I liked the part where Zack boldly splashed acid in the face of a player before shouting from the rooftops "What are you gonna do, LOCK me up!" Best podcast episode of the series so far.
had a player get so mad they set my house on fire in real life. sadly, i could not stop them because it would be hindering their player agency. i know better now thanks zach
Tragically everyone died because they were so drunk they couldn't escape but who were you to impede on their player agency and risk offense for laying down the ground rules of no drinking.
I wanted to play a drinking game to take a shot every time Zach pointed at the screen aggressively at me, but I was under an authoritarian two drink limit. Another banger episode king!
I just wanted to ask Zach why he doesn’t just get a window AC unit so he stops baking alive but honestly I’m afraid he’ll fly into a rage next episode and demand I have a 2 drink limit and go into a hypothetical argument with himself on why the HOA is evil
Can't wait for another 40 minutes of Zach sweating and manically laughing at the camera as he pictures just how hard he would smack down a "creative" player
1:29 so what I'm hearing is Matt Mercer vibes in the shorts, and then just the sheer fervor of Brennan Lee Mulligan ranting about snacking in the podcasts
My comment last video was "fuck living up to matt mercer, I wake up in cold sweats with the living up to zachthebold illness" -- I SWEAR it was a positive comment!
16:08 "For no other reason than it is innately human to want to be the hero" Is such a damn hard line. Bro cooks up some bangers when he's going on a full damn end rant and I love it
I fell into the trap of creating a "lone wolf" character for my first ever DnD character but the power gamer inside of me instantly realized during the first session that lone wolves are stupid and weak because there really is a power in friendship, so my character quickly changed his attitude. And my DM just smiled at me the whole time.
I'm in a similar case. My character was a royal and just wants to get his position of privilege back and he is extremely racist against everything that isn't an elf. I just decided that he'll cooperate reluctantly because it will help him reach his goal.
Absolutely love the shorts, definitely the best quality with the crazy lighting, sound effects, faces etc. From your first podcast ep, you're definitely the ranty dnd guy I though you'd be. Keep it up.
On the acid splash topic, I allow it to dissolve locks, but if it's an important door, just... make it a different type of lock. If a cantrip is able to melt locks, there must have been some sort of research going into acid-resistant locks somewhere throughout the world. Whether that be a magic lock, an unconventional mechanism, or just a lock made of acid-resistant material. It's totally fair to keep it RAW, but allowing that sort of thing shouldn't have incredibly dire consequences if you're a smart dm, and I find that this sort of creativity to be one of my favorite parts about DnD.
Also, it likely takes longer for the chemical reaction to take place, and the word "splash" implies it's not very accurate, so you could destroy the whole door or actually damage the loot. Plus since it actually damages the lock, the next day news spread that a place in a town or settlement has been broken into.
3:50 If it's any consolation, the quality of your videos really shows how much effort you put into it. I've only watched your shorts so far, but there hasn't been a single one that hasn't made me laugh.
1) You are %100 correct about acid splash. 2) don't focus on negative comments. You are the only DND short form content creator I like and I love you. I also am delighted to see the longer videos
"So much time on Pinterest boards and Spotify lists..." Haha, I felt that one. I like that you're giving your candid hip fire take on these. Keep it up man you're doing great!
"OC" is typically a term used for artists making their own original character ideas, placed in some established world/universe (TV show/anime etc.). In that way every DnD character is an "OC", but i do get what you mean, players need to understand that it's a team game and there is no "main" character.
I like where you're coming from with the Acid Splash-Lock stance. But in the name of encouraging multiple solutions, I'd give acid splash a downside. E.g., it takes longer, you might harm the contents, if it fails, then the lock can't be picked and you lose the loot. Alternatively, give an upside to using lockpicks (e.g., you can reuse the chest, the chest has a trap that can be disabled if you put the thing back and close it).
Can't wait to see funny dnd man episode from episode, gradually losing his hairline due to dnd induced rage. Please don't ever stop till we get ZachTheBald.
I have enjoyed your short form content for a while now, but after seeing these past 2 episodes of your pod, you have quickly become one of my favorite DnD Creators. No pandering to everyone, just being yourself, it is refreshing to see. keep up the great work.
THIS and @DeficientMaster scratch the perfect itch for the chaotic alignment in DnD content creators! I love it! Keep it chaotic Zach! Some days I just need to hear a ranting train of consciousness! Hot takes, angry takes and some particularly great gems all in one! Chefs kiss!
I am playing a Kodiak bear named Coco right now, I thought I was making a joke character but he's by far my favorite (and in my opinion the most cohesive with the party) character I've created. I took away my own player agency. He can't speak common, so can't interact with npcs alone really and can only be funny when allies play into it. It's been fantastic. We have 1 session left and I know I'm going to miss playing Coco. He's been such a good boy. Love the content, thanks for keeping us entertained!
god i LOVE this podcast. it's so refreshing and i feel like i'm on a call with a friend ranting and shouting "RIGHT????" at the screen. keep it up buddy :)
I had a player who put in her OC DONUT STEEL into my game, and it only took one session to find out that this character was NOT compatible with my game, my setting, and my table. She wanted Freeform roleplaying and didn’t want dice to get in the way. I politely told her that she’d have to find her fun somewhere else. Thank God we’re still amicable.
In one of my campaigns, we had each player gain a special ability for their race. In my case, I was a Lizardfolk Artificer. We thought a cool twist would be giving him Acid Splash, flavored as stomach acid he spits out and burns enemies. Since I was the only real spellcaster, my ability to burn through certain weak metals wasn't a problem, and later it got buffed after an ancient dragon gave my Lizardfolk the ability to burn through magical items as well. It created this hilarious and memorable character, who didn't break the game since most challenges didn't require lockpicking, and we had to work for the rewards.
The reason shopping and tavern sessions happen so often is DMs don't know how to start. A lot of times for my one shoots I start with "You finish a quest, and stop in a raven. After you relax and refresh you suppose some one walks in looking for adventures. They see you and head to your table" or whatever. I setup that the plyers have meet at least once and bring the adventure to them. Professor DM had a good video about this. The worst thing a Dm can say is "you are in a tavern. What do you do?". Tell me what you have planned. A fight breaks out, I get robbed , some o e fall through the roof. Some thing.
Brilliant stuff! I think the method of using balancing rules in dnd is extremely necessary. All that's required to avoid a player's discontent or creating an unnecessary sense of disempowerment toward them, is that when you realise a boundary needs to be made for balancing's sake, you, as the dm, place physical rules within the world that make logical sense, are explained in an immersive fashion, and you make sure to maintain those rules. When a player uses acid splash on a lock, I would likely say (as an example): "it sprays from your outstretched palm and encompasses the lock in a vibrant acid. The decorative white paint that covers the lock melts from its surface, but the deceivingly dark metal it hides beneath appears undamaged." It clearly states that something doesn't function how the player had hoped, but gives them information as to the limitations of that action, in this case that a cantrip doesn't have the power to eat through solid iron. So long as limitations are expressed naturally through the world, and not through the dm breaking the story-telling barrier, a player is extremely unlikely to ever have an issue with a ruling. Assuming that the dm is a decent person with everyone's enjoyment at heart, if someone legitimately has issues that rules they expect to work in your game, don't, and are then subsequently upset or even angered by that, they have a fundamental flaw in how they perceive the game, and the unique ways that every single dm runs it (not to mention being quite a poorly tempered person). Dnd is not a singular ruleset, it has always been and always will be a guide to running a fun game of make-believe, as the dm's guide itself rightly states. To potentially explain a reason why people may express an issue with your (and my) view is that it was presented as simply telling someone they cannot do something out-of-game, even if that's only due to the limitation of something like a short or a small part of a video. Players feel cheated if they are outright told they are restricted from using something in a certain way due to out-of-game balancing, as they feel they've run into an invisible wall of the game that shouldn't belong. This creates the idea of 'restricting creativity', when in reality, that idea was simply never feasible within the world. Instead of telling them something as a player out-of-game, the real way to do this is to bake it into the fabric of the world, acting as though this is always how it would work, even if it's not something you ever gave thought to. This approach sets the world as a real tangible space, where things have physical limitations that can't be bypassed, but can be learnt and could be taken advantage of if there legitimately is a creative technique involved that isn't outside of the bounds of how something would operate. It makes things players do to manipulate tools, materials, or even magic items, feel earned and gives them a sense of greater understanding about the world around them as characters, while never risking dismantling the game mechanics of the world in ways that haunt all of the theoretical dnd horror stories of people using stuff severely inappropriately for unintended effects. The only reason those scenarios cause a game to lose its balance is due to the accidental failure of a dm to not properly ground the world in those critical moments, as it does take a decent bit of practice to make fair rulings and explain them well within the world at a moments notice. By the way, this is obviously not a critique of how I believe you run anything, these are just my thoughts on the matter, in far too much detail. Hope you (the fool that has read to the end of this) have a lovely day.
I had a DM allow me to use frostbite on a lock to break it, not unlock it. And it wasn't an automatic break, he just ruled it as weakening the lock, and then I still had to successfully break the lock with the hilt of my sword. Later, as a DM, I had a player (sorcerer) asking to do the same with iron chains. I made them waste multiple rounds to rapid-fire heat and chill the metal alternating between frostbite and firebolt before attempting to hit it with a quarterstaff. Multiple rounds spent while the rest of the party cleaned out the cave of goblins to release chained up wolves. It eventually worked, but it is also something that was a choice made by a player, and I made the decision to make this a difficult, time-consuming process with an eventual chance of success. After that, they looked for keys to the locks or waited for the rogue to come and pick the locks first.
This episode was so peak, all of the stuff for dms you said twords the end I really needed to hear. I've been running a game going on to a year and a half now, super high stakes, emotional moments, all the good stuff I think people enjoy. But the past few sessions I've been forcing my players to deal with the "off time" shopping sessions before another rising action. We're finally dipping into that rising action again after the 3 sessions of fluff, but hearing this topic addressed by someone else gives me a much better perspective on how I think my players might feel. On the dm side it all felt like chill low anxiety content, but I now see how that could feel drowned and tiring for the players. Thank you for your wisdom 🙏
Loving this series! Love the passion. I think all your takes have been fun and valuable. I hope that people who disagree with them still find them thought provoking.
I love these videos because this is the absolute type of passion and anger I need when I hear people talk about different D&D situations. Power to those that are able to remain calm when talking about this stuff, but I just NEED to see my own frustration and baffled expression reflected back at me.
I just have to comment: 1st- Zach, you DM however you want to DM, and don't let any comments tell you different! Everyone DMs differently, so you do what you feel is right, and I support that! 2nd- I completely enjoy your shorts, and I agree putting something together does take time! They're original, and they have great timing! Keep up the good work! 3rd- I'm with you... Summers with 100% humidity: I keep four clean, folded t-shirts in my car to change into when I get to wherever I was going, I understand the sweating! Love the videos! You keep making them, and I'll keep watching them!
It's so hard to find a person like this, somebody that doesn't have a panic attack over the slightest disagreement and still have a rational response. ❤
There's a lot to be said for starting all adventures a week or two after the players first meet. You tell your players to establish by themselves how they all met (can be done during session zero) and start them at level 2, in media-res for where you want the adventure to begin. Solves those early 'I don't play well with others' tropy character interactions that can crop up.
Honestly, I'm really enjoying these. You get really passionate about your opinions which makes it really entertaining. It does seem like most of the issues you tackle could be solved with better communication, but i can already get that advice from other podcasts like you mentioned 😂
The internet is full of people with strong opinions. The best thing that you can do is be true to yourself and record the content you enjoy making. Don't give sway to popular opinion or other people's preferences. You continue to make the content that you enjoy. That's one reason why I enjoy this channel. You give no quarter and give no ground and you are who you are. It's very refreshing.
I just started DnD I’m playing my 4th session tonight and I’m having fun with this game but I am having difficulty getting used to the role playing aspect cause last session was just role playing and shopping which is probably for pacing and not make it endless combat. My only experience with dnd so far has been the Critical Role show on Amazon saw that it was based of the podcast randomly mentioned it to my friend and he went off about it and I felt shocked cause he was a close friend and knew nothing about it but he did invite me to this game. He never told me about dnd this whole time cause he thought I would make fun of him for it but BRO we talk about LOTR and Star Wars all the time and just cause I played sports all through high school and hanged out with linemen and skill players after school my perception of you would change. woah I just ranted just wanted to say Zach that I am having fun with dnd and look forward to future episodes.
Can't agree more with you in regards to anything relating to shopping sections. These things can easily be done out of session with a simple between you and the DM...then when we get to the actual session we'll do a quick recap if needed.
Its so true about the audio. i love the dramatic lighting and cool visuals in your short videos. But for podcast format, I got you on a second monitor. the visuals are literally secondary.
Honestly Zach, as a fellow DM it's really cathartic to hear this. Really feel like you've been in the trenches. Don't talk to me if your players are all actors or socially good people. Talk to me if you've invited 3 of your friends to D&D and one of them brings their SO because they wanted to try D&D, and then another mutual friend finds out and the party is like "sure", next thing you know you're dealing 5 players sharing screen time, with mutual friend interrupting character moments, having to coach the new player on what they're even able to do while all they do is try and seduce their SOs character which makes your other players uncomfortable at the table!... 😅
I can't relate to all the "bad take"ers, I fully see where you're coming from and for this reason have never liked listening to or reading RPG horror stories. Every time, I end up wondering why there was no communication, why they're even playing together if they don't like each other, why the GM doesn't just say "no" to the BS, etc. because my autistic ass can't even see all the social nuances half the time. All I see is what's actually happening in front of me, and if it's a bunch of people not having a good time I point it out and talk about it. Sometimes that can be awkward or uncomfortable, especially when you have to call someone specific out, but I prefer that over this weird facade where everyone pretends they're having fun for some reason? It's fucking wack man. Also THANK YOU, as much as I love improv NPCs and just vibing with the RP, I am more than happy to give you the book or a printout or whatever and say "pick what you want and let me know what you bought, then we'll move on." My players spend enough time talking the logistics and tactics of what to buy, I don't need to lengthen or complicate that by making them do it in-character! Gotta let them play the actual game, and sometimes that is best served by skipping the RP. Anyway, keen for the next one. Stay sweaty, bold man 😎
When I just watched your shorts I respected you and looked up to you now thanks to the podcast I know that you’re awesome and I agree with 90% of what you said in the first one
Echoing what a ton of other people are saying, its really refreshing to hear someone in the online D&D space with confidence. A ton of problems can be solved by the DM just saying "No." Also, it helps you're really funny and have stellar energy. Def gonna check out the actual play you're in
When I first saw your shorts, I absolutely adored them and started following your content. Now, after seeing you ranting on and yelling for 50 minutes about the things you're passionate about I respect you even more.
I really enjoy this podcast. A catch 22 I'm currently dealing with is where a player wants to leave the campaign but can't due to a few factors. The other players don't want them to leave, their own morals compel them to stay until a new player is found, and one of the other players, won't allow me to replace them because a new person joining would be too stressed to handle for them. It genuinely feels like I'm stuck and have to keep running this campaign with the person who wants to leave. I have no problems with the players. Just kind of a messed up scenario where I want to keep running but feel trapped doing so.
I agree with the shopping episode rant to a point. I had a new player build a hilarious character beat that went on to influence two campaigns he was in and two other players brainstormed creating an underground drug ring. We reference both of these to this day, 3 years later. I think as long as there still feels like momentum, players are more okay with shopping episodes.
![กิโลเมตรที่ 0 เดินทางรอบโลกไม่ใช้เครื่องบิน [Around The World Ep. 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/toJG9oofLFY/mqdefault.jpg)
![MV วิถีชีวิตใต้ - ผา อัยย๊ะ [Official MV HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nODlkOUu9B0/mqdefault.jpg)
I liked the part where Zack boldly splashed acid in the face of a player before shouting from the rooftops "What are you gonna do, LOCK me up!" Best podcast episode of the series so far.
You are also here, super cool! :-)
Hola
had a player get so mad they set my house on fire in real life. sadly, i could not stop them because it would be hindering their player agency. i know better now thanks zach
Tragically everyone died because they were so drunk they couldn't escape but who were you to impede on their player agency and risk offense for laying down the ground rules of no drinking.
I wanted to play a drinking game to take a shot every time Zach pointed at the screen aggressively at me, but I was under an authoritarian two drink limit. Another banger episode king!
I just wanted to ask Zach why he doesn’t just get a window AC unit so he stops baking alive but honestly I’m afraid he’ll fly into a rage next episode and demand I have a 2 drink limit and go into a hypothetical argument with himself on why the HOA is evil
This
Can't wait for another 40 minutes of Zach sweating and manically laughing at the camera as he pictures just how hard he would smack down a "creative" player
1:29 so what I'm hearing is Matt Mercer vibes in the shorts, and then just the sheer fervor of Brennan Lee Mulligan ranting about snacking in the podcasts
My comment last video was "fuck living up to matt mercer, I wake up in cold sweats with the living up to zachthebold illness" -- I SWEAR it was a positive comment!
I love it when Zach Rants like an insane person for 50 minutes
He makes some of us feel so seen.
"As" an insane person😂
The towel is quickly becoming my favorite recurring character.
Need to slap googley eyes on it.
No one makes Zach laugh like Zach makes Zach laugh
"Its fine, you can disagree with me. I'll just haunt your nightmares."
16:08
"For no other reason than it is innately human to want to be the hero" Is such a damn hard line. Bro cooks up some bangers when he's going on a full damn end rant and I love it
*dnd not end 😭
@@Astronautguy21you can edit messages
It is every man’s inherent desire to go down in an epic last stand
"...Most of the time." XD
@@Astronautguy21 you can edit comments, hope this helps 🙏
dnd jerma is a good take. the rambles, the rage, the mystical vibes, they're all here. inventive and new. love.
Not even ten minutes in and Zach is describing how his face will haunt every single person who allows acid splash to be used to open locks
BEAUTIFUL
the jerma comparison really hits during the manic acid splash rant in the start
Manic stuff wasn’t present when he read other people sentences.
listened to this after I got off my 70 hour shift at the oil rig. very relatable
I fell into the trap of creating a "lone wolf" character for my first ever DnD character but the power gamer inside of me instantly realized during the first session that lone wolves are stupid and weak because there really is a power in friendship, so my character quickly changed his attitude. And my DM just smiled at me the whole time.
I'm in a similar case. My character was a royal and just wants to get his position of privilege back and he is extremely racist against everything that isn't an elf. I just decided that he'll cooperate reluctantly because it will help him reach his goal.
Anyone else getting Heath ledger Joker vibes when Zach starts going on Tangents? Bro is super funny. Keep it up Zach.
Was playing “Why so serious” while watching with my Gf and we were dying listening to him rant 😂
Whoever said D&D Jerma was actually so right, holy moly
Premise: Good common sense DND takes podcast.
Delivery: Raving lunatic melts into a puddle of sweat before our eyes.
Greatly enjoying it.
“I like to party! We go wild trust me! Board game nights go WILD!!”
I’ve never felt so heard
Absolutely love the shorts, definitely the best quality with the crazy lighting, sound effects, faces etc.
From your first podcast ep, you're definitely the ranty dnd guy I though you'd be.
Keep it up.
On the acid splash topic, I allow it to dissolve locks, but if it's an important door, just... make it a different type of lock. If a cantrip is able to melt locks, there must have been some sort of research going into acid-resistant locks somewhere throughout the world. Whether that be a magic lock, an unconventional mechanism, or just a lock made of acid-resistant material.
It's totally fair to keep it RAW, but allowing that sort of thing shouldn't have incredibly dire consequences if you're a smart dm, and I find that this sort of creativity to be one of my favorite parts about DnD.
Also, it likely takes longer for the chemical reaction to take place, and the word "splash" implies it's not very accurate, so you could destroy the whole door or actually damage the loot. Plus since it actually damages the lock, the next day news spread that a place in a town or settlement has been broken into.
3:50 If it's any consolation, the quality of your videos really shows how much effort you put into it. I've only watched your shorts so far, but there hasn't been a single one that hasn't made me laugh.
When Zach specifically listed by Full name and Address a series of players he hates and threatened them with violence I felt like I learned a lot
8:35 This is the unhinged, ACCURATE content I’ve been craving. If this is episode 2, I can’t wait for the others.
1) You are %100 correct about acid splash.
2) don't focus on negative comments. You are the only DND short form content creator I like and I love you. I also am delighted to see the longer videos
The acid splash role play at the beginning was like a meatcanyon video, 11/10
"So much time on Pinterest boards and Spotify lists..." Haha, I felt that one. I like that you're giving your candid hip fire take on these. Keep it up man you're doing great!
"OC" is typically a term used for artists making their own original character ideas, placed in some established world/universe (TV show/anime etc.). In that way every DnD character is an "OC", but i do get what you mean, players need to understand that it's a team game and there is no "main" character.
I like where you're coming from with the Acid Splash-Lock stance. But in the name of encouraging multiple solutions, I'd give acid splash a downside. E.g., it takes longer, you might harm the contents, if it fails, then the lock can't be picked and you lose the loot. Alternatively, give an upside to using lockpicks (e.g., you can reuse the chest, the chest has a trap that can be disabled if you put the thing back and close it).
bro DnD jerma is such an accurate take i fucking love it and i love you zachthebold
Can't wait to see funny dnd man episode from episode, gradually losing his hairline due to dnd induced rage. Please don't ever stop till we get ZachTheBald.
I have enjoyed your short form content for a while now, but after seeing these past 2 episodes of your pod, you have quickly become one of my favorite DnD Creators. No pandering to everyone, just being yourself, it is refreshing to see.
keep up the great work.
The venturing through a town aimlessly for a shopkeeping rp bit would be pretty funny for a short. I’m loving this series so far!
My favorite parts are when Zach pretends to punch hypothetical players. Good stuff.
THIS and @DeficientMaster scratch the perfect itch for the chaotic alignment in DnD content creators! I love it!
Keep it chaotic Zach! Some days I just need to hear a ranting train of consciousness! Hot takes, angry takes and some particularly great gems all in one! Chefs kiss!
Who up bolding they Zach 🗣️
👋👋🙋🏻♂️
🙋♂️
✋️
I am playing a Kodiak bear named Coco right now, I thought I was making a joke character but he's by far my favorite (and in my opinion the most cohesive with the party) character I've created. I took away my own player agency. He can't speak common, so can't interact with npcs alone really and can only be funny when allies play into it. It's been fantastic. We have 1 session left and I know I'm going to miss playing Coco. He's been such a good boy.
Love the content, thanks for keeping us entertained!
This is definetly one of the best three episodes of Bold Takes and Banger Trampolines so far.
"You can fix it by not being a dumb idiot". I feel like a lot of problems can be fixed with this.
It feels like all of the rage carried over from the previous episode at this rate your going to start popping blood vessels by episode 3
god i LOVE this podcast. it's so refreshing and i feel like i'm on a call with a friend ranting and shouting "RIGHT????" at the screen. keep it up buddy :)
oh baby, an incensed rant at a camera about a dice game for 50 minutes, my favorite flavor of video
I had a player who put in her OC DONUT STEEL into my game, and it only took one session to find out that this character was NOT compatible with my game, my setting, and my table. She wanted Freeform roleplaying and didn’t want dice to get in the way. I politely told her that she’d have to find her fun somewhere else. Thank God we’re still amicable.
In one of my campaigns, we had each player gain a special ability for their race. In my case, I was a Lizardfolk Artificer. We thought a cool twist would be giving him Acid Splash, flavored as stomach acid he spits out and burns enemies. Since I was the only real spellcaster, my ability to burn through certain weak metals wasn't a problem, and later it got buffed after an ancient dragon gave my Lizardfolk the ability to burn through magical items as well. It created this hilarious and memorable character, who didn't break the game since most challenges didn't require lockpicking, and we had to work for the rewards.
Absolutely love your unhinged rants. For the hard labour in the heat buy yourself a desk fan on me. (Idk how expensive they are in the US)
Man, I love this man. This podcast will be so fun. Especially by episode 12045
The reason shopping and tavern sessions happen so often is DMs don't know how to start. A lot of times for my one shoots I start with "You finish a quest, and stop in a raven. After you relax and refresh you suppose some one walks in looking for adventures. They see you and head to your table" or whatever. I setup that the plyers have meet at least once and bring the adventure to them.
Professor DM had a good video about this. The worst thing a Dm can say is "you are in a tavern. What do you do?". Tell me what you have planned. A fight breaks out, I get robbed , some o e fall through the roof. Some thing.
Brilliant stuff! I think the method of using balancing rules in dnd is extremely necessary. All that's required to avoid a player's discontent or creating an unnecessary sense of disempowerment toward them, is that when you realise a boundary needs to be made for balancing's sake, you, as the dm, place physical rules within the world that make logical sense, are explained in an immersive fashion, and you make sure to maintain those rules. When a player uses acid splash on a lock, I would likely say (as an example):
"it sprays from your outstretched palm and encompasses the lock in a vibrant acid. The decorative white paint that covers the lock melts from its surface, but the deceivingly dark metal it hides beneath appears undamaged."
It clearly states that something doesn't function how the player had hoped, but gives them information as to the limitations of that action, in this case that a cantrip doesn't have the power to eat through solid iron. So long as limitations are expressed naturally through the world, and not through the dm breaking the story-telling barrier, a player is extremely unlikely to ever have an issue with a ruling.
Assuming that the dm is a decent person with everyone's enjoyment at heart, if someone legitimately has issues that rules they expect to work in your game, don't, and are then subsequently upset or even angered by that, they have a fundamental flaw in how they perceive the game, and the unique ways that every single dm runs it (not to mention being quite a poorly tempered person). Dnd is not a singular ruleset, it has always been and always will be a guide to running a fun game of make-believe, as the dm's guide itself rightly states.
To potentially explain a reason why people may express an issue with your (and my) view is that it was presented as simply telling someone they cannot do something out-of-game, even if that's only due to the limitation of something like a short or a small part of a video. Players feel cheated if they are outright told they are restricted from using something in a certain way due to out-of-game balancing, as they feel they've run into an invisible wall of the game that shouldn't belong. This creates the idea of 'restricting creativity', when in reality, that idea was simply never feasible within the world. Instead of telling them something as a player out-of-game, the real way to do this is to bake it into the fabric of the world, acting as though this is always how it would work, even if it's not something you ever gave thought to.
This approach sets the world as a real tangible space, where things have physical limitations that can't be bypassed, but can be learnt and could be taken advantage of if there legitimately is a creative technique involved that isn't outside of the bounds of how something would operate. It makes things players do to manipulate tools, materials, or even magic items, feel earned and gives them a sense of greater understanding about the world around them as characters, while never risking dismantling the game mechanics of the world in ways that haunt all of the theoretical dnd horror stories of people using stuff severely inappropriately for unintended effects. The only reason those scenarios cause a game to lose its balance is due to the accidental failure of a dm to not properly ground the world in those critical moments, as it does take a decent bit of practice to make fair rulings and explain them well within the world at a moments notice.
By the way, this is obviously not a critique of how I believe you run anything, these are just my thoughts on the matter, in far too much detail. Hope you (the fool that has read to the end of this) have a lovely day.
I had a DM allow me to use frostbite on a lock to break it, not unlock it. And it wasn't an automatic break, he just ruled it as weakening the lock, and then I still had to successfully break the lock with the hilt of my sword.
Later, as a DM, I had a player (sorcerer) asking to do the same with iron chains. I made them waste multiple rounds to rapid-fire heat and chill the metal alternating between frostbite and firebolt before attempting to hit it with a quarterstaff. Multiple rounds spent while the rest of the party cleaned out the cave of goblins to release chained up wolves. It eventually worked, but it is also something that was a choice made by a player, and I made the decision to make this a difficult, time-consuming process with an eventual chance of success. After that, they looked for keys to the locks or waited for the rogue to come and pick the locks first.
ZachTheBold more like ZachTheBald from stress and unbridled rage
I enjoy the slow decent into madness
I think it’s as slow as a hypersonic rocket.
This episode was so peak, all of the stuff for dms you said twords the end I really needed to hear. I've been running a game going on to a year and a half now, super high stakes, emotional moments, all the good stuff I think people enjoy. But the past few sessions I've been forcing my players to deal with the "off time" shopping sessions before another rising action. We're finally dipping into that rising action again after the 3 sessions of fluff, but hearing this topic addressed by someone else gives me a much better perspective on how I think my players might feel. On the dm side it all felt like chill low anxiety content, but I now see how that could feel drowned and tiring for the players. Thank you for your wisdom 🙏
Loving this series! Love the passion.
I think all your takes have been fun and valuable. I hope that people who disagree with them still find them thought provoking.
As a beginner DM, it's truly amazing to get some takes and advice from a deranged expert.
6:37 - I too have been known to drink two Angry Orchards and go nap nap
omg the dnd Jerma comparison was so on point, loving the content zach!
I love your energy and passion, your psychotic rants make it so captivating to listen
I love these videos because this is the absolute type of passion and anger I need when I hear people talk about different D&D situations. Power to those that are able to remain calm when talking about this stuff, but I just NEED to see my own frustration and baffled expression reflected back at me.
I just have to comment:
1st- Zach, you DM however you want to DM, and don't let any comments tell you different! Everyone DMs differently, so you do what you feel is right, and I support that!
2nd- I completely enjoy your shorts, and I agree putting something together does take time! They're original, and they have great timing! Keep up the good work!
3rd- I'm with you... Summers with 100% humidity: I keep four clean, folded t-shirts in my car to change into when I get to wherever I was going, I understand the sweating!
Love the videos! You keep making them, and I'll keep watching them!
Hell yeah I was hype to see the second installation of “man shouts at camera over monsters and wizardry!”
It's so hard to find a person like this, somebody that doesn't have a panic attack over the slightest disagreement and still have a rational response. ❤
The first 10 minutes of this podcast made me love Zach platonically in a new way
Your shorts here on TH-cam are entertainingly brilliant, but Im learning more mechanics from these longer formats. Cant wait for more of both!
There's a lot to be said for starting all adventures a week or two after the players first meet. You tell your players to establish by themselves how they all met (can be done during session zero) and start them at level 2, in media-res for where you want the adventure to begin. Solves those early 'I don't play well with others' tropy character interactions that can crop up.
Honestly, I'm really enjoying these. You get really passionate about your opinions which makes it really entertaining. It does seem like most of the issues you tackle could be solved with better communication, but i can already get that advice from other podcasts like you mentioned 😂
The internet is full of people with strong opinions. The best thing that you can do is be true to yourself and record the content you enjoy making. Don't give sway to popular opinion or other people's preferences. You continue to make the content that you enjoy. That's one reason why I enjoy this channel. You give no quarter and give no ground and you are who you are. It's very refreshing.
21:56 Bro is giving me the Timmy Turner’s Dad “IF I HAD ONE” vibes lol
Episode 2 of the Sodden Towel podcast. Great work! Keep it up.
This is some insane energy. It is forever off the charts.
Zach you are 100% valid in all answers given and I've learned and developed a new look on some of these topics. Thank you... that is all
I just started DnD I’m playing my 4th session tonight and I’m having fun with this game but I am having difficulty getting used to the role playing aspect cause last session was just role playing and shopping which is probably for pacing and not make it endless combat. My only experience with dnd so far has been the Critical Role show on Amazon saw that it was based of the podcast randomly mentioned it to my friend and he went off about it and I felt shocked cause he was a close friend and knew nothing about it but he did invite me to this game. He never told me about dnd this whole time cause he thought I would make fun of him for it but BRO we talk about LOTR and Star Wars all the time and just cause I played sports all through high school and hanged out with linemen and skill players after school my perception of you would change. woah I just ranted just wanted to say Zach that I am having fun with dnd and look forward to future episodes.
This is like 5 minutes of pretty good advice stretched over 50 minutes of psychotic ranting and raving.
Awesome
he's fighting the voices in his head and I love it
Can't agree more with you in regards to anything relating to shopping sections. These things can easily be done out of session with a simple between you and the DM...then when we get to the actual session we'll do a quick recap if needed.
im so glad you decided to do more! rahh i love these
The amount of eye contact that has been made in this video with the camera is uncannily nice.
Love your humor and enthusiasm for the game! Also... FANTASTIC hair.
i love this so much, i hope you keep putting these out man, nice work!
Its so true about the audio. i love the dramatic lighting and cool visuals in your short videos. But for podcast format, I got you on a second monitor. the visuals are literally secondary.
Honestly Zach, as a fellow DM it's really cathartic to hear this. Really feel like you've been in the trenches.
Don't talk to me if your players are all actors or socially good people. Talk to me if you've invited 3 of your friends to D&D and one of them brings their SO because they wanted to try D&D, and then another mutual friend finds out and the party is like "sure", next thing you know you're dealing 5 players sharing screen time, with mutual friend interrupting character moments, having to coach the new player on what they're even able to do while all they do is try and seduce their SOs character which makes your other players uncomfortable at the table!... 😅
🤣 shouting out people complaining about audio for a TH-cam video is a first. Absolutely loved that
I can't relate to all the "bad take"ers, I fully see where you're coming from and for this reason have never liked listening to or reading RPG horror stories. Every time, I end up wondering why there was no communication, why they're even playing together if they don't like each other, why the GM doesn't just say "no" to the BS, etc. because my autistic ass can't even see all the social nuances half the time. All I see is what's actually happening in front of me, and if it's a bunch of people not having a good time I point it out and talk about it. Sometimes that can be awkward or uncomfortable, especially when you have to call someone specific out, but I prefer that over this weird facade where everyone pretends they're having fun for some reason? It's fucking wack man.
Also THANK YOU, as much as I love improv NPCs and just vibing with the RP, I am more than happy to give you the book or a printout or whatever and say "pick what you want and let me know what you bought, then we'll move on." My players spend enough time talking the logistics and tactics of what to buy, I don't need to lengthen or complicate that by making them do it in-character! Gotta let them play the actual game, and sometimes that is best served by skipping the RP.
Anyway, keen for the next one. Stay sweaty, bold man 😎
The more unhinged you became during the first one, the more entranced I became, you seem like a very fun dm to have tbh
Heard dnd jerma and I can’t unsee it. Nothing but good vibes!
that acid splash imagery is so vivid, gotta make it into a video or smth, the cinematography can go really hard
When I just watched your shorts I respected you and looked up to you now thanks to the podcast I know that you’re awesome and I agree with 90% of what you said in the first one
Echoing what a ton of other people are saying, its really refreshing to hear someone in the online D&D space with confidence. A ton of problems can be solved by the DM just saying "No."
Also, it helps you're really funny and have stellar energy. Def gonna check out the actual play you're in
When I first saw your shorts, I absolutely adored them and started following your content. Now, after seeing you ranting on and yelling for 50 minutes about the things you're passionate about I respect you even more.
We need a "no towel" special episode at some point hahaha
I greatly enjoy the rants. They're oddly calming to me. :)
15:55 Bro that laugh is so genuine! He couldn't keep it contained 😂
The first episode was so gooe and I rewatch it so many times that when this dropped it whas like I had to wait no time at all for it. 🎉
I really love this it's just chaos and fun and doesn't take over my waking hours
I really enjoy this podcast. A catch 22 I'm currently dealing with is where a player wants to leave the campaign but can't due to a few factors. The other players don't want them to leave, their own morals compel them to stay until a new player is found, and one of the other players, won't allow me to replace them because a new person joining would be too stressed to handle for them. It genuinely feels like I'm stuck and have to keep running this campaign with the person who wants to leave. I have no problems with the players. Just kind of a messed up scenario where I want to keep running but feel trapped doing so.
Loving that Pirate Borg book in the place of honor on the shelf
Thinking that the takes from episode 1 were really good shows how much I actually know about dnd.
Just finished a twelve out shift🎉 Can’t wait to listen❤ glad I asked on INSTA when episodes come out😎
More of this brother, this is fantastic
I agree with the shopping episode rant to a point. I had a new player build a hilarious character beat that went on to influence two campaigns he was in and two other players brainstormed creating an underground drug ring. We reference both of these to this day, 3 years later. I think as long as there still feels like momentum, players are more okay with shopping episodes.