3 things holding you back as a game master
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
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► INDEX
0:00 Intro
0:50 Unrealistic expectations
4:00 Sponsorship O'clock
5:25 Being inflexible
8:50 Poor communication skills
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simply the greatest
Perfectionist?? That implies I am not perfect...lol. ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
Does she weight more than a duck?
❤ the Monty Python references as always Ginny!👏
Fun fact: the World Anvil in question weighs exactly the same as a duck!
I've been a DM/GM since I was in 7th grade in 1980... you never stop working to learn/improve and have more fun.
Same here. I love learning new things to try out or implement.
1989 myself. You're absolutely correct. Never stop learning.
@@lyudmilapavlichenko7551 hello other old timer :)
@@TheBahamaat hey I always enjoy learning new ways to torture my group
1999 here. Roleplaying has changed since then and so did my style.
The "Yes, And" and "No,But" is going into the session Zero handout. Thanks Ginny
Yes, but . . .
@kontrarien5721 Heh, always a terrifying way to start a sentence
No, And!
@@luciferandassociates9255 Futhermore, ...!
These are all valid results for a game with a more complex resolution mechanic than D&D's Yes/No. Bunch of PbtA and BitD games work like this.
1. Critical hit - Yes, and - you get what you want and then some
2. Plain simple Yes - you get what you want
3. Yes, but - you get what you want, but there's a cost or a complication
4. No, but - you fail, but reveal something potentially helpful
5. Plain simple No - it doesn't work, move on
6. Critical fail - No, and - you not only fail, you make things much worse
There are also games which roll "Yes, but" and "No, but" into a single result, leaving it to the player to decide if they accept a lesser degree of success at a cost, or if they give up this attempt but get something helpful for the future.
For me the biggest weakness of D&D's resolution mechanic is the existence of number 5 on this list and how common it is as a result. This is an empty result and I try to avoid it when I'm running the game, as much as possible. If a player is rolling, it should always have an impact on the game, beyond just "you wasted your turn and maybe some resources, better luck next round".
Big respect for how much effort she puts into the sponsor ads. Most creators I'll hear "today's sponsor" and immediately skip 60 seconds, but Ginny's I gladly watch every moment. Or even feel like I'm missing out if I do miss part of it. Seriously, well done
Probably worth the effort so people don't skip it
Spending all that time just glaring to your right or in that nose while not smiling is pretty impressive.
Me too! I also dig the low effort costumes this time! Very proZD lol
I usually watch every channel at x2, but I slow down for her ads :D
Ginny is the only person to hold a candle to Daniel Thraser when it comes to sponsor ads
Your ads always crack me up - when I realized the nose was a cone of serger thread and the cape was a pair of pants I LOST it
Best cosplay I've ever done 😂😂
@@GinnyDi A+ No notes.
The Monty Python reference also makes me smile
"Now we see the violence inherent in the system!" ^_^
For real, I always watch her ads just because they’re entertaining. I consider skipping sometimes but then the acting happens and I get sucked in
The game I'm currently running is in a homebrew setting. It's a bunch of islands floating through space magically tied to each other. This civilization is the only one the characters know about, and new islands float by and get captured by the civilization. Basically it means I don't have to be consistent about geography (it's always changing) and I can drop literally any dungeon into the world (a new island is floating by and your party is the closest, go explore it). The party wants to visit the market I invented in session 2? Oh look at that, your current island will pass it in a few hours, no need for a long travel time. The party wants to visit a location I made up on the spot and haven't figured out? Sorry that's not nearby, you'll need to hop through these other islands to get through it.
That's genius
A good DM borrows, a great DM steals. So don’t mind me as I become a great DM
@marshalaniki8205 Thank you. It's going great. And I've actually done far more world building than I would have otherwise. Being able to completely skip the parts I don't like lets me run away with everything else. Another trick I have is that I don't name locations or npcs. I describe them and then give a small amount of exp to the player that comes up with a name. Last session, they met another group of adventurers. They named them the Revengers led by Reve Stogers. Now I have stat blocks for Reve Stogers (variant human oath of vengeance paladin), Stony Tark (Dwarf armourer artificer), Blint Carton (wood Elf battlemaster archer with the Elven accuracy feat) and Rhis Chemsworth (High Elf Tempest domain Cleric with a hammer that doubles as a wand of lightning bolts and can be recalled with a bonus action, acting like catapult was cast on it).
@Koopaperson please steal this. The civilization is run by a wizards college that has deemed illusion, divination, enchantment, and necromancy illegal. Of course, all 4 of my players immediately decided to specialize in those 4 schools of magic. I've also decided that no one has discovered how to cast spells above 5th level, so my players will get to be the first.
Illusionism. Bleh.
Anybody else noticed the shift in this video from DnD-content to the phrasing of tabletop-roleplay ? I think its a wise move to open yourself up to a broader community now with daggerheart and other systems coming back to the public mind. I like it.
I think she plays other systems in her off hours she just likes dnd the most
The OGL crisis period was a time of change
I agree that it is mostly a net good.
But it does introduce a layer of confusion for newbies. "What does she mean by TTRPG?"
The brand name is useful, too.
You've struck an interesting chord. I was glad to see that also. Because I don't actually listen to any of these advice shows because they're all DnD centric. I don't like tolkienesque high fantasy at all. And that's not the throw shade at anyone who does have fun doing what you do. But for me, these shows should keep it system. Agnostic cause otherwise, guys, like me are instantly turned them off even if they have a great product to present. So I appreciate her switching gear
I doubt Daggerheart will even put a dent in D&D's player base, but there ARE a lot of games out there that provide things D&D lacks - like different settings other than high fantasy
Honestly, as long as your group leave the table talking about how great that was… you’re doing fine 👍🏻
About the worldbuilding - don't try to detail the entire world at the beginning of you planning the campaign. That will just burn you out before you even start playing. Try to roughly outline the parts of the world you might be using later or you might need to refference and focus on detailing the part of the world where the adventure currently is happening. That way you can gradually expand your world by adding little bits without having to plan out every little detail right away.
Great point!! Thanks for adding this 🥰
As someone who spent a whole year coming up with the continent for my campaign, I can say that if you're not a chronic worldbuilder who does it for fun, you REALLY will burn out.
And I didn't even plan everything everything, just most of the cities and lore. AND EVEN THEN! The players all chose to start in the place I was hoping would make for a really good endgame, first! XD
@@AegixDrakan I like worldbuilding, but I tend to fall into the trap of trying to plan out the entire world in detail, put a lot of energy into creating cities, NPCs, lore and such that would never be used and then not having much creative energy left for the actual quests and games.
The approach of making myself focus on where the current part of the campaign is running helped me a lot with that. And yeah - my players also skipped the nice little starter city I thought out and directly sailed to the stormweathered pirate island I thought would be much later in the campaign, but as I already had the outline of it being a pirate island, I was able to detail a pirate szenario instead of a trading town, so that worked out well enogh for me.
That's pretty much how dwarf fortress does it. spits out the map and lets the big titans maul some places over time. The problem is where in time is your adventure happening? I guess the dwarf fortress was supposed to reach the level of being dnd solo play generator, or something like that, the fortress part was happy accident. They wanted to see how to generate "real" fortresses and needed the tool to scan out some real builds I guess. I don't know the exacts.
Not necessarily, but in general, it's a wise precaution. I've spent over a year world building and went into it with lots of energy and enthusiasm when I sat down to run it. I also, however, only had a certain level of detail here and there, left plenty of wiggle room for my players to muck about, etc. Not sure if it would have been a smashing success or not, because the utter lack of interest in getting any players to show up to play on the night we reserved the room for, while it did lead to some "adventures," shall we say, with my girlfriend and only player (irl adventures, not in-game, of the sort one doesn't discuss, that i recall now simply because while no gaming went on, it was a worthwhile experience), contributed to me not trying to DM for a few years, by which time I had abandoned that world and lost my notes. I did try a couple more times after that, actually, but couldn't get scheduling fixed with players that were actually interested.
I was waiting for "She turned me into a newt! I got better." during the sponsor segment. I thought that was a take on Monty Python And The Holy Grail lol.
Same, was so happy to see a Monty Python reference 😅
"Does she weigh the same as a duck?"
"Well, I don't see how that has any bearing on her being a witch!"
I'm going to be going my first session on Sunday ahhh.
We're doing a one shot I found and hopefully it'll be a fun time! I'm excited and nervous and just want everyone to have some fun.
You got this!
I’m running my first session this Sunday too! (It’s a one shot as well!)
We got this! ❤️
Sounds lime you've got a good attitude toward it, so I'm sure you'll be fine 😁👍
Good luck! I'm a new DM as well and my approach is treating the other players as storytelling allies. If I have to call a break for a few minutes while I figure out how their wacky/genius idea impacts what's coming up, they all just chill for a bit and get drinks/snacks/kitty cuddles.
As long as everyone has fun, including you, you're successful.
I have been dming for three years, my first sessions I was super nervous but it still was a total blast. Each step of the dming journey has it's own cool things, enjoy the novelty of doing something for the first time and allow yourself to try things and not be scared of any alleged "mistakes" in a year from now you'll look back at them with nostalgia.
You totally got this
🎶 "Everything must be perfect
Everything must be perfect
Everything must be perfect, perfect!
That's why everything, every last little thing
Every single tiny microscopic little thing must go... According to plan!" 🎶
"who's your favourite dnd youtuber?"
"Oh that's easy, ginny di"
"Really? What makes her so special?"
"She makes momty python references in her sponser segments"
Wow, the bar is that low? 😂 I should really stop working so hard!!
@@GinnyDi well for a monty python nerd like me it is
The biggest thing I found that made me a better GM was finding the right party of players for the game I want to run. I put so much more excitement and passion into the game because it's the style and dynamic that I enjoy. The whole "find the right party for you" also applies to the GM
This unironically helped me with life. I am stuck right now, not knowing what job to take and feeling like I mess up all the time.
And I guess this shows me I gotta do what I am good at, what I like to do.
And not be angry that I can´t do what others do, when I can do what others can´t.
Wishing you the best of luck, and I hope you find your path soon!
@@GinnyDi Thank you so much, and all the best for you!
I'm so happy that you mentioned the "no but" principal. "Yes and" gets treated too much like a "the customer is always right" type of thing.
The hardest thing with that last one is that you're not the only one in the conversation and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your players don't seem to hear a word you say, because they are the ones with the poor communication skills. You can offer up the opportunity to talk above table until you are blue in the face, if your players don't take it, there's only so much you can do.
Recently I'd been feeling frustrated with how chaotic my table gets. The side chatter breaks out a lot, there's tangents, etc. I was unsure what to do because everyone is genuinely having fun, myself included. So why was I frustrated? My lightbulb moment was realizing my table could be less Matt Mercer and more Grog's One-shot, and not only does that still count, that was a genuinely fun game! My players respect when an important, somber moment happens. They interact with each other and npcs! If the energy at the table most of the time feels more like Travis's than Matt's, that's just a different type of compliment! It's really helped me reset my own expectations and freed me to enjoy what I have without confliction.
As a small addendum to point #2, Matt Mercer's "You can certainly try..." is a great tool that can be either 'yes and' OR 'No, but' and you don't have to tell your players which one you're using until they decided if they want to risk it. I love it as a way to ramp up tension for my players without cutting them off from their fun/crazy ideas.
stars and wishes was massive. my group has taken to talking about the session for a full 30 minutes afterward; discussing things we enjoyed, things that bothered us, and it even got more shy/anxious ppl to talk ab things they were uncomfortable with. i think talking about wat u didnt like ab a session openly is important, since ppl dont often advocate for themselves
The effort you put in to the ads is on a par with Pointy Hat and I love it.
I sent this comment to Pointy Hat and we decided that we need to battle for dominance ⚔️
Thank you, thank you, thank you for talking about "No, but..."
"Yes, and..." is perfect for creating wild improv, but can be horrible for working within situations that have limitations either by design or by requirement.
Long time GM. I learned ad&d 2nd ed (yes, i'm that old) about the same time I became a licensed FIFA referee. I feel the GM's MOST important job at the table is to manage flow and pacing. Making sure all players feel engaged, knowing when to increase/decrease tension, and rewarding success are more important than exact rules (make a call and look it up later) or having fancy maps/descriptions/npc's. When you are not running a game, read and watch film/tv in a similar vein of the type of game you are running. This helps with visualization and generating dialogue. Prep is useful, but plans rarely survive contact with players, so have an objective and be willing to change those plans to achieve said objective.
"That's a feature, not a bug." Dang, I needed to hear that. My type of GMing is my type, and that's fine. I didn't realise how badly I needed that reminder. Thanks Ginny!
With regards to “yes and / no but”, what often helps is asking what the result is that the player wants to achieve. And then help them within your setting and rules to get there, or as close as possible.
I actually love world building~ It's a great way to make your homebrew setting more interesting, but something that can make players truly invested in it is if they help carve out their own little space in it with their characters. Matt Mercer does this too. Ask your players what kind of characters they want to play and then give them suggestions on where they could be from in your setting, then collaborate with them to add more details or have them ask you questions to help develop and detail the region. Sometimes this helps spark some details that actually make your setting better than if you were just making it all yourself.
One other thing I realized that was holding me back for a while: Not correcting course. Similar to poor communication, but sometimes nobody is at fault. Don't panic and double down or persist in something players don't want. If you want my example, WoT down below.
I'm a "fresh" DM and "new" players (we've been in our first campaign for nearly 10 months now). I followed a lot of similar advice to try and ensure that they would love this hobby like I would and we'd make so many amazing memories together. It was mostly working. Session 0, asking for what they wanted, clarifications, personal help, math help. The whole thing. What I didn't do? Pay attention to their actions. All three of them were building their characters, looking over feats, spells, starting gear, and working with me about their backgrounds and homes. They all fell in love with a few classes, made their pick, and talked about all the cool stuff they'd do. I assumed they wanted a lot of combat (since they picked extremely offensive options for the most part and talked a ton about their builds). I prepared a campaign with a decent story and a few generic NPCs with some more writing on the villains. I prepared for combat, dungeons, and a decent chance of player fatality (even if I was going to try and help keep them alive for a first run). Is that what they wanted?
Not really.
They were becoming frustrated at the encounters, the math, getting bored with dungeon puzzles, and rarely touched some of their abilities. That's not to say that they hated most of the exploration or combat... but then I realized what really was driving them. While they enjoyed some puzzles or new enemies, they wanted to roleplay. They fell in love with the story and characters. The small secrets, twists, reveals, and bigger scenes, settings, themes, and moments of acting really spoke to them. They were sad when I cut short a segment of the plot and handwaved something because it would be a scene for about 5 minutes of them doing nothing but hearing NPCs talk. Once I had a session where they pretty much spent the entire time acting in character at campsite all day and asking bigger questions of them as characters and their goals... they said it was one of the best sessions they've had.
I was very lucky they put up with me taking about 7 months to realize what they really wanted. Don't take player patience for granted. I'm lucky I have some incredibly understanding players.
Totally agree! It's part of why I try not to plan a super intricate plotline before we start. It's VERY hard to correct course when you're feeling protective of the beautiful story you've plotted out in detail.
This is really good advice.
Sometimes I have the habit of shooting down Player creativity because it's not in the rules. As time has passed, I really like seeing how creative players can be.
To be fair, it's tough to know when to flex the rules to accommodate creativity! It takes practice for sure.
As I try out new systems or run for new people (especially if I can tell they may have different priorities than me), I’ve taken to just being really up front about this. “Hey guys we’re all new to Super Stabby Witches, I’m gonna run this pre-written module pretty linear, and I’m not really sure everything possible within the combat so give me some grace please. We’ll all get better next time.”
I appreciate bringing up the no but rule. I know DMs who let some players do whatever they want, but that frustrates the other players who are not trying to take advantage and change rules because now one player is allowed to cast two leveled spells per turn and use a one time per rest feature one time per turn and let their spells' damage happen when the creature enters the aoe and when they leave and so on and so on. Rule of cool isn't always cool when it just makes one player 5 times more powerful than everyone else.
Published campaign settings are a good thing too - not everyone is a great worldbuilder, but everyone can use the mountains of lore and worldbuilding to run a campaign in a detailed campaign setting. You don't have to build your own world to have an epic campaign that goes twenty or more levels, you can use the existing settings for that. And if you do want to flex your creative muscles, many of them have gaps and poorly-defined areas and such you can flesh out for your campaign setting to start with, but still have a wider world that exists out there.
As a 45yr old who has come back to D&D after years, it is so weird seeing it popular and having whole followed channels of games and guides. Roll on!
"Stars and wishes". along with "lines and veils"....... goram, these both are some great RPG advice!.
I'm a two-decade Default-DM. Thrown into the role because I was the oldest in my friend group in our late teens, and I had a natural flair for storytelling and applying creativity (I blame constantly reading fantasy/sci-fi).
I absolutely love your videos. The pleasant delivery, inclusive tone, and well-researched topics and points are always a hit. I don't think ive ever watched one of your videos without at least one take-away.
Keep up the amazing work!
Side note: I'm 100% the perpetual stress-ball DM with delusions of grandeur, who overshoots his ability to world build and create fully-fleshed NPCs with countless branching story arcs. In reality, I'm usually spitballing plot points and NPC names and story arcs at the table because work/life happened and I didn't get the time to prep. I almost always get great feedback, but find it so hard to shake the imposter syndrome and feel like I'll never be a good DM. Your videos make me feel like, I might be doing just fine.
I definitely relate to being overwhelmed by vast worldbuilding. I dropped multiple campaigns due to burnout from trying to build sprawling cities and complex factions. After 5 years of on and off DMing, I've finally built a campaign that is heavy on npc interactions and relationships. It also takes place in a small town, and a bit of the feywild. A benefit of most of it taking place in the feywild is nothing has to be consistent or logical. On the topic of communication, I also gave away the first session twist and plothook, because it's more important that my players make npcs who are invested in the adventure, then to surprise my players session 1.
The Video has the expected fantastic quality, but I just have to say
FOREST GREEN LOOKS SO GOOD ON YOU, THAT SWEATER LOOKS GORGEOUS
One thing that I think is really good about Stars and Wishes is that everyone, *including the GM* offers up a star and a wish. This helps solidify the fact that, well, the GM is a player too! It helps to make it feel more like a group of people talking about a game they enjoyed rather than a group of players *requesting* things from the GM. I think it releases some of the pressure from a GM since they can still have things they want to see as well!
We practice the illusion of communication on a daily basis. Our game days are no different. Got to ask questions and then listen.
As a foot note, once went to a seminar on team work and table crashed at lunch (why sit with the same group you work with, get out and learn about others!). I will never forget sitting at a table with people from a farm machinery company and hearing, "IF only I could get the designer of the grain hopper to talk to the structures designer before they started."
Keep practicing.....
Even as a long time GM these are lessens that I like to remind myself of every time I play. My worst sessions and biggest mistakes over the years were almost always the result of me thinking I'd finally mastered GMing and I had nothing else to learn. It turns out staying humble and focusing on the basics is actually the best way to approach this hobby.
Another Forever DM here. You, Ginny, are probably (at most) half my age, but stil are an inspiration to me. There is so much truth and comfort in what you say here. Thank you for the permission to be human. I needed it.
The sponsors break is always a joy. GINNY YOU'RE SO GOOD AT THIS !!!! WHY?!?! HOW?!?!?!
Wonderful video!
One important note to some viewers is that in Ginnys "No, but" example is that the No wasn't "that type of salve doesn't exists" but rather No to the time scope. In that sense it's still a "yes" in terms of collaborative storytelling since you accept their addition to the world.
Of course there are times where saying No to players addition is fully warranted but then one should offer alternatives.
I am 65 years old, DMing since the 1980's, and I decided recently just to try to relax, create a more open experience for my players. It has been hard, but I enjoy it. And I learned from this video. Never too old to learn new stuff! Thank you
OH! It's Wednesday. New Ginny!
Yay!
Communication is key, and even then being invested in your players is another. The communication skill is always a great buffer, even with extreme personality and player dynamics, although it could be doomed from the start with certain players with certain expectations. However, with that said, these facets of good communication and invested in the DM/GM, and players also fall on the players themselves.
Furthermore, the Stars and Wishes is a handy tool I never thought about.
I cannot stress how important your last point is. I really lost count how often I've seen GMs ask in forums or on discord "Help! My next adventure starts in city x and my group is someplace different, I have no idea how to get them to x!" and when you suggest "Have you, you know, just _told_ them 'Hey I'd like to run the next adventure in city x, do you think your characters could find your way there somehow?'" they are seemingly shocked at the mere idea, as if the fact that the adventure starts in that city was a state secret to be protected at all costs. Just aks them, more often than not, it will only take a second for someone to go "Oh hey I'm looking for that spell scroll, how about I heard there's a wizard in that city who has mastered that spell?" or "Well my noble knight surely has a cousin twice removed living in that area, how about my family wants to send them a message inviting them to an upcoming marriage?" or a million other ideas.
Precisely!! I think a lot of that comes down to unrealistic expectations of yourself too. Feeling like we need to make this perfect, polished version of the game stops us from opening up to the players and asking for their help to tell the story.
TTRPG shows not only have full time GMs, but a full team of people: tracking lore/painting/building sets/etc
I love those shows but don't let yourself compare your own work to that team ❤️
That's such an important thing to keep in mind. We started out with the basic aim to push our production quality as high as we eventually could. But it's INSANE how much effort and time goes into simply getting something like audio up to a good standard.
I've found NPCs really helpful when DMing, as it gives you an excuse to play alongside the group to a degree (great if you're DMing a lot and wish you could play more). I also find it a good way to handle missing players if I can sub in a replacement that fills a similar niche, as this avoids having to rebalance encounters for the party suddenly having less healing etc. I don't like trying to play another person's character for them, though I sometimes will if it makes no sense for them to suddenly be missing despite being trapped together inside Mandorcai's Mansion.
Another thing I'd say is a mistake I make all the time as a DM, is asking for unnecessary checks. There have been loads of times I've asked for a perception check or such in the moment, and then later wished I hadn't because it meant something was missed, or a character didn't seem as competent as they should have etc. I'm trying to get into the habit of using checks less, allowing players to choose what they roll (within reason) and using rolls as a "degree of success", so a bad roll just means you missed some bonus details, but they still see the important thing I wanted them to notice.
"Oh man I can't even pretend to be that self confident" Oh that hit home so hard
I know this was mostly a side comment but one thing I like to do for worldbuilding (which kind of leads into some stuff you talked about in the next section of the video) is involving the players in building the world! I've been doing non-dnd games lately so it can be a little difficult to worldbuild when there isn't much lore and too much variety in other ttrpgs, so I come up with a very basic setting and then ask the players to build on it and make suggestions.
Like for example, right now I'm running a Thirsty Sword Lesbians campaign. I pretty much decided that it would be set in a boarding school, then the players all took turns giving their thoughts and ideas during session zero of what the world looked like, who the NPCs were, and different events we could do in the campaign. It ended up really helping when coming up with ideas for the world and future session ideas (VERY excited for our Weekend Mall Roller Derby session)
I love this concept of building a world together
personally I usually building key pieces of the world myself, but I try to design locations that are key to the characters backstories etc. together with my players and if the players want to know if something exists that i haven't planned for (like a certain type of shop), I let them roll if they can find it, giving me a few seconds to come up with something and later customize it to their needs
so true, I have always differentiated between new DM and experienced DM based on 1 quality: Can you let your players win. Let them do that cool flavor stuff that may seems OP but has no real consequence. Let them pass with a creative but wrong solution. Let them win a fight without yanking the miniboss away last second with a deus ex machina. And I can say this because I have made those mistakes myself. I always have to remind myself that 'things won't always go your way' applies to the DM too, it is the nature of collaborative work
These easily apply to players as well, especially poor communication. Too many people hold stuff in and let it fester before eventually blowing up at their dm. News flash to players: the dm cant fix what you don't bring up as an issue.
The communication thing is huge - I just left a game this week because when I joined the group, I specifically asked if there were any subjects that could be triggering or were just off-limits, because the character I wanted to play had some dark stuff in his backstory (handled as respectfully as I possibly can, obv) and I'd probably have picked a totally different character if they'd told me these shouldn't be brought up, but I was given the all-clear for anything from both the DM and the other players. Four months later, I suddenly got a message from the DM saying he absolutely wouldn't use these things and when I was surprised and a little frustrated, but not unwilling to try and make changes to my characters, he was condescending and at one point suddenly pivoted to insulting me, and said we should probably part ways because he didn't want 'drama'. And I agreed we should part ways because I'm not gonna sit around in a group where I'm treated like an idiot and insulted for the DM's failure to communicate 🤷♂ It could have been a complete non-issue if they'd just.... answered my questions at the start, I'm honestly baffled as to what the hell happened there.
I liked it specifically for the world anvil advertisement. Amazing content on it's own, the advert is the cherry on top. Thank you.
My DM is so generous and goes along with most of my insane ideas, mainly because she knows I'm not trying to power game or ruin anyone else's fun. She even agreed to my next character idea, which is a steel dragon roleplaying as a character I had a few years back, a Battle Chef. My current character is a Wizard who has been turned into a fabulous ladies handbag in a magical accident. She just takes my crazy backstories and incorporates them into the game. I feel like it's really gonna bite me in the ass someday, but that's a small price to pay for creative freedom.
Awesome tips, wholesome as always. The green combo, fit, hair, background plants gives me Ghibli vibes, 10/10
I had the good fortune of meeting a very talented GM in College. One thing I learned with him is to pick your player's first and select the game second. It helps avoid potential out of character conflicts, but more importantly it allows you to match a game with their play style.
There’s an amazing book called Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master that every GM should own. Really helps for quick and easy prep that covers lots of things you’ll actually use and how to build the rest during the game.
As someone who builds worlds for fun, if you do too, it's your happy place, and helps you relax, go for it and detail the entire world. I would suggest, however, to instead _outline_ the entire world. This means you'll have a rough idea where everything is and how it fits together, but there's still room to improvise it shift things around when the players notice a plot hole or do something totally unexpected and having that wiggle room helps keepnin session changes from having larger cascading effects.
I’ve heard of stars and wishes before! Except we called them “roses and thorns”. Nice to see people spreading really good ideas. Honestly the idea of a cool down after session is just useful. I remember first encountering it through larp when most of the players would go for dinner after game and informally chat about the game, come up with “downtime” actions (what you’re doing between sessions) and generally decompress.
I think this comment is mostly for engagement and to riff on what you said. That is to say I love these ideas even if I’ve heard them before. 😁
Ooh, I love Roses and Thorns too! Hadn't even considered reflavouring "stars and wishes" to fit the setting better, but I suddenly have IDEAS :p
My understanding is that "Stars and Wishes" actually originated from "Roses and Thorns" as a way to soften that feedback and make it more actionable (a thorn might communicate what you didn't like, but a wish can do that in a way that also communicates how you'd like that problem resolved). For me, as a super self-critical person, stars & wishes feels less scary to me and helps me be more receptive to feedback. But I think both tools are great ways to systematize feedback on the game!
Why do I love the sponsor segment costumes so much?
Thank you, it's some of my best work 😂
So I'm a few sessions into a D&D campaign where my players (mostly new or mildly experienced) chose a survival campaign. I've communicated with them very openly about how I intend to run the game (this is also my first time DMing) and it's been difficult because the party has had random encounters that I have had to pull my punches on. But at the same time I'm really good at bringing characters to life and giving them voices. So the roleplay has been pretty great. Really what I want is to be able to describe the surrounding environment as good as Monty from Dungeons Dudes which is hard because so far the environment has been dense jungle, dense jungle, and dense jungle. I know it's a high bar but so far everyone seems to be having fun and I've told them I can change things up if something isn't working.
One dnd thing I pride myself on as a dm is that if a player has a problem or something they want (paying everyday to live which honestly I agree with), I make some kind of magical meguffin their next quest to solve their problems (a set of rings of sustenance for the party). There are lots of other, better examples but that’s what I am up to rn lol
On your first point: I try and remember something Tolkien used to talk about. He related telling stories to dropping a ladle into a pot of soup, the soup being the collective storytelling of humanity. There are no truly original stories, we all draw from the same sources. What matters isn't that the 'soup' you serve up to your group is not truly unique, but that it 'tastes' good: it's fun, engaging, exciting etc. Most of us don't have the luxury of worldbuilding as a job, so do not hesitate to beg borrow and steal shiny bits wherever you find them, add some spices, and serve them up. Because even the great storytellers do this: Tolkien's one ring was borrowed from a germanic myth cycle, after all. And you're also not the only one telling the story: your group is. Which is why that second point is key. Be open to all the crazy shit your players are gonna try. Because together, you create a story much better than anyone of you could have alone.
I’m planning on DM’ing for the first time with my friends (who I’m also playing dnd with for the last 2 years) so this is super helpful
I started DMING about 2 months ago, I took about 5 months working on my world, creating NPC, quest and stuff like that. It made me realise what I enjoye and what I enjoye less. It is truly an amazing journey and I can understand why some people would find it overwhelming. That been said, I realised it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be fun. The best feeling as a DM so far as been those moments where my group just seem to have a really really good time, cheering when the dices let them do amazing stuff. So yeah, it's a great experience so far. I'm glad Critical Role made me want to jump in that experience.
Good vid. In addition to communication outside of sessions, develop the ability to read your table *during* a session. You can learn what's enjoyable for different people by observing them and gauging their engagement with the various things that happen in the session.
Our DM does stars and wishes at the end of each session and it helps our communication a lot. I often get so many ideas what I want my character to learn or do when I listen to the others wishes and if someone brings up an issue we can brainstorm a solution together. I highly recommend it, often your players dont even think about these things unless you ask them directly
OMG!!! Love the "Monty Python and The Quest for The Holy Grail" reference.
These skits are what make me stick through the ads. So fun!
The best DM for one person and the worst for another... boy does that hit home... have been told both from different players in the same campaign..
I’m doing my second fully homebrewed game next week… It’s a three-shot since we always never seem to finish full length campaigns; your videos have honestly helped a lot, thanks! I’m still very scared but a little more excited.
You can do it!! 🙌🙏
Great as always! Love hearing your insights
I'd add a third to "yes and" and "no, but", which is Brennan's "no, unless" (unless you roll this crazy high DC check to pull it of).
ooh good point! Also a great prompt to invite players to think more creatively and make the impossible possible 🥰
@@GinnyDi yess. Then it's like, if the roll doesn't work it is more of a "too bad" situation instead of a banning from the DM, and if the roll ends up being awesome and it works, then it's an awesome memorable moment of triumph against all odds.
Love this! Thanks for the suggestions
HUGE worlds with TONS of detail is absolutely the expectation I had for my first campaign that sank it under the weight of unrealizable expectations. I couldn't make it fit that paradigm, when my actual strength as a GM lies in theme and vibe of a campaign, with worldbuilding that supports those themes!
Great advice! Love your videos Ginny!
Thanks for another great video Ginny!
Love this kind of content from you, and it always seems to hit just right. Thanks, and keep it up.
This was so positive. Thanks for the upload!
Thank you for another great video!
Unrelated to D&D - I love that outfit!
Related to D&D - I also love the advice. I've been DMing since 1996 and I always try to keep my mind open to new ideas and "stars and wishes" was one I had never heard before! I always try to ask for player feedback from time to time and I'll try incorporating that.
Thank you Ginny. I always appreciate your videos.
Fantastic advice, as per usual, Ginny!
I found this video so helpful in both providing new ideas and ways of thinking, but also in reinforcement for those things I feel I already do ok or have been working to change. Thank you!
she's radiant
To be fair I would regard you as one of the best GMs out there, on the basis of how much thought & how much effort you put into your GMing. Someone who gives so much of themself to their craft is definitely not what I'd call a bad GM.
Thanks so much! These are things I've recently noticed about myself, and it's so nice to be reassured that I'm on the right path❗️
very interesting topics and resolutions!
This is a great video! I have to ponder on it myself too! Always preppin' and then always progressing!
Nice tips. Love the videos.
Man! Your videos are just so good!
This is absolutely wonderful advice.
I really like the stars and wishes idea!
Awesome content, thanks for a fresh perspective on elements/mechanisms that make the experience more dynamic and engaging for everyone.
Love this reflection on communication. What a great breakdown. Thanks for the crystallized thoughts
I was really scared that when you said the last one was a hard skill to learn, the last skill would be improv, because know I am terrible at it. But then you said, "communication skills". And I immediately felt so much better about myself because it is something I'm good at.
I've been running games for almost _uuuuugh_ 30 years now. My best world lore almost always comes from exciting player ideas that I gave a "yes, and" or "no, but" to and worked it into the world's history, setting or NPCs. And it's really fun for players when they see the idea they gave a spark to manifest in unexpected spots while they're exploring the world.
Another great video. Thank you for all your content. As a long time GM, I always like hearing your take on things.
Man, unrealistic expectations are something I grapple with CONSTANTLY. Especially with my ADHD brain constantly running on overdrive. It's so important to be kind to yourself, first.
I'm about to wrap up a campaign with players that have been playing since 1st level over 8 years ago. They are all basically demigods (20th level with multiple boons each).
We've had fantastic times with great humor (some people had to run to the bathroom to avoid wetting themselves they were laughing so hard) and epic events that they still go on about.
Part of that is my somewhat coincidental adherence to principles similar to the issues you raised in this video @Ginny Di. I am into world building, but they were all new players, so I stuck with Forgotten Realms and built my own campaign within that world, along with NPCs (another talent I have) of my own devising. My expectations are always adaptable, I'm a huge fan of flexibility, and I maintain a constant channel of communication with what the players want, vs the story I have and the requisite challenges the is my job to present them with.
There are many other techniques at play, of course, but your assessment on these three issues is, in my opinion, accurate.
As a side note, they are all veteran players of multiple gaming systems, run their own games, and one guy even invented his own. So I started with newbies and turned them into masters. That's my second source of pride (the first being how much they talk about how fun the game has been).
Amazing advice, Ginny! I really like the Stars and Wishes feedback idea, I want to incorporate it into my current table. May your rolls always be natural!
Excellent advice, especially the advice about communication skills! Improving communication is definitely the fastest way to improve your roleplaying experience.
I love your videos, they're very helpful and you're making them with such a sweet flavour. Thank you so much! Sunny greetings from Switzerland