Being a Dungeon Master... on line.

[wedgeski]

p.s. can't remember if it was one of the youtubers mentioned previously but there is a good vid about the difference between real rolelplaying sessions for 'normal' people and the ones you get on youtube - basically normal people play the game while the online ones perform the game for an audience - so don't get intimidated by all the acting, accents and the like (the most famous channel consists of a bunch of voice actors, for instance).

A few years ago I thought this was going to be a big problem. The Critical Role bunch were always excellent roleplayers, but as the sets got more elaborate, as more cameras were added, as the DM's battlemats turned into full-fledged 3D dioramas with resin terrain provided by sponsors, I got nervous that anyone tuning into to see what D&D was all about would find something fun and aspirational, but not particularly helpful in demonstrating what their own game might look like. I could just imagine the first tentative session run by a nervous DM, head full of rules, and his brand new players asking him why he didn't have 20 voices at his disposal and a table full of professionally painted mini's.

As it turns out, I was wrong. D&D is more popular than ever in no small part to CritRole, and there are hundreds of streams representing every kind of game imaginable. I learned a lesson about the value of aspirational goals, probably. I mean, how often did Top Gear talk about anything except supercars?

[paddykafka]

D&D player here - in the sense that I haven't played D&D for the past year :-( (any offers appreciated).

Yep. The same here.

Admittedly, a big part of my problem is chronic social anxiety, which makes being involved with new people and fitting into groups, problematic, to say the least. Maybe it's just me, but I also find that the vast majority of players tend to be quite young and I guess that, being middle-aged, I just tend to relate better to - in so far as my limits allow me to - or feel a bit more comfortable around players of my own, shall we say, vintage. I'm also hamstrung by being so technically backward in comparison to most folk. For starters, I don't have a smartphone - I just find them too damn finicky and awkward to use - so I'm out of the loop when it comes to game notifications. And as I panic a little when it comes to playing online - I'm still prone to problems when it comes to understanding technology - that only adds to my anxiety, as I don't want to hold up the rest of the players in the group.

At times like this, I wish that I was thirty or forty years younger. Sure, I'd still be crippled with social anxiety and ineptitude - believe me, I was even worse then than I am now, lol - but at least I would be of an age where the technology of the time did not feel so daunting.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

p.s. can't remember if it was one of the youtubers mentioned previously but there is a good vid about the difference between real rolelplaying sessions for 'normal' people and the ones you get on youtube - basically normal people play the game while the online ones perform the game for an audience - so don't get intimidated by all the acting, accents and the like (the most famous channel consists of a bunch of voice actors, for instance).

Anyway - for irregular groups, look up the Westmarch style of playing - the party has a base in a town where nothing happens (as in they can safely wander around without fear of combat encounters) and on any given session a group assembles and ventures out.  Though it sounds like you'd end up with really small groups who would have limited options - so another idea is to have each player run two PCs, and maybe have one stay at home if the party grows too big.

Despite my fear of being immodest.... "Performing" isn't something I am that intimidated by... far from it. (If it wasn't for my lack of hieght, connections in the industry and general "Cosmetic disadvantages" I'd of LOVED to be an actress... I have been told I have some talent... just try & stop me!

[The Doctor Alt 8]

Last nights session highlights...

Gatekeeper "I don't care if you are the chief eunuch to IO's left testical ... your not getting in here until I have talked to my superiors ..."

" four and twenty virgins went down to Inverness
  They visited Sir Christof and there were four and twenty less"
(Sir Christof Draco is Adrian's character ...)

Oh we worked out the Roll 20 problem... apparently you cannot start a new game using a mobile phone which was what Adrian was attempting I had no such woes when I opened my account on my laptop.

[wedgeski]

Someone was interested in a pic of my online D&D setup.

[Barrington Boots]

That was me, cheers dude.
Looks good. That's a lot of work compared to a Roll20 style setup, but does look a lot nicer.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

Someone was interested in a pic of my online D&D setup.

That's a nice set up... But I would have to have more ... reliable players to justify something like that.  Perhaps when I have more experience I'll ask for players.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

I am saving up for a webcam but I am torn between the 1. Logitech C920 or the advantages of the 3. Logitech StreamCam (+Content creation features Facial tracking+Auto-focusing) The webcam that I am using currently is the one integral to my laptop. the image quality is poor and it keeps turning of just leaving the background display up. (Not that I should complain that much I do have a face for radio) what do you folks think?

[wedgeski]

My webcam of choice at the moment is one of the Logitech clones:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DLT4FQY/

I was forced to buy one of these when Logitech became impossible to buy at the start of the pandemic and everyone discovered they needed a webcam for Zoom. It's half the price, as good quality (as far sa I can tell), and will be much better than your laptop webcam. I've bought three of these over the past year and they've worked out of the box every time.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

You bought three... did they brake so quickly or did you need three?

[wedgeski]

You bought three... did they brake so quickly or did you need three?

They're all still working perfectly.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

   Oh thank goodness.


Last night my team members thoughly railroaded ME (To hilarious effect)

I thought it was supposed to be the other way around?

[wedgeski]

That is the way.

[Barrington Boots]

I'm actually fast approaching the end of a 4 year campaign with my group. Assuming nothing goes wrong they'll beat the big baddie and then retire the characters, as they'll all be pretty high levelled by then.

It's weird to have played the last year or so of the game online rather than in person. It's the second longest campaign I've run that's had a definitive beginning and end, and I'd like to mark the end of the game in some way, but online (and I assume we'll still be online by then, anyway) is tricky. My best idea atm is getting some custom character art comissions done to remember the characters but I'd welcome any cool ideas.

[The Doctor Alt 8]

I think that would depend on how much you are willing to spend. You have heard of Hero Forge? Wonderful customizable RPG figurines... but rather pricy.... and that's excluding postage to the UK. It is cheaper if you have the confidence to paint them yourself... or have access to a 3 d printed...