The Yellow M&M Is the Funniest Guy Alive is the third episode of season 3 of Adventuring Party, which features the main cast. They answer fan questions following the fourth episode of The Unsleeping City: Chapter II.
Guests[]
Cast[]
Highlights[]
Lou, Siobhan, Brennan and Ally answer fan questions. The conversation branches out to explore various topics including the role of dice in the game, the influence of character choices on the story, and a detour about the yellow M&M.
Questions Asked[]
From Nia: “One thing I noticed about D20 is how there have been interesting choices regarding mechanics that make narrative sense, but may not be the most optimal in terms of combat. See, Ricky becoming a very peaceful paladin, when doing otherwise, would ensure he killed it in combat, Fabian's arc in Fantasy High Sophomore year, what goes/went through your mind as you decided to make these choices, and do you ever regret taking such a risk?”
- Brennan and the players emphasize that the primary goal is to tell a compelling story, and that sometimes this means making characters less mechanically effective in combat.
- Brennan argues that de-optimising a character can be just as powerful as optimising them. It allows for different types of challenges and conflicts to emerge. For example, Ricky's pacifism forces Zac to find creative solutions to problems that don't rely on violence. This creates interesting tension and opportunities for roleplaying.
- Brennan highlights how Fabian's shift away from the Champion subclass to a more support-oriented build mirrored his growth as a character. This change, initiated by Lou challenged him to play in a new way and allowed Fabian's development to be reflected mechanically.
- These decisions are often made collaboratively between the DM and the players. Brennan encourages players to pursue non-violent solutions, and he actively looks for ways to make those choices viable within the game mechanics.
- Balancing Mechanics and Narrative
- Brennan uses Ricky's build as an example of finding a balance. He explains that although Ricky is a pacifist, he still retains his Divine Smite ability and is therefore not as mechanically disadvantaged as one might think. Brennan emphasizes that there are various ways to achieve a character’s goals without relying solely on depleting hit points.
- Brennan also demonstrates a willingness to improvise and homebrew rules to ensure that mechanical changes serve the narrative without breaking the game. He emphasizes that as long as the mechanical effect remains the same, he is comfortable altering the description of a rule or ability to better fit the story.
From Morgan E Lavendowska: "What would your characters', plus Esther and Dale, coffee or tea order be?"
Coffee[]
- Kingston Brown: Kingston orders a "tall black one" from Cosmo, the bodega owner, to start his day. During his talkback, Lou states that he loves green tea and never turns it down.
- Iga Lisowski: Iga likes a "coffee regular, which is cream and two sugars". This is typical of a New York coffee order.
- Esther Sinclair: Brennan, who plays Esther, reveals that Esther is more of a tea drinker but will occasionally have coffee as a dessert, such as an espresso after dinner. She also enjoys sweet, confectionary coffee drinks as a rare treat.
- Dale: Brennan describes Dale as someone who drinks his coffee black with extra sugar. The cast is shocked by this revelation, with Ally calling Dale a "psycho" and Lou describing the order as "absolute madness". Dale switches to green tea later in the day.
Tea[]
- Pete Conlan: Ally describes Pete as having shifted from being "a monster at night" in season one to being "really getting into like anti-inflammation teas" in season two. Pete's preferred teas include ashwagandha turmeric tea, chamomile tea, and some peppermint tea. He is shown to be very interested in acquiring new and rare teas for his collection.
- Iga Lisowski: Iga also enjoys tea with a slice of lemon.
- Esther Sinclair: As Brennan describes her, Esther prefers tea for work and coffee for dessert. She starts her day with strong breakfast tea and uses various herbal teas to address any health concerns. She enjoys peppermint tea and chamomile tea and sometimes has breakfast tea with a "splash of something" in it.
From D: “Can Pete taste his peppermint tooth? Does it influence his culinary decisions?"
- Ally argues that Pete's constant exposure to the peppermint flavour has caused his palate to shift, leading him to enjoy flavours that might seem strange to others. They compare this to the phenomenon of sensory adaptation, where a person becomes less sensitive to a particular stimulus over time. Brennan agrees with this assessment, drawing a parallel to how people adjust to unpleasant smells.
- Ally jokes that Pete might have developed a taste for peppermint steak as a result of his altered taste buds.
From Alison: “I loved the visit into Iga's demi-plane, and how Ricky's combat has been re-flavored with his subclass shifts. This season's a blast. In choosing new character classes and subclasses or/and looking forward to the higher levels of the class you continued on in. What about the mechanics, were you most excited to play with and bring into the Unsleeping city?”
- Brennan mentions that changing subclasses and classes in D&D is not explicitly covered by the rules, but Siobhan states that Tasha's Cauldron of Everything encourages DMs to allow it. The important thing is to let the story guide these changes rather than sticking rigidly to the rules.
- Mechanical changes should reflect character development. For example, Brennan highlights that Fabian's shift from Fighter to Bard was justified by his supportive personality and use of the catch phrase "Spring Break, I believe in you".
- Using specific subclasses or mechanics doesn't necessarily reflect the world-building. Brennan has reflavoured mechanics to fit the story they're telling, such as Cody potentially being an Oathbreaker Paladin powered by a devil.
- DMs can and should homebrew elements of pre-existing mechanics to better fit their game. Brennan uses the example of modifying the effects of the Wild Magic Surge table to be more appropriate to the situation.
- The most important thing for DMs to remember is to ensure that homebrewing doesn't unbalance the game. Minor reflavourings are fine, but avoid making changes that dramatically increase player power.
From Bethany: “Though Halloween has long since passed by now. I'm curious since Kingston dressed up as a pirate, what costumes would you all say your PCs would wear? This can even go for former PCs, such as Kugrash and Rowan, to get Brennan in on this as well. What costumes would your favorite NPCs wear?”
Player Character Costumes[]
- Kingston Brown: Kingston canonically wore a pirate costume during the Halloween episode.
- Pete Conlan: Ally suggests Pete would choose an elaborate gender-bent Black Swan costume inspired by Natalie Portman's character in the film.
- Iga Lisowski: Siobhan jokes that Iga wouldn't wear a costume but that people would mistake her regular attire for one, especially if she carried her crystal ball.
- Misty Moore: Siobhan imagines Misty hosting extravagant Halloween parties with guests wearing elaborate costumes, implying Misty would have a different, meticulously-planned costume each year
NPC Costumes[]
- Esther Sinclair: Brennan states that Esther would likely opt for a simple cat costume due to time constraints and a lack of planning.
From Joey Joe Joe: “The first battle using roll 20 was incredible, while I truly miss the Rick Perry and co. battle sets. But Roll 20 seems to offer a lot of interesting options that may not have been possible or at least much more difficult with minis. Can you speak to your experience using Roll 20 versus mini as both in conception of battles and in running battles?”
- Brennan answers that although he and the cast dream of returning to the studio and the physical battle sets, Roll20 is an "incredible system" that allowed them to continue filming during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses several advantages of using Roll20, including:
- Board Visibility: The virtual tabletop allows all players to see the board clearly.
- Measurement Tools: Players have access to digital tools to measure distances and movement.
- GM Layer Tools: Brennan can use the GM layer in Roll20 to create visually appealing battle maps and incorporate hidden elements.
- Hit Point Tracking: Brennan can easily track hit points digitally by inputting them directly into the character tokens.
- Ease of Manipulation: The digital format makes it easy to move and manipulate pieces during filming.
- Brennan also discusses the pressure of using physical battle sets, noting that the time and effort involved in their creation makes it difficult to deviate from planned encounters. He contrasts this with the greater flexibility of Roll20 and theatre of the mind, which allow for more organic storytelling and realistic combat encounters that don't require a full battle set.
- While Brennan appreciates the advantages of Roll20, he also expresses a desire to explore other formats in the future, such as a "formless" season where the narrative determines which battle sets are used, or a longer campaign that allows for more in-depth exploration of the world.
From Ray L: "Is Cody named after Cody the Lyft driver, that saved Brennan by driving him to the airport? Y'all mentioned you would name a character after him."
- Brennan clarifies that Brian Murphy chose the name Cody Walsh for his character, so it is unlikely to be a tribute to Brennan's heroic Lyft driver. However, Brennan acknowledges that Cody the Lyft driver "does deserve all of the honours that our glorious earth has to offer and more" for his actions.
- Lou jokingly suggests that Murphy might be "king of deep-cut-naming" and could have chosen the name as a subtle reference to the Lyft driver.
From Your dear friend: "What's your perfect sandwich. Bread, fillings, condiments, temperature, grilled or ungrilled, give us the deeds gang."
- Lou favours hot sandwiches. His ideal sandwich is based on one he had at an Italian deli in Ronkonkoma, New York: a toasted long Italian roll filled with two chicken cutlets, melted cheese (possibly provolone), and a blue cheese sauce. He considers vegetables optional.
- Brennan’s favourite sandwich is a large hero from Pistachio, a small Italian deli near City Hall in New York. The hero is made with fresh semolina bread, sopressata, fresh Buffalo mozzarella, basil. Brennan emphasizes the high quality of the simple, fresh ingredients. He also enjoys a classic bodega bacon, egg, and cheese, but notes that this preference is tied to the experience and the time of day, as well as the accompanying coffee.
- Ally, who is allergic to bread, prefers dips to sandwiches. Their favourite is a spicy green olive tapenade.
Trivia[]
- The cast mentions a "lost" episode Adventuring Party from the week prior, referring to the episode they recorded after the third episode of The Unsleeping City: Chapter II. This footage was unfortunately corrupted and lost and an episode was not released that week.
- Prior to the release of Episode 14: The Lou Show, the Dropout Newsletter revealed that the title of the next season is referenced in one of titles of Adventuring Party for The Unsleeping City: Chapter II. The episode in question was this one, "M&M" being the reference to the title Mice & Murder.[1]
References[]
- ↑ Dropout Newsletter, 2 March 2021: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?u=fee87e5e185929bc8f95089d7&id=4f54673efa