What Alignment is your Dungeon Master?

[@RiverwalkerWolf]

True Neutral: otherwise known as the DM who's favorite phrase is "Are you sure?"

[@garrettwhite3922]

Or "you can certainly try"

[@haydentempest3874]

I do think professional DMs are probably going to end up true neutral for the most part, certainly all the actual plays I've seen would fit that description best Edit: nvm forgot about the oxventures and oxventure in the dark. Luke and Jonny are both chaotic good

[@TheHandgunhero]

Nah, that's neutral good, because the neutral DM doesn't warn you or give you the chance to back out.

[@harrywhiteley89]

"Do you touch it?"... "With your bare living flesh?" a great line

[@intoxicatedmasculinity]

I feel like that's what my therapist says...

[@fog99uk]

A Neutral Evil DM could be 'The Narrator' - They have a story they want to tell, and what the players want to do doesn't matter.

[@Zarkonem]

YES! I had a DM like this before! He was an author IRL and did legit tell a decent story. But don’t you DARE try to do something that is counter to how he wanted the story to go or he will find a way to shut you down and then gaslight you as the problem if you didn’t enjoy having your autonomy revoked.

[@erikcribley5271]

I like saying “We are the Dungeon Dudes” along with them, as if I too am a Dungeon Dude

[@ryanrhino2318]

Same

[@davidcarnan1270]

There are dozens of us! DOZENS!

[@Dakarai_Knight]

@@davidcarnan1270 More than dozens. Tens of thousands!

[@maxdaviid]

Thats adorable xD I'll join you all and start to do that

[@destinpatterson1644]

​@@Dakarai_Knight We are Legion, for we are many

[@longline]

Hilariously my dm is The Author, and is literally a published author full-time. You nailed it.

[@xySuperManxy]

LG: Thanks to your heroism, Waterdeep is safe once more! NG: How do you want to do this? CG: Yes, and… LN: *sigh* No, there are no jellicle tabaxi in Phandalin. TN: Are you sure about that? CN: Out of nowhere, a *roll* Purple Worm attacks! LE: That’s what the book says. NE: Because I said so! CE: Rocks fall, everyone dies!

[@dmdave2512]

"Rocks fall, everyone dies!" Word for word this is the joke I use when I'm not feeling up to being the DM that night lol

[@maguszeal5818]

Ive done that but it wasn't a purple worm it was a dragon turtle. And to be fair he wasn't in a fighting mood at the moment. Till the warrior hit him.

[@FigNewton7]

"What if I name my tabaxi Rum-Tum-Tugger and then enter Phandalin?" *Sigh* "Then there's one jellicle tabaxi..."

[@FraternityOfShadows]

Lawful Neutral all the way, baby; with all the pros and cons included - you get to be The Heroes, I will make you feel good and win - even if some of you may die - but the world has to be good, because it's MINE!

[@evilallensmithee]

Well done

[@Jeromy1986]

Also, I'm really glad you understand Lawful and Chaotic as consistent vs. inconsistent! I swear that's what 3rd edition taught me, and nobody these days learned that from 5th.

[@Jeromy1986]

@falsnamae3511 , what you said about 5e Law and Chaos is what I learned back in 3rd, but most people these days think that Lawful=follows the actual written law regardless of what it does for the citizens, and then Chaos is their modern interpretation of Anarchy (which is some happy hippy thing instead of the dog-eat-dog reality).

[@varmiiii]

I know this comment is probably gonna get buried but I wanna comment and just say thank you to the dudes. I ran my first game ever this past weekend (and it was all my players' first time ever playing too). The players went completely off the path in a way I was not expecting, and watching the drakkenheim streams and all the rules + tips videos massively helped. My players had a lot of fun and I couldn't have done it without y'all :)

[@dylanpenn3189]

Glad you could join all of us dms

[@varmiiii]

@@dylanpenn3189 Glad to be here! I became the DM because none of my friends wanted to do it, but I'm actually really enjoying it, so it all works out :)

[@DungeonDudes]

Congrats on running your first game! It makes my day to hear our videos helped you, and I'm thrilled your players had fun. Cheers to your epic adventures in the future!

[@brycestoker6747]

Welcome to the ranks! Sorry it was under slight duress but I'm glad you're enjoying it. Far too many people just are afraid to try and be a DM but it can be a real blast. I hope things continue to go well for you.

[@norokodven4768]

One of us one of us

[@nimnim4699]

You know you've made it when your DnD content is peak quality AND you can sponsor yourself!

[@Shrapucino]

"The sponsor for todays video is us losers, we're strong independent women who don't need no man"

[@VestigialLung]

“I could probably enjoy a lawful evil DM’s one shot but not a lawful evil DM’s campaign.” ^this, I don’t have warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings about the days of meat grinder dungeons and showing up to the table with half a dozen characters, but I could probably enjoy a session of it.

[@havcola6983]

While it's not my normal style I take on my "Lawful Evil DM" hat every time my players enter a funhouse dungeon in our campaign. To our group that style of adventure has no stakes unless you know the DM (and therefore the dungeon) is actively but fairly working against you as hard as they can.

[@princeofgreece9054]

My friend who still DMs for us to this day (been playing regularly for 5-6 years) is more of a lawful evil DM. Danger is around every corner, make the wrong decision and you will be really working not to die, but he rewards you for getting out of those situations. It’s like D&D on hard mode and we absolutely love it. It’s the most fun we have ever had.

[@pkrangehit]

Yeah im a bit LE too with CN, great for a one shot but the players are always on edge because every 2nd combat is a deadly encounter

[@mishiara5499]

high risk, high reward

[@Hdhdushzhz57743]

That sounds a bit like Lamentations of the Flame Princess or a DCC Funnel

[@lustracii4181]

Do you know where lawful evil DMs thrive? Warhammer 40k. Our Dark Heresy 1st ed. DM outright said that we were going to suffer, and if we get ourselves in a mess, so be it, your fault. Didn't help that we have the most arrogant, smug and stubborn highborn adept (both in and out of character) that constantly puts himself in dangerous situations, especially when it comes to dabbling with sorcery, which I hate as a cleric PC, and annoying everyone, including the antagonists, which everyone hates, but has to put up with. What he didn't know is that we are the luckiest sons of bitches who can turn our greatest misfortunes into successes. Be it perfectly dodging attacks in an ambush, surviving a daemonic incursion on a ship, which resulted in us being sent back in time (warp shenanigans), or killing a rogue inquisitor (which was our adept's fault because he mocked him into personally leading a death squad with a daemonhost for our asses) or A FREAKING EVERSOR ASSASSIN (DM was tired of our luck streak, so he had to come up with an endgame enemy to spice up our campaign even more). And we love it. For every great risk that we endure, we get highly rewarded. And it leads to even greater ones, because reputation and rumours exist, so we have quite the list of adversaries. Welcome to the Inquisition, we don't fuck around here.

[@dracnar]

Why does this feel pretentious?

[@basselstineart]

I'd like to add that when true neutral leans evil, you end with the Railroader or Narrator. The players are just there to hear the DMs story.

[@leonmayne797]

That's more lawful evil.

[@joshualowe618]

I'm definitely like that sometimes, yeah. There are moments when I really take my time to describe the world or a certain character without expecting input from my players, and there are also moments where I think to myself "I have no idea what I'll do if the players don't go along with this plot point". I'd like to think, though, that my descriptions are part of why my players enjoy my games, and that I am able to bounce back and forth at least a little when my monologues are interrupted. As well, I'm at least willing to let the players go against some of my most important plot points, and then to try and follow that path while also salvaging what I can of the intended plot thread.

[@havcola6983]

​@@leonmayne797 No, railroading is not really in the spirit of Lawful. A Lawful DM will let you, for example, kill off story-centric characters if you want, unless there's something in the rules that say you can't. How they follow up will vary. LG and LE will follow that up with consequences, leaning towards rewards or punishment respectively. Meanwhile LN might be the lawful dm that comes the closest to railroading. They might introduce new npc or story elements who's sole purpose is to offset the damage you did to "their" story.

[@Herbalizer28]

the face Kelly makes at 22:15 when Monty says he's not an evil DM is priceless

[@dhesyca4471]

I went back to see this because I missed it the first time, and it did not disappoint

[@Vickqyttor]

While you guys were describing the lawful neutral DM (one that allows players to make choices, but isn't afraid to show them the consequences) all I could think of as an example was the Goldfish Keyleth moment from CR lol

[@mattmcc7930]

I would say that was more chaotic neutral as Matt was still kind of new to DnD and didn't fully understand the fall damage rules. He was doing 1d6 per ten feet of fall, but there is a maximum and I'm pretty sure he went over it.

[@lukeari9890]

@@mattmcc7930 It's a pretty common homebrew to ignore the fall damage max, I'm pretty sure that had been mentioned before in that campaign.

[@havcola6983]

@@mattmcc7930 You can be a Lawful DM even if you're wrong about the rules, as long as you _think_ you're doing it right.

[@MajorrGamiingMann]

Neutral Good, but I pull from Lawful Good, True Neutral, and Chaotic Good depending on scene and how much impact I want it to have. I generally don’t prepare many notes, but when I do, they are very deep and detailed.

[@mactireliath2356]

Chaotic Good people claim to be NG all the time, just like this 😂; “I’m NG, but I borrow from everything else under the sun (that’s good of course…)”. The difference is in consistency. The How is the same, so the other 5w’s can be defined within its parameters. That takes careful planning

[@MilohRhed]

I started my role as the DM after about 1 month exposure to DnD. We did a few sessions with a friend who volunteered to run Mines of Phandelver for us, then started canceling every weekend for like a month. I liked the game enough that I prepared to step in and run it for my friends. I ran the written content and had a great time getting my players to level 5. When we finally beat the boss, I had gotten a lot more comfortable with world building. I started doing the "scrapbooking" that Kelly mentioned. I really believe that as the DM, I build half the world, then let my players write the other half. I feel like I'd fall in Neutral Good for this reason. My thought during this video is that most long term DM's are probably more neutrally aligned than anything. These DM's had the revelatory moment that they can't prepare for every eventuality, but that's one reason the game is so fun.

[@KX231-c3o]

I don't prepare for everything, but I prepare a few dozen jumping-off points that I can improvise from. As well as a map and music for the campaign.

[@DrewTombs]

Over my few years of DMing, I've totally gone from Lawful Good (brand new to D&D as well as my players) to Neutral Good (starting leaning into causality and deviating from the rules and homebrewing), to where I am now, True Neutral. It's funny because I can even identify the specific campaign moments where the shifts happened as well 😂

[@excessivedetailttrpg]

Give it time and you'll be at Neutral Evil with me, and you'll run the best games you've ever run. The Dungeon Dudes know not what they say, Evil is great motivation. 😈

[@manichighway5986]

As a DM I 100% am Chaotic Good, my players will do good things, will fight evils, and try to make the world better but there will be a lot of chaos going on mostly caused by tricking the players into doing it.

[@isaactaylor8086]

Personally I think I am more a true neutral type of DM, possibly leaning lawful evil.

[@alexinfinite7142]

Kelly's style has helped me accept a little more fluidity and enjoy it. It's helped a lot seeing it played out and when you have things flowing so well it's basically writing itself in real-time. The people apart of it are on a wild ride of their own making

[@dylanpenn3189]

I am definitely a neutral/neutral good dm, it's crazy how well you described me. I take a whole bunch of different monsters, rules, feats, subclasses, and make them my own to fit my world. I love watching my players explore my world, interact with my npcs, and fight valiant foes, sometimes dying in the process. Obviously I want my players to fight these crazy monsters and use crazy abilities, but the story, the interactions, and the challenges the PCs overcome or fail make dnd super fun for me.

[@maguszeal5818]

As a chaotic nuetral dm who always wanted to be a neutral good dm im envious im just not orginized enough. But some of us will have fun. As long as your charavter isn't the one receiving the end of the joke.

[@damianwhite7771]

I'm definitely in the NG/N area. It depends mostly on the mood of the story and players actions. Stupidity will definitely get you killed.

[@maguszeal5818]

@@damianwhite7771 yah in reality i do give warnings for stupid behavior. Its like ate you sure upu want to do that?

[@MilohRhed]

Yeah, I know there are DM's in all of the above alignment categories, but it seems to me that the longer you DM for, the closer you get to a neutral alignment, or at least understanding neutral. :) I think it has to do with the dichotomy of the DM's role. You fill the roll of the player's mentor and nemesis simultaneously. It's definitely helped expand how I think about character development, story arches, and player bonds.

[@Silverstiletto]

I had a Manipulator (neutral evil) DM as my first DM when I was in High School. They would try to pretend to be lawful evil so that we thought there was a chance to get to the end of the story. They would often listen to our ideas and say that it was fine to play a certain character class and then they would have NPCs that would challenge the players with the exact counter to the class we chose. It took me years and having some good friends to realize that not all DMs are trying to kill the players.

[@dinomulahmetovic6439]

I would say Gary Gygax is the ultimate Lawful Evil GM. After all, he did write the book.

[@Badbentham]

I can fully agree! - Unfair and merciless , actively trying to kill the PCs, as his adversaries, whenever he sees even the slightest chance. But, also the very incorporation of the rules system; seeking for ultimate justice . Imho, in many cases at least better than a "true CG" DM, where the player's actions can have no real consequences, and who potentially even fudges dice rolls in favor of the party. Worst is of course CE, as for those it is all about the fun that the DM himself has.

[@bradwillis7415]

Facts

[@radiodazearchives-formemor7478]

Nope. You couldn't be farther away from the truth about Gary.

[@soMeRandoM670]

I would say, I am LN I like applying rules broadly and fairly. I do run NPCs wanting to survive and villians are going for the win. If i make a rule about swimming underwater avoid arrows, Ill let monsters follow same rules. I like having consequences for actions for both sides npcs and pcs.

[@B.V.Luminous]

He is a Chaotic Alignment...

[@peterranney9488]

At the end I think you hit the nail on the head when you described it as different scenes require different tones. If the party goes to a tavern and hang out the scene is going to be much more heavily improv based than the scene where the lord of the land asks for their help.

[@chickane5586]

This is a great video! I find myself in the LG category - but because I mostly DM for kids. But what’s interesting is listening to the NG DM (which I think is where I want to be), I’m hearing what I need to change in order to adapt my game. This might have been pitched as a bit of fun - but it’s really valuable from understanding what not to do or things to watch for (in both yourself as a DM or as a player looking at DMs).

[@10TARDIS]

Dang you got me figured out exactly XD. Im a lawful good, and do in fact love the Ebberon setting!

[@evris13]

This was a great watch and very well made. Loved the axis and explanation for every alignment!

[@TopTierKnees]

I'm not surprised to hear Kelly mention Monster of the Week in relation to his CG style. The game book actively encourages that style with "be a fan of the hunters" as a primary tenant and mystery design focusing around characters and locations rather than planned story.

[@Breakstop]

I’m somewhere between chaotic good and neutral good I think, probably tending towards chaotic good.I just started running the Lost Mine of Phandelver with my younger brothers and some friends, your videos have been clutch!!

[@357Dejavu]

I thought this would be a less serious and lighthearted video, but it turns out to be thought provoking and well thought out.

[@Overused_Toothbrush]

I think I’m Neutral Good when DMing. I twist the rules in order to have fun character moments but I still work best when given a book, a script and a plan.

[@davidkobold5311]

Back in my early days, I had a good friend who was a CE DM. While there are a few fond memories of ridiculous and epic moments, overall it was terribly frustrating. I love the thought exercise this video inspires. Great job dudes!

[@Calebgoblin]

On one hand I really wanted to share this with some of my D&D friends who have been or currently are my DM. On the other hand ... I'm scared to because I've been their DM too

[@blakethegreatone2058]

That's part of the fun to me. Lol

[@Taro4242]

Brilliant tongue-in-cheek video! By your metrics, I'm a lawful-good GM and certainly not ashamed to admit it. I like seeing my players succeed and the feedback from them has been very encouraging and allows me to improve as well. In my mind, it's a win-win scenario if everyone leaving the game table is happy at the end of the evening.

[@Benjamin-nf2ir]

This is amazing. You guys nailed it. Now I'm always going to rate my DM games based on what alignment I played as

[@lordofthunder4065]

When you said, 'I'll let it fly this time', my immediate thought was of Matt Colville. It makes me happy that when I then looked at the screen, I saw his two books in the background

[@cohortus]

Played in a Lawful Evil DM's game many years ago when I was a kid and it was a lot of fun despite dying every week. We lost countless characters to that DM's CE master of monsters. Sometimes the challenge of just surviving is fun in a game with your friends.

[@starwarsnewsandmemes8289]

It can be fun if you know what you're getting into, and are up to the challenge.

[@havcola6983]

The Lawful Evil DM is just the guy you need for a certain style of play, and as long as everyone is cool about the arrangement this can be super rewarding. And hey... Making new characters to play is pretty fun! 😅

[@Shane-The-Pain]

Hi guys. I think you're spot on. Especially the irredeemability (?) of the Manipulator and Psychopath, I have played at those tables. I think those DM types are Trying to be social. But they have serious mental issues that need to be addressed before they should be allowed to interact with other humans. As for what style I am, I think I am an Author, struggling to become a Dramatist. I started as an Improvisor and I will say all the best DMs started as Improvisors. Hands up, Improvisors?

[@hamsmcham3238]

I think the lawful evil DM puts cultists in every encounter just to Silvery Barbs players on every roll because the players took Slivery Barbs

[@bleflar9183]

Yes, except that a true lawful evil DM would do it regardless of what spells the players are using, and just expect them to either start using it or roll over and die.

[@tonyr.546]

This is a very interesting discussion. I really enjoyed you breaking this down into game terms instead of the typical psycho-analysis. I think you guys are pretty spot on with your assessments too. Thanks for putting this out there!

[@AlBenChris89]

I play in a group with a DM that I would say flips between chaotic neutral and neutral good. He's really good at making us feel like heroes, but he's not afraid to insert big events when we're hesitating. I'm a new DM myself, so I'm all over this table. I'm running an Eberron campaign, so I'll strive to be neutral good. Really anything that isn't evil 😅

[@IrrelephantRamblings]

Evil dms come down to selfishness. So long as you aren't purposefully being a dick head, you wont be an evil dm lol

[@nuke___8876]

You guys are right on -- a LE DM is great for a one-off or a classic, short dungeon dive campaign. I think of it more like war-gaming than RPing which can be really rewarding if you're primarily into combat and/or you want the satisfaction of actually accomplishing something instead of being in "story mode." But yeah, doesn't make for a good grand campaign. I think the only way a CE DM can work is if the PCs find themselves in some sort of universe which is both hostile and internally inconsistent. A campaign that takes place completely within the mind of someone having a nightmare or the mind of a very disturbed person (think of 'Alice' the computer games) or the setting takes place in some homebrew plane of chaos where things are constantly in flux and, therefore, inherently dangerous. If the setting matches the DM -- it could maybe work.

[@justinzohner6964]

As a new DM I feel like my approach shifts as the sessions go on. I mainly focus on story, but really emphasize the players preferences from session zero. Some players really don't want their characters to die and I bend the rules or homebrew safeguards to make sure that happens. I still highlight the story but adapt that emphasis with each player as needed.

[@rileycowger5612]

It's very refreshing to hear someone say that. As a fellow new DM that is relatable

[@chrisvandurme925]

That explanation from Monty about true neutral DMs being able to pick the right outer square alignments at the right time is a straight up 20.

[@leodouskyron5671]

I started in AD&D so I am always fluctuating - all things equal I am mostly Neutral. But with PCs that are very experienced and adult, the higher level the play the more LE I become (but I do explain thing and drop hints a lot more the more LE I get). But if the players are newer and younger . I go CG letting them do what they like and sometimes ignoring rules only to “remember” the rules right after they get where they wanted to go and explains the alternatives that also could work to help them try to be as creative as possible.

[@pacman7654]

This video was so good! Like Monty I am intensely drawn to Lawful Evil, because there's nothing I love more than consequences in my roleplaying. I think the party dying to a dragon is one of the most beautiful ways to end a campaign. However, it is so important to make this clear before the campaign starts. The problem is people are so desperate to join a game they will often pretend to be OK with that sort of thing when you ask them, but they change their tune once they start playing.

[@Nickle_King]

Personally, I like to think I’m a Dramatist. It’s also the kind of games I prefer. I like being a part of a world that feels organic. I like pushing and pulling against it, making choices and dealing with the consequences. Even if those consequences are that my player dies. The best D&D story I have is when my character opened up to another character about his past and poured his heart out in an attempt to get this character to understand them on a deep, personal level, then a few days later he died. It was tragic, dramatic, heartfelt, and so f*****g wonderful.

[@V-vision]

Same here. We'd get along great at a table. I'm trying to encourage my players to do more pulling against the world/what I believe they consider to be the GM's will in a City of Mist campaign I run. They're playing thieves and there are times when I have to remind them that they don't have to go save the random person from the scythe wielding maniac (an actual ongoing thing in the campaign, not an oddly specific example) just because I've put them there. Even more importantly, continually doing things that are outside of their character will eventually have consequences due to the mechanics of the game. I might not present so many different opportunities in a DnD campaign, but this all takes place in a single city so I think foregoing the opportunity to hint at or full on show the workings of NPCs and operations in the city would be a disservice to story telling. So, long story long, finding that balance of having those things in to be used or ignore has been tough lol Anyway, if you like the consequences of pulling against things, try City of Mist if you haven't. Forget the world, you're actively making decisions that move toward aspects of your own character while pulling against others. Even better, that all has a tangible/ mechanical impacts, it's not relegated just to RP or consequences thrusts down upon you by the GM, but your character's abilities actively change as a result.

[@Jessica7Official]

I think this has been one of you guys' best segments! I definitely fit what you described as NG, and a good splash of what you said at 38:33 about deviating in that towards key situations too.

[@gavinlangston603]

I think I line up somewhere between Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. I allow most Homebrew, but make my own as well, and find myself enjoying the challenge of running for a wildly OP party.

[@TheBepis1309]

I'm the same way. Somewhat recently a boss I made had all 500 of his hp deleted in 2 turns. It's a very fun frustration.

[@kodiakcox9025]

I did not go in thinking I was going to be a Neutral Good DM, but your description of one almost perfectly matched me.

[@RavingNutter]

Me: Chaotic Fun. My Players: He's Lawful Mean.

[@blakethegreatone2058]

I pretty much got the same thing. Lol

[@ramuk1933]

I'm a choatic good DM. I couldn't decide what setting to go for, so I just chose all of them! The players find keystones that activate portals to other realms and the first encounter gave everyone a small magic carpet. I gave them crazy homebrew mounts that are literally a part of them and it is bery fun when a player tries to bend my rules.

[@diegoseba12]

would be nice for DD to make a video on the tweaks made to the Baldur's Gate 3 classes. I'm pretty much a newbie DM and would like to hear from more experienced people if the tweaks made to that game would translate well to tabletop. The BG3 Thief subclass, for example, gets to take 2 bonus actions in a turn instead of being able to do a Sleight of Hand check as a bonus action. I'd love to have some of those tweaks integrated into my table but I'm not sure if they're game-breakng or not.

[@endykun]

I think this is very much a sliding scale that DMs shift on either in response to players, or events, or just the campaign they're running, but they probably have one they TEND to more often than not.

[@aidandunne5978]

When you realize you were literally a lawful evil, true neutral, and chaotic good at different points throughout the last session, thus making you a Wild Magic Dm 🤣

[@alexcaulfield5208]

This was a great and fun video. My advice to DMs would be to try to find your style in fluctuating across the top left triangle of the chart. Use de rules wisely and consistently but don't be afraid to bend them for your players or the story. Be prepared, but ready to improvise when things inevitably go out of hand. Let your players have great and fun moments, make them the heros, but don't lose sight on the story and the true implications your players actions have in the world. Also, don't forget to have a little fun yourself, even at the expense of your players. It'll remind them it's a harsh world, and some things are out of their control. I know that if you try to fluctuate across the chart like that you won't send them into a meat grinder.

[@klaykid117]

When it comes to the average pad DM, they definitely tend to be more on the chaos side versus the law side, but when it comes to the legendarily bad THAT DM that you read about in stories They mostly seem to be incredibly strict with the rules. There is absolutely no wiggle room with them.

[@midwestindigo1397]

I have had the exact opposite experience. Chaotic DMs for me often feel like they can't be fair and inconsistent, and screw you over. Everything is so on the fly sometimes to the point nothing even makes sense.

[@SadCat221]

When I started out as a DM I was CG and had no idea what I was doing, so I mostly just leaned into the rule of cool to make sure my players were having fun. I’ve drifted towards NG the longer my campaign has gone on(close to 4 years now and finally coming to a close somewhat soon) and as I’ve gained experience and confidence, which watching you guys was a big help for btw. You guys really hit the nail on the head with the creating homebrew and using modules/ scrapbooking. I don’t run Eberron, even though I do love it. I run Pathfinder, since Golarion is just an absolutely bonkers setting that has everything. I’m LE whenever I run one shots, but my players love it because it’s so different from the normal game and I always let them know exactly what kind of scenarios they’re in for ahead of time as much as I can without spoiling the fun.

[@misterfred9023]

I joined a campaign late one time. I knew most of the players/DM but I had no idea what I was getting into. The DM was definitely CG and leaned heavily into the rule of cool. It took me a while to realize that I was trying to view the game in a more realistic setting, while the DM and a lot of the players were playing in an anime. Would be interesting to talk about these types of DMs again, but talk about what their worlds feel like. I enjoyed that you brought up Game of Thrones, I think it was for NN. CG really does feel like that anime, anything goes as long as its cool vibe. Curious about the rest! Love the content as always! Keep it up!

[@quercusmorgana]

These alignments really helped me understand what I've enjoyed in games and what I haven't! I could also see using these alignments to see what players align best with which DM.

[@meadorsmusic17]

As you started describing the Neutral Good DM I was like, “yeah no that definitely sounds like me.” You got to scrapbooking and I do that all the time, on almost every game. And then you said Eberron was the favorite and I resent how accurate you hit the nail on the head

[@macdd7257]

More and more I tend to play to find out, but I still can't stop myself, from time to time, to plan and create scenes tailored to my players PCs and backstory. I'm currently DMing an heavily personnalised Curse of Strahd game and it is one of the best Dming experience I've had in the 10 years I've played 5e. All my thanks to you, Dudes, for having such a positive influence on the D&D community. As a fellow Canadian, I'm really proud of you!

[@hobbyistdmthemaris9695]

I came into this video expecting to identify with Lawful Neutral or maybe even Lawful Evil, since I often stick to the rules to a fault, but I'm glad that I identified much more with Lawful Good, with elements of the adjacent 2 alignments. You're absolutely right, I'm terrified of death saves for that exact reason, but I do actually fudge a few rare rolls (specifically to avoid death saves lmao). I also have only ever been successful with modules, I really appreciate the path to follow. Great video, and have a great day!

[@keithwiechart7744]

The DM I play with is Lawful good but neutral good leaning. They run modules, which is totally fine, and they value tough encounters but don’t seek to kill the party. They are also very accommodating to story and creative choices the players make and does their best to craft their carefully planned modules with adjustments to suit the players. I am a Neutral Evil DM, but not in the way that I prioritize my fun over anyone else’s. Rather, I prioritize the challenge that the players must overcome. I love running horror and suspense based campaigns, and messing with the players as much as the actual PCs is what gives me more joy than anything. However, I do this with the intent of making memorable, tense, and exciting DnD moments for everyone, but I accomplish it through prioritizing the threat and then bending or breaking my own rules to make a combat that was a guaranteed loss possible. Either weakening the threat or empowering the party as needed. I will occasionally run a DMPC, but they are strictly there to balance combat and set the pace of the fights. I too seek to have the party survive, but not before the tension in the room is so thick that you could cut it with a pair of scissors. Essentially, False Hydra’s and Bagmen are my bread and butter, but for as much as I enjoy gaslighting and terrifying my players, I always want to make sure that my players are having as much fun being terrified and gaslit as I am having. Maybe this makes me neutral, but I seek to build a campaign where I can get great reactions out of horrifying, unsettling, and traumatizing moments, and my players can enjoy experiencing these impactful moments.

[@toddgale7663]

Love this. Based on your definitions, I seem to be riding the line between Neutral Good and Chaotic Good.

[@XionDarkblood13]

Great video and I also think something comments and anyone watching this is that, this "categorizing" of DMs and the best case scenarios for them are also going to depend on the players as well. It's like the Jocat video Crap guide to DnD how to DM. Sure the focus is on him as the DM and the mistakes he made but there are a lot of good comments about how the players weren't helping either. There were also like 30 players in his "game" and ran the gambit of types of players. Its a great way to also see that the type of players at the table also affect the game as a whole. The DM is a player as well and its easy to forget that and we want all the players to have fun and that includes the DM. So check up on your DMs and make sure they are having fun as well! See if there is anything you can do as a player to help enhance their fun as well. Usually it won't be a gameplay thing but rather how you interact with them and usually it will be something simple that you can't believe that it would make a big difference but you are happy to do anyway! Edit: I would say that the final part is about why taking the best parts of the different alignments can make for the best game. The draw for Monty being Lawful Evil is for the right reasons and for the reasons why a Lawful Evil DM is good for a one shot but tempered for longer campaigns. Sometimes you want the game that is the power fantasy, good vs evil and sometimes you want your choices to have real impact and have good and negative consequences. I think most of the "Evil" alignment problems come from a place of no communication and no expectations set for the game. If you know how the DM is going to run the game and somewhat what to expect it can be great if everyone is onboard. I was at a table for a couple games that did have that kind of chaotic evil DM and while I didn't stay, the other players had been playing for years. One of the reasons they enjoyed it is because they knew how the DM liked to manipulate things and they knew how to manipulate it right back at him. Part of the game for them was how to I trick the DM into letting this in the game? They enjoyed it and it was kind of fun to watch. I did not enjoy playing it though and even one of the other players apologized for the DM and said he had been in a particularly nasty stint when I joined and so he understood why I left and I left on good terms with those guys. It just wasn't for me and they understood that and weren't upset or anything lol. It really comes down to the Player/DM relationship and having the right expectations and being clear about how things are run. I think this categorization would benefit from a fourth alignment that is similar to the "Stupid" alignment, called the "Malicious" alignment. A good DM can do some of the things that you mentioned in the Evil alignments but only when they are on the same page as their players. What you guys are talking about in the Evil alignment is more about the DM wanting to hurt the players and I think that falls into the better category of "Malicious". What I mean is, you can have a DM that is "Evil" and it is like a Dark Souls game where yes, that log trap did swing back and kill you even though you dodged it, and that is great! For the right players and it can be chaotic or neutral and still be fine. It's when the DM takes the adverserial route and is doing so only because it makes them feel good because the players feel bad that it really is the problem. The chaotic evil has the same problems as being misused as the "stupid evil" alignment and does evil things because "LOL SO RANDOM". Chaotic Evil would be someone who does make that NPC you are trying to help turn out to be a werewolf and you sent them to the safehouse and it killed everyone you were trying to help. It may have been random but it also pushes the story forward and makes the players want that revenge on the NPC. Another important distinction that is hard to make and I struggle with it myself in shows and movies, is seperating the Actor or DM from the evil character they are representing. In the Mandalorian Moff Gideon is such a scumbag and I hate his face and AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! But I don't hate the actor because they did an amazing job at making the character unlikeable and from all accounts the actor is a really nice and likeable person. I have the same issue with the actress who played Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter. When I saw her again in Maleficient I immediatly hated her for no good reason lol. So it comes down to motivation. Is the DM doing this for shits and giggles or did you sign up for a tough game with dark consequences. Elden Ring is not a happy game with happy endings but it is an amazing story. If that's the kind of game and story you want then the DM better damn well pull up their panties and be evil! lol

[@Snoil]

Been DMing since '80, possibly '79 if you count In Search of the Unknown, and the reason I got forever DM'd very early in life is this: Create the world with a lot of flavor and expect your players to not partake in 90% of it because that's how it goes. Also, more importantly, put challenges in both combat and the world environment that are fun, not necessarily easy. I put myself Neutral Evil for one reason, I play the bad guys. And they actually know what they are doing. I have lines for my table no joke, because I'm not unfair or a liar. But the Bad guys have their motivations and powers and they get used. They left out that Lawful Good can equal Monty Haul.

[@ChrisMoneymakerDHRG]

Back in 1993, my first player after having played for almost 2 years under me, told me I was a neutral evil DM. The way he defined that had nothing to do with the criteria you gave in this video. When he said I was neutral on the law chaos side he meant that I would set up pattern traps, where I would something the same way in game several times, then when he got complacent I would change things up to keep him on his toes. The evil half was attributed to me because I made the game very challenging causing him to have to be very resourceful if he wanted his character to survive.

[@coffeebot7016]

This was so cool, thank you guys for your dedication to D&D!

[@solar4planeta923]

Monty, I have watched you speak as if you're adversarial to the players, like the LE DM you would sometimes like to be, but you do give the PCs all the tools they need to survive and fight another day. Players at your table can trust you, and that's important. You're definitely a storyteller, one who embraces ALL consequences of the players actions for good or ill, and that makes me think that the way it plays out you're Neutral or Neutral Good more often that anything else.

[@aaronarndt5956]

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this video, but not only was it interesting but it was also helpful. I can use the content to be more purposeful about my DMing AND it will help me select DM advice material.

[@DungeonDudes]

Awesome! Glad to hear you found it thought provoking!

[@criticalhoagieroll9108]

I was thinking of my DM the whole time I was watching this. I was thinking that he's neutral even though he always calls himself evil. I'm so glad you pointed out that those folks are common!

[@inclinedplane0192]

You both seem really energized by this conversation. It was fun to watch. Good idea for a topic!

[@Ramen10420]

I had a lawful good DM that used our cleric as a means of guiding us through the campaign. It was my kid's first experience with D&D, and now he loves it 😊 lawful good DM's are the best

[@amyloriley]

According to your descriptions, I'd be a Chaotic Neutral DM, with a splash of good. Over the years, I have found my fundamental philosophies in games such as Dungeon World and Blades in the Dark, and I will DM carrying these philosphies with me in D&D. - *Set up a scenario, play to find out what happens* Also, location-based adventures. So, here are two factions at war. You can align with either or choose a third option. I have no idea what you will do, I prepped nothing of the sort. I only prepped the set-up, and what will happen if you don't choose or interact with anything - per faction. ------ - *Reward rule of cool* - for many DMs, the opposite is true. Swing at the chandelier, jump, and attack from above? That seems like a Dexterity check. With disadvantage. And an attack roll. With disadvantage. And improvised damage (d4). Half damage on a hit. And you take fall damage. Or be boring and make a regular attack for regular damage and end your turn. To me, rule of swashbuckling should be rewarded instead. It doesn't have to be a lot. Say, +4 on one relevant attribute used, once. (Attack, damage, AC, a saving throw, etc.) And ignore all other penalties and ability checks. You swing on the chandelier, you make a regular attack, +4 damage because of attacking from above. Done. You can still use the chandelier again, but the chandelier has already spent its +4 bonus to be used. You have to think of a different way to get your bonus. Also, it stacks. Chain multiple elements together for a +8 bonus or higher. Like FATE aspects! Seems broken, but it just rewards cool play. On the one hand, you make a character feel broken for a turn. On the other hand, you will see something very cool happening at your table. Also, some aspects may stay on the battlefield for a longer time, to what makes sense in the fiction. Oil the carpet and set it ablaze. First arrow to go through gets +4 fire damage. Reduce the rewards for consecutive arrows going through the fire (e.g. +2 or +1 fire damage), or introduce a cost. (+4 fire damage, but it costs you Inspiration) Also, if you feel up for it and become a little more evil for the combat, have your enemies also gain these bonuses for using the environment. It's only fair that both sides can use these things. ------ - *Offer players devil's bargains for their character* - ... or let them make the offer themselves. Offer them a deal that alters the fiction in a bad way, but they gain advantage or a reward if they accept. "You are all very wounded, and the guards chasing you have crossbows. How about we say you all escape the guards unharmed; but your brother, a merchant who came just to town and unaware of your deeds, has seen you being chased by the guards, and will think poorly of you next time you encounter him. He might even report to the guards. Do you accept? If not, I can start making attack rolls with my crossbows. You might get lucky. It's up to you, what do you choose?" Once the players make an out-of-character decision, we zoom back in to the game and continue play from there. - *Always move the fiction forward* - never say "no." This is the "yes, but" and "no, and" rule. You try to climb the dungeon wall and fail? Rather than "nothing happens," say "some loose rocks tumble down and hit the floor. The sound wakes up some nearby bats. Bats that have a home next to the wall you try to climb. They are in panic. You are halfway at the wall. You can climb up, but you have to deal with some bats now. What do you do?" - *Never, ever, yes you are going to narrate fumbles ("no, and"), but never, I insist; never make the player characters look incompetent as a consequence of failing a die roll.* Change the environment all you like, but DO NOT make the players feel stupid. If players hate fumble rules, this is why. They feel stupid. It's the difference between you missing a point-blank shot and your enemy dodging last-minute. The outcome is the same, but in one, you feel incompetent for missing, in the other, you were proficient but so was your opponent.

[@Phhase]

There's another facet to Neutral or Lawful Evil DMs that's been missed: The Jealous Novelist. They say it's a game where you can do what you want and go in whatever direction, but in truth, they're going to railroad you as hard as they can because there's a very specific plotted line they wanted followed. I played with a DM who literally told us "I think I'm gonna write a book about this campaign after we're done." And didn't quite appreciate what that meant for a little while. It wasn't as bad as it could've been though (and don't worry, I was able to pull off a cheeky Henderson) .

[@druechappelle6138]

Damn you guys nailed me somewhere between lawful neutral and true neutral! I run an Eberron based campaign where I plan 1-2 sessions at a time, wherever my characters take the story. I run each faction as an NPC with their own goals and motivations and let the play decisions shape the world and those factions just react.

[@Atlas-pn6jv]

That NG DM description was a deliberate, one for one, attack on my life!

[@JordanPeacock]

Strong comedian here; thanks for the praise and the callouts. :D

[@curiousmindflayer5169]

It's amusing how accurate the description of a lawful evil dm is to how I run my games, with the exception of using pre-written modules as I despise those and tend to make entire homebrewed worlds and homebrew my own rules (in addition to the base ones or altering the base ones) but they are presented to the players before hand so they know what they are getting themselves in to. I had been running a completely open world campaign for 2 years set in a dying world in the middle of a apocalypse where player death as not uncommon. Hats off to my players, going trough unspeakable horrors from beyond, limb loss, permanent afflictions, being assassinated (and so on) while loving the game and the messed up wold that was presented before them.

[@joelackey4891]

Best video you guys have done. Forever DM here and I feel this discussion has been needed for a long time.

[@blakethegreatone2058]

Same here.

[@skykn1ght78]

I think I've been many of these alignments as a DM. Really cool concepts Dudes!

[@MithranderGray]

I was not expecting to get called out so hard in this video. I'm lawful neutral, and that's my exact style.

[@mactireliath2356]

This was an interesting way to frame the role of the game master and their relationship to the players. There’s not a lot of valuable content out there about the role of the DM. This kind of content is absolutely necessary for the future of the game.

[@gamergunn7139]

I think I lean more towards Chaotic Neutral but also like a backwards L going towards True Neutral and Chaotic Good. I did in a couple campaigns save the players when my dice were rolling crits like crazy, but also have said the ever so classic line "are you sure?", I have played with a Neutral Evil DM before, who did keep me around for a long time cuz he kept giving like the most OP homebrew magic items. I eventually left the table when I saw what he truly was.

[@fragniz]

Great video that puts a good bit of analysis into how alignments can correspond to DMs. It got me to look at my own games, and while I've only DM'd a couple times, from what I've gathered I seem to be somewhere between Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral. I do very little prep work for sessions, down to (and this is a habit I intend to fix if I DM more. I NEED to take notes about what happened prior sessions) doing most things off memory. So, guaranteed Chaotic, and a little too much for my own good. As for Good-Evil spectrum, that's where I say between because I want a good, well-told story, and I don't MIND having consequences for player characters, but I also root for the players, and give them bonuses and loot that will allow them to survive. That being said, if the rolls go poorly for the players, that's just how it is. Same in reverse, though. If the rolls go poorly for the monsters, that just makes an easy fight for the players, and they end up feeling like badasses because the monsters were utterly incompetent.

[@dalehartley2821]

Pretty good. I particularly like the orientation breakdown. The nuances available are probably broader than you describe though.

[@delraelnavarre9922]

I believe I would be categorized as a LG to NG DM, and the most important component on where I land is the experience level of the group. I want the players to have a good time, especially if they are newer. New players are still enjoying the thrill of swinging their sword or casting their spell, so I give that to them. As the campaign wears on and the PCs become veterans, I start to ramp up the challenge level. Both this and the fact that the story are always important make me debate with myself where exactly I fall in the spectrum. Dudes, I really enjoyed this video and mulling over the concept in my mind --- well done!

[@LotusBoi1989]

I forget who's DM'ing "A Court of Fey and Flowers" but on the Chaotic Good side of things, there's one spot that speaks to this SO hard. "I know what I'm doing, and I do what I want." in response to a player asking to cast 2 leveled spells in 1 turn, without the use of action surge or the like.

[@cl-g7164]

I saw myself as an Author - back in AD&D 2e - Dark Sun module to reintroduce psonics back into the world via characters and their development - really want to get back into table top (5e) - hence tumbling onto your channel - thanks guys.

[@loganshockey4041]

I'm running Waterdeep Heist soon and I've put a bunch of cameo characters in the Yawning Portal from sources of inspiration for me as a DM and player over the years. Kelly (as the Thumbnail character) and Monty (as Sebastian Crowe) are at a table! Thank You Dudes for making awsome videos for so many years!

[@goodbuddy7607]

This was GREAT! In my experience Neutral Evil DM is incompetent, oppositional, and emotionally immature (if not disturbed). "Sometimes different scenes are better served with the philosophy of different alignments." . . . Brilliant!

[@mattalford3862]

This was a lot of fun. As a DM, the story is very important to me, and the players know there are consequences in-game. Sometimes characters die, so I want to say I've been LN for years, but moving towards true neutral as I've started to cobble together my own stories from a variety of published work.

[@Camthalion666]

I think a Lawful Evil DM can be a cool "challenge" for a powergamer or min/maxer. As long as the player/DM relationship is that of respectful opponents. Like a pair of friends meeting in the boxing ring, beat the shit out of each other then grab a beer and laugh afterwards. But it probably works best for for one-shots or short campaigns.

[@robertschraedley7097]

Really enjoyed this video. You're always insightful, but this was a deeper look than most of your other videos.

[@Lorendor]

It was very hard for me to listen to the description of a NE, because with every word you described more and more the campaign that i had been a part of für two years. The scary thing about that DM and the Campaign was, that he would not kill characters, he just made them more miserable with every week. Once i figured that out, being the button pusher that i was then, i tried to be more reckless, thinking that if my character dies i would have an easy out of the campaign. And by doing that we had the first Character death but for my recklessness he killed the only optimist of the group and the DM had the gall to ask my character the next session how my conscience is after my acts killed a friend of mine, that i swore to protect. I stayed 6 more month in that campaign. And i tried another campaign a year later, hoping he had changed. I stayed for 8 sessiouns before it became unbearable again

[@doryna_sira]

I love the way you laid these out... they actually make sense with the many different groups I've played with over the years. I myself fall into prepared Chaotic Good like Kelly in my style, though I have and can be more Chaotic Neutral if the game needs it. Just wanted to add my friends and I have been enjoying our Drakkenheim game immensely with our awesome Neutral Good DM. Love the setting and the factions, and I can't wait to see where it all ends up for us!

[@limbytes]

This was pretty cool to watch. I think as a DM, I’m a combination of the author,dramatist, and the improviser. I value the rule of cool and am in a huge advocator in breaking the rules if it fits the situation and needs/wants of the party, especially if it progresses character progression or is just super epic. I also mostly write Greek tragedies so a sad ending is still a good ending if the players and their journey is treated with respect and honored rightfully so. :) Thank you for your analytical analysis and I can’t wait to see other people’s interpretations of themselves.

[@stevenhazell5159]

Awesome video. Although a bit of fun, you managed to accurately categorise many DMs I know. To the point I sent my friends this video, and they independently came to the same conclusions. I'd really like you to do the same with players. Great stuff!

[@TiVeigaKung]

I'm definitely a NG GM. Specially that part where you scrap pieces of scenarios and focus on the players stories, that's basically my Chicago by Night and LoTR in a nutshell.

[@toplectures]

I sincerely like this thought experiment :) it's an interesting way to discuss different styles of DM'ing without very quickly getting stuck on what's 'best'. Thanks! (I think I'm Neutral Good, but I'll send my players this link to hear what they think :)

[@j.d.larsen]

I was originally Lawful Evil for about a decade (from like 11 to 21). For the next few years I was probably lawful neutral. I then moved to lawful good for a few years, then shifted to neutral good, and now sit squarely at true neutral, after almost 30 years of DMing. I think any DM who is actively trying to improve will eventually settle near true neutral as they add skills to their repertoire and balance the need for compelling story with player victories and drama with lighthearted fun. A great DM knows when to be strict with the rules and when to be loose. A great DM knows when to put rails on the story and when to say “yes and”. My favorite response to a player wanting to try something crazy and asking “what will happen if I do ‘x’?” is “we’re about to find out.” A great example from my own DMing is after making the switch to 5e and not feeling fully conversant in the rules, I built a heist/rescue that was supposed to end in a giant wagon chase that I wrote a whole bunch of rules for. Not realizing how good my players would be, they managed to avoid the whole damn thing and this beautiful set of chase rules I created was wasted . . . Until later in the campaign when I repurposed it for an airship chase with much higher danger.