How to Play a Genuine Caregiver WHILE Traumatizing Your Party (How to Roleplay TTRPG)

[@gavinbock8531]

Maes funeral scene, where his daughter is crying asking why they’re burying her dad had me in SHAMBLES

[@vasudean]

It did for me too, and I am a hard bastard to make me feel something.

[@lopezzy8429]

SHAMBLES i tell ye 😭😭😭

[@niki5612]

Especially how she's not just crying about missing her father, but saying that he needs to go to work tomorrow which shows just how important his work was to him as much as being a great father T-T

[@JnEricsonx]

Meeting Roy's English VA helps too. "It's a terrible day for rain."

[@4Moth2Mellow0]

Your life must be filled with silver spoons if a cartoon puts you in "shambles"

[@tatersalad76]

Molly pulled off a Maes Hughes impact flawlessly and almost accidentally

[@C._Bradford]

I would say 100% accidentally. Not like he planned on dying.

[@doxkowalski915]

Do you think it was because of him as a character, or more because of how early it happened and resurrection magic was not on the table yet? Because from what I remember, the few sessions before his doom he had a few pretty assholish moments and, at least for me, is nowhere close to the Hughes level of compelling and heartbreaking.

[@tatersalad76]

@@doxkowalski915 Molly was an asshole, but he seemed to always do it from a loving side, the same way you'd throw away your little brother's cigarettes because you know it's bad for them

[@akhasshativeritsol1950]

I enjoyed Molly, but I do think the best thing he did for the story was to die. His death, combined with half the party being kidnapped, brought the group to their lowest point, a deeply emotional arc. And his death opened the way for Caduceus, who had a very positive effect on the party

[@JnEricsonx]

@@akhasshativeritsol1950 "Long may he reign." "Cad reminds me of a capybara because he's so chill!" (Actual quotes from me when meeting Taliesen)

[@valteren]

My oath breaker paladin unwittingly filled this roll in my party. He was just using them as meat shields. Every selfish whim and violent act was interpreted as benefiting the party as a whole or for serving the greater good. Me and the DM had plans to make him betray the party and turn him into BBG but my party was so damn loyal to him we really couldn't figure out how to do it. I even had him kill our barbarian mid combat and turned him into an wight. He saw my betrayal as me saving his soul from the devils we were fighting (the devils I summoned there in the first place.) Now because he was immune to my fear aura he became my perfect bodyguard and self proclaimed brother. After the fight when I argued for sparing the devils our Teifling rouge who struggled with her demonic heritage up untill that point ended up becoming enamoured with him. They didn't even bother questioning why the legion devils we're loyal to me or why I suddenly had the power to make undead. In the end all the accidental good deeds I did caused an alignment shift not only redeeming my soul but also that of my legion devils and undead army. Its was literally at that point my party realised I was evil the whole time. There's no cure for stupid but stupid can sometimes cure evil I guess.

[@bokuwatobi_]

That’s actually kinda beautiful

[@damned0wl]

“Who are you then?" "I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, First Part

[@zeehero7280]

When the party is so wholesome they cure the soul of the evildoer

[@LocalMaple]

2:35 for those who don’t know, that is Travis, aka Grog, Fjord, and Chetney from Critical Role. In this show, he will kill his wife, Laura Bailey, who played Lust in FMA, and in Critical Role is Vex, Jester, and Imogen.

[@PlayYourRole]

TRUE I love this detail

[@ellisprobert2064]

Ok so not to be that guy, but I had to double check but technically that isn't Travis it's Matthew Leonhard because that clip is from FMA brotherhood, but you are correct if it was FMA the 2003 version where Laura Bailey voices Lust in both the 2003 one and brotherhood.

[@lazerman27]

@@ellisprobert2064 it’s still travis in brotherhood?

[@lazerman27]

@@ellisprobert2064 who’s Matthew Leonhard?

[@ellisprobert2064]

@@lazerman27 When I look it up it says the Matthew Leonhard is the voice actor the Roy Mustang in Brotherhood

[@KeevaTheFirstRival]

I'm still not over Maes' death, all these years later, it still guts me.

[@LyndsayW1194]

NOBODYS over it. We are all still traumatized all these years later

[@EilonwyG]

You're trying to make me cry in every video now, aren't you?

[@PlayYourRole]

If I have to cry, so does everyone else. This is the law of equivalent exchange

[@personataplace4734]

I recently almost lost a character that became the 'heart' accidentally. And the amount of emotions not just from myself but the other players involved is something i don't think i will never be able to replicate with any other character

[@coreyjameswood]

First off thank you for including Mollymauk! He may have been an asshole but he was OUR asshole! Second, and possibly in coincidentally, this is also how you basically play a father figure. Of course this type of character doesn't always have to be a dad, but it definitely can be. What this all boils down to is caring for the player's characters, so much so that you'd risk your own life for their safety. I love this archetype because it relates closely to my own ideals in life. Thanks for another incredible deep dive video Jay! Keep em comin! Oh and something something John Cena PLS I'm never giving up

[@PlayYourRole]

Yeah there was a LOT of overlap with this and my last video haha

[@Ordep_Aviaras]

Hello! I'm currently playing the main healer and the most kind of the group, we are 7 people and I wanted to have this type of impact on the campaign and I want him to be loved. The problem is that I don't think anyone will think of him as a father figure because he's the yougest of the group, he's 22 while everyone is 30 or more. I guess he would be more of a younger sibling of sorts? Could he have the same impact as a care giver tho?

[@Pokemaster-wg9gx]

@@Ordep_Aviaras probably not gonna be the father figure but he can definitely be the younger brother type everyone loves or the youthful kind person that brings heart and softness to a group of jaded older people Honestly just think of how he acts and what he does especially in relation to the rest of the party because it would be weird if he suddenly changed out of nowhere to fit any advice we give you that doesn’t fully fit

[@ForeverWog]

I love how much Molly’s death drove Beau to be so much better.

[@rodrigocampos1302]

Molly's motto became the CR fundation's slogan, pretty impactful for a D&D character

[@FearlessGamer27]

Honestly, FMAB is a huge inspiration for nearly all of my characters.

[@PlayYourRole]

It's so good

[@dragoncat5767]

You writing a story?

[@slymjym5598]

In my brother's campaign, he had a bunch of players who had never played DnD before. So, when he asked me to join, naturally, I took on the role of mentor both in game and out of game. It seemed right to make a father to help integrate those motives of guidance. Also, I was intended to be a temporary player, staying until the others got a good understanding of the game, but I enjoyed it so much that I ended up staying. It was honestly one of the best characters I ever made

[@TheBottegaChannel]

* pops top of an adult beverage then salutes Maes and Mollymauk* Cheers to the two characters who influanced us to be better people. Salute!... Now to get out of this damn rain...

[@___i3ambi126]

Video suggestion: How to have a long backstory without overshadowing the campaign. I recommend a character inspiration of Beastboy from teen titans. A lot of players are against the idea of novel length backstories because they can then become the main story of the PC over the one actually being told at the table. Beastboy manages to have an increadibly complex backstory that heavily informs his character without it being required information to enjoy him in a campaign with 4 other powered characters.

[@July-gj1st]

It's like "You connect with everyone emotionaly, really have them care for your character and have them be the support pillar of the party... and then you die. Success."

[@becku.6216]

My PC accidentally became the heart of the Monster of the Week campaign and I’m loving it! The beginning mechanic of having ties with characters really let us get close early on. Then with a lot of roleplaying she ended up being the beloved “mom” of the group. At one point that her life was on the line down to a single roll of the die, and the whole party was about to go on a rampage if she had died. Not at the DM, just the people behind her death. I’ll admit beginning with a blank slate isn’t fun at first, but adding a few strong personality traits and ties with the party has made a world of difference!

[@domenceuspriest]

I see Maes Hughes, I click and cry. Damn you.

[@PlayYourRole]

Same. Every time.

[@FearlessGamer27]

Man same thing here.

[@zephyrstrife4668]

The biggest thing about Maes was that he was a confident leader, a supportive friend and an absolute cinnamon roll of a father. Even though I didn't finish either version of FMA, I did see his death and was absolutely livid at the homunculi.

[@gilessaint-loup2426]

DAMN IT! I nearly teared up hearing Roy (brilliantly played by Travis Willingham) say "It's a terrible day for rain."

[@JnEricsonx]

And then later on he goes verbally destructive when FRYING Greed and Lust. Early Grog! :)

[@gilessaint-loup2426]

@@JnEricsonx just remember Lust is his wife RL lol

[@JnEricsonx]

@@gilessaint-loup2426Yup. Nearly met both last year. Did meet Travis though. And I greeted him with, "I would like...to squee." His reponse, "You would like to squee?" me-nodding.

[@gilessaint-loup2426]

@@JnEricsonx that is wholesome

[@jakeuskun]

Funny, cause i’m playing a character that is incredibly naive and innocent, I never realized I was kind of the Heart of the party, but it seems that wherever I go, or whatever I do, even early on into our campaign, the party will follow. I love playing that kind of character. I want to make us feel!!

[@edgarlarios4718]

FFXIV spoilers ahead! I feel like Haurchefant played this role to a T. Everything around us crumbles, everyone we love is dead or prosecuted, and Haurchefant comes to our rescue and gives us a place to stay, food to eat, and protection through his family name. A real hero, and when he dies protecting us he much rather would see us smile at him than cry. Brooo... 😢

[@thedomoking]

I just got there last week, man it hurt. Really flipped my switch to "Aight, everybody gotta die"

[@hellfrozenphoenix13]

Agreed. Going with ff14 spoilers now. Last chance. Herchafaut gave us stability, love, compassion when we were treated with distrust, hatred, and like we were traitors. He gave us a chance when we had none, faith to do right even when we didnt have faith in ourselves, and he gave us a direct look into hoe great Ishgard could be despite its flaws. Herchafaut was inspired by us, not knowing he inspired us in turn. And when he died...so did a part of the WoL. At that point, I no longer cared about the possibility of peace. They needed to die for taking him from the world.

[@OMartinez91]

​@@hellfrozenphoenix13 additional spoilers In Endwalker when we're making our way to Hydaelyn, him and the friends we lost throughout the game come to help us out, and man, did I teared up a bit when Herchafaut's shield appeared

[@TheBourneFreedom]

I am playing a character that is seemingly filling a smiliar role at the moment. She was a villian who had a child - and made a vow to be a better person because of him. In the end, she lost her son to a terminal illness before meeting the party. This didn't change her will to be good though. She travels now collecting and "borrowing" anything she can find to bring to his graveside so that he can 'see the world' he always wanted to travel. None of the party know of this yet and think she's just a silly, big-hearted kleptomanic who is starting to fill the role of the crazy, group aunt/mom, since a lot of the party lost their parental figures. She has unintentionally adapted to what they need and instead of going down a corrupted path, is l learning that they need her as much as she needs them.

[@ajthecat2982]

First off thanks for triggering my old childhood trauma. Now that is over great video I loved how you broke everything down.

[@kaylaherrera4544]

Love is with you always

[@sparkusclark6176]

This was neat to watch after my character has....kind've stumbled into being the heart of the party. I still don't know how it happened, but they all care for her in one way or another and it's really sweet.

[@Sarahscopic]

I think I tend to accidentally make these kinds of characters -- although not perfectly or with as much finesse or impact as Maes or Mollymauk -- simply because I play my characters as "curious" of the other PCs. So on top of this, I would really highlight that showing genuine interest and curiosity in other characters can go a long way in starting your path to be this kind of character type.

[@CharlesLeeBay]

That clip of Mustang instantly made me cry all over again

[@rustyshackle8000]

One of my DMs is no shit a dad, and he plays father characters so well. I have some daddy issues, and some moments we've had where my character has a heart to heart with a father figure LEGITIMATELY have almost made me cry a few times

[@VirtuesOfSin]

Molly, IMO, was the best heart of Critical Role Gen 2. He didn't start with a relationship with all the characters, but he weaseled his way into their hearts. Then BOOM, death. Q~Q

[@andrewjustice210]

He JUST got that promotion too! I loved FMA:BH

[@maxs-lz4pn]

SPOILERS FOR FMA/FMAB: When I rewatched fmab I forgot how early on he died. He had such a big impact it felt like he was alive way longer

[@anachronity9002]

I think it's probably also because in the other FMA he lives a lot longer; brotherhood kinda fast-forwards through the first half of the original.

[@KarakTo]

An important part of that story is how inseparable Nina Tucker & her dog, Alexander, are.

[@jossebrodeur6033]

This could also be a role that an NPC has, so that you get the emotional drama of them dying, and that forcing the player characters into developing without killing off their characters. Gives me an idea for it actually.

[@dajoka97k.70]

It is almost 5 years since I last actually watched the "rain" scene. Why the Hell do my eyes still sting whenever Mustang says his lines?!

[@fae4688]

This video was very helpful thank you! i realized in my campaign a lot of the characters are very powerful. and one of the themes is orchestrated chaos and how others can climb to power through it. my heart of the story would have to be someone humble and honest against all of the lying and sneaking and political power games. i imagine a character like mumen rider from one punch man. a hardworking honest person genuinely trying their best even when all odds are against them. an underdog! of course i'll put my own flair on the character and give them a personality that fits with the story.

[@BilingualHobo]

In the flying circus rpg, characters earn only earn xp from dealing with stress, except for the worker class which earns experience by helping other party members work through their stuff. It's basically written as a be the heart or guidance class

[@Maninawig]

I was thinking about how learning of the other PC's needs would be a great way to add variety to this character. Using common themes would make a more focused character, while meeting more unique needs would yeild a more experienced character. But then I realized that this is a great tactic to use for any character achetype. If each player meets another's unique need, then there could be a bond shared beyond trauma.

[@Kaze_Saikuron]

Great video I've been thinking about playing the heart and this video helped me figure out how I wanna go about it.

[@PlayYourRole]

Literally all I dream about is my videos helping people get to where they want

[@spatan9835]

I had two separate characters the party made good friends with. An urban explorer that was looking for someone to travel with since he’d have to go it alone the whole time, and a cute kobold child that was the teams tech and info support. Both would slowly die at the end of one major part of the campaign as unknowing sacrifices. The man was almost like the party’s bro, and the kobold was slowly becoming their adopted child.

[@pocketmonstersfan123]

every time i hear that rain quote i tear up fullmetal alchemist hurts

[@jakemaxgross]

Travis Willingham is on critical role and did the voice acting for Mustang on FMA

[@brandtthebrent7227]

My favorite fun fact about Maes Hughes death scene is that it was an accident. The author was very much in a writing flow and the character discovered the plot of the nation sized transmutation circle too early. It was too close to the deadline to rewrite it, so she had him silenced before he could tell anyone. There's something magical about that, that one of the most resonant scenes in a story can be by accident. You don't have to be a brilliant writer, or a master planner working years in advance. You can achieve incredible stories and scenes by embracing what comes.

[@Mr.Despair.]

I think the most simple way to make this happen is to look at the other PCs backstories and figure out what the problem is there, then be a positive replacement of that trauma. Fucked up parents? Be a kind, loving and understanding parental figure to that character. Trust issues? Put your unwavering faith in that character and make it known until they understand that they can absolutely trust you. Ignored, abandoned or discarded? Give constant attention and affection to that character to show that you care about them and what they want/need. Bullied or abused? Protect them, stand up for them and don't let anyone get away with even a tiny bit of disrespect to them. It's not as difficult as it may first sound tbh. Understand peoples traumas and where their pain derives from and work on healing that pain actively and deliberately.

[@studiospider8713]

It took me until the end of the video to realize there was a telephone booth in the background you evil evil man. Trying to make me feel things

[@jaeger7498]

Honestly Mayes and the Shou Tucker parts of the story had a longer development and was given more time in the original FMA. FMAB overall is definitely hands down way better than FMA

[@JJSquirtle]

Maes Hughes is even better in the original anime for this purpose.

[@shabbatheguy9607]

Uncle Iroh is the heart of Avatar

[@phylippezimmermannpaquin2062]

I had to cancel my campaign but one of the main characters the party would interact with was the owner of an inn that acts like a lodestone. Which means people from across the world would come in and out of it. He was supposed to be a father figure for the socially inept (character wise) group i had. Eventualy, he and everyone in the inn would become mimic like creatures that would try to ambush the party near the end of the story. This would have been a useful guide to flesh him out better

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Love FMA…so good. I need to reread/rewatch that.

[@iduno3592]

Damnit, I wana show my love and support of Jay and the channel but also... I haven't been able to watch brotherhood cus streaming services and anime have a complicated relationship. Nooooooooooo! I will be back, one day. it may be weeks, months or years, but I will return.

[@ThorsShadow]

*frantically takes notes* I am currently DMing for a group of coworkers and their spouses (5 players in total). Only one of the coworkers has played DnD before (3.5 very extensively) as well as other TTRPGs. We are playing the starter set currently (Dragon of Icespire Peak) and I am improvising 80 or 90 percent of it. Am super lenient, make jokes, try to ease my friends into the game. They also already know, that I'm going to take them and their characters into Curse of Strahd next. They know what kinda setting it is. Well, the training gloves will come off once we're in the Death House. Have planned that for quite some time. I want them to have a little "setting shock" of sorts from going from this light-hearted jolly adventure into this rather serious and dark world. Still don't really have anything "dramatic", yet. So this is good inspiration.

[@keivonrush384]

Those two pictures for the Maes Hughes part said too much, still good 👍🏾

[@LegendStormcrow]

Brotherhood didn't do Hughes justice.

[@ScoutGreen11]

It took me two and a half minutes into the video to see the phone booth there...

[@mikasweltwirklich]

I must say that Hugh in 2006 FMA is better, because you see more of him and He is more Importen 4 the Main cast

[@tkshine]

not the phone booth in the back

[@wolvenedge6214]

The biggest problem with these kinds of characters is that they've become a trope. Don't try to pretend that players aren't genre-savvy; they see what you're doing. If they start investing in a character, and suddenly that character has more backstory and starts developing into more than a cardboard cutout, many players instinctively withdraw. I'm guilty of this myself. I'm a DM, I know how easy it is to fall into the tragedy trap in the attempt to motivate players... and can see when another DM starts fishing with angst bait. For my own and my character's sanity, I instinctively turn to the option that saves the character that the DM is setting up to kill; pull away. It's what changed my DM style _a lot_, realizing that I, as DM, didn't want to be the demon over their shoulder narrating a series of unfortunate events... and I admit it bothers me a bit when I see DMs fall for that trap.

[@mentalrebllion1270]

I make a lot of caretakers but I wouldn’t say I make them the Heart. I usually end up joining games that are ongoing. It’s just something I’m usually tapped for. When I do that I try to sounds out the party I’ll be playing with and the dm and see what story beats I can help with. This inevitably means I make ties (with permission) for each party member in a way I feel highlights the intent they have with their characters. For me, also, I just have a natural impulse to be a caretaker. It’s just a part of who I am, and I’m well aware how it bleeds into what characters I make too. Factor all that in…and I guess I make variations of a caretaker person in the party who’s main goal throughout is to insure the members of that party are protected and can succeed. Oh all in different ways, because there is a variety of ways to articulate and convey this and people do so in a wider variety of ways anyway. But still, it is, at the end of the day, a caretaker character. I don’t mind this. I do get my joy from it. I just like that the parties I join tend to quite like my characters and how I play them. It’s flattering and definitely makes me feel like I’m doing what is fun for me in the hobby, which is play a character that not only I enjoy, but that my party and dm do too.

[@vexus5229]

People complained about Molly’s backstory coming up during the latter section of campaign 2, they didn’t understand why a dead character was getting so much focus. People don’t understand that Molly was important because he was important to Mighty Nein, honestly if a character dies in a campaign and the other pcs don’t care about exploring some of their unresolved stuff then clearly they didn’t care about that pc

[@Pokemaster-wg9gx]

Honestly I would say if we had to establish two main themes of FMA it would be Hope and Atonement/maybe Redemption over the themes of Fatherhood and Authority because while they are kinda important they just aren’t as broadly applicable as hope and atonement are both thematically and narratively

[@raine_dead]

I finished FMABH yeaaarrrs ago but the scene with Mustang still breaks me down every time i see it

[@Deirel0]

Would it be possible for an evil character be as well a Maes Huge in the topic of wholesomeness?

[@riptide3340]

I could definitely picture it working with a group of bad guys, but there’s a degree of evil said character couldn’t pass (ex: most people won’t think the character wholesome when you’re hurting puppies). Even if the boss is terrible, a Lieutenant or grunt could still act wholesome without stooping to the same level as the primary bad guy.

[@maxamillion3437]

I was playing the heart of the party recently, well my character does blood magic and doesn't like being called names, however once a character learnt of them doing this and started calling them "Blood Mage" their temper got short and now our party is one member smaller :D

[@thedomoking]

Time to go watch the funeral scene again becausr I guess I like pain

[@Teethmafia]

The bg music here is very disco Elysium

[@VisonsofFalseTruths]

About to start DMing a game for two of my usual group and their characters are practically BEGGING for this. One lost their parents at a young age and was raised by their older siblings, the other was cast out by his mother, along with his father, who later also died. They are ripe for this kind of thing. I bet I can do a Maes Hughs expy and they won’t even realize.

[@hellfrozenphoenix13]

Another take in this is the "Heart of the party" becoming "the biggest betrayal". This is hard to pull off, as doing so inorganically feels bad, and it needs the right set up, but Xenoblade Chronicles did this. Spoiler for Xenoblade Chronicles. The first one. Last chance. Dickson was good, despite it being too obvious, because of how he was otherwise. He was charismatic, a strong personality who had emotinal attachments to the majority of the cast. His betrayal worked because of how he was towards the people he betrayed, and how it recontextualizes the whole relationship with him.

[@MC_0132]

So we not gonna talk about how he almost look like markplier-

[@zekotetsumaru]

shouldnt you be looking at Shou Tuckers work to inspire the players? and bring the family together?

[@impa2787]

Thanks for the advice, now I can adequately destroy my player’s emotional state by killing off the caregiver NPC-

[@Kaze_Saikuron]

MY BOY

[@LocalMaple]

_Look how they massacred my boy._

[@PlayYourRole]

He's the best hands down

[@Jay-pj5tg]

Already crying, shidding puking

[@scapenite23]

oh god this vid gives me a terrible idea the DM is a expert adventurer who takes some fresh recruits on and guides them through sessions, until they reach a turning point where he dies infront of them without any possible way to stop it XD

[@LoneSkag]

Hughes got done so dirty

[@akasjs436]

I have done this making a heart pf the campaign and this entire 2 year long campaign while this character had been harsh and eccentric he's spent the whole game making the players stronger and preparing them sometimes the pc's would go solo but they'd all often call this character as someone they can depend on and this entire campaign I've hinted that something is coming and the players have been dreading it from what I've heard from them knowing he'd be retired from injury or die and its fast approaching I hope my players don't find this comment as they don't realise how close it is

[@Dionysius8421]

So how does this differ from the Mami Tomoe/Kamina role?

[@rommellamadrid6794]

Kamina is the mentor archetype Mentors die to help everyone grow

[@Dionysius8421]

@@rommellamadrid6794 ahhh okay. Same with Mami, then.

[@trytoo5167]

Man looks like Adin Ross.

[@nicknamenao7905]

I think you could make a video about how to do asshole characters without being annoying like Phoney Bone

[@lysandervic]

HOW DARE YOU

[@hectorpuente3040]

401

[@gendor5199]

I dun technical engrish good enough to understand fully how to make this happen, nor am I very smart so, themes the other characters are missing? whaa?

[@13Fenrir]

Brotherhood is good but is a watered down version of the manga and original anime