DM Accidentally Makes Player The King || D&D Story

[@PhotriusPyrelus]

An orphaned dwarf. A Dwarphan, if you will.

[@ZombieTumors]

I dont know who you are but I hate you for this.

[@ZylowHF]

@@ZombieTumors I hate you for hating that

[@TheAngryMoth104]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of that

[@pablo2495]

A mighty Morphin’ dwarven orphan hordin’ Morgan’s bargain morgues and tourin’ and performin’ bad acts to the axe of dwarven lords, now hordin’ more axes of dwarven lords and explorin’ mordor lore. And so the mighty morphin’ dwarven orphan bore the sword and axes of ancient dwarven lords, but the gore of course was his becomin’ more poor from closin’ core doors so he got on all fours and died of boredom, then got eaten by boars galore, who boarded borin’ tourin’ boats of lurin’, which more and more toured to get bored and eaten by the boars of Mordor.

[@OBM22]

@@ZylowHF i hate you for hating that that hates that

[@rollfortales3069]

Cheesy? Yes. Clichéd? Hell yes. However, none of that makes it bad, specially if the player(s) had a good time with it.

[@rollfortales3069]

@@TheBatch62 Also a good point. It could make for some fun role-playing if the players recognize the cheese and lean into it hard.

[@renewalacumen1770]

Original and innovative are two sides of the same coin. Something unoriginal could be better by using older ideas better than last time.

[@ssfbob456]

@@TheBatch62 also cliches are fun in D&D because it lets us do what we think should be done in the face of them instead of following the formula.

[@jordinagel1184]

I mean, clichés exist for a reason, and that reason is usually popularity, which stems from enjoyment. You don’t need to write a masterpiece with twists and turns to get an enjoyable story, you can just as well stick to the basics while avoiding major pitfalls.

[@bulldozer8950]

That sounds pretty fun tbh. And 14th level isn’t insane to make someone a king.

[@XolBurn]

"I like the map and made up the lore myself" I know how you feel.

[@CritCrab]

Lore lazy DMs unite

[@lucestrasz2312]

Same boat here, though I am up front about it in case I do have a lore junkie.

[@JadeyCatgirl99]

It's your world, you should change around premade material however you want. I take pre written adventures and just change around the names so that I can drop them into my homebrew world.

[@sovereign4535]

I would like this but I would hate to mess up the 123 likes

[@mbrsart]

My brother was so disappointed with the Tyranny of Dragons duology, so he decided to do the same, except he also changed everything on the map south and east of the Sword Coast.

[@fizzlepop5318]

Indiana Jones themed Dwarf walks down a pier to board his violently rocking boat "Wakes. Why did it have to be wakes."

[@CritCrab]

Take my heart and go.

[@corneliaxaos2745]

Honestly, this is amazing. Wish I could give you more likes.

[@pcppbadminton]

Underrated pun.

[@bigfiach1052]

i love you

[@alexbarn3841]

"Rollercoasters are on rails, people tend to enjoy those quite a lot" - Matt Colville

[@CritCrab]

Matt Colville is the best

[@jamesfrederick.]

In my experience the best dungeons masters do make and play there pre made story’s “rail roading” but it’s how much the players notice that declares the dragons masters skill, a good dm can hide his original plans like plot point yet to be found in a book mean while avoiding conflicting information in not only past but potential plots to come

[@caninehat6589]

@@CritCrab true

[@RRVCrinale]

I notice a term in video game level design that I think works better: signposting. You want to direct players clearly but let them engage naturally, and on their own time.

[@kingzeeb319]

@@jamesfrederick. the fuck is a "dragon master"?

[@15oClock]

"It was a mix of Fallout: New Vegas and Lord of the Rings." Well, I know what I want for Christmas.

[@CritCrab]

When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hii-*ORCHESTRA MUSIC INTENSIFIES*

[@aguynamelex3146]

Lord of Fallout: New Tower

[@mindlessscientist3772]

The one chip to rule them all

[@alnu8355]

You play a Courier who never set foot out of his home but is related to a very famous Uncle. You're looking for Benny Wormtounge.

[@dragoncat2734]

"Patrolling Mordor really makes you wish for a nuclear winter."

[@DLAlucard]

I wouldn't say it was railroading. After all there was nothing forcing him to take the crown. It was just a plot threat that could have taken the party to bigger and better places if they so choose to pursue it. Also it was based around an item both the player and character had a fascination with finding. All you did was add extra weight to that desire and work it into the narrative of the adventure.

[@CritCrab]

Thanks!

[@IceBlueEyesX]

@@CritCrab Yeah, I wouldn't call that railroading by any means. It was a random twist on the fly, and an option that the player/character never had to accept. From my experience, railroading would involve forcing someone to take certain actions or go someplace from the start without letting them deviate if they so chose to. If anything, I thought it was a really cool turn of events and, despite being pulled from the æther, seemed like a reasonable thing that could happen. I'm interested to hear about the rest of the tale.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Well, it was a little bit "railroady" because the secret door to the tomb with the major artefact and the players legacy just happened to be the only way out of the random room the players had barricaded themselves in. But it was good railroading, since it was really a countermeasure to help the players out of a desaster and you didn't force the player's actions beyond making the logical choice to go through that secret door and picking up the axe because it was the only thing left to do in that room. Bad railroading would have been to place the ax room in the dungeon at a fixed place from the start and then using contrived plot excuses to force the players to enter that room whenever they try to do something else. Also you didn't force the player to accept his character's legacy. If I understood correctly, he had the option to just quietly put back the axe and leave. Bonus points for weaving in and explaining an accidental plot hook the player had set up for himself with his "mysterious drive" to find that axe.

[@OffbeatWorlds]

"This happened ALL THE WAY BACK in 2018" From the channel that often shares stories from 10+ years ago.

[@CritCrab]

Hahh, It's a long time ago for me because that's around the time I started DMing.

[@ryanmcewen415]

All the way back in 2018.... Meanwhile I'm thinking this reminds me of a game from 1982.......

[@jordanpeterson5140]

...I was born in 82

[@JacksonOwex]

Calling 2018 "way back" makes me feel old! Way back for me is 2E possibly early 3E(which I recently realized is now old enough to drink in the USA, making me feel even older)!!!

[@NemoThundersong]

I'll be honest If my DM pulled that out of his ass on the fly I'm be so damn impressed. Also This doesn't seem like a rail road to me...... Who the hell doesn't want to be the king in a DnD game?

[@animeotaku307]

People who don't want to handle the responsibility, I guess.

[@ray30k]

"I just liked the map and made up the lore myself" Honestly? That's the best way to play IMO

[@viggo8213]

It's a good way to prevent metagaming

[@Sandman382]

Its how I prefer to do it....if just because I like making worlds, I'm shit at making maps and doing art. I find pictures, take inspiration from them, and then use them in various situations.

[@russplays483]

Last time I was this early Craig was building his airship

[@aliensandinternetdrama5169]

That’s a good one

[@CritCrab]

Ah yes, enslaved PTSD

[@jtcookie96]

Now, I'm no veteran at DnD, but I have some friends who are. And one thing I can safely say, the most fun we have is when our DMs pull stuff out of their ass. And I really liked this story too, so I think some of your friends that played with you most likely enjoyed this moment too. Improv is a double edged sword, while it can lead to a campaign being ruined, it can also be used for great character development and bonding with other players. I will admit, some improv didn't always work, but when it did, it made a fun experience even better.

[@CritCrab]

That's the🦀!

[@ArawnNox]

I remember preparing for a Star Wars d20 game. I had this whole big thing planned for the players to be contracted commandos for the New Republic acting against Imperial Remnant and doing all this cool wartime stuff. My mistake: I didn't prep the players. I just ASSUMED they'd want to make pro-Republic good guys. Instead, they made a bunch of ne'er-do-wells all on the run/having some sort of issue with organized crime. What did I do? I literally picked up my notebook, tossed it over my shoulder, and rapidly came up with a new campaign framework taking everyone's backstory in to account. Everyone had a blast getting stuck in a Tatooine gang-war following Jabba's demise.

[@degenerate6109]

@@CritCrab I honestly think your such a good DM because you know so many people who aren't and know what not to do.

[@RRVCrinale]

Our longest-running campaign, only on hold because our DM is going through a lot, was basically made on improvisation after three nat 20s. A DM that can ad-lib responsibly is God's gift to tabletop roleplayers.

[@cheatThedead]

This story hits close to home. My DM also rewarded my Dwarf character with an auto-win and the title of King Under the Mountain after being the only starting party member to reach level 17, rediscovering a lost dwarven kingdom and unearthing his full lineage along the way,

[@CritCrab]

Dwarf kings > king kings

[@shangtsungsdannydicheeto8353]

Keep your chin up your crown is falling king

[@returnofthechickentendies2844]

Now that's some awesome stuff

[@umbreonmaster8921]

To be fair, at that point, you've earned that shit.

[@Schneeregen_]

I love that this story is *your* story this time, it fits well for your 100th DND story.

[@Ara-gq7sb]

whoa I love your icon

[@sparki420]

"I'm just pulling all this out of my ass." This is literally me when I DM because my group are some creative as hell players.

[@nathanfriedman7367]

Critcrab: Uses new format and doesn't add subtitles Me who doesn't have sound on my computer currently: "sad noises"

[@LordDukane]

What noises? :P Sorry couldn't resist.

[@WeaselLikeMan]

the captions are close enough

[@CritCrab]

Sorry! Will be back next vid.

[@Death059]

Only for this vid. The text will be back, don't worry!

[@nathanfriedman7367]

@@CritCrab It is fine, oh Great Crab Lord

[@theamazingimptini]

*hears whipcrack sound affect* *pstd childhood memories of Johnny test have resurfaced*

[@jeng6786]

Krit: they didn't really have a big backstory Also krit: explains how the backstory (that is actually lot longer than any backstory I've made) leads the campaign for the guy to find this one item.

[@degenerate6109]

Well some backstories are like its own mini campaign. So considering that this is light.

[@elbruces]

@@degenerate6109 Those are over-long. That doesn't make this one short.

[@degenerate6109]

@@elbruces I disagree. Everyone's standards of long and short are different. Some groups want characters to have long backstories, some want minimal to no backstory. It all depends on the group and what they're used to. So, those backstories aren't overlong they're what some groups want. There is no right or wrong way to play as long as the entire group is okay with it.

[@elbruces]

@@degenerate6109 it's like saying someone who is 6'6" is tall, and you kick in the door shouting "ACTUALLY SONE PEOPLEBARE OVER 7 FEET SO THAT'S SHORT!"

[@degenerate6109]

@@elbruces in your perspective 6,6 is tall. But what if there were places where 7,5 was the norm. Then 6,6 is short. Your analogy doesn't work.

[@SangTheCryptek]

"It was actually one players complete lack of backstory that ended up driving the campaign." This accurately describes my first D&D experience. I have a group of friends who are into TTRPGs, but I had never played before and was interested. They were going to start the Rise of Tiamat campaign that spanned 3 books, and I wanted to play. But I knew very little of the world of D&D, so I had no idea how to write a backstory for a character. So I created Darlock, a 25 year old wizard who had amnesia, and had lived alone in a stone tower in a secluded forest his entire life. He learned magic self-taught when he discovered a hidden library in his tower. And from there, (and a few other details too lengthy to go into) my friend and DM crafted a mystery for the party to solve as to who my character was. I had cryptic dreams during long rests that I recorded in a IRL notebook to piece the clues together. Shit got real when my party eventually returned to my destroyed tower, found a dragon living in it, and that dragon recognized me, spoke to me, and said I was supposed to be dead. Eventually it was finally revealed that my character was an original wyrmspeaker, who had since betrayed the Dragon Cult and worked against them. He had tried to invent time magic in order to go back and prevent the event that caused the split of Bahamut and Tiamat, but the spelled backfired and my character ended up in a lifetime-long time loop that caused me to be reset every time I died losing all my memories, and this had gone on for centuries. Needless to say, it was wild, and very exciting.

[@thegodforger923]

A spell that causes you to lose your memory after dying you say? I smell Planescape: Torment.

[@ahritheweird9579]

That was such a cool way to end a session! You single-handedly gave a character a more in-depth backstory, fleshing out what the character did not know about itself. I thought it was really clever for a new DM. Kudos to you Crit Crab!

[@CritCrab]

Thank you so much!

[@anidiotplayslivestream5206]

As somebody who hasn't been DMing for a full year just yet, I'm incredibly relieved to know I'm not the only one who's had to scramble to make something work like that. Makes me feel better about one of my players in particular who's got a very big destiny ahead of her - although it's considerably less happy than being a monarch...

[@CritCrab]

Oh yeah, no DM has it all under control all the time. The experienced are just better at hiding it.

[@KingRichard262]

@@CritCrab I have a sinking suspicion that in all my time of DMing not once have I managed to pull the wool over the player's eyes about pulling a scenario save out of my arse

[@Saru5000]

@@CritCrab I agree with this completely! Whenever I've talked with my friends who I consider good GMs they always point out when they were off script. It's usually seamless and often.

[@kcollier2192]

I think it was a great panic move on the DM's part- if you have to pull something out of your rear you might as well make it spectacular...

[@KertaDrake]

A railroading DM is one who steadfastly forces their story against all logic. A rollercoaster DM makes it up on the fly as he desperately tries to keep up with the players.

[@LordDukane]

Trust me CritCrab, if that's the first full on campaign that you ran, you came on brilliantly. My first exploded so badly that it could probably make a bizarre story that would make you laugh. Poke me if you want to hear it, but I started with Star Wars and all I will say to tantalize... Superchrome cat-head Death Star...

[@CritCrab]

I read all of the stories on r/critcrab! (or at least I try to!)

[@LordDukane]

@@CritCrab all the more reason I should get off my hind end and join Reddit. Lol

[@JulianSloman]

@@LordDukane You said to poke you, he did poke you - did you write the thing?

[@thegreyarea4325]

That is one of the best story I have ever heard.This kind of improv is what a D&D canpaign can be, because this is where it shines the best in INPROV. Also sory about my english it's my second language.

[@trentglasgow7114]

Your English is pretty good to me (first language)

[@CritCrab]

Thanks! and your english is great!

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

Agreed. I really liked the idea that when the players found an important item too early, it turned the whole campaign into a fight to keep that lead with people trying to steal the item or to silence the party culminating into this big dungeon crawl where all of the mentioned groups are in different entryways trying to be the first ones to find what's inside.

[@TheTrueUlfhednar]

Honestly, I can only imagine the dawning excitement on the dwarf player's face as it all falls into place.

[@harmonicarchipelgo9351]

Reminds me of the time one of my players' character went to the library, something that character did in most cities, and started making investigation checks. I started improvising a mini scavenger hunt and then it hit me: what the heck is in this secret room in the library he just uncovered? A moment of consideration and voila, I invented the secret librarian cult, an organization dedicated to preventing the natives from learning how to sail, working in the shadows. Funnily enough, the party was already working for the secret police on that island, so that character ended up joining 2 secret organizations on the same day. I totally get the feeling of creating a secret room with no idea what is in it and then scrambling to fill it with something cool.

[@VirtuesOfSin]

Crab: "I railroaded them too much." Also Crab: *Lets the players do whatever they wanted with little-to-no background to the point it almost gets the players killed.* I don't see the railroad tracks...

[@lostbutfreesoul]

You created something from near-scratch, with a group that enjoyed themselves, and successfully through to a conclusion. This is a great thing to do, please continue with the storytelling as you are extremely good at this.

[@johnnysizemore5797]

HAPPY 100 CRITCRAB! Whoooo !(now onto what i usually do ...) Notes from a NG Human idiot ; Greetings from lovely Restenford ! I personally think you did very well on your first full campaign, lord Critcrab. Certainly you did make mistakes, but you did something a lot of other's in your stories didn't do: you learned from them and became a better ruler for it. When i was young&foolish, full of fire and zeal but little common sense(as all youngster's are), my Valet told me: "Experience is simply the Name we give our mistakes." May your pantheon ever favor you(especially in these trying times) Baron Trevelyan of Restenford

[@SaraphDarklaw]

I thought this was an old video. I rewatch them from time to time. This is a welcome surprise! Edit: the spinning crab head is oddly mesmerizing. I swear fealty to lord crab.

[@CritCrab]

Glad to hear, Also T̵̨̢̡̡̡̛͚͍̹̞̠̤͖̮̖̘̮̲̻̜͔̖̲̜̖̞̲̤̫̈̔̽͘͜͜ͅͅH̵̨̧̢̖̤̲̟̙̹̗͖͓̼̙̘͕̼̪̝̦͉̣̫̤͍͈͍̳̝̝̱̰͎̮̜̗̄̀̾̂̇̃̀̽̈̐͑̓̌̑́͆̈́͘̕͜͜͜È̸̢͈͈̱̭͔̹̜̱͇͈͍͇͔̯̩͈̱͓̰̙̱̜͓̣͔̳̤̺͉̱̘̣̝͍͍͖͚̦̲̙̰̻̮̠̰̬͈̗͙̺͓̝̥͉̟̘̖͕̮̥̯͑͆͌̎̚͠ ̵̡̛̦͎̝̖̎̓̈̐͌̏̆̑̿͑͆̀͛͆̚̕̕͜͝͝͝Ç̴̡̡̢̛̲̝̭͈̹̖̺͕̹͚̣̟̬̰̠͓͓̳̠̮͍̦̹̺̭̜͛̈́̀̐̍͑͂̃͐̐͐͆͌͗̚̕͜ͅͅͅŔ̵̢͓̻̝̹̫̼̯̣͕̥̼̜̫̮̤͚̾̀̔̇̐̾̓̌̍͑͋͛̑̃̄̉̽́̋̐̓͝A̷̢̧̢̡̧̧̼͖͈̥̜̺͇̳͖̳͔̬̝͉̜̞̻̤̟͕̯͖̰̦̱̮̺̣̻͕͚̟̳͖̟̦̞̠͎̯͓̩͙̣̤̖̺͉̬̖̲̜̱̫͊̇̏̽̑̃͆̓͛́̃̔̏́́̅̾̈́͂̄͌͛̈́̾͐̋͑̂̕̕̕̚͜͝͠ͅͅB̷̢̛̮̠̝̼̹̥̘̩̣̜͈̗͚̟͑̎̈͑̔͆͛̄̊̈̎̌̏͂̓͗̿̈́̀̀̇̈̂̓̃́̆́̄̉́͗̕͘ ̷̧̢̢̧̡̡̛̛͖̙̩͖̯̩̥̠̰̬͕̮̲̘̼̞̞͚̬̦̯̍̾̏̋͂̅̌̾͌̈́̅̿̑̋̄̏̀̓̈́̇̇̎̉̇̎̓̽̀͊̅̑̿̿͋͗̽̓̋̾̓̅̚̕̚͘̚̚̕̕͜͠͝͝͠͝Ḩ̶̘͉͇̺̯̖̤̤̰̼̲̯̘̱͍͈͋́̌͒͐͑̈͐̇͆̀̓͗͑̃̓̆̔̈́̈̔͋́̂͐̕̕̕͠͠͝Ę̷̢̧̧̢̡̢̛̛̛̼̗͓̗̫͖̺͚͚̦̟̤͓̤̙̭̥͕̣̥̲̳͎̰̯͚̣̝͓̖̜̪͇̖̹̤͔̭̩̻̙̖͕̭̳̫̩͉̼̜̟̲̫͍̫͈̥̱̤̒͗̔̀̀͛͊̇̌̈́͆͂̓̋̀͌̈́͋̉͑͋̽̏͒́̾͋́̄̇̈́̒͑̅̒͑͌̌͒͘̕͝͝ͅA̵̛̛̭̗͔̦̮͈͙̥̞̾̎̐̈́̈́̎̈̉̒̽̀̿̒̀̅̽͗̅̀̈́̉͂͒̏́̏̐̀̎̃̔͒̾̔̅̇̽̌̐̉̌͌͒̃̄͊̉͆͘͜͜͠͝͝Ḑ̵͍̩͕͚̣̞̲͉̬̣͔̯̱̜̲͐̍͒̇̈͊̆̾̑́͝͝ͅ ̸̧̛̛̩̌̍͂́͑̽͛́̀͆͊̊̊̄̐̉̀̋̈͗̒̐̎͊͋͑̕̚͝S̵̡̡̨̧̫̝̱͕̞̗͚̟̺̻͙̬͓̼͇͔͚̺̥̰̟̞̼̫͈̼͕͈̳̯̭̱̭̱̝̙̝͔̬̤̜̬̠̗̤͙͉̯̯̜͇̝̺̘̠̘̓͂̅͊͐̓̓͒̿̊̃͌͆̂͋̄̓̋͋̎͊̚͘̕ͅͅͅͅͅṖ̷̧̧̧̡̛̼̲̦͚̲̗͓̤͚̘̜͚̹͔̟͎̜̙̩̪͔̲͓͇̟̘̬̤͇͕̬́̎͆̄̉͊̀̾͆̏̀̈́̏̑͒̏̄͊̐̂͒̄͛́̀̓͒̃͒͐͗̀͒̐̾̈̈́̋̎̓̄́̈́̓͆̽̕̚͘͘͝͝ͅͅI̸̧̨̨̛͓͉̝̘̳̹̬̘̩̤̝̪͎̫̺̻̯̪͕̹͈̜̳̻͓͕̼͚̿̀̋̈́̈́͒̿̆̒͛̿͗̀̂͐̀̎̐͆̒̎̾̀́̍̒́̓̉̐́̏̚͘̚͜͝͝͠͝͝͝ͅŃ̴̨̡͈̮̣̻̩̰͓͎͍̼̺̩̳͙̭̤̗̦̗͓͇̮̞̗͙͚̥̘͓̤̏͊̑̎̀͋̔̑̀͗̀͊̽͑̉͊̾̾̃̈́̀̈̈́̽̒͋̐́͗̔̈́͐̈́͑͗̎̍̓̓͐̍̄́̔̉͐̋̍̌̿̎̉̂̂̒̏͆̇͆̆͘͜͝͝N̴̨̨̢̡̢̛̩̺̟̲̪̞̹͕̩͇̥̗͖͖̯̺̝͖̤̲͕͉̟͔̟͍͙̜̅͂̄̑̓͐̈́͂͛̏̇͋͐̍̐͂͌̏̾̋̍͐̿͂̑̀͌̊̓̎̇̓̆͂̒̓̀͆̓̆̿́̏̏͌̓̏́̚͘̚͘̚͜͝Ę̸̧̢̨̧̢̯̖͖̱̙̼̯͈̳̟̩̝͇̥̳͍̞̜̰̜̯̙͙̮͇̗̮͍̞̻̤̻͓̲͙̯̩̭̠̹̰̖̣̭̽̉͊̀̀͊̓́̆̓̐͋͗̅͛͗͊̄̈́̐̎̑̓̂͛̒͑̎̎̌̓̆͆͒̐͐́̉͘̚͜͝ͅT̷̢̡̧̢̨̧̼̙͚͚͉̠̯͍͖͈̳̜̥͕̥̝̥̲̣̯͚̦͇̣̝͔̣̟͇̦͈͚͈̯̝̠͙̹̣̱̞̏̿́͛̔̿̀́͑̑̂̏̊͋́́̆̒͑̾͆̓̅̅͘̕͜͝͝Ḣ̴̡̧̛̛̭͇̻̺̥͖̬̙̲̗̣̰̥̗̦̖͍̳͎̱͔͇̤͇̏͐̓̀́̂̄̉͋̍͑̀͒̎͊̆͗̄̾̇͊̓̾̾͗́̿̆́̍̇̐̃̀̒͆̿̎̎̑͐̿́́̕͜͝͝͠͝ͅ

[@briangronberg6507]

Congratulations on 100 episodes! I still fondly remember, “That’s no island, it’s a floating naval base!” It really is remarkable to see how much the channel has grown. And that was a great story! And it’s good to acknowledge that you’ve grown since then, but I think you did a solid job in the moment. The player didn’t need to take the Axe. He didn’t need to use it to claim leadership over certain Dwarfish clans. He could have taken it back to Neverwinter University for study. He decided what to do in that situation and you facilitated it.

[@zkhydro4985]

Who else had "you spin me round" playing in the back of their head watching the critcrab record?

[@jamestown8398]

As regretful as he is, it's clear that this DM actually cares about his players and them having a fun time. That's more than can be said of the Craigs of the world.

[@attreidelrom]

As an experienced DM, you did an awesome job. That was a great way to handle that situation. If your players enjoyed it then that is what really matters.

[@UlyssesK402]

What I really admire is how you managed to add more to a player's backstory without ruining what was already there. It also makes it seem like the dwarf thought that he just wanted the axe, but in reality, it was because it was his destiny.

[@georgehudson300]

Perfect example of how I consider DnD to be a collective storytelling session!

[@TheInsider15]

When the DM has to give his players something without making them feel BSing them out of it

[@sammyrobbins6848]

It’s been one hell of a year. It was awesome for me to watch everything boom too. And honestly for me what separates a good dm from that guy is that the good dm emphasizes and cares deeply for creating an experience the players love and enjoy. Something that’s fun for them.

[@CritCrab]

🎶 We've come a long way, witho̶u̶t̶ you my crab... 🎶

[@superbunnybun]

Good work on the editing this time. The visual gags add a lot while not overused, and no repeated sentences this time. The effort in quality is appeciated

[@CritCrab]

Thanks! My editor and I have been working harder to quality check the videos before uploading. Expect less repeats and other goofs!

[@Death059]

We appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback so we can improve on our flaws. I appreciate your viewership. ✌️

[@13thMaiden]

This was a great 100th episode! Good job Crit Crabby Boi! My first venture into DMing was to drag my party into basically Candyland. It was fun, crazy, and I turned monsters and races into candy versions of themselves. Because who doesn't want to fight an annoyed 'turtle' tarrasque or giant red licorice dragon? ~cackles~

[@apolloios24]

Nice, crit crab is my absolute favorite person for dnd stories

[@WeaselLikeMan]

Code_ Zed. you were first

[@apolloios24]

cullen wessel wait really

[@CritCrab]

yup!

[@apolloios24]

CritCrab wow, that’s kinda cool

[@MartinBlackArcano]

I love how you pulled an Elessar on the dwarf. Cheesy as it might sound, you pulled it off smoothly and that's all that matters.

[@ThespisStar]

As someone whom only has a year-ish or so of actual DnD under his belt, only having run one one-shot with friends a few years back, I can honestly say all of these stories and videos you put out are some of the most fun I have had the pleasure of hearing. From the Craig saga, to the multitude of stories revolving around terrible DMs and Players... It just makes me thankful even more to my DMs for being so wonderful and understanding in their ways. Props to all the DMs out there that don't get a lot of love. You beautiful people are what breathes life into all of our crazy ideas, heart-wrenching stories, and make us addicted to playing this game together. Love your channel CritCrab and I look forward to the next hundred episodes! TL;DR All the love to DMs that keep us gaming. Y'all are incredible

[@ninjasamari]

I’ve been DM’ing for about a year now and one group I have literally try everything to “break the DM” as they put it. At the end of each session I like to ask them what they think and a lot of them say that they really enjoy the times when I pull stuff out of my ass and find a way to tie it into the storyline. A DM friend of mine said that as long as everyone is having fun that’s all that matters. Let the dice tell the story even if the story doesn’t always make sense.

[@philippschmitz1787]

There... goose bumps... and cheesy tears of epicness... even after repeatedly listening to this story. TBH those moments are the reason why I love DMing so much.

[@Nazo-kage]

It didn’t feel the least bit railroady, it sounds exactly like what you’re supposed to do will an unexpected dice roll throws you a curve ball: You roll with it. As I said previously I’ve been watching some DND campaign videos and I’ve seen just how bad NAT 1 can make things. example: The heroes are in a battle against some newly minted creatures born from a dark God who just learned they could do that. One of the characters an orc barbarian has a big fear of spiders (which these things kind a look like) so as soon as he sees one of them he freaks out and quickly grabbing his lightning spear and trying to nail one of them. NAT 1, his role is so bad that not only does he not hit his target he hits their bard, and hits him with so much damage the DM was scrambling to look up the rules to see how much damage past zero you needed to no from knocked out to dead. Fortunately the guy was still alive by only two or three points, but his character was given a permanent scar on his stomach and back.

[@CritCrab]

Whaaaaa...? That's insane. Nat 1s can really throw a wrench in an otherwise great campaign. Luckily the orc didn't die.

[@Nazo-kage]

CritCrab yeah but an interesting thing that came out of it was one the bard said at least he got a really cool scar out of it. And the orc got a little more careful about making sure when he used his lightning spear he was not aiming anywhere near any of his allies if he could help it. Just in case.

[@OrangeyChocolate]

Improv is certainly a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everybody, though it is one that can be trained. If you already had years of experience with improv, then it’s little wonder you dealt with the situation so handily. The one time I ran a short homebrew adventure, I didn’t account for the players spending the first hour and a half fannying about in the starting town. Luckily I’d prepared some named NPCs beforehand, so I had something to work with. Nobody’s first campaign will be perfect, but if the players are having fun, who am I to argue?

[@novadselir1068]

Nice work thinking on your feet, and long live the new Dwarf king.

[@CritCrab]

I always heart Novad comments

[@raistlarn]

I can say I get reasonably prepared for all my sessions. Then one of my players torched the slums. Then my players had consequences for doing so, or hired by a not so nice, shady person... then they decided to jump through a portal...into medieval England while the black death is happening. At this point my planning is I just have a general idea of where I want the session to end, and a few bad guys they might fight on the journey, and let the players decide on what they'll do. If they end up where I want the session to end good, if not good.

[@aroguespartan7627]

Happy 100th episode Crit Crab! May 100 more follow!

[@Nuggette]

Damn 100 already? I don't remember which was my first video but it was incredible seeing you develop from a Neverwinter gameplay background with (let's be honest here) bad mic to a semi-animated king of crabs you are today. Here's to another 100 stories!

[@CritCrab]

Oh yeah! If you remember neverwinter gameplay you qualify for a veterans discount!

[@Nuggette]

@@CritCrab Hell yeah! Can I shout at whippersnappers to get off my dungeon?

[@dannymontanny3064]

Even though I knew exactly what was gonna happen, just the way you talk about it gave me literal chills. You really know how to tell a story!!!

[@leandreadam1993]

I got literal chills from the plot twist. The flashback felt magical and sounded just right. Depending on how you presented them the hidden room and so forth, I'm sure they didn't feel it was cliché as it was totally unexpected and not forced :)

[@steelseraph7413]

Aw shoot, I have fallen in love with that kind of gameplay integration. My DM did the same thing with my character, expanding their backstory in a plot-relevant way, not only avoiding contradicting my details but supplementing them with extra drama.

[@karsonkammerzell6955]

That's stellar, lol. Absolutely. Stellar. You, sir, are the crab I never knew I needed in my life. I was wanted two lobsters as pets so I could name them Surf and Turf, but you've made a strong case that they should be crabs instead.

[@smity739]

A bad dm would have swiped the rug out from under the party, you improvised so they could have fun. You did good.

[@ohhoimork6844]

Always get so pumped when I see an upload from this channel, here’s to the next 100!

[@RealRedRabbit]

Having just come off of a year long campaign, and preparing for a new campaign, I ended up on a relentless quest to absorb any and all D&D related content that I could find on KZbin, which is when I stumbled across Critcrab here. I think the channel had around 700 or 800 subs when I joined, and I've loved watching the quality of these videos increase over time. Keep up the good work, man. You're doing God's work.

[@nobodycares4321]

This is all a perfect reminder that homebrew, ass pulls, fudged rolls, and extra cheese aren't always a bad thing!

[@itakru]

This reminds me of my first major Pathfinder campaign, in which the DM kinda accidentally made my 'survival first' kitsune rogue a noble heiress--and the first thing she did with the keep and its lands she inherited was hand it over to a vampire in exchange for her life. Near a big city with lots of people. That was ludicrously fun and I wish it hadn't fizzled out like it did v.v

[@ereynolds72]

Hey? Been watching your videos on and off for say a month? Watching them as I cook meals and eat when alone. I love the company really it’s been helpful during lockdown. This is the episode that made me subscribe. They’re all great but this felt special. Thank you mr crab man

[@Arkimedus]

this is legitimately a really cool story, It's simplistic, but it's also one of those things that you cannot replicate, no matter how much planning you put into it, hearing this story almost makes me nostalgic as if I had myself been a participant. good listen 100%

[@mikachan1444]

I just want an entire series of critcrab playing dnd with friends because this whole thing sounded SO GOOD.

[@phobiawitch835]

That’s the type of Imrpov ability I aspire to gain, because that little bit of story telling improv opened up SO many possibilities for the players, just based on something they were after, and a quick assessment of the situation.

[@mundo1998]

This is genuinely the greatest feat of improvisation I have ever seen

[@adambaryliuk3393]

This is the best-edited video on the channel

[@annsh.6487]

I have read the title, so I was expecting this, but my jaw still dropped at the flashback segment. Did not predict that. CritCrab, what you did was incredible.

[@piperholiday8533]

Thanks for making all these stories. As a new DM I watch these so I know what not to do in my games or any red flags from my players!

[@CritCrab]

Awesome! There are a lot of great resources on what to do, but it's also important to know what not to do.

[@existinginaspace8347]

KZbin failed to notify me of this upload. Damnit KZbin when THE CRAB speaks. I must listen.

[@CritCrab]

KZbin can be so UN CRAB sometimes ugh

[@eyesoftomorrow6647]

Happy 100th glad I could be here to see it long live the king and may there be 100 more

[@Goldenbelmont]

You solve this issue by revealing that there was an older brother, heir to the throne, who was thought lost. He comes back to claim what is rightfully his.

[@robertmorgan4546]

That's what happened in my first proper D&D game. A friend was running some games for us under the predecessor to Adventure League, back during 3.5 D&D, and then transitioned into Ebberon when he ran out of material/got annoyed with the rules for running living adventures. I was playing a Dwarven fighter, no back story since I'd never done anything like this before, but I had a Dragonmark of Warding, lets you cast the Alarm spell once a day as a caster equal to your level. We went through alot, even re-incarnating the spiritual leader of a group of drow into a Huge sized scorpion that also, amazingly enough, was the creature their religion worshipped. My character ended up being the lost bastard son of the Dwarven King and now only heir to the throne, I ended up with something like the Axe of the Dwarven Lords and also a set of Mithril Full Plate that was an artifact as well. Brotter Stonehead, King of the Dwarves of Ebberon, will forever be one of my most cherished characters and the one that will always have a place in my heart and mind.

[@eddie1993]

Congrats on 75k subs! It’s the 100th story and 75k subs!

[@TheSpyder49]

it's been a pleasure being here since the beginning, Mr Crab, and seein this place grow has been EVEN MORE SO

[@CritCrab]

THE RAVE GROWS

[@honeyshuckle9742]

I make sure at the end of my sessions to ask my D&D party what they want to do next session. I'm kind of transitioning them to an open-world story thing, and outright asking them where they want to go next, what interests them, what have you, is great because not only does it tell me what to prepare, but it also tells me what my players know about the world, and what interests them in the world. It's one of my favorite parts of the session, just listening to a bunch of hyped teens trying to figure out where to find a Remorhaz.

[@Sotryn_Fox]

I'm new the this channel, but I gotta say I love it. Ive been listening to these stories non stop while I work and they're very entertaining. Thanks for the content you create dude.

[@dejaquejarmeunrato686]

Nah my king, as a DM myself (a lot of people think I'm a veteran but I learned about ttrpg and jumped into DMing) you are NEVER prepared enough. Your players can do weird shit, the dice can mess things up or a lot of other things. You made a good decision under pressure, and the only question that matters is "did I and my table enjoyed this?", if the answer is yes, then you did a great job! Hoping to hear more of your own stories!

[@Weretyu7777]

Trust me, your game sounds like it was hilarious, amazing, and fun to play. And I've had games like that. You took a situation that got out of hand, pulled a solution out of your ass, and then made it fit in the story perfectly. I honestly love it. Also, I think you mentioned having an email for sending stories to as well as your Reddit in another video? I'd like to send you some of mine, since I've had some very fun ones(no cringey ones, but hey, I think you'd probably like to cover some not so cringey ones on occasion).

[@wiccanavalley3518]

Not at all a horror story, and I think you're doing a disservice to yourself in saying that this event went so poorly. Moments like these are what make DnD so great, I personally believe it to be the pinnacle of shared storytelling, and if not for them it'd be might even be possible to just get bored of the same old story over and over again.

[@foursamms]

Wow CritCrab! You seem so connected to this OP! *_oh wait..........._*

[@CritCrab]

...

[@Sleeplessmaster]

The best type of campaign is one being derailed in the direction of the tracks. Love this story CritCrab 😊

[@MrsASunny]

Dude. I’m trying to learn how to DM and if I’m going to be honest. From what I’ve gotten out of it a lot of people say don’t be so strict on your plot. You aren’t telling a story. You turned an almost heart breaking session into a beautiful moment. The emotions at the table had to have been amazing to witness. Fear, loss of hope. To finding out who my parents were and why I’ve been called to the sword. Well played!

[@stefisac]

If players have fun and enjoy their time, it's not important if you are using clichées: you are doing an amazing job!

[@georgenelson172]

Imagine watching a virtual disk spin for 15 minutes

[@darceousprinston9184]

Keep up the fantastic content, Crit! My roommates and I love your videos.

[@CritCrab]

Your roommates are awesome!

[@linasalazar4906]

Potato dwarf baby XD

[@johneby6878]

First let me say I recently found your channel and I am enjoying it a lot. And I absolutely love what you did here. Yeah DMs should be prepared but I find some of the best experiences seem to come from improv when that thing happened you weren't prepared for. For everyone at the table.

[@sdsnowtiger6357]

Even if it was a bit railroadish it was a creative fix on the spot that left the players and yourself surprised and enjoying yourselves, I’d call that a win.

[@Darkforce213]

It’s been a while since I’ve ran a game myself. My last game was a pretty big failure, and while I’ve had a couple of ideas I haven’t felt motivated to work on them. This video gave me a ton more motivation to get back at it! Thanks!

[@sorcikator993]

This was a really good idea. You gave the player a chance to deepen his backstory, without forcing anything on him. He's the long-lost prince of the dwarf empire? Good for him, but if he decide to not act on it, well the only persons knowing the truth were in the room with him (except maybe the steward NPC). And it's not like you hand him over the entire kingdom on a plate. I don't know how you handle it after that, but that could lead to an interesting quest to prove himself as the rightful king and claim the throne. No one will just bow to a random scholar that just happen to have a shiny axe! Good 100th episode! Here to a hundred more!

[@shanoncornelius9146]

i'm of the belief that a little bit of cheese can go a long way as long as you spread right and don't overuse it. it sounds like it was an awesome and emotional moment that left the players stunned so that's a win in my book.

[@JeevesAnthrozaurUS]

The King beneath the mountains, The King of carven stone, The lord of silver fountains Shall come into his own! His crown shall be upholden, His harp shall be restrung, His halls shall echo golden To songs of yore re-sung. The woods shall wave on mountains And grass beneath the sun; His wealth shall flow in fountains And the rivers golden run. The streams shall run in gladness, The lakes shall shine and burn, All sorrow fail and sadness At the Mountain-king's return!

[@Andrew-yq4vb]

Sounds like a kick ass motorhead song :)

[@faithhamer8438]

A Halfling "short" on cash and having a "different perspective" than a Dwarf? I applaud your sneaky height jokes. 👏

[@destroyerinazuma96]

"since the channel took off" Wait, crabs can fly now?

[@themaplewarlock]

Grats on 100! Shine on you crazy diamond! 🖤

[@tipsycreations7290]

That sounded really really fun and awesome, you did a great job as long as everyone had fun IMO.

[@CuShorts]

I almost cried. Beautiful story

[@adrianao5733]

I've only been play DND now for a year and a half. A couple months ago I tried my hand and dming. It went terrible, to put it nicely. I'm super happy I stumbled across your channel. I understand what I did wrong now. I honestly can't wait to give it another go.

[@poisonedmaple6874]

The whip sound effect at 1:25 caught me off guard and I genuinely jumped a little