Spoony is a satiric game and movie reviewer, tied in with the likes of The Nostalgia Critic, The Cinema Snob, and The Angry Video Game Nerd.
But his most popular feature is Counter Monkey, a series where he recalls tales of the tabletop, and gives advice for game masters on how to run an effective game.
This is an excellent resource for both worldbuilders and tabletop game designers. Not only does he give direct advice for players ("Don't get on the boat") and game masters (Run a Star Wars game with "All Jedi or no Jedi"), but his tales about both better-known and lesser-known games can inspire creativity and imagination.
Even if you're not a role-player or have no interest in games, his discussions on character motivations, tropes, villains, and the like can offer a lot for worldbuilders with a focus on plot or characters, as well as descriptions of monsters, settings, and even diseases can aid in creating diversity for a world, and introduce new aspects of worldbuilding you might not have considered.
As I submit this, he has 67 posts, some of which are hours long, so there is tons and tons of content to soak in. You may want to start from the beginning (which is at the end, currently page 9) and archive binge. From the very first video ("Shadowrun: The Squirt Gun Wars") you'll get unique, hilarious, and creative takes and tales on all kinds of worlds and games.
Alright dude. This guy is making me want to go out and play D&D. What have you done to my life?
He made me interested in tabletop RPGs (and even LARPs) far more easily and thoroughly than anyone ever has. I used to have reservations about it, feeling shy and awkward (and the obnoxious RPers I met did not help matters), but watching a single video of his can make me want to roleplay for days. I gotta find a group soon, cuz I got the itch!
I'd be totally down to blunder through some campaigns. Only problem is that nobody I know is even remotely interested in that kind of thing and I really don't want to ruin any seasoned players' games at the shops, even though dude says that they're really welcoming to newbies. May try my hand at a few online runs to get a feel of things.
If the guy says he's welcoming to newbies, take him up on it. Of course borrow a book and study up, and ask questions before the first game to make the first game as smooth as possible (of course you'll still have tons of questions as they come up, so don't be afraid to ask anyway). Also, I know I hate coming in to the middle of a game, so ask about the next time the group is starting fresh. It may be a while, of course, but no solution is perfect. But you could always "sit out" a session and just watch and chat and see if you get the gist of how the campaign is being played.
I meant the Spoony dude. I couldn't remember his name (terrible with names). One of his videos was about people being pretty open to new players. It may be a smart idea to sit and watch a campaign or at least a single game to see how people interact with each other and whatnot. He also mentioned the newbie guide, so I may download that or find one at the store. I wish there was a D&D scrubs meetup!
Ah, I get what you mean. Of course, you're going to get great, welcoming players, and you're going to get snobs. So it's always best to get a feel for the players at a table, especially if you don't know any of them. You'll see if you watch Spoony's "Pathfinder Live" sessions, where he plays with some veterans and some newbies together, that he definitely tries to be encouraging and welcoming, but he also gets frustrated. With a game so complicated, it's expected that you wouldn't know every intricate detail (veterans are sometimes surprised when weird rules come up). In some videos, Spoony even talks about how to deal with new players, and how even he has gotten snappy at times (and admits it was wrong to do). But as long as you make an effort, I think most players will respect that and will work with you to make sure you get everything.
Yeah I'm trying to watch in order, but I may skip forward to those videos since they aren't in the same sequence as Counter Monkey. Only one I skipped was when he brought some other dude in. My girlfriend said D&D was too nerdy for her tear. She can't imagine the awesome battles!
You skipped... The Age of Manure with Sage? Aw, man, that one cracks me up! Bad Cain, no biscuit!
I tried. I really did. He took too long to get to the point and kept interrupting Spoony! I'm just starting the Pathfinder videos now. I've got the itch! I'm about to go on roll20 and beg for a game.
I'm really enjoying this guy's stories. They're hilarious and well told, plus I'm a sucker for tabletop shenanigans. Great find! I hate his dog so much, though. For anyone that's put off by the cracked out dog in Squirt Gun Wars, it goes away for the subsequent videos as far as I've seen.
Hamilton is so disappointed that he wasted his shot. Look at him, he can't believe it. Oreo needs to relax! The stupid bell jingling detracted from the story in the first video and made me want to dunk Oreo in a huge glass of milk.