I've always played with one simple rule myself: New Character? New Dice. -- Dice DO have memory, and the luck they bring belong to the character they're bought for.
Last one: As a GM: Plan beginnings, but let the players figure out the ends! An example of this is Ben from Questing Beast's advice on traps: Lay out the signs of the trap, but let the players figure out how it works. Allow yourself to be surprised! It will make your players feel like they are geniuses!
As an addendum to this, it's generally good practice to have a solution planned with clues, in case the players get stuck, but whenever the players come up with something else, go with their idea.
This is why I don't love modules-as-games. Use them to begin a game, or to pepper your game, but the one time I tried to run a module I felt like I had to stick to it instead of going off on the tangents my players wanted.
I'm a big fan of "When making a puzzle your job is to make sure there is at least one way to solve it, not to make sure it's the only way to solve it." I think that was one of the developers of Ultima Online who said that?
I DM'd a couple one-shots in a multi-DM setting that was basically built on one-shots. Some with an overarching storyline, but still one-shots with a different crew/party every time. How did I do my prep? Lay out the start and general guidelines for the session, to get the players invested (hopefully). Or at least up to speed on what is expected of them. Then figure out some appropriate random encounters they can run into during the session. And make sure it's not just COMBAT encounters, either. Give 'em some stuff that's fun to explore and discover, not just "go here, kill stuff, return." They can play MMO's for that kinda gameplay loop. But yeah, beyond the rough outline, I just fire up my BS-O-Matic 9000 and wing it.
Very cool to see my comment was the top one! I figured I’d add a bit of context. My very first time GMing went terribly. As a 16 year old, I ran it for my family, which was three of my siblings who were all under the age of 13 and my parents. I planned an adventure where a dwarf leader asked the party to rescue his daughter who had been kidnapped by a necromancer. My siblings were into it, but my parents were not. They were just playing to support me, which I really appreciate, but they did not try to hide the fact that they were extremely bored. Lots of little remarks and phone scrolling during the game. The session ended after an hour because my dad ran ahead of the party and one-shot the Necromancer, then left the kitchen table with a sigh of relief. I know he wasn’t trying to be rude, but I felt crushed that my first game hadn’t been engaging like I wanted it to. I probably would have stopped playing if it weren’t for my younger brother who begged me to keep playing after everyone else left. We played for 2 or 3 more hours that night and had fun. Looking back, I’m so grateful that he was supportive, because I might have ended up blaming myself and leaving the hobby rather than realizing that it’s just not everyone’s cup of tea.
Thanks so much for sharing this story. Your original comment clearly resonated with a lot of people. Very glad you were able to learn from the experience and help other through it :)
Another good bit of advice: play fearlessly! Jump into antics and don't be afraid to lose your character to a deadly trap or enemy. Fun will ensue, and you get to make a new character!!
I can spend literally months fleshing out a new character, building their backstory, etc.. The best games, the most memorable by far, is when I have been able to take one of those characters and build upon that work in a game that lasts many years. Playing like a kamikazi idiot with disposable characters is the absolute opposite of what I would consider fun.
I think this is entirely based on the table. If the whole party is playing like their own lives are on the line and being very tactical.. it would be pretty selfish to draw them into reckless situations with you. It is also not fair to expect them to just let you go, if they happen to be playing defender of the innocent type characters you’re also ruining their RP… Read. The. Room.
@@Hot_DiceHow is that ruining their RP? Putting their characters in a situation that tests their values at personal risk is bad for RP? Nobody is ever forced to sacrifice their characters.
Regardless of what system you play, find people who share your definition of "fun". For example, no matter how great the system is, if one or more players loves PvP and antagonizing all the other players, while the rest just want cooperative adventures, it will end up being a poor experience. Oh, and Love the Shadowdark shirt. That's what I use to run my campaign now too.
For GMs: fail forward. When the players fail something don't have the result be "nothing -happens- changes". That's how people get stuck at doors for hours. If the rogue fails to lockpick the door have that orge in the next room come and open the door (loudly).
For players: lean into the failures. Not getting what you want can suck, but you'll have more fun if you roll with the bad luck than if you push bad against it. (That said if you feel like you got cheated in a situation or you really, really didn't like how things panned out, talk to your GM about it.)
This reminds me of a quote from Raymond Chandler, usually condensed to just the bit about the gunman, but the whole thing is particularly apt for d&d: "When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand. This could get to be pretty silly but somehow it didn’t seem to matter. A writer who is afraid to over-reach himself is as useless as a general who is afraid to be wrong. As I look back on my own stories it would be absurd if I did not wish they had been better. But if they had been much better they would not have been published."
We have a tradition in our games, if the dice say do something to a character enough times, it becomes canon. This has led to things like: A character that was completely useless and paranoid whenever he was sober (he *could not* succeed a roll when sober, and almost never failed high/drunk, so it became canon because the dice refused to roll any other way for him); a character that had *terrible* vision (any roll for seeing something was a crit fail or just above one); a Rogue that we decided had been cursed to not be able to open locks (no matter how much the skill was increased, every roll to open a lock failed, even when it could only be failed by a nat 1).
Really felt that one about not playing a character based on your current struggles. I did that after a setback and played a very different kind of character - and the melancholy just oozed into the play.
I would add---just because it's in print doesn't mean it belongs in your world. If something is a player option, but it doesn't fit you the feel you're trying to capture in your campaign, it's okay to nix it. Having too many options can both overwhelm players and DMs. From a DMing standpoint along--there's just too much you have to account for in every encounter if you let everything in. Frequently, limitations inspire creativity on the part of the players, not having more options of mechanics on their character sheet.
I just wanted to take a second to say a few things - the mic sounds great and I hope it leads to more videos like this - I love your set up at home and that it isn't "studio-afied", but dang I was digging the outdoors - I appreciate that in your videos you are just you. You don't become a character, you don't go over the top with reactions or bits, but you still show emotion and enthusiasm. I take in a lot of dnd content trying to make my games more fun and continually hone my skills . Your way of presenting makes your videos (which are already great informationally) so easy to digest and ponder on. I don't have to worry if you're going to a bit that I am tired of, or brace for a silly voice. Like you said in this video, you don't have to try to be funny, the goofs will come.
I really appreciate this comment! I've definitely tried to do bits here and there, and believe it or not I do try to be higher energy while recording, but yeah it's just fun to talk about the game, and I'm very grateful that people want to listen and join the conversation :) And I'm also very impressed with how the audio worked out. Will do again! Not so much now that's it's getting very cold, but we'll see!
My main advice to my beginner self would be "it's okay that you don't know where this is going. Finding out what happens is the whole point, and your players will surprise you as much as you'll surprise them, go with it!" I spent so much time worrying about not knowing in advance what I should think about next. And it turns out I can just throw a random hook at my players, listen to what they rhink is interesting, and build on top of that for the next session.
Play a version of your character that both fits the kind of story/setting your DM is going for, and which sets up the other PCs to have their moment in the spotlight. Double points if your character has a dynamic with the other PCs that generates lots of interesting interactions.
In this new campaign i play in, there is a rivalry between demi orcs and elves I chose an elf, and a really experienced friend of mine chose an orc without knowing what i picked On the spot he improvised some sort of divine intervention during which his god told him i was the chosen one, and that i was to be protected at all cost He is a kinda overprotective mommy orc to me and it works so great. It brings so much fun and unexpected antics I love him for that
There are groups that play as specifically therapy/processing sessions, so current struggles are ok in that circumstance. Know when that is appropriate. Which leads me to, "Know or try to learn the expectations of the DM, and of the other players and make sure you communicate yours well. If consensus can't be reached, adjust those expectations, but only so far as you are comfortable. You don't have to play with people who want you to do uncomfortable things."
It's tough not to take Fireball. I toyed with the idea of passing on it with my latest caster. He's a Div Wizard with a investigator/town guard back story. I always take one divination spell each level. I was thinking of taking two at level 5. However, I knew I'd be doing the team a disservice by not having FB. Low and behold, next big fight, it came in pretty clutch to start things off.
Got the original basic box set for Christmas in 3rd grade from my auntie and uncle. I still have a few of those light blue dice in my collection. Have the original advanced set of books as well as the 2nd edition ones. We (my group of friends) stuck with our home brew version of 2e for a VERY long time and have only recently made the jump to a hybrid home brew 2e/5e in our nearly 30 year old home brew world. I do also play and DM (DM rotation) in another pure 5e campaign with 3 year old home brew world growing at a rapid pace. Bla bla bla, I've played D&D for a LONG time. My advice to my early D&D self: 1. You WILL find amazing people to play with, be patient. 2. Do not be afraid to change or modify the rules so they work for your table. 3. Have the players keep a party journal. It helps refresh everyone's memory when it has been a while since the last session, and will remind everyone about important details from a recent session if they forgot. It also makes it super easy to track and stay consistent with travel times (logs of how long it took last time), when training will be completed, when projects are done, when spell research is completed, etc etc etc. 4. Do NOT let Mark DM.
Love the 1d4 wolf encounter and obnoxious train party crasher. Very realistic examples of how no matter what efforts you take to prepare there will be unexpected events to flavor your game. Dont blame Terry, this is the nature of ttrpgs. 😅
Don’t be afraid of spell slots is solid advice. I played D&D for well over a year before I built up the courage to play something more magical than a martial with Initiate feat. Now I’m playing a cleric I was blown away by just how much more I got to do on my turns. And that was at level 4.
Play group is number one!!! Just bc your great friends irl doesn’t mean you should/can play together. tastes and expectations vary wildly. You can’t force or teach someone to like what you do
9:33 I met my college friends at dnd club, about 7 years ago, and we’re still gaming together now. They’ve recently been saying how happy they are to have taken the chance to join a bunch of strangers and play dnd for the first time. I couldn’t agree with them more :)
Really good train video. Oh, the advice was spot on as well. I salute your excursion into forest filming, you survived a brush with a dryad, a ranger and his wolf.
"3 if the train counts" ive been trying to think about world sounds a lot as a DM lately because i forget how loud the world is when you dont have headphones on all the time
That train kept coming through really clear. I remember my first time DMing, I just had the Baldur's Gate 2 manual, and that was it. I DMed off of that for years before I was able to buy some books off of Ebay. I like these Bob in Nature videos. Now we just need the applied science 🤣 When developing your character, it is okay to become them, right down to their blood ~Decoy Octopus
I love the idea of new players trying a DCc funnel. Between the certain death of 75% of the characters and the thrill of making it through with one character, it sets a fantastic tone with the craziness.
Fireball's a great spell! My second character in Curse Of Strahd was getting old after three(?) sessions and we ran across three flameskulls who instakilled me with fireballs! Now I'm playing a different character and having more fun. Fireball's great!
Monte Cook was the Guest of Honor at this years' edition of our local convention, Liburnicon (shameless self-promotion :) ) and he was telling us about how he started playing, also with a few bits and pieces of rules cobbled together from various magazines and such. They hadn't had a proper rule book for the first 3 years or so of playing. My situation wasn't much different, I had a Black Box starter pack, in Italian, and had to translate the rules (which I very superficially got myself) to Croatian for my friends who didn't speak Italian, and without any resources that would enable me to clarify any misunderstandings or misconceptions. (This was early-to-mid-90s, no Internet to speak of) So yeah, have fun, the rules will get figured out as you go along. :)
The comedic tone part: read the room/party. Sometimes you want to joke, often even, but when people are trying to be dramatic try and give em a littttle respect. This one is really up to the individual party tone. I've had fun in games where people take it serious and in games where its laugh a minute, and plenty of gsmes that had both.
That opening and the way you made yourself laugh so genuinely really got me lol... Love your videos every time, they always brighten my day. Feels like visiting an old friend, although I'm a stranger to you... It's such an odd dynamic streamers have with their fans, isn't it?
That means a lot! It is an interesting dynamic because I feel like I have this sort-of-friendship with an ambiguous group of people who I also know kinda well? One way or the other, it works!
I encourage having your players roll more often. Random table? Ask someone to roll that d8, d12, d20, d100 for you. Don't tell them what it is for. Make sure some options are beneficial most of the time when they're rolling, though. If it's ALL negative, because it's in a dungeon of doom or something, be the bad guy. Do that roll yourself. Players will feel excitement and fear when you ask for a random roll that could benefit or doom them lol.
Another tip: If you learn that someone in your group got kicked out from another group, don't automatically assume they will be a bad fit for your group, they may just not be compatible with the other group, but they may fit right into your group.
I would make one distinction on this: did they leave amicably, or were they thrown out? If the first, cool. If the second, I need more information but I will be extremely cautious about admitting them to my group. It's *possible* that the group was just a group of terrible people (this does happen) but it's kind of unlikely. I would need the whole story and I'd like to be able to get info from Prospective Player, Previous DM, and one Previous Co-Player. Admittedly, my tolerance for Player Drama is extremely low and the barrier to entry to my table is, as a result, already rather high.
Been playing dnd for 4 years now and I'm just making my first character with fireball and my first character with fire bolt. Lesson to my past self: don't avoid the popular options just because they're memes. Have fun with it and take them if they fit the character
Excellent! Good for you. I’ve been playing weekly since 1986. The entire point of character creation is to create exactly what you want. You and the rest of the team become more than the sum of your parts. Once you create a character, the proverbial cards are dealt, and you must play with the cards in your hand. This is where dungeons and dragons is a game! Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. One thing that has changed, is player expectation. It used to be that the players created the story, and the dungeon master was only a referee. Now, players sit at the table, stare at the dungeon master, and they wait to be entertained with a story. Just continue to have fun, and play what you want. The rest is luck! Don’t let other players tell you what you should do with your character. I hope you enjoy the fireball! you will see, it is only disliked by dungeon Masters who can’t control the game, and players who were likely killed by one.
people saying 'don't pick fireball' are just DMs who had an encounter destroyed by a well placed fireball. the best advice for a player: don't ask what you can roll. tell the dm what you want your character to DO the best advice for a DM: (probably more of equal importance but) don't prep a story, prep scenarios and scenes. at the end of session, confirm what the players want to do next session and prep for that.
I can't stress that enough for the player. Last week my party was exploring in a cave that was littered with pitfalls. I described the way my character used the handle of his warhammer to tap the ground in front of him, and my DM didn't even make me roll perception to find anything, because he didn't feel like it was necessary, as opposed to the player who asked something to the effect of "can I roll perception to find any traps". It helps with immersion, roleplaying, and I think most good DMs will adjust what you need to roll as necessary depending on how thorough your plan of action is.
"If you could give some RPG advice to YOURSELF as a first time player or GM, what would you say?" He didn't ask what was good advice for new players, he asked for advice they would specifically give themselves, with all-caps emphasis on YOURSELF. So they were giving perfectly fine advice, because they know thier own preferences and were telling themselves not to waste times on thing they don't like.
I remember 2e lightning bolt. That's an awesome spell. I've also watched plenty of players get upset when fireball doesn't "work as advertised ". It has a reputation for functionality that's blown out of proportion in many places, and not just for DM's.
The biggest find advice I’d offer, other than to know what you’re doing, is to flavor frequently and fervently! Fireball can be boring if you just point forward and say “fireball!” But if you say “I make a finger gun, and from my pointer a finger a spark shoots forward like a shooting star before erupting into a roaring sphere of flame” now you’re playing dnd!
As a new GM this is some solid advice to keep in mind, I also want to say thank you Bob for encouraging people to try new systems. My table wanted to try a DnD alternative so we played Pathfinder 2e and enjoyed it but we want to try a less crunchy system so we are going to try a couple sessions of Index Card RPG over the holidays. I’m learning there’s so many options for RPGs to play out there that there is bound to be one that unexpectedly clicks with a table looking for something new!
My favorite thing about random encounters is occasionally there will be one that is amazing or challenging and then I turn it into a recurring encounter.
My biggest tips. As a GM: Focus on putting obstacles in the way of the players. Don't worry at all about how they're going to overcome those obstacles...that's the players job. You root for the players and encourage them to come up with creative solutions to problems but you don't solve problems for them or get attached to any particular solution or outcome. As a player: Focus on roleplaying your weaknesses almost as much as your strengths. That will make the game feel a whole lot more real and make it more fun and easier for the GM to run. Also be creative with your solutions to problems and obstacles. Don't focus on just what's written on your character sheet. Be sneaky. Be daring. And have fun with it.
This! I started DM’ing a few months ago without ever having even played a TTRPG before, with a group of friends in the same boat. After wandering aimlessly trying a bunch of different approaches for months, this finally clicked for me last session. I would really have appreciated if the Dungeon Master’s Guide had started with a section of what you’re *actually* supposed to be doing as a DM so I could have gotten there a bit quicker though
Fireball IS fun! If you look up the definition of "fun" in the Oxford dictionary, there's a picture of a fireball right there! That being said, old school fireball was much more fun, especially for the GM.
Seconding play with strangers! I'd wanted to play dnd for 2-3 years but didn't have any friends who were into the game, so eventually I ended up contacting a bunch of strangers on an anonymous messaging board. None of us knew each other beforehand but we became great friends and still play (almost) weekly 6 years later! I feel like we nerds can often be quite shy/introverted, but that leap into the unknown can be so worth it!
Whatever park/trail you're at, it looks fantastic. Other channels have great strategic advice, but u love your channel for keeping things calm, realistic, and realizable. Your energy has been really great for me as a new GM.
The ad read actually reminded me of something I came across years ago: a list of "You know you're a gamer if..." ... you have enough extra dice to fill a beanbag chair. Immediately followed by: ... you know the last one was a trick; there's no such thing as "extra" dice. My input for the suggestions: don't be afraid to ask questions, especially if you're new to the game. Ttrpg is a collaborative effort and should be treated as such.
Best advice I ever got and use all the time. "Play with no deep backstory." It's incredibly rewarding to just be an innkeeper's son with a normal adjusted upbringing who just wants to get out there and do something different. The stories you create will be more rewarding than the stories you thought about 9 times out 10. Not everyone needs to have overcome great struggle in the past.
Play a module, but don't be afraid to go off script if your groups wants to. I GM'd a game of SKT that normally only takes you to one of the giants bases, but my group wanted to go through them all so I made the frost giants vikings working with hags, and they ended up joining the fire giants to restart the 1000 year war.
There's a strong overlap with Bleed (a term from LARPing) on this comment (about 11:35 in). Blessed can be good or bad but aiming for bleed that doesn't hit on current struggles is great advice!
Railroading is very hard to avoid especially when you play written campaign. But I'm working on it, and letting my players do what they want weridly ended up putting them on the right track. Now I have to keep letting them do that even if it means calling out end of session early if they go in compeltly unprepared territory.
I think there is SOME merit to not being some stereotypes ("horny bard" and "brooding loner" can get annoying real fast). But rather than avoid stereotypes, play something that you find fun, but read the room and try to fit the tone of the game -if what you're doing at your table is only fun for you, then there's probably a mismatch of expectations.
When you play a spellcaster, tend to fill the roles the party is lacking rather than competing for the same roles. If you have a couple martials, let them be the damage dealers and tend to take and use more control and buff spells rather than pure damaging ones. You can always have a fireball or other damage dealing spells just in case, but you will probably be much more effective as a party if you use hypnotic pattern, fear, slow, haste, spike growth or a damaging area that others can throw enemies into, etc
For building characters: your backstory is important, but voice and character traits are even more important! You aren't in control of when the GM incorporates your backstory, so it's best to make what is interesting about your character obvious from the get-go--they want something badly, they have a certain trait that guides their actions, they have some contradiction at the heart of their character, they have a special skill, or an idiosyncratic way of speaking, or a certain limitation. It's best to think of a character you'd like to roleplay first, and then try to build the backstory in a way that compliments that.
Your new microphones worked great! Thanks for sharing everyone's thoughts. My advice to my younger self would be that while Min-Maxing character builds can be a fun solo activity and a good way to learn the rulebook, it's just as much fun to play an imperfect character and figure out how to overcome their weaknesses in game!
I have a DMPC that is a cartographer, spelunker, and merchant. He is a mix of a custom fighter, wizard, and artificer. What I like to do is show up near or at dungeons where the party can get assistance and/or purchase items and knowledge. And usually he only shows up like 3-4 times per campaign. Usually 1-2 times from lvl 1-5 then varied at 12+ Rarely shows up, but highly valuable when he does with varied amount of help depending on what the party wants.
For players, "Flavor is a free action". Flavoring spells and attacks is awesome, gets you more into your characters, it's awesome. Just don't spend too long on it. For DMs, know your strengths and weaknesses. I am bad at rules but great at improv. Also not everyone is good at improv, it's not a requirement to do voices or anything like that. If you want to do voices, take an improv class or volunteer at a community theater for a bit, it will come naturally after that.
First advices current me give myself as a first-time GM some 20+ years ago: 1) Plan less, play more, and 2) Be the squirrel Also: Fireball IS awesome. Even better with metamagic abilities.
@@BobWorldBuilder 2nd tip elaborated: Instead of allowing your players being distracted too much by some random thing you just inserted with no reason what so ever other than "it seemed fun there and then", create "distractions" that indirectly drive the plots forward or lead to new ones. (edit) And even more context: Two of my regular players are both diagnosed with ADHD, they can be _very_ easilly distracted :'D
i think your mic did very well at picking up the train and the sound of the crunchy leaves underfoot. you could almost make a 3 minute loop of BGM of you walking through the leaves and the occasional train blast on repeat to set the vibe that you are outdoors near train tracks.
I just played a session with my family, they have zero experience with dnd. And while I'm familiar with it (videos, bg3, other VG, read tons about), and have bought into the culture I haven't played a session since highschool, nor ever ran a game. We had so much fun. Much like most games it started with a bar brawl, cleaned out rats in a basement. We all were learning together which really helps keep everyone invested. I've already started putting down story beats. Can't wait till next time.
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Hey Bob, some of your peeps had some really legitimate tips, but who the heck has a problem with fireball!
I've always played with one simple rule myself: New Character? New Dice. -- Dice DO have memory, and the luck they bring belong to the character they're bought for.
@@Aestolia I would like for you to show me how you know dice have memory. :D
Bob, we need a "train whistles" super-cut / out-take video! LOL!
what is the new microphone you are using?
“Bro is that 1d4 wolves right now?”
-last words before being mauled to death by a wolf
One wolf plus three quantum superpositions of wolves and not wolves.
Bob: talks about not railroading
Train: heard you was talkin sh**
oh man! Can't believe I missed that joke opportunity. Thank you xD
Underrated comment.
Last one: As a GM: Plan beginnings, but let the players figure out the ends! An example of this is Ben from Questing Beast's advice on traps: Lay out the signs of the trap, but let the players figure out how it works. Allow yourself to be surprised! It will make your players feel like they are geniuses!
Great advice! Create problems, let the PCs create solutions.
As an addendum to this, it's generally good practice to have a solution planned with clues, in case the players get stuck, but whenever the players come up with something else, go with their idea.
This is why I don't love modules-as-games. Use them to begin a game, or to pepper your game, but the one time I tried to run a module I felt like I had to stick to it instead of going off on the tangents my players wanted.
I'm a big fan of "When making a puzzle your job is to make sure there is at least one way to solve it, not to make sure it's the only way to solve it."
I think that was one of the developers of Ultima Online who said that?
I DM'd a couple one-shots in a multi-DM setting that was basically built on one-shots. Some with an overarching storyline, but still one-shots with a different crew/party every time.
How did I do my prep? Lay out the start and general guidelines for the session, to get the players invested (hopefully). Or at least up to speed on what is expected of them.
Then figure out some appropriate random encounters they can run into during the session.
And make sure it's not just COMBAT encounters, either. Give 'em some stuff that's fun to explore and discover, not just "go here, kill stuff, return." They can play MMO's for that kinda gameplay loop.
But yeah, beyond the rough outline, I just fire up my BS-O-Matic 9000 and wing it.
Very cool to see my comment was the top one!
I figured I’d add a bit of context. My very first time GMing went terribly. As a 16 year old, I ran it for my family, which was three of my siblings who were all under the age of 13 and my parents. I planned an adventure where a dwarf leader asked the party to rescue his daughter who had been kidnapped by a necromancer. My siblings were into it, but my parents were not. They were just playing to support me, which I really appreciate, but they did not try to hide the fact that they were extremely bored. Lots of little remarks and phone scrolling during the game. The session ended after an hour because my dad ran ahead of the party and one-shot the Necromancer, then left the kitchen table with a sigh of relief. I know he wasn’t trying to be rude, but I felt crushed that my first game hadn’t been engaging like I wanted it to. I probably would have stopped playing if it weren’t for my younger brother who begged me to keep playing after everyone else left. We played for 2 or 3 more hours that night and had fun. Looking back, I’m so grateful that he was supportive, because I might have ended up blaming myself and leaving the hobby rather than realizing that it’s just not everyone’s cup of tea.
Gave up supporting your kids after an hour? Sheesh
Thanks so much for sharing this story. Your original comment clearly resonated with a lot of people. Very glad you were able to learn from the experience and help other through it :)
Another good bit of advice: play fearlessly! Jump into antics and don't be afraid to lose your character to a deadly trap or enemy. Fun will ensue, and you get to make a new character!!
So true. It took me until this year to realize that part of the reason I love being a player is that I'm always climbing onto the giant monsters xD
I can spend literally months fleshing out a new character, building their backstory, etc.. The best games, the most memorable by far, is when I have been able to take one of those characters and build upon that work in a game that lasts many years. Playing like a kamikazi idiot with disposable characters is the absolute opposite of what I would consider fun.
Agreed. Playing DnD like you’re trying to do a 100% no-damage speed run is going to end up being a very boring story.
I think this is entirely based on the table. If the whole party is playing like their own lives are on the line and being very tactical.. it would be pretty selfish to draw them into reckless situations with you. It is also not fair to expect them to just let you go, if they happen to be playing defender of the innocent type characters you’re also ruining their RP…
Read. The. Room.
@@Hot_DiceHow is that ruining their RP? Putting their characters in a situation that tests their values at personal risk is bad for RP? Nobody is ever forced to sacrifice their characters.
Regardless of what system you play, find people who share your definition of "fun". For example, no matter how great the system is, if one or more players loves PvP and antagonizing all the other players, while the rest just want cooperative adventures, it will end up being a poor experience. Oh, and Love the Shadowdark shirt. That's what I use to run my campaign now too.
Totally. The right kind of fun is crucial! And thanks, I love the shirt haha
Exactly. No wrongfun allowed.
@@kdolo1887 I'm not saying anyone is having "wrongfun." I'm talking about finding people who's idea of fun is compatible with yours.
For GMs: fail forward. When the players fail something don't have the result be "nothing -happens- changes". That's how people get stuck at doors for hours.
If the rogue fails to lockpick the door have that orge in the next room come and open the door (loudly).
For players: lean into the failures. Not getting what you want can suck, but you'll have more fun if you roll with the bad luck than if you push bad against it.
(That said if you feel like you got cheated in a situation or you really, really didn't like how things panned out, talk to your GM about it.)
Yes, and don't lock the plot behind dice rolls!
This reminds me of a quote from Raymond Chandler, usually condensed to just the bit about the gunman, but the whole thing is particularly apt for d&d:
"When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand. This could get to be pretty silly but somehow it didn’t seem to matter. A writer who is afraid to over-reach himself is as useless as a general who is afraid to be wrong.
As I look back on my own stories it would be absurd if I did not wish they had been better. But if they had been much better they would not have been published."
This is wise.
We have a tradition in our games, if the dice say do something to a character enough times, it becomes canon. This has led to things like: A character that was completely useless and paranoid whenever he was sober (he *could not* succeed a roll when sober, and almost never failed high/drunk, so it became canon because the dice refused to roll any other way for him); a character that had *terrible* vision (any roll for seeing something was a crit fail or just above one); a Rogue that we decided had been cursed to not be able to open locks (no matter how much the skill was increased, every roll to open a lock failed, even when it could only be failed by a nat 1).
7:40 Bob, a train is anything but a random encounter, it's clearly railroaded.
I'm so glad to have been warned about Terry! Thank goodness!
You just dodged a bullet my friend. A terry-shaped bullet.
Really felt that one about not playing a character based on your current struggles. I did that after a setback and played a very different kind of character - and the melancholy just oozed into the play.
I would add---just because it's in print doesn't mean it belongs in your world. If something is a player option, but it doesn't fit you the feel you're trying to capture in your campaign, it's okay to nix it. Having too many options can both overwhelm players and DMs. From a DMing standpoint along--there's just too much you have to account for in every encounter if you let everything in. Frequently, limitations inspire creativity on the part of the players, not having more options of mechanics on their character sheet.
"limitations inspire creativity" so true!
I just wanted to take a second to say a few things
- the mic sounds great and I hope it leads to more videos like this
- I love your set up at home and that it isn't "studio-afied", but dang I was digging the outdoors
- I appreciate that in your videos you are just you. You don't become a character, you don't go over the top with reactions or bits, but you still show emotion and enthusiasm. I take in a lot of dnd content trying to make my games more fun and continually hone my skills . Your way of presenting makes your videos (which are already great informationally) so easy to digest and ponder on. I don't have to worry if you're going to a bit that I am tired of, or brace for a silly voice. Like you said in this video, you don't have to try to be funny, the goofs will come.
I really appreciate this comment! I've definitely tried to do bits here and there, and believe it or not I do try to be higher energy while recording, but yeah it's just fun to talk about the game, and I'm very grateful that people want to listen and join the conversation :) And I'm also very impressed with how the audio worked out. Will do again! Not so much now that's it's getting very cold, but we'll see!
I agree!
My main advice to my beginner self would be "it's okay that you don't know where this is going. Finding out what happens is the whole point, and your players will surprise you as much as you'll surprise them, go with it!"
I spent so much time worrying about not knowing in advance what I should think about next. And it turns out I can just throw a random hook at my players, listen to what they rhink is interesting, and build on top of that for the next session.
Good advice!
4:40 The group I started with had a tradition that I'm continuing. Whenever we get a brand new player, we give them their first set of dice as a gift.
Play a version of your character that both fits the kind of story/setting your DM is going for, and which sets up the other PCs to have their moment in the spotlight. Double points if your character has a dynamic with the other PCs that generates lots of interesting interactions.
Excellent tip!
In this new campaign i play in, there is a rivalry between demi orcs and elves
I chose an elf, and a really experienced friend of mine chose an orc without knowing what i picked
On the spot he improvised some sort of divine intervention during which his god told him i was the chosen one, and that i was to be protected at all cost
He is a kinda overprotective mommy orc to me and it works so great. It brings so much fun and unexpected antics
I love him for that
There are groups that play as specifically therapy/processing sessions, so current struggles are ok in that circumstance. Know when that is appropriate.
Which leads me to, "Know or try to learn the expectations of the DM, and of the other players and make sure you communicate yours well. If consensus can't be reached, adjust those expectations, but only so far as you are comfortable. You don't have to play with people who want you to do uncomfortable things."
That camera chime at the end made me smile. Thank you for sharing!
Fireball is awesome. It is somewhat overused, but it works, and is powerful. It's so iconic too.
Exactly! 🔥
It's tough not to take Fireball. I toyed with the idea of passing on it with my latest caster. He's a Div Wizard with a investigator/town guard back story. I always take one divination spell each level. I was thinking of taking two at level 5. However, I knew I'd be doing the team a disservice by not having FB. Low and behold, next big fight, it came in pretty clutch to start things off.
It's also a spell that, in every incarnation of D&D, is a tremendous source of potential comedy.
Got the original basic box set for Christmas in 3rd grade from my auntie and uncle. I still have a few of those light blue dice in my collection. Have the original advanced set of books as well as the 2nd edition ones. We (my group of friends) stuck with our home brew version of 2e for a VERY long time and have only recently made the jump to a hybrid home brew 2e/5e in our nearly 30 year old home brew world. I do also play and DM (DM rotation) in another pure 5e campaign with 3 year old home brew world growing at a rapid pace. Bla bla bla, I've played D&D for a LONG time.
My advice to my early D&D self:
1. You WILL find amazing people to play with, be patient.
2. Do not be afraid to change or modify the rules so they work for your table.
3. Have the players keep a party journal. It helps refresh everyone's memory when it has been a while since the last session, and will remind everyone about important details from a recent session if they forgot. It also makes it super easy to track and stay consistent with travel times (logs of how long it took last time), when training will be completed, when projects are done, when spell research is completed, etc etc etc.
4. Do NOT let Mark DM.
I dig the whole "taking a walk with a buddy and chatting about games" vibe of this video. Great location, too!
Thanks a lot! I just need to find a spot further from train tracks haha
@@BobWorldBuilder nah, don't sweat it! Ambience, man!! Ambience! Lol
Love the 1d4 wolf encounter and obnoxious train party crasher. Very realistic examples of how no matter what efforts you take to prepare there will be unexpected events to flavor your game. Dont blame Terry, this is the nature of ttrpgs. 😅
Don’t be afraid of spell slots is solid advice. I played D&D for well over a year before I built up the courage to play something more magical than a martial with Initiate feat. Now I’m playing a cleric I was blown away by just how much more I got to do on my turns. And that was at level 4.
Play group is number one!!! Just bc your great friends irl doesn’t mean you should/can play together. tastes and expectations vary wildly. You can’t force or teach someone to like what you do
9:33 I met my college friends at dnd club, about 7 years ago, and we’re still gaming together now. They’ve recently been saying how happy they are to have taken the chance to join a bunch of strangers and play dnd for the first time. I couldn’t agree with them more :)
Heck yeah, that is awesome!
The name table on the strahd DM screen is the best things I didn't know I needed for that game.
Really good train video. Oh, the advice was spot on as well. I salute your excursion into forest filming, you survived a brush with a dryad, a ranger and his wolf.
I watch a fair few RPG channels. But yours is my favourite, Bob. And it's not even the RPG stuff. It's your compassion and humanity.
Thanks, Bob!
"3 if the train counts" ive been trying to think about world sounds a lot as a DM lately because i forget how loud the world is when you dont have headphones on all the time
It's too loud out there man
I love your Shadowdark shirt!
Smooth ad integration homie. Gotta say, your videos have become a delight of mine. I'm always stoked to hear from Bob!
Haha thank you very much! :)
That train kept coming through really clear.
I remember my first time DMing, I just had the Baldur's Gate 2 manual, and that was it. I DMed off of that for years before I was able to buy some books off of Ebay.
I like these Bob in Nature videos. Now we just need the applied science 🤣
When developing your character, it is okay to become them, right down to their blood ~Decoy Octopus
"Is that 1D4 wolves right now?" - famous last words 😂
🐺🐺🐺🐺
I love the idea of new players trying a DCc funnel. Between the certain death of 75% of the characters and the thrill of making it through with one character, it sets a fantastic tone with the craziness.
My next campaign will definitely start with a funnel
I love character funnels.
Fireball's a great spell! My second character in Curse Of Strahd was getting old after three(?) sessions and we ran across three flameskulls who instakilled me with fireballs! Now I'm playing a different character and having more fun. Fireball's great!
Monte Cook was the Guest of Honor at this years' edition of our local convention, Liburnicon (shameless self-promotion :) ) and he was telling us about how he started playing, also with a few bits and pieces of rules cobbled together from various magazines and such. They hadn't had a proper rule book for the first 3 years or so of playing.
My situation wasn't much different, I had a Black Box starter pack, in Italian, and had to translate the rules (which I very superficially got myself) to Croatian for my friends who didn't speak Italian, and without any resources that would enable me to clarify any misunderstandings or misconceptions. (This was early-to-mid-90s, no Internet to speak of)
So yeah, have fun, the rules will get figured out as you go along. :)
"Never take fireball"
Come on! Blowing up yourself and your entire party with your first fireball is like an initiation ritual for D&D spellcasters.
Dude! The call back to Terry got me. Hahaha.
The comedic tone part: read the room/party.
Sometimes you want to joke, often even, but when people are trying to be dramatic try and give em a littttle respect.
This one is really up to the individual party tone. I've had fun in games where people take it serious and in games where its laugh a minute, and plenty of gsmes that had both.
I have to say the reason that I keep coming back to this channel is cause i think the advice is really solid and has a grounded perspective
Thanks very much! I had a lot of great comments to talk about here
One of the most fun I've ever had was playing a B/X elf and casting fireball and magic missile. Try the classics to see if you like them!
Totally! Try any variety of games and see if you like them!
That opening and the way you made yourself laugh so genuinely really got me lol... Love your videos every time, they always brighten my day. Feels like visiting an old friend, although I'm a stranger to you... It's such an odd dynamic streamers have with their fans, isn't it?
That means a lot! It is an interesting dynamic because I feel like I have this sort-of-friendship with an ambiguous group of people who I also know kinda well? One way or the other, it works!
I encourage having your players roll more often. Random table? Ask someone to roll that d8, d12, d20, d100 for you. Don't tell them what it is for. Make sure some options are beneficial most of the time when they're rolling, though. If it's ALL negative, because it's in a dungeon of doom or something, be the bad guy. Do that roll yourself.
Players will feel excitement and fear when you ask for a random roll that could benefit or doom them lol.
Another tip:
If you learn that someone in your group got kicked out from another group,
don't automatically assume they will be a bad fit for your group,
they may just not be compatible with the other group,
but they may fit right into your group.
I would make one distinction on this: did they leave amicably, or were they thrown out?
If the first, cool. If the second, I need more information but I will be extremely cautious about admitting them to my group.
It's *possible* that the group was just a group of terrible people (this does happen) but it's kind of unlikely.
I would need the whole story and I'd like to be able to get info from Prospective Player, Previous DM, and one Previous Co-Player.
Admittedly, my tolerance for Player Drama is extremely low and the barrier to entry to my table is, as a result, already rather high.
Been playing dnd for 4 years now and I'm just making my first character with fireball and my first character with fire bolt. Lesson to my past self: don't avoid the popular options just because they're memes. Have fun with it and take them if they fit the character
Bingo! 🔥
Excellent! Good for you. I’ve been playing weekly since 1986.
The entire point of character creation is to create exactly what you want. You and the rest of the team become more than the sum of your parts.
Once you create a character, the proverbial cards are dealt, and you must play with the cards in your hand.
This is where dungeons and dragons is a game!
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
One thing that has changed, is player expectation.
It used to be that the players created the story, and the dungeon master was only a referee. Now, players sit at the table, stare at the dungeon master, and they wait to be entertained with a story.
Just continue to have fun, and play what you want. The rest is luck! Don’t let other players tell you what you should do with your character.
I hope you enjoy the fireball! you will see, it is only disliked by dungeon Masters who can’t control the game, and players who were likely killed by one.
people saying 'don't pick fireball' are just DMs who had an encounter destroyed by a well placed fireball.
the best advice for a player: don't ask what you can roll. tell the dm what you want your character to DO
the best advice for a DM: (probably more of equal importance but) don't prep a story, prep scenarios and scenes. at the end of session, confirm what the players want to do next session and prep for that.
I can't stress that enough for the player. Last week my party was exploring in a cave that was littered with pitfalls. I described the way my character used the handle of his warhammer to tap the ground in front of him, and my DM didn't even make me roll perception to find anything, because he didn't feel like it was necessary, as opposed to the player who asked something to the effect of "can I roll perception to find any traps". It helps with immersion, roleplaying, and I think most good DMs will adjust what you need to roll as necessary depending on how thorough your plan of action is.
"If you could give some RPG advice to YOURSELF as a first time player or GM, what would you say?" He didn't ask what was good advice for new players, he asked for advice they would specifically give themselves, with all-caps emphasis on YOURSELF. So they were giving perfectly fine advice, because they know thier own preferences and were telling themselves not to waste times on thing they don't like.
@@maromania7 my accusation still stands :D
Incredibly well said!
I remember 2e lightning bolt. That's an awesome spell. I've also watched plenty of players get upset when fireball doesn't "work as advertised ". It has a reputation for functionality that's blown out of proportion in many places, and not just for DM's.
The biggest find advice I’d offer, other than to know what you’re doing, is to flavor frequently and fervently! Fireball can be boring if you just point forward and say “fireball!” But if you say “I make a finger gun, and from my pointer a finger a spark shoots forward like a shooting star before erupting into a roaring sphere of flame” now you’re playing dnd!
Bob World Builder: Out in the World, BUILDING THINGS!
As a new GM this is some solid advice to keep in mind, I also want to say thank you Bob for encouraging people to try new systems. My table wanted to try a DnD alternative so we played Pathfinder 2e and enjoyed it but we want to try a less crunchy system so we are going to try a couple sessions of Index Card RPG over the holidays. I’m learning there’s so many options for RPGs to play out there that there is bound to be one that unexpectedly clicks with a table looking for something new!
My favorite thing about random encounters is occasionally there will be one that is amazing or challenging and then I turn it into a recurring encounter.
My biggest tips. As a GM: Focus on putting obstacles in the way of the players. Don't worry at all about how they're going to overcome those obstacles...that's the players job. You root for the players and encourage them to come up with creative solutions to problems but you don't solve problems for them or get attached to any particular solution or outcome.
As a player: Focus on roleplaying your weaknesses almost as much as your strengths. That will make the game feel a whole lot more real and make it more fun and easier for the GM to run. Also be creative with your solutions to problems and obstacles. Don't focus on just what's written on your character sheet. Be sneaky. Be daring. And have fun with it.
This! I started DM’ing a few months ago without ever having even played a TTRPG before, with a group of friends in the same boat. After wandering aimlessly trying a bunch of different approaches for months, this finally clicked for me last session.
I would really have appreciated if the Dungeon Master’s Guide had started with a section of what you’re *actually* supposed to be doing as a DM so I could have gotten there a bit quicker though
Fireball IS fun! If you look up the definition of "fun" in the Oxford dictionary, there's a picture of a fireball right there! That being said, old school fireball was much more fun, especially for the GM.
That's a nice boulder 6:27
On an already charming channel, this is a crazy charming video.
Thanks very much!
side note new mic sounds amazing!
Thank you! Yeah I was really impressed
I only wish I had gotten back into D&D much sooner. It has become a way for my friend groups to stay connected and have fun.
This enviroment that you're in is goooorgeous 😍
It's a snowy wasteland where I'm living right now xD
Aw for yeeears I played with one set of dice :,3 good times
Thanks! I really lucked out with the timing and weather for this one
@@BobWorldBuilder it was meant to be :,3 nice to see you get out and about so often for your videos :3
I gave this video a Like for the train noises. MORE TRAIN NOISES!
Love the woods environment, it helps imagination getting to experience different places!
I totally agree!
Seconding play with strangers! I'd wanted to play dnd for 2-3 years but didn't have any friends who were into the game, so eventually I ended up contacting a bunch of strangers on an anonymous messaging board. None of us knew each other beforehand but we became great friends and still play (almost) weekly 6 years later! I feel like we nerds can often be quite shy/introverted, but that leap into the unknown can be so worth it!
Whatever park/trail you're at, it looks fantastic.
Other channels have great strategic advice, but u love your channel for keeping things calm, realistic, and realizable. Your energy has been really great for me as a new GM.
Wow that's pretty good outdoors audio
Thanks! Yeah it came out great... minus train.
Good roll with that wisdom save against that wild encounter “wolf”!
Please do more vidoes in this lovely forest! It was really relaxing to watch! Zen Bob
Well it all turned brown now haha, but these mics worked out so well I will definitely do it again in the future!
1040EZ character sheet is my favorite!
I love the community callouts! 😊😊😊
Same! I gotta make videos like this more often
I really liked the format of wandering the woods
Three random encounters and a Dragon roaring in the distance. Ah a war dog passes by.
The ad read actually reminded me of something I came across years ago: a list of "You know you're a gamer if..."
... you have enough extra dice to fill a beanbag chair.
Immediately followed by:
... you know the last one was a trick; there's no such thing as "extra" dice.
My input for the suggestions: don't be afraid to ask questions, especially if you're new to the game. Ttrpg is a collaborative effort and should be treated as such.
Best advice I ever got and use all the time. "Play with no deep backstory." It's incredibly rewarding to just be an innkeeper's son with a normal adjusted upbringing who just wants to get out there and do something different. The stories you create will be more rewarding than the stories you thought about 9 times out 10. Not everyone needs to have overcome great struggle in the past.
Bob out in nature is giving me some major druid vibes. Fun vid!
My piece of advice is don't prep plots, prep situations!
Don't leave out Terry... "Terry loves to be loved!" and we all know Terry "loves when calamity brings people together".
Okay Terry gets a second chance
Play a module, but don't be afraid to go off script if your groups wants to. I GM'd a game of SKT that normally only takes you to one of the giants bases, but my group wanted to go through them all so I made the frost giants vikings working with hags, and they ended up joining the fire giants to restart the 1000 year war.
you should add the train whistle to new vids as a joke XD el sponsor train
Playing a character based on struggles you've overcome, rather than struggles you're going through; I like that and will have to remember that!
It's like when I try to record my podcast. Every time the apartment decides to do lawn care.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm so lucky to live in the woods. No trains, no people going by. Just abandoned logging trails
Our Terry was named Percy.
Bob went to the heart of Appalachia to shoot this video.
There's a strong overlap with Bleed (a term from LARPing) on this comment (about 11:35 in). Blessed can be good or bad but aiming for bleed that doesn't hit on current struggles is great advice!
Looking forward to the next Bobcast!
Thanks! Put up a community post just today on the Bob's RPG Radio channel to get questions/stories for the next one!
Railroading is very hard to avoid especially when you play written campaign. But I'm working on it, and letting my players do what they want weridly ended up putting them on the right track. Now I have to keep letting them do that even if it means calling out end of session early if they go in compeltly unprepared territory.
I think there is SOME merit to not being some stereotypes ("horny bard" and "brooding loner" can get annoying real fast). But rather than avoid stereotypes, play something that you find fun, but read the room and try to fit the tone of the game -if what you're doing at your table is only fun for you, then there's probably a mismatch of expectations.
Always take fireball, it is the only spell I never have to think if I want it or not. JUST DOOOOOOOO EEEEEEEET!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
When you play a spellcaster, tend to fill the roles the party is lacking rather than competing for the same roles. If you have a couple martials, let them be the damage dealers and tend to take and use more control and buff spells rather than pure damaging ones. You can always have a fireball or other damage dealing spells just in case, but you will probably be much more effective as a party if you use hypnotic pattern, fear, slow, haste, spike growth or a damaging area that others can throw enemies into, etc
Advice to my past self? 7-11 gummy bears are actually amazing; buy twice what you think you’ll need.
For building characters: your backstory is important, but voice and character traits are even more important! You aren't in control of when the GM incorporates your backstory, so it's best to make what is interesting about your character obvious from the get-go--they want something badly, they have a certain trait that guides their actions, they have some contradiction at the heart of their character, they have a special skill, or an idiosyncratic way of speaking, or a certain limitation. It's best to think of a character you'd like to roleplay first, and then try to build the backstory in a way that compliments that.
Your new microphones worked great! Thanks for sharing everyone's thoughts. My advice to my younger self would be that while Min-Maxing character builds can be a fun solo activity and a good way to learn the rulebook, it's just as much fun to play an imperfect character and figure out how to overcome their weaknesses in game!
I would go back to the 80’s and tell myself to never stop playing BECMI.
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
I have a DMPC that is a cartographer, spelunker, and merchant. He is a mix of a custom fighter, wizard, and artificer.
What I like to do is show up near or at dungeons where the party can get assistance and/or purchase items and knowledge.
And usually he only shows up like 3-4 times per campaign. Usually 1-2 times from lvl 1-5 then varied at 12+
Rarely shows up, but highly valuable when he does with varied amount of help depending on what the party wants.
For players, "Flavor is a free action". Flavoring spells and attacks is awesome, gets you more into your characters, it's awesome. Just don't spend too long on it. For DMs, know your strengths and weaknesses. I am bad at rules but great at improv. Also not everyone is good at improv, it's not a requirement to do voices or anything like that. If you want to do voices, take an improv class or volunteer at a community theater for a bit, it will come naturally after that.
A wild bob appeared. Roll a wisdom check, nat 20.
I love that by the end of the video Terry WAS the train, and of course you wouldn't want to play with him - he's going to try and railroad everything!
Terry really got himself torn a new one in this vid
First advices current me give myself as a first-time GM some 20+ years ago: 1) Plan less, play more, and 2) Be the squirrel
Also: Fireball IS awesome. Even better with metamagic abilities.
I agree with #1, not sure I understand #2, but you do you haha
@@BobWorldBuilder 2nd tip elaborated: Instead of allowing your players being distracted too much by some random thing you just inserted with no reason what so ever other than "it seemed fun there and then", create "distractions" that indirectly drive the plots forward or lead to new ones.
(edit) And even more context: Two of my regular players are both diagnosed with ADHD, they can be _very_ easilly distracted :'D
More dog content please
If you pivoted to 'dogs I met in the forest' I would still watch
Probably get more views with that channel tbh 😂
i think your mic did very well at picking up the train and the sound of the crunchy leaves underfoot. you could almost make a 3 minute loop of BGM of you walking through the leaves and the occasional train blast on repeat to set the vibe that you are outdoors near train tracks.
I just played a session with my family, they have zero experience with dnd. And while I'm familiar with it (videos, bg3, other VG, read tons about), and have bought into the culture I haven't played a session since highschool, nor ever ran a game. We had so much fun. Much like most games it started with a bar brawl, cleaned out rats in a basement. We all were learning together which really helps keep everyone invested. I've already started putting down story beats. Can't wait till next time.
Low key giggling at the 1040EZ tax forms amongst the character sheets.
To a new player, it's the same damn thing haha