#Wtf Taliesin

[that-ineffable-devil]

Taliesin said about Ashton "I don't think there's really an inner child in there..." and I felt like I'd been suckerpunched in the SOUL.

[your-turn-to-role]

"look, i've been meaning to talk to you..."

"about, my sister"

YEAH ABOUT THAT

[ahmoseinarus]

They... they really fucking did that... the "raving mystic"... none other than Taliesin Jaffe himself. I'm fucking dead. I just can't with those smart asses, I swear to god...

[quipxotic]

I've started c3e119 and I appreciate this chuckle amongst all the tension.

Ashton (after getting a whisper from Matt): I'm going to yell down, "I think we have to crack her (Predathomgen) open. She's in there, but I think we got to crack her open." Fearne: What do you mean, what do you mean? Laudna: Yeah, what? Fearne: What does that mean? Taliesin (with a meaningful look at Laudna/Marisha): "Crack it open." What else would he mean? Ashton: I'm not a metaphor person.

[piratespencil]

The way Sam/FCG was like no I am gonna keep Ashton alive and they are gonna succeed was my favourite part of the whole shard bit tbh.

[yukaromeouija]

"Teke-teke Taliesin isn't real, he can't hurt you" Teke-teke taliesin:

[knightlyss]

"wait... you're gonna start being selfless now???"

GNOME GRANDPA HAS A POINT ASHTON

[tilliwriteapine]

This episode is on crack 🤣🤣🤣

[gooenthusiast]

imo the ‚it‘s scripted‘ and ‚the characters are overpowered‘ are understandable from the outside pov of a casual watcher/ ttrpg fan but what I think those people forget way to easily is that not only are the people at the table professional actors, script writers, directors etc and know how to create great characters & stories but some of them have also played DnD for longer than many of us have been alive.

And by now they have a whole company and studio with many employees and can have a whole set with sound & light effects and a literal room full of minis. CR is not your casual once-every-few-weeks DnD sesh. They can play for like 3-5 hours (almost) every week (or more often depending on their schedules. Idk when they film), Matt has the time to create & plan a whole custom universe and story and they can monetise the hell out of it (with not only twitch subs & merch but also sponsors)

Do fans of Critical Role even like Critical Role? Christ, I can't look into anything for even five minutes before I see something about "Matt changed this class to make Marisha overpowered because he didn't want his wife to suck" or "Taliesin metagames and is a creep to his friends because he's touchy" (and it's namely hate for those two, but by the Gods, it's all bad). And there's so much that's blatantly untrue, like. I just saw someone bitching that Molly dying was scripted when if you watch the episode that's just. Blatantly untrue. Look at how Taliesin reacts. He has a full panic attack that makes him leave the table. Matt has never deliberately changed anything just to make Marisha overpowered -- he changes things to balance classes when he realizes that things aren't working, like he does for Vex and Trinket in C1. Like he does for the entire Blood Hunter class when he realizes that it's too hard for new players at early levels. People are genuinely so mean to a group of friends just having fun playing a game. God forbid any of them make a choice that may seem wrong at the time because they're reacting in the moment. Do you guys even like these people? Are you okay? Genuinely?

[mayapapaya33]

I hope in the animated mighty nein show they keep Nott repeatedly endangering/ killing Caduseus with her recklessness with the exploding arrows (or at least have the one big moment). I also hope they do a bit more with it in the show, like some sort of mild confrontation about her behavior. Idk, Caduceus is so kind, maybe there could be slightly more emphasis on it considering she LITERALLY KILLED HIM lmfao. (C2 E55 4:03:40)

Maybe one of the others could be like wtf? You killed Caduceus! holy shit! And then the two of them could have a nice chat like they did when Taliesin got back (I so wish he hadn't been absent that next episode, but it is what it is). Percy got punched in the face by Vax for forgetting to check for traps, which accidentally killed Vex, which they very much amped up for the animation into him coaxing her into being reckless. Veth ACTIVELY exploded Caduceus to death because she wasn't paying attention to where she aimed or collateral damage radius to her weapon! They've gotta play with that!

It can also set up a pattern of recklessness that pays off in the fact that she very much got herself killed fucking around dismantling deadly traps. I don't remember if she was drunk or nott; C2 E83 (3:19:15) AND how later on her and Jester being loud and reckless endangered her both their friends and families and got Veth's son killed. I'm not still salty about C2 E129 no siree, I'm not still irritated that Veth and Jester couldn't sit still for 10 fucking minutes to let Caleb cast the dome, nope, not me lmfao. (Speaking of life lessons I hope they emphasize a little harder in the animated show, Marion and Yeza are waaaaaay too nice hahaha. Also they didn't really know it was 100% Jester and Veth's fault but I digress). Combined with her arc about alcoholism and self worth I can see a really great storyline. Those are very strong, interesting themes to write about.

Maybe she goes on a mini bender out of guilt for hurting Caduceus after or something, or just some actual conversations between the characters about it, anything really to have it in the narrative. That death is when he gets his first in campaign major vision from the Wildmother as well, so that would be very interesting to see. Especially if they manage to preserve the blink and you miss it information buried in a beautiful conversation with his sister later on that he used to eat lilies (which are poisonous plants irl) to try to talk to the Wildmother when he was all alone. Campaign 2, Episode 130 (2:37:32) The subtle tragedy of his loneliness and isolated devotion are so slept on sometimes so I really hope it's addressed more.

They said they were changing things; that's one of the things I hope gets fleshed out a bit more. Taliesin really played support for most of C2 and he did it wonderfully, but I hope they take the opportunity to bring some of his more subtle character journey to the forefront for the show.

[littlebosslady7]

Taliesin’s face when Teven said Fearne is bound to him and Asmodeus was WTF. 😅

[torchflies]

How did the gang find out about the Disney times of ice like was it the taliesin jaffe (& sam riegel) bit of "man I love the explorers" "dude I was in the explorers" "wait wtf no way!!" "yeah I was the kid brother"

Or was it more Bradbrad has to go to bed after movie but to try and make it last longer he insists that the credits count as part of the movie and thus not bed time yet, then "pops look he has the same name as you" "yeah cuase that is me, good spot Babby Goose" Sli&mav both staring at him like "we talking about this when he goes to bed"

The Disney Times of Ice should be a whole other album name 😂😂😂

Honestly the Disney stuff is probably what they figure out first, since it is technically still under his real name. But of course, he would never admit to it.

Oh it is SOOO the Baby Goose version. If anything, little Baby Goose’s favorite movie is Dumbo when they first meet. And even though Dumbo pre-dates him by a lot, Ice is still a Disney kid and sings him a perfect rendition of Baby Mine as a lullaby. In front of the flyboys. It puts Bradley down like a light and one of the flyboys makes the connection, or maybe Carole even 😂

They NEVER let him hear the end of it, especially when they find the interviews 😂😂😂❤️ Little gap-toothed Ice telling reporters that he loves working for Disney oodles and lots, mister. Or when he got his little bitty child Oscar.

[genderlesssinner]

Oh look Taliesin is just dressed normally today

I love them so much

Oh no poor Robbie 😂

But I'm so happy to see him back at the table, I missed him

Oh no it is the last ep of the year? I thought we'd have one more, damn okay. Aah okay daggerheart next week

Ooohhh Whitestone comics

AND TLOVM ART BOOK 😭💖

Okayokayokay

Let's fucking go!!

I am ✨terrified✨

Oohh I love but hate the little timers yeesh

Ooohhh she's poking the bear again okayokayokay

And our girls are tethered to each other again, weird moon shit

Bad Decision Wheel or Good Decision Wheel? Or could know

Awwwww Orym using Dorian dice

Their planning is so chaotic it's hard for me to pay attention to rn

FEARNE girl calm down about being prisoner

Come on girls, you got this

HELL YEAH ORYM AND HIS MAGIC SMILE

Woof okay he was trying to take my girl,, good timing blowing shit up

AH ARE THE TIMERS EVENTS the one was counting to the explosion I bet

Matthew why did you just imply that THE MOON is breathing,,, pls no

Oohh not the doggies again

Ooh yes Ash natty 20

That's like 3 already?? Is that a good sign???

Oh shit I've 20 v 20 there with Braius damn

Oh boy okay Marisha (Laudna?)

Oh no it is organic I hate that

And there's critters oh

Awww the myceit, they're so neat

Wait

I love the lil man

I also love that at moment of Dorian starting to him for comfort (maybe he's gonna summon his dragon horse tho)

Ooooooo they have mycelium interesting

Oh oh okay oh no

Hive mind mushroom babies

MORE WHISPERS

"Easily 8 out of 10 times when I listen to a mushroom it goes really well." Ash..... I don't know if the All Minds Burn counts

"YOU ARE A MIATA" Travis wtf

I hate this so much but it's probably saving them so much time

This just got even weirder what the fuck is happening

"what's the worse that could happened" ashleeeyyyy

Okay okay okay

Interesting

'Talking' to the mycelium

IT TASTES LIKE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Matt what

Oh my god let's keep up the good rolls pls 🙏🤞🤞

I thought we were getting a map for a second man

Or he was just gonna grab a Predathos mini 🤣

Oh shit boys there he fucken is

Maybe we can still save Liliana

Stealth wolf transformations may be my favorite

(also if anyone knows of a compilation of all of Chet's transformations pls send it to me)

YAH I WAS RIGHT

WAIT HOLY SHIT ORYM DO IT

Dorym pecks 🩵💚

BREAK TIME BREAK TIME AAAAAAAAA

OKAY OKAY OKAY WE SHALL RETURN

How we feelin yall?

[admathoughts]

It baffles me when people put this all on Taliesin and are mad at him.

ALL of them are responsible for what happened (tho Tal gets more don't get me wrong) Ashley/Fearne didn't want the shard and stated it very clear; could she do a better job? Yeah, and there is the main problem.

HELLS.DO.NOT.TALK Players were weirded out/ confused at the sudden change and plead for privacy... and you are telling me that they characters wouldnt be??? Everyone at the table was 'wtf', and they didn't rp it even once. You mean to tell me that suddenly Chet and Imogen respect someone privacy just like that, without questioning? That they just walked away without even a single question asked? Also, they're starting very dangerous ritual with ancient tech and there is like no talk between the group? No ' be safe/ we're right here/are you sure?' like, THERE WAS NO TALK. Massive ritual is starting and there is no emotional/reassuring/even suspicious RP'ing? Did Ashton fucked up? yes very badly so and need to take responsibility for it. But were more people at fault? Also yes.

So If you are pissed at Tal kindly fuck off because the whole group is at fault and I hope this will help them see that Bells need to fucking communicate!

[towards-toramunda]

No but seriously I’m so tired of the “how dare anyone question the gods as if orym’s family wasn’t killed” argument because Matt wants them to question the gods! Taliesin went into this campaign having decided that to be punk in exandria is to dislike/distrust the gods! A lot of the arguments made against them or even neutrality about them are very valid! It is interesting to think about what the world would look like without the gods and to question where they came from and how much importance they really hold if a mortal has usurped one of them!

Questioning these things and wondering why people would go to the lengths they’ve gone to to be against the gods is important! Seeing the humanity in the other side (like with the Dragonborn’s locket and bor’dor) is important! Noticing the harm that religion has done to these people is important!

And it’s so exhausting to see people on this site say “if you ask these questions you side with ludinus/ support the killing of Orym’s family” because wtf are you talking about? I understand Orym thinking that way because Liam said that Orym isn’t capable of looking at this situation objectively (and honestly I love it it’s so interesting to watch), but idk I just get frustrated seeing so many takes on here just siding with Orym because he’s the morally perfect one who can do no wrong to them.

(Honestly I think seeing that take just bothers me because I feel like I can see Liam doing so much that’s really INTERESTING with this character and I feel like not viewing him as flawed almost takes away from that? Idk I’m rambling.)

[god-of-identity]

I'm so totally normal about the wildmother and the crawling king

fully insane abt torog rn after watching downfall. i think a cleric of his would be fun as hell to play, especially if it ends up being a mirror to the wildmother; people think of pain as something negative, but you cannot have growth or change without pain. having a holy symbol that hurts to hold, that is covered with barbs... phenomenal stuff. zaharzht was a phenomenal character thank you so much brennan lee mulligan and taliesin jaffe for that scene with him and melora