Satine Phoenix DM Tips: Know Your Audience w/ Liam O’Brien October 30, 2020Zoltar hello good morning good afternoon good</p> <p>evening welcome to GM tips I’m Sachi</p> <p>Phoenix co-creator of Mazur Khanna and a</p> <p>dungeon master on Fury’s reach each</p> <p>player sits at your table for a reason</p> <p>to play but not all adventurers are</p> <p>created equal I was at a table in</p> <p>Australia Australia about ten years ago</p> <p>where most of the players were adults</p> <p>who hadn’t gamed in a really long time</p> <p>we got together because we wanted to</p> <p>play with other intelligent adults who</p> <p>loved puzzles</p> <p>after the first session it was clear we</p> <p>really just wanted to kill things we</p> <p>through the GM’s entire brain bending</p> <p>campaign out the window I felt bad</p> <p>because he spent so much time working on</p> <p>it but that didn’t seem to bother him he</p> <p>crafted the rest of the adventure to the</p> <p>game we really wanted to play kill kill</p> <p>kill leaving us with only a few puzzles</p> <p>and riddles over the length of the</p> <p>campaign he was able to read us fairly</p> <p>quickly figuring out where our</p> <p>boundaries were and what kind of</p> <p>challenges would satisfy each of us this</p> <p>brings us to today’s theme know your</p> <p>audience</p> <p>tips number one communicate not</p> <p>everything is as it seems some players</p> <p>have grand ideas of what they want in a</p> <p>game and sometimes once they get it</p> <p>realize it was better in theory I am</p> <p>incredibly guilty of this as a player</p> <p>and you as the fabulous game master you</p> <p>are have taken your players enthusiastic</p> <p>requests and built them the game of</p> <p>their dreams after you run them through</p> <p>the game checking on them ask them what</p> <p>they liked about the game and what it</p> <p>was about that moment they liked so much</p> <p>listen to their answer if they like us</p> <p>say they want a puzzle game but have the</p> <p>most fun smashing bad guys try adjusting</p> <p>next time and blending bits of the</p> <p>elements they originally said they</p> <p>wanted into the combat they admitted to</p> <p>liking more this isn’t something that</p> <p>happens often but what is good about</p> <p>this as I often say is communication</p> <p>maybe only in that space does your</p> <p>player feel safe telling you how they</p> <p>feel maybe they don’t want to disappoint</p> <p>you or offend you by saying something</p> <p>you won’t know until you ask</p> <p>tip number two altering tone this tip is</p> <p>broken down into multiple legs leg a</p> <p>environment where you play can affect</p> <p>the tone of your game it can affect what</p> <p>and how you play the things you say and</p> <p>how loud you say them what kind of game</p> <p>is subject matter is reasonable at a</p> <p>public place pace you have to take</p> <p>things into consideration like the</p> <p>players at different tables around you</p> <p>are there kids nearby are you playing</p> <p>with people you didn’t know well in this</p> <p>environment you may have to adjust your</p> <p>game to fit a more</p> <p>rated pg-13 atmosphere aka</p> <p>be careful who you’re cursing around</p> <p>playing at yours or a friend’s house you</p> <p>have more freedom to intensify the tone</p> <p>of your game themes that might offend</p> <p>anyone outside of your group are CBIZ</p> <p>played at home another way you can alter</p> <p>the tone is with sound lighting and NPC</p> <p>a volume control leg B themes how</p> <p>familiar you are with your players can</p> <p>have an effect on the tone you choose to</p> <p>run your game are you playing with a</p> <p>group of adults who want to push their</p> <p>limits playing with new players who are</p> <p>adults</p> <p>playing with new players who are kids</p> <p>playing with kids you know and playing</p> <p>with their friends who you don’t know</p> <p>playing with friends who have definitive</p> <p>topics that are not to be crossed each</p> <p>of these groups have specific levels of</p> <p>play you’ll have to adjust your game to</p> <p>asking what they’re comfortable with is</p> <p>a good first step</p> <p>legs be progressive tone change based on</p> <p>learning your players over time does one</p> <p>player get uncomfortable when you</p> <p>approach a topic or theme they get quiet</p> <p>stop participating at the table or</p> <p>suddenly stop showing up</p> <p>sometimes you play as people who didn’t</p> <p>realize what the boundaries were until</p> <p>they were pushed if you notice someone</p> <p>withdrawing and they don’t come to you</p> <p>directly about why take them aside and</p> <p>gently ask them there’s something about</p> <p>the game that made them uncomfortable if</p> <p>you put a theme into your game you know</p> <p>is a bit taboo talk to your players</p> <p>ahead of time and let them know before</p> <p>you start playing tip number three play</p> <p>well with others</p> <p>we’ve talked a lot about it being your</p> <p>game because you’re the GM but part of</p> <p>being a good game master is being able</p> <p>to play with your players take the time</p> <p>to learn how they play their characters</p> <p>the parts of the game they’re drawn to</p> <p>and the parts that quiet them listen to</p> <p>their comments and really hear them</p> <p>there’s no adventure without the players</p> <p>so take what they like into</p> <p>consideration when making your campaign</p> <p>I could role long but instead let’s</p> <p>discuss this with voice actor director</p> <p>and backs from critical role Liam</p> <p>O’Brien little hello and thank you for</p> <p>coming thank you for having me yeah in</p> <p>our pre-interview we discussed knowing</p> <p>your audience so we talked about</p> <p>outgoing versus introverts would you</p> <p>like to talk about that a little bit</p> <p>sure so my experience DMing over the</p> <p>past couple of years has been with two</p> <p>sets of kids my own children start with</p> <p>my kids and over the last year a little</p> <p>bit with the with the players from</p> <p>critical role so pretty wide spectrum</p> <p>there but what I’ve learned in my time</p> <p>coming back to the DM seat is it’s a</p> <p>little bit like your first game it’s</p> <p>kind of like first date</p> <p>there’s certain I think there’s certain</p> <p>habits that you bring to every game that</p> <p>you DM but every group is totally</p> <p>different and so starting on the first</p> <p>game and then more and more each game</p> <p>you learn about your audience your</p> <p>players and what they’re like and I mean</p> <p>everyone’s talked about how there’s</p> <p>different kinds of players some people</p> <p>are more theatrical some people are more</p> <p>number crunching yeah and I think your</p> <p>first game or two or five is about</p> <p>figuring out what kind of player you</p> <p>have so I DM for I have a 10 year old</p> <p>boy and an 8 year old girl and I started</p> <p>with my son and my daughter got curious</p> <p>as well and they’re totally just like</p> <p>they are in life they’re totally</p> <p>different players my son is very shy and</p> <p>kind of unsure about role playing in</p> <p>general or has been and my daughter is a</p> <p>big ham and cheese sandwich goofing</p> <p>around you so I have two very very</p> <p>different games running for the kids</p> <p>based on the kinds of players and their</p> <p>groups that I’ve learned them to be my</p> <p>son and his group all both kids are</p> <p>extremely smart I’m a dad</p> <p>my son’s group is a little more number</p> <p>crunchy they like the battlefield and</p> <p>strategy and hiding behind a rock and</p> <p>you do this and I do that you’re the</p> <p>bottle cap on the stick yeah boy I</p> <p>thought that would be more cerebral my</p> <p>family in general just because I’m such</p> <p>an egghead but I was wrong and you know</p> <p>there there is definitely role playing</p> <p>in over time I’ve kind of encouraged it</p> <p>and and my son has sort of blossomed in</p> <p>that sense because of the game because</p> <p>it’s the best game while my daughter hit</p> <p>the ground running they’re all her group</p> <p>of eight-year-olds really like ambience</p> <p>and mood and I’m running cursive Strad</p> <p>for them and yeah I’m standing on the</p> <p>edges from my audience but I’ve learned</p> <p>that they like solving puzzles and they</p> <p>like spooky things and they like that</p> <p>they’re really into the story because</p> <p>the boys just like like their power</p> <p>fantasy of being a big bulky Dragonborns</p> <p>and blasting things out of the water but</p> <p>you still give a story oh yeah oh yeah</p> <p>but do you find that they’re kind of</p> <p>waiting for the next in like fighting</p> <p>encounter or do they enjoy the different</p> <p>and I don’t like it too but I’m I the</p> <p>the girls are sort of always</p> <p>role-playing and the boys kind of go in</p> <p>waves and they like they’re obviously</p> <p>they’re most excited when they’re</p> <p>kicking something else or when I’m</p> <p>having that thing kick their ass a</p> <p>little bit and I think that’s you know I</p> <p>compare that even to the handful of</p> <p>games I’ve run from my own group you’re</p> <p>you’re choosing what you’re trying to do</p> <p>with your grid no no group is is the</p> <p>same and so I think it part of the dams</p> <p>job is to to cater to your to your your</p> <p>group at the time because you’re playing</p> <p>with them right not going at that yeah</p> <p>you’re not not you’re not bringing some</p> <p>sort of hard and fast set in stone like</p> <p>religion archetype of the game yeah and</p> <p>bow down and and you know follow the</p> <p>religion dates you’re getting grouped</p> <p>together you want them to have fun it</p> <p>really is its catering it’s it’s it’s</p> <p>serving them you have the boys group and</p> <p>the girls group and you know your son</p> <p>and your daughter but how do you how do</p> <p>you Dungeon Master the other kids you</p> <p>don’t know or do you feel like you’re</p> <p>learning them as you go</p> <p>yeah learning definitely learning as you</p> <p>go the vampire game my daughter was</p> <p>adamant I’m doing straud and I’m doing</p> <p>you know this gothic horrific it can be</p> <p>obviously not for them a story and I</p> <p>knew that I had to scale it down and</p> <p>scale it back and the beginning of that</p> <p>adventure you go into death house it’s</p> <p>just a house not called death house for</p> <p>them but um I had to sort of like</p> <p>fine-tune just how creepy and scary it</p> <p>was you know they like Harry Potter they</p> <p>like they like telling each other ghost</p> <p>stories but I also can’t scared I can’t</p> <p>send them home with nightmares so the</p> <p>first game or two is like okay I’m going</p> <p>to dial it down no I give me to dial</p> <p>down even a little bit further because</p> <p>one little girl in the group is even a</p> <p>little more sensitive than the others</p> <p>and so it informed how much levity I</p> <p>needed to bring into the you know feed</p> <p>in that vampire sandwich how did you</p> <p>read that because that sounds like a</p> <p>very sensitive thing to experience and</p> <p>also like not panic as an adult business</p> <p>life uh well I mean you’re just you’re</p> <p>feeling it out in the room and it really</p> <p>is building chemistry in the moment and</p> <p>I could just tell I mean she let me know</p> <p>she turned to her friend</p> <p>so this is a little scary and I knew</p> <p>like ah reading to turn the dial and</p> <p>make this voice a little goofier or a</p> <p>little less direct eye contact role</p> <p>playing yeah with these little little</p> <p>kids and they’re eight they’re very</p> <p>smart eight-year-olds but again custom</p> <p>custom-built to the group you have so in</p> <p>these games you’ve dialed it back a bit</p> <p>to cater to their sensitivities has</p> <p>there been a point where you ramped it</p> <p>back up because you feel that it’s okay</p> <p>and at what point is it okay for you to</p> <p>actually do that yeah I mean it comes</p> <p>with time and they’re they’re growing up</p> <p>growing up as I run these games and one</p> <p>of my intentions for both these groups</p> <p>and all these kids and I know their</p> <p>families and I know them really well now</p> <p>is to help them learn problem-solving</p> <p>and and teach them how to like take</p> <p>ownership of their decisions and their</p> <p>decisions in life and I’m watching them</p> <p>grow up and evolve and my son’s game is</p> <p>a little further out than my daughter’s</p> <p>I’ve been doing my son’s almost twice as</p> <p>long and when I started with the boys</p> <p>when they were nine had just turned nine</p> <p>it was very simple and very easy and I</p> <p>don’t want to you know I don’t want to</p> <p>TPK any of these kids at any time but I</p> <p>also didn’t want it I wanted them to</p> <p>have happy memories of their beginnings</p> <p>with Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop</p> <p>gaming so things were very simple and</p> <p>there’s a lot of problem-solving and</p> <p>there was never any real threat per se</p> <p>there’s not any threat now but um smash</p> <p>cut to a year and a half later I had the</p> <p>boys facing off against a dragon which</p> <p>wish would cream them right but he was</p> <p>just there to do some damage and leave</p> <p>and I killed one I killed him the boys I</p> <p>knew that there was I thought there was</p> <p>going to be a temple nearby I knew that</p> <p>there was no no issue but at the</p> <p>beginning of the game I want them to</p> <p>feel safe and feel like just a sense of</p> <p>adventure and Wonder and get them to</p> <p>understand how a Dungeons and Dragons</p> <p>anything is and all tabletop gaming</p> <p>sky’s the limit there’s no limit on your</p> <p>imagination yeah now that they’re</p> <p>getting older and they’re grappling with</p> <p>more already a year later grappling with</p> <p>more mature response and life I want</p> <p>them to have that adrenaline rush and go</p> <p>oh my gosh I could lose</p> <p>at all and had that sense of</p> <p>accomplishment or victory when they</p> <p>overcome the impossible which which they</p> <p>have the girls are you know six or eight</p> <p>months behind I won’t be doing that for</p> <p>a while yeah but I will eventually and</p> <p>it’s been fascinating just like you</p> <p>watch your kids grow up in general and</p> <p>light to see them you know reading their</p> <p>first words and graduating kindergarten</p> <p>it’s it’s amazing to see these young</p> <p>minds becoming more layered and complex</p> <p>through this kind of storytelling and</p> <p>you’re helping just like the stuff that</p> <p>you’re doing</p> <p>the stories are running them through</p> <p>those are life lessons gives them the</p> <p>courage to make the choices they have to</p> <p>make in impossible situations I also</p> <p>remember being younger and having like</p> <p>one friend in particular his dad was the</p> <p>cool dad and I got introduced to</p> <p>Japanese animation and comic books and</p> <p>robots and all this all that like now</p> <p>chika that Miyazaki film yeah when I saw</p> <p>it when I was in one tiny theater no one</p> <p>note it was it was amazing and he that</p> <p>guy opened my mind up to a lot of things</p> <p>things such as my parents weren’t even</p> <p>aware of and not that I’m imparting some</p> <p>like secret truth to these children but</p> <p>I feel like I’m letting them through a</p> <p>doorway into Narnia for the first time</p> <p>and I hope you know when they’re 20 30</p> <p>40 to go oh man</p> <p>that kids old man was so cool and here</p> <p>they cool get me off on the road to all</p> <p>this yeah maybe they can grow up to be</p> <p>voice actors and entertainment Hulk what</p> <p>does your pregame house role look like</p> <p>uh well since most of my time is with</p> <p>the kids I am reminding them every game</p> <p>that the purpose obviously is not to win</p> <p>and if they need to be constantly</p> <p>working together and lifting each other</p> <p>up and just I help them remember focus</p> <p>because everybody wants to be the hero</p> <p>all the time so it’s always alright</p> <p>remember your this is your mom to shine</p> <p>and now it’s his and now it is I’m going</p> <p>to use that that’s not just for kids</p> <p>that’s for everybody</p> <p>what was your favorite Jam only I will</p> <p>give you two one from the kids one from</p> <p>the grown-ups my favorite kid moment is</p> <p>my daughter so proud of her</p> <p>was playing a druid in a game that I do</p> <p>just for my son and daughter and she</p> <p>used grasping vines to drag some fool</p> <p>into a bonfire to waste and so I was</p> <p>really proud of her little monster side</p> <p>and then in my most recent one shot for</p> <p>critical role I had them find Liam</p> <p>O’Brien none of that in a dark dystopian</p> <p>Los Angeles future and I spoke at a</p> <p>speed gun spelled boys through them and</p> <p>he said many things but he also told</p> <p>them what they all meant to him and it</p> <p>was something that I had been planning</p> <p>for about six months eight months maybe</p> <p>and I had thought of that moment first</p> <p>and everything else in that game which</p> <p>came before it was built from that final</p> <p>moment so eight months passing by to</p> <p>live on internet uh starting to sound</p> <p>like the war games computer and watching</p> <p>their faces kind of break and laugh and</p> <p>and then go you know blank was was</p> <p>amazing</p> <p>it’s what that’s what Jamie is about</p> <p>yeah quick tip for the audience I would</p> <p>say my number one thing for jams from my</p> <p>own experience is to embrace uncertainty</p> <p>I still have the urge to plan an over</p> <p>plan and I never get to it all anyway</p> <p>and it’s not what my kids or I think any</p> <p>players remember it’s a little bit of</p> <p>magic the mistakes the the unexpected</p> <p>twists that happen by accident that’s</p> <p>our show for today</p> <p>Thank You Liam for hanging out with us</p> <p>where can we find you on the Internet</p> <p>you can find me at voice of O’Brien and</p> <p>Twitter and more importantly every</p> <p>Thursday night on critical role here at</p> <p>geek and sundry</p> <p>as always I’m Satine Phoenix at Satine</p> <p>Phoenix and you can ask me questions</p> <p>with the hashtag ask Satine you can</p> <p>watch more of these super-fun jam tips</p> <p>on geek and son</p> <p>and find me as always Sundays on laser</p> <p>connoisseurs and echo and dungeon</p> <p>mastering Furies reach with rudy’ on</p> <p>twitch.tv slash D&D Neum would you</p> <p>please GM associative here you find</p> <p>yourself watching a YouTube video you’ve</p> <p>lost track of time</p> <p>is it been minutes hours weeks of your</p> <p>life and you find yourself wondering</p> <p>have you been watching GM tips</p> <p>whereas GM tips been watching you</p> <p>[Music]</p> <p>[Applause]</p> <p>[Music]</p> <p>[Applause]</p> <p>[Music]</p> <p> Share this:TweetWhatsApp
