Right? I watched a couple of his videos the other week, then got excited to watch his backlog. Turns out it was only his second or third vid - basically no backlog! Blew my damn mind that he slammed it out of the park immediately on his channel!
It's such an uncommon thing to see anyone talking about how to be a DM through analyzing and teaching Structure and Fundamentals, the 'Science' of Art. Your video on how to construct an adventure using the same or similar procedure that professionals use is such a nice change. Even the most experienced youtubers just tell people "yeah it's an art form just wing it, you'll get it eventually" or "today on episode 392, another disorganized 40 minute long rant" (don't get me wrong, I love these guys but it's the 'video game facts to fall asleep to' of the D&D world). This is good, actionable advice that I will definitely be passing along to others.
Actionable is the really big deal and difference, you are right! Been trying to put my finger on it for a bit now. The advice is not the usual vague "experience it and try it like this, it'll figure itself out your way eventually!". There are real examples approached from a very... well, structured and prescriptive way!
A friend of mine who DMs for us also has aphantasia, and he's rockin' it. His descriptions rely more on the dialogue, the fantasy elements, the story, and when he introduced NPCs he shows us art he's sourced earlier. We really love his games. I bet your players love yours! Good luck!
This has quickly become one of my favorite channels for DM tips. I like how you give really detailed, easy-to-follow, well-structured instructions, all while zooming way in on what *should* be the focus of your efforts. Fantastic stuff.
I sincerely believe that you've tapped into a niche that no other D&D content creators have managed to pinpoint. I feel like through watching your videos, I'm learning how to set up a scene in a way that I was seriously lacking, even after consuming hours of content by Colville and his contemporaries. You're gonna gain some traction.
I'm confused as fuck. This guy came out of nowhere and is dropping straight fucking heat,if you're making stuff like this you can straight up confirm that the video is gonna have 1 view with full retention time from my account cause you're popping off rn
Man, I feel like the density of quality advice in this video is very rich. I listened to it once, then listened to it again and I feel like it was a completely different set of information.. my mind latched onto different things each time! I’ve been watching DM advice videos for years, and yours ranks right up there with veterans like Seth Skorkowsky and Matt Colville. I like how your background, film, informs the sort of advice you give.
One of the best presented essays I have ever seen on UA-cam. To the point. Serious where it needs to be and light hearted otherwise without drifting unnecessarily for a cheap gag. The information is digestible and realistically attainable.
Whoa, what the hell? I went to your channel thinking surely there are hundreds of videos... You just started dropping stuff two weeks ago??? Your videos are excellent, and super helpful. Keep it up. Also, your voice is fantastic.
These videos are really awesome. I'm still kind of new to being a DM, and these tips are the best. To the point, extremely useful and immediately applicable. Keep it up!
That's so wild, I can't think of another way to do it. Even though I play in other games and the GMs there don't think in movies, they think like authors or gamers. There's a million ways to play this game, and we're all always learning!
@@Mystic-Arts-DM With you pointing it out, I can see now how film writing, distinct from other types of writing like games and books, can help GMs. It's a form of story that usually must communicate to the audience what they're supposed to feel by merely portraying outside actions, and they usually have to do with an economy of time and words. A novel can be narrated by a protagonist's inner thoughts, but the GM is not the protagonist, they don't have a direct say in what the audience feels, they can only portray 'reality' and hope the audience reacts in an intended way. I'd contend that the tipping scene does have relevence to the rest of the movie, by helping to colour in these characters; nobody needs to come out and say that Mr. Pink is a greedy jerk who only cares about himself, the point is made when he says just three words, "I don't tip". He's revealed what kind of person he is like, and when he acts in certain ways in the rest of the movie, it makes sense to the audience. Similarly, the GM doesn't just tell the party that the people in the tavern don't want them there, they simply have the barkeep and customers act cold and abrasive, and the party comes to their own conclusions.
First video of yours I've seen as I prepare for my first two full campaigns as DM.... One of the best written/thought out/well-spoken/genuinely helpful videos I've seen on how to DM
This has been a huge help for me. I'm a dnd veteran but 1st time DM. I tend to info-dump because I get excited going through the process of the PCs discovering things and none of them have any previous experience with dnd. Thank you for your insight.
I have sent this to my friend who is new to DM'ing. Gave me some great advice for me as well who is good at the behind the scenes stuff but can't do voices for shit lol. Thanks for the excellent content. Would love to see some longer form content in the future with a full table! That would be supurb.
I recently regained my spark for DMing and the way you use film language to describe DM actions is something I enjoy a lot. I actually compliment my DM when they describe/render a scene really well, I'll say stuff like "ooh the budget this session is high" or something like that. when i begin DMing again I will make a note behind my screen to remind me to know when to leave a sketch a sketch and when to render properly.
Love this advice! You don't have to dump every detail on the players the moment they walk onto a location - and not all locations need a lot of detail. Adding layers a bit at a time is just good storytelling.
"Render as you go" makes it so easy to picture the practical application of this advice. I always front load setting descriptions and only built on those if players ask for more details. Now I am going to space it out more intentionally, and ideally providing detail in small chunks will mitigate question redundancies too.
It's insane how good your videos are. Concise, but packed with information. GOOD information: you're putting the perfect amount of elaboration into each concept you introduce. You also have a really good speaking voice, for what it's worth. As someone who embraced the ways of the lazy DM this past year (DMing for longer, but specifically picked up Michael Shea's stuff last Christmas), your videos are a perfect format. Not too short, not too long, and very well organized. Particularly a big fan of your video covering the 5-Room "Dungeon". Easy subscribe, and major kudos!
I honestly don't know where I'd be without your videos, I'd most certainly would not be 20+ hours in world building and prepping my campaign. I've been putting it off for about 2 years now always finding excuses on why not to do it and not feeling ready but you are really just giving me all the tools I need to feel confident about what I'm doing so THANK YOU!
I started DM’ing around 1980, and honestly haven’t done any since THAC0 was a thing, but I’m considering getting back to it and this content is really helpful. I like the thoughtful and methodical approach and to some very key topics. You’re not only reminding me of things I haven’t thought about in years you’re teaching me some great new ideas and making me want to DM again. Thanks! Keep up the great work.
I loved these tips! Some of my favorite examples of this kind of scene-setting is from an actual play called Campaign: Skyjacks. They’re all professional improv comedians so they really nail the details. Often the DM will ask the players themselves what they see in a new setting. Say they walk into an Inn that used to be a pirate ship. The DM tells them that much, explains the mood of the place as jovial, and then asks “what do you all see?”. Then a player says that the keys for the rooms are kept on the spokes of the ship’s old steering wheel, and the tables are just wooden circles attached to the top of old cannons. The players also describe the scene in terms of a movie. One PC once had to spend a lot of effort to decommission a cannon on a massive ship, and once he had done it he described watching the character’s face drop as the “camera panned towards the row of 15 more cannons that still have yet to be broken down” before changing POV. Great stuff, Campaign: Skyjacks is 100% worth a listen!
Lots of channels bring up how to do descriptions. This is just a nice simple way of framing how to do it from a different technical standpoint. Just having new ways to think about improving as a DM is just plain fun. Looking forward to future videos!
"Stop to smell the flowers" is a fantastic takeaway itself. Although my players tend to roleplay a little too much (like a combined half of the session is in-character role-playing), it's usually serious, on-topic stuff. It's always nice to have fun little times to stop, prompt, and let the characters be themselves. It makes for great character development, as it adds a ton of flavor- like you're getting to know someone. I can see how it also helps players "find" their character, for those who are still figuring out who they are trying to be/wanting to play as. I absolutely love that advice, along with "let the characters be". Roleplaying is about being someone after all, and sometimes you just "are" as something nonchalant is going on.
Wow - this is amazing, thank you! I've been searching for vocabulary to describe what I want to do as a DM and you've just completely nailed it. Also, that subtle background music is chef's kiss. Thank you!
Just discovered this channel and this video is so well produced! I’m a film buff and follow a bunch of high quality producers and this channel is right up there with them! The advice is fantastic and actionable for DMs. I love the film analogies too because I vibe with those. Keep up the wonderful work, the both of you!
I've been gearing up to run my first campaign in many many years soon, so you couldn't have started posting at a better time!! amazing stuff, it's so helpful
Six years game dev and DM, but even still I'm learning so much from videos like these about how to engross your players in the world you are shaping together. Happy this channel is getting the insane traction it deserves so early in its life. Keep up the awesome content! :)
Fantastic advice. I'm really glad this channel decided to exist. This channel is really helping me revitalise my DM style, which I feel has gotten a bit stale and needs a swift kick up the rear. About the particular subject, descriptions are something I struggle with, but usually in the case of too much information. As in, I have noticed that players begin to hyperfixate on things with too much detail. I'm sat there thinking I've just described the scene very well, but now my players think there's more to learn here, when really I just wanted to set the stage. I gotta learn how to pick my moments better.
This is genuinely just also great general writing advice. Like literally, that method of moving through the scene and rendering out in greater detail only what has the "camera's" attention at any given moment, without the thing in focus coming completely out of nowhere, being at least set up in a roughly sketched out form beforehand; that's something I was just doing off of intuition until now, not with the safety of a systematic structure behind it.
Very well said! The phrase I've heard, and subsequently used, is "treat it like a movie". Awhile back I started a new campaign for my players and opened with little micro scenes for each player to introduce their characters that flowed from one to another. For instance if I started with a scene of the rogue out in the busy streets meeting a contact, I'd have them nearly run into a moving carriage. As the rogue left I'd follow the carriage and have the cleric get off the carriage once it reached the church. Stuff like that. Knowing when to zoom in for extra detail and when to zoom out for better speed is a fantastic skill in a DM's toolkit.
So much of DMing, especially at the beginning is wild experimentation and attempting to mimic what you've seen work before without the understanding of why it works or doesn't work. Having someone explain some of the underlying structures and the 'why' of it all is fantastic. Please keep it up, you two are amazing.
Your production quality and the density and value of your advice sometimes makes me forget how relatively small and new your content is. I'm grateful I happened upon you so early in a journey that I have no doubts will take you wherever you want to go!
This was an excellent video with some great pointers! I will definitely be keeping these in mind in future. Also those orks and gobbos at 1:25 were very nicely painted, they could do with some nicer bases though, in my opinion 😅
Subd, excellent tips. I've been DMing for like 4 years now and love to render scenes, but sometimes you get caught up in the action that it helps to have these types of reminders to slow it down
Excellent content and congrats on not just hitting the ground running. This is level 20 tabaxi monk step of the wind boots of speed hasted shenanigans.
Im imagining renders layerd by player. The brute notices the tough guys, the druid notices birds inThe rafters, some feel the vibe. I love it. Depth through each players strengths or interests.
Great video, just subscribed after watching your combat video as well. Not much to add, besides the fact that you have a WONDERFUL voice for videos and your players probably enjoy the hell out of it when you're talking as the deeply voiced BBEG
I have immensely enjoyed all of your uploaded content! It’s useful as well as entertaining - which now makes me wish you had a live-play for us all to listen to… please keep up the amazing work!
Top tier content! It felt like the D&D-discussion was already quite saturated with content, but this is very refreshing. Great insights (like Matt Colville) and wonderful setup. Keep it up! (Also, the comments by your gf in the background are a fun addition)
It's also (IMHO) a good practice to ask your players if there's anything else they'd like to know more about. Depending on the table, that can be done directly GM to players, or you can frame it through characters. "What would you like to investigate more closely?" vs. "Is there anything Aran the Clever is giving a second glance?" Pay attention to the answers over several sessions, and you'll begin to get a feel for the type of detail the players what the world to have, and the level they want. Note that this will probably vary between players, so it's a balancing act. Superb video once again - succinct and informative, and easy to listen to. Thanks!
**nods in fluent Theatre School** But seriously it’s great to take academic approaches to storytelling and reframe it for proper GMing. This is the type of content GM’s need to see, not a rando who has never studied how to tell stories. Keep it up!
Your videos are absolutely fantastic. I can’t tell you how excited I am to get in near the ground level and see what sort of videos you have in the pipeline!
Like most of the others here, I was super excited when the algorithm sent me the first of your videos I watched, because I loved it. It instantly went on my "Favourite D&D Theory Videos" playlist, so I could come back to it later. So I decided to see what else you had and... a half dozen videos? That's it? It's not just the production value, either. I'm loving the *content*. A ton of it is really well thought-out, and I can tell that you've extensively studied some RPG-adjacent skill, or other. Couldn't tell you what it is. It obviously can't be film, or you'd've mentioned it, right? ;) Definitely looking forward to the next one!
Let me begin by saying that this video earned my Sub. In less than ten minutes, you've broken down and explained something so important to story-telling that many people miss it because they can't see the forest for the trees. You've just described the difference between a front-loaded scene where every detail is explained to the point that the reader begins to get bored and a dynamic, engaging scene that hooks the reader and draws them in.
Three Dragon Ante has been a fun way for us to role-play with low stakes (and ease on the DM). They sell an actual set so you can play the game. I love roleplaying, so I'm so glad my DM introduced it (and has offered to bring it to the session I DM).
I've just started studying electronics and I met a lot of people with a mutual interest in D&D so I gathered a group and began a campaign with them. Using your tips and tricks of the recent videos, I managed to improve my game tenfold and I hooked them so much that they want to add a second session per week. It's been great and much thanks to you. :)
Starting my first campaign (as a DM) shortly and have to say you’ve enlightened me as to what a DM should be, that is to say what kind of DM I should be for my players. Thank you for these videos, they help a lot ❤ Also ég sé ykkur Daði og Anna ;)
I've been DMing for almost 5 years now and it was starting to feel a little like a drag, but hearing some of the advice from your channel, and thinking of how to apply it in my game, has me excited again for telling a fun story with my friends week to week.
Oooh I've been loving your channel so far! Because of your videos I'm running my game in a completely different way and me and my players are super stoked! I'm so excited for this vid. Edit: I just finished the vid. Thanks for the great ideas! I love how you draw on film and other storytelling techniques to enhance the game. I'm going to try and render the scene for my next game when my players go to their patron's manor. I really like the concept of sketches. It provides something interesting to the players but also doesn't require me to fully commit and spend tons of time fleshing out things that my players may not want to interact with. Thanks!
I'm preparing for a 2 person campaign in the new year. I've DM'd off and on for about 20 years. I've never thought of building a scene in the way you've described. Most often, I've thought of painting a picture and hoped my party would put in the highlights themselves. There was always something missing. I think this might have been it. Thank you again for a fantastic video.
Hey, fam! This is some sweet advice. You really build the ambience when you add details along the way. I knew I was right to sub to you early. Subbing to dope new channels has become one of my favourite parts of using UA-cam. Thanks for the advice!
Can't agree more. We play on a digital tabletop and use a tool to visually populate the world with NPCs that are just as detailed as any player character, and I can't tell you how often putting an NPC that's only there to occupy space turns into a beloved fixture of the world when they have something distinct or weird about them that makes them stand out.
incredible work!! all of y'all's videos so far have been fantastic! one small thing i'd love to see sometime down the line, which shouldn't be too tough to implement with your average video length and scripted format, is accurate subtitles!! UA-cam's auto-generated captions leave a lot to be desired, especially when discussing fantasy and TTRPG content from what i've seen
Really great content. I think this also underscores the importance of a Session Zero and onboarding of new players after the start. I'm a big fan of setting expectations before people invest time and energy in a campaign and letting potential new players experience a session as an observer to see if the table vibe is right for them.
This guy comes out of nowhere and starts youtubing like a boss 😂
No kidding.
legit, the video quality is like a veteran with several hundred thousand subs
It's almost like he's a professional writer and director, lol.
Fr
Right? I watched a couple of his videos the other week, then got excited to watch his backlog. Turns out it was only his second or third vid - basically no backlog! Blew my damn mind that he slammed it out of the park immediately on his channel!
The channel deserves all the praise it's getting. Outstanding polish and insight.
At first I thought it's the writing, editing, polish and presentation. But later I realized it's the shirt.
It's such an uncommon thing to see anyone talking about how to be a DM through analyzing and teaching Structure and Fundamentals, the 'Science' of Art. Your video on how to construct an adventure using the same or similar procedure that professionals use is such a nice change. Even the most experienced youtubers just tell people "yeah it's an art form just wing it, you'll get it eventually" or "today on episode 392, another disorganized 40 minute long rant" (don't get me wrong, I love these guys but it's the 'video game facts to fall asleep to' of the D&D world).
This is good, actionable advice that I will definitely be passing along to others.
Actionable is the really big deal and difference, you are right! Been trying to put my finger on it for a bit now. The advice is not the usual vague "experience it and try it like this, it'll figure itself out your way eventually!". There are real examples approached from a very... well, structured and prescriptive way!
@2:10 THANK YOU FOR THE LIST!
Top tier advice! Gonna try this out next session!!!!
As someone with aphantasia, this doesn't come naturally for me. Having this kind of framework is very helpful. Thank you!
A friend of mine who DMs for us also has aphantasia, and he's rockin' it. His descriptions rely more on the dialogue, the fantasy elements, the story, and when he introduced NPCs he shows us art he's sourced earlier. We really love his games. I bet your players love yours! Good luck!
Everything great about this video! Was hooked from start to end, was entertained and just learned a lot as a DM freshmen
Great video! That's a very elegant way of laying out details for players!
This has quickly become one of my favorite channels for DM tips. I like how you give really detailed, easy-to-follow, well-structured instructions, all while zooming way in on what *should* be the focus of your efforts. Fantastic stuff.
Well I don't tip
Thank you for all the advice. That's very helpful ❤
I sincerely believe that you've tapped into a niche that no other D&D content creators have managed to pinpoint. I feel like through watching your videos, I'm learning how to set up a scene in a way that I was seriously lacking, even after consuming hours of content by Colville and his contemporaries.
You're gonna gain some traction.
I'm confused as fuck. This guy came out of nowhere and is dropping straight fucking heat,if you're making stuff like this you can straight up confirm that the video is gonna have 1 view with full retention time from my account cause you're popping off rn
@@dontoro1756 Wow. I just found this channel a few weeks ago, and just assumed he’d been around for a while. Absolute fire content.
We are so back. Best new channel on UA-cam.
Man, I feel like the density of quality advice in this video is very rich. I listened to it once, then listened to it again and I feel like it was a completely different set of information.. my mind latched onto different things each time!
I’ve been watching DM advice videos for years, and yours ranks right up there with veterans like Seth Skorkowsky and Matt Colville. I like how your background, film, informs the sort of advice you give.
One of the best presented essays I have ever seen on UA-cam. To the point. Serious where it needs to be and light hearted otherwise without drifting unnecessarily for a cheap gag. The information is digestible and realistically attainable.
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Whoa, what the hell? I went to your channel thinking surely there are hundreds of videos... You just started dropping stuff two weeks ago??? Your videos are excellent, and super helpful. Keep it up. Also, your voice is fantastic.
These videos are really awesome. I'm still kind of new to being a DM, and these tips are the best. To the point, extremely useful and immediately applicable. Keep it up!
So impressed by this channels quality! Keep it up!
Thanks man, and you too! Good luck with Triconomist!
I'd never thought about setting a scenario up like a movie scene before! Makes it so much easier, thanks
That's so wild, I can't think of another way to do it. Even though I play in other games and the GMs there don't think in movies, they think like authors or gamers. There's a million ways to play this game, and we're all always learning!
@@Mystic-Arts-DM With you pointing it out, I can see now how film writing, distinct from other types of writing like games and books, can help GMs. It's a form of story that usually must communicate to the audience what they're supposed to feel by merely portraying outside actions, and they usually have to do with an economy of time and words. A novel can be narrated by a protagonist's inner thoughts, but the GM is not the protagonist, they don't have a direct say in what the audience feels, they can only portray 'reality' and hope the audience reacts in an intended way. I'd contend that the tipping scene does have relevence to the rest of the movie, by helping to colour in these characters; nobody needs to come out and say that Mr. Pink is a greedy jerk who only cares about himself, the point is made when he says just three words, "I don't tip". He's revealed what kind of person he is like, and when he acts in certain ways in the rest of the movie, it makes sense to the audience. Similarly, the GM doesn't just tell the party that the people in the tavern don't want them there, they simply have the barkeep and customers act cold and abrasive, and the party comes to their own conclusions.
I was shocked to discover your chanel is new. Congrats on the quality, been enjoying alot the tips.
I must say that you and your girlfriend are delivering some really good content for beginner dungeon masters. Thanks for the effort!
Great video, I've been dm'ing mostly pathfinder and call of cthulhu for just shy of a decade. Going to have to try this next time I dm.
First video of yours I've seen as I prepare for my first two full campaigns as DM.... One of the best written/thought out/well-spoken/genuinely helpful videos I've seen on how to DM
This has been a huge help for me. I'm a dnd veteran but 1st time DM. I tend to info-dump because I get excited going through the process of the PCs discovering things and none of them have any previous experience with dnd.
Thank you for your insight.
I have sent this to my friend who is new to DM'ing. Gave me some great advice for me as well who is good at the behind the scenes stuff but can't do voices for shit lol.
Thanks for the excellent content. Would love to see some longer form content in the future with a full table! That would be supurb.
You are filling the dnd void that MCDM left in my life lol
Felt.
I recently regained my spark for DMing and the way you use film language to describe DM actions is something I enjoy a lot. I actually compliment my DM when they describe/render a scene really well, I'll say stuff like "ooh the budget this session is high" or something like that. when i begin DMing again I will make a note behind my screen to remind me to know when to leave a sketch a sketch and when to render properly.
This is straight fire.
Love this advice! You don't have to dump every detail on the players the moment they walk onto a location - and not all locations need a lot of detail. Adding layers a bit at a time is just good storytelling.
"Render as you go" makes it so easy to picture the practical application of this advice. I always front load setting descriptions and only built on those if players ask for more details. Now I am going to space it out more intentionally, and ideally providing detail in small chunks will mitigate question redundancies too.
It's insane how good your videos are. Concise, but packed with information. GOOD information: you're putting the perfect amount of elaboration into each concept you introduce. You also have a really good speaking voice, for what it's worth.
As someone who embraced the ways of the lazy DM this past year (DMing for longer, but specifically picked up Michael Shea's stuff last Christmas), your videos are a perfect format. Not too short, not too long, and very well organized. Particularly a big fan of your video covering the 5-Room "Dungeon". Easy subscribe, and major kudos!
Thanks so much!
I honestly don't know where I'd be without your videos, I'd most certainly would not be 20+ hours in world building and prepping my campaign. I've been putting it off for about 2 years now always finding excuses on why not to do it and not feeling ready but you are really just giving me all the tools I need to feel confident about what I'm doing so THANK YOU!
That's great news! Now run the game! Get your friends over and start, you've got everything you need!
Daði you are absolutely killing it. Please keep up the content, it is just as wonderful as everyone is saying it is.
i can listen this elegant guy speaking about every topic for hours, thanks man
I started DM’ing around 1980, and honestly haven’t done any since THAC0 was a thing, but I’m considering getting back to it and this content is really helpful. I like the thoughtful and methodical approach and to some very key topics. You’re not only reminding me of things I haven’t thought about in years you’re teaching me some great new ideas and making me want to DM again. Thanks! Keep up the great work.
I REALLY liked how you described it as taking multiple passes at it that somehow really clicked for me.
Just found this channel. Absolutely amazing, subscribed, and will be watching all past vids. Keep up the great work!
Welcome aboard! 🫡
I loved these tips! Some of my favorite examples of this kind of scene-setting is from an actual play called Campaign: Skyjacks. They’re all professional improv comedians so they really nail the details. Often the DM will ask the players themselves what they see in a new setting. Say they walk into an Inn that used to be a pirate ship. The DM tells them that much, explains the mood of the place as jovial, and then asks “what do you all see?”. Then a player says that the keys for the rooms are kept on the spokes of the ship’s old steering wheel, and the tables are just wooden circles attached to the top of old cannons.
The players also describe the scene in terms of a movie. One PC once had to spend a lot of effort to decommission a cannon on a massive ship, and once he had done it he described watching the character’s face drop as the “camera panned towards the row of 15 more cannons that still have yet to be broken down” before changing POV. Great stuff, Campaign: Skyjacks is 100% worth a listen!
Fantastic advice. I thought I had this down. But I learned something here myself. So thank you.
Lots of channels bring up how to do descriptions.
This is just a nice simple way of framing how to do it from a different technical standpoint. Just having new ways to think about improving as a DM is just plain fun. Looking forward to future videos!
"Stop to smell the flowers" is a fantastic takeaway itself. Although my players tend to roleplay a little too much (like a combined half of the session is in-character role-playing), it's usually serious, on-topic stuff. It's always nice to have fun little times to stop, prompt, and let the characters be themselves. It makes for great character development, as it adds a ton of flavor- like you're getting to know someone. I can see how it also helps players "find" their character, for those who are still figuring out who they are trying to be/wanting to play as.
I absolutely love that advice, along with "let the characters be". Roleplaying is about being someone after all, and sometimes you just "are" as something nonchalant is going on.
Wow - this is amazing, thank you! I've been searching for vocabulary to describe what I want to do as a DM and you've just completely nailed it. Also, that subtle background music is chef's kiss. Thank you!
Just discovered this channel and this video is so well produced! I’m a film buff and follow a bunch of high quality producers and this channel is right up there with them!
The advice is fantastic and actionable for DMs. I love the film analogies too because I vibe with those. Keep up the wonderful work, the both of you!
There hasn't been good DM advice like this since Mercer or Colville. That's without even getting into the quality of production here. Keep going!
I've been gearing up to run my first campaign in many many years soon, so you couldn't have started posting at a better time!! amazing stuff, it's so helpful
i hope you continue to take off, good work.
Absolutely loving this channel 💜
Six years game dev and DM, but even still I'm learning so much from videos like these about how to engross your players in the world you are shaping together. Happy this channel is getting the insane traction it deserves so early in its life. Keep up the awesome content! :)
Fantastic advice. I'm really glad this channel decided to exist. This channel is really helping me revitalise my DM style, which I feel has gotten a bit stale and needs a swift kick up the rear.
About the particular subject, descriptions are something I struggle with, but usually in the case of too much information. As in, I have noticed that players begin to hyperfixate on things with too much detail. I'm sat there thinking I've just described the scene very well, but now my players think there's more to learn here, when really I just wanted to set the stage. I gotta learn how to pick my moments better.
This is genuinely just also great general writing advice. Like literally, that method of moving through the scene and rendering out in greater detail only what has the "camera's" attention at any given moment, without the thing in focus coming completely out of nowhere, being at least set up in a roughly sketched out form beforehand; that's something I was just doing off of intuition until now, not with the safety of a systematic structure behind it.
Good, useful stuff here!
Very well said! The phrase I've heard, and subsequently used, is "treat it like a movie". Awhile back I started a new campaign for my players and opened with little micro scenes for each player to introduce their characters that flowed from one to another. For instance if I started with a scene of the rogue out in the busy streets meeting a contact, I'd have them nearly run into a moving carriage. As the rogue left I'd follow the carriage and have the cleric get off the carriage once it reached the church. Stuff like that. Knowing when to zoom in for extra detail and when to zoom out for better speed is a fantastic skill in a DM's toolkit.
I'm learning so much from these videos. I'm an engineer by trade, so the artistic stuff isn't something I've ever studied.
Another home run of a video. Excellent advice and well presented!
So much of DMing, especially at the beginning is wild experimentation and attempting to mimic what you've seen work before without the understanding of why it works or doesn't work.
Having someone explain some of the underlying structures and the 'why' of it all is fantastic. Please keep it up, you two are amazing.
Your production quality and the density and value of your advice sometimes makes me forget how relatively small and new your content is. I'm grateful I happened upon you so early in a journey that I have no doubts will take you wherever you want to go!
This was an excellent video with some great pointers! I will definitely be keeping these in mind in future.
Also those orks and gobbos at 1:25 were very nicely painted, they could do with some nicer bases though, in my opinion 😅
I feel like I need to say to anybody seeing this comment that OP here is the one responsible for these beautiful minis!
Subd, excellent tips. I've been DMing for like 4 years now and love to render scenes, but sometimes you get caught up in the action that it helps to have these types of reminders to slow it down
Its so cool that im here since beginning!!
With a DnD Channel teaching actual practical things, i already improved my DnD with your help. Thank you!
Excellent content and congrats on not just hitting the ground running. This is level 20 tabaxi monk step of the wind boots of speed hasted shenanigans.
Im imagining renders layerd by player. The brute notices the tough guys, the druid notices birds inThe rafters, some feel the vibe. I love it. Depth through each players strengths or interests.
Great video, just subscribed after watching your combat video as well.
Not much to add, besides the fact that you have a WONDERFUL voice for videos and your players probably enjoy the hell out of it when you're talking as the deeply voiced BBEG
I have immensely enjoyed all of your uploaded content! It’s useful as well as entertaining - which now makes me wish you had a live-play for us all to listen to… please keep up the amazing work!
Top tier content! It felt like the D&D-discussion was already quite saturated with content, but this is very refreshing. Great insights (like Matt Colville) and wonderful setup. Keep it up!
(Also, the comments by your gf in the background are a fun addition)
She's gotta get her say in!
It's also (IMHO) a good practice to ask your players if there's anything else they'd like to know more about. Depending on the table, that can be done directly GM to players, or you can frame it through characters. "What would you like to investigate more closely?" vs. "Is there anything Aran the Clever is giving a second glance?"
Pay attention to the answers over several sessions, and you'll begin to get a feel for the type of detail the players what the world to have, and the level they want. Note that this will probably vary between players, so it's a balancing act.
Superb video once again - succinct and informative, and easy to listen to. Thanks!
**nods in fluent Theatre School**
But seriously it’s great to take academic approaches to storytelling and reframe it for proper GMing. This is the type of content GM’s need to see, not a rando who has never studied how to tell stories.
Keep it up!
Your videos are absolutely fantastic. I can’t tell you how excited I am to get in near the ground level and see what sort of videos you have in the pipeline!
Like most of the others here, I was super excited when the algorithm sent me the first of your videos I watched, because I loved it. It instantly went on my "Favourite D&D Theory Videos" playlist, so I could come back to it later. So I decided to see what else you had and... a half dozen videos? That's it?
It's not just the production value, either. I'm loving the *content*. A ton of it is really well thought-out, and I can tell that you've extensively studied some RPG-adjacent skill, or other. Couldn't tell you what it is. It obviously can't be film, or you'd've mentioned it, right? ;)
Definitely looking forward to the next one!
Let me begin by saying that this video earned my Sub. In less than ten minutes, you've broken down and explained something so important to story-telling that many people miss it because they can't see the forest for the trees. You've just described the difference between a front-loaded scene where every detail is explained to the point that the reader begins to get bored and a dynamic, engaging scene that hooks the reader and draws them in.
Three Dragon Ante has been a fun way for us to role-play with low stakes (and ease on the DM). They sell an actual set so you can play the game. I love roleplaying, so I'm so glad my DM introduced it (and has offered to bring it to the session I DM).
Always some good content here 10/10 need this in my life
I've just started studying electronics and I met a lot of people with a mutual interest in D&D so I gathered a group and began a campaign with them. Using your tips and tricks of the recent videos, I managed to improve my game tenfold and I hooked them so much that they want to add a second session per week. It's been great and much thanks to you. :)
Double the D&D!? Now that's why we're doing this! Great work and keep it up!
Another one for the "essential DM advice" playlist
Keep it up dude, you're killing it! (no death saves)
Seriously impressed with your work. Thank you for sharing your experience with us
Great advice! I tend to stop describing after entering a location so this is a great reminder.
One of the best dnd channels to appear in youtube. Keep doing what you're doing :)
Yes, sir!
Nice work, been DMing on and off since the mid 80's and this is all solid advice.
Starting my first campaign (as a DM) shortly and have to say you’ve enlightened me as to what a DM should be, that is to say what kind of DM I should be for my players. Thank you for these videos, they help a lot ❤
Also ég sé ykkur Daði og Anna ;)
Hahah, takk fyrir að horfa!
It is honestly bananas that this guy just showed up and became the best content creator for DND instantly
Been watching this on repeat as I prep my session tonight - hoping I can absorb it by osmosis. So good. So timely.
Awesome work, creators like you remind me of the limitless artistic value in RPGs; there's always more to discuss and discover
I've been DMing for almost 5 years now and it was starting to feel a little like a drag, but hearing some of the advice from your channel, and thinking of how to apply it in my game, has me excited again for telling a fun story with my friends week to week.
Oooh I've been loving your channel so far! Because of your videos I'm running my game in a completely different way and me and my players are super stoked! I'm so excited for this vid.
Edit: I just finished the vid. Thanks for the great ideas! I love how you draw on film and other storytelling techniques to enhance the game. I'm going to try and render the scene for my next game when my players go to their patron's manor.
I really like the concept of sketches. It provides something interesting to the players but also doesn't require me to fully commit and spend tons of time fleshing out things that my players may not want to interact with.
Thanks!
That's fantastic news! We're doing this for you folks!
Dude excellent. The change of lighting when you give mini examples.
Good stuff! Thanks for the insightful DM advice.
Instant sub. I love early UA-cam channels. It’s like pre-google UA-cam. Sometimes it’s the best content. Well done and thanks.
I was definitely not expecting to get flashbanged with an old Nickelodeon commercial today, but here we are.
Excellent work.
You two are a rocking duo! So much inspiration and very useful advice coming from you guys :)
I'm getting back into dm'ing and your videos are so helpful. A lot has happened since I started roleplaying RPGs in the 80ies.
Best of luck!
I'm preparing for a 2 person campaign in the new year. I've DM'd off and on for about 20 years. I've never thought of building a scene in the way you've described. Most often, I've thought of painting a picture and hoped my party would put in the highlights themselves. There was always something missing. I think this might have been it.
Thank you again for a fantastic video.
Matt Colville's "Running the Game" series boutta have some competition!
That guy is the GOAT, though!
Hey, fam! This is some sweet advice. You really build the ambience when you add details along the way.
I knew I was right to sub to you early. Subbing to dope new channels has become one of my favourite parts of using UA-cam.
Thanks for the advice!
Man, this second-hand filmschool experience is really coming alive in my eyes. I'm being Mis-en-Scene'd in real life?
I just found your channel and I am blown away. Great stuff! Keep up the good work!
Can't agree more. We play on a digital tabletop and use a tool to visually populate the world with NPCs that are just as detailed as any player character, and I can't tell you how often putting an NPC that's only there to occupy space turns into a beloved fixture of the world when they have something distinct or weird about them that makes them stand out.
incredible work!! all of y'all's videos so far have been fantastic! one small thing i'd love to see sometime down the line, which shouldn't be too tough to implement with your average video length and scripted format, is accurate subtitles!! UA-cam's auto-generated captions leave a lot to be desired, especially when discussing fantasy and TTRPG content from what i've seen
Man, thanks for this video, it's just spectacularly well thought out. I genuinely think this video alone is going to make me a better DM in general!
I'll be watching for more! And rewatching this video, in the meantime. Thx!
Really great content. I think this also underscores the importance of a Session Zero and onboarding of new players after the start. I'm a big fan of setting expectations before people invest time and energy in a campaign and letting potential new players experience a session as an observer to see if the table vibe is right for them.