The Culture: Opinions About Muh Prep!

Dunder, Scuttifer, Paddy, and the Women's Division champion held a panel discussion last night.

The key thing to take away is that the skilled Referee has to be able to turn on a dime because player Agency is the thing that justifies the medium.

All of the 4chan greentext/Neckbeardia videos talking all about gaming hprror stories of players being murderhobos or otherwise anti-social agents of Chaos are born of players saying "Fuck your railroad and fuck your script, we're doing this."

This can be taught, but for most they need to be mentored into acquiring the acumen necessary to do this properly and successfully. You are not preparing the session; you are preparing YOURSELF.

In the older editions, there is repeated emphasis on learning the game as a player before rotating into the Big Chair. Where the hobby dropped the ball is in failing to hold up that mentorship; when I say that most need to be mentors, this is what I am talking about- someone who knows how this works training someone else in the skills, habits, and acumen to do so competently.

That is what needs to start happening more now, both in written form and (because not everyone reads) in video form- and yes, D&DTube has fumbled this ball terribly, to no one's surprise.

There's opportunity to be had there. Seize it.