Podcasts about dmacademy

Join Alejo (Greydawn95), Aiden (Captain Chiral), and Boo (PrinceBoo21) and their special guest Dave of As Your GM as they discuss the usage of NPCs of every age.Dave's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtkwlQwoSqgUQTajQgwFxAg Originally streamed May 17th, 2025 and available since May 19th, 2025 on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TableTalk: Discussion & Discourse YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/c/TableTalkDiscussionandDiscourse*****Content covered in order:r/DMAcademy Thread:https://old.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/itaeq7/pro_tip_use_more_kids/?ref=share&ref_source=linkPlayers Bringing NPC Children into a Tabletop RPG Game by Nerdarchy:https://youtu.be/o9VH2n1Wty4?si=fCRV8LpfEudvgAANWhat HORRIFYING Things Did a Toxic DM Do to NPC Children?!? | r/rpghorrorstories: https://youtu.be/CA3YHzi4V-4?si=lMlzfkeN_pbE0Swu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*****Our Links:Our Website: https://www.tabletalkdandd.us/Donate directly: https://streamelements.com/tabletalkdnd/tipOur Merch on TeePublic: http://tee.pub/lic/IRqBwaVQWhQOur Merch on Fourthwall: https://the-tabletalk-crew-shop.fourthwall.com/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TableTalkCrewBuy us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tabletalkcrewTabletop Alliance: https://tabletopalliance.org/Support us on Humble Bundle through our Partner link: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/c/5885459/2091208/25796Support us through DriveThruRPG: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/index.php?affiliate_id=4683447Come join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tBt4MJ6Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TableTalkDandDFollow our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabletalkdandd/Send us an email: tabletalkdandd@gmail.comBuy Our Dice: https://the-tabletalk-crew-shop.fourthwall.com/products/tabletalk-discussion-discourse-dice*****Hosts:Alejo (Greydawn95)Aiden (Captain Chiral)Boo (PrinceBoo21)

Some groups keep combat conversations barebones, only allowing brief phrases to be exchanged during combat.  In this episode, I'll give some pros and cons about allowing players to talk during combat and provide some tips for DMs who are unsure whether they'd allow this. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e Resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/13f4yva/dms_do_you_allow_your_players_to_talk_to_each/   https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/dungeon-masters-only/90847-combat-in-game-talking   https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/112v0nf/do_you_let_your_players_discuss_tactics_in_combat/

Preparing your overarching campaign using smaller situational pieces has a number of benefits to preparing the entire adventure as a whole.  In this episode, I talk about the benefits of preparing your game in manageable chunks and give you some tips for doing so.   #dnd #pf2e #DMTips Resources: The Alexandrian:  Don't Prep Plots - https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/4147/roleplaying-games/dont-prep-plots   https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/16y30hc/can_we_clarify_what_we_mean_when_we_say_dms/   Building Situations in D&D https://slyflourish.com/letting_go_of_defined_encounters.html    

There are two problems I've seen regarding interest level:  characters who don't seem to be buying in to the story and players who don't seem to be interested in the game.  These situations have multiple possible solutions but require a little nuance to address.  In this episode, I talk about the symptoms of these problems and ways you can possibly address them.   #dnd #Pathfinder2e #DMTips #5e #PleasePayAttention   Resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/11wmccd/uninterested_character_problem/ https://youtu.be/LQsJSqn71Fw

In this episode I talk about good opportunities for DMs to introduce PC-NPC and PC-PC roleplaying opportunities.   #dnd #rpgtips #Pathfinder #orc #DMtips Resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xe1j4l/campfire_stories_to_deepen_players_backstories/   https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-and-dragons-dnd-encourage-roleplay-tips-tricks/#social-interaction-is-more-than-talking

[#87] https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xbnh0b/i_have_decided_to_walk_my_players_through_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/x43138/i_think_im_doing_perception_wrong/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/x6zt9a/dm_involvement_in_character_creation_how_much_is/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xh049i/how_to_spot_subtle_spell_casting_and_prove_it/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xj6zkb/players_are_trying_to_sue_the_bbeg/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xpltst/does_x_cause_harm_check_the_book/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/x0psev/how_can_i_roleplay_a_dressfitting_scene_for/

[#79] We dive into the DMAcademy SubReddit to offer our takes on a handful of D&D-related conundrums. How do you feel about Saying NO? (Spolier: We're mostly fine wth it!) Recruiting and the challenges of playing with strangers . How to make things easier for your DM.  Murder Hobos: Threat or menace?  Keeping the peace when handing out magic items .  A question that goes much better than we expected it to.  How clear about the consequences of your party's actions is clear enough? Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit. Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com • Theme Music: º Crunk Knight by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3566-crunk-knight • Transition Music: º Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4481-thatched-villagers License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, Jim Crocker, and Greg Genovas Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Devin and Rob sit down and answer some D&D questions from r/DMAcademy.   Host: Webby- @JaxForestwalker Devin!!!-@DMP_Pookie and Rob Edquist!!!- @Confessor_x   SU now has it's own twitter if you'd like to submit topic ideas, questions or advice- @simplyunprofes1 Music by Ross Malcolm Boyd Please give us a rating and review wherever you listen to us, and as always check out our Website (distractionsmedia.com) for links to other things we do!

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[#37] It's our first DM Advice episode with the new crew! We try not to lose our heads as we talk about players made paranoid by the Feign Death spell, dumb magic items, excessive sassiness and tippling at the table. There's an entire magazine devoted to sassiness if you need information on it. Enjoy a D&D-themed beer if you allow that sort of thing at your table. Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit.   Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com • Theme Music: º Crunk Knight by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3566-crunk-knight • Transition Music: º Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4481-thatched-villagers License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, Jim Crocker, and Greg Genovas Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#25] Jack and Jason browse the top posts from r/DMAcademy and start handing out advice. Users asked:  How to deal with players hiding their death saves Is this DM's “IRL Timer” an ok thing to do? How to stop players from torturing every npc   Check out the all new www.curmudgeonsanddragons.com and leave us a review and voicemail!  Shirts are now available at www.curmudgeonsanddragons.com/store  Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jack O'Connell  Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo  Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production  • Theme Music: º Crunk Knight by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3566-crunk-knight License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  • Transition Music: º Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4481-thatched-villagers License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Responses and thoughts on my exploration into what I'm now calling 'concurrent' initiative in DND 5e. I get distracted and go on a rant about our current government in the UK after I had become annoyed at events that had happened on the day of recording. Our UK government has now U-turned on their plans to brazenly abandon even the concept of the Rule of Law, by trying to change parliamentary rules just to allow one of their MP's to avoid a disciplinary charge. But their disdain for us ordinary people remains, loud and clear. Jump to the last half hour of the podcast for purely concurrent initiative talk. Palanolho's method of simultaneous initiative can be found here: https://amp.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/64m3md/simultaneous_turns_combat_system_dd_5e/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sfc-saferfantasycrafting/message

In the sixth Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! UNDERNEATH GREENPORT Join Belac (@LotusImperial), Kek (@lathcves), Raxz (@Teteda_Teteda) & Tolfer (@savethebologna) on a new night of the story at the port city of Greenport in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom himself in a D&D5E homebrew game.  You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

Wondering how to work on your flexibility from home? There are many reasons why doing regular stretching is important for your joint and your mental health. Learn the basics about the do's and don'ts associated with stretching and some of the best ones to do. Illustrated exercises can be found at www.DMAcademy.com on the "Resources" page. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shericolberg.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/manage-your-stress-with-some-at-home-flexibility-exercises/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sheri-colberg-ochs/support

In which I discuss leadership and empathy in collaborative endeavors and think about Lester Bangs in Almost Famous and what he has to say about Rock and Roll. Reddit Thread Mentioned | https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/ngskg3/how_to_tell_a_player_he_cant_play_his_new/gysrzqm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 Daydreaming about Dragons Merch | https://shopofjudd.threadless.com/collections/daydreaming-about-dragons Inspiration Goat's Twitter | https://twitter.com/InspirationGoat | Daydreaming about Dragons youtube Playlist | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcnZ3uO0pp0rzRsfN_ObyhOdgaoeMs0TQ | Dictionary of Mu | https://pakasthreadgames.bigcartel.com/product/the-dictionary-of-mu --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daydreaming-about-dragons/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/daydreaming-about-dragons/support

In the fifth Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! ELSEWHERE IN GREENPORT: DEMON NIGHT Join Crimenthia (@beesweetbakeryshop), Chauncey Beestinger (@heyDrWil) & Luatha-Duine Vh'athron (@EspurrBuns) on a familiar night as they find themselves in a demonic conflict at the port city of Greenport in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom himself in a D&D5E homebrew game.  You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

In this first session we chat with Naveen, a skilled DM who completed a level 1-20 D&D 5th edition campaign. You'll want to hear his technique for recruiting players!Link to Naveen's handy Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/i6l4w3/running_a_level_120_sixplayer_campaign_weekly_for/Naveen invites you to reply on this thread or DM him on Reddit if you have questions!

In the fourth Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! BACK IN GREENPORT Join Oren Nimblefoot (@rengawplays), Du Vaupp (@EvlIntentions) & Starcaller (@ATHL337) as they find adventure at the port city of Greenport in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom himself in a D&D5E homebrew game.  You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

In the second part of our Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! RETURN TO MULDRO Join Baron Gloomsong (@AceTrainerJayce), Kek (@lathcves), Rose Thorn (@galgaricharm) & De-Ril (@Xander4All) as they continue their quest for the Golden Fleece in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom himself in a D&D5E homebrew game. You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

In the third Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! RETURN TO MULDRO Join Baron Gloomsong (@AceTrainerJayce), Kek (@lathcves), Rose Thorn (@galgaricharm) & De-Ril (@Xander4All) as they find adventure at the landing of the maritime city of Greenport in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom himself in a D&D5E homebrew game. You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

In the second Mages & Mentors ONE SHOT adventure... Tom & Friends play D&D 5E! JOURNEY OVER MULDRO Join Savin, Dharron (@lathcves) & Milo Pelenthel (@AceTrainerJayce) as they travel aboard the Skyboat Kingsworth airship in the magical world of Muldro, created by Tom in his D&D5E homebrew game! You can follow Tom on Twitter @magesandmentors and find him live on Twitch daily!    D&D Resources dndbeyond.com/quarantine reddit.com/r/DnD/ reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/ dmsguild.com

Welcome to TableTalk: Discussion & Discourse! A tabletop related podcast! Join Alejo (Greydawn95), Aiden (SneakyAdolf), and Boo (PrinceBoo21) as they talk about The Mercer Effect, respond to videos on the subject, and talk about D&D as players and DMs! Originally aired January 31st, 2020 on the TableTalk: Discussion & Discourse YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnTvDp6tbQ07bVEMFXYtp_g ***** Hosts: Alejo (Greydawn95) Aiden (SneakyAdolf) Boo (PrinceBoo21) ***** Content covered in order: The Mercer Effect | The D20 Speakeasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KZufdH1_yY D&D is Fake 5 - The Matt Mercer Effect | SabreXT: https://youtu.be/WkXdJl8bqnc How do I beat the Matt Mercer effect? | u/Mister-builder: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tabletalkdandd/message

Welcome to TableTalk: Discussion & Discourse! A tabletop related podcast! Join Alejo (Greydawn95), Aiden (SneakyAdolf), and Boo (PrinceBoo21) as they talk about The Mercer Effect, respond to videos on the subject, and talk about D&D as players and DMs! Originally aired January 31st, 2020 on the TableTalk: Discussion & Discourse YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnTvDp6tbQ07bVEMFXYtp_g ***** Hosts: Alejo (Greydawn95) Aiden (SneakyAdolf) Boo (PrinceBoo21) ***** Content covered in order: The Mercer Effect | The D20 Speakeasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KZufdH1_yY D&D is Fake 5 - The Matt Mercer Effect | SabreXT: https://youtu.be/WkXdJl8bqnc How do I beat the Matt Mercer effect? | u/Mister-builder: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tabletalkdandd/message

“Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The show started streaming in March 2015, partway through the cast's first campaign” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role) Fandom Facts * Holy **crap** Critical Role is popular: is is the most popular it has ever been (aside from March 2019), but also, its popularity coincides with a [massive increase in popularity in Dungeons and Dragons](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_) (but _not _Pathfinder) * There is a site entirely devoted to [stats about the critical role game](https://www.critrolestats.com): d20 rolls, puns, lore, you name it! * “After the split from Geek and Sundry, the cast announced a fundraiser for an animation of the popular Whitebriar arc. The campaign asked for $750,000 but reached $1 million within an hour, ending with a record-breaking $11.3 million in donations.” ### First Impressions **T:** I honestly had very little impression of what CR actually was. My only exposure was through following ItsGinnyDi on Twitter and seeing various Jester-related cosplay (I actually forgot that the show's premise was voice-actors playing Dungeons and Dragons)! I might have seen some humourous animatics with Jester too… but when G said that the episodes are like three hours long and unedited, I was skeptical. **Z:** I think I first heard about this from G, and I thought it sounded kind of like The Adventure Zone. And that was kind of it. Not because I don't find D&D interesting, but instead because I felt like I'd heard The Adventure Zone and I was good on the recorded tabletop RPG playing front. Aside from that, though, it seemed to me like it was kind of like the Game Grumps when they'd first started: The first big thing of its kind to really make headway into the mainstream. ### Observations _What we thought about the thing / fandom after reviewing it. Try to make this more of a review style._ ### Conclusions _Any concluding thoughts on the fandom._ _Z: _After reading about the phenomenon that is Critical Role and listening to the first episode of the second campaign, I feel pretty comfortable saying that it's just not for me. The episode that I listened to had a good variety of metagame chatter, general in-character conversation and exploration, and even a bit of combat, but trying to listen to what seemed like at least 7 players and one DM was just too much for me to do passively. And, to be honest, it seemed kind of slow, at least in comparison to The Adventure Zone. But I think that comparing the two is like comparing a svelte young elf who stumbles across the recipe for a Tex-Mex delicacy and an energetic tiefling with a penchant for mischief. One interests me enough to pull me through over 100 hours of recorded D&D and the other makes it fairly easy to understand why people enjoy them and the game they're a part of, but not to listen in to the show they're a part of. Links: [How Do I Beat the Matt Mercer Effect?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/) [Ginny Di's Guide to Catching Up on Critical Role](http://twitter.com/itsginnydi/status/1113475920637992960) [Google Trends Data](http://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_) [CritRoleStats](http://www.critrolestats.com) [Critical Role on Fanlore](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Critical_Role) [Thoughts on Critical Role vs The Adventure Zone?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/9f3fv4/thoughts_on_critical_role_vs_the_adventure_zone/) [The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying](http://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming) ## Where can I get updates? If you want to f

The Green Box cast discusses how to beat the "Matt Mercer effect", and also talks about their first original Delta Green scenarios. (This episode also marks our one year anniversary. Thanks for listening!) "How do I beat the Matt Mercer effect?" https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/ The Button http://fairfieldproject.wikidot.com/the-button The Old Buck Lives Again https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sXuNVpRmzrOzuQgx4Tdha7qMUnhh0mQRwOtAVxpkkBA/edit Return from the Mountains of Madness https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z7Mqjh9z2wa0FMewvenm9rTK9dDiL4ACZEHRSz9VmDw/edit Wikipedia entry on force majeure (no public link exists to Kevin's first scenario) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure www.reddit.com/r/NightAtTheOpera/ twitter.com/9mmRetirement Join us on Discord! https://discord.gg/aMygdKQe2u Audio attributions "Erik Satie: Gymnopedie No 1" by Kevin MacLeod licensed under CC BY 3.0 - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler/Gymnopedie_No_1 "45rpm needle drop.wav" by Freqman licensed under CC BY 3.0 - https://freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/42819/ "KEYPAD FAIL/OK" by PMBROWNE licensed under CC BY 3.0 - https://freesound.org/people/PMBROWNE/sounds/271088/

“Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The show started streaming in March 2015, partway through the cast's first campaign” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role) Fandom Facts * Holy **crap** Critical Role is popular: is is the most popular it has ever been (aside from March 2019), but also, its popularity coincides with a [massive increase in popularity in Dungeons and Dragons](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_) (but _not _Pathfinder) * There is a site entirely devoted to [stats about the critical role game](https://www.critrolestats.com): d20 rolls, puns, lore, you name it! * “After the split from Geek and Sundry, the cast announced a fundraiser for an animation of the popular Whitebriar arc. The campaign asked for $750,000 but reached $1 million within an hour, ending with a record-breaking $11.3 million in donations.” ### First Impressions **T:** I honestly had very little impression of what CR actually was. My only exposure was through following ItsGinnyDi on Twitter and seeing various Jester-related cosplay (I actually forgot that the show's premise was voice-actors playing Dungeons and Dragons)! I might have seen some humourous animatics with Jester too… but when G said that the episodes are like three hours long and unedited, I was skeptical. **Z:** I think I first heard about this from G, and I thought it sounded kind of like The Adventure Zone. And that was kind of it. Not because I don't find D&D interesting, but instead because I felt like I'd heard The Adventure Zone and I was good on the recorded tabletop RPG playing front. Aside from that, though, it seemed to me like it was kind of like the Game Grumps when they'd first started: The first big thing of its kind to really make headway into the mainstream. ### Observations _What we thought about the thing / fandom after reviewing it. Try to make this more of a review style._ ### Conclusions _Any concluding thoughts on the fandom._ _Z: _After reading about the phenomenon that is Critical Role and listening to the first episode of the second campaign, I feel pretty comfortable saying that it's just not for me. The episode that I listened to had a good variety of metagame chatter, general in-character conversation and exploration, and even a bit of combat, but trying to listen to what seemed like at least 7 players and one DM was just too much for me to do passively. And, to be honest, it seemed kind of slow, at least in comparison to The Adventure Zone. But I think that comparing the two is like comparing a svelte young elf who stumbles across the recipe for a Tex-Mex delicacy and an energetic tiefling with a penchant for mischief. One interests me enough to pull me through over 100 hours of recorded D&D and the other makes it fairly easy to understand why people enjoy them and the game they're a part of, but not to listen in to the show they're a part of. Links: [How Do I Beat the Matt Mercer Effect?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/) [Ginny Di's Guide to Catching Up on Critical Role](http://twitter.com/itsginnydi/status/1113475920637992960) [Google Trends Data](http://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_) [CritRoleStats](http://www.critrolestats.com) [Critical Role on Fanlore](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Critical_Role) [Thoughts on Critical Role vs The Adventure Zone?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/9f3fv4/thoughts_on_critical_role_vs_the_adventure_zone/) [The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying](http://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming) ## Where can I get updates? If you want to f