"PROFESSIONAL" DnD DM Gets ANGRY At How Others Play Their Games

[@WTFisTingispingis]

Tamara is the kind of person who I hope is _never_ paid again after this story got out. Seriously if I had players insulted and abused by someone I _paid_ to be a DM I'd be fucking livid.

[@angiep2229]

One thing I've learned from paying a couple of excellent DMs: A good one is going to let you have your first session with them for free, so you can decide if they're a good fit BEFORE you actually give them any money.

[@lionheartt15]

that first story is the kind of person driving away those who want to try and get into ttrpgs but then complains because of how few people actually play them. also what kind of person wants to play a game that isn't fun? that is literally the whole point of a game

[@Raymond13557]

As a game developer, it's no different, This tamara person needs to understand that even IF you get paid, as long as your players HAVE FUN that is all that matters. you are not in it to win it, you want people to to have fun. It's not always trying to deck the players in the chin just because you have a "i need to win" personality.

[@xryeau_1760]

Hey, if you're a DM could you spare any advice? I'm aspiring to run a couple games and wanted to know how to tune encounters to be challenging without comıng off as antagonistic

[@Raymond13557]

@@xryeau_1760 I am a game developer but the best way to be a DM is to be neutral and open to listen to your players

[@Snowthree]

If people aren't having fun, they won't be playing your game. If people are having fun it's much better to sit down, figure out why they are having fun, and do what you can to enhance it rather than insist that you are 'right'. When you embrace the players having fun, you get stuff like GTA. When you insist you're right, you get the plethora of unmemorable and unengaging games that exist.

[@Raymond13557]

@@Snowthree agreed mate, when it comes to tamara i think i would of left her game the minute it started

[@immortaldestruction4072]

@@xryeau_1760 I might be able to help what system are you playing and what are you wanting to throw at them?

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

"Cope and seethe, bitch. Cope and seethe..." HAHAHAHA Oh man, you really caught me off guard again. You tell everything in such a laid back manner and have the relaxing music playing so it lulls me into a false sense of what to expect so when you say stuff like that it always takes me by complete surprise. 10/10 commentary.

[@patjacksonpodium]

Second story: Ugh. I think we all know a person like Ranger. You know, that one friend who is just weird and awkward but oddly confident in their weirdness? The kind who will walk into a room, interrupting everyone else's conversation by loudly proclaiming "It's ok! The pandas have been placated!" and then when everyone just looks at them in confused silence because they're not sure what the hell this guy is on about, they just stand there with a goofy grin on their face like they've just said the funniest thing in the world? Then everyone just kind of awkwardly goes back to what they were saying before that randomness happened, and the dude quietly shuffles off to await dropping the next inevitable dud of a joke. Everyone knows the guy I'm talking about, right? Ranger totally seems like that guy.

[@DnDDoge]

Oh my god. I know that person.

[@patjacksonpodium]

@@DnDDoge There's a least one in every group, I think. Like, there's a bad command or file name in their humor.exe folder.

[@AdmiralBlackstar]

Ya...that's funny on sitcoms, if done right, but it's a lot harder to pull off irl. Believe me I've tried...well, used to. I've learned better now. Plus it makes it harder for people to believe you when something crazy does happen.

[@nizzet9954]

The old "I make my living with TTRPG, therefore, i'm better than you" I dont know how this work in other countries, but here in Brazil this kind of attitude is very commum between old players/DM's, people who think that they are better because they played D&D 3.5 a lot or they play other non-D&D systems. People who started playing RPG because of Cellbit lives got a special kind of hatred imposed upon them, because they either dont know anything about D&D and dont play any other "True" systems (In most cases).

[@MarquisLeary34]

American, but I'd love to get into a scruff with her or her ilk about it. I can play an even older gamer card than most of them. True, the closest I ever came to being a professional was participating in the Vampire: The Masquerade world game and having my old Mage cabal end up being official canon, but I can pull age on such people who only go back to 3.5.

[@vungocbao9242]

Hi guys. OP of the second story here. If any of my fellow players see this, I'm sorry if you didn't want to do this. I needed to vent, since this is the first time someone disconnected from one of my games and left it entirely like that. I was very worried and thought that maybe I did something wrong. And to Ranger, I don't hold anything against you. If you ever wanted to rejoin our game, you know where to find me.

[@xryeau_1760]

Praying for the heart

[@ShitpostingJoJo]

I did NOT know how much I needed a clip of Doge saying *_"Cope and Seethe, B_**_#tch_**_.🗿 Cope and Seethe."_* in my life. 🤣🤣 Doge isn't just a Good boi, he's a Based Boi 🗿 *PS: Tamara totally gives off 4Channer Legbeard vibes lol*

[@MarquisLeary34]

And Tamara is the sort that gives us grognards a bad name. Not all of us greybeards are so miserable and insistent on telling others how to enjoy themselves.

[@ezsoterica]

I have ADHD, and yet I'm totally capable of working with my fellow players. I hate it when people try and use their disabilities to justify being an asshole.

[@kurtwagner4663]

Quote from my sister with ADHD to another one with the same condition about ADHD: "That's not an excuse to act like a dick."

[@ezsoterica]

@@kurtwagner4663 Amen, sister. 🙏

[@ch3ls3ab0t6]

One of my 4 player groups: 2 have adhd, 2 have autism. It’s the best group I’ve ever had when it comes to cooperating and working together, even with wildly different characters that often disagree.

[@pig.sensei]

1st story: Me at 1:11 - "the mods there have the tendency of being assholes because they can.", why is this already giving me major BrazilTTRPG vibes? Me at 2:36 - "Please tell me you killed the character.", yep demanding character death as a way to imply 'how serious and superior this campaign is' checks out for the 'true' BR Style. Me at 2:44 - "Then you're garbage as a DM.", yea this is my country alright... *oof*. I'm not even going to mention her using OP's special needs as a way to offend him, this whole story screams "Brazillian TTRPG degenerate that gatekeeps and bullies others for not having exactly the same tastes and opinions as them." which is unfortunately an all-too-common stereotype around these parts of Caelid. OP should GTFO of that server asap. I can smell that scarlet rot from a mile away 🤢

[@MarquisLeary34]

What the fuck is up with the Brazillian scene!?

[@mqfii8992]

Hello there. OP of the first story here! Again, thank you so much, DnD Doge for covering the story. Thanks to you and the original Reddit post, now Tamara's antics aren't just a passing, isolated incident, but now are out there for the whole world to see In an easy, accessible way. You asking permission to cover it and the comments on the post encouraged me to kick the bucket and report Tamaram. If commenters here want more details, either go to the original post to see the update or wait a little for DnD Doge to cover the update.

[@mqfii8992]

Also, a little context: Ordem Paranormal Is a Brazilian TTRPG system In the veins of Call of Cthulhu. It was created by the KZbinr Cellbit, alongside some help, and his campaign with other KZbinrs as players was Livestreamed and became a huge success. It has become the Brazilian Critical Role, the good, the bad and the ugly.

[@wcookiv]

I picture Tamara as a guard standing in front of a massive gate, that isn't even connected to any walls, screaming about how everyone has to come through her gate because she is the gate expert but also not allowing anyone through because they don't use gates right, and everyone is just ignoring her and walking in and out from any direction.

[@theoddity3952]

Hearing doge say “Cope and seethe bitch” made my day

[@BuddyBouncer]

I have been wrestling with how I want to pronounce "Vallaki" since I decided to DM Strahd. Doge has blessed me with an option I would have never come up with.

[@MarsRedPlanet1914]

6:41 *me a Brazilian hears this part* "why it had to be Brazilian?" seriously this if she wants to the Brazilian community to growth (with i would love to be a thing to happen at a greater speed) she is just doing a bad job at it by taking things this serious, like i really want to engage on a full campaign one day, i have so many character ideas and i want to show then, but if my first D&D Experience ended up being with someone like her and if i had no prior knowledge of D&D i would quit the hobby because she sounds like she wants that all tables be like hers. it also don't help that as far as i know D&D 5e still don't have a official translation to Brazilian Portuguese with can make the problem worse, like people using the language barrier as a leverage against players or DMs that can't understand English

[@stevencavanagh7990]

Story one, Tamra using OP's special needs as a weapon against him should have been a bannable offence on the server. let's see her credentials help her then. Story Three, I have to ask, are you on this treadmill because the DM wants to take your agency from you, or Because none of you is picking up on the plot hooks he dropping?

[@martialartess]

I hate people like Tamara. I have more TTRPG credentials than a lot of gamers playing today and I'm a professional GM. And OP of the first story: you're playing just fine. As you said, as long as you and your group are having fun, there's no problem. Congrats on writing your own system! That's a fantastic undertaking and even if you never finish it, what you learn about how TTRPGs work will help your GMing so much. You want players to take down goblins like dragons? Go for it! I've been GMing for 40 years and I usually only encounter the players she's talking about at conventions. There's a lot of "you get what you put out" when it comes to games. If you're having problems with your players, it may be because they're having problems with their GM. Your generation is developing exciting new ways to play; I love to see what's happening in the TTRPG world right now. There are some exciting new games out there, like _Blades in the Dark_ and the whole "Lazy DM movement." Keep GMing and keep trying new ways to play. You rock, OP!

[@realrealwarpet]

“Cope and sethe” Doge didn’t like that bit of homophobia. Gave her the ol L + Ratio

[@theinquisitorisamage1653]

Nearly spat out my drink when he said that

[@FordPrefict42]

If DMing D&D is their JOB, then they either need a talking to from HR, a nice long vacation so they have time to recharge their batteries, or both!?!

[@asioca1992]

1st Story: Nothing worse than a DM with a chip on their shoulders who thinks that their way of play and in the only way to play. Even if she had a point about players not taking the game seriously enough (lord knows there are plenty of that guys who complain when they try to solo a dragon and lose a character for it) the way she went about explaining her point just made her toxic in the opposite direction. If a player's playstyle doesn't mesh with yours, you don't have to play with them. 2nd Story: OP is not the asshole and the Ranger DQ'ing from the call was honestly a blessing in disguise. Even if Ranger did have ADD, that doesn't give him an excuse to disrupt the game or act like a lone wolf when the party needed him the most. 3rd: "It's a campaign about nothing" is not what you want your players to think whenever they think of your campaign. If it's a choice between ending it early because you have nothing else to do or wasting the table's time to pad out the session, people will appreciate the former more than the latter 9/10, unless you somehow manage to improv something that grips them and makes them want to continue playing.

[@Selkieboi]

That last story, I had a DM who did that so often and it literally ruined any chances we had of character development and rp

[@weisskruz1683]

Everyone else: *Talking about the stories* Me: "Why is Ziggy Japanese?"

[@DnDDoge]

He speaks all languages accept English.

[@thekaiser3815]

@@DnDDoge can't wait for him to speak Klingon.

[@songbird6414]

I explained to a new player the other day that dnd is supposed to be an open, welcoming space, and the players who get mad at others for learning and doing things their way aren’t people who should be played with in the first place. I feel like the lovely Tamara perfectly encapsulates this.

[@novadrake9232]

I have ADHD Asperger disorder bipolar and autism and I don't use it as an excuse to throw up on someone's floor the only time I would throw up some someone's floor so I couldn't make to the bathroom in time

[@draconicfeline6177]

Right? And then I'd ask where their supplies were and clean it up if I wasn't shaking and delirious with fever or something.

[@CheshireChan1107]

This makes me so upset, Tamara is a horrible person. The server should have banned her after that, but my best guess is she has the maker of the server wrapped around her finger. Its the only way to explain why someone would tolerate such a horrendous person. I don't care if you have a Master's in TTRPG, if you treat those who know less than you like that, there is a special place in the Nine Hells for you.

[@iank472]

I'm a 20+ year veteran of TTRPGs and there's nothing I love more than explaining stuff to players and also having new stuff explained to me! I stuck with the hobby so long because there's always something new to learn!

[@fcold9402]

1. That is her job? She does not sound particularly professional. She sounds like a try hard or a "nice girl". Someone who really wants to be good at what they think they are good at but lack any ability to take an honest look at what they are.

[@Jermbot15]

Story 1, smother her in silence. Interacting with Tamara is not necessary to use the services of the server. Or, if you must antagonize her recognize her goal is to fulfill an emotional need by reinforcing an inflated self image. Don't argue with her about anything, just ask her pointed questions that cut straight to her insecurities. Such as "You seem to be dealing with new players every time we talk, why are you having such a hard time keeping players engaged in your campaign?" "You have a lot of reasons to hate 5e, why do you think your preferred system is nowhere near as popular?" "If you can't make games the majority of TTRpg customers like, how on earth do you expect to find any success making ttrpgs?"

[@user-cn4mx9sw9b]

If she's supposed to be a professional in that industry, then she should've behaved professionally.

[@dragowolfraven3806]

How do you not have fun correctly? Also Ziggy is adorable. More kitties is a good thing.😊

[@Thedragonlover95]

Simba looks proud in the shot

[@Galactus78]

I’ve never met Ziggy before today but I will die for him

[@realdragon]

"No you can't play game how you want you have to play game how I want"

[@StateBlaze1989]

In regards to that third story: honestly, I feel it would be even worse if the DM *was* trying to prep things out during combat, because it shows (for me, at least) that he has little to no plans on a session to session basis and therefore invalidates his whole "I have a story to tell" defense. If you're stalling your players out to come up with prep plans in the middle of the session, it means you basically have no actual story and are just ad-libbing it from encounter to encounter.

[@vortega472]

I can't believe I missed Ziggy before! What a cutiepuff. Oh Simba, that face - that's the face of a moviestar! Thanks Doge - enjoyed these stories of cringe.

[@kurtwagner4663]

Binge watching the doge while ill and still trying to get some work done

[@bloodybutterflygaming1242]

I play at a table with a professional DM. As in, our group literally came together through a site where players pay the DM to be part of the advertised campaign. He literally makes his living by being a DM. He let's us get up to any shenanigans we want, so long as we don't completely derail things and remember "Oh, yeah, you can do that if you want, just remember that it doesn't mean your character won't face consequences." We're 4 sessions in and at this point 4 out of 6 party members have either pissed off a dragon and had to re-roll their character, or gotten on the bad side of an NPC just enough for them to not be as cooperative as they otherwise would be. And even I, as 1 of the 2 who haven't fully gotten on anyone's badside, ended up with some tension with the NPC that is supposed to be the contact for the party's 2 rogues by trying to smooth things over for the other rogue who outright pissed her off. 🤣🤣🤣

[@SnaxTheSnaxolotl]

Time for some DnD lucky and nipsy and ziggy, I mean Doge!

[@Howlflame]

I should start taking shots every time I hear a story about Curse of Strahd.

[@BlueTressym]

It's a good way to be perpetually drunk...

[@gekolvr0734]

Ok but the rreadmill used right is 100% a great way to subtly create tension for players who are paying attention and make things spooky without anything overt

[@lalunafate]

I gotta say I really like the 'coming up' section at the start, it helps if I'd already seen the same story elsewhere though more and more I am listening to you over other channels. Keep it up

[@darkcerabrate]

Of course u don’t throw up on floors…that’s more of a cat thing XD

[@starbugmechanic5236]

The jokester player reminds me of one of my friends characters. Each of his character ideas start with “wouldn’t it be funny if…”.

[@kisaknight626]

Another video just a day later. Wow, you are hard working this week. 👏 Keep up the great work! Your stories definitely make my work day better.

[@kalajel]

I can see some of the veteran DM's arguments (deliberate insults aside, obviously), but then again there are people who want to play less serious, more casual games... So, I guess, have a session 0 to see if the game is for you?

[@DungeonDragon18]

Second story: I'm autistic, and just because it's harder for ND people to figure out social standards doesn't mean we don't have to put in the effort to learn. The group was very polite about telling the Ranger that he was being disruptive, and the Ranger should have thanked them for the input and worked on being less disruptive, instead of throwing a tantrum and rage quitting.

[@iank472]

And that's why you can be a functional member of society or social groups while Ranger sadly never will.

[@deepseastonecore3017]

Thanks 4 all the hard work.

[@dragonturtle2703]

There is nothing inherently wrong with gate keeping. Ironically, that person should be the one gate kept. Trying to gate keep an entire hobby is both folly and authoritarian. What you should do, is gate keep your table/community, as I hope that DM did. After all, it’s a game so having fun is a goal, just like training is the goal of improving a skill/ability, and a job is to produce something of value and get money for it. If other people are having fun, then they are doing it right, and you don’t have the right to tell them otherwise. Honestly, that person seems extremely pretentious. I wonder if it is just for RPGs, or if in general she will berate someone for not living as she says it should be done.

[@wcookiv]

Generally the things you consider acceptable gatekeeping aren't what most people are talking about when they use the term. It also tends to refer to targetting groups of people, not behaviours. Like 'anyone who acts like an asshole is kicked out of our private game' is only gatekeeping by the loosest stretch of the definition.

[@dragonturtle2703]

@@wcookiv I know, though I’d say that perfectly fits the definition, just not the colloquial. Either way, many people see that, and say “well, we just need to accept everyone don’t we”, or cry gatekeeping whenever someone doesn’t want them there. Even then, I’d say that is sort of the trash taking itself out. If a bunch of people gatekeep women out of their group for instance, do you think a women would have enjoyed that group?

[@cuddlesnugglesworth5829]

There is a THIRD black cat? That doesn't speak english? Amazing

[@thefanofeverything5039]

The thing about D&D is that it’s more like a game console than an actual game. It’s a system of rules for rolling dice, and suggestions for races, classes, spells, NPC’s, etc. the Dm can do whatever would fit the party, make whatever world they want. They make the actual game part. To say that the Dm is bad because they are playing a kraken without intelligence, or their system has ways to powergame, is like getting onto UNO for teaching people to get rid of all their cards instead of asking for more to reach a certain number like in blackjack. Or saying that Pokémon is bad because it teaches kids to try and tame the monsters instead or killing them like in monster Hunter.

[@davenrippe480]

people like Tamera are the problem with table top. she's a gate keeper and it makes people leave the fandom and in time can lead to the end of things in a bad way. I hope that she loses all of her paying players down the road since it sounds like she has no concept of how to flow and have fun and refuses to give proper constructive advice to a new DM.

[@anluzdom6086]

Holy shit a brazilian dnd horror story Fuxking rare find

[@Pandadude-eg9li]

Lots of cats.

[@evangedeon2194]

Tamara needs to be told "OK Boomer" to everything she says for the rest of time 😆

[@iank472]

Someone should definitely suggest Tamara contact the fine folks behind the 'New' TSR game. She would fit right in with them and their design philosophy!

[@kalajel]

16:26 I showed you my dice. Answer me.

[@mastersouth531]

I have a different problem with my players than the Treadmill, I prepare... A lot, ahead of time. You know when you present your players with some choices like "Here are certain quests that you can do" Well... They don't decide which one they'd take... They do so ON THE NEXT SESSION, IN CHARACTER. sooo, To make sure that I have something for them to do, I... Make both maps, both encounters, set-up the quests and all that... Knowing full well that they may only choose one or neither of them. Example, I run a super light-hearted Dnd campaign next to my main campaign, most of the players are from there, but one of them is the now-ex (Wasn't when we started) of another player. And well, she can only play 2 hours, meaning that we can't really get that far ahead in the game... They picked one of the quests, went to the party of another adventurer, and then... Well, didn't finish the party and they're going on the quest the next day. So what was supposed to happen in 1 session might now actually take me 3... And this campaign was meant to be fast and simple, but I can't figure how to make quick scenes with roleplay...

[@Lersa25]

Can't you tell them to choose a quest when you need it to happen? One thing is to give your players a choice, another is to suffer their ignorance for your needs. Like, the need of time in life when you're not prepping something nobody will play.

[@mastersouth531]

@@Lersa25 I asked them, they said that they would talk, then a whole drama happened and they never got around to that.

[@unluckyone1655]

Story 1; Tamara sort of reminds me of one of my friends who has strong passionate opinions on alot of modern RPGs. Sans the usage of slurs and the fact that she mostly keeps them to herself while the rest of us play without her. But oh boy, if you ever make the mistake of opening that can of worms, be prepared to sit there whole she rants and raves about how stupid newer editions are and she will go on and on for over an hour yelling about it. I mean I lover to death, but the girl has no chill lol. Second story; whew I thought I had it bad in my COS campaign with our non serious jokey players, but at least we had some fun even if that campaign went down in flames, though honestly all of us, including me, was at fault for that. But that sounds like straight up sabotage. Theres adding brevity to Barovia, and there's whatever the hell happned there. Jerks using their disability to excuse shitty behavior will never not piss me off Third story;treadmilling. I guess that is an apt way to describe it. We had a GM who ran Cyberpunk and that is basically what he did. Anytime the players got through and encounter too quickly or killed the enemies too quickly, he would change stuff in the middle of it to try to make it more challenging at our annoyance. He would get pedantic all of a sudden, (oh you havent bought new shoes for iver a year, take a hit to your dex ans you have blisters and corns to high hell) he even changed to core rules so many times the books really couldn't be used to argue rules anymore. He even straight up changed combat rules in the middle of a fight. Honestly playing became a chore more than fun but no one had the experience or know how to run a game, so we tolerated it all for far longer than we should have

[@zerothehero6100]

"Wow, that's a lot of slurs and ableism, I wonder where they found a guy like that amd tolerated it until n- OH BRAZIL"

[@MarquisLeary34]

As I asked above, what the hell is going on to make Brazil's scene this toxic? This rivals even the worst pockets I've seen up here in the States.

[@TheRPGNerd]

the r slurs and using autistic as an insult caught me... way off guard. wtf

[@schwarzerritter5724]

Strangest part is that Professional DM did not say "neckbeard" like everyone else who wants to insult autistic people.

[@xryeau_1760]

@@schwarzerritter5724 She's not a dwarf

[@schwarzerritter5724]

@@xryeau_1760 Who is "she"?

[@xryeau_1760]

@@schwarzerritter5724 The professional DM

[@schwarzerritter5724]

@@xryeau_1760 What does that have to do with dwarfs?

[@Luckycharm318]

I also get grumpy when I hear people using their mental illness/ disorder as a I can do whatever I want cause of this. I also have ADHD and yes sometimes DND is a complete struggle for me, but I am very aware of my ADHD and use tools to help myself not be that guy during sessions. I have fidgets that help me focus, and when my emotions get out of hand (ADHD tends to be all or nothing emotion wise) my table mates will help get me back to a normal level.

[@Sl4wt3r]

Tamara: "blah blah blah this is my job and I have a reputation to uphold blah blah blah..." What's the point of upholding a shit reputation when all you're doing is a disservice to you field of work?

[@vexxama]

Pretty sure being a toxic and entitled person is ruining table tops more

[@oliviawilliams6204]

Tamara sounds like the worst kind of DM 1st spawned

[@mysticspace3369]

while I don't find Gatekeeping necessarily bad, I think gatekeeping can be good to keep bad apples out of your group but the first story was overall a terrible gatekeep, you can go too far with this. My advice on how todo gate keeping? If someone is trying to change something you like or anything. Especially if its motivated with malicious intent, yes be open to change sometimes but it isn't always necessary.

[@ChaosCounseling]

I admit I like Krakens because of how smart they are. But the rules are meant to be a guide and the Dm can change most anything they need to for the sake of a fun game.

[@Ironbattlemace]

Simba is a clucking Chad.

[@theofficerfactory2625]

Oh! Hello rarely seen house panther, Ziggy. What language is his voice suppose to be? Story 1: I am developing my own tabletop miniature game and as much as I want this to be “realistic” without it being a mass battle with SO many nuances that it drags and drags and becomes frustrating and boring and yet I want players to have fun. Slowly, my game is getting there and I am on my 16th edit of the rules. Mind you, each edit adds and subtracts and streamlines existing rules and adding in more units for players to play with. Note the units are just paper top view of vehicles and target boards on colored paper bases glued onto washers. V0.16 is going to debut at the end of the month at a local convention and I am excited. Story 2: NTA. He didn’t have ADD; he needed his butt whopped or needed an attitude adjustment. That was not being autistic or having ADD. Aww. Hello Simba. Story 3: So he doesn’t prepare and just … treadmills or he really loves Groundhog Day.

[@johnschroeder163]

Final Story - No, OP, please rant away- no waste of screen space here. This sounds like a serious problem. But, what enquiring minds want to know -DID IT WORK?!!? If there was ever a story that begs for an update, this is it. Did your dumbass DM pull his head from his butt with an audible popping sound, or did you gift him with the embarrassment of a mass player walk/eff you? PLEASE PLEASE let us know!

[@informitas0117]

Tamara is a bad DM. If by "professional DM" means they get paid - Don't pay DMs, don't normalize that shit.

[@ShadowReignhart]

I don't even think it's that Tamara was a paid DM, she was just a narcissist who probably never understood why people didn't like her. You know the type of person, always has to be right, can do nothing wrong unless it's a convenient mistake.

[@MWH12085]

Tamara is another example of how stereotypes exsist because people perpetuate them.

[@schwarzerritter5724]

"If you are good at something, never do it for free." -The Joker

[@patjacksonpodium]

I mean I know _I_ don't charge for my DM services because I play with friends, but considering how much time is involved in it there's absolutely a good reason to pay a DM if that's what they want. You have ANY idea of how much time can take out of your life? You're sacrificing a lot of your own personal time and often money, and yes, it's fair to ask to get paid for your labor. It's the same reason you pay a band to play a gig. It's entertainment, and entertainers should get paid for their craft. That being said...if you're getting paid to DM, you'd better bring it and give your PCs an awesome game.

[@draconicfeline6177]

@@patjacksonpodium yeah it's a lot of work. I burned TF out due to my D&D games. I'm not comfortable charging and especially charging friends but I am absolutely for people who do charge. It's valuable time and a valuable service that's not always appreciated. I understand, and even I would expect my players to maybe shell out for a module if they expect me to run it for them... Or at least buy snacks.

[@JacobL228]

How many cats do you have?!

[@BlueTressym]

I don't know about Doge (I think I've seen around 5-6 different ones?) but I have n-1, where n is the ideal number to have.

[@DnDDoge]

5

[@gnollsuwu3861]

I have ADHD and am on the spectrum, so seeing people try to use these things as a shield is awful. The only thing I can say might work as a shield that I can think off of the top of my head is being bipolar

[@Andi_Frost_XPR0PR18]

Oof, that first story hurt to hear. Gatekeepers are some of the worst people, and this is evidence of that.

[@realrealwarpet]

God i hate that area in dark souls 2. Granted, i played a sorceress, so it’s always tougher

[@WolfHreda]

It's one of my favorite areas. It's very atmospheric. Now, the Iron Keep, on the other hand... 😬

[@realrealwarpet]

@@WolfHreda that one area underground with all the sorcerers XD

[@WolfHreda]

@@realrealwarpet the fucking Shrine of Amana. I can almost make it through there first try every time now. I've gotten awfully good at parrying spells.

[@realrealwarpet]

@@WolfHreda you can parry spells? Ive just been throwing magic at it XD

[@evolution031680]

Boy, Tamara sounds really fun to play with.🙄

[@TaoScribble]

Tamara's a real see you next Tuesday.

[@renamation8098]

MORE. CATS. YES!

[@egam_ssergit]

old video i know... i got adhd even as a kid i was shamed the one time i got sick at a friends house during a sleep over

[@Casandraelf]

yay! ziggy's still around!

[@forgottenartform]

For some reason i doubt that Tamara is as qualified as she claims to be - surely if she was she wouldnt be resorting to personal insults and understand that, like with any forn of gaming or hobby, people are going to approach it in their own ways and theres no single "right way" to enjoy something

[@fred_derf]

Hey Tamara, if you're having trouble finding players who want to play the game "your way", then "your way" of playing is most likely the problem.

[@RatedB1]

Sheesh this lady needs a life

[@whatteamwildcats4033]

Imagine deadass saying "this game isn't supposed to be fun" Like ok sis.

[@LeRodz]

Ngl, it's very sad to see a fellow brazilian TTRPG fan act like this. I also want our tabletop rpg scene to grow, and it's thanks to things like Tormenta and Ordem Paranormal that it has a chance. They are fine systems (i played very little of Tormenta, and just got invited to a OP game), and can introduce a lot of new players to the hobby. Ironically, even One DnD new arcane/primal/divine system looks alot like how Tormenta handles it's magic.

[@Xuecnahc]

I do not agree with the comment about the last DM although I still think he is handling it extremely wrong. OP speak about the DM letting them choose their short term goals... When running a campaign here the players are free to just jump on any idea (including mid-session) and go to any new/unprepared location and expect it to advance the plot, you sometimes end up having to draw a new map/adapt your lore and story to fit their expectations. This is not easy and sometimes you actually need to stop acting as a goblin to do actual work during the session to re-plan things out. Instead of just creating frustrating experience the DM should just be more open about it and has some options... Prepare more generic adventures, to the cost of quality. Prepare more and likely waste a lot of the prepation in the process. Call for more breaks during the games. Or simply admit that he can not run such an open campaign and throw more hooks at the players to fix the railway.

[@Redtail45044]

...Hairless rodents...why? As to the others. Geh. I hope I don't meet someone like Tamara, as I probably won't back down and happily keep proof if it's genuinely malicious. The third? Yeah...I'm inclined to think that maybe they just didn't catch any plot hooks.

[@emanymton713]

Wait wait wait, in story one they are running a “ fire emblem campaign “ and claim the party is having fun. I’ve heard this tale from the players side in one of crit crabs videos. The players were absolutely not having fun.

[@MarsRedPlanet1914]

are you sure its the same guy?

[@CrashGordon94]

Not necessarily the same guy. Its a popular enough series now and in a similar enough niche that more than one could think of it at once.

[@emanymton713]

@@CrashGordon94 it had the same kraken details.

[@supox9094]

@@emanymton713 I searched hard for the story that you said exists, I searched keywords in google such as "kraken", "fire emblem", and "ttrpg story" yet the only thing that came up that had all of them was this story. I also searched the videos critcrab made in the past few month and yet there's nothing about fire emblem there. So if you watched that video I would like to know which video it is.

[@ShiKageMaru]

Tamara in the first story sounds like a lot of youtube commenters who decide that people are playing wrong and are being "disrespectful" for wanting to have fun.

[@FinalFantasyIXIIII]

I actually kinda agree with what Tamera was saying about DnD/ttrpgs, but she was a total bitch with how she was saying it. I do think there is an issue where pop fantasy stuff like Critical Role are bring in people who don't really want to play DnD or TTRPGS and really just want Silly Wacky Quirky DnD Story simulators. I know the whole thing is that "DnD is supposed to be fun", but that kind of game isn't fun to me and the more people stuff like Critical Role brings in the harder it is to find a group that wants to play a more serious and grounded game. Like, I can't get invested in a game where half the encounters are "I cast charm person on the necromancer and make them dance the thriller dance" or "I'm an Elf Barbarian named Funkle McGunkle and my Rage has me speak in bass boosted dubstep", and thats the kind of play most groups do now. And once you have that many people like that, the game itself will shift to cater to them. Just look at a few of the later 5e books, where you have the entire thing framed as tho it was written by a CEO for a tech company with jokes like "Warlocks are not allowed to wake up screaming in the middle of the night" or the one that was just Magic Collage with sports teams and mascots. Like, it's fine to have humor and lightheartedness in a game, but if everything is just one big joke how can you expect people to have more that surface level investment?

[@StateBlaze1989]

The kid in that second sounds young. Like 12 and under young.

[@druid6452]

Yeah not a wise move to respond to the player saying he has adhd and that's what's making these things difficult for him with saying you have some other neurodiversity. No, of course it's not the same. Even if you don't follow it up with outright saying "yet I still manage just fine so it's no excuse for you" that's still what I think most people will assume the implication is, which would of course be a ridiculous, ignorant and highly insulting thing to insinuate. Instead, the response should be along the lines of "we didn't know, but now that we do how about we find and try some strategies to make the game easier for you to engage with?" There is advice out there online about ways to better accommodate players with adhd. If they're bringing up their inexperience, then reassure them there is no judgement, everyone has been there, what's important is that there's just open communication on all ends about expectations and how the game can be fun for everyone if certain behaviours are ruining that fun for one or more people. It sounds as though everyone confronted this person all at once together and out of the blue. Of course they are going to feel attacked and naturally get defensive. Especially given they're young and inexperienced. The group did not approach this well and showed a distinct lack of empathy. It is not always easy for people to tell others about how they are neurodivergent, we can't assume it wasn't difficult or vulnerable for this person to tell the group they had ahdh, and to get a response like that to it I am not at all surprised they just left. I'd be angry too. I'm angry on their behalf just hearing about it.

[@davidgaskin5417]

This is what I truly hate about the gaming community( large group, I know)....a hobby that by its nature needs to be very social and welcoming still attracts large groups of anti-social individuals. A " successful" game has only 1 criteria - is everyone( or at least the majority) having fun? If "yes", you are doing enough. If you are not enjoying the game, you have 2 options...have a chat with the GM to see if it is something that can be resolved - if not, leave the game and join another.

[@Qwerty95ish]

While I like a deadly game where the GM will TPK you if you play stupidly that doesn't mean other games are bad, just not for me.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

Saying a bunch of ableist garbage in an official capacity as a professional, explicitly expressing intent to discriminate against the neurodivergent. If she keeps that up, I see a lot of harassment suits in her future.

[@stevenwarnock2334]

Legit question: why do you read the TLDR at the end of the post? I mean, you've already read the post, so the TLDR, at that point, is little more than a redundant summary. Why isn't the TLDR read up front or skipped entirely?

[@myautobiographyafanfic1413]

The OP saying he "spawned" things is gross. I know it's a video game term, but... Spawn.

[@teirdalin]

Sounds like one should avoid playing D&D with Brazilians as they take it way too serious. The fact they didn't ban Tamera says a lot about the rest of that server.

[@angiep2229]

Tamara's people skills are severely lacking, for a professional DM. And personally I don't care that she knew the OP was on the spectrum. Using disabilities as insults makes you a terrible person.

[@slagarcrue85]

Are you ok doggie. These people really got under your fur. I’ve never heard you swear this much in the past.

[@thenosehero]

Am I the only one that would have just muted and/or kicked Tamara at the first insult? Specifically that kind of non-constructive direct insults isn't about to get better, that shit is about to continue, best show yourself some respect and head that nonsense off at the start. Also these types tend to get REALLY angry if they just get blocked, and I think their helpless seething is funny, they will hurt themselves more than you can if you just deprive them of a target.

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Well she was a mod so...