#C3 e51

[captaincleverusernamehere]

Matt making the grapple check vs AC instead of contested JUST so he could have Ludinus pull out Shield is the FUNNIEST DM move I have ever seen oh my god

[niamhoftirnanog]

Just finished Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 51. Of all the characters from previous campaigns to bring back... this episode was a love letter from Matt to both his wife and to the man who started all this craziness just because he wanted to play DnD for his birthday. So wild that it all happened on the 8 year anniversary.

[shannananan]

i truly do not have words for the second half of episode 51.  i thought i had a fragment of an ida of how unhinged it would get. i was so very wrong

[renegadeem]

I still don’t know what will await us for c3 e52, but am I the only one getting huge final fantasy 6 vibes?

The villain plan happens, the party gets separated, but it’s not game over yet.

[fjorests-of-wildemount]

Imagining Caleb in the aftermath of the last episode, freed of the collar and shunted across Exandria with one of the halves of Bell's Hells, pulling a silvery grey Sending Stone out of his pocket. The rest of the group watches while he speaks into it in a language none of them understand. His eyes go soft when he receives a reply in the same language, before pressing it briefly to his forehead and tucking it safely into his pocket.

[dayseagedoodles]

VAAAAAAAAAAAAX

[wixelt]

Downside: The apocalypse is about to apogee.

Upside: Ludinus just made an enemy of the entirety of Vox Machina.

[probably-a-fae]

Okay, some appreciation for Matt's foreahadowing. There have been pieces to this we have known about for a while and it's amazing to see it all come together.

First, we have Keyleth. We know she was attacked by Otohan's forces and the use of a posion the prevents resurrection was in play. Keyleth was a target, what for? We didn't know. But that attack likely got the attention of a certain guardian of death.

Next, Caleb and Beau specifically said that Ludinus was being sloppy here, almost as if he expected resistance. Now we know that he not only expected it, his plan hinged on it. I almost want to bet that luring Caleb and Beau, who have long hunted him, only to have them watch helplessly, was part of his plan.

Finally, the missing lens. It was barely established at the start of the episode that Ira thought their design was missing a part. At first this had us excited, maybe they aren't as ready as we feared. Maybe we can use the missing lense to bluff our way in. But instead, it is revealed that the missing lense role is to be fulfilled by freaking Vax getting turned into an orb?

So Ludinus has people attack Keyleth people in such a way that Death's eyes are on her fearing another attack with cut her life shorter than destined. Then when the time of the apogee comes, he lures in his rivals who have hunted him and neutralize them, giving them a front row seat to watch his plan come to fruition. Finally, he lures in Keyleth, who has Vax watching over her for love and also because she had been targeted by these people before. All falls into place, and Ludinus is able to get his lense and stand triumphant over those who would see him fall.

Just, wow. I can't wait to see how the story progresses now that the party is split.

[captaincleverusernamehere]

I am trying not to FREAK OUT in the middle of class. Like I KNOW what happens to Vax but that doesn’t make this moment any less EUPHORIC

[captaincleverusernamehere]

Fighter Shit is always cool UNTIL it is used against you

[captaincleverusernamehere]

KEYTEOR!!

[captaincleverusernamehere]

Welp, there’s confirmation that the rest of the party isn’t ruidusborn I guess 👍

[fjorests-of-wildemount]

Somewhere in the back of all of Vox Machina's minds last night, they heard a faint strained whisper of "jenga"

[fjorests-of-wildemount]

After some many hours thinking about last night's episode and having a chance for the cortisol to leave my system, I just want to say how fucking impressed I am with how many things Matt was balancing and keeping track of during that confrontation.

The bbegs Ludinus and Otohan, reading off Ludinus's fucking prepared monologue, Liliana, Caleb and Beau, Kiki and the Ashari, Ira and the skyship, fucking VAX, the timing of the Solstice........ and *none* of it felt shortchanged or sidelined on purpose. It was tense and it had moments of triumph and despair and some good rolls, fair rolls, and shitty rolls. It was so well-orchestrated.

I just love watching people who are phenomenal experts at what they do in their element.

[fjorests-of-wildemount]

Oh hey, you know who else is from the Flotket Alps?

Gelidon, it's your chance to make a crossover!

[fjorests-of-wildemount]

Okay, I spent most of that episode terrified and angry BUT the only person we actually lost was Vax which makes me incredibly sad, but the Raven Queen won't actually let him die so there is hope.

There are so many cool possibilities for what comes next, I just am SO glad they didn't end up on the moon (at least, one half didn't for sure, not certain about the other), and that we haven't lost anyone else yet.

Well played, Mercer. Well played. Still want to choke Ludinus out with a plastic spork, though. Ass.