tl;dr - What resources do you know of (blogs, videos/youtube channels, books, etc) that cater to improving your skills as a TTRPG player? I’m looking for the player equivalent of MCDM’s Running the Game, The Alexandrian blog, etc directed towards players.
Hello all, I’ve been involved in TTRPGs for about 3 years now, and I’ve spent the bulk of that time DM’ing D&D5e, but I’ve also dabbled in a number of different systems including PF2e, Monster of the Week, and Scum and Villainy. During this time, I’ve found a great many resources aimed at helping me become a better DM, though I realized recently I haven’t seen anything aside from the book Live To Tell The Tale by Keith Ammann (of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing fame) directed squarely at players.
Part of me wonders if this is a continuation of the theme that DMs put in more work than their players for a game to exist, and individuals who want to devote significant time to the craft are almost always DMs. Maybe it’s driven by the fact that most of the things that can make you a better player are things you learn to become a good DM.
Regardless of the reason, I see plenty of advice aimed for entry-level players about not having their phones out and participating in the game, but no real resources of substances for becoming the best player one can be. Has anyone come across any good resources focused on deep character creation, player-centric role play, etc?
From your last sentence, perhaps a few of Seth Skorkowsky’s videos fit the bill:
https://youtu.be/0j43ukEIFUM?si=R7X34IHOkRmvO-wJ
https://youtu.be/fDuDDz8pKgk?si=sNu0n6sb_slOagyz
https://youtu.be/uAIUhQatJrg?si=dpr-4MtR088dcHsm
https://youtu.be/hNElPzNkgOs?si=C0eigQvIxpsMIdEU
But then I have to ask: What do you think is a better player? How does your table work? What kind of games does your group prefer? What do you all appreciate the most from the game?
Some groups are delighted when everyone has a great backstory, while others yawn at it. Some groups enjoy voice acting while some of us don’t bother as long as you stay in character when needed. Some like full immersion and others mostly like to hang around with friends. Some like the sandbox while others wish for a carefully thought out plot. Some like hack n’ slash and others prefer political intrigue and social interactions.
How do you describe a fun, a great session?
I just came across this video, which, while still focused on GMs, I think has some very good seeds for players. It’s all about dramatic combat, and there’s a lot that players can do to initiate dramatic scenes in game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeGjsBcR3rE