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S1 Ep.13 - A New Player's Perspective · Bards and Barrels

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Bards and Barrels, the podcast for Dungeons and Dragons players, new and old.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: We're just a few 30-something dads who play DD on the regular.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ross Druze, and I'm joined by my friends and co-hosts Brett Miller and Phil Boone.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be exploring the world of Dungeons and Dragons in each episode, sharing our experiences, offering tips and advice for those who play and run this classic game.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Don't miss out on us discussing everything from character creation to combat mechanics and even delving into some of the lore behind the game.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: We'll also be sharing some of our funniest and most memorable moments from our own DD campaigns.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: So whether you're a new player just starting out or a seasoned veteran looking to reminisce about your own adventures or just get a new perspective on things, Bards and Barrels has something for everyone.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: So sit back, grab a drink, and join us as we roll for initiative and embark on this epic adventure.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: And there's the opening crack.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's time for another episode of Bards and Barrels.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ross, along with me for the ride, as always, Phil and Brett.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: How's it going, fellas?
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Doing well, doing well, you guys.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: Uh there's another person here.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what the heck?
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you?
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Who let you in?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I I snuck in the back door when you weren't looking.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_04: So uh hope that's all right.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so yeah, we do have uh a guest on the show.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh welcome, Anthony.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Good to be here.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so uh we were talking, oh the god, this has been a while ago, but Brett, Phil, and I were thinking it would be uh very interesting to get a slightly different perspective on playing the game, being a part of the game.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so the the idea that we came up with was we were going to uh bring a first-time player on the show, and then uh eventually we'll bring like a veteran player on the show as well.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: So tonight's episode is gonna be us having a conversation with Anthony, who's only been playing for how long?
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_04: Uh only since December.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_04: So what's that come out?
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_04: Like seven, seven months or less.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: So wow, you're still a baby in the D world.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, on your intro, you talk about role initiative.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_04: I'm still trying to figure out which dice that is.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_04: So uh that's about how green I am right now.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, okay, with that said, let's jump right in.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: How how did you get involved?
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like what interested you the most to just want to jump into DD?
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_04: You know, that it's kind of one of those things that you you hear like out in the shadows, people playing this stuff over the years, and and had never really um taken the initiative to try and be part of a group or or figure out, you know, um who I could join in with and and play.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_04: And uh just kind of one of those things that random discussions, somebody's like, hey, you you want to come play DD with us?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm like, I have you know, I I'm a nerd.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't think I was that nerdy.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome to the club.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_04: But but but got invited and I'm like, sure, let's let's let's let's try this thing.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_04: And uh so yeah, that that was back in just just December, so a matter of months ago.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_04: And he said the the initial invite was just supposed to be for a like a one-shot type thing that kind of turned into a mini campaign, and three months later we're still playing the the the the same campaign.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_04: And after that he's like, You want to stick around and play more?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm like, Yeah.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_04: So so so that that's kind of where I got my start.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: So it was a mutual friend, so you had somebody who just was like, Hey, you want to get involved, kind of deal.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and and uh I know you'd mentioned it on some of the previous episodes, but it's one of those things that you you don't realize how many people you know you even mentioned to me tonight before before we started recording, um, another mutual friend that is like, I had no idea.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_04: So what type of character are you playing?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_04: Uh currently, uh, I know it's not in the and you're you're gonna have to help me through this.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_04: Just that's fine.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_04: Just like any other game, like okay, roll you roll a constitution saving throw.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, that's a thing.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_04: Is that the pointy one with you know this many sides?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_04: Uh so ultimately, I I don't think it's in the the traditional player's handbook, but uh a Triton Barbarian is my current character.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, ooh, nice.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_04: So my my very first character, actually, I coming into this completely green, not knowing how much of a challenge it was gonna be, it ended up being a uh half elf wizard.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_04: And and of course, when I when I told the the DM that, he's like, wow, that's ambitious.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_04: And I had that panic moment behind it.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_04: And uh so so I I've ultimately played three different characters now.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_04: Um the the first one um of course was the the half-elfizard, and after that we did just a little one-shot that he used some of the pre-built characters from uh Beyond.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_04: And I I can't actually remember what I what character I played with that, but currently being the I I wanted this, you know, doing a full campaign.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's like I I want something that I can not have to put as much thought into, that I can be a little bit more creative.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_04: And and so that's a you know what, barbarian and and with the the world that he was describing, the DM was describing, um it's kind of this ring of islands.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_04: And I what I thought was really creative from him was if you are on, you know, each island has you know, one island is clerics, one island is barbarians, one island.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_04: So he he kind of went around this whole ring, and if you're on your own island, you get a plus three, and the fur the further you get away from your island, that can turn into a negative three when you're on like the three one eighty.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: Interesting, yeah.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_04: So so it was really I I thought that was a brilliant idea on his part, and uh so he had described kind of what what his thought process was, and around the barbarian island, he's like, and there's these you know tur intelligent turtles.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, okay, so that I I want to do this because it's not only you know, barbarian seemed a little bit more with my limited experience, it's like okay, I can I can grab a mug from the pub and clobber somebody with it and not have to really plan out, you know, what what I can do at level one.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_04: And so it just kind of fell together and and worked out really well.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_04: So that's yeah, that's that's what I'm playing currently.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: I find it interesting that you basically fell into stuff that we have talked about.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's like starting with a wizard, probably not.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: I started with a wizard too.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: I know exactly how you felt because it's like so overwhelming, just spells after spells to try to understand and keep all keep track of all that is impossible for a first-time player.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then you wisely went to something that that we threw out there for first-time players as being like, you should play a barbarian.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great low-level class, it gets better as you play it, it's easy to use.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's just I think that was great.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's a great choice by you.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_04: And and what worked out well is when we were you know getting ready to start this campaign and we were building our team, you know, it would kind of like you guys had recommended in in your one of your last episodes was uh you know, get together as a team, make sure you've got your your somebody with healing, make sure you've got so so as we're going through that, um it it just worked out well that I had just listened to the barbarian episode.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_04: So so little little plugs here and there, you know.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_04: Appreciate that.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_04: Appreciate that.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_04: Uh pay me later.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um anyway, uh free drinks, man.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, yes.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_04: Wore me another round.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um but but I had just decided on the barbarian when that episode came out, so I'm like, oh sweet.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_04: So obviously listened to it, and and that actually did help me, you know, trying to figure out what where I wanted to go, what what the strengths were and and and that kind of thing.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: So let's let's back up a little bit.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Prior to you starting to play Dungeons and Dragons, like like you said you didn't realize you were that nerdy until you actually got started with it.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Were there any other like barriers in your mind?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like did it was it like overly intimidating?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like what what kept you from playing?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Was it just not knowing people?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: What what was it?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_04: I I think it was a a combination of of not knowing people.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I'm I'm I'm a recent plants transplant to here.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_04: Plant.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: English.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's fine, it's fine.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_04: I I I are learning.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but you know, out out where I'm from, smaller town, you just and and I kind of, you know, we we talk about 30-something guys with with kids.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_04: You you kind of just get in your group, into your groove, and and you don't really expand past that.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_04: And then with completely uprooting and and moving here, uh it kind of opened up all these other opportunities of people that I hadn't met yet and finding out things in common and and things that I didn't know I had in common and getting invited to the group.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_04: So it was kind of a combination of just not knowing anybody that that really played it, and maybe maybe it wasn't as common there as it is here.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_04: Sure.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: Were you interested in any other I don't even know what to call nerdoms before D D?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_04: Uh you know, most of my nerddoms were were less as far as you know, RPZ and and stuff like that.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_04: It was it was more along the line.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_04: I probably I would say back in college, uh we we did like uh I was part of the technology electronics club.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_04: And so we would do some computer gaming and and things like that.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_04: Other than that, I I've always had an interest in in tech and electronics, and that that's that's the extent of my nerddom or geek geekery, as it were.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_04: Geekery.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Were you or have you been like a fan of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, those types of shows, movies?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_04: All of the above, all of the above.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, be it DC, be it Marvel, um, be it, you know, uh Game of Thrones, any of that kind of stuff.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_04: Um I'll always kind of had an interest in that and and never really saw much of a tie-in.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_04: And what what's interesting is the the barbarian character that I've got now.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_04: You know, in in my day job, I cannot have a short fuse.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_04: And and it's kind of interesting that I can kind of live vicariously through my character.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_04: When I was trying to form my character, I'm like, you know what?
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_04: I I I think I want to have a chaotic neutral with a short fuse.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_04: And just kind of live vicariously through that.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_04: So so you see somebody do something stupid, you're like, okay, I'm done.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_04: Like throw chuck stuff at them or you know, swing.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: And the the fun part is, you know, I've I I I guess as we talk nerdery and geekery, uh always been kind of a trekkie.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_04: Um and and kind of the that's I guess what's helped me picture uh picture these things as we go in.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_04: So you walk into this otherworldly tavern, as it were, everybody's you know, chugging down their mugs of male lizard milk or whatever.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_04: Oh no.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_04: Whatever it might be, and and you know, something goes down and you just grab the mug and you clobber somebody.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_04: But but it's kind of that uh I I have this picture.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_04: It being a Trekkie or you know, Star Wars or in any of these kind of shows that you grow up with, it really helps you the creative side of your mind of actually picturing what's going on.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_04: And that's probably a part of my brain I hadn't really used much in a long time.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_04: You know, as a as a kid, it's you're you know, you're in this spaceship or all these things, and as a grown man, you you just don't really do that.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_04: And this kind of becomes that outlet, and you're vicariously living through your character and things that man, I wish I could, you know, flip that switch.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: And and let us know in the comments what kind of drinks you have in your world.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Hashtag male lizard milk.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because Phil wants that one to pop back up.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: I can just tell.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_04: So name of the episode.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_04: We want people to listen to it.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Anthony Colen male lizard milk.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Noted.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know about that.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: So um the other players that you're playing with, how experienced are they playing DD?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um, several of them have been DMs before.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_04: Um so so they've got I would say several years of experience, maybe not much more than that.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_04: Uh vastly more than what I than what I have.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: But they've been on both sides of the table, so they they have a fair bit of experience.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: Correct, correct.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: Gotcha.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Assuming that that they have been really good about helping shepherd you through the the rules and the learning process and everything.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_04: And and you know, I I try to respect that too, of knowing that I'm, you know, like like I said, roll roll uh constitution saving throw or whatever.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I kind of don't know what I'm doing, but I I don't want to interrupt the flow if um if we're an initiative or something like that.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_04: So, but but they've been really good about okay, you nope, you grab your you know, D8 or or whatever it is, and and uh okay, here's what it actually means if you're at at disadvantage or advantage or or those kind of things.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_04: So they they've really helped with with any of those kind of questions that I've had.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_04: I just I I kind of try to limit what I'm asking when they're when we're in the middle of something, just because there's a flow to it.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, you don't want to interrupt.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_04: That's it's like the commercial when you get to the cliffhanger on when you're watching a show or something.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_04: You don't want to do that to the rest of the group.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_04: But they they've been fantastic of really helping through and showing, you know, how even when we get through something, I'm like, okay, explain this to me.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_04: And they'll be like, okay, so here's here's what happened, here's what the rule book says.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_04: Uh the DM kind of made a judgment call at that point, and so so technically it's not what the rule book said, but it was the DM's decision, and it all those things have really helped me.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's great that you have a party that's that's willing to do that.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: You found a good group.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: I talking about barriers, I think for new players that's that's a problem for them because if you go because you know DD Beyond Role 20, they have ways for you to find groups to play in, but you could very easily end up in a group where they don't want to answer questions and they don't want to help you, they just want somebody to hop in and play.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I think equally there too, you know, it's great when an entire group of new players want to jump in and do things too, but you almost run into a similar situation there where if you're all brand new, nobody knows the rules.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_02: So you can run into it that way as well.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: But it's awesome that you found a group that will coach you through all of those pieces because there's a lot in there.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_04: And and what's been great about that too, we've we've got like this Encyclopedia Brown guy.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um just if you if you have a question, okay, what's this spell do, or or what uh if you're this character, what what advantage do you have?
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_04: And can you do X, Y, and Z?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_04: And I I don't know how, but it seems like he's memorized like not only the player's handbook, but all the all the spin-offs there too.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_04: And well, if you refer to this, this, and this, they they they go this way with it.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_04: And it it just an incredible amount of knowledge.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_04: And and so you'll you have a question, you know, as as a back when I was the the half wizard elf or half elf wizard, yeah.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_04: Uh just having a question about what a spell does, how long it lasts, or or different things like somehow he could just recall that off the top of his head.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_04: So you you kind of learn to trust if he's gonna say something that he probably probably got a pretty good idea what he's saying.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, one other thing I noticed you mentioned is they're transparent with when they're giving some leeway on DM discretion and being transparent with this is a judgment call for the DM.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's not just black and white in the rule books all the time.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: And being up front with you on sometimes eh, we're gonna homebrew some of these rules too.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's that's probably really helped the our our DM because I I'll be honest, being being the rookie that I am, I probably haven't been very good to my DM as far as you know providing a a character sheet and stuff like that would probably really help in what he's trying to do in this story, but but I haven't and the other thing is, you know, being the the career guy, you you don't exactly have a ton of time to to spend on character of a development and and and things that you you know I I dedicate my every other Monday night from 7 30 to 10 30 to to D.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_04: Outside of that, it's really hard to make time to do that that advanced work and and be able to communicate that.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_04: So most of my character formation and stuff is in those little gaps, you know, if while he's while he's working with another character.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: I actually think that that is more realistic for a character, though.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: I how often do you have like people that come to session one with a character that has this elaborate backstory for a level for a level one character versus you know having not a lot of anything and then developing that as you go?
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like that's more of a realistic play to things.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: If that's how you want like this person is me, I'm gonna play their life out, then that that seems more realistic to me anyway.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I think I think that works.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: If it works for you, that's all that matters.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: Question for you, Anthony.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: Are you have you been building your characters on paper or have you been using DD Beyond?
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: So neither.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: I've actually been using 5e.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if you're familiar with it.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_04: Oh no.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_04: So 5e is an app that I've got.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if it's on Apple or I I I've got Android.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_04: So um I've even still got my my original character on there, Hal, um, and and my current character, Vilgen, on there.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_04: And which, oh, that reminds me I've got Death Save here.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_03: Oh boy.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: Oh man.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_04: Last round was a little rough.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_04: So what's your next character idea?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_04: If if I completely ruin this, I'll probably be uh taking over one of the uh NPCs just to help the DM with the rest of it.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_04: But um, but yeah, uh it really helped me as far as um you know back back my first character of keeping track of you know cantrips and spells and how many times I'd used it and and all those good things and and giving you kind of similar to what what Beyond can offer as far as knowing what what each of those actually does, how long it lasts, and uh you know this has kind of done a lot of those same things for me and and created my character sheet and it steps you through character creation similar to awesome um Beyond.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_04: I I don't know, does does Beyond, does this actually if you create your character, does that go to the DM?
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_04: If they have a campaign set up, yeah, that that's probably one shortcoming.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think they have that option in this 5e character.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but but uh so far my my DM's been pretty gracious on that.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: So um we'll talk about how you guys actually play then.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: So you've got this on your phone.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: Do you roll dice at the table or do you roll it on on your phone or how do you do how do you play?
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_04: Um I have I have never done a virtual one.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_04: Um so all of these have been basically homebrew campaigns and roll dice, um, minis uh or whatever you uh and I I have yet to 3D print my own.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_04: Um I've I've really considered it, you know, being this early in in a campaign that if we can stretch a one shot into three months, uh we'll probably be on this campaign for a while.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_04: So I I've really thought about, you know, um even the library, you can go and use their 3D printer or whatever, and I know like three or four people that have 3D printers, but coming up with something.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, so we'll roll dice.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_04: And and in fact, that was one of the uh um uh the the DM that was his birthday gift to me was was a pack of dice and all this kind of stuff.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_04: I I think it was I think there was ulterior motives of getting me to stick around past that initial campaign.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_04: But I mean it worked, right?
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_04: It worked.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_04: I'll give that to him.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_04: It worked.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_04: Um but but anyway, yeah, so so rolling dice, characters, a map on the table, all that good stuff.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do you struggle at all finding like so you said you play on Monday nights?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have you had a A time where you've like struggled to get together.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's something we've talked about in the past, where that's that's the challenge of any in-person campaign is just finding a time to get together.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_04: I would say more often than not, it has worked really well.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_04: Um, right now we're on like a couple of off weeks where some people are on like family vacations and stuff.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_04: So we've we've adjusted a little bit, but generally, and and I say this with only having experience since December, uh, it's actually worked really well.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_04: Uh we've we've never really How do I want to say that?
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_04: We we probably this last time had a true like zero session because one of the guys was gone.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_04: So the DM's been very good about uh creating some little you know, if if if there was more time than what a zero session would take without the other guy there, uh just some little mini thing that that he put together to to take us up some time, but give us a idea of what this world was like, or or give us little bits and pieces that are that are gonna help us down the road in the campaign.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: So you mentioned that you had a session zero.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel that you got a lot out of session zero?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Typically, you know, that's where they lay out rules and things.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: What what what was yours like?
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I I think it was probably I I have a hunch I probably got as much out of it as the DM did of what our characters were gonna be.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um it helps it helped me because I'm still trying to figure things out and and that was kind of my my opportunity to really ask uh different things about um uh just just the game in general and and what the different roles are and okay now now explain disadvantage and explain you know all these different things to me.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_04: So so it that aspect of it, that was a great opportunity for me to present things without feeling like I'm interrupting the flow of when when you're in initiative.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_04: Sure.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: So the players at your table, do they use voices?
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: How much in character do they get?
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: Do they talk as the person or talk in third person?
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: What's what's your type?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_04: They have been they they probably influenced me because they every one of them, um, you know when they're talking in character.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_04: And that switch flips, and you know when you're talking to Tortic, you know when you're talking to, you know, all the all these different characters, uh, versus me, my my initial, my initial character, uh I I didn't really use a voice, but kind of kind of this sounds cheesy, but but ultimately what I what I would do, I I had a hoodie, and every time it would be like the this part where I'm I'm trying to focus and getting character, I'd pull the hood up over my head.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_04: And again, it it sounds cheesy, but but that's that's how I would would try to focus, just not having much experience in in the different things.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_04: And and my most recent character, uh starting to get into like using the voices and stuff, and I think they've influenced me in in that respect.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: So, what did that feel like the first time you jumped in and they're starting to speak in all these voices?
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: What was it like for you?
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: Nerds.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, they're going for it.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_04: It's like, oh, I feel really out of place.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_04: But but you know, they they they were awesome about it.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_04: Like, really, I I think what made the difference for me was that even though they were like really into it, and and in in my perspective as a newbie, it's like, man, these guys really know what they're doing and all this, but even with all that, they were still willing to help me out.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_04: So so that's what really helped me in in the whole process of okay, um, it kind of as awkward as that could have been, it gave me something to to kind of benchmarks benchmark myself too of okay, these these guys know what they're doing, they're they're really getting into it.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_04: That could be fun.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_04: That could be an an out, like out of my you know, normal, you know, Monday through Friday, eight to midnight or whatever, whatever those hours could be, um of just that you know getting getting out of myself, actually loosening up and and uh getting into something to take my mind off of uh off the day-to-day.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: Boy, that that makes me really happy for your table.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because like if you if you have guys like letting loose, guys, gals, whoever, letting loose, having fun with it, and then even though like you coming to the table, you you didn't want to do it at first, but now you're to the point where you feel like them doing it has given you the freedom to do it, and now you're starting to do it.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, that's that's what's cool.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: Every table strives to do is exactly what's happening with you, and that's amazing.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_04: And and again, it comes kind of gets to the point where you're you're living vicariously through your character of I I can't have a short fuse with you know a three-year-old and a seven-year-old and and and a wife, and and all these things that I I can't have a short fuse.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta put up with you know, people screaming at you, yelling at you, all these different things.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_04: But in D world, man, somebody says something stupid and it's on.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: So as we get close to wrapping up here, Anthony, what what questions as a new player would you have for us?
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_04: Can we can we roll some Jeopardy theme?
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's as good as you're getting.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna take the song, but it's got like Led Zeppelin one episode, Jeopardy song the next.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: This is great.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um, no, no real questions right now.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I mean, so much of of what I'm trying to do is, you know, this this is kind of my escape from from the mundane.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_04: Um, a chance to use part of my brain that I haven't since I was a kid, I guess.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_04: You know, the the using creativity and um you know, any this can go any one of one of multiple ways.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I'll I'll never forget in in our first campaign uh the DM had spent probably hours preparing for, you know, we walked into this little village with probably 10 different buildings, and and the DM had come up with something for each of these buildings and the characters associated with them and and all these things.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_04: And somehow we as the players walk into this village, we pick a fight with one person, and we leave.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_04: And so uh so so it kind of left left him with like, man, that is not what I expected.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_04: Um and and and so it's I can't even remember where I was gonna go with that story, but um the the idea that you can you can be creative, you can go any number of ways with different things, um, has is has been fun.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's been a challenge of you know knowing not only learning learning the rules, but but trying to figure out where where my character fits in with the rest of the team and and just creating a a rhythm that can be used through throughout that campaign.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um I I think that's probably been one of my one of my favorite things about it is just being uh to figure all that out as we go.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_04: And uh again, I've I've been I think I've been really fortunate of the of the team that's invited me to play with, just that very willing to teach me things and uh yeah, I I enjoy it.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna put you on the spot a little bit, Anthony.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: But as a new player, like if you could give one piece of advice to someone that's like looking to play or brand new to playing, what would it be?
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_02: Oh um.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_04: That is a fantastic question that I wasn't expecting.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_04: Kind of like those job interview questions.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_04: You got prepared what what you know you're gonna be asked, and then this thing comes out of left field.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we that's what we do here at Bards and Barrows cutting edge of DD Joe.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_04: Um for for new players, it would it would definitely be don't don't be afraid to ask the questions.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_04: Um everybody has to start somewhere, and uh hopefully you're in a group that's that's willing to help explain things to you.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_04: Um there there's don't don't feel like you have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff right away.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_04: Um there's so many uh I think you even started sharing some of those free resources, uh, links of things, you know, players' handbook and and things that you can read online and whatever time that you're able to commit to it, um, take advantage of that.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_04: Kind of read through what um if if you've got a character, kind of read through that character and and know your character more than anything.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_04: Don't worry about the rest of the game.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_04: Um that that would be my advice is is if you're gonna pick a a barbarian or or or whatever whatever you're gonna pick for class or race, just spend a little time focused on that and and know that part of it, and and the rest will just kind of fall into place.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome advice.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's gonna wrap the episode up for us.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Anthony, for joining us today.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the invite.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's been fun.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's been a ton of fun.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we hope you'll come back and we didn't scare you away too much.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, I've I'm I'm game.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you can check out Bards and Barrels anywhere uh podcasts can be found.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you'd give us a like and follow, you can do that at facebook.comslash bards and barrels.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you soon.