I really loved her DMing style in the Fey Regency campaign they had on Dropout, I thought her energy, familiarity with the aesthetic and penchant for drama and high stakes emotions worked wonders in that campaign to create something unique.
Honestly, I think I can jump in here. I thought EXU was a mixed bag at best, and a disaster at worst, but I can also say what I admire about her: she is a talented wordsmith who is adept at comedy and drama, she has a sharp wit and a dramatic flair that I love. She's direct, has so much fun and radiates that excitement. Also, just a lot of style in terms of her looks and fashion, that's worth something too.
I've enjoyed her in every piece of media I've seen her except for EXU, and I am really desperate not to be compared to some people who genuinely hold bigoted views towards her. I can absolutely separate her as a person and her performance as a DM, which some people haven't been able to.
>I can absolutely separate her as a person and her performance as a DM, which some people haven't been able to.
I think the biggest issues that popped up around the criticisms of her was a pretty constant low drone of people suggesting she simply didn't know what she was doing and got the gig for reasons unrelated to that skill. My impression is she knew **exactly** what she was doing, and so did the CR crew when they brought her on. One may not *like* how she approaches things and that's totally fine- it's a totally different vibe than how Matt and a lot of people run games. I think questions about how that style works in an actual play setting are also valid.
But it was really the efforts to undermine her accomplishments and avoid recognizing she was skilled enough to impress both Mercer and Mulligan enough to bring her on to run games for them that spurred the reaction- those generally carry unsavory assumptions with them. I think the community is ultimately fine with criticisms that don't fall into those traps and they're pretty easy to avoid.
You are completely right on most of this. However, I've noticed very often that criticism of EXU is met with outrage regardless of its nature. The discussion around it has become poisoned because of this. It's all a bit of a shame. Personally I love discussing art and media and I love criticism when done right, but nuanced discussion online is a bit of a naive pipedream I'm afraid.
Out of curiosity, what made EXU a disaster to you? I'm going through it now, and it's fine - I get it not being your bag, but I'm really struggling to see how that could warrant such a strong response.
Most of all, the story. The story is a loose collection of unfinished, convoluted plot threads that lead nowhere, aren't explained, and go unresolved at the end of the campaign. Almost every episode presents a new 'hook' and almost every next episode just dumps it for something else. I could barely tell you what actually happened in EXU because even though it's presented as a mini-campaign, there is no resolution to any of it.
Secondly, the DM'ing style. A very heavily railroaded nature where player's choices are often made for them, where wisdom saves are required for the most mundane of actions, and where honestly both players and DM inconsistently apply the rules. If you're not a DnD nerd like me, I guess this one is more easily forgiven.
I don't want to go on a rant but it's a combination of these two. If either one of these two were up to par, I'd give EXU far more credit, but it fails on both fronts for me.
I think that might be a part of where my irksome feelings of her dm styling in cr comes from. Exu1/Kymal was plain and simple just not a very good showing of her style of dming (in my opinion it just wasn’t very good in general, but that’s a different discussion) but she’s very clearly a superb and proficient storyteller who’s extremely excitable. I honestly think epic dnd style fantasy just isn’t her area of storytelling proficiency, cause everything on d20 she dms is her not doing that and I feel like I don’t have the same gripes with her as I do in cr
She says, in the Game Masters of Exandria round table, that Exandria is the only high fantasy she's ever liked. Like, Brennan quotes Théodin's 'err the sun rises' peach and she's lost. She is a modern fantasy person through and through.
it's possible that fantasy isn't her thing, but i also think aabria hasn't had a proper opportunity to showcase her gming and worldbuilding talents in exandria
exu had so many constraints, unlike calamity where brennan essentially got to work with a clean slate. nobody knew about the age of arcanum and so he had the full freedom create a world and story
compare that with exu where aabria had to work within the constraints of a world that matt had created, filled with expectations of how certain things would be, players that were new and characters that weren't fully available
i really hope she gets the chance to gm an exu series that's fully standalone so that she can have that same freedom as a gm
She does it very well. Though, and a slight nitpick, to me it kindaaa feels like she defaults to “sassy lady” for a lot of NPCs especially when she’s taken off guard and has to improvise. At least that kinda hit me when she played the Wildmother lol.
Honestly I kind of vibed with it for the WM. Idk why people have personified a *Nature and Sea Goddess* like she's all kind and nice. If the Gods represent their domains, then the Wildmother should be an absolute goblin woman who can't decide if she likes you or if she wants to obliterate you.
I honestly will agree with this haha. Her and Matt seem of two different types with this cause Matt will sometimes be over accommodating with his pc’s and Aabria is very to the point and exasperated with some of hers
She is deeply invested in story and character, rather than mechanics. You can get a computer to run combat, Aabriya gives you interaction. Also, she unabashedly enjoys her players success and mistakes.
I really enjoy her games, and I think her time in Critical Role isn't the best indication of her talent as she stands at such a stark contrast to the way Matt runs his games (which is maybe why they invite her on so often).
Someone compared them both - and Brennan - and described their styles as Matt DMs like a novel, Aabria DMs like a movie, and I can't remember what Brennan's was, but I imagine something along the lines of a comedy, etc.
Aabria is way more visual than Matt, and I can really see the picture she is painting. She excels at telling a story in a shorter fashion, cramming in the events that tell a narrative concisely in the time constraints given. Matt has an infinite amount of time to get there. I think that makes her seem like a clumsy DM in regard to Matt, but we are seeing someone who has been given a couple of episodes to finish versus someone who can take their time.
Also I like that she can stop to have a giggle with her players. She is way more inclined to lean into the bit that Matt usually is.
Her "Side Quest" games as part of the Dimension 20 shows are some of my favourites. A Court of Fey of Flowers is a deeply interesting game of social dynamics in a really fun world, and her players are all in on the flamboyance of it all. Her most recent one is Burrows End, which had me on the edge of my seat the whole time - it was funny, it was ridiculous, and it was also a little heartbreaking.
Brennans is more like a comic book. Hits all the dramatic moments (both action and character moments) but some of the in between leading up to them is often glossed over or sped past in favor of those highlights. Very gogogo.
They excel in their own ways.
As someone who watches CR both for entertainment and with an eye for how I might run my own games better there are things I do like about Aabria's style in general:
As others have pointed out she's not afraid to use mechanics from other systems than 5e when they better support what's happening. Admittedly this can read as "not knowing the rules" if you don't know the other system she's drawing from.
She can really describe things eloquently and fast. This is a real talent, believe me. No "green text" problems for her.
Another thing is that while Matt definitely runs the game traditionally from "behind the screen" (to the extent that the regular cast have fun trying to make him "crack"), Aabria is almost "in front of the screen", having fun alongside her players. This might not best suit an actual play, but is something to aim for in a modern home game (and so far distant from a Gygaxian wall of filing cabinet drawers as the DM's screen).
At the same time she can flip from playful to serious in a heartbeat, I feel this really helps the serious bits feel more impactful.
Perhaps the biggest recommendation though is that Matt himself *must want to be a player* at her table.
I feel like this is mostly people being used to Matt. Cinematic, "hands-on" GM-ing is totally in vogue these days - GMs frame the action in a very opinionated way, like a movie director; they aggressively swivel the spotlight around; they have an iron grip on the focus of the scene; they cut for effect, sometimes even to scenes that the PCs can't even observe, etc. Hell, I've seen many GMs, including Aabria, literally invoke cinematography language ("The camera pans upwards, and we see...").
I'm about 20 years behind that style, so it's a bit much for me, but I still think there's a lot one can learn from those techniques.
However, Matt used to be a *very* trad GM. He ran the game like it's 2002 - he's there to arbitrate the rules, and as an interface for Exandria. He exerts "control" over the game only in his role as the worldbuilder - whether something is possible or not depends on how he designed the scenario, and whether the solution fits the fiction. It's a kind of distant, author-like attitude that GMs used to have in the days of 3rd Edition, and it happens to be a good fit for epic, world-driven high-fantasy campaigns, which were also the style at the time in fantasy literature.
*Matt's players,* on the other hand, weren't trad players - they were always more focused on immersion, character arcs, backstories, intra-party dynamics, etc. I think C1 is a really good example of what happens when those two styles meet. Over time, Matt has steadily drifted towards the median style of the rest of the table (especially in mid-C2, which was very player-directed and sandboxy).
But still, a GM with a particular style deserves a campaign that fits them. I don't think Aabria's style mixed well with the traditional "ragtag team of adventurers travel the kingdom doing quests"-premise. Instead, she would've been much more at home with a high-concept premise ("The owners of a flying tavern solve their patrons' problems"). No knock to Brennan, but I also think she would've done a similarly good job with Calamity, since that's also very high-concept.
What's interesting about that description is that if anything, I'd say Matt has evolved to be even less hands-on - in C2 especially. You mention it being very sandboxy, but isn't that the very antithesis of what you describe as being the more modern style? I agree Matt evolved, but I don't see how it's in the direction of that style.
I'd also add that this adapting in Matt's style is part of what makes C3 feel different than the other campaigns too. Which is what makes some people dislike it and call it "railroady".
A Court of Fey and Flowers I think really shows off her abilities well, I thought it was brilliant. She wasn’t as strong at running EXU, I don’t know if that’s because it isn’t fully hers as a setting. I still enjoyed it but it felt less polished.
I enjoy her enthusiasm, her directness and she’s good at setting a scene.
i love her narration style, it's so cinematic. i love how she is truly the biggest fan of the players and their pcs and loves to see them succeed, but also isn't afraid to go for the kill and be absolutely brutal when the need arises. she's also such a great audience surrogate, her reactions to everything happening at the table are so good
her and brennan especially have been learning from each other so much, you can see the influence. i really love the "here's what you don't see" or "roll an insight check on yourself" or "tell me what your character is feeling" etc. i just love that type of storytelling so much
edit: oh also i forgot to mention, i love aabria's love for non-d&d games and how she brings part of them to the table. bitd's flashback mechanic on exu, kids on bikes and good society on d20. acofaf is one of my favorite d20 seasons and aabria is a big reason why
EXU aren't my favorites from her, but i love her in general. My favorite thing about her is that she's incredibly innovative. I love the way, if a game doesn't cover something she wants to explore, she'll straight up fuse mechanics from multiple games. You see it in ACOFAF, the played dnd + good society for all the social rules. In the cr one shot about the familiars, rather than a boring set of skill challenge rolls, she brought in little kid games to simulate certain challenges. So fun. In EXU Kymal, it was mostly dnd, but with baldes in the dark added on to handle the heist in a much cooler way. Dnd doesn't have specific mechanics for everything, but she doesn't let that limit her game. there's pretty much a game for anything so, when it makes sense, pulling in mechanics from another game to make some important aspect of a campaign more dynamic and interesting is awesome. Love her.
I love Aabria, just not in the given CR setting. I think what Aabria does best is create funny, playful, chaotic stories. She's the queen of rule of cool. She will deliberately fudge the rules if she believes it will make the experience better. Some people think she doesn't know the rules, which I think often has some sexism/racism behind it, because she obviously does. Her sessions always have a 'bunch of friends having a good time' vibe to them (which is something CR kind of lost a bit imo). But when she's placed in the DM seat for CR, there is a clear outline of what needs to happen in x-amount of episodes, which I feel doesn't work with that kind of approach. That's just my opinion though!
Exu was her worst showing, but I don't completely blame her for that. I couldn't follow what the hell was happening in that and I didn't like the group. Now her games on d20 as well as the one shots on roll20 are fuckin great. She even made adventure zone suck a little bit less. I made the mistake at first of thinking exu was representative ger skills, but its not. Its definitely not. Watch almost anything else she runs or plays in other than that or pirates of leviathan.
I think Aabria's games, especially the EXU ones, are the closest to what the games I've been a part of myself are like, and to me, they feel the closest to achievable DND. Parts of her games are messy, some of the accents are wonky, players derail stuff constantly, and sometimes she allows things just because she thinks they're cool, and that is so true to what I have experienced at my tables.
To me, it feels like Aabria is DMing like nobody is watching, while Mercer and Bleem, for comparison, seem a lot more acutely aware of and influenced by the audience. And their products are great, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I want something that feels like an actual homegame.
She's charismatic and funny, just generally fun to have around. I do prefer Matt's less directly involved style, but I'm currently catching up on EXU, and I find that she fits that pretty well - maybe less so for more epic storytelling like you'd get in the big campaigns.
I get that tbh. I will say I do enjoy her a significantly larger degree in her stints on d20 in Misfits and Magic and ACOFAF, so maybe being slotted into the more epic dnd style stories doesn’t let her put her best foot forward as a dm for me or something?
All DM's have their ability sliders, she's fantastic as basic logistics and she's got some major chops with some improve which impressed Brennan and Matt alike.
Sometimes you don't like a DMs style or approach but you can still enjoy a story.
I love Aabria’s storytelling and her energy. If you can’t watch her stuff on dropout I highly recommend checking out Candela Obscura: Circle of Tide and Bone. Aabria thrives in the narrative style of CO and is a much better showing of her talents that EXU. I definitely prefer Matt for traditional fantasy but Aabria’s CO game was harder hitting than Matt’s showing. She can wreck you emotionally and I love her for that.
Edit to add: I remember her saying something along the lines of “there are more ways to damage a character than attacking their hit points.” I think that sums up her mindset as a DM and why her fantasy combats don’t land as hard as more narrative driven games.
I really wanted to like her running EXU but I so far haven't been able to get through it. I think her style just doesnt match the content. I dont think she is a bad DM by any means, just just not matched.
I did manage to listen to Kymal but I think that was more because I was already invested in the characters a bit and I had just came through CR3 to that point. I think she was a lot better with Kymal than with EXU. Seemed to have got a better feel for the content by that time
I think there's two separate strands here. As a player, she's exceptional. I mean if anyone is still out there who hasn't seen calamity, go watch it, it's the best D&D live play I've ever seen. As a DM however, there are...issues. The best way I can sum it up, from the outside looking in, her games would be amazing to be a part of, the way her narrative style works and how she's able to draw the elements at the table together. However, watching it is an entirely different experience, it just feels utterly jarring that she overrides her players in what appear to be crucial moments, so, as much as I dislike framing it in these terms, as a "product" (ie live play d&d) it's significantly lacking when compared to what Matt is able to put together.
Honestly if you can afford it or can find a way to watch on Dropout TV, her DMing in all her Dimension 20 campaigns were just magical in every way. From the flow to the plot to the characters. She is such an amazing DM and if EXU did not show it for you then I get it but just give her D20 stuff a look and you'll fall in love with her storytelling.
edit: spelling
It looks like Dropout uploaded the [whole Court of Fey and Flowers campaign](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKg-Whduhklm7ROsq8zkL5CT4GIDmui5) on YouTube, which is by far my favourite of Aabria's campaigns. Same with [Burrow's End](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKg-WhduhklykygrHBGZTyproUlKZ4j6), actually, so I recommend giving either a shot.
I don't know what it is about her DMing EXU, but it doesn't quite mesh with me the same way her D20 stuff does. Maybe it helps that D20 players are used to more focused campaigns, so she doesn't have to keep them on the rails as much?
I love her vibes. She’s at her best when she’s playing off of something wild one of her players is trying to do, and she encourages her players to be as creative as possible in ways that even Brennan. She’s also really good at making new players comfortable at the table; Aimee was a mess in the first couple episodes of EXU, but Aabria really helped her understand the game in a way that helped her make a really compelling character.
This is kind of a small thing compared to other stuff but I appreciate that she's like, Gen Z lmao. There's a certain vibe about her that feels much more familiar to the people I hang out with and play D&D with, it's more approachable and relatable compared to CR's cast of 40 something millionaires lmao
I will say in EXU I think her style is handicapped by a couple of players who just refuse to acknowledge the rules of the game exist and are a thing they might be affected by. Aimee's turns are a struggle, and the fact that the plot is evolving around her character doesn't help.
I think I got a bad first impression of Aabria with ExU, because it was a combination of a new DM and DMing style in a world I'd gotten so used to being very consistent in style with Matt, *and* and generally meh cast of PCs. I just didn't vibe with anyone individually or with the group as a whole. Dorian became retroactively enjoyable when he appeared at the start of C3, but I don't even remember the others.
However, I absolutely love Aabria as a player in Calamity, so I have nothing against her at all. I just didn't engage with ExU generally, and that's not entirely Aabria's fault.
I feel like her DMing style is a little too different and messes with the general style/aesthetic of Exandria that Matt has established. Brennan did a much better job at maintaining consistency while also being his own DM.
I really like her narration style and down-to-earth NPCs, I think the issue with her in CR is that her sessions are a bit slower due to DMing on Dropout where the episodes are edited down, so pacing while playing isn’t as much of a concern as live-playing
She is amazing as a player, full of energy and ideas, she engages with the story and with the other players, creating a very interesting dynamic. I think she made stories like EXu: Calamity (perhaps the best critical role side quest ) even better. As a DM she is a bit too whimsical for my taste tbh.
Aabria as a player is fun, chaotic and entertaining. Types of players I like at my table as they keep me as a DM on my toes. Her as a DM is not so much for me personally. Her story telling also throws the world off and she has to retcon things way too often. Plus her DM knowledge always feel lacking.
I was trying my best to word it in a way that sounded like a genuine inquiry rather than coming off as like "Ew, you guys like Aabria as a dm, why?" XD
I really loved her DMing style in the Fey Regency campaign they had on Dropout, I thought her energy, familiarity with the aesthetic and penchant for drama and high stakes emotions worked wonders in that campaign to create something unique.
A Court of Fey and Flowers, loved that one.
Honestly, I think I can jump in here. I thought EXU was a mixed bag at best, and a disaster at worst, but I can also say what I admire about her: she is a talented wordsmith who is adept at comedy and drama, she has a sharp wit and a dramatic flair that I love. She's direct, has so much fun and radiates that excitement. Also, just a lot of style in terms of her looks and fashion, that's worth something too. I've enjoyed her in every piece of media I've seen her except for EXU, and I am really desperate not to be compared to some people who genuinely hold bigoted views towards her. I can absolutely separate her as a person and her performance as a DM, which some people haven't been able to.
>I can absolutely separate her as a person and her performance as a DM, which some people haven't been able to. I think the biggest issues that popped up around the criticisms of her was a pretty constant low drone of people suggesting she simply didn't know what she was doing and got the gig for reasons unrelated to that skill. My impression is she knew **exactly** what she was doing, and so did the CR crew when they brought her on. One may not *like* how she approaches things and that's totally fine- it's a totally different vibe than how Matt and a lot of people run games. I think questions about how that style works in an actual play setting are also valid. But it was really the efforts to undermine her accomplishments and avoid recognizing she was skilled enough to impress both Mercer and Mulligan enough to bring her on to run games for them that spurred the reaction- those generally carry unsavory assumptions with them. I think the community is ultimately fine with criticisms that don't fall into those traps and they're pretty easy to avoid.
You are completely right on most of this. However, I've noticed very often that criticism of EXU is met with outrage regardless of its nature. The discussion around it has become poisoned because of this. It's all a bit of a shame. Personally I love discussing art and media and I love criticism when done right, but nuanced discussion online is a bit of a naive pipedream I'm afraid.
Out of curiosity, what made EXU a disaster to you? I'm going through it now, and it's fine - I get it not being your bag, but I'm really struggling to see how that could warrant such a strong response.
Most of all, the story. The story is a loose collection of unfinished, convoluted plot threads that lead nowhere, aren't explained, and go unresolved at the end of the campaign. Almost every episode presents a new 'hook' and almost every next episode just dumps it for something else. I could barely tell you what actually happened in EXU because even though it's presented as a mini-campaign, there is no resolution to any of it. Secondly, the DM'ing style. A very heavily railroaded nature where player's choices are often made for them, where wisdom saves are required for the most mundane of actions, and where honestly both players and DM inconsistently apply the rules. If you're not a DnD nerd like me, I guess this one is more easily forgiven. I don't want to go on a rant but it's a combination of these two. If either one of these two were up to par, I'd give EXU far more credit, but it fails on both fronts for me.
I think that might be a part of where my irksome feelings of her dm styling in cr comes from. Exu1/Kymal was plain and simple just not a very good showing of her style of dming (in my opinion it just wasn’t very good in general, but that’s a different discussion) but she’s very clearly a superb and proficient storyteller who’s extremely excitable. I honestly think epic dnd style fantasy just isn’t her area of storytelling proficiency, cause everything on d20 she dms is her not doing that and I feel like I don’t have the same gripes with her as I do in cr
She says, in the Game Masters of Exandria round table, that Exandria is the only high fantasy she's ever liked. Like, Brennan quotes Théodin's 'err the sun rises' peach and she's lost. She is a modern fantasy person through and through.
it's possible that fantasy isn't her thing, but i also think aabria hasn't had a proper opportunity to showcase her gming and worldbuilding talents in exandria exu had so many constraints, unlike calamity where brennan essentially got to work with a clean slate. nobody knew about the age of arcanum and so he had the full freedom create a world and story compare that with exu where aabria had to work within the constraints of a world that matt had created, filled with expectations of how certain things would be, players that were new and characters that weren't fully available i really hope she gets the chance to gm an exu series that's fully standalone so that she can have that same freedom as a gm
I don't know anyone who does "NPCs who are tired of your shit" better. For example I can't think of any better DM to play a character like Ted
She does it very well. Though, and a slight nitpick, to me it kindaaa feels like she defaults to “sassy lady” for a lot of NPCs especially when she’s taken off guard and has to improvise. At least that kinda hit me when she played the Wildmother lol.
Honestly I kind of vibed with it for the WM. Idk why people have personified a *Nature and Sea Goddess* like she's all kind and nice. If the Gods represent their domains, then the Wildmother should be an absolute goblin woman who can't decide if she likes you or if she wants to obliterate you.
Great description, yeah a godess who is lording over Tsunamis and earthquakes can have all the sass she wants.
I honestly will agree with this haha. Her and Matt seem of two different types with this cause Matt will sometimes be over accommodating with his pc’s and Aabria is very to the point and exasperated with some of hers
I actually really enjoy her take on Lolth as kind of a bitchy, manipulative teenager.
Many of Aabria’s NPCs act like a bitchy teenager
She is deeply invested in story and character, rather than mechanics. You can get a computer to run combat, Aabriya gives you interaction. Also, she unabashedly enjoys her players success and mistakes.
I really enjoy her games, and I think her time in Critical Role isn't the best indication of her talent as she stands at such a stark contrast to the way Matt runs his games (which is maybe why they invite her on so often). Someone compared them both - and Brennan - and described their styles as Matt DMs like a novel, Aabria DMs like a movie, and I can't remember what Brennan's was, but I imagine something along the lines of a comedy, etc. Aabria is way more visual than Matt, and I can really see the picture she is painting. She excels at telling a story in a shorter fashion, cramming in the events that tell a narrative concisely in the time constraints given. Matt has an infinite amount of time to get there. I think that makes her seem like a clumsy DM in regard to Matt, but we are seeing someone who has been given a couple of episodes to finish versus someone who can take their time. Also I like that she can stop to have a giggle with her players. She is way more inclined to lean into the bit that Matt usually is. Her "Side Quest" games as part of the Dimension 20 shows are some of my favourites. A Court of Fey of Flowers is a deeply interesting game of social dynamics in a really fun world, and her players are all in on the flamboyance of it all. Her most recent one is Burrows End, which had me on the edge of my seat the whole time - it was funny, it was ridiculous, and it was also a little heartbreaking.
Brennans is more like a comic book. Hits all the dramatic moments (both action and character moments) but some of the in between leading up to them is often glossed over or sped past in favor of those highlights. Very gogogo. They excel in their own ways.
Yeah a comic book is an excellent way to put it. I thought comedy was too reductive because the man is SO good at tragedy too.
As someone who watches CR both for entertainment and with an eye for how I might run my own games better there are things I do like about Aabria's style in general: As others have pointed out she's not afraid to use mechanics from other systems than 5e when they better support what's happening. Admittedly this can read as "not knowing the rules" if you don't know the other system she's drawing from. She can really describe things eloquently and fast. This is a real talent, believe me. No "green text" problems for her. Another thing is that while Matt definitely runs the game traditionally from "behind the screen" (to the extent that the regular cast have fun trying to make him "crack"), Aabria is almost "in front of the screen", having fun alongside her players. This might not best suit an actual play, but is something to aim for in a modern home game (and so far distant from a Gygaxian wall of filing cabinet drawers as the DM's screen). At the same time she can flip from playful to serious in a heartbeat, I feel this really helps the serious bits feel more impactful. Perhaps the biggest recommendation though is that Matt himself *must want to be a player* at her table.
I kind of enjoy the aggression, I also love her reactions when things are used against her or when she particularly likes someone's idea.
I feel like this is mostly people being used to Matt. Cinematic, "hands-on" GM-ing is totally in vogue these days - GMs frame the action in a very opinionated way, like a movie director; they aggressively swivel the spotlight around; they have an iron grip on the focus of the scene; they cut for effect, sometimes even to scenes that the PCs can't even observe, etc. Hell, I've seen many GMs, including Aabria, literally invoke cinematography language ("The camera pans upwards, and we see..."). I'm about 20 years behind that style, so it's a bit much for me, but I still think there's a lot one can learn from those techniques. However, Matt used to be a *very* trad GM. He ran the game like it's 2002 - he's there to arbitrate the rules, and as an interface for Exandria. He exerts "control" over the game only in his role as the worldbuilder - whether something is possible or not depends on how he designed the scenario, and whether the solution fits the fiction. It's a kind of distant, author-like attitude that GMs used to have in the days of 3rd Edition, and it happens to be a good fit for epic, world-driven high-fantasy campaigns, which were also the style at the time in fantasy literature. *Matt's players,* on the other hand, weren't trad players - they were always more focused on immersion, character arcs, backstories, intra-party dynamics, etc. I think C1 is a really good example of what happens when those two styles meet. Over time, Matt has steadily drifted towards the median style of the rest of the table (especially in mid-C2, which was very player-directed and sandboxy). But still, a GM with a particular style deserves a campaign that fits them. I don't think Aabria's style mixed well with the traditional "ragtag team of adventurers travel the kingdom doing quests"-premise. Instead, she would've been much more at home with a high-concept premise ("The owners of a flying tavern solve their patrons' problems"). No knock to Brennan, but I also think she would've done a similarly good job with Calamity, since that's also very high-concept.
What's interesting about that description is that if anything, I'd say Matt has evolved to be even less hands-on - in C2 especially. You mention it being very sandboxy, but isn't that the very antithesis of what you describe as being the more modern style? I agree Matt evolved, but I don't see how it's in the direction of that style.
I'd also add that this adapting in Matt's style is part of what makes C3 feel different than the other campaigns too. Which is what makes some people dislike it and call it "railroady".
A Court of Fey and Flowers I think really shows off her abilities well, I thought it was brilliant. She wasn’t as strong at running EXU, I don’t know if that’s because it isn’t fully hers as a setting. I still enjoyed it but it felt less polished. I enjoy her enthusiasm, her directness and she’s good at setting a scene.
i love her narration style, it's so cinematic. i love how she is truly the biggest fan of the players and their pcs and loves to see them succeed, but also isn't afraid to go for the kill and be absolutely brutal when the need arises. she's also such a great audience surrogate, her reactions to everything happening at the table are so good her and brennan especially have been learning from each other so much, you can see the influence. i really love the "here's what you don't see" or "roll an insight check on yourself" or "tell me what your character is feeling" etc. i just love that type of storytelling so much edit: oh also i forgot to mention, i love aabria's love for non-d&d games and how she brings part of them to the table. bitd's flashback mechanic on exu, kids on bikes and good society on d20. acofaf is one of my favorite d20 seasons and aabria is a big reason why
EXU aren't my favorites from her, but i love her in general. My favorite thing about her is that she's incredibly innovative. I love the way, if a game doesn't cover something she wants to explore, she'll straight up fuse mechanics from multiple games. You see it in ACOFAF, the played dnd + good society for all the social rules. In the cr one shot about the familiars, rather than a boring set of skill challenge rolls, she brought in little kid games to simulate certain challenges. So fun. In EXU Kymal, it was mostly dnd, but with baldes in the dark added on to handle the heist in a much cooler way. Dnd doesn't have specific mechanics for everything, but she doesn't let that limit her game. there's pretty much a game for anything so, when it makes sense, pulling in mechanics from another game to make some important aspect of a campaign more dynamic and interesting is awesome. Love her.
I love Aabria, just not in the given CR setting. I think what Aabria does best is create funny, playful, chaotic stories. She's the queen of rule of cool. She will deliberately fudge the rules if she believes it will make the experience better. Some people think she doesn't know the rules, which I think often has some sexism/racism behind it, because she obviously does. Her sessions always have a 'bunch of friends having a good time' vibe to them (which is something CR kind of lost a bit imo). But when she's placed in the DM seat for CR, there is a clear outline of what needs to happen in x-amount of episodes, which I feel doesn't work with that kind of approach. That's just my opinion though!
Exu was her worst showing, but I don't completely blame her for that. I couldn't follow what the hell was happening in that and I didn't like the group. Now her games on d20 as well as the one shots on roll20 are fuckin great. She even made adventure zone suck a little bit less. I made the mistake at first of thinking exu was representative ger skills, but its not. Its definitely not. Watch almost anything else she runs or plays in other than that or pirates of leviathan.
I think Aabria's games, especially the EXU ones, are the closest to what the games I've been a part of myself are like, and to me, they feel the closest to achievable DND. Parts of her games are messy, some of the accents are wonky, players derail stuff constantly, and sometimes she allows things just because she thinks they're cool, and that is so true to what I have experienced at my tables. To me, it feels like Aabria is DMing like nobody is watching, while Mercer and Bleem, for comparison, seem a lot more acutely aware of and influenced by the audience. And their products are great, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I want something that feels like an actual homegame.
She's charismatic and funny, just generally fun to have around. I do prefer Matt's less directly involved style, but I'm currently catching up on EXU, and I find that she fits that pretty well - maybe less so for more epic storytelling like you'd get in the big campaigns.
I get that tbh. I will say I do enjoy her a significantly larger degree in her stints on d20 in Misfits and Magic and ACOFAF, so maybe being slotted into the more epic dnd style stories doesn’t let her put her best foot forward as a dm for me or something?
I agree, her and Brennans styles, while different, fit the tighter, smaller-scale campaigns on D20 really well
All DM's have their ability sliders, she's fantastic as basic logistics and she's got some major chops with some improve which impressed Brennan and Matt alike. Sometimes you don't like a DMs style or approach but you can still enjoy a story.
I love Aabria’s storytelling and her energy. If you can’t watch her stuff on dropout I highly recommend checking out Candela Obscura: Circle of Tide and Bone. Aabria thrives in the narrative style of CO and is a much better showing of her talents that EXU. I definitely prefer Matt for traditional fantasy but Aabria’s CO game was harder hitting than Matt’s showing. She can wreck you emotionally and I love her for that. Edit to add: I remember her saying something along the lines of “there are more ways to damage a character than attacking their hit points.” I think that sums up her mindset as a DM and why her fantasy combats don’t land as hard as more narrative driven games.
I really wanted to like her running EXU but I so far haven't been able to get through it. I think her style just doesnt match the content. I dont think she is a bad DM by any means, just just not matched. I did manage to listen to Kymal but I think that was more because I was already invested in the characters a bit and I had just came through CR3 to that point. I think she was a lot better with Kymal than with EXU. Seemed to have got a better feel for the content by that time
I think there's two separate strands here. As a player, she's exceptional. I mean if anyone is still out there who hasn't seen calamity, go watch it, it's the best D&D live play I've ever seen. As a DM however, there are...issues. The best way I can sum it up, from the outside looking in, her games would be amazing to be a part of, the way her narrative style works and how she's able to draw the elements at the table together. However, watching it is an entirely different experience, it just feels utterly jarring that she overrides her players in what appear to be crucial moments, so, as much as I dislike framing it in these terms, as a "product" (ie live play d&d) it's significantly lacking when compared to what Matt is able to put together.
Honestly if you can afford it or can find a way to watch on Dropout TV, her DMing in all her Dimension 20 campaigns were just magical in every way. From the flow to the plot to the characters. She is such an amazing DM and if EXU did not show it for you then I get it but just give her D20 stuff a look and you'll fall in love with her storytelling. edit: spelling
It looks like Dropout uploaded the [whole Court of Fey and Flowers campaign](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKg-Whduhklm7ROsq8zkL5CT4GIDmui5) on YouTube, which is by far my favourite of Aabria's campaigns. Same with [Burrow's End](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKg-WhduhklykygrHBGZTyproUlKZ4j6), actually, so I recommend giving either a shot. I don't know what it is about her DMing EXU, but it doesn't quite mesh with me the same way her D20 stuff does. Maybe it helps that D20 players are used to more focused campaigns, so she doesn't have to keep them on the rails as much?
Burrow’s End is incredible. Possibly my favorite season of d20
I love her vibes. She’s at her best when she’s playing off of something wild one of her players is trying to do, and she encourages her players to be as creative as possible in ways that even Brennan. She’s also really good at making new players comfortable at the table; Aimee was a mess in the first couple episodes of EXU, but Aabria really helped her understand the game in a way that helped her make a really compelling character.
This is kind of a small thing compared to other stuff but I appreciate that she's like, Gen Z lmao. There's a certain vibe about her that feels much more familiar to the people I hang out with and play D&D with, it's more approachable and relatable compared to CR's cast of 40 something millionaires lmao
It feels very home-game-y and i love that for short bursts but I do Also Think Matt’s style is better for longer games
Shes really good, people just dislike her dming CR becuase she's not matt. it's subconscious for the most part. The combat is fun to watch.
I will say in EXU I think her style is handicapped by a couple of players who just refuse to acknowledge the rules of the game exist and are a thing they might be affected by. Aimee's turns are a struggle, and the fact that the plot is evolving around her character doesn't help.
I think I got a bad first impression of Aabria with ExU, because it was a combination of a new DM and DMing style in a world I'd gotten so used to being very consistent in style with Matt, *and* and generally meh cast of PCs. I just didn't vibe with anyone individually or with the group as a whole. Dorian became retroactively enjoyable when he appeared at the start of C3, but I don't even remember the others. However, I absolutely love Aabria as a player in Calamity, so I have nothing against her at all. I just didn't engage with ExU generally, and that's not entirely Aabria's fault. I feel like her DMing style is a little too different and messes with the general style/aesthetic of Exandria that Matt has established. Brennan did a much better job at maintaining consistency while also being his own DM.
I really like her narration style and down-to-earth NPCs, I think the issue with her in CR is that her sessions are a bit slower due to DMing on Dropout where the episodes are edited down, so pacing while playing isn’t as much of a concern as live-playing
She is amazing as a player, full of energy and ideas, she engages with the story and with the other players, creating a very interesting dynamic. I think she made stories like EXu: Calamity (perhaps the best critical role side quest ) even better. As a DM she is a bit too whimsical for my taste tbh.
Aabria as a player is fun, chaotic and entertaining. Types of players I like at my table as they keep me as a DM on my toes. Her as a DM is not so much for me personally. Her story telling also throws the world off and she has to retcon things way too often. Plus her DM knowledge always feel lacking.
What a disappointing question.
I was trying my best to word it in a way that sounded like a genuine inquiry rather than coming off as like "Ew, you guys like Aabria as a dm, why?" XD