Ordered. Exactly what I've been looking for for my nephew. He's reached that age where he's too cool for school, and doesn't want to listen to his uncle.
That's one thing I have slowly come to learn is players will often have really neat ideas and allowing those is an easy way to let them have some fun as well as way to spice up your narrative.
"Default to YES" is indeed very powerful. That's definitely something I could improve on. Critical Role does take way too long for initiative. I don't understand the need to gather up everyone's initiative score and put it into a list. Apparently, it's a common practice, but I'd never seen it before CR. Here's how we do it: The players roll their initiative, and the DM rolls for the monsters. DM: "Ok, first Goblin is going on 12. Anyone beat a 12?". Player pipes up, "Yeah, I got a 15!" DM: "Awesome. Take your shot." [Player goes] DM: "Anyone else before 12? No? Ok, the Goblin does blah blah blah. Next Goblin is up on 8. Anyone before that?" And so on down the line. Everyone keeps track of their own initiative score, no "master list" required.
Another issue I have with the "I can't wait to get to X level" idea is... You can always just START at a higher level! Ignoring game balance/etc, IF you as the GM honestly feel that the game won't "start" until a higher level than just start your game at that level. Now there are problems with this mentality, but it is strange that a lot of people tend to not realize this simple point. A TTRPG is not a Video Game. You don't have to start out a level 1.
Yeah, it completely depends on what type of game you want. Admittedly a tangent, but in Stellaris, a 4x space game, we turn up the required research by 75%, so we can experience each tech-phase for longer. This is quite the adjustment compared to starting at a higher level in d&d or pathfinder. Which one did in Ad&d 2nd's Dark Sun, because it was a far deadlier setting.
@@jamilburn5957 Yeah, I think this is true for both the players and the DM. In the context of this video, we are talking about brand new DMs. They would not have the experience required to pull off a 10th-level campaign on their first time out. People need time to try things out, and experience failure in a way they can learn from.
The only issue I have with starting a game at higher level is that you need players that are already familiar and have experience with the character type they will be playing. For example, someone that always plays fighters might not know how to build a reasonably decent warlock, nor have the experience to effectively play them. Especially if it's a significant starting level bump. Starting at 3rd just to make characters a bit more survivable is one thing, but a player starting at 10th with an unfamiliar character class is going to be rough.
I've been playing and DMing for about 10 years, and I've never really run a game past 8th level. How can I start getting better at running higher tier play? I'm clueless here.
I also pre-ordered this book and it has been hands down the best thing I've read in a long time. And I'm not even half way! The dungeon making was absolutely incredible. I can't wait to finish this!
I preordered my copy, and I've been reading it off and on since. I've got 20 years under my belt, and a lot of what I'm reading is stuff I've figured out already, but having it laid out in this way has helped me sort of order it in my mind better. Definitely recommend, even for folks that have been at it for a minute Edit: and I don't play D&D of any variety, btw. This is not just for class/level games, but it is for trad games. I run RuneQuest, Traveller, and (new) World of Darkness, and other than the first (lengthy) chapter, this book is not just system agnostic but also genre agnostic
I have been a DM/GM since 1980 and I still welcome new ideas on how to do the role better. The game has evolved as well as the players so new approaches to keep the game fresh are always needed.
Oooh. I've always been a huge fan of the Lazy DMs guide but this seems great for the game design side of the craft. I need the storytelling philosophy book on TTRPGs too, I don't see enough other channels talking about exactly how to use storytelling to really grip our players!
I think this is better than Lazy Dm, but that may just be my style of play. Lazy DM really leans into as little prep as possible, whereas I think Justin is a little heavier on the prep (but still focuses on preping what is valuable and not what isn't). The book really focuses on emergent storytelling (more an OSR philosophy?) than perhaps narrative based games. To me, this was the biggest key lessons to learn from both this book and Lazy DM. A DM doesn't plan a story, they prepare the toys, sets, and props, and the gameplay is telling the story together.
@@AndrewJHayford agreed that the Lazy DM philosophies are great advice that don't work for my style a lot of the time, but that book and this one are focused on making a DM's life easy to being a set-dresser and referee for the most part.
It was worth the wait. As an experienced GM, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I'm learning, even in the chapters/sections I thought I knew well. A well-organized treasure trove of knowledge. Gifted my brother a copy too!
Knew what book it'd be before I even clicked knew I'd get that book purely based off how excellent the Alexandrian is. Still to read just finished XDM so now on to this
I wish I had the "just say yes" mindset years ago when I started DMing. I remember DMs calling for rolls that presented cool challenges, and I fell into the trap of calling for unnecessary skill checks that bogged the game down and went nowhere. For a while, my advice was "Ignore 75% of your impulses to call for dice rolls" before I arrived at my own "just say yes" mojo.
Pre-ordered this book, and its amazing, already read it cover to cover. Really nails down everything you need to run just about any game you can think of.
I followed the Alexandrian for DiA, and it was amazing with all the details and comprehensive reasoning for each section. I didn't know he was considering a book and am glad to see he made one. Bought!!!
If I had a youtube channel, I would be "too positive" on stuff I would review too. I wouldn't want to bring the spotlight on something that's not good or interesting, I'd want to share anything that would be the most useful to the community I am helping!
Sounds like a great resource of ideas for experienced and less experienced GMs. Hoping this'll be the push my boys need to find the courage and confidence to run their first tabletop game.
Initiative takes me less than minute, 5 players. Old school, been doing it for 40 years. I have a premade sheet with the players names in order they are around the table, and go around in order asking what their initiative is. THAT being said.... I am really intrigued by the idea of having pre-rolled initiative. Completely with Prof on the flow aspect- it feels better. Going to try it.
Since we played Modiphus' Conan, I've used their Initiative system (or lack therof?) for everything. Unless surprised, the players go first, in whichever order they choose. It's unexpectedly enjoyable, honestly. And with my groups, the discussion over what order they go in are quick, if they even happen at all.
Been thinking about initiative systems. To amp up tension & fun, what about chucking initiative and telling players you have 1 minute to do your actions in any order, then it's the monster's turn?
@@RobertWF42 Depending on the type of game and players you have, that might work beautifully, or be a terrifying proposition :D 1 minute might be a bit short for multiple player, though.
Just be willing to walk back any homebrew. It isn't a failure, just ask if the players enjoyed it after the session then rule if you'll continue using the variant rule. If you have an issue with drunk players or other hijinks, I'd use a 3 minute hourglass. I'd say egg timer, but hour glasses are so much better for a fantasy game lol.@@RobertWF42
Just got this book in yesterday's mail. I've rarely sat down and devoured a book like I did this one. It's complex, but the way Justin breaks things down, that never seemed an issue. It is the "Eating of an elephant," at just the right sized bites, for new GMs and Old hats alike. Thanks for the heads up on this resource PDM!
One thing with the "always say yes" idea is that if there is something you REALLY don't want the party to do, make sure it's designed to be easily recognized as impossible. For example, if you don't want them to jump the chasm, make sure it's way to wide for anyone to consider trying it. Sure, there's magic and given enough time a party might figure out a way to bridge the gap, but as the GM you should know the capabilities of the party and have a reasonable idea of what they might do in that situation. I remember a similar piece of video game design advise where they said if you don't want a player to jump from one place to another, make the gap big enough that one failed attempt clearly shows it can't be done. Because if the players first attempt is 'oh so close', they will waste tons of time trying again and again in the belief that if they jump at just the right moment they can do it. Their eventual frustration at not being able to do something they think they should is not what you want.
I'm with you on the Low to Mid Levels being more fun. Developing your Character through exposure to the World, working your way up your Characters Skills, finding all those excellent synergies with your fellow Players and even developing running Gags when something hilarious happens. Those are the moments I love when I run a Game. I am forever collecting Tips and Advice from Channels such as yours, Discords that I am on.. Books similar to this one like The Monsters Know What They Are Doing! have been a godsend, not only for the Advice.. but for the realization that others are making, have made, and will continue to make, the same fumbles and missteps that I did and still do from time to time. I'll be picking this one up for sure.
Initiative: Are right. It always takes time. Even my fastest way, I have a small whiteboard and pre-roll my monsters on encounter creation. I say roll initiative. Go around the table and say you/you/you. Bangbangbang and put it on my small gm whiteboard. It only takes a minute, but I have to use it to put pressure on players to maintain energy. When I say initiative? You roll that second!
I loooove the Alexandrian website.... always getting good advice from there. I really love the Three Clue Rule... I've been trying to use it successfully in my games but haven't pulled it off successfully yet. As soon as I do, though, will be great. That book looks awesome..... :)
Since you mentioned campaign advice, here's mine: Start the players as kids in a little village somewhere and have the whole first part of the campaign set there, with all the troubles and adventures only kids in a fantasy village could have. Giant rats in the barn will be a challenge, a wandering Goblin setting up camp in an old ruin nearby will be very exciting. Exploring the world just around the village, building up relatable villager NPCs and relationships and lots of things like that. I tried this two times in the past, also with Pathfinder, but the system really didn't work well for this because it sets up characters as heroes, and making two levels already makes them superheroes. I'd recommend a system that comes with a point distribution system for levelling up or one that has a very narrative approach. The campaign I am running now we're playing with The Dark Eye 5 (Das Schwarze Auge), a German RPG that might take a bit to get into, but works very well and allows full scaling of character traits. It's game world is also kinda down to Earth and medieval but still very much Fantasy with magic, dragons and everything. We are about 15 Sessions in and now reached the point where a scattered warband of Orcs (who are a very valid culture in the setting) was deflected from an attack on a bigger settlement, and attacked the village on their retreat route for supplies. It was kind of the climax of that part of the story and a trial by fire too. The Orcs weren't at full strength and the village had some help, but setting up militia, having my 16 year old proto-heroes preparing in the eve of their own personal war was so awesome. I had reveals, like the nasty farmer woman who was always rough and unfriendly for the whole length of the campaign actually being a war veteran who then showed up in full armour and weaponry, training the villagers and taking command. Things like that. A lot of memorable, epic and awesome scenes without any world-altering events, special-snowflake NPC wizards or magical artifcacts. Next is apprenticeship and I'll have one to one sessions with each of them, trying to wrap up about 6 years of training and personal story, and when they finally meet again, they will be grown and full-fledged characters and might call themselves heroes soon. That's basically season two, and I'm really looking forward to GMing it. Imagine that group of village kids with a lot of memories of their earlier lives and adventures, actually played events, finally embarking on their journey to see the rest of the world. These are things I enjoy most about roleplaying and gamemastering. Telling stories like that. Simple and still epic, full of wonder and magic while I didn't even touch much of the potential of the game world. That comes later. But by bit. Dragon by dragon. Maybe. :D
I considered myself a fairly experienced DM as I ran a multi year campaign and played a lot of systems when I was younger. I recently started DMing a new campaign and was looking for ideas, so I picked up this book. It is truly excellent and I highly recommend it. In addition to the "default to yes", and the "three clue rule", there are so many simple, easy (but not necessarily intuitive) hints that he gives that are easily integrated into your game and DMing style. A big one for me, that I have ALWAYS struggled with is puzzles. If my players couldn't solve them, the adventure bogged down and I had to scramble for ways to help them advance. Mr. Alexander has the perfect solution that for some reason never occurred to me; puzzles should never be set up as blockers. Make them optional. If the players do solve them, they may open up bonus areas/treasures, but they are not key to the flow of the story. A major revelation for me. The book is full of such wisdom.
I agree with the idea of rolling initiative beforehand! If there's anything that comes up that may affect player initiative, of course roll it then instead, and save the pre-rolls for the NEXT next encounter. I'm almost glad I became an accountant entirely because of how good it made me at excel. I don't even have players roll anymore. I created am excel doc that allows me to simply click a button and it generates initiative for everyone in the party, includes their initiatives, everything. The only time I need to have someone roll is if they have advantage, and even then, I'm sure there's a way to program that in excel.
6:51 AD&D 2nd Edition has a very robust triple variable encounter reactions mechanic. It uses rolelaying, charisma score, and a dice roll to determine the result.
Picked this up when I saw the video, got it on overnight shipping. Reading it this morning at work and there's some good stuff in here even for us experienced older heads. Definitely going to be ordering a copy for my nephew.
Thanks for the recommendation, I watched the video then ordered the book. I am an Old School DM running an OSE campaign but didn't play from the early eighties until a couple years ago. I am comfortable with running dungeon crawls and combat but city based adventuring, social encounters, and mysteries are all new to me. Looks like this will help.
One thing that is great about this book, is everything builds on itself. Eventually, when you get to the end, you realize that all the systems and tools Justin talks about build on each other and all of these types of games are generally rearrangements or different methods of using the tools Justin provides.
An excellent suggestion for reading over the holidays. I like to default to yes while still acknowledging skill investment and preparedness. My most athletically capable party member wants to jump the chasm? You take 10 and do it without a fuss, no problem. Did you remember rope and climbing equipment? If you use it to help the rest of the party across, they can take 10 using your skill. Takes a minute longer but that ranger's investment in athletics and the rogue's insistence that you can't dungeoneer without some rope and pitons both get involved.
Mr Alexander got me hooked on his blog with the 2 FANTASTIC articles titled "Hexcrawl" and "Xandering the Dungeon"! His Hexcrawl system is so elegant and complete. I really liked it! It's brilliant!
Have you ever read or reviewed any of the books in his series "The Monsters Know What They Are Doing"? It gives good insights into how to better run monsters based on their attribute scores and types that is really useful, especially for newer game masters and for monsters that are less commonly run.
I both like that website and hate it. It is entirely beholden to the crunch. If you don’t Have the abilities to justify a strategy it all goes wrong fast.
Snagged a copy for my kiddo and one for me. He started reading my old Moldvay Basic book this past weekend and says he wants to start DM-ing. I figure we can dig into this together. Thanks for bringing this book to our attention!
I started following your method for initiative and combat. We (as a table) fell in love with it! Fast and furious, no confusion and everyone is ready when it's their turn. Mileage for others may vary, but we've not had any issues.
Saw this book at Barnes&Noble one day and passed on it because of its length. The very next day this review showed up on my feed. Went back to the store that night and grabbed it. So glad I did, I am going to be using so much from this book at my table! Absolute must-have for any GM.
Grah! I've been a DC subscriber for more than a year and keep up with my notifications *daily* ... not only did this video not drive a notification, but it buried it in my feed. DB needs to pay the algorithm a visit!
Will order next paycheck. I love your advice videos and while I spend a lot of time with Pathfinder, I'm itching to try Blades in the Dark (which I picked up after your review). I have run mostly published material for years but want to get into more of my own ideas again. I think this book will help kick my homebrew brain back into gear.
After watching your review of this book I bought it! And you are correct its a great resource. Thank you Professor! Ive been A GM for over 30 years and this book will help remember lost skills. Thanks again!
Putting this on my Christmas list. This is what I mean when if I could have only rules or story, I would take story every time. You could run a game with just rock paper scissors and this book and have great time.
Hey Professor, never stop being positive. I think your reviews are fair and very helpful. I ordered my copy just now. I am looking forward to it, just like I look forward to each of your videos.
I started running Dragon Heist for my friends and one session in I stumbled across Justin Alexander’s notes and changes for this module. It completely changed what was planned and I’m glad I found it so early in our game. I commented to my group that I feel like I was getting a master class in GMing reading through his notes. I will absolutely check out this book.
Hi Professor DM! I learned about Mork Borg from your review of it, I bought a copy of it for my friend as a gift. We’ve been regularly playing DnD together for a while and he loves the spirit of the game, but complicated rules tend to catch him up. He’s into metal and stuff, and you mentioned the system was pretty light on rules, so it wounded perfect, and he thinks it’s the coolest thing ever! He told me he’s been reading it cover to cover and plans on using it to run his first ever campaign. Thank you for making the content you do!
I Love this book, reading this and Mike Shea's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master shifted me from feeling like a reluctant "Forever DM" to actively loving GMing. This book taught me so much about thinking about how the game ACTUALLY works (GM describes a scene, players describe what their characters do, dice are rolled if needed to determine outcomes of the actions, GM describes the new scene), and Lazy DM gave me permission to NOT prep for hours and hours, while still feeling prepared. IMHO- If you want to have FUN GMing, Get this book, return of the lazy DM, and the shadowdark rpg quickstart guide. For about than the cost of the 5e DMs guide you can have an awesome time playing games. (Also, if you have ADHD like I do, both this book and return of the lazy DM have good audio books!)
Ordered this book just now. I have been a long time reader of The Alexandrian and was on the verge of getting this book as I am not really a new GM. It clearly has ideas for everyone, thanks for sharing your review!
A perfectly pitched, reviewed, and recommended item. Although I'm a MERP sort-of-guy I will purchase this book. The only issue I have is that viewers here who intend to buy should seek to order in first from their local bookshop....
![ร้อยพ่อพันแม่ - WanMai [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XY2pNYASEbg/mqdefault.jpg)
Ordered. Exactly what I've been looking for for my nephew. He's reached that age where he's too cool for school, and doesn't want to listen to his uncle.
That's when you're lost
He walks alone, under the city lights he always knows just when the time is right… too cool for school. Your nephew, is his name Doofy by any chance?
Lets see what the young man cooks HAHA
My husband watched this review when I was struggling to find him a gift. One "hint" later and now it is under the tree waiting for him. Thank you!
You are very welcome! Glad to be of help!
30+ years running games and I still think I have plenty to learn. Getting this book today!!
Enjoy!
That's one thing I have slowly come to learn is players will often have really neat ideas and allowing those is an easy way to let them have some fun as well as way to spice up your narrative.
I still use Whimsy Cards for exactly this! One of the most fun game aids out there!
"Default to YES" is indeed very powerful. That's definitely something I could improve on.
Critical Role does take way too long for initiative. I don't understand the need to gather up everyone's initiative score and put it into a list. Apparently, it's a common practice, but I'd never seen it before CR. Here's how we do it:
The players roll their initiative, and the DM rolls for the monsters.
DM: "Ok, first Goblin is going on 12. Anyone beat a 12?".
Player pipes up, "Yeah, I got a 15!"
DM: "Awesome. Take your shot." [Player goes]
DM: "Anyone else before 12? No? Ok, the Goblin does blah blah blah. Next Goblin is up on 8. Anyone before that?"
And so on down the line. Everyone keeps track of their own initiative score, no "master list" required.
I like the idea of “beat the monsters” to go first, then just go around the table to finish the round. Gambling is important to engagement 😂
I've used the "just say yes" guideline for a very long time. It really does help with player engagement and keeps the game going forward.
Another issue I have with the "I can't wait to get to X level" idea is...
You can always just START at a higher level! Ignoring game balance/etc, IF you as the GM honestly feel that the game won't "start" until a higher level than just start your game at that level.
Now there are problems with this mentality, but it is strange that a lot of people tend to not realize this simple point.
A TTRPG is not a Video Game. You don't have to start out a level 1.
Yeah, it completely depends on what type of game you want.
Admittedly a tangent, but in Stellaris, a 4x space game, we turn up the required research by 75%, so we can experience each tech-phase for longer.
This is quite the adjustment compared to starting at a higher level in d&d or pathfinder.
Which one did in Ad&d 2nd's Dark Sun, because it was a far deadlier setting.
I’ve started a few games at level 6 it’s easier if the people know how to play
@@jamilburn5957 Yeah, I think this is true for both the players and the DM. In the context of this video, we are talking about brand new DMs. They would not have the experience required to pull off a 10th-level campaign on their first time out. People need time to try things out, and experience failure in a way they can learn from.
The only issue I have with starting a game at higher level is that you need players that are already familiar and have experience with the character type they will be playing. For example, someone that always plays fighters might not know how to build a reasonably decent warlock, nor have the experience to effectively play them. Especially if it's a significant starting level bump. Starting at 3rd just to make characters a bit more survivable is one thing, but a player starting at 10th with an unfamiliar character class is going to be rough.
I've been playing and DMing for about 10 years, and I've never really run a game past 8th level. How can I start getting better at running higher tier play? I'm clueless here.
I also pre-ordered this book and it has been hands down the best thing I've read in a long time. And I'm not even half way! The dungeon making was absolutely incredible. I can't wait to finish this!
When I heard who wrote it in went for it immediately. Between the Alexandrian and sly flourish I learned about 90% of what I needed to know to DM.
"Roll Initiative Last" had me jumping out of my chair and pacing the room in excitement. That is so brilliant!
Yup.
Just ordered it same-day delivery. Thanks for the tip!
The guy behind The Alexandria....yup, it just made my must buy list.
I preordered my copy, and I've been reading it off and on since. I've got 20 years under my belt, and a lot of what I'm reading is stuff I've figured out already, but having it laid out in this way has helped me sort of order it in my mind better. Definitely recommend, even for folks that have been at it for a minute
Edit: and I don't play D&D of any variety, btw. This is not just for class/level games, but it is for trad games. I run RuneQuest, Traveller, and (new) World of Darkness, and other than the first (lengthy) chapter, this book is not just system agnostic but also genre agnostic
I have been a DM/GM since 1980 and I still welcome new ideas on how to do the role better. The game has evolved as well as the players so new approaches to keep the game fresh are always needed.
Oooh. I've always been a huge fan of the Lazy DMs guide but this seems great for the game design side of the craft. I need the storytelling philosophy book on TTRPGs too, I don't see enough other channels talking about exactly how to use storytelling to really grip our players!
I think this is better than Lazy Dm, but that may just be my style of play. Lazy DM really leans into as little prep as possible, whereas I think Justin is a little heavier on the prep (but still focuses on preping what is valuable and not what isn't). The book really focuses on emergent storytelling (more an OSR philosophy?) than perhaps narrative based games. To me, this was the biggest key lessons to learn from both this book and Lazy DM. A DM doesn't plan a story, they prepare the toys, sets, and props, and the gameplay is telling the story together.
@@AndrewJHayford agreed that the Lazy DM philosophies are great advice that don't work for my style a lot of the time, but that book and this one are focused on making a DM's life easy to being a set-dresser and referee for the most part.
I try to provide environments and obstacles and let the players tell the story.
@holisticdm Link for storytelling philosophy on ttrpgs book???
It was worth the wait. As an experienced GM, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I'm learning, even in the chapters/sections I thought I knew well. A well-organized treasure trove of knowledge. Gifted my brother a copy too!
Thanks for sharing.
Knew what book it'd be before I even clicked knew I'd get that book purely based off how excellent the Alexandrian is. Still to read just finished XDM so now on to this
I've been following his blog for some time. Love the resource. I'm sure I'll pick it up at some point.
I wish I had the "just say yes" mindset years ago when I started DMing. I remember DMs calling for rolls that presented cool challenges, and I fell into the trap of calling for unnecessary skill checks that bogged the game down and went nowhere.
For a while, my advice was "Ignore 75% of your impulses to call for dice rolls" before I arrived at my own "just say yes" mojo.
I've been working my way through the book and already have a huge list of stuff to try out. It's so good.
Just ordered. Thanks for the review!
No problem!
Just found this this morning. Love Alexander's website and design. Might need this.
Pre-ordered this book, and its amazing, already read it cover to cover. Really nails down everything you need to run just about any game you can think of.
Yes. I had pre-ordered this book. And received it the day it was released. It is excellent and very well done.
Thanks Prof! Going straight to my Christmas wishlist.
I followed the Alexandrian for DiA, and it was amazing with all the details and comprehensive reasoning for each section. I didn't know he was considering a book and am glad to see he made one. Bought!!!
...And here I thought "DM's Guide to Guaranteed TPKs" by Deathbringer was the only book I needed?! 8>D
If I had a youtube channel, I would be "too positive" on stuff I would review too. I wouldn't want to bring the spotlight on something that's not good or interesting, I'd want to share anything that would be the most useful to the community I am helping!
Just got it - pre-ordered it because I think his youtubes are absolutely fantastic. Looking forward to diving in.
Sounds like a great resource of ideas for experienced and less experienced GMs.
Hoping this'll be the push my boys need to find the courage and confidence to run their first tabletop game.
Initiative takes me less than minute, 5 players. Old school, been doing it for 40 years. I have a premade sheet with the players names in order they are around the table, and go around in order asking what their initiative is. THAT being said.... I am really intrigued by the idea of having pre-rolled initiative. Completely with Prof on the flow aspect- it feels better. Going to try it.
Since we played Modiphus' Conan, I've used their Initiative system (or lack therof?) for everything.
Unless surprised, the players go first, in whichever order they choose.
It's unexpectedly enjoyable, honestly. And with my groups, the discussion over what order they go in are quick, if they even happen at all.
@eldritchedward yeah it's good. And the gm can use their metacurrency to interrupt the pcs with an npc action
Been thinking about initiative systems. To amp up tension & fun, what about chucking initiative and telling players you have 1 minute to do your actions in any order, then it's the monster's turn?
@@RobertWF42 Depending on the type of game and players you have, that might work beautifully, or be a terrifying proposition :D
1 minute might be a bit short for multiple player, though.
Just be willing to walk back any homebrew. It isn't a failure, just ask if the players enjoyed it after the session then rule if you'll continue using the variant rule. If you have an issue with drunk players or other hijinks, I'd use a 3 minute hourglass. I'd say egg timer, but hour glasses are so much better for a fantasy game lol.@@RobertWF42
Just got this book in yesterday's mail. I've rarely sat down and devoured a book like I did this one. It's complex, but the way Justin breaks things down, that never seemed an issue. It is the "Eating of an elephant," at just the right sized bites, for new GMs and Old hats alike. Thanks for the heads up on this resource PDM!
You're welcome!
One thing with the "always say yes" idea is that if there is something you REALLY don't want the party to do, make sure it's designed to be easily recognized as impossible. For example, if you don't want them to jump the chasm, make sure it's way to wide for anyone to consider trying it. Sure, there's magic and given enough time a party might figure out a way to bridge the gap, but as the GM you should know the capabilities of the party and have a reasonable idea of what they might do in that situation.
I remember a similar piece of video game design advise where they said if you don't want a player to jump from one place to another, make the gap big enough that one failed attempt clearly shows it can't be done. Because if the players first attempt is 'oh so close', they will waste tons of time trying again and again in the belief that if they jump at just the right moment they can do it. Their eventual frustration at not being able to do something they think they should is not what you want.
I'm with you on the Low to Mid Levels being more fun. Developing your Character through exposure to the World, working your way up your Characters Skills, finding all those excellent synergies with your fellow Players and even developing running Gags when something hilarious happens. Those are the moments I love when I run a Game. I am forever collecting Tips and Advice from Channels such as yours, Discords that I am on.. Books similar to this one like The Monsters Know What They Are Doing! have been a godsend, not only for the Advice.. but for the realization that others are making, have made, and will continue to make, the same fumbles and missteps that I did and still do from time to time. I'll be picking this one up for sure.
Initiative: Are right. It always takes time. Even my fastest way, I have a small whiteboard and pre-roll my monsters on encounter creation. I say roll initiative. Go around the table and say you/you/you. Bangbangbang and put it on my small gm whiteboard.
It only takes a minute, but I have to use it to put pressure on players to maintain energy. When I say initiative? You roll that second!
I loooove the Alexandrian website.... always getting good advice from there.
I really love the Three Clue Rule... I've been trying to use it successfully in my games but haven't pulled it off successfully yet. As soon as I do, though, will be great.
That book looks awesome..... :)
Since you mentioned campaign advice, here's mine:
Start the players as kids in a little village somewhere and have the whole first part of the campaign set there, with all the troubles and adventures only kids in a fantasy village could have. Giant rats in the barn will be a challenge, a wandering Goblin setting up camp in an old ruin nearby will be very exciting. Exploring the world just around the village, building up relatable villager NPCs and relationships and lots of things like that.
I tried this two times in the past, also with Pathfinder, but the system really didn't work well for this because it sets up characters as heroes, and making two levels already makes them superheroes. I'd recommend a system that comes with a point distribution system for levelling up or one that has a very narrative approach. The campaign I am running now we're playing with The Dark Eye 5 (Das Schwarze Auge), a German RPG that might take a bit to get into, but works very well and allows full scaling of character traits. It's game world is also kinda down to Earth and medieval but still very much Fantasy with magic, dragons and everything.
We are about 15 Sessions in and now reached the point where a scattered warband of Orcs (who are a very valid culture in the setting) was deflected from an attack on a bigger settlement, and attacked the village on their retreat route for supplies. It was kind of the climax of that part of the story and a trial by fire too. The Orcs weren't at full strength and the village had some help, but setting up militia, having my 16 year old proto-heroes preparing in the eve of their own personal war was so awesome. I had reveals, like the nasty farmer woman who was always rough and unfriendly for the whole length of the campaign actually being a war veteran who then showed up in full armour and weaponry, training the villagers and taking command. Things like that.
A lot of memorable, epic and awesome scenes without any world-altering events, special-snowflake NPC wizards or magical artifcacts.
Next is apprenticeship and I'll have one to one sessions with each of them, trying to wrap up about 6 years of training and personal story, and when they finally meet again, they will be grown and full-fledged characters and might call themselves heroes soon. That's basically season two, and I'm really looking forward to GMing it. Imagine that group of village kids with a lot of memories of their earlier lives and adventures, actually played events, finally embarking on their journey to see the rest of the world.
These are things I enjoy most about roleplaying and gamemastering. Telling stories like that. Simple and still epic, full of wonder and magic while I didn't even touch much of the potential of the game world. That comes later. But by bit. Dragon by dragon. Maybe. :D
I considered myself a fairly experienced DM as I ran a multi year campaign and played a lot of systems when I was younger. I recently started DMing a new campaign and was looking for ideas, so I picked up this book. It is truly excellent and I highly recommend it. In addition to the "default to yes", and the "three clue rule", there are so many simple, easy (but not necessarily intuitive) hints that he gives that are easily integrated into your game and DMing style. A big one for me, that I have ALWAYS struggled with is puzzles. If my players couldn't solve them, the adventure bogged down and I had to scramble for ways to help them advance. Mr. Alexander has the perfect solution that for some reason never occurred to me; puzzles should never be set up as blockers. Make them optional. If the players do solve them, they may open up bonus areas/treasures, but they are not key to the flow of the story. A major revelation for me. The book is full of such wisdom.
I agree with the idea of rolling initiative beforehand! If there's anything that comes up that may affect player initiative, of course roll it then instead, and save the pre-rolls for the NEXT next encounter.
I'm almost glad I became an accountant entirely because of how good it made me at excel. I don't even have players roll anymore. I created am excel doc that allows me to simply click a button and it generates initiative for everyone in the party, includes their initiatives, everything. The only time I need to have someone roll is if they have advantage, and even then, I'm sure there's a way to program that in excel.
I'd been waiting for exactly this video by precisely this Professor 👌
6:51 AD&D 2nd Edition has a very robust triple variable encounter reactions mechanic. It uses rolelaying, charisma score, and a dice roll to determine the result.
Reaction rolls > Persuasion checks
Looks like I have another book I need to put on my shelf.
I would add the Monsters Know What They Are Doing By Keith Ammann as a must for a DM/GMs library. Haven't read Sly Flourish's The Lazy Dungeon Master.
Picked this up when I saw the video, got it on overnight shipping. Reading it this morning at work and there's some good stuff in here even for us experienced older heads. Definitely going to be ordering a copy for my nephew.
He’s a friend of mine. Great game facilitator- love the book!😊
I've been GMing D&D and Pathfinder for years. This looks like it has a lot of useful advice for sharpening my game. Ordered.
Thanks for the recommendation, I watched the video then ordered the book. I am an Old School DM running an OSE campaign but didn't play from the early eighties until a couple years ago. I am comfortable with running dungeon crawls and combat but city based adventuring, social encounters, and mysteries are all new to me. Looks like this will help.
One thing that is great about this book, is everything builds on itself. Eventually, when you get to the end, you realize that all the systems and tools Justin talks about build on each other and all of these types of games are generally rearrangements or different methods of using the tools Justin provides.
Love the Alexandrian....and this book. I had pre-ordered it 2 months back. Great choice, highly recommended!
Hope you enjoy it!
Very useful review. I think you have helped me with my Christmas shopping as well.
Merry, merry!
ordered ! can't wait to read it ^^
Thanks for the great content as always, Professor. You always brighten my day. Love from Bozorgmehr and planet Olnoth. 🖤
Thank you. New video today.
An excellent suggestion for reading over the holidays.
I like to default to yes while still acknowledging skill investment and preparedness.
My most athletically capable party member wants to jump the chasm? You take 10 and do it without a fuss, no problem.
Did you remember rope and climbing equipment? If you use it to help the rest of the party across, they can take 10 using your skill.
Takes a minute longer but that ranger's investment in athletics and the rogue's insistence that you can't dungeoneer without some rope and pitons both get involved.
These are amazing ideas. I love the "initiative last" rule!
I’ve been meaning to start DM’ing for a while, thanks for turning my head to this book professor👍
Mr Alexander got me hooked on his blog with the 2 FANTASTIC articles titled "Hexcrawl" and "Xandering the Dungeon"!
His Hexcrawl system is so elegant and complete. I really liked it! It's brilliant!
Spent some time with Justin this weekend at Davecon. He's a nice guy.
Thanks! Received it a while back. Definitely one of the best. My top three DM tomes are now this, Lazy DM, and ICRPG rule book.
Couldn't agree more!
If it’s Tuesday- it must be a fantastic Dungeon Craft videos
I'm looking foward to reading this one!
SABIA que o canal de vocês acompanhava o prof Dungeon Master hahahahha
@@FelipeEdit10 Hahah Eu acho massa o conteúdo dele. Não tem equipe aqui no canal não haha
Having PDM say it is a must have is high praise indeed.
@Professor i would love to know what pages you tag only if you want to share 👍. Keep up the great work love all tour videos
Just picked this up, thanks professor!
Have you ever read or reviewed any of the books in his series "The Monsters Know What They Are Doing"? It gives good insights into how to better run monsters based on their attribute scores and types that is really useful, especially for newer game masters and for monsters that are less commonly run.
Different creator. Keith Ammann writes the Monsters Know blog/books.
I both like that website and hate it. It is entirely beholden to the crunch. If you don’t
Have the abilities to justify a strategy it all goes wrong fast.
Great energy on your review, can see the passion for this kind of aid to GMs!
I appreciate that!
Love books like this. Really cant get enough informative stuff to pull from while working on projects
Thanks for the book recommendation. I really like the Lazy DM so I'll be checking this one out as well.
Great books.
I am glad to see you review this excellent book, which sits on my nightstand waiting for me each evening.
Snagged a copy for my kiddo and one for me. He started reading my old Moldvay Basic book this past weekend and says he wants to start DM-ing. I figure we can dig into this together.
Thanks for bringing this book to our attention!
Moldvay Basic and Cook Expert!
Wish I'd has this book as a kid! Great gift idea.
I want to read as well, shipping still need some days!!
I started following your method for initiative and combat. We (as a table) fell in love with it! Fast and furious, no confusion and everyone is ready when it's their turn.
Mileage for others may vary, but we've not had any issues.
Saw this book at Barnes&Noble one day and passed on it because of its length. The very next day this review showed up on my feed. Went back to the store that night and grabbed it. So glad I did, I am going to be using so much from this book at my table! Absolute must-have for any GM.
GREAT book.
"Yes...but" is the best follow up to any situation to make a story.
Grah! I've been a DC subscriber for more than a year and keep up with my notifications *daily* ... not only did this video not drive a notification, but it buried it in my feed. DB needs to pay the algorithm a visit!
Thank you for searching for it. That was a popular video too!
Will order next paycheck. I love your advice videos and while I spend a lot of time with Pathfinder, I'm itching to try Blades in the Dark (which I picked up after your review). I have run mostly published material for years but want to get into more of my own ideas again. I think this book will help kick my homebrew brain back into gear.
This looks like something I need, thanks for highlighting it.
I will have to pick this up, as Stephen Glicker also recommended it.
After watching your review of this book I bought it! And you are correct its a great resource. Thank you Professor! Ive been A GM for over 30 years and this book will help remember lost skills. Thanks again!
You're welcome!
I downloaded the book from Audible before the episode was half over. This looks great!
I picked this up already and I am excited to work my way through!
Putting this on my Christmas list. This is what I mean when if I could have only rules or story, I would take story every time. You could run a game with just rock paper scissors and this book and have great time.
Thanks, Professor. It'll be delivered tomorrow!
Nice presentation. I'm getting one. Thanks!
Adding this to my Christmas list!
Merry Christmas.
Thanks professor. Another great lesson. Will check this book out
Love this! Perfect timing for the holidays - gonna get one for my current DM :)
hahaha, hope he takes it well.
HA! Yes.... it's not "here's a book on how to DM better" it's.... "this made me think of you" 😂@@BanjoSick
I know what I'm going to ask my players for Christmas!
Well timed review... just in time for Christmas!
Ordered. Thank you for such an informative review. Sharing is caring.
I just ordered this. Both for me as a good refresher - one can never know everything. And to let my 18 yr old son read.
Hey Professor, never stop being positive. I think your reviews are fair and very helpful. I ordered my copy just now. I am looking forward to it, just like I look forward to each of your videos.
Thanks. I just played the D&D VTT with the design team. Stay tuned.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Professor, you are the best!
I literally just got this and am reading it. It’s great!
I started running Dragon Heist for my friends and one session in I stumbled across Justin Alexander’s notes and changes for this module. It completely changed what was planned and I’m glad I found it so early in our game. I commented to my group that I feel like I was getting a master class in GMing reading through his notes. I will absolutely check out this book.
There goes another $20! lol.......awesome find!! Can't wait to get my hands on it!
I saw your book had a dozen stickies in it and immediately knew it was a positive review.
Hi Professor DM! I learned about Mork Borg from your review of it, I bought a copy of it for my friend as a gift. We’ve been regularly playing DnD together for a while and he loves the spirit of the game, but complicated rules tend to catch him up. He’s into metal and stuff, and you mentioned the system was pretty light on rules, so it wounded perfect, and he thinks it’s the coolest thing ever! He told me he’s been reading it cover to cover and plans on using it to run his first ever campaign. Thank you for making the content you do!
Great Video. Made me purchase the book! DMing should be fun and in my opinion their fun is more important then any other person at the table.
Thank you for the awesome review. Well add to my library
I Love this book, reading this and Mike Shea's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master shifted me from feeling like a reluctant "Forever DM" to actively loving GMing. This book taught me so much about thinking about how the game ACTUALLY works (GM describes a scene, players describe what their characters do, dice are rolled if needed to determine outcomes of the actions, GM describes the new scene), and Lazy DM gave me permission to NOT prep for hours and hours, while still feeling prepared. IMHO- If you want to have FUN GMing, Get this book, return of the lazy DM, and the shadowdark rpg quickstart guide. For about than the cost of the 5e DMs guide you can have an awesome time playing games. (Also, if you have ADHD like I do, both this book and return of the lazy DM have good audio books!)
this is on my Xmas list now! Thanks!!!
You're welcome.
Ordered this book just now. I have been a long time reader of The Alexandrian and was on the verge of getting this book as I am not really a new GM. It clearly has ideas for everyone, thanks for sharing your review!
A perfectly pitched, reviewed, and recommended item. Although I'm a MERP sort-of-guy I will purchase this book. The only issue I have is that viewers here who intend to buy should seek to order in first from their local bookshop....