Actual Play GMs

I was watching the Critical Role Exandria GMs Round Table video recently and it was an absolute delight. I feel like I learned a lot from all three of those DMs, but especially Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Do you guys watch any of these things? Have any favorite Game Masters?

Have anything you've learned from them?

I love Matt Mercer, Aabria iyengar, Brett Ultimus from World of IO dnd, Joe Fudge of Godforged and mistletoe dnd, Mark Hulmes from high rollers dnd and more.

They are all awesome DM GM storytellers.

Ginny di is pretty cool too.

It would be awesome to play dnd under any of these DM GM Storytellers.

B Dave Walters is awesome too with Gabe Hicks and DM Jazzy Hands and Jarren from the Dungeon Run

I have listen to a lot of convention panels over the years and the advice they give is often useful and/or inspiring!

If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy other advice channels and podcasts. Two of the most popular are Matt Colville's Running the Game series on YouTube and Mike Shea's Lazy DM podcast. This is just the tip of the iceberg!

I'd throw in Seth Skorkowski's YouTube channel. It's great for GM advice, game reviews and overviews of running pre-printed modules.

Here's a Link to his channel.

100% agree.

I'll also throw in game designer Robert Schwalb's podcast Rob's Basement. It's not for everyone, very adult with lots of bad language, but he's a master of improv, great energy, and taking players' ideas and running with them. Episode 2 called Saul-Saul is also the funniest actual play I've ever heard. An NPC named Saul Saul is a rutabaga farmer suffering from vegetable blindness. Skip to 57 minutes if you just want to see the NPC scene, its a must listen.

I feel like you named the best ones. I might add Brian Murphy from NADDPOD and James D'Amato from One Shot.

I have to say, in my book pretty much nobody even comes close to the Dimension20 cast and Brennan in particular. His improv skills are just on another level.

I tend to disagree on most of what these people say in the panels "how to run a game" and stuff like that... formulaic and too programmed. But their NPCs and using player input for worldbuilding are super.

They also have very positive and propositive players (again, Dimension20 in particular for me).

Played in a couple of Schwalb's games at a con once, gave him a lift to the hotel and had a couple of beers. Really great guy.

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear my opinion confirmed too lol.

I would add Guy Sclanders' How to be a Great GM YouTube channel. Lots of content.

For nonD&D actual play, Ive enjoyed Jason Carl's Vampire the Masquerade 5e Actual Play LA By Night. They just started a NY by Night game with a mostly new cast (including Aabria Iyengar!)

I also really enjoyed the Exalted game run by Chaz Kellner's story telling of an Exalted 3E Dragon-blooded game called Fall of Jiara on The Story Told Podcast