D&D General Live-Action D&D Shows/Podcasts: Love Them or Hate Them?

[DEFCON 1]

13. I used to love them but I had to kill them
I used to love them, oh yeah but I had to kill them
I had to put them six feet under
And I can still hear them campaign

 

[J.Quondam]

14. Depends upon their views on druids in metal armor.

 

[Ancalagon]

I used to think that they weren't for me, but then I discovered the Drakkenheim series and I was hooked. I wonder if it's because of the smaller party size?

 

[el-remmen]

They are not for me but do appreciate the way they have widened the appeal of D&D beyond a niche basement dwellers thing (I put myself in that category ). At the same time, I once had someone tell me that she couldn't get into D&D because she felt her imagination and quips off the top of her head would never be as good as CR and that broke my heart, which I hate because she shouldn't be comparing herself to pros for a thing that is just for fun and that she had barely tried.

Is that nuanced enough for you?

 

[J.Quondam]

I actually don't care about them one way or the other.
What I do do sometimes, though, is watch a few sessions to get a feel for how a particular game system works. Irrespective of the entertainment value, streams can be very helpful to learn the rules... provided the GM is competent.

 

[Waterbizkit]

I went with the third option as it's the closest to an accurate answer for me. I quite enjoy Critical Role, have since the beginning.

In contrast, when I've tried watching other live shows they simply haven't clicked in the same way. That's not to say I won't one day find another live-play show that I'll enjoy, it just hasn't happened yet.

So, I love one of them... and I'm fairly indifferent to the rest... so far.

 

[payn]

Neither. Too boring, Id rather be preparing for my own game or do something else with my time.

 

[billd91]

I've been enjoying the hell out of Critical Role. I started mid-campaign 2, but now I'm just about done with my Campaign 1 binge. But I don't love/hate streamed play, in general. It's more of a "hey, this one is fun to watch" kind of thing because they joke around, they go off half cocked, they laugh at and with each other, they lean into their flaws, they obviously have a good time, and they still manage to have some awesome, unexpected adventuring moments.

 

[The Old Crow]

I listen to a lot of podcasts while at work, and love them. Can't stand watching live plays, though. I prefer smaller casts with voices I can tell apart easily.

 

[CleverNickName]

I get a ton of ideas from them for my home games. At least a half-dozen times per episode of Critical Role, I find myself saying "huh, I didn't think of that" or "I wouldn't have thought to use a save throw for that."