What no one tells you about STORYTELLING in D&D

[@theDMLair]

👉 Dungeon Drifters | The competitive dungeon exploration game where opportunistic "heroes" race to defeat enemies, pocket the most loot, and escape the dungeon first! presale.dungeondrifters.com/1

[@GuDeLJiTo]

Why in Dungeon Drifters every female character is cool, good looking and seems awesome and every male character looks ugly and disgusting? What do you have against cool male characters? What's wrong with you? 😢

[@JMcMillen]

Good luck finding that 8th piece of the "Rod of Seven Parts".

[@qandy04]

😂

[@LeonardAndHisBiscuit]

The 8th part was the friends we made along the way. Friendship powers the Rod of Seven Parts after all, and each good deed among each other or for others makes it more powerful in the end scene.

[@JMcMillen]

@@LeonardAndHisBiscuit Not if you use the old school first edition version, because as you find more pieces and get more powers you also get more and more malevolent side affects that can completely corrupt the person wielding it. The worst of them are not to be taken lightly so handling any artifact can be a career ending task.

[@shellsterdude]

A tip from a Matt Colville video that I've found really increases the illusion of complexity and makes the world and any given plot more interesting: Try to have two different threats/plots going on at the same time. An A plot and a B plot. In reality the players can swap between them more or less at will, but time passes and consequences happen for letting either bad thing progress without being stopped. This creates a lot of tension for players, but it also allows them to swap if they aren't feeling one or they get stuck (giving you the DM time to come up with an alternative way to leak additional hints). If they players are galloping through one plot story, you can throw in complications from the other one or introduce world events that show that the other thing they are dealing with is becoming a much bigger concern.

[@jthomas6080]

I've used this advice in my Alien RPG game, with the operations of Weyland-Yutani working in the background while the players are confronting the UPP (space commies).

[@ARJGameplay]

@@jthomas6080 haha the UPP

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Great tips! Rock on, Luke!

[@ryanbeckett2313]

I am going to start DMing for the first time with session 0 being on Sunday and have been going through your DM 101 playlist. Thanks so much for all your helpful advice!

[@rabidspatula1013]

That's awesome! Hope you and your table have a great time. It really is a unique feeling watching the players bring your world to life.

[@ryanbeckett2313]

@ Thanks for the good wishes! I am really looking forward to it!

[@optimuscrime746]

Hi Luke, been watching your videos for the last 4 months as I prep my first campaign starting in a few weeks and can honestly say it has something special. All your advice has been superb. I now have something I am really proud of and that my players are going to gel well with. Just wanted to say thanks and keep up the fantastic work!

[@ericjohnson8847]

My group of high school friends played D&D together back in the 80's and early 90s... life took us different directions and to different states. In 2018 we all decided to give 5e a virtual try with a one shot that I DM'd. Everyone enjoyed it and wanted to do a campaign. So, I've been running one for them the last 6 years, playing every other week. The challenge I've had with storytelling is the mixed expectations from the people in the group. A couple are interested in more roleplaying, one just wants to kill monsters and loot treasure, one is middle of the road and the last is just along for the ride. So, I have had to run different styles of story arcs and encounters over the years, as an effort keep people interested and engaged. It's been fun, but exhausting at times!

[@Andre99328]

Sounds like fun

[@singe_malt9609]

Good luck in the race to 200 K subscribers. Looks like you’re currently in the lead by 31K. Here’s to you getting there quickly, because your content is great! Keep it coming…

[@GeraldKatz]

My only issue with backstories is the DM using them as an excuse to torture PCs. If I say my character has family guaranteed they will be threatened, kidnapped, or outright killed. It's happened too many times my characters are now all orphans with no siblings. Sometimes I just want a family for flavor. They are meant as a downtime activity. Adventuring I'm a bad-ass hero saving dragons from evil princesses. In between my younger brother wants a piggyback ride, and my mother makes a fuss about torn clothing. I want that little bit of normalcy. It's like in real life no matter how tough you are, you can be a CEO, a police officer, a soldier, a construction worker, a professional sports player. When a 4 year old hands you a toy telephone, you answer it. I want that telephone and not walk into a house to find the child's head hanging from a chandelier.

[@YawdroGaming]

Great synopsis! Just remember it's a collaborative story, not just a DM giving a speech to their players!

[@Clem68W]

Thanks to the channel in general for keeping me sane. Been a rough year.

[@niconicer6463]

Evil princesses capturing dragons ... I should add that to my campaign!

[@agsilverradio2225]

Because politicians are allways lawfull evil.

[@Guy_With_A_Laser]

One useful thing I will add as far as plot/narrative goes: Make the stakes appropriate for the Tier of the party you are using. A good rule of thumb is that a Tier 1 adventure should be a local problem. A Tier 2 adventure should be something that could threaten a city, maybe a nation at most. Tier 3 is more on the scale of end-of-the-world stuff. Tier 4 is multiverse/reality destroying. Doesn't necessarily always have to follow this structure, but especially if you are planning on running a 1-20 campaign, scaling the stakes appropriately will keep it from feeling stale. If every adventure is the end of the world, then it gets harder to make the story believable as time goes on.

[@fhuber7507]

Make the players FEEL the story, by them mostly writing the story by their interactions with the world you build. The DM sets the stage. The players decide what to do with the world.

[@antimatters6283]

Best, true but funny, skit. Lots of good info here. Consider this a summary, as Luke said, for many of these topics there are entire videos. But this is good.

[@sleepinggiant4062]

Players, please make adventurers. It is not the DM's job to convince you to leave the inn. Providing content for your players is never railroading. Forcing them to solve challenges your way is railroading, having a location for a quest is not. Great video Luke! Lots of sound advice.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

My dm: "Your spell fails because it would solve the problem, and I don't want you to solve the problem by casting a spell."

[@sleepinggiant4062]

@MJ-jd7rs - ouch

[@jierdareisa4313]

I do really love ALL the DM Lair videos!!!! ❤

[@johncasebeer179]

Great video! I always enjoy work.

[@dennisthornton4434]

Glad you got back to the skits. 😅

[@ultimatewitcherfan6677]

Yay!! The skits are back!! I really missed those!! Anyway, you’re right. TTRPG games can be very dull and boring without a plot and story that are interesting and engaging. I once played in a D&D group where the DM would come up with the most boring, uninteresting stories which made the games dull and not fun. The dude had no creativity at all and it showed in his games. I eventually left that game because I couldn’t take it anymore. I always strive to come up with stories that will be interesting and engaging for my players.

[@queenofweirdness101]

I’ve found that a way to make it easier for an adventure/campaign to have a theme is to tell players what the theme is prior to character creation and ask them to have their character have personal stakes in the theme or at least a strong opinion on it. It helps the theme be more pronounced when it’s already important to the protagonists, creates more interesting character arcs, and it makes your job easier because players will pick up on thematic elements more easily.

[@Dysfunctional_Reprint]

Ran a campaign where the players were each gifted a ring from a mysterious benefactor, the five of them had the ability to give a breath weapon according to their color. Then charged with finding the missing three rings. Antagonists were a cult trying to gather all 8 of the dragon rings to summon a aspect of tiamat. Fun.

[@TravisActual-x8s]

Nicely done! Very useful!

[@mborel]

I'm just about to run Vecna: Eve of Ruin for my group. I feel like the opening of this video calls that module out.

[@TheDreamSmith]

I missed the barbarian, skits always make things more fun!

[@bobmangm9883]

I had a McGuffin today. I love McD's. :^)

[@88Kinshin]

9:20 you should explain this point to one of my players🤣 Always asking about info, lore, event, “where the story is going” because it fears to not be able to perform, wants to play usefully for the entire table without being a burden and, generally, wants to know EVERYTHING because “not knowing makes me anxious. And I want to have fun, not to feel uncomfortable “

[@FixDnD]

I relate to your sarcasm for years now ❤ Be yourself, feel good and stay healthy and relaxed… Luke, you don‘t suck Thanks for your honest content

[@jonhaynie1987]

Wereturkeys might be my new favorite monster...

[@Ashtonyss]

I missed the skits, not gonna lie.

[@zenhikerjoe844]

Came here to say this! 😂

[@MarkEdwardRom]

Absolutely 💯

[@ralphwoodruff]

Me too!

[@whocares9033]

Literally the worst part of any of his videos If it wasn't for those lame ass voices it wouldn't be so bad

[@chrisderhodes7629]

Great advice. Personally though I find creating adventures around players’ back stories to be kind of stressful. I strongly prefer to do that kind of thing only minimally.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

I would challange you to break out if that mindset. I find the best adventures come from your players and their backstories. For example: one of my players told me his pc received a talsmon from a passing monk, a “keep it secret, keep it safe” sorta situation. That’s all he said. Yeah, that talsomon is now one of six keys to a legendary artifact that is in the process of testing him to determine his worthiness. The other 5 keys are spread throughout the land in key locations I wanted them to visit anyway. Each piece leads to the next. Simply take a small bit of their backstory and run with it. Your adventure will only improve as it creates investment and ownership for the pc.

[@chrisderhodes7629]

@ what if the adventures are the character’s back stories?

[@MJ-jd7rs]

​@@chrisderhodes7629 Honestly, that's kinda how my entire campaign came into being. I started off with a vague concept of what the endgame of my campaign is. I asked all my players for initial 'concept' backstories, 1-2 paragraphs, From there, I've just been taking aspects of their backstories, little tid-bits here and there and running with them. I let idea build upon idea and ensured that each charachter's backstory specific quests lead into the endgame. Currently, one character is on a mission from his god to kill a necromancer. What he doesn't know is the necromancer is actually his younger brother who ascended to lichdom to get revenge on said god, after the god he serves lead to the older brother's death. another's backstory is to find magical god-tier chains, which he doesn't know are currently in possession of said lich. The other's tribe was taken over/driven out by said lich and he wants revenge on the lich to win back his homeland, The other is seeking 6 keys to a magical artifact, the last of which is in possession of the lich hehe. The lich himself has reasons for each of these actions, which all fall back on that god. A god that is currently using the lich's brother in an attempt to stop herself from being killed in the future. I just wanted the party to truly face a lich, and have to figure out a way to destroy a phalcrotry (which is an entire ordeal), everything, and I do mean everything else came from the players. And it's been a fantastic journey. As a dm, I plan the present based on the past with the future as only a 'signpost' we may or may not hit. I also, save again for the signpost, never plan more than 1-2 sessions in advance. Two weeks is more than enough time to prep what i need to run a game.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

oh, once we finish the first arc, then i'll ask for 'meaty' backstories with some more specifics. That time gives them an oppreunity to experance my world and to write their backstories with that in mind. Plus they've already dropped several key things I want them to expand upon, so I can tailer my request to the player and what details I want them to expand/focus on (key npcs, locations, activities, etc... all of which have been hinted at in conversation). The best of times is when the players are RP amongst themselves, that's when I take notes!

[@Grid_Dragon]

Talking about the 3-Act structure 3 days before Bandon Sanderson posts his lecture on plot types (3-Act and like 5 more). Seriously though, you mentioned story telling could be a full semester course. It's too perfect that Sanderson is putting that exact class on his KZbin channel. It's an updated version of a class he posted a couple years ago.

[@theDMLair]

Oh, that's awesome! I've watched many of Sanderson's lectures, and they are phenomenal.

[@gradyelliott7594]

Best intro ever.

[@l979corvette]

jokes on you, as the DM I don’t even know what’s going to happen next session let alone my players lol 9:03

[@richardgilson4704]

Good luck on your challenge with Death Bringer.

[@Scott-sk1rb]

"I have only one question for Mr. Melon. In 27 parts."

[@nooctip]

Me holding a powerdrill and several steps from player. What do you want from the game, I'm good with whatever. Turns on power drill takes a step forward. What do you want from the game? I'm open to anything. Takes a step forward.

[@Dysfunctional_Reprint]

I want to see you do a full live play in character.

[@adamkrieger2845]

Thank you for the very insightful video! As a new DM, I have a question regarding the "Make it personal" advice: I have a cleric player who has already achieved their personal goal of spreading their faith very quickly by acquiring a church. (It was my mistake to grant that so early.) I'm now struggling to "continue" their personal quest and keep it engaging for them, and they recently mentioned creating a new character. Any tips from anyone on how to reignite their interest would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! :)

[@goliathcleric]

Discontent in the church, heretics, and other road bumps. For example, a different church could accuse the cleric of making deals with devils and demons because there's no possible way that they could have naturally grew their faith so quickly. This in turn drives worshippers away, perhaps even causes some of them to actively oppose the church. The cleric then needs to fight back against the accusations and threats to their church and they may find that to be a far greater task than just getting it in the first place.

[@KaineVillante]

The Barbarian is kinda my favorite lmao

[@faerylnhiikira1053]

He's everyone's favorite. No matter what they say. ;)

[@conjurerofcheaptricks]

You and Professor DM are both pretty baller.

[@GuardianTactician]

Authors and DM's can fall into a rut where they keep repeating the same plot points, locations, events and outcomes. It helps to keep notes and revisit them occasionally, to notice that you've started repeating yourself. If you find this is happening, you need some inspiration to freshen things up. Find a new movie, book or show to watch, one that you haven't seen before, and look for things to draw on.

[@Darkwintre]

What do you do when the other DM decides to jump settings because he claimed to be bored (as in couldn't be bothered to put the work in to run his own game) so he stole the settings I was using despite that not being possible ?

[@whocares9033]

Quit whining about it. That's what you do

[@chapandonaweb6142]

I always held the belief that DMs don't create stories, we create worlds and events, who creates the story are the players.

[@greggp4840]

It's important to know your audience. But I want to add another really important rule to that: know yourself. It's good to run something you know your players want, but only if you genuinely want to run it too.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

my current campaign I'm in is on session 75, the first time the DM did anything that was for my charachter was session 69. The story feels completely disconnected from the characters, almost like it's a video game and the PCs are simply something you choose on the charachter select screen to experance the DM's "story". Backstory? Character arc? Plot relevence? Forget it. He didn't understand why I told him I haven't found any of it fun. Why I feel compeltely disconnected from the story. Given, it doesn't help that the other players are very much "Show up to roll dice" type players, they have no other expectations or desires for the game, so I'm the only one having 'issues'. And I'm dismissed as such.

[@israelmorales4249]

Great video! I hope Deathbringuer can be bribed with bacon

[@nagredmoonstriker252]

Not possible, because anyone with that idea will eat the bacon themselves before having the opportunity to bribe Deathbringer.

[@ThatOneMikeYouKnow]

Save that dragon from the Evil Princess! Now i really wanna play that arc.

[@MechbossBoogie]

Turns out, when you don't kill off all the forces of evil, they tend to keep themselves in check.

[@Mr.CheeseyPoof]

Yeah skits ❤

[@LegitimateComenter4Yesme-hg4dg]

Is dungeon drifters just munchkins? I feel bad for asking, you probably put a lot of work into it. However, I think most people are mentally thinking the same thing. So, it’s probably good for advertising to answer the question. Have a wonderful year.

[@mwhearn1]

You don't completely su... wait... you didn't ask us to tell you... what's wrong Luke?

[@minimoose7890]

He's being held hostage, it's clearly a silent cry for help!

[@Just4Adventure]

I just started “Rod of Seven parts “! Wat U trying to say!😂

[@whocares9033]

3:19 video actually starts here

[@DanteUndead]

Luke forgot to promote bacon this video. Unhappy, imma watch his other bacon related video content

[@jonathancrosby1583]

I mean the 8 peices vs 1 is only a problem if your players dont like your encounters (both combat and social) and puzzles if they find those engaging the actual plot is irrelevant Thats why all the crazy table play storys make very little practical since but created such a fun play vibe thats what they remember

[@aaronasissoard1098]

Dungeon drifters sounds like it would be an amazing app game on a phone kinda like among us

[@Scott-ig6nx]

Don't forget, the rewards should always include bacon. 🥓

[@AbCh-v9w]

Back to skits. Phew!😬

[@coltonstewart8698]

I like the skit, but honestly, that complaint about the story is not great. "Why are there so many evil powers?" Me: Well, this is a world of magic and in worlds like ours without there are already plenty of evil people. Now introduce magic. The only reason you deal with them one at a time is because they hold each other back and once the one on top is gone, the next will rise likely even stronger than they were before.

[@MJ-jd7rs]

I think it's more of a comment about how the villians are always unorginal "evil for the sake of evil" enemies that "must" be stopped. If the party's only motivation to stopping the bad guys is, "They want to destory the world, and I'm one of the idiots who live on it," then they're lacking any personal motivation or investment in the story, they're simply playing a plot and could litterally be replaced by any other PCs. Especally if that plot line repeats over and over and over and over.

[@Marcus-p5i5s]

Something every DM needs to know: (which this channel owner doesn't) "Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game." Gary Gygax

[@bobmangm9883]

Just need to say...DEATHBRINGER! DEATHBRINGER! DEATHBRINGER!!!

[@dane3038]

One critique: Do not tie puzzles to the world's lore unless and until the players have shown an interest in that world's lore. It's the same as forcing the lore on them and it's obnoxious. Particularly when the DM is the type who makes a new setting every 1 to 2 years.

[@wookieburger]

Most important takeaway from this video: Rise of Skywalker was complete trash. I love that Luke keeps harping on that stupid frickin movie 😂

[@zerknight7090]

Saving a dragon from an evil princess.... lol

[@vololudo4671]

The DM advice more people need to listen to.

[@michaelmullenfiddler]

Marauding were turkeys!? Lol

[@TheSwamper]

Have NPCs with varying opinions. Even a popular king is going to have detractors. This makes the world seem more real.

[@AdamAtYourService]

In my most recent session, the players were negotiating with a queen. Both of the queen's advisors vocally cautioned her against making deals with the players. One of them did so out of legitimate care and concern, and the other had more nefarious motivations for doing so. It keeps them on their toes.

[@TheSwamper]

@@AdamAtYourService The beauty of that is that as the DM, you don't care what the PCs settle on.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Yes character backstories in the plot is a must

[@unfortunate_error]

“… a good Hook.” Soooo, Peter Pan was the BBEG?

[@sketchasaurrex4087]

Rooting for Professor DM. Unsubscribing for a short time😂 Will still watch your videos. Watch out for Deathbringer😂

[@whocares9033]

Please stop with those lame ass skits in the beginning of your vids If you MUST put them in, put them at the end

[@jzagri]

(someone somewhere brings up Rise of Skywalker) "OKAY BUT THE LAST JEDI WAS TERRIBLE THEYRUINEDLUKESOITSTHEWORSTSTARwers..." (for the record I love TLJ)

[@agsilverradio2225]

Luke, I'm rooting for you to win the sub battle against Prof Dungoncraft! I love your advice, and frankly dislike his.

[@Frederic_S]

Luke does not suck - like if you agree.

[@Jerthanis]

DM "I want fascists at my game table" Lair coming in with another take here

[@ThePaladinWorld]

@@Jerthanis smh.

[@Jerthanis]

@ThePaladinWorld it's what HE said in his last video, and until he retracts and apologizes, I'll let everyone know this guy will play ttrpgs with fascists. Everyone can do with that knowledge what they want, but it needs to be put front and center.

[@robertjackson7718]

Ok, Luke is open to playing with anyone, and you are not...sounds to me like you are the fascist, don't want people with differing views at your table.

[@Jerthanis]

@@robertjackson7718 as we all know, the 30s saw a rise of a new political force throughout Europe remembered mostly for its unwillingness to play ttrpgs with some people. You're being ridiculous. Fascists want to commit to expansionist wars, round up racialized minorities and exterminate them, and extract the wealth we hold in common and place it directly in their own control, and I'm in the same category as them just because I don't want to enjoy social time with them? The fascists cut deals with people all the time, the anschluus, the Munich agreement, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, the tripartite agreement. Everyone was sitting down at the same table with them at the time. What was the lesson to be learned from that?