20 Dimensions of DMing with Brennan Lee Mulligan! | D&D | TTRPG | Web DM
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2024
- Today we're talking with BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN , masterful Dimension 20 DM, and College Humor fame about all things D&D! We bond as D&D 3.5 enthusiasts, discuss how improvisation can help and hinder prep, and the differences between our streamed and home games. Thanks for talking with us, Brennan!
Check out Brennan Lee Mulligan on Dimension 20: / dimension20show
On Dropout TV: www.dropout.tv/
and on Twitter: / brennanlm
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I've been saying this since the beginning of Fantasy High, but Brennen deserves to be regarded as highly as Matt Mercer and Chris Perkins. He is truly a master-tier Dungeon Master.
Agreed, been watching the recent stuff on Dimension 20 and to see him DM is quite the treat. The levels of enthusiasm and high energy can pull almost anyone out of a cloud of funk.
(I think he is even sharper.. 🙈😇)
He’s my favorite DM, personally. I want to be at his table. He hooked me with his interpretation of the NAT 20 from Ally Beardsley on Prompocalypse part 1. He allowed her to make her move and his in-game explanation was the most nuanced, layered and character connected story telling I’ve ever heard.
@@robs.1868 hey, just wanted to let you know that allys pronouns are they/them!🥰
It makes you realise how many master level DMs there are who aren't in the spotlight
I'm with Jim on this. 50% pre-planned, 50% improv, 100% never telling your players which was which.
I don't know about "with him", in my case, because this is the first time I've ever gotten this tip, but I'm DEFINITELY implementing it!
@@MrDavidKord hardest thing i had to learn as dming. Just dont tell your players ^^ They want the mystique. Its all smoke and mirrors but it makes the game better for all involved
I concur wholeheartedly
I can improv quite well as long as I have a pretty good idea of the types of monsters the party will be encountering, so I need the theme of the challenges for the next 2 or 3 player sessions, and then I can improv a mashup that moves them along to finishing off the overall accomplishment.
I do find that for online play now, my prep requirements are higher. At the physical tabletop I could quickly draw with a grease pen and throw down some miniatures, but online I feel I need to have decent maps pre-drawn with all of the fog of war barriers placed, etc.
@@dondumitru7093 And the minis. There's not excuse not to use accurate artwork, since it's all available, but it's a little more work than just throwing down a few minis on a map that are the right general size and shape. However, it's always a better LOOKING game than I ever had tabletop, so the work is actually worth it imo.
Seeing professional comiedian Brennan reacting to Pruitt's shameless dad jokes is a thing of beauty
Brennan is a Master Class DM, seriously the guy nearly TPKs the players of his first streamed game and managed to improvise a NPC rescue that still managed to have an incredibly high cost. I know it’s not just him it’s a crew but the combats in the show almost always feel dangerous.
That was insane lol, first produced episode and everyone is being goofy and Brennan is like what are you guys doing lol.
I will also go and watch Arthur’s speech multiple times, it fucking kills me.
Is this on youtube?
@@lordbiscuitthetossable5352 Yeah, Dimension 20 Fantasy High episode 1
Escape from the bloodkeep he full-on made up an entire side quest and memorable, deep and hilarious character that he had the lightest of notes on. While on camera with no cuts. With Matt Mercer and Amy Vorpahl as his players.
Spectacular improvisational mind with nerves of steel.
This is an Avengers level crossover.
How? This is no basic fanservice made by committee
We need matt coleville and matt mercer in here, thats the end game
I was gonna say I love this so much. All my favourite dnd disscussers in one room
Them "Infinity War was the most ambitious crossover event. "
Me, an intellectual: "Behold."
Reading this in Bim’s voice was truly wild
@@CleverPsuedonym1 thanks for chungling down to the comments.
Literally my instant response as i sent this to my friends "THIS IS THE CROSSOVER I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF"
Every time I hear about Brennan's childhood, I'm so happy that there are parents out there that support their children so wholeheartedly. He was reinforced with wonderful morals, but free to explore what he enjoyed. It sounds so wonderful to grow up with that.
Brennan is looking so adorable here! Also, love this convo and the streaming ttrpg community's friendships! I'd love to see Pruitt in one of Brennan's campaigns or Jim DM'ing a campaign for D20!
Hard agree!
@@WebDM *sighs pulling out wallet* Where's the kickstarter?
I’m
The avengers analogy around the 60 minute mark is so spot on. You can even begin to show off that power progression starting around level 5 by going against some goblins and low threats.
Time stamp?
Goblins should not be push-overs at level 5. They have tactics and know what they're doing.
@@FlatOnHisFace goblins at level 5 get cleared out quite easily, even if you stack the odds way out and have them perfectly prepared. Mind you because goblins aren’t mindless, can be negotiated with and are often craven most of the time they aren’t fought to the death when I use them
I see Brennan, I instaclick. He's too interesting to not watch
Watching a video with him is the creative equivalent to espresso for DnD content
SAME. Need more Brennan Lee Mulligan content in my life.
I never knew he existed until his appearance on Rude Tales of Magic. Half way through Fantasy High now
This is the most “Yes, and…” interview I’ve ever seen. Top end DM skill ported to a relaxed chat.
WOW! I've been watching Web DM for 5 years now and this is the most excited i've ever been for an episode!! BLM is a DM's DM if there ever was one!
Have never seen Brennans names shortened in this way…. Not sure why? But yeah he is amazing
Brennan has a point when he says for sandbox play, the DM has to make sure character motivation is built in the PCs backstories. Because these backgrounds will propel the story forward.
When Brennan said the Book of Nine Swords was extremely problematic my heart dropped knowing how much Pruitt loves that thing.
Jim: "Time exists."
Pruitt: "Are you sure about that?"
Brennan (as Arthur Aguefort): "It does, and I have made it my bitch."
This is the most thrilling cross over in TRPG history as far as I'm concerned.
About 44 minutes in, Jim mentioned latching on to another character. Just last session (early in the campaign) my undying warlock found out the ancestral guardians barbarian's family had been hunted down by what he called "the undying". I latched onto that and changed so much of my idea of my character and his motivations. Its so much fun in the first few sessions to be able to rework your character to fit in well with the party.
I think this is the PERFECT discussion for DMs who have been doing it for maybe a year or two but really want to start working in high level concepts and tricks from the "old guard" of DnD. Edit: from the perspective of someone who picked up the hobby in 5e
It can be really difficult when a newer DM asks "how did you prep for that?" And the only truthful answer you can give is "well its just in my head and i make it happen". But this conversation really puts that statement into workable ideas. Like having an encounter ready for when they meet someone you know they are going to meet. Doesnt matter where or when, but 'this' will be the encounter. Or having a whole bunch of "stock" encounters ready to go at any time.
For as much as I loved this interview, the fact that Jim and Pru are on wrong sides of the screen bothered me more than it ever has the right to 🤣🤣
Hahaha! Yes, Left Nerd and Right Nerd are shifting the paradigm on this one
We need more just random conversations about D&D with others
Truly one of the finest DMs in the game right now. Awesome interview!
I love this guy - followed his campaigns and interviews for a while. His personality is addicting, great booking and awesome idea to bring him on!
Diners are millennials' favored terrain.
Can't get the hilarious image of teen sleuth Nancy Drow out of my head now. Thanks Pru. That was gold. 52:38
These interviews always get the nostalgia going. I first played D&D in 1979. Rules were in skinny paperbacks, thinner than magazines.
I like 5e. It's pretty well designed and easy to pick up. Even at that though, there's so much stuff. I adore those small form splat books that aren't even necessary, but supplement a more compact, free form ruleset.
I like relistening to these episodes and considering the question of "how is it that my character wants to stick with the party" or "why would all of us go on this adventure together":
My players are really good at creating characters that have history with one another. A married couple, old friends, used to serve in the same army etc.
But if you/your players are struggling I highly recommend just stealing the History part of the Monster of the Week playbooks. They are free online.
When you create a character you are told to pick one option for each other character and the options range from "you somehow keep running into one another" and "you are friends from school/work" to "they once saved your life and you owe a debt to them" and "they are at heart a truly righteous person and you swore to keep it that way"
If you have a list of options while looking around at the other characters it is much easier to make up a connection.
God I love brennan as a dm. His rule of cool players first style track for a lot of the games I run and have played in as compared to the mercer grounded was or even the shenanagins of unexpectables
This is such good timing! I was just watching his Adventuring Academy series this week!
I love how Berserk is a common love among all D&D players.
56:24 the bit about the dark death knight hearing about what the newbie PCs has been up to was brilliant comedy!
Could you guys invite Brennan again? This video is super dynamic and very entertaining and informative!
Brennan and I are roughly the same age, moved from NY to LA within a decade of each other, and have the same basic mix of Scots-Irish heritage. He looks like he did 10 years ago, and I look like I have a road map of the world drawn on my face.
So now we get a Adventuring Academy with WebDM right? This has to be a 2 parter.
Brennan's ability to drive story is next level
Once, in 3.5, I made a catfolk ninja, who eventually got a combination of feats that allowed him to wield a specially-made elven greatsword, sized for a large creature...without penalty. It had a huge crit-range along with improved crit, and because it was elven, I could use my dex mod for attack. It took forever to get to that point...but it was worth the wait.
.
So...with the abilities I had, such as their 1-round invisibility, and the catfolk's improved base speed...I could pretty much cross any typical combat distance in one round...and one-shot a motherfucker. I was reasonably difficult to hit and had decent saves...but easy to take out otherwise. Kind of a martial glass cannon. And almost always went first in initiative...so there wasn't much the enemy could ever do about it. Only the biggest baddies could survive a hit from me.
.
It wasn't optimal...but it was damned effective, and fun as hell. I'd ask which enemy they wanted dead in the first round, and take out whoever they sent me after in that first round. Then it was targets of opportunity from there on.
Having watched mostly Perkins, Mercer, and Crawford, I'm happy to say that (ahem) I'm taking a Mulligan on my next series. I've only seen snippets of Dim20 and this interview, but wow, I'm all in. Look at the big brain on Brennan!
I'd pick him over those other names. For entertainment purposes if not anything else.
Watching this just reminded me of how improvised my second pathfinder game was. With things that constituted GM errors, with overfunding a pc, and giving us a lot of empty land that nobody was around. With the overfunded pc being used to flush out cash to start a town, and the land expanding into my pc's masterpiece while being mostly mediocre as a business minded party member. It was my favorite campaign, from 1 to 17 or 18. Though it ended because we couldn't develop high enough level encounters, and had that city producing and expanding rapidly.
Almost makes me want to try at running a game again, and just sit down, make a framework, and watch it break.
This is a great episode! I love the conversational tone to this one, more of this would be excellent!
So fun to listen to y’all sharing your experience. I value it so much as newer DM.
The investigator in pathfinder 2e gives you a great option for brains over brawn in combat. Great vid guys
I'm waiting for a game featuring Nancy Drow and the Bardy Boys.
When they were talking about a really great characterised character as well as optimised, I immediately thought of Brennan’s character in Naddpod (Not another D&D podcast)
Such an incredibly broken character but such a rich characterized character
There are so many times where I’ve had an “amazing plan” the party mentions “oh well maybe the bad guys want to do X, or maybe that item does Y…. And been like omg that’s so much better that’s what it does now. And the players feel awesome for guessing.
This is the best video about dnd ive ever seen. It made me fall in love w dnd all over again. Thanks guys.
Commenting to help get the ball rolling on a part 2
Bless you!
This is such a funand enjoyable video, Mr. Mulligans energy always brings a smile to my face :)
I miss Tome of Battle.... that was a super interesting book.... would love to play a crusader
Omg Brennan Lee Mulligan! I wasn't expecting this, and it's such a nice surprise! This man is my all-time inspiration as a DM
When he said he started playing as a kid in 1998 it hit home just how old I am. I started playing D&D 20 years earlier in 1978 when I was 10 years old.
44:37 "Group of Violent Strangers" is the name for my next party.
i agree with brennan about the DM being involved with the backstory as an editor and arbiter of sorts but ultimately leaving it to the player so they have agency while also ensuring them having a place in the story and world. the work of a DM starts long before the first session
Book of Nine Swords, Magic Incarnum, and playing a Warlock my go for character creations. They were awesome!
in the first 10 min... wow I feel old... started in 1981 and been playing ever since. listens to vid - started in early 90s or 1998. I still have my first character mini's.
I saw Brennan and I was in. Have some engagement!
thank you!
@@WebDM Engagement ler's goooooooooo!!!!!
On the optimization point, I want my character to be good at combat because I want to be an active force in the world outside of combat. I want to have ambitions and goals and feel comfortable that if swords come out in the process of doing those things I will be formidable. I’m strong so that the fear of fighting won’t hinder my ability to fully express myself in all the other aspects of the game.
Excellent episode guys! Thank you for being awesome.
I could listen to a week's worth of this conversation! Great idea getting Brennan on :)
just 3 incredibly charismatic people going at it. absolutely brilliant!
I love this talk. I agree that the balance of planning and improvising is ultimately what brings everybody the most fun.
Brennan saying that he has never experienced an IRL plot hook hit me hard ✊ 😔 (35:50)
Web DM on Adventuring Academy soon please?
Excited to hear the episode!
d20 Conan had a feat called Weapon Panache that allowed you to use Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for the to hit bonus with a specific weapon.
Great video watched all of it. Some really cool insights to take from this conversation.
Very fun video, thanks. As a DM with a high level party those tips were helpful. 3.5 is an awesome but a bit crazy version and my fav still. 5e has some great strengths too.
4:00
Once you start thinking about US car dependency, it's impossible to stop thinking about it.
This was great, love the long form talks
ngl Brennan’s war forged has got mad Nausicaa robot vibes
Thanks, Guys! This is exactly what I needed to hear going into my Pathfinder 1st Edition Character level 20/Mythic Tier 10 game.
I love it when the DM greats get together!
Such a great conversation, as a learning DM I appreciated the nuanced viewpoints.
Love all of you, you all bring the passion and the answers.😎👍👍
Thank you so much!
Highly entertaining. I'm still holding out hope for the day that they get to do this with The Mercer. 🤩
Awesome interview and advice guys. Spot on
Let's see where this goes - "This is the way."
So Awesome to see this crossover!
30:34 this unlocked a deep memory of when I critted on insight for a "uhhhh, bob", a local merchant. I loved bob so much. I think this is made funnier because not 2 minutes after I rolled a nat 1 on perception so my character mechanically had all eyes on bob
When you were talking about whether the counter was planned or spur-of-the-moment off the top of your head. I had been playing with a friend of mine for 16 years for six of those years it was more than 40 hours a week. When he stood up at the table used me of cheating as the DM so that an NPC Wouldn't Die. He was sure that I just pulled something out of nowhere to fix a problem. When I pulled out a character sheet that had everything on it that was falling apart.
I joined Web DM on Patreon as an Immortal Web Demon. Super excited to see what kinda gaming experience I can get with the group.
Brill, I could watch you all chat for many hours :D
Nobody needs to read another post about Brendan being a national treasure (he is). Let me skip that and tell all three of you how much I enjoyed this conversation and the genuine reflecting on gaming and D&D. I truly appreciate your time thought and expertise.
Love to see it!
This is an amazing episode, full of good...tiiidbiiiits
Three of my favourite d&ders in one video? Yes please!
*Do a part 2 if possible .*
What is a side kick’s reason for following the hero? Always making money, always having a good time.
This video oozes gold!
Kayfabe in casual Dungeon Master conversations. Diggin' it.
At the end of a years-long 1-16 campaign, I let them fast-travel behind enemy lines by being rocketed through a plane of memory. Every round, a major moment from thier past appeared. The guy who killed the first PC in session 2 or 3 all the way to the recent dragon fight., back to back to back. all the way up to the second most recent boss. It was cathartic to see how far they'd come, a trip down memory lane. Until the VERY end it was never an actual threat, but they got to feel badass as a leadup to the final boss.
Hearing Brennan ALSO ran a warforged sorcadin made my inner nerd happy as fuck
Loved this ep
The Factotum was one of my favorite parts of 3.5 before moving on to 4th and PF
the kayfabe reference was awesome!
Incredible crossover
9:50 don't know about you guys but I NEED Zordarz's Magazine of Complete and Utter Gibberish. Make it happen, Wizards.
Well this made my day!
I can listen to their stories for an entire day.
Thank you!
23:45 So, you mean the Investigator or maybe even the Mastermind Rogue from Pathfinder 2e. They both can do effective Int-based combat if pressed, but it's not their main schtick.
I'm hoping this means we get to see Jim and Pruitt on Adventuring Academy!
As a forever DM. Hearing them say the part about "IVe got all my notes im prepared im ready for whatever they could throw at me" ha...haha...hahahaha.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *sobbing uncontrollably*