A Crap Guide to D&D [5th Edition] - Dungeon Master

Thank you.
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Special Guests:
- 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗮𝟭𝟬𝟭 | / takahata101 | / takahata101
- 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘆 | / distortiondevil | / sypher782
- 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗷𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗮 | / gaijingoombah | / gaijingoomba
- 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗭𝗶𝘁𝗼 | / czbacklash | / czbacklash
- 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗺𝗽 | / octopimp | / masteryorgi
- 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗹𝘂 | / montyglu | / montyglu
- 𝗬𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗻 | / yaroshienva | / dragonmasterassociat
- 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘆𝘇𝗼𝗶𝗱 | / brachyzoid | / @brachyzoid
- 𝗕𝗼𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝟭𝟯𝘆 | / boo_rad13y | / @b00_rad
- 𝗦𝗶𝗿𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗸 | / sirmalervik
- 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝘆𝗲 | / terrancedryeva | / zekex79
- 𝗖𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗰𝟯𝟳 | / caitlinc37
- 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀 | / dingodoodles | / @dingodoodles
- 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘅 𝗜𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵 | / felixirnich
- 𝗭𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘄 | / zeebashew | / zeebashew
- 𝗣𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 | / puffinforest | / @puffinforest
- 𝗢𝗦𝗣 𝗥𝗲𝗱 & 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 | / ospyoutube | / redeyestakewarning
- 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 | / davvychappy | / @davvychappy
- 𝗫𝗣 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 | / xptolevel3 | / thedrmodnar
- 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 | / tulokthe | / @tulokthebarbrarian2033
- 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵 | / the_runesmith | / @runesmith
- 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗮𝘄 | / jessjackdaw | / @jessjackdaw
- 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻 | / birdcyclops | / @birdcyclops
- 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗸𝘂𝗼 | / kanekuoyt | / @kanekuo
- 𝗪𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 | / wystle_wys | / @wystlewhileyouwork3232
- 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 | / simpleblaine | / @blainesimple
- 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗽𝘀 | / derpsreba | / @rebaderps
- 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗶-𝗖𝗮𝘁 | / camicattweets | / nek0shichan
- 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯 | / feltheleb | / @feltheleb
- 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 | / coolboybeebles | / @coolboyshane
- 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗯 | / crabcrit | / @critcrab
- 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘄 | / loadingcrew | / theloadingcrew
- 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿 | / thatartjack |
- 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗿 | / matthewmercer | / @criticalrole
And music by TheMusicReborn / themusicreborn

[@JoCat]

from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

[@Pfincess]

No, thank you.

[@Oh-tb2np]

[@thomasgreve6774]

this is the best christmas present i could ever ask for

[@DrNeonGaming]

We have you to thank. You're the best.

[@fumeister0992]

And thank you, Joe, for all of your videos.

[@Crow-ig4py]

"When the fuck did the blind dragonborn get a gun?!" Dm'ing in a nutshell

[@matthewprince6157]

What's funny is I play a dragonborn with a gun. He's not blind but still he has a gun.

[@Lastofthesigilites]

One shot with the characters playing NPCs that had gave it to him then got shot accidentally.

[@dynestis2875]

@@matthewprince6157 that's heresy if he's not blind!

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

"Also; isn't that a terrible idea on par with having toph fly the airship?"

[@sirdrake1979]

Its only a REAL problem if they didn't have levels in Artificer

[@bjarrk]

"NOBODY CARES MATT MERCER" "awh man"

[@1pieveofKH]

Ngl, Matt is such a nice guy that the very thought of him being sad makes me sad

[@bjarrk]

@@1pieveofKH same

[@BlackRoseSin]

@@1pieveofKH Hard same.

[@kevinduke8928]

This was the best line!

[@StealthMarmot_]

*Rabid Critical Role fans and Marisha Ray appear and destroys*

[@LokelyConed]

"what am i supposed to do? Talk to the players?" "You can certainly try" *shows D20 dice in hands* EVERY DM NEEDS THAT LINE AVAILABLE TO THEM

[@philmartinez8704]

That was on the agreement for MatMercer to be on the project. He had to say the line

[@elijahthecreator8342]

That “player knowing Latin part while in the presence of a titan” thing quite literally happened to me. One of my adventurers was trying to resurrect one of my other adventurers and said, “oh this literally just says all hail deer”

[@cadenvanvalkenburg6718]

Salvete Omnes Cervos?

[@elijahthecreator8342]

@@cadenvanvalkenburg6718 yerp

[@CLNCJD94]

We started a new campaign and my character is an Asamiar named Theonis, to which I didn’t know until about 8 sessions in means “Of Gods” or something along those lines in Latin. My DM brought this up to me after the last session.

[@aprammus9580]

@@CLNCJD94I’m not familiar with the word but that could very well be the genitive sg. So “of god” is totally reasonable

[@tulokthebarbrarian2033]

5:52 Can you just @ me next time please?

[@chrisppx]

'ello

[@danielmoran3578]

Confirmed there is going to be a next time

[@Boss-ks8vt]

Report video I'm in it and I don't like it.

[@onappap]

@@Boss-ks8vt whoosh

[@danielcunningham4339]

U and me both

[@AlphaOrion98]

Everyone’s talking about how he got Matt Mercer but are we gonna talk about how he got him here to tell him no one cares? The balls on this guy

[@tatersalad76]

And then ended up using Matt's usual advice anyway when Jo advised it. It all came full circle

[@jaceatkinson6456]

Thank you lol! I was just like what the hell he did it.

[@hyjinki4886]

@@tatersalad76 What are you talking about? That was entirely original advice

[@kalashnikovdevil]

And no one should care.

[@kenkubard]

He really does love saying "Oh, man..."

[@christopherjunk1618]

I love how Blue is analysing Evilus Maximus' name, and Red is just banging miniatures together, making them "fight"

[@Lupostehgreat]

Honestly, Red and Blue are the perfect examples for why JoCat had a point at the end. These players were not disruptive, but because GM was having a mental breakdown he assumed they meant to be condescending to his story, rather than just pointing out what they thought were cool influences. His ego got bruised because he hadn't internalized that all works are derivative of something.

[@legendaresn6983]

@@Lupostehgreat Nah some of these are objectively disruptive

[@Lupostehgreat]

@@legendaresn6983 I agree that some are objectively disruptive, but not ALL of them.

[@legendaresn6983]

@@Lupostehgreat nah one of them was just making a speech, some of the others tried to stop other players from playing

[@Lupostehgreat]

@@legendaresn6983 bro, if you have a table where everyone just sits there and waits for the DM to tell them what to do, all yours, man. We'll just have to agree to disagree on some of this.

[@franciscojosecardenetedela2008]

Dude, if you ever feel bad because the bad side of being a content creator, remember this absolute piece of art, geek gem. Thanks to you I got to know so many people that collaborated in here. Thank you JoCat.

[@Athanatosti]

"Nobody cares, Matt Mercer!" I should not have taken a sip of coffee at that moment. I lost it.

[@Temazine]

Well did you find it?

[@smartmovestephen5390]

@@Temazine nice one

[@Orangemario59]

Hey I hope this isn't a stupid question but who is Matthew mercer

[@apocalypseblade]

@@Orangemario59 Check out Critical Role on KZbin. Matt Mercer is a very well respected DM for that game.

[@Clone6385]

@@Orangemario59 he’s a voice actor, he voiced Mecree from overwatch for one.

[@Baden9761]

This man really got matt mercer just so he can shut him down, gotdamm

[@tinfoiltyrant]

Unlimited Powah.

[@wombataldebaran9686]

Chad Move

[@RealCoolstriker64]

He was talking MAAAAD shit for someone within Star Platinum‘a range.

[@FishDrinkLightGreen]

@@wombataldebaran9686Power move

[@cyanmanta]

And he utterly rejected those foam noodles. Cold as ice.

[@LesbianWitchAcademia]

Jo, i know you probably won't ever see this comment, but you've made my life profoundly better with your content. As i sit here watching this video again, tears in my eyes, i just wish that you could've been a part of a better internet, one that didn't beat people down for daring to be a little different. Thank you, JoCat, for everything that you've brought us and done for us. You're not weak. We don't deserve you.

[@duncanharrell5009]

Did something happen to him?

[@cjwunsch1754]

@@duncanharrell5009 He got doxed and he and has family has been harassed irl, so he decided to leave the internet :(

[@arcan762]

@@duncanharrell5009 he's just not cut out for internet fame

[@juansostre456]

@@arcan762are you fucking crazy he got doxxed💀

[@arcan762]

@@juansostre456 and? he just needs to cope I guess. he put himself on the internet and got big, it is bound to happen. surprised it didn't happen sooner tbh. I get random kids on discord threatening to send me a bomb etc. all the time, just either gotta get used to it or leave the internet, which is what jo did. I don't see how I'm the crazy one.

[@dannythederpkid5409]

2 years later and this still the best DM guide example for DM’s

[@evernewb2073]

it does an excellent job of getting across "you WILL fuck up" and because it does such a good job of conveying "you WILL fuck up" it makes the "and that's fine" part a lot more believable

[@grahamkristensen9301]

Getting Matt Mercer in your video just so you can yell at him and smack the foam noodles out of his arms has to be a flex of some kind.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Seeing Red & Blue in there warmed me.

[@danielvasquez7951]

He roll a nat 20 on flex for this video

[@R4d6]

Can you link the timestamp please?

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@R4d6 OSP= 10:05 Matt Mercer= 16:24

[@KingGibie]

You Probably already know this but the foam noodles was a reference from a joke from the bard episode (I think) were he said that you needed to follow the class stereotypes or else Matt Mercer would throw foam noodles at you

[@DustyTheKitty]

Jocat: Send. In. Everyone... D&D community: which one? Jocat: *EVERYONE*

[@Kalicer]

No one from The Adventure Zone tough, small sad.

[@gamejunky3040]

*avengers theme plays on a lute*

[@yoko3182]

@@Kalicer can you imagine the CHAOS that the Tres Horny Boys or the Thundermen would have brought?

[@benkayvfalsifier3817]

Didn't see MrRhexx

[@benkayvfalsifier3817]

@@yoko3182 Or Freddie Wong and the guys from Dungeons and Daddies?

[@mariuszkuligowski834]

"... because you only ever think about your ideas and never write them down" I'm not a DM nor have I played D&D yet but as the type of person who "will do it later" this really hits deep and hard

[@Inufan337]

As someone who finally put off procrastinating via this very issue and is working on the finishing touches to actually run a campaign.... same lol

[@ConfusedBean777]

​@Inufan337 how's the campaign going?

[@Preseptic]

Jocat, Thank you for encouraging me to create and bring a story to my friends. You’ve done so much, and I’m glad you’ve been a part of my life. You helped me when I was being bullied and depressed. I wish I could do the same for you. I hope you find joy in whatever you do next. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. ~Septic

[@wanderer7965]

"When the fuck did the blind dragonborn get a gun" is probably my favorite sentence in all of everything, as it perfectly encapsulates the confusion a dnd session can bring.

[@dantealivieri5390]

Mb that is a Skyrim mods joke?

[@hiti6753]

8:25

[@loganmorefield9192]

I swear, I am engraving that on a dm screen

[@weedwizard6306]

actually the blind dragonborn has 2 guns

[@jackncheese5478]

this is too true

[@motigoru]

I realy like the fact that Matt Mercer isnt even playing the game but he just appear out of nowhere just to say to you to be nice

[@Sir_Bucket]

then JoCrap slaps his noodles off, like the monster he is

[@soupmug]

He must've played a bard that didn't try to lay the first thing it saw

[@hadeskingoftheunderworld7010]

Matt was just fulfilling his jobs as the God of dms

[@kjj26k]

That is very Matthew Mercer of him.

[@rebann]

Rewatching this, and the "you can certainly try" followed by the dice roll (is that a nat 20?) hit me really hard this time. Genius writing right there.

[@JasonCrosen]

Three years later, still one of the best D&D videos on the internet

[@colejustplays6543]

Yep lol

[@duncanthebard]

JoCrap- Nobody cares, Matt Mercer! Matt Mercer- :(

[@wyattmason8838]

Doesn't he have pool noodles to be throwing?

[@kalebroyter5672]

@@wyattmason8838 He would be, but Jo knocked them out of his hands

[@DukeMemes6047]

“Aww man”

[@TheRuancarlo]

Pool noodles lol

[@geoxaga6507]

"Can I stab her and take all her stuff?" "Later!" I like how it was the only one he didn't out right reject.

[@CombatSportsNerd]

Right?! Shit was hilarious

[@saulesalejos4483]

"Kill me" "Later~"

[@akisa7865]

@@saulesalejos4483 "oh dont be such a baby, ribs grow back" *Turns to Archimedes* "No they dont..."

[@Gravity_Fish]

Just came back to watch the whole series again. Sorry to hear you'll be stopping the creating! We all love you!!! Thanks for all the LOLs ❤

[@datdude888]

God this video is so good. I hope your break, permanent or temporary, goes well and you get a very well-deserved rest from the expectations, troubles, and awful harassment. And if you don’t come back, know that you’ve changed the TTRPG space for the better. You got me into dnd, and I thank you for that. Best of luck, Jocat

[@2ndThought_]

Marvel: "Infinity War Is the most ambitious crossover event in history." JoCat: Hold my Sword Oil.

[@Rutillith]

Sword and Shield*

[@ikeillue8385]

Dang, was literally going to make this exact post. Well played sir, well played.

[@Deathkri]

Which oil? Chaos, Mind's Eye, Destroyer, Affinity, or Stamina/Exhaust?

[@Chronostra]

@@Deathkri ALL OF THEM! MMWAHAHAHAHAH

[@Deathkri]

@@Chronostra Very true. They need oils in World so the new players can see SnS at its finest hour.

[@victorholmes5225]

“Wow!!! The only way he could make this better is if...” Matt Mercer shows up: “...” “I love you JoCat”

[@TFMTBlueBomber20]

Just got into Critical Role, so hearing JoCat say @18:35 "you can certainly try" made me smile lol

[@Answerisequal42]

Just to add my 2 cents on you taking an indefinite break: This series brought me to DnD. Its the first time ever I am deeply invested in a hobby for more than a few weeks. I thank you for that. I hope you will do well!

[@gupgaming2367]

The main thing we learned is: "limit your party size"

[@sebastianplazas9697]

Lesson learned too late

[@amadeusgamer7000]

Yes indeed

[@bosi9106]

Going from 7 players to 3, my voice probably thanks me the most

[@lordmars2387]

@@bosi9106 ditto though I've just upped the team to 5 I think this is my current limit I'll find out in 2 days.

[@bosi9106]

@@lordmars2387 good luck brother I'm going to run a oneshot for my 3 players after New year's Eve. First game in a few months due to covid and uni. But I'm hyped as hell

[@hayleeh18]

“When did the blind Dragonborn get a gun? I don’t remember giving him a gun! _HAS HE ALWAYS HAD A GUN?!”_

[@riverroulette792]

This actually happened in my friends dnd once, except replace blind dragonborn with pirate tabaxi and replace gun with 11 DAGGERS!?

[@deskhyena895]

Yes... he said that

[@aienma6660]

My DM made the mistake of giving me a enchanted sword... Shatter Spike. On hit i can sacrifice damage and destroy any armor or weapon (1 per attack) on the enemy. So i fucked up a lot of enemys.

[@Qussankazma]

legit played that part over 3 times it kill me

[@mxveewz]

...unus annus

[@Vulkandrachi]

The last part is terrifingly accurate to how it is to be a Dungeon Master, with a really good advise for everyone trying to become a better one.

[@heaiiyasha]

The lesson of this story is to get Matt Mercer to throw pool noodles at everyone who was mean to Jocat.

[@allonymme4656]

yeah

[@lemon360]

I love the gag of having Matt Mercer, one of the most beloved DMs, as a guest star, for the sole purpose of telling him to shut up before he has the pool noodles slapped out of his hands.

[@kiroropupper3914]

I honestly see other way to shoehorn that gift of a man into this video xD

[@Kai-lo2bl]

I don't trust him

[@severalcakes3267]

I thought those were rolled-up scrolls or maps 👀 Why would Mitt Mungus be carrying pool noodles?

[@Vashts6583.]

@@severalcakes3267 There's a reference in the Bard video about Matt Mercer sneaking into one's house and throwing pool noodles

[@vijayanand6650]

@@severalcakes3267 crap guide to dnd bard video

[@Nerethilsan]

Bullying Matt Mercer for his good and healthy attitude was and will forever be the moral of your story.

[@necrolet]

Ikr? I like that Matt's advice was legit exactly what was needed in the end. Also maybe don't try to run a game for 20 people with vastly different play styles

[@BasketOfPuppies642]

Also I'm p sure he slapped a bunch of pool noodles out of his arms as a ref to his first crap guide.

[@ciancaldera6542]

There was a missed opportunity to call Matt Mercer Mcree

[@doctorllewellyn2007]

Literally brings me to tears, more emotions in this video than I can even express. Thank you JoCat for everything.

[@gustavfrye2736]

18:36 "You can certainly try"... man, that's something I always tell my players. Watching this whole video with such relatable moments and thinking about my campaings, to finally come to this line; it genuinely made me cry. I cried on a video like this, and I'm so happy for it. D&D was one of the best things I've ever discovered in my life, and I hope I never have to part away from it.

[@ChiChi-xo8jh]

I can only imagine Joe getting off the phone with Matt Mercer, turning to everyone and going "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him."

[@cjwatts721]

*Deafening Saddam capture noises*

[@gundam5271]

@SkillsDND yiiiiiikkes

[@cassandracole4589]

I think JoCrap's first mistake was inviting his thirty five friends over to play one session of dnd.

[@Vicar_Tineamica]

I think the second mistake was to not have a session 0.

[@thomsonandfrench4974]

Mistake # 14925: Not giving Evilus Maximus magic resistance or legendary resistance.

[@nathanex5122]

@@thomsonandfrench4974 Transformation and spell effects resistance (i didnt play dnd)

[@mingchen7704]

I learn pretty early in my “DMing career” that the party size I can handle is 4 is ideal, 6 is max.

[@thomsonandfrench4974]

Mistake # 14926: Evilus Maximus was originally presented as a humanoid that eventually turned into a gargantuan... thing, which makes him a shapechanger and should automatically succeed on his saving throw.

[@barak363363]

Can't believe you actually managed to convey the bad experience of being a DM. Well done

[@parmesanzero7678]

I love this because it’s so accurate and demonstrates why I don’t want to be in a game with more than four players.

[@Noudele]

"What am i supposed to do, talk to the players?" "You can certainly try." WHY'D THAT HIT SO HARD

[@Federe76]

Critical response

[@pouncelygrin6699]

*CRITICAL HIT!*

[@aiseanaivalu2143]

"Infinity war is the most ambitious crossover in history" JoCat: "Hold my sword and shield!"

[@TheSgtSokoluik]

Are insinuating that he would put down his sword and shield?

[@imanormalguy4335]

Yes both

[@Gurmudgin]

Are you considering that JoCrap would lay down a sword and shield? He would clearly turn it into the table itself and the sword into his DM Screen.

[@Tinkering4Time]

🤣 YASSSS

[@nathangifford897]

No one touches his sword and shield.

[@WailingNinja]

I've watched this several times since it came out, and it still makes me tear up a bit at the end. As someone who's been playing D&D for about 20 years, I can say that little else compares to the feeling of a table vibing together, having a great time, and cheering each other on. And this video always reminds me of the countless awesome times I've had with a group both as a PC and as DM.

[@milestag1857]

It's been years since I first watched this, coming back and remembering how wholesome the ending was made me so happy Thank you JoCat

[@aPink_Lemon]

He's DMing a 35 player campaign, holy shit

[@stridely2560]

Shit man I'd spaz out too

[@speedy01247]

No wonder he had problems, 35 people is to many for one DM to reasonable handle.

[@Jamesjones-hi5qu]

Is mat playing?

[@sillyjellyfish2421]

No wonder he went bonkers for a second

[@locksmith898]

Another lesson for DMs, Know your player limits.

[@bdletoast09]

"Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover of all t-" *Jocrap:* Y O U L I T T L E B I T C H

[@KasaiRayquaza]

As a writer, librarian (assistant), English major, linguistics enthusiast, and book worm, I love the line at 2:48. "No matter what, you’ll always eventually have to rely on the most useful creation of all mankind, that can raise armies and fell nations. WORDS."

[@astralanarchist]

❤️❤️

[@andrewcomeaux3528]

JoCat, thanks to you, I have found the magic behind Dungeons and Dragons and found a past-time that allowed me to be freely creative with my friends by my side in a way I've never felt before. I know that not a lot has gone well recently but if you should ever read my lowly comment, I want you to know that you do have a positive imapct. What you do is incredible and it has inspired me to not only be a DM for my friends, teaching them the game as we go, but also to bring it into my job (I'm a high school teacher). I am going to be teaching my students this game that I know and love - that you showed me how to appreciate. Should you ever return to content creation, know you'll have my support and that of countless others. Thank you, JoCat.

[@williamlap2102]

"Endgame is the most ambitious crossover of all time." Jocat: Pathetic

[@DrDrCr4zy]

i just rewatched endgame and came down here to say this

[@NubiBuiltKatchr]

Greatest what it’s like to be a 5e DM video EVER! We will miss you JoCat & the internet will never be the same. More content like yours is what it needs. And while it saddens me you are leaving, I am glad you are doing the hard things to care for yourself and very grateful for the content you have gifted to us. Thank you for always entertaining and simultaneously elevating us.

[@weezysbabygirl94]

I just wanted to say thank you. I have watched this playlist many times over the years and it always makes me laugh

[@qwertywarlord]

JoCat: Runs a campaign with 30+ players Also JoCat: Doesn't understand why the session is hard to control

[@MrKingkez]

No cat did crap did not there is a difference

[@drakynoch]

I one ran a weekly 13 player game, sure it wasn't 30, but I never found it hard to keep things focused... (We play pathfinder mind you) and the campaign lasted 3 months before I was forced to move. We're all still good friends but they split into 2 groups and I run a 2x/month roll20 game for the DMS. I'm sure it's all in jest and meme but it looks like DnD players are massively chaotic lol. All in good fun I'm sure.

[@benjaminhoare5927]

Right? Culling the player-count via tactical "Rocks-Fall-Everyone-Dies" seems completely reasonable under such circumstances.

[@hutgaming]

Me: runs games of 7-9 players because 4 players is to few

[@bathtubmeggee7751]

Like #666 I’m going to hell now

[@dustymillersrnm6370]

As someone with social anxiety and poor social skills who has somehow found enough people to run 2 separate campaigns in 5e and a third in another system, I just wanna say thanks to all who contributed to this. It gives me the drive to keep going on some days when I just feel like cancelling and going back to bed.

[@kingt-rex1579]

Listen sir, I have the skin of a campaign done and improv every part after that. Sometimes it's a bone, sometimes its a leaf, or a dr pepper, or nothing at all. My rule for my campaign prep is, "You cant derail what isnt there" 😂

[@benlove1573]

“Nobody cares, Matt Mercer!” Comedy gold.

[@SuperHellsingFan]

*Sad Matt Noises*

[@espeonplayz101]

I love how he had the foam noodles still

[@drpaedan2099]

You can certainly try #CriticalRole

[@aidanschwartz9609]

Hahaha

[@elbruces]

Except in the end, it turns out Mercer was right. Just talk to the players.

[@kid14346]

The biggest DM mood that I felt to my core: "Who gave the blind Dragonborn a gun?! I don't remember giving them a gun??!"

[@Ajehy]

Oh gods... for me it was a Ring of Three Wishes.

[@deskhyena895]

@@Ajehy I feel your pain..... physicaly

[@hadesfist1017]

that kinda happened to me once with me as the DM and my brother some how getting a gauntlet that shot fire balls and blink ,that was blind panic wondering when or how did he get that thing at 3rd level, Que me for the next 2 or 3 hours fighting to fix this mistake before the players get too off rail which in the last fight he used real world science to make a freaken nucleolar explosion with the ethereal plane mixing in with the real world and the source material saying that theirs nothing preventing him from doing that ending the session killing the bandit captain they were wining against and everyone in the party leaving nothing behind not even a word of their name sense they just started.

[@dont9790]

Dont read my PROFILē PICTURe :)

[@demoulius1529]

I got triggered when people started to roll while saying what they were doing and when people were exclaiming what they had just did. No you dident. Shut up and wait your turn xD

[@darthnovii]

That was incredible. Not a single mechanic was discussed, yet I now understand exactly what kinds of things can happen during a game. Thank you.

[@oliverzaorski2089]

JoCat, I come back to this video so often when I feel overwhelmed or inadequate as a DM and it always gives me that breath of fresh air and confidence to start again and/or keep going. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for all of your videos. Every single one of them brings not only me but my players joy. I use your videos as beginning guides for all of my new players❤ So thank you for everything!

[@Scuba_Steve_lll]

When the f*ck did the blind dragonborn get a gun? I don't remember giving him a gun! Has he always had a gun?

[@JustAUsername13]

Should have looked at his character sheet, they had the feat Gunner the whole time! (it's a feat from the new book Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

[@baconknightproductions8297]

Of course the blind guy is the one with a gun

[@lucinamitchell7920]

I relate to this statement personally.

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

"NO ONE CARES, MATT MERCER!" are words I don't think I'll ever be ready to hear.

[@shadowkoala5452]

Aww man... :(

[@archergaming5414]

"Nyeh"

[@donnielp3]

My DM would say otherwise lol :D

[@timothywilliams8530]

Is it even possible to use them in a sentence like that!?

[@Dezzrik]

I don't think Mercer was ready to hear it either. lol

[@wouterlangkemper2739]

Hey JoCat, These crapguides made me a better DM, learn to laugh in failure and appreciate the true magic of TTRPGs. Thank you for the wonderful content you created and all the best to you.

[@Samus-yz8of]

"you can certainly try" gets me teary-eyed every time i come back to this

[@daveyap888]

Marvel: Endgame is the most ambitious crossover event in history JoCat: Hold my d20

[@teh201d]

this

[@krissiblockboom8391]

Nice

[@sarkasmomancer266]

This man really got Matthew Mercer in his video, holy shit.

[@koljaleffek7290]

i completely lost it at this point *hyperventilating*

[@joshlegacy1101]

Just so he can yell at him and slap him in the face.

[@Megidramon]

Ngl, I was kinda hoping that Matt would be throwing foam noodles at JoCrap from the corner of his living room for not allowing the players to have agency.

[@thesmolducc4215]

I thought at first he was holding scrolls or something but nvm those are foam noodles

[@Emanfox333]

bruh i thought the same thing. "ha ha funny joke...thats not mat."

[@alainsmoors4956]

this is the best dnd vid in existence. we miss you jocat.

[@jonathanadamson6476]

This is without a doubt one of my favorite videos on youtube , every now and again when D&D night gets close , i rewatch it , its a good reminder on how i can do a better job being a DM , thank you so much !

[@ApprenticeNick]

"Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover event ever" Jo Cat:

[@ton1]

Hold my foam noodle Matt Mercer!

[@darkthedemon255]

Hold my beer

[@an8strengthkobold360]

Everyone is here.

[@emilyaw3831]

I was about to like but it's at 420 likes

[@walterfoster4658]

@@emilyaw3831 Then lets get it 420,000,000!

[@BroseidonGamez]

The fact Matthew Mercer was holding pool noodles reinvigorates me.

[@dance_ofThaDEAD]

I thought they were scrolls

[@danjordan4681]

@@dance_ofThaDEAD pool noodles.

[@USMCRabbit]

Right?!

[@koopasamurai3928]

@@dance_ofThaDEAD They are now pool noodles

[@willnorman-bargo]

So he was right all along! Matt will hit us with noodles.

[@nman423nj]

This video alone got me into wanting to DM, and I’ve quite enjoyed it. Thank you, it’s been a wonderful few years.!

[@leytonwest3241]

Jocat this video is great. We miss you man. I hope your happier away from the internet

[@taco5021]

Matt Mercer showing up had the same same energy as Stan Lee showing up in Marvel movies.

[@tacothecat1604]

That’s exactly how it felt. Also, nice name.

[@Smittumi]

/stares in Gary Gygax

[@ocsartobi6844]

I love that he had foam noodles. Great callback to the Bard episode.

[@FeyTheBin]

@@ocsartobi6844 Ahhhh, classic.

[@klony1280]

Amazing how closely Matt has been tied to DnD, despite him not having anything to do with Wizards of the coast... I mean, maybe he does now, certainly would be a smart move by Wizards, but you know what I mean.

[@Draugo]

Classic mistake, this always happens when you have 34 players in a single session

[@woodlefoof2]

Balancing would be pretty funny in something like that. I suppose for brevity they should probably be separated into squads and a designated squad leader rolls for initiative 🤔 squad leader should probably also act as a sub DM. Collecting and gathering the appropriate information to pass along to the true DM when it gets around to their turn.

[@dragonmster4473]

Yup, that’s why a lot of people have made it a rule to never have 34 people in one session. Look up Rule 34 for more info

[@ShadeRevenant]

@@dragonmster4473 I already check it, but why there is woman on top of 7 year old boy?

[@endymionisrafieldeios7362]

34 players?! Ye gods!

[@dreamcanvas5321]

@@woodlefoof2 That actually sounds _really_ interesting...

[@LassBisharp]

All these cameos are making me so excited. I'm fighting the urge to resist bouncing up and down in my chair right now. I wasn't even expecting Red and Blue from Overly Sarcastic Productions to be here, but I'm so glad they are! The ending of the video has a really great moral about how, sometimes, it's best if not everything goes the DM's way. The players are just as much of storytellers as the DM is, and if nothing goes the players' ways, they might not want to play anymore. You have to learn and adapt to your players, make up a compromise to keep them interested while things don't go completely south. It's about finding a balance between Order and Chaos. What a perfect way to end the series. Bravo!

[@fluffyrinsu4879]

People (especially new DM's) forget that DnD is a *cooperative* storytelling experience. So sometimes the best decision is to let other people make the decisions and wing it lol

[@Lupostehgreat]

This is extremely true. Every DM has to step back from time to time and remember that the players won't be interested in the story unless they have some impact on its progression. An example of linear stories that feature extreme player input would be the better Telltale games like Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead, where the choices the players made throughout the episodes could make or break the ending. Think also of Fallout New Vegas, where the weight of choices and character builds throughout the narrative could lead you to a host a different endings that all essentially communicated the same themes, but made the choices the players made the point of the story. This is an example of the kind of stories that DnD campaigns should revolve around. I like to aim for this level of thematic depth while also aiming for the more operatic grandeur of JRPGs like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, and Suikoden. Whether or not I achieve this, my players have to determine that. However, the moment I stop listening to their input and having the world bend around their choices is the moment that the game ceases and it's just stories around the campfire. Now there is nothing wrong with stories around the campfire, but there is a big difference between that and TTRPGs.

[@user-nt9db1zx6n]

We miss you jocat

[@_Woody_]

You know JoCat, all this time you said "You're welcome". I think it is finally time for us to say "Thank You"

[@dychostarr]

This needs more upvotes

[@goldencalf13]

@@dychostarr hell yeah It does

[@alecchristiaen4856]

Jocat just Avenger'd the entire d&d youtube community.

[@certainlysunny7851]

He did tho!

[@Necromancerdal]

COuldnt get Matt Colville sadly, but the cast is impressive nonetheless :D

[@dont9790]

Dont read my PROFILē PICTURe :)

[@benkayvfalsifier3817]

@@Necromancerdal I was hoping to see MrRhexx. The guy gives great backstories for well-known monsters and creatures from 1-5e.

[@defensivekobra3873]

He even managed the two nerds who are doing history and book writing

[@magolor3219]

0:37 is great. The extended f kinda makes him sound like a deflating balloon.

[@magolor3219]

6:05 and the Rogue trying to steal the Paladin’s rosary beads. Golden.

[@Feserov]

I love your content. And this was the first video I watched that started a chain of events resulting me joining my first long lasting party and becoming a regular dnd player in 2020. Thank you

[@Starblayde]

JoCat: "I set up a D&D session with a bunch of nerds" D&D KZbin: "On your left"

[@admiralepic1357]

"On your left" "On your left" "On your left" "On your left"

[@clockworx7689]

Literally brought the actual Matt Mercer on just to tell him to shut up... Legendary

[@williamking6787]

Honestly the best part

[@bubbanator3340]

Fucking Chad Move

[@TheXhexedx]

That was actually Matt Mercer? Epic.

[@SlowThief]

Coming back after almost a year and a half of not playing dnd, this video has inspired me to what to pick up my dm screen again. Thank you Jocat

[@Steven-ne7oy]

"Being a good DM is about applying information, not memorizing it, unlike the American education system" -Sun Tzu

[@pk-jn2pf]

Damn Sun Tzu not being quoted in a Technoblade vid for once.

[@theapexsurvivor9538]

@@pk-jn2pf Imagine thinking that this isn't a Technoblade video. What a nerd!

[@pk-jn2pf]

@@theapexsurvivor9538 shut up “ApexSurvivor”. Who names themselves “Apex Survivor” and not only apex survivor. NoOOoO, you have to put “the” to make yourself feel important as if youre some legend people speak about at a tavern but are infinitely disappointed by when the hero finds you on their quest, looking for an ally but instead of finding some great warrior, they find youre rotting corpse of a body eating chips and watching My Little Pony. I did my best impression of JoCrap I could do. Whaddya think?

[@Athena-xj1db]

​@@pk-jn2pf I like it, even though it's 3 years later

[@michaelpodvin2216]

Your content is and has always been phenomenal. I hope you come back some day, but even if you don't, thank you for what you have done for the hobby.

[@sourpepsi9689]

Actually beautiful. I’m not joking when I say this makes me emotional. Very well done, thank you Jocat ❤

[@yoko3182]

16:30 "NOBODY CARES, MATT MERCER!" "Aww, man." MY HEART!

[@margibso]

This needs to be a meme.

[@dylangoins2663]

Creeper

[@calebthompson7143]

Jocrap: NOBODY CARES MATT MERCER! Everyone: *GASP* is that legal?!

[@khaoskore70]

I'm gonna go with probably not. But that's why we have different alignments to go with.

[@Cotcan]

Jocrap: I will make it legal.

[@MrAwsomenoob]

Let me check the book...

[@Crim_Zen]

As a long time "critter," yes. Matt retcons a lot of content when things aren't going his way. He mostly does that when he wants to punish the players (the blood cleric being a recent example... spoilers below.) He also forces them to playthrough their backstory at random points to keep the narrative going, even when they players would rather not. He is a great DM, but I think his ego has started to get the best of him. Note, I've seen all of their content (excluding the monster highschool... that was way too cringe for me.) So that blood cleric part. They gave their blood away to the cleric near the start of the game and when they finally got it back they rolled a check and found that the vials had 100% of their blood. Some time later (2 or so months irl) Matt decided "actually some of your blood is missing." Later on he used this as justification for the big bad to show up and force the entire party into submission. The constant scrying orbs were there to keep the party from ever having a chance to just play (they should have been able to roll to resist them.) He ended up straggling the fun out of the adventure by forcing them down a road they couldn't escape (because escaping would mean teleporting away from a domain of wild magic.) Note, he made the entire setting for this recent adventure. He has always been a bit of an sjw, but here lately he has also become a super sjw officer, demanding the players respect the monsters sexual identity and such. When asked to change something he said "I won't change it for you. You will respect their identity." That is referring to the dragon everyone kept calling a "he" when they were a "she." Note, they weren't referring to the dragon in game, it was all out of game roll checks, so him yelling at them to call her a she was a waste of time. If the player said "he" when the dragon was a "she" then I can see the dialog, but it should have come from the dragon, not the dm. Matt could have simply let the identity slide, because it was a dragon that likely won't be in the story much longer. Note, they were censoring the live chat during this because so many people were turning against Matt for wasting time. It feels like Matt tried way too hard to incorporate the character's backstory when building the world. They saw the corrupted city in a vision, and suddenly that city is part of the main game because it was tied to the backstory of a dead pc who happened to be revived just in time to go find the city. Then they all conveniently got hired to go to where the city and "friend" would be. He ended up making that dead pc a male Mary Sue with way too many powers just in order to put the players in check when they just wanted to do a side mission.

[@randomaster138]

@@Crim_Zen I can't comment on the specific examples you gave as I'm quite a bit behind. From what I've seen Matthew Mercer isn't a perfect DM (lets be honest no-one is) but I think that he's consistently good. The reason people think he is perfect is because he rarely has moments where he is a bad DM, and the reason why people like yourself notice his slip ups is because they are less common than from other DMs and so they stick out more. This is just my personal opinion though.

[@KuroOokami167]

This whole series was so awesome! This was the best and craziest way to cap the DnD Crap Guide. I can't imagine how much time and work this took, but it was so great to see it come together. You're awesome JoCat and thank you for giving us this. Thank you for sharing your creativity.

[@adrianccastillo]

Thank you sharing your art and passion publicly. This series was HUGE in me becoming a dm and my friends learning roughly how to play classes. Wishing nothing but the best for you 🙏🏽

[@watcherofsomething7439]

To be fair DMing for 30+ people sounds like an anxiety nightmare

[@LF1988]

Yes i have 4 chaos monkeys playing and it is stressful enough... 30+ players would be a nightmare...

[@newtonianlaw3249]

My largest session was 10 players... and I was not the DM and it was just pure chaos the entire time... I would not want to even imagine that nightmare of a 30+ campaign. You would need to be a fucking GOD for that even somewhat function

[@elbruces]

No matter how good you are as a DM, the game would suck just because everybody would have to wait so long to take their turn.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

Is there somewhere online anything like a pre-made 'Story', so the DM just has to fill in the 'Details' and whatever 'derails from the plot'? If you get what i'm asking. I mean, being the Dungeon-Master sounds like a Giant Task. So is there help or somethin'?

[@elbruces]

@@loturzelrestaurant Yeah, there are a bunch of pre-written adventures.

[@CogginsBrian]

" why does the blind Dragonborn, have a gun" that killed me Haha

[@jasoncarter3182]

I didn't give him that, did he always have it

[@imei2006]

Truer words have never been spoken about player equipment

[@JustAUsername13]

Well, Gunner is now an official feat in D&D so...

[@keithstrife3745]

As a DM, I have pretty much just accepted my story isn't going to be taken seriously. I just started setting up scenarios and watched my players do funny shit and I have a lot of fun doing it

[@anonymousturtle34]

I love the Nat 20 symbolising a godlike check at 18:40, excellent touch.

[@davidochoa7087]

“Hey that DnD KZbinr you like is in this video!” ‘Which one?’ “Yes.”

[@tTtan639]

And a couple of others who just play.

[@tanman729]

*cries in WebDM*

[@hamburgersandwich4273]

Yes Matt Mercer is my favorite dnd KZbinr

[@Usernamesdontmatter1]

Cries in mr.welch. seriously people get more views than he does reading out stuff he has done or written.

[@aztralsea]

Exactly

[@demosthenes995]

Lesson learned: Dont host a session with 35 players my god

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

Trust me it’s not a good idea. I tried with 10 players once and that alone was horrible

[@MsScarletwings]

@@shawnsuckstm3353 as a first time dm I am barely keeping my head above water sometimes with my 2-player party

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

@@MsScarletwings don’t worry you’ll get used to it I promise

[@twtclikk7841]

as a member of a 19-person party, hard agree HAHAHA we got very lucky with our dm and we try our best to stay in line + our campaign is held through text over discord, so that helps dm keep track of everything, but it's so chaotic LMAO (affectionate)

[@bowserjrrules8162]

I had one with six and it was chaos, it doesn't help we don't use physical boards or a digital equivalent, mostly just verbal descriptors.

[@michauszczek3583]

I come back to this video once every couple months and it never fails to make me both laugh and cry. Thank you for making this. As a recently started DM, this really hits close to home

[@negi6071]

absolutely loved this series from beginning to end, so satisfying watching it all conclude and being able to hear the full intro song at the end

[@stanthethunderous5605]

When you realise that Mat Mercer was holding foam noodels, not scrolls

[@shadowkoala5452]

It's for if you don't play to the exact class stereotypes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

[@bloodyfantastic6636]

@@shadowkoala5452 nyeh *throws noodle*

[@electricangel4488]

If he want me to conform to basic character background skill correlation he better start recording more Overwatch lines. I am gone ''pirate drow druid'' till my ''clockwork angel barkeeper'' snuffs out the sun, And its gonne take a whole lot of noodle.

[@pixelrscore]

I about died when he popped up

[@kobkobkobkobkob]

Holy shit, you blew my mind there.

[@MisterTroglodyte]

This isn’t a crap guide to dungeons and dragons, DMing, it’s a painfully accurate guide to dungeons and dragons, DMing.

[@Xel963]

TRUTH!

[@captainkiwi77]

“Dm I’d like to seduce the king, then polymorph into a dragon at the wedding, murder everyone, and grab the party that’s been hiding in the basement unnoticed for 3 days.” “I’m sorry you did who in the what now?”

[@Hyperion_HK]

The greatest error was inviting more than 6 people to the table at once