,839
you don't think it's right please

1727
00:58:32,880 --> 00:58:38,079
contact me through instagram through

1728
00:58:34,839 --> 00:58:40,480
facebook at full swami or at fluid swami

1729
00:58:38,079 --> 00:58:42,720
dm depending on where you're sitting

1730
00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:45,440
and i'm always open for for a discussion

1731
00:58:42,720 --> 00:58:47,839
with anyone so

1732
00:58:45,440 --> 00:58:49,599
feel free to contact me i'll be dropping

1733
00:58:47,839 --> 00:58:52,480
you loads of messages after this all the

1734
00:58:49,599 --> 00:58:53,119
things i disagree with uh

1735
00:58:52,480 --> 00:58:54,000
no

1736
00:58:53,119 --> 00:58:55,839
um

1737
00:58:54,000 --> 00:58:57,280
i do remind me that i think you were

1738
00:58:55,839 --> 00:58:59,119
working on a book before which was in

1739
00:58:57,280 --> 00:59:02,319
the episode description last time

1740
00:58:59,119 --> 00:59:03,920
so um i had a name of him though yes

1741
00:59:02,319 --> 00:59:05,359
yes so that will come in that will go in

1742
00:59:03,920 --> 00:59:08,160
that will go in this episode description

1743
00:59:05,359 --> 00:59:10,480
for those uh for those newer listeners i

1744
00:59:08,160 --> 00:59:11,680
think by now it's a bronze bestseller on

1745
00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:12,880
the master skills

1746
00:59:11,680 --> 00:59:15,839
you're being too modest at this

1747
00:59:12,880 --> 00:59:19,440
promotional stage

1748
00:59:15,839 --> 00:59:21,280
so it's been sold a few times

1749
00:59:19,440 --> 00:59:23,359
no we're very happy with it and i hope

1750
00:59:21,280 --> 00:59:24,960
other people are as well yeah yeah well

1751
00:59:23,359 --> 00:59:26,960
that will be in the episode description

1752
00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:30,720
so i would encourage you all listening

1753
00:59:26,960 --> 00:59:32,640
to go and check that out uh and as as uh

1754
00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:34,640
you mentioned it's um

1755
00:59:32,640 --> 00:59:36,160
he is obviously open for chatting this

1756
00:59:34,640 --> 00:59:38,079
being the second time on the show so i

1757
00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:40,079
would encourage you to do so so all

1758
00:59:38,079 --> 00:59:40,880
that's left to say well there's one last

1759
00:59:40,079 --> 00:59:42,880
time

1760
00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:45,599
thank you ever so much for joining us

1761
00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:47,280
today and sharing your your expertise

1762
00:59:45,599 --> 00:59:50,079
and experience on this

1763
00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:52,160
rather abstract topic thank you very

1764
00:59:50,079 --> 00:59:55,599
much for having me and for

1765
00:59:52,160 --> 00:59:57,040
having this very nice chat

1766
00:59:55,599 --> 00:59:58,480
lovely little evening

1767
00:59:57,040 --> 01:00:00,400
evening over i feel like i could have

1768
00:59:58,480 --> 01:00:02,319
done with a glass a glass of wine or a

1769
01:00:00,400 --> 01:00:04,880
glass of port or something over tonight

1770
01:00:02,319 --> 01:00:07,760
tonight's discussion uh next time the

1771
01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:07,760
third time's a charm

1772
01:00:07,839 --> 01:00:11,520
thank you to everybody for listening at

1773
01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:14,079
home

1774
01:00:11,520 --> 01:00:15,760
as usual please check out the episode

1775
01:00:14,079 --> 01:00:17,760
description for all the pertinent links

1776
01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:20,319
references and

1777
01:00:17,760 --> 01:00:22,000
dm's guild and instagram and and as ian

1778
01:00:20,319 --> 01:00:25,119
said please do reach out to him uh for

1779
01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:27,040
any thoughts or questions and and me as

1780
01:00:25,119 --> 01:00:29,200
well i'm always open to answer questions

1781
01:00:27,040 --> 01:00:30,799
although i feel that the longer the

1782
01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:32,400
podcast goes on the fewer people want to

1783
01:00:30,799 --> 01:00:33,920
talk to me

1784
01:00:32,400 --> 01:00:37,119
but such is life

1785
01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:39,119
anyway thank you all for listening and

1786
01:00:37,119 --> 01:00:40,720
good night

1787
01:00:39,119 --> 01:00:41,680
and now it's time for the patreon shout

1788
01:00:40,720 --> 01:00:44,880
outs

1789
01:00:41,680 --> 01:00:47,760
thank you to robert hartley dm for viva

1790
01:00:44,880 --> 01:00:49,839
the dirt league and writer on the dnd

1791
01:00:47,760 --> 01:00:51,440
logic web series

1792
01:00:49,839 --> 01:00:54,240
i would encourage everybody to check him

1793
01:00:51,440 --> 01:00:55,200
out at robert hartley gm on twitter and

1794
01:00:54,240 --> 01:00:57,520
twitch

1795
01:00:55,200 --> 01:00:59,920
thank you to optional rule a two-time

1796
01:00:57,520 --> 01:01:02,720
guest of the show and a very insightful

1797
01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:04,000
and knowledgeable source of information

1798
01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:07,000
please check them out at

1799
01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:07,000
www.optionalrule.com

1800
01:01:07,440 --> 01:01:12,720
huge huge huge thank you to a great

1801
01:01:10,240 --> 01:01:15,200
friend of the show matthew perkins who's

1802
01:01:12,720 --> 01:01:17,520
out there making hilarious and

1803
01:01:15,200 --> 01:01:19,400
educational dungeons and dragons content

1804
01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:21,040
please go and check out his stuff at

1805
01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:23,440
matthewperkins.net where you can find

1806
01:01:21,040 --> 01:01:25,040
links to all of his socials and all of

1807
01:01:23,440 --> 01:01:26,720
his content including his own patreon

1808
01:01:25,040 --> 01:01:28,480
which i would very much encourage you to

1809
01:01:26,720 --> 01:01:31,359
check out

1810
01:01:28,480 --> 01:01:33,440
thank you to matt street at mpstreet88

1811
01:01:31,359 --> 01:01:34,960
on twitter for supporting the show if

1812
01:01:33,440 --> 01:01:37,559
you need support running your personal

1813
01:01:34,960 --> 01:01:39,760
or business schedule head to virtual

1814
01:01:37,559 --> 01:01:41,520
virtualtimehustle.com or on instagram to

1815
01:01:39,760 --> 01:01:43,599
make that difference between should do

1816
01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:45,359
and done boss it better with support

1817
01:01:43,599 --> 01:01:47,680
from cat who will help you get back that

1818
01:01:45,359 --> 01:01:49,119
essential time you've been searching for

1819
01:01:47,680 --> 01:01:51,040
if you would like to support what we do

1820
01:01:49,119 --> 01:01:53,760
and get four shout outs a month head

1821
01:01:51,040 --> 01:01:55,280
over to patreon.com thinking critically

1822
01:01:53,760 --> 01:01:59,200
or you can just buy me a coffee at

1823
01:01:55,280 --> 01:02:04,020
kofi.com thinking critically

1824
01:01:59,200 --> 01:02:26,559
[Music]