Episode 64 The all-new Idea Informer! mattcolville.idea.informer.com Get Strongholds & Followers! shop.mcdmproductions.com #RunningTheGame #MattColville
I brought the phb, a set of 7 dice and a pencil to my first session. We were playing 4e I brought a 3e phb, and the dice were all d6s. The pencil worked fine.
As Matt says, this is the best kind of new player. Enthusiasm can be focused into a good experience but apathy will only lead to disappointment. Hopefully it's been enjoyable thus far!
On the one hand, this is one of the reasons I like to play Savage Worlds: the softcover core rulebook is $10. On the other hand, if the players are dedicated enough, they will invest in a Player's Handbook. Probably the book I've helped sell the most in this manner was Mutants & Masterminds, as this leads to players buying the book and talking to me about how to make certain character builds.
I had a player who was very very short on money, like the only reason he could come to the weekly games was because he worked in town and would then walk to my house (i didnt live far out from town) he would try every week to get work on Wednesday just so he could come to dnd and not miss it. and he never bought a players handbook or dice, the position he was in meant he literally never had more than 2 or 3 pounds to his name, but to me he was one of the most dedicated players i have ever had.
@@Bob13454 I think there are other things you can do. I didn't buy a phb when I starter but I did buy dice and watched tons of video's on youtube about making characters, being a better player and how difficult rules work. Whether I'm DMing or playing I also want to do the best job I can. I do have a phb now though to be fair I don't use it much, I prefer apps on my phone for character building.
I think that is a really good example… People like Brennan and Matt will talk about how having custom minis and thousands of dollars worth of Battlemap sets doesn’t make for good DnD… Dedicated and excited players (and DM) make for good DnD
He’s the guy that you could buy gaming pieces for and know that they’ll actually cherish them. Damn near the best kind of person you can have at the table
I remember the first time one of my players went "wait a minute.." *flips through their notes to find something a month and a half ago* And they find the tiny little piece of information I gave them ages ago which they needed. I was a very happy DM haha.
I once flipped through my notes, found mention of an obscure word my character found in a mostly-burned document nearly a year real-time before, I spoke the word, and my character gained control of the huge behemoth which seemed about to destroy the party. The DM was so pleased and yet so caught by surprise. OH that was a fun moment. Huge props to that DM for setting it up so intricately and then allowing me to finish the campaign in a somewhat anti-climactic (but awesome) way.
One of my favorite moments in my current campaign was when our group hijacked an airship and had the captured bandit fly us up to a flying city. The pilot was about to steer us into a dock where assassins were waiting, but since I was playing a Kenku I happened to write down a lot of stuff to mimic and shouted out "second to the left on the northernmost side" when we were trying to remember where our main ally said to dock. DM actually had to take a few minutes to readjust the encounter, so when the assassins came from the other side of the docks we got a free round of hits in and the city guard came to help. Nothing I've done since then has made me feel as cool as that tbh.
This deserves a shout-out to my friend Toby. Toby is not always the flashiest character in the game, he's not always in the center of the action. But Toby is among the first-stringers in any campaign, regardless of which of our friend group is running the game; he always gets offered a seat at the table as a first pick. He knows the rules inside and out, but almost always waits to be asked before bringing them up, and even then always phrases it in a way that empowers the GM to make the call themselves. He plays true to character (and comes up with some hilarious character concepts on occasion). He engages in whatever the GM presents -- be it combat, puzzles, or roleplay. He never gets ruffled over problems in the game or at the table. And he makes space for other players to shine. He's totally my role model. Another reason I love him, not really relevant here but whatevs, is he always enhances the punchlines to my jokes and stories in a way that makes it seem like I'm a lot more clever or funny than I actually am. Always appreciate the help.
Related to players keeping notes: One thing that I love is when a player helps me remember an NPC by restating what they know as soon as I bring up the NPC's name. Me: "Across the courtyard you see Brother Haynor" Player A: "Who is he again?" Player B: "He is the guy with the grey beard and trembling hands who used big words to try to impress us." Internal monologue: "I love you, Player B!"
"Don't use the fact that another player is talking- or the DM is talking- as an excuse to think about what you're going to say next... A conversation is not a competition. It's not a contest to see which of us can get the best zinger at the end." As most DnD things, this is pretty good life advice. Don't treat conversations as something to be 'won' and please listen to the people you're talking to.
This is my biggest problem, not for points though my mind just races with all the what ifs d&d brings and then i end up missing what is currently happening.
what if I'm just bad at improv and always have to use the time other people are talking to come up with lines? i'm still listening. i have to, it informs what I'm going to say. But unless I'm thinking and analyzing I just don't have anything to say, and then I'm not engaging.
You're over thinking this. The people who game with you know when you're trying to engage positively and when you're trying to one up them. And in those cases when a miscommunication happens, talking for a bit will likely resolve the issue. It's not a math problem to solve.
A piggy-back on this for me, and it kind of goes into the whole respect category, is not using that time to have a side-conversation. Some people are simply not capable of whispering, and at smaller tables even a decent whisper can be distracting. Don't use the fact that your character isn't present for a conversation as an excuse to have an out-of-game conversation, is really what I'm getting at.
By the way, many of these things I have done, and some of them I certainly have it in me to do again and then regret it. This is a process, it's never complete, the goal is to be mindful, not perfect.
Hey matt i'm curious how do you handle players being taken out of a combat by Crowd control abilities? (charm, sleep, etc) This usually makes them skip multiple combat terms in a row and they just sit watching everyone else play the game.
I had this idea the other day - regarding experience points The idea is; players would gain XP every time they rolled a die for anything; skill check, to hit and damage even encounter rolls. The amount of XP would be the same if not proportional to the number rolled. (I play AD&D so I don't really know what the level boundaries are for current gen, a multiplier may be needed) I haven't tested this on my players yet - I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's tried something similar.
As this happen to me last Sunday, I have no problems with a player being taken out of combat for the full combat. Some times the dice will hate the player. Now if a player has been having bad luck all the game, I will either not target the pc. Or break the rules and allow a saving throw on their turn.
One thing ive found very useful, especially with nondescriptive or new dms, is to ask investigatory questions. Whether it's asking an NPC "what have you done today?" or asking about what someone is wearing or what's up with the walls. It's kind of like reverse-hooking the dm, it sparks their mind about what to do with the terrain, it lets them know you're interested, and it can cause really great tangents.
Being a new DM, I would love if my players did this...I always feel like I'm not doing a good enough job painting a picture of the world and their surroundings
Kris Boardman Then talk to them, i bet they will be understanding and might even say that your discriptions are just so great that they don't have to ask anything(in which case they are probably lying, and then you should make sure to include more traps in your encounters which they have to actively look for)
Being probably the most invested in the RP of the players in my campaign (not to toot my own horn, but it's kinda true), I often feel like there is a lack of descriptions given by the DM, and I find myself asking what the surroundings are like whenever I feel like I could use some more information. Not only does it help me create a clearer picture of our surroundings, but it also helps the other players, and the Dm in the end. The DM sits with all of the info, and it's easy for them to think "Oh, they should know that! It's so obvious after all!" when they have all the pieces to the puzzle, but it's quite a bit harder for the players who only have a fourth of the puzzle pieces. Asking for elaborations on certain descriptions, or asking for new things entirely, can be a great help for both immersion and problem solving, I've discovered, and is why I have really started to make it a habit to try to ask questions every now and then.
I counter with this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KluTTSrSdrg.html (Additionally, in my D.M. opinion, asking an NPC what they have done today is pretty absurd, as is to a slightly lesser degree what someone is wearing, with the obvious exception being if it involves moving along the story/plot in question, a primary example of when both such questions may come into prominence being during an investigation of some sort. The vast majority of D.M.s I am aware of [myself included] are not keen on it when players ask those sorts of questions of NPCs as they are, in general, fairly meaningless/pointless [unless involving a murder/mystery/investigation relating to said NPCs] or the player can explain a specific reason for asking; e.g. I want to know/ask _____ because then I want to _____. Otherwise, asking a NPC blacksmith [or any other such NPC] what they did today ["Uhh, work..."] or what they are wearing [Uhh, an apron with tools/work attire...], or a king what they did today or what they are wearing just to see what the D.M. can come up with [if it was important to their story/plot/theme, then it would naturally be mentioned in their description], i.m.o., simply slows down play with banter that has little meaning and direction).
@@AdeptScholar I think you have it all wrong, what the black smith did today isn't meaningless. It could perhaps lend itself to a story element of the campaign or give a sense of what kind of a man the blacksmith is. The NPCs should all have some sort of motivation and not just be someone mindlessly working the forge all day waiting for the players to show up. A player asking a question like, "what did you do today" or "what is he wearing" is a great opportunity for the DM to add depth to the world. "What did you do today?" "Well, I've actually lost a morning's worth of work because my iron delivery was late." "Why was the delivery late?" "Oh, you know trouble on the roads and such. My iron guy, Bruce Lager, said they had to detour to avoid a hoard of ravagers they spotted near the main road." "Ravagers?" "What, you ain't ever heard of the ravagers? Little green terrors they are. Been hearing all kinds of rumors about them causin' trouble on the road. The savages will attack anyone with a caravan of supplies and will even murder women and children. *spits in forge* The guards are either to scared or to lazy to do anything about it." "I see, well thanks for repairing my armor. It's been nice talking to you, say hello to the mrs. for me." Imagine a players disappointment when they are digging around for dialogue like this and all they get is. "Been workin..."
Tldr: don't argue with the DM when he lays down the law About a year ago I got the chance both to start playing D&D and DM (same campaign) for the first time in YEARS (i played briefly when I was a child) The friend who gave me the opportunity to DM let me use all his old 3.5 stuff. And he had ALL of it. Dozens of supplements and modules. Needless to say he knew way more about the game than I did. As we played he would often question my rulings, but never contradict them (in public) he was always supportive of my choices as a DM. When he would question my ruling he never said "well the book says" or "I have always done it this way". What he would say is "can we do X this way?" Or can Y function this way?" Because of that my confidence as a DM went up and I learned to love it. Point being, there will often be DMs and other players who know LESS about the game than you. If you do know the rules better treat the DM with courtesy, and remember that they make the rules of the game, and the handbooks are more like... Guidelines.
I personally usually try to frame it as a question. "Even with X?" "Y says Z so does that mean W?" Also quick reminders CAN be helpful. Even an experienced DM can lose track of something in the 17 things they are juggling. Also player integrity makes everything better. Don't freaking make the DM keep track of the time limits on all your spells. Be trustworthy track it yourself. Also I often end up reminding one of my DMs about concentration saves for me and the rest of my party. Though frankly with experienced players they should be making those saves without needing to be told. Also as a player you may not have all the info on a situation to know whether a ruling is correct. Especially when there is more than meets the eye going on.
personally, i have a rule that i'm only allowed to object once to the dm for each matter. for example, i once had one of my characters on the call of cthulhu get one of his eyes plucked out cleanly with a spoon, this is a cliche that always ticks me off because i know that the real anatomy of the eye don't work like that (and i was a bit pissed because i had already lost the other eye to a bullet). me: "you know, in real life, there's a lot of muscles in the orbit, all around the eye, you can't just have an eye cleanly hanging out of the orbit." dm: "ok, i didn't know. we will stick with that since you would have lost that eye anyway and it's more cinematic." me: "no problem" later, i got a hold of a ring with a demon sealed inside which allowed me to grow back body parts as demonic organs. and lets say that the 20/10 rating night vision eyes were fun even if i had to hide them behind thick sunglasses.
Well said! I played in a group years ago where I would DM my campaign one week, and another player would DM his campaign the next. We were both experienced RPGamers, but of course neither of us could know everything. He would help remind me of things in my game, and I would remind him of things in his game, and since we both had our own house rules / home brews, it was easy to accept when we didn't do things the same way.
"Find your fun in the game that's presented to you." This is how in 20 years of d&d I've never played in a game without having fun no matter how batty the DM may have been.
One of the reasons that Critical Role is as good as it is, is because of the players. Matt's a great DM, don't get me wrong. He puts a ton of work into his games. But what people sometimes don't realise is how much work (And it is work) that the players put into making the game great. They take notes which is part of it (Though I personally don't feel that taking notes is a necessity) but mostly it comes down to the fact that all of them are veteran actors who know how to listen to each other and support each other's ideas. My point is that like being a DM, being a player is a skill and people often don't think of it as such.
I completely agree, especially about them being good players because they know how to listen and support each other's ideas. It's not about the quality of the acting, it's the about how they actively connect with the world and the game. Far too often I see players who disconnect the moment it isn't their turn (I myself have done that more often than I'd like to admit)
If viewers and GMs/players could have one takeaway from Critical Role i wish it would be "here is what a game can be like when everyone wants everyone else at that table to have fun and be awesome - even in (especially in) failure."
I was once one of those players who completely disconnected when it wasn't my turn, and in hindsight I realise how shitty that was. I'm proud to say I have changed xp
Hey, Matt, I'd be really interested in a "DM Neutrality" video. Recently I had a TPK in my game and afterwards I noticed that my players never even thought of surrendering or fleeing. I considered raising the possibility of that during the fight, but decided to let them make their own decisions. The new game we're starting looks like it will be better, so I'm not really second guessing my decision not to intervene, but it might be helpful for next time.
Matt, I'd also love to hear your take on DM neutrality - I skirt the line a bit on this topic as I run a game with five completely new players who occasionally need a little push or some guidance to get out of a rut, but I'm constantly worried about too much hand-holding. I'd also be curious if you have any tips on how to remain neutral, but at the same time inspire players to take initiative with making decisions.
What I’m like to do is give them one “oops” moment. I had a lvl 1 Druid try to run into melee combat with a fresh elemental and he only had 4 hit points. I narrated it as, “Vanya, bleeding and barely conscious, runs forward towards the elemental....” and at that moment he realized his health and changed his action to heal himself. This last session, he got into a fight with a creature and I let it happen until the barbarian yelled at him that she only has 4 hp. The he realized that he also only had 4 hp and started healing. Tl;dr give them a push once, then let things happen.
Watch the catastrophic failure campaign diary. Then think about if you had not been too neutral. Would that situation have been avoided? There is nothing wrong with dropping some breadcrumbs to your players about the overall situation. You as a DM are much more aware of the bigger picture, so not reminding them of the information they have might prove lethal to the players. Also try to avoid surrender or flee situations. Or make it 100% clear in the start. Or fade to black. Players are stubborn and usually do small dumb things.
Matt already said somewhere that players never want to flee. Because they play heroes and nobody wants to cut their looses. I handle it by not giving XP for battles where a PC goes down. If a PC goes down you get XP for fleeing, not fighting.
I think this is a good topic. I know for me, it is hard to be neutral sometimes, especially when there are nuggets of info you know the players need. Like you're so close to answer A, but I can't give it to you.
I think the best advice given here is "D&D is a cooperative game. Emphasis on cooperative." I mean that in both the in-game and meta sense. In-game, it helps a lot if you work together - cover each other's backs, plan things out together and stick to said plan, etc. In the metagame, you should be trying to facilitate not just your own fun, but everyone else's. There's no game without the other players, after all - so be respectful, give the other players room in the spotlight, and generally try to keep the flow of the game pleasant.
I'm surprised you didn't mention player vs player interactions. Things like knowing when the spotlight is yours and when to release it, or when it's appropriate for your character to do something "detrimental" to the party based on your character's narrative (or when it it is definitely not appropriate).
Can't get this image out of my mind. A group of adventurers sheepishly walking up to the tower of a lich, and knocking on the door. The lich personally answering. Several seconds of awkward silence.
1 thing stand out to me A LOT. Conversations are not competitions. It's a lesson a lot of people need to learn. Personally, professionally, and in the hobby.
Well, it depends on the tone. The tone of Marvel movies is more comedic, and they like to portray themselves as fairly self-aware. A well-timed joke can relieve tension, but a poorly-timed one deflates it. I like to think Marvel movies achieve the former more than the latter.
He wasn't saying that as some sort of rule of fiction, he was describing a table behaviour. A scripted, edited interaction can make changes of tone work in ways you can't get when it's multiple people bouncing off each other.
Yeah, exactly this. Marvel - and even the new Star Wars movies - has fostered a certain kind of mindset among a large portion of the geek/nerd community. Everyone wants to be the snarky, quick-witted, loveable-jackass hero now. Everyone thinks they're incredibly clever and that by undercutting everything with stupid jokes or constantly trying to throw in a bunch of pop-culture dialogue, that they're super special and a shining beacon among the other, uncultured players, when really it's just fucking obnoxious.
I think just being engaged in the game is a big thing. I hear GMs and storytellers often complain they feel they put a lot of work into the game but don't get much player engagement; players not interacting with NPCs and the environment, deadpanning emotional moments, and like you said not attempting to know the rules or having the resources they need on hand.
Agreed. I think to an extent what motivates DMs is often different from what motivates, players, too. DMs often love world building and creating all these cool things in the world. Players often just want to break down doors and kill goblins. Not all, certainly, but some. And I think that's okay to an extent. But, yeah, as a DM I love players who really get into it and are engaged (and not on their phones).
I finally ran a session with my friends (We're all newbies) and, despite a few mistakes, everything went well and we all had fun together. I basically just ran the session Matt created that revolved the tomb. We haven't gotten through all of it yet. The players were able to get to the end of the tomb and defeat all of the monsters. Next time we meet up they should be able to enter the secret passage. I remember Matt mentioning the anxiety he felt before starting a game. Honestly, I was getting nervous and felt a bit of anxiety before starting the game but after some time I felt pretty comfortable running the game.
Some of the most unenjoyable experiences I’ve had as a player is when other players are unhappy with things that work against them and they stubbornly dig their heels in. The most fun I’ve had is playing into my weaknesses and embracing my failures. Only yesterday did I make a series of decisions that led to me losing a valuable item in exchange for my safe exit, and then I also foolishly walked into a cavern and only looked up at the last second to have a green slime on my face. I lost my beard trying to burn it off my face, and then I grabbed a key off a mouldy skeleton which released a bunch of super nasty spores. Sure, I could have heroically dodged all the obstacles and made the optimal choices - but ultimately I had so much more fun with all the failures. A lot of players don’t think that way and I think it injures their enjoyment.
But yeah, to Lose is a hard yet very rewarding experience. In D&D I tend to be more accepting of my failures than IRL, and it has been quite a lesson for my everyday life every session, every adventure.
I've continually remarked on how interesting and cool I thought it was when one of the pcs was killed in the first session, and I'm pretty sure the other players (especially the one playing said character) think I'm displaying the tendencies of either a masochist or a psychopath. It makes a good story, and from then on it informed my own character's motivations since it was partially his fault it happened.
My bard was looking for a mask of beauty because she needed a charisma boost in order to meet the requirements of an AD&D 1e bard. She happened to hear about an evil medusa bothering a nearby town. As it turns out the mayor and mayors deputy had been killed by some thieves who wanted our party to clear out a GOOD medusa who'd been protecting the town. Instead of doing research I went in like the badass I thought I was, assumed her husband was evil and killed him in his sleep and tried to kill her. She turned me to stone and stood there furiously screaming at me, telling me how he'd saved her after she'd fled her kind and made a life there among the only people who were willing to give her a chance. She then broke off my arms and turned me to flesh again. As I lay there bleeding out she stalked off through the woods and happened upon a minstrel who was entertaining some children. She did the same to him only instead of messing with his hands she messed with his face. He ended up losing his mind and later on became our groups greatest enemy. None of that would have happened had I not goofed up and accepted my characters mistake instead of trying to reroll things or ask the dm for a re-do. I'm not ashamed of doing it as a player because it taught me a valuable lesson.
I'm still trying my best to learn how to accept my real life mistakes. I think it's a constant battle. You just have to do your best to own up and do better.
I mean in these kind of videos there are so many things said that it's hard for a new player to remember everything but it boils down to three things: Be fun, Be prepared and Be altruistic. If you do this, you are a good player.
Something that I like to do and love to see other players do is to include each other's characters. This is especially great for newer/quieter players when you can ask "Hey, Grognarr. What do you think about this?" People may have all kind of thoughts swirling around in their head but don't feel like they have the opportunity to voice them and a GM can try to be on the look out for that but its great when players can do it themselves.
I ran a lot of D&D in college and when we were broke college students I had 0 expectation that my players would all buy a Phb. The only thing I expected them to get was dice.
My husband and I are older than the rest of our d&d group. Most of them are still in college, and as such they don't have a lot of spare $. As someone who has more spending power, the hubbs and I have tried to make sure to have as many resources available as we can. We don't mind sharing books or dice or printing character sheets. And we also like to make sure there are snacks for the group. I generally look more at how interested people seem in the games I run. And how much they participate during game time. The person in our group who owns the least amount of books had actually done more dm'ing than everyone else. And I find that everyone is eager to contribute in the ways they are capable of.
AwakenedWolf 4 While I do attempt to be kind, I do feel that it is more practical than anything to temper expectations with practical ability. I try and have resources available. And my group has a good deal of understanding when it comes to the hubbs and I needing to take breaks to care for our children.
I don't know... a PHB is $30 on Amazon. I was in college. I hung around with "broke" college students. It wasn't that they didn't have money; they just chose to spend it on Jimmy Johns, or beer, or other stuff. It's a question of priorities. I think Matt's point is valid even for "broke" college students.
"Be prepared to lose gracefully" is a good life lesson. For rules agreements/disagreements, I just always make sure the ruling is consistent. This normally means that it sucks for me at first but then becomes very potent for me later.
I'm getting back into D&D from 2E. I've been watching videos for about a week, everything from Critical Role to D&D with High School Students and from How to Make a Character in Roll20 to videos like yours. Honestly, yours the first that don't hit me like Sleepy Time tea. I've been watching your Running the Game series for two days now. They are very engaging. Bravo, dude. Subscribed.
My friends in my group have started calling me a rules lawyer due to my tendency to look up rules and spells on other players turns, sometimes because they or the DM ask me to so they don't have to disrupt the narrative as much, but mostly because I simply want to know for myself what the rule or spell is. When I bring up a point about a rule that wasn't asked for specifically, like how the Dominate spells give the target a saving throw every time they take damage, either elicits a "well that sucks", an argument over the wording starts and the DM makes a ruling that is usually met with resignation or mild disgruntlement, or I take heat for even looking up the rule in the first place.
"Learn to find your fun in the game the DM is running" @ 9:00 is so important. Yes, i get it that DMs are supposed to be flexible and creative and make the players feel as free as possible but a DM is still just a human who's taking hours and hours out of their week to prepare a game for you and your friends. If you're not having fun, but it seems the other players are, then talk to the DM about things you'd enjoy seeing implemented in the game or.... politely and gently leave the game
When I hosted and DM'd my first ever adult group a year ago, I put out invites on my local neighborhood's Facebook page and invited one friend I know. Three random strangers came to my house, none of whom had played 5e before, but had some RPG experience in the past. When, by the third week, they were all starting to show up with freshly purchased copies of the Player's Handbook, I was so excited. It felt like a great big neon sign telling me that they were having fun and intended to stick with the campaign (Princes of the Apocalypse). Showing up prepared really matters and is like injecting jet fuel into your DM. Thanks for this video, Matt!
I would add share the spotlight with your fellow players to this list. Giving new players the spotlight can be fun for them and you. Especially when you know what that monster can actually do and the other players don't. Just think back to the first time that you ran into this monster how surprised you were when it did it special attack. That is one of the greatest experience a player can have and it is overlooked by a lot.
Yes, sharing the spotlight is very important. I'm normally a DM, but when I'm a player I'm always super conscious NOT to hog the limelight. (Which is easy to fall into for me.)
Possibly the most important factor to being a good player in my opinion is FEEDBACK!! One on one feedback with the DM solves so many problems ! It gives players a chance to understand why the DM made certain choices, where the DM or players can improve and what went well! This is how problem players become good reliable players because it develops an understanding between the two and fixes mistakes on both sides!! There is nothing worse though than a player who you have sparked off at the table who refuses to give feedback. I feel like that is a is sorry path that can lead to ask people to step away from the table!
I love feedback. Some people are really reluctant to criticize though and its a shame because hearing about what i could do better helps me the most. And yeah sometimes and honest talk with a problem player can turn things around, had a couple memorable times that had happened to me.
Speaking about "have it ready", I was so exited to play my Wizard in Storm King's Thunder that I wrote down all his spells into a mini notebook as his spellbook, with bookmarks for what he had prepared. Whenever I wanted to cast something, I'd have it open on the spell page so I can instantly look up info if the DM asks for range, if it's concentration or not, and other stuff.
I really like the advice of leaving your characters’ motivation blank so you can fill it in to match the DM’s adventure, and it matches a certain style of DMing. But there’s a different tradition of DMing where you build the adventure around the PC’s motives and what is interesting to your players. So for me, there’s a dialogue around the premise of the game and how each hero fits into it, that both DMs and players have a role in before dice hit the table. Asking players to fit their character into the DM’s story is a very one-sided power dynamic, and not the only style of play.
When it comes to characters and backgrounds it is a good idea to check with the DM to see what they would like, or what they expect. Some are very much "This is the game I want to run, I want characters to fit within that framework." It does no good if a character's background flies completely in the face of a central concept of the campaign. Other DMs prefer a more collaborative campaign design between themselves and the players to drive the direction of the game. I like it when players have some ideas of what they would like their characters to accomplish into the game, and I work to include details from their backgrounds. I still have my overall main drive of the campaign, but I like to include 'side quests' that involve one or more player's backstories. I find this helps to make the characters feel directly involved with the game and gives them more personal stakes other than 'how much gold do we get if we do this'.
The first time I knew I would have a new player at my table, I purchased a set oof dice and gave them to the player. Nothing fancy. Nothing expensive. Just dice. And a pencil. It’s become a personal tradition/custom. I now keep a couple sets of unopened dice and several unused pencils in my bag for new players. It’s a “welcome to my game” gift. I give my gifts to them even if they have pencils and dice. If they never come back, at least they have something to remind them of the game and get them started if they ever play again. Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
Morning. Something I found as a player going from week to week is that it was near impossible to remember the layout of things. Our G.O.D. also has a tendency to switch between cardinal direction and player perception right and left. So in self defense (from confusion) I started using the back of the pages to draw maps, tunnel layouts, floor plans. (I'm also starting to have my character do it in game as well) This really has sped up the game since we don't need to keep have him keep replaying the scene. Anyhow, thank you for all the videos! Greatly Appreciated.
Tip to players: when playing D&D try to look at the world you're in rather than the DM. What I mean by that is when roleplaying in game, don't try to dig out the DM's motives behind every interaction. Or secret clues on how the DM "really feels" about gameplay. I had this problem with a player once, and when you spend all your time doing that, you forget to role play your character. The game turns into a series of plot points instead of a living breathing world, and most of the points probably are not actually indicative of DM opinion. To be perfectly honest DMs will throw things at you just to see what your reaction is. Or just to show you a more in depth world. Just go along for the ride, no matter what happens we'll all have fun anyway.
Best dating advice I've ever heard, 4 or 5 weeks in if you haven't brought anything to the table, book, pencil anything maybe think about bringing something.
Great video Matt! One thing I would add is being a good player means playing your own character an not trying to tell others how theirs should be played. I'm sure you've seen this... Love your videos Sir!
Starting a new game with a new player, assured her she only had to bring herself and maybe preferred beverage. I joined a game... four months ago with a guy who has since joined one of my games, and he'd been playing even longer. Doesn't own dice, doesn't remember a pencil, and I find myself wishing I'd given someone else the seat. As for notes, I admit I'm terrible at taking them as both a player and a DM, but I love when my players pick up on something seen previously. And playing in Curse of Strahd, it was pretty great when I looked back through and connected something with our early tarot reading. For being a good player, there's finding that balance between doorcrasher and disruptive. If everyone is too fearful for their character to do anything, the game stalls. Yeah, the door may not look safe, but someone needs to go through it. But the other side, of one character just going through door after door and not giving anyone a chance to react is also bad for the game.
Great points and video. Losing gracefully is very important in life. In my mind, too, the best players are the ones with a high degree of self-awareness. Knowing how one's behavior and words affects others at the table is very important, especially when playing with new folks outside your friend group. It is key to facilitating congruency between the varied personalities at the table and stopping problems before they arise or disrupt the fun. Related to that is clear communication - articulating expectations and being comfortable with conflict like rules disagreements or mistakes or just normal social conflict. Though everyone has different comfort levels with conflict. I like that you made a point of reacting, too. My favorite phrase a PC can say to another is, "what do you think, ?" Valuing one another's opinions at the table really keeps the cooperative feeling of the game alive.
What if the Dice say no? Recently I played a fighter and we were in again a group o kobolds. In 6 Rounds one of my attacks was a hit. While an 8 was enough to hit, despite that one hit, I did not even role more than a 5 on the d20. The whole evening. What can you do, when you lose that hard?
Before you buy new dice, test these ones to see if they are balanced. "how to D&D" has a great video on it, you fill a glass with really salty water, and toss it in. It should float, and random numbers should appear each time you push it down, and it bobs up. If the same number shows up a lot, your die is unbalanced. If that's the case, you'll have to buy new ones. But keep that special die, for when you have to roll really low.
This just reminds me of something someone said in my earshot, many years ago. About how the habits necessary to be a good improv actor would also make you a pretty well-rounded person. Good video.
I appreciate what you said about not setting your character's goals/backstory too deeply before the campaign starts. It's someting I think more people need to hear! One of my online rp buddies pre-makes characters for use in future campaigns, and when I, a first-time-proto-DM, warned him that "sorry, there are no [insert expansion race here] in my world" or "hey, playing an [insert alignment here] might be a bad idea for this campaign", he got VERY mad at me as though I was stifling his creativity and forcing him to do more work...he'd aparently rather make a whole new character than sacrifice the tiniest thing in his initial idea. 😥 It wasn't as though we were even anywhere near starting at that point, either. In the end, we didn't even make it to session zero...and I remain a proto-DM. Another friend of mine wanted us to have full backstories right off the bat for his 5e space-faring campaign. I had a hard time with that, since I was unfamiliar with the setting and not-yet good at improv, and at one point early on he retconed an NPC into my character's past because he wanted my paladin to have some history related to the story. I didn't say anything, but it quite bothered me that I all of a sudden had an anchor restricting my character's backstory. Tl;dr, I think characters should grow out of the story they're playing in. I'd rather play a vague, bland character for a few meetings than have a character who's backstory is not my own or ill-suited to the story's tone and contents.
It's uplifting to see you post something like this. I've felt like there was an overflow of "you're a bad player and this is why" videos, and it's counter intuitive to what role playing is about.
Guesses before watching: - being prepared to play (having sheet, pencil, knowing abilities, etc.). - engaging in the world in some way or at least trying to demonstrate that your character is being played in the world - being yourself (murderhoboing can be okay) without being a bad friend/teammate. - SPLIT THE PIZZA BILL
I've been DMing for ages and just started playing in a game run by my wife. Realized pretty quick I was being a bad player for her. Watched this video as a refresher and I think it'll help. Thanks, Matt.
I find a simple, "Are you sure you want to do that?", helps the players re-think bad choices. But encouraging a good decision? Maybe something like, "You feel a surge of confidence, perhaps your deity is looking upon you favorably?" Then give them a +1 to their roll (secretly), or have them roll with Advantage.
So much incredible insight in this video. Leaving your character's wants unknown to better fill out the game world you're in is huge. I never thought about it that way, but as a DM I've always felt as though I was chasing my players, rather than the other way round.
My two most important pieces of advice to new players or just people I haven't played with before are: 1) play to find out what happens. Don't worry about the "best" option, think about what your character would do and do that (because I GM best off of that); and 2) ASK QUESTIONS. I tell them directly, "there's a lot of information in the world, and either I tell you all of it, which will be long and boring, or I tell you a few of the details and you ask questions, which will direct the game towards your interests."
Who hits the dislike button on a Matt Colville video? People who don't like open-ended, eloquently delivered advice from a guy who's been doing this collective hobby of ours for literal decades?
How to be a good player: 1. Bring good beer 2. Bring good food 3. Don't get so dunk that you pass out or throw up, unless you 4. Brought a lot of really good beer or food (or you're in your own house)
I don't think everyone needs a PHB. Usually at our tables the DM or one player has the rulebooks and one book is shared. This lets us buy more books between us.
that's hardly fair, all he is saying is that if you have been playing with a group for more then a month or so and you haven't even gotten the basics (he implies your own dice and stuff to record info in as well as a PHB) then it shows a lack of interest in the story/game that can be discouraging to the table or at worst insulting to it when they all are engaged and interested with a cliche person leaning back in their chair chewing gum taking up space or distracting (just an over the top example to help explain the point). the Wizards of the Coast website has always provided the basics of the PHB to set up a character and the standard rules of the game, so even if you don't buy a PHB you can just quickly print the pdf and take that which allows you to play with a DM that has the books while you don't have to keep asking to be handed the PHB since the pdf has the core stuff, even that shows an interest greater than just looking on. while dice can get VERY expensive there are basic sets that work perfectly well that barely cost more then a notebook and usually there's a person who has a tub of inexpensive dice that would give/lend you some, but just having your OWN dice that you manage and bring to the table instead of arriving and waiting for someone to hand you dice and your character sheet is a good show of interest in the hobby. what if that player is away for the session and suddenly instead of their small tub of dozens of dice you have a spare d20 and one of your main damage dice some1 dug out of a bag to lend you to struggle through the session constantly asking for a d4 when your blessed or some such situation.
Agreed. It's great to have several floating around the table (especially if you have a large group), but PHBs are somewhat pricey and I don't expect everyone to dish out that much money on one--especially not a brand new player who is likely feeling out how much they enjoy the game.
Me and my friends have mostly been playing online nowadays. Almost every one of these campaigns the players whether me or others always seem to have trouble not looking at another tab or having a game running in the background. I decided to start writing everything that happens down in a journal as my character. Not only has this made my focus jump back up to 100 % now the other players always look to me for our session recap when we start to play the next week. I really cannot recommend note taking enough as a player.
after like my second session ever, I wrote in my notebook "take notes on anything with a PRONOUN," and I can't believe I picked up on something so important myself. high-five, brain.
"The goal is to be mindful, not perfect." That there is a quotable quote . . . seriously glad I read that comment. ANYWAY, just wanted to thank you (as a fan of both MCs) for the YBGE KS plug. I was stoked to see your name on the contributors list.
Thank you for the shout out Matthew. I actually review that article when I'm writing and designing in order to remind myself what I did right back then. For me, designing that way was just how I did it. I didn't think about it. I didn't have a method or a science, just intuition. It took someone else analyzing my work to come up with a theory and practice for it. Look forward to working with you, but we are going to have to have a session about how to pronounce my name. ;)
I wish I'd had this video a year, year-and-a-half ago. I had a group of four player, only one of whom had ever played, and the other three were all from very video game backgrounds. One actually thought about nearly everything in terms of the D&D mmo, which was really hard for me to navigate around. How do you tell her she's really closing herself off from a lot of possibilities, when she's expressing all her ideas in the most complete way possible in this other game? It was hard to work around that mind set for those three. They expected me to tell them what was important, and what they should be interested in doing. Because in the games they were used to, they always had a tooltip or a quest-giver to tell them what was what, and where they should be going, and what to do when they got there. I worked pretty hard to get the players to understand what kind of game this was going to be, and tried (though I think unsuccessfully) to incorporate what they were telling me about their characters into tangible motivations and plot hooks they could seize. In the end, the player I was most worried about was the most invested, but I felt like I'd let everyone else down a bit. I might have been putting too much pressure on myself to have them all as engaged as possible, but I'm just not used to players who want me to tell them what they can or should be doing. I think, what I'm going to take away from this video most of all, is the idea of leaving blank a character's motivations until I (or my players) know what's possible. What they will find fun, within the context of the setting I've made. If I'd thought to tell my players that, they wouldn't have felt so pressured to define their characters in more specific ways than they were used to, right out of the gate. And I could have spent a lot less time and effort trying to make specific things happen to engage the ideas they sort of forced out of themselves as motivations or story arcs, because it's what I was expecting. Because honestly, they just weren't that eager to grab the hooks. Those things weren't what they were really interested in as players. It's what they thought they were supposed to be interested in.
As an aside, in that same game, the player I was most concerned about, who was also most eager, and wound up most engaged, kept asking me how to be a good player, or expressing concern that she was going to be sub-par. I told her over and over "the important thing is that you show up ready to play, that you pay attention to me and the other players, and that you aren't afraid to ask for help." I wasn't really sure what else to say, because I'd never had a player who was unsure they could handle playing D&D. She was just so nervous about it, and had so many doubts, and I had to keep reassuring her it was going to be fine, and the fact that she was interested in trying was all that was important. So it was almost funny to me when she then proceeded to do the thing I consider the worst possible player faux pas, and she invited a friend to join the campaign without asking or consulting me. Which meant on day one of the game, I had this relative stranger show up at the table, with no experience, no preparation, and no warning at all, just expecting to be dealt into the game like it was cards. And they wanted to play as a werewolf.
Excellent topic on Being a Good Player! I do have a question in regards to player etiquette, since we're on the topic of being a good player: My own players as of late have been beginning to have an issue of applying too much of their personal, real-life issues to either their character backstory, or their character personality; I am seeing it where one day a player might be very much into their character's intended personality, then another when either they've had a bad day or just aren't feeling into it, they end up having their character's personality suddenly taking a very strange turn, even when the scenario we left off on doesn't really call for it. In situations like this, I am trying to put myself in the shoes of the player this happening with, and asking myself the question: How can I better maintain my character's personality, without compromising my emotions because of what's happened to me personally? Should I take a break so as not to sour the mood at the table? Should I ask the DM or the table as a whole so as how I can try to still play, but not ruin everyone's fun? I find these situations are happening a little more frequently at my table, and while I'm able to create separate scenarios to help the player blow off some steam and all, I don't feel like it's really contributing to the story, and more serving as a stress reliever. Any tips?
Question from my current campaign. My 8 Int Half Orc got access to a belt of Dwarven kind for a short time while another character was unable to attend. After returning the belt my character was wandering a library while the Wizard and Bard were yick-yaking he found a book on Dwarven and had a bit of a crisis as he couldn't read it, but he could remember being able to read it, yet that memory was only further frustrating. He is now on a quest to learn Dwarven to fix the paradox of both knowing and not knowing Dwarven.
You may not ever see this, but I'm a new DM and just wanted to say thank you for these videos! They have been extremely helpful and it's nice to see someone who cares about their players having fun like I do.
This video perfectly describes why I'm no longer friends with someone I was friends with for many years. Even though they had a ton of charisma and were very fun to hang out with they did everything Matt says not to do in this video. It's extremely tiring to have friendship treated like a competition.
I think the biggest issue for me to keep in mind, is telling myself that the payoff isn't as good if I give it to them. Only give them what they can run up against, if they want to run in and kill themselves or miss that awesome treasure room you put in. It wouldn't be the same if you gave it to them. They're there to explore, and they can't do that with our interference.
I would say if they miss the room with the thing they need to kill the monster in the next level, ask for a Perception check. Maybe they notice a slight draft, or smell, from the secret door? The thing doesn't have to be obvious, like a +5 Holy Avenger, but could be a diary entry, or a painting with some clue in the background. We shouldn't give the players the answers, but we should give them a fighting chance.
I always state upfront that "this isn't a democracy. The key is in the word 'master'". Do whatever you want. If you think the players are getting massacred and that continuing to fight is stupid, you are welcome to point this out. "you guys are fucking dying lol. why are you still fighting? run or fight, I don't care either way"
As a still new-ish DM, I'm very glad to hear even someone like Matt Colville say that nobody can have all the rules in their head, and it makes me feel a lot better. It also makes me feel a bit justified in being grumpy when two of my players in the beginning basically had no idea how their classes work and relied entirely on me knowing and explaining every detail on the fly, at the table. As a first time DM, I had a hard time keeping everything in my head that *I* needed to know, both mechanically and in terms of the adventure, and having to all but run two PCs in combat really stressed me out. (btw it's all good, it's gotten better) On a more lighthearted note, another one of my players was so hooked after the first session that he started building his own dice tray, themed after his character. I really loved to see that kind of investment and enthusiasm, and it was probably one of the first moments that made me think this whole DM thing might be worth it.
This is a fantastic video. I help to run a West Marches game with well over 200 active players and 16 DMs and we see a lot of these issues come up with players on the regular. Secret score keeping and not being prepared are probably the worst offenders. I posted this to our discord this morning!
So, I am new to D&D , I am currently trying to get familiar with the game's mechanics and stuff. When I was reading the starter set rulebook I came across the prestidigitation spell .One of the possible effects read: "Instantaneously clean or soil an object not larger than 1 cubic foot" Note how it didn't mention with which substance the object gets soiled so I was wondering if you could let's say soil a cloth with oil and then set it on fire with the other effect: "Instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch or a small campfire". If this is possible, how much dmg would a person wearing the cloth take?(Definition of soiled: "to make unclean, dirty, or filthy, especially on the surface") Also: Any suggestions on how I could persuade my friends to play D&D.
Ok, first it would depend on the game master. I wouldn't let that slide with level0 spells, my understanding of soil would be to make it look unclean, not to soil it with anything up to your imagination. So mud, dust, slime... depends on the nature of it. In case the action is accepted it would depend on the edition. In 3.0 if you are lit aflame you take each round the same damage that started the fire (if for example it was burning hands cast by a level 3 mage it would be 3d4s). In 3.5 you only take 1d6 if you are in flames, no matter how big the flame that set you on fire was. And in 5 I'm not sure but I believe it is 1d6 as well Just tell them to try it. Work with other hobbies they have as a bait. If they were in drama club that it is like improvised acting. It they are into tabletop board games that it's just that with some rolplaying in the middle, and talk to them about rules of combat or equipment. If they play RPG videogames or the like, (Mass effect, withcher, Dragon Age, Baldur's gate...) tell them it's like that, only you have more option for dialogues if you want them, or they can just focus on bashing heads. If they are a party group tell them you can try a silly session and turn it into a drinking game: If they crit, you drink. For every baddy with a name they kill, you drink. If a PC goes down, the party drinks. 1 shot for every 2 levels of spells cast... After the first, if they liked it, start slowly something more serious. Or stick to the silly and simple. Whatever works best for all of you.
I really enjoy how passionate Matt is about the entire multiverse. Every video gives me inspiration of what to season my campaigns and characters with.. One day I'm going to run an epic campaign and it'll all be down to Matt's teachings
Lmao just ran into this problem today, as I dmed my third game for some buds. Spent a solid 24 hours setting up and my players didn't take anything seriously, not even as much as take notes
"I'm grateful you all take the time to show up. There's just one thing that kinda bothers me. I put a lot of time and effort into making a really great adventure because I want you to all have as much fun as you can. Thing is I couldn't help noticing you didn't really take it seriously or take notes down or anything. It made all that time I spent setting up feel kinda pointless. I'll be honest-it bummed me out. I still like DM'ing for you and hanging out with you. It would just mean a lot to me if you took it a bit more seriously and maybe wrote stuff down."
Let people play how they want to play. They might become more invested over time, or maybe with different material. Don't push, instead try and see what works and what doesn't. Takes a long time to build the DM skillset, and the only way to get good is to mess up once or twice and learn what you can.
Even as a player, I use my DM learned technique to ask other players what their character thinks or wants to do. I find theres often 1 or 2 players at the table at risk of falling into the background due to lack of confidence or uncertainty. Just a nudge to provide opportunity to participate if they want
Excellent discussion. I just had a several day discussion with a player about whether Spirit Guardians follows you into the Ethereal plane (preventing the outgoing damage) or stays in the material plane and continues to damage opponents. He laid out the potential interpretations and felt that it was much less valuable if the damage was cut in half. I told him that was true, but it was also true that spirit follows you for free and avoids damage to friends making it much more valuable for a tanking mage like him then things like cloudkill, blade barrier, moonbeam etc. Also, blink in general is a spell that extends your life while retaining your direct damage, but halves your reactive damage. It helps you tank, not damage. He is someone that tries to minmax his characters, but last night at our weekly session he gracefully accepted that his desire in this case was not supported by the rules and that we should stick with no spirit damage when he is blinked. I very much liked your point about graceful acceptance.
Hey Matt. If you have time, could you maybe talk about what to do when you're stuck with a character you don't find very interesting. The setting is now in such a way that most of his motivations have been robbed from him. How to form a new motivation. Thanks
Thomas Rhoads the group is very attached to him and I kinda like the idea of him but due to how things developed over the campaign any motivation he might have has kinda been taken away. He seems more like a character just to cause damage. I don't think I'll ever be able to take him further than that.
@@MrB_Chamberlain that is unfortunate. Ive had players in my games unsure where to go, between major arcs of my long running exalted game especially. I think the story should add new motivations, though it obviously is good to have your own in mind. For example in the exalted game i run the new big bad, son of a former big bad, kidnapped someones husband and someone else's sister for revenge. Bam, motivated. Maybe your dm can help you by crafting something into the story like that.
Thomas Rhoads yeah I was thinking of something like that. He needs something personal with the potential of a pay off. I think the beauty of D&d is that these things tend to develop with the help of the dm and other players. Maybe I'm just a little impatient
I mean, it helps when you talk to your DM. It is true these things can just happen but I specifically write things like the kidnapping in part because my players talked to me about not being sure where to go with their personal story arcs. I don't know how proactive your DM is or if they are in the middle of an existing arc but I would talk to them for sure. 100% agree that a lot of the time the story of the game leads to really interesting developments though. I think its the best when that happens. Either way, best of luck! I hope you find a new drive for your character soon.
I rarely comment on videos, but I briefly wanted to say two things: 1) Amazing (truly amazing) content on your channel overall. Useful tidbits are scattered around like Reese's Pieces for a hungry ET. 2) You mentioned wanting to do a bit about psychology and D&D. I've got a doctorate in clinical psychology, have been playing D&D and other RPG's since I was 13 (currently 33), and I wrote my dissertation about the correlation between gameplay choices and real-world personality traits. I'd love to see what you have to say, and if you need any ideas for the video itself I could talk about it for hours without getting bored, and I'd be happy to have you steal (loot? borrow? commandeer?) them. Great work, and I look forward to watching more!
I've just getting into your channel as I prepare to (theoretically) GM/ST for the first time in 20 years... Love it. The 4 elemental stones in the background have a special place to me. Before I ever saw the movie a friend wanted to DM for the first time. So he used the D10 VtM system to basically do the 5th Element as a RPG story. I ended up taking the Taxi driver former special forces character and another friend took the priest character. We went through the whole thing. Mostly like the movie as it happens even though neither of the players had seen the film. At the very end the way to activate the 5th element was never really incorporated. The friend running it thought the Fifth Element was so amazing (being in our late teens) and because we didn't explore enough into her background we were never going to figure it out and Earth was doomed... I found this out after though... two players, myself and a friend both confused as why nothing had happened... stop to think. I then say I go and kiss her. Our DM looked confused.. but it activates world is saved. After he said I thought you were doomed why did you kiss her? I said to him.. it's based on an action movie that is what you do. I've never seen a person so defeated in their life. I very nearly ruined it. A few years later I actually watched it... and had the strangest sense of Deja Vu watching it. It really felt like I was watching a movie about something I had done at times. I wasn't a great DM at the time as I didn't know how to craft a story... and I'm about to play with people I don't know as I was asked to do this... and so I'm working hard to build something better than I have done in the past. I want to Thank you. You, Matt Mercer and a few others are a huge help. It is super appreciated. I wish I had know people like you when I hung around D&D players. The people I knew the player really turned me off the ever trying it. I still stick in my D10 WoD bubble but If I got invited I might actually try it today.
I was once a DM for my group. My world doesn’t have Dwarves as a playable race, but they exist as a minor NPC race. They exist in the mountains as mute hermits. My players got upset with me, saying it doesn’t make sense if Dwarves aren’t playable. So I made them a playable race. Then my players said it doesn’t work to have mute Dwarves; especially if they are casters. To which I responded “If you choose a Dwarf as a character, they can’t be a spell caster.” That set my players off even more. They kept complaining that I was trying to change the rules of the game. It seemed to them that I was limiting their creativity, when in reality they were just angry that something changed. I didn’t change any rules. I made an aesthetic choice for my world, but they saw it as an attack on the D&D they know. I had told them about the Dwarves weeks in advance, but they didn’t say anything until it was time to make characters. We decided not to play my game because the players thought it would be better to have someone else DM. Some players don’t want to see anything unique and that can be stressful for a DM.
Man, I would have played your game. It's nice when a DM does something in the world that isn't just what the books suggest. Although I haven't ever wanted to play a dwarf myself.
I think that's a really cool idea to give dwarves depth, and I really appreciate your creativity. However, I think most players come to the game with the expectation that everything in the player's handbook will work. To them, the handbook IS the game, and having access to those rules and mechanics is a big part of player agency. I think it's important to respect that, at least with a new group. That isn't to say DMs shouldn't take liberties with the phb--for example, Matt's dragonborn have a very specific niche in his setting (they were created by imperial wizards, or something like that), and he makes a radical departure from the dragonborn as presented in the phb. But players can still create a dragonborn of any class, they just have to justify it in their background, working within the setting. Outright banning spellcasting for dwarves seems too totalitarian for me. I would instead ask the player to justify why their dwarf isn't mute in their backstory, then the player can be happy while still respecting your setting. Then the limitation actually creates some great roleplaying opportunities.
I think it's fine to limit races or classes up front, if they don't fit into your vision of the world you run your game in. If you don't include every single thing in every campaign, then everything you do include can have a specific worldbuilding reason for being in there.
@@PhinntheJuman I mean, the issue with that is every book explicitly states that the DM has the final say even when it conflicts with the rules. That's like, one of the rules. The DMG if I remember right also even gives suggestions for introducing custom settings to players in a handout or such with important information on how it differs from vanilla, and examples it provides are restrictions on races and classes. Later in the book it even gives an example of replacing the entire halfling race with child-sized anthropomorphic mice and that being 100% kosher. WotC intends for the DM to have the freedom and authority to dictate what players can and can't choose for their characters, among many other things. This isn't a video game, the rules aren't hard-wired into your character sheet. Rules exist to facilitate the fun, by offering suggestions and options for the world, characters, and actions to take, and by supplying us with an impartial way to decide how our story goes. There are moments when a group of players doesn't need suggestions or impartiality, the rules, to tell a good story. I understand expectations, which is why it's recommended to tell players ahead of time about significant changes, but if they expect there to never be changes they might as well just play the Baldur's Gate series or read Drizzt novels. Or only do adventurers' league provided it's available to them. My point is, every DM puts you in a different world, a fully unique one, even if it's only subtly different from the canon vision of FR or whatever (which is also explicitly stated in either the DMG or PHB, I'm not bothering to look but it's in there). So it would be ridiculous if the DM introduced a kind fatherly sun elf patron, and a player were to say something like "Sun elves are supposed to be supremacist jerks to non-elves" and cite the PHB saying "See? It's in the RULES. Bad DM." The books aren't the game, they're just a good reference point to use while playing it. ...Is what I wish I could say to the players who get upset about stuff like that.
I am a new player and this is great and very informative …I have heard over 20 hours of your original series and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow
