Brennans Crucible: How Brennan Lee Mulligan Tears Characters Apart (Literally)

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[@IdiotinGlans]

Brennan playing Asmodeus really sold me on the character as a villain, one of best villain speeches in al ong time.

[@MajorHickE]

If ExU ever gets animated, I really hope they bring him in to play Asmodeus. I can't see anyone else pulling it off nearly as well.

[@gabiballetje]

@@MajorHickE The way he does it, the conviction, the voice, oh yes.

[@abfg616]

Al ong

[@abfg616]

@@MajorHickEFRRR! We need an exu calamity movie trilogy STAT

[@Masenken]

When he came back and flipped the script, I was absolutely losing it. Literally nothing changed from what he originally said to Xerxes. But he changed the meaning, context, and revealed his true feelings. Brennan is not someone to be trifled with

[@TrueRomancer04]

When attempting to imitate Brennan's style, it is BEYOND important to remember that he is working with experienced actors, and for each of his campaigns is doing multiple Session 0's, especially multiple one-on-one's so that EVERYONE understands where those emotional nukes are AND is staying sufficiently engaged to get burned when the nukes go off. This is generally NOT the case with the average group of TTRPG players, on my experience.

[@dago6410]

Subtle disagreement: we the viewers never see these session zeroes, yet we are ewually struck by this stuff

[@TrueRomancer04]

@dago6410 We see the performance which results from their in-depth preparation. Watch the Calamity after-party and the GMs Of Exandria roundtable for info on their Sessions Zero. As a specific example, Aabria came into preparing for Calamity feeling like her character was nebulous with no focal point for her to connect. Two hours of discussion with Brennan later, and, to use her words, "I know everything about Lairen."

[@cannedyams9977]

I bet. I’ve never actually played DND, but I’m honestly worried that if I take the leap and try it, it won’t be nearly as entertaining as watching these trained professionals create epic stories.

[@Cretaigne95]

​@@cannedyams9977it'll be different for sure but it should very much be entertaining. There's a different kind of fun when it's just you and your friends goofing around in make belief. Every table is different and I'm sure there's one for you

[@eleanorcooke7136]

​@@cannedyams9977 when you play, it won't be at all the same but as long as you're playing with friends who also want to play, it will be a riot.

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

Can we just talk about the final game line of calamity: "Though the Calamity is here, because of you, it will not be here forever." That 'because of you' applies to both halves of the line. Golden.

[@jonathanhibberd9983]

🤯 I never caught that. That's so clever!

[@kppage8843]

Commas are important - this time, that’s used to great effect. “Though the Calamity is here because of you, it will not be here forever.” “Though the Calamity is here, because of you it will not be here forever.”

[@VenomGengar]

Calamity was the first campaign I ever saw and I fell in love with it. Lou looked at brennan the entire time like " dude they are not going to call us back after this", Travis was in love haha

[@burgervonstadt6503]

"You gotta stop doing this, man." Lou has been through the wringer 😂

[@VenomGengar]

@burgervonstadt6503 have we hit a second yet? Come one man please tell me we are close to a second.

[@KolmManison]

Jesuschrist, talk about trial by fire.

[@VenomGengar]

@KolmManison lol had no idea what I was in for. All because of a instahtam clip of face ripped off

[@zippomage]

dude. That's like taking your first sip of booze and it's straight moonshine.

[@DParkerNunya]

God, Luis played Zerxus so insanely well. Man tries to redeem a betrayer, and while he is being murdered, he interrupts to yell that he's wrong. I've seen some people give Luis crap for doing that, but man really came out to play a character with more hubris than the wizards that wanted to replace the gods.

[@the3nder1]

Anyone giving him crap for interrupting doesn't understand roleplay. That is literally how that character would act in that situation when they are filled with that much hubris.

[@ShadyMilksYoutube]

i understand both sides. acting/performing and playing dnd is a balancing act! on one hand they try to tell a believable story-- on the other hand they try to have etiquette as players and respect for the real people at the table. but at the end of the day, performers make choices and sometimes theyre bold- but good!

[@dutch24]

@@the3nder1 Yeah, that prideful defiance is what sold the scene, it multiplied the impact like crazy.

[@hqueso]

I love how he took something normally thought of as a positive- a compassionate heart looking to redeem and absolve others- and turned it into a flaw by adding pride in one's own virtue. Where does his genuine empathy end and his hubris begin? It's such a good blend it's hard to find the dividing line

[@chaoticwhenever1457]

Brennan understands how to bring laughter to make the sad moments sadder and I am deeply traumatized because of it but it’s ok because the stories he tells with his players are some of the best ever told. Especially the calamity…

[@PlayYourRole]

Calamity was an INSANE trip let me tell you

[@chaoticwhenever1457]

@@PlayYourRole I don’t think I will ever emotionally recover

[@justinrandall9550]

I often just put critical role on in the background while I do other stuff (mostly BG3) but I watched all of calamity enraptured. The whole thing was the best live play I’ve ever seen. Brennan is fantastic!

[@dresdenvalareo1002]

Calamity is why I love Dark Fantasy and love to play in it. The characters are flawed and not perfect, and they will face horrible monsters that are almost impossible to overcome. They will be tested and they will suffer, and even if they win it could cost them everything But because of the heroes' efforts, there is still hope in the world. There is still a chance that, while things are bad now and they have suffered, that it is not forever and the world has a chance to be better. Those are the stories I like to tell, of heroes overcoming their flaws and growing, and showing true courage and bravery against insurmountable odds. Not even for the guarantee of a better tomorrow, but for the hope that it can come

[@Melina_Evarblume_Seelie]

​​@@justinrandall9550 All my guy had to say was the word fire and then that thing with the mouth filled with blood and I was like "shit... I'm emotionally invested now"

[@thisiscait]

I want to see Brennan as Strahd so bad...

[@Keram-io8hv]

World is not ready for that

[@blackshard641]

Oh my god yes

[@pablothecoffeelover2551]

Who is strahd?

[@superanimeniac]

​@@pablothecoffeelover2551the villain of the castle ravenloft module, "Curse of Strahd" He's one of DnD's most famous villains.

[@METALGEARMATRIX]

​@@pablothecoffeelover2551 Dracula

[@ChromaJune]

It's important to remember that the specific stories Brennan has conducted where these interactions are most prevalent, be it EXU Calamity, Neverafter, Crown of Candy, etc, are not designed to be happy stories. They aren't the same as normal D&D arcs and thus operate with different rules.

[@jonathanhibberd9983]

Yeah, this might not be the right technique for D&D, but Call of Cthulhu, any World of Darkness campaign, or even something like Dread or Ten Candles, this would be perfect for.

[@jimjim292]

@@jonathanhibberd9983 Why wouldn't they be "right technique"? And what is a technique in this instance?

[@jonathanhibberd9983]

@@jimjim292 Did you watch the video? The technique is everything he was talking about. The reason why they might not be the right technique is because that's typically not the type of game that D&D is. D&D is usually about characters becoming mighty heroes vanquishing the forces of evil. It's not about making the characters (or the players) feel vulnerable and weak. That's usually reserved for horror, like Cthulhu or WoD. Games where you want your players to feel unsettled, and where they go into it with that expectation before hand. Not saying that you can't do that in a D&D game. Maybe a setting like Curse of Strahd. But it has to be agreed on before.

[@piptarou]

I agree. You can definitely do a lighter version of this, but you need to leave the Brennan levels of brutality at the door unless you're playing something similar like Curse of Strahd. Even with that campaign, I've heard of people quitting the game because of getting depressed without Brennen levels of brutality.

[@amyshaw6825]

@@piptarouWhat it comes to really then, is just setting expectations early on, and being careful not to 'jump' stuff like this on players, at least not on a regular basis. I very much doubt any of the players entered the EXU calamity campeign with the expectaion it would end in sunshine, rainbows, and happy fun times. One of the best ways I've seen the early sessions of that described is something like 'Watching upper class diners having dinner on the titanic.' You know it's going to go sideways, the question is just how. If you advertise your game as 'happy fun fun heroic action game!' and then turn up the Brennan levels of darkness into it then there's a problem. If on the other hand you let players know streight on that things might take a turn, and are also sympathetic to their lines/vails/concerns - it can work.

[@crstph]

“it can be dangerous to do this to a character that the player has put a part of themself in” remembering when brennan was talking about how erika said his PC “only thinks people like him if hes useful” and it was a shot at “real-life brennan”

[@BearlyAiden]

I was thinking about that too!

[@TK_Brainslug]

When Brennan asks Patia if she is weakest at the elbow or the shoulder lives in my head rent free. It's such a simple question. Thank god they had tons of meetings before starting calamity to flesh that out. I honestly was more shocked when the bad kids took Gilear with them on the adventure and he almost got instantly killed.

[@gampie13]

killing principle egforth and professor simmons was also a great on the spot DM-ing, the players where almost all completly new, and where not all completly in the character and world, and where just messing around without a thought that there might be cause and effect. It masterfully tought them that on the spot so fast and well

[@catherineelmore2004]

I think this right here is why Brennan and his fellow DMs he's talked with in interviews emphasizing the importance of safety tools and open communication with your players- making them feel like they can come to you and say this is too much, etc.- is so, so important. Having that dialogue is absolutely crucial at any table, but if you're going to be *absolutely going for your player characters' throats enotionally*, it's even more so- because you're trying to have a good time telling a story, not traumatize your friends and if you're not careful that's what you'll do if you start Brennaning! But with safety, communication, and respect for boundaries, if things go well, you can get some gorgeous moments of emotional catharsis - the entire end of Fantasy High Sophomore Year Forest of the Nightmare King arc, Im looking at you! But if you're not willing to put in that work, make sure your table is comfortable and feels free to come to you if theyre feeling off or like things are getting too heavy? Yeah, you should absolutely not touch this technique with a ten foot pole. Because that way lies pain, completely avoidable, unnecessary pain.

[@techwizsmith7963]

It's emotional BDSM with a safeword and aftercare

[@ProperlyGaming]

Brennans asmodeus being freed monologue was easily his hardest delivered monologue that ive seen from him. Just absolutely killed it, his build up and toying with zerxus, pretending to just be some sad lost soul betrayed by his family and locked away, into revealing how he was playing with zerxus need to save and redeem people. Then going into his evil narcissistic spiel about how mortals were their failed experiment and how they shouldve listened to the titans and not allowed them magic and how his only real goal now is to kill the mortals and beat hisbdivine brother and sisters and kill or inprisin them like they did him. Truly the perfect spiel for Asmodeus The Betrayer and God of Tyranny.

[@mikebrowne4289]

His monologue when Cruller betrays Candia in crown of candy is probably one of my favorite ones, we spent so long with this piece of cake with his fancy pants being such a close ally and even fighting by the party’s side that it was a gut punch.

[@angelalewis3645]

This. Yes.

[@David-ob1jc]

The “sympathy for the devil” act. I wasn’t surprised when a Hollywood actor type tried to have a gay romance with the devil that kind of checks out with modern humanity. I was surprised Brennen played the obvious consequences of this so well. Based.

[@ProperlyGaming]

@David-ob1jc I don't think it was a romance, his character was just to honorable a person to the point it turned into a detriment. He just truly believed any and everybody can be changed and redeemed. The only moments I can even think you'd get the romance vibe off the interactions is when Asmodeus appears to look like exactly like his dead love, but even that was done just to help lower his guard down and help with the manipulation of him.

[@EilonwyG]

Oh man, Calamity was one of the most intense bits of storytelling I have ever watched. It was incredible.

[@battse7718]

honestly, atheist paladin trying the "save" the DEVIL is why it works so well.

[@Cybermaul]

This is because Brennan understands the concept of "what a character wants vs what a character needs." The characters wanted to become heroes, they needed something different. Brennan attacked what those characters wanted, in order to help the players see what those characters needed.

[@thewinterprince1731]

That "I've done nothing wrong" speech was BADASS.

[@allthatisandeverwas]

Brennan said in a D&D Beyond promo that he cut his teeth in the Planescape setting, and it really shows in these clips. Dude is dissecting player morality like it’s his job.

[@SomeRand00]

He also has a Philosophy Degree, which helps a ton.

[@impishlyit9780]

I mean, it literally *is* his job.

[@donovanwiebe2495]

I'm just catching up on Fantasy High s2 and one of my (many) favorite moments is when Brennan describes one of the creepiest and most terrifying scenes with Baron and Riz, and then turns to the rest of the party with a smile and goes "😃Alright, let's go down the line and share what we're most afraid of!"

[@JacobBurbrink]

The whole nightmare forest episode was a trip

[@singenstattatmen5096]

True "you're dead, here's your Mini!" energy. 😂

[@shrewprincess]

I know this is about him as GM, but I think the best example of him doing this that I've seen is when he played as a guest on L.A. By Night. His character, Adrian, was specifically designed to break down Erika Ishii's Annabelle, and he did it beautifully.

[@catherineelmore2004]

Oh gosh this! I just recently watched this and everything about him was designed to build her up and then knock her down and it was absolutely devastating to watch and impossible to look away from. So, so good!

[@danitini14]

I also want to add his guest play on Crit Role's Candela Obscura. No spoilers because of it being so recent, but damn his character hit me hard.

[@catherineelmore2004]

@@danitini14 Oh God agreed. Sean Finnerty is also *amazing* for similar reasons. That and Brennan's utter commitment to the bit as an actor. No spoilers but go watch it y'all he's so good!

[@catherineelmore2004]

I say go watch it- but also be warned, CO is designed for horror campaigns, so.. Be warned if that's not your thing - same for LA by Night, it's Vampire the Masquerade so... Take this as a spoiler free content warning!

[@gampie13]

he realy is putting his major in psycology to good work when completly deconstructing other PCs characters as an adversary edit: philosophy, not psycology

[@davids.7885]

I think a lot of what helps Brennan be successful with this is that his players are self aware enough that they see the kernels of truth beneath the vitriol and appreciate being seen in the way that Brennan so magnificently sees them.

[@jonathanhibberd9983]

That's really beautiful.

[@jonnyso1]

Lou - You gotta cut this s*** out man. Brennan - I know, at the elbow or the sholder ?

[@zephyrstrife4668]

A lot of it comes down to mood. He likely talks with his players and asks them "What kind of themes do you want to explore with your character?" They are all friends who have long-established what is or is not comfortable. This isn't something you should do with a group of people you are not familiar with, but it's a great way to give players a direction and challenge. It's not something for every NPC to do, but it is the perfect chance to give a player an epic rival who they will eventually get to defeat using the best revenge possible: success.

[@MicahSpiderWeb]

Jay’s madness arc is coming to fruition, and I’m so here for it

[@PlayYourRole]

I'm not crazy, YOU'RE crazy

[@leok_3807]

​@@PlayYourRole🐿️

[@LocalMaple]

@@PlayYourRole🐿️🐿️

[@DParkerNunya]

​@@PlayYourRole🐿🐿🐿

[@bosunbones.8815]

We need dancing frogs now. Mwhahaha!

[@mollymcallister1671]

"Oh, I've not visited this channel before but more content about Brennan going full ham as Asmodeus? I'm down." -Squirrels "Wut?"

[@garyboyles5762]

Calamity seriously brought true tears streaming down my face. It was Travis and his son interactions hit closeto home with my own father.

[@mhDarkWolf]

As a father of two, I cried like a baby

[@tinkercat8268]

Same! Even Lou was like “why’d you have to bring families into this?”

[@xaderalert]

Sam/Loquacious's final monologue did me in

[@chickitbra]

Calamity was THE BEST d&d listening experience I've ever had. I loved every second, it was amazing.

[@Danielsworlds]

I find the best moments are often between Lou and Brennan. In a lot of that comes down to the fact that these are players who know each other so well who trust each other and have the skill and improv necessary to execute on dialogue that is nearly impossible to replicate. Not because of a lack of skill or ability in others. But a lack of total condition. To have a pair of players who are so highly skilled who can bounce off of each other so well is simply a situation that very few of us will ever find ourselves in and it lets them succeed and scenes that are nearly impossible to replicate.

[@chichung941]

I love the Sam Rigel level of commitment to the spoiler warning bit. It’s honestly become a huge part of watching your videos. I feel like it’s almost become brand for you at this point

[@jordanarnold6783]

My DM almost made me cry once. And when we talked post-game, he said "I saw rhat, and I felt so bad, but you were still playing your character, so I couldn't just stop".

[@darryllmaybe3881]

Brennan could totally nail a manipulative villain in a big show.

[@michaelcarlton1484]

I haven't watched Critical Role, but Dimension 20 absolutely has this constantly. Biggest examples are the entirety of the second half of Crown of Candy, the Bad Kids going into the forest in Sophomore Year and being told exactly what their flaws are, Fabian's entire arc in Sophomore Year, etc.

[@negative6442]

If you haven't seen Calamity yet, you should. Haven't watched any other bits of Critical Role but I learned about D20 through Calamity lol.

[@cjd2889]

A great example of this kind of storytelling is in the game Warframe. Spoilers: During the War Within quest, you confront the Grineer Queens, not knowing at the time that they are in fact surviving members of the Orokin race, the fallen empire that created the Warframes. The Elder Queen lifts you up in the air with the power of her staff and begins to burrow into your skull with magic even though you are controlling your Warframe remotely. She says, "You have some idea that you're invincible don't you? The truth is, WE conceived of these ugly metal cysts. We GAVE you your precious gifts, and now, just as easily, we take them all away!" At which point you wake up aboard your ship, powerless, the ship's AI no longer recognizes you as its operator, and you are promptly dropped onto a snow-covered mountain pass with no Warframe, no powers, and no weapons.

[@muizzy]

This kind of play gets into the same area as the kink community has explored for decades. Your perspective here is really good and touches on many incredibly important points. One part that I feel you glossed over a little here is how sometimes hurt for the player is the intended effect. This isn't true for most tables, of course. But there are players and tables that use DnD as a safe playing ground to learn about the world and themselves, and where experiencing such intense emotions, whether good or bad, is part of what makes the experience so rewarding and cathartic. Communicate explicitly with your players, of course, and ensure you have the right safety tools for the situation, but also realize that sometimes hurting the player isn't necessarily a bad thing. It can be a goal in itself. And when it is... deliver lots and LOTS of aftercare!

[@siegherz]

Jesus fucking christ...

[@summe6221]

I never really thought like that. For some people D&D is a game and nothing more so inherently the talk of boundaries come

[@matrixiekitty2127]

Brennan is giving us villains we can HATE!! The redeemable villain is tired, give us truly awful people as our villains again!! And not just the flat ones from a lot of action movies! TAKE NOTES FROM BRENNAN! Not to mention Brennan is an excellent character studier, he knows exactly how to get to under his players’ skin!

[@Prince_Luci]

Can we get the “she likes frogs” segment as a standalone clip?

[@modioperis]

Won't lie, I've been trying, bit by bit, to incorporate Brennan's style of character interaction into my DMing style. Man is a lingual genius in the RP sections (I am very biased and I don't care) Also, long live the Squirrels

[@thatcasualdragon2975]

it's also important to remember that these are actors. True, not every lets play you watch is, but the real big ones are. They're used to doing things like this, separating themselves from a character while also putting themselves into the character. Also, they're working within a specific arc. I've had some great campaigns (in various ttrpgs) that had some great character development and arcs, but honestly, most of the time, campaigns kind of just end. People aren't able to meet, the DM gets super busy/burnt out and needs to take a break, stuff comes up when you're not on a show (not that it can't also come up on a show, but it's less likely). There's going to be an actual end to their campaign so you can plan for character arcs in a way you can't always when it's just a bunch of various people getting together to play a game.

[@machomandalf2893]

Travis, Sam, and Marisha: “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…”

[@CaidhMor]

An important piece of context that wasn't explicitly stated for the calamity bit, to emphasize the depths of Zerxus's arrogance: The being that he went to redeem? The one that he insists "This is not who you are" to? Asmodeus. The high Supreme Ruler of the Nine Hells of Baator, the tyrant leader of all devils, and the lord of tyranny and domination. And he looked at him and thought "...yeah, I can fix him. He just needs a sympathetic ear." Asmodeus played Zerxus for an absolute fool the whole time, and the audience were the ones who benefitted.

[@gampie13]

frankly, going by how chat was going, they fell hard for it as well, and the mass of videos sympathizing the lord of lies before the 4th episode came out, relay showed how well the character was portrayed and the manipulation went

[@GZilla311]

"Who is the most PROUD man here? The people who got a city to fly, or the one who wanted to teach ME a lesson?"

[@KolmManison]

"the father of lies" Im relatively new to dnd and Brennan played Asmodeus so good Im gonna kill him in my game lol

[@David-ob1jc]

The audience buying the “sympathy for the devil” routine shows Brennen is a great dm, and also that modern people have lost basic common sense and wisdom, honestly. It explains a lot of the modern world.

[@nemasisdemarini8339]

@@David-ob1jc My guy, shut up , with the last bit. This is not the place.

[@ardelianelson2902]

Going into Calamity i knew it was a tragedy, and i still cried my eyes out. Brennan as Asmodeus was also perfect and terrifying

[@LookItsBaz]

"YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE!" I was going to be play angry if i didn't get my spoiler squirrels.

[@mechamamyan]

THERE IS NO SQUIRRELS IN BA SING SE

[@PleaseElaborate]

Dissociating from one's character isn't as ubiquitous a skill as people like to assume. Tread carefully because in my experience most people, myself included, play a character that feeds off a deeply held persona in their own mind. Learning too much too fast about the flaws of that persona can be IRL traumatizing. But I love it because there is also a chance to genuinely grow as a person by "learning the true names of your demons" so to speak.

[@angelalewis3645]

Well said!

[@stingerjohnny9951]

Zerxes fell into the trap that so many idealist and hero’s fall into: he went from thinking “My Philosophy can save someone” to thinking “I can save ANYONE.” Eventually it became a matter of vindication and personal aggrandizement over actually helping people. I especially like how his philosophy KINDA paid off for him in the end, where he helped a demon who then managed to give him one last night of freedom. It shows that his belief in redemption isn’t entirely wrong, he just lost track of the meaning and point to it and went to far with his own dogma (ironic for an antitheist, but I suppose that’s kind of the point).

[@LoveReacts]

Bars. Usually I don’t agree with EVERYTHING you say in a video, but on this you simply did not miss. Really good analysis of a strong technique.

[@LoveReacts]

It came at the very end. BLM for pres 🙌🏽

[@zacheryeckard3051]

​@@LoveReactsWe got a bad hand of presidential candidates, it's time to take a MULLIGAN!

[@cordelianoir6490]

Totally agree with all this. It's super cool how Brennan is able to rip these emotional moments open, while also pointing out that not every group is ready for this kind of bomb. One comment I would make is that you refer to "Brennan" as thinking and making these judgements, and I think it's important to remember that while the words are coming out of his mouth, its the characters that are saying these things. He may or may not agree with the condemnations me makes of the heroes at any given point in these campaigns.

[@0num4]

Brennan has the most metal characters and scenarios. Calamity is a masterpiece in game mastery, mood, and tension management.

[@vilekyle22]

That talking to the frog was epic evil and it was so on point it made me tear up! Bravo!

[@aidbotwoody939]

I managed to do this by accident. Weirdly it worked really well in the moment but it was the long term choices the player made in response that became concerning. *Bit of a content warning for abuse no details obviously* The TLDR is he basically outed himself as an abuser without any grasp of what he was doing being wrong. It unintentionally put me as the dm in the middle of his relationship and a target for his abuse. I don't regret what happened in the slightest but my god was it an awful thing to live through.

[@chrisfarlow3537]

Oh. Oh wow. That is... Quite something. I hope you're in a much better position now but holy moly that's terrifying to imagine.

[@commonviewer2488]

No one becomes the center of a roast without first agreeing to it. Likewise, don't tear down a player character apart on a personal level without the player themselves consenting to it.

[@burgervonstadt6503]

Calamity was the first bit of Critical Role content I ever watched because the Amsodeus scene showed up in my Shorts recommendations. I immediately watched the full campaign.

[@ToaArcan]

Brennan's Asmodeus is probably my favourite villain I've ever seen in the RPG sphere. Like, he's genuinely terrifying, switching between that cool, calm, level tone and frothing, screaming rage in an instead, and it immediately sells that Asmodeus is apoplectic with rage over the mere existence of mortals. The level of hatred there is in his tone is incredible, and it's present in his actions too, the entire time he's verbally dismantling Zerxus, he's literally killing and reviving him over and over, because killing him once isn't enough.

[@joshbone9888]

So excited for this one, that calamity reveal is something i watch every month. One of my favourite video dnd moments ever.

[@n00by90]

Youre pretty cool ngl. Working a full time job and still putting out banger content is something to be admired

[@prismaticvalentine9898]

i gotta say having never watched a video from you before, the squirrel thing made me feel high.

[@rxdice]

Recently rewatching calamity....truly one of the best pieces of actual play ive ever seen.

[@gagemoody6047]

Had a 2-3 year table with rotating DMs from the player group. One DM stepped up and tore our table apart by emulating Brennan without communicating or warning us what he had planned. We never recovered that table and it broke many friendships.

[@angelalewis3645]

Seriously good warning to all the rest of us. Thank you.

[@NoMADnecro]

Jesus what happened?

[@gagemoody6047]

@@NoMADnecro Typical DnD DM horror stuff. They ran the campaign as a continuation of the previous DM's campaign. Utilized the player's previous characters as NPCs but proceeded to mischaracterize them and then usually killed them off in brutal fashion. Tore player characters apart through each session which stirred actual conflict and arguments between players. Every time something good was given it also was some form of curse. Created powerful macguffins that the players had to compete for and when we tried to negotiate the macguffin would have some form of sentience that would counteract whatever the group had decided together. Created a story full of DM PC's with ridiculous DragonBall Z inspired godlike powers that ignored all the rules. Would force us to sit through combat with these characters, taunt us if we didn't fight, have them kill us and then resurrect us to do it all again in a couple of sessions with some other DM PC. Described a graphic sexual encounter from an NPC to a PC, without giving the player the option to decided whether they wanted this encounter, with this being IMMEDIATELY after another Player spoke up about their discomfort concerning such displays of overt sensuality at the table. Will praise the DM's combat narration though. Best I've ever had.

[@xp1446]

Lmao no way their weren’t already problems at that table

[@Drakid13Re3kt]

Honestly impressive that a rotating dm could totally and utter eviscerate your character that it ruined year long friendships

[@LinusTimon]

bold of you to assume that i had a mind to begin with

[@zephyrustheghost8141]

You have to be really really good at rp for moments like these

[@Durtaz]

I think about Calamity probably 4 times a week minimum. It was incredibly well done. I understand the obvious fact that you won’t ever be able to replicate something that happens in a livestream game let alone something that happens with another group, but there are so many cool queues and techniques that are awesome to borrow from. I think there’s a lot of use in reflecting on this stuff.

[@A_Wild_Dyzzy]

I don’t know if anyone will agree but I’d compare Brennan to the show Scrubs. He’s wildly funny and he does it so well, and that’s why the serious moments hit so much harder. Scrubs was the same way. A wildly funny show that had you busting a gut consistently, but when they got serious, it hit you like a truck.

[@DParkerNunya]

Its about time for my 7th rewatch of Calamity anyways

[@justanerd1138]

That set of sessions is probably the best role playing story told on camera.

[@davetoms1]

Just paused your video. This is my first time seeing any of your content and I have no idea what's happening with the squirrels, the mental breakdown, or the Avatar Ba Sing Se reference... but I am hooked. Looking forward to the rest of this journey! Alright, time to unpause and continue.

[@Meichrob7]

There’s a great clip that I was hoping you’d use. It’s a Brennen clip about accidentally hitting the flaws in a character that the player themselves has, but it was actually an instance of him being the player not a DM. He mentioned how in their legally distinct Harry Potter game, someone called his character out for “only thinking he’s important/valuable when/because he’s useful to others.” And he’s like ‘wait no- but that’s not a flaw I wrote in.’ It’s a great clip and he didn’t seem like in any way hurt by the interaction but it’s a great example of accidentally striking through the character and hitting the player.

[@StellarTempest]

That comment about good taste at the beginning was like a WWE finishing move.

[@jakefisher3328]

His ability to S W I T C H on a dime is his superpower.

[@BendyEnby]

Brennan Lee Mulligan‘s intense scenes both loud and quiet are a Masterclass in the type of stories that I love to tell and consume: the most exquisite torture; taking you to the extremes of possible emotions; caring so much about the characters that he knows how to cripple them with a single sentence.

[@laylawinehouse4954]

Jay: take a seat Me actively pooping: uh okay

[@nikp3572]

Where have you taken our Jay to you MONSTER

[@hoodiesticks]

Ok but casting Time Stop in the middle of a Time Stop is straight-up JoJo shenanigans

[@RadButShook]

That calamity scene gives me chills every single time I see it

[@jakefisher3328]

I love watching Lou in this story. He's not BORED, hes more callused to Brennan. He's just like..."yeah, this is just another Thursday for me. *LOUD SIPS FROM A CUP OF TEA*. MMMMMMHHHHMMMMMMM. More Brennan Lee Bull-again." 😅

[@xelloskaczor5051]

Best way to have fun with that is to agree with the villain and watch GM freak out as you take the character to the ultimate "worst" place, and not as a bit, you stay there as a character development. but ofc D0 or CR cant do that, fans of these show had a nuclear meltdown when Vex stole a broom

[@Bokmoh]

Pretty wild how you didnt give us a spoiler warning dude.

[@caioaugusto3138]

"To reach a hand down to somebody they need to be... BENEATH YOU!"

[@tacticallemon7518]

“before i get into this” *i stand up to go get dinner* “Sit down” ok :(

[@rootyful]

Brennan Lee "Capitalism Is The Villain" Mulligan would be an excellent president, but the world is not ready for such a progressive figure in charge.

[@josiahws5]

2:12 this is crazy to see as someone who's never seen your videos before. Well i might have watched one where there aren't dancing squirrels maybe, because I would remember.

[@TTHBLOX_]

Love how in EXU we get zerxus's player get demolished. And in Lego D&D hes a jolly old dwarf

[@spyexflony]

I am only here for the dancing squirrels. Then I close the video. Ty for premium content.

[@toxictaro]

Building off of the, players put a part of themselves in their character, bit, there was a one on one (I think it's adventuring academy?) With Abria where the part of Kelmp fealing needed if he provides something and that wasn't a character thing, that was a Brennen Lee Mulligan thing. He said that hurt a bit in a playful eay because he never noticed that.

[@catherineelmore2004]

Brennan's conversation about K coming for Evan and sniping Brennan through the duplex door with Aabria is definitely a bit that needs to be seen by all cause it's definitely a cautionary tale- albeit one told in a very funny way and also about how much you can learn about yourself through RP.

[@zacharynguyen7286]

Hope you’re doing good and staying safe. If you need to talk to someone or need help, there are people who care. Sending support and hearts. ❤️❤️❤️

[@zacharynguyen7286]

@@catherineelmore2004 Hope you’re doing good and staying safe. If you need to talk to someone or need help, there are people who care. Sending support and hearts. ❤️❤️❤️

[@bweber1226]

Sports individuals are my heroes

[@Skip6235]

*sigh* fine, I guess I’ll rewatch Calamity again

[@brandonbelletto1358]

That joke at the start was only made better by the face and my need for the video to buffer right then 😂

[@zacharynguyen7286]

Amazing video, please continue to make more! ❤

[@rajabuta]

you're a bad, first batch. oooohh

[@ChaseHopkins.]

i ran a game once and i talked to 2 players before and asked them if it was cool if the big bad really humiliated them by killing them then in a graphic way and then resing them. it was really emotional for the other players and made killing the big bad towards the end a very rewarding end. its def not for every group but ive played with these people for a long time and they all loved it

[@grae9543]

So, I attempted to use this technique before knowing what it was, I had a God of Darkness in my campaign, all players could always contact any Gods of they got a good enough roll to connect with said God. Additionally, all my players were playing themselves from real life, so not only did I use this technique against their characters, I used it against 'their' character, them. One of my players in particular is an incredible friend, a very loyal and respectable companion, however, he lacks many things that most others are easily adept at. So whenever players would contact this God, it would demean them and create a realization that they cannot amount to their deepest wishes and never will. I made sure this player knew that He would never be the one that anybody called upon for help, he'd never be anyones shoulder to cry on, so on and so forth. And I believe I went to far. He excused himself outside for a moment before returning and we continued. I told him after the session I wasn't trying to make him feel bad, but at the same time, He literally asked for it, knowing what had happened to other players beforehand.

[@rodolfomaravillasduran8793]

The squirrel is inevitable

[@a00019217b]

Love the video, might just be me but I feel like the broader concept can basically be applied to most the internet

[@Zimzuni2980]

yes, these are all professional actors, veteran D&D players, and even for them they were having visceral reactions to what happened, but Brennan made it clear that this isn't him and how HE feels about it, it is absolutely clear that they were facing a god of evil and pride, and that even with time stopped and everything going to literal Hell, there is a way for them to do their best and at least salvage something in the face of such calamity. wonderful storytelling.

[@zoroarkling]

Its amazing... watching Jay lose his mind. I always expected it to be more... gradual (serious respect to anyone who gets that reference) seriously though absolutely love coming across more Brennan based advice

[@demonderpz7937]

Found this video and your channel again by happenstance, haven't seen your content in a year and I'm very confused about the squirrels and madness? Wut happun?

[@PlayYourRole]

You have no idea what I've been through

[@demonderpz7937]

damn, sorry to hear that. was it listed in one of your videos, or is it a personal matter?@@PlayYourRole

[@PlayYourRole]

Oh my god please don't take that comment seriously it was a joke! The current running theme of my videos is that people kept explaining about a lack of spoiler warnings, and I have escalated it to the point of insanity at this point

[@demonderpz7937]

@@PlayYourRole Oh, that's actually hilarious. Mb for not understanding that initially

[@licentiaplaythrough7663]

its not railroading...... we all have to do things in our lives we dont want to do......... railroading works in the right measures.....in real life we all do things we dont want to do but have to do

[@matthewspencer2094]

Railroading is forcing the players down a path of your choice DMing is providing your players a journey to embark upon

[@likemossIgrowonyou]

...youtube's at it again. First video of yours I found. I mostly DM, but one member of my group who I'd been friends with since grade school decided she wanted to try dming. Me and the rest made some new characters for her game. We were told it was going to be a darker story. But none of us were enjoying it, so we quickly dropped it to return to the game I'd been running. Personally, it made me feel awful. She's never been interested in dnd podcasts, so I don't think she even knows who Brenan is. But she tore my character down, railroaded traps when I thought of ways around them, and didn't directly call me stupid but made me feel that way. We couldn't really get back into the same groove for my campaign after that, and now she's not talking to the rest of us, for sort of unrelated reasons. It's. Yeah. Talk to your players.

[@PerfectPencil]

Brennan is one of my favorite comedians ever.

[@LocalMaple]

You two are such a lovely couple. A little too lovely. I’m afraid that when you have kids, you’ll pamper them too much. Consider this your spoil-her warning.

[@-Mushroom_Kid-]

Calamity was the Halo Reach of D&D

[@hamsterpixel]

Ok but if he did run for president, he would absolutely BAKE has opponents at debates. That’s something I’d want to see.