I Hated One D&D, So I Made My Own on Tabletop Simulator (PT. 1.5)

Watch how I spent 10 months homebrewing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) so hard on Tabletop Simulator (TTS) that it now doesn’t even resemble the original game! You’ll see my design process as I built systems around Dark Souls and Star Wars themed games for me and my friends to enjoy, and how that journey led me to create a Samurai Frog RPG of my own.
Subscribe for Part 2.0 to see how the final version of the game turned out!
**FYI - This video used to be called "I Spent 10 Months Designing a RPG on Tabletop Simulator (1.5)" but I changed it to try and beat the algorithm and steal likes from the launch of One D&D. Don't hate me**
#dungeonsanddragons #dnd #ttrpg #onednd #dnd5e #dndinspiration #dndhomebrew #gamedesign #games #gameplay #gamedevelopment #game #gamer #gamers #indiedev #gamemake #gamedesigner #gamedev #gamedeveloper #funny #videoessay #design #designer #contentcreator #indiedeveloper #indiedevelopment #videogames #videogame #darksouls #tabletopgaming #tabletopsimulator #coding #scripting #modding #modder
LINK TO PART 1:
• I Hated One D&D, So I ...
TIKTOK:
/ about15zebras
CREDITS (In No Particular Order):
Music:
"Beginning to End" by Hendyamps Studios (Teaser Trailer Cello):
• The Darkest Cello Musi...
Character Models:
Pixel Sprites by HexCodex on Fiverr:
www.fiverr.com/hexcodex/
Hero Forge:
www.heroforge.com
Tabletop Simulator Steam Workshop Mods:
Saught's Asset Collections by Saught (Various Props)
Effects / Particles collection by Pope Gan Club (Fire, Waterfall, Smoke)
Star Wars RPG Assets by Marlow (Various Props/ Charcter Models)
Star Wars RPG Tools and Maps by Ockam (Table, Maps, Chits)
Star Wars Legion by SWLegion Team (Computer Terminal/ Table)
Star Wars Themed Dice Trays (Unofficial) by Thunder BlaZe (Dice Tray)
RPG Tokens by l o n g b o y (Loot and Gear Tokens)
Imperial Assault 3D by drod (Holographic map/ planets)
Video Games Referenced:
Tabletop Simulator
Dark Souls
Sekiro
Xcom2
Software Tools Used:
MidJourney (Artwork)
Notion (Note Taker)
Obsidian (Note Taker)
Atom (Text Editor)
Google Sheets (Spreadsheets)
Voicemod (Voice Changer & SFX)
Artlist.io (Music & SFX)
Audacity (Mixing & Mastering)
Adobe Illustrator (Graphic Designs)
Adobe Premiere Pro (Video Editor)

[@the_red_bandana]

worst humor ever!

[@about15zebras]

@@the_red_bandana lol yeah

[@kirstybain705]

Bro, I love the satirical approach you take to the work you put into making your campaigns without minimizing the effort you poured into it. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!

[@621ngp]

after running a d&d game in tabletop sim for almost 3 years and building every encounter and map by hand taking 6-8 hours per map, you showed off things I never even knew was possible in your two videos, you are an amazing coder and an even better video editor. Please keep up the work, its amazing!!

[@about15zebras]

You’re too kind! It’s awesome to know others have dealt with the same stuff I have and can relate to the hard work it takes to make stuff like this happen😊 thanks so much for watching!!!

[@ToddKnowlton-r6x]

I love the pacing and humor, taking you up and down thru voices and emotions, making D&D interesting and exciting. Great editing skill, storytelling and character development!

[@LeumasMoonGod]

YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!! Dude - you're a natural at this. Your pacing, your humor, your tasteful addition of pop-culture references. *chef's kiss* So excited to see more from you. Seriously - *please* do not sweat trying to cram this into a set number of parts. I'm here for the journey at this point - because this adventure and your commentary has been flippin' great and it has been a true treat to sit in on it. Trust your gut - you've got a genuine knack for feeling what is too little, or too much, and tuning the amount of detail you provide to be incredibly palatable. Love your creativity, both thematically and mechanically - truly impressive stuff! I'm eagerly awaiting your next video.

[@about15zebras]

I sincerely appreciate that. It means a lot to have support like this, and it gives me the confidence to keep going! THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!!!

[@hero4ever911]

There is so much work into this session alone I am stunned. As for what you made so far it's absolutely amazing world building and even the smaller details. If I could I'd read the lore of your world and work it into a dnd session for my friends. I don't know what you did for your players but, I don't think there is a way to stop your players doing dumb stuff like lighting a barrel of black powder to then tpking the party. Just talk to your players about what you want and if they go with it that's fine, and if not that is fine as well. Communication is the most you can get out of a player then without it you're just writing a book for yourself.

[@about15zebras]

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I hope to release a booklet version of the game at some point, along with some good lore. And totally agree on the communication aspect. We are going to talk ALLLL about that in the next video and what we learned from the experience 😁

[@TheJayFoxx]

First off, I have no words for how much I want to play every single thing you showed that you made in both of these videos. Every single thing looks amazing. Second, having been running D&D games for like eight years, I fealt that ending so goddamn much in the deepest parts of my soul.

[@about15zebras]

It is a relief to know that others can relate to the ending of the video! I was worried some folks might think it was too harsh, but I felt like it was reality that humans deal with, so I didn't want to leave it out. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the excitement and encouragement! Some of the mods could possibly be playable pretty soon, so I keep an eye out for the next couple videos!!!

[@milancunningham6571]

pls make more you are amazing at this!! cant wait to here what happens next!

[@AJMAESTROMUGEN]

why do I love this so much. seriously this is gold thank you so much! keep going KEEEEEP GOINGGGGG

[@aroventalmav888]

Samurai Frogs sound pretty legit.

[@JohnSmith-nd5yc]

Great channel, I think I can sum up your success: - good sound quality - logical easy to follow narrative - great visual design and effects I'm sure your channel will do amazing

[@about15zebras]

I really appreciate the feedback! I've been wanting to ask folks what exactly they are enjoying about the videos, because I'm honestly not sure why myself 🤣 Thanks for helping to answer that question!

[@lastsurvivor00]

More people need to watch this. Amazing video!

[@MrSkerpentine]

NGL when I heard “Samurai Frogs” I just assumed this was gonna be a Viacom C&D-proof TMNT bootleg but this was way cooler

[@RedMay33]

Found the first video yesterday. Just in time to subscribe to see this upload today.

[@about15zebras]

Glad you made it! Now you only have to wait another month for the next one lol

[@youcantbeatk7006]

These Stable Diffusion pics go hard.

[@DedLaugh]

wow this is legit under rated content. Amazing keep it going!

[@makrostheblack4791]

That whole setting sounds fantastic. I really hope you have a group of four Ninja Turtles who are friends with a Ronin Rabbit...

[@97McLuvin]

This is so cool, super excited to see what comes of this and I hope it turns into something I can play with my friends! Best of luck 😊

[@bingus892]

YEAAHH!! another great video, cant wait for the next part!

[@RocknRoll301199]

"Toad style is immensely strong and immune to nearly any weapon. When properly used it's almost invincible"

[@zapman6528]

99% of problems in a roleplaying game can be avoided with a good session Zero. AKA: TALK TO YOUR PLAYERS AND DECIDE ON THE GAME YOU WANT TO PLAY. I know its tempting to want to keep everything secret and n stuff but remember, its a collaborative story telling game. Stop trying to impress players and make the game WITH them to make a game everyone wants to play. If you wanna make a crazy intricate world yourself thats fine, but consider before making a roleplaying adventure if what you are writing would just be better off as a short story or novel if you are the only one giving the project input.

[@about15zebras]

Appreciate the comment. A lot of what you mentioned will be talked about in the final video since the series is following the timeline of the 10 month project, and how my thought process changed by the end. I think you’ll feel differently about some of the things you mentioned when you see the next video. Hope to hear from you in the comments when it’s uploaded!

[@zapman6528]

@@about15zebras I look forward to seeing the conclusion you reach. I personally have a lot of issues with anxiety and controlling the scope of my adventures, and realized that what my players like is to just participate in a way they feel is unique or true to themselves or their character. It's like john carmack said once: "Story in a game is like story in a porn movie; it's expected to be there, but it's not that important." but i would add that the events of the story are not as important as the effect they have on the characters experiencing and reacting to them. Players are more likely to remember stuff that affected them or that they affected by making a meaningful choice. It's like the difference between reading a history text book, and the diary of someone who lived those events. One is impersonal and informative, the other is emotionally gripping and relatable. I just wanna share what I learned, and it's that players have an easier time roleplaying when the scope is focused on events that would be relevant to them. If a war breaks out but the gameplay stays the same then the war feels inconsequential. When their access to resources or locations become limited because of this war, then they are motivated to roleplay, as the solution requires more effort than just dice rolls. Cant wait to see the video!

[@Poniksei]

This game looks awesome, I designed a similar world in 5e and I had a similar experience of people just underappreciating the work I put in, wishing you all the best of luck in your future endeavors and that everything works out.

[@about15zebras]

It’s nice to know others have had similar experiences! Seriously appreciate the encouragement 😁

[@xanderdaniel3339]

From what I can tell you are doing a very good job and it kinda sucks when things happen that you just can't plan for Like I don't know assuming there is common sense within your player characters

[@about15zebras]

I sincerely appreciate that! And yeah lol players will always do the one thing you don't plan for, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the situation.

[@My_sweaty_pickle]

Hey man i know in part 2 your gonna add some stuff but i for one sm really intrested in how far your going to take this. Like are you planing to run the game publicly or are you gonna wind up just having it like downloadable. Regardless whaever you do im along for the ride

[@about15zebras]

Hey there! Thanks for the interest. I plan to run some games in the Discord server that I am announcing in the next video, as well as release some of the tools I've built on the Steam Workshop. Since the mod was initially made for personal use, I'm undecided on whether uploaded the whole thing in its' natural state would work well or not. It probably would seem kinda clunky to someone who didn't build it lol

[@smokkerino5411]

Are you planning on releasing your custom scripts? Some stuff is tremendously well done.

[@about15zebras]

Thanks so much! At the moment, I plan to release pieces of some of the mods. Mostly things that can stand on their own without being tied to the game setting (i.e., loot system, user interface, etc...). Although I do plan to publish the frog game as a whole, it will take me some time to make it usable for a general audience.

[@AtikinKnight]

aaaaaand one thing than no DM can controll is the players...

[@channeldestroyer1310]

Sorry for your players that campaign sounds so good

[@about15zebras]

Ah man, we are all good! Every group of friends has highs and lows. I just wanted to make sure I showed on the video that everything isn’t always flowers and sunshine lol

[@channeldestroyer1310]

@@about15zebras my bad still fucken cool as game

[@Metalinthemicrowave]

I was trying to find out how to use table top simulator and found so … so much more ( insert really funny and cleaver frog pun) can’t wait for part 2!!!

[@eodennisnevida]

I came here after see what Cellbit and his team made in tabletop last Saturday (22/09) after all that INSANE PRODUCTION, with light ray system, fully interactive 3D scenario, 2/3D characters designs with face movements and damn cool monsters i needed to see what more we can create on tabletop simulator, and you're a genius on it, I'm in love with that universe and i hope continue seeing you're journeys creating... samurai frogs? Lol

[@OrenMystery]

I know this is a year late, but my guy this is some of the most tasteful, meticulously crafted, humorous, content I have seen. For an extremely underrated channel this is some of the most stupendously done content. PLEASE keep doing what you enjoy, have a great day. You sound completely natural when speaking and do a splendid job with the jokes. You my good sir, have earned a subscriber.

[@frygamer8060]

There are only a few people in this world that are so committed to making a super cool game with custom...everything. F*** those players that were complaining, you put all that work for them to complain and be dumb? bruh. You are great, your amazing, and I can't wait to see what your big brain comes up with next.

[@anjotv4531]

genius is never appreciated in its time. keep trying! this game seems insanely fun!

[@zakhariiyevchyn8033]

this is amazing dude! if I were you I would have not been able to even continue like this for that group. I wanna play all of these and actually figure out how to make this stuff myself for my group (I got lucky to not get completely dysfunctional murderhobos as my group)

[@wpanda_888]

I just started my tabletop dnd journey, your skill in this is incredible and the amount of time that you took to do this is far more than anyone can appreciate!

[@plzletmebefrank]

I'm genuinely only commenting to help push the video with the algorithm. Really enjoying hearing about all this though and I look forward to the next one.

[@Michael_MW]

Dude you seem like a great GM. I would love to be a player in one of your games!

[@successpls38]

As a beginner DM i can relate to so much of the stuff u put in the video, keep up the good work

[@Jabe546]

Dude, I'd fuckin play this. I'd do my damnedest to play Kermit the frog, but I'd play it.

[@about15zebras]

I would cry laughing! Hopefully one day I can put this out as a mod so folks can play it.

[@Jabe546]

@@about15zebras Already know the motivation for when it gets released. "Why're you here..uhh, kermit?" K - "I'm on the run. Can't stay in one place too long." "Oh, from the royal family?" "My wife." Cue the bone chilling 'kerrrrmieeeee' on the wind or some shit. "I was never here."

[@about15zebras]

@@Jabe546 that got me 😂

[@dane3038]

More!

[@travischron3175]

This is cool and all, but I think the feedback probably had a lot of truth to it. I think your lack of TTRPG experience and failure to read the rules or become familiar with existing games led you to make the fatal error of thinking TTRPG are just video games done manually. The magic of the TTRPG experience comes from the collaboration in telling a story only limited by the bounds of your imagination. By creating this gigantic map and all the assets and anything and everything you can think of, you are taking the game out of the imagination of your players and keeping it all for yourself. It's a lesson all creatives need to learn -- just because you made something that took a lot of effort, doesn't mean people want to experience it. You promised your friends a game, but played all the fun parts yourself. I'm not saying this to be mean, but as an experience player of TTRPG and the always-DM of my own group, I've made the same mistakes (though not to this degree). Players want to feel like they've contributed to the story, and don't want to feel limited by what assets are modeled or if the DM programmed a button for that. If they wanted a video game, they'd have played any of the countless options available to them. TTRPG DOES NOT equal video game. EDIT: After writing this, I saw that you are making another video detailing your conclusion. I am sure you learned this lesson I detailed above, because it's a common mistake for new DM's.

[@about15zebras]

I genuinely appreciate the honest critique. I agree with you in many ways, but disagree in others. Firstly, the final video of this story is out, so I would love to hear if your thoughts shift at all after watching that. This series was meant to be a transparent portrayal of my learning experience, so I tried to not edit it to make myself look perfect/ blameless. You can find that final video on my channel page. Yes, TTRPG's are not video games, but there is something inside many enjoyers of the TTRPG genre (including myself) that desperately want to see and "touch" the things we imagine. That's where I believe the urge comes from to realize some of these things in video game form. Also, long distance online gaming takes a role in this situation. When you are forced to play online, you want to try and make that experience as robust as possible to keep everyone engaged. Therefore, I think a happy medium can be achieved, and I firmly believe that attempts to blend the two game types should be highly encouraged. Discouraging that idea would be a form of "Gate Keeping," in my mind, which has never led to anything good historically, in my opinion. After much deliberation, I have personally come to the opinion that rules, mechanics, visuals, and even cooperation through story-telling, do not play as much of a part in the enjoyment of TTRPG's as some think they do (A hot take, I know). Some players want to be passive bystanders who experience the story, not create it. Some want to be in the creative driver's seat as much as possible. Some NEED the rules to make sense. Others NEED the rules to be flexible and non-limiting. Some like THIS art style, or THAT art style. Sadly, I cannot appease everyone, and I suppose this includes you... at least for the moment. This is why I believe that it has much more to do with the combination/ collection of the gaming group's members, and if they play well together in general, rather than the specific game they are playing. If you'll remember, several of the complaints I received were actually requests to make the current game EVEN MORE video gamey. My mistakes are many, and I am happy to continue learning from them. Unfortunately, I felt unable to explain all of them thoroughly in these semi-short videos, while also attempting to keep them entertaining/ interesting to a variety of watchers. Good or bad, the comments I receive for these videos can only be based on the limited information I have provided... in these videos. That being said, please trust that I take your critique seriously, all be it with a grain of salt. I am sincerely happy that you have not struggled in these areas to the same degree, and I wish you continued fun/ laughter at your table!

[@consumeproduct9465]

I am nearly finished with a 1-20 level D & D homebrew-ish (with module hopping) campaign I ran, most of which was on Tabletop simulator (from level 5 onwards), but I did not do anywhere near this much of an insane level of prep and coding and such. I tried to learn Lua scripting...and failed spectacularly, mainly through lack of proper motivation and schedule time. Still, my players have had fun, despite the fact that I am barely proficient as a DM, and Tabletop Simulator itself is practically screaming "Use my knowledge, I beg you!" at me.

[@about15zebras]

So glad to hear you and your group are having a great time! TTS is an amazing tool, but it is easy to get carried away (as you can see) lol Simpler is actually better in my opinion, so I'm glad you didn't get lost down the TTS rabbit hole!

[@Groundhog1471]

Dude I should be asleep right now, but I just can’t get enough of your gut cracking storytelling. I rolled right off the bed at DDB-Dumb Diaper Baby! Classic! I might have to follow the white rabbit. Had to watch this one 1.5 times. The history. Won’t eat frog legs though. Despite what I’ve been told it ain’t no chicken lol. Another Great video! Thanks for posting half of 2 lol Rolling right along to too two 2 one of those Take Care ✌️

[@about15zebras]

I'm so glad to hear how much you're enjoying watching! I never would have guessed that the videos would connect with folks this well. Seriously appreciate the support, and I'm stoked to have you as a Zeb-bro! 😄

[@DJYUNGKIPPE]

That's why I don't prepare for dnd anymore hahahaha

[@JSwixx]

Where did you come from haha You sound like you've been doing videos for years. I literally checked the subscriber number to see how many mil's you had. Freaking Natural

[@about15zebras]

I sincerely appreciate that. I'm working really hard to make sure things look and sound as professional as possible! I used to play a lot of live music, so I think I accidently picked up some of these skills from that lol

[@nat1club349]

I feel the part where your talking about the party complaining about all that, sometimes dming makes me wanna murder all my friends 😂

[@about15zebras]

And that’s the truth 🤣

[@cog3276]

Do you think you could make a video or two of you and your friends playing? I think it would be good to show off how the system works in play and not just on paper

[@about15zebras]

Agreed! The next video will go more in- depth on the actual gameplay/ mechanics, and once things are a little more polished, I plan to do a play test with folks outside my friend group.

[@thenotoriousbusinessman5045]

Blows my mind whats possible with table top sim. I wish i had half coding prowes and autism to do what you're doing.

[@about15zebras]

Skill issue.

[@primus9413]

Is this wally west from JLU

[@plzletmebefrank]

Also, if it's not asking too much, throw in a Megamind clip into the next one cause that movie is amazing and hilarious.

[@about15zebras]

I’m sure that can be arranged 🧠

[@roqueadeleon]

Next session needs tojust be theater of the mind lol. All the stuff you set up was freaking awesome though

[@about15zebras]

yeah lol I definitely need a simpler change of pace for a little while!

[@KesariForMugen]

So how exactly did you get the models from Heroforge? You paid for all of them?

[@about15zebras]

I would wait for sales and discounts to buy them, but yes... I paid for them, sadly lol

[@crutabs217]

I am excited for the next video. The quality is amazing, and it feels like you put alot of effort into your videos, especially since you only have 2 videos currently. Good luck :D

[@MrTeep]

What if you made a irl board game or card game using Tabletop creator and card creator on steam.

[@about15zebras]

I plan on doing something similar 😬

[@JewishHEAT101]

I think im falling for you

[@Americans1998]

your videos are amazing

[@JewishHEAT101]

thats it Ive shit my pants this is so epic! I really like the TTS modding scene but alot of stuff on it doesn't make me hyped like this does

[@_Kolcki]

feed this to me... do it

[@Nex_2B]

Cant wait for the next one

[@MrPiti47]

Let’s gooooooo !!!!

[@lichtmeister3524]

Our Master...

[@bobsmitj9306]

Oh to have a dedicated frog loving friend to help me enact my grung filled dreams

[@xanderdaniel3339]

I love this

[@wateron1058]

You are fucking amazing, dude!

[@about15zebras]

Thanks bro! You are too kind 😄

[@erzbaron]

We need those scripts as mods

[@about15zebras]

I would love to release them some day! It's just a little difficult since they all kinda depend on each other to work. BUT I'm sure I can figure out something!

[@taybirdz4089]

Nice!

[@TenryoTV]

Nice

[@ASAP_CARAMEL]

I need to play this, can't wait for part 2, love the work

[@Shredzy715]

Do you think you could release this to the workshop?

[@about15zebras]

I have a link to the maps and models on my discord server!

[@Shredzy715]

@@about15zebras oh sweet

[@jusjae2171]

Found u through ur tik tok. Can't wait to see more!

[@c4zzzzz]

need part 2 alr

[@about15zebras]

I'M GOING AS FAST AS I CAN 😰 jk thank you so much for watching! 🤣

[@c4zzzzz]

@@about15zebras absolute champion, best small youtuber vids ive seen in a while. keep it up! I'd love to see this ttrpg released to public

[@godofsquirrels494]

Can't wait for Part 2(pt.2)

[@nikolaszaragoza5972]

this looks so amazing i can't wait to see more from you

[@about15zebras]

Thank you so much! Excited to show more 😬🔥

[@devilittlehorns]

This was beautiful

[@williambain7113]

Pure art

[@mongolthemongoloid9610]

Yo any discord?

[@about15zebras]

Keep an eye out for the next video! I'll be announcing the Discord server then 😬