What Matt Mercer Isn’t Telling You | 9 Dungeon Master Secrets

What Matt Mercer Isn’t Telling You | 9 Dungeon Master Secrets | D&D

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Күн бұрын

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If only we knew the secrets of amazing dungeon masters, such as Matt Mercer, we'd all be able to run D&D games just as awesome, right? Today we REVEAL ALL 9 DM secrets that pro DMs won't tell you. ;D
Pay no attention to what follows. The Barbarian went crazy on the keyboard and there was no stopping him. Do YOU want to tell the Barbarian "no"?!?
One D&D is coming dnd one 5.5e 6e SOON! dungeon master advice how to be a DM Beginners Guide dungeon mastering how to play dungeons and dragons DandD cleric wizard spells Critical Role plays tabletop games Bronstein Impertu Cavetus 5th edition 5e Dungeons & Dragons game master advice and tips are found here with dungeon dudes sprinkled in crap guide too XP to Level 3 skits very funny! say hello to my little axe! Yippee cansee love me some Matt Mercer dungeonmaster gamemaster community dragons terrifying shorts most powerful Davvychappy vs dnd rule testing Bob World Builder Heinster ketchupMunster next stop reading this top secret information off limits go away the dm lair that's me how to play classes like BARBARIAN monster beholder aboleth orc goblin gnoll giant mind flayer DND DnD best roleplaying role-playing game ever dungeoneering dungeon delving with ginny di and taking20 i love professor dungeoncraft my fingers hurt now time to go smash stuff
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@theDMLair Жыл бұрын

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@allensheets9369 Жыл бұрын

i been running games since 1981 and i will take and learn anything i can from every game master and even players that cross my path or see on line and just want to say thank you for what you do..

@vortraz2054 Жыл бұрын

2:16 I didnt know I needed to hear this cus its so obviously true but. Hearing it hits different. I started to mistake Matt coleville calling running the game easy, for not prepping as much as I should. And for your next tip uh. That one took you too many words xD Its a coop game

@Stone_Orchids Жыл бұрын

I feel like only 2 pcs dying in mercer games is way too little, if more than half of the original party survives a campaign it was an easy campaign

@MrPtrlix Жыл бұрын

A big tip: Having incredible players makes the DM look better. Matt is a great DM, but his players elevate his prowess even more.

@felix34ever1 Жыл бұрын

On god. The ability to DM amazingly is killed if you have bad players especially

@professorclevertv2281 Жыл бұрын

Yes. Sometimes it actually is just the players, that are disinterested or dont really take any initiative in the game.

@tyrrollins Жыл бұрын

Probably one of the greatest skills and hardest is to hold your players to a standard that is for the good of the game and dropping them if they fail consistently to act according to that standard.

@saparapatepete Жыл бұрын

D&D is somewhat of a team activity......

@taragnor Жыл бұрын

Bingo. If a player ever criticizes you and tells you that you need to more like Mercer, tell them they need to be more like the players on Critical Role.

@BoredTAK5000 Жыл бұрын

The ‘secret’ is that they’ve been building worlds since they were little kids. Everyone talks about how great they are but no one sees the work and time that they put into their games.

@Magnus2dead Жыл бұрын

Although I agree that is a major part, as someone who has been doing the same since I was 8 it didn't make me a great one lol I need tips like this to help better my games

@mathmusicandlooks Жыл бұрын

If you want to worldbuild a world as deep, expansive, and immersive as Mercer’s, it is never too late to start. I started building a world of my own starting in January of this year. My players have been playing in it since April. It’s already more detailed, fleshed out, and alive than most other homebrew worlds I’ve heard of. It really excites me. The best part is that it’s not a full time job or anything. Creating one or two NPC’s per day is about the amount of daily worldbuilding i do on average, and I’ve now got 7 continents, 3 of which have been populated by countries complete with general racial demographic, capitals, and some with flags and primary exports and cultural dietary staples. Maybe I’m having too much fun with this…

@pugking4518 Жыл бұрын

@@Magnus2dead The fact that you are still looking for ways to improve as a DM is a very good sign sadly some people think they know it all no matter how much you know there are always away to improve as a DM or as a player

@randomyoutubecommenterr Жыл бұрын

I'd say to add on to that they have fleshed out skills that assist with their games. Matt Mercer and the group are voice actors, they know how to get into a roll. Brennan Lee Mulligan and his group are comedians and improv experts. 2 very applicable skills for making RP better.

@tonymaurice4157 Жыл бұрын

critical role is a soap opera... It's nothing like D&D from the 80s But this is the soy boy era

@JDLambright Жыл бұрын

You forgot the last secret: Having great, enthusiastic players! I know when my players are really into the game, it makes me want to work that much harder at being a better DM for them.

@geekguru Жыл бұрын

I was just getting ready to say this. The players make the game fun. I do my best to engage all players. Some players are just quiet. Everyone in the studios understand they can't be the power gamer. They all share the spotlight and have moments that make them shine.

@guamae Жыл бұрын

#1 Preparation. In interviews, Matt said he used to do one hour of prep per hour of gameplay... But when they started getting big streaming, it was closer to four hours of prep per hour of gameplay 😬😬😬

@PalleRasmussen Жыл бұрын

Ask Marisha, she will often not see him for hours, days in a row.

@vintagezebra5527 Жыл бұрын

Well, I would hope so! There’s a big difference between running a game for your friends after work one night per week and running a game being your JOB or one of them!

@dynestis2875 Жыл бұрын

*Shutting up and listening to my players talk* has yielded me with idea's for plot hooks and events which are FAR superior to anything I would ever have thought of myself.

@MonkeyJedi99 Жыл бұрын

Truth! Also, Luke doesn't suck. - Almost forgot... BACON

@elgatochurro Жыл бұрын

What sucks is whenever I issue a break for bathroom or refilling a water, they'll RP... I get that's cool and all but I do wanna listen in too for this EXACT reason...

@an8strengthkobold360 Жыл бұрын

I know this is mostly an ADHD problem but I genuinely find it much easier to just write an adventure then to read, interpret, take in and come to understand an adventure designed by someone else.

@rich63113 Жыл бұрын

I don't think its mostly an ADHD problem, but I'm also ADHD, so who knows. That being said - yeah, I feel paralyzed by premade content. It's all really poorly organized, and it feels wrong to make changes to it, so I worry about whether I'm getting things correct. If I tell people we're going to play LMoP - they expect LMoP - not Rich's "Yojimbo with Goblins". All the lore from the Sword Coast doesn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy "oh you've got all this stuff to fall back on" but a sense of dread that I need to get it all right. I spend more effort in time trying to get things right than I do making things fun. And the same holds true with prep. If I get down to prepping specific encounters, I run those encounters whether or not they're thematically appropriate, and I don't run any other encounters. And that's way worse than just having a list of "typical enemy types for this faction" and winging it when it seems appropriate. So I run all homebrew, and I have factions with motives, and I see what happens, and it works much better for me than prepping heavily. And I really wish the neurotypicals would stop being shitty about this stuff.

@Jeppy_ Жыл бұрын

Another thing is often under looked, even from players that want the "Mercer experience" and DMs that feels insecure about their abilities, is "he's a wonderful DM, yes, but his players are amazing too, he's not the only one creating the story and they improve it too, not everything relies only on his abilities". I have two players that really like being at the table but they are of the silent type, they enjoy how we play but I know that if a part of the story revolves around their characters it will have a difficult road because it will be more of a one side talk and not a two way. (e.g. one player stayed in silence the whole conversation with a NPC of his background, a very important one. I waited 15 second after each of my sentences to wait for a reply that never came). So everyone remember, there is no grow in a sterile ground, play the game and improve yourself every time you're playing with others because that's the main way to be always better than before.

@Dominik-ev9en Жыл бұрын

One of the secrets, additional to all the things already mentioned, is to have awesome players that are committed to help telling the story as good as they can. When people talk about the Matt Mercer effect my takeaway of CR is not to expect more from my DM. But a motivation to become a better player that does his best to make the game a fun experience for everyone.

@elgatochurro Жыл бұрын

Players I've met in recent years expect the DM to essentially do all the work... Even their backstories are practically 1 or 2 sentences like this is a one shot. These were players who then wanted me to be a really good storyteller which isn't the DM style I do and yet... I had no material to work with from them for their characters.

@murgel2006 Жыл бұрын

Many GMs I have known are really good and fun GMs but the absolute best ones, those whose games were the most fun to be in, were the ones who excelled in offering the players opportunities to do what the players liked best. I mean that the GMs gave clues the players picked up easily and could form into actions that they enjoyed. Players want in a fun moment or a glorious action sequence or an escape by the with of a hair? The GM sees it and offers an opportunity.

@PanzerYeena Жыл бұрын

I find that the most important part creating and running adventures and campaigns is player investment - and that's also a massive part of what makes Critical Role what it is. All the player characters have detailed yet open backstories that the players wrote and thus care about, which then gives Mercer the mateiral he needs to get them invested in the adventures he creates. Having a random NPC appraoch the party and offer them X amount of gold if they go and slay the dragon who's been terorrizing nearby villages and travellers is an adventure hook, but it hardly icentivizes players to get invested into the adventure. However, having an NPC from one player's backstory call upon their adventurer friend to help because their home village might be next to get attacked by that same dragon is far more engaging and personal for the player and character. As a rule of thumb for new DMs, player's backstory should include: - Who their character is - What their character wants to achieve - A place the character cares about (for me to burn) - A few NPCs the character cares about (for me to stab) - An antagonist (for them to maybe stab) This can all fit on half a page in bulletpoints, it doesn't have to be a 5-page essay.

@elgatochurro Жыл бұрын

Sad thing is I've found players these days don't want to do their share... That's on the DM now... Even their backstories... I've tried anyway and the player then complains because I didn't know HOW famous they were... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW? "FAMOUS MUSICIAN" doesn't tell me much... What genre? Instruments? Singing? Studio? I NEED to know.. It's COOPERATIVE storytelling... Cooperative means I get help no?

@vinigmoura Жыл бұрын

I recently finished the first campaign from Not Another D&D Podcast and just found out how AMAZING Bryan Murphy is as DM, just as good as Matt and Brenan.

@Teraclon Жыл бұрын

If Matt had held back in campaign 2 against Mollymauk, we might never had gotten the amazing arc of Lucien. be fair, but play the difficulty that the scenario demands, I say. Usually it can lead to some amazing stuff, like a genuine drive for revenge against a powerful foe. that's character- and world-building which lends to the immersion

@davedawanderer Жыл бұрын

WE also would have never gotten Caduceous, who was one of the best characters I've seen.

@Teraclon Жыл бұрын

@@davedawanderer Amen to that

@davidmc8478 Жыл бұрын

I have no problem with killing PCs but I feel that combat and the recent campaign 3 combat were not telegraphed. Especially the combat with mollymauk’s death, PCs were kidnapped and the other players did not have much choice but to try and get them back. Making that an imbalanced combat was pretty unfair …. But I also think it may have been prearranged and Taleisen suicided his character.

@tonymaurice4157 Жыл бұрын

critical role is a soap opera... It's nothing like D&D from the 80s But this is the soy boy era

@davidmc8478 Жыл бұрын

@@tonymaurice4157 I think all live plays are basically an old fashioned radio show. It’s most enjoyable to consume them that way and it explains why critical role is the most successful (actual voice actors performing in a radio show).

@RIVERSRPGChannel Жыл бұрын

Yes preparation is key. I’ve been DMing for over 30 years, and still spend hours prepping. Death is inevitable in D&D. Yes you need to know the rules, maybe not all of them off the top of your head. Watching other’s videos on D&D helps too. The three pillars are a must for a campaign. You also have to know your table and prep for them. Using backstories of the PCs in your campaign helps a lot too.

@Frederic_S Жыл бұрын

The best GMs don’t show what is behind the curtain. I mean they don’t say sings like „oh yea I totally made that up..“. That’s something I do from time to time and I think that is a bad habit (most of the time). A GM is an actor who is good at pretending he is a great GM. If I was a DM I would totally become a patreon. Lair magazine looks dope.

@suddenenigma Жыл бұрын

Today was a great example of good DMing. We had to do a bit of platforming. The DCs weren't high, but our rolls were terrible. We got about half way, frustrated at how bad this was going. Then I remembered we had just picked up two immovable rods. And with the help of Mage Hand, it got pretty easy. The DM gave us the clues, but let us figure out how to use them. Oh, and our guide on the way there was hilarious, singing a silly song as he cleared the way. And yes, the DM sang. It was horrible, yet highly entertaining.

@cert2b Жыл бұрын

So I was speaking with my players. I had mentioned that I had a blast (which I did) and I had hoped they enjoyed it as much as I did. Well one of my players said, unprompted, that they adored me as a GM. It was, by far, the nicest compliment I had ever received.

@erc1971erc1971 Жыл бұрын

One of your best videos, it is packed with excellent suggestions that all GM's should do in their games and prep.

@trikon0408 Жыл бұрын

I really love your KZfaq content because I feel like I learn something every video. Also, the Lair Magazine is saving my butt sometimes. :D You and your team are doing an awesome job!

@theDMLair Жыл бұрын

Awesome, happy to hear the content helps! 😁

@blackmage471 Жыл бұрын

It doesn't hurt to run a session by the seat of your pants once in a rare while just to keep your improvisation skills sharp. Not suggesting zero prep, only minimal prep. I recently did this myself by giving my players a list of optional side quests to choose from. I had a bare bones outline of key NPCs and their goals, but let my players' ideas on how to solve the quest guide me. It was a very successful session, I think.

@thebigclamp1 Жыл бұрын

I would like to add some personal advice. I usually take the first few sessions where the PCs get to settle the party, roles and so on to test and pry into what they like and dislike. This allows you to try and focus on what the PCs preffer to do and generally makes better campaigns

@nomical Жыл бұрын

The secret to Matt mercer is that he has amazing players. You will NEVER see someone criticizing Matt on a decision. If he makes a ruling and someone dies. They die. The players don’t intentionally try to railroad the game for the sake of fun. Not saying that they take a unique approach to a problem but refuse to take ANY plot hooks and just want to sit in the tavern all day because it’s fun.

@britneymenhir552 Жыл бұрын

I'm a busy DM, single mom with autistic daughter (who discovered and fell in love with Rapappa the Rapper and dre3ssed up like him for Halloween- she is epic awesome!). I love writing my own campaigns. I make up for lacking prep by customizing the game to the players. They are always so thrilled with how much consideration I take for their story arcs and am open to static or developing PCs. I achieved this by studying how to write novels and short stories. I HIGHLY recommend studying character development and how to create a basic skeleton plot line to follow, leave out the flesh so you can LET THE PLAYERS WRITE THE STORY AROUND YOUR BASIC PLOT TRAJECTORY

@stephenwells2464 Жыл бұрын

One thing I’ve heard Matt point out I stole to remind my players is I didn’t do anything to you the bad guy/ world did. If I wanted your character dead, I’d just have “rocks fall everyone dies”

@octosink Жыл бұрын

I'm loving this advice! I prep way more than I play. I prep stuff that sometimes doesn't even get used. It just goes into a file for possible later use. I love your channel!

@agilemonk6305 Жыл бұрын

I’ve been building worlds since I was twelve and I’m 58 now. Was doing it since starting playing with 1974/75 boxed sets (3 books). And prep is important. It always good to be able to have improvisation skills when needed. 😀

@jackbellinger1216 Жыл бұрын

That was one of your best videos, keep up the great work!

@ZealZaddy Жыл бұрын

100% agree with all. That’s why I watch you and respect you.

@theDMLair Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@monkeymox2544 Жыл бұрын

One thing I learned early on is that too much prep is a waste of time, but in a very specific sense: when you start the game you should know your NPCs, your locations, your lore, the basic story etc. You should have stats and everything you need to run the game to hand. But what you don't want to do is to spend an hour planning something very specific which your players then don't do - instead, plan on such a way that you can flexibly use what you've planned _irrespective_ of what your players do. I'm a big fan of the method advocated by Sly Flourish. He calls it 'lazy' prep, but it's really quite thorough. Lazy prep in his sense is about understanding what you really need to do to prepare, and not doing more than that. I think it's the very best approach, particularly for busy DMs. I've also found that when I overprepare is when I'm most likely to begrudge my players for not acting how I wanted them to, and it makes me railroady.

@SPINNINNZEN Жыл бұрын

Great video and thank you for all your hard work as well!

@thrandompug2254 Жыл бұрын

I prepare somewhat and then improvise when needed. I essentially write out an outline for what the session will be and then improv what I need to to make things run smoothly. I feel it gives me more creative freedom and allows me give my players more agency because I'm not doing some hardcore railroading.

@eraz0rhead Жыл бұрын

Excellent advice. I've been DMing since the mid-80's and I used to think of myself as better at improvising. But what it came down to was that I was better at improvising in a game setting and plot-line that was my own, instead of running a published module. In other words -- I was better at improvising when I was well prepared :) vs a module where I usually was not (I was lazy!) On treating Players fairly, I think this is where good acting skills really kick in. Being able to separate the choices you make as a DM from the choices the antagonists make (and being really indicative that it's "them") can help alleviate the Players perceptions that you're out to get them. Having stupid monsters do stupid things, but BBEGenius do smart and horrible things, but in a sinister voice ..:) seems to help.

@LatulaArts Жыл бұрын

For those willing to move adventures from one system to another, pathfinder 1e has a lot of low session count mini modules and a number of them are available for free online.

@The_Spiritlord 11 ай бұрын

Giving your players the illusion of control by allowing them to roll dice on "random" encounters that are actually prepared and set is a great method. You can railroad a whole group and they'll think they decided every step of the game

@storytime7408 Жыл бұрын

Great vid! I don't follow Crit Roll, but in my Sesion Zero, is specifically say that this is a dangerous world, and you have a dangerous job. 5e makes it hard to perma-die, so if you do, it's the will of the dice. (and you will make a new character)

@markporter3522 Жыл бұрын

Great content as always. Lots of people focus on MM’s obvious voice talents etc but I agree, his success to me at least is that he is super prepared and he KNOWS the characters. He weaves their personal hopes and dreams and fears into the fabric of the campaign. That’s why he gets the emotional responses he gets.

@john_c2665 Жыл бұрын

Great video and spot on! Yes Bacon is delicious Ive been binge watching your vids for the last several weeks. Just joined your patron today. Great content!

@fishrechaun6425 Жыл бұрын

Something that might feel tedious initially but really benefits adventure design and customizing towards your players, is just collecting some info up front. Individually talking with the players before starting the campaign or sending out something like a google forms questionnaire can actually give you a really strong bank of info to draw from for the type of game they're looking for in terms of tone, scale, and more. Just a few really basic questions without the rest of the group present to affect answers can go a long ways towards a player's enjoyment and consequently their engagement with the story. If it's a new group or new player joining an established group, even getting an idea of loot preferences can really make players enjoy combat more. Some folks might love the potential of a weapon with a crit effect while others might dislike the inconsistency for example.

@lgp5619 Жыл бұрын

I kinda feel like matt prepares everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

@matthiasb5624 Жыл бұрын

That segue was so smooth I'm both angry and amazed

@shinmalsaza Жыл бұрын

Barbarian had a lot of fun on that keyboard.

@Tsuneo625 Жыл бұрын

Number 8: Run Fun Combatstion. I see your video editing team was on the ball today 😂

@DrVikingrMD Жыл бұрын

I can't believe people have gotten upset that Matt killed some characters. It's part of the game and makes it feel real and worthwhile

@darkhawque6917 Жыл бұрын

I am an old DM (ran my first game in 1980) and tend to be one of those sandbox/improv kind of DM's. Oddly enough, these take more prep - not less.

@fhuber7507 Жыл бұрын

He sits back and lets the PC-PC role playing happen, listens and uses that in the campaign. The enigmatic peering at the players... giving nothing away. I use "The smiling DM" Always smile. Everything is always "just the way I planned" (the players think) even when I'm panicking because they took the campaign off the rails into a differnt universe.

@fhuber7507 Жыл бұрын

Matt Mercer uses a LOT of old AD&D adventure modules, revised for 5E. I recognize the maps.

@MrObiquiet Жыл бұрын

A good DM connects the adventures/monsters/traps to the characters personally.

@vikingshark2634 Жыл бұрын

Preparation is key, and it makes your job look easy to players. And it is - a little bit- on game day if you prepped for hours beforehand.

@MrChristerDoodles Жыл бұрын

One thing I think good DMs do is sometimes they'll bend the rules to make the most fun and dramatic tension at the table. Take EXU: Calamity with Brennan lee Mulligan. There was some conflicting rules at play with reactions, mage slayer, rogue with Travis' character and there were some weird rule-bending to make things more engaging, tension building and fun for the whole crew

@CharlesKhan Жыл бұрын

The real secret was the friends we made along the way.

@johnstachon9262 Жыл бұрын

I've been dming for over 30 years. #1 you have to be a good storyteller. #2 you need to be flexible and able to improvise on a whim.#3 remember your setting the table the players are the ones eating. It's not about winning as a DM. #4 and last listen to what your players are saying if they are not having fun, then they won't want to play. Love DMing and playing rpg's.

@michaelowens4507 Жыл бұрын

The DM rewarding player creativity is huge.

@THEPELADOMASTER Жыл бұрын

You know, I think the same way about preparation. Still, the two games I had almost nothing prepared are among some of my best games in my current campaign. They were mostly roleplay, and they were "let's see what they come up with and go with it" type of games. One of them was infiltrating the king's castle while there's a meeting of lords to find information about this shady lord, and the other one is the subsequent escape from the city after the vengeance paladin attempted to kill said lord when she found out he was responsible for her family's murder. I still think preparation is key, but I don't know what to make of that.

@mr7oclock346 Жыл бұрын

I like prep and all that, but I have had some of the most fun in D&D when we had to be imorov. Most of the time, my players have completely derailed what I have had planned, and I had to improv. I kind of enjoy that chaos, because even I have no idea what is going to happen. I don't claim to be a "good dm," but my players and I have fun.

@meojifo Жыл бұрын

I know that i suck in improvisation, so i prepare a lot of stuff weeks before sessions, preparing what i've wrote during the week just before the session and read again the day before... With that, i know where my player can go following their decisions. They already ask me if everything in the game is prepared and i tell them the thruth : yes it's prepared but not necessary for this time (a town encounter prepared can be played in other town 5 session later). They have more respect for the game. Also, one time my player say "hey, can I open this room mark as 'do not open'" obsiouvly ... i didn't prepare this room so my improvisation was "ok, you open the door and ... i don't have prepare that, so it will be played the next session ? " everyone agreed "Ok, you run out the room, cover by blood and mud blablabla" and the next session I have the scenar for this room.

@davidmc8478 Жыл бұрын

I get the email magazine, I haven’t actually played any of the adventures but I have read them through and they are well constructed and interesting. The production value (maps) is excellent.

@justinsinke2088 Жыл бұрын

It's amazing how hard it can be for folks to properly embrace the idea that, unlike a tabletop wargame, a tabletop RPG is NOT a PVP experience. It is, in the end, a collaborative effort. The goal of the GM should be (for the "average" game) to create the framework for player characters to be the protagonists of an epic story. Players, and their characters, should be challenged, while there is always a risk of true failure. How much you balance "rule of cool/fun" and "fate is a cruel mistress" is a matter of group taste. And as for know the rules, I totally agree. While no one should expect a GM to know every rule by heart, a GM should at the very least strive to be directly familiar with the rules that come up most often (and this can vary by campaign and PCs) and beyond that, being familiar enough that even if you don't know the rule, you know where to look for it so that checking it is a quick reference and not a search. The trick I have with trying to use character backstories is that, for whatever reason, it always feels so awkward, like I'm taking liberties with someone else's character and potentially taking elements of it and using them unintentionally in ways that the player feels twists or corrupts what they had in mind for what it means. It's just hard getting past the notion that I'm "rewriting" background elements of someone else's character, especially if I don't want it signposted to the player of "hey, the next adventure is going to feature elements of your character's backstory, can you work with my and know 1/4 of the adventure ahead of time by proxy?".

@gabrielmajere8852 Жыл бұрын

Lol I was actually proud of letting characters die. Sometimes things happen and the dice just don't roll in the players favor. But I've noticed lately, no matter what goes wrong, they blame the DM. I recently had a group that found, and took over an abandoned tower. They stayed hold up in it for 3 sessions. Then they complained about lack of combat. I still don't understand it.

@antipothis Жыл бұрын

I mean, I consider myself an improvisional dm, and I still have to have some sort of prep. I've just found that many dms don't realize what they need to prep on. I still have a general outline of what I want the threat to be, and have my stat sheets for monsters ready. I just make sure I'm prepared enough to handle when things go off course. The more I think about it, the more I'm probably not a traditional improv dm, and just open to what my players want to do. XD

@professorclevertv2281 Жыл бұрын

Funny enough. Rule 1 doesn't apply always. If you play DnD, yes. Because usually DnD expects of the DM to make the world and the story almost alone. But I often play rulebooks with an open world and we explore the world together. And the few games I wasn't satisfied with because I literally made everything up on the fly, were the games my players enjoyed the most. Well I guess the couldn't see me sweat and panic inside ;D. But still some nice advice in the Video.

@TalonSilvercloud Жыл бұрын

Preparation I'm good at improv BECAUSE I prepare so much. I know where my improv wiggle room is, and I have resources and options to hand. All because I prepare stuff in advance. Honestly, prepare more, your improv will get better too. Dying Death is really easy to fix in DnD/Pathfinder. It's hard for death to stick unless the DM removes the options for resurrection. Run Fun Combats You can't just take monsters as is from the Bestiary. Customize them, especially integrating strengths and weaknesses of your party. Look up Telegraphing attacks and come up with something thematic to the creature. Integrate the environment, the personality and tactics of the creature. Social + Combat Above all, if the creature can speak in a language they understand, do it! Talk! Bargain, banter, beg for your life, be belligerent or just berate the players. Get them arguing back about ideals and morals, or just motivate them to shut this creature up already. But, if the players get the better of them verbally, have an effect ready. Stagger/shaken for even 1 round is great, some kind of stat penalty from negative morale, or have the enemy change tactics. Instead of the wizard throwing another fireball, she ducks under cover and drinks a potion while she rethinks her stake, perhaps even preparing to exit the fight. Many options.

@jgr7487 Жыл бұрын

on prepping: I'm good at improv, bc I know where the PCs are going (bc I know the world) & I already have a backlog of adventures in my head. I have developed the adventuring area of my Homebrew world enough, so I know that "here be civilized Orc villages"; "here be terrifying Black Dragon"; "here be Orcus cultists"; & so on.

@jgr7487 Жыл бұрын

Number 11: have players that want to tell stories with the DM & don't have the Player Vs DM mentality. yes, it goes both ways.

@SniffiSniffton Жыл бұрын

Where did you get your shirt? My orange tabby recently passed away and that shirt is amazing!

@theDMLair Жыл бұрын

Amazon. Sorry to hear about the kitty. 😪

@Nirrith Жыл бұрын

0:45 well, every art is practiced best by those who master the basics.

@MCjabmad Жыл бұрын

Honestly wasn't a fan of the skits but this video felt more genuine. Subscribed because of this video.

@JR-ld2xx Жыл бұрын

😃 Great Stuff! Please continue to leave links. I would have some video examples in Mr. Mercer's game. Or links to Mr. Mercer's segments. Do you ever discuss Concentration spells? I Have difficult time to see a spell caster concentrate & do other stuff.

@clericofchaos1 Жыл бұрын

He's also not telling me his underwear size but there are some things he should be able to keep to himself. All you need to be a good dm is creativity and patience. If you can master those two things all the rest is just fluff.

@chuckmessinger7564 Жыл бұрын

Great tips, Thanks

@dragoninthewest1 Жыл бұрын

In order to be good at improv, you must practice AKA *being prepared* for when it's needed

@franklutes7125 Жыл бұрын

Excellent points

@bastiancole3565 9 ай бұрын

On the note about DM's not preparing for games because they're very good at improvisation. I'm one of those DMs that's good at improvisation and guess what? I have my games planned out months in advance so they're pretty freaking awesome. Don't settle.

@morrielewin1554 Жыл бұрын

One thing that drives me crazy: Many (too many) threads, many of which are very subtle that all the players are expected to pickup on. If the players are experienced, this isn't a bad thing. If the players are newbies mixed in with experienced players, the newbies can be lost and will just wait for the battle scenes. DM's get to be aware of the players and adjust to their level instead of steamrolling their storyline. This will lead to more inclusion and excitement.

@mkklassicmk3895 Жыл бұрын

I ran the game with prep and with almost no prep and out of the two the little to no prep approach was better. I don't know if what i do would qualify as improv as i just know my world really well and i have it react to the things the players do accordingly. I also, think about the plot, the player characters and the game world a lot, which is kinda like prep for the game. I basically do what the players do, I play as the game world, they have to improvise what they say and do, i do the same thing. This method allows me to be surprised by what happens next in the same way the players get to.

@deckerjake438 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video! Can you do a follow up on how we can be/act pro PCs? I have no intent on being pro but to bring a higher level play makes it better for DMs and other PCs

@deckerjake438 Жыл бұрын

Who knows, that may open up doors to play with ‘bigger’ groups.

@thehedgehogdriver4591 Жыл бұрын

If all else fails and a pc dies, there are resurrection spells (I don't follow critical role so I don't know if that option is available in those specific circumstances). I struggle with preparing for a session, mostly because I have no idea how to go about doing it. I started playing d&d with some friends who took turns winging a session with no preparing and I did it with them so I never got the experience.

@CaptainKosa Жыл бұрын

Heads up. Big spoiler alert for CR campaign 3.

@jortmungandr1112 Жыл бұрын

Great dungeon masters LISTEN to their table's feedback; not just hear it. "read the room" is the best adivce i've ever recevied as a DM, and the first tip i give any DM asking me for advice.

@zeplin8971 Жыл бұрын

Which DM lair adventure should I buy for new player and dm? We had session 0 but haven’t started the essentials kit adventure yet. If we complete essentials kit and buy one of these do they need to use the same PC or can I let them boost another PC? Their group is not a good composition (wizard, bard, cleric) but I just wanted them to play something they were drawn to. I’ll likely lower the enemy damage bonuses or something.

@BlazeingGoldReviews 10 ай бұрын

i really got the preparation thing. i consider myself decent at improvising, but I try to do as much prep as possible anyway. hell my players say i go overboard sometimes.

@psychedelicspirituality Жыл бұрын

I had a DM as a teen that would always give a player the worst results for failedskill checks, but the player thought it was funny and it became a thing. That was the only case I've ever seen where mistreating a specific player didn't cause a problem.

@timtaber6217 Жыл бұрын

Your best video ever!! Bar none!!!

@StanleyNunn Жыл бұрын

I agree with all of this. I do Have a question tho. i"m a 30 year plus veteran GM, but I am finally picking up 5e to learn (I know I"m a luddite and refused to move past 2nd edition), and would love some advice to pick up the rules quickly so that I can get started running (Well).

@LynTheWitch Жыл бұрын

Great advice : D

@RobKinneySouthpaw Жыл бұрын

My most prepped games have been the most smooth, and the most fun and energetic. Got lazy and couldn't bluff my 4 year old into thinking I had it together

@mastercadillactus Жыл бұрын

You can see when Matt Mercer isn't prepared. He struggles like the rest of us and gets wishy-washy on the rules.

@dg6246 Жыл бұрын

Jeya! Good stuff.

@Daishi85 Жыл бұрын

I am a new DM and I just want to say this: it is very hard to know all the "rules". So even DMs are constantly learning, especially us new ones. The older ones lean more unto the learning curve of the niche situations or oddball situations that don't necessarily have rules for them. However, something that can help new DMs is this: make a small outline with page numbers. Omg has that helped me out A LOT! A simple thing like - Cover Rules pg. XYZ or -Climbing pg. XY. If you organize a little 2 page document with bullet points like this u can at least cut down on the time that you look something up. Slowly but surely, you will remember what the book says. Never give up, never surrender! Lol

@ShellySummers Жыл бұрын

A good dm accepts they will make mistakes and try to have 2 probable outcome ideas. 1 talking and 1 murder hobo. That way when they go off the deep end, it will probably be close to one of those two endings.

@Hallowpoynt Жыл бұрын

And I would say good at putting feeling into the act.

@notrebelbuffoon522 Жыл бұрын

I know I am actually good at Improv, so I do.. But I still always Prepare a bare minimum of Maps, structured Encounters and other things like Traps, and other things of Importance for an Adventure. Things I Improv are Rewards/Loot(most but not all); Hidden Doors, if the Map allows for it. and small things like NPC names and Agendas. If they decide to keep a Kobold alive instead of killing it and talk to the Kobold, they may find out that he isnt happy with the current way of things etc etc. I also Improv with Player backstories. I Improvise when their Backstories come up in Adventures and try not to plan too far ahead with them because Character death is very real in my campaign (8th level) and will always remain very real due to a number of factors.. But I have found that Improvising only works so much. I will improvise smaller details about things, but the Important stuff I will always Prepare.

@LordOwenLongstrider Жыл бұрын

I totally agree with it being ok that Matt killed a few of the players and almost the others in that recent episode. He said himself that he and the players have mutual respect, trust, and understanding about the possible ways the campaign could go, and I bet he had a plan for how he wanted the story to go, because while it is still a DnD game, they play it for entertainment, so the story has to be entertaining, so it needs to have risks, needs to have danger, and the viewers, who have fallen in love with the PCs, should at times feel concerned for them, and at times certain doom is expected in such stories, which makes the fear and sadness of a character dying all the more impactful. And not just for the entertainment of the viewers but also the players, they are along for the ride just as we are, and they know Matt, their good friend, is going to put their characters in danger, at times certain doom, but not without a plan, not without a good reason.

@kevingumfory Жыл бұрын

the best games i ever played in were when i was young and my friends were young. we try to relive some of those adventures occassionally. the imagination and dream state are gone. adulthood has killed our dreams like a full grp of copper dragons. we hardly ever played within the rules. i honestly believe we created respawning. late 70s very early 80s. Weve taken many parts of many games and made our own game in these days and altho we still have fun .... its not the same as yesteryear.

@donalddurbin5797 Жыл бұрын

This helps a lot Thank You. I am just starting a Eberron campaign I am just dipping my foot into DMing. I have 4 players my best friend and me have been playing D&D sense 1980 now are girls and there friend are in there 20s and they want to start. My daughter has played in 1 campaign and she still fumbles or forgets rule's or her ability's. The other 2 are brand new and I watched your video on speeding up combat ,but I do not want to discourage them. How would I do that with out them getting frustrated? Thanks

@salamshalom Жыл бұрын

I am so behind on CR and this was a HUGE spoiler 😆

@undertheveil1576 Жыл бұрын

I'm really have trouble trying to get my quieter players to take up more space in the game. Right now 2 out of four seem like they are comfortable role-playing their characters while the other two aren't. I'm really at a loss of what to do... I've asked the louder ones to try and quiet down a little and I'm trying to ask the quieter players more questions... but they are really struggling. Andy good tips on getting them to feel more comfortable? What are some good role-playing tips I as the dm can use to get my quiet players to engage more? Or am I just over-thinking this? I mean they are saying that they are having fun...

@MichelleNyxRaymond Жыл бұрын

If you haven’t watched Ginny Di before, I also highly recommend watching their videos. They have a dedicated video that may help answer the question your asking. I wish you luck with balancing your game!

@zinoba17 Жыл бұрын

Before you burn yourself out on that, you should make sure your quieter players want to take up more space in the game. I suggest watching "Different Kinds of Players" by Matt Colville. Maybe they are simply content with having a supporting role. Just food for thought...

@Marcus-ki1en Жыл бұрын

As you said, at the end of the day, Matt is rooting for the players to succeed. And he likes bacon (I bet)

@willmena96 Жыл бұрын

Based on what I see on the internet, I feel a lot of these factors are left aside because every time you see a meme or a question or whatever on social media, a lot of the comments go like: - Prepping? HA! I've never done that - Being fair? Just throw 10 CR 30 monsters at low levels. That'll teach them - NPCs? Lol I just copy whatever characters I find on Netflix - Backstories? Ain't nobody got time for that! And so on. I'm sure a lot of those are people joking, but some new DMs read that and think that's how you're supposed to run games.

@titaniumtac6277 Жыл бұрын

Well said

@stanbunn1329 Жыл бұрын

I find it funny how people are "mad" at Matt for killing characters in that encounter by calling it unfair or unwinnable when the only thing that made it more difficult was the direct actions of the players and the luck of Initiative. If they had stuck to one strategy they would have had a far better chance of either beating her back or getting away, but some ran, some fought, and poor Ashton got wiped by lower initiative. Of course it didn't help that they all started to panic as well. If they all would have fought, they could have done better considering they have some heavy hitters in the party, and if they all would have run they would have had a better chance of escape. But they gave the enemy the perfect battleground for their tactics, which are divide and conquer, the way she was bamfing around the field and cutting them down one by one would have been severely negated if they would have ganged up on her instead of scattering.

@Gargs454 Жыл бұрын

Yup. And really only Ashton tried to run. The others all used an action then just moved away. They never truly ran. I think the big problem was that they felt it likely that running would have forced them to sacrifice a party member. They made a lot of mistakes and had some bad luck. Sometimes that happens in D&D.

@MrOwl-mw3fb Жыл бұрын

More fantastic advice! Thank you for the straight shooting and advice. But, though you should save the characters' bacon, as bacon should always be saved! Never save the characters' butts in a fight, but always save the bacon. Ummmmm, bacon (he says as he drools).