Having the animations makes the presentation so much more effective than text or a person just lecturing. These videos are a delight to watch, no matter the topic.
The clear and concise format of these videos and the animations, along with the well thought out explanations make this a lot less overwhelming to learn. Thank you for all your hard work, I can only imagine how much time and effort it takes to create these.
Same here, my friend who was the DM in our group had a mental breakdown and quit all social media, now I have to lead. This is all so sudden but these videos are helpful
I’m learning how to DM so I can have my friends play DnD since they’re really new to the game. The first guide for absolute beginners was really helpful. Thank you CJ
I'm about as new to D&D as anyone can possibly be and I'm about to DM my first campaign. But the more I watch these videos, the more confident I feel about my ability going into this.
I think "Don't Stop Thinking" has slowly become my favorite D&D channel, and hey I follow Matthew Colville and Geek & Sundry. The simplicity and amount of content in these videos is great! The animations great! (Come on, who doesn't want to be Serios' friend or make Leraline smile for once?) On top of all that CJ is a great youtuber, that's funn and, feels earnest. To me, Matt Mercer is an inspiration, Matt Colville is like a guru of infinite knowledge, but CJ is that cool guy you want to be friends with. There is only one thing I regret when I watch these videos and that is that I cannot be a patreon, given that I make 12 $/month.
Fantastic video as always, CJ! I'm still very new to D&D and I don't know anyone who plays where I live so your videos have been a huge help. I'm particularly excited about this series because I live and work in Thailand as an English teacher and I want to use D&D as a tool to get students to practice English in a fun way. I'm also a dad but my kids are still way to young to play so this helps me learn the ropes and prepare for when they are ready. ;) I can hardly wait for your next video. Take care and thanks again!
This guy makes the impossible happen. Seriously this is compressed knowledge in the best possible interface for someone to learn the absolute essentials to be no different than a pro within 13 minutes!
Just found this series. My friends all want to play but need a DM. Im stepping up to the plate as the father (literally a dad) of my friend group. I appreciate you posting these!
I’m finding your videos really helpful and your accent actually helps to stop it from becoming boring for some reason! I think because it’s not just an English accent droning on and you have some energy and excitement in your voice it’s a lot more engaging. I liked and subscribed.
Thank you for this content. I appreciate the pace and clarity of your explanations. I will be DMing for the first time in 30 years - I want the experience to be great.
When I was in school, I remember I had a DM that didn’t really use any roleplay or npc interaction in his storyline. He would never build his storyline to complement the characters’ backstories. To start with, we were on a mountain, and well... this is how the entire campaign went: combat, combat, combat, combat, combat, combat. He literally went ‘you defeat the group of cultists, but you then see a large dragon, and some zombies in the distance.’ And then, ‘You finally hit the dragon with your spell and he falls to the ground, dead, however, a bunch of skeletons then rises from the ground etc etc. It was fair to say that he only used combat. As an addition to that, he didn’t make a very interesting campaign. It actually felt like he wanted to annoy us... and that’s it. Instead of making a backstory to the town, which makes a special aura that makes spells impossible to cast, it was a ‘NO MAGIC ZONE.’ Boring. And finally, to top it all off, HE DIDN’T KNOW A SINGLE RULE! He just made the spells up. Our wizard’s magic missile did (instead of 1d6) 2d12! This ruined my experience, I quit the group, and convinced I could do better, ran my own and as soon as word got around, I had an entire list of people wanting to join. Half of his group quit with me, and wanted to join mine! I had to run two parties at different times of the week, and we had a lot of fun. Let’s just say that I ‘put him out of business.’ If you have read this whole thing, have a great day.
I’ve played D&D for a few years now as a PC and have had very limited experience as a DM/GM, but lately I’m into writing my own adventure. This video series is a great companion piece to reading through the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Cheers!
It will be my first time ever dming after being a player for 2,5 years and thanks to you I think I will be able to have a good time keep up the good work there 👍
This video series is amazing! I have been GMing from a few years prior too 5e and I still managed to learn something today (a few things actually). Furthermore these videos really clarify and solidify the knowledge in my mind. I cannot thank you enough for the amazing visuals. I am a visual learner and this will make information so much easier to recall on the battlefield. Cheers!
I’m trying to get into DnD but I have a group of family/friends and none of us have ever played before. One of us has to be the DM and the role has fallen on me. I have no idea what I’m doing but these videos are helping a lot! Thank you.
Really appreciate this. You've been massively helpful ever since I started DM'ing in our groups first session back in December, and tonight I want to start ramping up the suspense for the players and really start pushing them in combat.
Thank you so much for your hard work! Making these must have been a time consuming effort, but they are a delight to watch and convey your points very effectively and eloquently! Many thanks and keep em coming!
Omg... I've been trying to find out what that number is. "14 (2d6+7)" for the attacks. I thought the book was telling me to do 14 + 2d6+7 total damage.... I knew something was off.. Thank you so damn much for the clarification.
Thanks a lot for all the videos, player or dm. All this are great and I've shown a lot of my players. Hopefully one day I can help you out with being a patreon. Good luck and thanks again.
Thanks for your videos. I got the D&D5e starter set and learned so much and with your help also. The only problem i have is the current hit points and temporary hit points. That is the only thing i have a problem with. (i think?)
we have decided for our group to have each of us to create a section of world and then we agreed that each of us would dm the part we made. I became a lich! its our first campaign/game, but we're working through it!
Usually if you want the combat to hard and difficult make sure your creatures have the same action economy the party has, also provide interesting terrain
Once had to deal with a "veteran" DM who was absolutely certain that legendary actions can be used whenever he pleases. He constantly used them to interupt the players turn to pull BS like attacking casters and having them make concentration checks to CAST a spell that weren't even a concentration spell. But his worst stunt was when he took all 3 of his legendary actions at the end of his own turn to curbstomp our fighter from full HP to unconciousness, without any chance for us to do anything about it. He didn't even do it out of malice, he was just that incompetent.
my baby blue dragon recharged three turns in a row and somehow the fighter survived at 2nd level. i'm glad i went with the real rules and didn't cheat for the players because it was pretty exciting.
Having the animations makes the presentation so much more effective than text or a person just lecturing. These videos are a delight to watch, no matter the topic.
The clear and concise format of these videos and the animations, along with the well thought out explanations make this a lot less overwhelming to learn. Thank you for all your hard work, I can only imagine how much time and effort it takes to create these.
Ya, too bad he stopped covering game mechanics, he could have covered 3.5 dnd at least it looks like he will cover call like he did dnd
Same here, my friend who was the DM in our group had a mental breakdown and quit all social media, now I have to lead. This is all so sudden but these videos are helpful
Thank you CJ you're like the big brother too all us beginner dms
big brother is always watching.
I liked the video before watching it , thats how I trust you CJ
same XD
why wouldn't you like it immediately? of course you would! It's CJ!
I’m learning how to DM so I can have my friends play DnD since they’re really new to the game. The first guide for absolute beginners was really helpful. Thank you CJ
I'm about as new to D&D as anyone can possibly be and I'm about to DM my first campaign. But the more I watch these videos, the more confident I feel about my ability going into this.
I remember now how I'd originally planned to use average damage. No wonder last session was all combat... Thanks for the reminder
I think "Don't Stop Thinking" has slowly become my favorite D&D channel, and hey I follow Matthew Colville and Geek & Sundry.
The simplicity and amount of content in these videos is great! The animations great! (Come on, who doesn't want to be Serios' friend or make Leraline smile for once?)
On top of all that CJ is a great youtuber, that's funn and, feels earnest. To me, Matt Mercer is an inspiration, Matt Colville is like a guru of infinite knowledge, but CJ is that cool guy you want to be friends with.
There is only one thing I regret when I watch these videos and that is that I cannot be a patreon, given that I make 12 $/month.
Can I just tell you that you make some of the best informational videos on D&D in the world?
5:09 - THANK YOU! It is so hard to find guides that go into even a little detail on how this is supposed to work at times.
Fantastic video as always, CJ! I'm still very new to D&D and I don't know anyone who plays where I live so your videos have been a huge help. I'm particularly excited about this series because I live and work in Thailand as an English teacher and I want to use D&D as a tool to get students to practice English in a fun way. I'm also a dad but my kids are still way to young to play so this helps me learn the ropes and prepare for when they are ready. ;)
I can hardly wait for your next video. Take care and thanks again!
Ahhh this makes me so happy lol
This guy makes the impossible happen. Seriously this is compressed knowledge in the best possible interface for someone to learn the absolute essentials to be no different than a pro within 13 minutes!
Im gonna play DND in an hour!
AlternateMovies Huh, tell me how it goes.
So how'd it go?
He rolled a neutral 1 and died
Lolol
H o w ‘ d I t G o
I'm a beginner DM and this really helped me understand how to use Monsters and NPCs in my sessions. Thank you for the video!
7:58 thanx so much this was so confusing to me. I thought I had to wait 5 rounds to recharge it fml 🤦♂️
Just found this series. My friends all want to play but need a DM. Im stepping up to the plate as the father (literally a dad) of my friend group. I appreciate you posting these!
I’m finding your videos really helpful and your accent actually helps to stop it from becoming boring for some reason! I think because it’s not just an English accent droning on and you have some energy and excitement in your voice it’s a lot more engaging. I liked and subscribed.
I started playing d&d. And i try to play with my friends. You help me a lot
Best videos ever. Im a new dm. So i wat hed all of your videos, and i sent to my entire party to use as learning material. You're awesome, ty.
Thank you for this content. I appreciate the pace and clarity of your explanations. I will be DMing for the first time in 30 years - I want the experience to be great.
Great video. Thank you for bringing back the animations. I know that adds to the work load in producing these.
Hey I’m just started d&d and my friends want to learn but I will need to be the dungeon master I’m inexperienced but your videos help alot thank you
little_chipmunk lee I am in the same boat as you
Same here
Just started playing. My DM is amazing but I love watching such detailed videos. Thank you!
Not sure if others have made this clear enough, but these D&D vid are FANTABULOUS, I now feel prepared for my first campaign ^_^
Thanks, CJ, for making the best D&D videos on UA-cam!
Oh man, dragons can burrow i never thought about that that's so cool!
I love how much this channel has grown.
Really great for clarifying CR, Legendary Actions, and Lair Actions. Thanks!
your vids are criminally underviewed
When I was in school, I remember I had a DM that didn’t really use any roleplay or npc interaction in his storyline. He would never build his storyline to complement the characters’ backstories. To start with, we were on a mountain, and well... this is how the entire campaign went: combat, combat, combat, combat, combat, combat. He literally went ‘you defeat the group of cultists, but you then see a large dragon, and some zombies in the distance.’ And then, ‘You finally hit the dragon with your spell and he falls to the ground, dead, however, a bunch of skeletons then rises from the ground etc etc. It was fair to say that he only used combat. As an addition to that, he didn’t make a very interesting campaign. It actually felt like he wanted to annoy us... and that’s it. Instead of making a backstory to the town, which makes a special aura that makes spells impossible to cast, it was a ‘NO MAGIC ZONE.’ Boring. And finally, to top it all off, HE DIDN’T KNOW A SINGLE RULE! He just made the spells up. Our wizard’s magic missile did (instead of 1d6) 2d12! This ruined my experience, I quit the group, and convinced I could do better, ran my own and as soon as word got around, I had an entire list of people wanting to join. Half of his group quit with me, and wanted to join mine! I had to run two parties at different times of the week, and we had a lot of fun.
Let’s just say that I ‘put him out of business.’
If you have read this whole thing, have a great day.
Honestly, I love combat, but I wouldn't want it to be the ONLY feature of a campaign.
I very much need and enjoy these videos. Just started my own little D&D club and I'm having a bit of trouble being the Dungeon Master.
good explanation on legendary actions there, i kinda struggled on understanding it.
I’ve played D&D for a few years now as a PC and have had very limited experience as a DM/GM, but lately I’m into writing my own adventure. This video series is a great companion piece to reading through the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Cheers!
It will be my first time ever dming after being a player for 2,5 years and thanks to you I think I will be able to have a good time keep up the good work there 👍
Very apt that a video to explain 5e rules starts with 'let's role initiative'. That's about as nuanced as 5e gets.
This is the channel i recommend to my friends starting D&D. CJ explains everything clearly and concisely. :D thanks CJ.
Man, the being the DM role is really hard. Thanks for helping me by a lot.
Oh my gosh, yes!! Thank you!!
Your channel is the best
Best channel to teach newbies like myself to DMing! Subscribed!
I'm loving this series. I just started being a DM and this is helping so much. Thank you very much!
Pure awesome :)
This video series is amazing! I have been GMing from a few years prior too 5e and I still managed to learn something today (a few things actually). Furthermore these videos really clarify and solidify the knowledge in my mind. I cannot thank you enough for the amazing visuals. I am a visual learner and this will make information so much easier to recall on the battlefield. Cheers!
When You said to like I realized I forgot to like the other videos so I went back Liked them all and came back
These videos are a godsend, truly. They've helped me an incredible amount in a short amount of time. Fantastic content. Great work. Thank you!
I've been lost since the first episode of How to Play (my comprehension), but I keep watching your videos anyway.
Thanks so much for these. I am in the process of doing my first go as DM and so much of this will be incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Thanks,my first encounter as a DM was very bad so this will help me get better.
didnt know anything about legendary stuff. thanks for this. i dont remember reading it anywhere and i thought i read it all!
I’m trying to get into DnD but I have a group of family/friends and none of us have ever played before. One of us has to be the DM and the role has fallen on me. I have no idea what I’m doing but these videos are helping a lot! Thank you.
really like this series of videos you spell out the rules very well
Really love these.I'm Going to show your other videos to the players before we start our first adventure.
Yes. Keep up the good work, dude! :-)
Really appreciate this. You've been massively helpful ever since I started DM'ing in our groups first session back in December, and tonight I want to start ramping up the suspense for the players and really start pushing them in combat.
Thank you so much for your hard work! Making these must have been a time consuming effort, but they are a delight to watch and convey your points very effectively and eloquently!
Many thanks and keep em coming!
I love you DJ and your beautiful accent of justice honor and dm knowledge.
This is a great video. Thank you for doing these
Amazing advice! Your videos are so helpful! :)
Omg... I've been trying to find out what that number is. "14 (2d6+7)" for the attacks. I thought the book was telling me to do 14 + 2d6+7 total damage.... I knew something was off..
Thank you so damn much for the clarification.
Aye this helped me learn so much cheers my guy.
Your videos are soooooo good. Really though I never understood how to use legendary actions
I'm about to start my first Campaign, your videos have been super helpful! I especially like this new series
The info on legendary actions was very useful as i will be running my 1st 5e games soon. (I have DMed earlier editions.)
Thank you thank you for this video, I'm actually taking notes while I'm watching all of these lol
You are awesome thank you!! This is so helpful.
Thanks a lot for all the videos, player or dm. All this are great and I've shown a lot of my players. Hopefully one day I can help you out with being a patreon. Good luck and thanks again.
Great series ! As always another awesome video.
Thanks bro, keep it up! I need this coz I am a starter dm!
Very very helpful, thanks a lot!
I'm planning on starting, thanks do much for these
Thanks for the easy explanation
Thank to you I'm now invested to play D&D with some of my friend going so far as buying the books for it so I'm really am looking forward to this
Oh man. I didn't even realize about the Multi-attack not working with grapple thing, that makes Grapple-build PCs so much more viable.
Ive been watching these and there really helpfull
I like the idea of having monster "classes". For example, a greatsword wielding goblin and a shortbow wielding goblin.
Thanks for your videos. I got the D&D5e starter set and learned so much and with your help also. The only problem i have is the current hit points and temporary hit points. That is the only thing i have a problem with. (i think?)
Great video series! Keep em coming!
These videos are great, I wish someone would do this for Call of Cthulhu as well. Been trying to learn that game as well.
we have decided for our group to have each of us to create a section of world and then we agreed that each of us would dm the part we made. I became a lich! its our first campaign/game, but we're working through it!
Thanks helpful information!
i am having my first dm-session tomorrow^^ this one helps a lot^^ i am going to use the "Death Pit of the Moloch" in my first encounter^^
Legendary actions are kind of annoying when your DM is kicking your butt, but I am glad I can understand them more now.
I love ur animations! I wish we wud see an animation of some of your adventures :3
Thanks! you really cleared some stuff up. Thanks!
These videos are so helpful thank you so much
Dont Stop Thinking: *Modified* Goblin
Me: *Elite* Goblin
Still cannot get over how much different 5e is from 2nd edition.
Thank you!!!
I love these videos.
Thank you.
Thank you for this video i use to just spam manticors
Usually if you want the combat to hard and difficult make sure your creatures have the same action economy the party has, also provide interesting terrain
It's very useful.
Once had to deal with a "veteran" DM who was absolutely certain that legendary actions can be used whenever he pleases. He constantly used them to interupt the players turn to pull BS like attacking casters and having them make concentration checks to CAST a spell that weren't even a concentration spell. But his worst stunt was when he took all 3 of his legendary actions at the end of his own turn to curbstomp our fighter from full HP to unconciousness, without any chance for us to do anything about it. He didn't even do it out of malice, he was just that incompetent.
Very nice video thanks.
Wow, thank you
Thanks for the content.
my baby blue dragon recharged three turns in a row and somehow the fighter survived at 2nd level. i'm glad i went with the real rules and didn't cheat for the players because it was pretty exciting.
God I love the intro music
if a battle menu thing for dnd is made like the animations for this guys dnd guide videos then I would want to use it