Few D&D Dungeon Masters world-round have grown to the level of stardom that Matthew Mercer and Brennan Lee Mulligan enjoy today. Their faces are plastered across billboards, and the people call out their names in a cacophony of frenzied whooping. But even said heralds of some of the best tabletop RPGs around are not immune to the bane that is imposter syndrome. I get it, you get it, it's a universal feeling that all of us have had some level of experience with.
The trick, according to Brennan, is to stay rooted in creative joy.
In speaking to Gamesradar+'s Tabletop & Merch Editor Benjamin Abbott and Presenter slash Producer Maddy Kendall-Murray last week (you can find more from the interview here), Brennan and Matt spoke humbly about what being praised feels like, and the steps they take to stop it from going to their heads.
When asked how the two of them felt when approached by fans holding them in such high regard, Brennan responded with "Deeply strange, but lovely. Thanks for the kind words, they can't be processed."
"Me and Brennan have been doing this for a while", Matt adds, "and we still stop ourselves in the middle of conversations and go like 'Wait, just take a moment to realise we're sitting here and talking about dragons, and worldbuilding, and just getting to do this thing that we've always loved to do [...] and people care about it. What the hell?'"
"And that's just when we're alone, so when other people perceive us through the process is like 'AHHH, HOW IS THIS STILL HAPPENING?'"
Getting a little serious, Brennan makes it clear that when he's approached by fans he understands that both parties are "benefitted by you taking that, but not letting it affect the authenticity of what you're doing at the table."
"I think people want that to remain unaffected," he continues. "At the end of the day, I try to stay rooted in the joy of being creative at the table, and trying to let the reality of the cameras [...] melt away as much as possible."
Brennan goes on to note how important it is to "take the spirit of what is meant [by fans' praise] and return to a grounded place." To which Matt responds that a "strong lifelong threat of imposter syndrome helps". He's joking, of course. At least in part.
Still, Brennan's naming of his "twin blades of success" as the ability to both compartmentalize and dissociate from fame paint a slightly more intense picture of the difficulties the two face on a daily basis. You can watch clips of the chat over on the Gamesradar TikTok, where we'll be uploading more content from the interview over the coming weeks.
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