Nat 1's Are Better Than Nat 20's | Adventuring Academy [Brennan Lee Mulligan, Sam Reich]

[@potatopockets4980]

Lou’s 7 nat 1’s on leviathan permanently changed my brain chemistry

[@PillowOfEvil]

Oh god. That segment was absolutely amazing.

[@GooseTheSorcerer]

It was actually 9 nat 1s I believe. Lol

[@mac_sour]

i need to re-find and rewatch that clip that segmented every single leviathan nat 1 and had everyone's reactions of it, whoever brought that together is an absolute genius

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

Lou coming up with an excuse to make a roll that will dictate the overall party success rate for the rest of the campaign/season and then crying out, "That's a six!" is always playing somewhere in the back of my mind. "This is for all the party's money and the cook's utensils we decided we needed for no reason. That's a six!"

[@lappolappo3]

Fabian (or Lou)'s no good, very bad day

[@andrewmartin3671]

Nat 1: Players have messed up their plans and have to quickly react. Nat 20: Players have messed up the DM's plans and the DM has to quickly react.

[@dylpickle9934]

Ally’s nat 20’s I think permanently changed Brennan for the worst. I saw any hope leave his eyes when British Christin said blimey

[@steveng6721]

Well, letting a player ask if they can do something stupid if they just roll a nat20 will do that.

[@aer0340]

Brennan unfortunately is incapable of saying no to things he should be saying no to, so, y’know there’s that.

[@dylpickle9934]

@@steveng6721 oh yeah he did it to himself knowing how often ally rolls a nat 20 on important shit but watching his face was definitely one of the funniest parts of the season

[@TG-dr6sj]

Blimey... *farts*

[@Ganpan14O]

From Never Stop Blowing up I truly fear for his sanity.

[@danidm5820]

"Do you think Nat 1s are more interesting than Nat 20s?" "So, I have thoughts about work, labor and capitalism; also, let's discuss our entire career path... What were we talking about?" "Don't worry, it wasn't that important"

[@jonathanrancudo5423]

Brennan suddenly flooded with flashbacks of "I CANNOT WIN!!!!!"

[@shieru2207]

My dumb ass legit just had a "Wait, wasn't this already posted before?" moment before remembering I watched it on Dropout earlier this week.

[@T1J]

we need sam in the dome. i loved buckster

[@KathyClysm]

Ooooor Nebula Dropout crossover oneshot? :D

[@T1J]

@@KathyClysm you never know ;)

[@tinchosabala]

what is this nebula you speak of

[@CerberusPlusOne]

Nebula as in the creator owned platform.

[@aimeepollock2943]

While I agree, there’s NO way Brennan wouldn’t take revenge for all the Game Changer shenanigans.

[@AlastorNahIdWinRadioDemon]

Its great how the conversation fully derailed, but Brennan not once, but twice, was able to relate what they were saying back to his side of the argument, meanwhile Sam just kind of gave up his arguing point entirely after his initial spiel.

[@ThePadsta108]

I love that the majority of this "debate" around nat 20's and nat 1's is just two comedians waxing nostalgic about how their lives came to be the way they are.

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

...and then Brennan brings it back to nat 20 when Sam least expects it just to score a point 😂

[@jijideer]

@@tuomasronnberg5244 He truly will do anything for a point.

[@falnica]

Sam completely forgot the point of the conversation me ended up agreeing with Brennan. Masterfully done

[@TrackpadProductions]

I mean... from a storytelling perspective, he's not incorrect. Things going wrong is what makes a story interesting.

[@Embers.of.Esoterika]

As a former nationally ranked extemporaneous debater my heart sang when Brennan brought a very heart felt discussion back around to Nat 20. 10/10 no notes.

[@matthewdykeman8149]

Brennan nonchalantly saying he used to be a mafia Don is just such a power move.

[@bellareichardt1733]

They talked about it at length earlier in the episode! So it was more of a callback, but still badass!

[@Mollusk_Magus]

@@bellareichardt1733 What episode?

[@bellareichardt1733]

@@Mollusk_Magus this is just a segment of a larger show called Adventuring Academy. This was season 5 episode 1

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

I'm a big fan of *dealing* Fumbles, where a player on a nat1 or a failed roll can take the dramatic consequence but also gain a metacurrency (such as hero points or inspiration), so that there's always this pendulum of more interesting rolls pushed and pulled. I can def see why they started pushing more Kids on Bikes like stuff for that reason

[@firewoodloki]

I have never played Kids on Bikes, why would that be related?

[@jonbmosher]

@@firewoodloki they've used KoB as a game system for a few shows they've produced (Misfits and Magic, Mentopolis, and Never Stop Blowing Up), and from what I gather, whenever you fail a saving throw or check, you get a token or metacurrency you can then use for special abilities or chances to make your next roll better.

[@TaxEvader420]

"Yeah you would think that" Holy shit I'm dying xD

[@alphabetbeer]

"D20 Panic" is a phenomenon I've been calling "Player Brain" at my home games for years. I don't know what it is, but every campaign, like clockwork, someone will lose their minds in a scene and start making the wildest choices, which will always snowball out of control.

[@caroletarussa]

That's the thing about role playing, sometimes you get SO into it that you feel all the chemicals from the feelings, letting no place to rational thinking, only raw and sometimes stupid reactions. I love it!

[@cruz6550]

That sounds pretty interesting could you elaborate on that? like, i played some D&D, not a lot, so im not sure i can relate to that

[@alphabetbeer]

​@@cruz6550 So imagine you step into the cockpit of a fighter jet. Someone gives you a rundown of what all the buttons and levers do, then says "Your goal is to fly to this location". However you have alllll these other buttons that shoot missiles and guns and do dives and all sorts of crazy shit and wouldn't it be so boring to fly from Point A to B without at least trying out some of the other buttons? And in D&D there aren't real world consequences standing between you and that thought.

[@Unstablegroundz]

This is interesting to see paired with the interview Brennan recently did with Hank Green. It's always cool to see that people with prolific/quality output still have a limited supply of good stuff to say, and still focus in on the same set of subjects for any given amount of time. It's easy to imagine these kinds of figures in our lives as being endless fonts of experience and wisdom. But they aren't.

[@simonstanton5299]

That's true. Nobody is an endless wealth of information. But damn some people can be good at conveying the info they have.

[@tmtmtlsml]

@@simonstanton5299 A great idea can only survive if it can be properly communicated to others

[@thenerdlog1602]

I'm pretty sure ive seen a few nat 20s on death saves, but Ill never forget when one of my players got a nat 1 on theirs only to reroll with inspiration and get another nat 1.

[@meapyboy12345]

Damn. That’s unfortunate 😂🤣😆

[@Ryu_Himora]

It was their time to go, clearly.

[@yazidefirenze]

​@@Ryu_Himora "DIE!" (rolls 1) "Nuh uh! Inspiration!" "I SAID DIE!" (rolls 1) "...Do I have to?"

[@catdad626]

this episode was both HIGHLY ENTERTAINING and yet exceedingly profound from both Sam and Brennan. I learned a lot. Love the series!

[@shieru2207]

This vid is a master class in Active Listening, love to see it.

[@UltimateChaos233]

I love how like, they got COMPLETELY and totally derailed.

[@GregPivo87]

I got to like the 17-minute mark before realizing they had moved on from the prompt at least ten minutes ago and I didn’t mind at all

[@mitcholdenburg733]

Brennan does make nat 1s funnier than nat 20s

[@spike9653]

blimey says otherwise

[@Hexen_Wulf]

I feel like the humor of a nat 1 is up to the DM to create afterwards, while the humor of a nat 20 is almost entirely up to what lead to the roll in the first place.

[@redmaxxs]

2:18 the moment give him that look give knew he was thinking about the game show episode. 😂

[@kirrb-dot-exe]

“Yea you would think that” post-brennan #2 episode

[@ecotanimate4149]

@@kirrb-dot-exeplus yes or no

[@whocares9838]

Work hard for the RIGHT jobs. There are soooo many jobs that will run you dry. The harder you work the more they will take advantage of you and you will never be rewarded or acknowledged for it. Good people will recognize your talent and hard work IF you are working at a job that actually cares about it's employees. Don't throw all your hard work into the gaping maw of a soul crushing company that could care less if you live or die. Work hard for good people, work average for assholes. Assholes will treat you the same whether you are the best employee there or just barely scraping by.

[@demiposeidon]

Sam Riegel 🤝 Sam Reich Failure is more fun than success

[@phoebegilliland8897]

Both have Jewish heritage. Both are highly creative. Both enjoy messing with their friends. One is tall but seems like he should be short, while the other is short but seems like he should be tall. Conclusion? The Sams are two halves to one dangerous, glorious whole.

[@mazurkian]

The fact that Critical role and Dropout both have a Sam who is charming and witty and trolls all their coworkers incessantly is just perfect. The next major independent streaming platform to have dnd content will probably receive their own Sam from the Sam distribution system.

[@sybariticcupboardrat3763]

Professional entertainers having intelligent philosophical tangents is my jam. No notes.

[@NeorecnamorceN]

Brennan is definitely one of my favorite people ive never met.

[@Pingviinimursu]

By the 10 minute mark where Brennan thought to call their strokees of luck Nat 20s, I had totally forgotten the entire premise of their discussion 😅

[@meapyboy12345]

Oh my god you’re right😂🤣😆that happened to me too.

[@fromadhdtodndtomtg]

My guest... also my boss... is going to tell me where I am wrong.

[@The-Caged-King]

Flashbacks to all of Aabrias nat 1’s on Worlds Beyond Number

[@Roguechan]

What a wonderful, wonderful conversation. Both just hughly likable, experienced, weathered and diligent people amicably talking about their common experiences rather than the actual talking point, was so captivating. Lots of wisdom through their conversation.

[@sharked5596]

As a creative and aspiring author wow i really felt this conversation. it's so hard to stay motivated especially when my day job can be so taxing and exhausting. there are moments i just dont wanna do any more "work" even if i love writing so much. It's cool to hear the philosophy of some successful people and I feel a bit of motivation to try again

[@birubu]

2:27 cut to Brennan’s goose egg rant from Game Changer

[@yazidefirenze]

IT'S A BIG OL' GOOSE EGG, GANG! IT'S A FAT ZER0! HELLO! A LITTLE LATE ADDITION TO THE NUMERICAL SYSTEM BROUGHT TO US BY OUR FRIENDS IN ARABIA!

[@matthewphoenix6372]

The arc of our players experience should curve towards victory and success but the failiures along the way make it a much stronger arc.

[@phydeaux6380]

There’s a saying, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. Practicing gets you ready to both recognize and seize the chance when you eventually get lucky.

[@PillowOfEvil]

As someone with luck such that requires for me to optimize characters to get stuff like elven accuracy just to not fail **EVERY SINGLE ROLL**(I also often roll triple 1's in such cases), I say nat ones are great on skill checks and attempting crazy stuff. Not so fun when you can't hit anything ever.

[@justinnamilee]

This was so much better than the short clip I saw on shorts, holy; deep topic, excellent conversation.

[@lil_archive]

D20 panic, bringing to us classics like: throwing a shirt out of a car at 5000mph using a ribbon to fly out of a 10 story building shitting out of a window to cushion someone’s fall the greatest magic of all time is friendship baron from the baronies the ball is rolling up!! (my d20 panic is making this comment and immediately blanking on d20 greatest panic improv moments,,)

[@alexholmes1692]

“The only way to maximize your luck is to roll a lot.” What a quote.

[@ChicCanyon]

"I think failures are more interesting than success." - Dropout President

[@herbertwyndham]

Fun interview! There's a bit of a surreal quality to an interview where a guy is talking to his boss about how he's a really hard worker.

[@lemurpotatoes7988]

There's a good debate on whether failure is better than success near the beginning of GK Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday.

[@mightygregdoge]

This is the conversation these two were born to have.

[@nathandavis9830]

Regarding the grindset talk (i.e. the "work ethic" talk), I think there is one main reason why this is often seen as leaning into capitalistic ways of thinking: It's all about self-promotion. The owner class within capitalism thrives when workers compete with other workers instead of banding together in solidarity against the owner class. So when workers are working twice as hard as other workers in the hopes of getting noticed (which is the motive Brennan himself said he was operating under), they are just doing the owner class a favor. (Obviously, this isn't a hard and fast rule and there are nuances to this issue, but I do see this as a core part of why people might get rubbed the wrong way by how Brennan discusses work ethic).

[@davidjennings2179]

Absolutely get where you're coming from but it is coming through the lens of financial success as the valuation of worth. If someone tries harder because they believe what they do is important they're playing a different game to the business owner and finances aren't their measure of success. Maybe its a chef who just wants to make amazing food or a children's party entertainer who loves to see children laugh - they can do a great job and go home winning by their measure of success even though if we measure this purely in terms of capitalism the owner of the company is going to make more money through reputation increase and the worker will, at most, get a pat on the back and a minor pay rise.

[@nathandavis9830]

@@davidjennings2179 Oh, for sure. And those are some of the nuances to the issue.

[@TimNoyce]

This turned into a very thoughtful conversation

[@shanegallant9018]

I figure he's too busy, but I would love to see Sam in more Dimension 20 episodes! He was awesome in Of Mice and Murder! 🙂🐭🐷🗡

[@babygorilla4233]

What a profound D&D discussion? The metaphor of making sure your rolling the dice more in life really speaks to what its like coming out of a depression to me. When I'm very living in the moment you realize there have always been a lot of opportunities available to you, but you have to roll the dice.

[@KieranRobins]

"I think failures are more interesting than success." ... not to be that guy but Sam, could I interest you in some PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse) or FitD (Forged in the Dark)? The way the systems handle failure and the addition of success with a cost would be perfect for Sam, who seems like he's interested in seeing what truths are unveiled when a character fails.

[@yazidefirenze]

You need to ask him where he's from first.

[@BonusAction]

Surely we can all agree that there is nothing more satisfying than getting a solid 11 on the dice

[@romiplayer5706]

Nat 1's Pros: - Low stakes situations can become more interesting - Encourages improvisation and thinking outside the box - Great opportunities for comedy Cons: - Simple tasks can become frustrating - Disruptive, dumb and unfair for the players sometimes - You can die (in-game) Nat 20's Pros: - High stakes situations become a lot more epic - Bad plans can work sometimes and that's peak comedy for me - Makes you feel like a skilled player Cons: - Difficult encounters can become trivial - Disruptive, dumb and unfair for the DM sometimes - Can encourage recklessness I think great DMs know how to bring out the best of both and avoid the negative aspects as much as possible. In a way, Nat 1's and Nat 20's make each other better

[@anonimus8375]

This is a really fascinating discussion. Maximizing your chances of getting that Nat 20 roll in life is such an interesting way of looking things.

[@silver_david2498]

One of my favorite moments in a campaign was just full of nat 1s and other low rolls. We had to do a sort of athletics test with a lot of climbing and jumping. I was a very non-dexterous dwarf cleric. So every time I'd try to climb or hook my hammer around something to get height (short lol), I'd low roll the hell out of it and fall. I played into it as a grumpy old man mumbling swears and it made for such a funny series of failures. Then we had to cross a pretty damaged bridge. The DM intended for the bridge to collapse and have us jump or do some other feat of athletics to get to the other side. He gave us warning about the rope making snapping sounds, so I got to cast mending, fix the bridge, and strut proudly across the now pristine bridge. All the failures lead up to one simple and proud moment, and damn did it feel GOOD.

[@ProjectChimeraEnhancedCo-cc2th]

Always need more contested roll.

[@DeadPirateBrandon]

The wasted effort part hit so close to home with my work.

[@SimplyMavAgain]

I think it's great how every comment points out a different thing that Brennan is definitely still traumatized by. Truly a sign of how working at dropout leaves you a healthy well adjusted person.

[@Blu_Maryze]

Thank you for releasing this I will try my best too

[@vuelle9816]

Oh wow I thought this was a delayed notification I agree with whoever is winning btw

[@Healermain15]

Clearly Brennan, he's rolling the nat 20's.

[@JCintheBCC]

I love the debate tactic of “my position is your fault.” I need to remember that.

[@DiomedesRangue]

Great convos guys

[@jaysonesguerra]

Came for the discourse, stayed for the lore

[@Roguechan]

Misread that as 'love' 😂

[@problematicgoose]

Each of Sam's _"yeah"_ s was tingling

[@tamkish]

I love the brief moment when they actually talked about nat 1 vs nat 20

[@jakethesnake9973]

THAT GOT OFF TOPIC QUICKLY!!! Love it tho.

[@screes620]

Honestly, i could listen to these 2 guys just talk non stop about random topics.

[@MenloMarseilles]

12:32 "You can either play or you can crawl under a boat and waste away -- turn into salt or a flock of seagulls. Your enemies would *love* that. Or you can fight. The only way to load the dice is to keep on fighting." - Disco Elysium

[@Culinary_Nerds]

I wanna see a pop up game changer episode across every platform. Brennan arguing no and Sam arguing yes. Would bring in so many more viewers.

[@thomashanson6603]

13:56 I actually found this really insightful.

[@ChickenChal]

Maybe, but Brennan's oversimplification of Capitalism is rooted from his philosophical background. Capitalism isn't the exploitation of workers, that's just a path it has been pushed down. Brennan tends to demonise the system that played no part in its own corruption. The system itself isn't bad but its offshoots are (Hyper-, rampant...etc) these come from external systems exerting too much pressure to influence aspects for their own gain. I.e. patent control, unnecessary or malicious fixed market costs, monopolisation. While I would prefer Brennan's philosophical values over say a Libertarians, I believe his views miss the mark. There is nothing wrong with a Free Market, what is wrong is what people value which is an issue that would be solved with better education and social reforms aimed at changing perceptions towards things like healthcare, occupation, and community.

[@thomashanson6603]

@@ChickenChal I agree with you. Brennan has some beliefs on this topic that I don't agree with ("capitalism is the exploitation of another's labor", for instance), but maybe that's why I found it so interesting? I could just relate to his reaction of 'whoah wait a minute, hard work isn't the problem, it's the exploitation'. Something I could relate to and understand from someone that I would normally disagree with on the topic. It's refreshing to see criticism of the 'communism is when I don't have to work' crowd from someone normally sympathetic to that side of things.

[@penguinwarcry]

At our table 1's have definitely become way more fun than 20's. They always seem to happen at critical moments and are just hilarious. Social interaction 1's are by far the best.

[@goganhostile5458]

Will Wheaton would beg to differ on feelings towards nat 1s

[@WavingWorld]

"Contested Roll! The HOT debate show that's actually just a really chill conversation about life."

[@stanisawmaecki7952]

When there will be next episode of Adventuring Academy on dropout?

[@Stromdiddy18]

luck depends on the freedom and consequences of failures. both in their perfect timing.

[@tyllua]

when a hot take comedic sketch turns into "damn we are so lucky to have each other" appreciation :D

[@PolarBearWithHat]

Can we please get another campaign on Dimension 20 with Sam as a player!

[@goodknightcarolina]

I’m commenting to reward this controversial debate which should receive algorithmic support

[@HyperEwok1]

Sam entiring The Dice Dome? 👀

[@omegacad7915]

Pfffttt. I'm aware I'm applying to dropout for an interview with Sam but I align with Brennan on work ethic and health.

[@Grim_death144]

This episode of game changers😂

[@MartianInAHumansBody]

to quote Calvin's dad in Calvin&Hobbes, "Being miserable builds character"

[@sanctuary6689]

First campaign, session 1. My hobbit was going to show off his acrobatics by climbing the mast of a ship. He fell… then jumped up and told everyone not to panic because it happens all the time. The group I was playing with immediately fell in love with him. He was now the goofball with manners. It’s made for some hilarious moments.

[@abpho207]

Great job! Your videos are always so high quality and interesting! 🦎🤮

[@JaceDraccus]

I think whether a Nat 1 is better than a Nat 20 is a matter of... well, context, I suppose. In the middle of an adventure where the stakes aren't high, a Nat 1 opens up possibilities for storytelling. What goes wrong, how do you recover from it.... In a more life or death situation, like against the final boss (or taking a chance on launching your own content platform from the ashes of the previous company), a Nat 1 is potentially game over. Recovery from that is much, much harder. So they're both right, I think. It just depends on what you're rolling for.

[@Pluveus]

The quality of nat 20's and nat 1's is entirely dependent on the stakes of the roll. For example, if you look at the epic rolls on CR and D20, if you swap the 20s and the 1s in either case, they instantly become horrible disappointments. If Terry had gotten a Nat 1 at end of his story arc, it wouldn't have been the apotheosis of his character development, it would've been the negation of it. For amazing low stakes Nat 1s, Fjord's 3 Nat 1s at the carnival really planted the seeds for the inferiority complex that both drove and eventually led him to overcome his contract with Uk'otoa.

[@fernandokkw]

Maybe for Andrew this was a nat 1, but for me was a nat 20, thank you both for all the wisdom

[@Dan016]

Sam’s on D20? huzzah!🙌🏻 🎉🥳

[@ThatReplyGuy]

Wait....if Sam is here....then that means he isn't on Game Changer.....which means he ISN'T "here the whole time!"

[@edwardgord9551]

Can we just have a show that is Brennan and Sam waxing poetic about many different topics of their past?

[@animewatcha]

3.5e and fumble rules have a certain take on the nat 1. IIRC, something like 20th level fighter makes as many attacks each turn against a straw dummy with the fumble rules. For like 1000 attacks or 1k turns. Every attack that was Nat 1 got the fumble thing. IIRC, some of the fumbles involved like fire damage to yourself, cold damage to yourself. Slicing own head off or something.

[@JetsfanMrT]

I subscribe to Dropout only to help D20 continue. I'll go months without opening the app, then the ADHD will kick in and I'll binge an entire season in a few days

[@definitelynot9715]

Did the audio get fixed on the app? I remember trying to watch but Sam was practically on mute

[@meganpopple9100]

Fjord’s three natural ones in a row playing a carnival game was one of the funniest non-meta moment of the first half of the Mighty Nein campaign. 😂😂😂

[@cyanCrusader]

I think it's very funny and interesting that Sam has stumbled kinda ass-backwards into a core design philosophy of most PbtA games, particularly some of the stand out ones. In Masks, the most effective way to advance your character, by far, is to fail in any given attempt. Those results are often great opportunities to have your character reflect, or learn from their mistakes, which is a core part of the game's narrative

[@GeneralofHyrule]

… As a person who has only heard Sam Reich in clips on Instagram I’m realizing I’ve never heard him talk outside of performing… I should really subscribe to dropout lol

[@davidjennings2179]

Honestly I can't recommend it enough. I got a drop out subscription about a month ago and it's great, they're the perfect mix of hilarious and serious. Really loving the new never stop blowing up series too (first episode it out on KZbin)

[@josephbouchard6368]

Was D20 the tv show that Brennan was instructed to make?

[@Beamer1969]

D20 reminds me of Mythbusters. The right people in the right place at the right time.

[@benpebbles4111]

Sam Reich dressed in black. HERE for it

[@mcmattt1]

safe to say you rolled a 1 on theme and a 20 on content.

[@yodawgzgaming4416]

Felt like 3 minutes of actually talking about the prompt, but every minute was a fun listen anyway 😋

[@cindersofcreation]

I once had the honor to witness the statistical improbability (idk the odds) of 5 PC's and then my 5NPC's in one round of combat ALL rolling nat 1's (I used several d20s, they all used their own individual d20s). I/the players thought it was so amusing combat ended right there with the PCs and the NPCs laughing it out and then taking over a local tavern for a "night with the boys" xD