4 things great D&D players do (and you should, too) 

One of the reasons I love this channel so much is that Ginny is always looking for more creative and engaging ways to present her content. From ads to today's theme of "getting ready for D&D", it makes every episode feel fresh.

Great advice. As a DM I love the players who help to drive the story, whether that's recklessly nursing through a door, callously rejecting the tempting offer of the BBEG, or just talking to each other to ask how they interpreted recent events. The best DM moments are when you can sit back and listen for blocks of time.

Next Ginny video: Progressively becomes a Mr. Rogers episode, welcoming the audience to her house to talk about D&D 😂

That overhead bed shot took commitment.

DM, "There's a button." Me, "I press the button." Group, "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" Me, "You heard me DM, what happened?"

I get weak in the knees when a player says "how do you spell that?" note takers are so few and far between at my table, I love when players take an active role in my lore and world

I’ve gotten a trophy for it! Highly recommend. My group and I do this thing at the end of every year, around Christmas or New Years, called the RPies (pronounced are-peas). Basically we give a bunch of awards to each other like certificates and 3D printed trophies and we all vote at the table so we can reminisce. We do like “Coup d’grace” for best finisher move. “Best Scrollplayer” for the person who has the worst habit of scrolling in their phone but still manages to know what’s going on at the game. “Archivist” for best note taker. “Best moment”, “favorite character”, favorite NPC” are other categories. Yes we have DM trophies too. You should try it!

I love the phrasing of these types of videos more than ‘worst things you can do as a player’. just positive vibes make me happier thank you

One of my fav things to see as a DM is when one of my players comes up with a creative new way to solve a problem which completely blows me away. Being in awe of the creativity and incredible skills of your players just can't be beat.

love the staging of this as prepping for going to the game

The camera work and general "get ready with Ginny" b plot was super fun

Be bold is such a great way to articulate on what I mean when I encourage my table to 'follow the fiction'. I'm gonna share this during my next session 0. ❤

I have to disagree with you on one point. You putting yourself out here on RU-vid in your first video and keeping going day after day is quite fearless and daring.

I literally DM for the first time next week. I'm so excited! Your videos are a huuuge help.

Can absolutely verify on bold. One of the most frustrating games I ever ran featured the players regularly discussing/planning for half a session on what they wanted to do. Everything set to go. next session comes around and suddenly the person (who got the plan they wanted) wants to revisit everything because dear god...there might be some danger involved in assaulting a Dragon's lair to stop it from burninating the country side.

Lmao Ginny always knows how to nail those endings. Love the thought and care you put into not only making this a great advice video, but also a thoughtful narrative element that fits the theme! I’m personally the type that definitely leans into characters that aren’t too far from me (as in they’re usually antisocial in one way or another so I can easily fade into the background, but you inspire me to go outside my comfort zone a bit more often.

There's no way you got that perfect eyeliner on the first try. HOW?? But also thank you for the advice, I always feel a bit bad when my all out, acting DM is just not met with same energy...

The videography in this video was actually really great, I can tell you put a lot of effort into it! Physically showing you waking up at the start, getting ready throughout the video and ending on you leaving made the video start, end and flow REALLY naturally! Seriously good job!! ❤️

I'm glad you added the 4th item because I think its criticle for your 2nd item. Some of my favorite moments playing D&D was when either my character or another took a daring bold move, sometimes good and sometimes even evil, that really set a highlight for an entire months long campaign. It worked because the characters were building up to it, it was completely consistent with their character and their arc, but most of all, it didn't cross any boundaries with the party and did nothing to hinder the groups effort or any other players goals. I've had other experiences where a player attempted to be bold, but it put the whole group in danger, and well, instead of it being an amazing moment we all remember, it was looked at as a terrible situation that sort of ruined a whole session and took a whole other session to sort out. One other thing I'd add, especially as a fellow neurodivergent, is getting a good nights sleep. A lot of the items you talked about (being bold, being playful, taking notes and paying attention) work infinitely better if you are well rested.

I tend play a lot of different characters, but most of them share a single characteristic- they're always ready to throw hands. So I have no problem with the "be bold" part. And one of my DMs used that to storytelling's benefits, during a recent session he was great at roleplaying how annoyed a sea devil was with my monk attacking him (That devil struck first, not literally but he forced another player's character to sleep and entered their dream while simultainously remaining outside in his physical form).

Over-prepping hurts for sure! I've played in two long-running campaigns (over 5 years and one still ongoing), and the DM style can make a huge difference in whether players feel comfortable and encouraged to make those bold decisions. TLDR; Reward the behaviors you want to see, which may mean fudging the rules. If your players know there's a crash mat, they're way more likely to try some cool stunts. In one campaign, there was a lot of room for shenanigans. The story leaned episodic, the climactic battles frequently ended with a rule-of-cool escape montage after the enemy was defeated, and there were a lot of theater kids in the group who were happy to lean into the drama of a decision over the mechanics. And since doing the dumb thing didn't have a real risk of character death (unless the DM explicitly asked in advance), there was more emphasis on emotional stakes. We got to have the scenes of PCs fighting each other in front of an enemy because of personal character revelations, as well as players actually crying real tears over the death of an NPC former comrade. In contrast, my other campaign feels very much like a simulation, with a deep, rich world the DM homebrewed and has been running with various groups for over a decade. There are real consequences to messing up, and several close calls. The result is that we as a party have become paranoid. For example, I spent months working on an entire stringboard to track 14 different factions, 8 mythical figures, 5 locations, and over 40 NPCs and their connections in a desperate attempt to stop an oncoming apocalyptic event, only for us to fail utterly because we had made one mistake: two of the NPCs we'd trusted wound up being double agents, so our entire plan unraveled instantly. Honestly, we were so wrung out at that point that when the big bad finally showed up, the DM *tried* to convince us it was a winnable fight and we flat out didn't believe him. The big bad won uncontested, and we're dealing with the consequences over a year of real time later. It's still a fabulous game (I wouldn't still play if it wasn't), but it has frustrated both the players and the DM that we now either overprepare or don't bother to try prepping at all when heading into major conflicts. So, if you're a DM and want players to make bolder choices, it may take some flexibility on your part. If you're in a world where PC death is expected and everyone's on board with it, that's great! Make them work for it so victories feel earned! But if your players are set on a long-term path with high stakes, don't be afraid to fudge numbers or change plans if you need to. If you see your players running toward a cliff because they've missed something vital, you can insert a scene to spell it out for them more, giving a chance to course-correct and also drive home the danger that they were close to. It's often the near-misses that feel empowering, rather than smooth sailing or harsh punishments. [end rant 😅]

One of my favorite bold choices was in this pirate campaign I was playing in. I was playing a Gold Dragonborn Totem Warrior Barbarian. Through a wish on a magical crystal skull, I got wings. As our ship was sailing one night, we noticed an enemy pirate crew was tailing us. In a risky move, one that genuinely could have killed me, I flew to the enemy ship, just above the surface of the water. I flew up and used my Breath Weapon to ignite the enemy ship’s gunpowder for their forward cannons, setting the ship on fire. This led to me getting into a one-on-one fight with the enemy captain, who already had a grudge against my character from a prior encounter when I burnt one of his masts. For reference, I was Level 6, and the enemy captain was a Level 10 character (a Fighter/Barbarian multiclass). My character very well could have died. I knew that he probably could rip me apart with how much higher leveled he was than me in a 1-on-1, but it felt like the right choice for my character to take up that challenge… And I actually survived! I enabled the rest of the party and our crew to attack the enemy ship and sink it with minimal casualties in our part. Neither me nor the enemy captain died, as our fight was interrupted by the sinking, but my DM said I took a massive chunk out of the guy, so I felt proud in that moment 👍🏻

Maybe this is splitting hairs, but I find myself avoiding bold, risky moves specifically *because* I am putting myself in my characters shoes. From the perspective of my character, consequences _are_ real. In order for me to make the fun, adventurous choices, I often have to avoid thinking "would my character really do this"? Not saying there wouldn't be characters who take risks, but I would say in a well realized world, most characters would try to avoid taking needless risks just because "failing is fun" and "consequences aren't real".

When you did the hook in the beginning, I started thinking about who my example for who the best player is. It's Emily Axford!

That opening hit too close to home lol. I recently had a dream (as a DM) that one of my players told me she really loved the city they've been spending time in, that it was so much flavour and a strong atmosphere and is so unique, and that she just immediately came to care about that city. I was so sad when I woke up and realized she never actually said that...

I love it when my players start lore dropping world history to explain their actions and motives. Or, when players do some wild things that I could never anticipate but work wonderfully for the current circumstance. Good stuff.

The little blurb at the end about not being a perfect player and just working to bring more fun to the table makes me so happy 😭😭😭💚💚💚

A lot of my sessions are more story driven than combat heavy, so when there's a legitimate threat (such as last session when a bone devil possessed the party's dwarven ally) I make sure to telegraph that information in advance. This is the time for them to go in fully prepared, and boy did they come up with some unique tactics. If game masters use this approach then they can likely avoid the over-preparing trap that slows down regular gameplay and turns caution into boredom.

Hey wait a minute, this is just four interpersonal-relationship-advices in a TTRPG trench coat! As a forever DM I'm... kind of a crappy player at times. This is a good set of pillars to use while I try to do better.

I love the comment, I roll for survival vs search the area. This is 100% great, we speak like this and let the dm tell us what rolls he wants. Much more immersive game with this vs just thinking in terms of rolls all the time! Another great video!

Being mindful of plot hooks and being very purposeful in taking them has single-handedly leveled up my RP game. I'm embarrassed by how many years it took me to actually recognize hooks for what they were. But once I started GMing myself, it helped me start looking at games from a "What would my GM want me to do in this situation to make for some fun?" perspective. Suddenly I noticed all those hooks for what they were and began building my characters to be ones that would take the bait--reckless or curious or nosy or maybe a little too caring and compassionate. I got FAR more invested, FAR more curious, and FAR more daring!

I love when players make a game their own. Those are the most memorable. I remember I designed a game for my mom's birthday based on the historical dramas she was watch at the time. The players needed to prevent a set of plan from making it out of port to a general planning an attack on a town. I figured they'd either disguise themselves or fight people on the boat and planned the encounter. When the players decided the simplest solution was simply to blow up the boat, all that work on the encounter was out the window - but the process of them blowing up the boat was so memorable it still comes up at family dinners. I love that they did what they thought was the most fun.

1. Those are some very nice house plants! 2. Are there any examples that you can think of where players were *too* bold or is that just something we shouldn't bother thinking about? The only thing that comes to mind is maybe being so bold that you run the risk of main character syndrome and deprive the other PCs of their chance to be bold themselves. 3. Don't worry, Ginny, I'm sure you'll get a trophy one of these days.

“Mechanics last” is something that I’ve really learned a lot in my short time GMing and something I aim to improve more - it’s tough when the “catchphrases” of dnd are things like Insight checks and Nat 20s which are removed from the narrative context

Your role as a player is to go bite the bait!! This single piece of advice is all I ever ask for.

As a DM, I love when my players show genuine growth, both as a player and as a character. When a 2D character suddenly gains depth, you can see it in the players' eyes. And when the player goes from CE Murder Hobo to contributing player, it's pure gold.

Yup, not showing up was why my dad's sessions ended. My sister killed the one real chance I had to play d&d. "It's so slow and boring, and dad just reads the stuff out of the book." She would say. Yea, dad was kinda bad at being a dm, but he hadn't done it since he was a kid. She could have given him a break. 😢

I'm a relatively new DM. For me, the #1 thing I appreciate about a player is good communication. Posting on discord "Forgot to mention, your characters leveled up! Please level up before next session" and getting a simple thumbs up from everyone really helps. After spending hours prepping for a session and having players just take a few seconds to respond to posts and then actually show up prepared makes it worth it. Conversely, if you get no response cause they couldn't take a few seconds to check the discord between sessions really makes you feel like you're wasting your time. Communication is so important to a good game.

Your production values are always great. I don't always get to watch videos, because im a truck driver and just play videos for the audio most of the time. But when i do get to watch things, i appreciate all the extra details youtubers put into their work. It's honestly why i still spend so much time on this platform. Tv has to spend alot of money on talented people to equal the love that some content creators put into their videos. Thank you m'lady!

This game is so much more fun when players know the particulars of their abilities. ...and not just THINK they know them but keep getting it wrong in their favour.

I know this channel is largely D&D focused, but one of the things I like about Star Trek Adventure's rules is the concept of the Spotlight Milestone, where players vote for Excellence in Roleplaying, which can eventually lead to perks. It definitely can be abused or result in punishing quieter players if the party doesn't make a conscious effort to reward a player who may have pushed herself outside of her comfort zone, but as long as you're playing with decent people who respect and root for one another, it can be a great system for encouraging and rewarding players who make an effort to engage with the narrative.

Didn't expect my love of D&D and ASMR makeup tutorials to cross paths today, but here we are....

i absolutely love this style of editing youve been using in videos lately and i hope you keep doing it!! really neat way of presenting all the info

These are great tips! Something I've run into is that players want more combat sessions, but also want to use diplomacy to solve every issue. Sometimes those goals are opposed lol.

I had a player write a response to an NPC letter. Not just my character says, but a full blown letter in character. I was blown away her fiancée (also a player in the campaign) told me she took a full half an hour writing a letter in the game lore and with the appropriate saltation and everything i was honestly fearful that she took the game that seriously and it meant so much to me.

I'm the notetaker for our group & what I do is out of character notes first that cover the entire session then I'll do in character notes in a way that makes sense. I find by doing them in character it helps me remember the sessions better too As an example my most recent character Cleo Hughes is a bloodhunter who has been sent to investigate ruins so she sends regular reports to the leader of her order which is flavoured as her using her blood to cast find familiar as a ritual. I also help my DM with world building by getting permission to expand on world elements by basically making a skeleton for him to expand on

This is good advice. Be bold and commit. Nothing kills my excitement to run a game than: (1) players that nope out of every encounter, hook or situation that seems risky. (2) players that have to spend a few minutes debating on the safest, easiest or most efficient way to open every door they encounter. Just, for the love of the gods.... Do *something* !

Years ago, I renamed TTRPG's "Interactive Improvisational Theatre". If you think about your live-gaming this way, rather than as a slow-ass video game or narcissistic therapy session, you will get (and give) a lot more out of it. You are part of a theatre company, with yourselves as the audience (so a little narcissistic lol) you can see the value in knowing your character and setting up the other characters for great scenes. "An assist is as good as a score." It's all about the moments you discover together, and that makes the show a big hit. The GM is giving you the material to play off, so make the best use of it.

Playing an antisocial evil aligned character (GM approved), I often find it difficult to interract with my party, which is sad cuz I love roleplaying. But the simple advice of asking questions is so good?? I will be bringing this to our table next time. Also, "Bold" is something I strive to be better at, and I think the difficulty comes from the trust between the player and the GM. If you trust your GM to not gravely punish you for making mistakes (which bold decisions often can lead to), then you feel more comfortable being bold. I love my GM SO fjucking much, but I am also a bundle of anxieties and I'm prone to imagine the worst case scenario in most situations (in game or IRL). This video has helped me feel a little better about bold decisions being something GMs generally appreciates in a player, not someone who never fails at anything because they always play it safe. We all want the same thing: to tell a good story.

8:49 *sings in Hoobastank* “I’m not a perfect plaaaaayeeeerrrrr…” 😄

The glass gradually emptying at 0:58 was a great touch, always love the little easter eggs like those

I love your advice about "doing what you character would do" rather than focusing on game dynamics. I recently started doing this and am enjoying RPGs so much more than when I used to try to optimise encounters

big fan of the "getting ready" angle of this video, and i'm always excited when you show up on my page!

I've gotten consistently good results out of putting together a little list after the whole creation process is done full of "Neat story hooks I would totally roll with if you thought it was fun or it got us out of a rut". It's usually just a "He will absolutely adopt an NPC with X traits" or "obsessed with pretty bugs, but tries to keep other people from noticing" or "genuinely hates chickens and thinks they're out to get him. Also loves to eat chicken" sort of thing. Generally only a couple show up in games (if any) but they've usually been really fun, especially if I've forgotten about them by the time they come up. I don't know if there's a name for it or anything, I feel like it's something a few other people did wayyy back when I was playing D&D on BBSes and I got it from someone else.

Happy to see focus on how to be a better player! It is not all about the GM, a great game requires great players too!

0:53 Thank you for taking time for the important things in life.

I just really want to thank you for the things you said on immersion. There are times that it’s easier to just say “can I roll nature” but just the little effort to say “I look to see what kind of plant this is”. Your an inspiration and I want you to know you make so many people happy 😊

"This goes beyond just learning your character sheet and showing up for sessions." Yo if I had a group where everyone just did those two things I'd be so stoked. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who is actually excited to play.

I love that you bring a story to your videos. Getting ready for a D&D session, getting outside, etc... love it!

I am loving the cinematography of the last couple of videos, I appreciate the amount of work changing place to film can be but it looks really good 👍

0:52 adorable cat spotted

I love this! I feel so grateful for my current players as they really lean into the setting, and they try to give life and depth to the NPCs. We all have a shared trait where we fall in love with what we build in-game, and it’s just so special.

Regarding the third tip, I'm finding myself in the strange situation where my players are almost too quick to pick up some of the hooks I lay down... I'm trying to establish an open world where the players always have different options for what they want to do, but it feels like the moment I put something down, they snatch it and run with it, so that I'm kind of accidentally railroading them, and I have to be very careful about not presenting too many "side-quests". Though, to be fair, it does mean that I almost never prepare anything in vain, so it's not like I'm really complaining 😅

At 0:53 she goes in for a kiss and somehow then walks away from that adorable fluff?! I would have had to come back one second later to gently lay my face against the fur lmao

Another part of commitment and honesty is not taking advantage of the DM's offer to let the players engage with world building by shoveling in a ton of insane advantages for your character at every opportunity.

I took your advice for taking notes a while ago, and I became the official note taker and summary presenter each session to help out my DM.

The last line of this video is PURE GOLD! Same Ginny, same. I work on doing all the other things to be a good player, but I'm the person who's consistently a couple minutes late.

To me, commitment might be the most important. I really appreciate bold and playful players, it's awesome! But you need to commit first to get the chance to make cool choices! As player and as a DM both, nothing frustrates me more than people half-showing up. It makes it so harder for me to engage and I catch myself checking out even though I really dont want to!

As both a DM and player this is all wonderful advice! Great video

I didn't have time to read the other comments, but I greatly appreciate the sub-story in your presentation today, by transforming yourself throughout the video, a subtle cue for how you're talking about transforming from an ordinary player into a favorite player. Subtlety for the win!

Good advice for sure. There's certainly an element of 'being a player' that players should have, like asking questions, recognising hooks, paying attention, that makes the game better for everyone. As really enjoyed the down-to-earth style of the video!

As a DM, the last question is, "what do you all want to do next session." Whomever can answer that makes prepping for the next session much easier. I appreciate all of my players, but having at least one player who is willing to answer that question is always a good thing

Whole heartedly agree with players just commiting to a choice instead of meticulously analyzing and trying to find the optimal path with no downsides.

My DM sent me this and said "the opening bit is you" and I don't know how I can go on Devastation aside, I really needed to hear your advice on not being afraid to be a little cringy or to take some risks!! My panic about using up my spell slots is such a symptom of this!

I am strictly a solo player and content like this is useful to players like me. It gives me ideas to take different narrative angles. It occurred to me to do a delve that is a three Stooges comedy of errors. No one will die, but can I weave a slapstick adventure that I find fun and entertaining. Thanks for your inspiration and hard work!

This! All of this! Respecting the DM, other players, and the game itself is how D&D is meant to be played!

Loved the faux-getting ready to go vibe, from getting up to getting in the car. Told a good visual story

One of the things I love for my players to do is to be proactive. Grab the plothook, interact with the NPC, research your shopping trip ahead of time, if you know you're likely to level up know what you're going to take etc. This is especially true with backstories. Don't just tell me what your character's story is but also what steps they are taking to accomplish it. There is a world of difference between "I'm looking for the person who killed my father" and "I'm looking for the person who killed my father and I spend all my time in seedy taverns asking around for (insert description here) person. I've tracked them to Starting City and I've never been closer to finding them in my life"

As a GM, I really like the whole idea of Risk and Reward, as it tends to incentivize narrative reasoning over mechanical reasoning. So I try to implement these risks and rewards in a way that makes it tough for the Player, unless they're playing in character.

So maybe not the topic of the video but the first thing that stroke me here is the fact that you do not look fancy here, in the intro. Do not get me wrong, please - you look absolutely stunning and I just do love how you seem so comfortable in front of the camera, in front of people, not wearing makeup, or maybe, visible make up. I think it is so brave and refreshing to be yourself and feel comfortable these days, considering how much pressure women have from social media to always look their best. You presented so many fantastic cosplay and looks, you always look so neat and sharp, almost dreamy and seeing you just without lashes done and cute lipstick just warms up my heart. I hope more women and men will feel comfortable as well in the internet and in their lives just showing their faces, no matter if they do feel like wearing make up or not, as we all do deserve to be seen for what we are, not based on what makeup we wear or if we decide to not wear it at all.

One thing that might help with the Insight check example might be a house rule that such checks are going to be rolled by the DM at a time they choose. Basically making it a passive, automatic thing that just gets rolled by the DM in the background, a little like how BG3 sometimes rolled checks for you between lines of dialogue - you didn’t choose to make that check, the game just did it automatically. I feel like some of those more reactive skill uses, like Insight, could be handled entirely by the DM. Or, at the very least, a blanket rule saying that the DM will prompt the players for an Insight check rather than the players bringing it up every five minutes with the caveat that calling for an insight check doesn’t mean the NPC is lying.

I love the care and craft put into this video, as well as the great advice!

Decided to put this edit ahead of the big long paragraph: I really like the purple flowers In the Commit section, where you mention not making game-breaking characters, made me think of my current character. He's a warforged fighter (psy warrior). His stats aren't insane, he doesn't have any feats because he's 4th level and I bumped his strength to 18. But still, on paper he's really solid. Except the last two sessions, I've rarely rolled above 5 ON THE DIE for attack rolls. So I just try to make myself a target so my group doesn't get attacked as often. Feeling somewhat useless in combat, I've embraced having fun outside of combat. My warforged has had an armblade installed, he used most of the money earned from his recent job to buy grenades, and when leaving that same job, he did the Macarena while walking down the street because he didn't get a chance to dance at the party. Gotta find your fun where you can.

I respect the effort this video took, what a fun ride

This video popped up randomly on my feed and I'm about two minutes in. I just want to say that you have a beautifuly clear speaking voice and great diction!

Oh lord, being bold is definitely my biggest challenge as a player. But it's hard to tell where the line is between being overly cautious (a coward lol), and just strategic when our first serious campaign is Curse of Strahd. I care for my pally dammit!

NOW WE’RE ON-BRAND!! I died. 😆 Feeling very seen when Ginny says, “GM”. ☺️ Thanks again for another video with great advice I can take to any friends’ tables!

I wish I could like this video multiple times. Not just for the content, but for the way you shared it! ♥

I love all the teal, and the splash of purple at the end!

My dm actually set up an award ceremony for us as players at the end of our forst campaign and made up certificates. It was so nice! (We are also very sure she knows how much we appreciate her too).

Your channel has had a really positive impact on how I approach DnD as a player and as a DM.

One of my favorite moments as a player in Tomb was when my DM made up a character who was a Tabaxi wrestler hiding in Omu, and he wanted a good 1 on 1 fight. He asked who our strongest member was, and thr group unanimously chose my fighter. I got to do 1-1 hand to hand combat while the others cheered me on. He made a point of grappling me for a three count. I couldnt pass any of the Str rolls to break the pin. Had a such a dramatic moment and my character got a chance to shine even though he didn't win the fight.

@Ginny Di, every compliment you get on this video is richly deserved- -beyond the content, the presentation choices were outstanding. You modeled the spirit of preparation. Personable vibes at a professional production level?!? So good 😎

Love the ongoing background story incorporated into Next Level advice beyond the basics. The down the earth nature of the video is a very cool warm vibe that is a nice change from usual camera talking that people do (no shade, vtubers are life).

That eyeliner swoop…im in love

Ginny here bringing us the Lizzie McGuire energy we love….and D&D ms frizzle taking us on a magical journey.

Hey Ginny, just wanted to tell you I love how this video is shot! Plus, the advise you give here is great! :)

This does give me a good idea for table rules. 1.Prioritize fun/cool over stats. (Referencing stats of course) 2. Be bold and semi-realistic 3. What would your character do?

I like the day in the life narrative going on in the background.

This engagement should make the algorithm know that I enjoyed the video!