How To Harness the Power of Theatre of the Mind

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

*Thanks for watching!* What do you want to see more of on this channel? Let us know in the comments below! Take a look at Dungeon Fog & the plethora of maps on their platform! Find them here: dgnfogaffiliateprogramme.sjv.io/jdQeZ

[@ivancarabano]

I've been DMing for more than thirty years and we always use theater of the mind, always. Even on the rare games that we use miniatures it's just to have a general idea where is everyone.

[@darklightuk2]

Snap! great Gm's think alike it seems

[@tradtke101]

So you only have experience doing it one way, but you know it's the best way all the same?

[@oldmanjobie3735]

Me too and it's my 44th year of gaming/GMing

[@GreenSabre187]

theater of the mind is the best, Ultimate dungeon terrains or battlemats are only to double down on this thought, to keep space in our minds for "THEATRE OF THE MIIIIND!!"

[@ghostparty2062]

I'm only 8 sessions into running my very first game and I stickly use theatre of the mind, I hate using minis 😆

[@randrews103]

I have to say theater of the mind is much easier than I thought it would be. We were skipping over some battles for the sake of time and I'm finding it happening more and more.

[@Scevola44]

Thank you, Editor Goblin (Egg? Edgo? Edgar?) I’m really loving the style of these new videos ❤

[@EpifanesEuergetes]

Edgar. It's definitely Edgar. All hail Edgar The Editor Goblin!

[@AcoraZ3RO]

The Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG system handles the distance/measurement bit really well. Range bands (close/short/medium/long/extreme) are baked into the system, and it's all designed to be very cinematic and quick.

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

I would venture to add The Cypher System to this list of systems handling distance as a generalized range [for ease of use etc]. :-)

[@vodostar9134]

I thought it a little strange that dungeonfog is sponsoring this video in particular, but great points on TotM. I sometimes use a full map when I run TotM (players can't see it), but more often, just a linked set of bubbles with room titles and key contents connected by lines. Almost everything in my descriptions is improv in the moment.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Hey editor goblin Good points As an old gamer I appreciate theater of the mind

[@Marijnzor]

Amazing video as always! Something that I would like to add to "#3 Describe to build mood and tone not accuracy" is something that I learned in one of my first years as a game master: Describe accurately the things that you plan to use against the player characters, and do not use against the player characters the things that you did not describe accurately. In other words: if there is a big brass alarm bell in the corner of the room, make sure to describe it. And if you did not describe a big brass alarm bell in the corner of the room, then there isn't one. Using elements of the environment that you did not describe against your players is going to make them feel rightfully upset if their characters definitely would have taken note of these elements.

[@andrewtomlinson5237]

It's actually possible to do both. If the only things they encounter resitance with are the things you describe in detail, they soon learn to ignore the rest. Try giving a general description of an area. Then when they either examine, or appraoch something in such a way as they see more of it, THEN give a more accurate description, whether its important or not. If you say "There's a big brass alarm bell in the corner" and they don't choose to investigate it, I'm sorry... if it then does something they don't like... it's on them. This is particularly the case for something like a Call of Cthulhu adventure where investigation is more important than combat stats. If they walk into an office and you describe everything up front, you leave them less scope for discovery. Layer that information. "There are two doors leading from the room in the East wall, there's a desk on which sits a silver letter opener, a glass of wine, and a quill, on the floor is a white tiger skin rug. There's also a big brass alarm bell in the corner" "I'll go take a look at the bell..." "It's sitting in a sturdy wooden frame, possibly mahogany. It's held in place by two black iron chains. The clapper is a brass ball with red silk rope attaching it to the bell by the look of it, is once hung in a church tower or something similar. There appears to be something either carved, stamped or maybe cast around the edge of the bell" "I'll take a look at the chains, make sure its not going to fall on me..." "Roll d100, add your Int Bonus and any bonuses you might in metallurgy or similar" "63, plus 5, no metallurgy stuff so 68." "OK... the chains look like well made black iron. Pretty solid. You are pretty sure its not going anywhere." "While he's checking the chains I'll look at the carvings" "Fine, you make a roll too, Wis bonus, and what langauges do you have?" "Err... 77, plus err... nuthin, and I've got some basics in Ancient Pharthecian, which I've a funny feeling this might be..." "You are right... it is an ancient incantation. Not one that you are particularly familiar with, but from what you can tell it suggests that if you open the wrong door out of this room, then this here bell is going to start letting the world know exactly where you are!" If no one had investigated that bell, screw them if the bell starts ringing when they open the wrong door...

[@durhamred810]

I have run a theater of the mind campaign called on the fly for about a year now. Mostly due to necessity as my players are scattered around the country. We use discord for communication. I do draw some vague maps occasionally however mostly I just describe the scene. There has been some minor confusion a few times but it is generally easily cleared up. I love this style of play over using maps. It is brilliant when the players use bits of the scenery that they see and I didn't invent. I have them well trained enough to ask if there is a table they can flick over then use as a combination of battering ram and cover to get them to the mage firing acid arrows at them. We are in the Dragonlance setting therefore the source materials are limited but I know the books inside out and backwards so it was inevitable that this campaign would be theater of the mind. Half my players never even knew the setting existed before we began the campaign. Thank you for this video. It has revitalised my creative brain into writing the second season of my campaign. P.s Lots of love to the Editor Goblin! Great work!

[@TheOnlyToblin]

I nearly lost my shit clicking on this video and the first thing that faces me, in a video about THEATRE OF THE MIND, is a DungeonFog ad. XD That cracks me up. Thanks, Guy! :D

[@CRandyGamble]

I like this new goblin! The editing is great! Well done, Eddie!

[@Shadowkitty360]

I think we like the way you say THEATER OF THE MIND 😂 Also welcome to editor goblin! The editing has been top tier.

[@jordanknoop9359]

Started a new campaign last week and decided to use **Theater of the mind!** for the first time, and this video definitely helps with my planning a lot.

[@lorcandruid]

Kudos to the new Editor Goblin! Btw, love the t-shirt Guy :)

[@reev3417]

Thank you editor goblin! (And others goblins :) )

[@dcwar77]

I love all the goblins but also editor goblin

[@Katchelina]

Could you cover more types of campaigns or story genres? Like what if the PCs ate part of a caravan, or what if your mystery plot isn’t a murder? Just more variety and examples for ideas.

[@natbarmore]

I know what you _meant,_ but now I’m trying to come up with a fun plot hook that involves the PCs eating a caravan. Are they all giant? Is the caravan miniature? Is this a Matter Eater Lad situation? Desperation when they ran out of food, so they started disassembling and boiling up the caravan-shoe-leather soup turned up to 11 (or 23, at least)?

[@murgel2006]

Excellent video. One of your best. Very good advice for the people who might want to try it. I'm sure there will be quite some GMs who might like to try TotM because of this video. One thing might be interesting for those new TotM players. Verifying and asking if people have the picture in their head, will be needed less and less when they get used to TotM. In a group used to it, the players start asking thus you can describe more detail then.

[@RyuuKageDesu]

Much welcome to the new goblin on the team. I would enjoy some thoughts on blending battle grid and theater of the mind.

[@palexanderrice]

We love the goblin horde

[@ryanmatthews5882]

This is *exactly* why I like TotM play, and why I am working on my own ruleset made specifically for it.

[@sharris3216]

Absolutely wonderful explanation of theatre of the mind. I liked your in depth explanation of social contract between players and referee. Working together to help visualize the world of play. Great job pointing out that theatre of the mind approach provides flexibility in the game.

[@G.A.N.]

this video was very well edited, love it

[@Nachtschattenmoon]

Theatre of the Mind is something for in self, you hit all good things on this video. thanks for reminding me on the details to tell my Players. And good job from the Editor Goblin.

[@Thugmun1]

We love you Editer Goblin❤ I personally love 🎼Theater of the Mind!🎶🎬 That is how I started with AD&D many moons ago. The game stays with you for years and years😁✌. Happy pride month🌈

[@AssasinZorro]

I would love to see a review of FATE Core system. It fits theater of the mind and has rules that are rather streamlined. The new editing is noticeably better! The new editor is so very welcome!!

[@mikecarson7769]

Nice to see the new video format with your usual helpful and positive advice and creativity! Worth noting = Many of your points and principles could apply even when using a map with measurements.

[@elicentric]

Great video! About to GM for the first time as an already beginner player and this clarified a lot and made me feel more confident :)

[@ziggy78eog]

Take a drink, every time Guy says, "theater of the mind".

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

I hope it's a weak cider or something like it, otherwise OH SO DRUNK xD

[@skidiggydiggs4529]

Excellent work so far, Editor Goblin! ❤

[@raynitaylor1912]

I like using world maps and a stance maps to make it easier to communicate location and combat but otherwise it's all theater of the mind.

[@bkdan262]

YAY!!! Editor Goblin FTW

[@MegaHasmat]

Genesys/FFG Star Wars uses relative range bands in combat; engaged, close, medium, long, extreme, tactical. The more pcs you have the harder it is to keep track of every moving piece's relative distance, but thats why you must must must have distinct features, even within theatre of the mind. Players no longer associate distance with an abstract space between, but with a feature of the battlefield within their mind Edit: and as for players adding to the scene, Genesys has mechanics for that. In the situation you used, they might roll perception to examine the battlefield and if they get the right results, on top of what i tell them about the battlefield, they get to add one or two small details to the scene they can later use to their advantage.

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

Actually sounds a bit like The Cypher System.

[@MegaHasmat]

@@Dack.howaboutyou haven't played it but I've heard good things

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

@@MegaHasmat it's amazing to watch it streamed (which so far is unfortunately all i have managed as far as Cypher goes). Truly it took less than one episode of a campaign on YT to make me a convert for life. (Nerdarchy did a Shadowrun setting campaign using it a while back, and Save or Dice did a Numenera called Fury i believe. Jorphan is a PC among other twitch/YT channel holding gamer-peoples.) I think it's one of, if not the best system out there currently; if only for the speed of combat compared to most systems, and the layers of complexity you can change and scale as you see fit, in any setting, any time. It seems a bit odd at first, what with the 3 pools feeling like maybe not enough detail, but it works out that aspect in other ways and is beautifully simple if you want it to be, so elegant it's almost enough to cry that there aren't more actual play vids using it to be found on YT. but truly Monte Cook's & co. are brilliant (been reading a bunch of his past publications as well), but i feel like Cypher System is like his Masterpiece sort of how CCP's is/was EVE-Online. The GM never has to roll anything so they can focus on other things more and combat can basically go about the same speed as everything else. It's been called a system for people who like a more "story driven" style of play, or "the system that gets out of the way of the game/RP/storytelling"... so i understand it maybe isn't for everyone's tastes all the time but it's genius on so many levels imho since you can so easily fiddle with it, modify it, add complexity, or cut it back to dead simple and/or anything/everything in between... in literally ANY type of setting, or style of play for that matter i would say.

[@cabin3118]

Had a player ask me, "Now that we are back in the village, can I see if anyone has glowing question marks above them?"

[@agilemonk6305]

Welcome Editor Goblin ❤

[@bigsarge2085]

The pantheons know I tried over time to develop my creative & improvisational mind-muscle to set a narrarive tone or cinematic theme for our campaigns.

[@poorme1art]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@abettermind]

I've run theatre of the mind for 20 years. The idea that "everyone will be close range after a couple rounds" is nonsense. Just because there is no map doesnt mean that communicating movement is a burden. Just as the players explain where they move on their turn, so should the players. Making assumptions about movement without stating it is just a good way to piss absolutely everyone off. Domt take this as any kind of insult. I've learned SOOO much from your channel. It's fucking brilliant.

[@EcowarriorII]

Love all the goblins equally.

[@puddel9079]

In my time playing RPGs, I have had a myriad of scenarios and methods of play utilized. Premade and ad hoc grid maps (blank map and dry erase markers), tiles, and even the Mental Stage™️ are very familiar to me. You can even hybridize ad hoc maps and the Mental Stage™️ for roleplaying full-scale battles if you feel so inclined.

[@KurtzMista]

Amazing episode! Will try this out when I DM next and see how that social contract goes. :)

[@benmwalls]

Goblins - take all my shinnies and all my gold!

[@poorme1art]

Thanks Editor Goblin 👍

[@coldhaven1233]

We love all the goblins. We will collect them all and have a tea party.

[@iguanabealone]

We love all the Goblins!

[@Zandaarl]

He has lost his mind. Yes, years ago. And we love him for it! 🎉 And the new Editing Goblin does an amazing job! 🏅

[@jamesrickel3814]

We often throw in missile rounds vs melee rounds

[@FabioBittar]

Shadowdark employs 'near', 'close' and 'far' as measurements of distance.

[@grr-OUCH]

It is funny that around 10 minutes he is talking about using the same scenes over and over again. Well, not funny, but it reminds me of a friend that when he was the GM he often put the same scene with skeletons in the pews of a church and then animate. It was hard not to laugh out loud when we encountered yet another one, a player whispered to me "Generic Josh Temple". I wonder how many of us reuse scenes across many campaigns.

[@durhamred810]

My first ever DM was fond of the phrase... "You go through the the door and find yourself in a room (here he would pause and look around as if measuring with his brain, and we would all say the last words together) about the size of this one!"

[@reev3417]

Guy, can we please have another video on Science Fiction campaigns?

[@haiclips3358]

Pretty big contrast of your sponsor and video content. 😂 I personally prefer battle maps because I like to have strategy mixed with the fantasy roleplay of DnD. But finding more tools to help broaden. My capabilities is something I'll never pass up.

[@blackbladiz]

My DM uses Theatre of the Mind, and while I like it, I often times don't understand the scene he sets up and often make decisions based on what I got rather than what is in the DM's head. For example it was described that I was backed into a corner by two guards, (A literal corner of the room which I did so to narrow their area) and then decided to throw a powdered dust that would paralyze anyone who breathed them in. Unfortunately, the DM clarified that they were still a ways away and kinda ruined that moment for me. I do like that, but more times than often I find myself asking too many questions to understand the situation clearly enough.

[@Melvinious]

My favorite goblin would have to be the theater of the mind goblin

[@eliteheran1541]

Love for the edit gob 😘

[@samuelteare8160]

Who doesn't love goblins? Thanks editor goblin!

[@KirstenBayes]

The Editor Goblin saved us all from being Theatre-of-Minded and for that we honour them.

[@LutherGary17]

We love all the goblins

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

A theatre of the mind video, sponsored by Dungeon Fog? 😂🤣😅

[@JGraylion]

I enjoy providing maps for Theater of the Mind" however not battle maps, not moving tokens and such.

[@KarmaSpaz12]

Hmmmmm. No. Theater of the mind requires a player contract. I know some people really hate the term, as there's no actual contract but when a player refuses to be on the same page and let the story play out I've found this often ends in irrecoverable games. Hey, some people just find it hard to care about anything for however many minutes they've decided their fuse is that day and then when people such as me as the Dm bring it up, not as a "DM" but as the friend bringing everyone together all of a sudden I'm the one suddenly not being invited around because one person's ego is apparently more important than a suspension of disbelief for an afternoon.

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

No, yes, and yep; that's life sometimes. =\

[@bloementuintje9356]

hi there! I luvyou goblins! 3 thumbs up. this vid gave me so much idea's so much more questions. howevr, i am going to plan a trip first, and look at some gardens. i pass by. Dm, on a working trip.

[@oldskoolgamer7246]

Hey! Editor Goblin! Where are the time stamps on this video?

[@thebeatles9]

ThEaTrE oF tHe MiNd!

[@NubiBuiltKatchr]

Is he inebriated? If yes, what was he drinking? I need some of what he’s having!

[@simontemplar3359]

Is there a way to say "everything about the manner in which you speak is outstanding" without sounding weird? If there is, then that.

[@andrewtomlinson5237]

"What is Theatre of the Mind?" A Fancy term for using your imagination. KZbin and general advocacy has attempted to evelvate it to an art form, but its "Using your imagination". Which is a little bit annoying to those of us who use maps and props and stuff because "Oh? You mean you DON'T use Theatre of the Mind???" suggests we don't use our imagination as much as the people arguing with each other over which way the "North" door leads. It used to simply be how you played if you could neither afford or be bothered to prepare minis and table maps. (I started out in the first, developed into the second, and now far prefer to have a good map laid out to allow for everyone to be on the same "page" without having to keep checking whos where and what's happening.) Now it seems to be a weird bragging right for some people; as if using it makes you more of a "Roleplayer" if everyone at your table has a different understanding of what's going on. I ran a great game on Roll20 recently with the party stuck in a huge maze with the Dynamic Lighting switched so they could only see what they could see with no "memory" of the areas they'd covered. So they had to map it themselves. And like Guy says, that's how we played D&D in the early 80s because that was how the game told you to play it. We quickly did away with the "Caller" but the "Mapper" was something we maintained for years. In the ideal world going without maps and position markers is great, but there's WAY too much: "But... I thought the Death Knight was standing by the door?" "No he was the other side of the altar" "But you said he moved!" "Did I?" "Yeah, I thought that too..." "Did he? I didn't hear that? I thought he was actually on the other side of the altar, but much further away..." "But if he was the other side of the altar, I wouldn't have run to the door..." "I thought it was weird that you wanted to do that!" I know... I know... there are some DMs these days who are SO good they actually establish a hive mind, and everything works. But I get through twice as much in a session with maps and minis/tokens than I ever did without. Plus drawing then prepping the maps gives you the opportunity to understand the area better than the players who will be coming fresh into it, so your monsters have a realistic tactical advantage that you simply can't fake without an existing level of understanding of the area.

[@mixmaxtorb]

thEateR Of ThE MiiiNnD

[@darksider111]

I like to Do Theater of the mind, BUT i do find some things are SLIGHTLY easier when you use Models (because my players Are #$*# IDIOTS) - and if the Magic sword falls in the ravine it just means that they have to go on another adventure "Doesn't it" - OH and "THEATER OF THE MIND" 🤣🤣🤣

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

Hehe, yes this video prompted me to consider the issue of truly creative people being actually rather rare in the real world. Definitely true though, that if you want something to have a more precisely shared perception then an object or picture works great, so right you are on that. And if using Totm is vague at least it gives your players something to explore, and ask about; problem solve etc... if they are the types to be so inclined anyways. So... maybe i wouldn't call players idiots per-say, but it wouldn't be at all surprising to find them relatively lacking in creative ability/thinking compared to the truly rare artists of the world who are probably less than 10% of the pop maybe under 5%? i dont know exact figures. It doesn't make them less valuable or "smart" just... well, normal imho (i realize some people consider "normal" to be unflattering, but it isn't meant to be here). _ _There's a vid called "Lectures: Exploring the Psychology of Creativity" where JBP speaks to an audience interview style with an art studio-sort-of-guy. Very interesting stuff imo.

[@darksider111]

Besides i went to all the trouble of making trees, walls, (both dungeon & house walls), Bushes, and rocks, Etc (almost every thing they would need to see) - So God dammit i am going to use them

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

@@darksider111 I dunno if it's worth damning the Big Man over, but i'll say "that's word; use what you spent time & effort making for sure!" Even if you don't end up using it right away, you can always keep it like a few aces in you sleeve. That's def. what i recommend anyone (myself included) do if they come up with a bunch of content/ideas. Write it down/prep it, and then if things don't go how you maybe thought they would, it's all good; just drop it in a different time/way/place! :) Another example is like if you find yourself in need of something suddenly that you hadn't prepped, but you DO have an old encounter that went pretty well with this same group before, you can always re-flavor and secretly use the same stats basically... just describe things differently and maybe make minor tweaks if the PCs are actually that much different from when you ran the content before (it worked for me my first time DMing (this was a 3.5e game). We were trying a rotating DM game with 4 players & lol i wasn't prepared enough at all, but i bluffed it out and it went smoothly enough. (Example: the plate/half-plate wearing, longsword/whatever wielding, guardsmen from the last battle became robed-cultists with the same AC due to stuff like dex/spells instead of armor. Diff. descrip & weapons but that's easy to swap up on the spot without being noticed imo... the tricky thing is doing this before you have that previous precedent or reference to give a good feel for what your group can handle or wants to handle).

[@gegegebebebe5087]

🤣 Theatre of the mind! 😂

[@hoxton_hummingbird]

For my taste, the new editing style is a bit too hectic. I always thought that one special talent of yours was your ability to speak freely, keeping your presentation in flow and basically show how great of a speaker you are. I feel like this new, jumpy style undermines that a bit, making it harder to listen to.

[@tryggresa]

Felt the same way sadly.

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

Eh, i appreciate them both myself. They will find a balance [or they won't]. Either way, Guy puts out some of the best TTRPG content ever imo.

[@mkklassicmk3895]

Grid Combat is way less fun than Theater of the Mind. A grid turns combat into a board game. All the rest of the game is done with theater of the mind its just bad design to make combat basically an hour plus mini-game.

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

95% agree!!

[@bonzwah1]

I personally agree. But there are definitely tables out there that actually want to play a board game. For these tables, playing the board game and having tactical combats are the point of D&D. They role play in between combats to set the scene and set the stakes and create immersion, but all ultimately in service to the board game experience.

[@mkklassicmk3895]

@@bonzwah1 I have never met these people.

[@adriel8498]

Well.. characters always being when they need to be is a big nerf to the most mobile class on the game, the already weak monk on dnd5e

[@Dack.howaboutyou]

Yeah. Aside from my constant recommendation of Cypher System, among others, I've started re-writing many of the classes and basic workings of 5e such that it has gone beyond homebrew ruleset and almost into a new system or a hybrid of several D&D versions (3 and 3.5 stand out because there was just such a huge amount of 3rd party content and variant rules with that created for those vers). Some things just don't make sense in about every version though, and i wanted to try and fix that. it's been good fun so far. A lot of reading over old material, 3rd party included, but i love reading these types of things and analyzing; it's one of my great strengths (and can also be a weakness; "paralysis by analysis" they say... but over time and many years i've learned a few things and tried to change my habits for the better in this and other regards... oh to be young and wise; wouldn't that be something?!). ;)

[@dwil0311]

The editor has destroyed everything I loved about these videos. I will unsubscribe now.

[@bluetrace3778]

Not sure if you’re joking or need a hug… I’ll hedge my bets 🫂

[@dwil0311]

@@bluetrace3778 Not joking, the video is really poorly edited.

[@Joris1111111]

Thank you for inspiring me.

[@grr-OUCH]

Use Dungeonfog. Yet, don't, because this video is about using theater of the mind instead. ;)