Dungeons and Dragons Makes You A Better Writer

Dungeons and Dragons has unexpectedly become an accepted part of popular culture, and, while there are many reasons that is the case, one of the reasons is because it is an incredible outlet for creative people. For me personally, it has helped me become a better writer, so I took some time to talk about how Dungeons and Dragons makes you a better writer.
Patreon: / razbuten
Twitter: / therazbuten
Edited, Animated, and Drawn by Jesse Guarascia: / guarascia
My Critical Role Fanfic: / 76h7v7
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My DnD podcast: / @onceuponaroll
Music:
Derek and Brandon Fietcher - Glowing Ember's Inn
• Medieval Music - Glowi...
Vindsvept - Castle in the Sky
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons...
• Folk/Celtic Music - Vi...
Vindsvept - In Honour of the King, Part One
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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• Orchestral Music - Vin...
Derek and Brandon Fietcher - Ironshield Inn
• Medieval Music - Irons...
Derek and Brandon Fietcher - Riverbard Tavern
• Medieval Music - River...
Hollow Knight OST - Reflection
• Video
Josiah Everhart - The Sunset Over Cortia: / @josiaheverhart

[@razbuten]

Ey! I have been wanting to talk about Dungeons and Dragons on the channel for a while now, so I hope you enjoy this. It is my favorite pastime, and it is my goal in life to share it (and TTRPGs in general) with as many people as possible. On the back end of stuff, there has been a bit of a gap between videos as these last two have been more ambitious than any project Jesse (my wonderful and talented editor, illustrator, and animator) and I have ever done before. With that said, expect a handful of videos over the next few months. Based on the support the channel has been getting on Patreon along with simply getting more views, the dream of this becoming, like, an actual sustainable thing is starting to become a real possibility, meaning we have been and will be able to put more time into it. So, thank you for watching, and if you want to support the channel, share videos you enjoy (like this one hopefully), engage in the comments, and, if you have the means and desire to, check out the Patreon. I appreciate you, and I hope you have a great day and/or night.

[@TaylorTano98]

I was actually just finishing up a blog about what playing DnD taught me about writing and character writing when I checked KZbin but this video is so good it just makes mine look like garbage in comparison. Great work, man!

[@razbuten]

I appreciate the kind words, but don't sell yourself short! I'd love to see that blog post.

[@mihnea5111]

@@razbuten I'm just curious how often do you play? I DMed for almost 2 years and just now I'm finishing my first campaign as a player (Lost Mine of Phandelver, of course)

[@razbuten]

I play a fair bit. For my first campaign (that is still rolling), we average ability twice a month. I also run a different game that has gotten through about ten sessions and run a one-on-one podcast that I’ve done about ten sessions for. Lastly, I play in a game that has done somewhere close to twenty sessions. So, uh yeah in the last two years I’ve probably been involved with about 100 sessions of DnD...meaning, once per week.

[@Mohack17]

@@razbuten This video really hits home, I've been writing a novel for the last year and I've actually been using D&D campaigns that I DM to test out scenes just so I can see how someone else would handle the same scenario or sometimes the players take a totally different path that gives me ideas for new resolutions. I have also used character sheets to flesh out the main characters and it really nails down their strengths and weaknesses. It has been a super helpful tool and it really drives the story in a more natural way than I would have originally written it.

[@therogueblade915]

The very first session of D&D I ran in college, the players took a job to raid a bandit hideout and recover stolen goods. They killed the leader and took his lightning-imbued sword, also choosing to spare two of the lackeys. I didn't expect this, but I went along with it. Having just watched The Dark Knight Returns, I named them Ron and Don and sort of went for a comedic buddy-buddy tone with them. The players asked me what the two bandits' alignments were. Checking the MM, I saw that bandits could be "any non-lawful" alignment. So, I rolled a d6 for both of them (1=NG; 2=CG; 3=TN; 4=CN; 5=NE; 6=CE). Ron got a 1. Don got a 4. Right then and there, the party began to talk amongst themselves. Within minutes, they unanimously decided to make Ron, this random lowlife bandit with a heart of gold, the hero of their campaign. I decided at the same time to make Ron less of a comedic character and more of an insecure, low-confidence character, which only made them latch onto their idea even more. Considering the quality of their weapons (level 1), they gave him the lightning-infused scimitar, and encouraged him to give it a name. He asked them to name it for him, but they insisted he name it. And so, "the Arcrider" was born. Grateful that their lives were spared, Ron and Don were persuaded to follow the heroes for the rest of the session. A battle erupted in the village they started out in, cultists of Cthulhu aligned with sahuagin attacking and kidnapping people left and right. Smoke filled the air as the wooden structures began to burn, and sounds of chaos filled the party's ears. The party sprung into action, making a heroic counter-charge in the streets. Don was killed in the first round of combat. Ron went solo into the burning smithy to look for innocent people. The heroes engaged in battle against the cultists, eventually coming face to face with their leader (plot twist: it was their employer). Whenever it came to Ron's turn (I rolled behind the DM screen for his success, since they couldn't see him), they filled in the blanks. The fifth round of combat, Ron emerges from the smithy, the blacksmith's arm around his shoulders while his two daughters fled. To my surprise, they were almost more overjoyed by this than their own success against the cultists, proceeding to convince me that Ron's sword was also stained with blood because he single-handedly took on numerous sahuagin while rescuing the smith and his family. Mechanically it didn't make sense (one CR 1/8 vs multiple CR 1/2), but I didn't step on their toes and make it legit. The battle against the head cultist was starting to take a sour turn. The paladin was down (again), the fighter was almost below 0hp, the ranger and monk were doing their best, and the cleric was being a coward (totally in-character). The head cultist was using a _spiritual weapon_ that was focused on occupying the characters at range while a few sahuagin minions tried to block the melee characters. Was it a hard fight for level 1? Sure, but not impossible. Eventually the monk goes down, and I have Ron come running down the street, his flimsy crossbow in hand. The party knows that the spiritual weapon's still in play, and they all warn him to stay away. His response? "N-No, my friends need me!" New objective: save Ron. The party didn't try to move him away, but knowing that the boss was low on HP, knew they had to focus on him. The ranger's turn comes up, and I say, "[The boss] is pretty hurt, but he's furious. If you don't kill him on your next attack, he'll target Ron." Nervous remarks spread through the players' ranks, and they all look intently at the ranger. He grabs his dice, shakes his hands with a look of pure desperation, and rolls for attack. Hit. Roll damage... 7. BBEG falls to -1 hit point. I'm sure you can imagine just how joyous those next thirty seconds were. --- Honestly, I don't think I could have DMed a more compelling or exciting Session One for a handful of mostly inexperienced players. They took this random NPC that I had given absolutely no thought toward ahead of time and made him the highlight of their adventure. They invested themselves in the story and created something special, a common goal that will last for probably the entire campaign. Ron is barely above a young adult peasant in almost every aspect of his character, but my players are determined to have him be such a large part of their story that he becomes the world's most triumphant unlikely hero. Of course, I would never let Ron completely steal the spotlight from the players, knowing all too well that DMPCs have that habit. A lot of the time he doesn't talk, simply following along with the party and fighting alongside them during combat. If they want his opinion or something, I'll play his character accordingly, but I never awkwardly force him into anything without the players taking the initiative to include him first. Ever since his introduction I agreed to their demands of making Ron a low-key badass, much to the delight of my players. He has very little self-confidence and talks with a stutter, relying on the players to guide his actions, but when the chips are really down he comes in full force with his lightning sword. I always roll for Ron in front of the players, and let's just say the dice gods have a funny way of making effectively dramatic moments every other session or so. Ron is definitely not a crutch for the players. In fact, I always keep him a level or two lower than the rest of the party so he doesn't get too powerful. They are the protagonists of the story and they know that, but honestly I'm more than happy to build a story around Ron *with* them. Often times the best experiences in D&D are those that are least expected, and being a narrative-oriented DM, there's nothing I love more than to work with my players on shared storytelling. Sorry for the long post, but if you read through it all, I hope it was at least entertaining and somewhat relatable! --- *TLDR:* My players befriended a random bandit at level 1 and are now actively working with me to make him the hero of their campaign. I couldn't be happier to oblige.

[@mja2317]

In our first session, my friend asked the last bandit standing (who had surrendered, terrified) to marry her at knife-point. So basically our DM has been forced to RP a bandit who's married to our Gnome Rogue, and after a couple of years they're probably now the most wholesome relationship in our game. XD

[@Ryan-qt7pn]

Thank you so much for sharing that I loved reading it!

[@BigBadWolframio]

I am that kind of player, and I loved your story. Thanks for sharing!

[@kevinbarber2795]

The Rogue Blade Everyone watching Ron, but I’m sad that Don died.

[@starwarsisgreat9130]

Love that ngl

[@monkeyman5477]

in my campaign i made a side villain that i intended to be a joke character that would pop in from tome to time (like team rocket in pokemon) but agter driving him off for the first time, the player found the villians baby son, i thought the player would just kill it in some goofy way but then the player decided to take in this baby boy as his own and raise him to be a great fighter, many many sessions later this boy is now a young warrior alongside his adopted father after going through so many adventures together, i cant imagine my campaign without him

[@razbuten]

I love this so much

[@theeristicwriter8280]

Had a similar thing happen with an npc. A 14 year old biracial human girl living on the streets of the capital city that sold information to other rogues. Several of my players went out of town for a few weeks but the party leader (rogue/bard - elf) wanted to do some solo adventures so I teamed him up with the girl in a series of high stakes jobs. By the end of those two sessions the pair were inseparable and he ended up legally adopting her. When his character died in battle a year later I handed over her character sheet and the player carried on as her for the remainder of the campaign. It was a very moving story my group still talks about to this day.

[@NecromancyForKids]

Your players kidnapped a baby?

[@monkeyman5477]

Necromancy For Kids well not exactly, the original father ran off abandoning his son, so the player took him in

[@asdasdasdasd714]

Designed scenario: Player kills the baby or player lets the baby live. Player: "I'll adopt this baby!" Classic PC move.

[@BobT_GRG]

I've been a DM for 15 years. The number one advice I tell new DMs "Write Lord of the Rings, expect to play Monty Python."

[@CatwaiiYT]

And the second?

[@phobos9071]

@@CatwaiiYT Had fun!

[@Grummar]

Hah, actual good advice. This is funny to me.

[@lostonessoul8435]

Bob Teodorczy I'm a new DM (started three weeks ago) and my number one rule is Expect the unexpected and unexpect the expected.

[@ajjerio3927]

This advice sounds extremely accurate, and I haven't even DMed at all (I'm working on it).

[@weremattc00lK1d]

Worst part about having to write for a campaign is how crazy off the rails it gets. Our party was meant to have a intense game of intrigue with a local Hag, possibly make a deal with her for information. Instead they attacked her, she got away and they burned her house down, along with the trapped villagers inside who they went to go save.

[@razbuten]

Oh my god. That is amazing and terrifying.

[@Arnsteel634]

Sandboxes and open ended scenarios. I learned to connect them real well from dungeon world. Dungeon world is not my game. But i learned a few things from it.

[@diego_segura]

@@Arnsteel634 Yeah, the expectation of something to happen as a DM is a heavy burden that don't necessarily means a better game (just the satisfaction of the players seeing your "clever" idea). Great game, Dungeon World.

[@ethandavis3762]

Another craft that DnD often requires is the art of verbal storytelling. it may seem unnecessary, but It is vitally important. the best example I can think of is comedians. most of their jokes are told in the form of stories and the way they tell stories don't make good literature when written down. So the way they tell stories is very important, like the cadence of their speech, how they adjust volume and tone mid story to clue you into the importance bits(usually in sync with their cadence.) and the posture they have throughout the story are all integral to keeping attention on the important bits. And that's what I try to integrate into my DMing personally.

[@TheKidnappedOne]

Carl you can't just walk through doors, that kills people Carl.

[@razbuten]

Carl never learned to always go through the window.

[@johnporter9034]

Bet the window trapped too.

[@fireraptor2209]

What noob just doesn’t faze through the wall

[@thegreycrusader]

Lamas with hats.

[@catfoodfood6169]

Carlllllll you cant eat people carlllll

[@divinkitty9452]

I love DnD, and when you get enough experience with the system it's really flexible with what you can do with it. My friends and I have done a "traditional" fantasy campaign, a Norse campaign, a modern campaign, a zombie apocalypse campaign, a magical girl campaign, and a "from another world" campaign. We generally stick to 3.5 or Pathfinder (sometimes both) and I have countless memories of it all, and it's a huge reason why myself and my elementary school friends are all still friends despite being in our mid 20s now.

[@alfreddrewes9362]

A magical girl campaign? That's the last thing I would think of with a D&D campaign. Granted, I've only done one or two sessions of D&D, so my experience is very limited.

[@eddieoshea8150]

Wait, Carl dies on a 14!!! What was the DC on that door ?!

[@razbuten]

DC 19 con save. Carl was a dex build. Tough look, Carl.

[@eddieoshea8150]

@@razbuten Rouge's man

[@mr.cup6yearsago211]

“I’ve been writing stuff ever since my teacher told me I’m not entirely terrible at it.” Literally my existence in a nutshell.

[@Blargy2inch]

"You're not entirely terrible at this." - the nicest thing his teacher ever said to anyone.

[@SirErin01]

I remember when a couple of my friends approached me a year ago and asked me if I would like to play dnd for the first time and I would avoid them like the plague. It wasn’t until I was legitimately kidnaped by them to finally join them and by god am I glad they did. I fell in love immediately when I made my Half Orc Barbarian “Keth Yurk,” with his awesome backstory. From that day I was introduced to fantastic lore and a awesome community. I was so happy to bring three more people to this awesome game, to our group which we had only a few members. I am now a DM of my own campaign with all six of my dearest of friends and with more people wanting try it out in my high school. I couldn’t be more happy to be part of something like this.💙

[@KingkyLeor]

can someone kidnap me? i'd love to play but in france.... it's not exactly popular or well known, and i have willing friends but none of us knows how to play, and dnd look SO complex that honestly learning from scratch seems impossible, where can we find a nerd guru?

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

@@KingkyLeor please just pick it up and try if you have friends who are willing? Depending on the edition, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of pre-made adventure modules to help new dms and most dnd and pathfinder editions have srd's online (srd's being the basic rules without setting details). I would recommend either fifth edition d&d or pathfinder first edition, both have lots of pre-made adventure modules to help dms of any experience level and rules available online if you don't want to pay for anything (any action figure works for a miniature and maps can be made or found online easy enough). If you have the friends, the only other thing you should really have is an adventure module if you're new (I wouldn't recommend trying without one if you're new, it will be easier to understand difficulty and how to dm with one than without). Pathfinder has more rules and more options for character creation but may be less beginner friendly, fifth edition is pretty easy to jump into but, in my opinion, feels more restrictive. Sorry if this is dated, I know this is a year old now. Also, I think both first edition pathfinder and fifth edition are getting older now (I know second edition pathfinder is out not and I think sixth edition d&d might be out but I'm not sure). I'm looking for group myself, haven't played but really want to.

[@faithfreeman849]

You're definitely in deep, or as some would say, D&DEEP

[@SonOfSparda3139]

badum tss

[@carlosmaxdrago]

On top of improving my storytelling skills, d&d has been a real source of motivation to get better at voice acting. Like 90% of the npc’s in my campaign have distinct voices and while I do look silly making their voices it’s always gratifying knowing and seeing my players can recognize most of them by “their” voice.

[@geoffreyprecht2410]

I'm right there with you on that! When I reintroduce a character by simply making them say something and my players immediately recognize them without me saying who it is, I feel such a sense of pride in my vocal ability. Plus, wacky voices are just plain fun in general!

[@bionicdragon5]

You'll know you've made it once you have players wearing T-shirts with your face on them, from when you were doing your NPC's voices.

[@josephmills1104]

You're not entirely terrible at this. Haha,. that's perfect.

[@theapexsurvivor9538]

I just wish I could have gotten a B- for being not entirely terrible at a subject

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

Hey, there's one thing more people should know! There are OODLES of other TTRPGs beyond DnD! Many that have easier but more fun rules, span different genres, or approach the same genre with different perspectives or objectives! World of Darkness and Powered by the Apocalypse systems are worth reading just as much as DnD if not more!

[@razbuten]

Well said! I definitely agree (although, I'd argue other rulesets offer different kinds of fun, not necessarily more fun). I love, love, love Fiasco, and I have been wanting to run a game of Masks since I bought the rulebook. Mainly, TTRPGs are rad, and so many are worth playing. DnD is the one I have gotten the most joy out of, but there are so many options for different kinds of players, and that is awesome.

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

@@razbuten You're absolutely right, and that's my bad. I guess there may be mechanics other people haven't considered and many of those may have stronger appeals to some! I.e, Dread is something I run every Halloween now, and for those who don't know, it uses a Jenga tower instead of dice!

[@razbuten]

Dread is awesome, and it really makes me want to design a TTRPG that uses something other than dice.

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

@@razbuten ahhh one of these days I'd like to see a youtuber dedicate some to talk about those indie or micro rpgs like Fiasco or Dread~

[@davestagler5075]

@@razbuten i personally love shadowrun!

[@Force2reckonVods]

"DMing seems to appeal a lot to writers" It's the whole reason I figured out I *am* a writer. Now to actually write something instead of just creating synopsis.

[@worldweaver2691]

ah, that synopsis to actual books is such a pain.

[@bahamajo]

You're the person that wrote Percies Funeral? That was such a great read that I still sometimes think about it!

[@razbuten]

Yeah! I appreciate the kind words.

[@TheGrooseIsLoose]

I don’t think I realized how much I missed D&D until I watched this.

[@razbuten]

Well, I hope you get the chance to play it again soon!

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

Shadowrun is a game that will teach you about being the sole person responsible for disarming the bomb. the amount of tension that can rack up even doing something relatively small is enormous and rewarding. my group has successfully gotten into the back room of a storehouse where some gangers are hiding stolen tech. everything from this point has gone swimmingly we have knocked out the guards confirmed the goods and all we have to do is carry them down the stairs out the back load up the car. the one roll between that and us ghosting the fuck out of there? a stealth roll to bring the car around back.... we get spotted a shot rings out 9 guys in the other room now know we are in here im already pretty drained from slinging spells around. the face was not designed for combat in mind. our one shot is to take out all the guys in the other room at once. no grenades, its up to me to cast the most powerful spell i can and it just might kill me to do so butt there's not a lot of alternatives.

[@razbuten]

*He takes a drag of his cigarette. “Well, time to show these bastards what I’ve got left.”*

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

@@martingarreis bah it's only like 25 at a higher level. Starting standard priority is like 12 or 13. Unless you're doing a heavily armored troll then you might roll 32 but only for defense. Long story short I don't mind the huge dice especially if you paint your 5 and 6 green really makes it easier to count hits. As far as the combat goes it can. Get pretty long if you're starting out and need to check rules ect but I can't say DND is much faster relative to what you fight. Most enemies in shadowrun have about as much health as you which is to say a single bullets worth.

[@Avengedtenfold]

Shadowrun also teaches you how to shop like a pro! if you aren't making extensive use of the equipment lists and the splat books dedicated to items then you aren't running at your best!

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

@@Avengedtenfold this is very true! theres still the big ticket items that cost and arm and a leg but if you lack the basics your missing out on some really big benefits. autopickers are my favorite examples, if you come across an older lock and your not using an autopicker your doing it wrong! a limit raise equal to the rating of the device? hell yeah go wireless functionality for the bonus to your dice pool too!.

[@Altearithe]

I just recently started playing DnD after wanting to since high school (could never find a group willing to take on a total newbie). I can't believe it took me till 31 to start playing, but holy crap is it fun! I'm already starting to look into DMing, and I'm hoping that it'll go well when I do.

[@pandaboy0713]

Ayyyy, Hollow Knight music. :D I recognised it instantly. :P

[@razbuten]

I use the Hollow Knight OST all the time when running DnD. Everything about that game is amazing.

[@buzhidao5065]

Professor Cat did you see they’re making a new one?!?!

[@hellfooliver1497]

Just Awesome, love that game!!!

[@HowBigistheMap]

I played DND made in 1975 for Plato (and DOS in 1984)

[@razbuten]

Dang, how was it?

[@HowBigistheMap]

It looked like it was made in Microsoft Word!

[@DutchDread]

Damn, I like the "2 more senses" insight.

[@games4gays101]

"Carl walked through the door and FUCKING DIED." I have notes exactly like that, so nice to know I'm not the only DM, great video !

[@NerdOutWithMe]

Just started playing D&D for the first time in 40+ years. Huge help to my writing. Wish I would have started sooner. But, glad I did!

[@Perial51]

What about writing down a D&D campain one once had with his party and filling in some details/colorizing it with nice language?

[@majorfallacy5926]

That's how we got Drizzt i think? I don't remember it being very good, but possibly it was just the translation falling flat

[@ryuharuentertainment8957]

I hear that Vindsvept music in the backround :4:10 Good choice sir. Very good choice.

[@ophelia8122]

playing d&d for the first time tomorrow!

[@razbuten]

Good luck and have fun!

[@ophelia8122]

@@razbuten Thank you and i will :)!

[@jacka__ajack3558]

How'd it go?

[@ophelia8122]

@@jacka__ajack3558 It was pretty fucking great. We played for about 5 hours, our dungeon master didn't have a battle map so we ended up using a chessboard and various bullet casings to represent our characters. He played music to immerse us all changing it when we encountered enemies or transitioned into different scenes. Damnit, I sure am going back next weekend!

[@jacka__ajack3558]

@@ophelia8122 Nice! I tend to DM 4E (im just more knowledgable about it, and its more arcady), but im getting into 5E, which isn't as bad as i thought it would be. Which edition do you guys play?

[@madjic7760]

4:50 this scene just makes me happy at my core

[@adamkent3114]

Please make another D&D video. This one was awesome.

[@allegedchicken5406]

This was in my recommended, and I'm very glad I clicked. I've been playing D&D since I was 8, and became a much better storyteller because of it. (Because dear gods, did I suck miserably at writing. Fuck a plot. Let's just throw in dragons. Just a priestess who sprouts dragon wings. Yeah, that works.) I love connecting with others who find such joy and inspiration from it! Please keep up the wonderful work! And best of luck on the book publishing someday in the near future.

[@frostryder1285]

In one session I did some of people from the dnd club at my school (one of them had started their own campaign on discord) we had a recurring character be a young child whos father had been killed by one of the villains, at one point in a surprise turn of events we found the child dead, this almost made me break into tears because of how much he had put into the child character wise and how the child had become one of my favorite npcs, plus the dm described so well, and I think that's one of the highlights of the campaign I do outside of school almost

[@PapaBear_Gaming]

This... 100% this! I recently finished writing my first book, haven't got an editor yet as I can't afford it at the moment. I've been doing D&D for 15 years, primarily as a player, and as I've dived in deeper and deeper into DMing I've found the opposite that you have, that my writing has helped my DMing descriptions and world building an immense amount. I can't wait to publish my book and see how my writing has improved with the second book in the series. :)

[@martythecyborgcowjacobson8157]

As this was uploaded I had just finished building my Lionfolk mystic lol! Love your videos man

[@razbuten]

Haha perfect timing! Thanks for the kind words.

[@michaelbeske-somers9432]

Ooooh. Details please! I love a good back story

[@martythecyborgcowjacobson8157]

Michael Beske-Somers well I have written A LOT about him but basically he is a fluffy misunderstood lion bro who just wants a hug. His powers are monumental but he doesn’t use them often due to the outlaw on magic

[@commandercrimson5858]

Same here with my fallen aasimar warlock Alastor

[@commandercrimson5858]

@@michaelbeske-somers9432 I too like a good story. I tend to get caught up badgering my friends when they're making their characters because I'm so eager to hear what they have to say, though they're not as quick with creating their tales as I apparently am. Eventually I started jotting down the autobiographies of all the characters I play to better keep track of what tropes I've already done and plan in new angles.

[@nuclearchezburgr3857]

One thing about DnD (or similar game) that i think about when it comes to writing (tho i do not write) is that you always have to consider character powers and abilities. The players will address their obstacles with their repetoire to the fullest extent, so you must always consider what those include. Often a thing i notice in movies and tv is that the writers will have characters forget their abilities - especially their overpowering abilities - when its convenient to move the story forward. Meanwhile, players at a table will not hesitate to use what they can to potentially avoid conflict or reduce a struggle into something trivial

[@Billisse]

"Carl walked through the door and FUCKING DIED!" the audacity.

[@MrBobcatman1]

7:55 Carl died from an 11... ... good to know.

[@syrup7894]

I've just started playing DND during lunch lol

[@razbuten]

Haha very nice. Is that a regular thing?

[@PhantomTissue]

Ive wanted to get into a good tabletop RPG, but every time I've tried, the group im with just ends up being really dry, or the DM has no clue what he wants to do, practically making up a nonsense story every game. I get bored because nothing is happening, even after 3 or more sessions. Were still in the same town, taking to the same people, and discussing some plan to do some thing that will never expand. Only one time have I ever played a good table top RPG was actually a home brew verison, and it was because the DM we had actually seemed interested and excited in his own story. That got me excited, and got me trying things and creating events that otherwise would've never occurred. Over the course of the story, I ended up being an extremely weak character, but who's persuasive skills were so great that i could convince my enemies to attack each other, and that was the main way that I did battle. The DM allowed this, and began creating rules for what could and could not be persuaded in battle, and it created much more interesting combat encounters. But most DM's try too hard to railroad their own ideas and plans for the story that it sucks all the fun and creativity out of the game. And usually those are the DM's ive played with over the years. I'd love to get into the game with someone who's excited to tell a story, but also open to having that story changed based on what the players have chosen to do.

[@They_are_Arthur]

This was a huge coincidence for me viewing this video today because I just finished DMing a Zelda themed D&D campaign. It took 10 months to finish, and now I feel somewhat empty now that it's finished. But also relieved. I really like that you also write fan fictions about your own campaigns because I am also in the process of writing a fan fiction retelling of my Zelda campaign.

[@fangirlandproud6442]

As a writer, this was so interesting to watch. My friends and I started playing dnd over quarantine because my fitness brother, a DM, was available to help lead, especially since most of us didn’t know what we were doing. We were gonna okay once a week until the campaign was done but we stopped as school was taking over our lives. While we played, I felt myself not very connected with what was happening. Maybe because I never really had an interest in dnd before or maybe because it’s set in a fantasy world and I usually write romance/young adult stories or maybe because I wasn’t physically sitting around a table with my friends playing the game causing it to be less engaging for me. I honestly don’t know but after this video, if were ever free enough to try it again, I’ll keep this video in mind as I could use it to improve my own writing. I’m currently writing a novel right now which isn’t something I normally do. I’m normally a short story person so it’s definitely been rough but I’m working on it slowly day by day, with things in mind for what’s going to happen that may or may not make it into the final edit as well. But I had this idea and I thought a novel would be best as it was just such a big idea to put into one short story. Maybe if we ever play more dnd I can use what I’ve learned from this video to influence my writing. Also I got into fiction writing because a teacher encouraged me and told me I was good at it too :)

[@plumtucker9514]

I hear that Hollow kinight music...and I'm totalyl not crying..

[@bread1958]

Great video. Gonna start using that "describe with at least 2 feelings that aren't sight" rule.

[@henryhere]

7:34 funny enough my bard actually got stuck in a similar scenario, he was sneaking along a rooftop, failed a dex save, and fell into an alleyway where he was jumped by thugs and forced to defend himself with magic that he didnt know was illegal, this caused him to get arrested the next morning while he was at the clinic, he got interrogated by a court wizard, got out of punishment by becoming her aprentice, and now must return to her in 6 years for his aprenticeship. and yet if i hadnt rolled that 3, that session would have been so much more boring!

[@chef4025]

I’m a simple man. I hear “Reflection” by Christopher Larken, I like

[@CyprustheWaruhi]

This video gave me an idea for when writing. Any action for the character your writing about, write about if they succeed the action, or fail. What is most interesting but also follows it to be a better story. I'm hoping it will help shape the story even more so then just writing along the lines of when you want them to succeed and when you don't.

[@koni2mc]

7:57 "Carl walked through the door and FUCKING DIED" had me rolling on the floor

[@orlanswf]

1:06 I want to read that entire essay.

[@criticalsuccess9926]

Awesome video! Tabletop RPGs have been a huge creative outlet for me and it’s awesome to see how many people have picked them up lately!

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

One could say you're in D'n'Deep.

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

Aww, thanks for the heart! ^^

[@veng3r663]

The homebrew game project I've been working on (for the past 22 years) will also supports the key characters & elements in the matching book novel & moviescript I've got percolating at the same time, more or less..

[@razbuten]

Ooo that sounds neat

[@veng3r663]

@@razbuten Yeah I just finished the Hireling Cost & Creature Bounty Rewards page yesterday. Hopefully I CAN finish the following Crimes & Punishment page before tackling the Melee Combat Section...

[@tamsinsandrielle]

Wow thank you for this video... Thanks for your time and your work :)

[@AdamShelar]

I find it quite interesting that you use a d20 to help in your writing. If you've never looked into it before, you should check out FFG's Narrative Dice system they use for the Star Wars RPG. That system involves more than just success or failure, it also adds in advantage and threat, which cause the players and the GM to have to think even more outside the box on how a scene plays out because you can succeed a check, but still have something bad accompany it; or you can fail a check, but still have something good come out of it. It makes for some pretty engaging moments. The first time I played the Star Wars RPG I thought "this system would be fun to try and use in a writing experiment."

[@andrewa7952]

Love how you out in the Node dnd vampire "thing" lol

[@curse4384]

That paper talking abt fast travel is great

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

Man, when I did my first D&D campaign, it was something else. Unfortunately, times change and I've not been able to do any D&D stuff due to work, and being alone alot. I personally would love to try Vampire: The Masquerade, mostly b/c of my time with Bloodlines on PC. But still, everyone SHOULD try D&D once in their life. It's actually pretty fun.

[@razbuten]

Well, I hope you find some time to play at some point!

[@ditrixgenesis781]

As a novelist, I honestly really understand how DMing fits in with my writing. I'm DMing for the very first time, and I got way more excited than I thought I would

[@LordOz3]

I wouldn't be an author if it wasn't for D&D. This video does a great job of showing the connection between gaming and writing as well as show non-gamers the basics of D&D/rpgs. I think my experience as a GM helps when my story takes an unexpected turn, especially as I work from a loose outline to begin. Gaming experience is especially invaluable to pantser writers, as they are comfortable going wherever the story takes them. Thanks for making this video - I'll be sure to share.

[@razbuten]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@Alkis05]

Last time I played pen and paper rpg was some more than 10 years ago. It was a great group of vampire the masquerade, with multiple Narrators and more than 20 players. It was a huge and fun mess. We had minors encounters every friday early evening and a major one once a month with everybody, which was an in-game social event. Players wrote a "report" of the things that happened to the narrators. A lot of the stories happened by pure player interactions, with minimal Narrator intervention. Since then, I never found anyone that played RPG ever again, which is pretty sad. I got to know people from all over town and people from different circles and walks of life.

[@afreakazoid4813]

0:40 (insert wonderland vogue elves joke here)

[@perigrin2115]

I don't plan my campaigns on a session by session level, i just have hooks, villains, and encounters, and let the players bumble their way through it. It takes a while to get them out of the wenching and incoherent mess phase, but once people start roleplaying properly, that type of game is amazing. Plus you can keep notes and make things that just kinda happened into recurring things.

[@thegaspatthegateway]

If you had a million vids on this topic I'd watch all of them in a day. I love your perspective as a writer on DnD

[@Oshawott315]

It's weird. I've been playing for almost 5 years, DMing for almost 2, and I *still* feel like a beginner.

[@jeffmcarthur5617]

So awesome that this happens to be your video on my birthday. :)

[@razbuten]

Happy Birthday. Mine starts in about 10 minutes. I hope you have a great one!

[@jeffmcarthur5617]

@@razbuten Oh sweet! Happy birthday! Play some D&D! :)

[@fareznajid6428]

Wish you luck for the book that you will publish in the future!

[@johnnygilbert8163]

Only 2 years? Damn I'm old. 25 years here.

[@wulfherecyning1282]

I've never played D&D. The woman I like keeps trying to drag me to play. Eventually she will succeed, so I need a primer lol

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

Probably too late but don't worry about playing "right", just join the group and go with what seems fun.

[@kaik625]

I don't know your channel but I'm really impressed and happy to hear the impact that d&d can have to writers. I am I writer myself or at least try to be one but since I DM, I just can't find the time to concentrate and be creative in two different worlds and circumstances. You probably won't see this but if you or anyone else in a similar situation reads this: Do you have any tips, any solutions for this problem? I don't want to stop DMing but I don't think that I can fullfill my dream and become an author that way...

[@razbuten]

Ey. To be honest, I don't know that I have any perfect advice for this issue as it is not something I have personally gone through. You could set a dnd campaign in the same world as the story you are writing. That might give you the chance to toss some story beats at your players and see what comes from it.

[@williamozier918]

I've been working on a sci fi novel for nearly four years now. I of course drew heavily on my DMing experience to help. Using that experience helped me with setting and backstory building. Then I found I had a problem getting the characters moving. As a DM I had to switch my mind set to being the DM and the players, AND the dice all at once. I think I figured out, that or my book sucks. P.s. It's called Ambassador World, and it's not published yet but give it a year about.

[@linktomario712]

My favourite DnD story has to be one I read on Tumblr about a guy who failed a roll when he was trying to insult a monster (troll or orc or ogre or something) and the DM is like "you give the monster a compliment" and it just spiraled out of control and they ended up in a relationship. 2nd favourite story is how I met my love through it. I wasn't part of the campaign as it was my roommates' team but one day they invited me to help host and become a sort of secondary DM and I ended up doing the voices for the NPCs and rolling for the monsters. The man across the table was absolutely fascinated with me and he stayed well past when everyone went home asking me about my writing and gaming skills, my two passions. It was wonderful I wish he didn't move to another country :/

[@SirMethos]

I realize this is a bit late, but isn't that the one where the player tries to push the orc off of a cliff, and due to a natural 1, ends up simply caressing his back, making him uncomfortable. the top comment describes how a series of natural 1s, and several years, has the two of them(the player character and the orc) married and retired from adventuring.

[@linktomario712]

@@SirMethos That also sounds like a good story! I read another one recently about a druid who disguised himself as a tree and accidentally talks to some passers by and had to roll to keep stealth... nat 20, so the NPCs are like "well I guess the tree would know better than us" hahaha

[@Talvox]

7:53 Whenever I can't figure out how to continue a sentence I do stupid stuff like that both because it amuses me and because writing something is better than nothing. I can fix it later. (Sometimes.)

[@razbuten]

I am glad that I am not the only one. It typically is something I do when I am super frustrated, and more often than not, it makes me laugh, which helps.

[@JosephSmith-lm4ri]

I like using smell and sound descriptors, as well as semi detailed visual descriptions.

[@yusufkandur2173]

Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted to be an author. I would mostly get fixated on science fiction rather than fantasy, books of Asimov, Jules Verne,Clarke always had my attention more than fantasy books for a long time. When I started highschool everyone around me constantly said that I couldn't be a writer in Turkey because it is not a stable job with a steady income. Now I am doing a PhD and a few years back, I don't remember what sparked it but I got into D&D, and that tiny interest reignated my passion for writing. Now I am doing my PhD AND writing stories for my friends and wife who love D&D (thanks to me; D&D is not very well known in Turkey, I bought the books from England) and I only wish that it was even more popular here so I could keep finding excuses to write D&D stories.

[@EricTalwin]

Thank you so much for this. I have to say one thing, it looks to me you have already written something that has been published... by making this and other videos. Might not be a novel, but it's still your ideas and vision being shared with many many people. You've earned yourself a fan. And that d 20 by the computer while you write! I'm gonna try that.

[@ryncat8115]

as someone who plays dnd i can find this whole video true, there are some very memorable moments we talk and joke about even from 2 years ago like an iron door that no one could get through because everyone kept getting bad rolls, so for now on any time someone mentions an iron door we all smile i know this comment seems excessive, but i don't think i will ever outgrow narrateing and playing table top rpgs and especially dnd

[@razbuten]

Doors are players' greatest weakness.

[@weaselrider]

I just found you, and after only three videoa I'm already a subscriber. You have a real talent for this. Bet you'd be an execelent DM.

[@jeremysumpter3626]

Love Rothfuss and name of the wind, so good

[@TacticalTokens]

I might have to start showing this video to people who have never played D&D before. It encapsulates the whole of D&D so well!

[@razbuten]

I appreciate the kind words!

[@Okamizu]

This is put together very well.

[@locorocky1]

5:48 ... Not including any actual games I've played, just what I've watched and listened to... I have consumed over 2000 hours of D&D (I recently calculated it). Most of that has been Critical Role. I checked. and I knew EXACTLY what moment that was in the series!! I am a Freakin Critter! My Life is Validated! That is all. For those wondering its campaign 1, episode 85, A Bards Lament, 2:58:20

[@omnivorouspastry]

I love when different spheres converge, like finding out one of my favourite video game youtubers is a fellow crit role fan! Can't wait for campaign 3!

[@claude-alexandretrudeau1830]

I once gave a baby dragon flanked by a low level dragonborn barbarian and a crazed dryad as a boss encounter. They decided to spare the dragon and are hoping to tame it. What was I going to do? Object to it? That's not how DMs roll. I gave them a fair chance at it, knowing it was more fun that way. The dragon is presently enjoying life in a natural reserve right next to an elven settlement. The players didn't inform the elves about this. To be continued...

[@adamisme5939]

Nice use of Hollow Knight music at the end there.

[@razbuten]

Bless. God I love that OST (and game)

[@adamisme5939]

Good taste my lad.Getting hyped for Silksong. (And on that note if you at some point wanted to do a video regarding subtle/contextual/environmental storytelling, I.e Dark Souls and indeed HK, I wouldn't complain.) Really though, good stuff. Just subbed.

[@razbuten]

Thank you! I definitely have some ideas for a video on that sort of thing, but I would need to reflect on it a fair bit more to feel like I have something to add. Obviously, there have been a ton of DS videos on that topic, so I'd want to have an approach that doesn't just reiterate what someone else has said. Maybe looking at Silksong when it comes out would be a fresh enough take, who knows.

[@adamisme5939]

100% agreement

[@schluebenschlaucher1130]

This was very good mate

[@goldstarofvenus1861]

Interesting video, it really did help put into perspective some things about D&D, however, I was only half watching while I listened, then I saw the clip from Heroes and Halfwits and kinda just... sat bolt upright in my chair because I fucking love that show.

[@nintenjoe9022]

An excellent video. You've earned a new sub. I look forward to seeing more of what you can do.

[@razbuten]

Thank you for watching. I am excited to keep putting stuff out, so I hope you enjoy it.

[@Tinkuwu]

Alright, so, I got a story to tell I spent about half a year working on a campaign that gave each player free reign over what their character did, so if there were important characters, they could kill them, if they wanted to leave the party and explore on their own, they could. We spent more than a year playing it and honestly, it was one of my best campaigns I had ever ran. I took inspiration from The Witcher (specifically the third game) and several inspirations from Greek mythology and even games like Dead Space and Half-Life, to drive a sense of dread in players' actions. Basically, the campaign made every player "immortal", but they still die, only, any wounds they receive, including death, will be healed in one hour. Though, the campaign was very interesting, I am actually writing a story on it now, since there was a TON of events for a story. But yeah, DnD is good for story-telling and helping people learn how to write.

[@kap79]

I have so much to learn as a new DM. It's a scary and wild place on the other side of the screen. Thanks for this video - it's a great reminder that I need to continue honing my writing skills moving forward, especially now that the characters' backgrounds and goals are becoming more critical to my plot.

[@catchyalata777]

Great video, as always! This is a really excellent summary of a lot of what makes d&d special to me as well. Thank you for putting this together. Editing is spot-on!

[@razbuten]

I (and Jesse, the editor) appreciate the kind words!

[@souran3]

In one session I ran in a modern urban fantasy setting, the players were saving one of their friends from a kidnapper (long story). When they interrogated the guy who was guarding the lock-up, he off-handedly and sarcastically mentioned that he was working for a ghoul. Ghouls in this universe are basically mindless vampire minions, so this was obviously sarcasm. BUT: the players didn't think that he worked for a ghoul. They got it into their heads that he worked for The Ghoul. And as a result, the main villain was born. A shadowy, underworld figure. Unknowable. All-powerful. Constantly one-step ahead. Eventually, the players all killed each other over a misunderstanding (the showdown was actually RPed really well, so there were no sour grapes). I like to think that The Ghoul was the final winner at the end of the day.

[@HighQualityLeftover]

6:40 - this is a wild setup. looks like a pretty new laptop, with a usb hub attached to it. then he attached a usb to ps/2 converter, only to attach a at last 20 year old keyboard to it :D

[@GM_Darius]

Hey, don't knock them click-clacky computers. I for one hated my laptop's keyboard cause typing on it didn't feel good.

[@andrewxc1335]

5:50 - "You, there! Little elf girl!"

[@andrewxc1335]

6:53 - "«GASP!» I thought he'd never leave!"

[@Plaugue1122]

In the most recent campign I'm a Dragonborn Paladin looking for Hephestus hammer. I play CG so I'm having fun. Near the beginning of the campign I tried putting a fire out but kept it going while trying to put it out so that made for a good laugh.

[@monke1599]

Carl walked through the door and FUCKING died. That was HILARIOUS

[@geargail]

enjoyed this video, as the narrative with ideas draws in an audience.

[@Salsmachev]

"Hold back too much and mysteries end up just being obscure" Steven Erickson: Hold my beer

[@Niv_050]

Whoa, now that is some Omnox style writing right there. 7:44

[@damianjonsson1688]

Tools like Fantasy Grounds tend to make the process soooooo much easier

[@lycandeadfall8542]

I am still a newer DM. Only about a year now. And I know what I need to work on when DMing. Mostly of which is setting a scene and detailing characters better. Want to try voice acting some, but pretty afraid of not being able to do it well.