Why Brennan Lee Mulligan feels so different from Matt Mercer

About this video

• Video Title: Why Brennan Lee Mulligan feels so different from Matt Mercer
• Channel: Mystic Arts
• Speakers: Davi
• Duration: 00:14:35

Overview

This video explores the distinct Dungeon Mastering style of Brennan Lee Mulligan, particularly in contrast to Matt Mercer, and how Mulligan's background in improv comedy influences his approach. The speaker, Davi, a writer, director, and DM of over 10 years, breaks down specific techniques Mulligan uses to keep gameplay engaging and paced, such as "incredible" as a conversational tool, introducing new characters or immediate threats, skipping travel, using "yada yada" to summarize time passing, and employing cutscenes.

Key takeaways

• Improv Background: Brennan Lee Mulligan's improv comedy experience significantly shapes his DMing style, enabling him to inject humor and maintain a dynamic pace.
• Pacing and Engagement: Mulligan excels at keeping scenes moving and fresh by employing various techniques to avoid player disengagement and "meandering."
• "Incredible" as a Tool: He uses interjections like "incredible" or "fantastic" to smoothly take back the narrative from players, signaling a shift or continuation.
• Cutting Scenes: Mulligan utilizes "cutting" to skip non-essential segments like travel or prolonged conversations, moving directly to engaging plot points.
• Introducing New Elements: The strategic introduction of new characters with clear motivations or immediate threats (like orc attacks) serves to unstick players and re-engage them with the plot.
• "Yada Yada" for Time Compression: This technique allows for summarization of extended periods, enabling the DM to "zoom out and zoom back in" to conversations or events.
• Cutscenes: Mulligan sometimes uses pre-written, acted-out cutscenes to provide narrative context or foreshadowing, keeping player attention focused on the overarching plot.
• Player Consent: The importance of player permission for cutting scenes is highlighted, emphasizing collaborative storytelling.
• Maintaining Plot Momentum: The overarching theme is Mulligan's ability to consistently drive the narrative forward, ensuring that game time is impactful and engaging for both players and the audience.