A few mistakes made it through in the final edit, the ending isn't supposed to have that 10 second delay for darkness, and some text and images pop up outta nowhere with no context. Sorry about that folks!
@@namesurname7172 What do you mean? He’s still alive! (Before you r/whoosh me, can you please tell me if it’s a joke. If not, explain to me why you think he’s dead.)
@@beastboy0078 He doesn't prohibit them from doing it. They just like how Matt does it, and as it is not a problem for him, there's no problem at all. Just my opinion tho, just can't understand how can someone dislike the show.
@@beastboy0078 It works for him, but I agree. I think it comes from his work as a voice actor, but Matt tends to be less a DM, and more like a Director. A good DM (And don't get me wrong, he is good in other aspects) should say "X happens. How does your character feel about that" not tell the player, "X happens. Your character is shocked that this person would have doe that" but again, he does have strong points, such as bringing in lose ends of stories, interweaving character backstories into the overall campaign, and of course taking all the voices. He just lacks in player agency, and rules knowledge...plus I feel he munchkins the characters too much.
I think they mean "too focused on promoting his very profitable Critical Roll brand image and commercial entertainment because this is a profit making endeavor for them and not just some friends having fun."
@@Stormthorn67 Honestly I don't mind at all, it's endearing and just fun. Some things are pretty hard to fake, even for actors, and a lot of very subtle queues indicate they're actually enjoying themselves when they're at the table. Sure, it's a bit of a show, but man, it works!
@Elijah Perry That's why I said *regularly* employed. Bad voiceactors are not *regularly* employed. Even if a voiceactor you think is "the worst" is employed regularly, that's the employer's option to do so, not yours. In this case your opinion *really* does not matter because you are not the employer.
Player: Sneezes Matt: As you feel a tickle in your nose, a sudden urge to release air through your mouth emerges. Your eyes close as you blast a deafening puff of out from your mouth and the tickling sensation is gone. Player: bruh I just have allergies
I've heard Matt say he is by no means a master of the rules. He gets stuff wrong all the time, but with 20 years of experience and bluffing, he can get by without getting caught by the cast.
BiggySn1p3r pretty sure that was one of his dm tips: "fake it!" You're gonna come across shit you don't know. What will make you a good dm is having the confidence to make up something on the spot and run roll with it.
Ill even say by no means should you master the rules. Id call myself the master of the rules and it halts things. Players want to do this, I say yes despite the rules saying no
That's what I say all the time, if you don't like something or you get something wrong just change it, but do it with confidence, I see too many dm's backtrack or second guess themselves in front of their players and that always chips away at their confidence in you
Isn't the rule in 5e to not let the rules get in the way of fun? If I can't find it in 10 seconds I just go with what my intuition tells me is more fun. I don't really know if that's a rule, but it should be.
I like other DMs that once an enemy is defeated, he tells them to "Finish them" and the player gets to describe some insane way they kill them, without any checks of success because they've already won. It's awesome.
My DM does this. Some my favourite moments of playing DnD has come from this. I killed a guy by slamming my Electrically enchanted hammer into his face, smashing his metal mask and knocking him into a pool of icy water, then shoved said hammer into the water to electrocute him to death. It was such an epic moment.
@@gsimon123 Matt Mercer hasn't copyrighted that. just do it lol, dont worry about people saying you ripped off matt mercer. in the thoughts of every Kenku (and also Oscar Wilde) : Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
I take right from Matt and ask both my groups, "How do you want to do this?" They've gotten to the point of thinking up more elaborate ways to deliver the killing blow and getting upset when they don't get said blow.
I know this is a year old but commenting anyways. New DM here. But yes I did this to my players last session. They were fighting a pretty tough battle and it dragged on a bit and then finally one of them got the kill. There was some silence as I was calculating the damage. I then looked up....and closed the Monster Manual, smiled and said..."how do you kill it?" They let out a small cheer. Felt great. The smiles on their faces was an awesome site.
He's special because he's passionate. He goes above and beyond what the average is. He's a showman and he's charismatic as fuck. His goal is to make other people happy.
Keep in mind, trying to imitate Matt will not work well for you at all. Instead, borrow some of his technique and find your own stride, and begin developing your own personal style of DMing. It may take days, months, or even years, but there's hope.
@@robertaperoglio DMing is the highlight of my Wednesdays, which is when I run a session of the campaign my players are currently in, I hope you enjoyed the experience and players had fun!!
What impresses me most about Matt is his improvisation. You can tell his players frequently do things he never expected and he has to make things up on the fly which often leads to the funniest, most enjoyable and memorable moments :)
The Mighty Nein's antics are a perfect example of this. Jester painting dicks on things, Mollymauk (bless his soul) fucking with everyone, Beau and Fjord trying to be better people, Caleb and his cat, Nott's drunk plans (making an explosive arrow at midnight in an inn), Mr. Clay and his teatime, and Yasha's there too.
Once when I was dming a game I wanted the characters really hate the villain so I made an npc called captain redbeard and he was a sweet goofy badass, and then I had the BBEG kill captain redbeard and my players where so pissed as they had to watch his heart being ripped out and his body burned while not being able to do anything
I made them fight a re-acurring villian that did dastardly things to the party. Like dress up as a merchant and sell them a sword that explodes in exchange for thier enchanted battleaxe that freezes people. When combat began, BBG just left with the freezing battleaxe taking one of the parties fav weapons. This made it personal for them and fun for me. In my credit, they do get magic items I make a lot of the time.
Oof, I've done this too and it's brutal. My players had booked passage to a fabled island of no return on a pirate ship captained by none other than the Dread Pirate Roberts, who was now canonically Inigo Montoya ("you killed my father, prepare to die!"), with his gentle giant first mate Fezzig. The party fell in love with them and we spent hours playing off Princess Bride jokes and doing fun battles on the high seas. But when they got near the target island, the ship was attacked by mutated shrieking eels off the perpetually-storming shore and ended up shipwrecked... and I made sure both of them died heroically saving the Party. It was the first tonal shift in the campaign, and it really set their hearts on finding the source of the island's deadly storms that had claimed not just countless faceless explorers and sailors... but now, their friends.
I've been DMing for over 15 years now. Learning to ask my players "How do you want to do this?" when they finish off something epic has been one of the best tricks I've learned. It gets the whole table so pumped and ecstatic.
I’ve been DMing for 40 years (yes I am an old phart). However, I never stop learning the craft. Watching Matt has made me a better DM. And your analysis here finally brought into focus something I’ve been trying to quantify which I will now consciously work into my games. You’ve made me a better DM too. Thank you.
One thing to mention: Matt Mercer is not a perfect DM. Nobody is perfect. DM's get rules wrong all the time (including Mercer) because when you ask us a question in the middle of a game, we try to remember the official rule, can't, and then make up something on the spot so you don't have to sit their for 5 minutes while we find the official rule in the PHB. Sometimes DM's have to backtrack/retcon and say "hey, you know how I let you x, well actually that doesn't actually work. Let's skip back 5 minutes, you get your spell slot back, let's try again from there." This shit HAPPENS. If your DM fucks up they aren't a bad DM (generally). They're just a DM. Mercer may be the gold standard but even he fucks up. Your buddy who volunteered to DM for your group because nobody else would? They will definitely fuck up. Give them a chance.
I think a good DM wouldn't backtrack. That kind of "jerks" the narrative. If the DM LET them do it, the DM should accept it that time but then remind the player for future situations.
@@curlywhites agreed, IC you just write it off as divine intervention making something usually impossible possible, or vice versa, and that it's unlikely to occur again. OOC you just let them know that you messed up the ruling and inform them of the correct ruling that will be applied from now on.
Danny & TheApex: I'm with you when it's ONLY the DM who wants to backtrack. But I've played in so many games (on both sides of the screen) where it's the whole table that wants to retcon things from time to time, because it simply makes no narrative sense. In those cases I think it's a very elitist thing to try and be a purist about it. At the end of day there is not a single thing I think is not acceptable to do in or around a tabletop game , if done with the consent of everyone around said table (obviously exaggerating a bit here, real life murder for instance is not on my list of "not a single thing") :)
It's also important there are different styles of story. For instance I prefer to stick harder on roleplay over dice, dice are less hard and act as a rough guideline in the games I run and stick more to how a player's actions work while some prefer wargaming and just hard dice.
I remember one time we had to backtrack the entire opening plot arc because the whole table rolled so utterly terribly, and the generic fodder minions critted us to death multiple times and required an NPC cleric to become an unwilling crutch character that blew apart the DM's narrative, he finally just said at the beginning of our 3rd session "F*** it, you guys cool with just starting over?" And we all agreed. I rolled up a cleric this time. XD
Good DM goes hand in hand with Good players. Whenever I don't feel comfortable with a group, as in knowing they won't bite the plothooks, don''t care for roleplaying and just wanna go out and crush skulls, my skill as a DM just plummets down.
@@an8strengthkobold360 "I don't like being railroaded. I want an authentic open world experience" Idk why we bothered preparing anything, if you just want to bother merchants and yell at guards for 3 hours in my basement. I'm sorry, but the illusion of "I can do anything" is an illusion. There is a plot somewhere, there are prepared encounters and npcs. No matter how good you are at improv, making up every single moment of your campaign will never be as good as a campaign with even a little planning could be.
@@SeanLaMontagne good open worlds are really just talored rail roads. For open worlds to work the characters need active goals to pursue and a good reason to stick together. As the dm you just prepare hooks that hit those goals.
2:30 Be The Master of Rules 3:10 Know the Rules and Garners Respect 3:57 Respect your Players & their Characters 5:11 No need for fancy words, Just involve your Players 7:14 Describe Players actions which will make them feel cool 7:52 Narrate everything you can, Make Players actions feel meaningful 7:56 Make Success Awesome and Failure Hilarious 8:02 Make Players feel important and let them shape the World 8:32 Make A Charming World 9:25 Making NPCs a little bit more Quirky 10:18 Stop making mean Merchants 11:57 Know your Players Character Stories 13:23 Heart (love ❤️)
Also just as a note to new DM's or those that cannot memorize every rule and ability and do all the voices that Matt Mercer does. Don't feel bad, never let anyone make you feel like shit for not being at that tier. You do your game in your own way. That and Matt has at least 15 years of DM'ing experience. I started DM'ing because of Matt, and I know I'll get good but time and patience and experience will help us all along. Critical Role is a perfect storm for D&D. It's good and bad for us lowly peons. But I think there's more good than bad by far. We're getting all sorts of new tools , books and resources for our craft. More than ever before. TL;DR don't compare yourself to Matt Mercer, be your best, don't deal with asshole players that make you feel bad about your style and enjoy the benefits Critical Role will bring the community.
Morior To followup. Matt has his own style. You can use his advice but I would only do so long enough until you can start owning your own game. You'll know when that happens. Know the rules. Know your players. Know your game. Know yourself. Make mistakes. Most importantly... have fun.
Yup. I just DMed my first session ever (after playing only once before in a campaign that lasted about 8 sessions) and HOLY CRAP IT'S HARD. I totally botched a character intro that was supposed to be really important and forgot that they're, like, a real person and can, in fact, discuss things with the PCs and doesn't have to monologue. It's going to be a long road to get better... But I really love the tips in these videos - above all, work to make your players feel cool and important. Because then they'll have fun, which is the biggest thing!
Sorry to be THAT person but *puts on nerdy glasses* he ACTUALLY has been DMing for about 20 years. Which is basically my entire existence on this earth.
Playing a character is about style (and sometimes a bit of mechanics), I think we all get that. DMing is even more. Everybody has his own way of thinking and when your mind becomes the motor of an universe all players will feel it. Which is why I like so much seeing other people mastering (and above all my actual or former pcs); it's their own way of being that is put on the table. This is all about style (and a few mechanics). But writing this I realize even this is a certain way of thinking rpgs.
Another good thing about him is that: He is a fair DM. He doesn't make encounters out to just kill and be extremely dangerous to the players, he makes the encounters engaging, challenging but beatable, and entertaining. Entertainment is the name of the game for the DM, and he knows it. He doesn't make unfair and unnecessarily dangerous traps or consequences because he knows the players would not enjoy having their agency thrown out the window as the trap simply turns them to dust with a delayed fireball at level 4. And let's not forget: He rewards his players for doing good, for getting through encounters, and for completing quests, money, magic items, rewarding your players keep them engaged. Because some DMs think that throwing the characters against 6 stone giants at level 7 and giving them only 100gp as a reward a "fitting" compensation. He tailors the story, and he keeps the players engaged, he challenges them, but he is not out to kill them like a lot of DMs think the game is supposed to be played.
Last session I felt like I wasn't prepared enough, my characters fell flat, and I wanted to improve myself. My players I asked about it seemed like they didn't notice and had a lot of fun, but I had this uncertainty gnawing in my mind. I ended up here, and realized why my players say they are enjoying the game despite all my mishaps: as a DM, I'm their characters' number one fan. While I do love building my world and seeing how the characters interact with it, I have sat with every single player, talked about their character, their motivations, their flaws, their past... And I enjoy bringing all that love into the game. I might have flop NPC's from time to time, scramble about with all the information, or mess up something, but it'll never change that it is ME as well, who wants to know their characters' stories and where they end up to :)
When both DM AND players are a team that is utterly devoted to telling an epic story, any mistakes--that don't derail it--barely register. It's a beautiful thing to see.
God damn, I've always admired Matt but with this analysis I can finally appreciate the hard work he puts in. Thanks XP, this breakdown has just improved my DMing a ton.
My heart is touched, my pens are ready, the villain is dead and my party steady. That was the finest quote I ever got from one of my players and since then I try to make the best gamingexperience for them, I love Matts campaigns and him and wanted to be like him. Gret video you are some good people
"Why do his players listen in on every word?" I don't know. When I go to my campaign, when the DM is talking about something, only half the group is listening.
I have issues with concentration sometimes and my dm knows this so normally they'll sort of just recap as much as they can between each persons action/attack in a fight
I give quiz at the start of the game ... as a mini recap n reward my player w small gold prize. to encourage player to listen, remember n pay attention then after quiz time i give a full recap
His players don't listen in on every word. You can see Sam playing with his cell phone, or Marisha talking to the person next to her while Matt is narrating quite frequently.
@@MrGreensweightHist They still listen though, just because they're not hyper focused on Matt, doesn't mean they're not listening or not paying attention
I know this is a pretty old vid but as someone who just started being DM, I needed these tips and lessons, my next session is next week and I will definitely be heeding your advice. I also didn’t know about critical role and am checking it out right away, great vid!
@Joseph Murphy. I highly recommend the runehammer channel. He used to be known as Drunken and Dragons and he had phenomenal tips for new and experienced DMs on how to improve your games
I personally had to learn very quickly how to quickly make npcs on the fly (maybe not names as much) because I have a player who player one of those socialite bards with a literal trait called friend in every town so i've got 5 or 6 npcs that they just kind of know. i personally always enjoyed having characters tied into the setting so i've asked everyone to give me at least a basic backstory so i can bring in people or connect there back story in some way
In my recently started game I have shown the players two merchants, and I think I did a good job. The first is a Texas-accented lady who runs a clothing store. She's decently non-interesting, but charming. The second is Kraknov, owner of Kraknov's Curiosities, a shop that sells incredibly strange looking weapons that act as modified basic weapons. Kraknov has a stupidly thick Russian accent and says his own name and repeats himself a ridiculous number of times. He makes up all the names of his items on the spot. Next door to Kraknov is Ivo's Inno, an Inn run by a man named Ivo who stumbles out of the back room whenever someone walks in. His voice is super high and raspy and he is, in fact, very obviously Kraknov with a fake moustache.
Good lord, this is amazing. This is why I love the D&D community, because hearing of characters and stories and ideas such as these provide some amazing inspiration. Kraknov sounds like comedy gold
I once heard of a dude whose character was two gnomes in a trench coat. And no one knew (even the DM) until one of them got knocked out (he kept separate HP scores for each gnome), despite the fact that he described his character as having hilariously short arms and always asked to know *where* the opponent hit him. That there is just legendary to me.
Stop by Kraknov's Curiosities soon to find such magnificent items as the Slimbibat and the Ovhghal Blade (Pronounced like Oval and Awful at the same time).
"Why do his players listen in on every word?" They don't. Just like all DMs he sometimes has to bring them back into the game and sometimes needs to repeat what he's said because not all the players are listening.
One of the things I have admired most with Matt, even seeing him as a player now in the new series, is that he allows space to breathe. I think Dungeons and Dragons, especially since it moved to the online world dms are very time critical. Okay I have to get to this thing, and then this thing, and five encounters in this session. One of the things I admire about Matt and this channel is the focus on just having fun. Letting people explore interesting characters and stories.
I wish more people were like him. Main reason I quit the online campaign I was part of. The dm was just trying to get through sections of a book. He'd pop a piece of text as a "descriptor" of a place and told us to read it, instead of just describing a cave or whatever it was. Close to no roleplay, just constant battles.
I understand that this is a joke on the internet, but I figured that I should make this distinction for anybody who comes across this comment, because it's very important: Liam(and every other CR cast member) is never disrespectful of Matt when he's DMing. Liam makes jokes and tries to fuck with Matt when he's presenting because they are all friends and like to goof off. But when game time begins, every one of them listens and accepts Matt as the guy in charge and lead storyteller. It's actually amazing the level of attention they pay to Matt and how they never talk over him when he's describing something and never try to change his rulings or grumble about them(and if they do, it is NEVER directed at Matt). Like... Matt Mercer is kind of the gold-standard of DMs, but the rest of the cast may as well be the gold-standard for players and any DM would be lucky to run a game for them.
@@AJMC82 Gotta agree. I would have killed to have players like this in my heydey. I'm happy that I can just sit at their table and watch. I really miss playing, but this is really the absolute next best thing.
@@AJMC82 Also, to be fair, Liam is an experienced player. He has a really good memory for creatures and lore. He's more knowledgeable I think of he world and the game at large than any of the other players except maybe Taleisen. So it makes sense he's more willing to challenge a ruling than the other players. Challenge is one thing - disrespecting is totally different. Liam is NEVER disrespectful. He also always acknowledges when Matt makes a final ruling. Something I appreciated about a player in one of my teams was that he was an experienced DM who would sometimes challenge our DM but then agree out of respect regardless of if he agreed with the ruling.
@Aidan Hall one of the biggest things about being a DM is you will always eventually have to make judgment calls. Regardless of rules, situations will always arise that aren't covered by the rulebook anyways.
Matt has said Liam is the player who is his most challenging, not because he's disrespectful or difficult to get along with, but because he asks a gazillion questions and delves into things, forcing Matt to make things up, on the fly, that he hadn't anticipated anyone wanting to know.
It's also important to note he doesn't get upset when things don't go as planned, or if a huge set piece he planned is bypassed entirely. When he prepares an encounter for hours, drawing up stats for ships for an epic naval combat encounter, and someone just causes the enemy ship to capsize with magic before combad stars, he doesn't get upset. He gets happy for them. He congratulates them. This is all of their game, not just his. And he doesn't forget that.
My favorite job as a dungeon master is describing what proceeds after a crit fail/normal crit, like “The orc readys his javiln and with all the power he can muster, throws it.... and then you hear a scream of pain, from the orc because he never let go of the javlin and hit himself in the thigh”
As a DM, one of the phrases I took from Matt Mercer's descriptions that gives a genuine sense of catharsis for my players is the phrase: "for the first time in a long time". I use it as frequently as possible because it hints further back into my player's character's histories. it hints at a possible start to their misery that they can learn more about.
“There’s a lot I can point out about Critical Role...” Finger points specifically at Taliesin’s shoulder. Hmm... I look forward to the shoulder episode.
one thing I always admired was that, not only is he able to conjure beautiful descriptions on the fly, he acually matches the cadens and speed of his speech to the energy of the moment. suspenseful resurrection ritual: slow, deliberate speech, taking time and allowing for longer silences. more run of the mill combat encounters: quick and curt, elaborating where needed and moving fast. a druid plunging of a 1000ft drop as a goldfish: first confused, funny, frustrated, panicking, frantic, and al around freaking out along with his players he doesn't just play with words. He plays with the energy in the room like... well, like an actor I guess
I think another way to explain how good he is when describing what the players say their characters do is when they finish off an enemy. He takes whatever they say which is literally designed to make them feel cool, and makes it even cooler. Like the player will say something like "I shoot him in the head" and matt transforms it into "you fire, the blast pushing you over but you keep your eyes firmly on the enemy. and just before it ducks out of view, your bullet enters through its mouth and the back of its head explodes, showering the room with gore." That just turns a rather simple but cool action into this fantastic, action packed, epic feat that makes everyone feel good.
I've been playing for a some months now and some local kids ask me to DM. I'm 40 years old and I was stupid enough to keep out of D&D until a few months back when I discover this amazing game and community. Now, I'm dyslexic and most of the times, I'm quite short on descriptions of events in real life, so I see the possibility of being a sufficient DM is as was remote. But starting to study DM books and such and trying to keep up with Critical Role 2nd campaign to start seeing the 1st after that, I realized that skill mattered of course, and Matt as tons of it, I don't but I believe I have heart and I although I come from an engineering background, I always liked to write small stories and D&D is a lot more complex but at its base it is a story written by the DM and the players. I'm not sure I would be comfortable with a sandbox type of game but I might give my best attempt and hopefully succeed at entertaining this kids with a more linear game, that is, until someone better is found. Matt is a legend as are all members of the Critical Role.
You will be amazed sometimes by what they love isn't always what you're proudest of. My players will sometimes bring up events or NPCs from old games that they've been cherishing for years, that I just don't recall. Just make it a series of short stories, if that's your comfort. It doesn't have to be one big epic campaign. I've done serial style adventures, where the villains aren't even related to each other, not building up to an epic confrontation; there's just nasty people in the world and your kids take them down. Railroading isn't always a bad word. (I would recommend Matt Colville's Sandbox vs Railroading video; actually a lot of his videos are fantastic for starting DMs.)
Love that clip where they first meet their new vendor, the firbolg enchanter Pumat Sol. I've watched the scene many times. Its an absolute masterclass in making interesting NPCs using nothing more than is in the core rulebooks.
Puts an ENORMOUS SMILE on my face when my players compare me to the MM. I'm nowhere near that level, but I've learned a lot from him and try to apply it. My players even created a "Matt Mercer DM Points" system, kind of a reverse for Player Inspiration, to reward me for doing things they think were cool DM moves.
I know this was meant as a joke, but you honestly have to start somewhere. New DMs fuck up all the time but you don't get as good as Matt without being the fuck up new dm. I encourage you to try it out! If after a few sessions you don't like it, at least you've gained a new respect for your dm when you do play.
One of my favorite things that he does, with his voices and his descriptions, is he pulls you into the world. I have a show playing in my head watching them play, not just because of the players (who are amazing) but because Matt is so skilled in painting a picture that I can't help but be immersed. Whenever my DM does that, I'm really proud of her.
Now this is a video that explains the honest how and why people love Matthew Mercer's DMing in Critical Role, and also why people look up to him- he's a damn great DM and truthfully, I try to give it my all in my DMing- thinking about how I've seen him do his sessions for Critical Role.
@@sentientcoconuts530 Why not? I'm not all that far into the series, just stopped when they started fighting the time creature on the carpet in the bone field so I haven't seen anything wrong with him yet.
Aaron Floyd kind of. It’s a whole thing in the fan base with tons and tons of speculation but the cast asks the critters to not discuss it as they don’t want rumours to be put out there. You can certainly google it and find out from some reddit posts and I believe they made an official announcement.
I make mean merchants mean as a result of character interactions like a rogue who decides to be that guy and break into people's houses and steal everything
After a terrible first D&D experience for me and 2 friends, we made our own loosely-related game, with a focus on story. The main difference is, that I was given "DM" powers but others could make their own story arc & necessary NPC's, with minor adjustments allowed by the group & final agreement of changes done by informal vote. The only hard rules was no killing or pretend-killing another character without consent, but NPC's & offing your own character were free game (if it would move the plot forward). A lot of us were into similar fantasy/ anime/ folklore/ historic genres & familiar with storytelling, so a lot of the changes were made on the fly. If a player proved they worked well with everyone to make a great story-arc, the group would allow them to make secret plots, giving mini "DM" powers to halt a meandering action but allow the acting party to choose how to change their actions themselves. This was some of my favorite parts since then the plot was a surprise, even to me. The only similarity I would have to an actual DM is: the creation of the majority of NPC's, major world building, major narration, overarching plot with branching variants, & final say on the rare occasions of inter-group disagreement. I knew I didn't have the skill or experience to create all the possible branching narratives, or be on a level even close to Matt M, so I felt this democractic-republic style game would work best. We played for about 12 years, moving it online after the 3rd year, & opening the site (from recommendation-only) on the 5th year. I even helped some friends make their own sites but with entirely different settings, like space or post-apocalyptic. After a while, I had built a team of committed moderators, administrators, & a coalition of separate sites that would share knowledge & assistance on occasion. Nothing made me more proud than seeing these sites eventually run on their own teams, without any intervention from me. Life, family & work eventually made it impossible for me to continue volunteering my time to such a huge endeavor, but I had prepared for that, & made my game-retirement known. My friends & I still laugh about all the crazy stuff we did & grandiose plans we cobbled together; our words are the only record of the original games, but they still are vivid in our minds, & the gaming sites still run today, for the lucky few hundreds that discover them.
Watching these, despite of late, I can tell exactly how this applies to everything as I, a teacher, uses. 1) Subject Matter Expert-he knows the rules and a lot of DnD to give him an authority figure; same as teachers need to know their curriculum for students to listen. 2) Motivational Theory-he applies narrative that “tickles” players’ motives, such as relevant backstory plot, intense and real descriptions of gore and valor, gives them many chances to exercise their character’s special qualities, and of course recycle even past information into the forefront of a campaign. 3)He himself is motivated-a DM who has apathy towards his own story, players, etc will not reciprocate motivation from his players due to a lack of empathy or neglegivence. To be respected and listened too, you have to represent it yourself, which of course Matt Mercer genuinely loves his craft as a teacher who loves a class. Me being a teacher has helped me be a player and soon to become a DM, and Matt Mercer is phenomenal at this.
One more detail that needs bringing up: Colville made a survey and found that most GMs prep for 15~45 min per hour in game. Matt has gone on record stating he spends 1~1.5 hours per in game hour. Not sure how much of it is prepping half a dozen dwarven forge battle maps that will never see the light of day each session, though.
Also count in the fact that for some people they may not actually prep for that whole 45 minutes as they may get distracted so its even less. I'm getting a group of my friends(been together for years) that have never touched the game and I'm putting in similar time as Matt has said so that I can make their first time experiencing the game as rich as possible. I don't really think there is enough time you can put in if you truly love your players or the game. But only prepping 15 seems like you are doing a disservice to your players and could be doing more, even if they are a veteran.
It's not so much the time of the prep, but the quality that matters. More experienced GMs tent to be more efficient with their prep. Also, players tend to discard your prep pretty fast. Check out this link: gnomestew.com/game-mastering/gming-advice/prep-lite-manifesto-the-template/ My GM has been using it and the quality of the sessions has remained pretty consistent, except when he smokes weed before the game. It's a matter of knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out where to invest your time.
Yes the quality of the usage of time was what I was implying but I didn't delve into it. Majority of people really dont use their time wisely while working on something, its just how it is. It's the same with practicing an instrument, a professional knows how to use their time while a new student may have to learn over time how to make practice time efficient. Some people do have that skill defined in that link(which is a good link for people who struggle with prioritization in planning, gnomestew has a lot of good stuff) Thats how I approach most things that I do, but its just in my personality. I'm currently creating my homebrew and going in a very formulaic manner in constructing everything I need. Their first experience will be with Mines of Phandelver while I work on the homebrew(if they enjoy the game I want to be prepared down the line) and I'm currently in the end points of prep focusing on types of ways to make it have some more flair and adding in my own things that I think would be cool. It's pretty fun. More about the website you were on, I was just on gnomestew the other day and it was to come up with a cheap way to make miniatures or player indicators without having to buy a large amount of stuff(don't have the money right now to spend on billions of minatures) and it had a guide on how to make relatively cheap tokens, which I haven't done before. I don't have any of my DND stuff anymore and none of my players, as they are new, have anything so I wanted to make it more immersive when fighting instead of having m&ms and stuff, even if you get to eat them after. The tokens was a really nice way to customize how I want things to look along with the maps I'm going to be using. Pretty good information there.
Haven't seen gnomestew's version of cheap, homemade tokens.My GM lives in another city, so we play on Roll20. He was just showing me what he is doing for his new face-to-face game: using this type of paperclip ( ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1NielMpXXXXXLXpXXq6xXFXXXv/36pcs-lot-Paper-Clips-Creative-Clip-Office-School-Home-Supplies-Black-Metal-Binder-Clips-Stationery-Retail.jpg ) he is printing out some drawings he is making as needed, cutting them out, and plastifying them. He also got a large, translucent stick-to-your-wall dry erase sheet and drew a grid on the back with permanent marker to improvise a cheaper battle mat. Since we live in Brasil, direct access to this stuff is rare-ish, and import taxes are ridiculous.
I'll go ahead and link you the article: gnomestew.com/game-mastering/tools-for-gms/not-just-a-token-gift/ All you need is a 1" hole punch, glue, scissors, a printer, and some sort of backing to glue the paper to(anything works, metal washers, cheap coins not worth anything anymore, etc.) It's not as immersive as a miniature but it still has some art and it shows where the monster/person is. My only issue right now is signifying large creatures as they take up more spaces but I think I'll use a blank coin to denote the extra size or make them two tokens big with sectioned off art. You all may also look at tabletop simulator on steam if you ever want to try something other than roll20. It's pretty cool what you can do with it and I think it would be the only way I could do it online with my group and still maintain some sort of rp. Not a person fan of roll20 but it is what it is.
Been playing since 1994 and Im lucky to say that Ive had plenty of DMs that did and still do these things. My current DM makes description a priority and voice acts, this is a guy who has been playing since 1st ED. My late husband used to DM and everything he did was very descriptive and gave his characters life. I played with a female DM a Vampire game and it felt so atmospheric unlike other Vampire games I played with my first DM when he decided to give Vampire a chance. To me the Matt Mercer effect isnt new but its rare and thats why his example for old and new DMs is useful. I dont think DMs should DM like him but there are things that can be taken and used to make the game more interesting, to make it come to life!
I know this is an old video but this made me realize why I love my current campaign. I've played many over the years and yet I never felt the want to actively finish one. I'd feel bored after a while, zone out, not care about other characters... But this campaign is different. And watching this video made me understand why: our current DM took a lot of inspiration in her DMing from Matt Mercer. The different voices and interesting secondary characters, actively putting our backstories in the main story, describing the world around and every actions we take sometimes even adding some onomatopoeia... Seriously, I'm someone very roleplay heavy and it's such a pleasure and I can't wait for our weekly sessions! I am totally going to take notes for the next time I DM. This is brillant!
Okay, not to be overtly critical here, because this IS actually a damn fine piece of exposition work. I would hazard (however) to suggest a minor addition. Matt Mercer has had time to build trust and relationships with his players. Critical Role was NOT their first ever campaign together, so what we (audience) have NOT seen includes a fair amount of falling short, screwing up, and even probably ret-con situations to clean up the narrative when it's broken down. These things are NORMAL to any GM's path of self cultivation. I just want to point out, while we sift and scroll through the comments about how great Mercer is now, we should remember, even he was at one point a NOOB'... just like the rest of us were at some point, or are at the moment. Yes, each and every note and pointer garnered in this video (along with countless more in others) in reference to Mercer's work is valid and useful. It's also important to point out that he's had the time and put in the effort to hone and refine his modicum of plain old talent into a truly refined skill-set. SO GM's and Players alike, have hope. As the rest of us still stumble and make calls and throw dice and shout over our tables, we will slowly and steadily continue to hone our efforts and skills over the time, aspiring always not only to become crudely equivalent to Mercer's efforts in this video, but quite possibly, even beyond those. Remember, D&D is open-end. There are no limits. YOU are the only one holding YOU back. ;o)
DMing means you'll always be looking to get better. It's a journey not a destination. Hell how many times has Matt mentioned he still worries about not engaging his players enough or that they aren't having enough fun? I think it's important for most of us to remember that our players like us. Usually we're playing with people we consider friends; they know we're human. And even if they don't know exactly how much you have on your plate they know you're juggling a lot of balls. You're players aren't going to complain behind your back about having a bad time if you have to retcon a thing, or nerf/buff someones character, or fudge a rule till you can check on it later. They're still just happy you've set up a game for them! It takes time to learn all the rules, get used to your players, figure out how to best prep, and find those little tricks that help run the game. That's okay.
Except Matt also kills it during one shots with random guests and with force grey. Players he doesn't have years of experience with. While its true most DM's get better along with their players, Matt nails it every time. New and old. That's why he has a video dedicated to how great he is.
Chris Wallace, I would suggest you review my original... It wasn't a knock on Mercer in the back room, prepping, nor did I indicate that he is ONLY so good because he knows this group... I was referring to the great many other games he's never even been filmed while running. His teen years... There were formative years, that in all likelihood, had you seen any of THAT, you'd have cringed... Sure, TODAY, it really doesn't matter whether a Player is new or old, longtime or fresh, knows him from the man-in-the-moon or not... He does kill it practically every single time... in short or long. That ability to "cold-read" someone took YEARS of practice, AND I can promise you he's fallen short, and even screwed it up hopeless. He's studied and learned from those pitfalls, missteps, and short-comings. It is easier for most of us to sit at a table of friends, particularly long-time fellow D&D Player friends, and set up the scene, work the narrative, and change voices and personalities on a dime. We KNOW these people. AND it is a totally different experience to stand up in front of even a small group of total strangers and try that stuff... Mercer has obviously BEEN THERE BEFORE. I'm not stealing away his thunder. My hat's off to the man... I've been a GM for quite a time, including some military time when I was standing up in front of a room of strangers to run a one-shot... I'm just not terrible. BUT Mercer's imminent expertise was EARNED, and should be respected without being considered so intimidating that we "mere mortals" will never in hell get there... That simply is NOT the case. ;o)
gnarth d'arkanen This is spot on, Matt has had somewhere around 20 years of experience DMing (if I recall correctly) to become as skilled as he now is. One minor nitpick of your comment is that the Vox Machina campaign actually was the first campaign for several of the players, though they did have a significant portion of it as a home game to become comfortable with each other and the game before the stream started.
The Grand Wombat, okay, fair enough... Yet, the "home game" portions serve much the same purposes, I think at least in this case... What I mean is when you're working with the pure intent to go online with this project, there's a little more effort or energy put to the purpose of getting acquainted and settling into the part in so many syllables... Anyways, as you pointed out "minor nitpick"... (lolz) ;o)
Love CR and the cast, been watching since it was like an under-underground show with 200 people watching over Twitch. Heck I absolutely started to play DnD because of CR. Just remember that DMing the way Matt Mercer does (with a group of trained actors) is not the one and only correct way to DM.
I liked one comment I saw on reddit once, where a player complained "you don't DM like Matt Mercer!" and he retorted "well you don't roleplay like Laura Bailey!" It's a cooperative story telling exercise, and effort comes from both sides, and that energy rebounds. It takes more than just a session 0 for you to get a feel for what the players want, how they play, how you DM, and what you want. Not every group is gonna mesh; I have a couple of very politcal RPers and then one who just likes combat. He doesn't talk much most of the game, but he enjoys it, so I try to make sure there is a social / combat balance to the game, even if it's just running into pickpockets or creeps in the streets. Dungeon crawls I try to throw in simple traps, one or two puzzle/riddles, and plenty of random encounters, so everyone gets what they like most. I am a big fan, if you have the time, of adding background music as well; while players are quietly planning, they have something to keep them in the mood.
Been playing DND for about 2 years, and we just finished descent into avernas. But last week was my first time ever DMing so our normal DM could have a break. He told me I did a great job! Meant a lot especially because I'm homebrewing my entire campaign. Next session is this week and I'm so excited!
I just started playing, and I must have gone full-on NERD, because I am excited for you too!! I think DM'ing is a LOT like sex in ONE way: even if you're inexperienced, ENTHUSIASM will carry you a long way!!😂🤣😂🤣😂
New dm here. Been running session for about 8 weeks now and I can’t begin to thank you and people like Matt who have helped me immerse my players in the world of dnd, I’m following up a relatively veteran DM whom is in the party currently and I was intimidated at first but lately I’m more passionate and immersed myself into the story at some points I don’t even realize how emotional I’m getting or the party concerning NPCs and world building moments. Thanks so much and I will continue to draw “inspiration” from these videos and all who take the time to make them concerning being a better dungeon master.
like the boss in mgs3 she isn't just "the boss", the one who is telling people what to do. she is THE Boss, she is so far ahead of everyone that not only does she kick your ass, the main villain bows his head slightly and steps back when she speaks. The prefix of "The" is one reserved for the masters of a field, and Matt Mercer is The Dungeon Master .
I'm almost positive that they based Jen the Fredo episode of The IT Crowd on Mathew Mercer. In it, Moss hosted a D&D session and adopted the exact same mannerisms and charm as him down to the smallest quip.
Unless they can time travel, I highly doubt that. The IT Crowd finished in 2013, Critical Role didn't start until 2015. That episode in particular aired in 2010.
I feel like this belongs here. One of my ways of thinking when making any story is this. Make it for those who can't and treat those who can like those who can't. If you are making a story of any kind then you need to know that you need as much detail as possible, if there are those who are blind then you need to tell them whats happening, if there is someone who is deaf you need to show them whats happening, and all the people invested in the story will feel much better if you treat them like that. Matt Mercer, you do all these things and more... I just want to say thank you and I feel like we can all agree on that.
It gets easier, especially as you get more familiar with the world, be it pre-made or homebrew. By the time I was in college, after middle and high school DMing, I could run 6-8 hour sessions with no prep, knowing my world so well I could pluck out villains and motivations and mcguffins willy-nilly that fit into the larger campaign without too much issue. Because as some general once said (and Matt Colville) "no plan survives contact with the (players)." They will make decisions that catch you off guard. Being bad at something is the start of being good at something, hope you have many more happy years of DMing (and hope you're not a forever-DM and get to play some too!)
Dandruffshampoo “being bad at something is the start of being good at something” that’s a lovely and motivational reminder. I’m considering DMing for the first time, and I’m an adult who’s only played TTRPGs a couple times, so it’s a bit overwhelming. But comments like yours are very uplifting, so thank you for thinking to provide encouragement on a years-old comment :)
Back in old 3.5 days, I was playing a necro evoker and used thunder lance for the first time. DM described me as going full jedi (sith lord) on some god damn phase spiders who then run away. I don't even like star wars and it felt good. P.S I tpk'd the entire party because our bard told me to use shatter floor on a load bearing wall in the castle. Best part was the gnome got mangled in a metal spiral staircase with two wraths waiting for him to die because they couldn't drain him (yeah me, my spell protected him). Two players that ran away committed suicide because the new wraiths (our dead friends) couldn't turn them and they couldn't escape.
Chris is great as long as he stays off his political soapbox. I stopped watching dice, camera, for that reason, well that and I can't stand the some of the people playing!
Chris seems to have "lost a step" in these later years... The AI podcasts and the British game circa 2011 were him performing at his prime... Matt Mercer is still a pretender to the DM throne compared to those games... And Wil Wheaton was not so loud on the podcasts...
It's feels like Matt is always a player in the end, the silence manager cheering them on. He celebrates when they do, laughs and cries but he's got a job to do and boy does he want to make it a good story.
Matt is so good at what he does I listen to them while I work as welder and it's literally like I can imagine the entire show as a movie he is a God at what he does
I wish that I could get my players to understand that extra attack doesn’t equal extra action and the fact that they can’t dodge every attack. I always have to explain this to them at least once every session.
Have you tried writing a giant note on their side of your gm-screen with that written in sharpie or something? I feel like that would save you some time xP
Magma Naught That would be so cool. Only thing is: Matt is most definitely a bard. He spins and weaves tales that tug at your heartstrings, inspire anger and hope and so many other things. He is what I consider the epitome of bard; he fills you with a sense of wonder.
I DMed a real light game for a group of 9/10 year olds... the only positive experience of a DM I had was CR. They did most of the world building (hey it was an Art based Storytelling class!) but they ate. it. up. when I described their failures and successes and what their skills did. I learned that from Matt. ;) Thanks Mercer
Just without the cocaine or alcoholism, or writing himself into his Magnum opus and making his characters realize that they themselves are characters in a story and therefore completely making their journeys and suffering hollow and pointless
This was a really good, well thought out video! As I was watching it, the whole time I'm thinking of the DM in my main campaign. It's very thrilling to know that other people appreciate these qualities.
Interestingly everything that Matt Mercer does regarding character background emphasis and character interaction narrative all started 25 years ago in the World of Darkness system and Vampire the Masquerade. In the core books the chapter on "Storytelling" was pretty much a blue print for what Matt Mercer does today.
This is a bit long, but bear with me. I only got into Dnd as the second season of Critical Role started, and after only 13 episodes, (and some clips of season 1) I completely fell in love with these characters, and Matt, who makes the world seem alive. I could fully picture every second because of how Matt describes the world. Every NPC seems like a real person with a complex backstory. I can see that he heard all of the characters backstories, and is connecting them together into his world. He lets his players seem awesome, and his villains seem cruel. tl;dr He is the perfect example of a DM
Watched this for the first time when I was just getting into 5e. It was a rough time in my life, but your vids and the community got me through it. Thanks for everything that you do.
Watching critical role was kinda the thing that “pushed me over the edge” and into the volcano of roleplaying that is D&D. And since I started my D&D group I became the dungeon master, having to be a new and inexperienced DM for a bunch of new and inexperienced players. So with Matt as my only roll model (see what I did there) I basically became a younger, sweater, dumber version of him, and I described everything much like he did. I used approximately 12 adjectives to describe every action and have repeated the phrase “flies through the air” an uncomfortable amount of times. When I say I “became like him” I definitely do not mean that I am as good as he is, I still have so much more to learn and practice. The dungeon master I become is up to me, but I am infinitely grateful to Matt for making me a dungeon master in the first place.
The moment I realized how good the game was was during Grog and Kern's duels. I've seen players not involved in the scene disengage while it goes on. These players were involved without taking over the scene.
I'm being the DM for the first time ever, and I do watch these episodes to help my play style, and my players tell me that they look forward to their sessions all week. Brings a tear to me eyes. :D
A few mistakes made it through in the final edit, the ending isn't supposed to have that 10 second delay for darkness, and some text and images pop up outta nowhere with no context. Sorry about that folks!
This is fan-freaking-tastic and so well done. I appreciate the tips on things you see him do but don't realize just how good he is. Great job.
Still a gem! Well done! Thank you!
XP to Level 3 what episode is 6:20 from?
Sorry, I'm not XP to Level 3, but I believe it's from episode 52: The Kill Box.
Thanks, Luke Renz.
The ending makes it sound like Matt is no longer with us. Rest assured that he is alive, well, and playing D&D
R.I.P.
RIP, Matt.
He’s DMing up at that big table in the sky now.
@@namesurname7172 What do you mean? He’s still alive! (Before you r/whoosh me, can you please tell me if it’s a joke. If not, explain to me why you think he’s dead.)
@@haruhitomaeda4802 Yeah I'm confused if they are joking or not.
Players: *does absolutely any action*
Matt: *describing intensifies*
This is mostly why I don't like the show. Give the player more control
@@beastboy0078 He doesn't prohibit them from doing it. They just like how Matt does it, and as it is not a problem for him, there's no problem at all. Just my opinion tho, just can't understand how can someone dislike the show.
@@beastboy0078 It works for him, but I agree.
I think it comes from his work as a voice actor, but Matt tends to be less a DM, and more like a Director.
A good DM (And don't get me wrong, he is good in other aspects) should say "X happens. How does your character feel about that" not tell the player, "X happens. Your character is shocked that this person would have doe that"
but again, he does have strong points, such as bringing in lose ends of stories, interweaving character backstories into the overall campaign, and of course taking all the voices.
He just lacks in player agency, and rules knowledge...plus I feel he munchkins the characters too much.
@@Ezalech “just can’t understand how anyone can dislike the show” woah lol, chill.
@@OakenTome Wot? Im chilling. Im just saying what I think
"he is too focused on entertainment!" the people cry out.
a simple response rings out, "D&D IS ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT!"
I think they mean "too focused on promoting his very profitable Critical Roll brand image and commercial entertainment because this is a profit making endeavor for them and not just some friends having fun."
@@Stormthorn67 Honestly I don't mind at all, it's endearing and just fun. Some things are pretty hard to fake, even for actors, and a lot of very subtle queues indicate they're actually enjoying themselves when they're at the table. Sure, it's a bit of a show, but man, it works!
@Elijah Perry Considering how they're regularly employed to voiceact, I'd say the voiceacting industry views them as good.
@Elijah Perry That's why I said *regularly* employed. Bad voiceactors are not *regularly* employed.
Even if a voiceactor you think is "the worst" is employed regularly, that's the employer's option to do so, not yours. In this case your opinion *really* does not matter because you are not the employer.
Elijah Perry do you think it’s easy to be a voice actor. I’m willing to bet you couldn’t even do 4 voices.
Player: Sneezes
Matt: As you feel a tickle in your nose, a sudden urge to release air through your mouth emerges. Your eyes close as you blast a deafening puff of out from your mouth and the tickling sensation is gone.
Player: bruh I just have allergies
Haha
And the sound you make has awakened the mountain troll. He stands before you angrily then lets out a roar *Matt Mercer roar* Roll initiative.
> as you blast a deafening puff of out from your *toothy maw* and the...
FTFY
😂
Your not allowed to make jokes about sickness! YOUR GONNA GET CANCELED NOW, OH GOD.
“A book sized tome”
Yes Matt, indeed
In Africa, Every 60 seconds a Minute Passes.
It had a sigil on in
@@bishopcoleman5317 but only if you have a toothy maw
@Guy Person A tome is a lot larger than a book usually.... Sorry to be that guy but it's true. o.o
“DO YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA HOW LITTLE THAT NARROWS IT DOWN”
Plot twist: Matt voiced this whole video
Famine and Cyanide We got an underrated comment over here!! Lol, it’s hilarious to imagine Matt voicing this!
Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!?!?!!!!!!!!!
Plot twist: matt narrated us commenting this
Great...now i can't get his voice out off my hand
It’s high noon
I've heard Matt say he is by no means a master of the rules. He gets stuff wrong all the time, but with 20 years of experience and bluffing, he can get by without getting caught by the cast.
BiggySn1p3r pretty sure that was one of his dm tips: "fake it!" You're gonna come across shit you don't know. What will make you a good dm is having the confidence to make up something on the spot and run roll with it.
probably. I've also heard him say this on panels.
Ill even say by no means should you master the rules. Id call myself the master of the rules and it halts things. Players want to do this, I say yes despite the rules saying no
That's what I say all the time, if you don't like something or you get something wrong just change it, but do it with confidence, I see too many dm's backtrack or second guess themselves in front of their players and that always chips away at their confidence in you
Isn't the rule in 5e to not let the rules get in the way of fun? If I can't find it in 10 seconds I just go with what my intuition tells me is more fun. I don't really know if that's a rule, but it should be.
I like other DMs that once an enemy is defeated, he tells them to "Finish them" and the player gets to describe some insane way they kill them, without any checks of success because they've already won. It's awesome.
My DM does this. Some my favourite moments of playing DnD has come from this. I killed a guy by slamming my Electrically enchanted hammer into his face, smashing his metal mask and knocking him into a pool of icy water, then shoved said hammer into the water to electrocute him to death. It was such an epic moment.
I directly lifted this from Matt but I paraphrase and say "How does *character name* defeat *NPC*?" to avoid copyright infringement lol
@@gsimon123 Matt Mercer hasn't copyrighted that. just do it lol, dont worry about people saying you ripped off matt mercer. in the thoughts of every Kenku (and also Oscar Wilde) : Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
I take right from Matt and ask both my groups, "How do you want to do this?" They've gotten to the point of thinking up more elaborate ways to deliver the killing blow and getting upset when they don't get said blow.
I know this is a year old but commenting anyways. New DM here. But yes I did this to my players last session. They were fighting a pretty tough battle and it dragged on a bit and then finally one of them got the kill. There was some silence as I was calculating the damage. I then looked up....and closed the Monster Manual, smiled and said..."how do you kill it?" They let out a small cheer. Felt great. The smiles on their faces was an awesome site.
He's special because he's passionate. He goes above and beyond what the average is. He's a showman and he's charismatic as fuck. His goal is to make other people happy.
And he and all his players understand improv and do characters for a living
Keep in mind, trying to imitate Matt will not work well for you at all. Instead, borrow some of his technique and find your own stride, and begin developing your own personal style of DMing. It may take days, months, or even years, but there's hope.
Yep
I will be DMing for the first time in two days, so I take this advice as personal. Wish me luck! :)
@@robertaperoglio may your dice roll true and your imagination run wild!
@@robertaperoglio good luck on your first dming experience
@@robertaperoglio DMing is the highlight of my Wednesdays, which is when I run a session of the campaign my players are currently in, I hope you enjoyed the experience and players had fun!!
What impresses me most about Matt is his improvisation.
You can tell his players frequently do things he never expected and he has to make things up on the fly which often leads to the funniest, most enjoyable and memorable moments :)
headbite alien "We're gods! :D"
The Mighty Nein's antics are a perfect example of this. Jester painting dicks on things, Mollymauk (bless his soul) fucking with everyone, Beau and Fjord trying to be better people, Caleb and his cat, Nott's drunk plans (making an explosive arrow at midnight in an inn), Mr. Clay and his teatime, and Yasha's there too.
crab vs nott
“What’s your name?”
“My name’s, uh, Daaaaaavvviiiies?”
Grog headbutting a f*ckin giant with a nat 20
The secret is his amazing hair.
MinersLoveGames the 80's called and want it back!
MinersLoveGames gives him +4 to charisma
I have the same hair... it doesn't help, i still suck
First meeting with Kevin Sorbo on the set of Mythica. "Hey, what was your mother's name?" Because of his amazing hair.
I KNEW IT!!
I feel like Robin Williams would have been amazing at DnD
Purple Spartan Truly a loss to the community
Purple Spartan I think he played it before.
Robin Williams was a huge Warhammer and anime fan. He spoke about it several times.
No, he'd be the annoying GM hog constantly drawing attention to himself while everyone else is just along for the ride.
@@SzczypekPlay Warhammer ftw (age of sigmar doesn't count)
Once when I was dming a game I wanted the characters really hate the villain so I made an npc called captain redbeard and he was a sweet goofy badass, and then I had the BBEG kill captain redbeard and my players where so pissed as they had to watch his heart being ripped out and his body burned while not being able to do anything
Ah, the Griffith approach.
I made them fight a re-acurring villian that did dastardly things to the party. Like dress up as a merchant and sell them a sword that explodes in exchange for thier enchanted battleaxe that freezes people. When combat began, BBG just left with the freezing battleaxe taking one of the parties fav weapons. This made it personal for them and fun for me. In my credit, they do get magic items I make a lot of the time.
Oof, I've done this too and it's brutal.
My players had booked passage to a fabled island of no return on a pirate ship captained by none other than the Dread Pirate Roberts, who was now canonically Inigo Montoya ("you killed my father, prepare to die!"), with his gentle giant first mate Fezzig. The party fell in love with them and we spent hours playing off Princess Bride jokes and doing fun battles on the high seas. But when they got near the target island, the ship was attacked by mutated shrieking eels off the perpetually-storming shore and ended up shipwrecked... and I made sure both of them died heroically saving the Party.
It was the first tonal shift in the campaign, and it really set their hearts on finding the source of the island's deadly storms that had claimed not just countless faceless explorers and sailors... but now, their friends.
I always make villains like-able and relatable but misguided
@@dogwithacamera2722 how?
"How does he do those voices and descriptions?"
I mean, he's literally a voice actor...
Simple, it's good job. Lol
Also, he has been doing the DM thing for literal decades.
Voices are easy...might as well get paid for it
I've been DMing for over 15 years now. Learning to ask my players "How do you want to do this?" when they finish off something epic has been one of the best tricks I've learned. It gets the whole table so pumped and ecstatic.
I just recently started DMing and asking my players "How do you want to do this?" when they killed Frosty the Snowman was AWESOME
@@seinesalz "I grab a magnifying glass that just happened to be lying on the floor, and I concentrate the sunlight into him to make him melt!"
@@dr.uselessYIIK nah dude you piss on him,
@@fairystail1 The Chaotic Evil is Strong With You.
My players love the "how do you want to do this" so much that they want to hear it for every creature they kill.
I’ve been DMing for 40 years (yes I am an old phart). However, I never stop learning the craft. Watching Matt has made me a better DM. And your analysis here finally brought into focus something I’ve been trying to quantify which I will now consciously work into my games. You’ve made me a better DM too.
Thank you.
@GentleCat jeez your old dude sorry if its rude but I really want to know how was dnd back then being well new
That long, huh? You're a legend, man. Keep doing what you do!
Wholesome
This is so wholesome and sweet awwhh ;-;
:D
One thing to mention:
Matt Mercer is not a perfect DM. Nobody is perfect. DM's get rules wrong all the time (including Mercer) because when you ask us a question in the middle of a game, we try to remember the official rule, can't, and then make up something on the spot so you don't have to sit their for 5 minutes while we find the official rule in the PHB.
Sometimes DM's have to backtrack/retcon and say "hey, you know how I let you x, well actually that doesn't actually work. Let's skip back 5 minutes, you get your spell slot back, let's try again from there."
This shit HAPPENS. If your DM fucks up they aren't a bad DM (generally). They're just a DM.
Mercer may be the gold standard but even he fucks up. Your buddy who volunteered to DM for your group because nobody else would? They will definitely fuck up. Give them a chance.
I think a good DM wouldn't backtrack. That kind of "jerks" the narrative. If the DM LET them do it, the DM should accept it that time but then remind the player for future situations.
@@curlywhites agreed, IC you just write it off as divine intervention making something usually impossible possible, or vice versa, and that it's unlikely to occur again. OOC you just let them know that you messed up the ruling and inform them of the correct ruling that will be applied from now on.
Danny & TheApex: I'm with you when it's ONLY the DM who wants to backtrack. But I've played in so many games (on both sides of the screen) where it's the whole table that wants to retcon things from time to time, because it simply makes no narrative sense. In those cases I think it's a very elitist thing to try and be a purist about it.
At the end of day there is not a single thing I think is not acceptable to do in or around a tabletop game , if done with the consent of everyone around said table (obviously exaggerating a bit here, real life murder for instance is not on my list of "not a single thing") :)
It's also important there are different styles of story. For instance I prefer to stick harder on roleplay over dice, dice are less hard and act as a rough guideline in the games I run and stick more to how a player's actions work while some prefer wargaming and just hard dice.
I remember one time we had to backtrack the entire opening plot arc because the whole table rolled so utterly terribly, and the generic fodder minions critted us to death multiple times and required an NPC cleric to become an unwilling crutch character that blew apart the DM's narrative, he finally just said at the beginning of our 3rd session "F*** it, you guys cool with just starting over?" And we all agreed. I rolled up a cleric this time. XD
Good DM goes hand in hand with Good players. Whenever I don't feel comfortable with a group, as in knowing they won't bite the plothooks, don''t care for roleplaying and just wanna go out and crush skulls, my skill as a DM just plummets down.
Yeah the plot hooks thing is ridiculous. LIKE WE ARE ALL HERE TO PLAY D&D PLEASE PLAY D&D.
Finally... i found you. Do you have any last words before you die, arch-traitor?
( All the love to WH40K & D&D )
@@PerfectionHunter the amount of warhammer lore I use for my campaigns is immense
@@an8strengthkobold360 "I don't like being railroaded. I want an authentic open world experience"
Idk why we bothered preparing anything, if you just want to bother merchants and yell at guards for 3 hours in my basement.
I'm sorry, but the illusion of "I can do anything" is an illusion. There is a plot somewhere, there are prepared encounters and npcs.
No matter how good you are at improv, making up every single moment of your campaign will never be as good as a campaign with even a little planning could be.
@@SeanLaMontagne good open worlds are really just talored rail roads.
For open worlds to work the characters need active goals to pursue and a good reason to stick together.
As the dm you just prepare hooks that hit those goals.
2:30 Be The Master of Rules
3:10 Know the Rules and Garners Respect
3:57 Respect your Players & their Characters
5:11 No need for fancy words, Just involve your Players
7:14 Describe Players actions which will make them feel cool
7:52 Narrate everything you can, Make Players actions feel meaningful
7:56 Make Success Awesome and Failure Hilarious
8:02 Make Players feel important and let them shape the World
8:32 Make A Charming World
9:25 Making NPCs a little bit more Quirky
10:18 Stop making mean Merchants
11:57 Know your Players Character Stories
13:23 Heart (love ❤️)
Also just as a note to new DM's or those that cannot memorize every rule and ability and do all the voices that Matt Mercer does. Don't feel bad, never let anyone make you feel like shit for not being at that tier. You do your game in your own way. That and Matt has at least 15 years of DM'ing experience.
I started DM'ing because of Matt, and I know I'll get good but time and patience and experience will help us all along. Critical Role is a perfect storm for D&D. It's good and bad for us lowly peons. But I think there's more good than bad by far. We're getting all sorts of new tools , books and resources for our craft. More than ever before.
TL;DR don't compare yourself to Matt Mercer, be your best, don't deal with asshole players that make you feel bad about your style and enjoy the benefits Critical Role will bring the community.
Morior
To followup.
Matt has his own style. You can use his advice but I would only do so long enough until you can start owning your own game. You'll know when that happens.
Know the rules.
Know your players.
Know your game.
Know yourself.
Make mistakes.
Most importantly... have fun.
Yup. I just DMed my first session ever (after playing only once before in a campaign that lasted about 8 sessions) and HOLY CRAP IT'S HARD. I totally botched a character intro that was supposed to be really important and forgot that they're, like, a real person and can, in fact, discuss things with the PCs and doesn't have to monologue.
It's going to be a long road to get better...
But I really love the tips in these videos - above all, work to make your players feel cool and important. Because then they'll have fun, which is the biggest thing!
Sorry to be THAT person but *puts on nerdy glasses* he ACTUALLY has been DMing for about 20 years. Which is basically my entire existence on this earth.
Playing a character is about style (and sometimes a bit of mechanics), I think we all get that. DMing is even more. Everybody has his own way of thinking and when your mind becomes the motor of an universe all players will feel it. Which is why I like so much seeing other people mastering (and above all my actual or former pcs); it's their own way of being that is put on the table.
This is all about style (and a few mechanics). But writing this I realize even this is a certain way of thinking rpgs.
Morior this
“Except when he’s *BURNING EMON TO THE GROUND!*”
Big mood.
I like that this is basically a n open love letter to Mathew Mercer.
as it should be
And we've all signed it with love and adoration and pride.
@QQminusS I think you might have replied to the wrong thread friend. Also not a lady.
The “smile” segment didn’t already give it away?
Another good thing about him is that: He is a fair DM.
He doesn't make encounters out to just kill and be extremely dangerous to the players, he makes the encounters engaging, challenging but beatable, and entertaining. Entertainment is the name of the game for the DM, and he knows it.
He doesn't make unfair and unnecessarily dangerous traps or consequences because he knows the players would not enjoy having their agency thrown out the window as the trap simply turns them to dust with a delayed fireball at level 4.
And let's not forget: He rewards his players for doing good, for getting through encounters, and for completing quests, money, magic items, rewarding your players keep them engaged. Because some DMs think that throwing the characters against 6 stone giants at level 7 and giving them only 100gp as a reward a "fitting" compensation.
He tailors the story, and he keeps the players engaged, he challenges them, but he is not out to kill them like a lot of DMs think the game is supposed to be played.
"He is a fair DM"
ROFLMAO
Last session I felt like I wasn't prepared enough, my characters fell flat, and I wanted to improve myself. My players I asked about it seemed like they didn't notice and had a lot of fun, but I had this uncertainty gnawing in my mind. I ended up here, and realized why my players say they are enjoying the game despite all my mishaps: as a DM, I'm their characters' number one fan. While I do love building my world and seeing how the characters interact with it, I have sat with every single player, talked about their character, their motivations, their flaws, their past... And I enjoy bringing all that love into the game. I might have flop NPC's from time to time, scramble about with all the information, or mess up something, but it'll never change that it is ME as well, who wants to know their characters' stories and where they end up to :)
CapuRen, you are a great DM then!
When both DM AND players are a team that is utterly devoted to telling an epic story, any mistakes--that don't derail it--barely register. It's a beautiful thing to see.
God damn, I've always admired Matt but with this analysis I can finally appreciate the hard work he puts in. Thanks XP, this breakdown has just improved my DMing a ton.
Leon Flanagan Same
My heart is touched, my pens are ready, the villain is dead and my party steady.
That was the finest quote I ever got from one of my players and since then I try to make the best gamingexperience for them, I love Matts campaigns and him and wanted to be like him. Gret video you are some good people
I guess that was intentional but I totally read that in eminem's voice
My penis ready *
EXXTSON optionally 'my loins are ready'
No pens tho
"Why do his players listen in on every word?"
I don't know. When I go to my campaign, when the DM is talking about something, only half the group is listening.
I have issues with concentration sometimes and my dm knows this so normally they'll sort of just recap as much as they can between each persons action/attack in a fight
I give quiz at the start of the game ... as a mini recap n reward my player w small gold prize.
to encourage player to listen, remember n pay attention
then after quiz time i give a full recap
@@MarkSkater this is a great idea thanks
His players don't listen in on every word.
You can see Sam playing with his cell phone, or Marisha talking to the person next to her while Matt is narrating quite frequently.
@@MrGreensweightHist They still listen though, just because they're not hyper focused on Matt, doesn't mean they're not listening or not paying attention
I know this is a pretty old vid but as someone who just started being DM, I needed these tips and lessons, my next session is next week and I will definitely be heeding your advice. I also didn’t know about critical role and am checking it out right away, great vid!
Good luck. i just started last year and my first campaign just ended it was great but there is always room to get better.
@Joseph Murphy. I highly recommend the runehammer channel. He used to be known as Drunken and Dragons and he had phenomenal tips for new and experienced DMs on how to improve your games
Running my first campaign currently, it's going pretty well I'd say and it's rather fun... but tiring.
How did your story go? 10 months later
Gonna start my first session as a dm next week.
I personally had to learn very quickly how to quickly make npcs on the fly (maybe not names as much) because I have a player who player one of those socialite bards with a literal trait called friend in every town so i've got 5 or 6 npcs that they just kind of know.
i personally always enjoyed having characters tied into the setting so i've asked everyone to give me at least a basic backstory so i can bring in people or connect there back story in some way
In my recently started game I have shown the players two merchants, and I think I did a good job. The first is a Texas-accented lady who runs a clothing store. She's decently non-interesting, but charming. The second is Kraknov, owner of Kraknov's Curiosities, a shop that sells incredibly strange looking weapons that act as modified basic weapons. Kraknov has a stupidly thick Russian accent and says his own name and repeats himself a ridiculous number of times. He makes up all the names of his items on the spot. Next door to Kraknov is Ivo's Inno, an Inn run by a man named Ivo who stumbles out of the back room whenever someone walks in. His voice is super high and raspy and he is, in fact, very obviously Kraknov with a fake moustache.
Kraknov is now my favorite character of ever
Good lord, this is amazing. This is why I love the D&D community, because hearing of characters and stories and ideas such as these provide some amazing inspiration. Kraknov sounds like comedy gold
I once heard of a dude whose character was two gnomes in a trench coat. And no one knew (even the DM) until one of them got knocked out (he kept separate HP scores for each gnome), despite the fact that he described his character as having hilariously short arms and always asked to know *where* the opponent hit him. That there is just legendary to me.
Yeah I heard that one two... what a legend!
Stop by Kraknov's Curiosities soon to find such magnificent items as the Slimbibat and the Ovhghal Blade (Pronounced like Oval and Awful at the same time).
"Why do his players listen in on every word?" They don't. Just like all DMs he sometimes has to bring them back into the game and sometimes needs to repeat what he's said because not all the players are listening.
One of the things I have admired most with Matt, even seeing him as a player now in the new series, is that he allows space to breathe. I think Dungeons and Dragons, especially since it moved to the online world dms are very time critical. Okay I have to get to this thing, and then this thing, and five encounters in this session. One of the things I admire about Matt and this channel is the focus on just having fun. Letting people explore interesting characters and stories.
I wish more people were like him. Main reason I quit the online campaign I was part of. The dm was just trying to get through sections of a book. He'd pop a piece of text as a "descriptor" of a place and told us to read it, instead of just describing a cave or whatever it was. Close to no roleplay, just constant battles.
"he gets respect from his players"
Liam: * exists *
I understand that this is a joke on the internet, but I figured that I should make this distinction for anybody who comes across this comment, because it's very important: Liam(and every other CR cast member) is never disrespectful of Matt when he's DMing. Liam makes jokes and tries to fuck with Matt when he's presenting because they are all friends and like to goof off. But when game time begins, every one of them listens and accepts Matt as the guy in charge and lead storyteller. It's actually amazing the level of attention they pay to Matt and how they never talk over him when he's describing something and never try to change his rulings or grumble about them(and if they do, it is NEVER directed at Matt). Like... Matt Mercer is kind of the gold-standard of DMs, but the rest of the cast may as well be the gold-standard for players and any DM would be lucky to run a game for them.
@@AJMC82 Gotta agree. I would have killed to have players like this in my heydey. I'm happy that I can just sit at their table and watch. I really miss playing, but this is really the absolute next best thing.
@@AJMC82 Also, to be fair, Liam is an experienced player. He has a really good memory for creatures and lore. He's more knowledgeable I think of he world and the game at large than any of the other players except maybe Taleisen. So it makes sense he's more willing to challenge a ruling than the other players. Challenge is one thing - disrespecting is totally different. Liam is NEVER disrespectful. He also always acknowledges when Matt makes a final ruling. Something I appreciated about a player in one of my teams was that he was an experienced DM who would sometimes challenge our DM but then agree out of respect regardless of if he agreed with the ruling.
@Aidan Hall one of the biggest things about being a DM is you will always eventually have to make judgment calls. Regardless of rules, situations will always arise that aren't covered by the rulebook anyways.
Matt has said Liam is the player who is his most challenging, not because he's disrespectful or difficult to get along with, but because he asks a gazillion questions and delves into things, forcing Matt to make things up, on the fly, that he hadn't anticipated anyone wanting to know.
It's also important to note he doesn't get upset when things don't go as planned, or if a huge set piece he planned is bypassed entirely. When he prepares an encounter for hours, drawing up stats for ships for an epic naval combat encounter, and someone just causes the enemy ship to capsize with magic before combad stars, he doesn't get upset. He gets happy for them. He congratulates them. This is all of their game, not just his.
And he doesn't forget that.
My favorite job as a dungeon master is describing what proceeds after a crit fail/normal crit, like “The orc readys his javiln and with all the power he can muster, throws it.... and then you hear a scream of pain, from the orc because he never let go of the javlin and hit himself in the thigh”
Finally a video where you don't have to look at the Pillsbury Doughboy
Edit: I love you like I love flakey biscuits
As a DM, one of the phrases I took from Matt Mercer's descriptions that gives a genuine sense of catharsis for my players is the phrase: "for the first time in a long time". I use it as frequently as possible because it hints further back into my player's character's histories. it hints at a possible start to their misery that they can learn more about.
Nobody:
Matt: T O O T H Y M A W
TTOOOOTTHHYY MMAAWW
Don't forget 'entity'.
There’s also: “Ass over tea kettle.”
C A S C A D I N G
@@Umbrellacorporationmt fucking classic. Love it every time xD
I’d love to see your take on Brennan Lee Mulligan.
I’ve adored watching him in Fantasy High, Escape from the Blood Keep, & A Crown of Candy.
EXU: Calamity was truly the ultimate crossover of our time
You forgot to mention that he's also known as the "M Mercer" (pronounced like immerser).
Fabio Lacap nice.
Also Sam is the best f***ing Bard in the universe
Nathan Deppisch even when he is a Rogue
Cult of GaLm he used to be a bard tho.
Conrad Korbol *whispers* "that's the joke. he is a rogue now."
Cult of GaLm true! Lol
Conrad Korbol you can reply to this message
“There’s a lot I can point out about Critical Role...”
Finger points specifically at Taliesin’s shoulder.
Hmm... I look forward to the shoulder episode.
LOL... I was waiting for him to make some sort of "Taliesin is a thousand year old pyramid joke."
one thing I always admired was that, not only is he able to conjure beautiful descriptions on the fly, he acually matches the cadens and speed of his speech to the energy of the moment.
suspenseful resurrection ritual: slow, deliberate speech, taking time and allowing for longer silences.
more run of the mill combat encounters: quick and curt, elaborating where needed and moving fast.
a druid plunging of a 1000ft drop as a goldfish: first confused, funny, frustrated, panicking, frantic, and al around freaking out along with his players
he doesn't just play with words. He plays with the energy in the room like... well, like an actor I guess
I think another way to explain how good he is when describing what the players say their characters do is when they finish off an enemy. He takes whatever they say which is literally designed to make them feel cool, and makes it even cooler. Like the player will say something like "I shoot him in the head" and matt transforms it into "you fire, the blast pushing you over but you keep your eyes firmly on the enemy. and just before it ducks out of view, your bullet enters through its mouth and the back of its head explodes, showering the room with gore."
That just turns a rather simple but cool action into this fantastic, action packed, epic feat that makes everyone feel good.
Everyone loves the Pumat Voice
Now all Firbolgs are Canadian hippies. It's Canon.
WELL HELLO THERE
I've been playing for a some months now and some local kids ask me to DM. I'm 40 years old and I was stupid enough to keep out of D&D until a few months back when I discover this amazing game and community. Now, I'm dyslexic and most of the times, I'm quite short on descriptions of events in real life, so I see the possibility of being a sufficient DM is as was remote. But starting to study DM books and such and trying to keep up with Critical Role 2nd campaign to start seeing the 1st after that, I realized that skill mattered of course, and Matt as tons of it, I don't but I believe I have heart and I although I come from an engineering background, I always liked to write small stories and D&D is a lot more complex but at its base it is a story written by the DM and the players.
I'm not sure I would be comfortable with a sandbox type of game but I might give my best attempt and hopefully succeed at entertaining this kids with a more linear game, that is, until someone better is found. Matt is a legend as are all members of the Critical Role.
You will be amazed sometimes by what they love isn't always what you're proudest of. My players will sometimes bring up events or NPCs from old games that they've been cherishing for years, that I just don't recall. Just make it a series of short stories, if that's your comfort. It doesn't have to be one big epic campaign. I've done serial style adventures, where the villains aren't even related to each other, not building up to an epic confrontation; there's just nasty people in the world and your kids take them down. Railroading isn't always a bad word. (I would recommend Matt Colville's Sandbox vs Railroading video; actually a lot of his videos are fantastic for starting DMs.)
Know how people say "we don't deserve dogs"?
They're wrong. We don't deserve Matt.
never heard anyone say that
visit r/wholesomememes sometime
Matt is a dog
These things are not mutually exclusive.
@j I know, I need to stop making comments because none of them make any sense when someone replies
Sudden realization that Matt is the voice actor of MCree from Overwatch.
And the English dubs of Jotaro in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Yusuke in Persona 5
@@Technotoadnotafrog And Hit from the DBS dub, because you already got the other two
I'm not sure but I think he's Leon from Re4 as well
And Lao (main plot driving character) in Xenoblade Chronicles X.
And leorio from hxh
Love that clip where they first meet their new vendor, the firbolg enchanter Pumat Sol. I've watched the scene many times. Its an absolute masterclass in making interesting NPCs using nothing more than is in the core rulebooks.
Rightly so, Mercer is amazing.
TheRetoohsprahsify Exactly
Puts an ENORMOUS SMILE on my face when my players compare me to the MM. I'm nowhere near that level, but I've learned a lot from him and try to apply it. My players even created a "Matt Mercer DM Points" system, kind of a reverse for Player Inspiration, to reward me for doing things they think were cool DM moves.
Matt is amazing, and his players are respectful. It's a two way street.
"Oh, what's the most precious thing to them? Their home?"
*Engage dat face*
"BURN IT!"
Start of the video: I can DM! Can't be that hard :D
End of the video: Holy god I am not worthy D:
The last point was be genuine and have heart! That's the most important part! You can do thatttt
Do what you can and try to learn more, everyone will have a great time anyways.
Plot twist: you are.
also, making mistakes is part of it...
can't get better without mistakes
I know this was meant as a joke, but you honestly have to start somewhere. New DMs fuck up all the time but you don't get as good as Matt without being the fuck up new dm. I encourage you to try it out! If after a few sessions you don't like it, at least you've gained a new respect for your dm when you do play.
One of my favorite things that he does, with his voices and his descriptions, is he pulls you into the world. I have a show playing in my head watching them play, not just because of the players (who are amazing) but because Matt is so skilled in painting a picture that I can't help but be immersed. Whenever my DM does that, I'm really proud of her.
Now this is a video that explains the honest how and why people love Matthew Mercer's DMing in Critical Role, and also why people look up to him- he's a damn great DM and truthfully, I try to give it my all in my DMing- thinking about how I've seen him do his sessions for Critical Role.
"DON'T SPEAK TO ME IN THAT MANNER! I AM TIBERIUS STORMWIND!"
That line made me fall in love with Critical Role.
It's such a shame Orion left, Tiberius was the best character there.
Spikem59 Tiberius was an amazing character, but I don’t miss Orion at all
@@sentientcoconuts530 Does anyone know why Orion left?
@@sentientcoconuts530 Why not? I'm not all that far into the series, just stopped when they started fighting the time creature on the carpet in the bone field so I haven't seen anything wrong with him yet.
Aaron Floyd kind of. It’s a whole thing in the fan base with tons and tons of speculation but the cast asks the critters to not discuss it as they don’t want rumours to be put out there. You can certainly google it and find out from some reddit posts and I believe they made an official announcement.
I make mean merchants mean as a result of character interactions like a rogue who decides to be that guy and break into people's houses and steal everything
well that's not good. now he's just going to steal from you!
After a terrible first D&D experience for me and 2 friends, we made our own loosely-related game, with a focus on story. The main difference is, that I was given "DM" powers but others could make their own story arc & necessary NPC's, with minor adjustments allowed by the group & final agreement of changes done by informal vote. The only hard rules was no killing or pretend-killing another character without consent, but NPC's & offing your own character were free game (if it would move the plot forward).
A lot of us were into similar fantasy/ anime/ folklore/ historic genres & familiar with storytelling, so a lot of the changes were made on the fly.
If a player proved they worked well with everyone to make a great story-arc, the group would allow them to make secret plots, giving mini "DM" powers to halt a meandering action but allow the acting party to choose how to change their actions themselves. This was some of my favorite parts since then the plot was a surprise, even to me.
The only similarity I would have to an actual DM is: the creation of the majority of NPC's, major world building, major narration, overarching plot with branching variants, & final say on the rare occasions of inter-group disagreement.
I knew I didn't have the skill or experience to create all the possible branching narratives, or be on a level even close to Matt M, so I felt this democractic-republic style game would work best.
We played for about 12 years, moving it online after the 3rd year, & opening the site (from recommendation-only) on the 5th year. I even helped some friends make their own sites but with entirely different settings, like space or post-apocalyptic.
After a while, I had built a team of committed moderators, administrators, & a coalition of separate sites that would share knowledge & assistance on occasion.
Nothing made me more proud than seeing these sites eventually run on their own teams, without any intervention from me.
Life, family & work eventually made it impossible for me to continue volunteering my time to such a huge endeavor, but I had prepared for that, & made my game-retirement known.
My friends & I still laugh about all the crazy stuff we did & grandiose plans we cobbled together; our words are the only record of the original games, but they still are vivid in our minds, & the gaming sites still run today, for the lucky few hundreds that discover them.
Watching these, despite of late, I can tell exactly how this applies to everything as I, a teacher, uses.
1) Subject Matter Expert-he knows the rules and a lot of DnD to give him an authority figure; same as teachers need to know their curriculum for students to listen.
2) Motivational Theory-he applies narrative that “tickles” players’ motives, such as relevant backstory plot, intense and real descriptions of gore and valor, gives them many chances to exercise their character’s special qualities, and of course recycle even past information into the forefront of a campaign.
3)He himself is motivated-a DM who has apathy towards his own story, players, etc will not reciprocate motivation from his players due to a lack of empathy or neglegivence. To be respected and listened too, you have to represent it yourself, which of course Matt Mercer genuinely loves his craft as a teacher who loves a class.
Me being a teacher has helped me be a player and soon to become a DM, and Matt Mercer is phenomenal at this.
You have no idea how excited I got when this popped into my subscription box
Blizzic dude, you don’t make content anymore but I still see you all over the place! Stop having the same interests as me, it’s creeping me out
"Hitting an enemy? Matt describes it"
" *PSHH* "
One more detail that needs bringing up: Colville made a survey and found that most GMs prep for 15~45 min per hour in game. Matt has gone on record stating he spends 1~1.5 hours per in game hour. Not sure how much of it is prepping half a dozen dwarven forge battle maps that will never see the light of day each session, though.
Also count in the fact that for some people they may not actually prep for that whole 45 minutes as they may get distracted so its even less.
I'm getting a group of my friends(been together for years) that have never touched the game and I'm putting in similar time as Matt has said so that I can make their first time experiencing the game as rich as possible. I don't really think there is enough time you can put in if you truly love your players or the game. But only prepping 15 seems like you are doing a disservice to your players and could be doing more, even if they are a veteran.
It's not so much the time of the prep, but the quality that matters. More experienced GMs tent to be more efficient with their prep. Also, players tend to discard your prep pretty fast.
Check out this link: gnomestew.com/game-mastering/gming-advice/prep-lite-manifesto-the-template/
My GM has been using it and the quality of the sessions has remained pretty consistent, except when he smokes weed before the game. It's a matter of knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out where to invest your time.
Yes the quality of the usage of time was what I was implying but I didn't delve into it. Majority of people really dont use their time wisely while working on something, its just how it is. It's the same with practicing an instrument, a professional knows how to use their time while a new student may have to learn over time how to make practice time efficient.
Some people do have that skill defined in that link(which is a good link for people who struggle with prioritization in planning, gnomestew has a lot of good stuff) Thats how I approach most things that I do, but its just in my personality. I'm currently creating my homebrew and going in a very formulaic manner in constructing everything I need. Their first experience will be with Mines of Phandelver while I work on the homebrew(if they enjoy the game I want to be prepared down the line) and I'm currently in the end points of prep focusing on types of ways to make it have some more flair and adding in my own things that I think would be cool. It's pretty fun.
More about the website you were on, I was just on gnomestew the other day and it was to come up with a cheap way to make miniatures or player indicators without having to buy a large amount of stuff(don't have the money right now to spend on billions of minatures) and it had a guide on how to make relatively cheap tokens, which I haven't done before. I don't have any of my DND stuff anymore and none of my players, as they are new, have anything so I wanted to make it more immersive when fighting instead of having m&ms and stuff, even if you get to eat them after. The tokens was a really nice way to customize how I want things to look along with the maps I'm going to be using. Pretty good information there.
Haven't seen gnomestew's version of cheap, homemade tokens.My GM lives in another city, so we play on Roll20. He was just showing me what he is doing for his new face-to-face game: using this type of paperclip ( ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1NielMpXXXXXLXpXXq6xXFXXXv/36pcs-lot-Paper-Clips-Creative-Clip-Office-School-Home-Supplies-Black-Metal-Binder-Clips-Stationery-Retail.jpg ) he is printing out some drawings he is making as needed, cutting them out, and plastifying them.
He also got a large, translucent stick-to-your-wall dry erase sheet and drew a grid on the back with permanent marker to improvise a cheaper battle mat.
Since we live in Brasil, direct access to this stuff is rare-ish, and import taxes are ridiculous.
I'll go ahead and link you the article: gnomestew.com/game-mastering/tools-for-gms/not-just-a-token-gift/
All you need is a 1" hole punch, glue, scissors, a printer, and some sort of backing to glue the paper to(anything works, metal washers, cheap coins not worth anything anymore, etc.)
It's not as immersive as a miniature but it still has some art and it shows where the monster/person is. My only issue right now is signifying large creatures as they take up more spaces but I think I'll use a blank coin to denote the extra size or make them two tokens big with sectioned off art.
You all may also look at tabletop simulator on steam if you ever want to try something other than roll20. It's pretty cool what you can do with it and I think it would be the only way I could do it online with my group and still maintain some sort of rp. Not a person fan of roll20 but it is what it is.
Been playing since 1994 and Im lucky to say that Ive had plenty of DMs that did and still do these things. My current DM makes description a priority and voice acts, this is a guy who has been playing since 1st ED. My late husband used to DM and everything he did was very descriptive and gave his characters life. I played with a female DM a Vampire game and it felt so atmospheric unlike other Vampire games I played with my first DM when he decided to give Vampire a chance. To me the Matt Mercer effect isnt new but its rare and thats why his example for old and new DMs is useful. I dont think DMs should DM like him but there are things that can be taken and used to make the game more interesting, to make it come to life!
I know this is an old video but this made me realize why I love my current campaign.
I've played many over the years and yet I never felt the want to actively finish one. I'd feel bored after a while, zone out, not care about other characters... But this campaign is different. And watching this video made me understand why: our current DM took a lot of inspiration in her DMing from Matt Mercer.
The different voices and interesting secondary characters, actively putting our backstories in the main story, describing the world around and every actions we take sometimes even adding some onomatopoeia...
Seriously, I'm someone very roleplay heavy and it's such a pleasure and I can't wait for our weekly sessions!
I am totally going to take notes for the next time I DM. This is brillant!
Okay, not to be overtly critical here, because this IS actually a damn fine piece of exposition work.
I would hazard (however) to suggest a minor addition. Matt Mercer has had time to build trust and relationships with his players. Critical Role was NOT their first ever campaign together, so what we (audience) have NOT seen includes a fair amount of falling short, screwing up, and even probably ret-con situations to clean up the narrative when it's broken down.
These things are NORMAL to any GM's path of self cultivation. I just want to point out, while we sift and scroll through the comments about how great Mercer is now, we should remember, even he was at one point a NOOB'... just like the rest of us were at some point, or are at the moment.
Yes, each and every note and pointer garnered in this video (along with countless more in others) in reference to Mercer's work is valid and useful. It's also important to point out that he's had the time and put in the effort to hone and refine his modicum of plain old talent into a truly refined skill-set. SO GM's and Players alike, have hope. As the rest of us still stumble and make calls and throw dice and shout over our tables, we will slowly and steadily continue to hone our efforts and skills over the time, aspiring always not only to become crudely equivalent to Mercer's efforts in this video, but quite possibly, even beyond those. Remember, D&D is open-end. There are no limits. YOU are the only one holding YOU back. ;o)
DMing means you'll always be looking to get better. It's a journey not a destination. Hell how many times has Matt mentioned he still worries about not engaging his players enough or that they aren't having enough fun? I think it's important for most of us to remember that our players like us. Usually we're playing with people we consider friends; they know we're human. And even if they don't know exactly how much you have on your plate they know you're juggling a lot of balls. You're players aren't going to complain behind your back about having a bad time if you have to retcon a thing, or nerf/buff someones character, or fudge a rule till you can check on it later. They're still just happy you've set up a game for them!
It takes time to learn all the rules, get used to your players, figure out how to best prep, and find those little tricks that help run the game. That's okay.
Except Matt also kills it during one shots with random guests and with force grey. Players he doesn't have years of experience with. While its true most DM's get better along with their players, Matt nails it every time. New and old. That's why he has a video dedicated to how great he is.
Chris Wallace, I would suggest you review my original... It wasn't a knock on Mercer in the back room, prepping, nor did I indicate that he is ONLY so good because he knows this group...
I was referring to the great many other games he's never even been filmed while running. His teen years... There were formative years, that in all likelihood, had you seen any of THAT, you'd have cringed...
Sure, TODAY, it really doesn't matter whether a Player is new or old, longtime or fresh, knows him from the man-in-the-moon or not... He does kill it practically every single time... in short or long.
That ability to "cold-read" someone took YEARS of practice, AND I can promise you he's fallen short, and even screwed it up hopeless. He's studied and learned from those pitfalls, missteps, and short-comings.
It is easier for most of us to sit at a table of friends, particularly long-time fellow D&D Player friends, and set up the scene, work the narrative, and change voices and personalities on a dime. We KNOW these people. AND it is a totally different experience to stand up in front of even a small group of total strangers and try that stuff... Mercer has obviously BEEN THERE BEFORE. I'm not stealing away his thunder. My hat's off to the man... I've been a GM for quite a time, including some military time when I was standing up in front of a room of strangers to run a one-shot... I'm just not terrible. BUT Mercer's imminent expertise was EARNED, and should be respected without being considered so intimidating that we "mere mortals" will never in hell get there... That simply is NOT the case. ;o)
gnarth d'arkanen This is spot on, Matt has had somewhere around 20 years of experience DMing (if I recall correctly) to become as skilled as he now is. One minor nitpick of your comment is that the Vox Machina campaign actually was the first campaign for several of the players, though they did have a significant portion of it as a home game to become comfortable with each other and the game before the stream started.
The Grand Wombat, okay, fair enough... Yet, the "home game" portions serve much the same purposes, I think at least in this case... What I mean is when you're working with the pure intent to go online with this project, there's a little more effort or energy put to the purpose of getting acquainted and settling into the part in so many syllables...
Anyways, as you pointed out "minor nitpick"... (lolz) ;o)
Love CR and the cast, been watching since it was like an under-underground show with 200 people watching over Twitch. Heck I absolutely started to play DnD because of CR. Just remember that DMing the way Matt Mercer does (with a group of trained actors) is not the one and only correct way to DM.
I liked one comment I saw on reddit once, where a player complained "you don't DM like Matt Mercer!" and he retorted "well you don't roleplay like Laura Bailey!" It's a cooperative story telling exercise, and effort comes from both sides, and that energy rebounds. It takes more than just a session 0 for you to get a feel for what the players want, how they play, how you DM, and what you want. Not every group is gonna mesh; I have a couple of very politcal RPers and then one who just likes combat. He doesn't talk much most of the game, but he enjoys it, so I try to make sure there is a social / combat balance to the game, even if it's just running into pickpockets or creeps in the streets. Dungeon crawls I try to throw in simple traps, one or two puzzle/riddles, and plenty of random encounters, so everyone gets what they like most. I am a big fan, if you have the time, of adding background music as well; while players are quietly planning, they have something to keep them in the mood.
Best tip I ever took from this was the merchant thing. Larry's Discount Magical Items will live on in infamy.
Ohmygod that sounds amazing
Been playing DND for about 2 years, and we just finished descent into avernas. But last week was my first time ever DMing so our normal DM could have a break. He told me I did a great job! Meant a lot especially because I'm homebrewing my entire campaign. Next session is this week and I'm so excited!
I just started playing, and I must have gone full-on NERD, because I am excited for you too!! I think DM'ing is a LOT like sex in ONE way: even if you're inexperienced, ENTHUSIASM will carry you a long way!!😂🤣😂🤣😂
New dm here. Been running session for about 8 weeks now and I can’t begin to thank you and people like Matt who have helped me immerse my players in the world of dnd, I’m following up a relatively veteran DM whom is in the party currently and I was intimidated at first but lately I’m more passionate and immersed myself into the story at some points I don’t even realize how emotional I’m getting or the party concerning NPCs and world building moments. Thanks so much and I will continue to draw “inspiration” from these videos and all who take the time to make them concerning being a better dungeon master.
Matthew is not a dungon master he is The DUNGON MASTER
like the boss in mgs3 she isn't just "the boss", the one who is telling people what to do. she is THE Boss, she is so far ahead of everyone that not only does she kick your ass, the main villain bows his head slightly and steps back when she speaks.
The prefix of "The" is one reserved for the masters of a field, and Matt Mercer is The Dungeon Master .
Good ol' "DUNGON" MASTER. That's my goal.
"dungon" master? Is that from another game, like "Dungons and Dargins" or something?
I prefer not to dung on my master.
It's a personal choice, though.
His NAME is Dungeon Master
"Their home game is as good as the show"... The show IS their home game ^^
I'm almost positive that they based Jen the Fredo episode of The IT Crowd on Mathew Mercer.
In it, Moss hosted a D&D session and adopted the exact same mannerisms and charm as him down to the smallest quip.
Unless they can time travel, I highly doubt that. The IT Crowd finished in 2013, Critical Role didn't start until 2015. That episode in particular aired in 2010.
I feel like this belongs here.
One of my ways of thinking when making any story is this.
Make it for those who can't and treat those who can like those who can't.
If you are making a story of any kind then you need to know that you need as much detail as possible, if there are those who are blind then you need to tell them whats happening, if there is someone who is deaf you need to show them whats happening, and all the people invested in the story will feel much better if you treat them like that. Matt Mercer, you do all these things and more... I just want to say thank you and I feel like we can all agree on that.
“What’s the most precious thing to them? Their home? Beeuuuurrrrnnnn iiittt!”
I finally DM'ed my first campaign after having played a few sessions and holy crap it was much harder than I thought. Fun but hard.
It gets easier, especially as you get more familiar with the world, be it pre-made or homebrew. By the time I was in college, after middle and high school DMing, I could run 6-8 hour sessions with no prep, knowing my world so well I could pluck out villains and motivations and mcguffins willy-nilly that fit into the larger campaign without too much issue. Because as some general once said (and Matt Colville) "no plan survives contact with the (players)." They will make decisions that catch you off guard. Being bad at something is the start of being good at something, hope you have many more happy years of DMing (and hope you're not a forever-DM and get to play some too!)
Dandruffshampoo “being bad at something is the start of being good at something” that’s a lovely and motivational reminder. I’m considering DMing for the first time, and I’m an adult who’s only played TTRPGs a couple times, so it’s a bit overwhelming. But comments like yours are very uplifting, so thank you for thinking to provide encouragement on a years-old comment :)
Back in old 3.5 days, I was playing a necro evoker and used thunder lance for the first time. DM described me as going full jedi (sith lord) on some god damn phase spiders who then run away. I don't even like star wars and it felt good.
P.S I tpk'd the entire party because our bard told me to use shatter floor on a load bearing wall in the castle. Best part was the gnome got mangled in a metal spiral staircase with two wraths waiting for him to die because they couldn't drain him (yeah me, my spell protected him). Two players that ran away committed suicide because the new wraiths (our dead friends) couldn't turn them and they couldn't escape.
You want to see a good EVIL dm? Chris Perkins. Pure evil. Pure genius.
"Crying is a free action"
“Can I cry?” Chris, “No”
Chris is great as long as he stays off his political soapbox. I stopped watching dice, camera, for that reason, well that and I can't stand the some of the people playing!
Chris seems to have "lost a step" in these later years... The AI podcasts and the British game circa 2011 were him performing at his prime... Matt Mercer is still a pretender to the DM throne compared to those games... And Wil Wheaton was not so loud on the podcasts...
Dice camera action is not as well produced and therefore almost unwatchable for me.
It's feels like Matt is always a player in the end, the silence manager cheering them on. He celebrates when they do, laughs and cries but he's got a job to do and boy does he want to make it a good story.
Matt is so good at what he does I listen to them while I work as welder and it's literally like I can imagine the entire show as a movie he is a God at what he does
I wish that I could get my players to understand that extra attack doesn’t equal extra action and the fact that they can’t dodge every attack. I always have to explain this to them at least once every session.
Have you tried writing a giant note on their side of your gm-screen with that written in sharpie or something? I feel like that would save you some time xP
Cause
How
Do
You
Want
To do this is the most bad ass line ever bois
I mean Matt is a great DM, but have you seen the Grog one-shot. Clearly Travis has superior skills.
whipman46
Grog's games are reserved only for those with vastly superior intellectual skills. Lol.
One of my favorite pieces of fan art is about that one-shot
I didn't know anything about this before and I'm left in tears and love for people I didn't know exsisted 11minutues prior...
"what is the most precious thing to my characters" molly auk was you dreamy bastard
Imagine wizards putting a conjurer and enchantment wizard in reference to Matt in one of their adventures
Magma Naught That would be so cool. Only thing is: Matt is most definitely a bard. He spins and weaves tales that tug at your heartstrings, inspire anger and hope and so many other things. He is what I consider the epitome of bard; he fills you with a sense of wonder.
@@djarchangel6695 And he can seduce with barely a glance
...I think this is why my sister is such a good dm, she watches critical role
Haha, don't sell your sister short. There's plenty of terrible DMs who watch CR. She'll be doing plenty of work to run a good game for you.
Oh, no she doesn't Dm for me
She hates me
South Paw oof
I DMed a real light game for a group of 9/10 year olds... the only positive experience of a DM I had was CR.
They did most of the world building (hey it was an Art based Storytelling class!) but they ate. it. up. when I described their failures and successes and what their skills did. I learned that from Matt. ;) Thanks Mercer
Well that took a dark turn.
Matt Mercer is the Stephen King of describing things in dnd
Just without the cocaine or alcoholism, or writing himself into his Magnum opus and making his characters realize that they themselves are characters in a story and therefore completely making their journeys and suffering hollow and pointless
So, a hack?
For the record, I agree that merchants need to be interesting and nice! In the real world, people need to be nice when running a business!
This was a really good, well thought out video! As I was watching it, the whole time I'm thinking of the DM in my main campaign. It's very thrilling to know that other people appreciate these qualities.
Interestingly everything that Matt Mercer does regarding character background emphasis and character interaction narrative all started 25 years ago in the World of Darkness system and Vampire the Masquerade. In the core books the chapter on "Storytelling" was pretty much a blue print for what Matt Mercer does today.
This is a bit long, but bear with me. I only got into Dnd as the second season of Critical Role started, and after only 13 episodes, (and some clips of season 1) I completely fell in love with these characters, and Matt, who makes the world seem alive. I could fully picture every second because of how Matt describes the world. Every NPC seems like a real person with a complex backstory. I can see that he heard all of the characters backstories, and is connecting them together into his world. He lets his players seem awesome, and his villains seem cruel.
tl;dr He is the perfect example of a DM
"... to turn of the outside world, sit down, and have fun with our friends.." indeed that´s what the game is all about. You deep bro! :)
Watched this for the first time when I was just getting into 5e. It was a rough time in my life, but your vids and the community got me through it. Thanks for everything that you do.
Watching critical role was kinda the thing that “pushed me over the edge” and into the volcano of roleplaying that is D&D. And since I started my D&D group I became the dungeon master, having to be a new and inexperienced DM for a bunch of new and inexperienced players. So with Matt as my only roll model (see what I did there) I basically became a younger, sweater, dumber version of him, and I described everything much like he did. I used approximately 12 adjectives to describe every action and have repeated the phrase “flies through the air” an uncomfortable amount of times.
When I say I “became like him” I definitely do not mean that I am as good as he is, I still have so much more to learn and practice. The dungeon master I become is up to me, but I am infinitely grateful to Matt for making me a dungeon master in the first place.
The moment I realized how good the game was was during Grog and Kern's duels. I've seen players not involved in the scene disengage while it goes on. These players were involved without taking over the scene.
I'm being the DM for the first time ever, and I do watch these episodes to help my play style, and my players tell me that they look forward to their sessions all week. Brings a tear to me eyes. :D
Mercer, Colville, and Perkins are my nerdy trinity for DM worship.
iwould add Guy to tat group :)
My favorite video of this channel and frankly one of my favorite ever. Damn hit me right in the feels man!
The mean merchant tip you gave makes me feel personally attacked...