Frequently Asked Questions about RPGs! (Game Master Tips)

Рет қаралды 742,697

Күн бұрын

Come hither as Critical Role’s Matt Mercer tells you how to be a better GM / DM. In today’s season finale, he answers some frequently asked questions.
Catch these tips a week early on Vessel, and on GeekandSundry.com every Friday!
For more on RPGs, go to bit.ly/GS_RPG
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Пікірлер: 397

@davidvanderhoeven8647 7 жыл бұрын

So, this is the most likable guy on this planet, no?

@starcrafter13terran 7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I met him and he's a great person. Very friendly and sociable.

@johnharrison2086 5 жыл бұрын

Charisma of 30

@solitudeguard3196 4 жыл бұрын

@@johnharrison2086 charisma is 45

@mennograafmans1595 4 жыл бұрын

It's a tossup between Keanu and Matt. The only thing that can make a difference is the hairlength. So both decided to keep it thr same length.

@DuplaD 4 жыл бұрын

@@mennograafmans1595 Dont forget Terry Crews!

@bharatk.n.v6210 8 жыл бұрын

Do you think he'll lose his DM powers if you cut off his hair?

@BigMac8000 8 жыл бұрын

He does, but then he starts using wigs, and then the schizophrenia becomes REAL.

@genderqueergorehound 7 жыл бұрын

He'd be like a fallen paladin.

@Obstreperous_Octopus 7 жыл бұрын

Yes. He is the D&D Samson.

@TheShuggaloaf 7 жыл бұрын

I think you need Scissors +5

@jasonfenton8250 6 жыл бұрын

It would be extremely painful... For you.

@karifuko 4 жыл бұрын

"If time allows me in the future, maybe I'll put something out..." Well... Well... WELL... :D

@aggarius2944 4 жыл бұрын

Aaron Lew 4:04 :)

@atem3200 8 жыл бұрын

This man is amazing

@shardliveactionroleplaying1113 8 жыл бұрын

+irvin hope there really is a sourcebook in the works! *crosses fingers*

@cheezball3327 7 жыл бұрын

so I just went on the Titansgrave website and found this in the news section: GEEK & SUNDRY PARTNERS WITH GREEN RONIN TO CREATE RPG BOOKS BASED ON ITS GROUNDBREAKING SHOW - CRITICAL ROLE New Line of Sourcebooks To Be Written By The Show’s Creator and Star Matthew Mercer

@starcrafter13terran 7 жыл бұрын

Think first book is coming out late spring.

@GeekoTreecko 3 жыл бұрын

Like #666

@cheesyburg1 7 жыл бұрын

"I would love to make a sourcebook if time let's me." Glad time allowed it. I genuinely cannot wait to explore this world, thank you for your work you have done to advance and enrich this community. Thank you Matt Mercer

@aggarius2944 4 жыл бұрын

Chad Ellis 4:04

@alyroo2230 2 жыл бұрын

He mentioned players throwing off the DM's plans. My first campaign had lycanthropes as one of the bigger plot points. The DM had planned for us to pick one of two sides to join during a war: for the lycans or against, basically. The healer on our team decided we were gonna cure lycanthropy... And we did.. And there was no war.. That poor DM, lol. He did very well with the switch up, so props to him 👍

@sydneycullis9778 7 жыл бұрын

My DM hates thinking of names so he uses a lot from Critical Role. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knows so it's really funny when he pulls a name I recognize. He also loves Gilmore and has made him an awesome NPC

@DrHokeyPokey 7 жыл бұрын

Has he used Purvan yet?

@maxmeusel4531 6 жыл бұрын

DrHokeyPokey Who are these Gilmore guys?

@Motavian 8 жыл бұрын

I would actually like to see a video for running an urban game/adventure. It's criminally underused and often only serves as the place where the party can buy/sell their stuff.

@colette4650 8 жыл бұрын

I'm trying to write a campaign set entirely in a city at the moment. I'm running into some issues because the way the storyline seems to be playing out in my head, there's not a lot of room for battles beyond minor skirmishes, and much more investigation and talking to people than the usual fighting, looking for loot, and leveling up. I'd love to see a video about how to avoid/address that.

@Motavian 8 жыл бұрын

You know, I find that urban adventures run really well depending on the group. If the players are the type to take initiative and joy in exploration, then there's a good chance you'll have an interesting game on your hand, provided that you provide interesting things for your players. The biggest thing I can suggest is to talk to your group beforehand to see if it is something that they would like to do. It seems weird to many people, but I find that the best campaigns are those that players and DM's create together beforehand.

@nick1wasd 7 жыл бұрын

Maybe run it in an AC type fights (on top of rooftops, back ally/warehouses) and a lot more sneaky/covert kind of running around, maybe a crime ring or drug lord-type they have to deal with :P

@shadowkat678 7 жыл бұрын

I want to see this too. I'm planning out a homebrew world and the first good chunk of the game is going to be limited mostly to a major city. It revolves around stealth type characters and more passive role playing gameplay. Strategy and thought focused more than combat. Hard to find advice for that.

@blipboigilgamesh7865 5 жыл бұрын

Imo, the best couple you can make with urban campaigns is the criminal/mafia kind of game. It fits both the roleplay-heavy character and the blood-driven maniac murder hobo. You could even throw some other things in between! I for example once implemented freaking Stand Powers in my game. My players never had so much fun playing as they did in my tables.

@joselovonable 8 жыл бұрын

I want to thank you geek & sundry. From the bottom of my heart, I always thought of ttrpg as some kind of nerdy super boring thing, but then one day I stood upon your Channel. What were these guys doing?! Were they telling a story? No, they were living a story! That was the most awesome and creative thing I could have thought of. Now, almost every week I am the DM for my friends. So thank you G&S, for showing me what I was missing and starting what has become a wonderful part of my life and that of my friends.- Thanks from COLOMBIA (South America) and keep inspiring people ;)

@IHateHandleNames 7 жыл бұрын

I'm stealing Gilmour for my own game. He's franchising. it's what he would want.

@Obstreperous_Octopus 7 жыл бұрын

remember to shop at Gilmore's Glorious Goods for all of your magic item needs!

@wombatman5164 7 жыл бұрын

my DM borrowed Gilmore and he ended up being my characters worst enemy. I'd try to make a smartass remark and wind up outside knee deep in horse shit.

@starcrafter13terran 7 жыл бұрын

What about that powder vendor?

@IHateHandleNames 7 жыл бұрын

starcrafter13terran I did steal victor too. He was thrown into a pit of souls by our warlock and died horribly.

@theramendutchman 3 жыл бұрын

@@IHateHandleNames WAT?! What kind of murder hobo is your Warlock player?! oh nvm they're a Warlock player

@danielwilliams8183 4 жыл бұрын

"I'd love to make a source book" Matt says.

@ThePortableTornado 8 жыл бұрын

In terms of music my group is a big fan of God of War music for our boss fights. Works really well when something BIG shows up.

@naturalone6529 4 жыл бұрын

This man is the god all DMs look up to. He's had years to cultivate his skills, and the man's campaigns age like fine wine. As time goes by, his stories just keep getting better and better.

@HalfOrcMage 6 жыл бұрын

Coming back to this over a year later after he's released a campaign guide ended a level 20 campaign and become incredibly famous how far they've come

@Strix182 4 жыл бұрын

Heh heh, looking back at this video while I'm starting my first DMing run with the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount is a funny thing.

@Mavrik9000 3 жыл бұрын

I nominate Matt to play Aragorn in any new, edited, animated, or remade LotR media.

@justc1re617 4 жыл бұрын

Dm'd my first session today and it was a blast. Thanks for being an inspiration for us all. Good stuff Matt 👍

@vuke6931 8 жыл бұрын

Fantastic series. It's helped me a lot and I haven't even started dm-Ing yet

@ValeriaTheWolf 6 жыл бұрын

It's so beautiful seeing this and hearing him say multiple times how he would love to make a book like that and now the Exandria campaign setting book is out 😭❤

@deKahedron 4 жыл бұрын

If anyone is interested, Jeremy Crawford, one of the lead designers for D&D, runs a blog called Sage Advice where he addresses the difficult and nebulous areas between the rules.

@RogueBipolarDemon 8 жыл бұрын

SOOOOOO Helpful! This is great, especially because I just started DMing, just watching this series has made my DMing so much better!

@duhg599 8 жыл бұрын

Matt, thank you for making these videos. They've been extremely helpful to me as I'm running my games. Please keep it up.

@thervanfirahel177 5 жыл бұрын

Matt mercer and chris perkins are probably my 2 favorite professional DM's. Theyre so good at what they do

@sky0kast0 8 жыл бұрын

It's cool that he did this.

@Wanderingsage7 7 жыл бұрын

forgive me Mercer for I have sinned. it's been six months since I've seen a critical role episode.

@unicyclist97 7 жыл бұрын

Wanderingsage7 That just means there's more awesome story for you to watch!

@jakinluk2513 5 жыл бұрын

we need to cleanse you for you have broken your oath. Luckily, I'm a cleric.

@penguinpaladin5617 4 жыл бұрын

Say 60 hail Scanlan’s and you are cleansed.

@theramendutchman 3 жыл бұрын

@@penguinpaladin5617 Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan! Hail Scanlan!

@DarthMalnu 8 жыл бұрын

I've taken to making maps in RTS level editors (currently using Age of Empires 2) and then screen capping it and piecing it back together on Roll20. You can make some great consistent open worlds that way and then add all you want on top of it to make it really shine. Then all you need to do is make some smaller maps for building interiors, and you're set. It's a big time sink, but it makes some strong looking towns and countryside.

@kc_cobra 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the great tips. Hope you do more of these in future!

@miguelrodrigues3650 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Mathew! Just watching you doin your shit helps me so much!

@LionofCaliban 8 жыл бұрын

Interesting, that's the exact way I build my playlists for when I'm running a game at a person's at home. I try to use the music to help tell the story, not to replace it, to try and build on it. Shame you can't go back further Matt, Jeremy Soule did some great work for Black Isle once upon a time.

@funnyman19771 8 жыл бұрын

love it. Mr. Mercer please continue to do what you do.

@MrKteach 8 жыл бұрын

I've used Gilmore to great effect! my players loved him, even when they were debt to him well over 500,000 gold. thank you so much for how much you put into your world

@awakendtable1109 5 жыл бұрын

"Hell, I would love to make a source book." And so it has been done.

@MurderTurtle 6 жыл бұрын

I come from an acting and improv background; I’ve been doing it for my entire childhood, so GMing seems like a fun way to kind of keep my skills sharp. These videos are fantastic by the way.

@androsh9039 8 жыл бұрын

God bless Matthew Mercer. I hope he continues making more awesome videos like these.

@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself 8 жыл бұрын

Alright, just finished watching the whole playlist - time to watch them all again.

@drpaedan2099 8 жыл бұрын

I remember a year long campaign we had back in Toronto during my college days, where each battle we'd use the usual Final Fantasy fight music, but at the grand "final battle", it was the bosa music from FFII (versus Zeromus)... made it that much more memorable!

@yomolwaspran1527 6 жыл бұрын

I'm a senior in high school who dms for my friend group. Instead of letting my second semester be a billion study Halls, I took a bunch of electives, one of which was improv. It really, really made my dming better, to an extent I couldn't expect. So I 100% agree on that.

@nasrinthebarbarian 7 жыл бұрын

Love this series. Thank you.

@xXDerPuppenspielerXx 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this amazing series, i'm looking ahead to starting my own campaign with some friends in the near future, and the things i learned here will help me a lot for sure. To be honest, they already inspired me for some of the best parts of my story being wrote right now. It would be a dream playing a RPG with a GM like you (i admit already being quite an addictive for Pen and Paper), but that seems pretty difficult considering the fact that i live in germany. So ill keep watching your videos, enjoy that and learn hopefully a lot more.

@ashenlongbow1482 7 жыл бұрын

xXDerPuppenspielerXx You should check out Roll20. It's a great online tabletop thing. If you're lucky there are some INCREDIBLE DMs that you could come across. The main reason I'm DMing now is a guy named Moose. He's an American guy who ran a campaign that I managed to get into by pure chance, considering my Britishness I feel like I was rather lucky. Oh, and I'm running a campaign involving a German at the moment, so I'm just saying, international tabletop possibilities are out there! (Just be careful when picking campaigns/players... I recommend aiming for a group with an articulate DM [look at grammar and spelling for an indicator] and trying to be as articulate as you can yourself.)

@BANANA3434 8 жыл бұрын

Great series, I hope it continues!

@shanh9113 8 жыл бұрын

Love ya, Matt! :D Thanks for all the great tips!

@LtLexay1 7 жыл бұрын

4:04 "hell, I'd love to make a source book" fast forward a year...

@guitardavepdx 7 жыл бұрын

the Dungeon Masters Block podcast and forum is amazing as well for resources

@Corvo-xo4yo 5 жыл бұрын

Another thing you can do for maps if you don't want to use so much paper is you can get a wet erase battle map from gaming stores and some various colored visa vis and have the creativity that won't rub off until you want it to

@1dkyro252 7 жыл бұрын

So strange to watch now after the campaign guide is released and last year he thought it would never happen or didn't see the opportunity. Love you Matt!

@pedrodelarastockler3919 8 жыл бұрын

Matthew Mercer, first thank you for the amazing videos. I am a amateur GM, and was the one that presented to my group of friends the universe of RPG. Which means I taught myself everything of it, and your videos has been enlightening for me. I'm speaking too much, sorry for that. what I want to say is thank you and please, if possible, continue this videos. I only hope to be half as good as a dungeon master as you are, thank you very much.

@pedrodelarastockler3919 8 жыл бұрын

sorry for the grammar errors... my auto correct is the worst

@adamj.mc.3078 4 жыл бұрын

ages like wine, love the source book, just got to read over a friends copy

@flipbard 8 жыл бұрын

Your video look really cool! I really regret that I did not know much English, and almost do not understand what you are saying. But I can see the quality of the video, the power of acting in the role of the characters and looking at you, I know what I should aspire. As the author youtube channel also as Gamemaster. Thank you!

@gameram6382 3 жыл бұрын

Hes amazing at being a dm

@bigkahunamenor 7 жыл бұрын

Such great advice, thanks for the great and informative videos. I love what you do, I am a huge fan of your talent and hope to see more of your Dungeon Mastering in the near future, Aloha

@adakennnedy__ Жыл бұрын

Omg I can listen to his talk 4 ever 😍

@JorgeOrtizA 8 жыл бұрын

Good tip on the Improv. It helps a lot both for GMing and playing a PC. Saying "Yes, and..." avoids railroading the characters as well!

@adiennika24 4 жыл бұрын

I just want to say thank you. If not for these videos I would not be trying to dm [gm] again for my second time I think doing a homebrew will work better for me.

@robynhiggs4379 8 жыл бұрын

WE NEED MORE!!!

@Frozendawnguild 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Matt! Great stuff

@Obesepelican 6 жыл бұрын

I love Matt so much

@DarthKazimov 8 жыл бұрын

A sourcebook or a "Living Exandria" website would be sweet.

@marcussherlock6318 6 жыл бұрын

I ran an episode of my group's campaign set inside the PC's very nightmares (based on backstory and psychological profiles I had extracted from them prior to play) as a result of the party being possessed by an astral spirit that intended to lay its eggs in their egos. It was very difficult to award material loot for a series of encounters that took place entirely within their own heads. In the end I had the power of the defeated spirit crystallise into stones of solid magic representing a magical weapon or item property inspired by the individual psychological challenges each character overcame in their personalised encounters. They could use these stones to bypass most of the usual crafting requirements to make the corresponding items.

@CherryCakeyChloe 3 жыл бұрын

You did it bubs, you made a reference book ❤️

@masterofgreymog5751 8 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I've always thought of attempting to be a game master *as being* an improv class. :P

@Leathurkatt 3 жыл бұрын

I use a lot of music done by Adrian von Ziegler, David Arkenstone, Antti Martikainen, and some traditional Celtic, Nordic, or Medieval songs. Some of the movies I pull songs from include Willow, Legend, The Dark Crystal, Ladyhawke, and a few others.

@Wauly 7 жыл бұрын

Man, I haven't DM'd yet, but I'm so glad I've taken improv.

@The6Death6Bringer6 8 жыл бұрын

Please more tips, possibly some stuff about Taldorei. I'm sure i'm not only speaking for myself when i say your tips have completely changed the way i create and run my groups campaign.

@CalebByRamen 8 жыл бұрын

excellent video man. thanks much.

@LesbianPretzel 4 жыл бұрын

I play a Paladin that dabbles in a bit of instrument making and bard-style work. I currently have made an archtop semi-hollow body guitar in the game, but instead of being electric, it's magic based while also using magnetic pickups.

@calvinball1 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the music tips! =)

@PiratePawsLive 7 жыл бұрын

If you really find nothing on google you can tweet at wizards of the coast too. I've seen them answer rule questions in the past. :)

@dardomunoz690 7 жыл бұрын

Dude...you are my new hero.

@dakotadenney8147 8 жыл бұрын

Hey! Recent fan of your D&D videos! My friends and I are beginning to get into D&D and I am going to be the DM. I watched the video where explained the music you used, and I was just curious to if there was a specific playlist on Spotify that you use or if there is something that can get me started. Thanks!

@alyssathatcher8678 8 жыл бұрын

Another great place to find music, if copyrights aren't an issue, is movies, some have fantastic soundtrack, and tend to sound very grand, so find your favs or even movies with the same genre and use some track from those

@KappaKiller108 6 жыл бұрын

I think I've ended up putting Grogg (under different names) into my campaign a number of times. It was such a memorable character that I end up playing every Barbarian NPC like him, terrifying and adorable

@drunkmanreviewsdrinkingtec3675 4 жыл бұрын

You should have a prize on twitch for someone to win the chance to sit in on a session with you guys and play their character!

@Letham316 2 жыл бұрын

Speaking of music, I started watching campaign 2 and I like it when familiar music from WoW randomly starts playing. My interest in the game has diminished over the years, but I still love the music. 😊

@TS-jh2jg 2 жыл бұрын

To add (after a long time) about music options, I’ve used Midnight Syndicate for years as Halloween music, but Nox Arcana is also great and very similar in style.

@KevinMCable 6 жыл бұрын

Bro... Midnight Syndicate... Thank you so much for giving them a shout out.

@stuartp2006 8 жыл бұрын

Our groups pretty much never have soundtracks for the sessions, except for the Star Wars cantina music, which plays about half the time we play anything Star Wars related.

@ld905 7 жыл бұрын

3:09 I was hoping for 'ruddy mysterious'

@corvus9896 7 жыл бұрын

Question 5: good cause I am definitely using the vestiges in my game :)

@Mosreject 7 жыл бұрын

And you made it mr Mercer, you made it! Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting YO!

@DasJager0603 8 жыл бұрын

Wooo, Mercer!

@darrenrichardson6146 6 жыл бұрын

Ohh yeah Midnight Syndicate's tracks are awesome, I have several of their albums.

@gaamaru95 5 жыл бұрын

I fucking love Matt Mercer.

@alanamcmichael7060 8 жыл бұрын

Omg please give us a source guide! I'd buy that in a heart beat!

@justsomeguy2132 4 жыл бұрын

“I would love to make a sourcebook” well matt. Let me tell ya something lol

@OtepRalloma 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for teaching me how to pronounce McLeod

@rockeyyoung841 6 жыл бұрын

The awesome part is he actually did make a book.

@Sabre912 4 жыл бұрын

3:37 Good cause im borrowing Ballsac..... i mean Balgus...

@TheCanadianLord 8 жыл бұрын

Hey Matt, try looking up a band/group of guys called Khallanar. They have currently two albums, one themed after the Drow, and one for their groups characters. But it's good ambient music designed after and for D&D.

@MrLessir 7 жыл бұрын

DMDJ is an app on android and IOS that have a lot of great music/sound! I use it often in my games

@Dudemanous1 6 жыл бұрын

1:35 This is slip of the tongue is why we were so fortunate as to get the D&Diesel special later on.

@editorism 8 жыл бұрын

I'm gonna be running my first campaign using the new (upcoming) Robert E. Howard's Conan: Adventures in an age undreamed of RPG system. Your tips are really nice, I'm really scared about letting my group down, so stressed! Thanks for the nice vids

@thebobsterjones 8 жыл бұрын

+editorism You should check out Matthew Colville's new video series called 'Running the Game'. It's a guide for beginner GMs, starting from creating dungeons, getting a game together, creating your setting. It's reeeally good for a new GM. I believe Liam O'Brien linked to the first video on twitter.

@amandadube156 8 жыл бұрын

+editorism Don't worry, you're going to have a blast! :) Preparation is like, 80% of the battle. The other 20% is just relaxing, allowing yourself to have fun, and accepting the fact that your plans will never go perfectly. Remember: so long as everyone at the table has a good time, then the game is a success!

@Lemmy_Kilturtle 8 жыл бұрын

+editorism I would say just try your best, have fun and be open about things you find difficult. Good luck and have fun with your campaign!

@TheJaimeGamingShow 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video 👍👍👍

@Rocky6122 8 жыл бұрын

Have you ever thought of putting your music playlists on Geek and Sundry's Spotify? I would love to use them in a campaign!

@paradoxengine6003 6 жыл бұрын

Matt is gods gift to D&D.

@remielhopefull8101 5 жыл бұрын

Matt, you should also check out the band Nox Arcana! They are very similar to Midnight Syndicate.

@danieldegabriele7401 5 жыл бұрын

Also curious how many improv classes Matt has taken? being someone in improv at the moment and going to write a (short) paper about D&D as improv. Also how does he take care of his hair? What kind of shampoo. Can he grow a beard?

@happenstancially4132 4 жыл бұрын

RPG fantasy on iOS is pretty cool for tunes too

@Corvo-xo4yo 5 жыл бұрын

He actually did make a campaign guide! Woah time is weird

@opalthediloalt9595 6 жыл бұрын

Can I make a map as I go along because that’s what I have been doing, kinda like how Minecraft randomly generates random terrain with different seeds, but more like dwarf fortress where it’s more like a rouge like.

@elvenator 8 жыл бұрын

For those reading the comments, here's some suggestions for music to peruse for playlists: Two Steps From Hell, Audiomachine, and Future World Music. Those three will likely lead you to similar stuff, particularly on KZfaq.

@wickedly1 7 жыл бұрын

For the "Be a Better DM" video. I recommend on reading all of the DMing Advice you can get. Ignore the Dungeon Master's Book, and just read what people advise on working on to make a fun game. But, the biggest word that you want in your game, is "fun". That is something you have to decide for yourself. Often, what is fun for you, will be fun for your players.