Episode 101: How To Have Self Confidence as a Dungeon Master: An evening with Jordan of Lionhead Gaming
Brian Wiggins
0:02
This is the hidden roles podcast by dungeon masters for dungeon Master's. We are going to give you a peek on our side of the table. So you can see inside our notebooks and what we've been doing on our side of the screen. Now let me roll my 20. Okay, check my table. And my guest this week is
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
0:30
howdy how I'm Lyon from line had gaming the DM of the heroes of failure, actual play and podcast.
Brian Wiggins
0:36
Now, fair warning. If you are a player in any of my games, or in lions games, and you listen to this nice characters you've got there. Be ashamed of something happened to them. Yeah, so once again, let's have you introduce yourself for the people who are listening wherever they are listening, use this is Who are you?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:03
I am the Lion of lionhead gaming or you can call me Jordan. Eudora is fine. But
Brian Wiggins
1:08
so where does that come from? I'm just curious. So the lion and dude. Awesome that we're starting with the that's that's important here. Not a lion, the lion but yeah, so how that come to be
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:22
honest to God, I just personally really enjoy lions. It's just my favorite animal. And, you know, I kind of like fable to remember Lionhead Studios. They don't really exist anymore. But you know, I liked you see, like lion heads as emblems and heraldry all the time. And you know, it all just kind of meshed together into just, yeah, I'll start lionhead gaming. That is it is mine.
Brian Wiggins
1:52
It? I did the logo is awesome. By the way. I love the logo. Thank
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:56
you. So very aesthetic to get it.
Brian Wiggins
2:01
So does your does this. This is just the getting to know you part. Does your troupe you the game that you had mentioned it before? And for the folks that are listening in the pre interview part? What was the name? What's so what's the team's name? Or what's the group's name?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
2:21
It's more partnership. Really, because lionhead gaming is a venture with myself. And my wonderful. Oh, so very supportive wife. And it's kind of our, like, pet project. The troupe that we play with our our long term, you know, going on about half a decade now friends who are happy to support and be a part of it, but it's really something that her and I do the nuts bolts and, you know, nose on the grindstone part of
Brian Wiggins
2:57
Okay, very cool. So what was your first tabletop role playing game that you ever played?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
3:07
It'll probably age me a little bit. In the opposite way, the most normally used in fourth edition d&d, actually. Okay. So what got me first experience.
Brian Wiggins
3:19
So So were you aware of tabletop RPG as a thing before then? Or was this something that this was like, Oh, wait, this is brand new. How did you how did you come? How did this enter into your career?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
3:32
So like, my adolescence, was colored by trading card games, right? Like you do Pokemon match and all that kind of stuff, right? And those things usually have events at game stores, right. And so then, through that, plus some stuff with like, realtime strategy games, I got more familiar with things like Warhammer and 40k. And you know, those sort of war game things, right. And then, of course, d&d is like this thing that's kind of like chapstick. You know, it exists, it's out there. But there's like, there's other brands is like, carmex or something. Right? So. So I was aware of d&d, I was aware of, like, the world and stuff, you know, but it was before my time, right. And so, uh, you know, I just got introduced to d&d, like on a Hey, let's play kind of basis by somebody I was going to school with, when I was going to technical school. You know, he and I were playing magic and stuff all the time. He was like, Hey, you know, I also have like, all of this d&d stuff I brought with me Do you want to learn how to play d&d that interests you? I was like, heck yeah. I love fantasy I grew up on Lord of the Rings. I have multiple worn out copies of fantasy stuff. Let's go. Let's play. Very Yeah, they pitched for me.
Brian Wiggins
5:07
So are are you still running fourth edition? Or did you move up to fifth? Are you playing a different system entirely?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
5:15
Man, if there was a virtual table tough that really supportive it really well, that wasn't fantasy grounds, I would still playing fourth edition if I could make it work on a tabletop platform of my choice. But I do play a lot of 5g, I got introduced to that want to say four or five years ago? You know, and met some wonderful people on rule 20. And, you know, basically ended up building that friend group I spoke about earlier through these various mishmash games, until we had, you know, one consistent interlock group of about 10 or so people. Okay. But yeah, the game I run is in fifth edition, you know, I'm playing some Pathfinder second edition. You know, and I do a couple of one shots here and there when I can when I have time, of like, other you know, more indie things. I'm just trying to like, you know, dip my toes out there. I want to play Um, I think it's a kick ass sword lesbians at some point. That seems like a really interesting, crazy sort of game. Yeah,
6:26
Yeah. And Lancer like this some really cool stuff out there that I want to broaden my horizons more on?
Brian Wiggins
6:33
Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing how much is out there. I mean, it's like one of those things like right like that you had mentioned, you're a huge Tolkien fan, right? And there's a lot of great fantasy to consume. And you don't have to like Tolkien but you have to at least throw props up and say like, we wouldn't have fantasy as we know it without him. Him and you could argue CS Lewis but he was really the first one to write that kind of story. That way. And everyone else that came after Robert Jordan Rothfuss. Pat Rothfuss Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson? Yeah. What's his face? A little unknown. Arthur, George RR Martin. You know, all those guys.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
7:22
Who was the one that that blessed us with Discworld?
Brian Wiggins
7:27
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, even think like, even if extended out to like, like, people like Neil Gaiman. You know, it's like, we they would all tie. It's sort of like bands, right? You have to tie it back to the Beatles in some way, you know? But it's, yeah, there's so much. There's so many other systems out there just to consume and play with it just like, man, where do you even start, but it sounds like you should start with culture is iterative. Yeah. So how did you make the transition? So you mentioned you had a friend that had all the stuff. Hey, let's play d&d. How did you make the transition to the other side of the screen? What was it? What was the impetus that said, you know, what I want to be so part one of the question is what made you want to become a DM? And second question is, why did you do that to yourself?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
8:17
I mean, like, the very first time IDM it was honestly just sort of a challenge of just like, hey, do you think you can run this dungeon that I have adventure module book for? Right? Do you think you can handle that? And you know, I mean, of course I can, why couldn't I I know how the system works. Now I can do this. And you know, it went fine. A few unfortunate deaths and you know, everyone left with a smile on their face so Exactly. And I realize I really enjoyed taking in the information that was presented and running it through my own way of looking at the game and looking at the things that I thought were cool, and taking inspiration from other things and trying to deliver something that I thought would be entertaining and like fun and memorable.
Brian Wiggins
9:20
That so you got bit by the bug. Yes, in spite despite all of the despite all of the down all the downside, I say downsides, but all the masochism that's involved in in being a dungeon master, you decided to keep doing it. It sounds like
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
9:36
we I mean, I've always been relatively creative. I think, you know, I liked you know, playing music, you know, doing writing poetry, short stories, what have you. And the, something I realized about deeming shortly after I started doing it again in fifth edition, right, because I only did it for like a short Like, hey, let's do a couple dungeons right in for you. And then there was a gap between like, Alright, I'm no longer, you know, nearby those people, you know, God bless them, but now I am in a different part of my life. And I'm not playing d&d and then I was like, well, let's see about trying to play d&d again, right. But deeming in fifth edition, which I've been doing a lot more of. I had the realization that, um, when you're deeming, for all intents and purposes, you have infinite power. Yeah. measurable? Like the, the sky isn't the limit, you define what the limit is. Right? You are as like Marvel would say the one above all, everything stops with you. Yeah. And that isn't to say, you should see that, in my opinion as a sign off on being tyrannical? No, it is quite the opposite. It is you are empowered to deliver something for 567 other people that they will never they will hopefully never forget. for the right reasons. Yeah, exactly. You don't want to end up on dm horror stories. Yeah.
Brian Wiggins
11:16
I remember breaking my wrist. I wish I didn't. Oh. I remember seeing battlefield Earth. I wish I didn't. Oh, God. But yeah, no, I see what you said. That's actually a really, really positive way of looking at it. That's really life affirming. Actually, man. That's. No, seriously. I mean, yeah, I mean, we all I mean, we all joke like dm is God. That's like the running joke. And for all intents and purposes, like you said, the DM being the ultimate arbiter in everything. Yeah, kind of does have that omnipotence. But the idea that you're approaching it from, but this is, but my job is to serve. To use this omnipotence for everyone else is that it's Dude, that's actually that's very, I get the warm fuzzies now, man.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
12:06
I mean, you know, I don't want to get too off topic. But real talk, Brian real talk. That is the way I see real life too. But that's a whole other conversation. But that is not. You want to invite me to a politics discourse politics podcast, and we can talk about my opinions on beloved benevolent dictatorship. And that's
Brian Wiggins
12:28
Yeah, that's a whole other whole other podcast later. But no, I mean, dude, I mean, that's. Yeah, actually, that's deep, man. I've just changed my mind is really right now because it's just gonna think of like, how most. So my wife and I used to watch So You Think You Can Dance? My wife was a dancer many, many years. And one of the judges on the show said something very, very profound. And it was dance does not build character, it reveals it. And I think you can apply that to just about any activity. If you think about like, I do Brazilian jujitsu. It doesn't build character, it reveals it. I think you could almost say the same thing in, in, in d&d and role playing in general, because you think about the people who come to the table and are toxic. It's not like, you're not shocked that they are acting this way. You know, it's sort of like a reflection of who they are. I don't know maybe I'm just
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
13:26
in a weird sort of way. They don't have as much power, but players are kind of omnipotent in their own way too if you really think about it, right? Because they're stepping up to almost infinite possibilities. They're stepping up to whatever possibilities to dm you know premisses right. Mm hmm. And this is what you chose to be hmm interesting
Brian Wiggins
13:51
man we're getting I wasn't expecting this to be a big thing at all but man I gotta start spreading some water here. Well, I saw this is this is good this is going to bode well for the for the other questions I have coming up here but before we get to some of the deeper stuff favorite monster
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
14:10
gelatinous cube
Brian Wiggins
14:13
and why I have to know now i i have a very it's got a weird place in my heart that's very clean and 10 foot cube shaped but because I started playing d&d with the red box, so think of a second edition which is so I'm dating myself but opposite direction right? And I think I remember there being a gelatinous cube like in like the early like module that you could run by yourself without actually having a dungeon master. They actually had a little little adventure you could run by yourself like a Choose Your Own Adventure thing. And I think there's a gelatinous cube in there and just for some reason always stuck with me mcdu that's kind of like a cool thing. And then now it's just kind of really creepy because it's a good you can just be suspended. They're just being dissolved like a star like that. Why why the gelatinous cube Why is it your favorite monster?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
15:04
Ah, I like oozes conceptually but really like one No I do know this conceptually
Brian Wiggins
15:14
so why do you like to gelatinous cube I like oozes
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
15:19
cool they're like they're cool in their own special way cuz like dragons are obviously awesome right aberrations and all of their ilk are obviously weird and you know various love crafty and all that good stuff you know my players are awesome boulders awesome applets awesome, but gelatinous cubes to me. They are oozes that have a shape from one in in the in the wide spectrum of all of these various dissolving blobs. You know, you have your great users that might hide themselves as walls, but when they are trying to eat you, they're going to turn back into piles of gray goop and try to eat you. But this cube it just maintains its shape. In spite of gravity in spite of everything around it, it could be floating through space, and it would still be a cube. And there's that there's the fact that it's perfectly transparent when it's not moving so you have no way of knowing if it's there. If it's not moving. You can't send such tremors to the floor. It deals only with damage and acid and you know what happens to be immune to acid damage. What mimics Oh Jesus. You ever just walk into a room and see a treasure chest and Oh no, it's a mimic. You assume it's a mimic. You're ready for a mimic? You're not ready to walk into the wall of Milton goop in front of the mirror though. Rei god my inspiration for that is inspired in part by the clown fish in the sea anemone. But imagine the clown fish also wants to eat you. Do but yeah, and gelatinous. Cube doesn't have to be large. It can be as big as you want it to be. The final pin for me that like the trifecta. For the cube for me is I don't I know they're supposed to locomote by sliding. I like my cubes to floop. And it's a it just makes it really like a handover and more fun just ain't over and they just roll at you. And it's just amazing. And I love describing a wall of cubes rolling towards you. What do you do? There's some the D sixes are coming.
Brian Wiggins
17:36
There's a certain beauty to that. I could see that. But man, I wish you could see the smile on my face dude. Man. I am not like Dude, I am I am stealing that. There's a I run a game for some friends and their kids. And I am I have to use that. Oh,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
18:03
my gift to you.
Brian Wiggins
18:05
Wow, dude. Wow. Off. If I didn't have any other questions and we were to end it there. I would be satisfied just with Jesus, man, that is so good. Holy crap. All right, man, that just made my night Okay. Um, let's so get it let's get a little bit deeper. Now. Let's get ourselves behind the screen. So one thing that one thing that is just about every it's funny cuz I don't think it's ever mentioned in any of any of the rule books. But one of the things that every dm should do is run some form of session zero with their players as a means of setting expectations and all of that so you can get a lot of the you can get rid of you can take care of a lot of you can cut a lot of the problems off before they even start right just by having open communication with your players. So for you do you run a session zero? And if you do, what kind of questions do you ask and what information do you feel like you need when you conduct that in order to make for the best experience because it seems like that's really where your foundation is is making sure that your players which I hope almost every dm has that expectation but because you articulated it so well what is it that you What information do you need to get for your session zero in order for your players to get the most out of the game?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
19:25
I got I got I'm trying to hit this I'm trying to distance sequence cuz there's a couple things you said there that I I kind of want to point out so five he doesn't really provide a whole lot of sessions your guidance but but I am going to show just for a quick second. Okay, go for it. Fourth Edition. Excellent guidance. The first and second dungeon Master's guides from fourth edition are superb. They are golden tomes of running a good role playing game that's focused on primarily killing stuff and taking it shit. Excuse me. Sorry, no, it's
Brian Wiggins
19:57
fine. It's fine.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
20:00
Okay, sorry. A great great dungeon Master's guides give great guidance and understanding your players understanding how they want to receive and experience the game. And some great sessions zero guidance, the Pathfinder to EA game mastery guide also does a really good job of this. Just want to give those some quick shout outs. But yes, every time I'm running a game, even if it's a one shot of just like, last, I've made a habit over my last like four birthdays, August 2, to run one shots on my birthday for my friends. I don't know why I do this, but I have done it. And one of them was for Tomb of horrors. And that's everything that Tomb of horrors is. But even for that I had a session zero of like, hey, let's talk about how this dungeon is not fair. necessarily in the traditional sense, right? Like, I want to make sure I run a session zero every time because I think the most important component of playing these kinds of games is informed consent. Okay, yeah. And you can't have that if you don't talk to your players. Because having that open communication, having that establishment of what the game is about what the setting is, like, what the power level, the world is, like, how much is the gold piece actually worth? You know, these sorts of things help frame and structure your game to be, I don't want to say impervious but much more resilient and durable against the the fodder of things that sort of chip away at the base of a good game, right? If you don't, if you don't understand how much you know, your money is worth, you don't really understand how the world functions, right? Like, what makes for a good tip, if you're trying to impress the Mormon, you don't know what, you know, what makes for a ward? Yeah, what's insulting? Exactly? You know, I work again for the rest of their lives, like
Brian Wiggins
22:10
I said to recover and you're banned from that Tavern for life.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
22:15
Exactly. But then, you know, in terms of dealing with players, and informed consent, you want to you want to use the safety tool for people have spent a decent amount of time establishing things like lines and veils are really, really easy. They're so simple to set up at the session zero, just like hey, what what what, what, what Aren't you cool? With? What What don't you want to be in the game? You know? Like, it's, it's a really easy set of questions. That just makes sure everybody gets to have fun that you're not going to throw something that you were not expecting. Because, you know, let's be frank, we don't like even if you've been playing with somebody for 10 years, they may not have revealed everything about their lives to you. Yeah, and that's okay. That's the right but having a session zero less than set those boundaries, you know, there are things that I don't want, you know, as a as an African American, there's certain things I don't want to deal with in role playing games, personally duck, there are other people who are of the same race and ethnicity who will be more comfortable with certain things. And that's perfectly fine. Yeah, the only thing that matters is, like I said, informed consent,
Brian Wiggins
23:27
that they understand what Yeah, everyone understands exactly what they're getting themselves into. And yeah, and then sticking to it, because there's a lot of trust there. Exactly. Trust Him. And there's been a lot of stories in the last year or two of dm, like, like known famous dm Yeah, yeah. That have really kind of, you know, shit the bed on that
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
23:49
alone their whole careers apart. Yeah.
Brian Wiggins
23:52
I am very happy that two of my favorite quote unquote celebrity DMS have never done that. Jerry Hawkins, Tyco bro hi from Penny Arcade, who I actually have met personally and chatted with him. He's very very cool dude. And I obviously Mercer cuz he's just he's drinking and he's good. And I wish I had his hair. But yeah, it's your it's all you know, it's when you It's when you find out like, hey, this celebrity I kind of admire turns out like they're like, oh, they're awesome. Like when you find out Tom Hanks did another cool thing like, Oh, awesome. And then you find out another ones that completely shitty. You're like, man, no, I can't watch anything you did again.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
24:39
Yeah, I love Dolly Parton.
Brian Wiggins
24:41
Oh, man. That's, she's awesome. She's awesome. She's awesome. Yes, that's really that's really you guys good point for making sure that your players understand or actually no, it's better that you understand what your player's limits are. And if you have them, that's fine.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
25:00
They understand what yours are, too. Yeah, they know you're, that's not a thing as a dungeon master, like, you're omnipotent and all of that. But you're still a player, you know, one of my harder lines, personally, is a actual descriptions of torture. It's never something I personally enjoy. It's never something I personally enjoy playing witness to participating in or acting out. It's, for me, it's very much. I am at the point where I can veil torture, I can say, Alright, you do this, or this takes place. And here are the results of that if it's truly necessary, but if I don't establish that at the session zero, and one of my players describes how they want to do something visceral in disturbing to another person. And I understand Yes, we're playing d&d, this is the DM about killing people in horrific ways. You think too long about it? Yeah. But it's just something I have an issue with. So by setting that guideline, even as the dungeon master and having that communication, we can, you know, someone can just say, Alright, I want to use, you know, in a parody sense, right? smiles at the table, enhanced interrogation techniques, and we can move forward, that'll be the veil, it's no different than saying, alright, me in this, you know, me and this other player will fade to black, you know, and they'll have the romance or whatever is the same sort of deal. And that that line in Vail is, it's the the simplest and easiest thing to integrate. There are lots of other wonderful safety tools. But if you're like, I don't know, do we really need this? You're probably already using it for some things like, you know, fading to black and not even realizing it.
Brian Wiggins
26:46
I would actually say it to that point. I mean, listen, if you want to run the tabletop version of saw, and that's what your players want, then go for it. Yeah. But I, I'm kind of in your boat of where for me personally, I that less is more. Storytelling wise, less is more, if you think about some of the scariest moments, or some of the scariest movies, at least, for me, Jaws, and alien. And in both of those movies, you almost never want to get glimpses of the shark. With alien, you want to get glimpses of the, you know, your, your brain fills in. Your brain fills in more terrible things, with leaving the blanks there without actually filling them in. And so even from a storytelling perspective, that could be more powerful. Not even saying anything without being dramatic.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
27:49
It's really difficult to beat the imagination. Yeah.
Brian Wiggins
27:52
But if you're never gonna, like, I'm not gonna say never, but most people aren't gonna like immediately take it to the worst possible scenario and vividly imagine the worst cases of torture ever. They might. But that's a whole other issue. So Okay, so
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
28:08
the next the person that's making interesting characters, Mm hmm.
Brian Wiggins
28:13
So, once you've Okay, so we got session zero done, what do you do as a dungeon master to prepare for just any session whatsoever? So we've, it could be, let's say, we're a few games in. So it's not like, you know, right away, where you've got to do a lot of world building and have, you know, whatever it is, let's say you're several games into a campaign at this point, you're starting to hit your rhythm and flow with the with the group. What is it that you do to prepare for the game that you've got scheduled for? Whatever the next game is? We have a game schedule a week from now what what would what are some of the things that you would be doing to prepare yourself and get the game and get get the game ready for that night? Day, whatever I say night, but you know,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
29:02
yeah, so my dming prep style is, I don't know, I guess I would maybe consider it kind of the boring style. I have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of digital posts. And that is essentially how I function. So like I have, I'm literally looking at a post it note right now. That's just a list of magical item ideas personalized for my players. I have another post a note on the other screen. That is a series of encounter note ideas for the next arc after this dungeon they're in. So so like a combination of just making sure I always have whether it be my phone, physical or the computer, some way to take any sort of crazy idea that sort of comes to the top of my mind. As I think about my game, just in a sort of Professor X wearing Cerebro kind of way of just, you know, opening your third eye and looking out into your, into your world and seeing what the, what you want to have happen and what should happen based on the the player's actions, that's an important component to. And then just writing it down, writing it down in some way, shape, or form, it doesn't have to be long form, though, I will also do prep that way. I will, like if I there was an entire point where my players wanted to do a whole lot of research on understanding the elemental planes. You know what I did, I did a fair amount of preparation for the elemental planes to make it that that required me to sit down and ask myself, all right, what, what are the elemental planes in my world? What does this look like? How do they interact? How do they interact with the material plane? asking yourselves these questions, because you're essentially getting out in front of what they're going to be asking you and solving those problems. And you don't have to write it all down, right? I know, a lot of people really enjoy, like, you know, shooting from the hip dming of just like, whatever you're thinking of in the moment and running with it. And that's perfectly fine. Yeah, I will never admonish that, if you can pull that off, and do it really well. And everyone loves it. That's awesome. Yeah. But I'm also gonna write down a few bullet points. Yeah, just to keep my thoughts organized, just so I know, I have, you know, keywords to look at, to have a jumping off point. So I don't miss step or miss speak the world that I'm also trying to build that I want to have make sense. You know, you don't want to explain, you know, how something works to your players. And they have all of the relevant information. And they look confused. Yeah. Unless, of course, you're, you know, like, unless that's the point, shattering their worldview. And they're like, Oh, we thought it worked this way. And now you're telling it works this way. Okay. Confusion, right? Or if they don't have all of the information they're getting, you know, in, you know, my setting is Greek myths. So it's very apocryphal, very, you know, storyteller, so people aren't going to have the full story, you know, things will get, it's all vocal passed down, you know, that sort of deal for the most part. So things get lost in translation, sometimes, literally. And that's okay for them to be confused, too. But if they have everything in front of them, you want to make sure your stuff makes sense. Yeah.
Brian Wiggins
32:25
So do you use just like the the post it notes that are in like Windows? Or do you or do you have an app with 100%? Okay, okay.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
32:35
I literally use the post it notes everywhere, like, like, I know, like, if you're gonna do like the full monty of like, building out and extremely fleshed out setting, I know, there's like great tools for that, like world Anvil, and stuff like that. And those are excellent resources. If you're really, you know, going super deep with it. I'm personally at like, I'd say, the midpoint of I am preparing everything I think I need, and everything I know I need. And that's about it. I'm not, you know, I'm not going all the way to, you know, writing everything down, like I'm compiling a book or setting book to, you know, make a Kickstarter with
Brian Wiggins
33:18
whichever one wants to do now. And sure, why not? Hey,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
33:22
no power tool. I'm
Brian Wiggins
33:22
glad for you. World Anvil, I think it's the first I've heard of that. But I'm definitely gonna check that out. I tend to I use OneNote. Myself, because I'll just like have an idea of I go this thing just for a bike just be like a story idea or a story hook. I'll be thinking, Oh, I think this happened in this world's history. So I'll make a little note for myself. But I know for myself, I need to keep it organized differently. My ADHD will just go berserk. And I'll be like, Wait, where did I put it? Which note is it? Oh, I deleted it. And you know, it'd be
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
33:53
bad, I can color code mine posted.
Brian Wiggins
33:56
That that would, that would be helpful for me. But world Anvil, I liked it. I started actually posting once information becomes public knowledge to my character, or to my players. I set up a wiki on Reddit for our game. So that way, it's like as we're establishing things, it's become a little bit easier just to go back and look at those things really, really quick. But I only do that for the public stuff cuz I don't want to put all my notes there because their stuff they don't know yet. So when you're actually playing Do you prefer tactical? Or do you perform more theater of the mind or you some kind of I mean, I know everything's kind of a hybrid no matter what, but do you tend to on if we're gonna say one end of the scale is completely theater of the mind. And the other end of the scale is very tactical. Where do you Where do you tend to like to fall on that scale on that sliding on that sliding scale?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
34:52
I cut my teeth and made my entry into the game with fourth edition. So I love me some battlement Okay,
Brian Wiggins
35:01
we're playing Warhammer for that too. So you probably like this probably a little bit of a
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
35:06
board game card game mentality for some things. Yeah, here in there here in there. I'm more a fan of the 40k. franchise than I am of the actual war game itself, right honest with you, but but I do I do prefer tactical maps, many I will use theater of the mind, for when it makes sense, because it's an excellent tool, there's no reason to cut the tool out of your toolbox, you're not you're not proving anything to anyone, all you're doing is hampering your own ability to deliver the experience you want to deliver. You know, I, I spent, I have spent my fivey career if you will, deeming in a virtual environment, whether it be role 20, or now, more prominently foundry virtual tabletop. And then of course, you know, we had 2020, and everyone's getting to learn what that's like now. And the nice thing about dming in that environment or a dming an environment where you have digital resources available to you, if you're playing in person, is if you're doing a theme scene, the theater of the mind, you can still have supporting artwork, you know, and I'm saying you can have elements and you know, music or what have you to amp up the theater rather than just you know, whatever box text you might be reading or pulling from your own notes or what have you, you know, these things can all combine together to make for more memorable experience. But when it comes to the nitty gritty, let's roll initiative time. Almost 100% of the time, it's going to be you know, very tactical with the battle map here. The monsters here's what you see, you know, here some elevation markers that kind of deal of like, Alright, let's let's, let's play it out. Um,
Brian Wiggins
36:51
you'd like you some grits.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
36:53
I do enjoy me some grids, much to the chagrin of one of my players who would love it if I were to free him from the car. I'll never free you Brendan, you are trapped until I say otherwise.
Brian Wiggins
37:08
Be careful what you wish for Do you wish your character to be free of the grid? Yeah. Cool. Oh, look, there's Jubal Lex. Congratulations, your character is free of the grid.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
37:28
There is a nice component for theater of the mind. Something that um, is always kind of interesting to me. And you'll see this with some recent Kickstarter projects from especially from like Matt Koval. As of late he did his whole kingdoms and warfare project, right? People really want to deliver that Peter Jackson, you know, Warcraft, big 1000s of people smashing into 1000s of other people feel for their games, they really want to deliver that warfare feel right? Yeah. And I get that I get it a lot. I come from a military family, I enjoy that content as well. However, when it comes to making that work in a Dungeons and Dragons environment, I think there can be some pushback, right? Because it's this it's the sort of thing that you present to your players of like, Hey, are you all interested in it? Alright, they might be interested in it conceptually. But how interested are they in actual, like warfare rules, and like managing units and playing Total War while they're playing d&d? Right. And I think theater of the mind can make for eight, excellent bridge between, we're playing d&d, and also 10s of 1000s of people are fighting right next to us, right. And I think using theater of the mind, it's kind of my go to strategy for that kind of situation of Alright, here's the stuff that you guys are doing. We're high octane, it's on the battle map. Here it is, right. And then depending on how, what you're doing is going and maybe the orders you're giving or what have you. things around you are progressing forwards, backwards or not at all right? And then the theater that you're playing and so you're on a battle map, you're very visceral, you know, everything that's there, but you guys didn't stop the damn from, you know, being blown up in time or what have you. And now the battlefield around you is changing, and that'll change the next thing that you're dealing with. And, you know, it's it's kind of like, it's kind of like my philosophy for encounter building in general and for like, understanding the world in general. And that is, everything is a dungeon. Everything always is a dungeon. It makes it so much easier to prepare and understand a game. I think if you look at your world that way, my players spent 18 days climbing through and up the largest mountain chain in the world, while being a pushed down by a supernatural Blizzard at the same time. They were in a dungeon. And it was awful. It was a ton of fun, but it was awful for them because you know who wants to be on a mountain in the blizzard. And this the same deal with a big warfare scene to you're in a dungeon? What's going on what you do in in your individual rooms can have an impact on the dungeon all around you, you know what I'm saying? So it makes it a lot easier to sort of picture and flowchart. The whole situation. If you take it to what it is you most core understand about the game you're playing Dungeons and Dragons is about
Brian Wiggins
40:39
dungeons and dragons and or possibly dragons. That's Dude, that's actually I like that. That's a really cool. I mean, I mean, I mean very conceptually, yeah. Oh, yeah. The world's a dungeon. Right. But no, I like that. You're breaking it down into smaller pieces like that. That's actually
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
40:59
it makes it a lot easier to prepare. Yeah, absolutely. Like even the most crazy and like, you know, bombastic events, if you think of them like rooms. Mm hmm. It makes it really easy.
Brian Wiggins
41:12
Man. You're like blowing my mind. And I do this all started with a mimic. And that was just the bottom floor, bro. I'm liking this. This is very cool. That's because I know like when I when I first got back into d&d, I had taken man probably close to 20 year break from role playing games. Yeah, I was I had run a I'd run a vampire game in college. And then I really hadn't gone near it not because I didn't want to just I just hadn't had the opportunity to until 2017 2018 when I got back into it. And I remember just being so overwhelmed. And this is such a gets it right there. Just like yeah, just breaking it down that way is Oh, man. Golden. I love that.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
42:03
You take life day by day.
Brian Wiggins
42:07
Man. We're getting it. It's not just life advice dungeon. dungeons in life, man, not dragons.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
42:12
I mean, like, honest to God, if the overlap is immense, right? They always tell you what's what is the thing they always say every rom com to fixing a relationship you need what?
Brian Wiggins
42:25
Someone to carry the ball? I don't know. Uh, oh, yeah. Well, that to know, what was it? I'm sorry. Say again?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
42:31
You need good communication, y'all. Yeah, yeah, you'd have to be to communicate with your partner, right? The same principle applies to everything else, whether it be your boss or your party. Same thing. In you communicate, if you're able to effectively communicate as a DM with your players. One of the one of the best things I think I have ever done for my own dming is I took something that has allowed my wife and I to have we've been together for 10 years now. to prosper as well as we have is that sometimes her and I will just sit down. And we'll have what I call relationship checkups, where we just talk, just talk about everything that's happened, what we've been going through how we feel about different things, and just update each other and express things openly and understand that this isn't a place to really feel a need to be defensive. It's a place to grow so we can continue to be together 10 more years, right? But you do the same exact thing with your players. You go on to Google surveys, you make a five question survey really simple. You ask them what have you enjoyed? What haven't you enjoyed? What do you want to see more of where do you see your character going? What magic items do you want to see? Or what kind of powers Do you want to get or anything? Right? Because there is no no one knows your players better than they do? Let them tell you what it is they want from you so you can deliver on to them everything and all of your omnipotence that you have your fervor got a little littles I was raised Baptists. I was hearing it there and I liked it. And I'm here for it, man. Oh, man. I really like clerics.
Brian Wiggins
44:13
Man is that I mean, you're. I think I want you
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
44:17
to be my I'm just passionate. I just I just want to have a good time at the table.
Brian Wiggins
44:21
Yeah, that's, that's a first of all, dude, you and your wife are going to be together forever. It sounds like because that's what you're describing there. Whether it's even just with your significant other, or your players to get credit to ask for that feedback or from your boss is scary as hell. Because you don't but it Yeah, it's one of those things that you don't want to live in ignorance. And if you go on to like if I whenever I see like, like dm Academy on Reddit. Like 90% of the questions that are asked that are legit questions, not that how do I start? dming it's like no, we want to help you with that. But did Google it. But for the ones that are, most of the questions are like dude communicate with your players. My players won't stop doing this. Well talk to them. Did you talk to them? No, well start there. And, you know, no, that's, that's, that's it's such a that's such a tough thing to do. But that's it's so worth it so worth is to, to stick your face in the paper shredder and see what happens. Because that's kind of what you're doing and hoping is not on.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
45:37
I mean, you know, like, you have to sometimes Yeah, like, imagine if a knife was scared every time you went to sharpen it because it was going to lose a little bit of itself. Oh, damn, dude. You You're, you need to cut things, you need to be sharp. And sometimes that means you have to learn that, hey, your prose goes on for too long. Sorry, yeah, we love the way you describe that Cathedral. But what did we really need to know just how detailed the columns were, they weren't relevant. There wasn't a puzzle involving the columns. There wasn't a monster on the columns. The columns were just columns, but you spent two minutes talking about them. We love you. But you know, spend your time elsewhere, man. And you see sometimes, and that will make a better game.
Brian Wiggins
46:25
Yeah. And you just got me thinking of a puzzle where you have to turn these enormous columns to the right dial thing to make them all open up? That is, yep. Oh, that's cool. Um, so something that I'm going back to like one of those, some a lot of the questions that you see out there, and you've probably come across it too. And we all run into it every single time we run the game is. So are I give you another example, too. You had actually mentioned about how they wanted to know about the extra planar elemental planes. And so you had to start conceptualizing what all this was preparing. Inevitably what happens though, is they ask you the one question you didn't come up with an answer for or you plan out an encounter and they come up with the one solution or there's always something that the players will do. Damn them every time that just completely flomax is any planning that you've done, and it's, as you mentioned, because they have a world of almost infinite possibility and you can't possibly conceive evolve that when something comes up, that's more than just a little, okay, I make a little pivot if something really challenging, not in a bad way, but something really challenging comes up that a player has done what do you do? What have you done in order to adapt to that, so you can make it seem like cuz here's the part right? Half the time we're flying around, hold it by the seat of our pants with our hair on fire, but we'll never let you know that we're screaming on the inside. You know, what do you do to make that seem as seamless as possible that Oh, yeah, I plan for that? Because that's the trick, right? We didn't plan for it, but we're gonna make you think we did. So what are some of the things you do do when it when a player when a player or players come up with some unexpected solution to a problem?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
48:11
It's all about what the problem is and how the solution actually functions right? I am if it is not already clear. enabler when it comes to I want them to have in a good way and boys time Yes. But I want them to have a grand boys time in the the rules and bylaws that I set. Right? I consider myself a lawful neutral person and a lawful neutral dm, I just understand that I define what the laws are. So if you have outsmarted me in my encounter, and come up with some outstanding solution that checks out that you haven't broken any rules, you haven't cheated, you haven't bent anything. I just didn't plan for it. I pass I knocked over my king to you, you have done an excellent job. I am proud of you. And this is your time to shine Well done, players well done. And I mean that sincerely. I truly do. Oh, yeah. Of course, if there is something that does not work within the laws and you have you know, you've gone too far, I'll remind you of what it is that you know, we agreed upon and that this doesn't function that way or what have you, I'm sorry, you can take your turn back and you can tell me something different, you know, etc, etc.
Brian Wiggins
49:26
This I'm old with the engineer, which you signed exam therefore there should be consequences to your actions.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
49:37
I mean, I'm so permissive you just get to have your turn back. Wow. You
Brian Wiggins
49:41
You're so a vago and like really just like blow it up.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
49:46
You'll think they misread the last line that the spell Oh player has the you know, we can't finish reading disease.
Brian Wiggins
49:55
Wow, you are a merciful dm Oh,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
49:59
yeah. I have infinite Power I can throw nine I can throw in plus one dragons actually one
Brian Wiggins
50:04
plus horns. Okay. Yeah, that's it. That's it. That's a tech school move right there, man. I remember that from stat class. All right, you
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
50:16
know, I don't have to. I'll get your next turn the baler will crush you and Oh, don't worry. Well. Exactly, no.
Brian Wiggins
50:24
So is it a case now where it's like when you give them their turn back to like, Oh, god, no.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
50:31
I mean, usually, usually, for me and my players, they're mostly pretty experienced. Yeah. So they'll, they'll be able to pin it. You know what I mean? And and figure something out. I'm very much down and open for communication, teamwork, all that kind of stuff. So let's, you know, they'll be fine. They'll be fine. If it's something let's say not combat focus, right? Because combat free, easy for me to deal with, right? Like I said, I cut my teeth on 40 combat I get Yeah. If it's something where they have like pointed out something in the world or have, let's say, you know, a really smooth talking Bard has now winning my really smooth talking NPC right, and they have pointed out a fatal flaw. They've revealed the murder mystery before it was before they were supposed to figure it out.
Brian Wiggins
51:19
Yes, this is what it is.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
51:20
Yeah, like that. Like, you know, they figured out who the bad guy is. here's the here's the trick, right? Mm hmm. If they have figured out who the bad guy is, and they're right. I hope you've been practicing your poker face. If they can see your face, you need to ride that out. You need to ride out what it is they're saying. And not let it show as best as you can. You don't you don't speak too much. You don't speak too little. You have to just it is I think you just have to put some asis into charisma and you're gonna need it. And and you're gonna have to just let them think what they think and try to pull to the next scene. Now if it is a if it's a big accusatory, you know, they actually declaring this in character, they're actually holding the purse. Yeah, exactly. You will hopefully have prepared something as a response. If you haven't, either full and and play it up from from that point forward, let them let them take this moment, because it is something that is, in this context, even more earned than combat, right? Because combat is something that we understand it has a series of binary values. The spell does what the spell says it does, right? And there are ways to influence and utilize those things to create for situations that the DM didn't plan for. Yeah, like force cage, and or polymorph. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?
Brian Wiggins
53:04
Oh, my god, that was when they when they finally got polymorph it was just like, wait a minute, and it God would have broken goddamn spell. And it just like exactly, but it made for fun, because I think he turned himself into Triceratops. It was like it. I can't say no to that. And then it was like, Well, I'm gonna ride the Triceratops. I would too. Yes.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
53:34
Learn to smile when they're smiling. And but if you're dealing with a situation of like, it's just role playing. They've made the accusation you don't have something planned. I mean, unless you're running like a like, if you're running like a Sherlock Holmes campaign, where they're going on a series of murder mysteries, let them have this one. If they it's kind of like, um, it's kind of like what you mentioned earlier. Actually can't remember his name. The writer of A Song of Ice and Fire you mentioned earlier. Oh, that I was gonna say like, Yeah, he had an interview. That's been shared a few times where he was talking about if you're writing a story of murder mystery, where the butler did it, and two books in people online to figure it out. The butler did it and you try to change it to the chambermaid did it, it's going to be obvious, they're going to know, they will see where the logical inconsistency is. Line up. It's very difficult to pull that over if they've already reasoned it out. Because they've already they've already laid out. You know, there's an obsessive player at your table that has all the notes of all the things everyone said. And they already know. The butler did it. Yeah. So let them make the accusation. And you're just gonna have to roll with it. There isn't a there isn't a golden bullet to this, I don't think are a silver bullet to this. It is a mixture of depending on your own charisma to weather out player accusations of like, Oh, I think I think the butler did it guys. What do you guys think you think the butler did it? And they're like talking about this at the end of the session? You got to ride that out. Yeah, the players make the accusation in character, you might just have to let them take that whim. And that's okay. That's a good thing. But there is a Yeah, it might be my own personal shortcoming. But I don't know if there is an answer to it. If there is a perfect solution to them. Realizing the butler did it early, besides maybe having to end the session and trying to figure out where you're going to go from there. You need, it's okay. I would say that that's my answer. It is okay. To take the time, you need to find where you want the the gaming story to go, right, because they are going to be focused on their win, they're not going to be focused on you know, necessarily not having a perfect answer or the perfect response. You can you can pivot and improvise and have you know, the accused make some great voice accusation back at them, you can have them try to fight their way out of it. There's lots of things you can do in the moment. And those are great, that makes for dramatic tension that makes for you know, that moment they call it out and he picks up a vase and throws that I'm in runs intercession. Cool. Now we're coming back to a chasing, now we're building up the action, now you change what the drama is going to be. And you, you you, you keep that drama and you build it up into something new, and you take the time to do it, do not be afraid to take your time.
Brian Wiggins
56:43
So I something I started doing. Breath in a minute.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
56:50
Really, you really got me really thinking about how to approach this situation.
Brian Wiggins
56:54
And it's a situation we all run into. And sometimes it's easy to tap dance around. And that comes back to some of those notes. If you've made if, depending on what works best for you, whether it's very detailed writing, or whether it's just quick notes. If you've done enough preparation about the world, you'll be able to tap dance out of a lot of situations. You don't have to have everything written down. You don't have to plan for everything. Just make something up and go with it. And if it dramatically alters things, then oh, well go with it. But don't worry about it. Because it's going to happen. It's inevitable. I started writing out like five scenes that I wanted to play out during a session, we almost never get past three. So no, no, but I so i'm not i'm not sure I'm not planning out. Like, you know, like every minute detail. I'm just making little notes like, Okay, this scene, bah bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, like two to three bullet points. So if something happens that I need to do a quick little juggle, I could just grab one of the scene for scene five. And maybe, yeah, and just go it that way. I did have to cut a session short once because they just went on this left turn that I just did not expect. And I said, and we're gonna end the session there because I got nothing. And it's okay to admit that it's fine. It's nothing bad happens. They'll show up again to find out what you cook up to them.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
58:29
100% 100% I think I'm gonna go ahead. Oh, yeah, good. No, no, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. I would say, um, there is a love in d&d, right of the random encounter. And I have a love hate relationship with the love of the random encounter. I do not care for the random encounter. That means nothing has no impact. It provides no setting and provides no foreshadowing, it does nothing. But have you roll dice. And that is the end of it. It is literally I looked at a table and this came up and this is what I'm doing. And it's okay, if you enjoy that. It truly is. Yeah, as long as you and the people you're playing with also enjoy that. Personally, I don't care for it. But what I do like is a random encounter that will allude to the future a random encounter that will provide a framing for things that I am working on in the background, right. And if you're doing something in a sandbox environment, and you know your players have hopefully agreed as part of doing a sandbox to let you know where it is they want to go in the future so that way you can make sure it's adequately prepared. And they just had to throw the curveball of Oh, crap, we learned something. And now we're gonna go in this other direction. We're taking the scenic route. Yep, we're taking the scenic route. We're taking the scenic route to one of those random encounters that I've prepared Ah, that alludes to the story that tells you something more is happening that provides the blood stained knew about some, you know, trade caravan or what have you. Things that help build out and flesh out the world and show that it's alive and things are happening in other places, I think is something that is often lost in the chase of like, what makes a balance encounter, that's a little bit easier. But like what makes for an interesting encounter? what it says about the world it takes place on right. And so having a good couple of those to throw in front of your players, because let's be frank, no matter what edition of the game it is, or variation, Pathfinder, otherwise, combat always takes forever. I'm sorry, it always does. fivey for Pathfinder, Second Edition, first edition, it doesn't matter, combat always takes forever. But it makes for a great stop gap for when they decide to take a left turn at Albuquerque and go in the wrong direction. And lets you set things up for the future lets you drop these hints in these illusions, the things that V notetaker players or the people who are super interested in the lore of your world are going to be happy to hang on to and they're going to be really happy to see those things pay off. It's, it's, it's perfect. It's a tool that lets you buy time, and give them happiness, because you just want a good fight where they can show off their powers and stuff. Right? That's what we're here for is to be heroes, they get to save some people do some cool stuff, you get to build out your world a bit more. And you have time to prepare for that city that you didn't think they were gonna go to for another four months.
Brian Wiggins
1:01:28
And it's it's, it's it's fun to every now and again, give them a squash match. Right? Oh, yeah. 100%. Just Just bring in a few jobbers. And it could be as something as simple as these bandits are moving away from a war or they're moving towards a war, or Yeah, it just, you know, just they're moving to something complicated.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:01:49
Yeah, exactly. Just give them a just give them a couple sentences of motivation. Because if they think those sentences are interesting, if they think, wait, what what's going on in the eastern continent? What Why are they going away from this? What if they start asking questions, if they show genuine interest? And you're in a sandbox game, for sure. You already know what you need to start thinking about, don't you?
Brian Wiggins
1:02:14
Mm hmm. All right. So what I have here now is a question I saw on the Reddit or the subreddit, dm Academy. And I saw it this week, and I thought it was very interesting and a golf is because obviously, this has already been answered, because you put it up there. And if it's an interesting question, people answer it immediately. But I thought maybe we could take a shot at this. So the title of this post is artist from posted by the user, zero ago Thrax. 00 Thrax, one of the other player wouldn't tell me spells they were attempting to cast to save drowning paralyzed party members. And then the post was, he kept asking what depth they're at. And just that over and over, he never told me the spell. And we both got upset. And the session ended shortly after, this player has also done problem things in the past as well. How do I deal with this? given it you? I'm gonna, I'm gonna lay this one in your lap. Because given your previous answers, I think you would have some unique takes on this. But I mean, I mean, the first thing right away is that if he ain't telling you what spell he's casting he and casting a spell, but my benevolence has limits. But how would you handle that if you had a player who is trying to keep secrets from you, so they can kind of do? Because it kind of sounds like that that player is trying to set up a gotcha. Well, technically,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:03:45
here's, here's the thing, right? Because you're you're not wrong. It does sound like that. But you know what I actually hear, I hear I hear the gotcha, I hear the potential for a ha, I have an idea. And here's my idea, and it's too late for you. Oh, most omnipotent being
Brian Wiggins
1:04:03
tough data can't take backs.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:04:06
To stop me. That's what I hear based on what you've told me. There is the gotcha. But underneath the gotcha the motivation for the gotcha to me, is they have a fear of being told no, they have a fear of being a failure. They have a fear of the DM trying to stop them. Mm hmm. And that comes from perhaps other histories and other tables, that comes from a lack of communication between myself between the DM and the players, right. Because when you have that understanding, when you have that understanding, Brian, that I am here to enable your fantasies. Truly, that is what I'm here to do. They're going to tell you what they want to cast because they believe based on your actions and things that you've done all this time forward. You're coming vacation with them your desire to understand and be a fan of their characters to root for them. They know you're not going to try to fuck them. Yeah. Right if they, for me right as a lawful neutral Diem. They know, as long as it checks out by the rules. You've got it. It's yours, do it. Let's see you happen. Let's save the commoner save your ally do whatever do have your moment the cameras on you. So to me, it is tragic. I hear that. And I think honestly, I think it's I think it's sad. Because that could have been a really cool moment. And the player didn't trust the GM. That is what I hear true. The player didn't trust them. They were even if they didn't realize that they were scared of being told no. Or that the GM would say that they were at a lower depth at the last second right of like, Oh, your spell goes 120 feet. There are 125 baby. Oh, you need to see them for the spell the waters murky baby? Or? Like oh, yeah, because right because you have infinite power. You can stop me at any moment. I know that. Yeah, I know. I can stop you.
Brian Wiggins
1:06:16
I don't need to but make me smile. See
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:06:18
what happens. Exactly.
Brian Wiggins
1:06:21
That, you know, it's interesting. Is that further down in that thread, the DM who had posted that had said that the player was trying to and I know me personally, I love it when the players try to do off label use of spells. Hmm, I think it's so creative, and it's fun. And it Listen, if it's flat out not gonna work out, tell them you know, it's what it's, um, there's four words that every dm will say, if you're trying to do something and you're trying to vary, maybe not so subtly tell them that it probably is not going to work is the well, you can certainly try. Right. But that was what was happening. The player was trying to do us a spell in a not normal way. And was worried the DM was going to say no. And the DM said I would have let him do it. It's so you're hitting it on the head there where it's just like, it comes back to it right. Talk to your players. establish some expectations. And I don't know maybe this dm has been just a I don't mean this in a negative way that has been a rules lawyer saying this is what the rules are. You know, and this is what they're going to be. So I yeah, I don't there's none of Condit but I think you hit it there where it's just like, yeah, communicate. And remember, it's supposed to be fun.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:07:38
Yeah, like it? It is right. And you're supposed to you should set that expectation. Because it allows for informed consent, and it allows for informed decision making. That's the other component, right? If, if I if you know, from talking with me and sitting at my table, that array of frost does not freeze pools of water, you don't have an expectation for that to happen, right? No, that's not what that spell does. I know it's super cool that that's how it works in Divinity Original Sin to. But that's not how it works. That's not how the spell works. But there might be other things in the world that let you do certain things, right. We might have an artificer that has a freeze bomb, you don't know the possibilities are both bounded and endless at the same time. And it is just an exploration of the the setting in the world and an understanding of what is and isn't allowed that allows you to make informed decisions. Sure, you may know that that spell that you kind of really hope I'll let you bend the rules for for this cool moment. Maybe, maybe that might happen. But you know, more often than not, I might turn my nose up at it me personally. And that's just the way that I like to have my world function and have the game that we're playing function. But you know that going in? So maybe you'll just dive in after your friend. And that makes for a different kind of dramatic story, doesn't it? Yes. You can still have those outstanding moments. And you can have those moments that allow, quite frankly, if we're talking about the addition, certain kinds of characters who don't really get to shine all that often. Shine all that often. It's a nice moment when the Barbarian gets to do something that's not just swinging their axe. They get to dive in and save the room because they can take the freezing temperatures. They can get down there. They have the con for the breath. They can make it Yeah, and yeah, you don't get to use your magic this time. I promise you there's going to be 12 more rooms that you can fireball. I swear
Brian Wiggins
1:09:43
I will give you plenty of things to set on fire. We're talking to me a target rich environment, just always chill. So what's some advice you get? So as we wrap things up here, what's one tip you would Give a brand spanking new, still in the package, mint condition, Dungeon Master or Game Master, who's about to embark on their very first imaginary journey? What is one tip you would give them?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:10:15
Okay, I'm gonna try, I'm gonna need a second to think, okay, because I don't want to repeat the same things I've already said because communication would be my number one tip, right? Having that session zero and establishing what it is that the, your your, you know, starter kit box adventure is going to be about right, let them know, like what kind of characters to make all that stuff. Communication would be my normal number one, but I think I've repeated that a fair amount. So let me think of something else.
Brian Wiggins
1:10:43
patient is important. I mean, that's I, every person I've recorded or done this podcast with, we've always come to that theme at some point is communicating with your players and the good DMS. Do that. And the I don't want to say the bad DMS but the not good.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:11:06
Don't say I would say this, do not burden yourself with comparison. Not burden yourself with it. Good one, use it. It is a tool. Everything around you can be used to better yourself in a lot of things, but also in dming, understanding the things that Mercer or even the other DMS perhaps at your table do and growing from them, taking inspiration from them, looking at things that they do in the way that they do them. And trying to understand how they got to that point in thinking and their preparations. Take inspiration but do not be burdened by it. Do not think that you have to be the next Matt Mercer don't think you have to be the wonderful gentleman from Penny Arcade or from the adventure zone or what have you. These guys have a lot of experience and they run the games that they want to run. This is going to be your game. You can be inspired, but you can also develop and create these whole new things just for yourself and for the people you're playing with. And that is what you should put your focus on. Do not let yourself be burdened by comparison
Brian Wiggins
1:12:24
by Bruce Lee man be like water. Exactly. Take everything else behind. So what is one tip you would give your younger dm self?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:12:38
Don't stop playing d&d. Oh my god. Call. Yeah. Oh, Watson told him the four years and as bad as everyone tells him it is.
Brian Wiggins
1:12:54
I never played free. But I do. I feel seen right now. I just guess that's Yeah. It's so much. It's nice. Because Rob Yeah, don't stop. I like it. Because now even if we're on the waning edge of wonder if this is a good way to call it a golden age of d&d and, and ttrpg. Even if we're on the waning side of that particular Hill, it's so much easier to play it now. One because of its accessibility, but to because it's lost so much of the negative stereotype that it had, you know, and I mean, for a big basement stereotype, that basement stare It was so weird. So it sounds like I have a few years on Yeah. So I, when I started playing, it was right in the smack dab in the middle of the satanic panic. So is the whole idea that this was evil. And there was like little I remember at my church growing up, they had these little comics that talked about also Africa who did them, there's a name for them with these little comics that were like how, you know, the world of sin. And one of them was how d&d and in the comic the girl starts playing d&d, but then eventually has to kill her parents so she could become part of the company. And but this was the propaganda that was out, you know, is that d&d was this awful satanic thing. So my parents were like, they know it wasn't they know it was make believe, but I did have a friend who was not allowed to play with us because of that. And but I think that's also Jo. Jo. Man. JLo. We can thank him for that him and Vin Diesel. Just say, Are you good? Are you good? Are you gonna tell Joe man GL is not cool. Yeah, I want to see that conversation. Go tell Paul white then it's not cool. He plays d&d. I want to see how that ends up ends up for you.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:14:52
It'll be pay per view. I'm
Brian Wiggins
1:14:53
sure I would watch it. So as we wrap this up, where it can be Find you follow you should you so desire? Where should people find the lion?
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:15:07
Yeah, you can find me on Twitter Of course, lionhead underscore gaming, or on Twitch where I stream my actual plays on Sundays for heroes of daliah. And I also play in one of our friends games that he runs on Thursdays. I play the wonderful bounty hunter droid, rv threepio on shared experience on Tuesdays. So I'm in I'm in various places, mostly on Twitch and Twitter. You know, have my own discord and all that jazz as well.
Brian Wiggins
1:15:37
Good times, man. I cannot thank you enough. This has been a real nice way to wrap up. We're recording this on a Monday and it's a really nice way to wrap up a Monday, man, I feel rejuvenated. I feel ready for this.
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:15:54
You're ready to play, aren't you?
Brian Wiggins
1:15:55
I am ready to do everything right now. Man. Good. Man,
Jordan (Lionhead Gaming)
1:16:02
it's been a blast. I appreciate you reaching back out.
Brian Wiggins
1:16:05
I appreciate it, man. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Of course, anytime. Well, that's it for this episode of hidden roles. Remember, players if you're in my game or in lions game, and you listened to this podcast, your characters just might get gelatinous cube. Yeah, that's the thing. We're the dungeon masters. We can make it a thing. Please make sure to give us a big old five star review on whatever platform you happen to be consuming this podcast on. Please follow the hidden roles podcast on twitter at hidden underscore roles. And you can always give me
Brian Wiggins
A follow at the same Brian on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
