Dungeons and exceedingly long explanations on why we are doing this again, also dragons.
@nerdblender695 жыл бұрын
Followed by "Dungeons and Dragons III: Tokyo Drift"
@arloroster63895 жыл бұрын
Would totally watch!
@ketchupguns6 жыл бұрын
Dear Matt, There are a pair of little boys at my house who now eat, breath, sleep: monsters, character sheets, weapons, dungeons and beholders...half-orc barbarians, teams of fighting giraffes, and poison-clawed Tabaxi thieves - thanks to you, teaching their dad how to DM.
@RashidMBey6 жыл бұрын
I just accepted a job in my hometown- Kansas City- and what I'm most anticipating is bringing D&D to my community, my preteen niece and nephew, and my mid-40s father and godfather. I grew up in the ghettos of KC and since coming to college, I now am a D&D fanatic and I can't wait to infect everyone around me with the same bug.
@Shane-The-Pain6 жыл бұрын
If I could add a heart to this comment, I would. Please understand that someone you never met and may never know, also feels that joy of passing on this hobby. :)
@kyngosiris68686 жыл бұрын
They'll appreciate it, it definitely brings families together. My father was my DM years ago now I'm his DM #FeelsGood
@natethetoe3866 жыл бұрын
I can't wait for my boy to be old enough for D&D. Good job being a good Dad.
@ThunderBirdTheGreat6 жыл бұрын
This brought me to tears, congrats on that. My dad and I connected over D&D and fifth edition in general.
@Calebgoblin6 жыл бұрын
I jacked up the volume thinking I wasn't hearing the audio at first and then "LOOKS GOOD DOESN'T IT" blew my brains out through my nose
@CritCrab5 жыл бұрын
"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" Matt dropping pearls of wisdom that apply both in and out of game yet again.
@storbo4514 жыл бұрын
CritCrab hey I didn’t know you watched this channel p.
@sapphic_sophie3 жыл бұрын
“Players never miss what you cut.” “Starting is 80% of finishing.” Serious wisdom!
@brandonfaddis74433 жыл бұрын
How are you not verified yet?
@aliciaballeza9592 Жыл бұрын
I just came to type the exact same thing.
@nualahalpin61195 жыл бұрын
my immediate thought wasn't "oh he put his initials there", my immediate reaction was "he wrote 'egg' in his dungeon? good to know meme culture was around back in the 70s"
@Humorless_Wokescold5 жыл бұрын
Meme culture goes even further back. WWII era soldiers were scrawling "Kilroy was here!" across random buildings.
@zandernewson99334 жыл бұрын
Julian Francisco In the Middle Ages, artists kept drawing snails around seemingly unrelated texts and painting for...memes !!
@disnagburnazog95522 жыл бұрын
There are writings in Pompean shitters that declare friendship of dudes who were there
@ink77612 жыл бұрын
@@Humorless_Wokescold not just ww2. In the crypt of canterbury cathedral theres a pillar that has chiselled: "Iohn, 1493" and a bunch of other names over a span of a few centuries
@undeniablySomeGuy9 ай бұрын
friends@@disnagburnazog9552
@IrontMesdent6 жыл бұрын
My favorite Trap: A pitfall that is being moved 10 feet forward by an illusory terrain spell. Players jump over the fake hole to end up jumping in the real hole that looks like terrain.
@ronanslattery15496 жыл бұрын
I love it
@Elitekross5 жыл бұрын
My favourite trap was a scary looking rock that looked like a giant spider. The players had a time limit and it was only there to slow them down. I was counting real time due to what they were tryimg to accomplish, and the spent 10 minutes debating how to deal with it before finding out that they could just walk past it
@nateatavares42685 жыл бұрын
That is so devious. I love it.
@MoonLight-zj8iu5 жыл бұрын
Oh that's just evil :0
@kyzer424 жыл бұрын
And they said _hallucinatory terrain_ was a bad spell.
@andrewcoutinho93186 жыл бұрын
I've been saying for many, many years that 5 minutes of DM work can last the players 5 hours and 5 hours of DM work can last the players 5 minutes.
@julianb415710 ай бұрын
And the problem is knowing which prep will end up being the 5min vs. the 5h...
@abefroman816 жыл бұрын
I ran into Matt in Indianapolis on my way to work during Gen-Con. He was super cool and nice and asked me about my game. It totally made my day. Love this guy.
@arloroster63895 жыл бұрын
Lucky!
@janfransdevries80322 жыл бұрын
😎 cool
@TheNerdySimulation6 жыл бұрын
My favorite thing to tell someone when they are first getting into D&D as a GM is, "A more appropriate name for this game would be Structures & Opponents, but that doesn't sell as many books."
@darkdragonsoul996 жыл бұрын
Gonna be honest I have no idea how I got here I know nothing about dungeons and dragons other then it exists and there are alot of video games that take from it. Yet this was rather interesting.
@mcolville6 жыл бұрын
Welcome to the boundless world of Dungeons and Dragons! Go tell your friends you're playing D&D this weekend!
@darkdragonsoul996 жыл бұрын
@@mcolvilleain't got non that's how I ended up a gamer in the first place no one to play with but mario.
@WesHartgrove6 жыл бұрын
@@darkdragonsoul99 hey friend! if you'd like to try it (and I heartily recommend it!) try to find a local game shop- many usually host a game or two a week and newbies are welcome. barring that, groups will form online all the time to just play over skype/discord and that can also be an incredible experience, even without irl friends
@kyler30356 жыл бұрын
This, this is literally how I got started with dungeons and dragons. Stumbling on Matt Colville randomly on KZbin.
@digdude646 жыл бұрын
Never hurts to check out MeetUp.com for gaming groups. There's probably a group that plays near you. Or you could do some research and organize a group yourself!
@azuraben51286 жыл бұрын
"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." 15:19 I'm going to save that quote, helps me deal with past depression and perfectionism!
@spacesandshark24186 жыл бұрын
"We're not done, but we've started. And starting is about 80% of finishing." 19:44 Matt with the great quotes today!
@MrGiantSwede6 жыл бұрын
This is so funny, I literally wrote it down when he said it and added it to my wall :D
@emmet_harris5 жыл бұрын
@@GoblinUrNuts if we are to believe Wikipedia, it is an Italian proverb, attributed to Voltaire, which he had included in his Dictionnaire philosophique in 1770: "Le meglio è l'inimico del bene".
@bordenfleetwood57736 жыл бұрын
Ah, outlines. I hate them. HATE THEM. And cannot live without them. I use outlines every day, for all of my gaming, writing and crafting. And I hate them all, even as I use them continuously. And the product is so much better for it. Listen to this man when he says build and outline, and play things kinda loosey-goosey, but know the outline.
@zombiepete6 жыл бұрын
Yes. Outlines are absolutely key. The cool thing is that as you get more experienced and better at improv, you get to start being lazy and ONLY prep the outline. That's all my notes look like these days: an outline and some links to monster stats. I get three hours of session a week out of about half of a page of a google doc.
@kyngosiris68686 жыл бұрын
Definitely gotta play it loosely because the players will have you scratching your head if you aren't open to their ideas and are trying to stick to a strict script.
@LowPolyPixel6 жыл бұрын
Yeah my notes are generally just outlines of things I have planned. Which worked out well for me in my last session when the players went to the barracks to help out and ended up getting locked up instead.
@kyngosiris68686 жыл бұрын
MooseZybort I like that
@Kugo6 жыл бұрын
My players measure progress by how many NPC's they've killed
@storbo4514 жыл бұрын
That’s rough.
@dcharris5554 жыл бұрын
Sounds like the NPCs of your world should start training to protect themselves against roving gangs of adventurers ;)
@koboldhasasword94404 жыл бұрын
Mine do by how many companions they've collected
@dremoralorde52153 жыл бұрын
I haven't killed anyone in months!
@thehikingviking20492 жыл бұрын
@@dremoralorde5215 have you killed anyone new recently?
@connor7126 жыл бұрын
It's not even December yet and Colville is already giving us gifts.
@RashidMBey6 жыл бұрын
#facts Jolly old Saint Matt rolling a nat 20 on sliding down the chimney.
@wanderinghistorian6 жыл бұрын
He is a river to his people...
@ChrisJohnson-du9zc6 жыл бұрын
Roll for Santa
@specs66375 жыл бұрын
My first time dming, I made everything up on the spot. It was sort of an accident, I didn’t fully intend to dm like that, I had a plan for a dungeon crawl, but then the players started saying things about how they had goals. So I thought, “let’s go with that”. We ended up making an entire campaign, that lasted for 6 months, and the players fought and died, loved and lost, in order to find and complete there goals. At the end of it, they asked me, how did you create such an amazing story? And that’s when I told them, I didn’t. You all did. I just went along with it. Of course I didn’t give them all that they wanted, they failed, a lot. But it was fun, and entertaining. And it really forced me to be constantly thinking on my toes. Some how, some way, I made a cohesive story where almost everything fit perfectly. At least that’s what my players say. But yeah, I don’t recommend dming like this. I had nothing prepared so I constantly had to be making things up on the fly, and flipping to random pages in books for fights and such. Luckily I’m a nut for puzzles and riddles so I could throw those at them on a whim in order to buy myself some time to think. All in all though, I’ve never ran a game as fun as that. And I think I’m gonna do another campaign like that again. Let the players create the world, and I’ll just roll with it.
@StevetheWizard25916 жыл бұрын
That bit about the "Why are we doing this?" can actually be a good idea for character exploration, if it's done in-character. Paladin: "Why are we doing this, again?" Sorcerer: "Well, we need to gather the artifacts and destroy them before the other guys can gather them and use them. Apparently, they can only be destroyed when they're all together, which I'm thinking will make it awfully convenient for the bad guys, especially since they know we've got them." Paladin: "No, I know why we're gathering the artifacts, I'm just wondering why we don't just throw them into a volcano or something for storage instead of walking into an obvious trap. Doesn't matter if they can't be destroyed by being chucked into a volcano, the whole 'being in a volcano' thing would make them impossible to get to." Cleric: "Uh... they summon Demons if left in one place for too long-" Warlock: "Last I checked, Demons aren't usually immune to lava. I'm on board with the volcano plan." Paladin: "Good. Now we just need to find a volcano." Fighter: "There's only one known volcano on this continent, and it's inhabited by an Ancient Red Dragon. I think going there would be a bad idea." Paladin: "... Well, then."
@zacharyharwell351 Жыл бұрын
"Don't let the perfect, be the enemy of the good." As a compulsive perfectionist with anxiety, I feel simultaneously attacked and inspired. Vicious Inspiration?
@DPadGamer6 жыл бұрын
I'll be DMing my very first proper campaign in a couple of weeks. I'm excited, but nervous. Your videos have been fantastic, keep up the great work Matt
@Mukjus6 жыл бұрын
I hope the best for your campaign, and if anything goes wrong just remember; the goal is to have fun!
@DPadGamer6 жыл бұрын
@@Mukjus :]
@dirus31426 жыл бұрын
Do not fear making mistakes. Half the time the players wont even know it.
@TheSoling276 жыл бұрын
good luck -- it's great fun -- from a 50yr old DM since 1986
@rafaelferes43626 жыл бұрын
If u really get stuck in something say "then You see..." And call for a 10min break
@mikegould65906 жыл бұрын
Dungeons, though seen as cliche, give players something that grand landscapes do not. Focus. Clear goals. Even if your campaign is a sweeping epic, the occasional bite sized dungeon style content is a nice pallet cleanser. Thanks Matt.
@THEPELADOMASTER2 жыл бұрын
Dungeon is a generic word. Whenever the players need to enter a place, you've got yourself a dungeon. Even in a sweeping epic, at some point a conflict is gonna happen indoors
@Dilettante156 жыл бұрын
Thank you Bugbear Daddy I have missed you
@lanxreedalenlum37066 жыл бұрын
im going to make a bugbear dungeon lead bug the mighty bugbear Coville
@Zomburai456 жыл бұрын
Gods dammit, I can't unsee it
@Calebgoblin5 жыл бұрын
I didn't want to like that but I did
@CrazyConnor26 жыл бұрын
It's always a good day when Matt uploads
@deujales60296 жыл бұрын
Yep. Everything feels a little bit better when he puts up a new video. :)
@thepeoplesamaricuh6 жыл бұрын
funny, he put his initials in his own dungeon.... what an easter E.G.G.
@kyngosiris68686 жыл бұрын
Andrew Carlson I caught that as well, definitely something I will have to incorporate into my campaigns
@Dan-sg1ox4 жыл бұрын
what dungeon was it?
@kristiangregory48604 жыл бұрын
Delicious Egg
@TheSmart-CasualGamer2 жыл бұрын
"May I offer you an obscure reference in a dungeon's architecture in these uncertain times?"
@eternalwatcher36283 жыл бұрын
"They don't know X isn't as cool as you wished it would be, they're just gonna be exited playing." - that hit my soul HARD.
@DaBezzzz6 жыл бұрын
"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Well I rolled a nat20 on sleight of hand so I'm sooo gonna steal that
@scottlawley64806 жыл бұрын
The sound you made at 2:03 is too delightful
@seanwick5666 жыл бұрын
I hit your link like 15 times I didnt even notice it the first time I watched it ^~^
@crazygermn6 жыл бұрын
It's Victor Borge's phonetic punctuation!
@rnormgeek6 жыл бұрын
N O I C E
@JustALVGuy6 жыл бұрын
I was looking for this comment! I couldnt agree more. Someone should make this into a gif.
@willnonya94386 жыл бұрын
I convinced some friends to play dnd again. after a small intro adventure we moved into Cult of the Reptile God. They are loving it, and I appreciate all the info you are putting out there. In the Golden Grain inn the PCs immediately start asking too many questions about a specific halfing who disapeard, the Sorcerer ate the poisoned food, and passed out. When pressed even further the bartender says he should change the name to "The Cooked Goose" and half a dozen chairs slide back as men armed with knives and clubs rise to deal with the curious party. there is some tripping and fumbling, and the bard puts most of the room to sleep. Their apparent victory is stolen from them when the bartender grabs the unconcious sorcerer by the hair and puts a knife to his throat. When they finally escape one of my players said, that was the most intense combat he had ever been in.
@ponds91st6 жыл бұрын
I used that dungeon as my first ever session. Almost a year later we've gone on wild adventures and it's amazing. Thank you Matthew.
@Jernfalk6 жыл бұрын
My latest "dungeon" was a mansion owned by a rich noble who was throwing a higher-class party. Lots of guards, eyes everywhere.
@soulkutu6 жыл бұрын
This is so desperately true. Many new DMs try to emulate critical role when they want to introduce people to the game or to try their hand at DMing. However, a dungeon at the start not only is easier to run, but also helps new people get into it, because it introduces them to the game as a simple board game, with amazing depth and then you can slowly ease them into roleplaying.
@markselorio58376 жыл бұрын
Ran the Death House intro to CoH for my friends and they loved it - great example of this
@Adeptus_acrylicus5 жыл бұрын
Acquisitions Inc is a very great example of how to run one shots, have fun with it, making with a dungeon
@fishyjishy28674 жыл бұрын
My first game was a very simple and generic D&D adventure. Plot hook. Go to dungeon. Clear dungeon. Reward. We still talk about it to this day. Not because it was the best adventure ever written but because it was fun, and it was fun because it was simple for me to run.
@iamsteem69776 жыл бұрын
That intro made you the Bob Ross of D&D.
@TheIrishRev6 жыл бұрын
Pretty sure that's Will fridel, no?
@iamsteem69776 жыл бұрын
Mike Garcia Shoot man, you’re right! Still, Matt sometimes has a calming voice like Bob however.
@RashidMBey6 жыл бұрын
He felt like the Carl Sagan of D&D, patiently, kindly, and thoroughly explaining the fourth dimension to us.
@WizbizMcBrix6 жыл бұрын
@@RashidMBey I feel like he's more of the Bill Nye of D&D. Getting excited about it, using metaphor, and encouraging us to experiment ourselves with the concepts he presents.
@RashidMBey6 жыл бұрын
@@WizbizMcBrix I love it! As long as he's the wiz who enchants us with enthusiasm, good-spirited counsel, and considerable humanity.
@ProjectMouthwash6 жыл бұрын
So much agreed with setting limits. Creating the illusion of a living world and creating an actual fully functional expansive world are on two entirely different scale of difficulty and tedium, and are only about equally useful. I find knowing what major events are happening outside the scope of game-play while having basically just the area the players are capable of exploring ready is more than enough, and hopefully one can get a sense ahead of time where your players are interested in exploring and plan readily. Having good players who aren't there to sabotage the game helps of course.
@zawizardman6 жыл бұрын
This is by far the best advice I've ever heard for a new DM. I've been DMing weekly for 2 years now (one ongoing campaign) and by far the most enjoyable, intense and memorable sessions was the exploration of a dungeon I built (a mindflayer spaceship that took only 2 sessions to get through but almost wiped the party). An important distinction to me is that a dungeon doesn't have to be just rooms and corridors. It can be any situation in which the options the players have are limited. It is a way to railroad the players and make sure that your preparation is not wasted without ever having to say "no" to them. The feywild can be used quite creatively in this way for example. But by far the most important point Matt made is: it's fun to run dungeons! It's easier, far less stressful, requires less improvisation, and goes much more smoothly. It's the perfect way to get used to DMing. Thank you for this video Matt, and to any new DMs out there: dungeons are your friend.
@matthiashavrez6 жыл бұрын
This is horrible. It is 2:20 AM here in France. I HAVE to go to bed. So I will. And I will watch this tomorrow. Have a nice evening / night everyone.
@RashidMBey6 жыл бұрын
@Rex Ligini, I've met a lot of homosexuals, both men and women and even those in between, and they have been, for the most part, pretty fucking lit. Matthias Havras , it is a horrible coincidence, but it isn't a horrible video. I'd be interested in your take.
@kyngosiris68686 жыл бұрын
It's worth it, I won't say any spoilers but you're in for a treat as usual.
@Austin-kh1sv6 жыл бұрын
Looks like the French lost again.
@Shepper996 жыл бұрын
@Rex Ligini +1
@imsoquirky83706 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite dungeons I ran was “the temple of Tiscus” a temple to the bard god Tiscus. Each floor was themed by a music genre.
@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself6 жыл бұрын
I love old-style D&D. I've been playing for 30 years, and I still love just having some elves and dwarves and halflings exploring a dungeon, fighting monsters and finding treasure. It's always different and always exciting.
@AlabasterJazz6 жыл бұрын
My trick for making the beginning of an adventure portend to some element of the ending, is to just toss in a few random details in your descriptions. In the first sessions the players will pick up on something you didn't even think was important. Then all you have to do is spend some time working that element into the final sessions, building upon it. It is a cooperative game, so building onto the player's expectations and imagination is part of what makes it fun. Twist and turn their expectations once in a while to keep them on their toes makes it interesting.
@toddnichols61536 жыл бұрын
I think this is my favorite video. I believe this concept is the foundation of this whole hobby, and this video hits a lot of key points like how to not be overwhelmed, how to start, how to improve, and how to have fun.
@professorgrimm46022 жыл бұрын
"Starting is about 80% of Finishing" ...this right here is important life advice. Getting started often is the hardest thing.
@stuartwatkinson5286 жыл бұрын
The tapestries comment is so true. A little flair often turns into a major plot point/hook that has to be weaved (haha) in on the fly.
@comradeshmoo6 жыл бұрын
Literally every time.
@stuartwatkinson5286 жыл бұрын
@@comradeshmoo Players are just paranoid detectives that think everything is a clue
@WookieeRage2 жыл бұрын
I love the advice. But I also find my mind considering the perspective that EVERYthing is the dungeon, including those things outside of it. All based on encounters and choices. That a city can be viewed the same as a dungeon once my perspective is shifted, the myriad npcs in a city are a lot like that tapestry in the dungeon that didn't mean anything, while the more important npcs are like the lever that will change the pcs path depending on how they chose to interact with it. Shifting perspective takes the "over" out of overwhelmed. I really appreciate this video, thanks for puttying your many years of experience into it.
@ViniciusLuiggi6 жыл бұрын
I particularly love one piece of advice form this video paraphrasing "sometimes a player starts building a world and never finishes, because the task he set himself up to is a impossible one" i've come to the point i had several adventures set in a single world, stuff i started writing when i first started as a players, enough to expend the next 2 years just expanding on it and yet i did not feel like i had even a fraction of the world built, i was completely burned out of world building, so we just started playing, right now doing a very sandbox style of game, and going to our 4th session that should close the first adventure, the one that brings that party together, and after that i will drop my players into a city with a lot of hooks and let them open to choice, now let me say that seeing people play knowing where in the world they are and what they want to do makes world building 10 times easier.
@frost_dias5 жыл бұрын
"No adventure advertises how many sessions it will take." I just finished a homebrew adventure in which I stated up front at session 0 "This will be anywhere from 10 to 12 sessions, no more." It was the best adventure of our lives.
@oz_jones2 жыл бұрын
How many did it take?
@professorgrimm46022 жыл бұрын
@@oz_jones Probably 50 xD
@Borme226 жыл бұрын
Thank you Matt--your enthusiasm about D&D gets me re-excited about playing and DMing! It can become monotonous to keep crafting stories every week, but this was a nice reminder about why I enjoy playing.
@lycanthrose2 жыл бұрын
The rule of three is a great idea. I am running a post apocalyptic US game in WoD and think that even city engineers used that idea. Grand Central Station in New York has three: staging areas, mechanical areas and admin areas. It's rather simple, but I like that. Thanks.
@ToxicGnat6 жыл бұрын
I love how you make me excited about every aspect of the game. Every new video, I feel like I'm rediscovering D&D all over again.
@johnmurphy8426 жыл бұрын
If you want to make a good dungeon add random encounters that you roll for. Have about half be nothing happens in the room. I did this and my players were on edge because I had usually rolled the affect of nothing at all and they were so on edge to see what happens next it made an awesome dungeon. I do it know and then I would recommend that every DM try this.
@AlabasterJazz6 жыл бұрын
As a long time world-builder and RPG aficionado (that never really DM'd until recently) I can say that the skillset to world build and the skillset to DM are totally different. The dungeon is a Godsend. Even building outdoor encounters as "dungeons" is helpful. I'm sure that as my skills improve I'll be able to create much more intricate and exciting adventures, but the dungeon as a starting point, and as a fallback, is great.
@roguedm65232 жыл бұрын
I have a philosophy for dungeon building which is to start with how many factions exist within the dungeon and build a 5 room/area dungeon for each faction with a linear story. Then I criss cross the 5 room dungeons so they're no longer linear should you deviate from the designed path and then fill in the gaps to finish the dungeon off, usually finishing with patrol routes and cross faction interactions now that the dungeon has its rooms laid out.
@tonbon85146 жыл бұрын
When you talk abou old way of playing D&D, it reminds me of the difference between The Elder Scrolls 1, and 5. In Arena, the challange was gettling xp, and loot in dungeons, and once in a while sell it in a city. Now, it is very story driven, and the point of playing it, is completly different.
@UltraZethos2 жыл бұрын
Matt you may never see this comment, but I want to thank you for saying that you don't have to think out the entire world; I needed to hear that. I've been DM'ing my first campaign with a group of friends who're all new to D&D. I've been so focussed on making my world believable, making all the npc/villain motivations make sense in a plot revolving around a murder mystery, working out the guilds, the taverns, the goals of a demon worshipping cult, of the nobles and the neighbouring kingdoms, of the thieves guild, of a group of assassins, the three main overarching vilains of the plot, world maps, city maps and so much more, that it has now been two years since the first session, and we're only about to do the fourth in a few days. It's gotten so bad that one of the group members started to DM his own campaign for all of us to fill up the hole I left. It's not that I've spent all that time on my campaign itself - I wish - but I've been stressing myself out about on working out every single detail so much that the work has become offputting and looking like a chore. Sometimes I forget that this is 'only' my first campaign as a DM, and that not everything has to be perfect. Honestly this has calmed my nerves quite a bit, so thank you for that.
@DaishoChikara6 жыл бұрын
Everyone, new or old to DMing, should watch this video. One of the best breakdowns of the process I've ever heard, and I've been playing (and DMing) for over 30 years. Thanks Matt!
@Canadian_Zac6 жыл бұрын
My party has come up to a dungeon, and are about to start exploring it. They're level 17. I thought of a really fun trap in the entrance. The trap activates 20 seconds after 2 people are inside it (to give time for the entire party to get inside), and they must succeed a high DC Wisdom save. Anyone who failed, was body swapped. The Gunslinger and the Paladin failed it, the Rogue (with +1 Wisdom) succeeded. The ones that failed, swapped character sheets. They're still playing their own character's personality, but they're in the other person's body. The dungeon they're in is the dungeon of an illusionist. Extremely trapped, but not too many physical combat threats. I've made a few rooms, but figuring out more illusion traps is difficult. Thankfully we're taking a bit of a break over December because Christmas stuff's going on, so I've got some time to figure out new traps. Anyone have some fun ideas for illusion or trickery based traps or rooms? I've got a few rooms done. One has a statue that always lies. One, which i call the M. C. Esher room, has a stairway that leads back to the same floor, a corridor that leads back out the same way they came in, a mirror that doesn't show the PC's reflections that they can step through, returning to the same room, just a room made to confuse the fuck out of the PC's and spend their time. I've got a hidden room (reasonable DC, so the Rogue should find it) that contains a magical weapon, +3, and takes the form of whatever weapon they want it to, creating it's own ammo if they make it a ranged weapon. But the kicker is, it doesn't actually harm anything, just puts an illusion on the target to make it seem like they've been damaged. Seeing through this illusion is a very high DC.
@daddydissapointment85216 жыл бұрын
A room that separates the players and then ghosts get summoned and each of them have to fight a ghost one on one, but the ghosts are projections of the other players, so everytime the ghosts gets hits another member of the party gets hit and the ghost does the same action of another player, but they don't know this without either guessing it themselves or passing a high perception check to realize that the ghosts maneurisms are the same as one of their team mates.
@PoliticalCompassMemes24 күн бұрын
Listening to this series for probably the dozenth time, and every time I gain something new. These gave me the confidence to start DMing during the pandemic. So from the bottom of this forever DMs heart, thank you for all the love and care you put into these videos!
@nekoimouto46396 жыл бұрын
A good dungeon tells a story just by its existence. I loved when you said to add rooms like the scribe's copy room, ink mixture lab etc. because just by players seeing these rooms they imagine how it might have looked like before it was abandoned, how the people might have lived there. And maybe, just maybe, find out the story of why it became devoid of its inhabitants. Not because someone told them, but they saw clues and pieced them together into a theory. Whether their theory is true or not doesn't matter, what matters is that they enjoyed doing it.
@RyusaiTheHunter6 жыл бұрын
I've been running Castle Amber in Pathfinder for a small group and the dinner table has been one of the highlights for me so far. Great video as always!
@cooldog6466 жыл бұрын
This has to be the best channel I ever subscribed too. The way Matt talks and the tips he gives not only give me advice, but set my imagination off to design my own adventures and dungeons.
@Ephemeral_Inspiration6 жыл бұрын
I have been struggling to make dungeons for a while now, and just that tip to add something I like to it cleared my creative block. Thank you Matt. :)
@steveblunden22956 жыл бұрын
Definitely one of Matt's best videos. And not just because he states so clearly and simply my own conclusions that I've finally reached after spending too long over thinking how to begin my own adventures !!
@Philerias6 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Matt. You have a neck for laying out your thoughts in a way that is easy and clear enough to follow. This may just instantly be one of my favourite videos of yours and I have a feeling that it's going to improve the experience at my table tremendously.
@Pseudo_RNG6 жыл бұрын
My mother-in-law was telling me today about a dungeon a friend created for them back in the 80's. Whenever the players moved with pace they could hear sounds coming from a distance. If they ran for long enough the sounds turned out to be a song playing. It turned out they were in the grooves of a giant record and were turning it as they moved. What an idea!
@zan9175 жыл бұрын
Out of so many great Running the Game videos this is my favorite. Watching it I feel both excited and relieved. Thank you!
@TheJt526 жыл бұрын
The Delian tomb dungeon was the launching point for the campaign that I’m currently running. 1st time dm with 3 out of 4 players being 1st timers and I had no clue what I was doing. But from that little 3-4 room dungeon I got inspired to create a whole world. Thanks Matt. That one video has created and continues to create countless hours of fun for me and my friends
@josephgalvez5048 Жыл бұрын
I really just want to thank you for all the work you’ve put into your videos, I know I’m several years late to this one but I’ve been listening to as many as I can and learning as much as possible. I want to get into DM’ing now that I’ve been a player for several years and your insights and advice on running the game, characters, dungeons and everything else has been invaluable to me, so thank you so much.
@torpote6 жыл бұрын
I watch so much videos about D&D, trying to improve my knowledge of the game and see other perspective. After some videos I feel like I learnt a little something, but after a Matt Colville videos it's like a HUGE discovery or tips !
@magesrpg27936 жыл бұрын
Every video is filled with good advice and I try to use it all.
@christopherturnley21576 жыл бұрын
Thank you Mr Mat Colville for giving me the tools to create a One Shot DnD game for my family and friends. I've watched and re-watched this Playlist of videos and keep on finding the inspiration to add and create more and more. I may have come late to this game but my spin off of the Delian Tomb is The Chamber of the Blue Flame and its my first experience creating a game. Thank you mate, for giving me a nudge in the right direction!
@shadowverse58646 жыл бұрын
I love this video, way back when I made my first campaign my players were sent down into a dungeon that connected them to other cities to send a message. It was 20 levels, about 10 rooms a level, and a large underground city my players could stumble on. I made it a few levels a week, and now whenever I introduce new players it is my go to, my signature. In other words, it is amazing to see Matt talking about them.
@Hghartung6 жыл бұрын
I have been watching your videos since I started DMing in early 2017. Your videos are both interesting and informative and I have learned A LOT. But, as a classic over-preparer, I find this video to be the most helpful video I think you have ever produced. It has specific tips that can be applied not only to dungeon building, but also to writing, art and most work in general. I found this extremely motivating and I really appreciate your content.
@MoragTong_6 жыл бұрын
To avoid the line of sight issues that plague your intro dungeon, I use Wylocks True-Tiles...they're on a 2.5" system that allows for accurate representation of the old school maps and have 3/4" high walls. I have been printing them like mad...they're awesome!
@tommyunreal6 жыл бұрын
This video really comes in great time xD. Since few weeks ago I've designed 7 room dungeon to straight forward our open world campaign. And with design I took similar aproach to Matt's. I took the place, imgining what was originally used for. I added another storyline to the rooms, what happend weeks before PCs arrived. And then just threw players in. And they are having fun so far, hopefully finishing dungeon next session.
@wisemoon406 жыл бұрын
How interesting that you put out this video very shortly after the release of Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage! Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a master class in designing a mega-dungeon. But mega-dungeons can be as overwhelming as building an entire world. Your videos make the big overwhelming things easier to digest and understand. That's why we love your videos. Thanks, Matt!
@DonkeyDoormatDrive6 жыл бұрын
Matt Coleville, you always succeed in getting me out of my creative ruts. I cannot thank you enough for keeping me going all this time! You are a true Gem, you are truly rare! Thank you.
@TeaPea1029384 жыл бұрын
15:20 - "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" Incredible advice
@benjaminfrost27806 жыл бұрын
Amazing video and I will be honest Matthew Colville, I have been DMing for over a decade and this video literally got my creative juices flowing for dungeons and have in the time the video took came up with the premice for 3 new dungeons across the 2 campaigns I am currently running. Thank you so very much for this.
@JoeGrzzly3 жыл бұрын
One of my recent dungeons was a farm. It was a massive farm (The Wey Rich Mega Farm), that was designed for an evil party of Goblins to attack. There were Scarecrows in the field, Aarakocra and Tortle farm hands. Treants guarding the Orchard, a Catoblepas in the small swamp used to process fertilizer. The head of the farm was a Druid who knew Plant Growth, and the final boss was the Druid's father who was a retired adventurer who had sworn off violence, pushed to revenge by the death of his son. I made him an ancient Tortle Monk with the cherry on top of him being Oog Wey Rich, a reference that my players absolutely adored. It was mostly open air, save the barn and pagoda, but it was certainly a dungeon.
@kameronhughes8846 жыл бұрын
Matt thank you. I've been having a bit of writers block for my last session before I leave on a religious mission for the next two years this really helped. I'm going to miss these videos they have helped me with more than just Dungeon Mastering. Keep up the good work I look forward to seeing what the channel is like when I get back.
@gresh11343 жыл бұрын
Discovered the joy of dungeons recently when I whipped one up quickly to run for a one-shot. Really fun to put together and run; would recommend 😅👍
@DovidStern6 жыл бұрын
I just ran the epic finale to my first ever campaign last night. I was so nervous I was literally sweating. It went awesome. And it all started by me watching your videos. Great as always. Thanks Matt!
@mookieblaelocker65046 жыл бұрын
This video itself is inspiring hundreds of dungeons. I love your content, bless you Mr Colville
@johnfraney42686 жыл бұрын
So tasty! Love that you're reinvigorating the dungeon side of d&d
@olschoolgamer18696 жыл бұрын
Excellent Video. It is these informational videos with you asking the audience to consider ideas or concept that I enjoy the most. You keep reinvigorating my faith in playing the game.
@b0therme7 ай бұрын
"Creativity needs boundaries." Truer words never spoken!🙏
@fakyorcru97996 жыл бұрын
"Creativity needs boundaries, dungeons can strain a complex world and bound them by wall and floors and doors and ceilings, and within this boundaries you have near infinite space to create" as a designer this quote hits home, having boundaries in your world, in your work and mastering the discipline of simplicity is maybe the most important step to create things with power
@iamwesbrown6 жыл бұрын
I’m halfway through and this is one of my favorites. This format. Yes please.
@Patches22126 жыл бұрын
Matthew, I have to thank you for all of your invaluable knowledge you so brilliantly share with us aspiring DMs and players. This specific episode hit home hard for me personally. I tend to focus so much on worldbuilding, yet struggled (until now) to create meaningful dungeons. Your advice has inspired me and given me the tools to work on this issue, and thereby become a better DM. I thank you again for all the information you provide us.
@Wraithing6 жыл бұрын
Love this. It's the kind of content that got me hooked to watching and listening to your wonderful "Tubes". Thanks, Mr Colville.
@dalebille26324 жыл бұрын
I remember, way back in '76...we lived for the dungeon! We stayed up late into the night, trying to get through one more room. The game has changed a lot.
@roryfriththetraveller49824 жыл бұрын
im SO glad i fished around in my watch later playlist i forgot how helpful Matt’s videos are for making me latch onto D&D
@Loswaith6 жыл бұрын
Thanks Matt, great topic. One thing I'd like to iterate that Matt only briefly covered. A 'dungeon' doesn't even need to be a thing with physical walls (though most will be), or even walls at all. It can be forests, swamps, thickets, islands and bridges, pocket dimensions or just about anything with some kind of hindrance that characters would need extra thought or special abilities they don't currently have to cross the difficult terrain leaving them to traverse paths between locations. (essentially a series of linked locations) More food for thought :).
@Dalenthas Жыл бұрын
It's a really funny coincidence that the Easter egg Gary included spelled EGG. (His first name was Ernest, everyone called him by his middle name).
@Wraithninja16 жыл бұрын
I really hope the new campaign will feature campaign diaries.There are many good RPG streaming shows, but very few summaries as interesting as Matt's old diaries. I love hearing Matt's DM perspective and breakdown of the events.
@KirbyMoyers6 жыл бұрын
THIS is what Matt does SO WELL. My friends and I owe hundreds of hours of fun to his mighty powers of de-mystification. That first night, when I ran the Delian Tomb for my friends, I was hooked forever. Thanks Matt, a thousand times, thanks.
@lukelofton96196 жыл бұрын
Matt returns with spectacular content! It never ceases to amaze me how simple yet profound your DM tips are. Keep up the good work, strongholds and followers and the stream alike sound stupendous and well worth the wait. Thank you!
@PhyreI3ird6 жыл бұрын
Not really related to dungeons, but about the gms/dms who get too caught up in world building: I found that one thing that keeps me from going way off over the deep end when I'm going at it, is to focus your efforts on things that effect the psychology of the npcs that your players are gonna encounter. You don't have to know the cause of everything, but getting really intimate with the perception and worldview of npcs is something that I think can be one of the best uses of world-building since it breathes a certain kind of life into npcs that they might not have otherwise.
@SirMoribund6 жыл бұрын
15:19 "Don't let the Perfect be the enemy of the Good." Sage wisdom that I wish I had when I first started.
@CODEFORTYTWO Жыл бұрын
Thank you Matt, it may be simple, but this is excellent advice, the way you break it down. It helped me actually plot out and expand two of my game's grand dungeons at the same time!
@gingerjester26066 жыл бұрын
Thank you, the idea of making a dungeon suddenly makes my setting interactive , a place that could and should be explored!
@starmanmacropolicebox64865 жыл бұрын
I have absolutely loved for decades all 4 bands you mentioned with Rush being my favourite ... so I know exactly how the analogy fits having built adventures of my own over the years!
@mitchelledwards33335 жыл бұрын
I've been powering through these Running the Game videos, and have gotten a LOT of great advice. But one of the best moments is the Syd Barrett reference. Purely amazing stuff Matt!
@kevinm34286 жыл бұрын
Very good video, Matt. I started playing in the late 70's and my friends and I always had an XP odometer running (we've only cleared X number of rooms, quit wasting time) and hastened to explore more during a session. I'm now running for a group of Millenials and they don't seem to have that hunger, though they enjoy the game and keep showing up, thankfully!