Campaign Diary 005: The God Factor

[@grubgobbler3917]

Commentary starts at 23:13, the recap is everything up until then.

[@androsh9039]

Thank you, good knight.

[@krim7]

Not all heroes wear capes.

[@maxsmith1335]

I finally got that it was the shapeshifted dwarf that Bigcat growled at

[@deplorablemecoptera3024]

Max Smith black gods...

[@samuelhagberg3694]

there's the solution, line everyone up and see who Bigcat grows at

[@cudef9642]

@@samuelhagberg3694 Big Cat growls at nobody and then later we find out that Copper has been riding the doppelganger.

[@nunjasozusagen]

@@cudef9642 blimey

[@MajorWX2]

I think that Copper should be the only officer that is totally safe from suspicion of being a double, as the doppelganger is acting alone and Copper always has Big-Cat. It would be hilarious to see an untrained goblin detective as the only one that can be trusted to investigate.

[@gengar1187]

I agree completely, except: Copper is the best ranger there is, which means he is at least a very good tracker and has a high wisdom, so insight and perception are clutch in being an investigator, whether he has the Investigate skill or not. What a great episode, we have TOS plus Moorcock plus the Thing plus scando Johnny Bravo. Delish

[@orsolyafekete7485]

If only he could get a tiefling trickery cleric as a sidekick, they would be the best detectives ever... ;)

[@nonasuomi282]

The doppleganger may not be acting alone though- think about the timeframes involved here- King found Angel's corpse in his room at the exact same time as Judge's conversation with Angel. Judge was on the Cielo talking with Angel about the dead dwarf, at the exact same time King was on the Somnium discovering Angel's corpse in his quarters. The problem is, Angel said he was attacked by someone who looked just like him. Assuming he's telling the truth that means there are at least two spies- one that killed him in King's quarters at the same time another was impersonating him to Judge. Assuming he's lying, then he is the spy and he killed himself, banking on King showing up in time to revivify him, which is a hell of a gamble.

[@Victor.Alteria]

@@nonasuomi282 There is a much simpler explanation. The Angel showing Judge the dead Zorac is the doppleganger. He killed the real Angel, not expecting King to walk in and revive Angel, then went to find Judge. Unless something is diferent in 5e, when you kill a doppleganger it reverts to its normal form - so the Angel that King revived must the real Angel. Which means the fake knows the codeword, and the real Angel does not. Which is going to suck for Angel if they ever have both in the same room and try to use it to see which one is real.

[@nonasuomi282]

@@Victor.Alteria That explanation doesn't hold water- Revivify is only good within 1 minute of the target being dead. Even assuming no downtime in the actual acting out of the roleplay and physical movement involved, there was at least 40 seconds just in raw dialogue between Judge, King, and Angel before the private conversation started between Judge and Angel. That would mean that for your theory to hold true, King headed straight from that conversation into his quarters within 20 seconds, and if that was the intent then I think Matt would have made it clear that it was immediately after walking away instead of the much more vague "at some point shortly thereafter, King- through the normal process of living life on the Somnium Tenebrous- goes back to his quarters" which he actually introduced the sequence with.

[@magekillingmonk]

If King is Commander and Chronicler, will his entries now begin with "Captain's Log..."?

[@metallkopf988]

He... must make... the... random pauses... too.

[@Hazel-xl8in]

Marc G “skipper’s log, number 32, mr obama has shot us out of the sky...”

[@sovereignundead]

I vote we call the "Rank & File" soldiers in The Chain as "Links." Each one has sworn the oath to place The Chain above their own personal baggage. There may be many, but because of The Oath of Duty, each Link is invaluable.

[@metallkopf988]

That's a great idea!

[@funmarioboy5072]

"If I was an imitation, how would you know it was me?" "Depends, how long do you think this video will be?"

[@euphonium929]

I remember a viewer commenting on an earlier video that the flashing/color changing background lighting was giving them sensory issues. You've had static, one color background lighting for the past several videos and I just now remembered their comment. I don't know if that's the reason, but I suspect it is. If that's the case, thank you for caring about those with special sensitivity to such things. A class act as always, Matt!

[@Yora21]

Two people are annihilated by supernatural power while on a dying psychic ship that needs minds to control it. Don't let this great opportunity go unused!

[@jd4083]

I was thinking exactly that lol Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew

[@MisterYeti]

event horizon?

[@John-ch4wv]

We interrupt this episode of *_The Chain_* to bring you *_-Star Trek-_***... ***_Murder on the Orient Express_*

[@emiliarinaldi1534]

OMG, this is too funny because it's so accurate.

[@olafisashark5105]

Omfg lmfao

[@jonathandaniel8840]

Or, like, Battlestar Galactica.

[@thor30013]

I think it's more *The Thing,* personally. The blood-test scene is going to be crazy.

[@cranknlesdesires]

@@thor30013 that just brings it back to Star Trek but now in deep space and with the number 9!

[@dudeamatron]

Congrats on the ascension in Nethack, Matt!

[@xfearstormx]

Hey thanks for the spoilers.

[@bagamer13]

Tenngu If you don’t want spoilers I suggest you never get on the internet. Ever. Probably a good idea to never leave your house either.

[@perpetualpunster]

Matthew RR Colville and the "Game of Commanders" or "The Song of Chain and Stars". This is shaping up to be a game and story for the ages.

[@youngpaddy1]

Are you going to end up with everyone tied to a couch at flamethrower point?

[@kereminde]

"I know this has been a very trying time, friends, what with the Commander and then the Commander dying on us. But I would rather not spend the rest of my time on the Sea of Stars *tied to this couch*!"

[@gagrin1565]

Surely that's the ultimate endpoint we all wish for when we run a game?

[@shrodokahn470]

one of the best armrest crunchers ever made.

[@bradleynash2198]

Looking at The Thing boardgame over Tom (not Tom)'s shoulder in a whole new light...

[@Ken_the_Cleric]

I love the fact that you are open to your players trying out different characters. I had a player who was a wild magic sorcerer, but he really wanted to play his bard from another game I played with him. So in a game, another character died, and he messaged me asking if he could sacrifice his life as sort of an arcane battery to revive the dead druid. I asked if he was sure, and he confirmed, so I let it happen. The other player loves his druid, so I was glad that could happen so both players would be happy and have the most fun.

[@PristineTX]

"You can NOT pilot a squid-ship in ANY game..." -- The Wise Words of Matt Collville, Vol. 2, pg. 23.

[@leonardoazolin8780]

Uva means Grape in portuguese, so this time measurement unit is crazy funny to me hahah

[@necronsplayer]

Y'know, measuring time based on the lifespan of a living thing is actually sort of a good idea. Maybe not for Illithids, but for farmers and people like that it sort of is a pleasant way to contextualize time rather than something so abstract as astronomy.

[@leonardoazolin8780]

I dont think astronomyu was ever abstract to farmers, crops grown in specific time frames during the year @@necronsplayer

[@MrGiaretti]

Same thing happens in spanish, and i absolutely agree

[@paulcoy9060]

"This ship will die in the time it takes to drink three bottles of wine."

[@ariaflame-au]

Italian too I think.

[@danthatguy496]

I love that Nails’ true name was Durand (I think that’s what was said). There is some parallel there to Durandal, the AI in marathon that went rampant with godlike power.

[@BriceFernandes]

I wasn’t sure at the start, but I found the sessions have been getting progressively better and more enjoyable for me. I think the players are feeling more at ease, and the plots twists have been dramatic and engaging. Also, I now understand why your players refer to “The Colville screw” :) Nice work from everyone. Looking forward to more episodes.

[@thegustbag]

I think I'm finally starting to trust that whenever something happens that really surprises me in Matt's game, there'll be a reason for that behind the curtain. Player/GM trust is a thing, and it seems I'm now investing in something like GM/audience trust over here. Looking forward to the next game!

[@Bobgriffon]

"I have no more conspiracies planned" Exactly what someone who is conspiring would say. I'll be honest, at first, I was pretty disappointed at the way Nails and Sweet went out. It seemed like a mediocre sendoff after all the build up of Omega Nails. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that Nails' death was suitably dramatic, I was just very surprised by Sweet dying with him. Now that I know it was Phil's idea, it explains why he didn't seem very upset that his character had just exploded.

[@K1LL14N]

The moment I saw that Phil was getting the role of the Gith during the same session his character died, I knew this was planned before the session. Nevertheless it was still an unexpected death!

[@gjjpabkriner2714]

Yeah, I was really surprised at both characters exploding. And I'll be sad to see Sweet go... but Slim seems like a really cool character.

[@RudeGoat]

I ran D&D for the first time last night! Thank you for all these videos filled with encouragement and great one liners I'll be stealing as a DM forever.

[@andreliddicoat3836]

I was really okay with your commentary and narrative mixed, I think it really is your strong point Matt. But loving these videos, love the campaign. Keep it up.

[@d1morto]

Agreed, I prefer narrative and commentary mixed together. I already watched the stream, so the first half was redundant for me. The GM point of view is what I'm looking for.

[@birdenand]

But for people who don’t have time to watch the stream, this is a far better option

[@peteonretreat2023]

I stopped watching the campaign after the first episode but am hooked to the diaries. I have to disagree, I prefer the recap and commentary together.

[@uriel7395]

I love Suleerin so much, I want him as the Chain's surgeon, it'd be so perfect.

[@necronsplayer]

Considering the relative time period, that would also make him the barber, which is extra funny considering illithids aren't known for being particularly hairy :P

[@crows2808]

Man, there'll be that classic scene in the cop show where he eats his lunch while there's a cadaver lying on the dissecting table and -- . . . oh.

[@scottkpetersen]

UnBones

[@hadeszero4526]

matt is killing all non mcdm sub classes! King run!!

[@crows2808]

Anna's eyeroll when King got promoted was absolute classic. The most experienced officers left are the tiefling paladin of hell and the crazy goblin with the displacer beast. Even so, if King makes Boots his Lieutenant over Judge, I think Lars will be forced to make a new character.

[@craven99]

So impressed with how MCDM is going. Been a subscriber for a long time now. Enjoying it so much I’ve been convinced to become a Patreon. First and only time I’ll probably do that. But SO worth the small monthly cost for the enjoyment and entertainment I get. So thank you all very much.

[@Buildpaintplayrepeat]

You want my opinion, ey? Well I’ll tell ya! I love watching the campaign diaries. Its a very enjoyable medium of listening to D&D, and you’re a good story-teller! You run campaigns that interest me (as far as I have seen), give tips to DMs, and have awesome ideas about improving our games. Love all of it, thats why I watch 👍🏼

[@zenoking5958]

29:00 Takes puff of cigar, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

[@ivanjeh4493]

I thought Phil had made two characters: The Gith and The Mindflayer, and he would play whoever the chain let out of jail. Matt, you're doing an awesome job. I love watching, I love the running the game videos, I'm learning a lot, and I never liked dnd so much.

[@ivanjeh4493]

Let me just let this out: I would love if bigcat ends up being able to tell who's the impostor

[@mcolville]

Yeah folks in chat thought the “3 npcs” scene was to let the players choose Phil’s next character. That is a great idea, but I didn’t think of it.

[@TopherPhoton]

"if I were an immitation, I mean a perfect immitation, How would you know it was really me?" Oh Matt. Why would we complain about having two GM's giving us advice?

[@britaki]

Haha, when Sweet ended up dying along with Nails, I rationalized that as, "Maybe it was because there was a reason they made the mage killer weapon an ARROW and not a dagger/sword; because it's dangerous." And it got me thinking of how I would have handled that as a DM - maybe having Sweet make an intelligence roll or something first and then stressing, "Ok, you're about to /stab/ someone with a /magic arrow/. Just putting that out there." New Character Conspiracy is a lot simpler to swallow I suppose. XD It still made for a cool moment.

[@andrewt3797]

I'm glad he's explaining this, because when I watched it, I only knew the plan to resurrect Nails. I was shocked! Now I get that it was really what the players wanted.

[@cryptidcowpoke3819]

I absolutely loved Angel's dialogue at the end of the session. Looking forward to seeing how this mystery resolves itself on Wednesday!

[@johncross5339]

I think that the way you understand the necessity for the plot (as all the deaths for the first part and the continuity for the second one), the way to fill the travel (making it shorter but more dense), and the providing such intresting secondary situations (like mindflayer and the squiddyship) are amazing ideas!

[@Raltin1]

I had no issue with you previous mixed approach to the diary but with your goal being to catch people up on whats happening I believe this style is a good approach and since it doesnt leave out your commentary I don't feel like something is missing just delayed. The commentary btw is what I personally find most useful and inspirational so please dont get rid of it if you feel concerned about the clarity and length of the video.

[@ParadoxEngineer]

Commander King is probably the best title/name combination I've ever heard.

[@Heismybanner]

I really like the recap then explanation of the behind the scenes. Helped keep track better of what was going on.

[@johnmink1078]

I don't hate the new format, but my only suggestion would be maybe a timestamp for people who watched the game and only want the commentary? Personally, I think when they're interspersed the recap gives the commentary context, but if the two are split I'd rather skip to the commentary

[@zapfinch42]

I really enjoy this format. It is a positive change on all fronts. You are great at translating the game in to a narrative and then we get the straight juice in the analysis. Also, I have to say the cynic in me is really really enjoying the cycle of you running a great game of DnD with your friends, the internet calling for your head for railroading, and the the campaign diary revealing that (surprise!) you talked to your players and there were things happening to which we were not yet privy.

[@RPanda3S]

Agreed. TRUST THE DM

[@ALLHEART_]

I started rewatching these to mine for inspiration and advice, but the story is compelling and I'm now doing so recreationally.

[@Peter-su8fd]

I really enjoyed this new format for the campaign diary. Great recap up front with wonderful behind the scenes after. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your game. Hearing you pick apart your game is insightful.

[@DoTheDoop]

Coming back to this after years, I have to say thanks for the Omega Nails plot. It was a huge help guiding mine and my GM's hand in a Pathfinder game where my wizard became a more benevolent Doctor Manhattan.

[@Pyre001]

But Matt, a very important question: Does the Somnium have a Holodeck?

[@KalonOrdona2]

It's a mindflayer ship, I bet it wouldn't be too hard to mindlink to get the same effect! :D

[@Pyre001]

@@KalonOrdona2 That's really cool but how does that produce an episode where the crew is stuck in Wild West?

[@Shalakor]

@@Pyre001 Well, it's at least good enough for an intro where one of the senior officers plays poker with history's greatest minds.

[@valuebrandmelkor5973]

A tentacle holodeck would be an expedient way of skipping the formalities

[@williamlinton3419]

Any episode where you can evoke 'The Thing' quotes is a good episode for me!

[@ShaneThrapp]

I love this format. Thank you Matt! This is amazing, and I loooove the story so far! You have inspired me to work like this with my players. :)

[@IndigoWraithe]

18:18 - Hair Change! LOL. This was such a good recap of an excellent episode. This new format really works. It's more concise, for those of us who watch the full show we can jump straight to the commentary part. I know some people don't have the time to invest in watching a 4 hour campaign session every week, but it has been SO worth it for me. Having been there live for it, Sweet & Nails dying was super unexpected (and I kinda missed where you said that Sweet died at first) but the look on Phil's face put me at ease. He looked stoked and excited for what was happening and what was to come, so I rolled with it and had a great time. If the player distrust thing really does happen, I hope it turns into John Carpenter's The Thing.

[@sierrahun1]

40:10 Quote from The Thing. Which is mostly seen as a handbook behind Lars' back during the stream. It was Childs's line who was portrayed by the actor Keith David. The one that played a character called King in The Platoon. Hm.

[@emiliarinaldi1534]

I liked the commentary mixed in with the narrative better. Mostly because for me the main benefit of the campaign diary is to see how the DM sausage is made and interspersed commentary makes that easier.

[@jossco52]

Agreed. I like seeing how Matt worked through the campaign rather than wait until the end and get recap 2.0

[@Nerdmuscle444]

I started my own mercenary campaign lifting liberally from your game and I love it and the retainer system.

[@metallkopf988]

I like it too. It takes a bit of the strain off character death and also gives opportunity for exploring recurring other characters within a campaign and not limiting them to unconnected one-shots...

[@TLMonkey54]

Matt, adding my two grains of salt to a really salty soup I'll say that the other format wasn't tedious at all, at least from my perspective. it's a delight listening to you speak, such eloquence :) which isn't to say this one is, either!

[@005Turk]

I prefer the fluidity and passion of the old method, but my hair still stood at the retelling that you provided!

[@Axiomin]

I think this format, with the recap and then the commentary, is perfect for me.

[@Pilsnerp1c]

Super excited for Capital and glad we've finally met the "real" party that we'll be going forward with. Great stuff as always, Matt.

[@fringd]

"if I was an imitation. I mean a perfect imitation..." Came here to say I understood that reference

[@rxfh]

Hey Matt - I think this video format is perfect. I don't always have time for a 3h stream but this allows me to be fully caught up for the next stream narratively & optionally get insights from the DM if desired. Very helpful

[@OriginalWarwood]

I greatly appreciate these updates, as work and life means I cannot catch the stream, and it takes me time to get through the full episode! Keep up the great and inspiring work!

[@briarhawkins1684]

When watching ep. 5. live, I was completely lost in the story. I didn't even realize there wasn't any combat until you mentioned it. I did say "F**** you Matt Colville" in the chat when you ended the session though. Man, talk about a cliff hanger... Awesome job to all of you, the Chain is probably the most engaging D&D stream I've watched. Can't wait for Wednesday.

[@aleckozinski5073]

I am very excited to see Copper Tom break out of his comfort zone more and more as the game progresses. I love his character concept, and the few times he does say something its always hilarious! I'm also hoping The Chain sends Capital into a momentary panic attack when The Dark Dream rolls up out of the astral sea unannounced.

[@Shalakor]

That's assuming it's not already stopped by for supply before in the past. Capital is ridiculously multicultural, and the Water Genasi captive is already one example of extraplanar beings traveling there as a rather routine matter thanks to its proximity to the maelstrom.

[@ryanwhitesparks6281]

I've only been able to watch the first episode of The Chain in it's entirety which fills me with sadness because I want to watch them all. My life is too busy. These campaign diaries are so great. Having seen the first episode and bits and pieces of subsequent entries in the series, I'm able to follow the plot line easily and comprehend/appreciate the choices made by the PC's and Matt. Matt I'm a huge fan, thanks for helping a busy new father stay engaged in your excellent game with this series of videos.

[@DMKen]

I enjoyed this format. It's like getting two videos. I get to hear a cool story from Uncle Matt, and then you contextualize it from behind the screen. 10/10

[@jaredsmith6565]

Completely understand Phil and yours reasoning! One of my best friends was growing tired of his character and has always loved dinosaurs since he was a kid. He died on an ancient island populated with dinosaurs housing a sphinx. This allowed him to play a hermit Druid who could change into dinosaurs and I’ve never seen him happier in DnD

[@SteveWhipp]

This style of D&D is right up my street. RP heavy and no punches pulled. Keep it up, I will definitely keep watching.

[@romantheflash]

I really liked this format Matt, very clear and helpful :).

[@viscerallyfemme]

Love the telling the story then doing commentary! Always loved the lil bits of storytelling from the game you did in the older running the games

[@curtisworley1711]

I like it split up. People can recap quickly if they need, and then those that want to see "behind the scenes" can get that too. Great job!

[@chrissinski355]

Does this mean the Squidship is a stronghold?

[@alexiavya722]

I’m so happy to watch these campaign diary 😂 I’m a fresh DM and it’s helpful to see you do things that are way bigger than the plot I am running and see what I’m going to have to prep for later down the road

[@Mongward]

I love this behind-the-scenes peaks at both your perception of how the game went, and your thoughts behind things which were planned and things were not. It's extremely encouraging to see the process, and see a way to analyse and think about how the game went from the DM's perspective. I'm about to run a game for my work collegues based on a risky (because I've only run a tiny handful of games so far) concept, and watching your content bolsters my confidence.

[@akraftybasterd3489]

Loving The Chain. Loving that the players are getting into it and into their preferred characters. Happy DM and happy players should make this even better! I also love the one-time email notice for Kingdoms and Warfare! Praise Taarna Demigoddess of War!!

[@lostvanguard470]

Super inspiring!!! Please make the video about conspiring with players. I would love to do something like this with my players.

[@RuinedDruid897]

I didn't realize there was no combat rolls in that session until this video hahah! Great story telling Matt and great roll playing every one!

[@manikanniah5707]

I love the in depth vids. I watch the episode then your captions right after, at work. Thanks for the sanity you bring to me.

[@ianmielke6754]

Right about to start running my game of DnD when I saw that you uploaded this. Looking forward to watching later!

[@eflarsen]

Love the campaign diaries, Matt! As a viewer and a subscriber of yours, I didn't expect to see the true party until the players reach Capital. Can't wait for the next stream!

[@TheFrozenite]

This reminds me of a time I conspired with my DM to end the story of my elven blade dancer. She had a backstory revolving around a disease in her family that no one has found a cure for and is possibility passed down through the generations. She had left her home in Candlekeep on Faerun to go searching for her father but has since been unable to return home as per the standard of candlekeep requiring that you bring a new book to its library if you ever want to return. So you’ve got mother dying in candlekeep, father lost in some distant land and daughter wandering the realms in search of a cure. One presented itself. A vampire, and my DM presented a scenario where the players had to make a choice, join the vampire against an enemy of hers or be enemies of her forever and suffer the onslaught of her undead. So my character offered herself up to join the vampire in hopes that in the far reaches of undeath she’d be free of this disease and hopefully discover a cure before her mother passes. This opened up the way for my next character and I enjoyed playing him 100% more.

[@FlyingDominion]

8:25 "Sacks of calcium deposits" I love it! 18:15 Hair change!

[@MJG72a]

Your self analysis is great. I was frustrating by the first few minutes of the episode as two more characters seemed to be sacrificed to the plot. The rest of the episode was really engaging. Thanks for your honesty and taking the time to explain. There was a point when I felt like giving up on the stream, but not now. Thanks. Looking forward to the hard copy of Strongholds and Followers.

[@WilliamFellars]

I really liked the new diary format. For those interested, 23:12 ends the recap and Matt’s commentary begins.

[@BrawlerGamma]

The Star Trek comparison hit me really hard when you had the bit where Angel was like, "Boss, I've seen this guy recently." That and everything following from it is *super* Star Trek.

[@WeShallLoveOn]

I love that there is like no 'dead time' in your games. Stuff is always happening! Could you do a video on picking good A plot and B plots? I can never seem to get it to work

[@IshanDeston]

40:21 Each time the hair is combed neatly back its Evil Matt... when its all wild, its Good Matt. That is how i know :p

[@ImaginaryJeremy]

I feel like it would be awesome to see these campaign diaries intercut with moments from the actual game. Would be more editing work, but could be cool to try! Love how the campaign's going so far.

[@davidtorem7790]

Going to start my live twitch DND game as soon as i get a mic, and I wanted to put it here that its all thanks to both the Matts, Mercer and Colville, that I know all the great tips and tricks both from Colville's videos and Matt's CRIT ROLE campaign one, and book for Tal'Dorei. Thanks

[@johnathanaltizer3333]

I love you campaign stuff! Been watching since the first stream. Can’t wait to get to capital, because I’m a huge nerd over all that political stuff. Keep up the great work!!

[@gjjpabkriner2714]

Matt- I think that I actually like seeing the video broken up into the different sections. I didn't expect that, but the video also feels more efficient than expected as well.

[@ZrinNZ]

Every time I hear King mentioned, I imagine them with a lion head.

[@matheusmterra]

This format I think is better. Gives us the perspective of stuff as they we’re happening, and then you show the little man behind the curtain so we who use your videos for advice on how to DM can know what was the process behind the happenings.

[@pg9743]

In the context of telepathic gith attacks and an all-powerful sorcerer, I was happy to roll with the strange audio problems for a few minutes. It was like an immersive special effect! That's probably what it felt like to have them in your head. Technical difficulties happen to everybody. Given how fun the campaign is, and how exciting the story is, I forgot all about it by the end of the stream. I was iffy around episode 2, but now I'm all in. Can't wait for Wednesday!

[@burnhamrobertp]

This format seems pretty good. I don't use the diaries as a catch-up mechanism but that's a brilliant idea without any extra work for you and Jerry. It also doesn't materially impact my ability to consume and enjoy the campaign diary

[@scabbynack]

Can definitely tell you are all getting into the groove of things. Could tell Phil was excited to play his new character. You're all doing great :D

[@CoffeeWeapon]

Inspiration and shout outs to Judge, Copper and Big Cat for being the only original survivors.

[@cf6909]

I love the Star Trek parallel. I like the new format of story then analyses. Never stop improving! Love your work, your DMing, and your personality! Can't wait to see what happens next.

[@josephorona6614]

I really like this new style. It wasnt really any shorter but it makes the ideas easier to follow along

[@ragramos]

The new format is a great improvement. I like that it's more concise and less rambley!

[@TheNerdySimulation]

Love the new format, Matt. It definitely flowed much more smoothly.

[@keirantarver6294]

I really like this format. I like to watch the session slowly and listen as I'm at work or driving. The only improvement I might like would be a link to the timestamp that you start musing on how you think things went.

[@benbowmen6650]

Within the next 3 weeks all men and the illithid ship have a medical check for overactive bladders, each spend 3 hours per day interfaced with the urinal. Hahaha

[@larkincarmichael4773]

I definitely like this format. While I do listen to the show on release, the quick rehash before diving into DM theory really helps keep the lessons and insights in context.

[@theCosmicTony]

A Ship or Primary Hold/Keep is how I have organised my players and let them easily keep their NPCs ordered. And yes I have always thought of it as a Space Opera methodology. TNGs 'Lower Decks' is a perfect example of how it works when players don't all want to play their 'main cast' all the time. Also a great way to get concurrent (West Marches) and side-quest one-shots going when stuff gets a little stale. My turn over was never as crazy as the first few eps of The Chain though lol

[@Fokeno]

I think this format is absolutely better then the alternative Matt. You did a great job summarizing both succinctly and dramatically the what and how of the chain.

[@FrankSerio]

You've finished "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and moved on to "Turnabout Intruder." ;) I am really enjoying everything you have been putting out. I have gone from not seeing the point of watching other people play D&D to watching your stream live on Twitch. Keep up the great work.