Campaign Diary 001: Red Sky At Morning

[@mcolville]

For those worried about Lars, relax. :D SPOILERS! www.reddit.com/r/mattcolville/comments/alwuj4/so_about_last_night_spoilers/

[@Hrorwulf]

I have tons of respect for you man, but I honestly think this could have gone a lot different, maybe a more epic battle against the dragonborn "whatshisname" the betrayer, while the city was being raided by demons and the hawklords and everything, thus forcing the players to run while the commander sacrifice himself for the team in a more meaningful, cinematic "Run you fools" way. I don't know man, the whole "humongous demon you can't even touch" is kinda boring, both to watch and to play. But it's just my humble opinion, I enjoyed the stream, the frame is cool and I love the concept of the Chain and the senior officers having special cool abilities and stuff. Also loved the part with Boots and the captain of the ship and I'm actually eager to see the next session. Kudos Matt.

[@NeflewitzInc]

@@Hrorwulf It's about that set up. I highly doubt that's the last time we've seen him. It seems really similar to the beginning of Megaman X, fighting something you can't even visibly hurt and then spend the rest of the game becoming powerful enough to take it down, only now instead of it just being a name on a boss npc the party has a personal reason for taking him down.

[@lazersoupe]

I know some people might have missed the point with Lars but it's nice to know that people are trying to sympathize with your players and have already become attached. Was an amazing first game!

[@tomasxfranco]

I enjoyed it much more than any Crit Role episode. It was great to watch, Matt.

[@britlion]

What you didn't address is why the die rolls for stats didn't add up to the total correctly. I'm baffled. Erroneous adding up? Some hidden bonus? I thought you would explain this!

[@curtisd5864]

"5 arrows is a waste of 4 arrows... because you'll only get one shot" is such a badass line.

[@mcolville]

I think of all the Running the Game lessons, the one I most obviously deployed in Session One is "Put the Bad Guy in front of the players early, when they're too low-level do anything about it." Same trick I use with Kalarel the Vile. Seemed to work...really really well! Folks want to talk about player agency. The players were the ones who chose this campaign, with this opening. And I explained what that meant, and they were down. That is player agency.

[@bradtobin6694]

Well said

[@TnTyson81]

In Matt we trust 😉

[@big53mac]

Matt i am so happy to have backed the book not just because strongholds are cool but im super excited to see you dm your game.

[@nextlevel8822]

The same thing that applies to D&D Rules applies to individual tables: specific beats general.

[@pikecell9525]

Excellent video! Glad to see more great content coming from MCDM!

[@Plight_]

"I don't take orders from dead men" - Judge

[@Shalakor]

Such an amazing line. 35:11 is where Matt mentions it in this video, for people finding this top comment.

[@aureliomanalo]

Best part of the stream

[@cosmoreverb3943]

Such an awesome moment

[@Curiosity_R]

this line is so cool, principally because it's shows perfectly the personality of the character. Cool, noble and extremely reckless

[@BeyondtheRecord]

that was the best thing i've ever experienced in d&d

[@AnubidIsAwful]

*when the recap of a D&D session is 1/3rd the length of the session*

[@ace429k]

Gonna gobble it up! Hopefully we get a recap of a recap that's 25 mins long.

[@PoetryStud]

A third of it even, but hey, more Matt talking in my ear is always gucci

[@cabe_bedlam]

"just a short video for you folks...."

[@TDGCmote]

anubis_IS_awful i mean, we don’t miss out on anything and it’s still only 1/3 instead of 3/3

[@thoughtgaming492]

Not to mention that if you boil down the campaign to parts where things were actually happening, it was only like a half hour. Most of it was them just hanging out.

[@RedTriangle53]

Make the apple salesman a recurring character and provide unlikely stories about how he survives against all odds please.

[@Zsil33]

My cabbages!

[@Bamf3k]

Great idea!

[@Scortch-lo3xy]

i second this

[@Gonzah]

I third it!

[@LouDaTrojan]

If they ask him his name call him Steve

[@SuperSpanner]

If you ever bring back the Commander or when you do, be sure to give him a Javelin of lightning.

[@oribennett6520]

Yup

[@espersghost13]

But, if the commander has been corrupted maybe a Javelin of Black or Purple lighting (ADDing necrotic damage) would be appropriate.

[@KBash]

I feel like I'm watching Matt Colville's ascendance, and it's beautiful.

[@DrPickle1293]

People are freaking out over nothing. Seems like Matt and friends had a lot of fun, and that's what matters!

[@darkdragonsoul99]

Yeah I think sometimes people forget the point of a game is to have fun.

[@dreadmorg]

Fun is what it's all about.

[@LB-uw5cy]

Yeah from my pov it was a great session. They all are super keen to play again and thats what matters

[@claytonmyers9739]

Agreed, the thing that made Critical Role shine was that it is their home game which happens to be in front of cameras - I believe that is largely still true. The Chain is the game that Matt and friends would be playing with or without cameras, and that's going to make it feel real. Real is important for a lot of reasons.

[@Fu4li]

I think people overhyped the game and it couldn't live up to their expectations. It was a solid game, though I hate to see a player die right away.

[@goatbeard589]

Triple digit numbering system? Ambitious-I love it!!

[@mcolville]

Hah! It was 01 and Jerry said "Come on, have some optimism."

[@cabe_bedlam]

"Go big or go home!" :)

[@NoBrakes23]

It also differentiates from the previous campaign diaries that were two digit.

[@martintoombs2439]

Here's hoping it's hexadecimal!

[@SeanMulchrone]

@@martintoombs2439 what happens after video FFF?

[@pikecell9525]

I have always called Ajax, the Invincible Overlord "Ajax, the Unstoppable Powder Cleanser", and will continue to do so until the end of time

[@killazaawl]

well let's hope he won't end time then

[@Flackon]

I sense a theme between that and Lady Cereal

[@GuardianCitadel]

Ajax the Clean, Ajax of the Dead Pool, Ajax the Scrubber. Ajax of the Foaming Bubbles.

[@randallbrock8489]

Ajax, cutter of Grease

[@IndustrialQueue]

Ajax, the cutter FROM Greece.

[@dreadmorg]

Matt you are awesome but you have experience and history being in the limelight. Your players, do not. And they put themselves out there for the world to see. I applaud them all and salute with much respect for participating in this. Folks of the Chain, you do you! Ignore the keyboard warriors behind the screen! Great job folks!

[@no_nameyouknow]

Lol, you are trying to talk like Matt in the comments. "Your players, do not". You don't actually need a comma there, it's just Matt would pause there for emphasis. Sorry, I am not trying to be mean, I think it's funny. I do it to after watching a long video of this verbose dude.

[@dreadmorg]

@@no_nameyouknow LOL! I type how I talk. :) Also, there are two spaces after a period! I care not what these new wave "what the heck is a typewriter" types say!! TWO!!! There shall always be 2.

[@auroralee]

"Well that means we're all going to die..." "Well not ALL of you" Perfect setup for a total party kill Matthew.

[@jrbuschief]

"This is an Age of Men!" is still my favorite piece of dialogue out of all the games I've watched, run and played in. I can't help it, but I love St. Ajax, called invincible

[@KapitanSipri]

Yeah, look at him! Doesn't that guy deserve to be king?!

[@Zsil33]

@@KapitanSipri Did we just all join the cult of AJax....

[@gcollins1992]

A warning to Saint Ajax: The last high-level powerhouse to declare Godhood prematurely ended up splattered across unforgiving rocks after falling to her doom. Pray thee, Ajax, that your hubris isn't met with a similar fate.

[@hansolav5924]

I got that reference. :P

[@virgiljericho664]

Remember Ajax Goldfish do not fly.

[@JamesSamson487]

@@virgiljericho664 yet...

[@droppedwaffle242]

favorite part of this video was 51:06 where Matt starts a sentence decides it will not work and then starts it over again. this is obviously part that he thought would be edited out.... i like this part so much not because it may be considered humorous that the editor messed up and failed to edit this part out but i like it because it show this may be what Matt probably always does when he fails to convey what he wants to convey to us. He stops takes a second and then starts over. we see this happen once on an editing mistake but i like to think of how often he may do this maybe often repeating something many times over just so he can get it right. i dont think we appreciate the time Matt and crew may put in to these videos. what may be a 10 to 20 minute video may be Matt repeating lines over and over again until he is happy with his explanation and only a small portion of his recording time goes into the actual video. also the editors are awesome too! love all of yalls content keep up the good work... ps. loved the D&D stream. your way of playing the game reminds me a lot of how most people play it. its not like Critical Role where literaly everything is role played (tho i do love thier content) your game is very meda game like and it makes it more real... more like your average dnd game!

[@tristancotton7222]

Just thinking that 'rallying', instantly makes me think of gaining temporary hit points. Or he could yell 'charge!!!' And everyone gets some movement? I don't know.

[@DarkDruid1012]

Tristan Cotton mayve they could also lose some status effects like charmed or frightened cause it inspires everyone and refocuses them

[@Pixl0311]

Yea - i immediately thought of something that works a little like bardic inspiration for a small numerical bonus or something

[@jakes4258]

I like the idea of allowing other players to use their bonus action to move toward the standard bearer. It wouldn't give the player an ability themselves, but it would allow them to lead a charge or a retreat very effectively.

[@MrSemanticprison]

Or if the standard bearer is melee engaged, allies get 5' additional mvmt toward the banners, and adjacent allies get +1 ac or +1 to hit

[@DyrgeAfterDark]

I offered my mechanical interpretation for a Rallying charge. I hope Matt see's it.

[@Luxin_Xeno]

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the name of the ship was the _Rosso Cielo_ (Italian for “Red Sky”) and not some made-up one word fantasy name, so fact that the episode title was a reference both to the city being in fire and the ship was completely lost on me for a solid day

[@mattmark94]

his italian sounds very weird, so I'm not surprised

[@oz_jones]

I kept hearing Rossos Yellow. "Red Yellow? that's silly."

[@TheCruss32]

Loved watching the game live, but these campaign dairies are what really sets this game apart from the other stuff out there. These are great!

[@simmonslucas]

It's a peak behind the DM screen. Don't get that with critrole

[@coltenkidd32]

C Russ Completely agree

[@13darkjems]

I agree, I don't even watch the stream. I just like listning to his thoughts.

[@samueldjames]

I love watching the Diaries over the actual play. You have the gift of storytelling, Matt. :D

[@Yora21]

I'm actually more interested in the GM craft. There's more of that here than in the game record.

[@funmarioboy5072]

Matt... why didn't you tell me how short the video was gonna be at the beginning!?

[@brennanruiz1803]

“Oh let’s watch the campaign diary, it should be shorter than watching the full VOD.” Well then. I see how it is.

[@thor30013]

@@brennanruiz1803 Well, I mean... *technically* it is shorter.

[@night4345]

I really love these Campaign Diaries. Your energy is palpable and hearing the inner workings of a campaign is very interesting to watch as both a player and DM.

[@bjimenez88]

ALSO! I forgot what video you displayed Phil's setting book in , but it looked AWESOME! If you ever take a break, it would be super cool to see you guys make new characters in that setting with Phil as the DM!

[@osmium6832]

Matt brings out a super fancy cathedral prop, comments on how expensive it is, and then within 20 minutes has a god show up and destroy it with artillery fire. There's also the mini that Lars said he spent a lot of money on, but he said he'd reuse a character with that appearance in the future.

[@Nick-yf5mp]

So, when are we getting "I don't take orders from dead men" shirts?

[@isg2015]

I've literally been checking youtube all day waiting for this video!?

[@willsave5416]

Isaac Gonzalez this was me too.

[@Flackon]

no you haven't

[@isg2015]

@@Flackon oh...

[@StudioSokki]

I love your campaign diaries, I'm sooo happy you're continuing with them rather than just streaming the game!

[@rburt3]

You have (wisely IMO) stated over and again how you want this stream to be simply friends around a table playing D&D. While your production values have skyrocketed since those first live streams, I believe you have succeeded wildly in conveying that feeling of "everyday" D&D (OK, the chapel, Ajax, and the demon minis were *amazing*). From this viewer's standpoint, the stream is off to a great start and I can't wait to see how the story of The Chain unfolds.

[@blazinlatino89]

Hey man I'm a backer of the kickstarter, longtime follower of the channel and def will support the patreon and I just wanted to say thank you! The first episode was great! It was epic and narritive and i loved it! And hearing these campaign diaries that not only recap but explain your thought process before and during the game is super useful . I am currently running my first dnd campaign (my own varation or curse of strahd) and i owe it mostly to this content. So thanks for the great quality and i can't wait to see the future of this story!

[@dodebro]

I incorporated skill challenges into my game, and have never regretted it since. Thank you, Matt. You and Seth Skorkowsky (Dont remember how to spell it) on youtube have really spiced up my game quite a bit!

[@whiteboyjag68]

Matt the session was awesome, it looked awesome too PROPS TO JERRY cant wait for the next session and wish you much success, props to everybody they did an awesome job!

[@dhammer5842]

So after being a super sourpuss on the notes for the game, seeing all of this context makes me feel pretty silly for reacting the way I did. Pretty much everything that was bugging me either got explained or was basically acknowledged as something that everyone recognizes and is going to work on. I'm looking forward to the next one.

[@purplsheep6271]

“Ooooo campaign diary” An hour????????!!

[@mcolville]

Well there was backstory and setup to explain.

[@GimdalStoutaxe]

"Oooo campaign diary" Woah, a WHOLE HOUR!!! :D :D :D

[@zomara0292]

It’s far too short for my liking.

[@jeffreyjr1128]

More like a campaign log lmao

[@metallkopf988]

Episode 0 always eats time...

[@The_Intelligent_One]

I actually didn't realize you meant the pupils were hourglasses, I actually imagined the woman having actual hourglasses for her eyes.

[@handlebarfox2366]

me too. and it wasn't a pretty mental image.

[@Linerunner99]

Golden skin, white hair and hourglass pupils.... isn't that pretty much the EXACT description of Raistlin Majere from the Dragonlance saga?

[@ronan3048]

@@Linerunner99 yeah yeah, thats what I thought!

[@johnnytrask]

I'm here for the long haul, sir. 5-6 pssh. I'll be here every time those cameras turn on. Can't get enough of it

[@StarlightDragon]

MATT! I LOVE THIS. I enjoyed the stream and I love these campaign diaries. You have no idea how helpful this is for me as a DM. Watching you guys play is awesome and let's me think back in my memory, when you make everything explicit here. This is fantastic work.

[@StarlightDragon]

By the way. Love the cast. They seem like legit cool people. I can't wait to get to know them and their characters.

[@abacate4492]

Where can I watch the Stream?

[@nerdgarage]

This is awsome. As a fairly inexperienced player and beginner DM, this view "behind the scenes" of how an experienced DM sets up a campaign and session and how he makes adjustments on the fly is really helpful, especially as a starter DM.

[@mcolville]

That's why I do it! :D Glad to know it helps!

[@TwoBitWriter]

That's the classic writer's escape technique "I can't do this for reasons you cannot possibly comprehend". It buys you time to actually think of why they can't do the task the heroes are given.

[@dreadpiratekiel]

First off, thank you. I just started DMing a few months ago and recently found your videos after watching A LOT of other ones. I think I've watched about half the running the game. You have made me such a better DM it isn't even funny. Thank you so much and my players thank you as well. At 23:13ish you say "make a ruling that is fair and makes sense." I worked as a poker floor "pit boss" type person for a while and that was the way we always made our final decisions in really complicated issues.

[@LoneWolf2k1_minis]

Initial reaction: MAN your production quality has improved since the early days; audio, video and everything else!

[@ognjenmaksimovic1251]

50:15 the saddest moment in my life, Matt telling me that we are not best friends.

[@CrazyConnor2]

An HOUR LONG VIDEO!? Matthew you spoil us

[@calvinrollins4957]

I like these campaign diaries more than the live streams. These are the best :) Edit: I especially love these long stories

[@redmarshall6635]

I actually really enjoyed Phil's deliberation - as a viewer I could /feel/ his frustration at the situation/the tensity of it all as being genuine, and so I felt through that the character's own frustration, which drew me into the story/world.

[@Tiny_Dinosaur]

I did as well, I have listening/watching a lot of critical role lately and because they are very in character (which I love) you don't really get to hear about what the characters/players are thinking It was really refreshing to hear a different style of play

[@Shamrock797]

“Improv from an outline” describes my personal DM style. It works well for me and my players, and I’m glad Matt made a good session with it, as well!

[@violethyena6895]

I loved everything about the stream. No complaints. I play D&D and it was legit fun to watch you pull out these amazing minis and watch the other characters play. I was easily immersed in your story the first time and also in this video. I'm excited for more!

[@WulfPriest]

I really appreciate the "Where and how" this video provides. Thank you Matt

[@Kaijuclaws]

Having watched the Stream and now this campaign diary, I would like to say (and I shall) that your excitement is encouraging, Matt! My next D&D game is in two weeks and I can hardly wait to play after listening to how much fun you had playing your game. Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@LibraryFairy762]

I really enjoy these campaign diaries, and i like that you are making these as well as putting up the stream. I think its wonderful to give people the option of engaging with your content in so many different ways.

[@frasafrase]

Did people think Phil's turn was unbearable? I thought it was just a major point of tension. There were of course a lot of decisions to make there. If he decides to run, he basically making the choice for the party.

[@mikegould6590]

No. Tom’s turns were unbearable. He literally took 20 minutes to make a 6 second turn happen. And he’s done that since he’s started in the last campaign.

[@amunak_]

Not sure if unbearable, but takin *tens of minutes* to play out _six seconds_ of in game time is way too much. Like, even for ultra important battles and most important turns more than a few minutes is too much. 5 minutes *per round* is too much. 20+ fucking minutes *per turn* is insane.

[@sillyking1991]

@@amunak_ sure. in your game. but you're not at their table

[@jasons3944]

@@amunak_ Have you played D&D? Because that is not uncommon....at all.

[@scottcmiller]

I find some people just overthink their turns. Unless you’re a wizard with a billion spells, and what you were planning and your plan b got completely disrupted by the turn before you, it should honestly take like a min or two tops between movement, actions, and rolling. Otherwise you’re not thinking about your move between rounds enough or don’t know your character/ class very well.

[@EndyHawk]

You're an inspiration, dude. You're contributing greatly to the canon of great DM guidance, and raising the level of discourse in the game. Your vids and Chris Perkins' old DM Experience column taught me more than any DMG ever could. Thank you, hats off, and Congratulations on a great new campaign!

[@adammclauchlin7605]

Hey Matt! I think campaign diaries are perfect to show after you run, if we watched the game then we can see your side better and if we didn’t have time we can catch up here

[@_incogni_]

I enjoyed watching a more "advanced" DnD session, it shows what could be and inspires us to do better/be more adventurous as DMs!

[@milltary64vs5]

It makes me so happy your doing campaign diaries again, these videos are great to listen. Like an audio book or a TV show. Thank you Matt Colville

[@chappyhall6682]

I’ve been checking my phone for this video since Thursday, and I’m absolutely ecstatic!

[@Waffle_N1nja]

Matt makes me a better DM with every video I swear, his ideas and plots spark off ideas of my own and his techniques give me incredible on-the-spot tools to use when the players take me somewhere I wasn't expecting.

[@taraweston6929]

I just love the campaign diaries. You’re such a captivating story teller and I love getting to see behind the curtain. Can’t wait for session 2.

[@devronkally9545]

Awesome recap. I love hearing about the story but also learning about technical details, and how a DM can present info to PCs. Cheers, Matt!

[@ticac7]

Loved the first session and Campaign Diary! A lot of complains are from people who never played before, combat sometimes takes patience (but I have to disagree, when Phil was deciding whether to kill the commander or not was thrilling!). You helped me and a lot of people to become better DMs, now you are giving us this amazing interactive storytelling. Thank you (and staff S2) for everything. Greetings from Brazil and Game On!

[@TheDreamSyndicateArts]

One minor knit-pick: if your premise's that all the PC's are well-versed with one another, it'd have made much more sense for them all to be intimately acquainted with one another's capabilities rather than having it be an "at the table discussion" about it. If you already have a history of relying on someone in life-and-death scenarios, it would make sense that you know what they can do.

[@espersghost13]

From the two hours I watched of the live stream I loved everything. I think you and your entire team are doing a fantastic job! Don't let anyone get you down, this is YOUR game and it has been an AMAZING experience being part of it

[@CitizensTea]

Loved this campaign diary, literally answered every question me and my friend discussed right after the stream aired. Great game and appreciate seeing the reasoning behind your DMing decisions.

[@LemanRussVanquisher]

Thank you for continuing the campaign diaries. You're a great story teller and these are my personal favorite videos you put out.

[@skeetazaurus]

Talk about a hot start, damn! Love these videos, you're an incredible orator and your enthusiasm is really infectious.

[@trinir2581]

Yay new campaign diaries, i have the old one downloaded i listen to it when i need to sleep, because it takes all my concentration to listen to it, i listen to it for 30 minutes then i set it to pause and then i sleep, im trying to get your books to support you, keep up the good work matt

[@rooseveltcooper]

Wow seems like you've thought of everything! Very excited about this campaign, the campaign diaries, the running the game videos and the games you recorded of a beginning level game! This is very helpful!

[@draege626]

Looking forward to the next session even more now that I've seen this diary. Soo much explained for things that seemed convoluted and preplanned. Good job Matt!

[@tiredjediknight3110]

I'm loving these campaign diaries, I don't always have the time to watch the sessions but I love hearing about what happened and your perspective on the way it played out.

[@NicholasPickleous]

Flabbergasted was my winning word for my 5th grade spelling bee. I agree, top notch word.

[@adamsloan9616]

I have tried to watch other D&D groups play, but Matt is one of only three that I've ever been able to watch and get super excited about. And one was a high school teacher and a bunch of kids. But I'm always down for some Matt Colville D&D! Definitely my fav!

[@cheeseface1st821]

Thank you so much for do these videos! Getting to actually see the game and hearing you talk about what you did to make it fun has been an incredible learning experience. I'll definitely be using some of your tips for the start of my next campaign.

[@ethannaugle2294]

Personally I would make the standard bearer all about rallying the troops. Maybe something along the lines of Bardic Inspiration or the Bless spell. But also maybe have the stipulation it can only trigger if the party is losing the fight; like if *a* PC goes down, or it only affects PCs under 50% health etc. That way the standard bearer acts as last stand rallying cry kinda thing.

[@ethannaugle2294]

It also behooves the rest of the party to protect the standard bearer because they act as a support role.

[@GodzillaKing53]

I don't quite like healing but I do like movement and reorganizing - which could be more powerful. Once per combat, the Standard Bearer can use a bonus action to "Rally the Banner" and each PC (besides the standard bearer) can use their reactions to move up to their movement without provoking opportunity attacks. They must end their movement closer to the Standard Bearer than they begin. It's a toned done (no temp HP) version of the Mantle of Inspiration ability of the Glamour Bard.

[@ethannaugle2294]

@@GodzillaKing53 I didn't mean that the standard bearer could heal, only that its rallying effects, whatever they are, only trigger if the party is losing (for example, only players under half health get the benefit). I do like the extra idea movement though.

[@cameronwielenga7765]

@@GodzillaKing53 This is exactly what I was going to suggest! I scrolled down to make sure some addressed this. Great idea for the ability

[@erikmartin4996]

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These type videos are my favorite. All the action of D&|D presented by a very entertaining Matt Colville without 4 hours of watching. Kinda like waiting for the world famous Bard to come to your village to hear a new tale. Thanks Matt

[@jacobchristensen713]

I didn't question killing the commander at all. This is a group of friends, several of whom are very experienced in d&d, playing a streamed campaign that they've been planning for a year. Why would the normal rules for new dms apply?

[@badjuju89]

Greetings from across the pond! I absolutely loved watching the first session and this synopsis! Myself and my friends have only played a couple of times and have busy lives, but this has inspired me to get us all together again for more adventures. Fantastic job, love the content, so pleased this is working out for you and it’s great to actually see you running the game! Peace out!

[@TheThrashKing92]

For what it's worth, I'm ecstatic you are running a "next level DM" campaign! Very much looking forward to next week!!!!!

[@qaaronpeasron8996]

Around 51:00 some footage plays twice. I love building epic battles like this in my head, imagining the clouds becoming grey as the demon falls from the sky, blocking out the dawn, just behind horizon. A masterfully created scene that inspires it's own setting

[@efranke20001]

I loved the first episode and I really looked forward to this first campaign diary and I am not disappointed. Keep up the awesome Matt and MCDM!

[@bjimenez88]

WHAT A GREAT FIRST EPISODE! I cant wait to keep watching, great job!

[@HereNow731]

I love this. I could never pay attention to a 4 hr long stream but these videos are so much easier to follow.

[@britaki]

For a more "advanced" kick off to your game I felt like you still made it look very doable for a newbie. Especially since you know your players well enough and clarified that you let them know things would play out this way. I really enjoyed it! I love bold twists.

[@Jabberdoodle]

Hey Matt, great first session, enjoyed it immensely. Still shocked about how easily Ajax broke that artifact-blows my mind. Anyway, I would REALLY appreciate the Hot Start video as my next campaign has a few important moments I would categorize as 'Hot Starts".

[@ProxyResearch]

Love this, great to hear your you comment on the session being also the DM running the game. Brilliant insights, hella useful for aspiring DM's like me.

[@goshjosh3337]

I am almost 99% sure that the bishop was actually the wizard in disguise

[@BakerPeter]

Imagine what would have happened if Tom had picked that as his target instead. I'm sure Matt would have made it true if it wasn't.

[@anthonywritesfantasy]

For me, that long decision was by far the best part of that video. It was real play. It's a style of play that I think should be respected! I was having fun, and it was nice to have time to think.

[@DropkickMolly1]

This and the actual episode were a lot of fun to watch Matt! Keep up the good work MCDM

[@The1wsx10]

i don't think you need to warn for spoilers in a campaign diary

[@manicmonarch2608]

Very nice retelling of The Black Company Chronicles.

[@bromossunstarranger8706]

Super great first session can't wait for the story to develop beyond the first 3 or 4 setup episodes. I'm hooked with the follow-up Journal Diaries videos is super awesome to have a broader sense of what is conveyed in the game and what is actually explained makes a big difference to interpret the flow of the game sessions. all the best to MCDM! I'm inspired to keep rolling dice :)

[@joshdrinkwater5908]

I love the chain campaign it's so cinematic, dramatic and technical. Very fun to watch and im sure it inspires others to create great campains.

[@quinnwilder6990]

Fascinating video. As I understand it, Surprise isn't a condition either, just a potential aspect of combat. Copper would have had advantage when firing at Mortum not just because the target was Surprised but because the "wizard" was Surprised *and* being attacked by a hidden foe which he couldn't see. Also, the individual who took the arrow in the shoulder shouldn't have been able to move or do anything that required an action (including a bonus action) or a reaction on his turn. I've no idea what happened after Mandrake got shot but it sure seemed like the paladin might have done something that maybe he couldn't have strictly according to the rules. Really looking forward to seeing this epic campaign unfold after such a great start.

[@williamlatour3468]

Loved watching this game and look forward to watching this campaign progress. Much love to you and the crew! Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for the game. Your are a big reason why I started DMing.

[@luisebraunsperger]

I really like the begging of your campaign, I think it was a blast! The players had the opportunity to play a part of the characters life that normally they wouldn’t and that makes everything more real. Really thinking about a hot start like that for my campaign.

[@BuddaOnDaRoll]

I thought the first session was super fun and i'm super excited to actually see you DM because i agree with a lot of your philosophy so it'll be cool to see some of that in practice. Cant wait to see the next one!

[@Amethyst11ln]

Oh man this campaign diary is like a Running the game on steroids! Great to see your thought process along with practical advice, I love the insight about using thoughtful silence. Now I'm really looking forward to this campaign AND getting one of these each week!

[@nickovergaauw7893]

The first episode was so much fun, Matt! I loved watching you guys play and I can't wait to see more!

[@TheHarthron]

Great session Matt as a story teller and to Lars for playing the Commander like he did. Perfect way in setting up an epic campaign. For those who say never do this I would say yes for 1st level characters introducing themselves into the world but not when the characters are 5th level and the plan is to run an epic campaign.

[@steveharrison76]

The idea of putting someone in a leadership role and killing them on the first night is something I will now be stealing and using myself. I mean, I’m not as brave as you, so I will be having a private conversation with someone prior, but I’m basically nicking this. It was so good! I salute you, Matt. Thanks for all of this stuff.

[@Belegor]

Just when I wondered when this video would come out :D PS: Matt’s euphoria gives me life (or hit dice outside of the game)

[@DigitalDoomLoL]

Holy cow! 76 minutes of Matt talking?! Well, I guess I'm going to bed late. Again.