The 3 Pillars of a Successful D&D Game

[@andrewhalmo656]

3 pillars of DND. Talkie talkie, walkie walkie, and stabbie stabbie! This makes players happy happy 😊

[@OtocinclusAffinis]

Yes, that’s exactly what I expect from a DnD game. All I expect.

[@leatherguru8904]

Preach the Gospel!

[@jltheking3]

I’d probably call Exploration thinky thinky instead, as it’s more of a mental exercise considering that it governs puzzles, mysteries and discovery. Travel doesn’t necessarily need to come into it. So yeah! Talky Talky, Thinky Thinky and Stabby Stabby!

[@OtocinclusAffinis]

@@jltheking3 yes, but remember to name everything with infantile terms. That’s the most important rule of DnD.

[@TotoMacFrame]

This made my day :-D

[@chocolate4017]

Thank you for using English subtitles in your videos. I'm Brazilian and I use your videos to practice mastering English and of course learn about a subject I like. Greetings.

[@DM_Bluddworth]

Oh my, don’t use this delivery to learn how to speak any language. No real person speaks this way, unless they are the host on Blues Clues and speaking to 5 year olds.

[@cp1cupcake]

@@DM_Bluddworth I game with a guy where we don't speak any language very well (I don't know Russian, his English is broken, and our knowledge of the language we are using doesn't include uncommon works.....like ones needed while gaming). Depending on someone's level of proficiency, learning to be as good as the host on Blues Clues and speaking to 5 year olds may be a vast improvement. It will also give more specialized words you will not learn in more academic/structured settings.

[@vileluca]

Pro tip for DMs out there: Your friends/players appreciate the effort you put in! Don't be so hard on yourself! Just relax

[@Medraut98]

No they don't

[@CptLande]

As a chronic overthinker and with anxiety that everybody hates me no matter what I do, it's not that easy. I love DMing, but almost every session I feel that my players are just saying they had fun so I won't feel bad.

[@Harbinger99]

@@CptLande i have the same problems so you are not alone

[@dynestis2875]

Hard facts and if your players don't then either they ain't the group for you or you are completely misreading their interests!

[@MonkeyJedi99]

You gotta be cool, relax, get hip, get on your tracks.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

06:20 Thank you for calling this out. Most "DnD shows" tend to emphasize Social over literally everything else. And, honestly, to me, it's just as boring as sessions that ONLY have combat. The three pillars are EQUAL and should have EQUAL time.

[@vincent-antoinesoucy1872]

I guess all pillars being equal should be the default, then crank up a little the pillar that players love most in your group. I could get why a group play on a pillar most of the times, but using all the styles of play is a god way to enjoy the game the most.

[@cp1cupcake]

I think the issue with the D&D shows is they are made to entertain the audience, not the players.

[@SerifSansSerif]

I get it, and yet I fall into the social category. I still like what he points out and I get more out of his videos for reminding me of things. Anyhow, I feel like social and combat getting all the attention is because, actually, combat is the biggest issue in 5e. It's simplified dramatically and been powered up over earlier editions for more social emphasis, but there's so many players and content creators that focus on combat and builds. The funny thing is, exploration is the most forgotten and hardest since the survival elements are often unfun and errata'ed out and the greater focus on maps and minis (easier to access than any other time) seems to make big dungeons harder to keep things hidden or secret.

[@talkingwithadam812]

As a player i just wanna feel like i can impact the story. Via combat or social interactions. I like both. But i dont want to just kill things or get passed people. I want to make a difference in the world

[@ZakkuTakku]

Speaking as a (fairly new) player: while I certainly enjoy the role play aspect, I also like a good amount of combat as well! An even mix of both is definitely my personal preference. Too much of one, or the other, and I will start to get a little bit bored Edit: When I said "role play aspect" I guess what I actually meant was the parts of the game where I'm talking to NPC's and other PC's as my character. Sorry for any confusion lol

[@kelvinl2214]

"I bring my axe down, crashing into the orc's skull. You hear the cracking of bone and sinew as I split him in twain. I push the dead body aside and charge forward to my next prey." Its not roleplay aspect, as the dmlair mentioned, its 'character interaction' that you love. You can roleplay combat and make it way more fun than 80% of people make it out to be.

[@ZakkuTakku]

@@kelvinl2214 good point, thanks!

[@leatherguru8904]

@Minotaur of Malice You forgot to add "roll play" like in strixhaven

[@jtramelli5464]

Everything you do I the game is role-play. Im not saying that to be picky, but because people really don't understand this

[@python27au]

You should be role playing your character ALL the time. Every decision your character makes should be made in accordance to your characters….umm.. character🤨 If your character is a cowardly drunk but he’s the first one into the breach or refuses a drink because he needs to be alert then your not role playing your just playing. Role playing that character would have the half pissed fighter screaming for mercy while being kicked into the frontline by a stuck up paladin. Played that game, was fun😀

[@TheSirlaughsalot12]

You're right. DnD combat IS more complex than Chess. The fault is if someone assumes that complexity = difficulty.

[@leatherguru8904]

I hear a lot of whining about just that "someone assumes that complexity = difficulty". 5e has been watered down because of that and 5.5 or 6e will continue that trend just for sales and hasbros love of money. This will be the downfall of the game as we know it. This is also why people are starting to move to something else where social politics interfere with just playing that game and having a good time.

[@loganmakesvideos8652]

@@leatherguru8904 ok, and

[@leatherguru8904]

@@loganmakesvideos8652 ...and...

[@sleepinggiant4062]

PIllar 0: interested players and DM (that are all respectful). Roleplaying is often differentiated from rollplaying in the D&D community. Rolling a d20 to persuade is playing a roleplaying game, but it is not roleplaying your character unless you talk as your character, saying what they would say. That is roleplaying (acting out your character). There is no difference from walking down a hallway in a dungeon and walking down a road in overland travel, both are exploration and can discover new things. Things that make a game fun for me as a player: consistent rules, challenging combats, players that pay attention (take notes if you have to), character advancement (new abilities, power, wealth, backstory growth, etc.), and a DM that describes things instead of saying 'you see a ghoul', and a DM open to suggestions.

[@geraldkatz7986]

I have been in campaigns where one session is all talkie talkie. It's a downtime session usually just after a climactic battle of the previous session. We're dealing with the aftermath, catching up on personal characters arcs, just having fun at a festival. Maybe it's part of the exploration. We're learning about the people and problems of the issue at hand of why we're there. We're investigating info about the BBEG. We're establishing reputations. As long as it's only for that one session and next session we're 'doing the adventure' that includes exploration and combat it's all good. After all, there are also game sessions where it's all combat, a series of epic battles leading up to the BBEG. Roll dice, Hulk smash, go nova with your class abilities, having a blast.

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

I love exploration. Finding stuff is fun, especially if it's stuff which is useful for something. I play and "build" with Neverwinter Nights which is pretty much an electronic version of D&D 3.0+ with a few tweaks. Using it, I modified an existing multi-player module to add an area which was a hack&slash through a zig-zag to reach and defeat a particular foe, but along the way you could find items and get things done with those items which ended up with you being able to get some bonus loot if you did these things. The amount of loot you got depended on how many of the things you did along the way. (It was a side-quest to feed some hungry children who were hiding from the enemy in a temple around 3/4ths of the way through the area and the children would reward you with loot from the temple). In case anyone is curious, the things you could obtain to feed the children with were: A meat pie, obtained by taking meat from a particular animal and having it baked into a pie. Milk, from milking a cow (duh). Bread, from wheat (harvested with any slashing weapon) and yeast from a mushroom, and visiting a baker. Cheese, obtained from a tavern where you get it in exchange for a bag of malt (so they can make beer) found in an out-building at a farm where the dying owner urges you to take food to the children in the temple. The premise for the area was: A child who was being trained in magical arts has gone quite insane (it's intended to be both ridiculous and sad at the same time) and has magically prompted farm animals into attacking people because he's against animals being killed for food or otherwise "used" by people. He's also stolen dangerous magical items to help him. Sadly, the only solution is for the player(s) to kill him since he's now incurably insane. He's tough to kill because of the magical items.

[@Zai-kyu]

Really appreciate your content as a long time DM! Been DMing for about 27 years and still enjoy doing it! Your content is both a good refresher at times and still learn some things along the way. Will definitely be checking out the Lairs & Legends!

[@SteveBonario]

Since the early 80's my groups have usually viewed the split as being between "roll" playing versus "role" playing. I like the idea of starting most encounters as social interactions. It gives players agency.

[@theDMLair]

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 & 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. Get notified when the project launches on April 5 ▶▶ www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedmlair/lairs-and-legends 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐌 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧 - Get Lair Magazine (5e adventures, VTT maps, puzzles, traps, new monsters, and more), play D&D with me, and other perks ▶▶ www.patreon.com/thedmlair

[@sadlobster1]

I always thought the three pillars of the game were Math, Risk and Imagination; as Ford Pines from Gravity Falls said

[@Irrevenant_]

Idk why you think people would unsub for that. You made an excellent point

[@theDMLair]

People are strange. 😀

[@artur2604]

Hey Big Mouth Guy, you and Bugbear Colville are the best D&D teachers on youtube and yours videos affected my games a lot! Thanks for fun we have!

[@jltheking3]

Big Mouth Guy and Bugbear Colville are perfect nicknames 👏🏻

[@mookiewilson4166]

There is no shortage of videos which tell new DMs general advise about what to think about or how to run your first adventure without actually giving you a direct answer for their personal opinion. He’s mine; 1. Exploration. This will be the place you need to be most compelling. Make your environment interesting and distinctive. Enough specificity that they will have to actually interact with it in game and therefore increases immersion. Is it dark? (Light source). Narrow? (Marching order). Noisy/echoes? (Surprise/ambush), Slick, unstable ground, etc? (Combat modifiers), Multiple paths/Forest/Caverns (player choices, getting lost). These are going to be the things which make your adventure come alive best. 2. Combat. Keep it moving, make it dynamic and chaotic. Have the opponents changing tactics, teaming up, retreating to attack from a place of advantage if available. But keep it moving and throw in a quick descriptor with each strike or miss. “Your broadsword skewers the giant spider, creamy goo squirts from the wound as it seizes and crumples over....”, “The charging orc ducks beneath the deadly arc of your slashing axe and prepares to counter attack...” 3. Role Playing. You’ll likely need to do more keeping the players on point and keeping the scenes moving than you will need to facilitate talking or slowing things down. Just encourage them to share the spotlight and not talk over one another until it’s more natural. I would keep RP encounters to a minimum in beginning games and keep it more just communication between players. You’ll develop this pillar more slowly. Enjoy!

[@nlacina1]

Crock Chicken- Boneless chicken breast, 1 block of cream cheese and 1 pack of ranch seasoning per pound of chicken, and bacon to preference. Pre-cook the bacon and chop it into bits (I typically use 3 thick strips per pound of chicken) Then combine the other ingredients in a crockpot and cook for 8 hours on low (4 hours on High) when the chicken is fully cooked use a fork to shred it while mixing in your bacon bits. Serves well on Kings Hawaiian rolls. (works without the bacon but why would you not want the bacon)

[@CountAdolfo]

This is an excellent analysis of the game and its current dynamics. Back in 1e, etc. - the Social was barely there at all and the game was largely just exploration and combat, often in a single Dungeon that didn't even have to make any narrative sense. The game has come a long way and you have done a great job illustrating it, here.

[@DramaKing1]

BBQ Bacon Chicken Bites - Preheat oven to 400°. Cut bacon crosswise into thirds. Place bacon on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; microwave on high 3-4 minutes or until partially cooked but not crisp. - Place chicken in a small bowl; sprinkle with steak seasoning and toss to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each chicken cube; secure with a toothpick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. - Bake 10 minutes. If desired, add horseradish to barbecue sauce; brush over wrapped chicken. Bake until chicken is no longer pink and bacon is crisp, 5-10 minutes longer.

[@Mad_Mulligan]

I, too, love bacon. As for what foods pair well with it, a friend of mine shared his philosophy on the matter with me years ago, when we were discussing the novelty that is chocolate-covered bacon from our state fair. I have found it to be mostly accurate: When you look at the food pyramid, you see a thick line that separates the individual food groups, but unites the pyramid as a whole. That line is bacon, because it goes well with everything.

[@the_average_canadian]

The thing that causes me the most difficulty as a DM is figuring out if my players had fun and if I was able to establish the right mood. I DM online so I can't use my players' body language and etc to see how they're feeling.

[@Passafist333]

Yeah, that's why I've been trying to format in person local groups. So much better

[@sleepinggiant4062]

You can tell they had fun if the aren't complaining to you and they return for the next session. You can always reach out to them and ask for feedback. Ask questions that ask for a description, not yes or no. Playing online is rough, but it's better than no D&D.

[@ahazgrant2336]

Funny you mention social interaction during combat...I had a mimic taunting them while they fought 3 giant spiders and then insult them as they fought it right up until they killed it and it uttered curses at them as it died. They all got a huge kick out of this "hillbilly insulting mimic". It was a hilarious combat session for sure.

[@agsilverradio2225]

6:45 I find the opposite is true. Running combat in a prewritten module is much easier that giving all the monsters personalitys.

[@Passafist333]

Not to mention saves on a shit ton of prep time better spent elsewhere

[@jltheking3]

It’s not that difficult. Use a Reaction Roll table (look it up) to determine how a monster will react. If they’re not hostile, then just figure out what exactly that monster is doing in this location and just role-play it out. A monster’s personality will naturally arise during role-play. You don’t need to ascribe one to every monster. You just need a motivation.

[@trevorhansen5817]

Bacon fat is worth saving after you fry or bake your bacon; it can be stored for a long time in the fridge, and is a delicious option when frying hash browns and eggs, or when searing green vegetables like Brussels sprouts. Also, your pronunciation of “thesbean” had me in stitches. There’s a P in there Luke, not a B.

[@CaseyWilkesmusic]

Yes! Save that bacon fat folks! Use it for gravies!

[@Mad_Mulligan]

​@@CaseyWilkesmusic I use mine for stovetop popcorn.

[@Alex-sf5uz]

Exploration is just interacting with the imaginary environment through your pc in a immersive manner, as much as people like to go on about D&Ds wargaming roots exploration is the piller of play that early D&D focused most on, you didn't get much xp from killing monsters and combat was very deadly so finding treasure was your primary way of leveling up.

[@davidmc8478]

I have been playing D&D since 1981 and dming most of that time. If I had known before this video that bacon was one of the core pillars of the game it would all have been so much better

[@GwyndolinBingham42]

I just want to say I really appreciate your content, it brings joy into my life seeing someone else so enthralled with this common interest and passion that we share and the time and effort you put into sharing your wealth of knowledge with us in the form of these well put together videos has not gone unnoticed. Keep it up friend!

[@MrPtrlix]

I DM a group of 3 players, and we all are extremely fond of Divinity Original Sin games. So I just make up a plot that's believable enough to motivate the characters, and the rest is just exploration mixed with combat. The two are intricately linked because we use a lot of random encounters. The social pillar is mostly played out, not via questgiver/vendor interactions, but via interactions with villians. I typically have Strahd-like supervillians who love talky talkies.

[@Alresu]

You forget a few core things in your chess comparission. 1.: Luck. Chess is one of the few games in which luck is not a factor. Not one bit. It's a battle of wits. And nothing else. 2.: Fairness. Players in D&D are usually meant to win their combats. They are way more powerfull than their enemies. 3.: Information. In D&D you don't know what the enemy can do and can't ever really be sure to know how many enemies are there. You could say that makes it more complex, but i'd argue that this is more like the luck thing. There are arbitrary things that can undermine the battle of wits. 4.: Role Play. The DM is not supposed to play most monsters optimally. The DM usually fights to lose. Not only is their team build that way, they also should not really try too hard. (Unless the PCs are fighting really smart enemies.) 5.: Numbers. I don't mean the numbers on the sheet, but the numbers of your forces. In D&D you can focus on one character. One position is important to you. Yours. 6.: Freedom. In chess you have limited options. You have to make the most of whatever situation presents. No ressources in your inventory, no rarely used spells, no running away to get reinforcements or better equipment. You are locked in into a situation and have to deal with it, following the rules. I think D&D combat can be very complex. I think it has the potential to be more challenging than chess. I highly doubt that it is in normal games even close to the complexity of chess.

[@jltheking3]

He clearly knows nothing about Chess and you took the bait haha! He said that knowing it would trigger people just to get his video’s engagement metrics up LOL

[@Alresu]

@@jltheking3 He pretty much said so, yes. That does not make my comment invalid though. I have no problem giving him engagement, I comment under his videos more or less regularly.

[@Romanus7867]

Another example of exploration that my group is going through right now is in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. They are having to talk to contacts, get acquainted with neighbors, and find solutions to problems they are running up against. And we do a great deal of RP during these explorations ;)

[@grandarchon6969]

Obligatory chess is more complicated than D&D combat. Also, role playing in combat is important. In my most recent campaign, our paladin always positioned herself between the bad guys and the other players. It just felt right for a protection paladin, and was a big part of how the character expressed themselves. Roleplay is part of every moment if you want it to be.

[@jamesm2577]

Beef Bourguignon Total: 1 hr 45 min Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 hr 15 min Yield: 6 servings For serving: Ingredients: 1 tablespoon good olive oil 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked BACON, diced 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks 2 yellow onions, sliced 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves) 1/2 cup Cognac 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir 1 can (2 cups) beef broth 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 pound frozen whole onions 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional 1 Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. 2 Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the BACON is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate. 3 Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside. 4 Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. 5 Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. 6 To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

[@usernameed]

“Talky talky” is a good way to put it

[@prestonp.1867]

Unhealthy Bacon Snack: "Floppy" Bacon wrapped around large marshmallow and topped with crunchy peanut butter. Great video. I needed this for the tips to be sure. I have an upcoming game starting and I want to make sure it starts out on the right foot. Thank you.

[@nathanides7584]

I personally added 2 more concepts as pillars when I explain the game, even if they aren't as prevalent. Namely: downtime activities (this is suggested in Acquisitions Incorporated and to me it seems to work in games with different styles as well), and inter-player roleplay (still need to work on the name) I mostly put that last one in to hopefully give myself some time when they are playing that 'pillar' of play.

[@gregcolley4596]

The 3 tears need to be there. Exploration is the hardest for me to run honestly. Bacon is always AWSOME. Roll for BACON!

[@mattw6993]

Never underestimate the combination of bacon and peanut butter. Griddled PB&J with bacon in it is sublime.

[@randallbaumgardt3424]

Over the years I have found a nice starting ratio for a game is 50% stabby stabby (combat) 25% talky talky (social) and 25% looky looky (exploration) as a guideline then letting the players actions adjust the ratio to their preferred style. Makes planning those first few adventures so much easier.

[@blakewalker84120]

I'm a professional chess coach. Today was our K-6 Elementary State Championship. My students won 1st place in every grade, and a whole lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places too. I'm so freaking proud of them! That said, I can argue that chess is far more complex than you give it credit. But nah, you're right, D&D combat is much more complex.

[@DM_Curtis]

The essence of a role-playing game is that you tell the judge what you want your character to do, and he tells you what happens. If you're doing that, you're role-playing.

[@G2_Shane]

Bacon Explosion Ingredients 2 pounds thick cut bacon 2 pounds Italian sausage 1 bottle of Burnt Finger BBQ sauce 1 shaker of Burnt Finger BBQ rub To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your bacon weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with. The next step is to add some seasoning on top of your bacon weave. The key here is to use a seasoning that is more sweet than salty. The bacon is already bringing a good amount of salt to party, so you want to avoid getting your Bacon Explosion over salted. Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like. I chose to go with a mild sausage, but spicy would work just the same. If you really want to get crazy, take a stab at making your own homemade sausage. Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack). If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy. If you like your bacon burnt to hell so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it to hell so the smoke detectors go off. These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way. Personally, I like my bacon right at the point when it starts to get crispy, but hasn’t quite lost all of the softness yet. Regardless of how well done you like yours, you’ll need to crumble or chop the cooked strips into bite size pieces and place on top of the sausage layer. (Note-It’s okay, and encouraged, to snack on these pieces while your chopping/crumbling. But keep in mind that once those bacon morsels touch the raw sausage, you’ll need to resist all temptations to nibble. This can and will be difficult, but hospital trips are no fun, so stay strong.) Since this is a BBQ recipe, we need to add another layer of BBQ flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the seasoning you used on the bacon weave. Now comes the fun part. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside. At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up. Sprinkle some seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. Mine took about 2.5 hours, which was right on target with its 2.5 inch diameter. Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that BBQ sauce we used for inner flavor? We’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage. Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit. You’ll reach pork Nirvana in no time flat!

[@Marcus-ki1en]

For me, Exploration = Discovery. It is not just about Exploring in the traditional sense, it is about discovering the world the characters are living in. Goes with Bacon? Why more Bacon of course. Lacking that, Cheeseburgers go well with bacon.

[@Straeycloud]

In my opinion, the three pillars come down to player agency-The choices and actions of the players have tangible cause and effect. If players feel as though their choices have meaning, then they will likely be more prone to flow through the different dimensions of the 3 pillars “organically”-with appropriate and helpful leading/adjudicating from the DM. I like the distinction between “social interaction” and “role playing”-I’m guilty of this conflation and I think the cause is simple; when we mix the two, what people may mean is their opinion of “good” role playing. I’ve been in too many games where the social encounters are so one dimensional and stale that I started emphasizing the term “role playing.” Ultimately, I prefer as immersive gameplay as is reasonable with fluid gameplay.

[@ndowroccus4168]

I’ll put in my two cents before watching: 1. DM NOTEPAD. Keep a small notepad to keep notes on your players. Each player should get a few pages in the beginning of notepad. One for the entire party. Keep notes like AC, to hit, weapons, pets, background etc. This notepad is going to be your best friend. Go to it constantly. 2. PREP NOTECARDS: Prep a bunch of things you will implement into your campaign. You will want a bunch of NPCs, a bunch of NPC groups, Encounters, Mobs, Armies, Towns, Stores (prepping an entire town of just the buildings, will help you create a town on the fly), REOCCURRING NPCs (these are a small group of NPCs that will run into the party but escape and return later and maybe multiple times almost becoming a second player(s). 3. THE STORY: Let the Players create your story…that is have a story cliffnoted together, but be prepared to rewrite it. Give the players options, and let them choose which way they want to go, and just drop your prepped encounters, ruins, caves (caves are small dungeons), towers, buildings, lairs, huts, swamps, forests, caves etc… Basically, you will ad lib your story, based on what the players choose and like, and you will gain their love. It’s a simple trick, and don’t let the players know you are doing this, make it seem like they are falling into your planned encounters as if you were a genius. Example: your road ends at another road, split into following a rivers edge or going east…the players throw you a curve and decide to traverse the river…no problem…add an encounter when they get to the other side, and maybe a cave. You’ll see, eventually you will be saying things like “you have a feeling that this case you found in the secret chest, is very important to your quest…” now you get to make a small storyline after the game.

[@coreyeatsdetroit9733]

Thanks Luke, your videos have been very helpful and informative. I'm glad I started watching your videos. On thing I like is that you don't make overly long videos while still covering all the information needed to understand what your trying to share with us. Thanks and keep up the great content.

[@SuperParkourio]

Exploration is the rogue using the Dodge action and stepping on ALL the glyphs of warding.

[@charlesbangs9663]

Just found your context and I like how you put the information across

[@joshuastephens8569]

My favorite feeling is ending a session and having the players leave with more questions than they got answered.

[@Virrow]

Man the algorithm was really unkind to this video! This is a great video!

[@dragonrider0079]

Talking about the bacon thing, looooove BBQ chicken wrapped in bacon, skewer them with toothpicks, some mixed veggies, COOKED veggies, none of that microwave and it be done (you can do that if you want, I just like actually taking the time personally), drink of choice, maybe stray away from dairy though as there are some clashing flavors and textures. Fun dinner/lunch choice!

[@LionKimbro]

Exploration: A lot of players' first exploration of D&D, is poking through the Player's Handbook, thinking about different classes, looking through the list of spells, learning about the game.

[@mightyzeus1e]

Exploration & combat is literally the name of the game.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Yes the 3 pillars make the game fun We all want to have fun too

[@TheFinagle]

I turned what was going to be a straight combat into a semi social to combat (due to failed persuade) on my DM last session. Some of us were disguised in varying degrees of convincing and When the guards noticed us I asked if we could try to talk our way through. It failed and we murdered them anyway, but an attempt was made.

[@helotaxi]

Fry 5-6 strips of bacon in a non-stick wok. Fry sliced jalapenos in the bacon grease while you eat teh bacon. Then pop popcorn in the jalapeno infused bacon grease.

[@htenerf137]

I’ve found a major source of frustration with outdoor exploration comes from lack of sensory stimulation of the players. At a location sites there’s usually a map to look at. Maybe character/monster art. Dice rolls. Etc. Overland travel and exploration usually there’s nothing to look at. A series of rolls determines if you make it. And then you’re at a nebulous “place” for the random encounter (usually combat). I loved in Wild Beyond the Witchlight how exploring the feywild felt like it’s random encounter table was more open to other options besides combat (it even unlocked side quests). Every region had visceral travelling descriptions DMs should use. It improved my exploration DMing skills for sure.

[@Alex-sf5uz]

I mean its meant to be an abstraction, you calculate the distance roll encounters and go, it takes like two second. I think you over estimate how stimulating box text is too, it can be a real snore fest if your stopping every two seconds to describe the journey in exhaustive detail.

[@htenerf137]

@@Alex-sf5uz totally fair critique! And I for sure try not to sound like box text. But even a good regional map helps be more engaged than three rolls and you’re there. I dunno. It all probably comes out in the wash and mileage may vary per table.

[@joesgotmore]

What are your thoughts about town guards? Basically how do you make the law in the town / city feel like a threat to discourage murderhobo's from killing everyone in a town / city?

[@michaelguth4007]

Most social interaction is part of the exploration part. There is often a reason why players want to make talkie talkie with NPCs, not just having some chitchat with the random local bartender about his passion for craft beer.

[@tonyt6391]

Bacon Sandwich. 1 package of Cherry Wood smoked bacon Your choice of Lettuce Big ripe tomato Mayo not Miracle Whip, just think really white person White bread Cook bacon to desired crispiness Good coating of Mayo on one side of toasted bread Bacon, you know how much you like Lettuce Tomato Salt and Pepper Finally the other piece of toast with good coating of mayo. Cut or destroy with your mouth, your choice my dudes.

[@jeebay5188]

As the Bacon ambassador of Baconovia, I hereby bequeath DM Luke with a pair of +5 bacon trouser’s of dire wolf attraction.

[@kpny8484]

So for my players, I cook bacon, orange rolls (like cinnamon rolls), have butter cookies (chessmen), sharp chedder, and smoked chedder cheese with ritz crackers and a summer sausage. Then, for drinks Mexican coke, dr pepper, birch beer (best soda ever, made by boylan bottling co, goes great with chessmen) and other varieties of soda.

[@PeakMax]

Oven to 400. Roasting Pan. Lay all the bacon out flat. Mix a little brown sugar and either chili power or cayenne (to taste), sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!

[@juancholo7502]

Combat is a mere continuation of Player Character goals “with the addition of other means”.

[@blastomarz1117]

Also, if any player says, "Curse of Strahd" is too easy. Run Ravenloft from 1983. But please stream it so We can all watch the players lose their shit like never before.

[@billjaimez]

I must be the weirdest DM I find social encounters and NPCs the hardest part of the game. Combat and exploration are a piece of cake. To be honest I find social encounters in real life taxing and frustrating as well.

[@rosestar1324]

I'm the same way. Much easier for me to pick the monsters and roll the die for them

[@billwhipple9039]

Role play - 2 syllables Social interaction - 6 syllables I'm good 😎

[@Alresu]

Agreed. I am open to use a separate term for it, but not that one. Also not "talky, talky", which is still longer.^^

[@krulcazey]

Bacon recipe. Jasmin rice, canned sweet corn and bacon. Any proportion you like. I prefer about 200g bacon, 1 can of corn and about 2 cans worth of rice.

[@gash666]

Great video. I just got back into DM'ing and your videos help a lot. Thanks.

[@kronoase]

Mayo and fresh sliced tomatoes. I like “talkie-talkie” as a term, too.

[@Interrobang212]

As a DM, I LOVE when players get wrapped up in talky-talky because it eats up time and I don't have to prep as much :)

[@DeKrischa]

Squeaky is a majestic cat!

[@leonallen5834]

Ok seriously the best breakfast (bacon) recipe! 1. Get Middle bacon and chessnut mushrooms. Fry. 2. Slice big croissants MOST the way through BEFORE you put in oven. 3. Fill croissants like a sandwich with the bacon and mushrooms. 4. Fill face.

[@erinweatherly6539]

Thought I was hallucinating about bacon when you started the bacon talk because I am gonna be making BLTs for dinner and am hungry

[@CritAcademy]

Man...saw you at Grandcon..seems like one of those DMs game you were in should have watched this vid. I really hurt for you man. We've all been there.

[@jonathanschmitt5762]

10:00 and more dice Edit: How to trigger Luke: "can someone tell me what combat is? I only run my games roleplaying and exploring from town to town. Also, what's a parking lot?"

[@jackbellinger1216]

Probably wrong about the Chess thing lol, good video

[@jackbellinger1216]

And before anyone tries to argue with me, by move 40 in a Chess game, there are more distinct positions possible than atoms in the universe

[@volosguidetomonsters3440]

"'Players often kill first and speak with the dead later." My group has solved the past 5 social encounters with diplomacy, mainly because of me and the ranger

[@volosguidetomonsters3440]

I'm an elf sorcerer lol

[@djjones2407]

ive been watching you vids for a while now and i just now noticed the wheel of time book collection on the shelf. and well read to

[@skeletonwithagun2119]

This has made me redesign parts of a dungeon I'm working on

[@thajocoth]

I don't actually like bacon... The smell of it is just too intense to be around. You say that social interactions are the easiest to plan for, but I find combat to be easier to plan for than social interactions. I can just throw together some stat blocks into a spreadsheet and find a map to use pretty easily. If I don't pre-plan at least some dialog for my NPCs, there's going to be a lot of "He tells you about the-" and "He basically tells you that-", as I won't be able to translate quickly enough from pure concepts in my head into dialogue to roleplay the characters well enough on the fly. If I have at least one line pre-written, I can usually continue with dialogue for about 2-3 more beyond it before dropping to that level. The more dialogue I pre-write, the longer I can go after that dries up... So I don't need to preplan every line, but I need to pre-plan enough. (When I first started DMing, how far I could keep going was 0 more lines, so it has increased over time with practice...)

[@purveyorofroast]

Makes sense, the shows are made to entertain an audience.

[@captainengland5809]

While the context of the video alone is worth a like. I liked for Bacon. Also, Bacon Recipe: Bacon (Cooked)... done

[@franksaffen]

'Orc' Bacon recipe from the Heroes' Feast cookbook by Kyle Newman, et al.

[@Alresu]

The more potential talk in a session the _more_ prep time I need... You have to map out the personality of the NPC, the physical description, have an idea about their ticks, note down their relationships to other NPCs (and prepare those...)... For a combat encounter it's way easier. Rough personality, rough goals, stats from the book (maybe a bit varied, maybe with other weapons or spells). Done. Of course if a combat encounter becomes a social interaction you have to improvise that, but it should not be the default. Just like you should not default to improvising combat encounters just because your PCs might to decide to attack someone in a social interaction.

[@Alex-sf5uz]

I mean you really don't have to do any of that for npcs you could just improvise it, you really just need a name

[@Alresu]

@@Alex-sf5uz Some people can. Many more people believe they can. But in most cases it's basically as if you'd prepare a battle scene not by choosing all the specific monsters and their roles but write "Fight with Grogu" (again just noting down a name and nothing more) on a sheet of paper. You could do that and improvise from their, but it is probably not going to be as good as it would be if you'd put in the work.

[@Alex-sf5uz]

@@Alresu no in my experience improvising works best for NPCs, yes it's a skill but its one that us vital for being a DM. The difference between social interaction and combat is how much each interacts with the rules, there are pretty much no rules for social interaction but pages of rules for combat this makes it much easier to improve social interaction your literally just having to react in character to what the players are doing/saying without having to reference any rules or mechanics

[@Alresu]

@@Alex-sf5uz And what is their character? You said you just needed a name. Now they need a character. That's much more advanced, more detailed. I am not advocating for a talk tree like in video games. There's always improvising at play. But improvising with a data set usually gives a better result if you want a coherent world. My player's just met a goblin named Daggak who were supposed to send them into a dungeon. If I only had that prepared, it would have still been more than you said I needed (since I had the race (and his function as a quest giver, but I just assume you don't deny that you need that)), but it would have been difficult to convince my players that he's a real person and that his goals are their goals. So he is not just a random goblin. He's an adviser to the leader of the city they are in. Now how could a simple Goblin be in such a position? Pretty easy as soon as you know his character traits. More important: What if the players ask for anything he should know? As an adviser he needs to know about other characters of the "court". He also needs to be able to explain his plans. That's all stuff you _could_ come up with in the spur of the moment. But it's also quite possible it contradicts something else you previously said, will later say. Or worse: You just deliver a flat, generic character who is the same as all the other quest givers in everything but voice. And name.

[@Alex-sf5uz]

@@Alresu yeah your massively over thinking this and i stand by my original statement, names are the hardest to improvise hence why i mentioned them, with a random table or two you don't even need that.

[@adwenger0066]

Cook bacon. Serve. Enough said.

[@trevorhansen5817]

You get it.

[@cp1cupcake]

Something I have seen with this, is the suggestion to have the pillars have meaningful consequences if failed. Combat is fairly obvious, if you fail you die, but the others usually take a bit more getting into.

[@maatlock]

Comment for the algorithm. Luke's videos don't suck, KZbin!

[@austibon]

I was really embarrassed to try and do voices for a long time, I actually can't even do voices well since my real voice is to deep. So instead, I started giving them all personalities that I can get into, the drunk king, the childish goddess, the hippy tiefling, or the energetic halfling priest. It is all in the same voice, just a different acting style, and my players LOVE it. Don't be afraid to try a voice, might be awkward at first, but players love it

[@cofiecoffcoff4287]

Squeaky is a beautiful cat!!!

[@krimzonghost1987]

"The Grosher (Grocer)"... Luke... Your Michigan is showing. :P Thanks for this video!

[@shadomain7918]

"NPC unpronounceable name" I'm more likely to write names which are unintentionally pronounced and means something else. E.G. spooky sage called "The Seer" (I know... oooh, spooky) who lived in a tower. So, yes, the heroes have to visit "The Seer's Tower". Needless to say this was not a sky scraper in Chicago. *sigh*

[@FrostSpike]

In my view, Exploration can also include the sort of mystery solving aspects that might be thought of as "social interaction". Discovering the clue as to who is behind the the evil deeds in town, working out why the merchant keeps a gargoyle chained in their basement, etc. and how that new knowledge can be used in the game.

[@sylviebizadvisor]

spicy cubed potatoes goes well with bacon

[@MrClarissacain]

"Nobody's rubbing your belly" -suspicious video edit where Squeaky Cat totally gets belly rubs-

[@theDMLair]

he totally got his belly rubbed! lol

[@fenixmeaney6170]

"it's not role playing, it's social encounters!" *Proceeds to describe role playing* Talky talky it is!

[@Docsfortune]

Chess at its heart is one of the simplest and most complex games ever made, but chess today has been solved by computers and is now about who can memorize the most moves and prepare the best responses to their opponents openings.

[@troycouch5346]

you work your game to make it work with what everyone enjoys. some like more social some want nothing but roll playing.

[@l.ashleygarr6537]

I’m so excited. I’m writing a one shot and I hit all the Pillars. 🥳🤓🥳

[@gradyelliott7594]

Mmm... bacon. Mac & cheese goes with bacon bits, aka "pork sprinkles". Excellent video. My compliments on your ranting skills.

[@Ixnatifual]

A classic social dungeon encounter is the prisoner.