Be sure to check out these sources: * Angry GM, Manage Combat Like a Dolphin: theangrygm.com/manage-combat-like-a-dolphin/ * Matt Click, Call Out Your Players: ua-cam.com/video/SqZAUf6E64Q/v-deo.html * Nerdarchy, Live Chat #28: ua-cam.com/video/t2Mr_wB-Avk/v-deo.html
These are all super helpful.. Really like the philosophical and practical approach to DM advice that is offered on all three of these videos.. Will keep following your feed for more advice!
I’ve been dm’ing for a few months with a veteran group (but it’s my first time). I base all of my DMing of the tips you give in these videos. In particularly the idea of exigency. The 4 players have all told me individually that my table is the best d&d experience they’ve had and swear that it’s all down to the tips you’ve given me about flow and exigency. So thank you, it’s hugely appreciated. Cheers from Australia.
You packed a ton in here. What other channels do in 3 20 minute videos you did in one 10 minute. For that I subbed and I will watch this video every Wednesday night before my games to keep it fresh
I'm so glad you found it helpful! And despite what youtube wants, I try to pack my vids with content and not pad them with rambling. Hopefully, longterm, people will appreciate it :)
Great advice! I love how synergistic the concept of exigency is with legendary actions. I like to give legendary actions to any story-driven bad guys. Having their actions prompt a reaction from the following player is beautiful.
Shucks! I've only been on youtube for a year! We can fix this. We only need to solve the age-old problem of time travel! Shouldn't be hard ;) I'm so happy you found the vid helpful!!
Hey, I've been watching for a while now and I can't wait for this channel to blow up with popularity! I really enjoy your videos and they truly help in a lot of situations. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks for all your time and effort!
I've been a DM for over 7 years now and in all that time this is some of the best, most unique advice I've ever seen. Definitely worth my maybe-once-per-year UA-cam comment
This is my first time watching a video from you, but god damn it if I’m not going to continually keep watching them. Great content. I appreciate the effort you put into breaking this all down in terms that were easy to understand for a new player.
I know this vid is old, but my god I just happened to stumble upon, and it is a lifesaver. So much info and knowledge packed into a nicely paced and edited video. You my friend are what other DM youtubers strive to be :D
Great information packed into 10 minutes. Other channels make 35 minute mini podcasts pondering the idea of making combat better where they disagree on topics and the video leaves you with mixxed feelings.
I have been a DM for 13 years. It is the only thing in my life that I think I am good at. And your videos are not only compressed and a joy to consume, they inspire the green and veteran alike. Thank you. I think my game will be better because of your videos.
As a new DM, I have been struggling to engage my players. Your videos have been a tremendous help! More people should know about your channel - subscribed!
While the GM can make or break the pacing, it never hurts to have a rockstar player or two at your table, that can help the GM engage dwindling players as a peer rather than having to come from "the leader". It is a group effort after all. Having the right group, with the right chemistry is so crucial to having good flow at the table.
Binging your videos while waiting for my players to be ready to play in an hour or so, and WOW. Each video gives me bare minimum two incredible ideas for running better games. THANK YOU.
@@ZipperonDisney I switched from "what do you do" to "what are you doing?" And that alone has had a huge impact on ease of roleplay and smooth flow in combat. Also bringing in the transition description instead of over-describing the current turn has been so cinematic and fun for everyone!
Hey! Great video! I've been watching dnd video for years, running for a decade and now run professionally and I've never heard it explained that way. I tend to naturally do those techniques in big moments of drama, but you've put words on it and it helps me internalize it. I think it's going to help me have better control and for that I thank you! Great job!
I'm trying to learn how to be a DM as I want to lure more of my friends into D&D in these complicated times. I've looked at what it feels like a TON of advice for new DMs and how to be a DM and I just find that your stuff really delivers what I need to know right from the beginning. Thank you so much for all the great content!
Rewatching some of my favourite videos of yours and "Narrate the transition between turns" is one of the things that's been at the top of my session outlines since I watched this vid the first time
Transitions is a genius-level idea. As a therapeutic game master working with neuro-diverse groups it's a great "I'm bringing you into the moment" tool.
This is such an amazing video. I've been DM'ing for the past 20+ years and I picked some of these from experience, but there are so many new ideas I just learned from you now... I can't wait to play again soon 💕
Your suggestion of, "What are you doing?" got me thinking about one of my pet peeves with a common thing DM's do when characters show up in a new town or location - Don't just put characters in a town and ask, "What would you like to do?" Honestly? I'd like to chase a minor baddie across the rooftops to tackle him into a horse cart where I pummel him into submission to gain The Clue from him. But I'm pretty sure that's not an option. Don't make players start poking things randomly until they find the adventure. Ask "What are you doing?" in town to just set the scene for where they are at when the adventure finds them.
The narrating transitions between turns reminds me of the battle in Avengers. Hawkeye is sniping Chitari then Ironman flies bye and the camera follows him to the next action.
Dude! This video is a gem! Wow. Most videos we watch are really just the same old regurgitated ideas, but this provided some new information, new concepts, and it's very much appreciated! We subscribed!
Thanks! I don't spam out videos because I try really hard to only put out new and interesting content - subjects rarely talked about elsewhere. Which is hard for a game people have been writing about for 40 years!
Ask to players "what are you doing?" seems that will not work in my language that is Portuguese, but since I got the spirit in this advice I will think in how to use this. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for the video! You’ve opened my eyes to how my descriptions lagging behind the action because I am describing things that have already been resolved does not serve to build tension or engagement. I’m going to give it a try at my next session and see how it changes things. Also, looking forward to more videos and great tips 👍🏻
I love the fact that you addressed how speeding up combat isn't necessarily what we need to do as DMs. Action scenes should be some of the most exciting parts of the game and its length should be directly proportional with your ability to maintain interest and intensity.
Oh man! "What are you doing" was something I noticed but couldn't put my finger on it. Hearing you say it ties my observations together. I had organically started using it out of combat but didn't think about it in combat out of habit.
Hey, ich bin vielleicht ein wenig spät dran, aber vielleicht hilft es trotzdem noch (anhand deines Namens gehe ich davon aus, dass du Deutsch meinst?) Anstatt zu fragen: "Was möchtest du machen?", kannst du "Was machst du gerade?" fragen ;)
Cool, I actually already do this! I often recap the previous turns in a narrative form. "Elias has just felled the orc and his rolls in front of you. What do you do Tippy?" or "You just watched Castor get launched past you by the troll, you're able to duck out of the way at the last moment. You're up" EDIT: You also ask for the DC ahead of time like me. I like you, you're a good DM :)
I am DM'ing for my friend group, nobody of us has ever had any contact with RPGs and we're at the entrance of the first goblin cave. This might be the the most helpful content after a week of heavy prep i could find, i will make sure to include your tips in the game, thank you a lot for this video.
Oooo...I think there is a bit of that in the "Strongholds and Followers" stream! I was supposed to do that for another stream too, but other projects got in the way ;P
Just found your channel through reddit, and as a newish dm who has been running games for a little over a year now, i found your advice to be very useful and something that i wish i was told before. Great video, you got my sub!
That's some really good advice here. I'm like "Ahaa! That's what I was missing all the time!" Informative and condensed. I'll watch it several times probably. And definitely going to try this in my games. Thank you!
Awesome video, will definitely take some of the advice and out it to good use. I personaly however like the immersion the player's get from NOT directly knowing AC's, Saves etc. So I think I'll modify your point there and go with the following: 1) Decide you use Fireball 2) Roll Damage in Advance and write Full & Half damage 3) Describe the spell and ask for DEX Saves 4) Look at the results and tell who succeded and who failed while being able to instantly tell them the damage (since I rolled that at the start) I think this is a nice middleground, allowing for immersion by not just giving the players straight up numbers but still having that big moment of "did I save or did I not ?"
I also like it when players can narrate their own actions more (if they want) , it really adds to the collaborative storytelling feel. Without knowing if they hit or not it can be difficult though.
This is brilliant. A lot of this stuff I was doing already but you explain it so well that now I understand why what I was doing was working and it’s given me ideas on how to improve. I’m really enjoying your videos.
Right!? That is one of the reasons why I like doing these vids do much. It forces me to solidify and explain things that I would normally just sort of intuit. And that process helps self improvement
Limit time players have to think about actions in combat! A combat round is 6 seconds. Do not give them 5 minutes each to think about it. I used t make the players (all of them) write down their basic action plan for the round in 1 minute, then resolved them in initiative order. I wrote my NPC/creature planned actions down (ALL OF THEM) in that same minute. No note on time = the character stands confused. You can see what can happen in a 6 second round by just looking at the positions of the minies even without a grid. Resolving the actions, if the indicated target in the note falls before that character's initiative order, just re-target to nearest logical alternate. "Charge the biggest enemy and slash" is an excellent note for a fighter. Simple and easy to deal with. "Cast fireball to catch max opponents without hitting friends" We now know what spell the mage is casting and can quickly hold a targeting circle over the enemies to find the spot. Narration is a big part, but preventing draggy long waits for the player's turns matters too. The current group I am playing with (as a player) it can be 10 minutes for one PC's turn. 2/3 of the players are not paying attention to the combat any more by the time its their turn, so the DM has to go back and tell them what is going on AGAIN, taking even more time, dragging combats out to 1 hour per combat round... (6 *game* *SESSIONS* for one minor combat..) Its a painfully slow game.
What a _fantastic_ series of videos on pacing combat and Theatre of the Mind (well, maybe they weren't part of a series, but they're the order in which I watched them). Concise, bite-sized videos just _packed_ with excellent, useful tips and virtually zero filler. I want to emphasize that last bit: I will _never_ understand why so many UA-camrs think they need to spend an hour describing something that could be explained in ten minutes. You, on the other hand? _No_ filler. I took notes and nearly ended up writing down everything you said verbatim :P You, sir, just became my favourite D&D advice guy on the Internet. Mercer who? ;)
Thanks so much! This is a really nice compliment because I try really hard to give succinct and next-level tips. I hope you can join my Discord and meet some other like minded folks 👉 discord.gg/yvWdJ7Tt
This is a fantastic video. First I've seen of yours. You're adding some real great value for us. viewers. Seriously, ever tip is killer and I have them all in my DM notes for combat
I find that my players (and I!) really like positive feedback for creative, collaborative problem solving. Including, of course, in combat. We've been experimenting with ways to handle combined attacks and group maneuvers, which is something fairly poorly handled in most rules we play. But once the team figures out the trick or tactics to the encounter, combining actions seems to help drive things to resolution pretty well.
This is a great video with some very good ideas in it. I am DMing a campaign for ten middle schoolers currently, and I can use all the flow and cat wrangling tips I can get. Thank you, Devil Dog!
Good video! Focusing on transition made my combats go from good to great. Any time I have a combat that I feel like was kind of flat, I realize that I forgot to focus on transitions. It really is that important.
An absolutely excellent video! I really appreciated your examples. Instead of "do this rather than this" you actually explain what you mean and how to do it like in your Evil Sorceress Fireball example. I think that's super important and you nailed it :D
So I'm just randomly finding this video from suggestions from UA-cam....WOW these are amazing tips! I've made some notes for my next game session to try them out. Thanks!
Man I wish I had found this video before I started DM'ing a game last year. Thankfully, I'm still DM'ing a game so I can try to implement this stuff, along with the Theatre of the Mind combat tips. Great stuff!
I keep most combat descriptions short like "you find an opportunity to strike as his eyes dart away dealing X dmg" but when they're finishing the last guy I let the person dealing the killing blow narrate it fully. Crit role tech
That's exactly what I'm aiming for! Glad you like them! (See my and very cool dude Jim Murphy's disagreement about this -> ua-cam.com/video/Ynimf49C2fE/v-deo.html )
Thank you so much for posting this video! You brought up some great pointers for keeping the mood going despite having to roll dice and do some quick math at the table.
That's another weird dilemma about D&D: people love rolling dice, but rolling dice slows play, and people hate slow play. I guess it's all about finding balance :)
At first I was thinking "This sounds a lot like the Angry GMs blogpost", but then yes, Yes, YES!! Awesome video man, finally a simple video to link to when anyone asks anything about GMing combat in D&D.
You're right that it's the framing and combination of other elements that makes this video stand alone, but I wanted to be sure to credit Angry - and link the blog post in the description! There was something by @MattClick I wanted to link too, but when I tried to find it, this happened: twitter.com/ZipperonDisney/status/1129070980482109440
This is very interesting!! Well done and thank you for this :D The only thing I disagree on is letting the players know the AC to hit / they need to beat. IMO not knowing the AC helps setting the overall mood for this particular encounter (in case the players are fighting a boss). For example: I remember when we were fighting Strahd, the first attacking player rolled very high on his hit die but he missed; by then we knew that this was gonna be tense! (or even more tense than what we presumed it was gonna be).
Average damage for monsters is in the Monster Manual for a reason. I have been using it since the play test of 5e or next. Really great video content. So glad you have had a high turnout for this video.
Thanks mate! I like rolling for damage when it would be dramatic. Last time I DM'd I chose to roll damage for a black pudding's acid - and did max! Poor PC lost a foot!
I subscribed when he explained the word "exigency". I'm not a native English speaker so learning new words whilst improving my DM skills is like a natural twenty. Doubling my dice :).
I’ve seen this before, it’s the exact same advice the AngryDM gives I believe. Not that it’s a bad thing the video is super nice, but felt weird to listen to the stuff I read before. I believe he called it handling the combat “like a dolphin”.
Excellent video. I learned a lot, and I've watched and read a lot of DMing tips, so that is saying something. I'll have to watch this a couple of times to get everything, it is so jam packed with good stuff.
Hey man just wanted to say Awesome video! Very informative and I'm gonna see how I can implement ur points into my combat. U brought up some very interesting points and I do love how u keep most of the core mechanics intact whilst making everything flow so much better!
@@ZipperonDisney No problem! I wrote a few bullet points for my next session and am running some test scenarios and I really hope my players like it! Granted the campaign world on its own is having some difficulties as of recently hahaha
Really great tips! I manage a group of 6 players and I've often struggled with making combat flow. I think incorporating some of these suggestions is really going to help. Thanks for the great content!
Helpful! I’ve always preferred more narrative oriented combat and some of this is going to help me be more confident and write a more engaging encounter. I actually have cheat sheets on players AC and passive perception just for these reasons! One thing I’d ask is if you can, drop the names of the artists you use in your vid. I hadn’t seen that bugbear piece in the exigency segment before and I LOVE it!
Zipperon Disney I just didn’t see it, that’s my bad! Keep doing what you’re doing, I’ve watched a couple vids and really appreciate your perspective and enthusiasm.
This is a kinda crazy video...in a good way...I'm a RP heavy DM...I frequently don't do great combats...but cools npcs...story beats...trying to involve all players..but in combat I revert to me as crpg man(which I do love some gritty math, x-com like things...but that is also opposite of what I'm good at) roll dice do damage...repeat...however I have played since I was a kid in like 1988, which was a very different game...even back then I tried to make it more rp heavy...but it was a very you have a dungeon...get as much loot and defeat enough bad guys to level and repeat...it was a very different game.. These are good tips...I appreciate...
Adding randomness to combat does allow for inventiveness and creates more of a chaotic fight with the potential for its own narrative though. But that's just me. Love the vid
Hi, Zip! Just catching your channel for the first time and really enjoy your perspective. Thanks! I want to play at your table! These tips will be valuable for me - as a GM, battle is my least favorite part of a game, but this may help me enjoy it way more.
I'm glad you like it @Jack_Jeansonne! The bit about exigency and traditions is the part that I try and remember every round, but everything is easier said than done! I think in the "live play of prepped on stream" video there is a bit of me actually running combat... :)
Great video, dude! I was actually working on my own combat video for compelling combat. I love that there's so many different approaches to improving how you run combat!
Absolutely wonderful advice! I'll definitely be working some of this into my own combat encounters, especially the narration of the ending/start of turns.
Be sure to check out these sources:
* Angry GM, Manage Combat Like a Dolphin: theangrygm.com/manage-combat-like-a-dolphin/
* Matt Click, Call Out Your Players: ua-cam.com/video/SqZAUf6E64Q/v-deo.html
* Nerdarchy, Live Chat #28: ua-cam.com/video/t2Mr_wB-Avk/v-deo.html
What did you do in the Marines?
@@jackal7610 infantry
These are all super helpful.. Really like the philosophical and practical approach to DM advice that is offered on all three of these videos.. Will keep following your feed for more advice!
Players have to participate in making the combat "flow"
DM can not do it alone.
Yup! Positive reenforcement - thank you players for keeping the game moving!
F Huber yup
I’ve been dm’ing for a few months with a veteran group (but it’s my first time). I base all of my DMing of the tips you give in these videos. In particularly the idea of exigency. The 4 players have all told me individually that my table is the best d&d experience they’ve had and swear that it’s all down to the tips you’ve given me about flow and exigency. So thank you, it’s hugely appreciated. Cheers from Australia.
Glad you like it!! AND found it useful! Using transitions+exigency is 1000% the best thing I've done to improve my DMing
Narration transitions between turns is ingenious and I never would have thought of it. This is an extremely underrated dnd channel.
Thanks! ❤️❤️❤️ Like they say 'share and subscribe' 😎
Totally agree!
You packed a ton in here. What other channels do in 3 20 minute videos you did in one 10 minute. For that I subbed and I will watch this video every Wednesday night before my games to keep it fresh
I'm so glad you found it helpful! And despite what youtube wants, I try to pack my vids with content and not pad them with rambling. Hopefully, longterm, people will appreciate it :)
Same answer ! It is a sub!
@Zipperon Disney long term has happened, and I've yet to be disappointed in one of your videos. Still going strong.
Great advice! I love how synergistic the concept of exigency is with legendary actions. I like to give legendary actions to any story-driven bad guys. Having their actions prompt a reaction from the following player is beautiful.
YES! That is a great synergy- thanks for pointing git out :)
Where the hell was this video 18 months ago? Great advice. Every new DM should watch this.
Shucks! I've only been on youtube for a year! We can fix this. We only need to solve the age-old problem of time travel! Shouldn't be hard ;)
I'm so happy you found the vid helpful!!
AJ Pickett suggested I come here. Omg he was correct! Great video. This is what I was looking for!
Awesome! Might I ask where he sent you from? I'm getting a lot of his viewers sent here right now :)
Zipperon Disney another aj viewer here. Great stuff man.
Same.... another great lead from AJ. This channel kicks ass. Thos is a great vodeo
Hey, I've been watching for a while now and I can't wait for this channel to blow up with popularity! I really enjoy your videos and they truly help in a lot of situations. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks for all your time and effort!
Thanks for watching!
One day later... :)
I've been a DM for over 7 years now and in all that time this is some of the best, most unique advice I've ever seen. Definitely worth my maybe-once-per-year UA-cam comment
This is my first time watching a video from you, but god damn it if I’m not going to continually keep watching them. Great content. I appreciate the effort you put into breaking this all down in terms that were easy to understand for a new player.
Thanks Sean! You might also like my consumable items video or the 'keep a session engaging' vid :)
Fantastic advice (probably the best I have found on YT so far)
Thank you!! 😁
I know this vid is old, but my god I just happened to stumble upon, and it is a lifesaver. So much info and knowledge packed into a nicely paced and edited video. You my friend are what other DM youtubers strive to be :D
Glad it helped! I try to make vids a bit different than the standard DnD Tube, happy you think so too!
Great information packed into 10 minutes. Other channels make 35 minute mini podcasts pondering the idea of making combat better where they disagree on topics and the video leaves you with mixxed feelings.
I have been a DM for 13 years. It is the only thing in my life that I think I am good at. And your videos are not only compressed and a joy to consume, they inspire the green and veteran alike.
Thank you. I think my game will be better because of your videos.
Happy that you like them Milan! I put a lot into them and I'm glad you get something out!
As a new DM, I have been struggling to engage my players.
Your videos have been a tremendous help!
More people should know about your channel - subscribed!
Thanks! Please share :)
While the GM can make or break the pacing, it never hurts to have a rockstar player or two at your table, that can help the GM engage dwindling players as a peer rather than having to come from "the leader". It is a group effort after all. Having the right group, with the right chemistry is so crucial to having good flow at the table.
Both good points! Thanks for sharing!
Binging your videos while waiting for my players to be ready to play in an hour or so, and WOW. Each video gives me bare minimum two incredible ideas for running better games. THANK YOU.
@CoryCee Glad you like them! Have any of them really worked out in practice for you?
@@ZipperonDisney I switched from "what do you do" to "what are you doing?" And that alone has had a huge impact on ease of roleplay and smooth flow in combat. Also bringing in the transition description instead of over-describing the current turn has been so cinematic and fun for everyone!
Hey! Great video! I've been watching dnd video for years, running for a decade and now run professionally and I've never heard it explained that way. I tend to naturally do those techniques in big moments of drama, but you've put words on it and it helps me internalize it. I think it's going to help me have better control and for that I thank you! Great job!
Thanks!! I'd glad you found this vid valuable :)
I'm trying to learn how to be a DM as I want to lure more of my friends into D&D in these complicated times. I've looked at what it feels like a TON of advice for new DMs and how to be a DM and I just find that your stuff really delivers what I need to know right from the beginning. Thank you so much for all the great content!
Glad I could help!
I must state that exigency is an amazing word. Thank you for bringing it into my vocabulary.
Now you know how to describe one-day-only sales!
Dude, this video is awesome. It made me realize what I’m doing wrong with my combat. Keep it up dude!
Thank you! I'm happy you found it useful!
Rewatching some of my favourite videos of yours and "Narrate the transition between turns" is one of the things that's been at the top of my session outlines since I watched this vid the first time
Thank you!
Transitions is a genius-level idea. As a therapeutic game master working with neuro-diverse groups it's a great "I'm bringing you into the moment" tool.
I bet for ADHD players, tips like that are a game changer when the DM does them
I come back to this video time and time again, truly 1 of the best DMing 201 level video series out there.
Thanks Paul! That means a lot to me!!
This is such an amazing video. I've been DM'ing for the past 20+ years and I picked some of these from experience, but there are so many new ideas I just learned from you now... I can't wait to play again soon 💕
Glad it was helpful! That's something I love about the hobby: there is always more to learn!
Dude! why am I just finding this guy!!!! This is very helpful, and presented very professionally. Thank and keep it coming!!!
You're about to have a good week 😁 there's a whole backlog of vids, none of it filler content
Your suggestion of, "What are you doing?" got me thinking about one of my pet peeves with a common thing DM's do when characters show up in a new town or location - Don't just put characters in a town and ask, "What would you like to do?"
Honestly? I'd like to chase a minor baddie across the rooftops to tackle him into a horse cart where I pummel him into submission to gain The Clue from him. But I'm pretty sure that's not an option.
Don't make players start poking things randomly until they find the adventure. Ask "What are you doing?" in town to just set the scene for where they are at when the adventure finds them.
The narrating transitions between turns reminds me of the battle in Avengers. Hawkeye is sniping Chitari then Ironman flies bye and the camera follows him to the next action.
Yes! That's exactly what I try and convey!
Kelsouth that’s a VERY good way to put it!
Dude! This video is a gem! Wow. Most videos we watch are really just the same old regurgitated ideas, but this provided some new information, new concepts, and it's very much appreciated! We subscribed!
Thanks! I don't spam out videos because I try really hard to only put out new and interesting content - subjects rarely talked about elsewhere. Which is hard for a game people have been writing about for 40 years!
Absolutly knocked others out of the park. Will be recommending this to all my GM friends.
Thanks for the shares! I'm glad you're digging the channel 😁
The transition advice from 3-4 minute mark is brilliant.
Thank you! 😊 It's a tip that I use every session
@@ZipperonDisney I just put it to use for an all-session encounter, and it never dragged and felt so cinematic. Thanks again.
Ask to players "what are you doing?" seems that will not work in my language that is Portuguese, but since I got the spirit in this advice I will think in how to use this.
Thank you for the video.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that tidbit and for watching!
Thanks for the video! You’ve opened my eyes to how my descriptions lagging behind the action because I am describing things that have already been resolved does not serve to build tension or engagement. I’m going to give it a try at my next session and see how it changes things. Also, looking forward to more videos and great tips 👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
I love the fact that you addressed how speeding up combat isn't necessarily what we need to do as DMs. Action scenes should be some of the most exciting parts of the game and its length should be directly proportional with your ability to maintain interest and intensity.
Yes! Very well phrased!
Oh man! "What are you doing" was something I noticed but couldn't put my finger on it. Hearing you say it ties my observations together. I had organically started using it out of combat but didn't think about it in combat out of habit.
I wish the difference between „what do you do“ and „what are you doing“ would exist in the language I‘m playing in with my friends
Hey, ich bin vielleicht ein wenig spät dran, aber vielleicht hilft es trotzdem noch (anhand deines Namens gehe ich davon aus, dass du Deutsch meinst?)
Anstatt zu fragen: "Was möchtest du machen?", kannst du "Was machst du gerade?" fragen ;)
Very nicely done, sir. I’m no expert at pacing, but I think you have brought a new dimension to my games. Thank you!
Fucking hell this is blowing my mind. I need to sit down in silence to process this
lol Thanks mate! Some folks have even reported taking notes ;)
Cool, I actually already do this! I often recap the previous turns in a narrative form. "Elias has just felled the orc and his rolls in front of you. What do you do Tippy?" or "You just watched Castor get launched past you by the troll, you're able to duck out of the way at the last moment. You're up"
EDIT: You also ask for the DC ahead of time like me. I like you, you're a good DM :)
Recapping is clutch!
I am DM'ing for my friend group, nobody of us has ever had any contact with RPGs and we're at the entrance of the first goblin cave.
This might be the the most helpful content after a week of heavy prep i could find, i will make sure to include your tips in the game, thank you a lot for this video.
Good luck! And lucky you! Most folks have to DM for years before they stumble across my channel :P
Would love to see a commentary video of you critiquing and analysing your own dming.
Oooo...I think there is a bit of that in the "Strongholds and Followers" stream! I was supposed to do that for another stream too, but other projects got in the way ;P
Just found your channel through reddit, and as a newish dm who has been running games for a little over a year now, i found your advice to be very useful and something that i wish i was told before.
Great video, you got my sub!
Great! Thanks for subbing!
That's some really good advice here. I'm like "Ahaa! That's what I was missing all the time!"
Informative and condensed. I'll watch it several times probably. And definitely going to try this in my games. Thank you!
Actually tried this toady. And the results were much better than expected. Everyone absolutely enjoyed the combat.
Subscribed!
Awesome video, will definitely take some of the advice and out it to good use. I personaly however like the immersion the player's get from NOT directly knowing AC's, Saves etc. So I think I'll modify your point there and go with the following:
1) Decide you use Fireball
2) Roll Damage in Advance and write Full & Half damage
3) Describe the spell and ask for DEX Saves
4) Look at the results and tell who succeded and who failed while being able to instantly tell them the damage (since I rolled that at the start)
I think this is a nice middleground, allowing for immersion by not just giving the players straight up numbers but still having that big moment of "did I save or did I not ?"
Sound like a good tactic - I like to see folks thinking!
I also like it when players can narrate their own actions more (if they want) , it really adds to the collaborative storytelling feel. Without knowing if they hit or not it can be difficult though.
This is like natural 20 on the usefulness scale! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
This is brilliant. A lot of this stuff I was doing already but you explain it so well that now I understand why what I was doing was working and it’s given me ideas on how to improve. I’m really enjoying your videos.
Right!? That is one of the reasons why I like doing these vids do much. It forces me to solidify and explain things that I would normally just sort of intuit. And that process helps self improvement
Well done this is a must watch at least 3 or 4 times at the very least.
Limit time players have to think about actions in combat!
A combat round is 6 seconds.
Do not give them 5 minutes each to think about it.
I used t make the players (all of them) write down their basic action plan for the round in 1 minute, then resolved them in initiative order. I wrote my NPC/creature planned actions down (ALL OF THEM) in that same minute.
No note on time = the character stands confused.
You can see what can happen in a 6 second round by just looking at the positions of the minies even without a grid.
Resolving the actions, if the indicated target in the note falls before that character's initiative order, just re-target to nearest logical alternate.
"Charge the biggest enemy and slash" is an excellent note for a fighter. Simple and easy to deal with.
"Cast fireball to catch max opponents without hitting friends" We now know what spell the mage is casting and can quickly hold a targeting circle over the enemies to find the spot.
Narration is a big part, but preventing draggy long waits for the player's turns matters too.
The current group I am playing with (as a player) it can be 10 minutes for one PC's turn. 2/3 of the players are not paying attention to the combat any more by the time its their turn, so the DM has to go back and tell them what is going on AGAIN, taking even more time, dragging combats out to 1 hour per combat round... (6 *game* *SESSIONS* for one minor combat..)
Its a painfully slow game.
I can see how closing your action ahead could be a good system. The other bite does sound painfully slow. Maybe send the DM this way?
Probably one of the most useful videos I've watched in my time as a DM, thank you
I'm glad you liked it! Keep an eye out for part two. I'm going to talk about session rhythm and abstracting to the nearest interesting decision.
This channel needs 10x the followers.
Right? ;P Like, share and subscribe!
What a _fantastic_ series of videos on pacing combat and Theatre of the Mind (well, maybe they weren't part of a series, but they're the order in which I watched them). Concise, bite-sized videos just _packed_ with excellent, useful tips and virtually zero filler. I want to emphasize that last bit: I will _never_ understand why so many UA-camrs think they need to spend an hour describing something that could be explained in ten minutes. You, on the other hand? _No_ filler. I took notes and nearly ended up writing down everything you said verbatim :P You, sir, just became my favourite D&D advice guy on the Internet. Mercer who? ;)
Thanks so much! This is a really nice compliment because I try really hard to give succinct and next-level tips. I hope you can join my Discord and meet some other like minded folks 👉 discord.gg/yvWdJ7Tt
I'm just learning to DM right now and this was some great advice. Thank you
Great work! Loved the idea of narrative the transitions between player turns! Brilliant.
This is a fantastic video. First I've seen of yours. You're adding some real great value for us. viewers. Seriously, ever tip is killer and I have them all in my DM notes for combat
Welcome aboard! Got a whole playlist of Advanced DM tips and Shorts on encounter design
I've found nothing but intuitive advice from a DM that I can't relate to 100%! Keep up the good work and keep these videos coming!
Glad you like it!!
This is brilliant! So simple yet profound I'm sitting here wondering how I've never really figured any of this out even after nearly 2 decades as a DM
I'm really looking forward to your next videos on pacing! It's something I'd really love to hear tips about
Great content man!
Here is a sneak peak: I think that DMs should work on abstracting most of the session to the nearest interesting design point.
I find that my players (and I!) really like positive feedback for creative, collaborative problem solving. Including, of course, in combat. We've been experimenting with ways to handle combined attacks and group maneuvers, which is something fairly poorly handled in most rules we play. But once the team figures out the trick or tactics to the encounter, combining actions seems to help drive things to resolution pretty well.
This is a great video with some very good ideas in it. I am DMing a campaign for ten middle schoolers currently, and I can use all the flow and cat wrangling tips I can get. Thank you, Devil Dog!
Yut! I'm so glad you found this helpful! Big take away is exigency and getting your players to work together to speed things along
Good video!
Focusing on transition made my combats go from good to great. Any time I have a combat that I feel like was kind of flat, I realize that I forgot to focus on transitions. It really is that important.
It's so easy to implement too!
An absolutely excellent video!
I really appreciated your examples. Instead of "do this rather than this" you actually explain what you mean and how to do it like in your Evil Sorceress Fireball example. I think that's super important and you nailed it :D
Thank you!! I aim for a good mix of theoretical and practical advice in these vids, and I'm glad you dig them
So I'm just randomly finding this video from suggestions from UA-cam....WOW these are amazing tips! I've made some notes for my next game session to try them out. Thanks!
Happy you're enjoying the channel 😁 Lucky for there's a whole backlog of content
This has to be the most usefull video about running combat on youtube
Thank you!
@@ZipperonDisney i take that back watched a couple more this has to be the best gm guide channel on youtube love your stuff
@@ponchopower makes me very happy to hear you think so 😊
Man I wish I had found this video before I started DM'ing a game last year. Thankfully, I'm still DM'ing a game so I can try to implement this stuff, along with the Theatre of the Mind combat tips. Great stuff!
Glad I could help! Have fun!
I keep most combat descriptions short like "you find an opportunity to strike as his eyes dart away dealing X dmg" but when they're finishing the last guy I let the person dealing the killing blow narrate it fully. Crit role tech
This is such a cool message! And your focus on the Present Continous is immaculate!
Love from Barcelona :)
Thank you so much!!!!
One of the few Real DM 201 courses right here! Really love your work keep them coming!
That's exactly what I'm aiming for! Glad you like them! (See my and very cool dude Jim Murphy's disagreement about this -> ua-cam.com/video/Ynimf49C2fE/v-deo.html )
Thank you so much for posting this video! You brought up some great pointers for keeping the mood going despite having to roll dice and do some quick math at the table.
That's another weird dilemma about D&D: people love rolling dice, but rolling dice slows play, and people hate slow play. I guess it's all about finding balance :)
At first I was thinking "This sounds a lot like the Angry GMs blogpost", but then yes, Yes, YES!! Awesome video man, finally a simple video to link to when anyone asks anything about GMing combat in D&D.
You're right that it's the framing and combination of other elements that makes this video stand alone, but I wanted to be sure to credit Angry - and link the blog post in the description!
There was something by @MattClick I wanted to link too, but when I tried to find it, this happened: twitter.com/ZipperonDisney/status/1129070980482109440
This is very interesting!! Well done and thank you for this :D
The only thing I disagree on is letting the players know the AC to hit / they need to beat. IMO not knowing the AC helps setting the overall mood for this particular encounter (in case the players are fighting a boss).
For example: I remember when we were fighting Strahd, the first attacking player rolled very high on his hit die but he missed; by then we knew that this was gonna be tense! (or even more tense than what we presumed it was gonna be).
I hear ya! I usually tell the immediately AC *after the first hit just for that reason!
only D&D video I've ever sought out to re reference!
I, of course, recommend a few of my vids for re-watching 😜 ua-cam.com/video/vDeBBHyq4_8/v-deo.html
Thank you for this, dude. Late viewer but I was always wondering how to make combat a little bit more cinematic. Great insights!
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope it changed the way you run combat for the better! Like, share, and subscribe :)
Average damage for monsters is in the Monster Manual for a reason. I have been using it since the play test of 5e or next. Really great video content. So glad you have had a high turnout for this video.
Thanks mate! I like rolling for damage when it would be dramatic. Last time I DM'd I chose to roll damage for a black pudding's acid - and did max! Poor PC lost a foot!
@@ZipperonDisney I roll the critical hit damage and when I know average damage will instantly kill a character.
Wow. Great job on the content. Best explanation of flowing in game I’ve came across. Danke Teufel Hunden!!!
Why have I not found you yet? Fantastic material bro! Keep it comin
I subscribed when he explained the word "exigency". I'm not a native English speaker so learning new words whilst improving my DM skills is like a natural twenty. Doubling my dice :).
Thanks a bunch! I'm so glad I could teach something :)
I need to watch this like three or four more times. Thank you!
Really enjoyed this video... fantastic tips and tricks! Well done!
Glad you liked it @Wally D.M. you might also like my consumable items video, it might be right up your alley
I’ve seen this before, it’s the exact same advice the AngryDM gives I believe. Not that it’s a bad thing the video is super nice, but felt weird to listen to the stuff I read before.
I believe he called it handling the combat “like a dolphin”.
Linked in the description! As well as some other places I drew inspiration from - check them out!
Your videos are really good and have a lot of good advice in them. Keep it up!
Thanks! That means a lot to me :)
Excellent video. I learned a lot, and I've watched and read a lot of DMing tips, so that is saying something. I'll have to watch this a couple of times to get everything, it is so jam packed with good stuff.
Thanks, I try really, really hard to make videos on subjects that aren't well covered elsewhere. Glad you enjoy it!
These are some big brain ideas. Love it
Love the advice, excited to try it out at the table tomorrow! 😊
Great video and fantastic tips at the end. I used minions before but never considered two hit minions.
Doing a Lost Mine of Phandelver reskin on Friday, good God I am scared. Thanks for the advice man, it helps.
You can do it!! Good luck!
@@ZipperonDisney it was pretty scuffed, but we all had to dip someone during a point, hopefully will pick up on that campaign in the future
Great tips. They are (and more) written in the Dungeon World rpg, and there these tips are the part of the system.
What's cool about dungeon world is the feeling or narration is baked into the mechanics - you can't separate them!
Hey man just wanted to say Awesome video! Very informative and I'm gonna see how I can implement ur points into my combat. U brought up some very interesting points and I do love how u keep most of the core mechanics intact whilst making everything flow so much better!
Thank you!! It's all in the narration and your frame of mind as a DM
@@ZipperonDisney No problem! I wrote a few bullet points for my next session and am running some test scenarios and I really hope my players like it! Granted the campaign world on its own is having some difficulties as of recently hahaha
Really great tips! I manage a group of 6 players and I've often struggled with making combat flow. I think incorporating some of these suggestions is really going to help. Thanks for the great content!
Helpful! I’ve always preferred more narrative oriented combat and some of this is going to help me be more confident and write a more engaging encounter. I actually have cheat sheets on players AC and passive perception just for these reasons! One thing I’d ask is if you can, drop the names of the artists you use in your vid. I hadn’t seen that bugbear piece in the exigency segment before and I LOVE it!
I credit the art in the end screen, but you're right - in the corner as an overlay would be better. I'll have to try and figure that out
Zipperon Disney I just didn’t see it, that’s my bad! Keep doing what you’re doing, I’ve watched a couple vids and really appreciate your perspective and enthusiasm.
This is a kinda crazy video...in a good way...I'm a RP heavy DM...I frequently don't do great combats...but cools npcs...story beats...trying to involve all players..but in combat I revert to me as crpg man(which I do love some gritty math, x-com like things...but that is also opposite of what I'm good at) roll dice do damage...repeat...however I have played since I was a kid in like 1988, which was a very different game...even back then I tried to make it more rp heavy...but it was a very you have a dungeon...get as much loot and defeat enough bad guys to level and repeat...it was a very different game..
These are good tips...I appreciate...
Adding randomness to combat does allow for inventiveness and creates more of a chaotic fight with the potential for its own narrative though. But that's just me. Love the vid
Do you! If there is a chance to kill or a critical, then I usually roll. Just enough spice :)
Hi, Zip! Just catching your channel for the first time and really enjoy your perspective. Thanks! I want to play at your table!
These tips will be valuable for me - as a GM, battle is my least favorite part of a game, but this may help me enjoy it way more.
I'm glad you like it @Jack_Jeansonne! The bit about exigency and traditions is the part that I try and remember every round, but everything is easier said than done! I think in the "live play of prepped on stream" video there is a bit of me actually running combat... :)
Great video, dude! I was actually working on my own combat video for compelling combat. I love that there's so many different approaches to improving how you run combat!
I needed this video. I've got the narrative pacing of a session figured, but combat is definitely something we can work on as a group.
Glad you like it dude!
I just discovered your channel, and oh boy I'm so glad I did, Thank you for the great content !
Thanks for watching! I don't put out a lot of videos, but I try and make every one of them matter!!!
This video contains invaluable advice for any GM of any skill level! Great video, my man!
I'm happy you think so! Everyone can implement transitions. I also have a whole playlist on advanced DMing techniques if you're up for it
@@ZipperonDisney I'll definitely check it out and let you know what I think!
Absolutely wonderful advice! I'll definitely be working some of this into my own combat encounters, especially the narration of the ending/start of turns.
Thanks mate!
Great advice! Thanks for sharing!
Hey dude.
Your channel is awesome.
You got me so hyped to get my next session ready !
I'm so happy to hear that! ❤️ Have fun!