Feb. 26, 2021

Improvisation

This episode I'm joined by Daniel, a.k.a @eos_rakonto, and we talk about the fine art of improvisation. Starting with the frankly embarrassing realisation on my part that almost everything that happens in a given game is improvised, we move on to discuss a number of tips for DMs on how to deal with the dynamic nature of play, and role playing on the fly. We end on ways to improve your own character role play at the table, especially for those that find it intimidating. Daniel is sincere, knowledgeable and insightful, and it was a pleasure to have him on the show.

  • 01:25 - How improvisation is at the core of D&D
  • 03:38 - Improvising NPCs - tips for maintaining role play
  • 18:37 - Improvising encounters - dealing with the unpredictability of players
  • 32:05 - Setting difficulty dynamically
  • 38:43 - Order from improv - a purely improvised game
  • 44:34 - Campfire talk - PC to PC RP
  • 56:03 - Encouraging improvisational RP

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References:

Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

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[Music]

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hello and welcome to thinking critically

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a d and d discussion a podcast where we

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deep dive single word concepts or ideas

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within the dungeons and dragons 5e

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framework my name is danilo and i like

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all kinds of games and the crunchy

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mechanics that make him tick you can

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find me on twitter facebook and

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instagram and i'd really appreciate a

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like or a follow and today i'm joined by

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daniel aka eos ricconto thank you ever

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so much daniel for joining us can you

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tell us a little bit about yourself

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pleasure's all mine i go by yo circanto

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in cyberspace surrounding d5e i run the

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channel eos riconto at twitch so

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twitch.tv slash ios or konto where

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we do dnd 5v streams so a couple of the

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campaigns in there i'm a player and then

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another one idm the campaign coaster for

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that channel

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but yeah that's uh that's who i am

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thanks for having me on the show that's

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all right it's a pleasure i'm always

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always happy to talk to

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everybody about their dnd experiences

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and they should be a very good one

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as the topic is improvisation

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so

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daniel what does the word improvisation

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mean to you

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improvisation like the definition

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obviously is just making it up on the fl

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making stuff up on the fly and figuring

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things out as you go

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i think within the context of tabletop

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rpgs when people talk about

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improvisation they're referring to like

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all kinds of things like from creating

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encounters on the fly to

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creating the world on the fly

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all the way down to just like standard

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table play of what do the various

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characters do

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i actually think like

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in general tabletop rpgs are when the

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actual act of playing them at the table

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is pretty much all improvisation

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um when you actually sit down at the

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table like what's going on at the table

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like it's it's pretty much pure

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improvisation like no amount of no

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amount of prep is like you can you can

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have plenty of prep ahead of time but

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the actual act of playing the game

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you're pretty much just improvising like

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you don't know exactly how care like as

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a dm you don't know exactly how

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characters are going to or what they're

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exactly what they're going to say unless

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you're reading from a script and

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not a lot of people do that so there's

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like there's an element of improv in

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like

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during every session like everything you

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do yeah yeah i seen i understand now

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yeah it's

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weird to think about it so many things

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in this stupid podcast

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sound like hyper obvious when i say them

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when i'm recording but in my head i'm

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like whoa i've had a huge realization in

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that

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and and this example is players are

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obviously

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improvising all the time now when you

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put it down like they sit at the table

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they don't know what's going to happen

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which sounds obvious but when you put it

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plainly like that i'm like oh god yeah

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literally 100 of their time

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is

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improvisation and either that's

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completely raw improv with like you know

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how does my character feel and

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what are they gonna say versus like kind

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of constrained within combat of okay

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well i can only do this but i still have

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to pick

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what i want to do within those rules

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and likewise with

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dm'ing as you said you can plan and prep

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and until the cows come home and have

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you know reams and

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thousands of words

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planned but as soon as the players say

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yeah but you know what's your favorite

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kind of dessert

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at the end you haven't even written that

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down

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suddenly the captain of the guard has to

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remember what his favorite dessert is

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exactly exactly and again

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you're back to

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improvising straight away so i've

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from my experience i've obviously got a

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few

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set piece npcs that are kind of critical

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to the story

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not quite skyrim plus i'm a critical

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that just fall unconscious but they're

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quite pivotal in the direction the

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players take and even you know those

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guys i've planned and prepped and

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had you know a couple of paragraphs here

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or there like introductory

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paragraphs is about as far as i can get

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before it's like okay after that i'm

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just gonna have to be

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making stuff up on the fly because you

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just can't plan as you said

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which is a little bit

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scary i have to say a little bit uh

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especially for those bigger npcs like i

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don't mind improvising for

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bill the potion shop owner because

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in the grand scheme of things he's

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kind of trivial and like it doesn't

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really matter if he messes up and says

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something stupid or yeah or yeah or puts

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his foot in it or

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or gets killed or whatever if you're

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playing if you're playing like

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the guide or the you know the good guy

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person that's the aid of that's trying

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to help him out if he says something

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that trips him up later or puts his fur

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in it or says something he shouldn't

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know

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you know that immediately gets the

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players being like oh how does he know

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that and that must mean that xyz and

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that must mean that he's a bad guy and

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then there's just a bead of sweat

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running down the forehead

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it's like oh no that's just uh

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oops my bad yeah yeah i know that i know

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that feeling really well too like i had

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a character uh a pretty pretty large

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presence in the in the world and i know

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some of my players are gonna listen to

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this so i don't want to uh spoil

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anything but like the character made

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contact with them and like in my head

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i'm like okay this is like a helper npc

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it's somebody who's going to help them

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along to figure stuff out and as soon as

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they get like this letter from them

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they're like this person knows

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they're out to get us

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like

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and at that point it's just like well i

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think the best you can do is just be

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like well that's what they're gonna

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think

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and i think

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when it comes to like uh prepping and

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creating those characters like he said

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the the large and important characters

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are the scariest characters to play

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because you're like worried about them

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not fulfilling the role that you want

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them to fulfill yeah that's that's

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that's it in a nutshell that's literally

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it that they have a role like a very

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clear vision in my head of

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this is the kind of character i want

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them to be you know stereotyping or

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tropey it doesn't matter but the moment

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you're in the spotlight it's so easy to

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be like

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you know drop in the filter words and

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say um and use your own kind of

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colloquialisms what this 400 year old

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beholder would never say

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hey that's cool ah [ __ ] no danalow says

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hey that's cool

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this beholder would never say that well

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i've just kind of undermined his whole

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insomnia

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i think that's where the players have to

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meet you halfway and you know appreciate

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that we're not all career

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improvisational actors

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so they kind of have to take some of

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those

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little misdemeanors with a pinch of salt

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and just kind of you know suspension of

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disbelief almost and just kind of brush

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them under the carpet and say you know

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what

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he's got a tough job

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so we'll let the beholder say hey that's

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rad this time

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i think a lot of players like most

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tables like unless you're running unless

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you're running a streamed game that

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you're treating very much like a

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production that you want to like for

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that do you want to show the world it's

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like

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it's it's important to let everybody at

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the table including the dm just sort of

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like relax

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and have fun while they're doing stuff

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and having when the beholder says okay

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cool and it's like

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some gift tables might

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they might internalize that into their

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like empty into the theater of their

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mind as the beholders that as the

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beholder says that but i think most

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people sort of like

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assume that they don't they turn off the

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the in character like reception for the

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for their theater when that kind of

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stuff happens but yeah one thing that's

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that's helped me when it comes to like

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portraying npcs that i want to like have

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impact in the game um

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because i figured this out mostly

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because uh one of my players told me

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they really liked the interaction with

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uh the certain npc i made they felt like

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they were um because this person was

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like so somebody who i played with for a

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long time back in high school we used to

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play d d and my friends

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in my friend's basement were all around

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the table with our group of friends so

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like we've got that history we've got

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the history together and he said like

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when he was interacting with this npc it

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felt kind of like me and him

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were chilling out and having having a

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good time

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like we always have whenever we hung out

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and um

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it sort of clicked in my mind it's like

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actually you know i kind of

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fashioned that npc to be like that like

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there's a little bit of me in that

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character and it actually made it really

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really easy to have the character sort

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of act naturally and flow with flow with

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the dialogue

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um in a very familiar way that spoke to

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the player

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maybe this is just for me but i think a

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lot of my npcs have a little bit

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of my biases within them i'm not a

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career

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actor i can't do that kind of

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disassociation

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fully just yet so a lot of my npcs have

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a have a little layer of neuroses in

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there that they've inherited

269
00:09:41,519 --> 00:09:46,000
from me like a little layer of

270
00:09:43,519 --> 00:09:47,360
skepticism of sarcasm of suspicion you

271
00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,560
could be talking to

272
00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:52,480
like

273
00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:53,279
betty the 80 year old npc tavern owner

274
00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,480
or

275
00:09:53,279 --> 00:09:55,279
victor

276
00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,480
von

277
00:09:55,279 --> 00:10:01,040
vasselheim the 30 year old

278
00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:03,279
vampire lord and they'll both have a

279
00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,800
little bit of like

280
00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:05,120
well that wasn't a very clever thing to

281
00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,200
do

282
00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,279
[Laughter]

283
00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:12,160
you sound suspiciously like victor betty

284
00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:12,160
here what's up with that

285
00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:19,079
boom that's a new campaign i just spun

286
00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,079
out thin air

287
00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,880
kind of big picture big npc's that are

288
00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,200
maybe slightly more important than we

289
00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,560
talked about the pitfalls of

290
00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,519
you know letting something slip or

291
00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:30,640
saying something they wouldn't do i

292
00:10:29,519 --> 00:10:33,680
don't know if you have any tips or

293
00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:35,440
advice for how to maybe

294
00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:36,560
you know mitigate that i i imagine

295
00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,279
there's other people out there that have

296
00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:40,880
gotten that concern and you know it's a

297
00:10:39,279 --> 00:10:42,800
legitimate concern because it's happened

298
00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,839
to me enough times and i don't know if

299
00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,760
there's any

300
00:10:43,839 --> 00:10:47,360
thoughts or tips or any kind of prep we

301
00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,680
can do to

302
00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,519
to lessen that worry or at least lessen

303
00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:53,839
the impact it might have

304
00:10:51,519 --> 00:10:57,200
hmm well um

305
00:10:53,839 --> 00:10:59,519
so i i started gming and dming primarily

306
00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,959
through playing dungeon world which is a

307
00:10:59,519 --> 00:11:03,279
much more um

308
00:11:00,959 --> 00:11:06,079
it's a much more rules-like game

309
00:11:03,279 --> 00:11:09,440
and in dungeon world like npcs and

310
00:11:06,079 --> 00:11:12,480
monsters are like paper-thin um one or

311
00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:15,040
two actions by the players like can

312
00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:17,600
knock them out and that sort of taught

313
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,040
me um going into like when i made the

314
00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,320
transition over to

315
00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:23,040
5e

316
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,920
um when i look at an npc i think of it

317
00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,480
as

318
00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,959
expendable pretty much like i have to be

319
00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,920
ready for this thing this npc to just

320
00:11:28,959 --> 00:11:32,880
like

321
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,480
it could they could go away at any time

322
00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,760
and sort of like

323
00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,720
build them in such a way that i'm

324
00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:41,519
prepared for that character to die

325
00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:44,560
especially a boss monster like i think

326
00:11:41,519 --> 00:11:47,600
some people get really um

327
00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:50,560
really caught up in uh making their

328
00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:53,040
villains or like the climactic showdown

329
00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:55,120
in the campaign with the bad guy that

330
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,800
the players have been chasing forever

331
00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,120
they sort of like

332
00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,959
get really attached to

333
00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,720
that big bad like because they've

334
00:12:00,959 --> 00:12:04,160
probably had you probably have a story

335
00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,279
for it why does this character do all

336
00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,959
these evil things what's their

337
00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:08,959
motivation you've gotten to know them

338
00:12:06,959 --> 00:12:11,440
really badly and you sort of like sort

339
00:12:08,959 --> 00:12:14,160
of start to cherish them and really like

340
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,760
they're kind of your character in a way

341
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,760
it's like they're they are the character

342
00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:20,880
that you created that's been persist a

343
00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:22,320
persistent big factor in the throughout

344
00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,760
the entire campaign the same way the

345
00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,720
players have

346
00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,880
but

347
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:29,279
when i look at like okay here's the

348
00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:32,480
final confrontation this guy is gonna

349
00:12:29,279 --> 00:12:36,320
die but i want to make this guy dying

350
00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:38,240
as tense and enjoyable as possible

351
00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:40,240
and i think that the when you're looking

352
00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:42,240
at making like the encounter for that

353
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,680
final thing um

354
00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,560
you just want to make you you want to

355
00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:48,320
angle yourself to like think of

356
00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,720
showing him in the in their last throws

357
00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,800
and giving them a good a good way out

358
00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,800
an

359
00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,639
think of that final battle as your

360
00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:58,000
farewell to that character

361
00:12:56,639 --> 00:13:01,120
yeah that's a good way of playing it i

362
00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:03,360
found your final farewell in general

363
00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,839
non-enemy npcs

364
00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,839
don't make them too

365
00:13:04,839 --> 00:13:09,839
important be ready to kill them off for

366
00:13:07,839 --> 00:13:12,639
a plot hook or something make them

367
00:13:09,839 --> 00:13:14,800
endearing of course and like enjoy them

368
00:13:12,639 --> 00:13:16,880
but at the end of the day like the

369
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,720
players are the main characters

370
00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:21,880
don't plan to have what any any

371
00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:23,440
character overshadow them or uh be so

372
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:24,399
inexpendable

373
00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,639
that

374
00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:28,720
they can't just die

375
00:13:26,639 --> 00:13:30,720
if [ __ ] happens

376
00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,880
yeah and it also lessens their

377
00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,480
responsibility to make them this kind of

378
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,200
flawless

379
00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:38,880
npc that only knows what they know and

380
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,880
you don't have to act you know if they

381
00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,399
let slip a couple times then it's not as

382
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,800
big a deal because

383
00:13:42,399 --> 00:13:47,600
they are fallible and as you said

384
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,170
they might die so you just kind of

385
00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,320
move on

386
00:13:48,170 --> 00:13:55,040
[Laughter]

387
00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:57,680
i used for funnily enough a beholder mpc

388
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,800
a voice modulator

389
00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:01,680
software

390
00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:03,519
a real-time one and i was thinking did

391
00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,199
that help me

392
00:14:03,519 --> 00:14:06,800
you know in the same way that kind of

393
00:14:05,199 --> 00:14:07,760
getting into character

394
00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,839
helps

395
00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,519
and i think it did i think

396
00:14:09,839 --> 00:14:12,880
because i had to keep toggling the voice

397
00:14:11,519 --> 00:14:14,480
on and off because the players would be

398
00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,680
like okay but what can i see in the room

399
00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:16,720
and then i have to obviously turn the

400
00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:18,160
voice off

401
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,920
so it's just me talking and then turn it

402
00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,000
back on again i think that did help

403
00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,120
actually me as a dm

404
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,360
it's that

405
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:28,240
quite a hard boundary between okay i've

406
00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,199
clicked that button anything i say now

407
00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,440
is

408
00:14:29,199 --> 00:14:33,360
officially his voice

409
00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,680
and that helped from a mental

410
00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,880
perspective for me to say okay these

411
00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,360
next words that are coming out of your

412
00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:42,800
mouth until i click that button again

413
00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:44,959
are his voice and you need to be careful

414
00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,440
and you need to talk in his way and the

415
00:14:44,959 --> 00:14:49,199
words need to be said in his way so that

416
00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,880
helped me and it won't work for every

417
00:14:49,199 --> 00:14:53,120
npc but it might just be something you

418
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,279
know a little mental trick that dms

419
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,680
could do to just you know flag in their

420
00:14:55,279 --> 00:14:59,600
mind to say i am now talking as this

421
00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:02,000
person and i need to be really careful

422
00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,399
or more careful than just me chang as

423
00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,079
you and i are now so we say

424
00:15:04,399 --> 00:15:08,320
i think you hit on something that's

425
00:15:06,079 --> 00:15:10,480
actually really uh really good when it

426
00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:14,000
comes to like thinking about the actual

427
00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:15,600
rping and portraying of the npc is that

428
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,079
act of having to turn on the voice

429
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:20,160
modulator it was sort of just like a

430
00:15:18,079 --> 00:15:21,839
switch in your head where it's like okay

431
00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,720
i am now this person

432
00:15:21,839 --> 00:15:26,160
and i think like npc's uh

433
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:29,360
it's a good practice when you're

434
00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:31,920
portraying an npc to like sort of

435
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,759
give yourself a mental switch for the

436
00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,519
character even if you're not physically

437
00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:39,199
hitting something um

438
00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:41,519
one thing that uh i know from like

439
00:15:39,199 --> 00:15:44,000
researching like acting stuff and try

440
00:15:41,519 --> 00:15:46,399
and like trying to do like sound effects

441
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,560
and voices and stuff is to like um

442
00:15:46,399 --> 00:15:50,399
change your expression or your posture

443
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:53,279
change yourself like physically some way

444
00:15:50,399 --> 00:15:55,199
like we we see we see like um

445
00:15:53,279 --> 00:15:58,000
obviously critical role super super

446
00:15:55,199 --> 00:15:59,759
popular um and you see you see matt

447
00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,519
mercer sort of hunch over and he like

448
00:15:59,759 --> 00:16:03,839
contorts his face when he's portraying a

449
00:16:01,519 --> 00:16:05,839
character and i think that's him doing

450
00:16:03,839 --> 00:16:06,959
that is sort of coming from his actor

451
00:16:05,839 --> 00:16:10,480
background

452
00:16:06,959 --> 00:16:12,639
and it's it's less of like i feel like

453
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:16,959
it's almost less of putting on a show

454
00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:19,519
but more like him reminding himself

455
00:16:16,959 --> 00:16:21,759
to be that character when he does when

456
00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:22,560
he does like hunch over and contort his

457
00:16:21,759 --> 00:16:25,199
face

458
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:28,160
um just a little change in posture or

459
00:16:25,199 --> 00:16:31,360
like expression can go a long way into

460
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:32,480
like really conveying a character i

461
00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,959
think

462
00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:37,600
yeah all right now i completely agree

463
00:16:34,959 --> 00:16:39,120
that is a solid solid piece of advice

464
00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,320
and i think you're absolutely right when

465
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,560
you say

466
00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:44,399
it's probably only like 40 percent

467
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,199
for our benefit

468
00:16:44,399 --> 00:16:48,240
and

469
00:16:45,199 --> 00:16:50,560
the other 60 is his switch to say okay

470
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:53,120
i'm gonna hunch over and wrinkle up my

471
00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,959
face to portray this old hag or whatever

472
00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,399
and obviously he takes it to the extreme

473
00:16:54,959 --> 00:16:59,360
because that's his you know that's his

474
00:16:56,399 --> 00:17:01,680
career and that's his his profession but

475
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,120
for us regular folk it doesn't obviously

476
00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,880
have to be that extreme even just you

477
00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,559
know i'm just gonna

478
00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:09,439
sit up in my chair a little bit to play

479
00:17:06,559 --> 00:17:12,079
the snooty elf and even that can be as

480
00:17:09,439 --> 00:17:14,720
you said all it takes to get that mental

481
00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:15,600
neuron to fire in a certain way okay now

482
00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,400
i'm

483
00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:20,720
i speak like this and hello and i'm yes

484
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:22,959
i'm going to help you and then or just

485
00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,679
just slouch down a little bit to be

486
00:17:22,959 --> 00:17:28,640
to be some kind of you know uh wild

487
00:17:25,679 --> 00:17:31,200
degenerate yeah yeah yeah kind of a kind

488
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,960
of person so pop out your chest to you

489
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,640
stand up straight like square your

490
00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,640
shoulders and puff out your chest to be

491
00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:39,039
the straw mork

492
00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:41,440
yeah yeah exactly i'm gonna you know i'm

493
00:17:39,039 --> 00:17:44,400
such a fool because as such golden

494
00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,520
advice for portraying npcs and

495
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,919
yes it takes a little bit of

496
00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,840
improvisational skill to even get

497
00:17:47,919 --> 00:17:51,280
for npcs you make up on the fly which

498
00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,679
are tricky

499
00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,840
but um yeah to even have them

500
00:17:53,679 --> 00:17:57,679
have some kind of posture but it you

501
00:17:55,840 --> 00:18:00,960
know you just do just do anything on the

502
00:17:57,679 --> 00:18:02,480
day and that can be their thing and

503
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,840
you know if

504
00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,360
the characters have gone and spoken to

505
00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:07,120
an npc you've had to make up on the spot

506
00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,840
and you as a dm are stuttering a little

507
00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,280
bit like i was just then to make up

508
00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:14,480
something they're going to say

509
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,840
roll with that make that that npc's

510
00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,120
foy ball

511
00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,200
and then there you go you've got your

512
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,640
trigger then you've got that

513
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,240
yes uh

514
00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:24,160
players let me

515
00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:26,000
show you the way and then you've got

516
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,200
he's got a gimmick there that can help

517
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,400
you to

518
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,840
lean into it and perhaps you were

519
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,520
drinking at the time when they brought

520
00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,880
them up so make you know

521
00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,039
bring your glass into your hand and have

522
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:37,440
that as your kind of mental trigger of

523
00:18:35,039 --> 00:18:38,559
okay this is this dude

524
00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:39,760
we've talked

525
00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:41,520
a lot about

526
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,720
dm improvising

527
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,240
npcs

528
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,919
and i think we'll talk about player

529
00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,919
improvisation a bit later on so let's

530
00:18:45,919 --> 00:18:51,200
stick with dm so the time being

531
00:18:47,919 --> 00:18:53,120
the other side of things from a dm

532
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,520
perspective is there's kind of three

533
00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,679
pillars in my head there's

534
00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,720
characters they have to make up

535
00:18:57,679 --> 00:19:00,400
there are

536
00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,720
encounters

537
00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,840
and then there's like the story

538
00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,400
so if we go through in that all we've

539
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,320
done kind of characters and npcs

540
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,240
so about encounters

541
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,440
and by that i don't mean just combat i

542
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,760
mean

543
00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,360
trying to barter with the shopkeep

544
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,520
have you got any you know anecdotes or

545
00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:20,960
any thoughts around kind of improvising

546
00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,760
encounters and tips and tricks and stuff

547
00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,280
well

548
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:25,280
when i was thinking about this i think

549
00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,720
in dungeons and dragons fifth edition

550
00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,600
not even fifth edition but dungeons and

551
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:32,400
dragons being a more rules-heavy game

552
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:35,440
battle encounters are probably the

553
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:37,760
hardest thing to create on the fly to

554
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:40,080
improvise like from the ground up if you

555
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,000
like obviously once the encounter starts

556
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:44,559
the entire thing is improvisation here's

557
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,080
my pieces and i'm gonna think of what

558
00:19:44,559 --> 00:19:48,960
they're gonna do as

559
00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,960
it goes on but like uh if your players

560
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:53,120
like wander off and

561
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:55,360
suddenly they're in a situation where

562
00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:57,520
that you weren't planning and combat has

563
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:59,360
started and you hadn't counted on this

564
00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,880
and you didn't have an encounter built

565
00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:02,320
the skill that takes the improvising

566
00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,799
something like that is one of like the

567
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,000
highest like uh most difficult things to

568
00:20:04,799 --> 00:20:08,320
do

569
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,480
it comes down to a lot of

570
00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:13,039
the most i feel like the most common way

571
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:15,600
to deal with that situation is to

572
00:20:13,039 --> 00:20:16,640
pull out a stat block for something and

573
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,200
maybe

574
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:21,360
re-flavor it to fit what you what you

575
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,600
what's in the actual situation

576
00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:25,679
but even then like that requires like

577
00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,280
knowing which character which step back

578
00:20:25,679 --> 00:20:29,679
you're gonna pull off what creature it

579
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:32,400
is and all that so it takes like i think

580
00:20:29,679 --> 00:20:34,720
as your knowledge of like

581
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:37,039
the very stat blocks in the game and

582
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,520
what creatures you can you can repurpose

583
00:20:37,039 --> 00:20:40,720
into what it becomes easier but i think

584
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,480
that's definitely one of the hardest

585
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,720
things

586
00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,400
yeah i wouldn't even begin to i don't

587
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,559
think i've ever had to and i don't

588
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,480
particularly want to do that as you said

589
00:20:48,559 --> 00:20:51,679
because balancing account is difficult

590
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,440
enough when you've got weeks of

591
00:20:51,679 --> 00:20:55,840
preparation let alone

592
00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,760
doing it on the fly i just couldn't even

593
00:20:55,840 --> 00:21:00,000
begin to see and yeah you know obviously

594
00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:02,960
i use indeed beyond for a lot of

595
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,840
easy to access character sheets for stat

596
00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,520
blocks

597
00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,360
if i was having to

598
00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,760
rifle through a book that's just a

599
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:11,120
complete non-starter that's almost at

600
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,480
the point where i'd

601
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,320
sacrifice

602
00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:16,480
realism in the game

603
00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,720
to just say you know what there's no

604
00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:21,280
bandits on this road because

605
00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,559
if we have to make a combat up well

606
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,679
we must have just stopped playing now

607
00:21:22,559 --> 00:21:27,280
because it's going to take me forever to

608
00:21:25,679 --> 00:21:29,440
to sort that out

609
00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,400
yeah actually like you mentioned d d

610
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:34,640
beyond and d d beyond has their their uh

611
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,960
their beta encounter builder has been

612
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:39,360
like my best my best help when it comes

613
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:41,360
to uh having something having something

614
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:43,120
ready to go on the fly and i think

615
00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:44,480
doing a little extra prep of like

616
00:21:43,120 --> 00:21:46,400
looking at where the characters are

617
00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,640
going where the characters are and then

618
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,799
just popping onto dnd beyond and making

619
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,640
like three or four encounters that you

620
00:21:50,799 --> 00:21:55,200
can just pull out of your back pocket if

621
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:58,960
you need to it goes a long way towards

622
00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,799
helping like being caught pants down

623
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,640
without an encounter ready and with an

624
00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:04,880
encounter in front of you

625
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,960
that you have to have yeah i think we're

626
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:09,039
almost at a point where we're saying

627
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,840
trying not to improvise fights like

628
00:22:09,039 --> 00:22:13,039
combat encounters yeah that's so tricky

629
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,480
like i mean i'm sure there are people

630
00:22:13,039 --> 00:22:16,080
out there that can and

631
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:18,640
as you said it probably scales with your

632
00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:21,679
abilities if you're a really good

633
00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:24,240
blagger and a mechanical improviser so

634
00:22:21,679 --> 00:22:26,400
by that i mean of health and ac and

635
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:29,520
stuff if you're confident to say

636
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:32,799
build a stat block on the fly

637
00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:35,039
then go ahead so say they're in a bar

638
00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:36,400
and they fight and guards come in and

639
00:22:35,039 --> 00:22:38,640
they end up fighting the guards if

640
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:42,000
you're confident enough to say all right

641
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:44,480
guard ac 15 whatever to hit it's plus

642
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,360
four they get two attacks per turn

643
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,559
then then maybe you're in the realm of

644
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:50,080
being i mean

645
00:22:48,559 --> 00:22:51,840
i kind of just did it then but i have no

646
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:55,200
idea how balanced that would be

647
00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:57,200
that's that's complete wild west of just

648
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:59,120
okay they're either gonna get

649
00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,400
stomped on or the players are gonna die

650
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,919
and

651
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,840
god knows which way that could swing in

652
00:23:01,919 --> 00:23:05,840
my game there's all kinds of things that

653
00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:08,320
can happen that happened when you were

654
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:10,960
just pulling a stat block out so it's

655
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,280
like it's it goes like even beyond i

656
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,760
like as a person who likes to who enjoys

657
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:18,080
liking counter building and making like

658
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:20,000
enemy encounters that that have like

659
00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,799
interesting mechanics and synergies

660
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,720
going on within them then it's if you're

661
00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:26,880
trying like pulling something out like

662
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:28,559
that out of nowhere is

663
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,720
that much harder like to have an

664
00:23:28,559 --> 00:23:32,880
actually interesting encounter just come

665
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,799
out of nowhere where it's not like

666
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:38,000
you're not just like okay well here's

667
00:23:34,799 --> 00:23:39,280
some hp uh ac uh

668
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,799
multi-attack

669
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:44,080
long sword

670
00:23:40,799 --> 00:23:46,080
there yeah and there's five of them um

671
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,960
oh god yeah keeping track of that it's

672
00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,159
gonna be

673
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:51,440
a nightmare

674
00:23:48,159 --> 00:23:54,320
bni i also used well i used cobalt fight

675
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:57,039
club to build my encounters pre-dnd

676
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:59,039
beyond before they had their own

677
00:23:57,039 --> 00:24:00,559
encounter builder and then as soon as

678
00:23:59,039 --> 00:24:02,159
they released theirs

679
00:24:00,559 --> 00:24:05,120
i just moved to it just because it's the

680
00:24:02,159 --> 00:24:07,120
one stop shop and has the stat blocks

681
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:09,200
built in to the encounter builder so

682
00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:12,240
that would be my recommendation also

683
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,400
just because it it trivializes building

684
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,360
an encounter as much as it can which is

685
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,520
to say

686
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,600
it's still quite arduous

687
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,440
yeah

688
00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,279
it makes the worst part about building

689
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,760
an encounter the easiest thing about it

690
00:24:23,279 --> 00:24:28,400
which is like using the built-in

691
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,799
balancing system that's in the dms guide

692
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,120
and doing all the calculations needed

693
00:24:30,799 --> 00:24:34,960
for that automatically yeah so it's like

694
00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,880
huge thing you just pull things out and

695
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:39,440
you don't have to do too much map too

696
00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:41,360
much math to figure stuff out

697
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,159
yeah indeed yeah

698
00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:43,520
so

699
00:24:42,159 --> 00:24:45,200
we talked about combat counters what

700
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:48,080
about non-combat encounters so

701
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:51,679
improvising as i said like

702
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:54,400
i try and barter with the

703
00:24:51,679 --> 00:24:56,880
the bar keep or i want to

704
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,799
bribe my way past the guards

705
00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:01,840
i suppose from an improvisation

706
00:24:58,799 --> 00:25:04,159
perspective that it's on the dm to say

707
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,840
to have a kind of congruence response of

708
00:25:04,159 --> 00:25:07,520
those npcs

709
00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,679
and then also

710
00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,919
a mechanical idea of how difficult the

711
00:25:09,679 --> 00:25:14,320
dc's should be so

712
00:25:11,919 --> 00:25:16,000
i think it helps too and i need to you

713
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,600
know i don't even practice what i preach

714
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,320
really but um

715
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:22,640
having a solid foundation for

716
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,080
npcs so maybe like a cookie cutter for

717
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,760
town guard

718
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,360
so you're never kind of caught on the

719
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,640
back foot if the players do try and

720
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:31,120
bribe

721
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:34,240
pass them is probably a good

722
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:38,000
tip so what most people say is you know

723
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:39,919
npc should have you know a desire a flaw

724
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,679
even even basic npcs should have one

725
00:25:39,919 --> 00:25:43,520
thing that they desire and it may be

726
00:25:41,679 --> 00:25:45,600
money it might be safety it might be

727
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,400
something like that which is okay when

728
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:50,080
you're world building ahead of the game

729
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,360
but when the players go i'm gonna go

730
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,600
into this place

731
00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:56,559
you haven't planned for and i want to do

732
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,360
this it can be difficult to make up a

733
00:25:56,559 --> 00:26:01,279
one-word desire that is enjoyable you

734
00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:04,000
know anyone can save money but then

735
00:26:01,279 --> 00:26:07,279
suddenly you've got a town full of

736
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,640
ruthless capitalists

737
00:26:07,279 --> 00:26:10,480
which i mean

738
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,000
it sounds kind of cool sounds kind of

739
00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,600
dystopian to a certain extent but if

740
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,039
that's not a theme you're going for and

741
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,039
that's not how the town's been up until

742
00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:18,559
this point then it's a bit jarring i

743
00:26:17,039 --> 00:26:20,480
suppose so

744
00:26:18,559 --> 00:26:21,840
i guess what i'm getting at is one tip

745
00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:24,640
you can have for those kind of

746
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:27,760
archetypal npcs the police the city

747
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:30,080
guard that you know generic shopkeeper a

748
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:32,000
you could have to a certain extent

749
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:32,960
cookie cutter desires

750
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,039
but

751
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:36,960
you can't escape improvisation as we

752
00:26:35,039 --> 00:26:39,200
started the show with and you're gonna

753
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:42,400
need to flavor them at some point

754
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:44,480
you know on the night as it were um yeah

755
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:47,200
yeah i think i think it can be really it

756
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:49,679
can be really daunting to do um like

757
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,200
random random people but for me

758
00:26:49,679 --> 00:26:54,320
personally like uh

759
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:56,480
if i'm going to portray a guard or a uh

760
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:59,360
a guard or townsperson

761
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:02,080
i think about pretty much

762
00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:03,600
how i would act in that situation

763
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,480
because like

764
00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,200
small

765
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,640
i call them small folk but like

766
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,960
non-adventurers or non-exceptional

767
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:13,840
characters in your setting are

768
00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:15,520
like the people we know

769
00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:17,840
day in and day out you know they're

770
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,760
normal folks

771
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,679
they might have their own

772
00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,200
things they're really interested in but

773
00:27:21,679 --> 00:27:26,320
at the same time

774
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:28,399
at the same time how often do uh

775
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,480
if a random stranger comes up to us on

776
00:27:28,399 --> 00:27:32,799
the on the street and starts talking to

777
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:36,159
us and asking us for something uh how

778
00:27:32,799 --> 00:27:38,640
often do we start revealing our like

779
00:27:36,159 --> 00:27:40,559
dreams and aspirations and letting that

780
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:43,039
dictate how we act and it's like most

781
00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:45,279
likely if they don't know you they're

782
00:27:43,039 --> 00:27:48,320
gonna be like closed off and just like

783
00:27:45,279 --> 00:27:50,559
give you as much information as like

784
00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,559
you're looking for um

785
00:27:50,559 --> 00:27:54,480
gold's a a good

786
00:27:52,559 --> 00:27:56,000
encourager because like literally

787
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,240
everybody wants gold you don't have to

788
00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,240
be super greedy to like

789
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,720
be okay with the handout of course if

790
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:04,480
you're a guard then it's like oh uh if i

791
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:06,880
get caught doing this this that could

792
00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,320
compromise my job so you think about

793
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,360
it's like well if somebody was going to

794
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,120
give me

795
00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:12,320
uh money

796
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:13,360
personally

797
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:15,039
to

798
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,559
do this thing that i'm not supposed to

799
00:28:15,039 --> 00:28:19,200
do

800
00:28:16,559 --> 00:28:20,799
how much what how like how much would it

801
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,600
take is like

802
00:28:20,799 --> 00:28:23,520
and

803
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,559
their demeanor what they're asking for

804
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,799
it's like

805
00:28:24,559 --> 00:28:28,960
and we're also like

806
00:28:26,799 --> 00:28:30,080
when i say like thinking about how i

807
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,080
would act

808
00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,000
lots of times it's just like how am i

809
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,880
feeling today

810
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,640
because

811
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,480
if these are real people in this world

812
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:40,720
they're going to feel different one day

813
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,880
to the next some days they might be more

814
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,640
willing to be a little riskier and

815
00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,640
accept that bribe

816
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,240
or some days uh the shopkeeper might

817
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,480
feel be feeling he might be feeling a

818
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,840
little generous and uh

819
00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,919
maybe something happened to put him in a

820
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,679
good mood and so it's like yeah sure

821
00:28:53,919 --> 00:28:57,919
i'll take that

822
00:28:55,679 --> 00:28:59,840
yeah i'm just trying to think like now

823
00:28:57,919 --> 00:29:02,000
it's it's always i was just about to say

824
00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:04,720
you know dm's out there have fun with

825
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:07,039
your you know your random npcs but i'm

826
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,320
also really personally strong peer

827
00:29:07,039 --> 00:29:10,399
hypocrite because i'm also really

828
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:13,039
personally strict on

829
00:29:10,399 --> 00:29:14,960
having a world that makes sense and

830
00:29:13,039 --> 00:29:16,960
exactly that you said earlier on

831
00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:18,799
an example from one of my games i think

832
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,840
i've mentioned it previously and on the

833
00:29:18,799 --> 00:29:21,279
show is

834
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,640
a player they're right the beginning of

835
00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:24,720
the campaign and they're trying to find

836
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,799
out about a bandit problem typical

837
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,880
fantasy trope and so they literally left

838
00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:29,919
the place where they got the quest in

839
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:32,159
quotes

840
00:29:29,919 --> 00:29:34,559
and literally just questioning like

841
00:29:32,159 --> 00:29:37,760
interrogating people on the street what

842
00:29:34,559 --> 00:29:37,760
do you know about the bandit problem

843
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,640
sorry who are you and why are you i'm

844
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:44,399
just gonna go and buy some apples so

845
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,360
what's what's happening here oh you use

846
00:29:44,399 --> 00:29:46,640
this

847
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,039
okay sorry

848
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,039
i guess

849
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:52,960
so you know what it would you know it

850
00:29:51,039 --> 00:29:54,960
would have been easy to to spiral that

851
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,120
out into well actually i'm a band-aid

852
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,679
investigator i just you know happened to

853
00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:01,840
be the first person you speak to but i'm

854
00:29:59,679 --> 00:30:04,480
was kind of using that as a vehicle to

855
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,840
teach the players like this is a real

856
00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,520
world you're living in and it's

857
00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,760
populated with people who just don't

858
00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:11,360
care you don't know

859
00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,679
um i think he ended up asking about

860
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:15,600
three or four before he finally got the

861
00:30:13,679 --> 00:30:16,640
message of okay

862
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:18,480
literally just

863
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,919
harassing people on the street probably

864
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,600
isn't going to be the way

865
00:30:19,919 --> 00:30:23,679
of revealing

866
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,600
the nuances of this geopolitical problem

867
00:30:23,679 --> 00:30:27,760
that's happening right now

868
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:29,679
if any if anything like the most the

869
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,679
most it would accomplish is getting like

870
00:30:29,679 --> 00:30:33,200
the guard down the street to like notice

871
00:30:31,679 --> 00:30:35,600
this person's going around harassing

872
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,520
people and come over and be like oh

873
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,039
what's going on here

874
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,640
what are you doing just bothering

875
00:30:39,039 --> 00:30:42,159
everybody here bothering everybody

876
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,919
around here

877
00:30:42,159 --> 00:30:46,000
and that that could lead that could lead

878
00:30:43,919 --> 00:30:47,760
to like the player actually telling the

879
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,360
guard like why they're bothering people

880
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:52,320
and like oh

881
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:54,000
well the sergeant or whatever they might

882
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,320
know something about that

883
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:58,000
come take come walk come along with me

884
00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,720
it's like sometimes making a scene works

885
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:03,360
out but yeah i like to keep in mind when

886
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:05,279
i'm when like random npcs like the the

887
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,919
random npc walking down the street next

888
00:31:05,279 --> 00:31:09,600
to the adventure is way more is

889
00:31:07,919 --> 00:31:11,039
probably more concerned with where

890
00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,640
they're going than they are about the

891
00:31:11,039 --> 00:31:14,880
adventure

892
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,960
i do like to especially in the big

893
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:19,360
cities and stuff obviously it's you know

894
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:21,440
people are just going about their lives

895
00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:23,600
and i think he was asking a group of

896
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:26,799
sailors and who were just you know

897
00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:28,399
playing cards in some alleyway somewhere

898
00:31:26,799 --> 00:31:30,720
and they were like

899
00:31:28,399 --> 00:31:33,120
dude we're on holiday we're on break

900
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,559
right now can you not talk to us you've

901
00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:35,840
ever seen any bandits man i don't even

902
00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:37,600
think about getting back on a ship let

903
00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,720
alone any any bandits kind of thing can

904
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,200
you

905
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,880
you you know either up the ante or get

906
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,640
out

907
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,559
yeah they're pro they're more they're

908
00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,919
more concerned about not crossing paths

909
00:31:46,559 --> 00:31:48,960
with those bandits than knowing where

910
00:31:47,919 --> 00:31:51,039
they are

911
00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:53,440
probably the less they less they know

912
00:31:51,039 --> 00:31:58,120
the more they're happy they don't know

913
00:31:53,440 --> 00:32:01,450
yep ignorance is bliss as they say

914
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,450
[Music]

915
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:11,519
yeah it's it's tricky and

916
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,640
the final piece of that puzzle is dc's

917
00:32:11,519 --> 00:32:14,240
as in

918
00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,600
you know okay well let me intimidate

919
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,159
this person

920
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,480
into telling me what i want to know

921
00:32:18,159 --> 00:32:23,039
which is a part of improvising it's

922
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:25,600
probably a unique part of improvising to

923
00:32:23,039 --> 00:32:27,760
you know tabletop rpgs versus

924
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,399
you know acting improvisation you never

925
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:32,480
have to judge how difficult something is

926
00:32:30,399 --> 00:32:33,919
i suppose unless you equate it to a

927
00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,760
response the character you're portraying

928
00:32:33,919 --> 00:32:38,159
might give to a certain thing you know

929
00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:39,919
are they happy or sad or whatnot but

930
00:32:38,159 --> 00:32:43,279
from a purely mechanical perspective

931
00:32:39,919 --> 00:32:44,480
it's unique to table shop rpgs of

932
00:32:43,279 --> 00:32:45,919
okay the players are gonna roll

933
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,720
intimidation

934
00:32:45,919 --> 00:32:50,880
how high do they have to roll for this

935
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,399
information to come out and

936
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,559
i don't have a silver bullet to that off

937
00:32:52,399 --> 00:32:56,880
the top of my head to help anybody or

938
00:32:54,559 --> 00:32:58,559
tips or tricks other than kind of an

939
00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:01,039
amalgamation of what we've said up until

940
00:32:58,559 --> 00:33:03,120
this point of you know npcs have a

941
00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:04,960
desire that they're going somewhere

942
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,399
they're doing something

943
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,600
and they are of

944
00:33:06,399 --> 00:33:08,559
a particular

945
00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:11,519
age

946
00:33:08,559 --> 00:33:12,799
and background and personality and

947
00:33:11,519 --> 00:33:16,000
that's

948
00:33:12,799 --> 00:33:18,640
use that to judge the dc it's it's a

949
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:20,720
crappy answer but it's usually cool for

950
00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,159
me it's usually an instinctual kind of

951
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,559
okay this is going to be a piece of cake

952
00:33:22,159 --> 00:33:27,200
because he's some scared street urchin

953
00:33:24,559 --> 00:33:29,279
who just stole an apple off a

954
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,440
cart and doesn't wanna think he's gonna

955
00:33:29,279 --> 00:33:33,760
get lynched by the guards yeah

956
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:35,519
versus the guard captain who's obviously

957
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,240
a battle-hardened

958
00:33:35,519 --> 00:33:39,919
career professional who doesn't take

959
00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,200
crap from anybody so

960
00:33:39,919 --> 00:33:44,399
i can't i can't say you know that should

961
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:45,840
be a dc7 versus a dc17 but it's those

962
00:33:44,399 --> 00:33:46,799
kind of judgment calls that you get

963
00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,880
better with

964
00:33:46,799 --> 00:33:50,640
experience

965
00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:52,880
my fallback is i don't remember if i

966
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,840
read this in the dm's guide or if i

967
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:59,200
found it like somewhere else but um a

968
00:33:55,840 --> 00:34:02,640
dc10 is something a normal person could

969
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:05,840
do fifty percent of the time uh dc15 is

970
00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,640
something a normal person could do if

971
00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:10,320
they

972
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:11,119
were skilled or if they practiced kind

973
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,359
of thing

974
00:34:11,119 --> 00:34:14,879
i usually fall back on on that sort of

975
00:34:13,359 --> 00:34:16,879
like comparison when i'm thinking about

976
00:34:14,879 --> 00:34:18,159
something it's like how easy would it be

977
00:34:16,879 --> 00:34:21,760
for a

978
00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:24,560
normal average person to accomplish this

979
00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:26,000
same task would it be like would they

980
00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,000
would they probably be

981
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,960
have a pretty good chance of doing it

982
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,720
like

983
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:33,440
if you're trying to persuade the guard

984
00:34:30,720 --> 00:34:35,760
to accept a bribe it's like how how much

985
00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,960
could just like average joe coming off

986
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,119
the street

987
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:41,440
how like how likely are they would they

988
00:34:39,119 --> 00:34:44,720
be to convince that guard to accept a

989
00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:46,240
bribe um probably not very likely they

990
00:34:44,720 --> 00:34:48,079
probably have to be a pretty good a

991
00:34:46,240 --> 00:34:48,960
pretty good talker depending on the

992
00:34:48,079 --> 00:34:50,960
guard

993
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:53,599
very good talker

994
00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,800
the more high ranking or like or staunch

995
00:34:53,599 --> 00:34:56,800
the guard is

996
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,599
that probably push it up toward the dc

997
00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:02,400
up towards 20 and but i think even a

998
00:34:59,599 --> 00:35:04,640
basic guard in that situation probably

999
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:06,160
that's probably at least 15

1000
00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,520
even if it's a guard with questionable

1001
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:09,280
morals because then they still have to

1002
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:12,160
think about like what happens if i get

1003
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:13,359
caught um that's a that's a good tip to

1004
00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:14,240
use

1005
00:35:13,359 --> 00:35:16,800
a

1006
00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:18,880
civilian as your baseline and then you

1007
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,240
can just you know crank it up or down

1008
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,200
from there and then you're almost kind

1009
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:23,839
of

1010
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,359
party agnostic to that point so your

1011
00:35:23,839 --> 00:35:27,920
party could be level 20 so they could be

1012
00:35:25,359 --> 00:35:30,560
level one so the dc is still 15 because

1013
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:34,240
that's how tricky it is to bribe a guard

1014
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:37,119
mm-hmm yeah and i also i also think like

1015
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:38,079
there's no i i rarely feel

1016
00:35:37,119 --> 00:35:41,280
like

1017
00:35:38,079 --> 00:35:44,240
a dc that's that's the visible by like

1018
00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:47,359
not five is ever necessary i think

1019
00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:49,119
usually like a divisible by five uh a

1020
00:35:47,359 --> 00:35:52,320
point that's divisible by five it's

1021
00:35:49,119 --> 00:35:55,200
usually perfectly fine for nearly any

1022
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:56,560
situation unless you like are a very

1023
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,560
specific

1024
00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:01,680
unless you unless somehow you figure out

1025
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:03,680
how it would specifically be less or if

1026
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,520
it's sort of like well maybe if you're

1027
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,119
like waffling on it

1028
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:10,160
like maybe

1029
00:36:07,119 --> 00:36:11,599
maybe a normal person could do this but

1030
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,760
having a little bit of skill might help

1031
00:36:11,599 --> 00:36:15,119
then it's like okay dc 12.

1032
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,240
12. yeah

1033
00:36:15,119 --> 00:36:18,320
yeah

1034
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:19,200
yeah i think for the purposes of what

1035
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,359
we're talking about which is

1036
00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,119
improvisation i think it's a real solid

1037
00:36:21,359 --> 00:36:25,839
bet just to say yeah as you said say

1038
00:36:23,119 --> 00:36:28,000
divisible by five and i think it's you

1039
00:36:25,839 --> 00:36:29,520
know it's easy medium hard yeah very

1040
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,359
hard impossible isn't it five ten

1041
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,040
fifteen twenty twenty five kind of thing

1042
00:36:31,359 --> 00:36:34,880
and that's probably uh

1043
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:37,760
yeah specifically for improvisation's

1044
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:40,800
sake just stick to that and as you said

1045
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:43,200
maybe tweak it if it's a

1046
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,000
a really ambiguous situation

1047
00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:47,040
yeah

1048
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,880
so i i like to use like passive skills

1049
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,480
more than like the the book like

1050
00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:53,200
outlines like passive investigation

1051
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:55,520
passive perception i look at like what

1052
00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,400
look at the players modifier add that to

1053
00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,040
10

1054
00:36:56,400 --> 00:37:00,480
and if there's like no stakes if there's

1055
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:01,680
nothing that would happen if the player

1056
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:05,119
would fail

1057
00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:08,160
and their 10 and 10 plus their modifier

1058
00:37:05,119 --> 00:37:10,640
would satisfy the dc i have in my head i

1059
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:12,160
don't even want have them roll for it

1060
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:15,040
because like if they can just keep

1061
00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:17,599
trying it and nothing would change and

1062
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,880
their thing's good enough so like if

1063
00:37:17,599 --> 00:37:21,760
like um

1064
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:23,599
for instance how in a improv with an npc

1065
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,200
sort of situation like bartering you

1066
00:37:23,599 --> 00:37:26,720
know lots of merchants are probably

1067
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,720
familiar with bartering and they're not

1068
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:31,280
going to like just shut up as soon as

1069
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:34,160
somebody tries to lowball them if the

1070
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,960
player goes in and they're like i want

1071
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,480
to

1072
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:39,359
take this for

1073
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,960
ten percent less uh gold i wanna i'll

1074
00:37:39,359 --> 00:37:42,480
give you ten percent less gold for them

1075
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,920
and then i look at like the characters

1076
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,760
persuasion and they have like a plus

1077
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:48,480
seven and persuasion and in my head i'm

1078
00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:51,119
like that was probably a dc 15. probably

1079
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:52,960
like yeah no you drive a hard bargain

1080
00:37:51,119 --> 00:37:54,000
he'll give it to you for that much but

1081
00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,400
if like

1082
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:59,119
they try to push it and

1083
00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,800
they might start to piss the npc off

1084
00:37:59,119 --> 00:38:03,040
then then you have them roll for it

1085
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:05,839
because if they fail then the npc just

1086
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:10,000
like maybe increase the price

1087
00:38:05,839 --> 00:38:12,720
yeah yeah okay twice the price

1088
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:14,640
yeah some good advice there i do like

1089
00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:16,320
what you were saying there i need to

1090
00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:18,160
think about incorporating a lot of these

1091
00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:20,800
things into mine i fly by the seat of my

1092
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:21,920
pants probably too much so uh i probably

1093
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,320
should start to bring in a couple of

1094
00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:26,480
these more frameworky tools than just

1095
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:28,079
download lying it

1096
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,560
well all the time

1097
00:38:28,079 --> 00:38:32,400
i mean i i say these like as like rules

1098
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,760
of thumb i have but like once you're

1099
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,000
actually going like you're calling

1100
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:37,920
you're calling audibles on whether

1101
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:39,599
they're applicable in the situation or

1102
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,800
not what's good things to keep in the

1103
00:38:39,599 --> 00:38:45,200
back in the back of my head

1104
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:47,200
um what are your thoughts on

1105
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:50,480
a fully

1106
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:53,599
random game a fully improvised game so i

1107
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:56,880
read ages ago of a concept of

1108
00:38:53,599 --> 00:38:59,200
everything's random so like the

1109
00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:01,280
player character classes and races are

1110
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:03,920
rolled and the story is just completely

1111
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:06,240
improvised it becomes a completely like

1112
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:08,160
improv comedy you know at that point

1113
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:10,240
rather than a dnd game what are your

1114
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:13,040
thoughts on that i think it's it's

1115
00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:15,440
it's cool it's fine i don't think it

1116
00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:18,480
would be very hard to carry any sort of

1117
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:20,320
serious tones in the game like that

1118
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,640
i think you're sort of like if you're

1119
00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:25,839
doing a fully random game

1120
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:28,800
like the only way it would

1121
00:39:25,839 --> 00:39:31,040
make narrative sense is if the

1122
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,320
overarching game had a

1123
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,599
a very

1124
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,839
light-hearted

1125
00:39:33,599 --> 00:39:39,280
uh tone to it like

1126
00:39:35,839 --> 00:39:41,119
like wear a wear a purple worm just

1127
00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:43,599
coming out of a house

1128
00:39:41,119 --> 00:39:46,960
a tone where that that's not entirely

1129
00:39:43,599 --> 00:39:49,200
unexpected and doesn't break the world

1130
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,680
kind of i think it's got to be like

1131
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:54,400
goofy to a certain extent yes

1132
00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:57,760
human nature of making stuff up as it's

1133
00:39:54,400 --> 00:40:00,880
a bit silly i think

1134
00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:03,440
i think i think if you tried to put a uh

1135
00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:05,839
put like a serious tone and spin on a

1136
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:08,240
completely random game

1137
00:40:05,839 --> 00:40:10,720
you would still end up with

1138
00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:13,760
comical situations just because of the

1139
00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:16,000
randomness so it sort of behooves you to

1140
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:18,560
make the overall tone

1141
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,960
a comedy like you said

1142
00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:22,880
i don't think like that that's sort of

1143
00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,640
like yeah that's sort of where i stand

1144
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:27,359
on that it's um

1145
00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,960
it's if you if you match the tone to

1146
00:40:27,359 --> 00:40:31,280
suit the fact that everything is going

1147
00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,760
to be random it's like go for it

1148
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:35,760
that that would probably be fun i don't

1149
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,400
know if uh

1150
00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:41,119
many people would have the stamina to do

1151
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,920
a long campaign in that manner

1152
00:40:41,119 --> 00:40:44,079
no

1153
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:46,079
yeah so it's maybe maybe the kind of

1154
00:40:44,079 --> 00:40:48,720
thing you want to do either like a one

1155
00:40:46,079 --> 00:40:50,480
shot or like a handful of sessions but a

1156
00:40:48,720 --> 00:40:52,480
little palette cleanser yeah but you

1157
00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,960
don't want like you you shouldn't plan

1158
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:56,160
to get up to like 100 sessions

1159
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,640
of

1160
00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:59,839
pure random god no

1161
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,680
no i can

1162
00:40:59,839 --> 00:41:03,119
that would be way too difficult i do i

1163
00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,079
do kind of want to try it though just to

1164
00:41:03,119 --> 00:41:07,119
kind of

1165
00:41:04,079 --> 00:41:08,640
test my improvisational dm chops as to

1166
00:41:07,119 --> 00:41:09,760
see how

1167
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,119
you know what would come out the other

1168
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,880
side it'd be quite interesting to be

1169
00:41:11,119 --> 00:41:15,040
like going in blank and coming out and

1170
00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:16,000
being like wow i never

1171
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:18,000
thought

1172
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,119
that would happen but it's i guess with

1173
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,440
like any

1174
00:41:19,119 --> 00:41:23,359
improv you've kind of got to have

1175
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,119
players who have at least comfortable

1176
00:41:23,359 --> 00:41:26,560
doing it because you know obviously

1177
00:41:25,119 --> 00:41:27,680
there's there are people that

1178
00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:29,280
aren't and there are people that

1179
00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,720
obviously come to the game for a

1180
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,480
completely different experience but

1181
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:34,960
you'd absolutely have to have players

1182
00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:37,280
and the dm will be comfortable doing it

1183
00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:38,960
and certainly capable to a certain

1184
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:40,880
extent

1185
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:43,359
you know anyone can improvise and then a

1186
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:44,319
nuke goes off and everybody dies

1187
00:41:43,359 --> 00:41:45,680
great

1188
00:41:44,319 --> 00:41:47,359
cool that was fun but obviously the

1189
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:50,160
intricacies of

1190
00:41:47,359 --> 00:41:52,319
yes but or yes and i think as they call

1191
00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:55,040
it isn't it like can you do this yes but

1192
00:41:52,319 --> 00:41:57,280
then and this other thing happens

1193
00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:59,280
to keep the story flowing is is

1194
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,720
difficult but so it'll be it'll be

1195
00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:02,560
interesting to see and i think i'd like

1196
00:42:00,720 --> 00:42:03,599
to take part in one one day

1197
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:04,319
of

1198
00:42:03,599 --> 00:42:06,480
just

1199
00:42:04,319 --> 00:42:08,480
yeah giving it silly but keeping it you

1200
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,599
know still an interesting story is it

1201
00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,599
really

1202
00:42:09,599 --> 00:42:14,319
this is where the beauty lies

1203
00:42:11,599 --> 00:42:16,319
i think if anything i think um if

1204
00:42:14,319 --> 00:42:19,040
somebody wants to do like a truly random

1205
00:42:16,319 --> 00:42:21,200
game i will i would even suggest like

1206
00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,280
not using dungeons and dragons fifth

1207
00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,480
edition for it yes finding a different

1208
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,160
finding a different system because

1209
00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:28,400
dungeons dragons is

1210
00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:31,440
especially with the way monsters work uh

1211
00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:33,200
it's very much made for um not to be

1212
00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:35,599
completely random

1213
00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:37,440
like the dungeon world that i started

1214
00:42:35,599 --> 00:42:38,800
gming with that would be a good system

1215
00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,960
that's sort of like

1216
00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:43,359
dungeons and dragons like

1217
00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:45,680
but much more accommodating to having

1218
00:42:43,359 --> 00:42:47,520
random and completely improvised

1219
00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:49,680
situations

1220
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:52,160
and i've seen a couple indie

1221
00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:54,880
tabletop rpgs that like

1222
00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:57,119
if the taglines for the tabletop rpg are

1223
00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:59,040
narrative focus narrative driven if

1224
00:42:57,119 --> 00:43:02,079
that's in the if that's in there it's

1225
00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:04,319
probably pretty good for a brand a truly

1226
00:43:02,079 --> 00:43:06,800
random game because

1227
00:43:04,319 --> 00:43:09,119
rules light narrative driven those types

1228
00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:11,200
of rpgs are pretty good if you want to

1229
00:43:09,119 --> 00:43:12,400
just like be making stuff up on the fly

1230
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:15,280
because that's kind of how they're what

1231
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:17,280
they're built for to be honest um yeah

1232
00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:19,440
there is a lot of obviously framework

1233
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,359
enough to make a podcast out of indian

1234
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:23,839
d5e so um

1235
00:43:21,359 --> 00:43:25,200
yeah i can imagine that would be a

1236
00:43:23,839 --> 00:43:28,480
maybe at that level it would be more of

1237
00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:30,000
an impedance than a springboard to help

1238
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:31,520
you have that kind of game so yeah

1239
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,680
that's that's good i think i think i

1240
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:36,319
think you could do it in d d5e you just

1241
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:38,319
have to like be armed with some with

1242
00:43:36,319 --> 00:43:40,240
roll tables that's the that's the main

1243
00:43:38,319 --> 00:43:43,520
thing is just just be armed with roll

1244
00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:44,800
tables uh galore like if you want it to

1245
00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:46,400
be rent if you're going to be random

1246
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:48,000
because like what are you going to do if

1247
00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:49,359
you want to come up with a monster

1248
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,280
encounter and you're trying to be

1249
00:43:49,359 --> 00:43:53,839
completely random are you going to like

1250
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:56,160
roll uh the number of monsters there are

1251
00:43:53,839 --> 00:43:59,040
in the in the monster manual yeah and

1252
00:43:56,160 --> 00:44:00,720
pick one at random yeah yeah

1253
00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:03,040
yeah i see like i was just thinking then

1254
00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:04,720
like you said roll tables you'd almost

1255
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:05,680
have to is the dm say account well i

1256
00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:07,200
know there's going to be this many

1257
00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,280
players and i know that they're going to

1258
00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:12,240
be you know level 10 then you could just

1259
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:14,640
build ahead of time 50 different

1260
00:44:12,240 --> 00:44:16,400
encounters that are scaled easy to hard

1261
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,920
or whatever for that number of players

1262
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,920
at that level but then

1263
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:22,800
you're almost defeating the i don't know

1264
00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:24,720
it's a fine line there isn't it between

1265
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:26,000
yeah it being random and improvised

1266
00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:27,839
versus well here's a whole bunch of

1267
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:30,000
stuff i prepared earlier so

1268
00:44:27,839 --> 00:44:31,920
at what point does it stop becoming

1269
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:32,720
improvised and

1270
00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:34,960
yeah

1271
00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:37,599
interesting interesting

1272
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:39,599
so we've talked so far predominantly

1273
00:44:37,599 --> 00:44:40,319
from the dm's perspective which i think

1274
00:44:39,599 --> 00:44:41,680
is

1275
00:44:40,319 --> 00:44:43,359
fair because

1276
00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:46,079
the the bulk of

1277
00:44:43,359 --> 00:44:47,839
true blank slate improvisation is on the

1278
00:44:46,079 --> 00:44:49,760
dm the players always have their

1279
00:44:47,839 --> 00:44:52,079
characters to fall back on and have a

1280
00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:54,240
lot more experience in those characters

1281
00:44:52,079 --> 00:44:55,440
you know four hours a session of playing

1282
00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:57,280
that character

1283
00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:59,920
means they have a lot more time they've

1284
00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:02,720
put in the hours whereas you know the dm

1285
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:04,720
playing a big nbc they might have 10

1286
00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:05,920
minutes here 10 minutes there half an

1287
00:45:04,720 --> 00:45:08,640
hour here

1288
00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:10,560
okay that's still less than an hour over

1289
00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,359
maybe a year-long campaign

1290
00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:12,480
so

1291
00:45:11,359 --> 00:45:14,319
it's a completely different

1292
00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:15,520
improvisation environment

1293
00:45:14,319 --> 00:45:18,400
yeah so

1294
00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,359
yeah let's let's move on to players

1295
00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:21,920
and

1296
00:45:19,359 --> 00:45:23,839
i do you play at all or do you slowly dm

1297
00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:25,839
i play yeah i

1298
00:45:23,839 --> 00:45:29,119
id i d um uh

1299
00:45:25,839 --> 00:45:32,000
my own campaign and my for my buddy

1300
00:45:29,119 --> 00:45:34,800
we also i also stream his games as well

1301
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:37,440
i play in his games so

1302
00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:38,720
cool so you'll have some experience here

1303
00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,480
so

1304
00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:42,880
i was just thinking

1305
00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:44,880
i've called it in my notes campfire talk

1306
00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:47,119
and what i mean by that is

1307
00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:48,960
yeah player character is interacting

1308
00:45:47,119 --> 00:45:49,839
with each other yeah and i was thinking

1309
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,040
that's

1310
00:45:49,839 --> 00:45:52,640
that is

1311
00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:54,160
outside of the weird wacky random game

1312
00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:56,319
we were just talking about

1313
00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:58,400
pcs talking to other pcs is about a

1314
00:45:56,319 --> 00:46:00,480
purest form of

1315
00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:02,560
improvisation as you can get because

1316
00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:04,880
it's it's the stakes are

1317
00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:07,040
typically relatively low there's no you

1318
00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:07,920
know dm hangovers of god this path you

1319
00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:09,920
know this

1320
00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,599
nbc has to never say this and has to

1321
00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:13,359
absolutely say that there's none of that

1322
00:46:11,599 --> 00:46:15,520
it's literally just pure kind of two

1323
00:46:13,359 --> 00:46:17,760
characters talking to each other

1324
00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:21,040
campfire talk is like

1325
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:23,119
is tough because um

1326
00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:27,040
i i think you kept fire talk sort of

1327
00:46:23,119 --> 00:46:29,920
like branches out into just general like

1328
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:31,520
inter-character role-playing in all that

1329
00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:33,040
you encounter like everywhere in the

1330
00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:35,280
game um

1331
00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:37,920
and i think that's that's

1332
00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:40,160
a lot of people starting out with d d

1333
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:42,880
and role-playing in general have a hard

1334
00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:44,480
time with inter-character

1335
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,079
role-playing

1336
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:47,599
because um

1337
00:46:46,079 --> 00:46:48,800
when you start the game you're given the

1338
00:46:47,599 --> 00:46:52,000
sheet

1339
00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:54,720
and the met like the mental impression

1340
00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:56,720
of when you look at the sheet is like

1341
00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:58,319
this is my character

1342
00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:00,000
and it's like these are his this is

1343
00:46:58,319 --> 00:47:02,800
these are their stats

1344
00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:04,640
these are the magic abilities they have

1345
00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:07,520
these are the what how good they are

1346
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:09,040
swinging a sword and then then like you

1347
00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:11,599
flip over it and then there's like a

1348
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,880
little blurb about the background and

1349
00:47:11,599 --> 00:47:15,200
that's it

1350
00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:17,920
the earliest experience as a player has

1351
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,720
with d that when they first sit down to

1352
00:47:17,920 --> 00:47:21,200
play

1353
00:47:18,720 --> 00:47:23,040
is mechanical stuff

1354
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:25,200
so it's it's one of the one of the

1355
00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:28,160
hardest things for players to learn is

1356
00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:30,160
how to how to actually like be in

1357
00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:32,400
character and like

1358
00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:33,520
have a conversation between two

1359
00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:34,960
characters

1360
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:36,960
and i think there's

1361
00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:39,839
that's having a conversation between two

1362
00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:42,319
characters is like a step up even from

1363
00:47:39,839 --> 00:47:44,400
like that's what my character would do

1364
00:47:42,319 --> 00:47:46,079
kind of things where like your character

1365
00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:48,319
decides what they're going to do like

1366
00:47:46,079 --> 00:47:50,640
i'm going to go find this thing like

1367
00:47:48,319 --> 00:47:52,800
sets an objective and goes and executes

1368
00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:56,480
that objective interacting with the game

1369
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:59,760
world interacting with another character

1370
00:47:56,480 --> 00:48:02,640
is um even deeper level than that

1371
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:04,839
if i were to make a tip for how to be

1372
00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:07,680
better with campfire talk and

1373
00:48:04,839 --> 00:48:09,359
inter-character conversations is to

1374
00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:11,760
relax and

1375
00:48:09,359 --> 00:48:13,119
not don't think about like what would my

1376
00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:15,359
character do

1377
00:48:13,119 --> 00:48:16,800
and just have a conversation with the

1378
00:48:15,359 --> 00:48:18,240
person

1379
00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:20,960
across the table

1380
00:48:18,240 --> 00:48:23,040
and just keeping in mind

1381
00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:26,480
what the character knows

1382
00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:29,359
be yourself and like sort of try to work

1383
00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:31,280
uh things about your character in there

1384
00:48:29,359 --> 00:48:32,800
it helps to have a character with a

1385
00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,880
quirk

1386
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:36,000
with quirks that you can sort of like

1387
00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:38,559
play up

1388
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:41,119
but it's it's definitely not necessary

1389
00:48:38,559 --> 00:48:44,319
in my opinion i don't think many people

1390
00:48:41,119 --> 00:48:46,720
expect you to put on oscar performance

1391
00:48:44,319 --> 00:48:48,640
of um

1392
00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:51,839
an oscar performance of your care of

1393
00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:53,359
being so convincingly your character

1394
00:48:51,839 --> 00:48:55,920
that um

1395
00:48:53,359 --> 00:48:58,240
like the the race is all doubt you know

1396
00:48:55,920 --> 00:49:01,200
you're you're at a table with friends

1397
00:48:58,240 --> 00:49:04,319
and just relax if you think about it

1398
00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:05,839
like um it'll sort of organically build

1399
00:49:04,319 --> 00:49:07,839
on itself

1400
00:49:05,839 --> 00:49:09,520
because like when when you start off the

1401
00:49:07,839 --> 00:49:10,319
game your characters don't know each

1402
00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:12,720
other

1403
00:49:10,319 --> 00:49:14,480
and they're not going to sit down by the

1404
00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:18,240
fire and just start

1405
00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:21,359
sharing their inner turmoils and caveats

1406
00:49:18,240 --> 00:49:22,240
about their dad when they were a child

1407
00:49:21,359 --> 00:49:24,319
yeah

1408
00:49:22,240 --> 00:49:26,480
they're going to like make small talk

1409
00:49:24,319 --> 00:49:28,640
and small talk is going to be awkward

1410
00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:30,640
it's like it's going to be so if you're

1411
00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,640
if your campfire talk and inner

1412
00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:35,680
character dialogue is awkward that's

1413
00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:38,000
fine it's normal it's natural if

1414
00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:39,359
anything it's more believable

1415
00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:40,960
um yeah

1416
00:49:39,359 --> 00:49:42,880
that's really nice

1417
00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:45,119
way there and i'm hoping that will make

1418
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:46,720
some anxious players out there feel a

1419
00:49:45,119 --> 00:49:48,319
little bit more

1420
00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:52,800
comfortable with

1421
00:49:48,319 --> 00:49:55,200
that intimidating onus of god i am now

1422
00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:58,559
you know in the spotlight and

1423
00:49:55,200 --> 00:50:01,200
i now have to perform uh

1424
00:49:58,559 --> 00:50:01,200
i go to bed

1425
00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:06,559
which is like you get out of jail free

1426
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,920
card but you can't always you know it's

1427
00:50:06,559 --> 00:50:09,920
gonna happen at some point and as you

1428
00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:10,800
said just kind of you know relax and

1429
00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:12,480
just

1430
00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:14,880
approach it as

1431
00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:17,280
a person would do i think

1432
00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:19,040
a lot of people get in their heads this

1433
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:20,480
image and it's fair enough of their

1434
00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,280
character being

1435
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:23,280
some

1436
00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:24,880
superhero right and they are to a

1437
00:50:23,280 --> 00:50:27,200
certain extent but

1438
00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:29,680
superman was still clark kent and still

1439
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:32,000
you know went and did a day job right so

1440
00:50:29,680 --> 00:50:33,680
he still had to interact with people

1441
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:35,680
normally

1442
00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:36,800
as do as do player characters right

1443
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:39,599
they've still got to you know they can't

1444
00:50:36,800 --> 00:50:40,960
just go into the shop and fly around and

1445
00:50:39,599 --> 00:50:42,800
shoot lightning bolts from their hands

1446
00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:44,800
because that's still

1447
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:46,319
not normal and you know and still you

1448
00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:47,599
know you want to talk about your

1449
00:50:46,319 --> 00:50:48,800
thoughts and your feelings and you've

1450
00:50:47,599 --> 00:50:50,319
still got to just say like hey what do

1451
00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:52,240
you want for dinner

1452
00:50:50,319 --> 00:50:54,480
because i'm getting hella tired of these

1453
00:50:52,240 --> 00:50:56,160
rations that we've had

1454
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:59,119
and like picking

1455
00:50:56,160 --> 00:51:01,599
piggybacking on that analogy um like in

1456
00:50:59,119 --> 00:51:05,359
the justice league like superman and

1457
00:51:01,599 --> 00:51:08,319
batman had like a rapport they weren't

1458
00:51:05,359 --> 00:51:09,920
uh acting like superheroes to each other

1459
00:51:08,319 --> 00:51:12,240
like since they were both superheroes

1460
00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,200
they were acting like people to each

1461
00:51:12,240 --> 00:51:15,040
other

1462
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:17,520
yeah that's that's that is a good

1463
00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:19,359
analogy yeah yeah i think i did some

1464
00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:21,280
conversations been some of my players

1465
00:51:19,359 --> 00:51:22,720
have been quite

1466
00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:24,559
stilted

1467
00:51:22,720 --> 00:51:26,559
and i think it's just taking them

1468
00:51:24,559 --> 00:51:28,400
that as you said that kind of learning

1469
00:51:26,559 --> 00:51:31,040
period of

1470
00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:32,800
in in character of getting to a stage so

1471
00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:34,800
they have that familiarity with each

1472
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:37,680
other where they can just

1473
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:39,440
chat and not be like

1474
00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:40,319
how are you going to react if i ask this

1475
00:51:39,440 --> 00:51:41,839
thing

1476
00:51:40,319 --> 00:51:43,280
they're still kind of slowly testing the

1477
00:51:41,839 --> 00:51:45,119
waters there of

1478
00:51:43,280 --> 00:51:48,160
so so we've got a

1479
00:51:45,119 --> 00:51:49,839
death cleric who is

1480
00:51:48,160 --> 00:51:51,359
has a lot more experience with the game

1481
00:51:49,839 --> 00:51:53,359
relative to the other players so he's

1482
00:51:51,359 --> 00:51:54,960
obviously a lot more familiar with that

1483
00:51:53,359 --> 00:51:56,240
kind of stuff that his death cleric is

1484
00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:58,960
very

1485
00:51:56,240 --> 00:52:00,319
uh obviously a death cleric

1486
00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:02,160
without putting too much of a finer

1487
00:52:00,319 --> 00:52:03,280
point on it they're not hiding that from

1488
00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:04,880
anybody

1489
00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:07,280
and so he's obviously very flashy he's

1490
00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:10,400
got like he's got like skull motifs and

1491
00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:10,400
carries a scythe like

1492
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,800
there's no hiding that factor

1493
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:16,559
he wears it quite proudly and it it's

1494
00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:18,800
his gimmick as you said

1495
00:52:16,559 --> 00:52:20,240
and leans into it quite heavily

1496
00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:23,760
we have another player who is a

1497
00:52:20,240 --> 00:52:26,480
completely new new player who is a

1498
00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:28,160
sorcerer the storm so there's you know

1499
00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:30,720
not quite

1500
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:31,680
as clear a motif

1501
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:33,760
there

1502
00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:35,200
even from you know an experienced player

1503
00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:37,119
you'd have to kind of

1504
00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:39,040
take some quite tenuous links to be like

1505
00:52:37,119 --> 00:52:40,960
oh well there's the storm cloud overhead

1506
00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:42,400
of you know something like that this was

1507
00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:45,520
on a bit of an uphill struggle as it is

1508
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:47,119
anyway but in the one of the last

1509
00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:48,960
sessions of that

1510
00:52:47,119 --> 00:52:50,400
sorcerer who was a bit of a hermit for

1511
00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,359
you know 100 years and whatnot has

1512
00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:54,480
basically

1513
00:52:51,359 --> 00:52:56,160
seen the death cleric casting a ritual

1514
00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:59,920
spell for 10 minutes

1515
00:52:56,160 --> 00:53:02,079
so he's saying incantations he's praying

1516
00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:04,079
and the sorceress come over and said hey

1517
00:53:02,079 --> 00:53:06,400
can i look over your shoulder and just

1518
00:53:04,079 --> 00:53:08,640
kind of like watch what you do because

1519
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:09,599
i'm trying to understand how this magic

1520
00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:12,839
stuff

1521
00:53:09,599 --> 00:53:14,480
works and you clearly know how it works

1522
00:53:12,839 --> 00:53:16,880
so

1523
00:53:14,480 --> 00:53:19,280
so that was a kind of quite a sweet

1524
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:21,599
interaction there that had no

1525
00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:23,760
like i did not galvanize that as the dm

1526
00:53:21,599 --> 00:53:25,839
at all that was that's completely

1527
00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:26,559
on my players to which the cleric was

1528
00:53:25,839 --> 00:53:30,079
like

1529
00:53:26,559 --> 00:53:31,440
yeah i yeah i guess like but

1530
00:53:30,079 --> 00:53:33,520
let me know if you want to know more

1531
00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:36,800
because i'm always looking for people to

1532
00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:38,480
join our cause kind of thing

1533
00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:40,240
so yeah that stuff

1534
00:53:38,480 --> 00:53:41,040
can happen i guess you know as players

1535
00:53:40,240 --> 00:53:43,680
just

1536
00:53:41,040 --> 00:53:46,319
as you said just be chill

1537
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:47,359
just approach it as you would do and

1538
00:53:46,319 --> 00:53:49,599
i think

1539
00:53:47,359 --> 00:53:52,319
the stereotype or the trope of a lot of

1540
00:53:49,599 --> 00:53:53,839
players first characters are caricatures

1541
00:53:52,319 --> 00:53:56,000
of themselves

1542
00:53:53,839 --> 00:53:58,640
is true and a trope for a reason and

1543
00:53:56,000 --> 00:54:00,480
because it's that entry way into okay

1544
00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:02,319
but how would how would we talk about

1545
00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:03,920
this at this point and it's way way way

1546
00:54:02,319 --> 00:54:05,680
easier to just say well how would down

1547
00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:09,040
low talk about it at this point

1548
00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:11,119
so lean on that is what i would say

1549
00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:14,720
i also think like if it when it's the

1550
00:54:11,119 --> 00:54:16,079
first character having a quote-unquote a

1551
00:54:14,720 --> 00:54:19,599
like a dumb

1552
00:54:16,079 --> 00:54:22,079
like trope character is helpful

1553
00:54:19,599 --> 00:54:24,480
because it helps detach you from the

1554
00:54:22,079 --> 00:54:26,640
character's actions and it's more like

1555
00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:28,720
goofing off to play as the character

1556
00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:31,599
than it is like to try and like that

1557
00:54:28,720 --> 00:54:34,480
have that extra vulnerability of like

1558
00:54:31,599 --> 00:54:36,799
portraying yourself in a different world

1559
00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:40,319
yeah it's it's easier to be like sheldon

1560
00:54:36,799 --> 00:54:42,000
cooper from big bang than it is to be

1561
00:54:40,319 --> 00:54:44,160
someone serious from some serious show

1562
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:46,720
that i'm not familiar with

1563
00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:48,400
yeah and and like i think uh sometimes

1564
00:54:46,720 --> 00:54:50,559
people get uh

1565
00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:52,960
you people people hate on tropey

1566
00:54:50,559 --> 00:54:54,880
characters sometimes but i think

1567
00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:58,480
actually like trophy characters they'd

1568
00:54:54,880 --> 00:55:00,160
never stay tropy because the campaign

1569
00:54:58,480 --> 00:55:01,359
goes on for a while and that character

1570
00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:03,040
is going to be in all kinds of

1571
00:55:01,359 --> 00:55:06,480
situations and they're not going to be

1572
00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:09,280
silly in all of those situations and as

1573
00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:11,440
uh the way your your character starts

1574
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:15,280
doesn't define the depth they're going

1575
00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:17,200
to have like 30 sessions from now

1576
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:18,799
so it's okay to be start out to have a

1577
00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:20,480
trope for your character when you're

1578
00:55:18,799 --> 00:55:22,960
starting out that's fine it's they're

1579
00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:25,760
going to develop as the game goes on and

1580
00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:27,680
they won't be as exclusively trophy

1581
00:55:25,760 --> 00:55:29,839
they'll probably still have those quirks

1582
00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:32,640
and that personality but there'll be

1583
00:55:29,839 --> 00:55:34,960
more going on up there than just

1584
00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:36,240
loud goblin hmm

1585
00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:38,319
that's a really good

1586
00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:39,520
i think sound by there of

1587
00:55:38,319 --> 00:55:42,160
the way you made your character at the

1588
00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:42,960
start doesn't define their potential

1589
00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:44,720
and

1590
00:55:42,960 --> 00:55:45,839
yeah keep all those doors open because

1591
00:55:44,720 --> 00:55:47,599
who knows what's going to happen during

1592
00:55:45,839 --> 00:55:48,640
the campaign and then

1593
00:55:47,599 --> 00:55:49,839
wow

1594
00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:51,520
it's just that real life right every

1595
00:55:49,839 --> 00:55:53,920
every experience you have shapes you and

1596
00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:55,920
colors you a little bit and you know use

1597
00:55:53,920 --> 00:55:58,400
what the dm gives you

1598
00:55:55,920 --> 00:55:59,839
session by session to shape and

1599
00:55:58,400 --> 00:56:02,240
color your character so you know how

1600
00:55:59,839 --> 00:56:03,520
they will react to certain situations

1601
00:56:02,240 --> 00:56:05,920
yeah

1602
00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:07,760
so i had a question for you in about

1603
00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:09,440
player improvisation but in your

1604
00:56:07,760 --> 00:56:10,559
capacity as a dm

1605
00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:13,280
so

1606
00:56:10,559 --> 00:56:15,359
do you have any thoughts on

1607
00:56:13,280 --> 00:56:17,599
you know as we alluded to earlier some

1608
00:56:15,359 --> 00:56:20,480
players maybe not being as comfortable

1609
00:56:17,599 --> 00:56:22,720
with improvising so for example you know

1610
00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:25,440
you might have one player go up to a

1611
00:56:22,720 --> 00:56:28,000
a shop and do the bartering and be like

1612
00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:28,720
ah no sir i won't take anything more

1613
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,559
than

1614
00:56:28,720 --> 00:56:32,400
50 off and

1615
00:56:30,559 --> 00:56:33,680
you fool and doing all that and you

1616
00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:34,480
might have another player that's just

1617
00:56:33,680 --> 00:56:36,000
like

1618
00:56:34,480 --> 00:56:37,680
i want to buy this

1619
00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:39,920
and you know like

1620
00:56:37,680 --> 00:56:41,920
you'll try and instigate a conversation

1621
00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:43,520
like i can see you're an adventurer like

1622
00:56:41,920 --> 00:56:45,440
where have you been on your travels and

1623
00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:47,040
and why do you want that potion and

1624
00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:50,000
they're just like um

1625
00:56:47,040 --> 00:56:50,880
i just i just want that potion like how

1626
00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:52,559
do you

1627
00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:54,000
deal with deal with that sounds like you

1628
00:56:52,559 --> 00:56:55,839
could need to get rid of them but you

1629
00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:58,880
know how do you manage

1630
00:56:55,839 --> 00:57:01,760
how do you support them i suppose my my

1631
00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:04,720
usual my usual response is to

1632
00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:06,880
if i can tell that they're like not a

1633
00:57:04,720 --> 00:57:08,720
prioritizing rp

1634
00:57:06,880 --> 00:57:11,440
uh being in character

1635
00:57:08,720 --> 00:57:14,480
um just like every once in a while just

1636
00:57:11,440 --> 00:57:16,960
being like okay how do they do that

1637
00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:19,520
for instance for going to your your

1638
00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:21,920
example like i might say okay you walk

1639
00:57:19,520 --> 00:57:24,960
to the back of the shop say they're

1640
00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:26,799
there to get like 100 feet of rope i say

1641
00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:29,119
like okay you go you walk to the back of

1642
00:57:26,799 --> 00:57:31,040
the shop and you find a basket with a

1643
00:57:29,119 --> 00:57:33,520
bunch of rope on it and it has this

1644
00:57:31,040 --> 00:57:36,000
price on it and i just thought about

1645
00:57:33,520 --> 00:57:38,400
right now is like if i wanted to get the

1646
00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:40,640
player to rp a little bit in this

1647
00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:43,280
situation i might

1648
00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:46,079
put a price tag on the rope in the

1649
00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:49,680
basket that's like

1650
00:57:46,079 --> 00:57:52,079
like 150 percent the cost of a rope in

1651
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:53,760
the player's handbook

1652
00:57:52,079 --> 00:57:56,640
and now there's that little incentive

1653
00:57:53,760 --> 00:57:58,400
for the player to like go up and try to

1654
00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,319
try to they're like i don't want to pay

1655
00:57:58,400 --> 00:58:02,240
a hundred i don't want to pay 150

1656
00:58:00,319 --> 00:58:04,079
percent of the cost

1657
00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:05,040
yeah but um

1658
00:58:04,079 --> 00:58:06,000
i think

1659
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,799
my main

1660
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:11,680
theory is just to like not put down the

1661
00:58:08,799 --> 00:58:13,520
hammer and be you have to just like

1662
00:58:11,680 --> 00:58:16,240
describe how your character does

1663
00:58:13,520 --> 00:58:18,799
everything but just like just give them

1664
00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:21,680
nudges every once in a while especially

1665
00:58:18,799 --> 00:58:23,280
if you're to sort of pull them into one

1666
00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:26,480
on one hand you're pulling them into the

1667
00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:28,559
narrative a little bit and getting the

1668
00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:29,359
influencing their theater of the mind

1669
00:58:28,559 --> 00:58:31,040
like

1670
00:58:29,359 --> 00:58:33,839
when you remind a player

1671
00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:35,760
how does your character do that you're

1672
00:58:33,839 --> 00:58:38,160
sort of putting their headspace back

1673
00:58:35,760 --> 00:58:40,400
into the world and they're like um i

1674
00:58:38,160 --> 00:58:41,760
guess even if they're just like uh i

1675
00:58:40,400 --> 00:58:42,720
yell it

1676
00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:44,559
at

1677
00:58:42,720 --> 00:58:46,960
so and so

1678
00:58:44,559 --> 00:58:49,520
then like that's still like if if

1679
00:58:46,960 --> 00:58:51,680
they're super standoffish with rp just

1680
00:58:49,520 --> 00:58:54,000
i'm saying i yell it at so and so that's

1681
00:58:51,680 --> 00:58:55,520
already like that's already just that

1682
00:58:54,000 --> 00:58:57,760
little bit more

1683
00:58:55,520 --> 00:58:59,200
in character in the world and just like

1684
00:58:57,760 --> 00:59:04,240
i guess another tip i would have for

1685
00:58:59,200 --> 00:59:07,520
that is to is to reward and celebrate um

1686
00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:08,400
rp yeah when a character does something

1687
00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:10,559
like

1688
00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:13,040
like even if a character is just like i

1689
00:59:10,559 --> 00:59:15,520
attack with my sword um

1690
00:59:13,040 --> 00:59:18,000
i look i love the

1691
00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:20,799
it's almost it's a meme at this point

1692
00:59:18,000 --> 00:59:23,520
but um because of how well known it is

1693
00:59:20,799 --> 00:59:26,799
when matt says how are you gonna do this

1694
00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:28,960
um that's a chance for the character to

1695
00:59:26,799 --> 00:59:31,359
uh what instead of just

1696
00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:34,160
okay they have no hp pick up the piece

1697
00:59:31,359 --> 00:59:34,880
to take it off the map next um

1698
00:59:34,160 --> 00:59:36,799
to

1699
00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:38,960
like give the character a chance to

1700
00:59:36,799 --> 00:59:41,839
shine like you like make them make them

1701
00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:43,440
be really cool and if and some people

1702
00:59:41,839 --> 00:59:45,839
aren't like good at coming up with

1703
00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:48,400
something and that at that point then

1704
00:59:45,839 --> 00:59:50,880
you sort of do it for you just like get

1705
00:59:48,400 --> 00:59:52,960
get whatever minimal input they give and

1706
00:59:50,880 --> 00:59:55,200
then you like embellish it yeah blow it

1707
00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:57,119
up and make them and try try to make

1708
00:59:55,200 --> 01:00:00,079
them feel really cool and

1709
00:59:57,119 --> 01:00:02,000
uh good about how they're doing things

1710
01:00:00,079 --> 01:00:03,119
in the theater of the mind

1711
01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:04,880
kind of thing

1712
01:00:03,119 --> 01:00:07,040
yeah some really really good points

1713
01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:09,200
there like i'm gonna go through them in

1714
01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:10,640
reverse order so the that how do you

1715
01:00:09,200 --> 01:00:12,640
want to do this is

1716
01:00:10,640 --> 01:00:13,839
like players always are asking me like

1717
01:00:12,640 --> 01:00:15,760
can i go for the eyes can i go and

1718
01:00:13,839 --> 01:00:17,359
hamstring so on and so on you can't do

1719
01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:19,040
that stuff normally within the rules is

1720
01:00:17,359 --> 01:00:21,280
written because it's you know breaks the

1721
01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:22,960
action economy and whatnot but

1722
01:00:21,280 --> 01:00:24,720
that how do you want to do this that's

1723
01:00:22,960 --> 01:00:26,720
the player's opportunity to do that

1724
01:00:24,720 --> 01:00:29,839
weird and wacky stuff that you can't you

1725
01:00:26,720 --> 01:00:32,960
know really do rules as written so just

1726
01:00:29,839 --> 01:00:34,480
go ham like do a backflip jump around

1727
01:00:32,960 --> 01:00:36,160
decapitate them

1728
01:00:34,480 --> 01:00:38,319
you know whatever you want to do use

1729
01:00:36,160 --> 01:00:40,000
that to really flavor your character

1730
01:00:38,319 --> 01:00:41,200
because that's that's your opportunity

1731
01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:44,240
to do so

1732
01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:48,160
we were fighting in a game before

1733
01:00:44,240 --> 01:00:49,920
lockdown and my barbarian paladin dps

1734
01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:51,520
machine got the killing blowing like a

1735
01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:53,520
mini boss that happened to be the father

1736
01:00:51,520 --> 01:00:55,119
of one of the player characters so i

1737
01:00:53,520 --> 01:00:57,680
basically said okay i'm not gonna

1738
01:00:55,119 --> 01:00:59,760
kill him because it's the the father of

1739
01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:01,680
the person and maybe they want to talk

1740
01:00:59,760 --> 01:01:02,880
to them so i was like dm instead of

1741
01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:04,160
like killing them can i just like you

1742
01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:06,000
know kick him in the back of the legs

1743
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:07,359
and put my mace around his neck and just

1744
01:01:06,000 --> 01:01:09,839
kind of hold him

1745
01:01:07,359 --> 01:01:11,200
basically on his knees and say okay they

1746
01:01:09,839 --> 01:01:12,640
go other player character this is your

1747
01:01:11,200 --> 01:01:15,119
chance now to you know

1748
01:01:12,640 --> 01:01:16,960
reconcile with your father oh i can snap

1749
01:01:15,119 --> 01:01:18,480
his neck but i'm

1750
01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:19,520
it's it's up to you kind of thing so

1751
01:01:18,480 --> 01:01:20,720
yeah that's

1752
01:01:19,520 --> 01:01:22,160
use that how do you want to do this

1753
01:01:20,720 --> 01:01:23,680
isn't just

1754
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:25,839
player characters

1755
01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:28,319
say something stupid it's

1756
01:01:25,839 --> 01:01:30,079
that is your like a golden opportunity

1757
01:01:28,319 --> 01:01:31,760
to flavor your character and to make

1758
01:01:30,079 --> 01:01:33,520
them stand out that's your that's your

1759
01:01:31,760 --> 01:01:35,440
moment in the spotlight to say okay

1760
01:01:33,520 --> 01:01:38,000
here's my badass time

1761
01:01:35,440 --> 01:01:40,559
yeah you can also bring out the way your

1762
01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:41,680
character is really well too because

1763
01:01:40,559 --> 01:01:43,280
like you know

1764
01:01:41,680 --> 01:01:45,200
more of

1765
01:01:43,280 --> 01:01:47,839
how you do it

1766
01:01:45,200 --> 01:01:49,680
is sort of how the the way you want the

1767
01:01:47,839 --> 01:01:51,359
k the player wants their character to

1768
01:01:49,680 --> 01:01:53,839
look like that's what that's what their

1769
01:01:51,359 --> 01:01:56,160
ideal character is

1770
01:01:53,839 --> 01:01:57,520
and going back to like uh you know

1771
01:01:56,160 --> 01:02:00,559
somebody says i want to shoot them in

1772
01:01:57,520 --> 01:02:01,440
the eyes kind of thing uh i usually just

1773
01:02:00,559 --> 01:02:04,319
like

1774
01:02:01,440 --> 01:02:07,760
be like okay you can try and let the

1775
01:02:04,319 --> 01:02:10,240
dice determine if they succeed like

1776
01:02:07,760 --> 01:02:12,000
um it's like if they roll okay they need

1777
01:02:10,240 --> 01:02:14,000
first they need to roll hit and like if

1778
01:02:12,000 --> 01:02:16,160
somebody wants to shoot them in the eye

1779
01:02:14,000 --> 01:02:18,559
they need to not only roll the hit but

1780
01:02:16,160 --> 01:02:20,559
also roll like pretty good damage if

1781
01:02:18,559 --> 01:02:23,680
they want to like [ __ ] them in some

1782
01:02:20,559 --> 01:02:24,960
way and like them shooting in the eye

1783
01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:27,200
shooting the thing in the eye doesn't

1784
01:02:24,960 --> 01:02:29,920
really need to uh

1785
01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:31,839
impact the mechanics at all it might

1786
01:02:29,920 --> 01:02:33,039
impact how you play

1787
01:02:31,839 --> 01:02:34,559
the thing

1788
01:02:33,039 --> 01:02:36,559
but it uh

1789
01:02:34,559 --> 01:02:39,280
it doesn't need to like impact the

1790
01:02:36,559 --> 01:02:41,839
mechanics of like what the stat block of

1791
01:02:39,280 --> 01:02:44,240
the creature at all but you can still

1792
01:02:41,839 --> 01:02:46,960
like say like you shoot the giant lizard

1793
01:02:44,240 --> 01:02:49,039
in the eye and like they roll

1794
01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:51,520
they say they critically hit and deal a

1795
01:02:49,039 --> 01:02:53,440
lot of damage absolutely you shot the

1796
01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:55,440
giant lizard in the eye

1797
01:02:53,440 --> 01:02:57,200
yeah for sure yeah and i really liked

1798
01:02:55,440 --> 01:02:59,440
your comment earlier on about

1799
01:02:57,200 --> 01:03:01,599
raising the price of an item kind of

1800
01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:03,200
forcing the hand of the player to have

1801
01:03:01,599 --> 01:03:04,799
to improvise a little bit there but the

1802
01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:05,440
reason why i like it so much is because

1803
01:03:04,799 --> 01:03:07,680
it

1804
01:03:05,440 --> 01:03:09,039
makes sense in game

1805
01:03:07,680 --> 01:03:10,880
like it's it's

1806
01:03:09,039 --> 01:03:13,119
no one would know that you're using that

1807
01:03:10,880 --> 01:03:14,799
as a tool in your dms toolkit to

1808
01:03:13,119 --> 01:03:16,799
encourage that player to improvise a

1809
01:03:14,799 --> 01:03:18,640
little bit because it's all

1810
01:03:16,799 --> 01:03:20,480
in game and you're kind of flying under

1811
01:03:18,640 --> 01:03:21,760
the radar there and you can totally just

1812
01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:23,280
like no that's just that that was just

1813
01:03:21,760 --> 01:03:25,039
that npc

1814
01:03:23,280 --> 01:03:26,319
whereas in you know behind you like yes

1815
01:03:25,039 --> 01:03:28,400
that guy's kind of coming out with

1816
01:03:26,319 --> 01:03:30,400
sheldon is you know improvising and

1817
01:03:28,400 --> 01:03:32,240
that's that's that's that's just lovely

1818
01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,440
that's just perfect

1819
01:03:32,240 --> 01:03:34,880
is it is there anything else you wanted

1820
01:03:33,440 --> 01:03:36,240
to talk about

1821
01:03:34,880 --> 01:03:39,200
um

1822
01:03:36,240 --> 01:03:41,839
i i've we've talked about a whole lot

1823
01:03:39,200 --> 01:03:42,880
we it's like it's d like we could we

1824
01:03:41,839 --> 01:03:44,400
could talk

1825
01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:46,720
forever

1826
01:03:44,400 --> 01:03:46,720
yep

1827
01:03:47,520 --> 01:03:52,400
but unfortunately we have a time limit

1828
01:03:49,599 --> 01:03:54,079
to a deity so um

1829
01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:56,480
in that case then is there anything else

1830
01:03:54,079 --> 01:03:59,760
you want to plug at all or promote if

1831
01:03:56,480 --> 01:04:02,160
you want to check out uh my games at idm

1832
01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:06,480
and my and my friends dms you can check

1833
01:04:02,160 --> 01:04:09,200
us out at twitch.tv slash eos riconto

1834
01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:11,039
pretty small right now but um

1835
01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:12,559
the the channel was originally just sort

1836
01:04:11,039 --> 01:04:14,640
of like a personal channel for me to

1837
01:04:12,559 --> 01:04:18,319
share with friends our

1838
01:04:14,640 --> 01:04:20,720
our games but 2021 i'm gonna try and put

1839
01:04:18,319 --> 01:04:23,680
more stuff together and maybe get some

1840
01:04:20,720 --> 01:04:25,119
more campaigns going and and once once

1841
01:04:23,680 --> 01:04:27,039
those plans are in motion i'll be

1842
01:04:25,119 --> 01:04:29,039
looking for some players and if people

1843
01:04:27,039 --> 01:04:30,960
are around and they're liking what i got

1844
01:04:29,039 --> 01:04:33,440
maybe awesome well if involved

1845
01:04:30,960 --> 01:04:34,960
defensively dming me at 2 am then uh

1846
01:04:33,440 --> 01:04:37,520
yeah

1847
01:04:34,960 --> 01:04:41,319
do you well i mean i could do it i don't

1848
01:04:37,520 --> 01:04:41,319
know if the rest of the players

1849
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:44,720
um

1850
01:04:43,440 --> 01:04:46,559
yeah i'd recommend everybody to check

1851
01:04:44,720 --> 01:04:48,799
out daniel's stuff because clearly after

1852
01:04:46,559 --> 01:04:50,319
today he knows what he's talking about

1853
01:04:48,799 --> 01:04:52,960
so yeah thank you again for joining us

1854
01:04:50,319 --> 01:04:55,359
daniel thank you it's been a pleasure

1855
01:04:52,960 --> 01:04:58,880
yep lovely awesome um thank you all for

1856
01:04:55,359 --> 01:05:00,720
listening at home as usual any thoughts

1857
01:04:58,880 --> 01:05:03,680
questions tips tricks all that usual

1858
01:05:00,720 --> 01:05:06,160
stuff you can find me easiliest on

1859
01:05:03,680 --> 01:05:08,400
twitter at download underscore dnd

1860
01:05:06,160 --> 01:05:10,530
otherwise thank you all for listening

1861
01:05:08,400 --> 01:05:15,719
and good night

1862
01:05:10,530 --> 01:05:15,719
[Music]

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