THANK YOU Recently I had to leave a D&D group due to the fact I was constantly insulted for having a heroic character, always saying he was "naive" for wanting to help and save people while they were playing character who only did things for money and only cared for their own selfish needs even though multiple times it was shown my characters heroism was neither weak nor naive and was beneficial.
I never play or DM (which I loved doing) anymore simply because I got tired of seeing people constantly unleashing their nihilistic or even psychopathic fantasies in a game world I want to love. Honestly, sometimes now I have a mild dislike for people if they tell me they play D&D...though I know that's quite unfair lol
@@jjhh320 I understand, it's annoying or even painful when something you put a lot of effort into is twisted by nihilism and cynicism. However you can avoid playing with such people by talking about it in advance, say in session zero or when the players are creating their characters.
Being brave isn't an abscent of fear. It's beng scared as hell and having the courage to mount up anyway. :) My players look for that big payday sure. But they also fight the monsters and dragons because sometimes you have to make a stand. Not just for yourself but for those who perhaps are brave but lack the power to stand against the monster, unlike the heroes.
@@greatestcait I couldn't agree more! Also can't wait for the responses that suggest all the other ways you can make bread that completely miss the point lol
Your channel has been very helpful for ideas for my writing. I've been working on a myth for a long time and your videos have been helping me remember the essence of good myth making again.
Fantasy right now is bankrupt of heros, we are desperately in need of good writers that can evoke the epic of heroics. Lets hope we a better future for the genre
True. The west is dominated by anti heroes and misunderstood villains, while in the east (manga, manhwa and similar) we see power fantasies where protagonists don't need to try to succeed and face no challenges at all.
@@Lilith_Harbinger what I hate in east stuff is that they have harem style stories where the protagonist has so many girls and he doesn't bang 1. It's ridiculous. You either have a guy that is a chad and bangs the girls like light in death note or you have a normal guy that has to make difficult choices like the protagonist in parasite, or you avoid making so many girls pop in the screen, it's just a cheap light porn. why, WHYYYY they make guys that don't do anything with the women at all. It's surreal
What annoys me is that in some stories, characters are being punished for doing the right thing. Why? Well, to hammer home that this world is a bad, bad place.
4:47 You could boil this down into one of the definitions of what a game is. Without a failure state it's not really a game. If you act without taking some risk it's not really playing, it's just doing.
When your fear stifles you, it is cowardice. But should your fear rile you. Should it stir you to motion and demand action of you, then and only then, have you encountered true courage and bravery. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Great video. Fantasy doesn't feel fantastical anymore. Everything is gritty realism and magic systems based on thermodynamics or whatever. Definitely gonna lean into the kind of fantasy your essays argue for
You have some real fantastic movies in the backgrounds. Thirteenth Warrior,Beowulf,Lord if the Rings:The Two Towers,Children of Men,The Sword in the Stone & Braveheart. I agree with what you've said. Mediocrity is a constant ongoing myth & a damaging one. It downplays the ordinary heroes many people actually know. The man who runs into the burning building to save those trapped inside,the guy who steps in to stop an assault even though he is unarmed & the assailants are armed,the woman who rescues the child from being hit by a car,the mother who gives her life to save her baby and so on. We are surrounded by actions both dramatic & casual,yet both can have the same meaning. They may not have the same dramatic story or end with a one man army defeating evil. BUT that isn't the point. The fact they save lives at all when they didn't have too & it was the harder choice the point. We don't all have to be brave warriors saving an isolated settlment from the Eaters of the Dead (although that would be pretty great,minus the very high chance of death but that goes with the territory) or crawling through the vents unarmed to stop the worst Christmas Party ever (Diehard lol). For instance I really enjoy The Road for the fact the father IS terrified,yet he goes to great lengths to save his son in the face of overwhelming odds. He doesn't always make the right decisions,his paranoia & fear often do overwhelm him. But he does make many hard & very dangerous choices under great pressure to save his son. Another good one is Children of Man,where one man has every opportunity to NOT help the last hope for mankind. Yet.... He does. Even though it is extremely dangerous,even though he had lost hope once already. He chooses to do so anyways & nearly dies many times,losing one if the few people he cares about still along the way. But he does make it & he DOES make the difference. Even if it killed him in the end,he is a hero & is a fantastic example. Heroes aren't born,they are forged in the fires of adversity when they could have chosen to escape instead.
Great video, as always. Really made me think and consider things, which is a rarity in ttrpg UA-cam. Thank you, TRILL. A little of my thoughts: Players should always have the choice of the brave or the cowardly route. But if they choose cowardly, they should feel something...
The definition of hero changes as time progresses. Ancient definitions may say otherwise, because it was a different world and a diff time. It was about taking what you can.
I realy like heroic actions and heros. In ttrpg i always seak situations that will show my character as protector but if he dies he'll die as a martyr.
Fantasy is the place for heroism. In real life everybody is fighting to survive. The only hero figure i can think of is Jesus Christ, who died, ressurected and changed the history of mankind without killing anyone. The two sides of armies are fighting for their homeland, their families, their morals, their reasons And there's more. The winners tell the story and keep the heroism banner on their side. People are capable of heroic acts, but the concept of heroism is, imo, a idealization of the human being. Stories with mytical heroes exist to inspire us. To show what can be done. They are not necessarily based on reality. Good video, made me think and I thank you for that.
Amazing video. I was just wondering. What Movies are you using for your Background in the Video? Especially curious about the black and white Movies you've been using in your Vidoes.
To be honest I have yet to see this infamous modern fiction that rejects heroism... even the stories that focus more on unheroic characters usually either have them struggling to become heroic or redeem their heroic nature or show how their lack of heroism is actually a serious flaw that makes their and everyone else's lives worse. Occasionally, we also get the tragic hero, but the undoing of the tragic hero is not their heroism, it's their character flaws. I am yet to see a piece of fiction that completely rejects the notion of heroism, but maybe it's because I am not particularly immersed in pop culture. However, I do see a lot of people accuse works like those of G.R.R. Martin of being against heroism, which in my opinion is just completely missing the point of those works, so I am a bit cautious of trusting claims about fiction "rejecting heroism". The closest thing I have personally seen to an actual rejection of heroism in fiction is people making TTRPG characters who don't want to participate in the adventure, but that's just people being fallible in their planning and players usually realise on their own that such a character isn't actually interesting or enjoyable for anyone. EDIT: I was mostly talking about genre fiction when I said fiction, because I was under the impression that's what this video was talking about.
GoT (the show) gets pretentiously smug about it at several points, though not so much ASoiaF. I might not agree with GRRM's takes all the time, but he had talent and could craft a very poignant tale. And if you seek the infamous unheroic fiction, go watch Star Wars the Acolyte, or pay attention to aspects of similar shows/games, where unheroic statements or acts are depicted as sane and sensible when, in reality, they aren't.
THANK YOU
Recently I had to leave a D&D group due to the fact I was constantly insulted for having a heroic character, always saying he was "naive" for wanting to help and save people while they were playing character who only did things for money and only cared for their own selfish needs even though multiple times it was shown my characters heroism was neither weak nor naive and was beneficial.
Good on you for having the strength to leave.
I never play or DM (which I loved doing) anymore simply because I got tired of seeing people constantly unleashing their nihilistic or even psychopathic fantasies in a game world I want to love. Honestly, sometimes now I have a mild dislike for people if they tell me they play D&D...though I know that's quite unfair lol
@@jjhh320 I understand, it's annoying or even painful when something you put a lot of effort into is twisted by nihilism and cynicism. However you can avoid playing with such people by talking about it in advance, say in session zero or when the players are creating their characters.
Heroism... at something. At anything.
Meanwhile be as strong as you can.
Being brave isn't an abscent of fear. It's beng scared as hell and having the courage to mount up anyway. :)
My players look for that big payday sure. But they also fight the monsters and dragons because sometimes you have to make a stand. Not just for yourself but for those who perhaps are brave but lack the power to stand against the monster, unlike the heroes.
I have only the Words to say: Life Before Death. Strength Before Weakness. Journey Before Destination.
Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do. Stormlighth FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@sanddanglotka I did a painting of this scene cuz it's awesome. One of the best ones of the series
@@VallelYuln did u start reading the 5th one? I am doing a recap at the moment but I'm looking forward to diving into it during the holidays.
@sanddanglotka yep, going through it! It's starting off very promising!
@@VallelYuln great to hear!! Looking forward to getting into it!
I love the notion that bravery does not exist without fear, but it is the choice to face our fear which makes us brave.
Great video. Courage, heroism, these things are as essential to fantasy adventure as flour is to bread.
@@greatestcait I couldn't agree more! Also can't wait for the responses that suggest all the other ways you can make bread that completely miss the point lol
Your channel has been very helpful for ideas for my writing. I've been working on a myth for a long time and your videos have been helping me remember the essence of good myth making again.
Fantasy right now is bankrupt of heros, we are desperately in need of good writers that can evoke the epic of heroics. Lets hope we a better future for the genre
True. The west is dominated by anti heroes and misunderstood villains, while in the east (manga, manhwa and similar) we see power fantasies where protagonists don't need to try to succeed and face no challenges at all.
@@Lilith_Harbinger what I hate in east stuff is that they have harem style stories where the protagonist has so many girls and he doesn't bang 1. It's ridiculous. You either have a guy that is a chad and bangs the girls like light in death note or you have a normal guy that has to make difficult choices like the protagonist in parasite, or you avoid making so many girls pop in the screen, it's just a cheap light porn. why, WHYYYY they make guys that don't do anything with the women at all. It's surreal
What annoys me is that in some stories, characters are being punished for doing the right thing. Why? Well, to hammer home that this world is a bad, bad place.
4:47 You could boil this down into one of the definitions of what a game is. Without a failure state it's not really a game. If you act without taking some risk it's not really playing, it's just doing.
When your fear stifles you, it is cowardice.
But should your fear rile you. Should it stir you to motion and demand action of you, then and only then, have you encountered true courage and bravery.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
I watch a lot of news and I watch this channel. You know. For balance.
Great video. Fantasy doesn't feel fantastical anymore. Everything is gritty realism and magic systems based on thermodynamics or whatever. Definitely gonna lean into the kind of fantasy your essays argue for
You have some real fantastic movies in the backgrounds. Thirteenth Warrior,Beowulf,Lord if the Rings:The Two Towers,Children of Men,The Sword in the Stone & Braveheart.
I agree with what you've said. Mediocrity is a constant ongoing myth & a damaging one. It downplays the ordinary heroes many people actually know. The man who runs into the burning building to save those trapped inside,the guy who steps in to stop an assault even though he is unarmed & the assailants are armed,the woman who rescues the child from being hit by a car,the mother who gives her life to save her baby and so on. We are surrounded by actions both dramatic & casual,yet both can have the same meaning. They may not have the same dramatic story or end with a one man army defeating evil. BUT that isn't the point. The fact they save lives at all when they didn't have too & it was the harder choice the point.
We don't all have to be brave warriors saving an isolated settlment from the Eaters of the Dead (although that would be pretty great,minus the very high chance of death but that goes with the territory) or crawling through the vents unarmed to stop the worst Christmas Party ever (Diehard lol). For instance I really enjoy The Road for the fact the father IS terrified,yet he goes to great lengths to save his son in the face of overwhelming odds. He doesn't always make the right decisions,his paranoia & fear often do overwhelm him. But he does make many hard & very dangerous choices under great pressure to save his son. Another good one is Children of Man,where one man has every opportunity to NOT help the last hope for mankind. Yet.... He does. Even though it is extremely dangerous,even though he had lost hope once already. He chooses to do so anyways & nearly dies many times,losing one if the few people he cares about still along the way. But he does make it & he DOES make the difference. Even if it killed him in the end,he is a hero & is a fantastic example.
Heroes aren't born,they are forged in the fires of adversity when they could have chosen to escape instead.
I feel called out.
A good video not just something we need in our games, but also something many need to have a wake up to in real life.
A very encouraging video these days!!!
We need more heroes in our story’s
Great videos. They bring my thoughts on these subjects to UA-cam exactly how I think of them!
I wish I could subscribe twice to your channel
I think that the Witcher and Berserk show that you can be gritty and heroic without being a cynic
Great video, as always. Really made me think and consider things, which is a rarity in ttrpg UA-cam. Thank you, TRILL.
A little of my thoughts: Players should always have the choice of the brave or the cowardly route. But if they choose cowardly, they should feel something...
Inspiring content, brother. Going to roll up a hero PC right now.
The definition of hero changes as time progresses. Ancient definitions may say otherwise, because it was a different world and a diff time. It was about taking what you can.
I realy like heroic actions and heros. In ttrpg i always seak situations that will show my character as protector but if he dies he'll die as a martyr.
Thanks for the video! I really needed to hear it today.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks
Great friggin video! Loved it
Beautifully written, great video
Appreciate the kind words.
Fantasy is the place for heroism.
In real life everybody is fighting to survive.
The only hero figure i can think of is Jesus Christ, who died, ressurected and changed the history of mankind without killing anyone.
The two sides of armies are fighting for their homeland, their families, their morals, their reasons
And there's more. The winners tell the story and keep the heroism banner on their side.
People are capable of heroic acts, but the concept of heroism is, imo, a idealization of the human being.
Stories with mytical heroes exist to inspire us. To show what can be done. They are not necessarily based on reality.
Good video, made me think and I thank you for that.
Amazing video. I was just wondering. What Movies are you using for your Background in the Video? Especially curious about the black and white Movies you've been using in your Vidoes.
Can I ask you what ttrpgs do you recomend?
I like quite a few. AD&D, Mythras, Pendragon, Delta Green.
@TrillTheDM Maybe I can suggest you Mythic Bastionland, I think have many vibes similar to Pendragon.
@GoticaArcana I'll check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.
@TrillTheDM BASED choices, my good sir.
To be honest I have yet to see this infamous modern fiction that rejects heroism... even the stories that focus more on unheroic characters usually either have them struggling to become heroic or redeem their heroic nature or show how their lack of heroism is actually a serious flaw that makes their and everyone else's lives worse. Occasionally, we also get the tragic hero, but the undoing of the tragic hero is not their heroism, it's their character flaws. I am yet to see a piece of fiction that completely rejects the notion of heroism, but maybe it's because I am not particularly immersed in pop culture. However, I do see a lot of people accuse works like those of G.R.R. Martin of being against heroism, which in my opinion is just completely missing the point of those works, so I am a bit cautious of trusting claims about fiction "rejecting heroism".
The closest thing I have personally seen to an actual rejection of heroism in fiction is people making TTRPG characters who don't want to participate in the adventure, but that's just people being fallible in their planning and players usually realise on their own that such a character isn't actually interesting or enjoyable for anyone.
EDIT: I was mostly talking about genre fiction when I said fiction, because I was under the impression that's what this video was talking about.
GoT (the show) gets pretentiously smug about it at several points, though not so much ASoiaF. I might not agree with GRRM's takes all the time, but he had talent and could craft a very poignant tale.
And if you seek the infamous unheroic fiction, go watch Star Wars the Acolyte, or pay attention to aspects of similar shows/games, where unheroic statements or acts are depicted as sane and sensible when, in reality, they aren't.