Enhancements

1
00:00:00,540 --> 00:00:10,430
[Music]

2
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:18,320
hello and welcome to thinking critically

3
00:00:15,519 --> 00:00:20,480
a d and d discussion a podcast where we

4
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,640
deep dive single word concepts or ideas

5
00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,760
within the dungeons and dragons 5e

6
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,080
framework

7
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,920
my name is danilo and i like all kinds

8
00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:29,920
of games and the crunchy mechanics that

9
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,599
make him tick you can find me on twitter

10
00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,399
facebook and instagram and i'd really

11
00:00:31,599 --> 00:00:37,760
appreciate a like or a follow

12
00:00:34,399 --> 00:00:40,960
today i'm joined by christian boucher

13
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,719
the creator of the my sound delve app

14
00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,879
thank you ever so much for joining us

15
00:00:42,719 --> 00:00:47,280
today christian can you tell us a little

16
00:00:44,879 --> 00:00:48,879
bit about yourself sure absolutely thank

17
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,280
you for having me i appreciate the

18
00:00:48,879 --> 00:00:54,160
opportunity to chat with you danielle

19
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:57,039
so my name is christian and i created my

20
00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,480
sound elves in 2020

21
00:00:57,039 --> 00:01:03,600
which was a brainchild

22
00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:05,119
app idea that i've had for almost a

23
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,000
decade

24
00:01:05,119 --> 00:01:10,159
looking for an enhancement for you know

25
00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,799
sound effects and there's just no real

26
00:01:10,159 --> 00:01:14,880
good interface out there for sound

27
00:01:12,799 --> 00:01:16,960
effects there's great opportunity for

28
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,720
you know ambient sounds but specific

29
00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:22,560
sound effects tied to

30
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,720
tabletop role play was um or is lacking

31
00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,360
maybe i should say was lacking

32
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:30,479
until my sound delve and um yeah with

33
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:32,560
the pandemic and the lock in uh for 2020

34
00:01:30,479 --> 00:01:34,479
it gave me the capacity to really focus

35
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,960
in on it so i appreciate the opportunity

36
00:01:34,479 --> 00:01:39,119
to chat a little bit about it and uh

37
00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:40,479
under the guise of enhancements for

38
00:01:39,119 --> 00:01:42,880
today's topic

39
00:01:40,479 --> 00:01:44,799
good and thank you for teeing up our

40
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,920
topic for me here

41
00:01:44,799 --> 00:01:48,799
so yeah

42
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,640
yeah today's topic is enhancement so

43
00:01:48,799 --> 00:01:51,680
what is what does that mean to you

44
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:55,040
christian

45
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,079
sure so enhancements for me

46
00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,640
is

47
00:01:56,079 --> 00:02:01,280
essentially taking that storyline that

48
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:03,280
either you as a game master have created

49
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,680
or that you've purchased

50
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:09,759
and you're running through it

51
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:11,680
and how to make that more engaging

52
00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:14,319
for yourself

53
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,599
as well as your players because

54
00:02:14,319 --> 00:02:18,319
essentially

55
00:02:15,599 --> 00:02:21,599
i approach the enhancements as

56
00:02:18,319 --> 00:02:24,080
taking that story and home brewing it

57
00:02:21,599 --> 00:02:26,640
may be making some changes to match

58
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:29,599
things that i want to bring forward so

59
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:31,680
one example would be magic items

60
00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:34,640
okay you know especially when you buy a

61
00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,440
story it's got specific magic items in

62
00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,920
there

63
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:40,080
and i like to kind of escape beyond that

64
00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:41,920
or you know swap them out and that

65
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,720
sometimes means augmenting that

66
00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:47,120
particular encounter so that would be

67
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,760
one example of enhancement

68
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:52,720
i've gotten into collecting miniatures

69
00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:55,120
and these are like the pre-made ones i'm

70
00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,560
not skilled enough even though i do

71
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,879
terrain making

72
00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:02,480
uh which i'll get into in a little bit

73
00:02:58,879 --> 00:03:05,840
the you know painting skills uh

74
00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:08,480
that's required for miniatures is just

75
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:10,560
yet beyond my comfort zone so i buy the

76
00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,680
pre-made ones and i've been collecting

77
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,480
them

78
00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:17,040
since 2003. so that was an enhancement

79
00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:20,400
that i did for our tabletop and then i

80
00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:22,720
got into terrain making and so i use a

81
00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,640
variety of mediums from

82
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:28,239
the hurst molds

83
00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:29,599
for casting with a plaster very hard

84
00:03:28,239 --> 00:03:31,280
plaster

85
00:03:29,599 --> 00:03:33,360
i use hydra stone

86
00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,840
and that's really good but it's heavy

87
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,560
and it's great for set pieces for like a

88
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:40,480
like a mob or like a boss scene

89
00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,440
and then i also use things like foam

90
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,120
core

91
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:46,319
i use things like

92
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,840
polystyrene foam i use things like

93
00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:48,959
cardboard

94
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,519
and

95
00:03:48,959 --> 00:03:54,239
using the faux finishing techniques you

96
00:03:51,519 --> 00:03:56,400
can mock up something that can be good

97
00:03:54,239 --> 00:03:58,799
for that session and then if you make

98
00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,959
them more modular you can then reuse

99
00:03:58,799 --> 00:04:03,840
them so for instance i'm running a mini

100
00:04:00,959 --> 00:04:06,159
campaign rise of the rune lords coming

101
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,280
up here on this wednesday for seven

102
00:04:06,159 --> 00:04:09,840
sessions

103
00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,640
and i'm reusing something that i created

104
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:15,360
for a star finder session

105
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,359
and it was actually a heart so the group

106
00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,199
had to fly into this heart that was

107
00:04:17,359 --> 00:04:21,040
sitting in space it was just kind of

108
00:04:19,199 --> 00:04:23,120
this magical portal

109
00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:25,199
and so you're walking through the the

110
00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,919
portions of the heart and so it was like

111
00:04:25,199 --> 00:04:30,000
red and so i used paper mache and

112
00:04:27,919 --> 00:04:32,240
painted it all red

113
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,320
and now that it's going to be a cavern i

114
00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,759
painted it black and so some of the red

115
00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,040
is coming through so it's going to be

116
00:04:35,759 --> 00:04:38,400
kind of like this

117
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,400
you know like you're going through lava

118
00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,639
tubes kind of thing so it's it's kind of

119
00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:45,840
cool so i'm repurposing that so that's

120
00:04:42,639 --> 00:04:49,600
another example of an enhancement

121
00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:52,000
yeah thank you there's a lot there and

122
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:54,240
what i really love about this

123
00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,919
podcast is i think the thing you opened

124
00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,400
with was home brewing pre-made

125
00:04:55,919 --> 00:05:01,360
encounters too in order to enhance them

126
00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:03,759
and that was not on my list of things at

127
00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,479
all so i'm really happy that

128
00:05:03,759 --> 00:05:06,400
we

129
00:05:04,479 --> 00:05:07,120
we're bringing all these ideas together

130
00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,520
so

131
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,759
let's start with that one and for people

132
00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:14,000
that listen they'll know that i don't

133
00:05:11,759 --> 00:05:15,120
have a huge amount of experience with

134
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,680
pre-made

135
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:21,280
modules i know of them by name

136
00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:22,880
only and by maybe reputation

137
00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:25,039
but in terms of running them over them

138
00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,479
or having played them i have very little

139
00:05:25,039 --> 00:05:28,240
experience so

140
00:05:26,479 --> 00:05:30,800
i'm really going to er and you know rely

141
00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,919
on your expertise here in terms of

142
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,400
how

143
00:05:31,919 --> 00:05:35,360
do people enhance the pre-made modules

144
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,840
and i'm

145
00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:40,000
probably aware of the usual ways like

146
00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:42,000
tweaking combat encounters and sure

147
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,639
making things more difficult and you

148
00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:47,280
know adding in npcs but are there any

149
00:05:44,639 --> 00:05:49,840
kind of go-to things you use or

150
00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:52,400
tips or tricks that you have some

151
00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:54,240
experience with when it comes to yeah

152
00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,800
increasing the

153
00:05:54,240 --> 00:06:00,960
enjoyment of pre-made modules yeah one

154
00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:04,720
of the things that i like to do is

155
00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:06,720
live on the edge of tpk

156
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,880
that may sound terrible

157
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,319
to see your listeners but

158
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,680
do your players like you living on the

159
00:06:10,319 --> 00:06:15,840
edge of tpks well

160
00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,680
there's great reward with great risk

161
00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:21,360
right and so

162
00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:24,400
sometimes the module that you buy

163
00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,400
builds up to the mini boss fight and

164
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,160
then you know then you've got to go

165
00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,080
through some other things some some

166
00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,680
lesser minions or you know some

167
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,880
challenges there

168
00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,680
and so

169
00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:37,520
to make it you know more interesting is

170
00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,520
to put in traps

171
00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:42,800
to put in things that they have to rely

172
00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:44,720
less on combat exclusively unless you're

173
00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,560
running just a straight you know dungeon

174
00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,400
crawl where it's just you know room

175
00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,919
after room after room of monsters and

176
00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,000
sometimes that's fun

177
00:06:49,919 --> 00:06:54,960
but it's also nice to to just you know

178
00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,960
supplant in other challenges

179
00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,720
so you know your skill checks because

180
00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:01,039
otherwise why are you building your

181
00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,639
character around certain skills if

182
00:07:01,039 --> 00:07:05,280
they're not utilized

183
00:07:02,639 --> 00:07:08,400
and so you know putting those challenges

184
00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:11,520
in whether they're in the module or not

185
00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,680
can be a lot of fun right so every every

186
00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:16,720
door shouldn't be locked shouldn't be

187
00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:18,400
trapped but some should right and so you

188
00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:21,120
build some tension

189
00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:23,599
in the storyline and whether it is in

190
00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,440
the module itself or not

191
00:07:23,599 --> 00:07:27,919
you read through it and then you match

192
00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:30,479
now i i have a challenge with

193
00:07:27,919 --> 00:07:32,639
our player groups are typically large so

194
00:07:30,479 --> 00:07:34,800
right now i'm running a group with eight

195
00:07:32,639 --> 00:07:36,479
pcs wow

196
00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,960
that makes it very hard for when you're

197
00:07:36,479 --> 00:07:41,120
doing minions right so what what do you

198
00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,960
do either you throw in a whole bunch

199
00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,599
right so like i'm running a thing right

200
00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,039
now where it calls for six shadow

201
00:07:45,599 --> 00:07:50,720
mastiffs

202
00:07:47,039 --> 00:07:51,599
okay well is six a good number against

203
00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,080
eight

204
00:07:51,599 --> 00:07:56,960
and you also don't wanna like ramp it up

205
00:07:54,080 --> 00:08:00,240
so that the xp that's awarded

206
00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:03,199
is too high right so you want to kind of

207
00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:05,599
take a step back and look globally at

208
00:08:03,199 --> 00:08:07,520
that advancement and you don't want your

209
00:08:05,599 --> 00:08:09,199
characters to level up too quickly but

210
00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,240
you also don't want to have them level

211
00:08:09,199 --> 00:08:14,160
up too slowly so it's this wonderful

212
00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,960
exchange of

213
00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:19,680
putting the right ingredients in so you

214
00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:22,160
create that tension you create you know

215
00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,280
bosses so you know like the last boss

216
00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:27,120
battle i had i essentially

217
00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,039
wove in

218
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:31,120
more creatures

219
00:08:29,039 --> 00:08:32,719
so there was two rounds with you know

220
00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,399
these two so they softened them up a

221
00:08:32,719 --> 00:08:36,640
little bit and then i brought in two

222
00:08:34,399 --> 00:08:38,880
more right you know sometimes even

223
00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:41,120
though a creature can do certain things

224
00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,440
as a game master you're

225
00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,760
disallowing some things right so like

226
00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,360
demons can bring in more demons well if

227
00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,800
you don't want that encounter to last

228
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,399
three hours

229
00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,080
maybe you don't do that right or maybe

230
00:08:50,399 --> 00:08:55,040
you have them bring in some lesser

231
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,800
demons and not you know the another rock

232
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,160
suddenly shows up right yeah because

233
00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,160
it's you know hey it's already getting

234
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,399
until like 1 30 in the morning and uh

235
00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:05,839
everybody's getting tired so yeah

236
00:09:02,399 --> 00:09:09,680
keeping all of that in mind i will weave

237
00:09:05,839 --> 00:09:11,920
in new individuals uh new creatures to

238
00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:14,880
keep that tension going

239
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:17,040
and uh and it's like i said we've come

240
00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,959
very close to not tpk but we've come

241
00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,120
very very close to you know losing all

242
00:09:18,959 --> 00:09:23,120
hit points and you know people they've

243
00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,600
had to retreat and come back

244
00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:27,760
and that really like i said the tension

245
00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,920
that's created by

246
00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:32,399
putting just enough challenge there that

247
00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,920
they feel challenged

248
00:09:32,399 --> 00:09:35,839
you know so they're not walking in all

249
00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,680
over confident and cocky like oh i'm

250
00:09:35,839 --> 00:09:39,920
just gonna like clear the battlefield

251
00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:42,560
and then just go to the next combat and

252
00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:44,240
so that's important and so looking at

253
00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:47,600
what you've purchased

254
00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:51,200
or like revisiting what you've created

255
00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:54,399
hasn't been challenging enough or not

256
00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,760
hmm yeah it's that dark souls balance

257
00:09:54,399 --> 00:09:58,160
isn't it of

258
00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:00,000
making it challenging but then

259
00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:02,000
the reward is

260
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,160
that much more gratifying

261
00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:07,040
that is correct that is correct and then

262
00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:09,200
also putting in um magic items in like

263
00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:11,040
weird places right so there's a pool

264
00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,399
with pool of sludge

265
00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,320
well there happens to be this really

266
00:10:12,399 --> 00:10:16,000
awesome ring down in there right and so

267
00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:20,160
if the party doesn't

268
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:21,839
find it well that's shame on them right

269
00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,760
because they didn't fully explore the

270
00:10:21,839 --> 00:10:26,720
scene before moving on

271
00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:28,959
okay yeah maybe maybe one day i'll pop

272
00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,920
my cherry and actually run

273
00:10:28,959 --> 00:10:33,839
something that somebody else has made

274
00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,160
there's great content out there now i

275
00:10:33,839 --> 00:10:38,160
mean there's never been more modules

276
00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:40,320
available at your fingertips

277
00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,560
you know and and so i typically will

278
00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,800
look for a module that is

279
00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:46,720
actually slightly higher in terms of

280
00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,240
character level match

281
00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,399
like i said because i've got larger

282
00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,680
groups and so they need more challenge

283
00:10:50,399 --> 00:10:53,519
rating

284
00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:56,079
yeah that makes sense and that's always

285
00:10:53,519 --> 00:10:58,240
the difficult part of dming is that

286
00:10:56,079 --> 00:11:00,320
balance of making it

287
00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:02,720
a tough piece of combat so they don't

288
00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,800
just cake walk their way through it and

289
00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,240
i can only imagine how

290
00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,480
tricky that is with eight players it's

291
00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,240
difficult enough for my six so a it's

292
00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,800
just a whole another world that i don't

293
00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,720
even want to think about right

294
00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,640
yeah one one time i i thought this was

295
00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,959
this this this worked actually fairly

296
00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,720
well so i i had the party go through a

297
00:11:18,959 --> 00:11:23,040
portal and they went to a brand new

298
00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,399
universe and what ended up happening

299
00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,399
there was

300
00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:27,680
the cleric lost her connection to her

301
00:11:26,399 --> 00:11:29,040
goddess and

302
00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,480
no more spells

303
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:34,240
uh oh

304
00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:36,240
so she was like uh okay uh she went back

305
00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:38,640
through the portal and disappeared

306
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:42,079
right back to her universe so that left

307
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:44,160
the party needing a replacement so they

308
00:11:42,079 --> 00:11:47,040
went to the local church and they found

309
00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:48,480
a new cleric but that required a tithe

310
00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,399
and so they did the same thing for a

311
00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,160
paladin because that there was another

312
00:11:50,399 --> 00:11:54,000
character barbarian that had gone back

313
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,079
and so they needed a tank

314
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,560
what that did was it set up a storyline

315
00:11:56,079 --> 00:12:01,440
so that the party no matter how much

316
00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:02,720
loot they got they were bound to a 20

317
00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,600
tithe

318
00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:06,639
so so i was able to give them more magic

319
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,240
items

320
00:12:06,639 --> 00:12:09,279
because i knew they had to give up 20

321
00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,480
percent

322
00:12:09,279 --> 00:12:12,959
and so they could kind of pick through

323
00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,120
the best and give the rest to the to the

324
00:12:12,959 --> 00:12:17,440
church it also gave them local knowledge

325
00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:19,680
which was helpful for storyline

326
00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,800
good that's yeah that's quite a nice way

327
00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:23,279
of

328
00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,880
getting players to have that feeling of

329
00:12:23,279 --> 00:12:26,959
power but having

330
00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,279
that tool in their back pocket to say

331
00:12:26,959 --> 00:12:31,200
okay but it's not forever

332
00:12:29,279 --> 00:12:34,800
so

333
00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:36,079
so talking of dming or being the games

334
00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,959
master

335
00:12:36,079 --> 00:12:39,760
what

336
00:12:36,959 --> 00:12:42,160
has really improved the quality of your

337
00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,920
experience or the standard of your

338
00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,920
dungeon mastering

339
00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:49,120
it's a bit of a

340
00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,560
awkward question in that

341
00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:53,120
it's it's hard to kind of have that

342
00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:54,959
introspection of okay how have i

343
00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,279
got better or how have my the quality of

344
00:12:54,959 --> 00:12:59,760
my tables improved but

345
00:12:57,279 --> 00:13:03,279
yeah it's it's not actually because i

346
00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:06,880
i'm i'm um i overthink things a lot

347
00:13:03,279 --> 00:13:08,639
and um so my particular group

348
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,440
we play

349
00:13:08,639 --> 00:13:12,880
if we're lucky four times a year wow and

350
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,839
so

351
00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:17,760
so it has it has forced me to think

352
00:13:15,839 --> 00:13:20,399
about ways to

353
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:23,120
enhance the game

354
00:13:20,399 --> 00:13:25,040
so that they keep coming back

355
00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,760
because there's a two and a half hour

356
00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:30,720
drive three hour drive for one guy

357
00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:32,480
and then to my house and then oftentimes

358
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:35,200
in the winter especially we'll go

359
00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:37,920
further north toward canada and and haul

360
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:39,120
up in a cabin for an entire weekend

361
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,880
and play

362
00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,199
and so we're looking at you know three

363
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:45,199
to you know six hour drive for folks to

364
00:13:43,199 --> 00:13:47,680
get together physically

365
00:13:45,199 --> 00:13:49,360
wow so the whole pandemic thing has put

366
00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:51,600
us in a situation where we've been

367
00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:54,320
zooming but i hate

368
00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:57,680
the online play it is it is just

369
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,959
listening to myself talk for six hours

370
00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:01,199
at a time

371
00:13:58,959 --> 00:14:05,199
and it lacks that fellowship

372
00:14:01,199 --> 00:14:07,120
so ways to enhance and kind of buy in

373
00:14:05,199 --> 00:14:09,120
is

374
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,959
one way i did it was i

375
00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,399
give the players

376
00:14:10,959 --> 00:14:15,360
assignments

377
00:14:12,399 --> 00:14:17,600
so they keep track of the buff i i made

378
00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:20,399
a buff sheet with excel right so it's

379
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:23,440
got all of the you know prayer aid you

380
00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:26,560
know etc and so you know haste

381
00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:28,880
plus two um for attack minus two for

382
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,720
this right yeah you know both strength

383
00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,320
so you got to keep track of all of that

384
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,800
stuff and

385
00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:37,040
one person is responsible for that i

386
00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:39,279
also put somebody responsible for hit

387
00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,360
points i make somebody else responsible

388
00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:43,760
for keeping track of all the treasure

389
00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:47,040
and someone was is the scribe

390
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:50,480
and so that way that frees me

391
00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:53,440
to just lead the session

392
00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:55,920
and not have to keep track of

393
00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,920
all the player stuff as well as all of

394
00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:00,480
the monsters and everything that i've

395
00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:02,160
got enhanced and prepared

396
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:05,839
and since the app

397
00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:08,720
that i made went live in november

398
00:15:05,839 --> 00:15:09,760
we've been play testing with the app and

399
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,680
so

400
00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,760
we've all like prepared we've looked at

401
00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:15,199
our invent our sheet of things that our

402
00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,959
character can do

403
00:15:15,199 --> 00:15:19,440
right in terms of i've got these weapons

404
00:15:16,959 --> 00:15:20,560
i've got these spells i've got these um

405
00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,440
skills

406
00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:25,920
how can i make a scenario inside the app

407
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,680
that reflects that best right and so

408
00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,600
it's been this iterative thing right i

409
00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:31,360
mean it's this concept that i came up

410
00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:34,480
with and all my players have kind of

411
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:36,720
acted as advisors and beta testers

412
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:38,399
and uh it's been fun and one of the

413
00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:41,680
enhancements that we're working on now

414
00:15:38,399 --> 00:15:43,839
with our developers is the multi-attack

415
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,680
so it's it works really really well for

416
00:15:43,839 --> 00:15:47,839
lower level characters but then as your

417
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,920
characters advanced or as i'm

418
00:15:47,839 --> 00:15:52,360
transitioning into 5e

419
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,399
i'm looking at all of this different

420
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,639
multi-attacking options with different

421
00:15:54,399 --> 00:15:59,519
weapons maybe at will spell or spell

422
00:15:56,639 --> 00:16:01,839
like effect as well as a weapon and so

423
00:15:59,519 --> 00:16:03,920
we're looking at you know linking our

424
00:16:01,839 --> 00:16:05,680
scenarios so you build a scenario for

425
00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,600
magic missile you build another scenario

426
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,399
for your mace or you know your dagger or

427
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,079
whatever

428
00:16:08,399 --> 00:16:13,120
and if you can do both of those at the

429
00:16:10,079 --> 00:16:14,720
same time for one attack we're figuring

430
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,320
out a way um to actually make that

431
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,240
happen and march is going to be our

432
00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:21,279
release for that

433
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:23,360
that's cool yeah i really like that idea

434
00:16:21,279 --> 00:16:26,000
of giving the players assignments and i

435
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:27,680
can see that it being an sse for when

436
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,600
you have eight because

437
00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,759
even when i've got six it's tricky

438
00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:34,480
enough to remember

439
00:16:31,759 --> 00:16:37,600
you know who's concentrating who's

440
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:40,000
got hex on one of the 12 npcs

441
00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,600
and i think i'm gonna try and float that

442
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,839
idea with my guys when i start back

443
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:46,000
again soon to say okay who who wants

444
00:16:43,839 --> 00:16:47,279
that responsibility who who wants to

445
00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,839
help me

446
00:16:47,279 --> 00:16:52,000
help you because exactly like you said

447
00:16:49,839 --> 00:16:53,519
it's just going to free me up to really

448
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,199
concentrate on what's important because

449
00:16:53,519 --> 00:16:56,560
ultimately

450
00:16:55,199 --> 00:16:57,920
funnily enough concentrating on who's

451
00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,240
concentrating

452
00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:02,480
isn't really fun or

453
00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,600
it's important but not really the game

454
00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,919
if you know what i mean the game is the

455
00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:08,000
interactions and what's happening and

456
00:17:05,919 --> 00:17:09,919
yeah the role play and

457
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,559
then blow by blow moment-to-moment kind

458
00:17:09,919 --> 00:17:14,240
of stuff and i will i will say one other

459
00:17:12,559 --> 00:17:17,280
thing that's helpful as an enhancement

460
00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,839
is is we purchased condition cards and

461
00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:22,000
so you know if somebody is you know

462
00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:24,480
dazzled or somebody is confused or

463
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,679
whatever we literally lay the card on

464
00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,600
the table

465
00:17:25,679 --> 00:17:30,000
near the combat scene

466
00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,520
right and i'll put a die on it for how

467
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,679
many rounds

468
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,240
and so that really helps

469
00:17:33,679 --> 00:17:38,480
me not forget it that's just one way to

470
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:40,000
keep track of that thing

471
00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,760
because it's visually right there in

472
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,280
front of you you literally can't can't

473
00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,039
forget about it and so when it comes

474
00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,880
back to that character's round you just

475
00:17:45,039 --> 00:17:49,120
you know turn the die to the next number

476
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,960
down yeah i've looked at uh little

477
00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,559
plastic rings before that have the

478
00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:55,280
status effects on them that you yeah

479
00:17:52,559 --> 00:17:57,360
people use tokens for things and um you

480
00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,760
know colors for things and you know some

481
00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:01,760
people will put little markers for if

482
00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:03,600
you've got you know six shadow mastiffs

483
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,760
coming out right how do you keep track

484
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:07,280
of you know which number is which and uh

485
00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,559
and there's just different mnemonics for

486
00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,960
doing those things

487
00:18:08,559 --> 00:18:12,320
yeah yeah and uh

488
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,440
well i know from experience that just

489
00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:17,039
remembering it doesn't work and

490
00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,039
one thing i have to say is i've tried a

491
00:18:17,039 --> 00:18:21,440
couple of virtual tabletops to play

492
00:18:19,039 --> 00:18:24,160
remotely just when exactly the same boat

493
00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,360
you are of having to migrate online

494
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,840
because

495
00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,400
of the world

496
00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:31,039
and

497
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:33,360
they have methods for marking a

498
00:18:31,039 --> 00:18:36,799
particular character token as blind

499
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:39,679
death but it's so easy to miss in the

500
00:18:36,799 --> 00:18:42,480
heat when i'm like deep dm

501
00:18:39,679 --> 00:18:44,880
zone it's so easy to miss some tiny

502
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,919
little pixel you know five by five

503
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,919
pixels

504
00:18:45,919 --> 00:18:50,240
and then it sucks to have to recon you

505
00:18:47,919 --> 00:18:52,320
know or you know like go back and and

506
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,720
make it you're like oh you know like

507
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:56,640
somebody you know brings forth an

508
00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,600
elemental or something you know to to

509
00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,520
play

510
00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,600
you know during the combat or whatever

511
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:03,280
yeah you know they they forget about it

512
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,080
they skipped the turn like oh well too

513
00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,720
bad

514
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,720
they did yeah

515
00:19:07,039 --> 00:19:11,360
i i hate that kind of stuff just because

516
00:19:09,039 --> 00:19:13,919
it just undermines the whole thing right

517
00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:16,480
like if someone it realizes just just a

518
00:19:13,919 --> 00:19:18,240
little bit too late that oh oh hang on

519
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,440
he was yeah he was concentrating on one

520
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,039
spell so he couldn't have cast that

521
00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:24,240
other one but it's just kind of oh well

522
00:19:21,039 --> 00:19:26,640
now we're just in the mire of well dm

523
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,880
what do we do oh man i don't

524
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,200
you the other one's dropped fine move on

525
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,240
but yeah it's just a lose-lose situation

526
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,320
because

527
00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:36,160
the player might not want to do that or

528
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:39,200
whatever and whatever so

529
00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:41,039
anything to stop that from happening

530
00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,840
sign me up

531
00:19:41,039 --> 00:19:43,919
yes

532
00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:47,679
uh and i don't know about you guys uh

533
00:19:43,919 --> 00:19:50,799
when you play but we will often drink

534
00:19:47,679 --> 00:19:54,240
and like i said it's it's fellowship

535
00:19:50,799 --> 00:19:57,120
and so we uh especially when it when a

536
00:19:54,240 --> 00:20:00,160
critical occurs and so when it's on the

537
00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:03,919
player's side everybody's really happy

538
00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:06,080
and when it's on the on the monster side

539
00:20:03,919 --> 00:20:08,799
everybody's not so happy right but we

540
00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:11,360
still but we still yell social you know

541
00:20:08,799 --> 00:20:14,559
and uh and we we make make a go of it

542
00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:17,760
and i will say that i have found because

543
00:20:14,559 --> 00:20:21,280
i have been able to play test

544
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:25,120
with my group physically and so when

545
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:26,240
when somebody has a critical occurs at

546
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:29,120
the table

547
00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,960
and you've got a group that is

548
00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:33,679
a large group different people are

549
00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,840
hanging out the couch or whatever and i

550
00:20:33,679 --> 00:20:38,720
will say that when when like a critical

551
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:40,880
hit happens or a fumble hit happens and

552
00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:44,240
i'm just gonna um share share one with

553
00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,240
you here's a bludgeon smash

554
00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:48,960
[Music]

555
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,919
right you hear that at the table with

556
00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,159
our app

557
00:20:49,919 --> 00:20:54,320
they're suddenly re-engaged

558
00:20:52,159 --> 00:20:56,080
boom right suddenly oh [ __ ] great of

559
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,320
course we're going to hear social with

560
00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,640
that as well but the same will hold true

561
00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,640
for some funny and i've got a lot of you

562
00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:05,200
know funny different fumble sounds like

563
00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:08,159
it's silly it's but you know it's it's

564
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:11,200
engaging and and ultimately

565
00:21:08,159 --> 00:21:12,880
i view it as an enhancement because yeah

566
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,960
it's controlled by the player right so

567
00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,840
the way we design the app is it's a

568
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,720
player tool as much as a game master

569
00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,880
tool

570
00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,960
so you reference some of the online

571
00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:25,919
tools that are out there and they're

572
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,200
very very very gm focused

573
00:21:25,919 --> 00:21:30,159
right and that was one of the things

574
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:33,360
that we wanted to turn on its face and

575
00:21:30,159 --> 00:21:34,960
really make a player-centric tool

576
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:37,679
if you can of course trust your players

577
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:39,520
not to uh spam

578
00:21:37,679 --> 00:21:41,200
true obviously you mentioned before we

579
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,840
started recording and also briefly there

580
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:45,120
about you are slowly transitioning to

581
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,679
fifth edition

582
00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:50,000
i was gonna ask

583
00:21:47,679 --> 00:21:53,919
how do you think fifth edition has been

584
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,720
enhanced over previous editions say 3.5

585
00:21:53,919 --> 00:21:57,840
or

586
00:21:54,720 --> 00:22:01,600
other tabletop rpgs older editions well

587
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:03,679
i have heard and experienced

588
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:07,360
players and

589
00:22:03,679 --> 00:22:08,559
people posting stuff that 3.5 was

590
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:10,400
overpowered

591
00:22:08,559 --> 00:22:12,320
right it was it was not balanced it was

592
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:14,159
misbalanced right and then paizo took

593
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,679
that and kind of tried to make a

594
00:22:14,159 --> 00:22:17,919
balancing act

595
00:22:15,679 --> 00:22:21,120
and so they they made some specific

596
00:22:17,919 --> 00:22:24,320
changes to it and i have to say i'm just

597
00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:27,919
getting into 5e i mean i've got like 50

598
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:30,640
books for 3.5 so i'm very enamored with

599
00:22:27,919 --> 00:22:33,120
that and i don't mind the overpowered i

600
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:35,760
mean i love the thought of characters as

601
00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:38,080
superheroes right and so they they come

602
00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:39,919
into town they look amazing right they

603
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,000
got all this armor they've got some

604
00:22:39,919 --> 00:22:44,720
crazy companion animal

605
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,520
right i mean it's it literally is

606
00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:50,080
some rock group coming to town right i

607
00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:51,840
mean it's just it's just

608
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,600
just i mean think about it like like

609
00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:56,799
that and then if they come in and they

610
00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:58,799
can do some really amazing uber things

611
00:22:56,799 --> 00:23:01,440
and if you overpower your monsters

612
00:22:58,799 --> 00:23:03,440
you're meeting that so i i never really

613
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,600
loved that argument

614
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:09,360
and yeah there's some characters like a

615
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:11,200
druid can be incredibly powerful in 3.5

616
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:13,280
and i think that

617
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,760
you know what i'm hearing and what i'm

618
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:18,080
starting to read about 5e it's a little

619
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:22,320
bit more it's an attempt to be more

620
00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:25,600
balanced it's an attempt to make combat

621
00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:27,440
flow a little bit better and so

622
00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:30,720
that's cool right because i mean one of

623
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:33,520
the reasons why we built the app was to

624
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,720
make that combat flow faster and so

625
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,760
that's one of the things that was

626
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:40,000
addressed which i think is a good thing

627
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,600
and so you know i like going to the

628
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,679
bookstore and being able to see what's

629
00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:46,000
the current thing and and pick it up and

630
00:23:43,679 --> 00:23:47,120
play it or you know read it and and

631
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,600
and have it

632
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:52,480
have some applicability to what is going

633
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:54,640
on in my life and so i've missed that

634
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,559
right so i'm looking at the 5e stuff i

635
00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,240
bought it for my 12 year old son

636
00:23:56,559 --> 00:24:00,000
uh and he's he's he's going to be

637
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:03,919
teaching me a little bit

638
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:05,360
as we move as i transition from 3.5 to

639
00:24:03,919 --> 00:24:07,440
5e

640
00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:09,840
although i'm also playing star finder

641
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:13,440
which right is is a piezo

642
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:15,360
game and it is pathfinder in space

643
00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:19,039
love the fact that it's you know still

644
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:20,320
very 3.5 although the game mechanics are

645
00:24:19,039 --> 00:24:21,039
challenging

646
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,279
for

647
00:24:21,039 --> 00:24:24,400
combat but i love the added starship

648
00:24:23,279 --> 00:24:26,960
combat

649
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:29,039
and i recently participated in the

650
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:31,200
kickstarter campaign for a game called

651
00:24:29,039 --> 00:24:33,600
dark matter which is essentially fifth

652
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:36,960
edition d and d in space

653
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,000
so unlike star finder where they nerfed

654
00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,640
magic

655
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,480
and and kind of repackaged it but what

656
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,440
dark matter does is it takes all 5e

657
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,520
spells

658
00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:48,960
and brings it forward into the future

659
00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:52,559
and that adds on top of that

660
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:54,880
some technological and sci-fi elements

661
00:24:52,559 --> 00:24:57,760
so they're still they're starship combat

662
00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:59,840
you've got your lasers your plasma

663
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,760
but you still have all of the stuff that

664
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:04,480
you've brought forward from fifth

665
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:06,480
edition so you've got all of the spells

666
00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,640
which is really really cool that's just

667
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,559
given me a great idea for

668
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,799
my players at some point in my campaign

669
00:25:10,559 --> 00:25:15,919
to have them flung through some time

670
00:25:12,799 --> 00:25:17,200
portal into the future yeah absolutely

671
00:25:15,919 --> 00:25:20,480
there's lasers then you're in the middle

672
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:22,880
of a like a grim dark war and

673
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:24,480
yeah so i i'm i'm i'm i'm looking at the

674
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,720
idea and i've talked with a couple of my

675
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,880
players about it just to gauge their

676
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,440
receptiveness right so and that's the

677
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,279
way i lead sessions and you know rule if

678
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,640
you will as a game master is very

679
00:25:33,279 --> 00:25:36,720
collaboratively

680
00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:39,039
so my thought is to when we do that

681
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,400
transition and we're running our you

682
00:25:39,039 --> 00:25:42,559
know fantasy

683
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:45,039
players as well as our star finder

684
00:25:42,559 --> 00:25:46,640
players if we really like fifth edition

685
00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:48,640
because we know we really like the

686
00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,720
science fiction setting

687
00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:52,240
what about taking our science fiction

688
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,000
characters that are playing in star

689
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,480
finder and having them run through like

690
00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:59,200
you said like some universal portal

691
00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:01,840
suddenly they're in a brand new realm

692
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:04,720
plane universe whatever

693
00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,840
and all of their star finder stuff is

694
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,760
stopped

695
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:10,480
and now for their new enhancement they

696
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:12,799
have to choose things in this new realm

697
00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,320
so you know my envoy

698
00:26:12,799 --> 00:26:17,039
you know oh

699
00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,960
maybe i'll go into bard right um

700
00:26:17,039 --> 00:26:21,520
maybe i'll be a rogue right maybe i'll

701
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,440
be a wizard right or a sorcerer or you

702
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,520
know whatever and so they're going to

703
00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:27,760
multi-class they're kind of forced to so

704
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,400
everything from you know 12th level or

705
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:32,720
whatever back remains static is as

706
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,080
starfriend so those books still remain

707
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,159
viable for us

708
00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,919
but then we've got this other thing so

709
00:26:36,159 --> 00:26:40,960
we're contemplating kind of doing this

710
00:26:37,919 --> 00:26:43,279
hybrid um thing which means i can use

711
00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:45,600
either science fiction modules or i can

712
00:26:43,279 --> 00:26:47,200
use fantasy modules it really is kind of

713
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,520
a the oyster

714
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,400
open for us

715
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,880
yeah

716
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:54,880
i just think in like eight players

717
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,000
everybody's hybrid to multi-class

718
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:59,440
between

719
00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:01,620
settings man you were a glutton for

720
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:05,150
complexity

721
00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:05,150
[Music]

722
00:27:07,770 --> 00:27:11,329
[Music]

723
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:15,600
yeah well one of the things about the

724
00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:17,840
eight players is

725
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,679
that's on the starfinder side and what

726
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:22,080
we've done is

727
00:27:19,679 --> 00:27:24,559
luckily i've got another

728
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,000
player in my group who game masters as

729
00:27:24,559 --> 00:27:27,679
well and so we

730
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,919
we're taking turns

731
00:27:27,679 --> 00:27:32,840
so we've got essentially right now our

732
00:27:29,919 --> 00:27:36,000
goal is to build up to 20 player

733
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:37,360
characters in which our eight person

734
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:40,880
group

735
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:43,279
can pull down from to run missions

736
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:45,760
so right now i'm running mission one the

737
00:27:43,279 --> 00:27:49,120
other game master's running mission two

738
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:51,120
we're doing them simultaneously and so

739
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:52,880
he'll run a session or two then i'll run

740
00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:55,120
a session or two so that way you know we

741
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,080
can both play and lead

742
00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:57,679
and

743
00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:00,480
then we'll have because we're trying to

744
00:27:57,679 --> 00:28:03,279
like flush out this huge cruiser

745
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,799
starship which requires a hundred people

746
00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:07,039
to operate

747
00:28:04,799 --> 00:28:11,120
so we're looking at like we're staffing

748
00:28:07,039 --> 00:28:14,159
it up right and so we need like 80 npcs

749
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:17,279
and then 20 pcs and then you know a

750
00:28:14,159 --> 00:28:19,120
mixture across all classes all races and

751
00:28:17,279 --> 00:28:20,720
then that way when we've got a mission

752
00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,799
coming up

753
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:25,679
we can leave the cruiser jump in our

754
00:28:22,799 --> 00:28:28,320
destroyer you know with a commando group

755
00:28:25,679 --> 00:28:31,039
or whatever to run down and run that

756
00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:33,120
mission and so what's happening is it's

757
00:28:31,039 --> 00:28:34,000
creating an opportunity for us to just

758
00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:36,960
have

759
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,960
short sessions and so oh you know we've

760
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,279
got a mission coming up but only you

761
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,880
know three of our eight can play all

762
00:28:41,279 --> 00:28:44,480
right well we're just going to run a

763
00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,640
small mission and pull down those

764
00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,799
characters that they want to play and

765
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:51,279
roll with it so somebody can have they

766
00:28:48,799 --> 00:28:53,520
can create different characters

767
00:28:51,279 --> 00:28:55,520
and they can run different characters

768
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,880
based on that particular missions

769
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,600
protocol

770
00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,240
right

771
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,640
so i don't have just one character i i

772
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:05,520
only play a barbarian or i only play one

773
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:07,440
thing no no no no you can have multiples

774
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,240
and depending on what that mission calls

775
00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,000
for

776
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,399
right grab that character and move into

777
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:15,440
the mission so it really offers us a

778
00:29:12,399 --> 00:29:18,559
great amount of flexibility yeah so the

779
00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:19,760
flexibility and the how agile that is to

780
00:29:18,559 --> 00:29:23,279
accommodate

781
00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:26,000
a group of varying size is

782
00:29:23,279 --> 00:29:26,799
super useful what's what's really cool

783
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,039
since

784
00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:30,559
we've been talking on this episode is

785
00:29:29,039 --> 00:29:32,720
how

786
00:29:30,559 --> 00:29:35,200
different and varied our

787
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:37,520
experiences are and how we play at these

788
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:40,159
games and yet we're obviously still

789
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,760
aligning on quite a number of topics so

790
00:29:40,159 --> 00:29:44,720
obviously mine is

791
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:46,480
very very fifth edition in fact i am

792
00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:50,320
almost blinkered in my knowledge of

793
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:53,120
tabletop rpgs to fifth edition solely so

794
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,120
there's gonna be some bias in in there

795
00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,360
and we

796
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:59,360
started playing in person as i said the

797
00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:01,840
six players and we started maybe half

798
00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:04,000
the campaign in person

799
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:06,799
and then we transitioned online we were

800
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:09,840
forced to do so and it's been

801
00:30:06,799 --> 00:30:11,200
okay it's not been without its

802
00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,240
issues

803
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,919
um

804
00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,960
you know the inevitable connection

805
00:30:13,919 --> 00:30:16,720
issues

806
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:20,159
you know one player you know the rest of

807
00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:23,200
their house is just smashing netflix so

808
00:30:20,159 --> 00:30:25,120
they have to turn their camera off or

809
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,799
one player's kids are acting up so he

810
00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:29,279
has to step away half an hour you know

811
00:30:26,799 --> 00:30:30,799
that's the nature of the beast

812
00:30:29,279 --> 00:30:34,000
but overall

813
00:30:30,799 --> 00:30:35,679
it's been relatively successful it

814
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,840
saddens me to think of the number of

815
00:30:35,679 --> 00:30:39,919
campaigns that have had to stop

816
00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,919
because it the transition just doesn't

817
00:30:39,919 --> 00:30:45,600
work for whatever reason

818
00:30:41,919 --> 00:30:47,120
so in that regard we're quite lucky and

819
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:50,640
on the other hand

820
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,520
some things have been enhanced by it

821
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,399
so

822
00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:56,080
we started using roll20 as our virtual

823
00:30:54,399 --> 00:30:57,200
tabletop

824
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,679
and

825
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,919
the limitations of the free version

826
00:30:59,679 --> 00:31:04,159
became quickly apparent i picked my

827
00:31:01,919 --> 00:31:07,600
words very carefully there that's the

828
00:31:04,159 --> 00:31:09,840
the nice way of putting it um

829
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,919
we ended up migrating to a different

830
00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,919
virtual tabletop called foundry

831
00:31:11,919 --> 00:31:15,919
and we haven't looked back

832
00:31:13,919 --> 00:31:19,279
since i have to say

833
00:31:15,919 --> 00:31:21,360
adding it in like dynamic lighting

834
00:31:19,279 --> 00:31:22,320
for example and kind of field of view

835
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,159
and

836
00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:29,039
fog of war that kind of stuff just adds

837
00:31:26,159 --> 00:31:31,039
so much more than i could ever add to a

838
00:31:29,039 --> 00:31:32,960
table top of me personally than i could

839
00:31:31,039 --> 00:31:35,360
ever add to a tabletop when we were

840
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,320
doing encounters before i have a dry

841
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,080
white

842
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:38,880
this is this is going to sound

843
00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:40,159
like

844
00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,919
woefully

845
00:31:40,159 --> 00:31:43,120
garbage in comparison to what you were

846
00:31:41,919 --> 00:31:44,799
saying

847
00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,480
you were doing earlier on like i'm

848
00:31:44,799 --> 00:31:47,840
almost embarrassed to tell you how

849
00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,240
little we had

850
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:52,640
um i had a i had a dry wipe thing and

851
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:55,679
some and some pens and that was pretty

852
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:58,640
much it here are the walls

853
00:31:55,679 --> 00:32:00,720
here's the pillars and you know put your

854
00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:03,039
figurines down is that space marine from

855
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:04,000
40k yeah don't worry about it just put

856
00:32:03,039 --> 00:32:06,240
it

857
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:09,120
just just just forget it's got a bolter

858
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:11,360
that's actually a cultist today

859
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:13,840
that's where we were so

860
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:16,080
i listen i i understand when when i

861
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,919
started it was

862
00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:19,679
the dry erase

863
00:32:17,919 --> 00:32:22,000
mat right

864
00:32:19,679 --> 00:32:25,679
and lego figurines

865
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:28,080
that were medieval lego figurines and

866
00:32:25,679 --> 00:32:29,600
essentially right a one-inch square is

867
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,919
supposed to be five feet and this

868
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:33,600
figurine is huge you know in in

869
00:32:31,919 --> 00:32:36,960
comparison so

870
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:38,320
yeah so quickly i was like hmm

871
00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:42,000
and then wizards of the coast came out

872
00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:44,000
with these awesome sets and so i just

873
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:46,799
started buying them

874
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,720
yeah i run a sales job and so when i

875
00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:50,000
would have a successful you know sales

876
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,240
and you know take a little bit of that

877
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:54,799
commission and i buy some figurines and

878
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:57,039
you know my collection now is i don't

879
00:32:54,799 --> 00:32:59,600
know about 3500

880
00:32:57,039 --> 00:33:01,360
jeez strong and so

881
00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,519
yeah yeah it's great but there's a

882
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:06,399
complexity to like you know i was just

883
00:33:03,519 --> 00:33:09,039
uh re reorging them you know constantly

884
00:33:06,399 --> 00:33:11,679
touching them and reorganizing you know

885
00:33:09,039 --> 00:33:14,159
like similar things together so i've got

886
00:33:11,679 --> 00:33:15,919
a box of dragons i got a box of demons

887
00:33:14,159 --> 00:33:16,960
and i've got i've got a session coming

888
00:33:15,919 --> 00:33:18,720
up and so

889
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:20,960
what i do is i go through

890
00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,960
and i use baggies little ziploc bags and

891
00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:25,840
i'll put the figurine in it

892
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:29,039
and then i use these initiative cards

893
00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:31,279
that uh forget modern 20 i think put it

894
00:33:29,039 --> 00:33:34,000
together many many years ago

895
00:33:31,279 --> 00:33:36,159
and so it's just a cheat sheet and it's

896
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,159
about an index card

897
00:33:36,159 --> 00:33:39,120
so i fill one out it's got all of the

898
00:33:38,159 --> 00:33:41,279
stats

899
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:44,080
right ac you know combat all their

900
00:33:41,279 --> 00:33:45,760
attributes saving throws everything and

901
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,760
then i'm able to keep track of their hit

902
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,000
points on that sheet

903
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:51,679
and i use it as part of initiative so we

904
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,519
all roll for initiative and then i put

905
00:33:51,679 --> 00:33:55,919
all of the sheets together in correct

906
00:33:53,519 --> 00:33:58,080
order and then if somebody's you know

907
00:33:55,919 --> 00:34:00,080
falls down you know they're um you know

908
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:02,000
unconscious i move it to the side on one

909
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,600
side and then somebody's got you know

910
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:06,159
they skip a turn like oh i'm going to

911
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:08,000
delay i move it you know to another side

912
00:34:06,159 --> 00:34:11,440
and i just kind of keep track of it it's

913
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,240
very tactile for me but it works right

914
00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,639
and

915
00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:17,440
when we're ready for an encounter i have

916
00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:19,599
that baggie all set and so i grab the

917
00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,919
monster and inside that bag he's also

918
00:34:19,599 --> 00:34:24,079
that that particular initiative card and

919
00:34:21,919 --> 00:34:26,159
so i grab it and we'll use that and that

920
00:34:24,079 --> 00:34:28,399
has been a very effective way to keep

921
00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:29,679
track of those things but yeah to your

922
00:34:28,399 --> 00:34:31,839
to your point

923
00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:34,320
it's really more about the story the

924
00:34:31,839 --> 00:34:36,320
fellowship and the collaborative play

925
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:38,879
yeah than it is about anything that's on

926
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,639
the table or on the screen right

927
00:34:38,879 --> 00:34:42,399
yeah we haven't i

928
00:34:40,639 --> 00:34:45,119
i miss i miss playing in person

929
00:34:42,399 --> 00:34:49,200
obviously of course as we all do seeing

930
00:34:45,119 --> 00:34:51,839
other people it's just human nature and

931
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:54,639
we've had a lot of benefit from moving

932
00:34:51,839 --> 00:34:57,680
to this virtual tabletop and

933
00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:59,920
my ideal world would be a way to have

934
00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:02,480
that instead of my dry white markers on

935
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:04,079
the board and then

936
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,640
you know somehow project it onto the

937
00:35:04,079 --> 00:35:10,160
table that would be my

938
00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:11,520
my career goal um but

939
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,920
i don't think that's

940
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:15,119
quite trivial to do it also probably

941
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,839
hampered by the fact that we were

942
00:35:15,119 --> 00:35:19,839
playing at you know not at my house so i

943
00:35:17,839 --> 00:35:22,640
would always have to cut my

944
00:35:19,839 --> 00:35:23,760
gear with me you know two big bags and

945
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:27,119
oh

946
00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:30,160
two bags would be awesome i mean

947
00:35:27,119 --> 00:35:32,000
when we go up north to the to the cabin

948
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,440
i mean i've got

949
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,359
and that that's part of what i used to

950
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,599
do is bring everything

951
00:35:35,359 --> 00:35:40,880
and then my collection became too great

952
00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:43,920
so i needed an ability to just condense

953
00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:46,160
so i only bring that which i need so i

954
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:48,880
bring all my elementals i bring all my

955
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:51,440
my my creatures that could be summoned

956
00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:53,359
right those are in little little totes

957
00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:55,599
yeah but i've got all these books all

958
00:35:53,359 --> 00:35:56,880
these you know in the terrain

959
00:35:55,599 --> 00:35:59,119
all of that stuff and there was there

960
00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,720
was a couple times we got snowed in and

961
00:35:59,119 --> 00:36:03,040
we had to leave our our cars at the

962
00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:04,160
mouth and uh and walk you know about a

963
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,960
mile

964
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,760
in

965
00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:10,640
to the cabin and back and uh but you

966
00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:13,359
know what it's it's it's uh it's fun and

967
00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:15,119
we don't we don't have a lot of time for

968
00:36:13,359 --> 00:36:17,200
exercise right when we're sitting for

969
00:36:15,119 --> 00:36:19,839
hours and hours playing these these

970
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:22,240
sessions uh so it's nice to take a break

971
00:36:19,839 --> 00:36:25,200
get outside and i will say that that

972
00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:26,800
experience for me and i know i'm kind of

973
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,240
trying to weave in uh here because we're

974
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:30,960
trying to promote our app as part of

975
00:36:28,240 --> 00:36:33,280
this this this dialogue but when you

976
00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:37,680
download the app and you play it it

977
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:39,599
requires no wi-fi no no data to run

978
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,280
because that's handy it's it's all

979
00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:43,680
stored locally so

980
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,520
it and that was like by design because

981
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,920
that's the way i like to play i like to

982
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:51,440
you know disengage when i'm physically

983
00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:53,760
with with uh with all my um compatriots

984
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:56,079
yeah that's that's is super handy

985
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:58,480
because i must admit i've been caught

986
00:36:56,079 --> 00:36:59,839
short before either

987
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:02,480
as i'm saying earlier on technical

988
00:36:59,839 --> 00:37:04,720
difficulties the wi-fi gets a bit spotty

989
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:06,560
and i've lost all my monster stat blocks

990
00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:07,599
because a lot of them are online and

991
00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:11,119
then

992
00:37:07,599 --> 00:37:12,960
it's it's becomes a very obvious crutch

993
00:37:11,119 --> 00:37:15,760
that impedes

994
00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:18,400
the experience totally you know you you

995
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:21,200
mentioned role 20 and foundry as you

996
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:23,119
know online maps and kind of an

997
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,960
interface to play

998
00:37:23,119 --> 00:37:27,200
right and we live outside of that right

999
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:29,119
so because of licensing our sounds can't

1000
00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:32,240
be embedded in those kinds of you know

1001
00:37:29,119 --> 00:37:34,880
jukeboxes or whatever yeah and so you

1002
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:36,960
know we we rely on you know having your

1003
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:39,359
phone connected to a bluetooth speaker

1004
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:41,119
and then your your your speaker you know

1005
00:37:39,359 --> 00:37:43,280
attached to a you know laptop or

1006
00:37:41,119 --> 00:37:44,640
whatever and it works right you just

1007
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:45,920
heard a couple of the sounds come

1008
00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:48,160
through and maybe they're a little bit

1009
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:51,200
grainy but it works right it they come

1010
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:52,480
through and the other thing is the

1011
00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:53,760
tabletop

1012
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,720
terrain

1013
00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,720
i've got my laptop and my webcam focused

1014
00:37:56,720 --> 00:38:01,599
down at an angle

1015
00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:04,640
so that people people can can see it not

1016
00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:06,960
not bird's eye view right not top-down

1017
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:08,480
and so i'm often you know telling people

1018
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:09,440
you know exactly where they are or

1019
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:10,160
whatever

1020
00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:12,160
but

1021
00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:14,240
like you said before there's been some

1022
00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:16,960
limitation to it but at least we're able

1023
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:19,040
to move our stories along right we're

1024
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,920
able to be together

1025
00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:24,160
not physically but in spirit and and

1026
00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:25,760
again you know working collaboratively

1027
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,680
on you know solving those those

1028
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:30,320
challenges and those problems that uh

1029
00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:33,520
that are within a module

1030
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:35,359
yeah so the one thing that again i

1031
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,359
i want to talk to you a little bit more

1032
00:38:35,359 --> 00:38:39,280
about is you mentioned at the beginning

1033
00:38:37,359 --> 00:38:41,280
the terrain that

1034
00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:44,079
you make and i can only imagine that

1035
00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:47,200
adds quite literally another dimension

1036
00:38:44,079 --> 00:38:49,440
to the to the table job experience

1037
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:52,800
i had some

1038
00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:53,680
hangover stuff from my warhammer days

1039
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,599
and

1040
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:57,920
some various little bits of bobs that i

1041
00:38:55,599 --> 00:38:59,119
3d printed for other board games over

1042
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,280
the time but

1043
00:38:59,119 --> 00:39:03,920
nothing what i would consider terrain it

1044
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:05,599
would be more like a chest or a pillar

1045
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,640
or anything like that so

1046
00:39:05,599 --> 00:39:08,320
i don't know if you can tell us a little

1047
00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,760
bit more about the terrain

1048
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,079
things and how that's made your

1049
00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:14,720
experience better what you're describing

1050
00:39:12,079 --> 00:39:17,680
there would be considered scatter and so

1051
00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:19,520
scatter is actually just a perfect place

1052
00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:21,839
to start like if your listeners are

1053
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:24,079
interested in in terrain

1054
00:39:21,839 --> 00:39:26,480
i would recommend starting with scatter

1055
00:39:24,079 --> 00:39:28,320
right so you've got your board your dry

1056
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:30,240
erase board and you're putting in the

1057
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,560
pillar you're putting in a chest you're

1058
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:34,079
putting in a desk and a table you're

1059
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:37,040
putting in something

1060
00:39:34,079 --> 00:39:39,200
that helps enhance that experience right

1061
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:41,520
so you've got your little figurines and

1062
00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,560
those little pieces are very very

1063
00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,599
helpful

1064
00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:47,000
visually

1065
00:39:43,599 --> 00:39:49,200
what i found was i started doing

1066
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:52,560
three-dimensional work

1067
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:55,680
and so building up with walls but i

1068
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:58,720
quickly found a limitation there

1069
00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:00,000
especially for today's play

1070
00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:03,119
where

1071
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,800
you're looking at through a webcam at

1072
00:40:03,119 --> 00:40:07,280
an angle

1073
00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:11,200
so there's a gentleman by the name of

1074
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:12,720
scotty mcfarland and he's known as dm

1075
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:16,160
scotty

1076
00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:19,040
he's got a wonderful youtube channel

1077
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:22,319
and he walks through how to use very

1078
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:25,119
inexpensive material like cardboard

1079
00:40:22,319 --> 00:40:27,359
and to give the flavor of a wall

1080
00:40:25,119 --> 00:40:30,240
without building that three-dimensional

1081
00:40:27,359 --> 00:40:31,760
wall up that way your hands can go into

1082
00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:33,200
the table area you can move your

1083
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:36,079
figurine around

1084
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:38,240
or with today's online sessions

1085
00:40:36,079 --> 00:40:41,040
you can you get the the semblance of a

1086
00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:42,880
wall and essentially what it is

1087
00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:45,200
danilo is

1088
00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:47,599
a flat piece of cardboard right and so

1089
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:49,599
let's say the room is eight inches by

1090
00:40:47,599 --> 00:40:53,119
ten inches

1091
00:40:49,599 --> 00:40:54,319
around that wall you're going to glue in

1092
00:40:53,119 --> 00:40:56,560
a

1093
00:40:54,319 --> 00:40:58,960
one-quarter inch

1094
00:40:56,560 --> 00:41:00,560
piece of foam core that you get at the

1095
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:02,000
dollars yeah and it's it's the stuff

1096
00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,440
that you would do like for a grade

1097
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,319
school report

1098
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:06,800
right

1099
00:41:04,319 --> 00:41:09,760
you cut it into strips and then you pull

1100
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:13,200
the piece of paper off of one side

1101
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:16,160
you glue the other side to the edges

1102
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:17,839
and what happens is because it's foam

1103
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:18,880
you can then use like a crumpled up

1104
00:41:17,839 --> 00:41:21,920
piece of

1105
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:24,160
what you would say is aluminium right

1106
00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:25,839
to give some texture

1107
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,839
on that wall

1108
00:41:25,839 --> 00:41:29,119
and then what you do is you spray paint

1109
00:41:27,839 --> 00:41:31,280
it black

1110
00:41:29,119 --> 00:41:33,359
then you just kind of gently go over

1111
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:35,119
with a little bit of gray

1112
00:41:33,359 --> 00:41:36,000
and now you've just created a dungeon

1113
00:41:35,119 --> 00:41:38,240
wall

1114
00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:41,280
i mean it is literally that simple i

1115
00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:43,680
mean it's it's super quick and it is so

1116
00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:44,800
cheap that you don't feel compelled to

1117
00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:47,040
store it

1118
00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:49,119
i mean you can obviously right but you

1119
00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:51,440
can you can create these things and just

1120
00:41:49,119 --> 00:41:53,200
literally throw them away because they

1121
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:54,480
they cost very little

1122
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,560
and it was very very quick to put

1123
00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:58,319
together that's my point yeah if if it

1124
00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,480
gets like crunched up in your bag no

1125
00:41:58,319 --> 00:42:02,160
one's gonna be crying about it that's

1126
00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,920
right yeah so you don't have to invest

1127
00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:05,760
in like you know like you know i've got

1128
00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:08,560
these you know these these molds these

1129
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:11,040
silicon molds and i mix up plaster and

1130
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:13,200
all that i got really really into it but

1131
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:15,280
what i have found is

1132
00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:19,520
like i said earlier that's great for

1133
00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:21,760
like a mob boss scene or whatever but

1134
00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:23,599
if it's just like a hallway or just a

1135
00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:25,040
simple room or you're trying to convey

1136
00:42:23,599 --> 00:42:27,200
you know so you go go into a you know

1137
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:29,440
merchants area or whatever you don't

1138
00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:31,280
need all that you know you can really

1139
00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,640
get away with just a nice piece of

1140
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:33,440
cardboard

1141
00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:36,480
with

1142
00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:38,240
some faux finishing on it now

1143
00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:40,400
if you like the grids

1144
00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:42,960
then what you'll want to do is instead

1145
00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:45,040
of using cardboard as your your flooring

1146
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:46,640
you'd want to use foam core

1147
00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:49,520
and what you would do is you would

1148
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:51,839
literally slice through

1149
00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:55,040
those grid lines right one inch by one

1150
00:42:51,839 --> 00:42:56,240
inch and so you make a pass with a blade

1151
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,440
right next

1152
00:42:56,240 --> 00:42:59,520
box cutter

1153
00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:02,800
yes and then then the cool trick is to

1154
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:05,119
take like a mechanical pencil or pen

1155
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:07,359
and scrape through it

1156
00:43:05,119 --> 00:43:09,440
again and again and again and then

1157
00:43:07,359 --> 00:43:11,520
you'll want to use that texture

1158
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:14,000
to texturize and you can put in cracks

1159
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:17,119
just use a pen throw in some cracks or

1160
00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:19,920
whatever and then spray paint it black

1161
00:43:17,119 --> 00:43:23,200
layer on your color and then a trick

1162
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:26,160
that i learned from another crafter

1163
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:27,760
black magic craft what jeremy does is he

1164
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:29,119
mixes up a

1165
00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:32,400
modge podge

1166
00:43:29,119 --> 00:43:35,040
solution and what happens there is it

1167
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:38,319
when it glues it hardens

1168
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:41,520
and the other trick is to avoid curling

1169
00:43:38,319 --> 00:43:44,000
is to turn the piece over

1170
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:48,240
and use a glue

1171
00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:50,160
like a 50 50 glue to water mix

1172
00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:51,280
and what happens is it saturates the

1173
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:53,760
paper

1174
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:55,440
but then the glue hardens and so it

1175
00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:57,520
helps keep it in place right and then

1176
00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:58,880
you or you could use the modge podge on

1177
00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:00,240
the bottom yeah

1178
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,319
right so don't forget the bot because

1179
00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:04,800
otherwise as the mod podge you know the

1180
00:44:02,319 --> 00:44:06,640
paint dries it might curl because that

1181
00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:09,280
foam core is not incredibly strong on

1182
00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:11,280
its own it needs some enhancements and

1183
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:14,319
so one of that would be like your mod

1184
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:16,880
podge or your glue your pva glue mixture

1185
00:44:14,319 --> 00:44:18,880
and so that will actually pull it back

1186
00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:20,960
and so it's like this

1187
00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:22,800
two physics like that it wants to curl

1188
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:25,119
up no i want it to grow back right and

1189
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:28,560
so you know you're you're you you need

1190
00:44:25,119 --> 00:44:30,319
to lay the back yeah yeah we do have

1191
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,520
especially where i live and throughout

1192
00:44:30,319 --> 00:44:33,359
the uk

1193
00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:34,800
quite large hobby stores and craft

1194
00:44:33,359 --> 00:44:37,119
stores that will do

1195
00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:39,200
all that kind of stuff yes

1196
00:44:37,119 --> 00:44:40,720
yeah admittedly i'm

1197
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:44,319
as i said my previous experience was in

1198
00:44:40,720 --> 00:44:45,040
warhammer 40k which a lot of the terrain

1199
00:44:44,319 --> 00:44:47,680
is

1200
00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:50,160
purchasable rather than buildable yes

1201
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,760
which is my lazy man's way i mean he's

1202
00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,680
left the paint unfortunately which is

1203
00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:57,040
i'm just like you my painting skills

1204
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:59,119
leave a lot to be desired so yeah you

1205
00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:59,920
know it's interesting i've gotten better

1206
00:44:59,119 --> 00:45:01,839
and

1207
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:02,880
i'm pretty good with faux finishing

1208
00:45:01,839 --> 00:45:06,079
because

1209
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:08,880
as hard as it sounds it's actually not

1210
00:45:06,079 --> 00:45:12,079
it's that fine and you know my

1211
00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:14,480
being able to look at a figurine and

1212
00:45:12,079 --> 00:45:15,680
really get in with the paint is a

1213
00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:18,640
challenge

1214
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:20,880
but i play gas lands right osprey games

1215
00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:22,480
gas lands which is a really fun skirmish

1216
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:24,560
game and it's using hot wheels or

1217
00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:26,560
matchbox cars and then making them look

1218
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:27,680
all apocalyptic and then running a death

1219
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,839
race

1220
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:32,319
and what you do is you break the car

1221
00:45:29,839 --> 00:45:33,760
apart and then you you know you spray

1222
00:45:32,319 --> 00:45:35,680
paint it all black and then that way

1223
00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:38,079
you're allowed to full finish on top of

1224
00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:39,920
that and then you glue on pieces i

1225
00:45:38,079 --> 00:45:42,240
bought them from etsy if you've got a 3d

1226
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:43,599
printer you can you know print off a lot

1227
00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:45,920
of different weapons and different

1228
00:45:43,599 --> 00:45:48,240
things that you can put on your vehicles

1229
00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:50,079
and man is that that's a fun game and

1230
00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:52,400
then you create scatter

1231
00:45:50,079 --> 00:45:55,440
so that you can create your boundaries

1232
00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:58,800
for your race and again i i use the

1233
00:45:55,440 --> 00:46:01,200
backs of uh like the cereal box

1234
00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:04,079
right as a very thin cardboard i use you

1235
00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:05,920
know packaging from you know um amazon

1236
00:46:04,079 --> 00:46:08,079
or whatever to get some cardboard

1237
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:10,240
cardboard's super cheap i mean

1238
00:46:08,079 --> 00:46:11,920
yeah so terrain is really really helpful

1239
00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:16,079
and i would recommend just starting with

1240
00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:18,319
the scatter pieces yeah right yep i mean

1241
00:46:16,079 --> 00:46:20,160
especially after christmas uh

1242
00:46:18,319 --> 00:46:21,680
we had a house was full of bloody

1243
00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:22,880
cardboard that we couldn't have got rid

1244
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,640
of quicker

1245
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:26,400
it always takes us like three three or

1246
00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:27,280
four recycle runs to get rid of all that

1247
00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:29,920
stuff

1248
00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:31,839
yeah yeah well you

1249
00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:33,599
waited for the the bins to be taken and

1250
00:46:31,839 --> 00:46:34,880
then filled it up again immediately the

1251
00:46:33,599 --> 00:46:35,920
next day so

1252
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:38,720
correct

1253
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:41,040
correct yeah so i've got another 3d

1254
00:46:38,720 --> 00:46:42,240
printer coming soon an upgraded one

1255
00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:44,720
which i'm looking forward to getting

1256
00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:45,440
back into doing some higher quality that

1257
00:46:44,720 --> 00:46:47,119
and

1258
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:49,839
scatter terrain and maybe get back on

1259
00:46:47,119 --> 00:46:51,760
the minis which is always a bit tricky

1260
00:46:49,839 --> 00:46:53,200
yeah but i mean your doors are gonna be

1261
00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:57,040
really helpful

1262
00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:59,839
right i mean and there's lots of ways to

1263
00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:01,119
ylock's armies is also another good

1264
00:46:59,839 --> 00:47:02,560
terrain

1265
00:47:01,119 --> 00:47:05,760
reference

1266
00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:09,520
and he's got a system in which he locks

1267
00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:11,040
indoors onto his little set pieces

1268
00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:13,520
i mean there's just there's there's so

1269
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:16,000
much out there and it doesn't take

1270
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:18,079
an incredible amount of skill

1271
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:19,440
and and i'm not downplaying these guys

1272
00:47:18,079 --> 00:47:20,960
at all because

1273
00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:23,520
they've come up with some really great

1274
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:24,480
concepts i'm talking about your average

1275
00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:26,559
player

1276
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:28,640
or game master who wants to do this

1277
00:47:26,559 --> 00:47:30,400
right and it's also something you could

1278
00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:32,160
assign to your players right if you've

1279
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:34,000
got anybody that's got any kind of

1280
00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:36,000
interest in these things

1281
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:39,200
hey you know buddy could you mock up

1282
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:40,800
eight doors you know and yeah awesome

1283
00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:43,119
sure you know and here's some reference

1284
00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:46,000
so i mean you could all again everything

1285
00:47:43,119 --> 00:47:48,559
doesn't have to rely on the game master

1286
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:50,960
because i i think too much does

1287
00:47:48,559 --> 00:47:53,200
yeah i agree and that's the one thing i

1288
00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:55,280
found with my players as their power

1289
00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:56,960
level increases

1290
00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:58,640
from i mean they're still in i think

1291
00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:00,559
officially tier two as it's called

1292
00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:02,880
they're only level eight but even yeah

1293
00:48:00,559 --> 00:48:05,440
six players at level eight out of twenty

1294
00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:08,000
is how it works and fifth edition

1295
00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:11,920
is complicated enough

1296
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:14,640
so i'm absolutely gonna think about

1297
00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:16,240
giving them tasks and giving them roles

1298
00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:18,960
especially they they would really

1299
00:48:16,240 --> 00:48:22,559
benefit from a scribe

1300
00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:24,960
you know a dedicated note taker because

1301
00:48:22,559 --> 00:48:26,640
they are forgetful

1302
00:48:24,960 --> 00:48:28,880
you know uh you bring you bring up

1303
00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:32,880
something else that that i want to share

1304
00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:35,520
so as much as i ask a player to scribe

1305
00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:37,200
i also know because i have the module i

1306
00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:39,839
also know

1307
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:41,839
what's going on in terms of story arc

1308
00:48:39,839 --> 00:48:43,359
and i know that we've got a larger

1309
00:48:41,839 --> 00:48:44,720
network or whatever

1310
00:48:43,359 --> 00:48:47,760
where the lords and ladies of the

1311
00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:50,319
nerdium is is our larger group

1312
00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:52,960
and so we've got about i don't know 25

1313
00:48:50,319 --> 00:48:54,640
people that belong to it and so we've

1314
00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:56,000
you know we we pull down like who can

1315
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:58,400
who can play this weekend or who can

1316
00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:58,960
play you know whatever whatever

1317
00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:00,079
and so

1318
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:04,640
[Music]

1319
00:49:00,079 --> 00:49:09,760
what i do is i use powerpoint

1320
00:49:04,640 --> 00:49:12,640
and i have got an ongoing status report

1321
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:14,079
and so on day set etc you know this

1322
00:49:12,640 --> 00:49:15,359
happened and it's just like the

1323
00:49:14,079 --> 00:49:18,960
highlight

1324
00:49:15,359 --> 00:49:21,520
and then i also keep track and post

1325
00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:24,559
the magic items that were collected the

1326
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:27,359
monsters that were vanquished the

1327
00:49:24,559 --> 00:49:30,000
associated experience points

1328
00:49:27,359 --> 00:49:32,079
and i will take images and i'll also

1329
00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:35,200
weave it in and then i will convert it

1330
00:49:32,079 --> 00:49:37,440
to pdf right i'll just print it as a pdf

1331
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:39,520
which condenses it and then i email it

1332
00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:41,200
out to everybody so even if you weren't

1333
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:43,119
able to play

1334
00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:44,720
and somebody played your character for

1335
00:49:43,119 --> 00:49:47,839
that session

1336
00:49:44,720 --> 00:49:49,839
you are still involved in the storyline

1337
00:49:47,839 --> 00:49:52,720
and so that that that is something that

1338
00:49:49,839 --> 00:49:53,760
my players have become very accustomed

1339
00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:56,640
to

1340
00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:58,640
and so it's just this ongoing saga until

1341
00:49:56,640 --> 00:50:01,920
that campaign ends

1342
00:49:58,640 --> 00:50:04,319
and then we'll do a new one yeah yeah i

1343
00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:07,760
usually do a dm's recap at the beginning

1344
00:50:04,319 --> 00:50:10,480
of every session of broadly

1345
00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:12,240
what happened i i hate that i hate that

1346
00:50:10,480 --> 00:50:13,359
because it's like session zero every

1347
00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:15,520
time

1348
00:50:13,359 --> 00:50:17,599
and uh and so i'm like

1349
00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:18,800
i will send an email out to everybody

1350
00:50:17,599 --> 00:50:20,559
you know

1351
00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:23,920
sending that the pdf out right the

1352
00:50:20,559 --> 00:50:27,119
status report to everyone asking them to

1353
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:28,960
come having read it mm-hmm as you were

1354
00:50:27,119 --> 00:50:30,640
explaining i was like i bet he's going

1355
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,920
to say that and then immediately my

1356
00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:34,559
brain was thinking

1357
00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:36,480
is that something i should do

1358
00:50:34,559 --> 00:50:39,200
yeah i mean listen it's a collaborative

1359
00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:41,920
thing again why should it fall on the

1360
00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:43,200
game master to start every session with

1361
00:50:41,920 --> 00:50:45,119
a recap

1362
00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:47,359
that you know because i mean

1363
00:50:45,119 --> 00:50:48,640
i i i've been on recaps that last an

1364
00:50:47,359 --> 00:50:50,880
hour and a half

1365
00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:52,319
i mean that's just ridiculous right i

1366
00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:54,319
mean it's

1367
00:50:52,319 --> 00:50:56,640
it should be and i'm not saying you

1368
00:50:54,319 --> 00:50:58,400
shouldn't do any of it but you know high

1369
00:50:56,640 --> 00:51:00,960
level boom boom you should have read

1370
00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:03,280
this and and if you haven't grab your

1371
00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:04,640
phone pull up that email and and and

1372
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,240
look at the last things that just

1373
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,920
happened right

1374
00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:09,680
because i spent all that time doing it

1375
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:10,640
so that i don't have to explain it right

1376
00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:11,920
now

1377
00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:13,680
mm-hmm

1378
00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:15,440
yeah i mean to be fair mine is usually

1379
00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:17,599
like two paragraphs it's it's usually

1380
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:19,440
about a minute or two right of them

1381
00:51:17,599 --> 00:51:22,240
indulging me

1382
00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:24,160
just purely to bridge that gap of them

1383
00:51:22,240 --> 00:51:25,760
not having taken notes sometimes i'll

1384
00:51:24,160 --> 00:51:27,440
have a player do it

1385
00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:29,440
you know hey you know john you were you

1386
00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:31,920
were you were on our last session give

1387
00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:34,079
give the group a a quick recap while i'm

1388
00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:35,359
doing some administrative work over here

1389
00:51:34,079 --> 00:51:36,400
yeah i

1390
00:51:35,359 --> 00:51:38,480
see i've heard

1391
00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:41,040
arguments for both sides of dm recaps

1392
00:51:38,480 --> 00:51:42,480
and player recaps um and pros and cons

1393
00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,760
of both

1394
00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:48,319
ultimately i heard with the dm doing the

1395
00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:51,119
recap for various different reasons

1396
00:51:48,319 --> 00:51:53,839
of benefits well the pdf is the source

1397
00:51:51,119 --> 00:51:53,839
of truth so

1398
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:58,000
and no one can argue with that

1399
00:51:56,559 --> 00:52:00,880
that's right

1400
00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:03,280
you mentioned you also play a kind of

1401
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:05,680
shared dm role but you get plenty of

1402
00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:07,040
opportunity to also be a player

1403
00:52:05,680 --> 00:52:09,920
do you have any

1404
00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:13,359
tools tips tricks to enhance your time

1405
00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:16,160
as a player and not just as a dm hmm

1406
00:52:13,359 --> 00:52:18,640
not really i mean

1407
00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:20,640
the reason i want to play is so that i

1408
00:52:18,640 --> 00:52:22,880
can sit back and experience it from the

1409
00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:24,720
other side of the table right

1410
00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:26,319
and

1411
00:52:24,720 --> 00:52:28,960
it's really fun putting a character

1412
00:52:26,319 --> 00:52:31,839
together right it's really fun to invest

1413
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:34,000
the time and effort into the player

1414
00:52:31,839 --> 00:52:35,920
character and one of the things that

1415
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:38,559
we've done again i'm going to speak to

1416
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:41,200
3.5 is there's there was so much

1417
00:52:38,559 --> 00:52:43,760
material toward the end of 3.5 before

1418
00:52:41,200 --> 00:52:44,960
they made their move to 4

1419
00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:47,520
edition

1420
00:52:44,960 --> 00:52:50,720
we opened it on beyond core

1421
00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:52,640
so i actually printed off

1422
00:52:50,720 --> 00:52:54,319
all of the feats in all of the

1423
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:57,040
supplemental books

1424
00:52:54,319 --> 00:53:00,480
and it comes to like i don't know

1425
00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:01,839
like 170 pages i mean it's just

1426
00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,200
there's just there's there's like a

1427
00:53:01,839 --> 00:53:05,359
thousand

1428
00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:07,839
oh 170 pages i thought you were going to

1429
00:53:05,359 --> 00:53:08,800
say 170 feats and i was like oh that's a

1430
00:53:07,839 --> 00:53:10,800
lot

1431
00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:13,200
no no it's closer to like a thousand

1432
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:14,720
feet in 3.5 again

1433
00:53:13,200 --> 00:53:15,839
they just outgrew themselves right i

1434
00:53:14,720 --> 00:53:18,000
mean it was just like oh we could do

1435
00:53:15,839 --> 00:53:19,680
this we do this we do this you know like

1436
00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:22,079
but i will tell you

1437
00:53:19,680 --> 00:53:23,520
that it's been really fun to go through

1438
00:53:22,079 --> 00:53:27,040
that and like

1439
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:29,599
really really make a a character that

1440
00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:31,920
lives beyond iron will and an improved

1441
00:53:29,599 --> 00:53:34,319
initiative right and just your your

1442
00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,559
standard feats into like the you know

1443
00:53:34,319 --> 00:53:37,359
some very very you know interesting ones

1444
00:53:36,559 --> 00:53:39,200
right

1445
00:53:37,359 --> 00:53:41,200
and so

1446
00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:43,440
i can do that as a player but i can't

1447
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:46,960
really do that as a as a game master so

1448
00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:48,720
i i would say that for you know for me

1449
00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:49,920
uh as a player

1450
00:53:48,720 --> 00:53:51,920
i don't i don't really have many

1451
00:53:49,920 --> 00:53:54,000
enhancements you know

1452
00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:55,920
true confession one of the reasons why i

1453
00:53:54,000 --> 00:53:56,880
like to play also is that i can drink

1454
00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:58,800
more

1455
00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:00,640
right during a game session because i

1456
00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:02,640
have to concentrate less

1457
00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:04,160
yeah it's really great to just you know

1458
00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:06,160
show up

1459
00:54:04,160 --> 00:54:07,280
sit back and have the story told in

1460
00:54:06,160 --> 00:54:09,359
front of me

1461
00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:11,680
and be and be involved you know

1462
00:54:09,359 --> 00:54:13,440
marginally okay

1463
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:15,680
you can't you don't have that luxury as

1464
00:54:13,440 --> 00:54:18,400
a game master you mean you need to be on

1465
00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:21,040
like all the time and so

1466
00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:23,200
i like it it's fun and my players are

1467
00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:24,400
very receptive to it because i'm very

1468
00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:27,200
collaborative

1469
00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:28,240
but man is it nice to just sit back and

1470
00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:30,319
and play

1471
00:54:28,240 --> 00:54:32,319
yeah i feel you man i mean i'm still

1472
00:54:30,319 --> 00:54:36,240
riding my christmas holiday of

1473
00:54:32,319 --> 00:54:37,920
you know my dm break and for sure and uh

1474
00:54:36,240 --> 00:54:39,760
a dm in my other campaign as well he's

1475
00:54:37,920 --> 00:54:41,280
doing the exact same thing so both of us

1476
00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:43,440
are just kind of like on holiday right

1477
00:54:41,280 --> 00:54:44,799
now putting our feet up and

1478
00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:45,920
yeah you gotta as you said it's a

1479
00:54:44,799 --> 00:54:47,520
collaborative thing and the players got

1480
00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:50,559
to put their skill in the game and stuff

1481
00:54:47,520 --> 00:54:53,839
but it's never anywhere near the amount

1482
00:54:50,559 --> 00:54:56,640
of you know how wired you have to be as

1483
00:54:53,839 --> 00:55:00,160
a dm just like for four hours straight

1484
00:54:56,640 --> 00:55:01,520
yeah i wish all players game mastered

1485
00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:05,280
as well

1486
00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:09,359
because they would understand more

1487
00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:12,720
and i hope appreciate more

1488
00:55:09,359 --> 00:55:14,559
the amount of effort that goes into

1489
00:55:12,720 --> 00:55:16,319
running a good

1490
00:55:14,559 --> 00:55:19,280
session

1491
00:55:16,319 --> 00:55:20,960
right yeah the preparation is on c it's

1492
00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:22,880
like an iceberg right all you see is the

1493
00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:25,040
stuff that's above the water but all of

1494
00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:27,920
the prep that goes into it eighty

1495
00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:30,240
percent is behind the scenes it's it's

1496
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:31,680
unseen it's unknown especially if you're

1497
00:55:30,240 --> 00:55:32,640
doing terrain

1498
00:55:31,680 --> 00:55:34,400
right

1499
00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:35,839
or you know for me yeah i'm making

1500
00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:37,280
terrain you know to match that

1501
00:55:35,839 --> 00:55:39,440
particular session

1502
00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:41,599
or you know more recently because i've

1503
00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:44,880
got this app i've created some sounds

1504
00:55:41,599 --> 00:55:46,799
that match our gaming session and so

1505
00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:49,599
that's like some new creative work and

1506
00:55:46,799 --> 00:55:52,240
again it all just adds up to time

1507
00:55:49,599 --> 00:55:54,079
yeah yeah yeah i mean i'm drawing using

1508
00:55:52,240 --> 00:55:55,760
online tools now to draw battle maps

1509
00:55:54,079 --> 00:55:57,599
which then i have to import into the

1510
00:55:55,760 --> 00:55:58,880
tabletop which then have to be you know

1511
00:55:57,599 --> 00:56:00,559
set up with the

1512
00:55:58,880 --> 00:56:02,880
monsters and so on and so on so yeah

1513
00:56:00,559 --> 00:56:04,720
it's that would be i think we've

1514
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:06,960
eventually got there of one key

1515
00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:08,720
enhancement a player can do is to maybe

1516
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:11,440
dm at some point

1517
00:56:08,720 --> 00:56:13,200
because it will it will inevitably

1518
00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:14,559
make their playtime better because you

1519
00:56:13,200 --> 00:56:17,520
can engage

1520
00:56:14,559 --> 00:56:20,480
with your dm at a higher level at a more

1521
00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:21,680
empathetic level yeah exactly yeah so

1522
00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:23,280
you can you can

1523
00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:25,280
you know what they're going through at

1524
00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:28,559
that point at the table with them and

1525
00:56:25,280 --> 00:56:31,839
you can meet them halfway a lot easier

1526
00:56:28,559 --> 00:56:33,359
than just uh you know being oblivious to

1527
00:56:31,839 --> 00:56:35,200
a certain extent

1528
00:56:33,359 --> 00:56:37,040
i i'd always encourage

1529
00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:39,119
my players if anyone says oh i'm

1530
00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:41,359
thinking about it i'm like yeah please

1531
00:56:39,119 --> 00:56:43,359
please go ahead if only because i'll get

1532
00:56:41,359 --> 00:56:44,880
a week off but

1533
00:56:43,359 --> 00:56:46,400
the worst thing that happens is i get a

1534
00:56:44,880 --> 00:56:48,079
week off the best thing that happens is

1535
00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:48,730
you come out the other side and think

1536
00:56:48,079 --> 00:56:50,799
i'm a god

1537
00:56:48,730 --> 00:56:52,960
[Laughter]

1538
00:56:50,799 --> 00:56:55,119
no you're right it's it's it is good and

1539
00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:56,480
and again i i don't want to you know you

1540
00:56:55,119 --> 00:56:58,480
have your listeners think oh he doesn't

1541
00:56:56,480 --> 00:57:00,319
like the game master i love

1542
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:02,799
game mastering

1543
00:57:00,319 --> 00:57:05,359
but i also love playing and so being

1544
00:57:02,799 --> 00:57:08,880
able to do both from my perspective is a

1545
00:57:05,359 --> 00:57:10,640
blessing yeah exactly yeah and i'm

1546
00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:13,440
fortunate enough to find myself in a in

1547
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:15,280
a similar situation right now and yeah

1548
00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:17,839
as let's just say i've very much enjoyed

1549
00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:20,000
my time off and

1550
00:57:17,839 --> 00:57:22,640
exactly like you said like when you've

1551
00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:24,079
come to play and you can just go hey i

1552
00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:26,559
know my class

1553
00:57:24,079 --> 00:57:29,280
and that's it and then everybody's happy

1554
00:57:26,559 --> 00:57:33,119
and i can just sit here and enjoy this

1555
00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:35,680
class in a kind of distilled purity

1556
00:57:33,119 --> 00:57:36,480
whereas dming is this chaotic maelstrom

1557
00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:40,960
of

1558
00:57:36,480 --> 00:57:43,040
numbers and things and people and yeah

1559
00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:44,960
yeah my hats are off to people that

1560
00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:48,319
write modules you know that that write

1561
00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:50,480
these these story lines right

1562
00:57:48,319 --> 00:57:51,599
for me i i need to like see it on paper

1563
00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:53,440
you know

1564
00:57:51,599 --> 00:57:56,480
there's there's other things that i'm my

1565
00:57:53,440 --> 00:57:58,480
creative juices are flowing for and it's

1566
00:57:56,480 --> 00:58:00,720
not like i couldn't do it i certainly

1567
00:57:58,480 --> 00:58:04,000
could and like i said i i will take a

1568
00:58:00,720 --> 00:58:05,920
module and i will i've never just run it

1569
00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:07,599
straight through i've always

1570
00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:10,720
home brewed it i've always you know

1571
00:58:07,599 --> 00:58:12,720
altered it you know to to best meet our

1572
00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:15,680
our players but but writing one from

1573
00:58:12,720 --> 00:58:18,480
scratch is a different keller fish yeah

1574
00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:20,839
it is you know i talk about

1575
00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:24,000
i've never talked about dnd and

1576
00:58:20,839 --> 00:58:25,440
ttrpg you know and any more than most

1577
00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:28,079
recently because you know like i said

1578
00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:30,000
we've launched this app and so you know

1579
00:58:28,079 --> 00:58:33,359
our friends and our family like know

1580
00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:33,359
about it now and so

1581
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:39,119
it is not an easy game to understand

1582
00:58:37,040 --> 00:58:39,920
it's not an easy game to

1583
00:58:39,119 --> 00:58:43,280
just

1584
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:46,480
run through it's very very involved and

1585
00:58:43,280 --> 00:58:49,200
it's and it takes a lot of intellect

1586
00:58:46,480 --> 00:58:51,440
to do it right and so what i find is you

1587
00:58:49,200 --> 00:58:53,119
know the groups of people that i best

1588
00:58:51,440 --> 00:58:55,760
engage with

1589
00:58:53,119 --> 00:58:58,319
are pretty smart people you know and

1590
00:58:55,760 --> 00:59:00,720
it's and it's nice it's really nice i

1591
00:58:58,319 --> 00:59:03,520
mean i i just i miss the in the the

1592
00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:05,359
face-to-face play i tell you yeah

1593
00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:07,760
yeah tell me about it i went to a

1594
00:59:05,359 --> 00:59:09,839
convention in november

1595
00:59:07,760 --> 00:59:11,599
and they had to limit the number and

1596
00:59:09,839 --> 00:59:13,520
everybody's all masked up they've got

1597
00:59:11,599 --> 00:59:16,240
you know hand cleaning stations all over

1598
00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:18,160
the place and i'm sitting in the vendor

1599
00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:20,720
space and nobody's coming into the

1600
00:59:18,160 --> 00:59:23,040
vendors area to talk to us right there

1601
00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:24,720
they are all so interested i mean people

1602
00:59:23,040 --> 00:59:25,839
that are coming in from this you know to

1603
00:59:24,720 --> 00:59:27,680
to play

1604
00:59:25,839 --> 00:59:31,599
they were coming into play like they

1605
00:59:27,680 --> 00:59:33,920
they were you could just like tell

1606
00:59:31,599 --> 00:59:35,680
it was palpable right it was just okay

1607
00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:37,280
you know as soon as one game was over

1608
00:59:35,680 --> 00:59:38,880
like okay what are we good what's next

1609
00:59:37,280 --> 00:59:40,640
right as a group everything yeah

1610
00:59:38,880 --> 00:59:43,200
everybody's just salivating right to

1611
00:59:40,640 --> 00:59:44,960
just yeah physically together yeah it

1612
00:59:43,200 --> 00:59:46,799
was awesome it was really good and i

1613
00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:48,559
look forward to that again right as as

1614
00:59:46,799 --> 00:59:50,720
we as a globe

1615
00:59:48,559 --> 00:59:53,520
right achieve some kind of you know hurt

1616
00:59:50,720 --> 00:59:55,760
immunity as vaccinations you know take

1617
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:58,079
place all this it's going to come back

1618
00:59:55,760 --> 01:00:01,359
and i think that that because our app

1619
00:59:58,079 --> 01:00:04,160
while it will work for online it really

1620
01:00:01,359 --> 01:00:05,760
really shines yeah in a face-to-face

1621
01:00:04,160 --> 01:00:07,599
environment

1622
01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:10,160
yeah i'm looking forward to using it in

1623
01:00:07,599 --> 01:00:11,520
that environment to be honest yeah i

1624
01:00:10,160 --> 01:00:12,480
know yeah i'm really looking forward to

1625
01:00:11,520 --> 01:00:15,119
that

1626
01:00:12,480 --> 01:00:17,280
set up that global celebration of

1627
01:00:15,119 --> 01:00:18,960
everybody just having a big blowout and

1628
01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:22,480
doing everything that we haven't been

1629
01:00:18,960 --> 01:00:23,920
able to do such as play face to face

1630
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:26,160
and you mentioned there just just one

1631
01:00:23,920 --> 01:00:27,599
thing i wanted to say of

1632
01:00:26,160 --> 01:00:29,040
it's about d d and you know not

1633
01:00:27,599 --> 01:00:30,240
everybody knows about it and it's kind

1634
01:00:29,040 --> 01:00:33,119
of tricky

1635
01:00:30,240 --> 01:00:35,359
but uh funny timing because my mom

1636
01:00:33,119 --> 01:00:37,520
uh we were on the phone yesterday and

1637
01:00:35,359 --> 01:00:39,200
did you know i read i read on tv they're

1638
01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:42,640
doing thinking about doing a dungeons

1639
01:00:39,200 --> 01:00:46,480
and dragons movie yeah i'm i know mum

1640
01:00:42,640 --> 01:00:48,400
but i really appreciate you trying to

1641
01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:50,400
trying to join me i'm like on this thing

1642
01:00:48,400 --> 01:00:53,359
you have no idea about

1643
01:00:50,400 --> 01:00:57,119
yeah i mean i i'm almost 50. so i've

1644
01:00:53,359 --> 01:00:58,319
been involved with with dnd since

1645
01:00:57,119 --> 01:00:59,359
middle school

1646
01:00:58,319 --> 01:01:01,520
and

1647
01:00:59,359 --> 01:01:04,079
i've seen all these various you know

1648
01:01:01,520 --> 01:01:07,200
iterations and i went through that phase

1649
01:01:04,079 --> 01:01:08,559
where d d was just this devil worshiper

1650
01:01:07,200 --> 01:01:11,359
type thing and

1651
01:01:08,559 --> 01:01:13,839
it's you're right my parents are

1652
01:01:11,359 --> 01:01:17,040
engaged because they're you know

1653
01:01:13,839 --> 01:01:18,880
my my my mom sent me a screenshot she

1654
01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:21,280
got from facebook because she's like a

1655
01:01:18,880 --> 01:01:22,720
top you know promoter of our or our

1656
01:01:21,280 --> 01:01:25,760
facebook page or whatever and she's

1657
01:01:22,720 --> 01:01:28,000
really proud of that you know

1658
01:01:25,760 --> 01:01:29,680
so and she you know she's down in a

1659
01:01:28,000 --> 01:01:31,040
retirement community in florida and

1660
01:01:29,680 --> 01:01:33,680
she's like oh when i was talking to

1661
01:01:31,040 --> 01:01:37,680
so-and-so's grandson and he plays diane

1662
01:01:33,680 --> 01:01:38,480
so i got him to download the app and you

1663
01:01:37,680 --> 01:01:40,400
it's know

1664
01:01:38,480 --> 01:01:43,040
it's really cool right that that it's

1665
01:01:40,400 --> 01:01:45,599
that it's not like this secretive thing

1666
01:01:43,040 --> 01:01:48,160
right that you know only crazy people do

1667
01:01:45,599 --> 01:01:51,359
right it's it's certainly more out in

1668
01:01:48,160 --> 01:01:52,720
the open than it as has ever been and

1669
01:01:51,359 --> 01:01:54,240
that's wonderful

1670
01:01:52,720 --> 01:01:56,160
yeah it's a

1671
01:01:54,240 --> 01:02:00,240
the the hobby has

1672
01:01:56,160 --> 01:02:02,559
enhanced shall we say to uh really put a

1673
01:02:00,240 --> 01:02:05,440
uh close that circle

1674
01:02:02,559 --> 01:02:06,720
yeah yeah absolutely it's awesome

1675
01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:08,000
is there is there anything you would

1676
01:02:06,720 --> 01:02:09,440
like to

1677
01:02:08,000 --> 01:02:12,079
talk about anything we might have missed

1678
01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:13,920
in our in our topic of enhancements to

1679
01:02:12,079 --> 01:02:15,280
the dnd experience

1680
01:02:13,920 --> 01:02:16,720
well i mean we talked about my

1681
01:02:15,280 --> 01:02:18,079
enhancements i'm sure that there are

1682
01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:20,160
other people like why didn't they talk

1683
01:02:18,079 --> 01:02:23,119
about this right but you know that this

1684
01:02:20,160 --> 01:02:26,160
is very personal to me right so yeah

1685
01:02:23,119 --> 01:02:28,079
to make my game more interesting right i

1686
01:02:26,160 --> 01:02:29,760
started collecting more figurines then i

1687
01:02:28,079 --> 01:02:31,680
started building terrain and then i

1688
01:02:29,760 --> 01:02:33,599
thought about you know like man the

1689
01:02:31,680 --> 01:02:35,520
sounds would be pretty awesome

1690
01:02:33,599 --> 01:02:38,559
but there's really no good interface

1691
01:02:35,520 --> 01:02:39,680
that dovetails in with the gameplay

1692
01:02:38,559 --> 01:02:41,920
right so

1693
01:02:39,680 --> 01:02:44,160
those are like the three things that i i

1694
01:02:41,920 --> 01:02:46,839
personally wanted to share with you

1695
01:02:44,160 --> 01:02:49,920
today danalo but i also as we were

1696
01:02:46,839 --> 01:02:52,000
dialoguing it also kind of was like

1697
01:02:49,920 --> 01:02:54,799
yeah there's modification of the module

1698
01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:57,760
there's the utilization of those

1699
01:02:54,799 --> 01:03:00,400
initiative cards you know being able to

1700
01:02:57,760 --> 01:03:02,880
you know package my figurines in a way

1701
01:03:00,400 --> 01:03:04,799
that they're easily grabbable to keep

1702
01:03:02,880 --> 01:03:06,960
the game flow like okay guys we're gonna

1703
01:03:04,799 --> 01:03:08,799
take 15 minute break while i set this up

1704
01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:09,760
and i look for those you know miniatures

1705
01:03:08,799 --> 01:03:12,720
that i need

1706
01:03:09,760 --> 01:03:15,119
all of those things just really allow

1707
01:03:12,720 --> 01:03:16,799
for a better immersive experience which

1708
01:03:15,119 --> 01:03:18,960
is i think is the name of the game when

1709
01:03:16,799 --> 01:03:22,400
you're looking at enhancements how to

1710
01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:23,200
make this more immersive but yet

1711
01:03:22,400 --> 01:03:25,920
not

1712
01:03:23,200 --> 01:03:27,680
like a video game not like an augmented

1713
01:03:25,920 --> 01:03:29,119
reality or

1714
01:03:27,680 --> 01:03:31,200
you know what i mean like you don't want

1715
01:03:29,119 --> 01:03:32,720
it to be that immersive because let's

1716
01:03:31,200 --> 01:03:36,400
face it

1717
01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:37,359
this is a table top role play game this

1718
01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:40,000
is

1719
01:03:37,359 --> 01:03:42,240
a fellowship game this is like a

1720
01:03:40,000 --> 01:03:44,480
collaborative thing if you want to be

1721
01:03:42,240 --> 01:03:46,559
that immersive there's some awesome

1722
01:03:44,480 --> 01:03:49,760
video games out there for you to get

1723
01:03:46,559 --> 01:03:51,760
into that way right but i find that

1724
01:03:49,760 --> 01:03:52,880
those are a little bit

1725
01:03:51,760 --> 01:03:54,960
lonesome

1726
01:03:52,880 --> 01:03:56,720
personally right because i mean i like

1727
01:03:54,960 --> 01:03:58,640
the genre a lot

1728
01:03:56,720 --> 01:04:00,480
but i don't have all of the free time

1729
01:03:58,640 --> 01:04:02,400
that i used to because you know i'm kind

1730
01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:05,520
of running two jobs here

1731
01:04:02,400 --> 01:04:07,200
and so i i just love to just

1732
01:04:05,520 --> 01:04:09,680
hang out with my friends

1733
01:04:07,200 --> 01:04:12,720
play the game go through the challenges

1734
01:04:09,680 --> 01:04:14,319
be challenged uh as a player and you

1735
01:04:12,720 --> 01:04:16,559
know the game mastery is already

1736
01:04:14,319 --> 01:04:19,599
challenging but just finding that

1737
01:04:16,559 --> 01:04:22,240
magical blend that magical area like

1738
01:04:19,599 --> 01:04:24,720
challenge that that tension through

1739
01:04:22,240 --> 01:04:27,039
challenges and monsters and and

1740
01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:29,839
storyline set up right

1741
01:04:27,039 --> 01:04:32,880
is is just it is so much fun again that

1742
01:04:29,839 --> 01:04:35,280
unicorn that bottled lightning

1743
01:04:32,880 --> 01:04:37,359
exactly exactly

1744
01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:38,799
so we've obviously talked about the my

1745
01:04:37,359 --> 01:04:40,640
sound delve app

1746
01:04:38,799 --> 01:04:42,720
is there anything else you'd like to

1747
01:04:40,640 --> 01:04:44,000
plug or tell us a little bit more about

1748
01:04:42,720 --> 01:04:45,119
the app and where it's uh where it's

1749
01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:47,119
available

1750
01:04:45,119 --> 01:04:50,160
sure sure well it's available on both

1751
01:04:47,119 --> 01:04:53,280
google and apple and you just type in my

1752
01:04:50,160 --> 01:04:54,799
sound delve d-e-l-v-e which should be in

1753
01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:56,640
your show notes i'm sure

1754
01:04:54,799 --> 01:04:59,119
and try it for free right we put a bunch

1755
01:04:56,640 --> 01:05:02,160
of free sounds out there for you to see

1756
01:04:59,119 --> 01:05:04,640
and what it is is not just sound effects

1757
01:05:02,160 --> 01:05:06,319
but it's interfaced sound effects

1758
01:05:04,640 --> 01:05:08,160
so for instance you know i'm bringing up

1759
01:05:06,319 --> 01:05:09,280
the app right now and so i've got a

1760
01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:13,119
character

1761
01:05:09,280 --> 01:05:14,640
shifted who is the sorcerer and so i set

1762
01:05:13,119 --> 01:05:18,720
up a sound for his dagger and let's say

1763
01:05:14,640 --> 01:05:18,720
that he needs an 18 armor class to

1764
01:05:20,839 --> 01:05:25,359
hit right and he missed all right we

1765
01:05:23,200 --> 01:05:27,680
just heard a miss sound okay and then

1766
01:05:25,359 --> 01:05:30,559
he's got an ice storm spell that he

1767
01:05:27,680 --> 01:05:32,960
casts okay and so i set that up in there

1768
01:05:30,559 --> 01:05:32,960
and

1769
01:05:33,359 --> 01:05:37,520
eat a diamond rule can we do gwinkie

1770
01:05:42,640 --> 01:05:46,400
all right and 22 damage

1771
01:05:44,960 --> 01:05:48,400
and so it

1772
01:05:46,400 --> 01:05:51,359
it literally takes that math off the

1773
01:05:48,400 --> 01:05:55,200
table and the apple version currently

1774
01:05:51,359 --> 01:05:58,079
allows for imported sounds as well as

1775
01:05:55,200 --> 01:06:00,319
recording in app and so

1776
01:05:58,079 --> 01:06:02,079
next month in february we will have an

1777
01:06:00,319 --> 01:06:04,400
enhancement on the google side to bring

1778
01:06:02,079 --> 01:06:06,640
that feature there as well so it's

1779
01:06:04,400 --> 01:06:09,599
unlimited personal sounds as well as our

1780
01:06:06,640 --> 01:06:11,680
current 1300 sounds i'm doing monthly

1781
01:06:09,599 --> 01:06:14,000
updates so right now it's going to be

1782
01:06:11,680 --> 01:06:16,880
our monster update 2

1783
01:06:14,000 --> 01:06:19,280
and so i've got 150 or so sounds that

1784
01:06:16,880 --> 01:06:21,599
that'll be uploaded in

1785
01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:23,599
so there's like dragonfly by account

1786
01:06:21,599 --> 01:06:26,720
attacks i've i've included now

1787
01:06:23,599 --> 01:06:29,119
gunslinger attacks so i know that's

1788
01:06:26,720 --> 01:06:31,359
important and then in march

1789
01:06:29,119 --> 01:06:32,400
we'll have multi-attack is a feature

1790
01:06:31,359 --> 01:06:34,960
update

1791
01:06:32,400 --> 01:06:37,280
and then i'm introducing two months of

1792
01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:39,680
sounds specific to

1793
01:06:37,280 --> 01:06:41,599
war gaming and so you know you mentioned

1794
01:06:39,680 --> 01:06:43,520
warhammer so i'm going to have a whole

1795
01:06:41,599 --> 01:06:46,640
bunch of sounds in there for space

1796
01:06:43,520 --> 01:06:48,720
marines and you know orc fighting and

1797
01:06:46,640 --> 01:06:50,720
all kinds of

1798
01:06:48,720 --> 01:06:53,920
stuff that would be important and then

1799
01:06:50,720 --> 01:06:56,240
from there i'm going to roll into a big

1800
01:06:53,920 --> 01:06:58,640
science fiction release which is going

1801
01:06:56,240 --> 01:07:01,280
to be great for us because we play star

1802
01:06:58,640 --> 01:07:03,280
finder you know yeah

1803
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:04,960
but you know there's there's there's um

1804
01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:07,760
check it out for free like i said

1805
01:07:04,960 --> 01:07:10,000
there's 1400 now with my sounds

1806
01:07:07,760 --> 01:07:12,079
but there's phrases that are in there

1807
01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:13,839
there's foley that are in there which

1808
01:07:12,079 --> 01:07:17,200
are like just background noises and

1809
01:07:13,839 --> 01:07:20,400
again what we are not ambient sound

1810
01:07:17,200 --> 01:07:23,440
this is just for your combat or for a

1811
01:07:20,400 --> 01:07:25,359
skill check or for casting a spell

1812
01:07:23,440 --> 01:07:28,720
right or you know one of the things that

1813
01:07:25,359 --> 01:07:31,520
i play is a fourth edition based

1814
01:07:28,720 --> 01:07:33,280
box game called castle ravenloft in

1815
01:07:31,520 --> 01:07:34,880
which you know there's always you create

1816
01:07:33,280 --> 01:07:36,640
your own little dungeon as you go along

1817
01:07:34,880 --> 01:07:38,079
and then there's there's random monsters

1818
01:07:36,640 --> 01:07:40,000
or there's a quest that you're trying to

1819
01:07:38,079 --> 01:07:42,000
solve and i went through and i looked at

1820
01:07:40,000 --> 01:07:44,720
all the cards that were in that game set

1821
01:07:42,000 --> 01:07:46,640
and i created a scenario

1822
01:07:44,720 --> 01:07:48,400
for each of those cards

1823
01:07:46,640 --> 01:07:50,480
right so one of them is a butler so i

1824
01:07:48,400 --> 01:07:52,960
record this is me you know

1825
01:07:50,480 --> 01:07:55,440
this is me um using that card cyrus

1826
01:07:52,960 --> 01:07:58,720
bellevue from

1827
01:07:55,440 --> 01:08:00,400
the master said we were expecting

1828
01:07:58,720 --> 01:08:05,520
company

1829
01:08:00,400 --> 01:08:06,480
allow me to escort you to your chambers

1830
01:08:05,520 --> 01:08:08,559
so

1831
01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:10,160
boom i just created that and saved it in

1832
01:08:08,559 --> 01:08:11,359
there and one so one of the things too

1833
01:08:10,160 --> 01:08:13,440
that this app

1834
01:08:11,359 --> 01:08:17,040
enhances or allows for

1835
01:08:13,440 --> 01:08:19,279
is a game master to record sounds in

1836
01:08:17,040 --> 01:08:22,400
their their own privacy

1837
01:08:19,279 --> 01:08:24,719
save them and then pull them up as it's

1838
01:08:22,400 --> 01:08:27,040
needed so they don't have to do some

1839
01:08:24,719 --> 01:08:29,040
acting at the table right

1840
01:08:27,040 --> 01:08:30,239
they can act like a buffoon they can act

1841
01:08:29,040 --> 01:08:33,440
like right

1842
01:08:30,239 --> 01:08:37,120
over super serious because not everybody

1843
01:08:33,440 --> 01:08:38,880
is as comfortable doing that in a live

1844
01:08:37,120 --> 01:08:40,960
session but they could be more

1845
01:08:38,880 --> 01:08:42,560
comfortable doing it in the privacy of

1846
01:08:40,960 --> 01:08:44,640
their own space

1847
01:08:42,560 --> 01:08:46,960
so it allows for that as well right

1848
01:08:44,640 --> 01:08:48,239
which is fun like i said i just did that

1849
01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:50,719
that cyrus

1850
01:08:48,239 --> 01:08:53,679
bellevue card for the game and so it

1851
01:08:50,719 --> 01:08:55,759
works really well yeah i can imagine a

1852
01:08:53,679 --> 01:08:57,679
table full of people all just dropping

1853
01:08:55,759 --> 01:08:59,520
in their spells and their abilities and

1854
01:08:57,679 --> 01:09:02,080
stuff as you go around the combat yeah i

1855
01:08:59,520 --> 01:09:05,199
can imagine it adds another dimension a

1856
01:09:02,080 --> 01:09:06,799
fourth dimension oh yes an oral

1857
01:09:05,199 --> 01:09:09,600
experience

1858
01:09:06,799 --> 01:09:11,440
yes indeed yeah more than just

1859
01:09:09,600 --> 01:09:14,319
my dumb english voice

1860
01:09:11,440 --> 01:09:16,400
which is what my players get

1861
01:09:14,319 --> 01:09:18,799
oh we've got some english voices in

1862
01:09:16,400 --> 01:09:21,839
there i hired some video game voice

1863
01:09:18,799 --> 01:09:23,600
actors to run through and so one of them

1864
01:09:21,839 --> 01:09:25,440
is uh

1865
01:09:23,600 --> 01:09:26,400
bless this blade

1866
01:09:25,440 --> 01:09:28,880
right

1867
01:09:26,400 --> 01:09:30,880
and um it's

1868
01:09:28,880 --> 01:09:32,719
oh it's it's uh yeah it's been it's been

1869
01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:34,560
a lot of a lot of fun working with voice

1870
01:09:32,719 --> 01:09:36,640
actors you know video game voice actors

1871
01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:38,480
and you know one of our one of our voice

1872
01:09:36,640 --> 01:09:41,199
actors was in one of the star wars

1873
01:09:38,480 --> 01:09:43,520
movies you know diablo

1874
01:09:41,199 --> 01:09:45,520
neverwinter nights

1875
01:09:43,520 --> 01:09:47,359
lots of lots of good stuff

1876
01:09:45,520 --> 01:09:49,440
awesome well excellent i think that that

1877
01:09:47,359 --> 01:09:51,600
pretty much brings us to the end so

1878
01:09:49,440 --> 01:09:53,600
thank you ever so much christian for

1879
01:09:51,600 --> 01:09:55,679
coming on today it was my pleasure

1880
01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:58,159
chatting with you danielle awesome thank

1881
01:09:55,679 --> 01:10:00,560
you uh to everybody listening at home

1882
01:09:58,159 --> 01:10:02,640
thank you all for listening if you have

1883
01:10:00,560 --> 01:10:05,679
any thoughts or comments you can find me

1884
01:10:02,640 --> 01:10:08,360
on twitter otherwise thank you all

1885
01:10:05,679 --> 01:10:11,070
and good night

1886
01:10:08,360 --> 01:10:14,660
[Applause]

1887
01:10:11,070 --> 01:10:16,060
[Music]

1888
01:10:14,660 --> 01:10:17,250
[Applause]

1889
01:10:16,060 --> 01:10:18,960
[Music]

1890
01:10:17,250 --> 01:10:22,400
[Applause]

1891
01:10:18,960 --> 01:10:24,110
[Music]

1892
01:10:22,400 --> 01:10:28,300
[Applause]

1893
01:10:24,110 --> 01:10:28,300
[Music]