How to Get Into Tabletop RPGs!

Buy the RPG books Quinns talked about and support SU&SD at the same time:
*D&D Core Book*
*D&D Player Handbook*
*D&D Monster Manual*
*Alice is Missing*
*Spire*
*Blades in the Dark*
*Mouse Guard*
*World Wide Wrestling RPG*
*Vaesen*
*Forbidden Lands*
*Mutant Year Zero*
*Vampire the Masquerade*
*Masks: A New Generation*
*Monster of the Week*
*Dread*
*For the Queen*
*Alice is Missing*
*Heart*

~FOLLOW US AROUND, WHY DON'T YOU~

0:00 - Intro
1:59 - Part 1: You Can Do This
6:38 - Part 2: What game tho
14:56 - Part 3: Tips for Games Masters
26:19 - Part 4: Final Thoughts

[evieoverride]

"Actual Play is to roleplaying as pornography is to sex" is maybe the best & most concise explanation *of* and reassurance *against* the "Mercer Effect" I think I've ever heard.

[smilingknight]

Best GM plotting tip I learned is from Monster of the Week which is: Plot out what will happen if your PCs do NOTHING. That will be all you really need to know, so when your PCs do anything to change that outcome it will be much clearer to you what has changed and what happens now

[GazzyW]

My personal favourite GMing trick: when players ask about worldbuilding and lore and you haven't got anything in mind or any strong ideas for what to have the answer be, point the question to the person at the table that seems most appropriate to answer it (which might be that player themselves).

For example, you're in an elf village or something and someone asks "oh what do the elves eat here?" - point that at the player(s) who're playing elves, as it then becomes a way for them to put their input into the world.

I do this because its 1) way more fun to use 5 or 6 brains at the table to come up with good worldbuilding rather than my own, and 2) the more you do this the more players have a stake in the world as a whole because of that personal connection.

Wholesale stolen from Vel Mini's "Fellowship" game and it's Spout Lore move.

[TheJoshDM]

My 2 GM TIPS:
1 - Don't get hung up on the rules, just wing it and let the story flow unless it's something that will make your players feel they are being treated unfairly.

2- paraphrased from Palladium's "Beyond the Supernatural", if you need a few minutes of time-out and wish to create angst and dread, when a player reaches to open a door, simply ask them which hand they are going to use.

[ceetee]

One great tip i got when i started as a DM was in the same line as Quinns "It is not your story"
The one thing i focused on before we started playing was to tell the players the following:
"I am not here to tell you a story. You are all here to together figure out what story we are creating. I am here to represent the world reacting to that story. The dice are here to represent the chaos in that story."

[WatchItPlayed]

As someone who has always wanted to play RPG's, but has also been intimated by them, this was packed full of things I needed to hear. Thank you for sharing your insights Quinns. This was an incredible video and I have no doubt it will have a meaningful impact on many people who have been RPG-curious, but also hesitant to dive in.

[CivilianZero]

I'm so glad you're showing off your collection of "not D&D" stuff. I was really worried this would just be "play TRPGs, go pick up D&D and do these things", but anytime someone encourages people to play different stuff I'm happy.

[sojou.RN.]

I just wanted to let you know that this video took a massive amount of pressure off me. I ran a few RPG sessions about a year ago for some people and they didn't really seem to go well. I am in the process of preparing to GM my first adventure of Call of Cthulhu next week for a few friends and was starting to stress that I may not be cut out for this, as much as I enjoy it. Thinking about creating a toybox of characters, places, and sources of conflict rather then mapping out an elaborate story is such a breath of fresh air. For the first time, this video caused me to stop and ask, "what will my players think is fun to do?" rather than "I really hope I can entertain them with the story I am preparing." Thank you, Quinns.

[harrisond]

I died when you said RPG rulebooks “Look like an Excel spreadsheet had sex with a Bible.”

[andrewduitsman]

As a long time DM, the most beautiful thing in this world is watching someone skeptical about TTRPGs say well can I do this? You say yes. Well then can I do this? That moment where they become a believer in the hobby and are not looking for the programed response or option like in a video game but feel they can do anything, it is special.

[katecritt]

I cannot stress enough how right Quinns is about just getting started instead of overthinking. Fling yourself joyously into the deep end. I started roleplaying with a group of much more experienced roleplayers, which was a great way to start because they could mentor me, but it meant that when I decided to run my own game for my group, I was running it for those same much more experienced roleplayers. Oh god. And I chose Exalted, which is my favourite game, but not one I'd recommend for newbies. Oh, and I homebrewed a new setting with a bunch of optional rules from supplements. Basically, I did everything I possibly could have done to sabotage myself at the outset, overcomplicating the process for myself massively, aaaand ... the game is still going strong almost EIGHT YEARS LATER. Because as long as you are having fun telling a story with your friends, you are winning at roleplaying.

[danidm]

GM tip I learned over 4 years and I wish I was told about on day 1:

You don't *need* to say yes to any thing your players ask (sometimes it actually is something that could screw up the whole game or ruin other people's fun), but whenever you can't say yes you should LISTEN and figure out why the player asked.

The example that helped me figure this out: Is your player asking to play as an Antipaladin (AKA a murderous dark knight who lives to spread Evil and death) in your Good campaign? You should probably say no, especially if you are not experienced enough to deal with that kind of scenario; that would require you to basically delete 90% of your campaign and start over. BUT, whenever you have to say no, you MUST ask yourself why that player asked that thing. Maybe they like to fight a lot and your game has been dealing with a lot of intrigue and roleplaying, but not enough stabbing; find a way to fix THAT, give the party more things to fight, and the problem may solve itself without needing to rewrite your whole cast of side characters and completely restructure the game.

Your players are both your audience and your co-stars. You must focus on giving them what they want just as much as what you want (and actually more).

[JoannaPiancastelli]

As a player, GM and game designer of many years, my top tip for anyone getting into the hobby is always *communicate openly with your fellow players*. Especially as the GM it's easy to feel like you need to be some kind of narrative wizard who can spin a dozen story threads into one cohesive narrative without anyone seeing the seams, or coerce your players into making a particular choice without them realising you're doing it, but you'll have a better time, tell a better story, and learn more about playing/GMing if you just ask for help, get your fellow players to make stuff up, or straight up tell them there's a really cool enemy if they go to the haunted fairground tonight.

[sokakoma]

What I love about SUSD is that they have some videos that really feel important. Like they had to be made, and they are THE videos about that topic, because they are not just information, they really give you the feeling of that thing. And I think this is one of them. Other example is the how to teach board games.

[Anondod]

My minor addition to the list of excellent advice is to keep character secrets public to the players.

For example, if your character is secretly living a double life, the fun part of that is probably the threat of having that exposed. Getting to share that fun with the rest of the table makes it so much better! That way the other players can also play into your secret instead of maybe stumbling into it purely by chance.

To some extent, and somewhat depending on the game, this works for the GM as well. Don't be afraid to cut away to a (brief!) scene showing what the bad guys are planning, or to tell the players something their characters don't know. Aabreya Iyengar describing a scene and then telling the players "what you don't see..." was a real eye opener for me.

[hawkeyepearce]

I've been playing and GMing for 40+ years, and this is, by some margin, the best practical advice I've ever seen being given to prospective players. Shame YT and SUSD weren't around in '81!

[Morchunkis]

As a 5-year subscriber Quinn’s spontaneous new beard is distractingly attractive

[adriannaoshea]

I've tried D&D with 5 different groups and didn't have a good time with any of them. Then I played Call of Cthulhu and fell in love. If you feel like you want to get into RPGs and something just isn't clicking, don't be afraid to try a different game. Quinn's advice of choosing something that gets you excited is so spot on and your options feel endless. Paranoia is next on my list to try.

[Mortdale]

My number 1 tip as a GM: Schedule the next session. You can do all the planning in the world as a GM (which can be fun) but it doesn't crystalise into anything unless you are actually sharing it all with your players at the table. And the first step is to schedule the next session. Once something is in the calendar, this will create urgency for yourself. You will find the creative juices flow more freely and your planning is also more productive.

[roberthermosillo]

"As if the story was a spirit you summoned during a seance and, for 1 breathless hour, you all get to exist within it." Such a magnificent collection of words! Goosebumps!