alt title for this video is 'why i love ttrpg's' AETHERIAL EXPANSE: ghostfiregaming.com/XPT3_AESG... Merch, Discord, the Quest-O-Nomicon, and everything else: linktr.ee/XPtoLevel3
The fact that he not only rewarded the new player for casting Detect Thoughts but also rewarded the power gamer so he could see the value the new player brings
He’s a smart DM and would quickly shut that down. “You read his thoughts but he is more sizing up the battlefield than focusing on attacking one person in particular.” Etc
@@loswavy_1351 arent "exploits" a goods thing? Magic is at its best when yoused creativly and in a different way then intendet. Also if it ever gets to redicules the dm has many ways of shutting the power gamer down.
I like how not only do the players all play differently, but the DM is actually catering to the players's play styles in a sustainable way. He makes the new player feel cool for doing something creative, he gives the barbarian stuff to hit, and he gives a narrative moment to the Story Writer. All little things that don't overlap or make the game feel lopsided. Based.
Honestly a DM that could manage so many wildly different personalities and skill levels and make something coherent and enjoyable all around would be incredibly impressive.
I thought I was a good DM (still do) but I have nothing - *NOTHING!* - on Jacob! Seriously, I would sign up for a workshop: "Jacob shows you how a proper DM does it"!
I wish I hadn't been constantly harassed and belittled by the groups I was in to the point where I started cheating just to avoid being randomly gubbed by them for their amusement.
Okay but DMs like myself (a pretty new DM) can learn a ton from the way he ran this. He allowed the random ideas of the wizard and barbarian to be effective, caused in-combat PC interaction, and fed into a player's backstory in the same encounter. Pretty awesome.
Every one of these characters could have been seen as a problem player and I love how you showed that their differences can be easily catered to so everyone has the fun they are looking for. It was beautiful.
OMG, I just realized that this is my current group! Except my players are real people other than my multipler personalities. I have the story teller, the power gamer, and the Picked it cause it sounds cool guy. The final guy who "hits stuff and does one-liners" is usually a support NPC (Me or when one of my kids want to play).
They’re only problem players because a lot of DMs just don’t want to deal with it. Whether they don’t want to deal with tying in backstory elements or they’re tired of the paladin never getting hit and doing 50+ damage in a turn
"easily" is debatable though It takes a lot of flexibility and understanding to actually make the game as enjoyable to everyone as possible, especially if you try to include yourself You have to know and acknowledge both PC's and player's motivations and be ready to throw away literal chunks of prepared stuff to maintain the rule of cool which might be different for different players But after all what's the point of being a DM if you can't make your players feel good, so yeah, this video shows a great example of everyone having fun at the dnd table
@@tr4ktr4k45 You're right that it's harder than it looks but the trap I think is focusing on all of those "have to's". The only thing you HAVE TO do is understand what experience your players are looking for and follow through. 100% takes experience, empathy and confidence but you'll only get better at it by failing and trying again.
Best self-chemistry I’ve seen outside of Bistro Huddy, honestly. Everyone should go watch some Bistro Huddy though, in the genre of content where the creator plays everyone, it’s top tier.
@@robertagren9360 it's not future sight, it's giving the player an incentive to be creative with spells, just let people have fun instead of being the arbiter of how people play a game
This was such a wholesome video, thank you for not just making a "power gamers bad, story players good, new players make mistakes all the time" video I appreciate the point of inspiration
I liked it when Jacob used his abilities to help Jacob, all while Jacob was building up the rest of the party in their own ways, truly an amazing D&D party
Maybe Jacob will come around and help out more, since he saw what a help Jacob was to him. Either way, Jacob runs a really good game and I hope he gives Jacob inspiration for being MVJ. Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob Jacob...
It's too wholesome to be real. We all know the hit stuff guy and the power gamer would be arguing over kills, the story writer would be talked over and ignored by the two arguing, and the don't know what to do guy would just be on his phone.
I think it depends on the players? There are 5 PCs in the game I play in, and we definitely have players with different styles. Yeah I’m more of a storyteller and role player, and my character builds aren’t totally optimized, but I get along great with the power gamer at the table. He doesn’t talk over me at all. And I like to play lawful characters while a lot of the players like *chaos.* We get silly joke builds, character focused builds, and power builds in play at the same time, and as PLAYERS we work to make sure we treat each other well.
Holy fuck. I was actually emotionally invested in this sketch. Kicking demons off the tower, allowing creative uses of spells, and everyone playing the game their own way, but still enjoying the game. Fuck, that’s my dream dude. I want to play in this game so badly…
I want so badly to be this DM, but unfortunately I hardly know how to play, so all of my sessions involve me either searching through books rapidly or giving up on that and just making something, ANYTHING up so that we can keep going also, I have horrible attention issues so... (I struggle to actually read the adventure I'm actively running, I have no clue where it's leading to)
Like i can make my tiny bard/rouge a beast using his small and malnutried form to his advantage along with q team attack with my dragon blood ranger/druid as they shoot their bows and go for the vital points
With all the time that I've spent playing d&d, players who don't quite understand the rules are an absolute treasure, The thinking of out of the box tactics can lead to some of the most epic wins.
This is good when the player is decisive and creative. Players who dont make an effort to understand the rules and take forever to decide what to do are terrible to play with
@@arandomuserwashere8895spell doesn't work that way but if u got a chill dm I could see that lowering its AC(easier to hit an off balance target) or knocking it prone or something
The integration of different play styles, a flexible DM who rewards good roleplay and creative decision-making, experimentation and innovation mixed with teamwork, excellent roleplay from the fighter and outside-the-box combat decisions form both the wizard AND the barbarian...like, somehow this video is the platonic ideal of what D&D should be???
Oh this is adorable! I absolutely love how the DM plays into the interests of all the players, and even rewards the new player for just trying even though they're clueless
This is one of those sketches where it starts out and you think it's glorifying one type of player and making fun of everyone else, but it turns out it's really wholesome and it's making fun of everyone while glorifying them at the same time. Loved it.
Its almost like there's aren't bad "types of players" (from powergamer, to story driven and everything in between or beyond). The difference between a good or bad group is more whether folks are either... - Respectful players who enable and/or encourage other styles even if it isn't for them, or those who don't know how to do the former options but at least try not to get in the way or discourage others styles whilst trying to offer helpful advice without arguing... - and people who take everything personally, get mad and may be in need of some conversations as to why that is... (therapy is great, its not the be all and end all - but its pretty great)
@@pattycake520the first few fights should be steam rolls, in my opinion. It gives players a great push off into their new characters, and motivation to play them even more.
@@romanterry7215I actually prefer 1 tough combat to start, then an easier one. The players struggle to survive their first real encounter, but the next one feels like a breeze in comparison, helping them feel as if their camaraderie has grown in such a short time. Gives a very "hero" feel to my games, and my players have enjoyed 3 campaign starts with that pattern.
Wasn't actually expecting this to be as wholesome as it ended up, but this is way better than whatever I was expecting. Something about that "oh man this is gonna be terrible" feeling coming to the slow realization of "wait this is actually awesome" is a feeling that can't be beat ngl
DM adjusted his style for each player. Gave the power gamer more of what he liked and made him feel like a badass. Gave the 'i dont really know rules/tactics' guy a homebrewed bonus for doing something offbeat like reading his thoughts. gave the 'i wanna hit stuff' guy stuff to hit. gave the story obsessed guy story beats to work with. the DM met each player with what they wanted and kept it all going instead of sulking on the forums. I think that's the real message here
@@Lowkey-NoPressure It wasn't just a homebrew bonus, it was a complete rework of the spell. First of all, Detect Thoughts does *not* read minds on the first round that you cast it. It just checks if there's a mind there or not. Second of all, a sentient demon is not gonna fail his will save against a level 4 wizard. I think there is a fine line between "have more rules leniency with new players to help them learn without getting discouraged" and "if you are *too* lenient with new players they will never actually learn the rules". Obviously DM'ing is subjective and different things work for different groups, but this is over the line for me.
@@tudornaconecinii3609 Wow, you really don't know what the spell does You initially learn the surface thoughts of the creature-what is most on its mind in that moment. As an action, you can either shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts or attempt to probe deeper into the same creature’s mind. If you probe deeper, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that loom s large in its mind (such as something it worries over, loves, or hates). If it succeeds, the spell ends. Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts, the creature can use its action on its turn to make an Intelligence check contested by your Intelligence check; if it succeeds, the spell ends. Incredible how you got all wrong, like didn't get anything right. dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:detect-thoughts
I came back to this video after my last Call of the Netherdeep session because the phrase "I love how you all play differently" just resonates so much with my group, we're all so different players/characters but still, even with completely independent strategies we still managed to support each other and win the race. Different play styles can be so fun at a table as long as everyone remembers that we're here to have fun.
I love the Wizard casting seemingly nonsensical spells, but I also love the DM working with that to make an otherwise pointless action actually make a difference and work. That's quality DMing right there
sadly most dms are like 🤓🤓🤓🤓"Ummm trust me buddy, you don't want to do that" 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓 "yeah, you waste a spell slot and get no information, next turn" 🤓🤓🤓🤓
@@Cro1232crotrue. It's not like you can't stop it if the player is abusing it. Like I had a group of friends do the "bag of holding on a portable hole" thing. They were level 16 so I just said "ok, follow initiative, what do you want to do" On the next turn the BBEG planeshifted back.
I love how instead of making the video about the negative of different play style,you made it about the positive making the video inspiring and fresh That is why you are the best d&d skit creators ten leagues above everyone
The trick is to remember that you are all there to have fun. The DM was forgiving with the novice Wizard for using his magic intuitively and creatively, if not accurately. The Minmaxing Barbarian wanted to hit stuff, so the DM gave him an obvious, badass enemy to fight, had it come straight for him and gave him a bonus to his AC while encouraging teamwork. The role-player got his backstory addressed right from the start and had the unexpected twist of his fiancé being undead; which he obviously didn’t expect, but he was delighted to see how his story was evolving.
@@Living_Life242it was the Paladin that got the help and fought the main demon. The Barbarian got to fight the mooks and minons. And yeah, it is amazing when different playstyles mix, it just lands on the GM to be the oil that will grease the gears from grinding, figure out those playstyles, and keep it all smooth going.
I think that's your best video yet, and the competition was harsh. I found myself smiling while seeing everything unfold and I absolutely love the message behind this. Actually inspiring.
The strategy is to hook them immediately so they won't start doing interrupting stuff because they're too bored. Give them drama! Writers loves drama about their pc in the game as long as they aren't totally fucked.
and the gamer gamers love it when their characters get a chance to feel powerful, so letting them get a +1 AC from the detect thoughts spell just makes them feel amazing, Being that I typically end up as that sort of player, I resonate with the potential issue of feeling the need to coach newbies into the most "optimal" choices, when honestly if they were a power gamer too, they would rather come up with those synergies by themselves because it gives them a sense of mastery, seriously this DM is just way better at the game than I am, props to Jacob and newbies don't know what they are doing, so they are usually happy so pong as something interesting and cool happens
At the start you assume the joke is going to be how the party members will conflict with each other, but instead it's how the DM is so skillfull that he nips every single conceivable thing that could go wrong completely in the bud and it's still both exhilarating and funny to watch.
I've been re-watching this video for 7 or 8 times now. I feel really nervous since I'm prepping for GM-ing a long game soon and somehow this video comforts me. Probably it's because the DM here finds means to entertain every single person around the table and keep them invested even with their different playstyles and it gives me courage to think that my campaign will also turn out just fine. At least, I hope so.
Here we observe the single chaddest dungeon master on planet earth in his natural habitat: helping newcomers to the game gain an appreciation for it by bending the rules and having a psychic mind link with the roleplayer
We came for the players... we stayed for the DM. 1) Strong start, kicking it off with something for the players to react to... and creating an opportunity for each player to start getting what they want. 2) Immediate tie-ins and dramatic twists for the Story Writer 3) Allowed for suboptimal or 'wrong' spell choices to still be helpful (so that the newbie playing wizard doesn't feel stupid) 4) Allowed the Power Gamer to feel powerful via High AC proving as effective and high damage taking out the big bad demon 5) Created a bunch of other enemies on a whim via portal so that the player who just wants to 'hit stuff' has lots of opportunities to hit stuff. Also, this video is a Master Class in how to recognize a video's core audience (those who want to learn about RPG Players' psychology), and still bring value to others outside that audience (those who want to be better DM's). Great job, Jacob!
Yeah, the thumbnail makes you think that it's a "grr, power gamers bad" so it's nice to see the more measured "everyone plays different, a good DM lets everyone shine in their own ways."
It is absolutely incredible how you managed to somehow perfectly capture the two different sides of me when it comes to ttrpgs. To munchkin or to story, the eternal question. Seriously though, this video is amazing and it has resonated with me a ton. I’m glad that you’re here making amazing content for us. You always find a way to reinvigorate my love and passion for this hobby and to remind me not to take the whole thing too seriously and to just try my best to have a good time at the table with my friends.
I find this video to almost show more of how a great DM manages to adapt their campaign and DM’ing style to fit different players’ needs AWESOME WORK!!!😄😄😄
Honestly, having both a 'Story Writer' and a 'Powergamer' at your table is ideal in my experience. It's important to think about the story reasons for things, but efficiency is equally important. When you combine the two of them you have the potential to achieve a perfectly balanced table.
Sadly, quite often the story writer gets bored during tough battles, and the powergamer gets bored when the story writer starts dialogues and digs lore. And it's quite hard for a DM to get every scene to suit the interests of both players. I have seen so many burned-out DMs for this very reason
@@cringeroll I think the key is to keep things moving during combat. I've been at a table where there was one person who took 7 minutes minimum with their turn and every combat turned into a slog because of it. It wasn't even because they were doing weird or interesting things, they were just slow. As long as things are moving, good or bad, it'll at least be entertaining one way or another.
@@cringeroll What matters most is how well those players gel as a unit, from what I've found. People can get very invested in their friends having a good time, even if they're not involved.
For one campaign, my character is a musclehead who has a problem with not saying what he's thinking. We also have a deliberate and plodding former herdsman, a ranger with religious identity crisis, and a spellcaster who sees conspiracies everywhere while demanding all the information. edit: almost forgot, the newest player who is simultaneously relearning the game system, while trying to absorb the world lore, and his character is a crafter thrown into a combat role.
@@BlahBlah-bp4lqmy experience with the story teller is much worse than with slow combat players. My group encountered what was essentially a huge self propelled mower. Our story teller spent 3½ hours trying to figure out how to "tame" the mower because he made an evil kobold artificer that was the perpetual failure as a super villain. ( Think Dufensmirch/ Megamind/Dick Dasterdly) everyone was trying to move everything along after hour 1 but that couldn't happen.
I'm a strategist, my brother is a pure murderhobo, and my wife is just happy to be here. We're about to start a short campaign with my other brother as DM. Pray for us
You'll prob do fine as long as ya'll know what you're getting into. The big problem with having very different player-types at one table comes when there's expectations that aren't met, on many levels.
This video is so beautiful, for what i expected this might just be the best surprise I've ever gotten watching a yt video in my life, i absolutely loved this like mini-guide to how dnd can still be fun with tons of different playstyles working together
I literally made a Warforged named "Brick" like a week before this video came out and hearing that the Warforged was also named Brick made my nervous system catch on fire
This single video is a masterclass in how a DM can hook a group into the narrative, incorporate their history and family members into the story and keep all players engaged regardless of their tactics. I bow to thee.
The way the DM was played in this skit has given me a lot to think about. The battle was so hype and exciting and I’m inspired to bring that energy to my table next session!
Oh for real! I thought *I* was my players' biggest fan, even took pride in my enthusiasm. But, jaded Grognard that I am, I haven't been that "in the moment" in, like . . . Wow! Ever
This isn't about different players. It's about a DM who notices, understands and responds to different players. And that is soooo much more interesting. Thanks for a wonderful illustration of great DMing.
Cara ficou incrível isso, como pessoal comentou o jeito como inseriu e deu relevância pra cada "tipo" de player ficou perfeito, e o principal de tudo, achei muito emocionante a narração em geral
This is the kind of roleplay positivity we need in our lives. I know for a fact most DMs would throw a hissy fit over that one friend of mine who isn't very good at RP but knows how to pack a mechanical punch, but I'm personally a big fan. He keeps the more RP prone fellas at the table from dying, and I keep him in the game by giving him "easier" RP interactions that fit his fantasy more. If he's gonna be more engaged with the villain crossing swords with him rather than with the farmgirl explaining her sad backstory for the next quest, you bet your ass there's gonna be a lot more super-villains in the campaign.
I think you'd be surprised how much DMs differ! There are plenty of DMs who run "beer and pretzels" type games where actory roleplaying isn't a part of the game at all. They're just there to roll dice, kill monsters, kick in doors, and fill their inventories with treasure. Nothing wrong with that! This is what's so fantastic about the hobby to me. No matter what part of it you're into, there is a table somewhere surrounded by people who are just waiting to become some of your best friends.
@@cogspace And then you also get the groups where everyone has a good time tearing apart a system and figuring out just what nonsense they can get up to with it. For those familiar with Warhammer 40'000, I got an Only War character to the point that they could penetrate the front armour of a Leman Russ battle tank with a shot from a lasgun. It was funny.
Looks cool here, but in reality, the power gamer would have been upset by the detect thoughts and the enlarge, because he put a lot of work into min-maxing, just to be marginalized by rules fudging, the barbarian would be on his phone because the intro took too long (and would be mad at the power gamer for dealing more damage than him), the role player would be explaining to the GM why this was such a terrible twist, and how now his character has no motivation to continue, and the wizard would be upset that his spell didn't do damage like the power gamer, even though it was detect thoughts.
@@ethanwilliams1880 No, what would actually anger the power gamer is if the rules were fudged for everyone but him. This happens a LOT. Just because someone is an effective character doesn't mean they arent allowed to be creative anymore, and I've been in so many games where everything I do must be exactly RAW but no one else must abide by that same mindset. They tend to be dedicated to the game and understand the point of it is the rulings like that, and then get counted out instantly.
What I Expected: A comical list of every type of player in existence, only some of which I would agree with What I Got: Four distinct play styles and a prime example of how the DM can go about catering to the needs of his players ... and a banger theme song too
I haven't played D&D in over 12 years, and this brought a genuine smile to my face. So many good memories. All players are spot on, and equally precious.
God this gave me so much insight, was having trouble with a player who plays different from the rest and thought maybe that this wasnt the group for him, but now you got me thinking maybe rather then trying to get him like the rest to try and play off his style as well. Thanks for the lesson 🤘🏻
Wow, I thought this might be a comparative video but it actually became a beautiful tale of offering each player what they are looking for and focusing on fun. Thanks Jacob, this was truly a breath of fresh air and reminded me what’s important at the table!
Ok this video is gold on many accounts, including the ad spot for the kickstarter. It's too late for me to get it and I don't got the money for it anyway, but you were so hype about that song and the pirate vibes and I was absolutely jamming along with the shanty
This was so insanely relatable that I got actually really invested in that encounter. I want a continuation of this story I need to see whats up with the dead fiance. I stan Brick
A DM being encouraging and adjusting to "Dave" (or any new player) is great. It encourages them to come back for more. Shows him that anything about your character can be made useful if your DM is willing to improv around for you.
Yup, I love the creativity of new players!!! All of my players have only had 2-5 sessions of dnd, and just last week, one of my players asked if they could use feather fall on a barrage of sling stones being thrown at the party. The answer was, of course, Absolutely!
For me, my players used a pairing of dissonant whispers and silvery barbs on a dragon boss to force it to fly away from the party into a tower which promptly collapsed on it and almost killed it despite the two 1st level spells on their own doing 3d6 damage. I love player creativity!
@@aldrinvendt8524 when I was playing a Trevor Belmont build (Human Fighter/Monster Slayer), I got a few casks of oil. I chose Celestial for my language and asked my DM if I could pray for a blessing. The idea was to make holy fire bombs. He let me roll for it. Nat 20. I did this whole prayer and he told me that I could feel like someone nodded at me. DM declared them blessed and I ended up using them on Strahd, failing horribly and dying in the process lol. But it was still lots of fun
Really good DM, providing what each different playtype wanted. :D Really grateful for this type of content. Demonstrative examples of how to be a better player, and DM.
I dont usually comment but i just had to say. This is lowkey some of the best DM advice I have seen even if it is not explicitly stated. the message may seem like different playstyles are fine and that's nice but it really shows how to be a good DM for YOUR specific table and players. As a optimizer and DM myself I tend to not enjoy games with the Barbarian or the Wizard type of players you showed, the murder hobo and the complete noob... and giving the players each what they want may seem obvious - Storyteller - give him plot hooks, that get him out of combat - Muder Hobo - give him goons to dominate when he isn't able to best a boss/enemy - Optimizer - give him buffs which reward his build but the new player ... I love what you demonstrated there. You know he doesn't know what he is doing, the experienced players know too, they know what he is doing is not just suboptimal it is bad. This leads to tension at the table, it isn't fun for the new player, it isn't fun for the experienced players. But the as the DM you can take their move and make into something that is effective and useful to the party bend the rules as need be so that 1 - the new players feels like they can do what they want and are helping and 2 - the experienced players are helped and do not feel like they are being griefed. All the while enthusiastically encouraging creativity, brillaint. The beauty of the solution being the game is not unbalanced because the new player is not by definition going to make the party too strong, I can see some cases where a player then tries to emulate your on the fly rules to take advantage of what you did in the moment to help the new player but those players are just assholes and the table is better with out them. all in all really good advice subtely presented.
Yo honestly, this is exactly how the first session should go. Take your players backstory and ambitions, and what they want to do and just smash it all into the first few sessions. Everybody feels great and wants to come back.
I loved the exitement about the big numbers and how the DM made teamwork possible in the interactions between the wizard guy and the paladin/artificer guy. The 21 AC moment was such a five high moment.
Jacob made us believe he made a video about different kinds of D&D players but in reality he made a video about how to be a good DM. Like legit without ever explicitly saying anything about it this is a master class in good DMing. There's a lot of amazing videos that teach how to be a good DM (Colville, Mercer, Jacob himself, to name a few) that are insanely helpful in learning but this video in it's subtly *shows* you how to be a good DM Great job Jacob 👏 👍 God bless yall 🙏
This was unexpectedly wholesome. It's refreshing to see all sorts of different types of players being able to come together and have a great time. Different playstyles don't always conflict; they can complement each other very nicely, too. Thanks for reminding us of that!
There is so much, so very much to learn from less than 8 minutes of video... I am always a bit scared of doing things differently than how they are presented in rules, it's something I'm working on as a DM, but seeing how you can engage the different playstyles of your players and how fun it actually becomes just gave me a very big confidence boost in going right into it. Thank you very much for helping me learn how to play and have fun with my friends for the last 5 or so years. You are pure gold.
It makes me so happy to see the DM go from encouraging the new barbarian to just do what he wants, to making sure the uncertain wizard can try messing around with the spells they want to, AND to the dm just getting genuinely excited with the min-maxer as he just cant get hit and rolls high,
Jacob, I want you to know that I was writing a short Campaign and I was really struggling to come up with a plothook but I saw this video and have actually borrowed the demon attack idea and will be using that in my first session. Thanks for the inspiration!
Honestly when I saw the 2 low effort characters I thought they were going to be joke players. I am so pleasantly surprised to see how they were engaged by the dm in the skit to actually get more involved, so everyone felt valid and had fun ^^ I wish I had a dm who did that.
This just makes it seem so much fun when you find a chill group and a DM who just want everyone to have fun. I love seeing DMs who throw away the rule book and let their players do what they want. I havent even played before but some friends have and I hope theyre getting experiences like this 😁
Sorry it's probably a lot of work... but how about an entire campaign/series told in < 10minute skits like this? This was genuinely incredible, I feel way more invested in the 3 characters than I have for any DnD campaign I've ever watched online.
I’m obsessed with this video, I personally struggle with letting people make their own mistakes or play in a way different from me but this reminded me the merits of everyone playing their own way and made me so excited for this kind of group
