Greechak! Campaign Diary 18

[@valritz1489]

Headbanger piranha has to be one of the best things I've ever heard. A bunch of really pointy, really excitable, really foulmouthed carnivorous fish? Perfect.

[@krymsonkyng5573]

Val Ritz aaaaand now i want to run headbanger piranha. Everytime I come to this channel I come away with hopes for future games.

[@gryph3714]

Me too! XD

[@dreadmorg]

I am a 40 something who was once a headbanger piranha. And i approve of this. ROCK ON BEARMANTLE!!! F**CK YA DUDE!!1

[@BrunoSantosTDL]

I laughed so hard with the Piranhas :,) this was an amazing campaign diary, two incredible scenarios in one session!

[@CrazyConnor2]

The piranha were so adorable "what'er those?" "What's a troll?" "No fuck you!" XD

[@1lYorkl1]

So at 4:20 the guitar guy in the back moved. Now I am watching the entire video starring to see if it moves again.

[@Sanyaenyenwa]

I'm gonna be that guy that points out that, technically, Haste only gives you one single attack when you use the attack action for your additional action, regardless of how many extra attacks you have from class features. The spell description explicitly says "one weapon attack only". ;)

[@mcolville]

I read that, and then I looked at the Fighter's Extra Attack ability and ruled he gets two attacks. I figured extra attacks is, or should be, part of a Fighter's thing so if everyone else gets one attack from Haste, a Fighter should get two.

[@lelandwhitehead56]

Matthew Colville you're very prone to a super powered campaign.

[@mcolville]

For most of my group, this is the only time they're ever going to play D&D, so I don't mind them being heroic.

[@catnamedvirtue5825]

DM makes the calls, choose fun over rules. Sounds like Matt did the right thing here.

[@lelandwhitehead56]

Austin Sullivan I'm not saying it was the wrong choice for the group, just that he tends to inflate the PC and the world. Rolling stats, early and strong magic items, and bending the way a spell works. All of this means he has to overbuff the world to compete, and he's complained in previous videos that it is difficult to challenge his player characters. And personally, I don't enjoy the feeling of being overly powerful as a PC.

[@LegallyBlindGamer7926]

The piranhas going "Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!" reminds me of the birds in Finding Nemo that kept repeating "Mine!"

[@GirlPainting]

nooooo, i just bingewatched ALL the diary videos and now i am out of content......AND i need to know how it continues!

[@umbranex9274]

GirlPainting right there with you

[@Alresu]

That's what you get for starting to early. I just startet last week, so i have quite a bit of content left! :)

[@robertcapostagno2082]

Bingewatch running the game, then run a game! XD Just forget everything Matt says after the first 5 episodes for the first few sessions haha.

[@GrantREllis]

Happiness = a good campaign and a non-insane post-production workflow

[@steveharrison76]

Those Piranha. That’s probably one of the best D&D anecdotes I’ve heard. I’m in my kitchen making a cup of tea at the minute and there’s these totally metal fish telling a Druid to GTFO, laughing my head off. Man, I love this game.

[@Jawarulez]

the way you described the duel was awesome, love the idea of rolling for initiative every round.

[@ZebraleaksSWE]

I think the otyugh's name must be inspired by the Swedish word "otyg". If you ever have fought an otyugh and know the translation of "otyg" you kinda feel like the name sells the demonic poison dog short. Otyg means nuisance and I bet we can all agree that being bitten by an otyugh is a bit worse than a nuisance.

[@mcolville]

THAT is super interesting! I love it!

[@ryanmartin7559]

Please continue this series. It's very interesting to hear your methodology to say nothing of the story itself.

[@NirrumTheMad]

You can roll an Initmidation(strength) roll. Player's handbook 125 - Variant: Skills with different abilities

[@oz_jones]

I'm currently playing a 7ft, 260+ pound (i havent really put a number on his weight but he is a big, muscular boy) who has 7 CHAR and it hasn't come up yet but I'm willing to bet that I could use my size to my advantage when intimidating people.

[@D20Zen]

"I described the piranha as being tiny little headbangers..." You sir! You sir should be more recognized for your writing! Almost spewed my beer all over the place! Comedic gold!

[@CrazyConnor2]

Was just watching the video on workflow and, lo and behold MORE COLVILLE!

[@Virtuallyjonathan]

Hey Matt, I subscribe to several channels on a variety of topics. You are the only channel I make a point to watch every video. Thank you for doing such a great job. It's always educational and entertaining. Books bought.

[@aylx91]

Really love these D&D diaries, I recently started playing D&D with my friends and watching your videos really helps me improve. Thanks a bunch and keep up the good work. Greetings from Norway

[@siramadeus1069]

I love that you have Locke & Key on your shelf! I just finished reading that series, it's SO good.

[@KroxxTV]

You're videos have definitely made me a better DM. Every session I run I feel like I'm getting better and better, and a lot of that is thanks to this channel.

[@mikegould6590]

Matt, the Quippers in the 5E Monster Manual have been drawn as red-belly piranha. So saying "they're not quippers, they're piranha" is like saying "it's not a car. It's an automobile." I think the intent is to have piranha, but with a more fantasy-esque name. EDIT: I should add that I really appreciate your work and look forward to your content every week. Despite my many years in gaming, you always teach me something new, and in the most entertaining way. Thanks for that.

[@PsychedelicScrafty]

What happens to this series?

[@jaredsmith6495]

can you put the entire fish conversation in the description?

[@mcolville]

I tried, but we weren't very strict about keeping it in Hangouts, so the actual text wouldn't make any sense without the parts that were spoken. :(

[@jaredsmith6495]

:( indeed

[@argentumtaibhsear621]

17:52 - This is why I use dynamic initiative instead of static initiative. It makes combat so much more exciting when you don't know who's going next.

[@TheRaptureWillRise]

I only recently ran into your campaign diaries and I love your world and the story and everything. is this the last one you have done? I can't find any more but I haven't found anything to indicate that you had abandoned it, other than being unable to find more. was there a reason behind this or you felt like you accomplished what these videos were meant to do. it's also possible I just missed where you might have more. either way, I'm hungry for more!

[@Valcron6]

I really love these campaign diaries, thanks for going through all the trouble to put them up! Keep up the great work!

[@doghead95]

I just noticed the Lokce & Key comic in the background holy hell! I loved that series, actually ran a funhouse/horrorhouse dungeon in Nemenra that was designed around the keys! +10 cool points go to Matt!

[@Pit_Wizard]

I've had exactly the same thing happen to me while prepping a pre-written adventure. I just sat there scratching my head and googling "quipper" before finally giving up and making them piranhas.

[@pierrelebeaudehemricourt2243]

I'm not sure you'd read or take the time to answer the comment but after watching this.... I got CHILLS of how awesome this duel was. And like, I have one player in my party that want to win a "trial by combat" soooo bad but unfortunatly I never had the opportunity to make it work so far. Sadly, this crew isnt strong enough to fight trolls, what kind of cool "monster" would recognise "strenght" and accept a "duel" to solve a situation ? If you can answer that question, it would be super cool

[@magmatoad7235]

i think things like goblins, gnolls, and maybe even orcs would all be fair game for "trial by combat" for the tribe or however you choose to to deploy single combat. i know this is another year late but hey, better late than never.

[@catpeterson4922]

Before you ask, see this post as to why this is the last diary video: www.reddit.com/r/mattcolville/comments/5a7nec/why_were_stopping_the_campaign_diaries/

[@NewtypeDraco]

I never thought I'd find a piranha cute until today. Your interpretation of their thoughts are adorable!

[@OfficialPizza]

aw man. i'm really sad that there's no more of these videos... this story is immensely engaging. i want to know what happens to the count of Rend and if he ever becomes King of Andrim...

[@CoffeeWeapon]

Hey I bought your books! Also, the Haste attack action only gives 1 extra attack, but damn that fight was epic!

[@sythianys]

I am a night shifter and I was bingewatching or well bingelistening to those campaign diaries while writing my own setting and I had to stop to laugh at those piranhas. Omg gold.

[@ernstjensen4419]

Once again, very entertaining. Thank you.

[@AkivaElbereth]

If this is a 5e game, Haste only gives one extra attack: PHB Pg 250 "...and it gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used to only take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action." Everything in the quotes, including the parenthetical, is directly quoted from the PHB. Unless you've house ruled it. Which is perfectly fine! I just wanted to point it out to those who may be confused or simply not know about the vanilla rules.

[@Randoman590]

That conversation with the Fish is my favourite thing in this video. I love the concept of them not knowing what weapons or trolls are, and the image of the fish all swimming down and coming back with coins in their mouth is hilarious to me in my head.

[@AJPickett]

I don't mean to freak you out Matt, but that Nigel Tuffnell figure moved.. right when you were talking about the piranhas talking. *insert sound of classic Theremin*

[@androsh9039]

Awesome video! I love druid powers to solve animal problems. Regarding Haste, keep in mind that it only gives you one additional weapon attack, not a full Attack Action.

[@gabrielle6071]

From everything I've seen Tom seems like a great guy to play DND with. All your friends do, but especially Tom. He was fun to watch in the streams and he's a good sport about not being a star! Some players would get pissy if they don't get to do anything for a session even if it means something super cool is happening.

[@1simo93521]

Great job on the one vs one combat! rolling at the beginning of each round made it like a boxing match.

[@inomad1313]

Awesome GM information and inspirations.

[@GlockenspielHero]

Hey Matt! One thing that I think is really needed in the next NPC video is a bit about negotiation. It's a *very* common thing (maybe once per session) that the players want an NPC to do some thing that the NPC otherwise wouldn't do: selling a thing, giving them information, showing them the way... the list is endless. You touched on a really good example of this with Greekchak being unwilling to battle, to which you set up a great system of steps the players would have to take in order to succeed at their negotiation. The question is, is that the kind of thing you do in the general case? Once you have an NPC, and you know their motivations and their style of interaction... How do you decide what things the players need to do to influence them? How (and how much) do you like to involve dice?

[@BragginRitesTV]

I immediately thought of Nekodemus to 1v1 Greechak and your initiative each round idea was so great for a duel. I need to know what happens next!

[@Kyburo]

Another great bit of DM advice with the single combat format! And as enjoyable as ever :D

[@PillarPK]

Noooooo i just got hooked on the campaign diaries! And binged all of them in 3 days. Where did they gooo!!!

[@kounurasaka5590]

Dear lord, no wonder your players had fun, I had fun listening to that. That is movie quality right there.

[@Witchgirl44]

that sounded like an extremely epic fight, fights like that are few and far between

[@Saber0003]

I really like the way you house rule things. I remember you talking about your players Druid and Warlock being kinda disappointed in certain aspects of the way the class worked. Specifically Warlocks only getting two spell slots, and Wild Shapes being kinda lackluster. As someone who plays both these classes in my two campaigns, it was cool to see a DM with your experience agree with them, and adjust things just enough to make them feel better, and not break balance of the game. I know this is an older video, but a tip for your druid player would be to get Barkskin, and use it before Wild Shaping. It gives any animal an AC 16, which is often 2-4 points higher than normal. Sure, you need concentration, but if it saves you a hit or two and keeps your form up longer, then it was worth it.

[@maxscribner1743]

Holy crap! That sounds like an amazing session!

[@olov244]

this was one of my favorite diaries

[@TnTyson81]

I got so in to this video. Single combat sounded amazing

[@darrenfox4213]

Im gonna have to try that roll for initiative every round concept for single combat, one of my players, a rogue, got into single combat with a elite drow warrior, although it was tense as his rogue is built for the likes of ranged sneak attacks, I think rolling for initiative every round could add a nice tense layer on top of the situation.

[@Shon31]

I already own both books Matt. additionally I have boosted them to friends and colleagues. that being said you need another book for me to buy.

[@krulos8649]

Love the channel!!! Great vids

[@espersghost13]

Another great video! Thank you!

[@Amosarthus]

*New video from Matt Colville* OMG You're the best!

[@KingXOreo]

I know I'm years late to start suggesting things on this segment, but I feel like this would be great (crudely) animated. Not only would we get a better feel of your players and how they interact with each other, but the comedy of you referencing something obscure or not knowing something and totally winging it would be comedy gold! Plus you already have kind of a signature hair/beard style

[@caiopelichekgoncalves3361]

That was incredible!

[@dylanduhon7546]

Awesome video! Twilight imperium? Glorious!!!

[@stefanpaxton3323]

Mathew, I was hoping you could do a Running the Game video over running a Horror/Scary/Spooky d&d game. It's a theme I enjoy trying to implement in the game, but I find it can be fairly difficult to do so. I think it'd be a lot of help hearing your advice over the subject, and I believe it to be obscure but desired within the community. C'thulu is great and all, but it has its limits. On that note, wanted to thank you for all your help in your videos. You've been the largest inspiration for me, and I find your videos equally informative and entertaining.

[@eonagon]

These have given me so much to think about in my games. Stealing from 4e and making unique abilities has made my games way more enjoyable.

[@KCdoesVOXMetalVocalist]

Fantastic diary, man! Ty!

[@JohnSmithAprilMay]

yay! quippers! that's deep second edition monstrous manual right there. for some dumb reason, middle school me assumed EVERY body of water was lousy with them. I'm not even sure my DM was aware of them. we never encountered a single quipper ever. pretty cool that they were in night below because we played that, but I was so paranoid about quippers that I lobbied the rest of my party to stay out of all water all the time. (I hadn't yet realized metagaming was a flaw)

[@MubarkAlKhatlan]

That was great good game .. great Role playing and epic DMing

[@outlyr242]

That extra action from haste can only be used for one weapon attack; it is not a normal attack action.

[@dreadpiratexx]

EPIC! That is the only word to describe this. You rule

[@michaelwelker8759]

Hah, just was watching another video when this dropped... and... watched! Good job.

[@Ranxior55]

Just got home from a silent drive from Boston because caught up on all of my content and you release this now!!!!!MATT DAMN YOU, now at least my dinner won't be silent

[@NerdyZanoth]

You should add this video to your playlist

[@Leoofmoon]

That ring is something I would want for every game. Behold my animal friends!

[@Wraithninja1]

Would that we could at least get a bi-weekly or even a tri- weekly summary. Alas it is at an end. To help us deal with our collective anguish, can anyone direct us to another campaign diary series like this? The real reactions of the PCs make D&D stories special. Yet, I find watching the full gaming sessions of most groups (even the esteemed Critical Role) to be too much of a time commitment. These diaries hit the spot for me. Not too drawn out but enough fun detail. Is there anything similar out there?

[@dukeskywatcher7708]

Totally stealing the single combat idea for tomorrow night's session. Keep being rad, cheers.

[@landonsandor591]

lol omg the fish scene was awesome!

[@ChrissieBear]

A quipper... is a piranha. XD

[@WiscoDrinks]

Haste is so OP, not that im complaining.

[@dmgreenofla_578]

a broad sword Is a longsword so it's already covered.

[@LogistiQbunnik]

yeah, it is. Then again, when it is made of Bronze, it would still behave differently (be somewhat thicker, heavier probably and less flexible), so if Matt gives it a slightly different hit die (2d4 vs 1d8) that makes sense. And he is the DM here, so can really do anything that makes for better/more memorable experience and fun IMO.

[@girostrike]

Yeah I prefer these to the Q&A videos. They feel more "meaty" and seem longer haha also probably one of the best diaries so far.

[@probablythedm1669]

So is that a house rule or just a "I winged it"-thing with the Haste? I mean the doobli-do for Haste says you gain an additional action on each turn. But "That action can be used only to take the Attack *(one weapon attack only)*, Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action._ From what I've read it's because of just the thing that happened in the duel; so many Fighter attacks in the same turn it takes a 3-armed monster that makes two attacks with each arm each round to match it. I mean you get something 9 attacks each round once the Fighter can do 3 attacks, since it's Attack (main-hand weapon x3) + Bonus action (offhand weapon x3) + Haste action (main-hand attacks x3) and that just makes you a monster. Hence _"one weapon attack only"_. Great story and a cool outcome though :) TL;DR: Technically, Nicodemos should have "only" had 4 attacks, not 6. :P

[@Viruzzz]

You don't get extra offhand attacks just because you get more extra attack, the offhand bonus action attack is one attack always (because you only have 1 bonus action)

[@probablythedm1669]

***** Aye, if you go by the rules rules as intended. Thus Action (2 attacks), Bonus action (bash with shield - if you want) + *1 extra weapon* attack from Haste. That makes for 3 attacks and a bonus action (off-hand weapon attack), so 4 attacks.

[@farflownfalcon1076]

I love that Matt doesn't know what quippers are, so replaces them with piranhas, which are basically just piranhas that live in cold water, subterranean environments anyway.

[@tisisonlytemporary]

Haste action in 5e only allows one attack (It's in the parenthesis in the spell description.) Otherwise, fun times!

[@mcolville]

Yeah we read that, but I thought that was stupid. I ruled fighters can use their abilities on that action and get more attacks. Getting more attacks is sort of their thing.

[@Vineares]

I'm ready for more special effects.

[@ayyohwinning]

Praise the Colville!

[@Elighght]

the age of "wangrod" is gone. Enter the age of "fuck yeah"

[@martianmatt82]

superb!

[@Lodane]

These piranha are the best.

[@datex8]

I just binge-watched all of these episodes after discovering you and now I'm sad because this series just ended?

[@daviddelille1443]

24:36 "Next episode: moron NPCs, I think." Should be interesting.

[@mcolville]

Hah! I think all my NPCs are moron npcs.

[@frankiefontaine7865]

Anyone else notice the rocker in the background move at 4:20?

[@kylestillwell7031]

@Matthew Colville I'm sure you don't still check these, but if you do, you asked what would be a good evil creature to gain the emnity of from the deck of many things.... how about your warlock's patron?

[@erichall090909]

Hey did you end up doing that video of you preparing for the campaign? Was really looking forward to watching that so I can see how you prep

[@wikkidperson]

I put Thief and Priest in my high school classroom library, and a girl borrowed Priest. She picked it up on her own, read the back and asked me about it. Said it sounded like a really cool idea. I said it was about a doomed quest to try to save a druidic order of Arthurian knights trapped in a doomed quest.

[@mcolville]

Well now you have to tell me what she thought!

[@wikkidperson]

Her being a teenager, odds are strongly in favour of her not finishing it, and returning neither book nor opinion of it. But one lives in hope.

[@diazinth]

So, did she return it?

[@areshseptango9619]

thats weird, last time we played we found a lvl1 barbarian beta fish who just wanted to fight the other fish in the pond zealously

[@1anarquista.sensato]

Haste only grants a Single extra Melee Attack, it's not an extra Attack action

[@catnamedvirtue5825]

Poor Nekodemus... gettin' singled out because of Kek. Also, you should post something with all your party members characters and those cute lil' 8 bit icons with them. I've been wanting to show my players those and maybe take a whack at making them myself.

[@ezzerby]

I really miss these.... I particularly want to find out what happens to Nekodemus

[@master00maniac]

Your D&D videos fueled my very first session. You sir, are a genius. I feel like with the advice you've given, I was able to make an interesting and fun session with my friends, WITHOUT making it all about fighting. Which is great because apparently the enemy NPC's I'd built were entirely too weak anyway. Would you be horribly offended if I used your Campaign Diary video style for videos talking about sessions and campaigns that I run? Talking about things that I learn as I DM?

[@11thj]

Stole the headbanger piranha for my game players loved it.

[@EternalTotem]

learn so much from the last two videos I'm stealing a lot of this stuff.

[@Hazel-xl8in]

i was unconsciously beating fake drums during the description of the single combat

[@maxherzog3287]

Yall haste haters have clearly never been a level 5 fighter who had haste cast upon them