Narrative Alchemy: How Critical Role Turns Player Actions Into Gold

How does a DM turn player actions into gold?
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** ABOUT ME **
Hello! My name is Jay, and I am a long-time veteran of storytelling and a semi-seasoned DM! I began playing Dungeons and Dragons roughly 5 years ago and began my first ever game as the DM. I figured things out by watching online games and fumbling my way through the rules, and never looked back! I've fallen in love with TTRPG's in general and want to share my experience and thoughts with the world and community I love so much. I currently DM two separate games regularly, and continue to learn every day.
** ABOUT THE CHANNEL **
Play Your Role is a project with the intention of helping inspire and coach players and DM’s alike to add story beats and dramatic moments into their games through basic writing concepts, interesting player character inspirations, and discussions on how to effectively roleplay in a way that helps (not hinders) everyone else's roleplay at the table!
TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO
• Dungeons and Dragons
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• Critical Role
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• Pathfinder
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• TTRPG
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• Roleplay Games
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5th edition,character creation,d&d 5th edition,dungeon & dragons,dungeon master,dungeons & dragons,dungeons and dragons,dungeons and dragons for beginners,how to,how to gm,how to pc,how to player character,player character,player character inspiration,player character inspritation,role playing,tabletop games,tabletop roleplaying,tabletop rpg,dnd character creation one dnd playtest one d&d,pathfinder,pathfinder2e,CriticalRole,Critical Role, Matt Mercer,Liam Obrien,Scanlan,Sam,Vax,

[@ForeverWog]

As Jay descends into Spoiler Warning Psychosis, all I can think of is Fantasy High’s Inspiring Speeches: “It’s about to get inspiring.”

[@PlayYourRole]

Oh my god

[@LynarMatal]

Don't you think that's a bit of a spoiler to reference something from Fantasy High? Almost as if... that's foray into "Spoiler Time?"

[@schueltar]

Wait there was a spoiler warning? I must have missed it..

[@LocalMaple]

8:03 One of my players has Speak with Animals. And only remembered it 5 sessions later. He then decided to speak with their three mounts left at the entrance of a dungeon the current villain fled from. I gave them their own voices and perspectives. And the party loved it, begging the character to cast the spell more often. He only did it once, and I made sure the party laughed before it wore off.

[@TierRune]

Sam is the master of the long game

[@PlayYourRole]

So true bestie

[@Melina_Evarblume_Seelie]

Should've been a spoiler warning.

[@PlayYourRole]

I KNEW I forgot something...

[@LocalMaple]

@@PlayYourRoleBut I didn’t see any spoilers. Not even a hubcap…

[@doctorfaust9759]

This guy seeks out something talking about a a show he's never seen and says it's a spoiler when he shouldn't have watched in the first place

[@bristowski]

I really don't understand why he can't just include a spoiler warning. Like, it's not that hard, dude!

[@PlayYourRole]

Being a youtuber is HARD, sometimes you forget stuff

[@bombber123]

One of my groups spared a bandit named B.O.B. and told him to turn his life around. Over the last couple months of game time they keep running into him, he became a baker and now he is the cook for their delving expedition. They love B.O.B.

[@mentalrebllion1270]

Bad-luck bandits were also encountered in Nicodranas when the Mighty Nein went partying after saving the world. Kingsley ran into them, got confused as to who they were, told them off, and the bandits recognized him and took off. I believe they were probably working on the piers by that point

[@lisaf5303]

I'm pretty sure your spoiler warning should be longer. The squirrel didn't dance nearly long enough.

[@DubhMornie]

*SPOILERS CR CRITMAS ONE SHOT AND C3* the best example of narrative alchemy for me is Travis' actions as Chutney in Liam's Critmas Special One Shot and the creation of Chetney for C3 :D

[@LookItsBaz]

I foresee a future where Jay does an entire video in Spoiler Squirrel cosplay

[@ElenaAideen]

Narrative Alchemy, a series of moments that when combined together suddenly turn into pure gold. Our group does this quite naturally as well. Far from our only example, but one of our group's greatest moments started with a character who never spoke about his past or family suddenly, 60+ sessions into the campaign saying, "Wow, all my sister was good at was making her hair more curly." After meeting the rather inposung figure of another player's oldest sister. A subtle invitation to dig into his past. Which led to the group meeting his parents and brothers, saving his sister from a clutch of ravenous dragon hatchlings, meeting her new husband and roundly scolding him for letting his sister be put into danger, while giving up his +2 sword to help his BIL to keep his sister safe.

[@LocalMaple]

4:22 They’ll invite you to play a minor NPC in their Mighty Nein cartoon. And it’ll turn into a 4-episode appearance.

[@risperdude]

The squirrel is, for me, the meme of 23. You guys are just so fun. Thanks for all the joy!

[@ChanceDrive]

Oh no I got spoiler by reading the comments before the video... Why is their no spoiler warning? Pff I think this is a meme now

[@sarahvilardi3071]

My party has two nemeses, one being a bandit who they killed all of the friends and family of incidentally when they took out a cell of a huge bandit gang and the other being a hitwoman who has marks on most of the party due to both how important and how unsubtle they've been.

[@TK_Brainslug]

I remember when Matt told the others the lifespan of crapgrass in the C2 wrapup episode

[@GamerTagCaptCluel3ss]

I’m not sure if you’re much of a gamer, but are you playing BG3? It’s honestly such a good translation of D&D from tabletop to video game. Would love to see videos on it eventually, if it struck your fancy.

[@PlayYourRole]

Ive played a TON of it, not sure what content to make from it though! I'm a huge gamer believe it or not

[@risperdude]

@playyourrole You could address the role in supporting and interacting with others' stories. The Tav story (unless dark-urge) is pretty absent internally but you have a lot of interaction and impact on the companion stories. [From the guy who killed Karlach, had Astarion turn on me, and could not save Jahera on my current play]

[@LocalMaple]

@@risperdudeI think he already did that with Caduceus. How about how you can change the combat rules to improve the fun of the game? Or how backstories can be interwoven into the story without taking over?

[@claudiamcfie1265]

Running Dragon of Icespire Peak. The party have taken a dislike to the mayor, who is the main behind the scenes quest giver. Party has now harrassed the Mayor to the point where he's now left town. I've had to rewrite the storyline accordingly. The fun part is the party have been out of town and dont yet know the mayor has left. I'm planning several disgruntled shopkeepers who are owed money, and some gossip among the tavern regulars speculating who's going to run in the by election.

[@zoroarkling]

I could die happy if i found out someone or some folks cosplayed as The Bad Luck Bandits

[@curtisholsinger6023]

THIS is why there must be an actual risk of death or bad consequences in combat. If everyone always survives, then you as the DM are not honoring the risks the players take. If the players are death-averse, then fixes can include focusing specifically on role play, running a farm or city-building or Capitalism sim, utilizing OTHER consequences or rewards/punishments (mystery stories can be run this way very effectively), etc. But if you're playing classic D&D or other systems with a lot of combat, it's essential to recognize what combat can MEAN. (And for God's sake, run a Session 0 and ask questions about PC death. If your players are death-aversive to the point of hating a game where that's at all a risk, that's a good hint that combat should maybe not be the focus of the game - or maybe the story should focus around dangers that only knock you unconscious.)

[@ThespisStar]

SPOILER FOR LATER IN SEASON 2 NO SERIOUSLY SPOILER NO SERIOUSLY SPOILER, LAST CHANCE! Matt also set this up beautifully for when they try to do the same thing when they get to the fallen city later in the season, speaking with the trees inside Aeor, and they are definitely NOT like Henry, giving the more haunting, horror-esque nature that the season took too, contrasting to this part where the natural world they are accustomed to for that... Strange, scary stuff that they encountered.

[@tasmynjean3900]

Realising I'm now part of the problem. Because I skipped past spoiler warning because I just wanted to get to the point of the video, and then realised I needed to go back and check he didn't mention CR C3

[@BrandonVout]

If only there was a spoiler warning that the lights were turning off.

[@TheMusicalBoy93]

Jesus, Jay. Could you not have given us a spoiler warning? Come on, man, you’re a KZbinr, your actions have consequences

[@igglyjack6850]

😂 My favorite part was when she turned off the lights

[@Basicph33r]

It gives fangirl energy and I love it!

[@PlayYourRole]

Noooo dont tell me that

[@dameandreatemplonuevo2760]

Well shoot now I HAVE to subscribe

[@LoveReacts]

Commenting for multiple interactions

[@BiggerinRealLife]

Honestly your energy is just so refreshing, even with the ever increasing spoiler warnings and the worries over fangirling. Don't change, evolve as you must, but keep being you because it's so beautiful. And cheery holidays to you and yours!

[@andiwrath2293]

Travis commented on a video? That's cool! Which one?

[@PlayYourRole]

The first of my videos to ever hit the algorithm, called "What Makes Critical Role Special"

[@commentary4298]

But you didn’t do a spoiler warning…..how could I have ever known there were spoilers…

[@kovokkovariki]

I like this channel. No spoiler warnings whatsoever.

[@Lngbrdninjamasta]

I can see you go ultimate "fangurl" if u ever get to meet them in person. I know, personally, that i would not even know what to say lol

[@Grimmvolvo]

Wife for the win!

[@risperdude]

Escalate!! Because we love you!

[@PlayYourRole]

I will never stop escalating

[@bonusactionheroes]

I keep thinking the ding in your wall is something on my screen, gets me every time 😂

[@Someone-ei5ds]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, that intro looks like a Tally Hall reference.

[@t9yang888]

I feel like the spoilers warning are ur bits lol I like it.

[@pinkiepie1984]

Blud just keeps spoiling it😢

[@bardiboi1517]

dUde! spOIleRS!

[@bradfordlindsey9781]

I was the 666th like

[@DingerCity]

No more bits please

[@PlayYourRole]

No, the bits stay because I like them

[@DingerCity]

@@PlayYourRole haha you da man Jay

[@Dawnacyde]

As someone who's watched campaign 2 twice over I can beleive you spoiled Molly's death 😂😂😂 how dare u

[@Lord_Phoenix95]

I can't believe there wasn't a spoiler warning. *subscribes*

[@rodolfomaravillasduran8793]

My favorite ting about the squirrel is that its a dancing squirrel.

[@sethchapman1425]

While I wish there was a spoiler warning 😉, great information and thoughts

[@erikaiverson4122]

I ❤ the bandits