Watch Chris Perkins' First Episode of DICE, CAMERA, ACTION

WotC has just launched an official Dungeons & Dragons web show called Dice, Camera, Action. It stars Chris Perkins running a game for Holly Conrad, Jared Knabenbauer, Anna Prosser Robinson, and Nathan Sharp. They are playing Curse of Strahd, so only watch it if you don't mind major spoilers. The video is nearly two-hours long. Enjoy!

[video=youtube;a1ZbgywIF6Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ZbgywIF6Y[/video]​

 

[Ancalagon]

I was going to start a thread about this but I might as well post here.

I've had a bit of a dull weekend - gf and stepdaughter are out of town, then I fell sick. So I elected to start watching this. I'm about halfway through episode 2 and I have been really enjoying it.

The thing that perplexes me is... I don't know why.

See, I've tried to get into TitansGraves with Wheaton. I couldn't do get into it. Then I started hearing more about the Critical Role and I told myself "maybe there was something about TitansGraves that bothered me, so let's try that". Couldn't get into it either. So I concluded "well I guess this type of entertainment is not for me".

So I'm not sure why this is working for me, when the other 2, with higher production values, better sound and actors etc, did not.

 

[mattcolville]

So I'm not sure why this is working for me, when the other 2, with higher production values, better sound and actors etc, did not.

You can't help who you fall in love with, man.

 

[Rhenny]

I was going to start a thread about this but I might as well post here.

I've had a bit of a dull weekend - gf and stepdaughter are out of town, then I fell sick. So I elected to start watching this. I'm about halfway through episode 2 and I have been really enjoying it.

The thing that perplexes me is... I don't know why.

See, I've tried to get into TitansGraves with Wheaton. I couldn't do get into it. Then I started hearing more about the Critical Role and I told myself "maybe there was something about TitansGraves that bothered me, so let's try that". Couldn't get into it either. So I concluded "well I guess this type of entertainment is not for me".

So I'm not sure why this is working for me, when the other 2, with higher production values, better sound and actors etc, did not.

For one, it does not seem that Dice, Camera, Action is intended to be like either Titansgrave or Critical Role. It is much more of an actual play experience with players who are more like "normal" players. I think the rough edges of how the game works is something that some people like. Also, it has the added bonus of featuring one of the chief influences/architects of D&D 5e so that will give it some weight.

Both of the other productions are more polished and they both focus on developing story with players who are professional voice actors, so I think they highlight story development and character development; whereas DCA is more about playing the game.

Titansgrave is certainly more produced and story driven. Since it is edited for publication it certainly smacks of author control.

Critical Role is a "real" D&D campaign, but the players (and DM) are extraordinary entertainers who can play character roles and use voices to great effect.

DCA is an inventive and creative DM, running an adventure that he helped to write and it features some web personalities that speak for a living, but they are not character actors as such. In fact, I don't really know that much about those players. To me they do seem more ordinary (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way).

I think they are all interesting.

 

[Tiles]

It was the familiar setting and masterfull storytelling that grabbed me. I also agree they are succeeding at being their own thing.

 

[Rune]

It may be a bit blasphemous, but (after watching only the first episode, so far) I can see a few things I would approach quite differently as a DM than does Mr. Perkins.

1 - and I recognize this is largely a playstyle thing - I prefer a much more narrative approach to ability checks. I'm far more interested in "What are you attempting (and how)?" or "What are you trying to ascertain?" than being asked what die rolls they can make over and over again. It seems to me that the immersion disconnect caused by leading with the mechanics (and 3.x/4e style format of calling for specific skills for those, incidentally) is heightened for an audience. But that's just my own preference.

2 - The character introductions frankly waisted valuable time providing mostly non-relavent information that would better have been teased out through play. Brief appearance and important details: sure. Everything else: show, don't tell. Especially for the audience.

3 - The dominance of the female characters (and, especially, the paladin) was not a role-playing issue (indeed, it was fun to watch). It is a spotlight issue created largely by the party dynamic and scenario. I think Mr. Perkins will address this in the future, but I like to think I would have addressed it far earlier in session 1 by having NPCs call out the sheepish PCs and make them specifically address it. Another thing I would do is use passive knowledge, perception, and insight checks to just feed those characters information, so I could periodically give them something new and ask how they act on that knowledge.

Other than those things, it was very enjoyable. I'll keep watching.