Good stuff! I've seen something like the "connection" rewards, but your mechanics suggestion (a d10 bonus or whatever) is a great new twist. And the idea of non-social roleplay will be really helpful for working with new players who are wrapping their heads around role playing.
I love these videos as a still-newer DM! Your combat tips video was perfect right before we started our new campaign, which opened with combat, and this is the perfect video to help build confidence in not only my own roleplay but some of my players! Thanks for your hard work!
That's so good to hear! I'm starting a new campaign tomorrow, so I know how exciting AND nerve-wracking it can be 😁 Glad the tips have been useful, and good luck with all the games ahead!
That's good to hear! I'm prone to chatter on a bit during the individual points, so my hope is that the summary at the end ensures everyone still leaves the video with a clear idea of all the main tips.
there are so many moments in your videos where i think “wow thats such a cool idea i should give this video a like” and then realize i already liked it 30 seconds in
I like to use similar rewards for players when they RP good with each other :) I had one campaign where one player was an old, grizzled, fighter and another player was a rather young barbarian. They had a duel/sparring fight early on and the fighter won. This made the barb, who admired strength, look up to the old master. It was great to see! So I rewarded them both with a feat that gave one player advantage on their next attack action if the other player scored a critical hit. I think I called the feat "Healthy Rivalry" because the young barb wanted to show the fighter how he was growing stronger and the old fighter wanted to keep pushing his prodigy.
I really like that third key. I have used it to an extent giving characters contacts and allies but giving some sort of mechanical benefit is a great idea. It might be interesting to show how that relationship grows over time starting with giving them an extra d4 at the begining but as the relationship grows they get a d6, a d8, and so forth. Thank you for the idea.
Ohhhhh that's a great idea! So over time they can almost level up their relationships and contacts. That would be really cool in something like a criminal underworld setting, or a spy/political intrigue thing, where developing and building your network is important
Something I've tried a few times which usually has success is as PCs are travelling and set watch for the night, I encourage them to watch in pairs (even if it makes one have a little less than 8 hours rest, I don't penalize that) and then ask each pair what they talk about over their watch. The question prompt you showed would probably make the scene better though.
Also, maybe include the word "unlock" in the video title, like you said in the video. I had thought this was for RPers, rather than the DM, which has turned out more useful than expected - I'm glad I just clicked the video to check.. love it!
This comment is direct at any New DMs or anyone new to Tales Arcane. I found Tales Arcane through UA-cam shorts and became a Patron afterwards. His content is fantastic. Ranging from New systems, items and stories. Encounters to full adventures. Settings and fun mini games,etc. The first thing I did as a new patron was download the full backlog of content, which I update every week. And on weeks I am feeling behind, busy or honestly just lazy, I just reach my hand into the bag of Tales Arcane and can normally find a fun little side-adventure or encounter. Some of which have turned into full arcs or game changers for my campaign. Anyway, I strongly recommend Tales Arcane and if you have any questions, I will try to answer them for you :)
This comment put a massive smile on my face, thank you! That thing of being able to grab some Patreon content when you're in a rush or you don't have the time/energy to prep a full session is EXACTLY what I wanted my Patreon to be all about. Really glad you've been enjoying both the videos and the PDFs - I'll keep the content coming.
No problem! I meant every word! Your extremely good at what you do and you have made my DnD table a more fun place. Just off the top of my head, we have used the naval system, the Marriott wands, the festival encounter, the spider pit and I am sure more. So thank you!
That first point is such good advice I play a surferbro tortle sorcerer/cleric who is trained in persuasion. I almost never roll for persuasion and it'd be so much fun if I could do that thing.
You are seriously so helpful man! I've been binging your videos in the background while I plan my first campaign and make maps and do other prep. Thank you so much, all of this info makes so much sense! Hopefully, my friends like the campaign once we get started : )
That's so nice to hear! That's what I did back in the day with Runesmith's videos when I was prepping my early campaigns - I always had them running in the background as I worked on maps and NPC details. Glad my content can serve the same purpose for yourself. Good luck with the campaign!
I have been running RPG's since Moses was a wee lad but every time I watch one of your videos, i come away with something new, something creative, or something to improve my own table, irrespective of system or genre. I love the little mechanical rewards idea for good RP. Thanks Malcolm.
Thank you, mate! Glad I can offer some useful suggestions, while still cutting back on the Tesco deli cheese (there's a reference that makes noooo sense out of context 😂)
Rewarding roleplay with things besides inspiration is what I've been missing, my gods. As always, loving the vibes of the videos. Comfy, personal, and as always, immensely valuable.
Great ideas and advice Malcolm, thank you . I’ve been doing this but I hadn’t thought to give them advantage on a roll or an extra die to add to a roll.
The players in my group had a quick interactive encounter with a minor God, and their interaction was successful enough I gave them a custom "feat" that no one else in the world could have. Pretty minor thing in the grand scheme of things. But They loved it!!!
Good stuff! I've seen something like the "connection" rewards, but your mechanics suggestion (a d10 bonus or whatever) is a great new twist. And the idea of non-social roleplay will be really helpful for working with new players who are wrapping their heads around role playing.
I love these videos as a still-newer DM! Your combat tips video was perfect right before we started our new campaign, which opened with combat, and this is the perfect video to help build confidence in not only my own roleplay but some of my players! Thanks for your hard work!
That's so good to hear! I'm starting a new campaign tomorrow, so I know how exciting AND nerve-wracking it can be 😁 Glad the tips have been useful, and good luck with all the games ahead!
I've had a really crappy day so far, so this came in clutch. Needed some spicy tips and content. Cheers for the boost, mate
Glad the video could offer a bit of a break from whatever else is going on, hope the tips are useful and the day improves!
I don't know why, but I love that you added a short recap at the end. Maybe because it's not often that people do that.
Keep up the amazing work!
That's good to hear! I'm prone to chatter on a bit during the individual points, so my hope is that the summary at the end ensures everyone still leaves the video with a clear idea of all the main tips.
I really like these cookies for roleplaying. Being able to add a bonus for meaningful roleplay is such a good idea.
That's been a really fun addition to my own games, hope it works for you too!
there are so many moments in your videos where i think “wow thats such a cool idea i should give this video a like” and then realize i already liked it 30 seconds in
I like to use similar rewards for players when they RP good with each other :)
I had one campaign where one player was an old, grizzled, fighter and another player was a rather young barbarian. They had a duel/sparring fight early on and the fighter won. This made the barb, who admired strength, look up to the old master. It was great to see!
So I rewarded them both with a feat that gave one player advantage on their next attack action if the other player scored a critical hit. I think I called the feat "Healthy Rivalry" because the young barb wanted to show the fighter how he was growing stronger and the old fighter wanted to keep pushing his prodigy.
I love that! I think players appreciate that kind of custom reward as well, it really feels so much more personal than just straight Inspiration.
I really like that third key. I have used it to an extent giving characters contacts and allies but giving some sort of mechanical benefit is a great idea. It might be interesting to show how that relationship grows over time starting with giving them an extra d4 at the begining but as the relationship grows they get a d6, a d8, and so forth. Thank you for the idea.
Ohhhhh that's a great idea! So over time they can almost level up their relationships and contacts. That would be really cool in something like a criminal underworld setting, or a spy/political intrigue thing, where developing and building your network is important
Even just for relationships with shop keepers. It might get you discounts or connections to wealthy merchant networks.
Something I've tried a few times which usually has success is as PCs are travelling and set watch for the night, I encourage them to watch in pairs (even if it makes one have a little less than 8 hours rest, I don't penalize that) and then ask each pair what they talk about over their watch. The question prompt you showed would probably make the scene better though.
Also, maybe include the word "unlock" in the video title, like you said in the video. I had thought this was for RPers, rather than the DM, which has turned out more useful than expected - I'm glad I just clicked the video to check.. love it!
Hmmm I didn't think of that actually - I'm so used to the DM/GM mindset that I forgot players might watch these too 😅 Thanks for heads up
These are great ideas, thanks. Will incorporate as many as possible as soon as possible into my campaign.
Thanks so much. I'll try this "Merchant's Favor" thing. Love the idea.
It's a lot of fun! Hope you and your players enjoy it 😁
This comment is direct at any New DMs or anyone new to Tales Arcane. I found Tales Arcane through UA-cam shorts and became a Patron afterwards. His content is fantastic. Ranging from New systems, items and stories. Encounters to full adventures. Settings and fun mini games,etc. The first thing I did as a new patron was download the full backlog of content, which I update every week. And on weeks I am feeling behind, busy or honestly just lazy, I just reach my hand into the bag of Tales Arcane and can normally find a fun little side-adventure or encounter. Some of which have turned into full arcs or game changers for my campaign. Anyway, I strongly recommend Tales Arcane and if you have any questions, I will try to answer them for you :)
This comment put a massive smile on my face, thank you! That thing of being able to grab some Patreon content when you're in a rush or you don't have the time/energy to prep a full session is EXACTLY what I wanted my Patreon to be all about. Really glad you've been enjoying both the videos and the PDFs - I'll keep the content coming.
No problem! I meant every word! Your extremely good at what you do and you have made my DnD table a more fun place. Just off the top of my head, we have used the naval system, the Marriott wands, the festival encounter, the spider pit and I am sure more. So thank you!
That first point is such good advice
I play a surferbro tortle sorcerer/cleric who is trained in persuasion.
I almost never roll for persuasion and it'd be so much fun if I could do that thing.
Glad you found the tips useful! Also, tortle is such a fun race to roleplay, I love them 😁
You are seriously so helpful man! I've been binging your videos in the background while I plan my first campaign and make maps and do other prep. Thank you so much, all of this info makes so much sense! Hopefully, my friends like the campaign once we get started : )
That's so nice to hear! That's what I did back in the day with Runesmith's videos when I was prepping my early campaigns - I always had them running in the background as I worked on maps and NPC details. Glad my content can serve the same purpose for yourself. Good luck with the campaign!
Thanks for the techniques to encourage role-playing. I'll start applying them at my table.
Hope they're useful for you and your players! 👊
I’m playing tonight so this is perfect timing!
Glad the video was timely, have a great game!
I have been running RPG's since Moses was a wee lad but every time I watch one of your videos, i come away with something new, something creative, or something to improve my own table, irrespective of system or genre. I love the little mechanical rewards idea for good RP. Thanks Malcolm.
Thank you, mate! Glad I can offer some useful suggestions, while still cutting back on the Tesco deli cheese (there's a reference that makes noooo sense out of context 😂)
Rewarding roleplay with things besides inspiration is what I've been missing, my gods.
As always, loving the vibes of the videos. Comfy, personal, and as always, immensely valuable.
Thank you, mate! Glad you're enjoying the content AND the comfy vibes.
Excellent ideas, I hope to include that reward idea in my future games
That's definitely my favourite tip from this video, it's really fun to implement even if your players are already great roleplayers.
@Tales Arcane player's confidence to RP would really make being a new DM easier/more comfortable, so this could be massive.
Great ideas and advice Malcolm, thank you . I’ve been doing this but I hadn’t thought to give them advantage on a roll or an extra die to add to a roll.
That's been my favorite system to add into my games recently, it can be very dynamic and player-driven. Thanks for watching!
Awesome video, very useful for those DMs having trouble introducing dnd to their friends. Good Job n keep going
That's great to hear! Bringing new people into the hobby is always so fun, glad I can help a bit
Fantastic as always. Keep this up, I can't wait to see this channel blow up
I appreciate you being here when it's still early days! I'll keep the content coming and we'll see what this year has in store for the channel
@Tales Arcane As long as you continue to produce this amazing content, I wouldn't be surprised if you get the same level of subs as Colville
This is definitely something I need to work on
It took me a while to get better at this stuff too, but I've found these tips really made RP flow a lot easier at my tables. Good luck!
The players in my group had a quick interactive encounter with a minor God, and their interaction was successful enough I gave them a custom "feat" that no one else in the world could have. Pretty minor thing in the grand scheme of things. But They loved it!!!
As always, amazing content my man, keep up the amazing work!
Thank you mate, I appreciate the support!
Very helpful and inspiring. Thanks a lot
Glad you enjoyed the video, mate!
This is a great piece of advice!
Thanks mate, glad you found it useful!
Thank you so much for this! I have a very shy player who will debut very soon! I'll apply these steps for sure!
I know how tricky it can be when different people at the table have different levels of confidence - hope the tips help a little, and good luck! 👊
These were great tips. Good video!
Thank you mate, glad you enjoyed it!
Love this!
Hey, thank you! 👊
Ohh I love this
Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed the video 😁
Good video, my problem is the opposite, I get waaaay into it when being my character. It can be a lot sometimes.
A method actor!
You fool! You've given up your secrets and now I'm robbing you blind!
Cool episode!
In The Secret Society of GMs, all our occult knowledge and ancient roleplay tips must be shared 😇
Yo