Why Aabria Iyengar DMing For Critical Role Teaches An Important Lesson

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3 жыл бұрын

Why is Aabria Iyengar DMing for Critical Role such a big deal? Well, it teaches a very important lesson! In today's follow-up to my last surprise hit (which, seriously, I can't thank you guys enough) I'm following up on talking about how much I love these nerdy-ass voice actors with my thoughts on what happens when they bring new people into the fold.
Exandria unlimited is a unique and wild experience, and while it doesn't have quite the same feel as Critical Role I don't think that's a bad thing! Join me today as I deep dive into the effect Aabria Iyengar can have not only on the Matthew Mercer effect but on the TTRPG community as a whole. Come watch, and thanks for stopping by!
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💡 TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO 💡
• Critical Role
•
• What Is Critical Role
•
• Dungeons & Dragons
•
• DND
•
• DND 5e
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• Aabria Iyengar
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• Exandria Unlimited
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🔎 SCRIPT EXCERPT: (This isn't important, just stuff for the algorithm) 🔎
The point is, no one outside of Critical Role had truly taken the reigns of the DM (and no, I don’t consider Brian Foster as outside of Critical Role considering the large part he plays in their shows), and especially not for 8 episodes. Before this, Aabria had been fairly unassociated with the name of Critical Role outside some oneshot guest appearances and some participation in side shows like Narrative Telephone.
But, she was now going to be running a premiere series on the channel set in Exandria with the creator of the setting himself as a player, while on their main channel, during a time where Critical Role Campaign 3 is not running which makes her game the premiere show on the channel to watch.
So, her running a game is a big deal for Critical Role.
I want to talk about the effect Aabria can potentially have on the Dungeons and Dragons Community.
I want to talk about the power of Exandria Unlimited.
So, let’s talk about that.

Пікірлер: 784

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Hey everyone! This is a follow-up to my last Critical Role video that did very well! I plan on moving to releasing twice a week when I can, on Wednesdays doing these much longer-form videos with analysis on different streams, D&D concepts, etc. and on Saturdays I'll be releasing my usual content in the form of the 'Why You Should' series and 'How to DM'. If this kind of content interests you please consider subscribing! I'm really trying to nail down exactly what kind of content to make, so if this interests you or if you have other ideas please comment below and tell me! Thanks so much for watching!

@sadlobster1 3 жыл бұрын

To be honest, Matt wasn't the FIRST DM I came to watch on the internet. That honor falls upon the following list of names and their respective shows. Spencer Crittenden (Game Master for HarmonQuest) Joshua Burner/The Fiery Joker/Firebrand (Game Master for such campaigns as Brony D&D and Curse of Strahd) Brennan Lee Mulligan (Game Master for practically ALL of Dimension 20's D&D shows; such as Fantasy High, Escape from the Bloodkeep, The Unsleeping City and scores of other series'.) So, the Matt Mercer Effect hasn't really dampened my D&D experience

@PrezzieDnD 3 жыл бұрын

Super excited to watch more content! :D

@robertcoplin2830 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for putting the material out there. I'm glad I stumbled over it. Your site is providing info I need being a beginner. Be safe.

@redinblood 3 жыл бұрын

The thing about the Mercer Effect, is that most people miss what makes Matt a great DM. It’s not about his voice acting, his rule knowledge or his world-building. Those are great treats, but those are extra. What makes him a great DM is the fact that he is tuned to his group, knows his players, what they what or need, and aim just to have fun with them. And because every group is different, the best DM style is different each time. You listen to your players? You know them? You have fun together? Then you are as good of a DM as Matt, even if you can’t do voices at all.

@loklobo 3 жыл бұрын

underrated comment right here

@clauvyuga 2 жыл бұрын

Very well said.

@tylerwellman8252 2 жыл бұрын

This needs to be said more. Matt is good, great, even because he knows his players. You cant get to that level over a handful of sessions. Build the relationship with your players and everything else will fall in place.

@rosannataylor6208 2 жыл бұрын

This is the main reason why I love CR. The love, care and respect that they show with and to each other. I crave that in my games and unfortunately do not have it. I just want that friendship that they display.

@Nihzlet 2 жыл бұрын

Hear, hear.

@razbuten 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, Exandria Unlimited is a pretty cool choice by them, and I hope it is something they continue alongside the long-from campaigns. The reason I watch Critical Role is very much for the dynamics between the original cast, but it is very refreshing to see other people introduced into that dynamic every once in awhile to breathe new life into the world and table.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I entirely agree! It's a nice break before getting into the beginning of campaign 3. Also: A friend of mine pointed out your channel to me and I think you're awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch my video and comment!

@RolandLory 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, you're absolutely right. I was so sad that because of corona there was no guest characters in second half of last campaign, let's hope that for new one they find some solution for this.

@BigSeth1090 3 жыл бұрын

I have to say, seemed it took most of the first episode before it everyone started to mesh and get a feel for each other’s styles, which is predictable, but by the start of ep. 2… damn, great stuff

@HabarudoD 3 жыл бұрын

FUCKYEAH Razbuten, lately found out you're a critter as well! Very much the same, the dynamic, skill and trust, both as actors and friends is probably the reason I got so into CR (wanted to get into DnD and was recommended CR). But with EXU, it's such a... refreshing bit of content, led by an equally skilled DM to Matt, allthough style may be different.

@theravenousrabbit3671 3 жыл бұрын

I like the new DM, however she needs to kill her worry about making their player's fail.

@alistaireveritt6890 3 жыл бұрын

Aabria seems to narrate cinematically, with the audience seeing things that the players do not. Matt lets his world open through the eyes of his players, cutting down on metagaming by only releasing information when the players discover it. Matt is much more strict with the rules while Aabria follows Rule Of Cool over everything else. They're both good but these last...5 years (?) with Matt have me set in his style.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I think that's honestly a great summation of it!

@shaharlevy8885 3 жыл бұрын

Aarbria also tends to give her own opinion ("Have you seen the sea, bitch?") and breaks character almost every time. Which is a normal and expected thing to do in a game with friends. However what got me hooked on Matt as a DM is his acting dedication, multivocal abilities and that he's strict with the rules, and does not break character even when he really wants to. Matt is an actor in a TV show, like the cast of the show itself. When I watch TV, I don't want the actors in the shows to break character, same with Critical Role. Aabria brings a unique and interesting gameplay style, but it's not a complete fit for a viewed show. With that being said, the cast is amazing, team-dynamics are good and fun and Aabria's personal expressions add to the overall fun feel to the game as a whole. Not sure if this was a review or a reply, in any case - bidet!

@kin2naruto 3 жыл бұрын

@@shaharlevy8885 Aabria plays the game *alongside* the characters where Matt vanishes into the scenery. She will say "that idea was so cool I"m not gonna make you roll for it" - where Matt will have a unique NPC walk up and comment. And Matt never fudges the dice even when something that derails both his story and what his player's intended. And honestly... I think Aabria's approach might be better for dealing with truly dark or triggering storylines. Because when the DM is watching the story alongside you - it's easier to trust that they'll pause the game or forcibly guide it to a happier ending. Given the players she has... I doubt any of them will ask for "rewind time and make that bit NOT happen." But it's a tool Aabria has that Matt doesn't.

@re-player5257 3 жыл бұрын

@@kin2naruto honestly they are two different kinds of dms that are both really good at dming it's more just what suits your style Aabria is really good at making it feel like a session with the boys (I'm using that as a broad term) where as matt makes it feel like a story his players can fully immerse themselves in I personally enjoy matt's a little bit more but I think there both fantastic When I'm dming I try and do a bit of both I try and do this heavy lore building but Im also really loose on the rules often letting my players attempt the dumbest things only to fail miserably

@EgonSupreme 3 жыл бұрын

@@shaharlevy8885 Matt's style doesn't strike me as an actor thing. It strikes me as a classic DMing style where you try to provide only the information your players' characters would have. It's how we learned how to play, it's the tradition we came up on, it's the way we play. Far from having a show-oriented style, Matt strikes me as pretty much a quintessential Dungeon Master - it's just that he's very good and enhances it with his acting and vocal talents. "Cutscenes" and such were not a part of DnD as I learned it and we would have found it strange and immersion-breaking.

@zephyrstrife4668 3 жыл бұрын

As much as I love Matt as a DM... I love him even better when he gets to be a player because he comes up with some of the most charming and hilarious characters I've ever seen on the show.

@Rohrae 2 жыл бұрын

I love Dariax

@alhrune 3 жыл бұрын

I don't envy anyone who has to follow up Matt mercer but I'm glad this is happening. Gives Matt some time to recharge his dm batteries and proves that critical role is more then just Matt mercer. If a day comes where he wants to retire its good to know that critical role could go on.

@bewareofsnow 3 жыл бұрын

I love Matt's DMing but I've also really appreciated Aabria's approach, which is definitely more relaxed. There was a moment in episode 2 when Robbie tried to correct a roll that he'd incorrectly calculated a minute earlier, and she waved it away, saying "I've moved on spiritually from that moment so you don't have to correct it" - whereas I've seen Matt redo whole scenes because a player realised they'd miscalculated their roll. I'm here for both approaches.

@snuffles504 2 жыл бұрын

As a DM who in large part has learned 5e alongside my players for the past few years, I loved that line.

@aimeetaeorae1533 2 жыл бұрын

I already loved her style, but this stands out to me as well and although I'm a forever player, I will be using this line for my cleric. What stands out to me is that she asks people what checks they want to roll. Are you investigating? Are you working out what it is historically? What are YOU doing as a player? She wants to know your choices, not dictate to them what they are checking. I have never seen this before and I love that idea so much.

@andreatondi4574 2 жыл бұрын

Aabria "Again, I'm a fucking goddess", making possibly Opal the first person in all of Exandria's history to *infuriate* the Wildmother. Also the way she can put the comedy in serious charas like Lolth herself, making so the Opal's screeches pushed her to wipe her own ear with a spider leg.

@FlyingWalnut 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t know, she actually seemed really abrasive during most of the games when it came to ruling slips.

@yooooo8600 2 жыл бұрын

Can you provide proof of when Matt chose to “redo whole scenes because a player realised they’d miscalculated their roll.”? You’re saying that Matt will literally retcon whatever he wants and force the players to lose their immersion all because one of the players miscalculated a roll. So can you provide proof for that moronic statement? I can seriously never think of a time where Matt has ever done this. Matt takes immersion more seriously than anything else, so why the fuck would he do what you said he does? That is extremely immersion breaking and no DM should do it. So, I ask again, please provide evidence for your stupid fucking statement.

@Farlandir 3 жыл бұрын

I am enjoying Aabria's run quite a bit. My favorite thing she did from episode 2 of EXU was when she invited Aimee to describe how she wanted her character Opal to approach the glowing sigil in the ashes. The GM put the decision of what skill challenge to attempt and how to go about it into the player's hands, which is particularly notable since Aimee has little or no previous experience with tabletop roleplaying. I thought it was a great way of encouraging a new player to think about what skills they have, how to apply them in the game, and how to roleplay the interaction once they've decided to do something. Usually, a GM will ask the player what they want to do, then tell them what sort of roll to make to see if it succeeds. Aabria does that, too, but she also has this habit of periodically inviting the players to choose their own adventure with greater agency, like with Opal investigating the magical symbol on the mesa. It's similar to how she opened the whole adventure in the first episode, asking each player to describe where their characters were as part of the introduction. Lots of GMs would narrate those initial scenes in order to set the stage, but she instead gave the players an artistic license to write their own first appearance. It's a powerful way to engage everyone at the table, and set a tone for collaborative storytelling.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Man that is an amazing point as well. There are a lot of times I've asked players to make checks, and they've asked why it wasn't a different kind of check. But Aabria's approach of asking the player _how_ they're doing it makes it so much easier to understand their intent. That's why I love seeing a new DM! There's so much to learn from every single one of them.

@jerryglennie5375 3 жыл бұрын

As a critter myself I'm enjoying aabria's DM in this short term. It's overall engaging for the cast and the audience making it difficult to pull away from once I start an episode. Great props on the change temporarily and gives other DM's a different approach and a similar way to keep away from the "MME" while keeping freedom of choice in the games.

@danielleporat344 3 жыл бұрын

Really recommend watching Aabria running Misfits and Magic on Dimension 20 as well, you get to see her run a different system with different players and understand how great her range is. it's a testament to her talent that she gets to take over two major streams at the same time from iconic DMs like Matt and Brennan

@Nortarachanges 2 жыл бұрын

Misfits and Magic has my whole heart ^_^

@Rohrae 2 жыл бұрын

I just saw the first epidose today, I'm seriously considering Dropout solely to see the rest of it,

@RA-zz1fh 2 жыл бұрын

@@Rohrae I was the same a few days ago, Misfits and Magic on its own is actually incredible, worth it so so much.

@danielleporat344 2 жыл бұрын

@@Rohrae there's a free trial for 7 days I believe, and it's only 4 episodes so def worth it! but honestly there's a bunch of great content so I stayed beyond the trial

@Phantisma09 2 жыл бұрын

Misfits and Magic was what got me to subscribe to Dropout and watch Dimension 20. And I'm not a fan of CR

@procrastinator99 3 жыл бұрын

Personally, I'm REALLY enjoying Aabria's GM style so far, and I find picking out the differences in her style compared to Matt's a kind of fun sub-game (NOT pointing to what is "BETTER", just genuinely enjoying seeing their DIFFERENCES in the choices/story-telling styles).

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I do too! I find it fun to watch her make a decision and think about how Matt would have handled it, and see the awesome fun stories that diverge because of that

@procrastinator99 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole Yeah, and I like how she seems to be more into having players roll against each other more, which is really fun.

@TheMikalImperator 3 жыл бұрын

I REALLY like Matt's style as DM, but that does not mean I DISLIKE Aabria's take on it! Matt buries himself in the story, sometimes getting mad when he breaks character, while Aabria seems to enjoy being loose in the storytelling experience.

@procrastinator99 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMikalImperator Definitely.

@Kfaircloth13457 2 жыл бұрын

I liked her style from the first time she had an NPC basically turn to the player and correct them. She wouldn't let a PC bully them. They got snooty and she just gave it right back to them as the consequence. I don't remember the exact circumstance, but it was basically her saying as the NPC, "You choose to do this and it failed and now you're blaming me?? No!! You did it. You deal with it. I wasn't responsible for your actions." Many times I watched Matt let the players bully and intimidate the NPCs to ridiculous lengths. I loved that she wasn't having it constantly in the game.

@Malacoda616 3 жыл бұрын

"No, I'm not Matt Mercer. But ya know what me and Matt Mercer got in common? You're not playing at either of our games." - Professor Dungeon Master

@danielpayne1597 2 жыл бұрын

Best shots fired

@RDR911 2 жыл бұрын

@@jtramelli5464 Yup. Abria ended up being a reallllll downer.

@ShadowChief117 2 жыл бұрын

@@jtramelli5464 how is he awful? He gives some pretty good advice sometimes imo

@mikonyx7712 3 жыл бұрын

To be honest, the title "Exandria Unlimited" suggests to me, that even after this campaign is done, after some time we MAY get sort of "Exandria Unlimited Season 2" with introducing more new faces to world of Exandria, and letting new people place their own brick in building the world created by Mathew Mercer. But its waaaaaay too soon to talk about that.

@Rohrae 2 жыл бұрын

The way they presented it definitely made me feel like they might be doing these shorter ones in EXU every now and then, bringing in different GM's to tell the stories each time.

@Drekromancer 2 жыл бұрын

@@Rohrae That's so in character for Matt and the CR crew, too.

@willemverheij3412 3 жыл бұрын

She's doing well, and I hope we'll get to see more of her full range over these eight episodes. I'm mainly curious to see her handle a prominent villain, the kind who can't be redeemed. I hope there will be more of these tales of Exandria campaigns, maybe with other DM's too but I'd be cool with Aabria running all of them. Could of course also be cool to see her as a player in one of these short campaigns too if someone else DM's. It really helps to show that the core of Critical Role is working together to make the story, players and DM. And that there's room for many great DM's. Of course seeing Matt having so much fun as a player is also amazing to see. And I think in this way he also sets a good example for other folks who usually are the DM and now the player. He fully respects her role as DM, never corrects her or anything, it's her game. It's going to be interesting to see her voice Gillmore in episode 3 which seems likely, and seeing Matt as a player talk to Gillmore.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I could _not_ agree more. The excitement of seeing what she can do, what other DM's might do, watching Matt as a PC, and the chance to see Gillmore from Aabriya's eyes keeps me on the edge of my seat. I'm incredibly excited to see how things unfold!

@Farlandir 3 жыл бұрын

I'm hoping we get some sort of Old Man Gilmore, since it's 30 years after his last appearance with Vox Machina. Whatever happens, I definitely look forward to seeing Matt roleplay an interaction with an NPC he created and inhabited for so many years, now interpreted by Aabria.

@elbruces 3 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see them do a run with Brennan Lee Mulligan DM'ing. But I wouldn't mind if Aabria just kept running it too.

@ForeverDegenerate 3 жыл бұрын

@Willem Verheij Well Aabria is a player in Matt Mercer's Elder Scrolls Mini-Campaign on Critical Role. There's only one episode thus far, but there is more coming. So if you want to see Aabria as a player under Matt, go check that out.

@lordmurderkitten6098 3 жыл бұрын

God, I hope they get Brennan Lee Mulligan from Dimension 20 to guest dm some day.

@leahwende2241 2 жыл бұрын

I love both of their GM styles so much for completely different reasons. Matt's ability to world build and improve is incredible. I can't help but watch Aabria's facial expressions while players are going off the wall and I continue to say "Aabria stay forever!" The energy she brings is so fun and there's a lightness and freedom to it that makes me want to watch more.

@eliotnemec8842 3 жыл бұрын

I find Aabria's way of GMing really cinematic and I honestly love it. Matt's way is kind of like hearing an audio book, which is also amazing. Neither of those are better than the other. They're just really cool styles that are super enjoyable

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

And that's the beauty of multiple DMs! The ability to experience different story telling styles

@Micaerys 3 жыл бұрын

Honestly, I am enjoying Aabria's style so far, and seeing her a little bit nervous at the beginning of the first episode and gradually getting comfortable in the DM seat was so relatable! As a very unexperienced DM, I can only hope to have the fun she and the cast have in ExU! PS. No judgement at all in the man-crush thing, dude. I think that many of us can relate XD

@alessandropereira4976 3 жыл бұрын

Everytime a roll was made she was like “please don’t kill the players, please don’t harm Mercer” and it’s SO RELATABLE

@Micaerys 3 жыл бұрын

@@alessandropereira4976 She's a blessing 💙😁

@Cretaigne95 3 жыл бұрын

I find Aabria to be much closer to my style of DMing than Matthew Mercer. A lot more 4th wall breaks, talking ooc, giving inspiration to you players for calling your fire sigil an ashole. I saw a game on Dimension 20 where she Dms for Brennan lee Mulligan and tells him "You don't hear a creepy laugh behind the door" and I just love that shit. She's awesome in my books and Matthew Mercer is an extremly good player too.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I love the conflicting styles! I think she's a ton more funny than Matt, and Matt creates some amazing immersive stories. It's all a balance!

@fawng8017 2 жыл бұрын

I loved that Dimension 20 moment! He looks so astounded when he goes "I DON'T hear that?!?"

@suprchrgd 2 жыл бұрын

@@fawng8017 Watching Brennen be freaked out by that.. I laughed so hard!

@RDR911 2 жыл бұрын

Yikes. Rewarding derailing the game with jokes is a terrible way to get people to stay on track, as shown by this aimless nightmare of a campaign.

@AfroditeBell 2 жыл бұрын

@@RDR911 well that’s only a yikes if that dm and those players don’t want derailing. Not everyone needs a super serious, only ever about business game. Ever consider people just play different….maybe? No?

@gayratweddings 3 жыл бұрын

i love aabria's style of DMing and how she's giving the audience bits and pieces of narrative that the players dont get and allows players to be in complete control in certain scenerios by allowing them to describe how they want to approach situations (IE. ep 2 with the sigil and letting aimee and ashley describe how they wanted to interact with it and basing the roll on that) its kinda sad to see some people matt mercer effect her GMing in twitch chat but i for one am very excited to see where she takes this story and how she handles different elements of the game moving forward

@ForeverDegenerate 3 жыл бұрын

Man people can be so stupid. Criticizing in chat won't do anything because the entire campaign is pre-recorded. (facepalm) Also, Aabria's been DM'ing a lot longer than most people realize. She ain't gonna change her DM'ing style for a bunch of "Keyboard Warriors." I think the true hypocrisy here, though, is that not one of the people complaining about Aabria's DM style wouldn't complain like this if one of the main Critical Role Cast DM'ed a Mini-Campaign set in Exandria.

@mordirit8727 3 жыл бұрын

@@ForeverDegenerate oh that is just entirely false! The same people surely would complain like that if it was Marisha

@ForeverDegenerate 3 жыл бұрын

@@mordirit8727 Marisha has GM'ed Three One-Shots thus far. Haven't seen many, if any, complaints. Not to mentions she's DM'ed several one-shots at various cons over the years.

@mordirit8727 3 жыл бұрын

@@ForeverDegenerate Well I was just making a small self deprecating joke about the sadly still existing toxic part of a fanbase I love, but since you made it serious I'll answer seriously: Unfortunately, that just isn't the case; it's gotten better as of Honey Heist 3, either because people finally got used to the tongue-in-cheek tone of those games or because they gave up watching her DM'ing, but I was there for the first and second HH streams and it was definitely not a flowers and sunshine chat; you can see the few that made through moderation on HH2, or, since HH1 ain't on their Twitch, you can take a look at the comments on KZfaq (again, heavily moderated on YT but some still slip by)

@ForeverDegenerate 2 жыл бұрын

@@mordirit8727 That's too bad. Unfortunately, I didn't see them until well after they did them so I only got to see them on KZfaq. I just assumed that since there's been such a high demand for a Honey Heist 4, the vast majority of the fan base actually loved Marisha as GM. Also, I didn't realize their KZfaq Comments were so strictly curated. It makes sense, though. Regardless, I still feel that those who are complaining about Aabria would be far more accepting of one of the core cast DM'ing as opposed to "an outsider."

@KiskeFriedChicken 3 жыл бұрын

Matt's DMing feels like I'm watching a TV series. Aabria's DMing feels like a weekend with the boys. I hope she keeps DMing for one shots and stuff, maybe even a full campaign someday!

@ninil1562 3 жыл бұрын

Aabria is an amazing storyteller. Her narration, word choices, descriptors, the flow and cadence of her voice, all bring a fantastical realism and mysticism to the campaign. Five minutes into her set up and I was instantly hooked.

@frankbenner5182 3 жыл бұрын

I agree, there is no "best" DM. There are good ones and less good ones. It's important to create a great game for everybody involved, fun for all players AND the DM. I really like MM and lots of DMs can learn a lot from him. But MM-style is not for everyone. I also like Aabria Iyengar's style so far - because it accomplishes the same: a great game for everybody involved and fun for all players AND the DM - AND the audience. So: yes, you are absolutely right. And thank you for your confirmation: I am an artist! :)

@daleanddale 3 жыл бұрын

Matt is definately the Best DM. He does everything well WHILE doing a million voices. Aabria is mortal like the rest of us.

@kinosaga21 3 жыл бұрын

two distinct ways of GMing and both are absolutely amazing.

@KountKristyl 3 жыл бұрын

I feel like a lot of people on the Critical Role subreddit need to see this video. There is a *lot* of criticism on there flying Aabria's way and 99% boils down to her DM style not being the same as Matt Mercer's.

@Galastan 3 жыл бұрын

(As someone who's slightly critical of EXU. Spoilers ahead.) I have far fewer issues with Aabria's DMing style than I do with EXU as a piece of consumed media. As was said in this video, there is very rarely a bad way of DMing-competently running the game system and making sure your friends are having fun are really all you need to do to be a good DM. Aabria's is doing all that and more behind the screen, so she's in no way a bad DM. And I started DMing D&D before Critical Role Campaign 1 hit the scene, so I'd like to think that I can see the Mercer effect objectively for what it is and I'm not too blinded by it. As a piece of consumed media, however, I find it a little lacking, and it mainly comes down to how similar all of Aabria's NPCs are and how unrealistically most of them react to the party. The two NPCs I remember the most are the Third Wing Inn's goliath barkeeper from episode 1 and the charmed guard from episode 2, who were both very distinct characters. Most of the others (the ashari, random NPCs) kind of remind me of Poska-sassy, confident, but a little confused. Similarity like that makes it a little difficult to follow along, and I find myself drifting a little bit occasionally and having to rewind the VOD to re-listen to a part of the story-especially when multiple NPCs are speaking at the same time, like at the end of episode 2. I'm also slightly taken out of the story when important story events fall a little flat (such as when Orym returned the residuum to the ashari and warned that the Nameless Ones were stealing it from them and urged the group to reach out to higher leadership authority, which the ashari responded by essentially saying "Um, okay, thanks?") I don't doubt that it's just an issue of Aabria needing to find her feet sitting at the head of the biggest TTRPG media franchise to ever exist, and by how much Marisha and co. hyped this series up going into it I have no doubt that it's going to get much better very quickly. It's just that the past two episodes have been hard to follow along from a media standpoint. Again, no doubts that Aabria will be able to turn it around for the next six episodes. But for now, the incredible player characters created for this series have hooked me. And as a disclaimer, I don't just watch Critical Role. I've also watched Mark Hulmes' High Rollers since the beginning, and have nearly gotten caught up on all of Brennan Lee Mulligan's Dimension 20, both of which I enjoy just as much or even more than Critical Role.

@yat282 3 жыл бұрын

I watch plenty of DMs who are different from Matt. What I don't like about her style isn't that it's different, it's that it makes a show that I'm not interested in keeping up with. It's basically the Star Trek Lower Decks equivalent for Critical Role, just a constant stream of character breaking meta jokes with no real plot and characters that aren't really that interesting. It might help if we had started at a different point in the story, like early enough to see these characters meet before their relationships with each other had been established, or later when they at least have a mission to keep the story moving in some sort of direction. However, things like "you all move into the warehouse for the fight because I'm not prepared for anything else" doesn't feel like something that should even happen in a home game, let alone on a show that's constantly acknowledging the audience who's watching it. I hope it gets better, because I'd like to enjoy EXU. However, it's 100% not about Aabria being different from Matt. It's about the show being a much less watchable spin off of something that we think very high quality.

@Farlandir 3 жыл бұрын

@@Galastan I was a little surprised at the half-orc ashari's initial reactions, too, but I feel like the party only gave her a hint of what they'd discovered in the warehouse. Orym said he "found" the residuum, but he omitted mentioning that he had picked it up from a stolen crate clearly marked with the air ashari trader's marks. The group was then playing tug of war with their intentions - mostly whether to reveal the black circlet or not - and throwing out all sorts of chaotic comments that derailed any chance of the ashari understanding what was going on. If I was running an NPC confronted with that scene, I'd probably play her as confused, too. There were simply too many conflicting interests in the room, all trying to pull the conversation in different directions. I do agree that many of the other casual NPCs encountered by the party have had similar reactions and behavior, though I'm not sure being confused by the EXU gang is unrealistic. These PCs are a whirlwind of oddities swirling around anyone they meet, so it's easy to imagine most people being thrown off balance. I definitely think that's an area where Matt as DM is especially good at giving improvised NPCs distinct voices and mannerisms, making it easier for players (and an audience) to tell them apart. Aabria often seems to describe her minor characters more than she inhabits them, perhaps because she's thinking more about the forest than the trees, if that makes any sense. It would be great to see some more varied personalities as they meet more people in the game. I'm interested to see an NPC with more conviction who might push the players to act or react, rather than being tumbled and scattered by the party's shenanigans. It's all fun to watch, though.

@Galastan 3 жыл бұрын

@@Farlandir I knew the first part you mentioned-but it's also kind of the DM's job to ask leading questions or to have NPCs use their intuition to help players when they're not remembering things fully or explaining things correctly. A simple question like, "Whoa, where did you find all of this?" or "Oh shit! That's the stolen shipment of Air Ashari residuum, isn't it? Our allies in Zephrah reported that a carvan got sacked and all their residuum was stolen!" I had the same issue when Matt didn't help Liam out when the Raven Queen was asking about Vecna. And in regards to the NPCs all being confused, it is unrealistic for EVERYONE to be confused about their chaotic antics. Some people might get scared, or angry, or ignore/walk away from the group entirely. It's just the little stuff I feel Aabria needs to work on to make EXU more solid than it currently is.

@Farlandir 3 жыл бұрын

@@Galastan The examples you give of leading questions or NPC intuition are really good. Those are exactly the sorts of things I'd do as a GM in similar situations. That said, I'm not sure I agree that it's the DM's job to ask those questions, in the sense of being in any way mandatory. There's a whole scale of interactions ranging between extremes of heavy-handed railroading on one end, and hands-off free-for-all chaos on the other. Anyone running a game is likely to find their own sweet spot on that scale, leaning a little more this way or that, and perhaps shifting to the other side depending on the scene being played out at any given moment.

@MagnaWingX 3 жыл бұрын

IMHO, EXU is wonderful and there have already been unique lore drops made by Aabria. But what has always been the core are the players and their interactions; when they have fun, it is absolutely infectious and sharing that with us makes things so entertaining.

3 жыл бұрын

I got the other vid by recommendation and watched this one as the follow up. I really enjoy listening to you and gave you a sub. Keep the essays flowing!!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I hope to keep making content everyone can enjoy!!!

@zhrang7118 3 жыл бұрын

I had never thought about playing/running D&D as art even though I’ve been doing it for years. This video really changed my perspective in a great way and I can’t wait for my next session. Amazing work! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I'll keep striving to impress!

@afterthunder 3 жыл бұрын

This is such a great way of looking at DMing! As my group's forever DM, I've definitely grabbed ideas on what to do from watching other DMs work (including Matt Mercer, Satine Phoenix, and Chris Perkins). But I'll admit, I never thought of it as a form of art. I think that framing is really going to help me think about my own DMing in that future.

@Jaspertenpenny 3 жыл бұрын

Is anyone going to be suffering from the “Matthew merger effect” more than abria?

@typhonyx_was_taken 3 жыл бұрын

The problem is that Critical Role advertised her as the “perfect choice” VERY heavily

@cyanidesista 3 жыл бұрын

I hope not. She seems confident in her approach, as she should be. I think it's absolutely perfect for this project: a limited run story with some people playing for the first time. Making a hobby accessible to get into is a great thing to be aware of.

@Jaspertenpenny 3 жыл бұрын

But her confidence, which is well deserved, has nothing to do with her players/audience comparing her to Matt Mercer.

@BramLastname 3 жыл бұрын

@@typhonyx_was_taken that's just because the audience is stubborn, That's not something unique to CR. An audience needs to be primed, After which repetition and confidence legitimise the decision. If they didn't do it in a way like this, People would simply forego watching it, Or at least not consider it as highly as they do now.

@davidhodgson1011 3 жыл бұрын

I honestly think they did this on purpose, nobody hates the "Mercer effect" more than Matt Mercer and showing him having a blast playing in HIS world DM'd by someone that isnt him and has a different style than he has behind the screen is supposed to show the stubborn critters that there is no right way to DM...that having fun with your friends is the goal, being Matt Mercer is NOT the goal.

@shellegriffin 3 жыл бұрын

I love Abria! She has an infectious personality. She has Matt as a player! And he's comfortable with it and is running with it. Both are amazing and both have the A typical leadership personality needed to be a DM or GM. What makes them great is a unique combination of personality traits and choices of leading.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@christopherbartlett4285 3 жыл бұрын

This is all really well said, and brings into sharp focus something I've been thinking ever since the beginning of the new series. Kudos to the critical role people for taking this chance and kudos to you for noticing and calling it out as a wonderful thing.

@ewengilary7669 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video with great perspective and takes. Thank you.

@KoNekoNoUta 3 жыл бұрын

The lesson is please let the DM play as player sometimes XD~

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

True that! Sometimes they just wanna play

@Ehuatl 2 жыл бұрын

I couldn't bring myself to like Abria's DM style. There is nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't click with me. I have RPed under GMs before Crit Role was even a thing that I consider to have hooked me more than Matt Mercer's style - but I really love how Matt Mercer runs the game. I totally agree tho, that it is good that Crit Role is showing someone other that has a different style. All that said, I think we'd all do also well to not focus so much on the GMs. Neither Matt, nor Abria could do what they do if the players wouldn't give them the opportunity. And that's something that makes Crit Role so special for me: How all the people participating in it collaborate to make it a success. Players shouldn't expect the GM to just give them a great experience, they should be cognizant that they are the one enabling the GM to do so as well. Good RP is a group effort!

@januzzell8631 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome video - well put

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the encouragement!

@cammcleod4525 3 жыл бұрын

such good points, I've never thought of it like that. I am certainly one DM who has suffered from the Mercer effect and I think you may have just cured that, so thanks!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help! I myself seriously had to deal with those expectations I set on myself in the past as well. It's all about learning, not imitating!

@katherinegodwin925 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate your perspective and measured evaluation of each DM and their tactics. They aren’t bad, or better than another, just different. Thank you for highlighting that.

@crunchydragontreats6692 Жыл бұрын

Benge watching this playlist and loving ever one of them. Thank you for sharing your passion for TTRPGs. Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.

@AngryWattson 3 жыл бұрын

I hope you blow up man this was great, keep up the good work

@Zephyrhawk17 3 жыл бұрын

Hey man you are doing great! Awesome vids, great content. Appreciate what you do, looking forward to what you do in the future.

@TheKooter5000 3 жыл бұрын

All Critical Role aside, I wanted to say I strangely enjoy that your video is mostly static, just a picture in the background. It allows for individuals to draw from their own memory and see the same conclusion from possibly different perspectives. And it's just super chill. Very nice, thank you.

@rantdmc 3 жыл бұрын

I'm looking at many of these comments and it's very interesting how people are appreciating Aabria involving the audience much more in the experience. I love as a DM drawing players into a profound experience if I can and not thinking about an audience, but she seems very conscious that many thousands are watching and enjoying. it's just a different way of being awesome isn't it?

@morningstarred 2 жыл бұрын

that really stood out to me in episode 1 of exu! exu has been my introduction to aabria, so i have yet to watch anything else she's done, but she strikes me as someone who's very aware of the audience's position when she's making content. i think it's something that's probably unique to a DM making content intended for others to watch, versus most campaigns which are only viewed by the people at the table. and i wonder if matt's style of describing (as opposed to aabria's) is rooted in the fact that cr started out as a home game, and there was that core of not wanting things to change when they started streaming it for an audience. to me matt's style feels like watching a movie be made in real time, and aabria's style feels like.... maybe watching a stage production that acknowledges the presence of the audience and occasionally engages them. both are great!

@LJade1017 2 жыл бұрын

I think she is ok, but I don't go out of my way to watch EXU and I've started skipping through it now that it's close to the end a lot of her rulings and constant checks irritate the crap out of me. As for referring to the audience and playing to them in descriptions in my opinion I really dislike that. I want to discover the story with the characters and stay immersed in the world but its hard to do when you are constantly being thrown out of the story by Aabria herself with a wacky comment or meta information. I feel like you can almost see the pain on the experienced players faces with some of her rulings, then again I might just be projecting my own discomfort lol, But EXU is ok for a short but I would be very upset if this was the new regular

@SaruvaViolin 3 жыл бұрын

My yardstick of a DM is Chris Perkins, for me he embodies the role of the Narrator, he has an enviable lexical field (due to years of work as a game writer) regarding D&D. He can paint the EXACT action with his choice of words, you know exactly how hard an attack hit; how NPCs move, breath and think just by the way he describes them. He is the DM I'm aiming to become, Matt is quite good but he doesn't have the majestic lexical brush that Chris has, but he makes up for it being and amazing voice actor, which is something Perkins lacks. But, they're both amazing!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Man, I need to watch more Chris Perkins!

@Snoozems 3 жыл бұрын

Aabria is amazing. Watching her in Misfits and Magic alongside Exandria, and I just can't get enough of her.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I'm pretty excited to see that content as well! I'm going to be watching soon

@Mae_Day 3 жыл бұрын

I watched the most recent episode on twitch and i ACTUALLY had to turn off the chat because i saw so many messages hating on, and bitching about Her dming and how she is ruining critical role. She is doing a BANG UP JOB and it’s so good to see other people dm sometimes. And it definitely is nice to see matt get a break. I hope the hate doesn’t get to her, she’s doing fantastic

@boobay88 3 жыл бұрын

I love the fact that she frames the episodes with the audience in mind and will describe the shady character watching the group from a distance, then when a player asks if the PCs noticed it and replys "nope, somethings are just for the audience". Makes me feel like I'm watching a TV show that let's us in on the villains thoughts and actions away from the heroes when they think no one is watching. This includes the final scene she has for each episode, Aabria is doing a great job for her players, viewers and Critical Role overall

@Mordred1337 3 жыл бұрын

this is literally what throws me off the most. it breaks immersion for me. i want to be in the POV of the PCs.. also her NPCS are all the same

@JohnPalb 3 жыл бұрын

I have to agree, and I had made the same comparison in the comments on the second episode of ExU itself, though I used Rembrandt rather than Van Gogh. In that comment, I was about to complain about the blatant differences in DM styles, but then I realized that if the players at the table are enjoying themselves while Role playing, any complaint I might have had nothing to do with how well they were playing the game, but rather with my definition of how the game ought to be played. In that moment, it seemed like a very narrow and unimportant perspective. So, I withdrew the particular issues, and ended that comment as I will here. A bunch of people enjoying D&D in a public arena is a great thing, whether or not you may play it differently, or have come to expect it to be played differently. It's not about the particulars of any given rules set, or the methods of a GM. It's about everyone at that table having a good time. And if that's happening, then that's D&D done right, as far as I'm concerned.

@austinshaffer7417 3 жыл бұрын

Dude you deserve way more subs and views. I saw your first CR video pop up on my recommended and decided to check it out, and I am oh so glad that I did. I've just binged your channel for the past couple of hours and I feel like I've truly stumbled upon a hidden gem on YT. Your views on D&D in general and the points you make in your videos are startlingly accurate and insightful. You roll a nat 20 on every one of your videos. I hope that you play druids, clerics, and rangers because your real life wisdom score is 18 or higher man. I will be watching all of the content you release from here on out. SUBBED.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for that, it means so much. I've been blown away by the recent views and subs I've been getting and couldn't be more humbled. And, I actually am a DM 90% of the time! But the few times I've been a player, Cleric and Artificer have been the two I've played consistently!

@austinshaffer7417 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole Of course man, like I said you DESERVE it. Also, nice! Artificers don't get enough love imo! And my very first D&D character was a Dwarven Cleric, so I'm with you man. Much love, keep doing your thing brother. I'll continue to keep watching. And if you ever happen to start streaming online D&D games just let me know, so that I can submit my resume as a player lol.

@mischievousscroundel7277 3 жыл бұрын

man this video was great

@saotiago 2 жыл бұрын

What a great video! And such a nice comment section as well. Exandria Unlimited has been my little happy place these past few weeks and is always good to see other people enjoying it and thinking about it means about Critical Role.

@skyoxford 3 жыл бұрын

I'm new to your channel. I just wanted to say that I love your videos!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! The encouragement means the absolute world to me! Hope to keep seeing you around

@ronin1837 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for saying out loud of my exact toughts, friend! Couple of my toughts on this matter; there IS a best DM/GM on this world... who can make sure his/her/its party of players have fun... If all of you in the game have fun, have a good time, laugh, cry, think, feel together, and generally feel good in game (include the DM/GM him/her/itself!!!) then you are the best DM/GM! If you can make this happen as a GM/DM, then you are the best for your group.... and in my opinion, nothing else matters. Matt is best for his players, so Aabria is too, if they feel good playing. And personally; I'm soooooooooooooo exited and happy to see Matt in a player's chair! I'm a forever DM in my group(s), but i'm loving it, and have some serious fun with it, so I don't mind... but I'm know, how good it feels, when you finally able to "just" play a game with your friends, only focusing to yourself, your character you love and cherish, and roleplaying, so I'm happy to see Matt (with his beautiful hair :D :D :D ) have some time to play with his friend finally! He was awesome in DeadWood, and despite him playing a mostly emotionless, silent-type character in DeadWood, you can see in his eyes how much fun he had with it! And you can already see that light in his eyes again in EXU again! (also; mancrush is totally understandable... ehhm... ) I learned from him sooo much, and from Bryan W. Foster too, and now: I'm exited to leard Aabria as well! Again; thank you for this video, I hope this can reach as many people as possible! (sorry for my english, I'ts 2 AM here, and I'm not a native english speaker :D ) have a nice day, be well, and... Is it thursday yet...?

@kahorere 3 жыл бұрын

I loved the museum metaphor! It makes a lot of sense to me even though I do kind of rank the artwork when visiting galleries (still in a completely subjective manner). And the Mercer effect does kind of loom over people playing and GMing. I was actively dissuaded by my first DM from watching critical role, because he was afraid I would fall into that trap. Great video! Can't wait to see more

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Thanks for watching and I hope to continue to impress!

@arctrog 2 жыл бұрын

Let’s be honest Aabria Iyengar is Jackson pollock, Brennan Lee Mulligan is Picasso, and Matt Mercer is Van Gogh while most of us are Etsy artists

@rubyseach 2 жыл бұрын

I love seeing Matt as a player tho, and as someone who dropped into this hobby a month ago, it's been really helpful to see different styles from the same people

@guamae 3 жыл бұрын

I can definitely tell that the narrative is still picking up steam, and I'm quite excited to see where the various mysteries of the story end up going!

@BoReed1990 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. Aabria and Matt have such differing GM styles but it still works. I love all the Critical Role cast but getting to see 2 new players and a new GM is great. It shows you and your group don't have to follow a checklist in order to have fun. I hope more people get to see this, and keep up the good work.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more!

@alphaz27 3 жыл бұрын

I'm new to DnD, only got into it fully this year and I love all the shows that I've found online. I really like Aabria's style but I like Matt and Brennan's style too. They all work for the type of world they are building and I think that's why I appreciate the differences

@gabesynnott6506 2 жыл бұрын

I love all three of them so much!

@Kyrill-Franco- 3 жыл бұрын

I agree with what you said in your video! It is interesting to see a different DM in the seat I've followed for years now. But I also want to mention another, possible benefit to this: It is good for DMs to be a player sometimes and see through the eyes of a PC trying to accomplish something and have another DM handle the situation. You can learn a lot from that. I was lucky enough to have found many friends and coworker wanting to play D&D when it came up a couple of years ago and I became the DM of three groups in 3 Homebrew campains which play out to this day. (Sounds a lot, but we only play once a month per group, so its fine) One player in one of my group is a long time DM which apparently had a very oldschool DM himself where he learned his style from. And by chance I also now play as a PC in said DMs campaing and we often talk about how our styles improved while experiencing the others style. I think he allowed more creativity at his table while I made some bigger challanges for my players to overcome for example.

@n3onvalkyrie936 3 жыл бұрын

That is such a good way to describe her style. I had trouble describing it to my friends

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help!

@Explosive_Pineapple4124 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome video man. Great to see another critter out there with such insight and charisma. Here is a sub! Keep going. I'm gonna go watch your other stuff now.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I'm going to continue to work to improve and impress!

@Explosive_Pineapple4124 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole I have no doubts. Keep on! I'll wait patiently for your next video. 😌

@FlailSnail222 3 жыл бұрын

About the man crush bit, my brother exclusively refers to Mathew Mercer as daddy Mercer.

@thecrow4461 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video it really open my friends eyes. He was super skeptical going in to EXU because it wasn’t Matt and was worried it won’t have the same energy, but that’s the whole point of having her as the dm to show that a completely different dming style can be just as fun.

@zhazhagab0r 2 жыл бұрын

I really want to see Brennan Lee Mulligan from Dimension 20 DM a one-shot or limited campaign for Critical Role sometime. Escape from the Bloodkeep was outstanding, and Matt played an amazing character in that as well.

@zhazhagab0r Жыл бұрын

This comment aged SO well, and I am delighted.

@Pistol-ve6ji 3 жыл бұрын

Oh and what about Debra Anne Whal (Spelling is WAY OFF sorry), she went on from a sit in to her own show, and rocked it!

@loklobo 3 жыл бұрын

deborah ann woll is a treasure

@g0lddustt29 2 жыл бұрын

Wait, she DM’s? Where/in what show? Loved her in Force Grey and CR

@loklobo 2 жыл бұрын

@@g0lddustt29 search for relics & rarities on geek and sundry

@Pistol-ve6ji 2 жыл бұрын

@@g0lddustt29 I saw that too, still on my watch later list, loved it. The show Relics & Rarities

@Beth-cj7ip 2 жыл бұрын

Great video

@D1LLDozZer135 3 жыл бұрын

I'm enjoying it so far, she's definitely different. But she pulls me into the story so thumbs up here 👍

@argophontes 3 жыл бұрын

I really love that Aabria and Matt are so different, it would have been extremely difficult for a GM that uses a similar style as Matt to take that slot, because they would inevitably be compared to him. Instead, there's a new GM with a completely different style telling a story in a completely different way, which is fantastic.

@reloadpsi 2 жыл бұрын

I know this much: her Marisha impression is incredible. Like, absolutely spot on. When the group spoke to Keyleth I kept looking back at the screen to check Marisha hadn't entered the set to provide the voice.

@eGregiousGames 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, I've been thinking about a lot of these ideas. While I generally prefer Matt's sleight of hand with improv, because it improves immersion (I'm a Super Srs RPer), it can also be daunting as a new DM if you don't realise he's improvving, because it looks like he's prepped everything. Aabria's style is a lot looser and freer, and I think it inspires new DMs more to give things a go because she's very blunt when she's pulled something out of thin air. I have a method I call the "stock cubes" method which I developed after exhausting myself with too much prep that often got binned. The idea is to put "seeds" that can easily be expanded upon. Like, I don't need to write everything the rogue is wearing; I can just say he's a rogue, in-session I can extrapolate what he's wearing if the player asks. You can put a couple of defining characteristics for unimportant NPCs ("balding" / "missing leg" / "obsessed with details", etc - or even have a table of such things that you pull from) and the voice, clothing and accent is often easy to extrapolate in-sesh. The same is true for locations and even plot points. Depending on how important something is, how much you think the players will care, etc, you can put variable levels of detail. What I do like to do is scribble notes so that anything that gets improvved in-sesh gets added to my OneNote, and enshrined as canon. So that random guard or merchant can then come back later, and so it adds to the sleight of hand that the whole world is real and I didn't just pull it out of thin air.

@JordanLeigh 3 жыл бұрын

I adore Aabria. And I love how generous she is with inspiration. It’s a fun campaign and I can’t wait until Thursday for more.

@Animorpha1 3 жыл бұрын

I think a part of the critter community are just excited and happy to see Matt finally be a long term player for once. I mean, pretty much every time he’s a player he was either killed off early or something happened to his character. I was because we all know what DM Matt is, but what’s player Matt like? But also I was genuinely surprised and excited to see not only a new DM but a DM who is a woman. As a woman myself who wants to GM. I’ve gone through the hundreds of horror stories with women and rpg table top games. These stories do scare me to the point that I can’t think of doing a game where there was no other woman in it which is most often the case because D&D is a majority male game. So it’s like that pat on the back of reassurance that a show as big as Critical Role would show a huge fan base. That a different DM style can just be as good but also a woman can be a really good DM. Which honestly is a stereotype that I see in a lot stories that most players with a female DM don’t think she’s “good enough because she’s a girl”. Edit: not the mention the standard sexism and harassment from being a female player. That’s a whole different real issue but it still happens with a female DM too.

@michaelmcnamara1839 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! I am really enjoying Aabria's style. Her storytelling is vivid and I love the way she works with her players! Looking forward to finding more of her content :-) Also enjoying the way all the players are working together at the moment. There is a real fresh and vivacious vibe to the table. I loved Season 2 but I am finding I really enjoy the freshness of TOE also!

@Ziggy7800Pro 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video! I just DMed for my family home game where I used a lega table as the battle field. My kids loved it. I really felt like it was art in the way I did it. Thanks for saying Dming is art..it made me feel good.

@GrimBrotherIV 2 жыл бұрын

Small note, the video you referenced is from Taking20, not Roll20

@slothdos4864 3 жыл бұрын

I Really like her dming style! love matt's. love hers!

@Yosherful 3 жыл бұрын

Great observations and commentary here! I think Matt would the first to agree with you.

@thumbwrestler12 2 жыл бұрын

This so awesome

@KatsuhiroHebi 2 жыл бұрын

There is a definitive best way to DM... whichever way lets all people at the table have the most fun.

@kuroneko1813 3 жыл бұрын

Aabria’s DMing is definitely a breath of fresh air. I can see the differences between her DMing and with the others and it opens my eyes to different ways of letting players have fun and move around. One thing I noticed, she makes them do wisdom saves for trying to remember something. It lets people see that there isn’t only one way to DM and welcomes new perspectives to DMing.

@pb-bx1ll 3 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Very welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

@nightangelx1513 3 жыл бұрын

I got all my friends into DnD a few years ago. Over time they all have ran a one shot, a mini campaign, and a few have even left my table to start their own. Each of them has their own set of rules, brings something new, and it's wonderful. It also makes me feel like a dad watching his kids grow up and come into a DM style of their own.

@aka_kyras 3 жыл бұрын

This was perfect, I could not agree with you more.

@judopunch2672 2 жыл бұрын

I dont usually comment on videos like this, but I would like to say that as our groups GM/DM/ST I agree and appreciate your video.

@valasafantastic1055 3 жыл бұрын

She's great in pirates of Leviathan as a player. I highly recommend Dimension 20 (all) as a fantastic option. Also Nights of Evening star!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I'm putting those on my list to watch!

@lollibyte5727 3 жыл бұрын

I've enjoyed Aabria's GMing and the whole Exandria Unlimited cast. Part of me hopes that this story will have a sequel with the same cast, but I'm sure that whatever is next for Critical Role and Exandria unlimited... It's going to be awesome.

@cortofmalk 3 жыл бұрын

Hey great video, another fun DM question. Has there ever been a PC you wished you could play?

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean a PC that my players have played, or a PC that I wish I could play in game?

@cortofmalk 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole that your players have played yeah

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

@@cortofmalk Wellll a player of mine once played a Bard that I originally rolled up and handed over to him (he played it way better than I could have) but at the end of the day, I think probably either a human monk named Ander because he was able to retire eventually, or an Elven Rogue because she got to get married and settle down while running her own underground crime syndicate

@cortofmalk 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole A character's story coming to an end is so underrated. It's very satisfying! Congrats on the huge jump in views too!!

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

@@cortofmalk Thanks so much! You've been here since the beginning, can't thank you and everyone with you enough

@rjcase4762 3 жыл бұрын

I shared your what makes critical role special on Twitter tic took ( it was taken down sadly) and discord on my D&D server hope it helps your content is great and detailed and spoken from the heart and to me that’s what makes your content special

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

So YOU'RE why youtube is telling me people are coming from Discord! I was wondering! Thanks so much for spreading the love, you're awesome!

@rjcase4762 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole I’m sure I’m not the sole reason or person but I’m played a part of keep up the good work also I saw your retweet with me I’m sure she won’t mind one little bit

@rjcase4762 3 жыл бұрын

I just thought about this I hope it doesn’t bother you cause you problems I wasn’t doing it to cause you problems I only wanted to help

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

@@rjcase4762 Hey man don't sweat it! It's all good, you've helped out by sharing my content and that's all I could ever ask!

@rjcase4762 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole that’s good man thank you glad I couldnhelp

@joaopedroguarigliareinisch8972 3 жыл бұрын

Though I have been enjoying Exandria Unlimited, there were times in the first 2 episodes where I couldn't help but compare Aabria and Matt. This was really interesting and I feel like it will help me apreciate Aabria's DMing more as I watch. Thanks for making this

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Thanks for taking the time to watch!

@Acekhan201 3 жыл бұрын

Especially in art, acknowledging and appreciating the subjective is how objective greatness is found within the play.

@wess2459 3 жыл бұрын

For me I try to find the best art, the one that resonates with me most. I don't know much about art but it still gives me feels.

@Magariz1283 3 жыл бұрын

I absolutely agree with this. I love both of their unique styles.

@SAUCE2001 2 жыл бұрын

It’ll be different, but different doesn’t mean bad

@rumguk 3 жыл бұрын

I find that I really enjoy Aabria`s run so far because it feels more relatable to the games I am in. I totally agree that there is no such thing as better or worse in these two. It`s different, and either it strikes one`s fancy or it does not. That doesn`t mean its bad. It only gets bad if trust is abused or otherwise inappropriate non-consentual actions are done by player or DM which will never happen on critical role. If the mood gets toxic, then it`s bad. I like that Aabria style feels more "cooperative" than Matt`s. She really wants the party to succeed from what I can see so far and get her lore out, and I do personally prefer that kind of game. Rule of cool is a great thing. Doesn`t mean one will do stupid things because one thinks the DM will save their ass. I am sure if players do something stupid, their characters will pay the price in her game as well, and rightfully so there needs to be consequences to stupid/disrepect to a threat. And I am sure it`s good to see that one doesnt need to do voice acting all the time to have a great time at D&D. It`s anyway all in the imagination.

@morningstarred 2 жыл бұрын

i was really excited at the announcement of exandria unlimited and i've loved the campaign so far! watching matt get to have fun being a player (and go nuts being an absolute himbo of a dwarf) is charming as hell, and lord knows the man deserves a little break. i also love watching the new energy that aabria - as well as robbie and aimee - bring to the table, and the command that aabria is building over her stint in the chair (even as nervous as she seemed at the start of episode 1, by the end of the episode she felt so much more confident and has only become more so over the following episodes). i hope she becomes a common guest on cr in the future, and that exandria unlimited becomes a cool way of including new faces into the world. i'm a pretty new critter, only gotten into it a few months ago, but i can really feel that i've been bit by the mercer bug - in this case i mean that i want to try my hand at being a DM. i think it was at the end of the liam's quest full circle where liam mentions being terrified of getting in the DM's chair and doing it anyways, and matt says that that's the key - you'll always be terrified of doing a bad job, but you just have to dive in and try. i experienced other DMs before matt mercer, so i don't necessarily expect myself to be like him, but there's still that fear of making a dissatisfying experience for your players, or being thrown off your guard and having to improvise. i just keep telling myself that if i find out what they want from the story, and do my best to honor that and what i want out of the story, that it'll work itself out.

@Awesmediocrity 2 жыл бұрын

The first time I saw Aabria in a tabletop setting was in the Dimension 20 mini campaign “Pirates of Leviathan”. The first time I saw her GM was in the Dimension 20 mini campaign “Misfits and Magic”, which runs off of Kids on Brooms instead of Dungeons and Dragons. Aabria, in the first episode, does such a great job explaining the system quickly to the audience while also crafting a world that introduces the characters in a way that allows for the mechanics to be explored briefly and in an easy to understand way for the audience. I love how her style of GM’ing allows for a lot of player freedom and encourages a lot of creative gameplay, improv, and role play.

@Blue_Lunacy 3 жыл бұрын

I am excited for the eXu format. Since this could potentially means that CR can invite other talented DMs to guest run their future campaign. Like: Debra Ann Woll, I highly recommend watching all of Relics and Rarities. I wish that show got second season... Ivan Van Norman, I don't know much about him but I saw him DM a bit and he seems like a fun and intense DM. Joe Manganiello, I think I only saw him as players. But I saw various videos of him expressing his passion for DM. I hope CR could get him to guest run a short campaign.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

I agree! I would love to see all those faces in the DM seat

@leonardocruz6715 3 жыл бұрын

Never played d&d, just started watching critical role during covid because of a random clip I saw. I've heard of the mathew mercer effect, but honestly I couldn't really see it even if ya told me. My friends are all goofballs so if we ever played d&d I'd imagine we wouldn't change. Like anything else everyone has style. Simply wanting a different style for the sake of being "unique" or vice-versa has never sat well with me. I hope to play one day and maybe even dm, but I'd rather do it on my own accord. It's nice to see other styles but once you start comparing and judging at a visceral level shit starts going downhill.

@PlayYourRole 3 жыл бұрын

Good point! I don't think I intend to say that everyone MUST stick out with style, but that everyone has their own naturally! I wouldn't want people to think they NEED to do something to stick out... after all, you said it yourself: DND and TTRPG are about being goofballs and having fun. I'd much rather there not be pressure to be a certain way, and just have fun! And thanks for watching the video! Really appreciate it!

@leonardocruz6715 3 жыл бұрын

@@PlayYourRole I threw that out for others lol

@RedCoolade 2 жыл бұрын

Well said.

@squirrelpiewoosh 2 жыл бұрын

I work ten hour days and most Saturdays, with about fifty hours a week of listening time, I've got tons of time for podcasts. I have a hard time treating podcast like some kind of sitcom with week to week episodes, I'll listen to a season/chapter of a podcast so I don't need to wait a long time for the next episode, even if that is a year or longer wait. With that being said: I've listened to all of CR via podcast, they aren't the first Actual Play podcast I've listened to, nor would I say they are the best. I haven't listened to any of the new in-between episodes with Aabria Iyengar as the DM, I will treat these episodes and a mini arc that they are. But if she is to take over moving into season three of CR, I don't know if I would like it or listen for long. No dig on her or her ability to DM, but CR is CR, and CR is Matthew Mercer(and CO). If it was one of the other players talking the helm for a trial run to see how people like it and give Matt a break, it would probably wouldn't have been received as poorly. But taking an outsider and putting them on the DM throne might be a bit harder for people to swallow. It isn't necessarily the same as comparing who is better as a DM, its who is the "normal" DM and who is not. In the end, people don't always like change, especially sudden change from outside. If Aabria Iyengar had her own Actual Play podcast, it would be fun to listen to, but jumping into the seat of any DM of a long running Actual Play game would be jarring for anyone.

@bethvanderpol4573 2 жыл бұрын

I love that Aabria advocates for DM fun, inspiration is freely given for giving her a good time, she doesn't force herself to keep track of parts of the game she doesn't enjoy. It's wonderful and it's genuinely changing the way that I'm running my games. I've always heard people say that the DM is a player too, my first DM took his 'job' very seriously, to the point that he doesn't always have fun. We aren't an entertainer, we are playing a role in the game. DM's need to enjoy the game too, for some that means playing a serious game a giving the players a good time, for others that means actively encouraging good vibes at the table over serious and intense emotional scenes. I love to see it, now I prioritise my fun at the table too, it's been game-changing, literally.