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welcome back to how to be a better d m i'm your host justin lewis
[justin]:here with my brother in arms tanner wayland and today we are being joined by
[justin]:a very special guest alex areas i hope i'm pronouncing that but we'll
[alex]:hm
[justin]:let him introduce himself a little bit in a second the goal of today's show
[justin]:is to help you tell better stories as u d m sessions of d and
[justin]:d and obviously we want to immerse ourselves in story and you
[alex]:oh
[justin]:want your players to have an extremely positive effect but to immerse yourself or to
[justin]:have them immerse them it requires a lot of work and how do you do
[justin]:that so that's the question we're going to talk about today
[alex]:oh
[justin]:with alex so just to get started alex tell the audience a little bit about
[justin]:yourself
[alex]:sure like you said i'm alex ares i'm the
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:co founder
[justin]:yah
[alex]:of game play candles it's a scented
[justin]:ah
[alex]:candle company
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:with sense designed for dan d tabletop adventures i've been a d m of fifth
[alex]:edition advent
[justin]:ah
[alex]:since twenty fourteen
weyland]:oh
[alex]:um and my day job
weyland]:m
[alex]:is that of a
[justin]:oh
[alex]:manufacturing engineer
[justin]:oh
[alex]:so whenever i'm producing widgets to sell i feel right at
[justin]:oh
[alex]:home at least as much there as i do around gaming temple
[justin]:well
weyland]:that's awesome
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:m
[justin]:that's like
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:that's like a perfect match it feels like you know
[alex]:yeah it's a very natural evolution yep
[justin]:for sure well like i said our topic today is immersion and so the first
[justin]:question i have and obviously tanner has you know a full
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:load of questions
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:on his own if you have any question that you'd
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:like to talk about filter and bring up the first question
[alex]:m
[justin]:i have
[alex]:m
[justin]:is where do you start when trying to create more emersion for your players
[alex]:gosh yeah i think that you
[justin]:oh
[alex]:know there's no single prong in the front as it
[justin]:oh
[alex]:were around your gaming table but i do like to design my immersion with
[justin]:okay
[alex]:my players in mine and
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i think as a good d m you're there to sort of chaperone
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:and curate
[justin]:oh
[alex]:an experience and in a story
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:that everyone can
[justin]:oh
[alex]:contribute to but being a d m you have this unique opportunity to bring a
[alex]:little extra pazz to the table so i look at the players and look at
[alex]:their interest and their characters and i think that's a great place to start
[justin]:oh awesome could you this might be a little bit hard off the top of
[justin]:your head
[alex]:uh
[justin]:but do you have any examples to kind of show the audience a little bit
[alex]:ah obol show i mean i could
[justin]:well sorry not
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:metaphorically show the audience through
[alex]:oh
[justin]:our work
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:sorry
[alex]:yeah no problem well you know we have a barbarian in the in one of
[alex]:my campaigns that i had previously deemed
[justin]:a
[alex]:part of their back story involved a very specific description of their their life on
[alex]:the plains as a nomad with their nomadic tribe and um m i found a
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:food recipe that you know might be considered that of nomadic people's you know s
[alex]:like a flat bread so there's no leavening or anything like that so
weyland]:great
[alex]:just sort of i made that i'd like to cook a lot of a bit
[alex]:of a gormand
[justin]:m
[alex]:but i made that and just called it you know terra's
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:flat bread or whatever and that was her characters
weyland]:m
[alex]:you know so
[justin]:oh
[alex]:umyeah'just sort of incorporating her character
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:into into the night as a
[justin]:m
[alex]:whole
[justin]:m that's
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:really
weyland]:i
[justin]:cool
weyland]:love that
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:i love that especially because i think that nowadays i don't know
[alex]:ah
weyland]:people
[alex]:oh
weyland]:kind of expect
[justin]:m
weyland]:snacks at a lot
[justin]:uh
weyland]:of the gaming like any
[alex]:ah
weyland]:time
[justin]:uh
weyland]:they come to the table
[alex]:hm
weyland]:for a
[justin]:oh
weyland]:session but we always think what's
[alex]:m
weyland]:easy you know just some snacks from the store you know
[alex]:hm
weyland]:mass produce doritos whatever else
[alex]:m
weyland]:it is right
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:but it's like hey and some people take
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:a step further where they actually make
[justin]:yeah m
weyland]:like deserts or snacks and
[alex]:hm
weyland]:i love that you didn't just be like hey i baked
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:bread
[justin]:oh
weyland]:joy
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:but
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:like you were like hey
[alex]:ah
weyland]:here's they're from a nomadic tribe like
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:this is what they'd be eating
[alex]:m
weyland]:let's
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:bring
[alex]:i mean
weyland]:you into the world
[justin]:h
[alex]:and you can even you know you can even take those deritos and just pour
[alex]:them
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:into a bowl and call it something on brand for your adventure and that
[justin]:oh
[alex]:just
weyland]:exactly
[alex]:creates an extra memory point that makes the night sort of stand out
[justin]:m
weyland]:it's true you know
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:like
[justin]:m
weyland]:i think that
[justin]:oh
weyland]:you could take anything and
[alex]:ah
weyland]:it would be funny in fact and i think that would be blest to like
weyland]:come up with a way the
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:each random
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:snack that gets brought
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:somehow
[justin]:oh
weyland]:plays into something you
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:know
[alex]:yeah yeah that'd
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:be
weyland]:yah
[alex]:that's a great that'd be like a great
[justin]:ah
[alex]:little tradition to have at the start of any game m
[justin]:for sure
weyland]:i know i totally agree
[alex]:m hm
weyland]:so i did have i
[justin]:oh
weyland]:had another question about
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:immersion
[alex]:m
weyland]:uh
[justin]:m
weyland]:and this is kind of like a little bit of a question about how you
weyland]:got started
[justin]:oh
weyland]:with you know game play candles before you started it did you use a lot
weyland]:of candles
[justin]:m
weyland]:in your game play like
[justin]:oh
weyland]:in your sessions so he sat
[alex]:um
weyland]:bane
[alex]:not in my sessions but i was a big fan of scented
[justin]:oh
[alex]:candles in general um
weyland]:course
[alex]:and then i discovered
[justin]:oh
[alex]:the next layer that being fan
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:to see inspired scented candles and there
weyland]:yes
[alex]:are there are plethera of companies out there doing doing good stuff in that realm
[alex]:but none of them
[justin]:oh
[alex]:were like specific
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:to d
[justin]:i
[alex]:and d more specific to you know like the classes or the characters or settings
[alex]:you might find in a d and d adventure
[justin]:oh
[alex]:and
weyland]:hm
[alex]:since that was already such a big part of my life
[justin]:oh
[alex]:just sort of naturally fell into
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:it that and i was spending away too much money on
[justin]:okay
[alex]:some really nice ended candles so i thought
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:i thought i could do it cheaper and it was good enough that people
weyland]:good
[alex]:wanted
weyland]:idea
[alex]:them and were interested
[justin]:m
weyland]:that's awesome
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:m
weyland]:uh and
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:so now
[justin]:oh
weyland]:well i'm just curious how often
[justin]:oh
weyland]:are you playing d and d nowadays
[alex]:we have i have a weekly
[justin]:oh
[alex]:session i actually met with the group last night
[justin]:m
[alex]:and i d m to one shot so our our d
[justin]:m
[alex]:m could so i should say i've been forever d m except in the past
[alex]:i'd say six weeks i've now been a player
[justin]:oh
[alex]:character for the first time in like you know
weyland]:oh
[justin]:oh
[alex]:almost nine years
[justin]:wow
[alex]:so
weyland]:and grat
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:that's
[justin]:we'll
[alex]:it's
weyland]:a
[justin]:tell us
weyland]:that's a big
[justin]:oh
weyland]:thing
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:you
[alex]:i
[justin]:gotta you got to tell us about your character now like
[alex]:oh
[justin]:this is
[alex]:man
[justin]:like a big thing you know
[alex]:well as as an engineer obviously
[justin]:uh
[alex]:i went with artificer
[justin]:h
[alex]:um and so
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i am an armor artificer named arturo iron heart
[justin]:m
[alex]:and i'm a fifty five year old
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:bitter man who has one leg amputated but you can't tell
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:because of my armor
[justin]:oh
weyland]:ah
[alex]:and um
[justin]:uh
[alex]:and yeah i
[justin]:uh
[alex]:now
[justin]:oh
[alex]:it's funny one
[justin]:right
[alex]:of the things that really stood out to me as a player character instead of
[alex]:a d
[justin]:oh
[alex]:m is you don't
[justin]:oh
[alex]:know everything which sounds like you know readily obvious and appa but i made the
[alex]:mistake of assuming
[justin]:yeah oh
[alex]:assuming details of the perceived bad guys and and just went
[justin]:uh
[alex]:in swinging and then afterwards
[justin]:uh
[alex]:my d
[justin]:oh
[alex]:who bless his heart he's ming for the first time and i'd pull
weyland]:oh
[alex]:this
[justin]:ah
[alex]:but i just go in and
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:it was a full murder hobo rampage and it was
weyland]:uh
[alex]:like you didn't even ask what they looked like
weyland]:h
[alex]:it was like policeman i killed like the town guards
[justin]:uh
[alex]:i thought
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:they were bandits but anyway yeah
weyland]:and one of
[alex]:it
weyland]:them
[alex]:is
weyland]:that
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:fun
weyland]:was the last day before
[alex]:ye
weyland]:they retired
[justin]:m
[alex]:well
weyland]:they were
[alex]:one
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:excited
[alex]:of them
weyland]:to go home to their family
[alex]:one of them was the king's
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:one of them was the king's brother so that sort of altered
weyland]:course
[alex]:the entire
[justin]:m
[alex]:arc of the campaign but you know if it's his first time dim i feel
[alex]:like it's appropriate to throw a little
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:murder hobo is you know
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:his way keep him
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:on his toes
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:exactly exactly
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:honestly i feel like certain dams would kind of create that scenario on purpose just
[justin]:to see what the players would do and you know
[alex]:yeah yeah that's true although you
[justin]:oh
[alex]:know once i get to know a group pretty well i fear to give them
[alex]:enough rope to hang themselves with
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:you know
weyland]:uh
[justin]:right right it depends
weyland]:h
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:on if you're a nice d m or or a normal
[alex]:m
[justin]:d m
[alex]:uh
[justin]:but
[alex]:uh yeah
[justin]:being in kind of fortunate situation you
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:are you know a forever d m who is now
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:being a player how
[alex]:m
[justin]:does immersion change with the changing roles so what are kind of in your opinion
[justin]:in a perfect world what are
[alex]:hm
[justin]:the responsibilities for players to create immersion or what can they do versus what
[alex]:oh
[justin]:does a d m do
[alex]:yeah that's a great question you know this sort of goes to my general philosophy
[justin]:oh
[alex]:on what makes a successful game night i called the game night try facta there's
[alex]:there's role play there's combat and discovery and i think you actually your podcast mentioned
[alex]:this in a
[justin]:oh
[alex]:previous episode um one of your friends who as a writer i think described
[justin]:ye
[alex]:four things who was like combat role play puzzles and scovery
[justin]:m
[alex]:or
[justin]:oh
[alex]:something
weyland]:hm
[alex]:like that
[justin]:i
weyland]:yeah
[justin]:think
weyland]:yeah
[justin]:that was rob maybe
weyland]:i feel like that
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:was rob
[justin]:my
[alex]:yeah and
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:that just really rang true
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:with me although i just keep it down to three
[justin]:oh
[alex]:output puzzles in discovery because game night tetrahedron just doesn't have
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:the same ring to it you know
[justin]:uh
weyland]:ah
[alex]:but but
[justin]:h yeah
[alex]:as a player i think role play really falls
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:falls on your shoulders not only yourself like an individual player but all the players
[alex]:there obviously the d m will touch each one of those things and probably controls
[alex]:combat and a discovery a bit more but for the players now that's that's
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:four to six people around the table who's not the d m and they would
[alex]:create the bulk of the role play if you asked me so in terms of
[alex]:immersion you know keeping that role play
[justin]:oh
[alex]:consistent and at least you
[justin]:oh
[alex]:know making the attempt to make you know those fun memories around the table would
[alex]:be be something you can still control very easily
[justin]:oh
weyland]:yeah i like that a lot
[alex]:oh
weyland]:because like i think
[alex]:oh
weyland]:if a d m doesn't really encourage their players to participate in the role play
weyland]:and even like prepare things beforehand
[alex]:hm
weyland]:then you're just you're putting all of the immersion on yourself as a d m
weyland]:and that just doesn't work you know same as how
[alex]:hm
weyland]:combats are very boring
[justin]:m
weyland]:if you know if players aren't bringing
[justin]:oh
weyland]:their own energy to it same
[alex]:hm
weyland]:for the role playing like right now and there's this is leading up to a
weyland]:question for you alex but
[alex]:hm
[justin]:um
weyland]:right now
[justin]:m
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:oh
weyland]:justin we are we're working with rob in fact on on
[justin]:m
weyland]:a home brew and i was and we're like as part of it we're like
weyland]:including d m tips and everything like that for new d ms to kind of
weyland]:branch out in their style
[alex]:hm
weyland]:and h and i had a tip about flash backs or like kind of mental
weyland]:visions that only are about one player you know
[alex]:m
weyland]:and i think i've seen those done a couple different ways i've seen it where
weyland]:the d m just kind of descry sit and describes everything you know it's like
weyland]:oh in the vision you are doing your in a cafe and then suddenly a
weyland]:stranger comes up to you and they say this and you say
[justin]:oh
weyland]:that you know and it like play
[alex]:hm
weyland]:out everything
[alex]:a cut scene
weyland]:and that's a cut scene essentially
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:right but and then i've seen the other way where it's
[justin]:m
weyland]:a cut scene however they've either informed the player beforehand and the players like they
weyland]:essentially scripted it to some extent right ah
[alex]:hm
[justin]:ah
weyland]:and or they just or they make it a kind of cut scene or flash
weyland]:back revision that's interactive
[justin]:oh
weyland]:with that player and those are
[alex]:hm
weyland]:always so much better in my opinion
[alex]:yeah yeah
weyland]:go ahead
[alex]:i think i think when you're when you are creating key moments in a story's
[alex]:development i'd be very hesitant to not include the players even it's a little more
[alex]:work or a little less convenient no one signed up to be a d m
[alex]:because it's super easy and
[justin]:m
[alex]:convenient you know you know so
weyland]:exactly
[alex]:uh yeah
[justin]:m
[alex]:that that
[justin]:oh
[alex]:reminds me of this one
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:this one uh thing actually that happened around my table
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:where um the group was heading into the final area of a dungeon that had
[alex]:a demon
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:lord in it and each and before we got into the final antechamber we decided
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:to take a break that was all planned because during the break i sent out
[alex]:pre written slacks from the demon to each individual character and that was how i
[alex]:had a flash back or in this case it was just like a mental umtelechanetic
[justin]:ye
[alex]:conversation just one
weyland]:that's
[alex]:on one
weyland]:awesome
[alex]:with the players where he
[justin]:right
[alex]:tried to tempt them to you know betray or
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:or what not and drew elements from their back stories
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:and everything to
[justin]:uh
[alex]:sort of make
[justin]:h
[alex]:make things really
[justin]:ah
[alex]:difficult for them to choose but yeah that that break lasted a little longer as
[alex]:i you know tested out
[justin]:oh
[alex]:back and forth
weyland]:uh
[alex]:but
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:but yeah
[justin]:so
[alex]:that was
weyland]:h
[alex]:good
[justin]:if we can i'd like to kind of narrow in on this this thing because
[justin]:you know
[alex]:hm
[justin]:i think this is an excellent moment it actually kind of talk about a specific
[justin]:tool a specific instance so in this instance i'm and your your deming online uh
[justin]:you have slack channels at right
[alex]:yeah at the time we were using slack
[justin]:gotcha
[alex]:to communicate
[justin]:and then did you pre write all of these texts or did they kind of
[justin]:come in the moment how did how did all that work out
[alex]:so i pre wrote the first contact from the demon lord to them
[justin]:oh
[alex]:you know with spelling out the
[justin]:oh
[alex]:prose of
[justin]:oh
[alex]:betraying your companions and
[justin]:oh
[alex]:receiving whatever tempting you no gift or treasure i was offering them but but over
[alex]:the course of that
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:break they would text back and that was the teleconetically
weyland]:uh
[alex]:or
[justin]:uh
[alex]:telepathically communicating
[justin]:h yeah
weyland]:ah
[alex]:so so that that was all
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:genera era that was all organic it was not prescripted
[justin]:oh that's excellent so i think
[alex]:h
[justin]:i like this one particularly because you know we are all attached
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:to our phones by the hip or our computers
[alex]:m
[justin]:you know as it were
[alex]:hm
[justin]:and you have someone missed doing you real time
[alex]:yep
[justin]:there's your response and then there's a weight time it feels
[alex]:hm
[justin]:very real you know have you guys seen of course you know you probably have
[justin]:deal or no dial right
[alex]:sure yep
weyland]:yeah
[justin]:so there's the guy up in the booth who's coming up with whatever offer
[alex]:oh
[justin]:you know they have they have a software that
[alex]:yes
[justin]:comes up with exactly what he
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:needs to say but there's a guy up there as you see
[alex]:hm
[justin]:him moving around it's his job to sit up there
[alex]:ah
[justin]:look like he's writing stuff down picking up a phone and calling
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:but it is very immersive and it adds to the mistake of the game you
[alex]:hm
[justin]:know other than our computer spout out this number what do you think
[alex]:yeah oh
[justin]:so and i know this is this is very myopic it's very focused in on
[justin]:one particular instance but i think this is a good kind of use case for
[justin]:immersion how might you kind of replicate this in an in person setting
[alex]:oh well i should say that that that that previous example we were all in
[alex]:person but
[justin]:oh wow
[alex]:but
weyland]:but
[justin]:okay
weyland]:you
[justin]:so
weyland]:also
[alex]:you know
weyland]:have a slack
[justin]:gotcha
weyland]:active
[justin]:gotcha
[alex]:we have a
weyland]:okay
[alex]:yeah we slack to communicate outside the game and what not but in this instance
[alex]:i used it in the game but
[justin]:excellent
weyland]:smart
[alex]:yeah so so
[justin]:oh
[alex]:if i understand your question
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:you're asking like in person how would you
[justin]:well well
[alex]:add to that
[justin]:i guess yeah like i guess you answered it so you know and in my
[justin]:mind i'm thinking okay in a break i don't want everyone looking at me you
[justin]:know texting them all
[alex]:hm
[justin]:but i'm guessing you know everyone was going around eating some food talking for a
[justin]:second they get a ping answer real quick put
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:their phone back right
[alex]:i mean it was obvious everyone got a ping at once you know when i
[alex]:sent
[justin]:okay
[alex]:out the first the first round but people you know when you have the right
[alex]:set of players they also play the game um
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:and so
weyland]:good
[alex]:they weren't like
weyland]:good
[alex]:meta
[justin]:ah
[alex]:gaming outside
[justin]:yes
[alex]:you know but yeah you know it's funny one of the main challenges is actually
[alex]:getting that imersive feeling when you're not me in person i
[justin]:oh
[alex]:much prefer the in person games because it's easier at least as a d from
[alex]:my
[justin]:ah
[alex]:standpoint to to bring emersive
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:elements in i always view emersion through the lens of the five senses and
[justin]:h
[alex]:it's really
[justin]:m
[alex]:difficult to bring
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:that when everyone's sitting in you know different
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:houses
[justin]:m
[alex]:in front of a screen so yeah i don't know it's it's much easier i
[alex]:think
[justin]:ah
[alex]:if you have it in person
weyland]:yeah i agree and
[alex]:oh
weyland]:i think that opens up a
[alex]:oh
weyland]:you know an important
[alex]:oh
weyland]:question which is like which of the senses can you effect over the internet you
weyland]:know
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:like i think sound and that's that's one that i've always had a hard time
weyland]:with
[alex]:hm
weyland]:because like
[justin]:oh
weyland]:that's if you're
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:let's say
[alex]:ah
weyland]:you're using role twenty not everyone's good at like knowing how to likeupfload
[alex]:oh yeah
weyland]:some music
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:and things like that so i mean when you are i guess my question is
weyland]:how often do you find yourself running a session just online and what do you
weyland]:do in those cases
[alex]:and well you got the wrong guest
[justin]:oh
[alex]:tonight for that because i
weyland]:ah
[alex]:don't think i've ever run a session on line because my daughter was born in
[alex]:february of twenty ten so i already had a reason to drop out of my
[alex]:weekly
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:d d and d
[justin]:uh
[alex]:games
weyland]:yep
[alex]:but then
weyland]:yep
[alex]:of course covid hit and so
[justin]:ah
[alex]:like
[justin]:h
[alex]:all
[justin]:m
[alex]:all the all the aftermath of that still
[justin]:sure
[alex]:peter dad so i ve partook in a few online sessions of d and d
[alex]:but i never
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:deemed any
[justin]:sure
[alex]:of them
[justin]:sure i guess maybe one question that can help all of us is you know
[justin]:emersion really hard to kind of nail down and say like i mean it's easy
[justin]:when you're oh that that was imersive but maybe the question we should ask is
[justin]:what is not quote unquote immersion or immersive like what do we
weyland]:i
[justin]:constantly
weyland]:like that
[justin]:see that people do that doesn't actually move the needle maybe
[alex]:hm well you know i'm almost a little hesitant to bring
[justin]:oh
[alex]:this up because i don't want
[justin]:oh
[alex]:to deter anyone from trying
[justin]:m
[alex]:to bring immersion in whatever form that that would take but and this can become
[alex]:part of
[justin]:m
[alex]:the joke or the running gag and a game but
[justin]:m yeah
[alex]:you know there are many d ms where there's
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:one p c voice um and you know whether you're a
[justin]:oh
[alex]:dairy farmer or a library is the same voice but
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i
[justin]:it's
[alex]:mean
[justin]:phil
[alex]:like
[justin]:again
[alex]:i think yeah i think i think that you know there's
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:it's the right campaign for that but
[justin]:yes
[alex]:if you're you know if you're a d m and you don't want to do
[alex]:that then it doesn't take i don't think it takes a whole lot of practice
[alex]:or f to develop three unique voices and that actually goes a long way for
[alex]:the investment i think you get the most bang out of your book when
[justin]:m
[alex]:you're doing that because as a d m you will be
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:voicing
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:different care actors and so
[justin]:oh
[alex]:you can just count on that as one of the skills you should probably develop
[alex]:so yeah like that would break character or that would break immersion for some folks
[alex]:around the table but again i don't want to
[justin]:h
[alex]:deter i don't
[justin]:m
[alex]:want to deter folks from trying
[justin]:ye
[alex]:so
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:you know
[justin]:no
[alex]:any effort should be appreciated by the party
[justin]:ah
[alex]:m
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:yeah
[justin]:i agree yeah
[alex]:hm
weyland]:and honestly kind of talking to that point
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:justin
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:i think
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:that i think an
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:important aspect of immersion is
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:what it called i had the word in my head consistency
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:thank
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:you
[justin]:ye
weyland]:but
[alex]:m yeah
weyland]:because like
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:well i think it's consistency
[justin]:oh
weyland]:but then also occasional spikes of effort that's what i would put it because if
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:you're consistently playing
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:music at key moments like or at the start of your session those kind of
weyland]:things
[justin]:oh
weyland]:are gonna help if you're consistently
[alex]:hm
weyland]:having some type of work like a landscape fantasy landscape or even an image an
weyland]:artistic depiction of certain npcs then that's going to build in you know that unning
weyland]:dialogue of like hey this is a real world that we need to pretend that
weyland]:we're in you know
[alex]:m
weyland]:versus like doing that maybe in the first session or every like five sessions or
weyland]:whatever then it's
[alex]:hm
weyland]:like it's going to be easy to get out of that because you're not having
weyland]:the kind of the themes the art the whole vibe
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:yeah really hitting
[alex]:hm
weyland]:you you know
[alex]:at's a that's a great point tanner and it reminds me of you know another
[alex]:one of the senses you can build themes around is sound around different characters
[justin]:ah
[alex]:or different settings using the same
[justin]:m
[alex]:fantasy music or what not so that that is another thing that gets associated specifically
[alex]:with that person
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:absolutely
[alex]:m
[justin]:so
[alex]:m
[justin]:naturally um being a d m as hard as tough and you know one of
[justin]:our missions is to help make it easier so open conversation everyone um what top
[justin]:of the line tools do you know of that would be just the tops in
[justin]:immersion and then contrast that with what are some cheap or free tools
[alex]:oh
[justin]:that help immersion
[alex]:m
[justin]:a ton so
[alex]:oh
[justin]:full spectrum there
[alex]:m
weyland]:um
[justin]:oh
weyland]:m
[alex]:well i think that so in terms of free
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:lots of people can or
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:d ms should be able
[justin]:oh
[alex]:to look around their house and you
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:can find a
[justin]:ah
[alex]:prop just
[justin]:oh
[alex]:of whatever and bringing a prop to the table and letting
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:you know the players actually touch and hold and
[justin]:oh
[alex]:everyone seeing the exact same thing i think that goes a long way
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:especially around puzzles actually so so well
[justin]:oh
[alex]:you know you might consider just like props that are easily found to be
[justin]:i
[alex]:one of those free things that hat's oppin about helps with
[justin]:can
[alex]:immersion
[justin]:we can we maybe think of like like a quick example maybe a scenario or
[justin]:something that actually happened again just kind of make it visual for the audience in
[justin]:a way
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:yeah yeah
[alex]:well one of my adventures
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:recently
weyland]:oh
[alex]:they came upon a magically locked box and i happened to have a metal box
[alex]:that my wife
[justin]:oh
[alex]:store some jewelry in or what not and so i just described how it was
[alex]:magically shimmering and they couldn't open it very easily and so they were passing
[justin]:ye
[alex]:around the box and thinking about different ways to get it open but you know
[alex]:still had a tactile thing hold so i think that was
[justin]:oh
[alex]:t was very beneficial
[justin]:i like that
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:hm
weyland]:in one of the campaigns i was in that my cousin was running
[alex]:oh
weyland]:for the big main end boss batty he had it's silly but i
[alex]:m
weyland]:member it very well
[alex]:m yeah
weyland]:he had a giant not a giant but on the board it was giant it
weyland]:was a squeezy toy for like a
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:child that looked like an octopus
[alex]:m
weyland]:and
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:and it was like it was like a sea god kind of thing so it
weyland]:worked perfectly
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:and he basically he basically created
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:it around this toy
[justin]:oh
weyland]:because he's like this is what i got and
[alex]:m
weyland]:and it stuck in my head you know until this moment
[alex]:hm
weyland]:i was like oh this is sick even if it's a cartoonish
[alex]:m
weyland]:thing it didn't look really
[alex]:oh
weyland]:threatening at all but just
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:the size compared to our little minnie's
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:you know i thought it was great
[alex]:that's awesome
[justin]:wonderful
[alex]:like a casoluchtoy
weyland]:it was like it would basically
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:look like the cutest
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:little octopus
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:but then
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:you're like could you
[alex]:m
weyland]:imagine
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:if the sizes were exactly like that that
[justin]:m
weyland]:would be terrifying no matter
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:how cute and smily
[justin]:m
weyland]:it look
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:yeah yeah the best miniatures are
[justin]:oh
[alex]:the improvised ones for sure
[justin]:hm
weyland]:exactly
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:hm
[alex]:that's
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:great
[justin]:honestly that kind of brings up a whole can of worms about minnie's like whether
[justin]:or not they are immersive or if they're crutch or escape goat and if they
[justin]:are imersive how do you do them right
[alex]:hm
[justin]:what do you guys think
[alex]:m
weyland]:yeah i mean to
[alex]:good
weyland]:my to my earlier point about just being consistent i think manis are important for
weyland]:the consistency aspect
[justin]:m
weyland]:you know because because you have
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:a space a player or or character rather and being able to see them on
weyland]:that board or in front of you it's just a constant reminder that it's like
weyland]:hey it's not me just operating some little lip that happens to have numbers attached
weyland]:i'm like it's this character that i've built so
[justin]:m
weyland]:i think
[alex]:m
weyland]:it's i don't think it's as big as some people think because some people are
weyland]:like oh it's so expensive
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:or anything but
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:it's like you can get some generic ones
[alex]:hm
weyland]:and like various types
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:and maybe you end up using the same ones for like various the same different
weyland]:characters over the years but it's still better than just having like a little pan
weyland]:or something
[alex]:oh
weyland]:you know
[alex]:m
weyland]:in my opinion
[alex]:m yeah you know for years
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i was a complete theater of the mind purist
[justin]:m
[alex]:and you know i went out of my
[justin]:m
[alex]:way to find the right phrases and descriptive language to describe
[justin]:yah
[alex]:the most mundane things
[justin]:h
[alex]:to you know keep folks entertained since i only
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:had my words to paint this
[justin]:hm
[alex]:picture for them but the a few years ago we did introduce minnie's in the
[alex]:form of lagos
[justin]:yeah alex i think we might have lost
[alex]:okay
[justin]:you you're frozen
[alex]:i wasn't sure if i should
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:continued speaking but
[justin]:okay you're back
weyland]:i can i
[alex]:okay
weyland]:can see you now
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:okay all right i'm not
weyland]:m
[alex]:sure how much you caught that but
weyland]:m
[alex]:i'll just i'll
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:start at the beginning of my
weyland]:perfect
[justin]:perfect
[alex]:little so i was a theater of the mind purist for many years and i
[alex]:looked up the language to paint as clear a picture for the party as possible
[alex]:and you know just was able
weyland]:hm
[alex]:to use my words to describe the battle field in the layout
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:and then a few years ago we introduced
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:lego miniatures on a very generic
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:you know grid map and it was better it
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:was
weyland]:uh
[alex]:for that consistency
weyland]:uh
[alex]:reason
[justin]:yah
[alex]:you mentioned it was so much clear to everybody
[justin]:oh
[alex]:about the layout of the battle field and you can still use all that descriptive
[alex]:language and tear the mind descript
[justin]:ye
[alex]:and so
weyland]:m
[alex]:i am a convert
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i do believe i do believe
[justin]:h
[alex]:that that minnie's are
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:are a good thing for the game yeah oh
weyland]:yeah and and even what you said there about
[justin]:ah
weyland]:you know theater of the mind and making sure your language and your words were
weyland]:impactful i don't want to discount
[justin]:ah
weyland]:that at all because i think
[alex]:hm
weyland]:some people rely too much on the props and the mines and things like that
[justin]:oh
weyland]:and they don't prepare
[justin]:oh
weyland]:their wording and their vocabulary as much as they could
[justin]:oh
[alex]:hm
weyland]:and that is like some good language like a
[alex]:m
weyland]:nice paragraph written about a setting or to describe a new character or describe a
weyland]:key moment that that can
[alex]:hm
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:do so much and now if you tie that in with like an image that
weyland]:you project on a screen and with their mines being present in stuff you know
weyland]:that can only build on it but i think
[alex]:hm
weyland]:the cheapest and most effective way you can bring them in is just preparing what
weyland]:you're going to say ahead of time you know
[alex]:oh yeah yeah that's you know when i'm preparing a session i do i put
[alex]:the font in italics and and whatever it's an italic is something that i will
[alex]:read you know animatedly um to the grove
weyland]:hm
[alex]:but but it's all pre written and prescripted for those key moments like you said
[alex]:huge
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:impact
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:hm
[justin]:i definitely do the same thing and
[alex]:oh
[justin]:it also is nice when you do that you can couple it with those that
[justin]:music from key moments
[alex]:hm
[justin]:kind of like we said i think tenor your you know what you said is
[justin]:probably that the the underscore of tonight's episode just whatever you do if you do
[justin]:it consistently and maybe build on it to to what you feel you and do
[justin]:but again consistency your players are going to come to appreciate that and it will
[justin]:help them kind of get in that role playing mode i think we're just about
[justin]:out of time so let's leave the listener with one thing that they can try
[justin]:each of us so think of one thing that you recommend them trying or doing
[justin]:this week to work on immersing their players and themselves yeah
weyland]:i'll go to give alex some time to think
[justin]:perfect
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:but
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:oh
weyland]:what i would say
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:is kind of make like right out what your ideal right set up would be
weyland]:and i'm not saying like ideal like oh
[justin]:m
weyland]:matt mercer
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:you know or
[alex]:oh
weyland]:to mention to any kind of set but i'm saying
[alex]:yah
weyland]:like what would your realistic yet ideal
[justin]:oh
weyland]:set up and then from there kind of work backwards be like okay what could
weyland]:i do week to week that isn't too much effort you know but can still
weyland]:give the punch that i'm lookin for and it's better to do that versus kind
weyland]:of working from the bottom up because i think
[justin]:hm
weyland]:that you'll be able to be more creative that way and look at your resources
weyland]:more istically but also
[alex]:oh
weyland]:creatively
[justin]:excellent and then
[alex]:nice
[justin]:alex i'll go and then you can finish up and then also tell people how
[justin]:to find you support you and see what you're up to after you respond but
[justin]:i would
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:say d m make sure you put yourself on the sacrificial chopping block if anyone
[justin]:is going to be embarrassed it better be you because you're going to get your
[justin]:players buying by doing those funny voices or trying that new thing or putting a
[justin]:puzzle out there that might not make sense if if you kind of sacrifice yourself
[justin]:your players won't feel
[alex]:oh
[justin]:so self conscious and they'll buy into the collective experience in my in my opinion
[justin]:m
weyland]:oh
[alex]:i dig that
[justin]:yah
[alex]:that's good advice i have
[justin]:oh
[alex]:i have two for you
[justin]:perfect
weyland]:perfect
[alex]:so so i would say just
[justin]:oh
[alex]:this week some time
[justin]:yeah oh
[alex]:before your our game night go out and buy a buy a bag of almonds
[alex]:and some olive oil and some spices and go ahead
weyland]:love it
[alex]:and find a recipe for spice nuts and
[justin]:m
[alex]:call it something
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:pertinent to your game
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:and your game
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:setting that that week it is very straightforward and will
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:create positive memories and immersion
[justin]:m
[alex]:at your game table
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:the next thing i'd recommend
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:would be to go ahead and visit game play candles dot um and purchase
weyland]:yes
[alex]:one of our fantastic d and d inspired scented
[justin]:ye
[alex]:candles we have five cents at the moments that are specific to different environments
[justin]:oh
[alex]:and different lasses
[justin]:right
[alex]:that that go along with d and d and we have many many more cents
[alex]:on the horizon
[justin]:m
[alex]:that will be coming out
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:in different quarters throughout twenty twenty three so
weyland]:yeah
[alex]:yeah if not that then at least check us out at instagram
[justin]:oh
[alex]:and tik tok at game play candles and we'd love that support and
[justin]:ah
[alex]:by the way all your listeners if they use
[justin]:oh
[alex]:better dem all capitals
[justin]:oh
[alex]:in those spaces if they use better d m at as a code durin check
[alex]:out at our website they'll get a fifteen per cent discount
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:on all of our products
weyland]:o golden love
[alex]:oh
weyland]:that
[justin]:yes
weyland]:also also for you listeners i'm looking at the website right now and
[alex]:m oh
weyland]:one the websitesfrsheek
[justin]:oh
weyland]:i love the
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:fire
[justin]:oh
weyland]:kind of
[alex]:thank you
weyland]:and the banner that's wonderful
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:oh
weyland]:touch
[alex]:m
weyland]:second
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:i think that the candles they're very nice
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:i think that there's i don't know maybe a few years ago
[justin]:ye
weyland]:fantasy in being nerves was seen is kind of gaudy
[justin]:yeah
weyland]:in certain ways
[justin]:m
weyland]:but
[alex]:hm
weyland]:i feel like these are very cheek
[alex]:oh
[justin]:hm
weyland]:and i
[alex]:yeah
weyland]:love that
[alex]:thank you we appreciate that we're going for the sheik
[justin]:eh
[alex]:premium look and
[justin]:ah
[alex]:you
weyland]:yes
[alex]:will make that impact if you light one of these up on
[justin]:yeah
[alex]:your game table
[justin]:exactly
weyland]:m
[alex]:hm
[justin]:thank you so much for being here alex also tanner alex did send us some
[justin]:samples so you and i got to get together and light some of those up
[alex]:ye
weyland]:what
[justin]:um yes
[alex]:oh
weyland]:that's amazing
[justin]:he sent us the
weyland]:thanks
[justin]:five
weyland]:alex
[justin]:candle sample so
[alex]:sure
[justin]:i think the elvan forest gosh i forget the name of the elvan forest
[alex]:yeah
[justin]:one was probably my favorite um
[alex]:hm
weyland]:m
[justin]:but anyways thank you again for joining us i uh in conclusion listener you got
[justin]:to immerse your planers and to do that you got to try everything we say
[justin]:listen to our podcasts go to dungeon candles dot com i hope i said that
[justin]:right
weyland]:game play candles dot com
[justin]:game play candles
[alex]:gave yeah
[justin]:gosh i should have ritten that
[alex]:uh
[justin]:go to game play candles
[alex]:uh
[justin]:dot com
[alex]:uh
[justin]:either way
[alex]:h ah
[justin]:if you try these things you're going to e a better dam we're going to
[justin]:be back next week with another amazing episode thanks again alex
[alex]:thank
[justin]:listener
[alex]:you
[justin]:until next week let's go ahead and roll initiative i