It’s amazing that you can broadcast your opinions to the entire world from your parents basement. Shave your neck beard and do a push up once in a while. Sheesh
@Goldenheart0615 сағат бұрын
I like to do a 50/50 approach. Some clues they will auto find but only after like.. 3 searches, others that are very specific information or doesnt keep them from progressing ill hide better. I think its one thing to let players go through areas and stories without being stuck for 7 years and them going through with or without additional, revelevant info. Like: How to escape room -> give clue regardless, just draw it out Secret treasure clue in same room -> specific rolls Or Trying to learn about an enemy -> generic clues to allow the players to continue Unique weaknesses and strengths -> longer search and more successes You should never limit a player'a ability to progress. But making the act of searching give benefits will encourage them to look. At least it has worked well for my party.
@Joshuazx18 сағат бұрын
Agreed. Elaborate on tip 2, character backstories, tell the players they are required to make characters with a goal.
@Joshuazx18 сағат бұрын
Read 1,000 stories or read 1 book about how to write stories?
@dicegeeks18 сағат бұрын
Read 1,000 stories if you can. Reading one story will teach you more than a book about how to write stories.
@Joshuazx3 сағат бұрын
@@dicegeeks I disagree. I have an excellent book called The Story Solution by Eric Edson. It's helpful in many ways on how to write
@dicegeeks2 сағат бұрын
@@Joshuazx I haven't read that one, but I have read dozens of books about writing. Sadly, I've come to see they mostly had a negative effect on my writing. The most helpful things I've found have been practice and experiencing great stories.
@JohnnyDoeDoeDoe20 сағат бұрын
The romance episodes were always a drag
@kurtissanders7342Күн бұрын
If i play with a dm like that, i will start just saying, "i roll investigate " instead of actually RPing the search, because it doesn't matter anymore. Or I'll start saying stupid things, like i search that corpse for clues, but only in its anal cavaty, or i search the room for clues, by standing still on the center of the room staring at the ceiling with my hands in my pockets... do i find anything? Think about what makes sense, put your clues in places that make sense and don't treat your players like children. It's kinda obvious.
@the10thiris2 күн бұрын
There is an RPG called "Bubble Gumshoe" where they make the same point that you do that mysteries with clues should always be able to be found otherwise things would grind to a halt. The solution used by Bubble Gumshoe is that failed roles cost a resource not that the clue isn't given. So in D&D maybe failed roles cause exhaustion, gold, HP, or some other resource (depending on circumstance).
@MatthewCaunsfield2 күн бұрын
Some interesting might-have-beens from those early plot ideas!
@andrewhalmo6562 күн бұрын
What are some books you recommend reading that have helped your description/stories your games? For example, several KZfaqrs have recommended R. A. Salvatore for describing fight scenes.
@dicegeeks2 күн бұрын
A lot of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books helped me with adventures and descriptions.
@chloegoodwin24823 күн бұрын
I only saw TNG as an adult but I never hated Wesley. I think the hate for him is really overblown and I actually find it quite annoying. I can't say he is 'awesome' and he has moments I don't like, but so does everyone on the cast.
@matthew_thefallen3 күн бұрын
For layout and writing I am using Canva, it is so simple to use once you learn it. It has free stock images and graphics too!
@sinmaan75685 күн бұрын
Would love to see actually how you "prep" for a game. Likely in the line of what the LazyGM proposes. Thanks for sharing the wisdom!
@ElektronikArzt5 күн бұрын
It's possible, but with a load of railroading and illusionism.
@piztrix6 күн бұрын
Haha planing
@pancaker2586 күн бұрын
Soo what do you prep instead
@MemphiStig6 күн бұрын
I love random tables and books of them, or games that use them well. But I often find that using them in your game well means taking inspiration from those tables and making your own *smaller* custom tables tailored to your needs. Like you said, it makes it more meaningful for the players, and it's more efficient and easier for the DM in the moment.
@antoniokontos56776 күн бұрын
Create the world, not the story
@rileyfreeman88226 күн бұрын
HaHaha, Planing
@phantomthedrake84206 күн бұрын
I forced my players into a plot to keep someone from ever speaking again because I let one of them caste arcane lock on someone's mouth, then a dragon did it to him and said if he ever speaks again it'll be back. Which the dragon is literally a god that is over 150 feet tall and 950+ feet long, so it returning is worse than a Terasque(I do not know how to spell the name, it is basically midnight so don't tell me to find my D&D books). How much worse? End Of Existence, a full existential threat. So, essentially the party has to do the normal stuff while also keeping ONE PERSON IN THEIR PARTY from uttering a single word.
@thassalantekreskel57426 күн бұрын
This sounds like either the kind of long running inside joke the party will remember for years, or the beginning of an r/DnDhorrorstories post.
@phantomthedrake84206 күн бұрын
@thassalantekreskel5742 oh it'll be horror. If he ever speaks he'll cause a curse to be unleashed which is why the dragon would return. Don't worry, eldritch horrors will fear what I'll reveal he unleashes when he speaks.
@thassalantekreskel57426 күн бұрын
@@phantomthedrake8420 That's really not my point. You did this to a spellcaster, so unless they now have a way to cast spells without speaking, they are left with their strongest abilities totally blocked. Are you sure your players are still having fun?
@phantomthedrake84206 күн бұрын
@thassalantekreskel5742 I told him if he speaks it'll curse anything he speaks to. He's fine with it. He brought it upon himself and he laughs about it.
@phantomthedrake84206 күн бұрын
@@thassalantekreskel5742 plus he can still use them, one member of the party can remove the arcane lock and has done so already, he can speak, but he is told to not ever speak. (For context he used Arcane lock on a powerful sorcerer who was about to cause the end of the world with a power word, I allowed it warning him that if he can do it so can I. He was on the floor dying of laughter when he got hit with arcane lock by the dragon. If he ever speaks in character it will literally cause every word he says to be imbued with random spells, curses, and can even cause a portal to the endless hells to open, which has more eldritch horrors in it than I dare admit. I totally don’t have 15,000 custom enemies with detailed pamphlets that are 10 - 50 pages. I have I think 5 pamphlets that are 80 pages long because they belong to the strongest things in the whole world-building thing we’ve been doing in our sessions.)
@CouleeC6 күн бұрын
I agree to a certain extent. I tend to have a beginning and “planned” ending but the in between is never thought of. Of course the ending changes during the campaign but I mainly have it so that the players have a reason to join together in the first place
@josephbenjamin64266 күн бұрын
Just subbed!!
@ChrisHendricks7 күн бұрын
This episode was rated poorly? I always thought it was phenomenal.
@MatthewCaunsfield7 күн бұрын
Valuable advice, thanks. In hindsight this would have been very useful in certain circumstances!
@JustinThorLPs8 күн бұрын
I recommend you also look into the 4D method of role playing.
@davidvognild10 күн бұрын
Any interest in reading my movie script? It's based on being an extra for John Putch upcoming Christmas movie filmed in Kansas.
@user-td1cz5vq7u11 күн бұрын
I dont know about anyone else, but I LOVE this ep because it stars my favorite character Data. Plus, in an avalanche of work for poor Brent, he had to do the best he could in the miniscule time he had to devise these characters, and I think he did an amazing job. Spiner is super talented and can do little wrong as far as I am concerned.
@davidvognild12 күн бұрын
Great interview
@thomasmahaney271314 күн бұрын
I would also suggest making sure you get enough sleep! If you are sleep deprived, all the preparation in the world won't help. But if you are well-rested, you are in good shape to be able to react nimbly to whatever your players throw at you!
@dicegeeks14 күн бұрын
True. Also, this is just good all around life advice as well.
@GrandLordGeek3 күн бұрын
Well shit
@thomasmahaney271323 сағат бұрын
That too.
@armorclasshero210314 күн бұрын
Man are you kidding? admirals are traitors and starfleet are all whiners is *established* in TNG. As proved by every starfleet admiral throughout the entire run, and Jellico. The newer shows characters are far far more capable professionals than those in TNG. And Picard is one of the worst ship captains in any tv show bar none. He should have stayed in science division. That's why crew morale and discipline was terrible under his command.
@DeMan5914 күн бұрын
And this episode is why people hated Wesley Crusher. Well, one of the many reasons.
@DeMan5914 күн бұрын
I really did not see the threat that the aliens posed. When they got upset they just moved a little closer. Picard forgot about the famous “back up” tactic.
@SamuraiWorf15 күн бұрын
I got this video in my recommended and with that oddly specific title, i just had to check it out
@TheEclecticGoat15 күн бұрын
You play with PCs that have ethics? 🤔
@LesterManley-s9n15 күн бұрын
My only complaint from day one is they didn't really kill him Are the teenagers here just as 'open' in private as the adults?
@jowilliam99115 күн бұрын
I don't disagree with a lot of what you say here. But, you are missing one crucial point. This wasn't a commentary on capital punishment in basic society. This was a not-so-subtle stab at Christianity by an ardent anti-Christian... Gene Roddenberry. The garden of Eden is played out, through the eyes of an anti-Christian, in this episode. God is heartless and overbearing, his children are flighty and ignorant, and punishment is black and white to a fault. As a Christian, I cannot see this episode or the 5th movie without feeling utterly hated by the creator of said products. I love Star Trek, but I have to set aside certain feelings while watching it sometimes, and choose to not watch episodes and/or movies that are designed as an insult of my faith.
@abntemplar8215 күн бұрын
yes Wesley wasn't a Mary Sue, but he dam sure is a Karen.
@chiefcrash115 күн бұрын
I'll nitpick: at least *some* of the sex is necessary in Star Trek. It's hard to explore taboos and society norms surrounding them otherwise. Plus, I think part of message is in the future, we'd be less hung up on such things (a continuation of the Sexual Revolution of the 60s and 70s). Do they go overboard with it? Yes. Can they do away with it entirely? I'm not so sure....
@dicegeeks15 күн бұрын
That's kind of fair.
@chiefcrash115 күн бұрын
@@dicegeeks And granted, this particular episode.... probably didn't need the sex. But you can see where it's needed in other episodes like "The Outcast". And sometimes even the cringey episodes pay dividends: without that horny "Naked Now" episode, something would have been missing from episodes like "Measure of a Man" that reveal how important of an experience it was to Data....
@dicegeeks15 күн бұрын
I understand your point about Naked Now and The Measure of a Man. In that case, you are absolutely correct. I usually tend to rate "love" or "romance" low because I never watched Star Trek for that.
@Pizzpott15 күн бұрын
Wesley Crusher galled me from episode one. When he began getting storylines I simply turned them off. Since then I've converted my entire Star Trek collection into mkv files to watch from a hard dive, all that is, except for any WC (pun intended) episodes where he was a central character. He almost single handily ruined TNG for me, After I dumped his episodes it was unfortunate I couldn't do the same for the abysmal Riker ones too.
@MatthewCaunsfield15 күн бұрын
Nice to hear an impassioned defense of Wes for a change! 👍
@dicegeeks15 күн бұрын
Thanks!
@spacedinosaur873315 күн бұрын
1. Accused of a Crime: Your party could also be involved because an important NPC to them has been accused of the crime. The Capt. of the Town Guard was brutally murdered, obviously a ritual using dark magic. Lucking the villainous and foul murderer has been caught and will soon be executed, the captain's fiancé.....Wait! you don't mean the Paladin's little sister?? Oh no!! Tune in Next Week! 3. Alignment - In the Newest edition of Talislanta they do alignment a little differently. Instead of being Good/Evil x Law/Chaos, it's all about how your character aligns with the beliefs, cultural norms, and practices of your culture. Are you a true believer / a skeptic / an unbeliever or a radical / maybe an amoral outcast who believes the rules are for chumps and rubes. For instance, the Satada (a subterranean reptilian species that look down on races of men, as they only have worth is as slaves, or perhaps the occasional midnight snack. Are you all in, or do you have reservations?
@dicegeeks15 күн бұрын
Very nice.
@LucasKeesee-vm8yp15 күн бұрын
To learn from our short comings and the trials of others, we build the road to the future one step at a time. Taking the faults of a Star Trek episode, and turning them into a universal resource for others, is perhaps THE most Star Trek thing to be done.
@patrickscannell637015 күн бұрын
If yall think a virgin birth by a supernatural being is "assault", i have bad news for yall about christianity.
@larry641916 күн бұрын
Wow, I have your non-prep book, I didn’t realize you were the author, well done sir!🎉
@dicegeeks16 күн бұрын
Thanks!
@user-hy9iq9nf1v16 күн бұрын
Hey that's cool I already have the big book with tons of your random tables. They are so amazing! It's one of my favorite books to use in sessions! These are great suggestions and I can say they do work and add for more emergent storytelling which is just the best that can happen.
@dicegeeks15 күн бұрын
Awesome! Thank you!
@theyodanesss17 күн бұрын
I need to rewatch this episode, because I don't remember it being a plot that directly endangers more than a few people at the time, rather that if it wasn't resolved soon it would become a threat to other people on the ship.
@claudiaborges840618 күн бұрын
I think the most useful advice for running low-prep games is actually passing the burden of coming up with stuff to your players beforehand and then just connecting the threads. Transparency makes everything run a lot smoother and eventually stops hindering immersion bc you cultivate investment. Less linear games are also easier to run once you’ve figured things out, create elements in your world that can move on their own and will naturally interact with one another so you dont have to come up with interesting developments out of nowhere
@mattpace10265 күн бұрын
Dude, if they're doing the DM's job for the DM, they're going to start questioning why you're there in the first place sooner or later. Speaking from experience, you don't want that if you want the game to continue.
@claudiaborges84065 күн бұрын
@@mattpace1026 good luck not burning out then. They cant run a game without a GM to interpret all the NPCs and move stuff around. They’re not doing your job, your job is first and foremost to be arbiter and run the game, they’re just creating stuff for you and you’re trying to have factions and characters that act consistently and a world that feels alive. If you were speaking from experience you’d know they ask you to come back as soon as you left, unless they didn’t enjoy your DMing in the first place. They depend on *a* DM for the game regardless of how y’all go about establishing a world and its denizens. Think of an AI opponent in a videogame, it can have texts and texts explaining its behavior but it can’t act without a program to read the game and choose a response. You could just not do that. You discuss with your group what you want to do, but I still think you’re wrong about sharing the burden
@mattpace10264 күн бұрын
@@claudiaborges8406 I like how you managed to argue both for and against your own point. It's pretty clear your own experience is limited, to say the least.