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[Critical Role] Campaign 3: First the Calamity, Now the Downfall
Hexmage-PA
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhFETREAvhcThe third campaign of Critical Role began a few weeks ago, and I'm always interested in seeing reactions to new episodes, so I figured I'd make a thread here to gauge interest on the forums.
Let me get some explanations out of the way for people who have no idea what Critical Role is.
What is Critical Role?
Critical Role is a Dungeons & Dragons actual-play show available on Twitch, Youtube, and in podcast form featuring a cast of veteran voice actors. With Dungeon Master Matt Mercer at the helm, the troupe plays through campaigns featuring characters of their own design in the fantasy world of Exandria, collaboratively weaving stories through interactions between the player characters themselves and the people, places, and creatures of Exandria.
The first Critical Role campaign featured the adventuring group Vox Machina and actually began as a casual game run by Matt Mercer as a birthday present in 2012 for Liam O'Brien, who had been interested in playing Dungeons & Dragons. Liam enjoyed the game so much that the group continued the campaign, though they could only meet infrequently due to everyone's busy schedules.
A video clip of a session of the home game that would eventually lead into Critical Role Campaign One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-M5NH9PGi4Eventually the group was invited by Felicia Day to turn their home game into a streamed web show for the website Geek & Sundry, which debuted in 2015. The endeavor became a much bigger success than anyone ever expected, with Critical Role now being cited as one of the major forces helping to bring new people into the tabletop RPG hobby. Critical Role has since split off into its own company, Critical Role Productions LLC, and as of Campaign 3 the show is recorded in the "Tavern of Tales" set, whose design was overseen by Matt Mercer as the fulfillment of his dream DM'ing set-up.
The Cast (as of Campaign Three, from left to right)
Taliesin Jaffe
A voice actor whose favorite roles include Blanka (Street Fighter IV), Edge Geraldine (Final Fantasy IV), and Darion Morgaine (World of Warcraft). So far his Critical Role characters have been Percival de Rolo (Human Fighter; Campaign One), Mollymauk Tealeaf (Tiefling Blood Hunter; Campaign Two), Caduceus Clay (Firbolg Cleric; Campaign Two), and Ashton Greymoore (Earth Genasi Barbarian; Campaign Three).
Laura Bailey
A prolific voice actress with a great deal of vocal range who has lent her voice to characters such as Gwen Stacey (Spider-Man 2017), Chun-Li, and Kid Trunks, as well as characters in games such as Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fallout: New Vegas, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft. To date her Critical Role characters have been Vex'ahlia (Half-Elf Ranger; Campaign One), Jester Lavorre (Tiefling Cleric; Campaign Two), and Imogen Temult (Human Sorcerer; Campaign Three).
Liam O'Brien
A voice actor, voice director, and writer, Liam O'Brien has lent his voice to characters such as Gaara (Naruto), Nephrite (Sailor Moon), and Red XIII (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children). He's played other roles in anime and games such as Code Geass, Devily May Cry 4, and the Last of Us. Liam's Critical Role characters to date have been Vax'ildan (Half-Elf Rogue; Campaign One), Caleb Widogast (Human Wizard; Campaign Two), and now Orym (Halfling Fighter; Campaign Three).
Travis Willingham
A voice actor, voice director, and now the CEO of Critical Role Productions LLC. Travis has voiced a number of iconic characters over the years, including Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist), Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog), Cell (Dragon Ball Z), and Guile (Street Fighter). He also not only played Satan in Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, but dropped a reference to the animal companion of Laura Bailey's character Vex'ahlia, Trinket the Bear (the game was released prior to the first episode of Critical Role). In the world of Critical Role he has given life to the characters Grog Strongjaw (Goliath Barbarian; Campaign One), Fjord Stone (Half-Orc Warlock; Campaign Two), and most recently Bertrand Bell (Human Fighter; Campaign Three).
Matt Mercer
Like pretty much all of the cast, Matt Mercer is a prolific voice actor. His voice talents have been lent to characters such as Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 6), Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan), and Cole Cassidy (Overwatch). Matt is the Dungeon Master of Critical Role, which essentially means that, while the other cast members play individual characters, he plays the world of Exandria and nearly everyone else in it (barring special guests). Matt, unsurprisingly, also has the position of Chief Creative Officer at Critical Role Productions LLC.
Sam Riegel
A (surprise surprise) voice actor who has lent his voice to many video game and anime characters from series such as Persona, Naruto, One-Punch Man, Fire Emblem, and Ratchet & Clank. A friend of Liam O'Brien's, Sam had never played Dungeons & Dragons until being invited to the birthday D&D session that would eventually lead to Critical Role. Sam's Critical Role characters so far have been Scanlan Shorthalt (Gnome Bard; Campaign One), Nott the Brave (Goblin Rogue; Campaign Two), and most recently (and I swear I'm not making this up) Fresh Cut Grass (Aeormaton Cleric; Campaign Three). Sam has also taken it upon himself to do most of the ad reads at the beginning of Critical Role episodes, many of which are needlessly elaborate and/or strange.
Ashley Johnson
An actress and voice actress who has played roles such as Terra (Teen Titans), Ellie (The Last of Us), and Tulip (Infinity Train). Her role as William Patterson in the NBC drama Blindspot resulted in her being the Critical Role cast member who missed the most sessions (not even appearing in the first few streamed sessions of Campaign One), but as of Critical Role Campaign Three she is expected to be a more consistent presence. Ashley is also now the president of the Critical Role Foundation charity. Her Critical Role characters so far have have been Pike Trickfoot (Gnome Cleric; Campaign One), Yasha Nydoorin (Human Barbarian; Campaign Two), and now Fearne Calloway (Faun Druid; Campaign Three).
Robbie Daymond
A newcomer to both Critical Role and Dungeons & Dragons, Robbie Daymond is a voice actor whose credits include characters such as Tuxedo Mask (Sailor Moon), Gilthunder (The Seven Deadly Sins), and Mumen Rider (One-Punch Man), among many others. In Critical Role, Robbie playes Dorian Storm (Air Genasi Bard; Campaign Three).
Marisha Ray
Finally we have Marisha Ray, Creative Director of Critical Role Productions LLC. She doesn't have quite the voice acting pedigree of the other cast members, though she has lent her vocal talents to characters in games such as the Persona franchise and Fire Emblem franchise. Her Critical Role characters so far have been Keyleth (Half-Elf Druid; Campaign One), Beauregard Lionett (Human Monk; Campaign Two), and Laudna (Hollow One Sorcerer/Warlock).
A voice actor whose favorite roles include Blanka (Street Fighter IV), Edge Geraldine (Final Fantasy IV), and Darion Morgaine (World of Warcraft). So far his Critical Role characters have been Percival de Rolo (Human Fighter; Campaign One), Mollymauk Tealeaf (Tiefling Blood Hunter; Campaign Two), Caduceus Clay (Firbolg Cleric; Campaign Two), and Ashton Greymoore (Earth Genasi Barbarian; Campaign Three).
Laura Bailey
A prolific voice actress with a great deal of vocal range who has lent her voice to characters such as Gwen Stacey (Spider-Man 2017), Chun-Li, and Kid Trunks, as well as characters in games such as Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fallout: New Vegas, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft. To date her Critical Role characters have been Vex'ahlia (Half-Elf Ranger; Campaign One), Jester Lavorre (Tiefling Cleric; Campaign Two), and Imogen Temult (Human Sorcerer; Campaign Three).
Liam O'Brien
A voice actor, voice director, and writer, Liam O'Brien has lent his voice to characters such as Gaara (Naruto), Nephrite (Sailor Moon), and Red XIII (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children). He's played other roles in anime and games such as Code Geass, Devily May Cry 4, and the Last of Us. Liam's Critical Role characters to date have been Vax'ildan (Half-Elf Rogue; Campaign One), Caleb Widogast (Human Wizard; Campaign Two), and now Orym (Halfling Fighter; Campaign Three).
Travis Willingham
A voice actor, voice director, and now the CEO of Critical Role Productions LLC. Travis has voiced a number of iconic characters over the years, including Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist), Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog), Cell (Dragon Ball Z), and Guile (Street Fighter). He also not only played Satan in Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, but dropped a reference to the animal companion of Laura Bailey's character Vex'ahlia, Trinket the Bear (the game was released prior to the first episode of Critical Role). In the world of Critical Role he has given life to the characters Grog Strongjaw (Goliath Barbarian; Campaign One), Fjord Stone (Half-Orc Warlock; Campaign Two), and most recently Bertrand Bell (Human Fighter; Campaign Three).
Matt Mercer
Like pretty much all of the cast, Matt Mercer is a prolific voice actor. His voice talents have been lent to characters such as Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 6), Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan), and Cole Cassidy (Overwatch). Matt is the Dungeon Master of Critical Role, which essentially means that, while the other cast members play individual characters, he plays the world of Exandria and nearly everyone else in it (barring special guests). Matt, unsurprisingly, also has the position of Chief Creative Officer at Critical Role Productions LLC.
Sam Riegel
A (surprise surprise) voice actor who has lent his voice to many video game and anime characters from series such as Persona, Naruto, One-Punch Man, Fire Emblem, and Ratchet & Clank. A friend of Liam O'Brien's, Sam had never played Dungeons & Dragons until being invited to the birthday D&D session that would eventually lead to Critical Role. Sam's Critical Role characters so far have been Scanlan Shorthalt (Gnome Bard; Campaign One), Nott the Brave (Goblin Rogue; Campaign Two), and most recently (and I swear I'm not making this up) Fresh Cut Grass (Aeormaton Cleric; Campaign Three). Sam has also taken it upon himself to do most of the ad reads at the beginning of Critical Role episodes, many of which are needlessly elaborate and/or strange.
Ashley Johnson
An actress and voice actress who has played roles such as Terra (Teen Titans), Ellie (The Last of Us), and Tulip (Infinity Train). Her role as William Patterson in the NBC drama Blindspot resulted in her being the Critical Role cast member who missed the most sessions (not even appearing in the first few streamed sessions of Campaign One), but as of Critical Role Campaign Three she is expected to be a more consistent presence. Ashley is also now the president of the Critical Role Foundation charity. Her Critical Role characters so far have have been Pike Trickfoot (Gnome Cleric; Campaign One), Yasha Nydoorin (Human Barbarian; Campaign Two), and now Fearne Calloway (Faun Druid; Campaign Three).
Robbie Daymond
A newcomer to both Critical Role and Dungeons & Dragons, Robbie Daymond is a voice actor whose credits include characters such as Tuxedo Mask (Sailor Moon), Gilthunder (The Seven Deadly Sins), and Mumen Rider (One-Punch Man), among many others. In Critical Role, Robbie playes Dorian Storm (Air Genasi Bard; Campaign Three).
Marisha Ray
Finally we have Marisha Ray, Creative Director of Critical Role Productions LLC. She doesn't have quite the voice acting pedigree of the other cast members, though she has lent her vocal talents to characters in games such as the Persona franchise and Fire Emblem franchise. Her Critical Role characters so far have been Keyleth (Half-Elf Druid; Campaign One), Beauregard Lionett (Human Monk; Campaign Two), and Laudna (Hollow One Sorcerer/Warlock).
The Characters of Campaign Three (from left to right)
Fearne Calloway, Faun Circle of Wildfire Druid (Ashley Johnson)
A mysterious and impulsive woman from the Feywild who does and says as she pleases with seemingly little ability to imagine consequences. Her calm voice and easygoing demeanor contrast with the poisonous plants she adorns herself with, her staff of animate serpent heads, and her monkey-like wildfire spirit companion Little Mister. She, Dorian, and Orym are all prior acquintances, and she has chosen to accompany Orym on his mission to the continent of Marquet.
Dorian Storm, Air Genasi College of Swords Bard (Robbie Daymond)
The bard known by the stage name Dorian Storm came from an isolated and strict upbringing in a wealthy family on the continent of Marquet. Though he travelled to the distant contient of Tal'Dorei and made new friends in Fearne and Orym, a mission that the latter was entrusted with has seen Dorian accompanying the halfling back to his homeland with some trepidation.
Orym, Halfling Battle Master Fighter (Liam O'Brien)
A serious and dutiful halfling born to the Air Ashari, a people who make it their mission to guard a stable portal to the Elemental Plane of Air. Orym met Fearne Calloway and Dorian Storm in the recent past and has brought them with him to Marquet on a mission handed down by the leader of the Air Ashari. Orym is the straight man of the group, and though he doesn't care to take a position as leader he'll make sure to voice his opinion if he thinks something is a bad idea.
Laudna, Hollow One Undead Patron Warlock/Shadow Magic Sorcerer (Marisha Ray)
A Hollow One (a person resurrected via unusual magic) from Whitestone, a city on the continent of Tal'Dorei that was once ruled by sadistic vampires. She left her home with no intention to return shortly before it was liberated from the vampiric threat by the Vox Machina adventuring party. Though she seems to have a good heart and pleasant demeanor, her creepy appearance and tone of voice often frighten those she attempts to help. She also possesses a puppet, of sorts, made up of a dead rat with a raven's skull for a head. Though she lived as a recluse for a time, she at some point met-up with Imogen Temult and moved in with her.
Imogen Temult, Human Aberrant Mind Sorcerer (Laura Bailey)
A human woman with psionic powers that are difficult for her to keep under control. Crowds make her uneasy due to the overwhelming psychic background noise generated by so many minds. She is curious about the source of her powers and the meaning of the nightmare that she has every night and is searching for someone who can answer her questions.
Bertrand Bell, Human Fighter (Travis Willingham)
An elderly human who once accompanied the renowned adventuring party Vox Machina on one of their quests, Bertrand Bell has of late served as a kind of talent scout for an aged noble orc named Lord Eshteross. He believes that the latest group he has wrangled together will meet Lord Eshteross' expectations.
Fresh Cut Grass, Aeormaton Empathy Domain Cleric (Sam Riegel)
A cheerful, compassionate, and polite automaton whose creator somehow equipped them with access to magic that aids in protecting others from harm. Fresh Cut Grass (also referred to by their associates as "F.C.G." or "Letters") survives their creator and her other inventions. Fresh Cut Grass has little interest in wealth or fame and believes doing good is its own reward. However, while Fresh Cut Grass is very concerned about the physical and emotional wellbeing of their friends, they also do not believe that their own feelings are real and that they do not possess a soul. Despite their conflict personalities, Fresh Cut Grass has lived with Ashton for some time now.
Ashton Greymoore, Earth Genasi Path of Fundamental Chaos Barbarian (Taliesin Jaffe)
A tough earth genasi punk with a mysterious past, Ashton is a crude fellow who bears the signs of significant past wounds, including a hole in his head patched with slag glass. On his back is a jacket decorated with the words "JUST DON'T" and an oversized hammer engraved with the words "FUCK OFF". Ashton is aware that his shady past and dealings might be a liability and is particularly interested in pursuing the relatively more honest mercenary work offered by Lord Eshteross.
A mysterious and impulsive woman from the Feywild who does and says as she pleases with seemingly little ability to imagine consequences. Her calm voice and easygoing demeanor contrast with the poisonous plants she adorns herself with, her staff of animate serpent heads, and her monkey-like wildfire spirit companion Little Mister. She, Dorian, and Orym are all prior acquintances, and she has chosen to accompany Orym on his mission to the continent of Marquet.
Dorian Storm, Air Genasi College of Swords Bard (Robbie Daymond)
The bard known by the stage name Dorian Storm came from an isolated and strict upbringing in a wealthy family on the continent of Marquet. Though he travelled to the distant contient of Tal'Dorei and made new friends in Fearne and Orym, a mission that the latter was entrusted with has seen Dorian accompanying the halfling back to his homeland with some trepidation.
Orym, Halfling Battle Master Fighter (Liam O'Brien)
A serious and dutiful halfling born to the Air Ashari, a people who make it their mission to guard a stable portal to the Elemental Plane of Air. Orym met Fearne Calloway and Dorian Storm in the recent past and has brought them with him to Marquet on a mission handed down by the leader of the Air Ashari. Orym is the straight man of the group, and though he doesn't care to take a position as leader he'll make sure to voice his opinion if he thinks something is a bad idea.
Laudna, Hollow One Undead Patron Warlock/Shadow Magic Sorcerer (Marisha Ray)
A Hollow One (a person resurrected via unusual magic) from Whitestone, a city on the continent of Tal'Dorei that was once ruled by sadistic vampires. She left her home with no intention to return shortly before it was liberated from the vampiric threat by the Vox Machina adventuring party. Though she seems to have a good heart and pleasant demeanor, her creepy appearance and tone of voice often frighten those she attempts to help. She also possesses a puppet, of sorts, made up of a dead rat with a raven's skull for a head. Though she lived as a recluse for a time, she at some point met-up with Imogen Temult and moved in with her.
Imogen Temult, Human Aberrant Mind Sorcerer (Laura Bailey)
A human woman with psionic powers that are difficult for her to keep under control. Crowds make her uneasy due to the overwhelming psychic background noise generated by so many minds. She is curious about the source of her powers and the meaning of the nightmare that she has every night and is searching for someone who can answer her questions.
Bertrand Bell, Human Fighter (Travis Willingham)
An elderly human who once accompanied the renowned adventuring party Vox Machina on one of their quests, Bertrand Bell has of late served as a kind of talent scout for an aged noble orc named Lord Eshteross. He believes that the latest group he has wrangled together will meet Lord Eshteross' expectations.
Fresh Cut Grass, Aeormaton Empathy Domain Cleric (Sam Riegel)
A cheerful, compassionate, and polite automaton whose creator somehow equipped them with access to magic that aids in protecting others from harm. Fresh Cut Grass (also referred to by their associates as "F.C.G." or "Letters") survives their creator and her other inventions. Fresh Cut Grass has little interest in wealth or fame and believes doing good is its own reward. However, while Fresh Cut Grass is very concerned about the physical and emotional wellbeing of their friends, they also do not believe that their own feelings are real and that they do not possess a soul. Despite their conflict personalities, Fresh Cut Grass has lived with Ashton for some time now.
Ashton Greymoore, Earth Genasi Path of Fundamental Chaos Barbarian (Taliesin Jaffe)
A tough earth genasi punk with a mysterious past, Ashton is a crude fellow who bears the signs of significant past wounds, including a hole in his head patched with slag glass. On his back is a jacket decorated with the words "JUST DON'T" and an oversized hammer engraved with the words "FUCK OFF". Ashton is aware that his shady past and dealings might be a liability and is particularly interested in pursuing the relatively more honest mercenary work offered by Lord Eshteross.
The Setting of Campaign Three
Campaign Three of Critical Role begins in a corner of Exandria that until now was largely left undetailed: the continent of Marquet. The party converges in Jrusar, a cosmopolitan city built into the towering rock spires that rise from the jungle of the Oderan Wilds. Thanks to its open skyship port and multiple points of interest, including the seat of government for the Oderan Wilds and two universities, the populace is highly diverse. Multiple sources of danger lurk within Jrusar, however, including the Ivory Syndicate criminal organization and the mysterious entities known as shade creepers. Simurgh-riding Sky Wardens patrol the skies, which can be an inconvenience for an adventuring party.
How to Follow Along with Campaign Three
New episodes of Critical Role livestream on Twitch and YouTube at 7PM Pacific Standard Time. Reruns of the newest episode play on Twitch the day after and are available VOD for subscribers. The episode becomes available again on YouTube at 12PM Pacific Standard Time the following Monday, and then is released in podcast form the week after the original Twitch airdate.
For convenience sake, here's Campaign Three, Episode One on YouTube. Five episodes have been released so far, so it's not too late to get started on the new campaign. There are scattered references to older campaigns, but nothing that a quick Google search can't help with (especially with the extensive and helpful Critical Role Wiki).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8pLvV3FjPcWhat About Previous Campaigns?
One option is to watch the Campaign One and Campaign Two episodes on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-p9lWIhcLQ
https://youtu.be/byva0hOj8CUFor a brief overview of Campaign Two, there's Crit Recap Animated, which condenses hours of content into videos that are around five minutes long each:
https://youtu.be/yUcNq8zd6EIFor Campaign One, though, you may be interested to learn that certain arcs of that campaign are being adapted into a two season Amazon Prime series titled "The Legend of Vox Machina", which will begin in February 2022. The cast reprises the characters they played in the original campaign.
https://youtu.be/3eRRwcTdhtE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSYSVcn60ikTL;DR: Who is This For?
If you're curious about tabletop RPGs and roleplaying then Critical Role will give you a bit of insight into what the experience is like (although there's a good bit more conversation between the players in-character than I've personally witnessed in gaming).
It's also fun to vicariously experience a tabletop RPG campaign, especially in real time. Last night's episode really had me wondering where the story is going and fearful that one of the characters might die during the tough fight they were waging.
I also personally find it interesting to see a new popular fantasy setting being built upon and expanded by the setting's creator as his players explore it. Critical Role is, in a way, a modernized successor to Record of Lodoss War, which was a Japanese novel series based on transcripts from the creator's D&D sessions. Unlike Record of Lodoss War, which D&D's then-owners TSR turned down when approached about making it into an official setting for the game, Critical Role's success has been so great that D&D's current owner Hasbro was already published one setting book, is set to release an official adventure module called Call of the Netherdeep early next year, and has included references to Critical Role's world of Exandria in a few otherwise unrelated game books such as Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus and The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.
Anyway, I already spent way more time and put in more detail than I originally intended to, so I'll just end this with some clips and fan animations of moments from the first few episodes of Campaign Three that hopefully will help give a better impression of what a typical episode of Critical Role is like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je5JvWsDM7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq-3piDX7ho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TrwuhKKS1w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loyt35Z7Zeg Hexmage-PA on
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Campaign 3, Episode 5 Spoilers
I'm happy Robbie got the first major "How Do You Want to Do This?" against Dugger. After how tough that fight was (three PCs downed even with all the healing the party had at their disposal) it was satisfying to have the mutant blow to smithereens.
Also, anyone want to bet Eshteross is secretly evil? I know even the cast keeps making Insight checks on the guy so it would be super obvious if he betrayed them, but it also somehow feels so obvious that it would be unexpected if he actually did betray them.
Little surprised we still didn't get Travis' new character this episode. I wonder what he'll end up being. He's already been a barbarian and a warlock/paladin, but there's already a lot of spellcasters in the party and I feel like they need someone at least a bit tanky.
I'm curious where the story's going at this point, too. So, we know that there are these shade creeper things living in the spires and that people can apparently be corrupted into shade creeper-like monsters themselves, but Dugger's place looked like it had been ransacked. Did Dugger wreck his own place for some reason as a side effect of being transformed, or did Dugger have something someone else wanted? And how does this connect to the brumestone smuggling or this guy that Keyleth sent Orym to find?
That is all
And Bertrand
But those are the only characters I love I don't love anyone else
Ashley was on Growing Pains, Taliesin was in Mr. Mom, and Sam was in two touring productions of Les Mis as Gavroche.
I thought about mentioning that, but decided it wasn't terribly relevant versus their voice acting experience. Taliesin in particular also appeared in The Facts of Life and St. Elsewhere.
Fearne's definitely my favorite both for the character herself and the possibility that through her we'll get to learn more about Matt's take on the Feywild. I was suddenly very concerned for her in the most recent episode, but thankfully things turned out alright. It's amusing that the party has a member that looks like the satyr-equivalent of Christina Hendricks (according to something I read on the creation of her official artwork and miniature) but whose thought process leads her to innocently suggest sending children to investigate a narrow tunnel (that deadly monsters have been coming out of).
Frest Cut Grass is just...a lot. When I was telling a buddy of mine about the new Campaign Three characters and got to the name "Fresh Cut Grass" I got a loud and incredulous "WHAT?!" I'd seen a lot of people guessing that an Aeormaton (Matt confirmed the race) would be one of the new Campaign Three PCs, but the execution being a small robot Ted Lasso had everyone reeling.
EDIT: And now for an animatic of one of the funniest moments of Campaign Two, in which the normally stoic wizard Caleb Widogast is desperate to get a gem out of trapped pillar the Mighty Nein stumbled upon by chance:
Liam's voice getting so intense towards the end over this thing that probably is completely irrelevent to the story cracks me up.
It's gonna take some getting used to seeing Taliesin as the main damage dealer as I'm used to seeing him as laid back support. (I haven't seen any of C1 so I missed Percy)
We've already got a lot of spellcasters in this group, several of which with healing spells. Orym and Ashton are the only melee combatants working to protect all these squishier casters, so maybe Travis will be another frontline combatant. He's already played a barbarian and taken levels in paladin so I doubt he'll be repeating those. Maybe he'll attempt to play a blood hunter since Mollymauk died so early last campaign and Matt released a revised version of the Blood Hunter class not long ago.
Would it be wise to add Exandria Unlimited, the mini-campaign between Campaign 2 and 3 to the starting post? It's where about half the new cast first appeared.
And as we're posting animated clips:
Nobody's played the released version of an Artificer in their games yet, which could also help with locks and traps as well as being the only Intelligence based character in the party. Good for investigation rolls.
Nobody's played a ranger since campaign one, either. More recent subclasses are significantly improved.
Honesty, I'm confident that they'll make whatever it is work.
I use the analogy: Mom may not be Gordon Ramsay, but she's still making tasty dinners every night. Your DM isn't Matt Mercer, but they're still guiding you on a rewarding, exciting journey that you will love.
As far as Campaign 3 goes, Marisha is absolutely killing it, holy shit. Her performances as Laudna is spectacular. She consistently surprises me with her performances.
I am definitely looking forward to Travis' new character. Actors sometimes talk about other actors that 'improve the performances of everyone around them.' I feel like Travis is that for the Critical Role cast. He elevates every interaction he participates in.
I plan to update the OP eventually to include Exandria Unlimited (especially since Fearne still has the entirely out of place "Stonky's Ring" from Candlekeep Mysteries that she got during EXU). I might also take the time to list the various one-shots if I really feel like putting a lot of work on myself (The Adventures of the Darrington Brigade is a very good one, BTW).
What makes this even funnier is that, if you think about it, even if Keyleth hit the water she still could have taken falling damage if Matt wanted to be more realistic with it. I think movies, TV, and video games have probably convinced most people that falling into water is non-lethal despite even a botched belly flop stinging a bit.
It's also funny to remember that the girl who died from jumping off a cliff and thinking it totally wouldn't kill her while yelling "WE'RE GODS" went on to become the leader of the Air Ashari, The Voice of the Tempest, and is perhaps the most powerful druid in Exandria.
EDIT: Speaking of deaths, RIP Spurt.
Steam: Feriluce
Battle.net: Feriluce#1995
When Grog and Pike are crying about how beautiful and capable Vex'ahlia is,
And when Grog and Percy are fighting over the raven skull.
EDIT:
Oh, Lord, and the only time CR made me ugly cry:
Steam: Feriluce
Battle.net: Feriluce#1995
UnDeadwood was great.
Oh, shit, and Liam's games are great, too, especially the one where they're roleplaying themselves.
Steam: Feriluce
Battle.net: Feriluce#1995
The revelation in the end that Caleb
Which reminds me: it's interesting how both Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein saved the world, but the former group did it very publicly while hardly anyone knows what the latter group did.
People seem to think that Liam is playing a simple halfling fighter because his Campaign One and Campaign Two characters ended up being so important to the narrative, but time will tell about that.
Looking at the group make up it leans heavy on squishy spellcasters (especially if Dorian is a temporary member), so it would make sense for Travis to be playing some kind of melee class. He's played a Barbarian and a Hexblade/Paladin before so probably not those, but that still leaves quite a bit of choice. Ranger and Rogue are both not being played and both have melee builds available to them. A straight Paladin is also a possibility.
If I had to choose, I'd love to see him playing a Swashbuckler Rogue who's the great niece/nephew of Bertrand who only ever heard about him and went to track him down and just made it a bit late. But they found these people who avenged his murder and they all seem to have ... mostly positive things to say about him.
Jrusar seems to have a lot animal folk (they're notably using different names for them, too; for example, pachydan instead of loxodon, and eisfuura instead of aarakocra). Having an elephant man running around with these guys would be fun. Beyond that we still haven't gotten an elf or a dwarf in a mainline campaign party.
A new dragonborn could be interesting with the revised rules for dragonborn in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, but that might draw too many comparisions to Tiberius when the character is effectively being retconned from the franchise (he was featured in the first volume of the Vox Machina Origins comics before being written out of the story and will not be present at all in The Legend of Vox Machina). Dragonborn in general seem super rare in Exandria; I was a little surprised when one showed up recently as an NPC in episode four of Campaign Three.
EDIT: Come to think of it, Campaign Three begins thirty years after the end of Campaign One, so Travis could easily play as a child of a character from Campaign One. Given Laudna has some connection to Whitestone, it would be pretty crazy if Travis' PC ended up being the son of Percy and Vex'ahlia or something.
Oh and so far, I've watched the first episode of C3 live. And I love Laudna. She is creepy in a good way!
As great as C1 is, it took them an awful long time to get things watchable. It's a monumental task! I understand why it took months! It still makes those early episodes real hard to recommend. The Slayer's Take subplot is right around where they figure it all out and that immediately precedes the absolutely iconic Briarwood arc which is when CR transcends a mere live D&D game and begins to become the juggernaut it is today. It's a good place to get into C1 if the early episodes put you off.
C3 has a lot of potential for places to go. I'm totally uninterested in speculation and fan theories because what makes the show really tick for me are the performances and the in-the-moment bits of roleplay and gags and the cast chemistry. Robbie is a great addition. Marisha has somehow gone from stealing the show in C2 to chewing on the scenery in C3 and I am 100% here for it. I'm not entirely convinced Taliesin isn't just playing himself-but-with-the-filter-off and he's clearly enjoying every moment of it. Sam is Sam fucking Riegel again and the table wouldn't be as fun as it is without him. Laura is channeling Liam-as-Caleb something fierce and I'm really interested in seeing where she goes with it. Liam basically prototyped Orym in the wedding oneshot and I think he saw a lot of potential in a fighter (which says something coming off of playing a wizard) and a fish-out-of-water mundane character amidst a bunch of weirdos with crazy powers is a neat concept. Ashley is killing it with Fearne being creepy and endearing and cruel and kind all at the same time.
Travis
Yeah, Campaign One was where the show started, but it has a number of things working against it as an ideal introduction for newbies (which Legend of Vox Machina will hopefully help rectify).
It's also honestly kind of surreal watching the episodes where the party infiltrates the Emberhold and Matt has a dry erase map with rooms hidden by pieces of construction paper versus the kind of battle maps the show has now with accompanying lighting effects as needed.
If you're old hat at TTRPGs, though, starting right from the beginning is fine, because that's more like what an actual game of D&D is like (Excepting the professional actors part).
Now Matt has at his disposal tens of thousands of dollars of Dwarven Forge terrain, smoke machines, custom miniatures, dynamic map lighting, dynamic set lighting and a large library of music to use (That CR has permission to broadcast!). It's come a long way, for sure.
Exandria Unlimited is only eight episodes total (at least until a possible continuation), but I don't know if I'd recommend it for newbies since the mini-series has a different DM with a different DMing sytle than the rest of Critical Role.
EDIT: Currently rewatching The Adventures of the Darrington Brigade.
*knock on the fontdoor of the Darrington Estate*
The Owlbear (Taliesein Jaffe): "I hide. Stealth thirty-one."
Oh, I've watched a couple of the one shots, like Honey Heist and Trash Pandas and plan to watch all of them before starting C3.
But thank GOD there is now somewhere online to talk about these nerdy idiots* that isn’t reddit or twitch chat.
*I mean that in the best possible way.
Steam: Feriluce
Battle.net: Feriluce#1995
I have to say I like that Laura is playing a more understated character in c3 but I definitely miss Jester, who is clearly a character that you either love or hate, and I wouldn't mind if Laura loosens up with Imogen as the campaign moves on because I really enjoy Laura as a comedic actor. Also Caleb is great and I hope that as Orym develops he'll get more depth on that level, though I don't mind so far that he's more or less just the straight-man to the wackiness of the rest of the group that keeps them more grounded, which I felt c2 rather lacks.
I will say part of it, and this is partially why Jester is important, C2 feels like serious people with serious back stories doing serious things. And Jester is well, Jester. Its a nice counter balance.
TBF to Keyleth, Matt decided to arbitrarily punish her, he never prior or since applied an infinite ceiling to fall damage
like, a few chapters before that I think Keyleth fell from 2000 feet and was fine as an earth elemental, and also at one point fell into lava and was fine, so going for realism simulator on fall damage this time was a bit weird
I mean,.... I probably would have too, because "it's fine, we're gods" is something no player should ever utter, and they should rightly be punished for doing so
I think it's mostly that he was expecting her to turn into a bird or something similar during the whole thing. There is a point where you as a DM just go: "I'm not going to roll damage for this".
Matt has indicated that he regretted the whole thing though, as he felt that he didn't communicate the seriousness of the situation to Marisha well enough. The fall as Earth Elemental, I can't remember, but I could hand-wave that as Earth Elementals can "swim" through mud and rock (or at least they could... been a while since I did anything with high-level druids and elementals).
I kind of figured Matt just let Keyleth die there because it was spectacularly dumb, comedically absurd, and he felt confident the party could rez her.
I personally had a similar experience where I had a PC dive into a pool that apparently was acid disguised as water. The DM described how my character quickly dissolved into bones, but had mercy on me and allowed the party to fish out my character's bones and restore me with Revivify despite Revivify requiring an intact body and that it be cast within the minute of death. Earlier in that same session my character also ran across a pool of lava and back and lived thanks to a combination of his own high HP and castings of Haste, Water Walk, and an application of fire resistance.
I was rolling high/low for being possessed by my warlock patron bad-man god as part of the set piece battle. And I was annoying in general. So, fair.
I haven't watched the previous campaigns, apart from a handful episodes of campaign 2. But the thread being on the front page made me start watching the third campaign now and I very like the setting, seems fun so far!
I kind of want to see more about the Raven Queen in the world of Exandria because, really, she's kind of responsible for a lot of bad shit that has happened. Given Matt's planned speech for her and her backstory as a mortal mage who literally killed the god of death and took his stuff I imagine she decided that mortal existence was one doomed to insignifance and that attaining godhood was the only way she'd feel like her existence actually mattered. The Prime Deities accepted her as one of them despite her killing a god and Ioun having to lock away the knowlede of how she accomplished it, but her actions inspired both the mage who released the Betrayer Gods and started the Calamity and Vecna himself.