So many of us have watched at least a single episode of Critical Role, and I found myself as a DM saying these words at the table. The party, after having chased down an Invisible Stalker, right before it got away, managed to drop it to 0 hit points at which point I paused, smiled, and said, "how would you like to do this?" After I said those words, believe it or not, the party hooted and hollered as the Druid deftly explained how she pummeled it to the ground.
I was left realizing that I love this phrase. I also hate how I love it because it is not original. It is an invention of Matt Mercer and using it clashes with my belief that each DM should have their own style and creativity. Yet, I can't pull away from these powerful words. My party, filling with passion, eager to hear them, too.
What is your opinion on this phrase? If you heard it at a table, would you scoff and chide at its use, or, would you wish you were there too?
I absolutely will not use it, for the reason you say - each DM should have his or her own style and creativity. I am not Matt Mercer, and I would never try to be. But that is my choice. I also have at least one player who is an obsessive fan of the show and I think he already too much wants to "play Critical Role" rather than play D&D.... so I don't want to encourage this idea, since we are NOT paying Critical Role. We are playing my homebrew Roman campaign, and I am not anything like Mercer.
However, that said, I do like the idea that, once you have done enough damage to kill the target, rather than the DM narrating the kill-shot, let the player do it, since at that point it does not matter what the player describes (dead is dead). I don't do it myself, but I do like the idea. I don't use it myself, mostly because it's not just "an idea" that Mercer has, but kind of his trademark.
So, my opinion is... it's fine. I would not scoff at it if my friend, who is the current DM and is the same one who loves CR, used it (I actually thought he might, but so far he has not). But it wouldn't really do anything for me, one way or the other.
yeah that’s why I feel weird using it. It’s his intellectual property almost. however, what Dennis had said, is also true, most likely Matt Mercer didn’t invent the phrase and probably was exposed to it from other dm’s.
‘Roll a d20’ or ‘roll for it’ Would have been there as early as v3 for the former and the beginning for the latter, but it’s the ASSOCIATION to CR that itches me. I do feel he has added more than any other public figure to DnD and I have gained inspiration by his style of storytelling. I like using voices (I’m an actor) but I don’t want to copy his phrase. I like the idea of the phrase though
Personally I sometimes give my players the chance to narrate a kill shot depending on the player although I've usually said, "How do you want to kill it" and not "How do you want to do this". I've seen a lot of players just say, "I cut off it's head" or something boring like that for kill shots. Generally I end up having to elaborate on how it's kills in fine detail for it to have any dramatic effect if I give it to a player. I'm thinking about using the "How do you want to do this" style stuff with a little bit more with a new group of mine though as it seems like it would work. Although I don't specifically quote "How do you want to do this".
There's nothing original under the sun. No doubt Matt popularized this idea to a great degree but there's no way he's the first person ever to think of prompting players to actually narrate what they're doing in a storytelling game. There's little to be gained from avoiding a useful technique just because someone else is using it too. Your own style will still shine through in a myriad ways because the stories you like to tell, the themes you like to explore and the works that have deeply influenced you aren't going to be the same as Matt Mercer's.
So many of us have watched at least a single episode of Critical Role, and I found myself as a DM saying these words at the table. The party, after having chased down an Invisible Stalker, right before it got away, managed to drop it to 0 hit points at which point I paused, smiled, and said, "how would you like to do this?" After I said those words, believe it or not, the party hooted and hollered as the Druid deftly explained how she pummeled it to the ground.
I was left realizing that I love this phrase. I also hate how I love it because it is not original. It is an invention of Matt Mercer and using it clashes with my belief that each DM should have their own style and creativity. Yet, I can't pull away from these powerful words. My party, filling with passion, eager to hear them, too.
What is your opinion on this phrase? If you heard it at a table, would you scoff and chide at its use, or, would you wish you were there too?
There's nothing wrong with a good shibboleth
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Yeah, I feel like an imitator using those words. So I try to use different phrasing like, “Describe how you end this horrible ooze’s miserable existence.”
Thinking of something more catch-phrasy like, “The stage is yours.”
It's fun from the players perspective and it's easily understandable. I use it a lot, don't see why it would be a problem - if it's good, why not use it?
If you need to reinvent the wheel every time you're gonna ride a car, how can you develop spaceships?
im brand new to dming and I can't wait to utter those sacred words, my entire party is CR fans and so am I. I get it if its Matt Mercer's "thing" but that is like saying quoting a movie is stealing from the makers of it, and that is just stupid. all we are doing is quoting him even if it has been around before him he did popularize it. people eat oreos and majority of the population doesn't even know what hydrox is and they came first.
“How do you wanna do this?” and “You can certainly try.” are not new things by Mercer. Use them if you want, it won’t hurt anything. (It won’t even sound fake if you don’t stumble over the line.)
And very important. Just because Mathew Mercer or any other DM does something cool, doesn't mean that you can't steal from it. I would recommend to always give these little things a try and then you will see if they work at your table or not. At my table "how do you want to do this?" became a catch phrase. Half of my players are know or even like CR, the others don't even know about it, but nontheless enjoy describing killing blows.
DMs have had players narrate some significant events including taking out particularly challenging creatures for literally decades. Matt Mercer uses the phrase "How do you want to do this?". Others say something else (or even the same thing) but are still asking for the player to narrate the description of the final blow. He has certainly popularized it though :)
The technique can add fun and can help pull some of the other players at the table into the narration. If you don't want the association with CR then just choose different words for the same concept.
Finally, DMs borrow from each other all the time in terms of techniques or interactions that help the game move along smoothly or help the players with role playing. This example is no different from many others so you shouldn't feel badly about choosing to use a particular technique that you find works well for your players.
"Describe how you skillfully navigate the obstacle course"
I don't just do this for killing monsters. It shouldn't just be for killing monsters. It's a great way to let the player have some narrative control over many aspects of the game, and in general will make most games better.
"How do you want to do this?" is just a tag line. It doesn't mean anything. It's just the language that Mercer uses and has a special play to CR fans.
If you ask a player that doesn't know CR that question, they will stare at you with a blank expression. I know because when I was a new DM i tried it.
I definitely do it. *inshould have said I give the option, not all want to. In that case I enjoy describing it. I love how it gives the players a cue to tell everyone how they kill the boss or important bad guy. In a game that borrows and takes from so many things, not sure how you could be against doing it. Plus, only so many ways to say it.
It's cool unless you or your players personally hate it.
Depriving your players the ability to describe how they killed a prominent enemy is pretty lame.
Going out of your way to awkwardly phrase it in a way that's not natural just so you're not using that line is probably also going to come off pretty lame.
"Describe how you skillfully navigate the obstacle course"
I don't just do this for killing monsters. It shouldn't just be for killing monsters. It's a great way to let the player have some narrative control over many aspects of the game, and in general will make most games better.
"How do you want to do this?" is just a tag line. It doesn't mean anything. It's just the language that Mercer uses and has a special play to CR fans.
If you ask a player that doesn't know CR that question, they will stare at you with a blank expression. I know because when I was a new DM i tried it.
So: the phrase was before the show. It's not a quote, then. It's not 'his' thing. A lot of people use it. Really, it's one of the simplest ways to ask your players. People say 'D&D is awesome' a lot. The phrase isn't theirs. And you can just say 'you killed it' or 'you are currently killing it' before asking them.
“How do you wanna do this?” and “You can certainly try.” are not new things by Mercer. Use them if you want, it won’t hurt anything. (It won’t even sound fake if you don’t stumble over the line.)
“You can certainly try” is a phrase I have e been using for 20 years in all types of ttrpgs.
How do you want to do this, I do t use those exact words but letting players describe a key kill is great however my players don’t cheer or get excited as they are generally all in character and instantly on alert for what I am throwing at them next.
Oh no! The people entertaining me are doing it for money? That's so distasteful. I thought they loved me.
Yes, the Critical Role players are actors. Yes, they are performing. Is it a scripted show? I don't think so. They are just talented actors with decent improvisational skills who can react in character. I'm sure they also have a lot of behind-the-scenes help. Do you think Matt Mercer makes all the battle terrain and minis himself? And they have lots of time to prep each week as, yes, they make money doing this and don't have to work full-time jobs.
I get where your players are coming from. Of course they like it if they're fans of Critical Role (which is a way many people seem to get into the game these days) because it makes them feel like you're using a cool catchphrase from a thing they love, and they get the same (or better) feeling they get when they watch the show.
To look down on people for loving a gaming show, or for incorporating elements from other material into D&D is misguided. Those that bang on about originality don't realise that they're playing a game that has very few original elements in it. The first RPGs were there to mimic being Arthur and his knights, or Frodo and the fellowship. If you want originality, write a novel. Incorporating classic elements into your games is a long-standing staple. Incorporating Crit Role or similar is just another way of doing that. There's even a sourcebook for the campaign setting...
Do whatever is most fun at your table for your players. That is the only reason you are playing this wonderful game in the first place.
Hello
So many of us have watched at least a single episode of Critical Role, and I found myself as a DM saying these words at the table. The party, after having chased down an Invisible Stalker, right before it got away, managed to drop it to 0 hit points at which point I paused, smiled, and said, "how would you like to do this?" After I said those words, believe it or not, the party hooted and hollered as the Druid deftly explained how she pummeled it to the ground.
I was left realizing that I love this phrase. I also hate how I love it because it is not original. It is an invention of Matt Mercer and using it clashes with my belief that each DM should have their own style and creativity. Yet, I can't pull away from these powerful words. My party, filling with passion, eager to hear them, too.
What is your opinion on this phrase? If you heard it at a table, would you scoff and chide at its use, or, would you wish you were there too?
I absolutely will not use it, for the reason you say - each DM should have his or her own style and creativity. I am not Matt Mercer, and I would never try to be. But that is my choice. I also have at least one player who is an obsessive fan of the show and I think he already too much wants to "play Critical Role" rather than play D&D.... so I don't want to encourage this idea, since we are NOT paying Critical Role. We are playing my homebrew Roman campaign, and I am not anything like Mercer.
However, that said, I do like the idea that, once you have done enough damage to kill the target, rather than the DM narrating the kill-shot, let the player do it, since at that point it does not matter what the player describes (dead is dead). I don't do it myself, but I do like the idea. I don't use it myself, mostly because it's not just "an idea" that Mercer has, but kind of his trademark.
So, my opinion is... it's fine. I would not scoff at it if my friend, who is the current DM and is the same one who loves CR, used it (I actually thought he might, but so far he has not). But it wouldn't really do anything for me, one way or the other.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
yeah that’s why I feel weird using it. It’s his intellectual property almost. however, what Dennis had said, is also true, most likely Matt Mercer didn’t invent the phrase and probably was exposed to it from other dm’s.
‘Roll a d20’ or ‘roll for it’ Would have been there as early as v3 for the former and the beginning for the latter, but it’s the ASSOCIATION to CR that itches me. I do feel he has added more than any other public figure to DnD and I have gained inspiration by his style of storytelling. I like using voices (I’m an actor) but I don’t want to copy his phrase. I like the idea of the phrase though
Personally I sometimes give my players the chance to narrate a kill shot depending on the player although I've usually said, "How do you want to kill it" and not "How do you want to do this". I've seen a lot of players just say, "I cut off it's head" or something boring like that for kill shots. Generally I end up having to elaborate on how it's kills in fine detail for it to have any dramatic effect if I give it to a player. I'm thinking about using the "How do you want to do this" style stuff with a little bit more with a new group of mine though as it seems like it would work. Although I don't specifically quote "How do you want to do this".
There's nothing original under the sun. No doubt Matt popularized this idea to a great degree but there's no way he's the first person ever to think of prompting players to actually narrate what they're doing in a storytelling game. There's little to be gained from avoiding a useful technique just because someone else is using it too. Your own style will still shine through in a myriad ways because the stories you like to tell, the themes you like to explore and the works that have deeply influenced you aren't going to be the same as Matt Mercer's.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
There's nothing wrong with a good shibboleth
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Yeah, I feel like an imitator using those words. So I try to use different phrasing like, “Describe how you end this horrible ooze’s miserable existence.”
Thinking of something more catch-phrasy like, “The stage is yours.”
It's fun from the players perspective and it's easily understandable. I use it a lot, don't see why it would be a problem - if it's good, why not use it?
If you need to reinvent the wheel every time you're gonna ride a car, how can you develop spaceships?
You can always put on your best Steve Ritchie/Shao Kahn voice and say "Finish Him" (or her, or it).
im brand new to dming and I can't wait to utter those sacred words, my entire party is CR fans and so am I. I get it if its Matt Mercer's "thing" but that is like saying quoting a movie is stealing from the makers of it, and that is just stupid. all we are doing is quoting him even if it has been around before him he did popularize it. people eat oreos and majority of the population doesn't even know what hydrox is and they came first.
“How do you wanna do this?” and “You can certainly try.” are not new things by Mercer. Use them if you want, it won’t hurt anything. (It won’t even sound fake if you don’t stumble over the line.)
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
And very important. Just because Mathew Mercer or any other DM does something cool, doesn't mean that you can't steal from it. I would recommend to always give these little things a try and then you will see if they work at your table or not. At my table "how do you want to do this?" became a catch phrase. Half of my players are know or even like CR, the others don't even know about it, but nontheless enjoy describing killing blows.
DMs have had players narrate some significant events including taking out particularly challenging creatures for literally decades. Matt Mercer uses the phrase "How do you want to do this?". Others say something else (or even the same thing) but are still asking for the player to narrate the description of the final blow. He has certainly popularized it though :)
The technique can add fun and can help pull some of the other players at the table into the narration. If you don't want the association with CR then just choose different words for the same concept.
Finally, DMs borrow from each other all the time in terms of techniques or interactions that help the game move along smoothly or help the players with role playing. This example is no different from many others so you shouldn't feel badly about choosing to use a particular technique that you find works well for your players.
"Tell me how you kill X"
"What does it look like as you slay Y"
"What does this spell look like?"
"Describe how you skillfully navigate the obstacle course"
I don't just do this for killing monsters. It shouldn't just be for killing monsters. It's a great way to let the player have some narrative control over many aspects of the game, and in general will make most games better.
"How do you want to do this?" is just a tag line. It doesn't mean anything. It's just the language that Mercer uses and has a special play to CR fans.
If you ask a player that doesn't know CR that question, they will stare at you with a blank expression. I know because when I was a new DM i tried it.
I definitely do it. *inshould have said I give the option, not all want to. In that case I enjoy describing it. I love how it gives the players a cue to tell everyone how they kill the boss or important bad guy. In a game that borrows and takes from so many things, not sure how you could be against doing it.
Plus, only so many ways to say it.
DM - And In The Darkness, Rot: The Sunless Citadel
DM - Our Little Lives Kept In Equipoise: Curse of Strahd
DM - Misprize Thou Not These Shadows That Belong: The Lost Mines of Phandelver
PC - Azzure - Tyranny of Dragons
It's cool unless you or your players personally hate it.
Depriving your players the ability to describe how they killed a prominent enemy is pretty lame.
Going out of your way to awkwardly phrase it in a way that's not natural just so you're not using that line is probably also going to come off pretty lame.
So think about how you want to do it.
So: the phrase was before the show. It's not a quote, then. It's not 'his' thing. A lot of people use it. Really, it's one of the simplest ways to ask your players. People say 'D&D is awesome' a lot. The phrase isn't theirs. And you can just say 'you killed it' or 'you are currently killing it' before asking them.
"Hero of the Heavens" (Title by Drummer)
“You can certainly try” is a phrase I have e been using for 20 years in all types of ttrpgs.
How do you want to do this, I do t use those exact words but letting players describe a key kill is great however my players don’t cheer or get excited as they are generally all in character and instantly on alert for what I am throwing at them next.
Oh no! The people entertaining me are doing it for money? That's so distasteful. I thought they loved me.
Yes, the Critical Role players are actors. Yes, they are performing. Is it a scripted show? I don't think so. They are just talented actors with decent improvisational skills who can react in character. I'm sure they also have a lot of behind-the-scenes help. Do you think Matt Mercer makes all the battle terrain and minis himself? And they have lots of time to prep each week as, yes, they make money doing this and don't have to work full-time jobs.
I get where your players are coming from. Of course they like it if they're fans of Critical Role (which is a way many people seem to get into the game these days) because it makes them feel like you're using a cool catchphrase from a thing they love, and they get the same (or better) feeling they get when they watch the show.
To look down on people for loving a gaming show, or for incorporating elements from other material into D&D is misguided. Those that bang on about originality don't realise that they're playing a game that has very few original elements in it. The first RPGs were there to mimic being Arthur and his knights, or Frodo and the fellowship. If you want originality, write a novel. Incorporating classic elements into your games is a long-standing staple. Incorporating Crit Role or similar is just another way of doing that. There's even a sourcebook for the campaign setting...
Do whatever is most fun at your table for your players. That is the only reason you are playing this wonderful game in the first place.