Once again I am joined by long time friends of the show and the inimitable hosts of Tabletop Journeys: Josh, Lewanika, and Glen. Their enthusiasm for TTRPGs is infectious and it's such a delight to provide a platform for their passion and talents. This episode about is what galvanises and moves us, as characters, players, and storytellers. It's interesting that PC motivation is not pre-baked in the building process, unlike backgrounds which are almost purely fluff and can sometimes have very little impact on gameplay. This has produced the idea of a "social contract" between players, the DM, and all their characters; an often implicit agreement that we're all in this together to build a great story, but achieving this can be harder than you might expect! The last two-thirds of the show are dedicated to us as human beings and why we love TTRPGs. The answer is as old as the hobby itself: there's no such high as collaborative worldbuilding with friends. 05:39 - Character Motivation 33:36 - What Keeps Us Coming Back 46:06 - Motivated Storytellers Find Tabletop Journeys on: Website: https://ttjourneys.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ttjourneys Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ttjourneys Traveler's Guide to the Multiverse: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/392937/The-Travelers-Guide-to-the-Multiverse Traveler's Guide to Collaborative Worldbuilding: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/380254/The-Travelers-Guide-to-Collaborative-Worldbuilding Find Thinking Critically online: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk and also now on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thinkingcritically References: 'Space' and 'Items' episodes of Thinking Critically Patrons: Robert Hartley @RobertHartleyGM: https://www.patreon.com/RobertHartleyGM Optional Rule @optionalrule: https://www.optionalrule.com/ Matthew Perkins @mperkinsDM: https://www.matthewperkins.net/ Matt Street @mpstreet88: https://www.virtualtimehustle.com/ Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod