Recent content by Mort

5.5 Monks got a massive upgrade. I'm certainly itching to try one out.

Critical Role came about because Felicia Day, was present at one of their real games. She thought it was so great that she convinced them to try streaming it, so calling them fake is kind of funny. You can actually find clips (from cell phones and the like) from their non stream early games...

Matthew Matthew Lillard is probably working on it. A company of his already has a whiskey out.

So, incapacitated condition on a hit with no save (as long as not immune to poison)? That does seem rather hefty! None of my players took this, I might suggest it to the druid's player and see how it plays!

For the first season, at least, it seems to be a pretty classic Wide-narrow-Wide etc. approach. As in, the group gets lots of choices on direction, but then when those choices are made - it's a pretty narrow decision funnel until the arc is mostly over, then the choices expand again, then narrow...

I wasn't actually the one complaining. I was just responding to the complaint, that, yes they weren't smiling, in that one picture and who knows why. Guess I could have been a bit more clear that one picture 100% doesn't mean anything!

That was kind of my point with the new group - maybe it was a mood setting thing.

I've only seen the one picture (of this group) so far, and yeah, they're certainly not smiling. They are starting with Ravenloft. Maybe when they took the picture, it was right after a tense session and no one was in a smiling mood?

That makes sense, as Big Bang Theory predates 5e by many years. But I'm pretty sure they switched to 5e by the later seasons. Certainly by the last season, for the celebrity D&D group

But that's my point, it wasn't just Critical Role, it was many other references, mentions etc. And then there's the chicken and egg issue. Did Big Bang Theory raise up 5e or did Big Bang Theory keep referencing 5e BECAUSE it was already so well known and an easy go to. Point Being, did Critical...

I would say no. Not in a railroad or a linear adventure. The players aren't knowingly following a set path with the full knowledge of what their words/actions will lead to. Nor do the players generally know what the outcomes will be, as they would if they were following a script (that they...

Again, actual plays aren't a monolith, some are pretty good for new players to get a sense of the game, and some wouldn't help at all. Critical Role campaign 1 for example (IMO) is quite good for new players and especially for new DMs: For new players, they get to see players adjusting to a...

The plot is laid out and the DM is given no room to deviate, but the players themselves have no idea what coming (unless they read the module) so from a gaming sense, it's a railroad but it's not scripted (because the players aren't in on it).

I remember watching Critical Role campaign 2 when the first PC death happened (relatively early). It was clearly caused by some questionable decisions and even worse dice rolls. The players seemed very genuinely surprised, and if they were faking it they are truly, truly gifted actors! But I...

First of all "Actual plays" are not a monolith. There are many of them, and they don't follow the same format. Second, I've watched many, and while some are certainly more performative then others, they all seem to still be players playing a game - some just clearly cater to an audience more...