I love Matthew Mercer as much as the next guy, he's a cool lad who does a really good job as a voice actor and a DM

I love Matthew Mercer as much as the next guy, he's a cool lad who does a really good job as a voice actor and a DM.

But holy fucking shit if I continue to hear comparisons and players asking me to do x or y because he does it this or that way or generally expect every game to play out like a Critical Role episode i'm gonna flip a fucking tit.

How do I politely tell people to never bring up Critical Role unless we're specifically talking about it or related media without coming across as a salty and jealous little man full of anger and bitterness?

What's worse is that this is my first time DMing a full campaign and even though I understand that I have plenty of room to improve I can tell when I'm being molded to fit what someone else wants rather than what I can pull off or feel comfortable doing, and try to pass it off as genuine advice.

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Tell them that it's shit, and that you shouldn't expect to play a game like they make a show.

Kill him and eat his heart. Your players will no longer question you.

>to hear comparisons and players asking me to do x or y because he does it this or that way or generally expect every game to play out like a Critical Role episode

Can you give a few specific examples please?

Just say that everyone DMs differently and his style isn't your style.

kek

From the top of my head, "Mercer, for example, has a distinct combat flow that lets everything feel tense because he knows how to describe danger" when I said something along the lines of 5e making it hard for me to make them feel challenged
Or "yeah that's what Matthew Mercer does in critical role, he presents challenges as vague obstacles"
Or "I feel like you're lacking in certain voices, what I like about things like Critical Role is how every important NPC has a unique voice that helps you know who's important" when it was like 2am and didn't feel like voicing slightly antagonizing npc #340

I did brought that up one of the first times and got a response somewhere along the lines of "yeah but you should strive to improve and he's a great reference of a good DM"

...

It's shitty scripted shit, if they want it like critical role just hand them a script and tell them to repeat those exact lines.

I had half of a group, including the DM, that basically worshiped this fucking show. I have no desire to watch this because of the way they play and the way they tried to force me to play.
Mercer is probably a nice guy, but if I ever meet him I'll probably punch him in his perfect face. Basically ruined the way I see the people who used to be my closest friends.

Explain out the gate you are not Matt Mercer and are not comfortable trying to imitate what he does. Tell them you will do what you can, but if they are looking for the full Matt Mercer experience to become a famous VA and get chummy with CR cast then play in their game. Pretty much be honest with them about doing this for fun and not being a professional voice actor.

>It's this show is scripted post #18794
>Still no proof
I'll give you baby gloves and resurrection being a pre rolled dice, but some of the pants on head retarded shit they have done or come up with is completely opposite of what a script should aim for.

>Opposite of what a script should aim for
Examples?

fuck off mercer, your shit isn't welcome here

you have my sympathies user, if anyone did that at my table I would be seething, and I'm just a player.

while that may be true, I would expect a higher quality story and characters if it was scripted.

>"I feel like you're lacking in certain voices"

I'm extremely mellow and casual, but this would make me never play with a person again. They're fucking voice actors, how are normal people supposed to compare? It's the one specific area where Mercer really shines, and we're supposed to compare? Fuck that. I think I have many strengths as a DM, but voices just are not one of them. If anyone expects Mercer-level DM'ing then they're welcome to run their own fucking games. Ungrateful cunts.

As a guy who got inspired to DM by Matt, hell id never played D&D before that D&Diesel video got me interested, my recommendation is to make it clear that that you are not Matt and that everyone has a different style of running a game. And if differentiating npc's is so tough for them in lieu of voices just provide a single sentence descriptor, has a scar under his left eye, a large underbite, frighteningly intense stare etc. thatch my 2 cents hope it all works out

Four hours of the group walking in circles following dead end leads where the viewership on twitch noticable dropped more than usual. Half of Keyleth's actions and use of spells that made the group look at her like she's retarded. On the spot improv where Mercer scrambles for an NPC or voice. A script should flow and not have these kinks and hiccups however it's a common occurrence. There are legit reasons to criticize the show, that even as someone who watches it agrees to, but this is one of the weakest and least supported.

Don't act like Keyleth doesn't draw in the normie crowd with her "lul randomness" and the fact that she's the perfect "princess" for people to white knight because she's constantly getting "harassed by misogynists"

God I hate Keyleth so much. Is she better with her new character? I watched half of episode one of the new season, but got bored.

Simple user, brutalize their characters in awful ways, with many voices and excruciating detail. And then calmly walk out and lock them inside and set fire to the building and fap as they cry out in agony.

Tell them they can run their own Matt Mercer fan game if they love Matt so much.

Protip: most players will just back down because they're too lazy to put in the work as a DM

i started watching with the new campaign and she doesn't seem half as bad as people say she is. so that might be a good sign.

also, is it me or do they play far more slow paced than the average group?

Oh she completely fucking does, you can still see how the rest of cast looks at her in some of her more "creative" retarded moments and see the annoyance. It's why she feels justified in not actually improving as a player which is my major hang up about her. I can get having trouble playing a caster, what I don't understand is not attempting to be a better player so not just you but everyone around you can enjoy it better.

Meh, so far same old shit different story. Matt described a bunch of guards watching some carnies and she managed to get one or two distracted to check out a noise. Then proceeded to forget he specifically said there were four or five standing there and said "what you didn't say there were more guards!" when she got caught. Shortly after has her hands chained and decides "I'm not gonna use my free limbs, I'm gonna try and elbow them." goes about as expected.

Yes Matt has said more than once his group is larger than average, doesn't help that it's like herding kittens.

She's better in comparison mostly because several cast members have IC, and a couple OOC, poked fun at her. Also helps she doesn't have spells that she can "forget" how they work and try to argue for ever inch of leeway with her husband (DM).

I advertise on Roll20 and on Veeky Forums gamefinder now and again, and if anyone says "Hey I saw this system played on [insert trashy youtuber here]'s show" or "Are you gonna be running this like [talentless e-celebrity]'s campaign" they're an instant decline.

I'm a similar situation, but replace Mercer with Griffin McElroy.

Tell them that first of all you’re not a professional voice actor and that it’s your first time DMing. Matt has years of experience in both voice acting and DMIng (played since high school).

Say that while you’re open to suggestions and criticism, you’re only really going to put into effect what you feel is right for your game and what you’re comfortable doing.

If they still give you guff, say that by copying Matt you’re never going to find your own unique play style which is sort of the point.


>tfw Veeky Forums will never be Matt’s gf like it should

>Matt's gf
>Not Travis's
What are you fucking gay?

Matt used to come here often and developed a relationship with Veeky Forums

He let Kayleth play a homebrew subclass
When she can't even understand the default classes
I love Matt but goddamn is he pussywhipped, any sensible DM would have kicked her out by now but because she's his wife...

Really?

Yes and?

Don't forget also, iirc, Creative Director for G&S, if not that exact job a higher up in G&S.

Yes he's admitted here and there to going to Veeky Forums, or used to, when asked about the "Mercer ruining DnD pasta". There are a couple logical boards he would visit, Veeky Forums,/v/ and maybe Veeky Forums.

Yup

He’s the one that got away.

Veeky Forums‘s oneitis

That changes nothing about my original statement, then again I'm originally from Veeky Forums so that might explain it.

Travis is definitely Veeky Forums‘s gf pick

I was going to mention that but I doubted it’d have any relevance

It's all cool, I'm mostly just bored at work so thanks for playing along.

>I feel like you're lacking in certain voices

The first campaign I played in where the DM didn't do ANY silly voices was such a breath of fresh air. No need to "act out" something simple like buying a potion or renting a room at the inn. "The bandits agree to surrender" instead of twenty minutes of back-and-forth for the same result.

I understand why people like acting in D&D, but it shouldn't be the only (or even assumed) mode of play. I would despise playing in a campaign like Critical Role.

Even though me and my groups prefer the acting out I completely agree. It shouldn't be a requirement and should be discussed before hand instead of assumed.

My DM actually begins every session with a recap of the last half dozen sessions, like he's opening a podcast to a bunch of new listeners. So whatever we play for the week, we'll hear the summary of the next six weeks running.

>Shit DM detected

Have you tried paying attention for anything the last year you've playing? It might be slight nod that you're an ADD spaz and need to get back on the plot

Hey, hey, hey now, I'm here to make fun of DMs, not be criticised as a player.

Seems like that user might be onto something since this is a bunch of DMs complaining about players with unrealistic expectations.

I'm just here to say that I despise Marisha

Everyone does

The long and the short of it is... you're the boss. You're in charge of the game, you don't let the players tell you how to do your job.

Yes, the players are free to roam the country side as they desire, behave as their characters so wish, but in running the game, you are in charge.

Let them have their gripes at the end of the game, take note of what you can and can't control and adjust accordingly. But if they kick up a stink during the game, shut them the-fuck down. You're the boss, buddy.

Incidentally, how's their voice acting?

"Hey guys, I know you like critical role, but can you please stop bringing it up all the time? It's starting to get on my nerves"

This.
You will gain his powers.

>can you please stop bringing it up all the time? It's starting to get on my nerves
Oh hey that's exactly what I was going to say about this thread

>The long and the short of it is... you're the boss. You're in charge of the game, you don't let the players tell you how to do your job.
>Yes, the players are free to roam the country side as they desire, behave as their characters so wish, but in running the game, you are in charge.
>Let them have their gripes at the end of the game, take note of what you can and can't control and adjust accordingly. But if they kick up a stink during the game, shut them the-fuck down. You're the boss, buddy.

I guess you're right. I should be more assertive from now on when they try to bring that kinda shit up. I know I have lots of things to improve upon, but I don't need to be compared to a good DM constantly, I'll improve on my own pace and develop my style as we go, and they can either stick around or play another game.

>Incidentally, how's their voice acting?
What voice acting? :^)

About voices, I've had them told me I do a good job at them and giving characters personality, but that kinda comes off as fake praise if they start giving me shit over it. It wasn't even that I was falling behind with them, the full criticism was that I give everyone a way to talk (even if it's just normal me with a different pitch) and they felt it was trivializing who was important and who isn't or some shit like that. Like I need to give them a small sign that says IMPORTANT NPC when i'm trying to run the fucking game and I don't even waste time with it.

I'll have you know that Critical Role as a thread hasn't been brought up for three days until now, and this isn't even a proper thread about it. I want somewhere to bitch about Marisha

This Texan son of a bitch gets to pork Laura Bailey on the daily. I'll be jealous forever.

>I feel like you're lacking in certain voices, what I like about things like Critical Role is how every important NPC has a unique voice that helps you know who's important"

I mean the dude is a profession voice actor. I don't know what they expect from you.

>Mercer has a distinct combat flow
Mercer's combats are literally impossible for non-braindead people to die in and will take two hours to kill two enemies because the people playing take five minutes for their turns due to roleplaying.
With a competent group playing decent characters, Mercer's encounters would be over by the first round and done in about 10 - 15 minutes. It's never actually dangerous, just artificially, and only because a lot of the players are turboautistic.

>he presents challenges as vague obstacles
Matt's challenges are less challenges and more 'how long will it take for the players to stop being retarded and jerking themselves off before they give the obvious answer and get onto the next scene'. A competent group would just go 'yeah this is the answer', 'yup', 'yeah', done. Matt's players take thirty minutes talking about how their character is a chaotic retarded Tiefling that does random shit at random times and their ADHD prevents them from focusing on the 'challenge', and thus they go off on a tangent until Travis or Liam, realizing shit is getting derailed, just says the answer everyone should have known half an hour ago.

>lacking in certain voices
Matt is literally a professional voice actor whose entire life revolves around his voice and his DMing. He has more time and resources than you do, who is doing it as a hobby. Heck, if that isn't enough, in a cast where literally EVERYONE is a professional voice actor (Liam O'brien being in basically every significant game made in the past two decades, for example), Matt STILL stands out as the best of all of them. That has to show that he isn't just a standard DM who just happens to have a range of voices - he is literally the 1% of the 1% for voice acting because he's dedicated his existence to it.
Asking your DM who is running this as a hobby to match him is absolutely fucking retarded.

Don't forget that she already got, as twitch chat called it during the live episode
>incoming special wife plot
in which she got the room to herself for seemingly no reason, to RP out a special faction that wants her as their special chosen one

>being this mad

Sounds like they want a video game *this person is unique and special, and thus important* marker, which is confusing since Mercer voices every NPC and all of the vast majority are
>Strong independent woman
or
>Quirky and/or shifty male
with a few extra identifiers, gay, colorful, strong, magical, thrown in.

I've had one DM try to do voices. I don't think he realized that every single time he did a voice he was just using the same accent. He tries, and I respect that, but I'm not about to hold it over his head that he couldnt do two more voices then his actual voice.

As a DM, I don't even try doing voices because fuck if I know how they understand my usual speech, but I do try to capture mannerisms whenever I can.

I'm waiting to see if Mercer does that for everyone gaining their third level stuff before I call some serious bullshit.

Not every class gets their archetype at 3rd level, so if anyone got it, it should have been Liam and Laura, both who already have their archetype.
Technically so does Travis, but you could play up the pact boon instead, despite it being less meaningful.
Plus, Sam already has ingrained in his RP, which is the best way to do it anyway, unless he switches it up and decides against arcane trickster.

Yes I understand that and I'm waiting to see what happens with it before calling bullshit.

Thankfully I missed the stream, so when I watched it on Youtube I could just skip 30 minutes forward until the special wife plot was over.
I did check about 75% of the way through her solo session though, and I liked that she was getting the shit beaten out of her, but I got out of there before she could try to be an autistic Grog.

She literally failed to understand how "dodge" worked.
Oh and
>zomg 2 20s in a row xD

>What voice acting? :^)
Classic!

As for the non important NPCs not having a voice, that's ok. I have a policy of showing NPC personality buy DOING things rather than saying them. Story time...

I've been taking my friends through Curse of Strahd. They met Ireena but I didn't really give her a voice or much of a personality, fully expecting her to be dead in two weeks. (In my defence, every forum I've read about it, this is Ireena's usual life expectancy!) But she has managed to survive every encounter so far, despite the ferocious encounters I've thrown at them.


In an encounter with the Night Hags, Morgantha was about to heathstone out, so Ireena attacked her, rolled a 20 and chopped the stone out of the Hag's hand. Up until then she had been hiding 100 feet away. Later, they asked why she did it, and I had her say "I was tired of being a victim."

The party has since been training her in combat and magic, and now I've given Ireena full PC status for players to play if/when their characters die.

Grated, I've been playing D&D with my friends since 1980, but not a session goes by where I don't think I could have done a better job as a DM.

You'll be fine, and don't over prepare!

you are already salt.

I'm a terrible voice actor and all my NPC's come across as derranged, insane or that whispery type of evil.

Coincidentally I've been running a campaign where the general populace would come across as derranged or insane to earth humans, and my players have been loving it.

There was also this one skeleton with a whispery evil voice.

He wasn't mad about Matt though if you read it.

He does have a point though. None of Mercer's combats are actually dangerous. Long turns of players who don't understand the game and hp bloat just make them go on forever (partially a fault of the system as well). I would bet anything the 'vague challenges' are kept vague so he can say that whatever-the-last-thing-the-player-said is a solution when the players start to slow down the show.

I've done the vague challenge thing a few times myself when I was worried the players wouldn't get it.

They're ususally drunk.

>comparing your voice acting to a literal voice actor
You can't play with these people. Just leave

Almost every time she does something I cringe. I see no major difference between this game and the last game other than the fact she has less options to fuck up, as she's level 3 vs almost max level last time.
Her situational awareness is garbage, she's playing stronk female woman: Korra edition, she's getting into a habit of flipping people off and trying to be an infinitely shittier Grog, and literally every single this she says in character can be summed up as "I'm a sociopath".

Just say "No. I'm not Matthew Mercer."

Ask them if they would like to run instead. It's not the most original retort, but people use it for a reason.

That dude has an incredibly punchable face

Don't sweat it. Pick up some skills or ideas from DMs you've seen or played with, but don't try to become any of them. Do what you usually do, aspire to improve, and let the players decide if they want to take the journey with you or not.

What the fuck is this flowery bullshit

Just tell it to them straight you big pissbaby.

user are you not even a professional voice actor? Are you not a thespian? Have you even had voice coaching?

How dare you even consider being a Dungeon Master unless you're at least an out of work actor living in Los Angeles.

Everyone knows that the most important part about Roleplaying games isn't the rules set, or pacing, or the setting, or worldbuilding, or exciting encounters, or engaging choices, or well built dungeons to explore , it's funny voices.

Get your head in the game.

You are right, I must be high, let me correct myself:

Something something cuck...something something faggot. Mercer and/or CR is literal cancer.

Have you tried to explain that you are not a professional voice actor, or more importantly, any kind of actor at all? If he's expecting you to just make up a unique voice for everyone, he's an asshole. It's a goddamn make believe game between a bunch of nerds.
Adequately and vividly describing danger is a good skill to have, but if he just doesn't like how YOU do it he's an asshole again.

There ya go.

oh, that was me
i forgot i posted that
thanks user, i kek'd real hard

>I don't think he realized that every single time he did a voice he was just using the same accent.
I know that's not you Kurt but i feel personally called out.

still better than harmonquest

Harmon quest is set up very differently. the GM is controlling many things and probably fudging dice to keep "on script"

If anyone at my table mentions BS like CR and adventure zone they will be told to stop or I will be kicking them.

Why can't he pork me?
:c

>every important NPC has a unique voice that helps you know who's important
That's not even true. Matt's most popular NPCs, besides Gilmore, were improvised, while characters like those two dykes have generic female voices.

If you're having a good day and don't like it, read this post from one of Marisha's alts and all the circlejerking that comes with it reddit.com/r/criticalrole/comments/7w7h1u/no_spoilers_i_love_marisha/

mercer is a shit dm who gives shit advice, generally.

good for playing to an audience, less good for actually playing.

Don't need to put on script in quotes. They're literally just pretending to play DnD.

does that mean that Adam Koebel is somehow more alpha than Mercer, he's banging pick related but is still pretty harsh with her in sessions

I think a lot of people on here give the same advice no matter what the problem is. It is good advice. Talk to them, just speak plainly, and without anger or emotion.

No need to "act", you are paranoid. Get a grip, relax. Maybe don't follow something you don't enjoy?

Then don't enter the thread? I don't want to read /pol/ threads, so can you guess what I don't do? I don't go to /pol/ and visit /pol/ threads. Well you probably can't guess that, because you entered a thread you don't want to be in. Rather than trying to make something worse, just focus on something that you actually like. Go to those threads. Seriously, go.

He's speaking normally, probably why it seems so unusual, especially in this thread.

Then please, show everyone your superior skills user. If he is shit, show him up. I say that to all the edgy kids in this thread. Put up, or shut up. You all take the easiest option, you sit on your butts and say he is terrible, or that the show is. However none of you are able to compete with him? Very interesting. I mean, considering how much he sucks, and how much better all of you are. inb4 your empty excuses. Deep down, beneath all of your denial, you know you aren't as good, and it burns you up inside.

>Unironically watching Critical Reddit

You and your E-Celeb shit can fuck off

true fact:

Keylith's player is Mercer's BITCH.

Can someone sum up what happened with Marisha's one on one? It's Marisha so I fucking bailed right away and skipped ahead. Funnily enough I must has skipped through a third, maybe even half of the last episode, just because I despise Marisha and because Liam was happy just acting like he was the main character and no one else mattered. Put so much time and effort into doing mundane and inconsequential shit the entire episode. It's his fault Ashley had fuck all to do before handwaving away her departure again.

I didn't bother watching the handful of Orion's final episodes, same with two episodes where they were in the Feywild, but never before have I been so bored with an episode that I skipped through so much of it.

>open relationship
>alpha

Trinket and a bunch of other bears attempt to steal honey from a festival. Apparently it was surprisingly okay.

Not her one shot. Her one on one in the last episode.