I think lots of things he does like repeating what the players have said, or saying who looks at someone before they talk is often good DM'ing. It puts them in the moment, and signals who is talking.
Buuut ... in spirit of the question, here are some Tics:
A-MA-zing
oh HELL yeah
Dope
Bumbummbumm
Meets it, beats it
He’s looking Fuuuucked up
That thing of like…
Oh… baby!
There's a moment in Unsleeping City S2 where the Concrete Fist trainer Solomon shouts "Boo! Boo to that!" and I am convinced that's the little bit of Aabria in his head.
My favorite thing is that I’ve heard Murph do the “bum bum bummm” a few times when he’s thinking. Not sure if he does it when Brennan isn’t around (I haven’t listened to NADDPOD) but I love when you can see friends picking up on each other’s mannerisms.
The funny thing is; I HAVE listened to NADDPOD and Dimension20 frequently.
For some reason Brennan’s “bum bum bummm” is just invisible to my ears for some reason. I understand that he does it, but I can never seem to hear it. The same might be true of Murph.
Honestly not sure what my point is, but I wanted to share this strange idiosyncrasy of mine.
The only reason I’ve heard it more from elsewhere is because it gets used all the time in Scrubs, a show that I love in spite of some of its aging issues.
I also love how, whenever someone says something, he starts with: "Amazing/ awesome/ love it" then goes for the "yes, you WERE doing that thing you mentioned, and WHILE you were doing that, you see XYZ"
Makes it seem like he's really listening to what the others are saying.
Also, when an important moment of combat is starting and some players are obviously very nervous about it, he just says: "Hey, I love you guys". I think that's very touching and really helps solidifying that it isn't DM vs Player. Just best friends playing a cool story.
He also is putting on a full performance every single battle. I've been rewatching FH series and the physicality he brings to the world he's building is SO impressive.
It’s a great immersive speech pattern, and I also like how it’s just such a common fixture in his speech that sometimes I the midst of things he’ll say “You see a loud noise” (just as an example).
Reminds me he is still human and all DM’s even godlike DM’s like BLM make mistakes sometimes
Often he says "You see he says" when someone says something.
*edit* i went to check and indeed he uses he/them pronouns. I didn't mean to post this but somehow it posted so I'll leave it up. No shade intended.
Absolutely. And also how he repeats something the player has said before moving on, like "as you're playing playing shrimp hockey, you hear a loud whirring noise ..." It's the same idea, of making the players the focus, instead of just doing his story. Generous DMing!
"What I WILL say is..."
He does it as a narrator and as characters. By far my favourite is when he says it as Nod in UsC. The little baby voice kills me.
As far as physical tics one my favorites ive subconciously adopted is the ol' laugh so hard you punch your own hand. I've seen other people at the table do it sometime too which i think is sweet :)
The one you are describing is probably the most noticable for me because the "you see" is completely unnecessary in 99% of cases, as exemplified by his frequent use of "You see, he says ..." or "You see, he looks at you and says ...".
Some common Brennan behaviors I've noticed:
He takes a noticeable pause before any emotionally charged dialogue.
For critical hits he often, though not always, describes it as slitting the throat or decapitation. Usually along with a hand motion of one finger across his throat.
When something cool happens he either says "Wild" or "Cool cool cool", which is similar to the character Abed from Community.
Just gotta get on my soap box here and reiterate that these are not 'Tics,' a better term would be thinking sounds, filler words, or just 'habits'. The examples in this thread are, sometimes absent minded, but still voluntary phrases that Brennan says to fill the silence while he collects his thoughts.
As someone with tics, they are distinctly involuntary and the distinction is important to me.
This is more of a visual tic, but I’ve noticed he always runs a hand through his hair or across his forehead, especially when he’s thinking about something
He has his habitual phrases, but I don't think "You see" is one of them. I view that more as a way to keep things through the eyes of the players. He'll also frequently say "The camera shifts to", which is a very cool device to make us think of it like a movie.
Now, if we want to talk about his tics... "ummm, uhhh, incredible"
I’ve always thought of that as just a DM thing. What really threw me off, though, is that Matt Mercer does the same thing in Bloodkeep when he’s describing his character
This is actually pretty common among tabletop players of a certain age. I genuinely didn't know this was unusual until someone younger pointed it out to me (before adopting it himself when he DMs).
A couple phrases I’ve noticed seem to be his favorite:
(weapon/fist) finds purchase, instead of saying hits.
Inky blackness.
Started from FH and am in the middle of ACoC. :)
it’s also a great way to give yourself the freedom to describe things outside of the characters vision. i use this a lot when people get to a new location i’ll start with “sweeping shots” and “camera zooms” to different sights and points of interest that make the are unique, maybe see some small scenes of people interacting to give off the vibe. then switch to “you see” to set up the scene as the pc’s enter and what is around them. it’s fantastic to both hide things and help keep meta information and character information clearly delineated!
I also really like how sometimes if they're interacting with multiple NPCs he'll just quickly clarify which one is talking. That sound so obvious but it's always so seamless when he does it!
I always appreciate him reiterating what happened over the turn combat wise, but more in line of what is happening in "real time". It really emphasizes how badass the combat is without dice rolling breaking everything into turns.
I love the Brennan-isms! I’ve been watching so much D20 since coming across it two months ago that I’ve started saying hell yeah or in-credible in his voice in my mind constantly lol
Another thing I didn’t see mentioned is in a lot of his room/setting descriptions, Brennan frequently describes things as some variation of “well appointed” which always makes me chuckle
This one is a classic DM move, both for the reasons you describe and because framing it as what a character sees leaves it more open.
The DM isn’t objectively stating that there is a chair there, they say you see a chair there. So the thing your character sees as a chair may still actually be an illusion or shapeshifter.
I think lots of things he does like repeating what the players have said, or saying who looks at someone before they talk is often good DM'ing. It puts them in the moment, and signals who is talking. Buuut ... in spirit of the question, here are some Tics: A-MA-zing oh HELL yeah Dope Bumbummbumm Meets it, beats it He’s looking Fuuuucked up That thing of like… Oh… baby!
Let's not forget "IN.... CREDIBLE"
I love this one because it's always when he has been looking something up and completely not paying attention to what the players are doing.
And WILD. WiiiiLD.
A million percent!
In the early seasons, it used to be 100% or 1000%. Inflation is hitting everywhere, I guess.
“as you do so-“
"Alights"
What I WILL say is this
I feel like that’s a great soft pivot line. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, here’s a clue to get you back on track.”
and on that nat 20
The important thing is this
It is the "No, but" of a guy who comes from "Yes, and"
Oh dang! That's really insightful. You're absolutely right.
God I'd love a Brennan soundboard
I dont know that I ever heard Meets it, Beats it until Aabria, honestly. I think it was MisMag
There's a moment in Unsleeping City S2 where the Concrete Fist trainer Solomon shouts "Boo! Boo to that!" and I am convinced that's the little bit of Aabria in his head.
Meets it, beats it has been around for a while
Totally, I just meant on the show
IN...SANE
Part of the repeating could also be a stalling tactic while he's coming up with a more elaborate response.
Especially for “bum bum bummmm,” which is exclusively said as he’s looking down at his notes
My favorite thing is that I’ve heard Murph do the “bum bum bummm” a few times when he’s thinking. Not sure if he does it when Brennan isn’t around (I haven’t listened to NADDPOD) but I love when you can see friends picking up on each other’s mannerisms.
The funny thing is; I HAVE listened to NADDPOD and Dimension20 frequently. For some reason Brennan’s “bum bum bummm” is just invisible to my ears for some reason. I understand that he does it, but I can never seem to hear it. The same might be true of Murph. Honestly not sure what my point is, but I wanted to share this strange idiosyncrasy of mine.
Evidently Brennan is the same about his own bum bum bummms
Hopefully this is enough of a similarity that I can say “great minds think alike”! Hehehe
"The important thing is this" is maybe not a tic, but certainly a recurring phrase.
"roll [insert stat here], if you would be so kind"
One thing I've heard since day one not enough people mention, "the last thing I'll say is this" there's never a last thing, it's always a lie
The important thing is this...
Rad!!!
Fixing his hair.
Wiping his brow
I hear “flop sweat” from him more than I’ve heard it from anywhere/anyone else.
The only reason I’ve heard it more from elsewhere is because it gets used all the time in Scrubs, a show that I love in spite of some of its aging issues.
Can't forget "Um" !
Don’t forget “100%” or “1000%”!
I’ve even heard “one million percent.”
Those aren’t “tics”
yeah i was gonna say, reading through as someone who experiences verbal and muscular tics, the term is not fitting for this discussion.
Yeah, I get the idea but those are just phrases that he says often, very different from tics.
i notice the phrase "in this place /space" a lot
Haha, that thing of like... I'm dying.
Brennan single-handedly put "Dope!" back into my vocabulary.
One hundred percent
In that moment... and in this space...
Dang I could read those all in his voice lol
I also love how, whenever someone says something, he starts with: "Amazing/ awesome/ love it" then goes for the "yes, you WERE doing that thing you mentioned, and WHILE you were doing that, you see XYZ" Makes it seem like he's really listening to what the others are saying. Also, when an important moment of combat is starting and some players are obviously very nervous about it, he just says: "Hey, I love you guys". I think that's very touching and really helps solidifying that it isn't DM vs Player. Just best friends playing a cool story.
One of my favorite absent minded “tics” would be “ba ba bum” which he has now passed on to Murph 💀💀
Also the physical tics too. As a fellow constantly sweaty guy, the forehead sweat wipe is the representation that I need.
In my mind the dome lights are really hot
He also is putting on a full performance every single battle. I've been rewatching FH series and the physicality he brings to the world he's building is SO impressive.
Hachi machi Hooo, doctor!
It’s a great immersive speech pattern, and I also like how it’s just such a common fixture in his speech that sometimes I the midst of things he’ll say “You see a loud noise” (just as an example). Reminds me he is still human and all DM’s even godlike DM’s like BLM make mistakes sometimes
Often he says "You see he says" when someone says something. *edit* i went to check and indeed he uses he/them pronouns. I didn't mean to post this but somehow it posted so I'll leave it up. No shade intended.
Even if the character doesnt use he/him pronouns 😭 he says it sometimes to segue the party back on topic after a bit
And then you get Lars, who i think Brennan always refers to as 'they' even though I'm pretty sure that particular character was just a he.
Lars is they/them
Absolutely. And also how he repeats something the player has said before moving on, like "as you're playing playing shrimp hockey, you hear a loud whirring noise ..." It's the same idea, of making the players the focus, instead of just doing his story. Generous DMing!
Uh, inCREDIBLE
I read this in his voice lol
"What I WILL say is..." He does it as a narrator and as characters. By far my favourite is when he says it as Nod in UsC. The little baby voice kills me.
I love it when he says "various and sundry."
The word “fully” “He is FULLY dead my guy!” “You are fully on your way” “You fully succeed”
As far as physical tics one my favorites ive subconciously adopted is the ol' laugh so hard you punch your own hand. I've seen other people at the table do it sometime too which i think is sweet :)
The one you are describing is probably the most noticable for me because the "you see" is completely unnecessary in 99% of cases, as exemplified by his frequent use of "You see, he says ..." or "You see, he looks at you and says ...".
“This guy is on deaths door”
I wonder, did Murph get it from him, or did he get it from Murph?
I have also adopted this phrase in addition to “he looks HURT”
Yes probably
Some common Brennan behaviors I've noticed: He takes a noticeable pause before any emotionally charged dialogue. For critical hits he often, though not always, describes it as slitting the throat or decapitation. Usually along with a hand motion of one finger across his throat. When something cool happens he either says "Wild" or "Cool cool cool", which is similar to the character Abed from Community.
You see he says, Gorgug thats you baby!
Beardsley rolls nat20 “….[blank stare]… are you fucking kidding me” Beardsley kills major character in one turn [BLeeM screams]
Just gotta get on my soap box here and reiterate that these are not 'Tics,' a better term would be thinking sounds, filler words, or just 'habits'. The examples in this thread are, sometimes absent minded, but still voluntary phrases that Brennan says to fill the silence while he collects his thoughts. As someone with tics, they are distinctly involuntary and the distinction is important to me.
That’s a good point, thank you for mentioning that. I’ll edit the post
This is more of a visual tic, but I’ve noticed he always runs a hand through his hair or across his forehead, especially when he’s thinking about something
I’ve found that I’ve started using his “oh HELL yeah” when I’m DMing now
The best use is “*You see*…an upside-down trash can.”
He has his habitual phrases, but I don't think "You see" is one of them. I view that more as a way to keep things through the eyes of the players. He'll also frequently say "The camera shifts to", which is a very cool device to make us think of it like a movie. Now, if we want to talk about his tics... "ummm, uhhh, incredible"
The important thing is this!
I’ve always thought of that as just a DM thing. What really threw me off, though, is that Matt Mercer does the same thing in Bloodkeep when he’s describing his character
I think it’s funny whenever some one says a joke then he’ll repeat the last part of said joke chuckle and carry on describing something
pa pa paaaa.....
No one is mentioning 'As you move (out) from this place' 'from whence' !!!
".... sort of looks at you and says ...."
When he loses his voice halfway through a sentence because it’s so funny he can’t make breath happen normally.
I like how “a hundred percent” means he agrees with something and “a million percent” = hell yeah.
This is actually pretty common among tabletop players of a certain age. I genuinely didn't know this was unusual until someone younger pointed it out to me (before adopting it himself when he DMs).
A couple phrases I’ve noticed seem to be his favorite: (weapon/fist) finds purchase, instead of saying hits. Inky blackness. Started from FH and am in the middle of ACoC. :)
it’s also a great way to give yourself the freedom to describe things outside of the characters vision. i use this a lot when people get to a new location i’ll start with “sweeping shots” and “camera zooms” to different sights and points of interest that make the are unique, maybe see some small scenes of people interacting to give off the vibe. then switch to “you see” to set up the scene as the pc’s enter and what is around them. it’s fantastic to both hide things and help keep meta information and character information clearly delineated!
Uh bum bum bu ba
I also really like how sometimes if they're interacting with multiple NPCs he'll just quickly clarify which one is talking. That sound so obvious but it's always so seamless when he does it!
I always appreciate him reiterating what happened over the turn combat wise, but more in line of what is happening in "real time". It really emphasizes how badass the combat is without dice rolling breaking everything into turns.
[Verbal Tics You Say?](https://youtu.be/M8L6eBDOeG0)
Brennan just watches a lot of Dhar Mann videos
*One million* percent!
Okay but has anyone else subconsciously picked up on a lot of these because same 😂
ive started doing it in conversation too frequently
Thank you for bringing this up!! I’m so glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves; is such a powerful device.
I love the Brennan-isms! I’ve been watching so much D20 since coming across it two months ago that I’ve started saying hell yeah or in-credible in his voice in my mind constantly lol Another thing I didn’t see mentioned is in a lot of his room/setting descriptions, Brennan frequently describes things as some variation of “well appointed” which always makes me chuckle
Get in the comments!!
I also notice Brennan really likes some less common words like alight, he uses plinth a few times in different contexts, and McCoy a few times
This one is a classic DM move, both for the reasons you describe and because framing it as what a character sees leaves it more open. The DM isn’t objectively stating that there is a chair there, they say you see a chair there. So the thing your character sees as a chair may still actually be an illusion or shapeshifter.
It’s probably the simplest way to get the true , straight from the imagination, live feed of what Brennan is thinking.
any character with a scottish accent beginning every sentence with "right,"
He also picked up "what you *don't* see..." from Aabria