I found the perfect way to start a D&D / TTRPG game

[@namelessspook7987]

Game opens GM: Okay, who's driving the boat? Player: I am GM: Huh, weird. I thought you would be below defusing the bomb but okay. All players: wait what?

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

THIS IS GOLD and now i want to do it

[@namelessspook7987]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities I stole it from a magazine many years ago, and now it's only fair someone else steals it.

[@Commanber]

I'm stealing this for my one-shot next Sunday lol. I still have no idea what it is about but your comment just got my creative thinking going, so cheers!

[@namelessspook7987]

@@Commanber I hope you all have fun with it.

[@theminecraftghost6019]

Every time I watch one of your videos, I am amazed by your lamps and mini statues I love your decorations.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

haha if my family doesn't approve of my home decor i'm happy at least someone does hahaha

[@B.McAllister]

This channel is incredible. A hidden gem that NEEDS to be uncovered by the millions. For this quality of content deserves it. Amazing quality and incredible personality behind it.

[@lonbpalmer]

"I've seen ancient curses more readable than your writing!"...hahaha! So good.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

for the record, Winifred is a big meanie and if you know a good exorcist, please send them my way

[@TheADHDM]

ad reads are getting progressively more haunted

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

i live in fear of this doll

[@Music_Engineering]

You are not alone

[@amberm3573]

I only buy products that will cost me my immortal soul (I don't have a choice, I have no real money).

[@jackorion8590]

At some point, we might have to play with just Winnifried in our games as Val gets assimilated into her.

[@ambynavy]

Your production quality is magnificent and you're an excellent camera personality! Never regretted subscribing to your channel

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

haaa thank you so much

[@RincetheWind]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities Don't stress yourself. Better to post quality than quantity. Love your content!

[@Deadknight67]

Agreed

[@DeficientMaster]

Help me Miss Val I drank all three potions & now I'm smelling colors is that normal?

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

sadly that's only the first stage of symptoms, are you experiencing any fever? cold sweats? a third hand growing from your forehead?

[@RandomProduct]

5:33 The Starmetal Sword! I actually put that into my Root RPG campaign. The players found the tomb of a long-dead platypus knight, named Sir Perry Tratchett (yes it's also a Perry the Platypus joke), and his statue was wielding a greatsword made of space rock.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

that made me cackle, I love that hahahhaha oh and on a side note i've really really been wanting to try root, it looks so niiice, hope you're having a lovely time with it!

[@shenpai1566]

These videos are higher quality than many much larger channels. You've got something good brewing (heh) here!

[@whoismyult]

While many other TTRPG KZbinrs continue to do optimization videos, you continue to create these gems that get to what makes up the soul of RPGs...story and atmosphere creation, roleplaying, and other non-mechanical aspects. You've fast become one of my favorite content creators! (And I love your sense of humor)

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Aaaaa thank you

[@tomkelly00]

my 1st world problem is that I keep thinking about TTRPG's and having cool (imho) ideas and wanting to play them, only to remember that I literally hate people and don't actually want to play.

[@MacMcNurgle]

A mate is high up in scouts and one of his leaders tells him they have a young lady that wants to be a DM. I am sending her to your content. And gifting her a heap of books and resources. Cheers.

[@Drnonstop]

I used the "skill challenge" (from Matthew Colville's video) as an action tonic when I started my campaign last week. There were two guards and a messenger who tried to escape a cage in a bandit camp. Basically, roll over 14 three times and you've escaped the camp, anything below changes the fate of the messenger. Some wanted to try RP to flee and some wanted to use combat. So the guards tried (and succeed) to seduce the bandit on watch, one tried to overpower the bandit leader while the messenger fled onto the horse. They liked it so much they didn't even want to escape and didn't matter if there was damage or not on the attacks they just wanted to roleplay! Next time they will be in character and I will use your action tonic to get them out of the city to investigate the messagengers warning. Thanks for the awesome videos, on halloween I will use your one horror one shot - will report back how it goes!

[@ElProtagoniste]

I need to say, thanks for all your amazing work. This does help a lot when creating my own roleplaying game :)

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

aaaah i'm so happy to hear that! good luck on creating your game, that's an awesome endeavor!

[@ElProtagoniste]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities Thanks :)

[@PsiQss]

There's also the "You're probably wondering how I got here, huh..", although I'd say it's only good for a one-shot scenario. But in order to pull it off, you have to plan it well and kinda need your players to understand what's going on and be willing to play along. Also for them to agree to a little bit of railroading. You begin with an action-packed skill challenge - PCs escaping from an exploding ship, collapsing dungeon, being chased by a dragon etc. Then at one point you stop and cut to the "before" - a moment in the past, where the adventure actually starts - then continue from there. The players have an idea of what awaits them and will likely try to prepare for it. They will probably await that moment too, to see what happens next. Yes, it is railroady in that sense, but let's face it - most one-shots are built with an assumption that the PCs will actually pick up the quest and go to the final location. But that's also the reason why I wouldn't try it in a longer campaign.

[@Trencher1375]

Awesome introductions to introductions! You really boiled it down to the essentials.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you! It's good to hear this with how worried it always am about being concise enough haha

[@louisdesroches]

So I just stumbled upon this video. I subscribed before it was over. Outstanding content, amazing delivery, flawless writing.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Aaaaarhhhh thank you so much! Happy to have you! Welcome aboard!

[@xavierrocaalbiol8350]

Reaaaaaly gooood content quality. What a Queen of edition!

[@JR-ld2xx]

Real nice job! Thank you.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you Jeff 😄

[@St.Ellachick]

Always glad to see you post a new video. Those little discryptions are perfect and I love them so much

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you so much

[@TheUglyGoblin]

Damn the quality of your videos are always so good! They have such a great personality. Would love to see these as a movie- if that makes any sense xD

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

omggg thank youuuu

[@TheUglyGoblin]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities I feel that xD haha ain't that just the way 😌

[@FrostSpike]

I regularly do short "cut-scenes" during my campaign to give the players (not the characters) a view of what's going on in the world outside of their characters' direct knowledge or influence. I never tell the players exactly *when* the scene is set though... it could be past, present, or (a potential) future...

[@kieran2221]

I just love your stuff, style and enunciation. Thank you again :D

[@greyskieshappymind]

My friend recommended this channel to me after I expressed interest in running an indie TTRPG for the first time. I wasn't sure which video to start with but I'm glad I picked this one. I've been having doubts about whether the games I want to run come off as fun and this really put into perspective what potential players would be looking for when it comes to an adventure :]

[@persilfleur2698]

Autant le contenu que la forme, tout est ultra travaillé. J'adore ! Et en vrai, je pense que je vais piquer pas mal d'idées. (Tellement envie de réutiliser le truc de la mallette pour un scénar de casse !)

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Haha éclate toi! Les scénars de casse sont super fun

[@ratonsaveur3070]

you always deliver such good advice and so beautifully packaged!! Your videos never fail to inspire me

[@Artifex-h2y]

Your accent awakens things in me.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

I once mispronounced something so badly it sounded like broken ancient curse and awakened the kraken.

[@commonviewer2488]

It helps to set expectations beforehand, some freeze when suddenly thrown into the thick of it

[@danielzarkos]

I loved the content! Keep it up! I really liked the idea of ​​giving players room to play their characters 'in the past' in a scene to show more of their personality traits and stuff like that!

[@johnnypop-tart335]

We love committing to the bit

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

always! we'll see how weird these videos can get hahaha

[@knaz7468]

The doll ... will haunt me! It's my one weakness. My sister had a porcelain doll she DRAGGED around by the foot and over time it's head got cracked multiple times and my parents taped it up with clear tape. And her eyes would open automatically and dramatically when she sat up, or if you put her in a rocking chair they would open and close over and over. OK I got to add this to my halloween campaign!

[@iTakethingsapart]

I've been using Sly Flourish's RotLDM method to prep my sessions and I think this is a great supplement to the "strong start" item from that! i.e. not just for the start of adventures but you can do one of these for each individual session to draw the focus of your play group to the game, and since that book is short of any additional guidance beside "maybe start with combat" I'll definitely be referring to this for additional inspiration!

[@yurizanelli6538]

Very interesting! I have always believed the "action tonic" to be the best adventure opener, but your other suggestions are also great. Excellent production quality and decorations too. Merci beaucoup!

[@Cobalt-Bleu]

Amazing video. Thank you for the inspiration. Going to change my opening headers in my scenario docs with your titles. Can’t wait for the next video

[@Entitas-xl4sg]

You put a spell on me lady

[@andrewneil6027]

I like that wallpaper

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Me too! Sadly I only have scraps on a foam board, and could never find more rolls of it hahahah

[@ranty_fugue]

Great video! You ground the concepts in examples so well that this is useful for both new and experienced GMs. I would love to see more on this in the future, as the focus on engagement is so utterly critical. And more thoughts on experiments! Variation and novelty are so important for that engagement, so I’d love to hear more.

[@Israelmadruga]

The edits, like the ice growing, and the aesthetics are always so awesome!! Keep it up!! :D

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you

[@FaunoAtelie]

Amazing as always

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

aaaaah thank you!

[@enxman7697]

Another really useful way to put down tools for a GM! Thanks!

[@LockerLovesYellow]

As someone who has been DMing for 6 years, 2 of which professionally: I loved you views and thoughts here, also a big fan of Reading The Room. Know what kind of setting and story you are running, what kind of players you have at the table and what direction/tempo you need to kick it into gear.

[@jeroencamerlynck6220]

I love your work. Thank you.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Thank you so much 😊

[@tomasherrera9069]

I recently used the Plot Juice and transitioned it to a Drama Draught for my very JRPG inspired Ryuutama game! Going from an ominous cutscene to "the normal everyday state of affairs" so we could end with a related climax was very fun to prep and run. Great advice all around!!

[@ardugaleen2231]

Enfin du DnD français mrc ma soeur de nous représenter 🙏🙏🙏

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Hahaha démasquée par l’accent ?

[@VanBurenPhilips]

Love this ✌

[@partysqu1d]

I am SO excited to utilize some of these techniques. Im starting a pirate campaign soon, and this video dropped just in time and is full of PLATINUM advice! Thanks for so much awesome content!

[@JeffsGameBox]

So happy and grateful to see you making videos! 💚👽🛸

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you! this one took longer to make than I expected, but thank you for the patience

[@AscensionOfAuriel]

I saw your video, with amazing edits and a black cat. I am subscribed. I am looking all the possible info, as I am creating my debut DND campaign and I love this guidance. Much obliged, lady.🥰🥰🤗

[@georgiemelrose9188]

I love this. Thank you for always offering such fun, interesting advice

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

haha this makes me happy, thank you for the encouragement

[@bradcraig6676]

Some useful and wise advise.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

thank you! happy this is helpful!

[@emperorbliss]

Great video. I hope every DM can find your channel. All of your videos are gold 🪙

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

[@vercingetorix721]

Awesome video. That alchemy set looks really cool I want one! 😂

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

aaaah thank you! haha the alchemy set (or at least the wine distiller thingy) is something I grabbed second hand, and honestly i really feel like it pulled most of the work on the decor for this one hahaha

[@NewAge374]

I wonder if these concoctions can be used by DMs in later sessions during a campaign. Probably not every session needs it, but a sprinkle of each can start off a particular part of an adventure. There could be worries about skipping the recap part, so I am curious how to create immersive ways in which the recap is told in real time by the characters while still feeling part of roleplay. An obvious solution would be to have a character with a journal take notes at camp, but another might be to have the DM (re)introduce a NPC that is a friendly acquaintance to one of the characters asking what they've been up to.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Oh absolutely! These don’t have to be used just at the start of the campaign, they’re just nice to start off any session! For the recap (don’t know how you go about it but I like when it’s the players who recap instead of the GM, though the GM can fill in the gaps) once the recap is done the GM can set the stage for the opener. The recap can happen in character but doesn’t have to, and I generally like to think it serves as a nice transition into game time, and then the catalyst can just be the thing that really declares the game started?

[@NewAge374]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities Awesome, yeah that works in campaigns that follow events in a more chronological manner to the minute. I wonder if it's dangerous to experiment with having more time pass in between sessions, say a couple of days or weeks, after key events. This could be important for proper resting or to practice new skills in a ¨realistic¨ way circumventing certain mechanics that make it more tedious. But sometimes the story also asks for a little lull and the alternative of having players do random, disconnected adventures sounds less appealing

[@rangleme]

So FUN! Super useful.

[@Ezlo01221]

I absolutely love this video, love the alchemical analogy, the names, the advice, the haunted doll. Plot Juice and Action tonic for me all the way. How do you make those blueprints at 11:36 ??

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

I made them on photoshop! And then laminated the paper so that I could write on them with dry erase markers :)

[@AnotherDuck]

I like a toned down version of the Action Tonic™. Not starting with immediate action, but starting in an interesting situation or just skipping past "meet at the tavern" and being on your way to deal with some undead that recently appeared in a nearby cave (but why did they appear?).

[@jburkhardt2706]

Magnifique!

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

Oui 😎

[@omikun17]

You do not need a degree in chemistry to use a chemistry metaphor. This was a good video tell the doll to shut up....

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Hahah sadly this doll does whatever she wants, I’m still looking for an exorcist to deal with her. Until then, she just likes to roast me.

[@jackorion8590]

First hour!! Okay okay l did cheat through the discord account announcement.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

how dare you cheat jack, you'll have to redeem yourself by finally running that MotW game

[@jackorion8590]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities I shall never escape this curse, am I?

[@maxdaviid]

Name it "The french way", please

[@aleks4256]

I thought i was done listening to teachers, guess i was wrong

[@NamelessMonk]

How are you finding all these Knick knacks around your room. They are hunting and awesome!

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Haha I just have strange taste in home decor. To be fair though, antiques and random things like that are easy to find where I live

[@sirhamalot8651]

I saw a one-shot open with all of the players falling from the sky.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

that's.... i love it, i want this

[@virgilelegros2816]

Neat ideas ! What campaign.s are you playing at the moment ?

[@cheflagoo460]

woohoo

[@Fernando_Cabanillas]

I am sorry, but my experiments WILL cause a world ending explosion, or at least try to, if the players dont stop it xD

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

I'd report you to the FBI, but i actually really want to see the fear in your player's eyes

[@Fernando_Cabanillas]

@@corkboardsandcuriosities oh, they will fear alright, slowly but surely >:3

[@Drudenfusz]

I certainly always go with the drama draught usually with a thematic taste to it though. Action tonic is too meaningless to satisfy me, and the plot juice too stale because of how superficial those plots usually are. The themes are the perfect pumpkin spice for my drama draught to make it personal and memorable while also being tasty. The other two are fine as films, but at the table in roleplay they just bore me.

[@corkboardsandcuriosities]

Haha the drama draught is also my favourite, I’m one of those rp lovers who mostly play for the emotional involvement. But action tonics have really grown on my tbh haha

[@ChrisSham]

Modiphius are not good. Low effort writing, badly prepared rules, book binding that falls apart... You can find plenty of negative reviews if you look for them. It's also looking like they're generally not interested in supporting any one game for very long. They've already lost or abandoned several franchise licences. I wouldn't waste money on anything of theirs again.

[@hershmergersh6733]

There isn't a GM alive that could convincingly run a Discworld game, and no GM or player alive with sharp enough wit to roleplay within it