#Really enjoying exu so far

[otterlyart]

Change is coming

[thenatezone]

Having digested the Bell's Hells finale I think I want to make some observations that, FULL DISCLOSURE, will veer into gentle criticism, but that's fine because we're all incredibly normal and mature and we'll just be cool about it.

I know that these last few episodes had to close out not just campaign 3 but presumably also this version of the show. I know the cast likes to revisit their old, iconic characters and that the constant references and connections to previous campaigns are really fun for them. But, fun as it was, I feel it came at the expense of crowding Bells Hells out of their own campaign.

I believe we have reached MCU Phase 4 (?) levels of callbacks and references to previous campaigns, which, in my opinion, M9 handled with much more restraint. Easier for the cast to do back then, you might say, with only one previous campaign and no supplemental series like EXU to weave in, but I would respond by reminding you that no one made them ratchet up the shared universe storytelling. To continue with the Marvel analogy, sometimes a Spider-Man story has pretty high stakes that might justify the X-Men or FF or Avengers showing up to help. If they're going to, fine, but you have to keep the focus on Spider-Man or you've failed to tell a Spider-Man story and you shouldn't have involved so many other heroes if they're just going to take away opportunities for his character development.

Also, with so many EXU installments and the main series only running 3 weeks a month, I thought campaign 3 really dragged compared to the others. Maybe that's because it was a lot less...vignette-y, I guess, than VM or M9? I'm guesstimating here but it felt like Bells Hells had identified the bad guys (and more or less what their plan was) about one-third into the campaign and the other two-thirds was pretty much exclusively about stopping it. Just not my preference for the pacing of a multi-year campaign.

As far as revisiting VM and M9 to give them updated endings, I found this...emotionally satisfying in the moment, let's say, but kind of narratively weak and cloyingly sentimental when considered after the fact. It reminds me (I am old) of the finale of Lost, which ends on an uplifting and feelgood scene. This emotional satisfaction lingers for a moment and then you (if you are me) realize that you will have to make your peace with the fact that the show has been promising answers to its many mysteries and will not be delivering on any of them. It's not a waste of time because you have enjoyed yourself, but you wish the show had delivered more relative to what it had promised. That's how I feel about Bells Hells.

Now I do want to note that if I had played Bells Hells as a home campaign I would have loved it! Would never have shut up about it. Would have been completely on board with the meta-references and the constant in-character arguing and planning and ethical debates that kept going in circles. Would have appreciated the players all taking big swings with their characters even if some of them weren't as successful as others. Would definitely have supported of a final session that wrapped everything up a little too neatly, because it might have been the last time our crew could play after years together and the real world had gotten so unpleasant that maybe the fantasy world could lighten up just a bit. And while it's unfair to hold Critical Role to the same standards as a scripted show when it's not, we have to acknowledge that it's also not just some friends playing DnD at home with only themselves to satisfy.

Still love the program, still love the chemistry of the cast, still can't wait to see what they do next with this last EXU and then Daggerheart. The worst day fishin' is better than the best day workin' after all, but I hope some bigger fish will be biting next time.

[bananathebookworm]

TLOVM S3 Eps 4-6 Ramblings

Ep. 4

Ashley is just... so good at what she does...

Hell is disgusting. I love it.

I know splitting the party is almost always a bad idea in D&D, but I really like how they've done it in this series. It helps to get through so many important plot points. (And also makes it easier on the animators to have less characters involved in each scene.)

The concentration check fail to drop their disguises is a nice touch

I like that we get more about the NPCs stories simply because they introduced things like EXU later. They expanded on lore that didn't exist when this campaign was originally played and it's really cool to see. I'm only disappointed we didn't get to see Senokir.

Loving this card game between Pike and Zerxus.

I really want Bell's Hells to go to the Hells and talk to Zerxus. I mostly just want Luis back at the table. Let him take over like Abu did.

Also the Aabria, Brennan, and Matt in the stained glass pictures while Zerxus is retelling of his friends during the Calamity is phenomenal.

"Do you want your family here?" Damn Pike. Get him.

"We all have blindspots." I refuse to believe that wasn't a deliberate reference to Ashley's show. Especially after Scanlan's reference to Phoenix Wright a few episodes ago.

I need a mini-series of Zerxus life in Hell please.

Ep. 5

Kima and Allura being badass is always a plus. I want a mini-series of their adventuring days.

I wish they had included Scanlan slaying the pit fiend with Mythcarver. It was one of the only times Scanlan used his sword and we got one hell of a cutting words song from it. And also no one but Keyleth saw his victory which would've added to the "Scanlan is not appreciated enough" story.

"Let's get weird." I love that they throw in the various player phrases too. Not just the one-liners from characters, but the actual quirks of the players at the table that span all characters.

Kaiju battle! The only thing missing is Pike's Divine Intervention punching Vorugal out of the sky.

The Magnificent Mansion baby!

Ep. 6

Chateau Shorthalt! Love it.

Okay, but the cannonball contest is one of my favourite downtime moments. I know it was probably passed over for time, but I'd love to see it animated.

Oh god, the bath scene. I knew they wouldn't pass it over just because of how everyone reacted to that moment, but I wasn't sure how they were going to do it. Welp. Here we are. Fucking hilarious as always.

I love these moments of character bonding so much. I know we can't have as many of them in the series as in the game, but it's good that they include at least a few.

Oh this scry is rough... Scanlan is not well.

Well shit. I didn't think he'd leave at that moment. Though I do like that Pike both knows and encourages it because Ashley wasn't there for this whole thing. Sam said that if she'd been there Pike would've been the only one that could've convinced him to stay. I'm really curious if we're still going to get the "What is my mother's name?" breakdown.

Are Kash and Zahra going to return? I know they were there for at least part of this lead up to Thordak.

I really love how these different battles are choreographed. I love that they can combo and support each other's abilities now that initiative order doesn't need to be tracked.

General

I'm really enjoying this season so far. So many important character things are happening both independently and as a group.

I don't necessarily love the pacing, but I also understand that condensing a 500 hour campaign into seasons that are about 4.5 hours long total is a fucking behemoth of a task. Like even if we go two more seasons, that's only 20-25 hours total. So much has to be cut and reworked to make a coherent story.

[britcision]

Still genuinely baffled by a comment I saw about Legend of Vox Machina not really dealing with the Calamity in the first 2 seasons

I can only assume it’s from someone who didn’t watch the first campaign, or wasn’t aware of the timeline, because the only thing we knew about the Calamity for most of Vox Machina’s campaign was “well shit that sounded bad, made the divine gate, got cool items tho”

The Raven Queen not being one of the original gods basically didn’t come up until it was Final Boss time, and she was the most present deity in the campaign (it was a real big deal that she threw in for VM and tbh no one appreciated it the way we will now that Downfall is out)

ExU: Calamity didn’t happen until after the first season had already aired

They. Literally couldn’t have referenced it. It didn’t exist.

And given animation schedules, and that there was only about 6 months between ExU: Calamity happening at all and the season release, the scripts were definitely already finalized by the time Brennan picked up the DM screen

They really are bringing it up at the first possible opportunity, and frankly way earlier than Vox Machina really should.

Minor timeline spoilers ahead:

We’re still in the Chroma Conclave arc, the concept of the Vestiges was still brand new and they were pretty focused on how they’d be useful against the Big Fuck Off Dragons Attacking Everything

They didn’t even go to the Hells until after Keyleth finished her DruidQuest, Scanlan didn’t even go it was a Taryon adventure

(Poor Noelle Stevenson had to come back to try and guest again a week later because they got side tracked it was amazing)

(Also anyone who enjoyed the Honey Heists and wondered where Tova came from that’s her they met her in Hell)

Matt had the concept of the Calamity prepared well in advance of the campaign even airing and the reason it didn’t come up much in campaign 1 is the same reason we didn’t get even just hefty lore drops in the first 2 seasons - never mind that they couldn’t possibly have included events from a mini campaign that hadn’t happened:

It wasn’t all that relevant

The animated show isn’t just for Critters who already know all about the world and Vox Machina and they really are squeezing as much extra juice into it for us as they can

But it’s also a starting off point for people who’ve never heard of Critical Role, and has pretty faithfully followed the campaign so far

There’s really not a good place in the Briarwood arc to stop and talk about ancient history older than the gotdang vampire, Vecna has to wait his turn

And then there’s literal dragons everywhere wrecking shop and they have 20 minutes to get through multiple 3-4 hour long episodes

Matt’s wiggling as much in there as fast as he can, pretty sure the first two seasons already had more Calamity lore than the VM campaign

But

But

Can you even imagine

Animated ExU: Calamity 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

[utilitycaster]

speaking of jasmine bhullar, she and brennan had a great convo about min-maxers and i was wondering what your own thoughts on min-maxing were? i'm new-ish to actually playing dnd and i still worry about making myself a problem to the dm as opposed to an asset.

First off as someone who enjoys Adventuring Academy but never has the time to watch the full episodes, thank you for bringing this up - I watched just the debate, and it was incredible and hilarious.

This is a good question. I am 100% in agreement with Jasmine here and she said it better than I could: min-maxing simply means that you read the rules to D&D and decided to use them to your advantage. Reading the rules to D&D is great and everyone should do it (in fact, this a reliable way to be an asset to the DM: know how your character's abilities work). There are a few cases where it sucks but most of those aren't actually due to min-maxing so much as shitty player behaviors that can occur in min-maxers.

I think one reason people dislike min-maxers is that the stereotypical min-maxer builds a character who truly can't do anything except for massive damage, and that does kind of suck, but I also think that that is really hard to build in 5e. You're going to have some other abilities. I think it was much easier to truly min-max in 3.5e, and perhaps in older editions you could really break things (in fact, having listened to some pathfinder 1e actual plays, I know you could).

There is also, as Jasmine points out, a false assumption that min-maxers aren't interested in RP or won't do it. This is very clearly untrue and a few examples off the top of my head from Actual Play that are debatably min-maxed are: Deadeye Cybin (played by Brennan, natch) in NADDPod (damage dealer); Laerryn Coramar-Seelie of EXU Calamity (optimized for survival, especially against non-magical foes); Caduceus Clay and Deanna Leimert of Critical Role (both optimized to be healers, incidentally); Orym and Vex, also of Critical Role (optimized to have a stupidly high perception score), Theo Gumbar of A Crown of Candy (optimized to tank and have a stupidly high AC). These are all fantastic characters with profound RP scenes who happen to also be really, really good at a narrow band of things, but they're also not just good at that. Many of them also can serve as the brains or the face of their party; many have utility spells far beyond their area of specialization.

Another reason people dislike min-maxers is they have a reputation for being ungenerous - for swooping in and stealing the spotlight. The above characters, played by some of the most generous people in actual play, show that's clearly not the case. Also, to be honest, a spotlight hog doesn't have to be min-maxed. It's just a shitty "hey, hey look at me" player. I think attention hogs might be a bit more inclined to try to build a character who is really really good at something (again, usually damage more than say, healing) but that doesn't mean that everyone who builds a gunslinger is here to steal all the glory.

Specialization also isn't bad! The reason D&D is a game where people are in a party is because not everyone can do everything! There are a small handful of characters who are a utility knife who can basically do a little bit of almost everything (Keyleth, Fjord, Moonshine) but they are the exception rather than the rule. Barbarians, for example, are a class that usually is structured around tanking and doing damage. This is fine! You probably don't want a party that's all barbarians because it is useful to have healers and ranged attackers and people who can sink all their high stat rolls into the mental side of things because they don't live and die quite so much by their physical stats, but it sure is nice to have a barbarian in the mix to balance out the glass cannon wizard, isn't it?

If you show up to a table where there is a clear gap in party composition (eg: healing) or there's a clear story the GM wants to tell (eg: very social, requires a lot of diplomacy) and you decide not to fill it because you are too busy building Guy With Stealth Bonus of +20, then that's a problem, but that's ultimately a failure to collaborate. Min-maxing for something that doesn't really help the party is simply the way in which you happened to fail that compromise.

I'm sure there are edge-case, dark corners of D&D Reddit builds that do suck, but honestly most of them suck in that they are actually not good (eg: coffeelock). Your typical case of dumping one stat to max out on another? totally normal, totally cool.

Anyway to get to the part of your question regarding not being a problem: you probably aren't! You're thinking about how to not be a problem to your DM, which people who are problems tend not to do. However, the big takeaways of the above are 1. read the rules of your character and 2. build a character who fits into the world. In the session zero, build a character who has a reason to be doing the things the DM outlines in broad strokes, and who complements the other PCs. If you do that, then it doesn't matter if you min-max or not.

[sparring-spirals]

I got to say I really liked the episode (despite only having watched exu calamity of the exu series) and I think maybe Matt needed a breather after so many fast paced, lore filled episodes.

however, I am kinda bummed that the fcg processing has been put on hold for (at least) two weeks now and that means that, despite them being great actors that truly merge with their characters at the table, their reactions will be much less raw and there’s a chance some of them will forget tidbits of information, emotions they felt when it happened because they (as role players) will have had time to process it out of the game and it might create a dissonance in the game. tbf I kind of felt the difference even between the end of ep 91 and the beginning of 92 but it made sense because technically they were still running and couldn’t afford to process. idk. I have hope that we’ll still see that raw emotion, but I fear it won’t be as impactful as it could’ve been, especially if they’ll have to put the “reporting for duty” hat on immediately when they get to the camp

I think being a little bummed about the sort of unexpected hiatus on the Bell's Hells/Post F.C.G processing is super understandable! As someone who also really did enjoy the Crownskeepers return (hello im still yelling about Opal internally), I'm kind of in the same camp of being kind of thrown/disappointed about not getting to really dig into/sit with the Bell's Hells post-F.C.G loss. Like, LOVED the Crownkeepers, fascinating second half, kind of meh on the specific timing.

I'm holding my reservations about whether they're going to have to keep running/moving once we return to their portion of the story, since hey, until it happens (or doesn't!), we don't know, so I don't feel like getting too in my head about it until then.

That said! I do think that in general the cast puts characterization and staying true to the emotions of the character/story as a very high priority within the campaign. I think you're right that it won't be the exact same as if they had done a big emotional blowup/goodbye/processing scene in the same ep where they lost F.C.G, or immediately after. I don't think that means it has to be less impactful, just that- yeah, they'll have had more time to actually think/process it.

But they're also all professional voice actors who have, IMO, thus far shown how much they think about the inner lives of their characters and enjoy really digging deep into the emotional/interpersonal aspects of roleplay.

My assumption (my hope?) is that with additional time to think about + process a devastating/deeply emotional loss for their character(s), they'd choose to lean into that more, and not less. It wont be the same as the immediate raw reactions, thats true! But i dont think that means it has to be less impactful, even if they (as people) have had more time to process, and will be choosing how their characters, fresh off the loss, react. I dont think thats a guarantee it will be less impactful/emotional (maybe the additional thinking would actually enhance the reactions being true/insightful to the characters vs gut reactions from cast), but it will be different.

But if the cast chooses to lean into the heartbreak/emotions, and the circumstances of the BH in the upcoming ep enable it, I'm sure they can still kick my ass (emotionally), timeskip or not.

In general, I'm cautiously optimistic about what could happen next! Even if I don't love the timing thus far. I think there's still plenty of ways for me to get what I'm hoping for wrt F.C.G/BH. :] There are plenty of ways for me to get let down too, probably, but until it happens, or doesn't, I'm opting to not get too doomery about it. We'll see.

I uh. Hope that helps? A bit? Being bummed about specific things you were hoping for being off the table is totally reasonable. just hoping to lend an alternate way of viewing it, if desired.

(i wrote the sentence: "don't be lamenting your chickens before they hatch" and then went "what the fuck" out loud. i spent 4 hours at work today just doing systems diagramming and my brain is fried. clearly. keeping this here for my own entertainment.)

[luckthebard]

Really enjoying EXU Divergence so far. Such a great set of characters and a truly different story hook for this world

[blackmosscupcakes]

i love dariax, i hate seeing the new rise of dariax hate. deni$e wasn't originally part of his backstory until aimee put him there!

Oh no, I haven't seen that yet! 😭 Dariax is such a sweet and good natured dude--who could hate him? Deni$e is delightful and hilarious and all of the contentiousness between them is just... Funny!

I've only watched the first EXU so far (and only just within the last couple of weeks) but I really enjoy seeing Matt as a player. He has so much fun.

[ofgentleresolve]

☀ About controversial topics in roleplay. Would you say there are obvious forbidden topics in roleplay or do you think we could go as far as we want considering it's all fiction? Where do you draw the line and is this line a different one from the one in the content we consume (I'm thinking of popular shows and movies with shock values that sometimes play on morally questionable topics yet are fully accepted/watched/enjoyed by the majority).

lynnie is letting me shoot myself in the foot ( ask me anything about rp meme w/ @uroborosymphony )

send a ☀ along with a roleplay related topic to hear my thoughts on it. Ask me anything!

LYNNIE!! First of all, excellent question, it’s one i’ve thought a fair bit about recently and while it looks straightforward, I’ve found?? It can be a lot more complicated than that, so thank you for enabling me and my rambling here-

So let me just start with saying that I’m not going to police people for what they write because if i did, i’d be miserable and i’d have no energy to focus on my own writing. If i see someone writing content that makes ME uncomfortable or upset, i leave or block, it’s not that hard. just tag your posts or let people know in your rules that you don’t tag triggers and you’ll be fine. 

Okay, now with that out of the way, i think when it comes to this conversation, the worst takes on this always come from individuals who fail to like…moderate their beliefs ( for example, yes this is all for fun so you should respond to things when you feel the most inspired, but if it’s to the point that you start threads and post memes that you NEVER reply to…well makes sense if people end up dropping you ngl :/ ) like yeah writing just happy and nonharmful things would be rather dull, but also when writing something that contains sensitive content, we need to be respectful because there are people in rl that are affected by this. Fiction may not be real, but reality informs the writer and therefore the fiction written which when consumed will affect reality in turn. That being said, i assume that people who write the say, more controversial topics know that it’s fiction and it should not be practiced in real life….that’s one of the things i feel like people forget? We’re not mindless sheep who agree with and take everything we watch as actual reality.

That being said, for me whether line differs between roleplay and forms of media like say, books and tv shows really comes down to intent. what is a reason for a controversial scene to be written- is there a point to be made, an intention behind it? if written with care and thought, books and tv shows can do it, but with roleplay unfortunately a lot of times what is written is usually purely for enjoyment? Not that a story or an intention can’t be attached to a roleplay, but since roleplayer they usually write for themselves, i assume that both parties enjoy what they’re exploring and writing��.so when i see someone writing say, noIn-con for example, i can’t help but give the side eye: the difference between seeing this kind of scene in prose and in a roleplay is that if it is done well in prose, there is usually an intention behind it and the characters are developed beyond that event; the same can’t always be said in a roleplay. 

I will say though, regardless of the medium, it is perfectly possible to explore dark content in a respectful manner. When you write these topics, you can portray it without coming off as voyeuristic or trauma porn. For example, with say something like s*exu*al a*ss*ault, going into explicit detail is not necessary to explore the repercussions of such an event. ( of course media in general does not do a good job of this but that’s besides the point :/ )  But whereas in prose, a writer can gloss over the event, the problem in an rp thread is that you’re supposed to immerse yourself in your character’s head/environment…and some roleplayers do so for this kind of content in the name ‘character exploration’....which full offense, i don’t buy that.  

The other hard line i also will always draw is always with historical muses, specifically wwii muses or muses that commit crimes again humanity. Rp is a practice in empathy and so to see someone humanize individuals that have committed major war crimes and human atrocities makes me kinda pissed bc it might just be history to the writer, but for a lot of people, that history still affects them and their families to this day.

[howdoyouwanttoprewthis]

Really enjoying EXU Divergence so far.

yup definitively a fine stew!

[fiovske]

it’s so funny to me that brennan just created the ultimate sad boy for the magic & misfits campaign and it is done so well from the way people react to him to the way he uses it to make fun of tired tropes and the whole hp world and it’s only been one episode and then to see that in contrast with l*am who creates these most saddest boys hanging together from all tropes but in seriousness apksjsjsjd it’s amazing

I'm watching mismag right now and u are SO RIGHT!! Brennan is doing the sadboy thing SO WELL esp bc he doesn't take himself seriously. the character is sad but like, as a dig at all the sadboy tropes and Brennan is aware of it which actually makes the situation funny in a way that ur sympathetic for Evan but also u are aware that Evan is a character the token white boy here crafted for the exemplary purpose of shits and giggles and also the duality of loneliness and that whole sadboy spiel is a tired trope but Brennan keeps it spicy! which is why he gels SO WELL W THE GROUP DYNAMICS!!

liam takes himself too seriously and is unable to seperate himself from his character to ever get on THAT level imo, to understand the sadboy trope as an actual parody of itself I think it exceeds liam's ability. man's too committed to thinking of himself thru the main protagonist lens, too committed to his stale boring grumpy sadboy trope more than anything to understand that there are ppl outside of him who also exist inside the narrative of a story they are all telling TOGETHER lol

[comicaurora]

Hey I'm getting into DnD, do you have any podcast or series of a DnD campaign to recommend? I know there is critical role, but wich one of those should i start with? Is there a better beginning than critical role? I am lost here, please help

This is gonna very much depend on your personal preferences and attention span! I recommend sampling a range of DnD podcasts to find your personal tolerances and what parts appeal to you. I'm not the most widely-read person in this space because frankly most DnD podcasts are on too slow a boil for my attention span, but I've got a few you could check out-

Critical Role is the biggest and most well-known one for sure, but pacing wise I personally can't get through it. I love it in concept, but it's slow enough and huge enough that my brain zones out in the downtime and I lose track of important details when things speed up again. I think my first successful exposure to it was a brisk two-hour video that's just a Best Moments Of Grog compilation. That's also why I've been really liking The Legend Of Vox Machina, which keeps all the biggest and best moments but paces them like an actual story instead of a game. It's not representative of the experience of playing a TTRPG, but it is a lot of fun.

I personally enjoy limited-run miniseries a lot more, because they work better for my limited attention span, and on the critical role front that means I recommend EXU Calamity, a Doomed Heroes far-distant prequel to the modern setting of CR. Only four four-hour episodes and it's on a bit of a slow boil for the first three, but because everybody involved knows how the story's going to end, there's an endless drip of dramatic tension along the way. The DM, Brennan Lee Mulligan, is going to show up a lot more on this list.

On the subject of short miniseries DM'd by Brennan Lee Mulligan, Escape From The Bloodkeep is my personal favorite and the one I revisit the most. Six two-hour episodes, deeply unhinged and intrinsically comedic as it's a full-series parody of Lord of the Rings. I recommend it for a lot of reasons, not least of which being that Matt Mercer, who is an excellent DM, gets to play, and his playstyle is a great example of how to roll with the punches and the dice, since his extremely menacing nazghul captain is afflicted by a string of hilarious failures and he kind of just owns it, to the point where his character arc becomes accepting his worth as an individual with the power of friendship. It's a great example of not taking yourself or your character too seriously, which is a vital skill for players to learn in order to handle the whims of the dice sometimes (or often) not cooperating with your narrative wishes. If CR isn't working for you but you're interested in what you can pick up from this extremely talented DM, this is a good way to get that!

Dimension 20 (Collegehumor's DnD branch) has several series I really like, most of them DM'd by Brennan Lee Mulligan again. His DMing style really works for me, and he takes an approach to pacing that I quite like, so they're generally a safe bet for me. One I categorically recommend is The Unsleeping City, an urban fantasy DnD game set in New York City. This one is 19 two-hour episodes, so longer than the other miniseries but still much shorter than CR, and it can give you a bit of a sampler for (a) the genrebending you can do with DnD and (b) a longer-form story with a less rigidly determined finale than the previous examples. Brennan's DM style is very cool, and he puts an unusual amount of focus on characters getting solo vignettes, which is sometimes considered a bit gauche in DM circles because it means the other players don't have a whole lot to do during those solo conversations, but it works for him and his players and the effect is very cinematic!

But if you want to see a different DM's style in the same space, A Court Of Fey And Flowers is run by Aabria Iyengar, one of the EXU Calamity players, and she has a very different but also cinematic DMing style! The game is also a hybridization of DnD and a different system for facilitating Jane Austen romances, which is dope. Only the first episode is up on Youtube, but that should probably be enough to let you determine if you want to check out more.

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the two DnD Actual-Plays I'm in, Rolling With Difficulty and Heart of Elynthi. Rolling with Difficulty is subdivided into three seasons of 8-10 four-hour episodes each, with each season having one overarching plot or threat but mostly being composed of episodic adventures - it's a Planescape series, meaning most episodes take us to a completely new plane of existence to deal with its unique geometry, fun denizens and wacky threats. It's also a lot more edited than some actual-play podcasts, with an effort to avoid the slow parts and the dice-rolling, mental math, "what am I gonna do this round," etc. Heart of Elynthi is an ongoing series that's only about five or six episodes in, with an overarching mystery in the background and a "collect the things to save the world" plotline in the foreground. It also streams new episodes on Twitch on (some) Wednesday afternoons, so if you'd benefit from a live chat to hang out and talk with during games, that might be worth checking out to see if you like it! Elynthi also has had some pretty cool behind-the-curtain stuff about how the players can handle in-character disagreements without them turning into IRL fights, which is something I don't think I've ever seen another DnD actual-play explicitly unpack but is also extremely important for players to consider, so that's fun.

[captaincleverusernamehere]

Something I’ve noticed so far as I’m catching up on acofaf that’s really interesting and something I’ve always liked about Aabria’s GMing style, is the ever-growing amount of players driving the story not just during roleplay, but also mechanically, if that makes sense.

Like during the epistolary phase in episode two, and mentioned in the Adventuring Party for it, the players would write letters that would naturally meld into scenes that they would play out on their own with little to no GM intervention.

Another that I really really enjoy watching, is how as the series goes on, during “unimportant” rolls (thinking specifically of Rue’s perception check to see if they noticed all of the fuckery the Lords of the Wing did with chairs and tea and whatnot) Aabria doesn’t necessarily provide any outcome or description, and the player just takes it upon themself to figure out what an appropriate response would be to whatever roll they got (Rue not noticing and thus not being offended by the Lords’ attempted power moves, but also masterfully not falling prey to them.)

And then also, and I don’t know if this was talked about in their season(s) zero, but the stretching of time in initiative rounds in the Great Hart Hunt that lead to some absolutely incredible character scenes.

It’s been true from critical role’s EXU to Misfits and Magic and everything else Aabria’s GMed, she just knows when to step back and let the players take absolute control and I love it so much

[loquaciousquark]

4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3E1 - E18 (April 5, 2022)

Oh my gosh, it’s been almost a year since the last one. Here at last is the erstwhile replacement for Talks Machina, 4-Sided Dive! I’ll likely continue appending #talks machina as a tag for internal consistency. 4-Sided Dive will air the first Tuesday of every month, and VODs will be available on Youtube the following Wednesday. Podcasts will be on a one-week delay.

Tonight’s guests: Marisha, Travis, Robbie, and Matt. Tonight’s Tavern Keeper host, as determined by the die roll: Marisha. (Matt: “Thank God. I have no idea what the show is.”) Marisha NAILS the heretofore unseen prompter cold open, which includes a rap-like intro for Matt and finishes with: “...or is Chetney Pock O’Pea just another fair-weather wise wanderer with a weakness for Werther’s waiting to wantonly ride away with a whimsical wave goodbye?” Cheers offscreen.

What the Fuck is Up With That? Our first new segment! The new set is really nice with plush green armchairs, a big wooden coffee table, and a tavern-esque background with a stocked bar and a big stone fireplace. We start by discussing GrapeNuts, which I unironically love and which Robbie immediately poisons by talking about microwaving them into a hot milk slurry with a honey drizzle before eating it in the morning. “Almost like oatmeal,” he says. Heretic.

Travis didn’t want to play an old character, he wanted to play Chetney. When he and Matt discussed starting with a character who would immediately disappear, he initially thought about a wizard & even had art made for him, but they ended up not liking the idea. Then Travis suggested 30-years-later Bertrand, and Travis didn’t realize how much fun playing an older gentleman would be until he was doing it. Matt: “’Ahh, my character died last night.’ ‘Oh, what were you fighting?’ ‘Inevitability...?’” Chetney is a little younger (in spirit) than Bertrand. “He’s coming alive in the 4th quarter.”

For Robbie, the hardest and most fun aspect was jumping Dorian from one world to another, ExU to CR then back to ExU: Kymal. He really enjoyed the fresh, new feelings, especially since he never had a strong vision for the character to start with. It made it much easier to go with the flow. Robbie had written a quite expansive background for Dorian, and the moment Cyrus “came to life” as a real flesh-and-blood character made him genuinely gasp. “That’s the guy I wrote about in pretend, and now he’s here for real!” Robbie has always loved the reluctant noble trope (he cites Aragorn/Strider). He imagined Cyrus as the stalwart, capable first son, so when Cyrus turned into a lovable himbo who wanted to follow Dorian, he had no idea what to do. “Oh shit! What do we do now? We’re both morons!” He liked Matt’s interpretation more than his original ideas.

Marisha points out that the bounty for Cyrus was 20k gold, but by the time they made it to Kymal it was 40k gold. Robbie says it feels like when Matt’s “nickel-and-diming us for $5 silver rides;” the amount is insurmountable, so the exact number doesn’t matter. Kymal is by far the most confident Robbie has felt as a player.

Marisha charmingly asks herself her own next question: what’s up with the Briarwoods? She and Matt talked a LOT about it to make sure they didn’t break canon. Marisha had a nightmare one night about a flower girl with no jaw (which she later repurposed as the vision used to break into the Moon Tower in Jrusar); she dreamed she couldn’t find Matt & ran out in front of her house, and that flower girl was standing at the end of her road. The girl rushed Marisha, who woke up, gasped, and said, “I wanna be spooky for Campaign 3.” She toyed with various iterations, including actually being a young girl, before landing on Vex’s Sun Tree double. When she initially suggested Delilah as the patron, Matt was very hesitant. She envisioned Laudna’s patronage came from the big blast Delilah did at the ziggurat; it combined with Laudna’s innate magical spark, and now Delilah talks in her head sometimes. That’s all she knows as a player.

Robbie asks how they balance tying into past campaigns without falling into hokey. “I feel like the little seeds you’re planting are so cool; you’ve planted the seeds and now you’re sort of just gently harvesting them throughout this universe.” Matt is always careful to make sure each new character/world facet/fact can fully stand on its own without being overshadowed by VM tie-ins. Travis is laughing that Matt is so careful with every little thing, but Travis brings in “this asshole who tried to kill Santa. But he’s a WEREWOLF.” When Travis initially brought it up at Matt’s house, Matt discussed very seriously that they had to be careful not to break the world “because there’s no Christmas in Exandria.”

Werther’s are discussed at length. Coffee Werther’s are touted. I personally really like the soft caramel-filled ones. Werther’s sent them all a bunch of Werther’s after that episode, which is completely charming.

The Tower of Inquiries! Second segment start! Evergreen questions from fans have been collected and assembled in a Jenga tower. Each block has been marked with a number associated with a question. Apparently the paint has made the blocks quite sticky...

Robbie is our first pull, and draws Question 32: similarities between your character and yourself! Travis wanted to join the Boy Scouts in 4th grade and the magazine had ads for fingerless gloves, pocket magnifiers, and whittling tools. Travis was obsessed with whittling for ages until he actually tried to whittle a stick with a pocketknife, so he’s making up for it now. Keyleth was Marisha’s insecurities, Beau was her arrogance, and Laudna is “just her weird side. Weird as fuck.” For Matt & Dariax, they’re both a little flighty in social settings & have a love of spontaneity. Dorian was actively created to be very different from Robbie; he wanted to play someone who didn’t enjoy being around people or had to struggle to be charming despite insecurity. However, he’s always felt like he’s been on the outside looking in, so that line from Dorian in 13/14 about being let into the group was straight from Robbie. He was surprised by how much he found himself lying as Dorian all the time, when in reality Robbie NEVER lies. “If you’re participating in roleplaying in order to open up aspects of your personality and find out things and bond with your friends, new and old, it’s such a great way to get a new perspective on yourself.”

The Deep Dive! Third segment. Dani brings out huge individualized tankards for everyone, which are full of question slips to be answered succinctly. Yeah, right.

Laudna is enjoying having friends for the first time in 30 years. She’s glad she hasn’t driven them away.

Flight of the Navigator is discussed at length because Marisha is too young for a reference. Apparently a great movie??

Matt wanted to explore a new Marquesian city rather than an established one to show off how different Exandria could be. Again, he never wants new worlds to be tied too heavily to past campaigns.

The most depressing part of Bertrand’s death was the chat insisting he died with his dick out. Travis reminds us all he designed Bertrand to die during the Search for Grog; he was always doomed. He never expected to bond with the group or serve as a catalyst for the group the way he did; he loved his relationship moments with Imogen & Dorian.

Dorian learned to take spa days and trust himself with other people. “It was a really supportive group, even in their dickery. Dick-outtery.”

Robbie mentions something about romantic vibes and Marisha FLINGS herself from her chair in excitement. Me too, argh! “I was wondering! Spill the tea!” She asks if Robbie had a crush on Imogen. Robbie: “On Imogen? That’s interesting. I’m glad I know your ships.” He immediately deflects to Matt for another question. Marisha scream-groans from off-screen. Ditto, ahhh.

Matt likes being in the city, but enjoys the jungle as well. He likes not having to have nine pages of spires, NPCs, and places at the ready for the players’ whims. Travis is excited to get on the road so he can transform without concern.

Omar appears with a bowtie! He is upside down and so floofy. Just so, so floofy.

Travis on transforming into a werewolf: “IT WAS AMAZING.” He laughed so hard internally when Liam needled him a few episodes prior about losing his chance to become a gnome werewolf. He’s been doing research by watching a bunch of werewolf movies. Travis has loved werewolves since he was tiny in the 80s: he always watched Godzilla movies and werewolf movies. (Great choices!) There was a Teen Wolf cartoon in the 80s; Travis’s mom once found him after an episode one morning with brown marker all over his arms and hair and cardboard triangles taped to his fingers. He brought a tiny Lon Chaney werewolf figurine to church as a kid. This is so stinking cute. Matt has been waiting for him to play a werewolf since Ukurat in C1. Travis regretted not getting Grog bitten by him for the rest of the campaign.

Marisha asks again who Dorian’s crush is; Robbie goes deaf and tells us instead he left the toy skyship behind for two reasons: one, toys are for kids and Dorian wanted to give it to a kid, and the second was that Robbie wanted to leave a lasting image behind as he knew he was leaving that episode.

Pâté de Rolo came from the character design stage for Laudna. She initially had scissors and string, but it’s “like when Taliesin dresses you for a ren faire. ‘You need more dead things hanging off of you.’“ The artist came back with the rat, and Marisha suggested the raven skull to make it more craftsy. She named Pâté de Rolo well before she knew what Laudna’s name was, ha! She felt out the puppetting in the moment. Robbie: “The real question is what was the moment you decided they should be horny.” Marisha: “I don’t know where that came from!” Travis laughs at the memory of Matt’s face. 

Travis has been seriously considering multiclassing into rogue for Expertise & multi-attack. However, “I want to get up into the higher classes of Blood Hunter because...well, somebody needs to do it. IloveyouTaliesinI’msorry!” He has to top the leaderboard by reaching level 6 and then will hop in and get some “roguey-rogue. He’s gonna kill me.”

Matt pulls from the Tower. #34: what kind of book would your character write? Laudna: composting techniques, sustainable foraging. Chetney: a Whittler’s Quarterly magazine. Dorian: Shel Silverstein-esque poetry.

Marisha takes a turn at the Tower. #24: how do you like flavoring your combat? Travis likes describing stuff, but C1 Grog was so graphically violent he couldn’t expand on it. Matt loves how Liam describes Orym giving a flair to everything. (There’s a moment when they describe how “Liam played a full wizard in a previous campaign” to Robbie and the disconnect is hilarious.) It took Robbie a minute to figure out if Liam was just being extra in ExU before he realized he could paint his own pictures himself. Marisha likes mixing up the canon descriptions with her own flavor, but thinks it’s important to keep it to bigger moments when it feels special rather than taking over every single spell.

Matt talks about reflavoring skin and function to move, for example, Laura’s Imogen away from the tentacley canon of Aberrant Mind. She liked the spells but didn’t want to be quite so cosmic horror. Robbie talks about a new player thinking about the idea of the archetypal barbarian and loving the realization that these things can be reflavored.

Post-Break Shenanigans: Mario Kart on the...Switch, I think? Robbie asks where the gas button is as they start. Travis: Wario; Robbie: Link; Marisha: Dry Bones; Matt: Waluigi. Travis the utter neophyte wins the first race (and the eventual prix outright), and Matt & Marisha’s outrage is hilarious. Bumpers were on though, I’m pretty sure.

And that’s that; our first new talk show is a wrap! Is it Thursday yet? :)

[saphirered]

Just read your pre + post tumble in the hay hcs with the EXU crew, could you do the same for the M9 please?

As pre tumble was sent in by another requester I split them up so he's the aftercare headcanons for the Mighty Nein! Hope you enjoy them. 😘

(Caleb)

Like with many mundane things in life Caleb feels like he’s catching up on lost time. That’s exactly why he takes great care and wants to do things right, take his time and not rush if not necessary. Nothing is better to him than coming down from a high in your arms. Not only does it make him feel like he’s whole again but it makes him feel warm and free of burdens.

Just after sex there’s this moment where he can let his mind wander without it going to dark places. All it takes is looking at you, the rise and fall of your chest, the light gleam of sweat across your skin, the smile you give him as your breathing calms and your arms wrap around him, hold on so gently, nothing in this world could make him feel like you make him feel.

Every time when the raging bright mind of the wizard returns it’s focused on you entirely still. In the most casual way he’ll ask you how you’re doing and every time that casual lazy tone makes chuckle. Of course you’re doing great; you’re in the arms of your lover enjoying the comforts you have to offer to each other and have no intention of leaving your safe space any time soon.

(Beau)

She’s a big girl! Beau needs no clingy cuddles after sex. She’ll tell you she usually never stuck around until morning after a night well spent. You. Call. Bullshit. Doesn’t take you long to do so. Because, while Beau may have some experience in the field, it’s actually not a lot and she’s got attachment issues so sticking around has rarely been in her best interests.

That’s where you come in. You’ll wrap your arms around her and pull her close and she’ll complain but give in quickly because turns out post sex cuddles are green and she really enjoys them but she’s made her point and committed so when she counters she’s totally doing this for you and not for herself, just let her think you believe her.

It’ll take some time but eventually she’ll come around and admit she’s grown quite fond of your cuddles to where she’ll initiate them. It’s a bit of a learning curve to find out what post-sex rituals suit your collective needs but Beau’s happy to have you give her that space to figure out what she likes and doesn’t like.

(Fjord)

With a tendency to learn quickly and adapt to situations in but a moment, Fjord tends to use that skill on you too. Especially early on in your intimate relationship after he gets over the initial awkward of being close and vulnerable to someone and be in it for the long game, he’ll be at your beck and call, taking care of your needs before his to cover up for anything he thinks he’s lacking.

After he’s gotten a good estimate of your preferences he’ll take initiative on providing them without you having to ask or take that first step yourself. So when you bring it up and ask him what he likes or prefers, Fjord just shuts down, just completely short wires. In the past he’s used physical attraction to get something he needed out of it but never once did he actually take into consideration what he likes.

Luckily it turns out your aftercare preferences align pretty closely. He does like your praises, telling him you love him, calling him sweet things, and perhaps even getting a little into the details of exactly what he did right earlier, vivid detail. The latter will get him flustered and he’ll have his mouth on yours in a heated kiss before you can continue.

(Veth)

Veth takes great pleasure and comfort in caring for you. She’ll hold you close first. You’re her treasure after all but slowly little she’ll reluctantly leave your warmth to get a cloth or two to wash the sweat from your skin and gently massage your limbs rubbing away all the aches that may have arisen.

She’s a firm believer if sleep is still far from your minds, food will do you good. But of course she doesn’t want to be too far from you for too long and cooking up something together means divided attention, so you’ll have to make do with whatever’s ready and edible.

She’ll pamper you, feeding you grapes like you’re some royalty being taken care of by servants and it might just be a little awkward but Veth only wants the best for you and maybe if you’re in the mood, there’s room for round two?

(Jester)

Now we know this blue tiefling is a little shy when it comes down to it, not knowing if it’s alright to take the first step or not or where it’s leading but that’s all out of the window in your relationship. Her momma taught her right and aftercare is very important for both parties involved so she’ll take those lessons learned.

Fingers dancing across your skin, running through your hair, tracing your features are a big thing for Jester and if you’re returning the favour she’ll be putty in your hands. She’s also a little devious so those wandering fingers might find themselves tracing along a particularly ticklish spot and before you know it you’ll be rolling and laughing.

That’s another important thing to Jester; laughter. It’s the sign you’re happy and she is too, so getting you to laugh be that through whatever antics and teasing she’s got planned or simply through a story or jokes told, it doesn’t matter. Your smiles are wonderful and the more of them she can get the better.

(Caduceus)

(Going for nonromantic nonsexual affections)

As the person he’s most comfortable and closest with when it comes down to physical affection, it comes easy to engage in hugs and cuddles. Being close to each other is just something you both enjoy but you also know there’s a time and place.

Outside of the more obvious displays of affection, it’s not rare for Caduceus to place a kiss on your head as a thanks for helping him pack his belongings, or hold hands while you’re moving around. Whenever you’re tired and lean into his side, he’ll brew you a nice tea before bed and pour one of his own as the two of you just talk until the cups are empty.

The mutual trust and respect that you share in the way you do is something unique to your dynamic and Cad wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s no one he’d rather buzz off next to but perhaps that’s because unlike some of his other friends and family you’re not as much of a snorer and aren’t bothered by his snoring.

(Yasha)

Warrior in the streets gentle lover in the sheets. Yasha loves nothing more than making you feel good and that extends into your after sex rituals. She’ll have her forehead against yours, rubbing circles into your back to get rid of any aches and whisper ‘sorry’s whenever she hits a more painful spot.

How could you not return the favour? Letting your fingers press and smooth out all aches has Yasha moaning and sighing in comfort. She appreciates that; that despite your adventures and the ruggedness you may encounter you can be so gentle in your touches it’s something she aspires to be. She’s doing a damn good job, gentle or not.

Sometimes the touches lead to more and more and if you’re both in the mood another round will be in order and the process is repeated again. Yasha will tell you what you mean to her, how much she cares about you and loves to watch that happy content spread across your features.

(Mollymauk)

There’s only three ways sex with Molly comes to an end. 1; When either of you calls it done. 2; When either or both is exhausted and desperately needs sleep, or 3; when duty calls and you can’t make any excuses to stay in bed or wherever else you hid out for a moment of privacy.

Either way, Molly’s reluctant to let you go. He’ll pepper you with kisses and unless one of the three aforementioned reasons are pressing, those kisses will just be an intermediate. Hands will be wandering, massaging your skin, relieving aches, until they’re replaced by his lips. Every inch of you will get attention but certain areas might just get more than others for obvious reasons.

Molly’s goal is to get you to moan, be that of sexual pleasure or another kind, your moans are music to his ears and he takes great pleasure in them. He’ll talk to you, ask you questions only for your answers to be interrupted by his ministrations drawing your moans. He does it on purpose and loves being able to make you do so. If you had any plans, he’ll help you forget them and revenge is totally necessary. See how long you last until you take charge.

(Essek) (and a bonus Essek because why not)

Essek is so new to this whole affections thing and is still figuring things out. He needs a lot of positive affirmation to feel at ease or his own insecurities will eat him alive. Talking helps but will also leave him flustered if you tell him how much you liked that thing he did and how to perhaps incorporate it more often.

Since he’s still new to physical affection he needs a good minute before he’s ready for any kind of physical touch after sex but he loves it once he’s given you the okay sign. You let him take the lead in that, laying side by side or facing each other until he’ll slowly reach out, fingers brushing your arm or cupping your cheek.

Little by little you’ll find yourselves closer together until you’re in each other’s embrace. Trivial matters, deep philosophical subjects, magic and study, or even just your own lives are all topics that come up during your post sex talks in between the occasional lazy kisses until sleep takes you.

[utilitycaster]

As someone who started with campaign 3 who isn’t too far into campaign 1 or 2 (and who just finished EXU Prime and hasn’t seen Kymal) I was a bit lost, which is genuinely a first for me in this campaign. Context and cast cues have really gone a long way with previous PCs and lore drops. But here I watched the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half or so before going “yeah, I should watch Kymal first” which is really not what you want a viewer to do. I get that they want to honor those established PCs and their choices and treat EXU as just as important to the lore, but I don't think Arabia didn’t do a great job of onboarding viewers to this group and what they’ve been up to - and I don’t think the answer here can be “well, you should’ve watched EXU!” You want viewers to be excited to go back and watch those sessions, not feel like they are obligated to watch them to understand what’s happening. Anyway, I was baffled as someone who is not fully caught up and would love to know the creative reasoning. It's only one episode essentially, but still!

This is also valid. I will note: I have seen both EXU Prime and EXU Kymal, and, criticisms aside, I enjoyed them well enough at the time. But also, EXU Kymal aired over two years ago and EXU Prime before that. I've forgotten a LOT. I don't think it's bad to do an in medias res thing and let people figure it out - honestly, I don't think you're missing too much info without Kymal other than "Morrighan was sent to Exandria by Morri, she worked at the casino they were doing a heist on and destroyed a bust that had the true name of the Raven Queen but they couldn't read it" but it's just. overwhelmingly, my criticism is "NOW'S NOT THE TIME." Even if this were something everyone was familiar with, or a totally new group that didn't require any background, and even if the episode was 100% flawless in every aspect, I want to see Bells Hells dealing with FCG's death. That is what I want to see. This isn't saying that's what you must or should do; it's just like. I want to see that. I think many people want to say that. I'd even say most people like to say that. I suppose given that I often say creators should be more hostile to their audiences I do not really have a leg to stand on here, but unfortunately wants are not terribly logical.