Critical Role Professor DM interviews Critical Role Cast

[Clint_L]

Based on the interview, we know he DOES often have some prepped encounters and terrain builds that don't make it into the game because the game heads in a different direction. That said, I'm sure some game sessions are more predictable than others and can support more reliable prep and that means less wasted prep work and the potential for more elaborate scenery.

We also know that sometimes he and his team rush to build a set during the break, which is one of the reasons that they often break right before a big combat encounter. On a few occasions he has described frantically pulling something together, and in other interviews he has shown the extensive terrain and miniature collection that they have on site, and even how he organizes the terrain.

Edit: as someone who also enjoys building elaborate sets for my home games, here's my process:

1. I consider the most likely outcomes based on where the party got to in the last game. Sometimes, this makes prep easy: we broke off right before the big battle (usually because it was late and combat takes awhile), so I am almost 100% certain that we will need X set.
2. The party has entered a fairly confined environment - a dungeon-type scenario. Then, I just prep the key locations, and they are very likely to get used.
3. Other times, the party have some significant choices to make, so now I will prep some different options. Frequently, I will prep three different sets and only one or none gets used - this happened just a few days ago. C'est la vie. I keep the sets around for a few sessions in case the party goes back to those plot threads, and then I recycle them when it is clear they have moved on.
4. Something totally unexpected happens and now it is theatre of the mind!

 

[Neonchameleon]

Great example. I remember when everyone terrified of the Monty Haul campaign as if it were the worst thing that could ever possibly happen, and I think even with the game at the time, it was largely a made-up problem.

Monty Haul is specifically a problem in what is now called Westmarches style play - when there are multiple DMs and the same characters are taken between different tables. Which meant that you could have at the table two ultra-rich characters and four poor ones.

 

[TiQuinn]

Monty Haul is specifically a problem in what is now called Westmarches style play - when there are multiple DMs and the same characters are taken between different tables. Which meant that you could have at the table two ultra-rich characters and four poor ones.

I can see that being an issue there.

 

[Mannahnin]

Monty Haul is specifically a problem in what is now called Westmarches style play - when there are multiple DMs and the same characters are taken between different tables. Which meant that you could have at the table two ultra-rich characters and four poor ones.

Not offered without any reservations about semantics, and aware that the term has been stretched a bit since Ben Robbins first articulated the concept, but I think we're stretching the term "West Marches" a bit there.

West Marches refers to an open table campaign with variable attendees from session to session (and originally no fixed schedule), but it's still run by one DM. I think you're looking for Shared World or maybe "transferable characters"?

The kinds of campaigning Gygax described in the 1E DMG, which includes all of the above, definitely does have cautions about Monty Haul play for that reason, and Gary gives some advice on it (p110-111).

INTEGRATION OF EXPERIENCED OR NEW PLAYERS INTO AN EXISTING CAMPAIGN

A viable campaign is likely to suffer some attrition as it progresses, with players dropping out for one reason or another, and new participants coming into the campaign milieu. Some of these newcomers will be experienced players from other campaigns and have special characters which they wish to continue with. Other experienced players will have no characters, but they will have useful knowledge of the game which puts them apart from true novices. Finally, there will be the totally uninitiated participants - those who have only a vague idea of the game or who have absolutely no information as to what it is all about. These three types of new players will have to be integrated into a campaign which could be in nearly any state of maturity, with the majority of players being low, middle, or high level. To accomplish a smooth transition, I suggest that the most applicable form of those given below be followed.

Transferring player characters from other campaigns to yours is appreciated by the participants coming into the milieu, as they have probably spent a good deal of time and effort with their characters, and a certain identification and fondness will have been generated. You can allow such integration if the existing player character is not too strong (or too weak)for your campaign and otherwise fits your milieu with respect to race and class. The arsenal of magic items the character has will have to be examined carefully, and it is most likely that some will have to be rejected.

 

[TheSword]

I think this was my first time learning Professor DM's real full name, which was the most shocking reveal of the interview to me.

I liked the interview and I like DungeonCraft's videos in general (the older campaign diaries are great). I'm excited to see some of CR4, though I'm not one to watch live-plays on their entirety.

I like him. He’s the only streamer commentator I enjoy regularly listening to for opinion. He’s also pretty balanced on D&D. Pretty neutral, which I appreciate.

He also wrote one of my favourite dungeon adventures…

Unhallowed Ground

A monster amonkst us... The monastery of Montelegro was once a major center of academia, but it fell out of favor when its library burned to the ground some 20 years ago. (The fire is rumored to have been started by the candle of a monk who fell asleep while reading.) Without books to attract...

adventurelookup.com

 

[mamba]

nvm

 

[Parmandur]

Some of the Critical Role cast came and talked for D&D official social .edia accounts about why they are playing D&D, and what D&D has specifically meant for them: