Fantasy vs Fiction | Running the Game 

I would absolutely watch hours of you and Matt Mercer together just talking about DMing and hair care.

Matt looks like if a werewolf went to a salon. Glorious.

Hey Matt. I think the biggest difference between you and Matt (Matt and Matt) is in players. Matt M. have table full of players that love drama, practically the same archetype in the whole table. You have more common table. I believe that if you two switched table you would be "forced" to add more personal drama while Matt M. would have to ease up on it. All of that because the ultimate goal of DM's. We want our players to have fun.

I think the most realistic experience is one that transitions from fiction to fantasy. As you start out, the world doesn't take notice of you, so unless the characters are specifically searching for some element of their backstory, they would mostly have experiences that happen out of happenstance, rather than kismet. As they grow in skill, and, consequently, reputation, they will have those elements from their past start to show up more - old enemies seeking them out, old friends needing help, etc. This is also a meta reward for the players. And I think it works best that way, especially if you have someone who has no experience with role playing going in. You want to give them time to become invested in their characters, and to gain the role playing skill to create a satisfying story experience for them when you do start to focus the story on them. I think we can even see that in Critical Role's progression. The earlier adventure in the underdark didn't have anything to do with any of them. K'Varn was just a bad guy that needed killed. But after that, you start to see him bringing in more elements from their pasts, both in large ways and small. You don't really see any of that in the story until the Briarwoods are brought in, then you start seeing it all over. It seems to me that that would be a natural progression of the game, and the story within the game.

"Recorded, edited, and uploaded in exactly one hour!" Dear god, I can't even imagine achieving that. I spend longer than an hour getting ready to consider working on my video(s).

Excuses for the lack of more videos are not seemly, but they really are working on my house.

"It’s a metaphor of human bloody existence, a dragon. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s also a bloody great hot flying thing. "

Matt, you might like to know that today i introduced some new people to D&D, guys who had NEVER played before... and i kinnda forgot that i had to, so i just used the adventure you made in your third "running the game" video, with the goblins and the knights and all that. They loved it. So thanks, you kinnda saved my ass on that one xD I'll have an adventure of my own next time tho.

"I wrote that in the days when I thought fantasy was all battles and kings. Now I'm inclined to think that the real concerns of fantasy ought to be about not having battles and doing without kings" -Terry Pratchett on Carpet People.

Your hair gets better and better every video

Hey Matt, this video fascinates me, especially because of the fact that you observed such differences between the campaigns of you and Matt Mercer, where i see instead parity between you two on those very points. For instance, you said that Matt made Thordak the central villain because he was the killer of Vax and Vex's mother, whereas you take those hooks and simply implant them where you find an opportunity that exists in your already-constructed storyline. The thing is, Matt Mercer said in an interview somewhere (I think it was Talks Machina) that he did exactly what you do with plot hooks: he had the Chroma Conclave already set up as the next "Big Bads" and had for quite some time with the reveal and destruction of General Krieg in the pre-stream game, but when it came time to figure out the arrival/first showing of the Conclave and decide what the hierarchy and motivations of the dragons were, that he suddenly remembered the twins' backstory of a killer red dragon. It was only THEN that he decided for Thordak to be on top of the group instead of a White/Green/Black dragon. Granted, it sounds like he simply inserted that convenient backstory hook, or maybe just planned the whole next arc, earlier than you would (with the party seeing "a red dragon" in the distance during their brief view of the fire plane when Keyleth met the fire ashari tribe), but it seems like the same thing to me. Or maybe it isn't, or it is and is just a matter of degree of implementaion, or the perceived disparity of emotional depth could just be that Vox Machina are actors practiced at creating that emotion or diving into it and creating a self-fulfilling atmosphere. But regardless this whole video and discussion is fascinating to a new literally-has-only-run-one-session DM :D

I've watched this video several times before, but only after 5 years of DMing do I understand what you actually meant. This revelation of a sliding scale between character-focused DnD and world-focused DnD explains so many worries and questions I had which changed and molded the way DMing evolved for me. You're spot on, chief 😊

I know this is an old video, but thank you for this one. I'm slowly working through your Running the Game playlist, it was recommended to me because I'm wanting to get into DMing, and this exact, I don't know, conflict I guess, is something I've been struggling with. I've been watching a lot of Critical Role lately as well and I love the way Matt Mercer runs his games where he gives his players time to RP and flesh out their characters and make the story about them; but I'm, I feel, more of a storyteller, I want to tell a story with my campaigns, a story that's driven by the characters yes, but also, where the story tells itself as well, if that makes sense. And I've been trying to figure out how I could do that, and what you said about the difference between Fantasy and Fiction really helps, the way you said it. "Fantasy is a manifestation of the characters internal conflict, in fiction, characters are a manifestation of the world" (paraphrasing there), but that really helps me with my conflict and decision for how I want to run my games when I start up, especially down the road. I'm currently working on building my own fantasy world with it's own history and such that, once it's done, I want to write and run some campaigns in, and that, much more than already premade campaigns, was causing me to feel uncertainty on how it could possibly work, especially if I wanted to run it like Matt Mercer does and have it more PC driven vs story driven. I know that was a bit rambley, and may not have made sense lol, and that you probably won't see this on a 6 year old video, but I still wanted to say thank you, and wanted to say this helped a lot

I love this video. I am going on 2 years of playing DND with my group. I threw my DM hat into the ring at the end of last year and ran the first half of my campaign for about 6 months. I tend to lean to MCDM here. I like a world that the players have to find their place through their actions rather than the world coming into place because of the players actions. Obviously my world has different reactions to the players’ decisions, but I like a world that “exists” outside of the players. Feels more real and immersive to me. Nice job, Matt!

Four years on and I'm finding this video one of the most illustrative things I've come across in developing my understanding of DMing. You're a very wise person.

Could we get a video on how much prep you use when it comes to places/NPCs. Like when you craft a village or area, how much detail do you put in your notes? Do you make names and info about each and every person in the town? Do you just jot down quick tid-bits? Would help me a lot as I quickly become overwhelmed when i am worldbuilding for my sandbox games.

I've come back to this video so many times in the last few years. It explains appropriately, I feel, how a disconnect in my table can finally be drawn out in a more tangible way. I am one of two DMs running a game for the same group of people. The other DM, who is a player in my game, is closer to Matt Mercer in style of play whereas I am closer to you (Matt Colville). Probably as a result of having wTched hundreds of hours of you videos! But also because i gravitate towards players being faced with a plausible world that moves and breathes on its own even when theyre not there.

I just wanted to say I completely understand what you're saying. I've been running a game with a friend who watches critical role and I get nervous because I feel he expects me to run my game like Matt mercer. I think the type of game I run is more of the fiction variant. Thanks for shedding some much needed light on this particular topic. Love the videos I've been a subscriber since about 2k. Looking forward to what you share next.

i found this very interesting, thank you for making it. In my main DnD group there are 2 main DM's, myself and one other person. We get on well, but our DMing styles are quite different and hence we sometimes struggle being PC's in each others games, but i think this fantasy vs fiction analysis very much explains our difference in styles and how we view the world.

Matt, great essay thanks for the recommendation. I love what Donaldson has to say about epics. Tolkien's divorce of fantasy from the real world, is really how he sired the genre. This is my first time commenting, thanks for all the vids. I DM a 5e game for a bunch of Marines in Okinawa, your advice has helped turn them into players who can't wait to play again. Good luck with the home construction. -Jared

My current campaign started out as fiction based on the world I had created, setting things into motion based on my players actions. After the first act of my campaign, I definitely morphed it a bit to include more fantasy and background resolving and even resolving some of the interactions and conflicts between the players themselves, along with continuing the fiction element on my World. Good breakdown of the of the two differing dynamics of the campaigns here.

You just got a new subscriber sir. Listening to you, I fully realize how much I have to learn. Thank you for the time you give for these videos. I'm looking forward to more!

I passively listen to running the game videos in the background because they're so packed with wisdom, and this is probably my third lap through them, and I've only just realized, probably unsurprisingly, that I'm running a game exactly in the style you've described! It started as a oneshot to just show my friends 4e, since they were all used to 5e, so when they asked me to make it a campaign, since they had no backstories for pregens from a oneshot, my solution was to build two central tensions! (An A plot and a B plot to juggle the tension) Afterward, I populated the immediate area with two low level prewritten adventures and a few dungeon delves and tied them to those central tensions. There's been massive amounts of homebrew content smashed in, and plenty of things adjusted or tweaked on the fly, but that starting point of that campaign was almost verbatim "used adventures to build a world for your players to project and inflict themselves upon".

Hey Matt, this gave me a whole new insight to how my campaign will run. I just recently ran my very first session that I was a DM and the very first session I have ever seen in my life of DnD. I have created a world that will be ever-changing depending on the actions of the heroes. For example their first mission was to rescue a captured princess priest. However being cautious cost them time, so the necromancer Reeved her soul. So now when they get back to their starting town in the next session, they will now see it is under siege from the forces of death that they have been fighting.

Whether or not your game and critical role truly exist as opposing sides of this dichotomy or not, I think it's an extremely valuable distinction to consider. Personally I find the idea that the world is the world and it's up to the players to impose themselves upon it, the more intriguing option, but I have no difficulty seeing the appeal of having the world be shaped by the heroes, as though they are entwined in the fabric of the world's destiny rather than taking that fabric into their own hands and doing with it what they will. I think this might be the fundamental idea (once you move beyond the introductory phase of learning what the game is and how it can work) that the dungeon master bases their game on, whether they realize it or not. The choice between the steady state world, and steady state characters is integral to every other choice you can make as a DM.

It's amazing that I've watched every single one of the running the game videos BUT this one. And still, under the influence of Matt's advice and style for years, developed a "fiction oriented" game without ever thinking about it this way. Eternal love and gratitude for this guy!

You reminded me about how much influence Stephen R. Donaldson had on my late childhood. I read the first three Thomas Covenant books about ten times when I was in the 7th grade and absolutely loved them. I may have to give them a re-read now.

Now you bought me forever. First, I collected my stones to start my first campaign (two days ago, huge success) because of this series youtube videos. And, second, because you love Covenant, the Unbeliever. And my campaign revolves around the tainted Sun as described in Lord Foul's Bane (pestilence, desert, rain, tainted life). Which, of course, to make the sense of urgency, spreads across the world and threatens to make life unbearable for everyone! Thank you!

This is one of the most enlightening videos of yours that I've seen. Rather than tips I can use in a campaign that I'm writing, you helped me get into my own head to understand why I'm writing the encounters that I'm writing. Brilliant. Thank you.

Not only is this a useful idea for how to approach campaigns, but also a very insightful way of looking at fiction/fantasy literature.

I absolutely LOVE the quick, short format. Getting these nuggets more consistently because it's easier for you would be awesome. There's a channel called Tabletop Minions that does this well. I also appreciate the more "off the cuff" nature of this video. I feel like I'm getting more insight into your thinking , and as a growing DM , I find that very helpful. I scour your existing content for those little parts. This format makes it much easier for me :)

That was an great interpretation of both games. I feel like both of you lend yourselves extremely well to your styles of DMing.

Matt, what you called out here (fantasy vs. fiction) is a distinct difference and one I've always tried balancing in favor of a fiction. After about one hundred world-building hours I've created a few settings where the game is set up to run like a fiction, and I have this previously-unrecognized distaste for running the world like a fantasy, pandering to the PCs. Although this may be a reflection of my personal "we are all insignificant stardust" belief and challenging the players to *make* their characters special (as opposed to assuming they are special and sculpting the world around that) I have never heard anyone eloquate that contrast like you did here today. So thank you for that. I also find it easier to make sure everyone is having fun when one player makes a choice and we see through the repercussions of that choice, like a really well written choose-your-adventure book. The other way around, where the world exists for the characters (instead of the characters existing *for the world*) feels like rails too cheap to hold the best and brightest characters once they discover the line and know how to tiptoe just outside of discovery's reach. Forgive my formatting and the brevity, iPhone typing while 1400 miles from home isn't ideal, but as always - love your videos on these subjects, better some (short) content than no content, and thank you for the late-night inspiration. Peace, out. ;D

Hey Matt. Just wanted to say thanks so much for taking what must be a drastic amount of time and effort helping out new DM's. To get a bit rambly, (something of which I am certain you know little...) I played in a campaign right up to Paragon levels a few years back (4e), but then I moved, and that sadly fell by the wayside. Then, recently, I picked up a live play podcast that got me itching to play, and so I talked my girlfriend into trying out a solo campaign (she had never played) until we can cobble up a proper group. She's loving it, by the way. Your videos have been far and above the number one resource that has made me feel not only more (efficiently) prepared for our sessions, but like my girlfriend is having more fun. Which as you know, means *I* have more fun. Your style of DM'ing puts words to several concepts that I kind of vaguely 'felt' but hadn't had the experience to really process or self articulate the information in a meaningful way. You're like a mama bird feeding us sweet, pure table gaming mush. And I salute you.

Ha, your response to being served massive backstories is the same as mine - "I've got a game to run." But also like you, I want to make it a part of the game, but in a way where "it doesn't feel like I've been planning it for weeks." This was a very interesting video on your part, and as you said there's many ways for D&D to be played, I actually love "talkin shop" about game running, which can approach interesting levels of artistic criticism. I've only really watched CR consistently since around episode 45 (and a sample of the earlier episodes), but I can totally understand why it's been such a gateway for newer players - great group of friends and personalities chilling around the table in an intense shared-story telling experience, and I think the thing that's awesome about it is these people are completely comfortable in their skin and their enjoyment of D&D. "These guys are having a blast, man, I want to try this!" Look forward to seeing some more of your sessions in the future.

I think an important part of storymaking as a DM is getting your characters invested. So I think at any point it's important for at least a little bit of their backstory to be implemented, whether that be one of the character's fears, friends, interests, or curiosities. Otherwise, they may not get invested in your story that only you like.

This helped me! I let my players do a lot of the world building since they’re new to RPGs and I wanted them to have more buy in. They all made characters to perfectly fit into the parts of the world they made, and vice versa. I have a lot of character hooks to work with now, but I feel like it’s harder than normal to create any overarching villains or plots. Going through your earlier vids is helping me immensely, but this video helped me realize that maybe it’s okay that I don’t have a central adventure or what have you. Normally I’m somewhere in the middle, so I feel a little lost, but now I’m feeling better. Plus, we’re only on session two, so they’ve barely done anything. I have to remember it gets easier with momentum and inertia. Anyway, I’m rambling. You’re the main reason I do this after all these years! Thank you! Man, it’s crazy how years can go by and I still learn from rewatches. You love to see it.

This is so relevant to me at this very moment. I am a fantasy DM, my friend who alternates weeks with me is a fiction DM. Our players come to both games, and enjoy both games, but they are wildly different. Thank you, this is useful.

You are by far my favorite RU-vidr and you've inspired me so much to strive to have fun as a new DM

I started DMing the Hoard of the Dragon Queen module thanks to your videos. Previously I thought to run D&D you didn't NEED to make your own story but you SHOULD which made the idea of running the game too daunting. My players are nearing the end of the module and I will say I have the most fun when the module gives room for me to improvise, even if it is just setting up an encounter with a polymorphed Oni that wants to steal magic items. Maybe after my players finish the Tyranny of Dragons story I'll try something of my own making but for now, the modules are helpful guides to understanding how to guide players through a story in a way that makes sense. Thanks for all the tips, count me as one of the players you've turned into a DM. I'm glad to toss a few bucks your way by purchasing your books. Keep up the good work.

I think that's a really good thought. I really thought about the games I've run in the past and I think this will help a lot with running games in the future. Ultimately I think the way my games have gone are very dependant on what the players come to expect.

I definite appreciate this episode because I feel like this is an unspoken topic. You absolutely right that there are two types of games in that there's the player's world and the DM's world. The player's world is one that each player makes their backstory and DM tries to fit that backstory or at least aspects of it into the world, country, or even cities in a unique way that makes that character feel important in that moment. Making it more of a collaborative experience for everyone and potentially less work for the DM. And the DM's world is more of an interactive story where if done right starts with "A", "B" is where the players enter the world and try and figure out what's going on and where they belong. Meanwhile you the DM already knows the major events and enemies *insert randoms letters* until you finally get to "Z" and major notion for the campaign was basically how the players got to "Z". But there always needs to be a comfortable level of communication between the players and DMs for any game to be remotely successful. The player's world example the DM and the players should have an "open" form of communication so that the DM can ask the player on occasions the aspects of their backstory to see if it effects whatever plans you may or may not have for it. And on top of it, it challenges the player and investing more time and thought into their character and without saying investing more time in the game. While in the DMs world when done correctly should feel like a living world where whether or not the players do anything dictates how the story go. In other words it's a CYOA (Choose your own adventure) Book. And you the DMs are the Appendix to help the players understand the world in and out of the game. Personally, I'm trying to do both of these examples where the world/universe is my own design and story; while letting my players design their own backstories so that I can take segments of them and adding it or swapping out for them in the narrative of the story.

The campaign I'm DMing at the moment really rides the line between these two styles talked about near the end. The plot lines are heavily reflective of the characters and tie into some elements of their backstories, while they are simultaneously (unknowingly) working their way down a deep sociopolitical rabbit hole that could lead to a full scale revolution to bring down the ruling family of the Coventail Imperium. I can't wait to keep playing. Combining both of these techniques has my players totally invested on a personal level while maintaining the stakes and impact of the choices they make. We're all having a blast! I love D&D, guys. I love D&D.

To try and alleviate some of your concerns about whether or not this video is useful, I'd say it is, more than you may have thought at best. I don't think I realized this difference that, at the very least, has the potential to exist within fiction and within D&D. This is something that I'm definitely going to need to think about, because I think I personally lean toward a "Fiction" D&D game. I think more about my NPCs, about the world, about how they will react to what's going on. My player character's backstories have gotten involved somewhat, but it is either incidental and coincidental or otherwise hamfisted and ungainly, and I feel frustrated that it's not happening with the elegance that it does in Matt Mercer's game. Your video has helped to illuminate the distinction that can exist, and I think I will definitely not only re-think my campaign and my approach, but also re-watch this video a number of times, and I'll try to look at that essay, too. This has made me think of two things: first, if I want to continue to connect my players' backstories strongly, I may feel better about it if I think about how the plot reflects their characters themselves and what is important to them; second, if I want to play to my strength and my own personal tendency, I can elect to focus on the NPCs and on the world itself and allow the players to impose themselves, as you say, upon it. They must decide to be heroes, rather than have the mantle thrust upon them by the world. I think my players would be alright with both. They are ready to act without being told, and they often do things I don't expect. At the same time, they do like the hooks into their backstories. Thus far I have satiated both thirsts, and I think I will continue to do so. As you said, it is smoke and mirrors. I apologize; I ramble. But I do want to express again how helpful this video is. Perhaps it is my mood speaking, but I do not think it is. Awareness of what we create is often overlooked in the creation process, but it is critical if we want to be able to be able to know or at least guess what will result.

As a new DM that is still creating his own world I really appreciate this, it gives me a very useful way to think about how I want to run this campaign while I build the world it'll take place in.

Wow- glad this came up in my feed! I hadn't consciously thought about this with the game I'm currently running, but listening to this, I recognized immediately that I try to achieve a little of both. I've got a setting in which there's a major conflict that has virtually nothing to do with the players' backstories, but I cajoled them for those backstories, to get details well before I began, so that I could weave their lives together, and into that tapestry.

The Thomas Covenant Chronicles was my first serious trilogy I read back in middle-school. It changed my life and helped shape my desire to be a fantasy writer. Thanks Matt!

That makes a lot of sense. I think one of the reasons I had some difficulty in my first long-term campaign was that the players were expecting a fantasy game while I was running a fiction one. This has helped me understand these differences better. I knew before that there was something that was slightly off, something that wasn't quite connecting between my players and I that was frustrating me. This is it. Or at least a major part of it. So Thank you so much for having this idea.

I made a character using your roll 4 for each stat method, and essentially rolled every aspect of the character process randomly, and I have to say...I loved it. thanks

Hey Matthew, could you make us a video where you show some of your favourite D&D RU-vid channels? Maybe the ones you get inspiration from, those you think are the best for beginners DMs and even the ones even you get to know new things from. I would love to know whose work you enjoy watching the most for this sort of things. I think your whole community would find it very interesting.

Came back to this today for some reason as I prep my next game. I used to think the Mercer-style fantasy game was almost a must and I am glad I've seen some of your work and some people in the old school revival sphere, who represent a more fiction-style approach. I think the fantasy approach can be great... like in CR1, but it can easily derail for me when the players come up characters who have almost nothing in common and suddenly you find yourself running after someone in your group for an arc that really has nothing to do with your character and where you feel no agency whatsoever, because it's that other player's arc and they make the decisions, and then it switches to the next person, where the only thing that changes for you is the scenery you are dragged along to. I've also been in a situation where player goals heavily misalign and another play's backstory necessitated that we all make peace with a group that murdered my insert dramatic backstory character. These days, I heavily prefer fiction-style games because the group becomes the core unit and they pursue the same (or mostly the same) goals. Their wins are earned together and not by one person, aided by their friends. The feeling in the game is much more positive in my experience.

I am tired of running and playing "the fight of the week" so in watching you and in listening to you and the people whom you mention I am learning and re- remembering things that I have done in the past and chomping at the bit to get back into running a game so I want to thank you.

I think you put into words something I have been dealing with in my group for a bit. I run a very "fantasy" game where I draw heavily on player backstories and try to challenge the players personally, but one of my players chaffed against it because he felt that when it wasn't "his turn", when it wasn't his backstory being engaged, he didn't have a lot of control over what was going on. We recently wrapped up my campaign and he is taking a turn DMing, and he is running a very "fiction" world. I am starting to chaff a little bit at not having a lot of control over my character's place in the world, but this video helped me contextualize what he is going for vs. what I was going for. I'll pass this video along to him and maybe we'll reach a place of better understanding.

It wasn't until this video that realized the difference in why I like watching certain games, particularly your videos vs other games. I also realized that my style of DMing (even though I'm still new) is like your style where I have a plot, and the players fit into it, and if can squeeze their backstory in there i will.

Thank you very much for this video, you just helped me with a HUGE problem - I DM two games, and I now realize that the first game is 100% hardcore fantasy......aaaand the other one I have been TRYING to run as a fantasy, but the players in my second group are expecting/wanting a fiction game. Group 2 wants to be the heroes of a story, while Group 1 IS the story, and I've been trying to run them both the same. With this new mindset, I am very sure I'll be able to make them both happy now, hooray! Thank you again for all your guidance and advice, your channel is such a wonderful resource for new GMs/DMs.

Great analysis. I love the contrast about the world as a reflection of the characters vs. the characters as a reflection of the world. I tend to run games very similar to what you described for yourself, although the primary campaign I've run many times with different groups is based around an adventure concept I came up with when I first ventured out as a DM about 25 years ago. I'm so familiar with the story that it's probably the equivalent of me running a published adventure, but I love to run it (especially for new players) due to the myriad of ways that players approach the same quests and the ways I may tweak it along the way to better fit the players and their needs. At character creation, I frequently poll my players for backstory info and even hidden goals that are not transparent to the other players, so that I have hooks to personalize aspects of the adventure. However, I've yet to run a game where I exclusively mined the character backstories and goals as a basis for creating the plot. Sounds like a fun challenge. Super cool video!

I really liked this video and the concepts there in. I've never thought about the difference between fiction and fantasy before, but I've definitely understood these two sorts of play styles. Thinking back to campaigns I've written/run, I can identify when I was using one or the other. Transitioning between the two is something I'm currently doing in a campaign. Both styles have their merits and I'm glad to have names to put to these concepts. This sort of video is why I keep coming back to this channel. Matt defines and delineates these abstract concepts I have experienced but never had names for. I'm constantly amazed at how Matt's explanations resonate with how I've subconsciously internalized DM'ing. Thanks for the awesome videos Matt, keep it up!

I personally tend more towards the idea that the party are part of a wider world, but that their actions have consequences. On the other hand, things sometimes seem to focus on them partly because they are relatively naive for people as influential as they are (because my game acknowledges the high speed of growth) which leads to more knowledgeable factions manipulating them, and also because I just like to throw any backstory elements that seem like they could lead to a fun story element or amusingly traumatize a PC.

I like the Diehard comparison. Heck you can find both Fiction and Fantasy in Diehard. Diehard 1 vs Diehard 3. 1st is events where Mcclane just happened to be there and do something, he himself decided to be a part of it. 3rd is all about him and how events grabbed him, as it got a lot more personal.

Your theory on Critical Role's content motivation is correct. Matt Mercer actually mentioned (almost offhandedly) during a Q&A panel that once all the players' backstories were resolved, he considered a campaign essentially over. Personally, I run content sort of halfway between what you and he do. I like to integrate and resolve backstory too, but I want it done by halfway through. Then players can spend time completing the new/in-game issues & ambitions they have set for themselves, free of backstory constraints, totally sandbox & player-driven plotlines. It just seems more liberating that way.

I am so psyched to know that I just used some of the same techniques as the other Matt did. I'm running Storm King's Thunder using Pathfinder right now. The plot elements are so horrendous that I had to throw in a lot of extra plot devices just to connect the different chapters of the story together in ways that didn't utterly suck. One of the key things I fell back on was driving Storm King's Thunder's major plot points using the independently created backstories of my characters. So far it's worked really well and adds a level of drama to the story that the way it's written couldn't possibly hope to achieve. It helped a lot that my players have some super ridiculous back stories involving murder, lost love, racial transformations, and toppling entire kingdoms in other dimensions. Kind of made my job easy.

I've watched a lot of Running the Game, this is one of the best videos summing up campaign development as a DM. Thank you Matt.

Can I just say how much I love the fact that you use the word "idiosyncratic?" I'm the only person I know who uses that word and this is the second time I've heard you say it. I love it!

like many others who watch your videos, I think we just like hearing you talk - in general, about any and everything - so "shorter" videos like this are definitely welcomed and encouraged. please do more!

I like this description and your "fiction" game runs closer to the games I've played in the past. That said, I think most of us who are new to DMing aren't thinking Fantasy or Fiction, we are just trying to keep it all together and keep our players interested in the game.

All of which helps to explain two things. Had anyone asked what sort of game I run, I'd be at a bit of a loss to describe it. Now I have the two basic definitions - the internal versus the external. Of course, many games will have elements of both. At the moment, my campaign is a mix of the two. There are plots in the world, but one has come to the fore because of the backstory involving two characters who are, as it happens, brother and sister. (The players have not seen Critical Role.) We're now on the cusp of the coronation of the brother because both were noble born, and because of an important relic of rulership. The complication is that their father found the other relic. This was immensely helpful, Matt. Thank you.

This actually made me analyze my game a bit more and how I run it. I know some of my players don't care too much about grandiose backstories and keep it simple while one players gave me a 3 page document. Running a premade module (Out of the Abyss) does mean the players interact with the world but it doesn't revolve around them. Was a interesting watch.

Very much looking forward to the Adventure Prep video! I'm a new/returning DM and I've been waiting for this video on how you take published adventure and prep it for Fantasy Grounds for a while.

my game was a little of both but I totally jumped on the opportunities I saw to mine back stories. And what's more, I think I managed to enrich their backstrories with twists they didn't anticipate and weave more than a couple together in unexpected ways. I hadn't really considered the advantage of sticking with one character for such a long time besides the satisfaction of the players in seeing their character level up. Discovering more about the characters' backstories and how they're connected to the world is a really awesome thing that shouldn't be forgotten.

Awesome video Matt! I'm currently running through Hoard of the Dragon Queen as my first time DMing. I think you've got a fair point, and it might have something to do with the fact you also run the pre-gen adventures. Because I know how the game is meant to proceed, thanks to it being pre-written for me, I feel like I'm running more of the Fiction style game. The story and world is happening even if the characters aren't there, so they need to impose themselves on it. It's given me a lot to think on, good job!

I am extremely thankful for your channel. Your insights and techniques are more then helpful for me! I started playing in the early 90's but I haven't played solidly for years. Im about to run a game for 5 people, 4 being completely new! Without your channel, id feel over whelmed, and much more nervous! Thank you!

Hey Matt. A year later and your vids are still going strong. I'm a new DM and have found your vids invaluable. We started our group as a series of one shots (Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures) and the players loved my DM style so they wanted to turn it in to a campaign. I have no PC backstories to draw from (they were one shot, throw away characters) so they are definitely reacting the "politics of the world" that was put in front of them.

This speaks to me as a DM who is world event heavy. I knew when I started that I wanted my players to affect the world, but I never knew if this was a good idea. Thank you for your wonderful advice.

Hey Matt, I've taken up a ton of DMing thanks to your videos making it seem easy. Thanks for everything!

In the Monogatari series, the apparitions faced by the characters are subtly (and sometimes overtly) used as metaphors for the struggles of the character affected by said apparition. Thanks for letting me quantify aspects of fiction and fantasy.

Hey Matt. I know you probably won't see this but in the hopes that you do. I just want to say thank you. For all that you do. I have learned a lot from pretty much every video I have seen and you are the only youtuber I can sit down and watch that doesn't have some kind of video game playing in the background. Anyways, keep doing what you are doing because I will continue to enjoy.

Loved your summary Matt. I honestly believe that you are on to something. As a new DM videos like these really help me understand what it is I myself am trying to do. For my first DMing experience I've decided to venture into worldbuilding and creating an adventure from scratch (stealing as much as I can from authors I respect of course) and I feel like I have tons of ideas sprouting from just this one video, so thank you very much.

This gave words to a wordless feeling I had for so long! Like any dichotomy, I think we're all on a spectrum here, but this is definitely something you should talk to with players when LFP.

I would very much like to see a commentary between you two. You are both absolutely iconic DMs, ones which I am immensely inspired by. I've played games where I focused in on the characters, as you put it - a Fantasy game, but I have also played game where the world exists and the future of it is determined by the characters' actions, a Mainstrean Fiction game. Both styles satisfied different ideas that I had about D&D and both also gave me different perspectives on the other. Interestingly enough I played these games at two very distinct points in my life - I won't bother with the details, but these two points in my life had me seeking different things. One was a point in my life where I was dealing with internal (both emotional and psychological) contemplation while the other was one which I felt the impact of my decisions on not just my world but those around me . Make no mistake, I would never, ever suggest D&D as a form of therapy, but allowing D&D to let you contemplate on yourself in a differing perspective in a safe, social, and fun environment is definitely something that allows you to grow as a person.

Liam would absolutely enjoy your D and D and heres why; hes a selt driven player and those players most care about having a DM who is fair and who will come up with novel campaign concepts. They will take care of the rest themselves.

Thanks for the video, Matt. I've been trying to shoehorn in my players' backgrounds and their characters into the campaign story line, trying to emulate something akin to the stories told by yourself and Matt Mercer. Now I can see that I should step back, tell the story I have set out and then allow my players to decide how they fit in and use their backgrounds when opportunities present themselves, as you have suggested.

This actually made me think about how I want to run a game. I tend to think about games the same way as you in which I have a story idea in my head and the players are parachuted into it and try and figure out what is going on. I hadn't really considered the idea of mining character backstory for plot hooks at all, so it's something I really want to try out sometime!

Hey Matt, just thought you'd like to know that, much as you talked of in your last video about 'that one video that made you suscribe', that this was that video for me. Very insightful and not something I'd thought of with my own game- but now that you've articulated it I can definitely see where the concepts apply to what's already there and how it can help me decide on where to go next in making it. A really great video here, and that's from having watched, well...all of them! Yours also happens to be the first channel I've ever suscribed to, so I look forward to my feed in the future!

There is a german group of people streaming everything about gaming on YT and they play P&P from time to time. They will give their viewers the option to vote for stuff like "what "important" item will the heroes find after the break?" Or "about the gimmick the next village has" or "what kind of enemy is in the dungeon" or "what random encounter should appear?". They will give 3-5 options to the viewers and make poll for it. Maybe that is what you are looking for.

this talk of Fantasy vs Fiction reminds me of 9 princes of amber ; where the lines are so blurred , and the main chrs consistently wonder what 's of their's , and what of their family . love that book series , and the rpg game was really great at that as well

I think Matt Colville using pregen adventures might actually not be the norm, at least not in the way it was before. I have never used one for example. I don't think that's bad, I just think it is interesting because I imagine it gives Matt's world a feeling that many events truly ignore the players and other outside events unless they go out and try to have an impact.

This is interesting! I haven't seen any of your videos before but I loved this. For me, the idea of being a DM and running a game is very character centric and that's what I would most want to explore personally. I am someone who really loves exploring character motivations and conflicts, at least more than I am on expanding the world outside of that. When I plan games and adventures based on characters I try to make it the most satisfying experience based on those characters rather than the other way around, so I think I am more like Matt. I do wonder how much this has to do with your personality, and also what the player's want.

I really liked it mate, just got home from running my game, so the timing was perfect! Gave me perspective to understand what my game is like, it's much more in the fiction side of the game. my players are not so back story driven so it works well. as an aside, I had two players join my game and leave (for personal reasons) that were huge critical role fans, and as such my game often didn't quite meet their expectations. and now I can see why, they wanted more of a fantasy experience. keep em coming @mattcolville

That's an amazing way to look at it. I'm running a simple adventure style like yours, I haven't developed politics in the game though I have been striving to have a game more focused on the players impact on the world but my players have very thin back stories.

In regards to using character backstories, as a DM you don't always need an in depth backstory to integrate something in your game. The players themselves can make references to the characters past during a game, whether something that wrote earlier or made up on the fly, and its now canon to the story. And then you can pick up on those small bits and expand on it yourself. And with those bits you can add more connection of the PCs to your world, without necessarily having to make it apart of your plot.

Really made me think about my own campaign and where it fits in regards to the different kinds of games you and mercer run. I did the Collabris thing, and then I just use the donjon website to randomly generate things and just assign those generated towns and dungeons to locations on the map, then I fill in the blanks and connect dots. And then when I have a cool idea for something specific I want to do, I just tweak some randomly generated content to be of that cool idea. Sometimes I try to consider how I can tie the player's character into the ideas. Such as, I have a Bard in my campaign, and he's about to discover that there was once a college of bards that were all about keeping history and mythology secret. Which plays into the Ranger wanting to uncover ruins of ancient civilizations and discover the history that was lost to time.

Very insightful video Matt, I never thought about the difference between fantasy/fiction like that. I'm really looking forward to your video on how you set up an adventure. I'm getting ready to make my first foray into DM'ing after my groups current campaign is over, and your videos have already been very helpful. I personally prefer the "fiction" style of story telling because it makes the players feel thrust into a world that is much larger than themselves. Also, I just want to say, I read both Priest and Thief and I loved them. Keep up the awesome content!

Wow, I think you are really onto something here. This gives me something to think about as a player (not a DM, but it's seeming a little bit inevitable, especially if I keep watching your videos). What kind of world do I expect the adventure to take place in, and how does that affect my roleplaying? There's definitely something attractive about a fantasy type world, I mean I wrote a backstory and created an internal conflict for my character, and I want a chance to play that out in the world and see what conclusion it comes to. On the other hand, a fiction type world brings another level of verisimilitude, and as you said tends to mean that the choices the characters make have more weight in terms of what happens in the world (as opposed to in a fantasy world where the choices the characters make have more to do with themselves). I think my DM is running a bit more of a fiction type world (even though I think there is a bit of a balance, there may be some fantasy elements), and I say this because it seems like there are events unfolding that are not directly related to the PCs but that we have the opportunity to become involved in. So now with that being the case, I think my approach to roleplaying is trying to figure out how my character interacts with the world based on his internal state. The world may not be created to represent the character, but it many cases he will project his inner struggle onto the world. I think this is psychologically a natural thing to do. People project themselves onto situations and other people all the time. So basically I look for opportunities where my character would treat the world, which is largely a fiction-type world, as a fantasy-type world because he sees himself in the circumstances. I think I was kind of doing this before, and it lead to one really neat roleplay moment, but watching this video has allowed me to realize that and put it into words.

I like the examples and analysis you bring into the table with this video, certainly it's been food for thought. I find myself puzzled however with how to make proper use of it. I think I run games that leaning towards fantasy, but at times I struggle at expressing the emotions through the dialogue of the important NPCs. Sometimes I think i came up with something clever that would get the players hooked in their characters struggles, but it feels like I fail to deliver and I don't know why.

Matt, follow your heart more! I love the short and sweet video that you recorded on a whim. Not only was it fun to follow along with an unpolished idea as you talked it out, but the dichotomy is extremely useful. I was thinking so much about content im working on right now. I realized that more input from the characters back stories will probably help me over a writers block. Thanks for the inspiration, I hope you record more videos like this-- maybe less pressure for you in making them too?

Even if you thought this video was quick from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed the topic of conversation.

I enjoyed this. Very interesting perspective. It gave me some food for thought as I formulate my next campaign. I've only run once before, and I bit off way more than I could chew, so my last game had moments of greatness, and moments of absolute suck. Your videos are helping me think like a DM.

With this excellent video, you've actually just opened my eyes to part of the process of my own DM style. I as a DM tend to resort to more of a "living world" style of DMing, where in my mind I have created or am using a world that I know by heart, and most of my actions as a DM are rationalizing how the world would react to the actions of the players. That world and my player's backstories are completely separate, as opposed to Critical Role, in which they are intertwined. My DM style has the players interacting with the world rather than the world acting upon them. Which is definitely something that seems to work, but also is something I might want to experiment with now that I've had my eyes opened to my own style.

I like to merge the concepts from the get-go. When planning, I start with a basic plot concept, then read the players' back stories and build out my plot concept based on their stories. I also do a lot of world-building (because I love doing it), so that the players can see that they live in an evolving world, some of which doesn't care what they do. When the campaign begins, the characters are finding their way in it, but as the campaign goes on, the adventures become more and more personal, but much of that is in consideration before the first die is rolled... but I've also been accused (by my wife) of over-planning. But, for me, the planning and changing plans based on my players' decisions and characters' actions is the fun.

I guess my game is a mix of both. I run adventures like you do, but I'm aware of the players backstories such that they provide "interruptions:" the chronic gambler's daughter gets kidnapped by the mob, bounty hunters come searching for the bard that led a riot against a baron, the clan that destroyed the paladin's clan rears its head, representatives of the runaway noble's house search for her using her less-than-subtle paper trail. All this occurs while the villains advance their plots, and the players have to choose between their own stories and the advancement of the villains' plots.