Myth 14: If you kill a PC, you've done something wrong. Sometimes the death of a character can be just what a campaign needs to get everyone motivated again.

@letmeinthegroup

3 жыл бұрын

Had a an encounter once where one of the PCs had to sacrifice himself in order for the others to survive (not by design, just happened that way), they were all about lvl 10, so they were all invested in their characters and his death hit them hard. Needless to say, that PC's sacrifice was revered and spoken of on most sessions afterwards.

@Rodrik18

3 жыл бұрын

Not to mention, player error is absolutely a thing as well. Not taking a threat seriously can absolutely lead to a pc dying, especially considering that the vast majority of damaging effects that a monster can do can deal double damage on a 5% chance...

@TheRedRobin96

3 жыл бұрын

I have a hard time with my players just killing any NPC who doesn't agree with them of gives them trouble.

@TiamosLoren

3 жыл бұрын

Currently in a campaign where my character (Divine Soul Sorceror) had to encourage the party to delve deeper into this mountain after half the party got captured. In the next encounter after getting the party back together, the two she encouraged to rejoin them got killed by stirges in a surprise attack (failed death saves before the sorceror could recover consciousness) and she has had an emotional burden ever since, something that the party around her (with all new characters around her since the start) has resonated with. Character deaths have made an emotional story point for the entire campaign. And it simply came down to bad dice rolls in the end. It can be a powerful tool when done right.

@Rodrik18

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheRedRobin96 sounds like murder hoboes need a bounty on them. If the npc is "obviously evil" then there MIGHT be a case where the authorities take it as vigilante justice and for some reason dont mind others doing their job for them, but any group that goes about terrorizing and murdering a lords subjects is likely to get on the bad side of the local government eventually (if not immediately...) Favorite of mine: a secret order sends an agent that is skilled at infiltration. Make a skilled npc that can deceive the party into thinking it wants to help, then capturing them once the party lets their guard down. If the party is content to let the infiltrator take a watch, that is all you need. A changeling bard is absolutely perfect for the task, with expertise and a high charisma. Spells like suggestion can also be DEVASTATING if used against the party in a thoughtful way.

I shall refer to Murphy's Laws of Combat as to Myth 13: No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy

@devildog1989

3 жыл бұрын

Or your crazy ally

@seanellis5410

3 жыл бұрын

@@devildog1989 aren’t the real enemies the friends we made along the way? Wait a minute....

@devildog1989

3 жыл бұрын

@@seanellis5410 those sons a bitches

@Menkepht

3 жыл бұрын

Or the players.

@khajiitimanus7432

3 жыл бұрын

@@seanellis5410 Haha! That is the best way you could have built upon that.

#14: "The GM is responsible for resolving any and all drama at the game table." Myth. While the GM sets the tone and has a certain responsibility, maintaining harmony at the game table should be a collab effort

@jmccord8133

3 жыл бұрын

Wholly agree with you. I ran a group about for about a year, and at our session zero, we decided on “no PC-on-PC violence.” It was meant to encourage the group to work together rather than just create murder hobo’s that turn on each other three sessions in. THAT BEING SAID, somewhere around session 20, two of the characters that had a building rivalry and colliding ideals turned into me saying “ok, roll initiative.” This was a crucial turning point for the group, and was something we’d all seen building for awhile. For about an hour that night, I didn’t even do anything except what was at best lightly moderate the combat, as the two PC’s battled it out with the rest of the group watching the dramatic scene unfold to a memorable end. Did it have anything to do with what I had planned for that night? Nope. Was it exciting and suspenseful to see it unfold? Absolutely. The players still talk about that encounter, which they created and ran, more than nearly anything else from that entire campaign. Sometimes being a good DM is knowing when to step back and let the players run the narrative for awhile.

@m0nkEz

Жыл бұрын

Agree. While normally we think of metagaming is bad, it has its place. This is really why you should metagame. Sure, my goody two shoes paladin would, in-character, attack the evil necromancer in the party who kicks puppies for fun, but out of character I know that could derail the campaign and make things no fun for everyone. "It's what my character would do" isn't always what your character *should* do. There's a time and a place to really let your character loose.

That ending though... Very sad to hear that news and I'm sure everyone here has nothing but support for you while you focus on more important matters. We aren't going anywhere!

@mandodelorian4668

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, agreed. Best wishes to Cody and the Family!

@HammerandPipe

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. F cancer. Prayers for cody and his family.

@zoddlander

3 жыл бұрын

hope you and your family is doing well. I know what it's like to get bad new like that. Make time for them and make sure to remember the good times together.

@TheOneMarty

3 жыл бұрын

Best wishes indeed! Take your time, Cody!

@OliverFoulkesMRO2013

3 жыл бұрын

My condolences on the hardship. Preparing for the leaving of a loved one is difficult. We'll still be here.

#4 sticks out to me especially. When I started running games 5 years ago, I had a used copy of the Lost Mines of Phandelver, a single set of dice that my entire table SHARED, and no idea what I how the rules worked outside of “roll the dice!” And I still meet with most of those players on a regular basis. If you jump in with fun as a priority than nothing can really go wrong!

@gnarthdarkanen7464

3 жыл бұрын

Started with a ratty 1e DMG and ONE of each dice... Three of us played like that for years before we could find and flesh out our cumulative collections... I've bounced around a fairly huge variety of RPG systems, and I still play 30 years later. I still like improvising "set pieces" out of whatever's at hand... and we still just make stuff up. ;o)

@dontmisunderstand6041

3 жыл бұрын

I just started myself as the DM for a group where none of us played or DM'd before, using Lost Mines of Phandelver, just last week. Seems to have gone really well, some players that expected not to like it actually had a lot of fun, and we're planning to continue it.

Anything effort to give forever-DMs more chances to play is wonderful and should be praised! Great video.

@elgatochurro

3 жыл бұрын

Ehhh idk if any effort... Feels like I'm just teased about it at this point... Players giving me no chance to play and the times they do it's supposed to be a full campaign and we get 1 session... Then someone who was new... Left the group and isn't ACTUALLY interested in playing more... I put a lot of creative effort into my characters and it goes to waste... Now I just hear "oh I'm thinking about running maybe..." That never happens...

@SyverReborn

3 жыл бұрын

@@elgatochurro that happened to me over 3 years ago. I lost touch with my dnd group and have recently reconnected and 2 of 3 of them have been going on about running a campaign but I've not seen or heard of any progress ... so I've pulled out a old campaign I was working on and my group has quickly expressed interest. I believe we are cursed to be foreverDMs

@elgatochurro

3 жыл бұрын

@@SyverReborn that's just fkd tbh... I was doing one shots and immediately gave a full game a try when a player complained about wanting one... But yet we can't seem to get the same treatment from our players. Lemme add you to my game maybe?

@SyverReborn

3 жыл бұрын

@@elgatochurro using what app or platform?

@supremehare9893

3 жыл бұрын

@@SyverReborn lol 👻 ghosted

You have to use monsters/npcs as printed in the MM or published adventures

@Taking20

3 жыл бұрын

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh great one! Yes yes yes totally agree!

@giovannigennaro9732

3 жыл бұрын

I'd argue that that applies to lore in particular.

@adamtomlinson918

3 жыл бұрын

@@giovannigennaro9732 I mean that most new DMs dont realize they can alter HP, AC, stats, attacks, etc.

@giovannigennaro9732

3 жыл бұрын

@@adamtomlinson918 I know.

@adamtomlinson918

3 жыл бұрын

@@giovannigennaro9732 And you think it only applies to lore how? I'm honestly just confused.

Other DMs: You need an original story. Me: Recreates the charge of the Rohirrim at Helm's Deep with a Robo-T-Rex & a few thousand crocodiles. Pretty sure that Tolkien is slapping me at the pearly gates... and I deserve it.

@iododendron3416

3 жыл бұрын

Legolas, what do your Elven eyes see? It's complicated....

@adamtreece7583

3 жыл бұрын

As long as you handed out an appendix on the various Robo-T-Rex dialects and how they relate to basic Crocodilian, Tolkien would be proud.

@markadkins1842

3 жыл бұрын

@@adamtreece7583 I was a new DM at the time. I did write a 5-part side story justifying the events leading up to the aforementioned Robo-T-Rex/Crocodile Charge, but I didn't put in the requisite linguistic analysis to properly honor Tolkien... But, one of my players was ripping their entire character concept from Earendiel in that campaign, so at least we both have a share of Tolkien ire on this one.

@dontmisunderstand6041

3 жыл бұрын

Almost all ideas humans have ever come up with aren't new, just recombination of old ideas to make something that appears original. Even Tolkien's work isn't totally original. Originality is a myth, most often used to refer to cliches in the negative in lieu of valid criticism.

@angrytheclown801

3 жыл бұрын

Shit, I'm starting my Starfinder campaign stealing the entire script of Galaxy Quest. Except the Omega 13 is the drive that will take them to the larger universe and make them the alien races they chose at character creation.

Well said. Spend time with your dad. Wish I spent more with mine before I lost him.

@martinpankratz8351

3 жыл бұрын

amen to that. go make that your next "campaign". you will not regret it.

I played some in Junior HS. I’m now 48 and DM’ing my two boys (11 and 8) and their cousins (twin 11s) through Lost Mine of Phandelver. You have to understand your players. They don’t do the whole interaction thing too well. They like the fighting. We don’t do much about travel but I’m slowly starting to introduce things like movement during battle. It’s really great seeing them get better and start thinking about what’s going on and what to do. The rule about fibbing and protecting the party is sooo true.

Myth 4 - in short, ":steal from the best:". :D (and the worst - I have a collection of really BAD fantasy that I've stolen plots from, probably secure in the knowledge that my players have better taste than to have read them!)

@matt25876

3 жыл бұрын

My best campaign I stole the concept of captain planet lol

@PhyreI3ird

3 жыл бұрын

Bad fantasy can be some of the most inspiring because you see ideas you like or may even love but they were executed like shite and give you a powerful drive to do it better!

@FleetfootMike

3 жыл бұрын

@@PhyreI3ird Exactly this!

@danielcunningham4339

3 жыл бұрын

Man one of mine was literally a reskin of the actual dnd movie. No one had seen it, I didn't even change names. And I ran it from level 5 to 17 and the players LOVED IT. Damodar was one of the best villians I have ever used

I can remember DMing for the first time at age 13 with ZERO experience, all new players, pencil and paper only (no minis) and just the red box. That was 1981. I learned to improv. I learned to adjust. The greatest myth of all is that you need EVERYTHING an experienced DM has to run a game. Experienced DMs run like they do because of, well, EXPERIENCE. Accept that you'll stumble AND have fun at the same time. Have fun at what you're doing, prep only what's necessary, be cognizant enough to take down scratch notes when you have ideas, and be willing to be uncomfortable while learning to improv. Things will come along. One day, the student will be the master. That's how it goes. I'm a forever DM who's JUST started playing under a brand new DM and he's fantastic. The table is a mix of new and veteran players (including one who's visually impaired) and we get along just fine. Accept that you're all there to have a good time and it'll all work out. Respect everyone else, respect the table, support each other, and the rest is gravy.

You blew my mind a little with the "3 weeks on, 1 week off" strategy. I think I'm going to try that with my groups in the future.

@christophercox8485

3 жыл бұрын

My goal is 1 session per month, so his suggestion is still more aggressive than my approach, lol. Bottom line, weekly sessions for infinity can wear down a DM that has a busy life.

One uncovered myth: "Story arcs need to be 'epic' somehow." Nope! If you're writing a book, an epic story arc may well be central to your ability to sell a million books. Most DMs are "writing" a story for an audience of between 3 and 7 (i.e. not "millions"). I have played games where we became Dino Force, or animal-mounted NASCAR (complete with left turns), or even been party to the creation of the now-ubiquitous cat-and-toast engine. I have laughed, cried, and cheered more for inane (and insane) stories than I ever have for polished epics. Do what's fun, and to hell with outsiders' opinions!

@mattb4072

3 жыл бұрын

The main focus of my party right now is to capture a factory and make it a brothel

@wanstedt0138

3 жыл бұрын

I think the Dungeons and Daddies podcast does this concept rather well. Not always but I am still enjoying it!

I’ll be honest I (forever dm) have run 2 1-20s and am now running my third in my 3 years of playing and I’ve asked my players if someone else wants to run the next campaign and have been hit with “I don’t think I could get you guys to level 20 tho” and it hurts every time since I know it’s my own fault

@leviangel97

3 жыл бұрын

A possible recommendation, ask if anyone wants to run a one shot so you can take a little break. Running your first couple sessions really helps start a gm with low stakes

@joeruiz1196

3 жыл бұрын

@@leviangel97 my players do time to time and I always enjoy it

@joeruiz1196

3 жыл бұрын

@@skillganon606 I call myself forever dm since 15% of the dming in the group is done by me, besides that i use experience for leveling and my players just tend to be awesome. Don’t judge what I do in my games everyone at the table loves it.

@Meteor2022

3 жыл бұрын

@@joeruiz1196 Man I was using exp utill they would've leveled from 11 to 14 in one combat. Minmaxing is a hell of a drug.

@joeruiz1196

3 жыл бұрын

95% weird typo

Hey man, I'm a hospice social worker. This is a rare and special time, so enjoy it! Decisions made with your family in mind are always the right decisions! Your followers will be here for any future content, likely catching up on the old! Be well!

DM of ten years here. Very glad you made this video, and I agree with all of your points. Well done!

Holy cow! Is there a way to watch that panel with How To Be a Great GM and the Dungeon Dudes?!

@alexgowin5585

3 жыл бұрын

I hope so! That would be awesome!

@Lngbrdninjamasta

3 жыл бұрын

Yes yes yes

@ninjafohhiya

3 жыл бұрын

All of my favorite online D&D resources in one place, and I want to experience that glory! Love all of them.

@grimmzrivenfolk2457

3 жыл бұрын

As far as I know DD have their own video on this theme. Its 45 mins long though.

@simeonmcadams3450

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I wanna see that!

I have just started my new homebrew campaign. I think I finally have a group that will commit to a 1-20 game. Long sessions once a month.

That prep time thing really gets to me. I’m one of those people that want to “know” everything so I don’t get flustered and make mistakes. This definitely helped alleviate some of my fears, and I don’t think I’ll spend 3hrs prepping for a session like I thought I had to

@Nstanier

3 жыл бұрын

This is one of the things that got me until I actually did it. My single best session I have ever ran, I was aware of 2 things that would happen. A random NPC vendor selling dodgy magic items and a small highland cow. That was as far as my prep went. The single worst session I have ran, I had so heavily planned out that when it fell off the rails, I had no idea what to do. The party essentially ignored a bunch of clear warnings and skipped a good 4 or 5 sessions worth of content so at this point I didn't really have the vaguest idea of what was going to happen and at the time my mind was so set on what I had planned, I wasn't able to improv a good session out of it.

@jakeand9020

3 жыл бұрын

I generally "prep" for about a half hour to an hour for a session. I've found prepping too much leads to one of two things, neither good. 1. You have a preconceived idea of what your players are going to do and how they might go about it. Inevitably they won't and you're stuck trying to railroad them or are completely flustered. 2. (This sounds like you) You attempt to get everything so no matter what your players do you're ready. This is an impossibility and your players, as if able to read your mind, will do the one thing you didn't prepare for anyway. You can literally spend months fleshing out a setting and scenario, and you will not be any closer to everything. Even premade settings like forgotten realms, teams of people have built that over the course of decades, and there is still plenty of open ends, and one person isn't going to go in there and close them all up, it simply can't be done. Now, while I don't spend a whole lot of time technically "prepping" I do spend quite a lot thinking. Random not too fleshed out ideas for events or encounters, this allows me to put them in in suitable situations. They are not fully improvised, because I have put quite a lot of thought into them, but they are vague enough to be malleable. Sometimes I'll jot down some quick notes to help keep them more on mind as we play, but usually I don't do even that much.

@thomaspayton8389

3 жыл бұрын

I used to be that way, until all the prep i did went out the window three sessions in a row. Now it is loose outline and prepping random encounters for wilderness stuff...and that is why i have a goblin player with magic soap now.

@josephpurdy8390

3 жыл бұрын

I only plan the first encounter. Usually right were the previous session ended. I try to take notes as I go along. That saves time on planning the first encounter next session. Its much better to have the players lead instead, of planning roads and branching paths.

I don't think Boromir reached lvl13 like the others 😅

@Rodrik18

3 жыл бұрын

Idk, he had a pretty serious last stand. There were at least 20 dead orcs around boromir, and even not getting into whether uruk-hai are stronger than normal dnd orcs (they are stronger than normal LotR orcs), you only need 13 dnd orcs (cr 1/2) to constitute a deadly encounter for one level 13 character (boromir was isolated enough that other characters present should not be considered to be part of the encounter since there was no aid). Its well known that there are some balance issues that dont always make cr/xp calculations totally accurate, but nearly double the amount after its already "Deadly" isnt unreasonable to be considered ACTUALLY deadly. That is also only counting the ones that Boromir killed, there were more orcs there, and at least the leader should be considered a higher CR version as well.

@michaellittlefield6906

3 жыл бұрын

And... You totally ruined the joke. Great job. I'm proud of you.

@Rodrik18

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaellittlefield6906 i aim to please

@Johnny0Masters

3 жыл бұрын

@@Rodrik18 Did all 20 orcs attacked him at once or did they come in waves? That Will influence on the cr of the encounter and his supposed effective level.

@Rodrik18

3 жыл бұрын

@@Johnny0Masters fair, Though it was a bit of a mix. There were quite a few missed arrows if i recall. It was more like the DM was sending waves at the character until he died.

You don't need to spend hours prepping. I will anyways because I have nothing better to do.

@slb797

3 жыл бұрын

I will always because the time i didn’t, my 4th session ever, I TPKed....I tried everything I could to dissuade them for attacking those they did....but maybe if I had prepped more it would have worked better

@TheOneMarty

3 жыл бұрын

@@slb797 When my party started out I wrote a one-shot so everyone could see if they liked playing this game. Turns out the combat was ridiculously easy as most monsters I wrote in wouldn't get through their AC. So the next time I ran a monster with a slightly higher CR than the party should have to handle. Ran a mock-up game (don't do this too often, it takes all the hype out of the game for us DMs); this should be fine. Ended up nearly killing two PCs. Goes to show you can't prepare for everything.

@idegmacska

3 жыл бұрын

I always need hours or even few days(2 hours or 3 each day) to prepeare multiple loose situations to aid my improvisation. Sometimes I using those in the current session or in a later one.

@Pointlesschan

3 жыл бұрын

@@slb797 probably not.... but don’t listen to me, I don’t play, just watch critical role

@whatfruit7965

3 жыл бұрын

As I’ve become more experienced I prep a lot less. It takes me about 40 mins to prep 4-5 hours of play. And here’s the real sacrilegious thing I draw no maps

Glad to see a new video from you, Cody. My condolences about your father. I lost mine in 2019 just before the pandemic, so the pain is still a little fresh. I hope you can spend some good time with him before he goes.

@rudeboyjohn3483

3 жыл бұрын

Dang. Sympathies to you. I lost mine on Father's Day last year due to the pandemic. Shit is rough. Much respect and support to you

One thought process I had about DMing for a looong time, which might qualify as a myth (and is mostly covered in the video as well) is the assumption that the players care about all the detailed backstories, character intrigue, maps, etc for all the things in the game world. Sometimes they do, but mostly they care about it as it relates to them and their characters... at least, until they become invested in the world itself. After a few "dungeon crawl" campaigns, my group started a more grounded, city/politics campaign. For a while I struggled with complex political intrigue, hidden plots, etc that the players just didnt pick up on. It took me a while to realize, they didn't care because their characters wouldn't care either! Once I started letting the plot follow what the characters cared about, engagement improved and eventually they began making efforts to uncover the political intrigue I had abandoned. It was also pretty satisfying to watch as they grappled with their previous decisions to ignore that stuff -- and discover the trail of bodies that had begun amassing. When they finally confronted the villains, it was ever more satisfying because they actually had a stake in the scenario! If you need to take some time off please do, man. My dad had cancer last year and while we were blessed with a recovery, it was still very scary and I'm glad I took some time off to spend with him. Hoping for the best!

My mom just passed from cancer. You have my deepest sympathies. Hang in there dude.

Listening to these tips makes me way more confident about being a DM in the near future

Myth: Dungeons & Dragons is players vs. DM Can't tell you how many times I've run into DMs with this mindset

1st time I've ever seen a video from you and not only did you help alleviate some of my fears as I plan my 1st campaign but you spoke on a personal level at the end. I'm sorry to hear about your father and I can tell you from experience having lost my father to cancer 10 years ago it's not easy and you should spend as much time as you can with him. The community will still be here for you.

i just wanna expand #9 saying that prolonging a fight could also be necesary if you are protecting the players fun. If you made a mistake on the other direction, and your final boss it's a total disapointment, you can pump their AC on the spot creating a second fase or something. it can feel videogamy, but as a first time DM can save your game. This is specially true in 5e, were the balance problems go in the other way and starting around level 10 you can throw monster that are twice the deadly threshold and... just be a little hard fight in the best of scenarios. 5e could turn to be to easy, if this happens to you, there's nothing wrong to pump up your monster to ensure it's a balanced, fun encounter. Also, note that if it's not a important narrative point, like a boss they been chasing around, you can just let them shred it and feel powerful in that moment. that's also great.

Oportunity lost on not having some "Myth: BUSTED" graphic.

Hey pal, have only just started listening to your channel and caught the personal note at the end. My dad has cancer too - stage 4 and although things are doing okay now, they haven’t been and who knows what’s around the corner. Anyway, I wanted to share some empathy with you, offer you well wishes and support, and let you know that because of awesome people like you I encountered just before lockdown I stumbled across DnD and am now a new DM running games with my friends - of which, my dad is a character!! A nifty halfling rouge! And we’re both loving it. It’s been great to introduce him to my best friends and introduce him (and all my DnD newbie friends) to something new that we all love and can share in together. Many happy memories and even better friendships are being made because of this wonderful game - and thank you for helping me understand, think about and thus enjoy it more! Much love and well wishes to you comrade! 🤘🏼

So sorry to hear about your Dad. I've been through what you're about to go through, so I know how tough that journey is. But there's also a closeness and a beauty there as well, to be found. I hope you have lots of good support around you now and in the future. My thoughts are with you.

Definitely would've listened to y'all for hours and hours

I totally agree with all this. I started last summer, and my brother and I had a couple 4E books as well as the starter set. A cousin ran a single session for my bro and I before time conflicts got in the way and I decided to just take the Lost Mines of Phandelver and run with it. I read the first couple pages of their shortened rule book and that was it. My brother and I had a blast, I learned a lot, and now I also run games for some friends of mine that always wanted to play but never knew where to start. I've still only read those couple of pages and occasionally look something up. Since starting I did purchase a D&D beyond membership and a couple 5e sourcebooks, but that was mostly for convenience, definitely not something necessary. My players and I have a blast, and that's what matters at the end of the day.

Thank you for the pep talk! I really needed to hear it. And I am also praying for your dad and your family, Ive been there before and it really is so much more important to spend as much time as possible with family and loved ones.

You are the first dnd channel I ever started following and I base a lot of my dming and playstyle of your advice for dms and players. Thanks for all the quality content. Good luck to you and your family

After 30 years we are still using dice to represent ourselves at the table during combat.

Yeah, my first campaign is basically a rip off of "The Avengers" xD

@lugaruclone

3 жыл бұрын

If we cannot save this village, we shall avenge it. Wait... that is what my party is doing...

@alexwright5419

3 жыл бұрын

My current campaign is similar to first season of The Adventure Zone and Avengers: Infinity War so I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all. As long it’s copying point for point to the point of extreme railroading, I see no issue with it

@jeremyc4811

3 жыл бұрын

It might not be the first time that plot has happened, but it's the first time that it has happened to your characters. People have birthdays/weddings/promotions every day, but yours is special.

Sorry to hear about your pops Cody. Your videos are such a great find. I've been new to DnD for the past year or so, and your videos have been so informative, fun, funny, and have so much genuine care for the game. You do whatever you need to do for your family man.

Appreciate all of your work Cody. Spending time with your family is always to priority.

Back in my teen years and come from poor family I played DandD but without books,figurines, and grid map, no dice, instead I called it mind quest and used info off of TV and story books and would lead my siblings into some bizarre campaigns but have them set the scene as well. The only rule you need, To have a DM who has a great imagination, good memory, and lots of patience in the end just have fun....

Notif squad!!! Thanks again Cody for the content

Sending you my love brother Cancer has had a huge negative affect on my family and I know how rough it is. I appreciate the work you do for the community and I'll be here whenever a video comes out, I hit that bell for a reason after all. Take your time and keep on spending that energy on yourself and family. Much love

I love this video! There's definitely a few friends of mine I'm going to show this to, since some of the worries you outlined are definitely on their mind and keeping them from just diving head-first into taking on that narrator role that I know they'd enjoy! Thanks for sharing! On a more serious note, I'm wishing you the best in regards to your family. There's no end of people here who are happy to have you around as much as you feel like you can and should be. If that means you need time to yourself, no one has any right to tell you otherwise.

Myth 13 it's like a unexpected children: The best stories and memories comes from those "mistakes"

Wait, is myth 11 a thing? Almost all official campaign books don't go beyond 15

@Zertryx

3 жыл бұрын

Sadly yes, because the levels are printed in a book people think that its how far you are suppose to get. It use to be worse back in 3.5 where they had Epic Levels that went all the way to 30. Honestly I find most games are solid until you get to the level 10-12 mark anyways and always felt that it be easier to make classes / options if they just balanced the game around 10 levels instead.

@johannvongenerico9487

3 жыл бұрын

@@Zertryx good point, I suppose most people's exposure to levels would be the PHB, not a campaign book

@Quandry1

3 жыл бұрын

@@Zertryx 5e is balanced around the first 15 levels. Notice that this is the same level range that they put most of their printed campaigns around. It is far less balanced over level 15 and WotC knows and has admitted this more than once and they don't focus on it as much. And some of the seeming imbalance to the various classes is more about impressions and white room theory crafting more than actual play and balance.

I've only watched a few of your videos so far, but I can tell you are a good guy. I'm so sorry about your dad, cancer is so difficult to witness. I really hope for you and your family to have even just a few more positive moments together and make good memories with what you have. You all deserve to be happy.

As someone trying to take up the job as DM for group with on a bit of experience as a player in rpg a lot of this is so nice to hear. I watch hours of videos of tips, tricks, and what not to do (most of it being ur videod) and by far this is the best. Thx

I lost both of my parents to Covid in December. Take your time, Cody. It will be hard in ways you don't expect. Your fans love you and we will be here when you're ready to come back. May the Peace which surpasses all understanding rest on your heart and mind through Christ Jesus our Lord. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

Just sent this to my sister. She is starting a group with her friends and is getting hung up on the fact that none of them have ever played.

@JonathanAwesomeify

3 жыл бұрын

When I started DMing a couple years ago it was with three players who had never seen a d20 in their lives and a fourth who had played years ago. I had never played pen and paper, but I had played the old Icewind Dale games so I had a general idea of what was going on. We did Phandelver. And I discovered that 5e is surprisingly easy to learn and play. They had their pre-generated character sheets with all the numbers they needed and could get to playing. So your sister's group will do just fine as long as they embrace their inner whimsy! The hard part is actually creating their own characters, particularly to optimize them even a little. (When I play with new people I make sheets for them.) If they want to do that I would recommend a nice, chill Session 0 to get to grips with the background math.

@danepester

3 жыл бұрын

@@JonathanAwesomeify Thats what I've been telling her. They need to have fun with it, Session 0's are wonderful and not too stress about it too much. I felt the same pressure when I started DM'ing for my group. We have been playing for just over a year and it definitely comes more naturally but I still find new things to try or beter ways to do things. One of the many things I like about this game.

@jmccord8133

3 жыл бұрын

All the better, no one bring bad habits or expectations from a previous group with them. I hope they have a blast and stick with the game.

You’re the man, Cody!!! Thank you so much for all the help you’ve given me preparing for my first campaign. So sorry to hear about your pops. I know that you’re going to cherish every moment you have with him

Firstly, thank you for the brilliant video. I ran my first ever session as DM with some friends using a module a few months back and ive been umming and ahhing about taking it past that modules end - im way more confident to try it now and videos like this have been an amazing boost to those of us starting out (and you can bet ill be using my groups as a think tank now to expand the world! Help with content and better investment in the world building? Yes please!!) I hope the time you have left with your dad is filled with as many good times and as much happiness as it can be. As one of the faceless people of the internet, i want to say take all the time you need. Make the absolute most of it. KZread (and all of us) can wait, and i doubt anyone of your thousands of fans and subbers would want anything else for you right now than to be able to spend all the time you can with him.

Whoa....30 mins for a 3 hour session? I put in between 3-4 hours. 😐 I’m pretty decent at improv, but I still don’t fill comfy with preparing any less than 2 sessions worth at a time.

@ZvelHaj

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I was thinking "Cody, maybe *you* only need to prep for 20 minutes." It's a good point that new DMs think they need to prep more than they actually need to, but I definitely spend more time in prep than I do running the game. Granted, there are certain styles of game that require more prep than others; my heist game in a homebrew setting? I'm mapping out magical casinos, figuring out their security systems, making enough NPCs for them to be able to social engineer... everything *but* figuring out how they could pull off the job. With my Curse of Strahd game however, I spend more time looking for appropriate background music or images than actual DMery. I guess I'd word it more like "you don't need to have everything planned out for the whole campaign. Just the next session or two."

@AGrumpyPanda

3 жыл бұрын

I spend a couple hours preparing for a session because I want the game space to feel like a world, and that means figuring out details. It often doesn't take much time to prepare the adventure itself, but a lot of time is spent figuring out local customs, flora and fauna, and how the place connects to the wider world.

@wrightjustin23

3 жыл бұрын

@@ZvelHaj Yeah, I’m running a custom campaign using pf1 rules with all the bells and whistles-downtime mechanics, kingdom building, true sandbox elements, along with a very strong plot that may or may not change based on PC decisions. Additionally, I am running two separate parties in a shared world, concurrently, so the decisions of one group affect the other. Three hours of prep is an understatement. The PC’s make random alliances, make unanticipated choices, and I adjust accordingly. I could easily run a prefab module or campaign with little work, but I don’t like any of them.

@wrightjustin23

3 жыл бұрын

@@AGrumpyPanda Yep. I spend a lot of time trying to make sure the world makes sense and that the players have real options. I feel like 20-30 mins of prep is okay if you have everything set up, are running prefab, or are focused on a pure railroad. A fully fleshed out campaign cannot be done in 20-30 mins.

When you’re a forever dm who denied all these myths and are basically the only reason any of your friends actively play dnd:

Thank you for everything you given us so far. I’ve watched more then a few of your videos and they’ve helped my gaming group stay together by switching to online. My grandma and uncle just recently passed, and I just wanted to say thank you for all you’ve already done.

Thanks Cody, I'm just starting out as a DM and found this very helpful, I'm 48 and our teenagers wanted to play DnD so I said I'd have a go at DM'ing for them. I haven't got much of a clue but 2 sessions in and we're having a blast! Really appreciate your videos so I'll be catching up on all of your fantastic content! Sending love to you and your fam ❤️

About the starting at level 1: Yeah, you don't need to start at any given level, but I would advise starting at a low level if you are a new DM, less things for you to worry about. Specially if your players are new to the game as well.

@Gomjibar

3 жыл бұрын

That being said, I have found that level 5 is a good starting place for players/groups who know what they are doing. It lets the players get into the meat of their chosen classes right from the start and lets you as the DM play with some of the more dangerous monsters sooner without the risk of TPKing ever session.

For once, Cody, I actually agree on all points. I couldn't even find a nitpick lol, and I tried!

Thank you for making this video. I've DMed only a few times, 4th time for a friend's group of friends who's OG DM can't attend the first session. That session I prepared in 2 hours with me barely getting familiar with the module (Lost Mines of Phandelver). I prepared maps on Roll20 with lighting and all, but when the session started the lighting didn't work as intended, I made a couple incorrect rulings and messed up a detail in the narrative- overall from behind the screen it was a mess and I just kept hoping and hoping the players would talk and entertain themselves since I didn't prepare enough to go over an hour and a half. And after I called the session over, my friend thanked me very very much for running the game on such a short notice. They had nothing but compliments for me even though I had nothing but criticism for myself and it was really ruining my night. Needless to say, I just really need to hear that perfection is not achievable and it's alright to make mistakes. The players of the group had fun, I just need to learn to accept that.

Cody man appreciate you, like you said take your time never feel obligated to force content out, we will be here for you and your content anytime!!! ❤

I'm a forever dm and some of my players want to run a few 1 shots to give me a break(bless them). What advice should I give them about being a dm?

@Zertryx

3 жыл бұрын

- Don't Stress, You'll make mistakes but we all friends just enjoy the game. - Don't over plan, just jot down a few monsters you want to run and their page number, write down a few random names and a few key points. most everything else will come naturally. - HAVE FUN, Most important rule

Really that high of a challenge rating? I didn't think i was that strong.

I'm so glad you are able to take the time to spend with your pops. You're absolutely right, time is precious. Thank you for all the content you've put out - I thoroughly enjoy it!

Thank you for this video, really do appreciate it, my anxiety tends to drive me away from running games for fear of alot of the issues you mentioned and to have a fresh perspective on this really really makes me feel excited and hopeful for running a game.

@figrollin

3 жыл бұрын

Do it, my dude. It's a great experience. The only thing that matters is that your table is fun, friendly and inviting. :)

We have sessions over Discord. A bot for rolling dice, character sheets in Google docs so the DM can access them, and just everyone is a voice chat. That's all it really takes to start an adventure. I started DnD after quarantine and have only been in 1.5 campaigns (the .5 was a cancelled one after the majority of the party ignored the story in favor of being murder hobos), but had an idea for a campaign my current DM encourages me to make (mostly because he wants to play in it). Super glad I found this channel and this video! You're awesome~

I’ve been a silent watcher/enjoyer of your content for quite some time now, but I wanted to speak up this time (following your heartfelt closing remarks on this video). Your content has inspired me to dive head first into RPGs, and I have found so much fun in these games. Your insights and advice has greatly increased my understanding of the games, as well as deepening my investment into them. I feel like I’ve improved as a player, and I try to help others do so as well. Thank you for all your great efforts, and please know that you are sincerely appreciated. Thoughts and well wishes to you and your family in these uneasy times.

Your vids on being a better DM and better prep with less stress have been great for me. Thank you. Blessings to you, blessings to your father.

Take all the time you want and need with your dad. From the time he was admitted to the CICU, until the 5 heart attack took him was four days. I am still thankful for every minute that we could talk to him, especially in the face of it all how upbeat he was until those final hours. Short of a miracle, I hope your father's final time is as painless as possible, surrounded by family and friends he knows love him.

Thank you for this vid Cody! I really appreciate this and I've been wanting to run a campaign for years now but have been to sh@t scared to take the leap, this has put me at ease and I'm going to go for it now! I'm also very sorry to hear about your pops, I fully understand where your coming form and like the rest of the community I love your informative vids, and going no where. So take all the time you need mate, dont feel pressured, thoughts and prays to your and your family.

Love your videos! I am sorry to hear about your troubles, but I am not going anywhere. Take your time. I’ve been gaming since I decided to DM (without having played) for over thirty years, and I still learn things by watching you.

Love your content Cody! You take your time with your family, you have given us so much guidance and great tips! We are and will be here for you like you have been for us! Stay strong and know people are praying and thinking of your family.

Hey man, totally understand putting energy where yr energy is needed. You're about one of the best DnD guys I look forward to on youtube and I thank you for he content you do put out. You're an amazing DM and have helped me become a much better one myself from watching your vids. DM Myth 15: You don't need to have a full time DM or a DM that manages the campaign by themselves. It's okay to tradeoff and have "guest DM" or even tandem DM sessions

Thank you for your amazing content! I think I speak for everyone when I say that we wish the best for you and your family. Terrible sorry to hear about you dad and we just want you to know that we support you even if we are on the other side of the screen ❤️ All the best!

Best wishes to you and your family Cody! Thanks for all you do!

Hey Cody, sorry to hear about your pops. Spend as much time with him as you can, you will cherish it. As to the video, I have been playing D&D since 1978 and DM'ing several campaigns spanning the last 25-30 years. I have recently given up the DM's chair to a new DM (a former player who would co-DM from time to time to give me a break) as we have just started playing using the 5E system. I will be sending this video to her so she can see that DM'ing is not as stressful as she may think and to see her enjoy herself as much as we (the players) do. Thanks again.

I had never thought of the concept of "not running every week" before this video. I'm still a very new DM (and really new to D&D having never really played any ttrpg before becoming our group's forever DM) and since I got started I've always worried about trying to run every week lest I disappoint or upset anyone, it became stressful any time I'd be ill or things would get in the way for me and having to move back a day or cancel a session, this really did give a sense of dread any time I coughed leading up to a session or was having to try and plan things around having that day and a few days before free to plan. After watching this video it was something I went straight to my group with and suggested a 3 on 1 off concept and it was met with great welcome and relief as people worried they were disappointing me by not always being with it or phasing out in session. Everyone loves the idea that we try and move through three sessions in a tiny arc and build up to the third session of a string leaving a little cliffhanger to be excited over during the off-week so they come back buzzing and ready to play after. Thank you for some really good advice there.

Much love to you and your family, Cody. Prayers for your dad; he'll get through this ordeal. You all will.

Starting my first campaign friday with a bunch of friends in college who are all new too, and just wanted to say your channels been a huge help with getting me into dnd and understanding how to just go ahead with dming my game in general. Incredibly sorry to hear about the personal news but just judging from the comments alone you've got an incredibly supportive viewer base and have no need to apologise for inconsistent videos. Stay safe bud and hope everything goes well.

Honestly, your videos are fantastic and you're very honest about DMing and other things. I enjoy them immensely. You help make me realize/remember that my DMing style works for me and the various parties I've had over the years, and that's what freakin' matters. That aside, I'm deeply sorry to hear about the troubles for you and yours, and I'm very hopeful that the best that can happen, will happen. Be well and take care of yourself and your loved ones first, as best you can, in times like these. That's some real life DM advice for ya. :)

Playing tomorrow night. The group is really coming together. Thanks from an old 2nd Edition DM learning 5e. Have a good one.

very sorry to hear about your family keep up the amazing work man and your content is amazing

Just starting to get a group together for the first time in years this will be a great help and best wishes mate

Thanks for dispelling some of these myths I've been considering running my own game but I've been mostly consumed with the prep and I've just been to busy both with work and my weekly Wednesday game.

So sorry for the tough things going on in your life. Big vibes to you and your family. Ty for the great videos.

I started DMing about last year. The same time I was also introduced to TTRPG's as a whole and this video is just all around true. I remember starting because my current DM was looking a bit exhausted trying to run the game on his own every week to keep the games momentum. I decided to start running my own games so we could essentially share are own respective weeks, that way we would both have about 2 weeks to do are own thing in an out of game. I had a single set of plastic dice and a purchased PHB to get things started. I will never forget how nervous I was for my first game but now I just look forward to running even more games (currently running a total of 3). Awesome video Cody!

So sorry to hear about your dad. Sending my best from Australia. Love your videos.

Thank you so much for this list!!! I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed. This helps so much

Cody, Thanks for the great content. You always deliver. Please safe guard the time w/ your dad and take care of your family. We support you and your family. Praying for you and yours.

Your videos have helped me and my group through some very interesting encounters and situtations, and have helped me personally as a DM. I'm sorry that things are going shitty in your personal life like this, but one of the rules at my table is real life always trumps the game. Same goes here man, if you need time, then take all the time you need. We'll be here ready and waiting for you whenever you get back. Much love from a DM that has benefited from your wisdom and insights many times over.

That schedule advice is excellent! I recently announced to my group that I was writing a new long-term campaign, and my wife discouraged moving forward with it, as I always end up stressing out after a few weeks. Schedule down-time will allow me the fun of the game and outlet for writing, but also give me time to recover from it all or flake off for a week. Good call.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the content you have made. Im new DM and your Videos have always been one of my resources

Thanks you, for taking the time to make this video!!

I was supposed to DM my first game last night...but, the curse of D&D happened, and everyone cancelled. But watching this helped calm me down for next week. Thank you for all the videos I've been binging this week in prep, though. And I hope you take more time for yourself and yours and cherish every moment available, and that you have a ton of them

Sorry to hear about the issues you’re going through. We’re all here for you!!!

I was convinced of most of these when I first started playing and DMing a year ago. Thanks to you and Dungeon Dudes I am alot more confident and have a ton of fun playing.

OMG..sorry to hear about your dad, My family and I send you prayers for you and your fam!!! We may not agree with some things but I still consider you one of my major YT friends. I think i can safely say that our group here on youtube forums and chat has your back and will always be in your corner supporting you.

I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad Cody. Our prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. Like you said, we'll be here when you're ready!

this is coming from a recent subscriber so i dont have as much say as long time fans but dont feel like u need to upload any faster than ur truly comfortable with, when ur still putting out entertaining videos like this its worth a wait

Thank you for your amazing work though I'm really sorry to hear that news ! But hey don't lose hope ! I think we're all with you in these troubled times. We're to support you !

I'm sorry to hear about your pops, Cody. My older brother was diagnosed with cancer a few years back and has beat it. Cancer is not rare in my family, and my Great Aunt Debbie actually wrote a book called "Stepping Through Cancer" about my Great Uncle from his terminal diagnosis and onward. I think you should give it a read, it's has a lot of useful information, hope, and serves as a good reminder that no matter what you and your family are feeling right now, you guys aren't alone in it. We all have your back, bud.