#cr the Owlbear

[infernalbloodhunter]

From day 1 of London Comic Con in May 2023 at the Critter / Critical Role meet. I was dressed as Owlbear Man from the Critical Role one-shot Adventures of the Darrington Brigade.

[manueltorresart]

I've been out on holidays and couldn't (and didn't want to) share my @criticalrole drawings. Today I'll share three busts in a row.

From the Darrington Brigade comes the trusty companions of the adventurous Taryon Darrington. Here comes The Owlbear, a man who puts a suit of night creature to instill terror to his foes. Created and played by Taliesin Jaffe.

[mayapapaya33]

I know it's almost certainly last on the "to be animated" list after Calamity and Dalen's Closet and the Search for Grog/Bob, but honestly, almost more than all of those, I want The Darrington Brigade to be Animated.

I want to see The Owlbear roll around and stealth impressively for no reason. I want the Owl and Bear puns and the cheesy "definitely not batman" jokes. I want Pretty and Macaroni Samsonite's ridiculous voices. I want the stupid duck jokes about Lionel that imply but never quite reveal anything, so you're left going... wait a minute... is he??? I want the Cerberus Assembly cameo. I want Hazel to stomp around as a one-woman band in the least stealthy manner possible. I want to see Tary's husband! I want them to fight Quackthulu and for the animation only audience to be so incredibly confused and to laugh so hard they bust a rib.

The Adventures of the Darrington Brigade is set in 826 PD which is between C1 and C2. Vox Machina are between 810-812PD and The Mighty Nein are between 835- 836PD. The search for Grog/Bob is directly after C1 in 812 PD because it only took 10 minutes for Grog to do something stupid after saving the world lol. Dalen's Closet is 813PD.

In the Animated universe, we are currently at the end of season 3 of TLOVM and they are working on The Mighty Nein. We don't know when exactly season 1 of The Mighty Nein is coming out but probably sometime in 2025. I think it would be really cool if at some point down the line, once TLOVM is complete, maybe once some of the Cerberus Assembly lore has happened in the Animated Mighty Nein, they released a special animated feature/ short film of the Darrington Brigade. It builds out the universe, it shows off more of the landscape, it shows a wider cast of characters and personalities and abilities, it gives lovely hints about the Cerberus Assembly's activities, it's also just hilarious and I want it.

[piratespencil]

I love Ashton and Deni$e bonding over being badass barbarians with fuck off accessories. :)

[twinklestarss]

CR Main Campaign Barbarians + “I would like to rage.”

C1E85 | C2E105 | C3E23 | C3E61

Bonus One-shot Characters: The Owlbear & Bramble

[chronurgy]

Hi all - I'm a new DM looking for 3-4 players for a long term campaign. The campaign will be played online, using discord, DNDbeyond (for character sheets and book sharing), and owlbear rodeo.

Sessions will be on Saturday afternoons, though the exact timing is flexible. Timezone is PDT.

This first campaign is mostly lighthearted but I'm planning to run darker and more complex campaigns later - campaigns in the works include Eberron, Domains of Dread, and a heavily reworked Strixhaven.

The campaign:

You've recently received a letter informing you that not only is your father not actually dead, he also has numerous other children and is better known by his stage name - the Blazing Bard, the Singing Sensation, the one and only Russell R. Stone! You and your brand new siblings have all been summoned to the capital by the Crown Revenue Service. It seems like your father wasn't just dodging his children, he was dodging his taxes as well, and the underfunded and understaffed CRS is more than happy to put you all on the payroll to track him (and his erstwhile earnings) down. They're happy to give you a little training before they send you off to check out his last known location: Drakon Peak in the Wyvernus Mountains of Dracaltis province - AKA Grauvulmox's Lair.

If you're interested, please fill out the survey below!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

[ashes-to-asher]

Storytime, I guess? X'D

So, I'm a DM for a homebrew campaign (Othiat) with 3 players (@everdreamart, @traumallamarama, and @blazingjuniper). We live very far away from each other (the closest player to me is over 400 miles away), so we play via Discord. Whenever a map is needed, I've always turned to Owlbear Rodeo.

Last session, I ran the biggest encounter I have ever run.

The party had to stopped to spend the night at an inn in a small town they'd passed through before. They noticed that something was off; flies were buzzing around even though it was winter, there was a general smell of decay in the air, the townsfolk mentioned that the well had turned foul, etc., etc. The players knew something was up, but I don't think they realized just how bad it was gonna get.

Long story short, that little town was about to be at the center of a demonic invasion.

The PCs were woken in the middle of the night to screams and a poisonous green fog flooding the streets (and their room). They rushed outside, not having had time to put their armor on (so AC was low af). They almost immediately got attacked by a Bulezau, barely dodging out of the way in time.

That's when the map came out.

It's an absolutely monstrous thing: probably 50x100 grids, with each grid representing 15x15 feet. The entire town was on this thing, and the party had free reign to hide, fight, or just run and leave it all behind. Problem is, that green fog made it so they can't see jack.

Owlbear Rodeo had a huge update relatively recently, and now there's a bunch of new extensions and features. One of those extensions is called Smoke and Spectre (by Battle-System and Armindo Flores). I've always been a fan of using fog to hide things on maps, but Smoke and Spectre took things a step further. Each PC had their own independent radius of visibility, and I set it so that everyone could only see out to a radius of 30 feet. I also gave them a few visible points on the map, representing locations they knew of, but the vast majority of the map was empty nothingness to them.

I had been worried that the lack of visibility would turn out to be too frustrating for the players to enjoy the encounter, but it actually worked out well. Everyone was forced to slow down and plan out their moves carefully; the town as swarming with demons, and getting too close to one would prompt an attack. Everyone was going one grid at a time, anxious and terrified (in a good way!) of things lurking just out of sight. Movement also became an issue in general, since one of the PCs (a tabaxi monk) is a lot faster than the others, and another PC (a fairy druid) could fly over certain obstacles.

The party actually got split up in the chaos, leading to them desperately trying to coordinate when they couldn't see each other or even their own surroundings.

They eventually individually made their ways (makin' their way) to the town center, where the invasion had begun. There, they encountered a Wastrilith in the well, which was way too high level for them to actually take down. Knowing that there were still survivors in hiding, though, the level 6 party was determined to end the threat.

See, this wasn't necessarily meant to be a combat encounter; it was meant to be a survival encounter. The demonic invasion has ties to the larger plot, and is supposed to serve as set-up/lead-in to certain things the players are still only vaguely aware of (things I will not be spoiling via tumblr). I expected the players to engage in combat here and there, and they did had combat with some of the lower CR demons around the town, but the overall point was to set up plot and give the players a unique encounter.

They almost had a TPK with the Wastrilith? ^^;

The thing downed two of them, but the druid had just enough spell slots to keep the others from dying. The party was doing decent damage, but there was no way they could survive more than two or three rounds of this thing's damage output. Finally, low on HP and spell slots, the satyr bard pulled a clutch Dissonant Whispers. Wastriliths have great Strength and Constitution, but their Wisdom isn't all that impressive.; it failed the saving throw and was forced to flee, giving the party a chance to escape its radius.

A whole lot more happened (little Opportune Moment has a rough night ahead of him, courtesy of a Tlacatecolo), and the encounter isn't technically over (next session, the party is going after the Sibriex that started it all), but holy crap was it a good session! X'D

My laptop almost caught fire trying to process the map and all the tokens on it, but this was a planed event I'd been excitedly dreading for so long, and it worked!

The limited visibility is what really sold it. Fog effects only go so far, and this encounter would not have worked if the players had been able to see their surroundings. The fear and anxiety about the creatures lurking in the dark heightened the experience for all of us, myself included; I got to play around with the visibility of the demons, figuring out how much they could see and hear.

Next session will be a bit more straightforward, but you can bet I'm gonna use Smoke and Spectre again; in fact, I already have a few ideas... >:3

[jaebird88]

For the CR Ask Meme: Eisfurra and Goblin

goblin: who is your favorite non-main campaign character?

This is a tough one because I have a shit memory, lol. Until he's dragged into a main campaign, I say the Owlbear. The shear goofiness of trying to make Batman in D&D only for it to not stick the landing due to dice rolls is never not entertaining.

eisfuura: who is your favorite npc?

This one's easy; Pumat Sol, no doubt about it.

[infernalbloodhunter]

Photos from the 3 days of MCM Comic Con

Really enjoyed cosplaying the three Critical Role Boys

1: Owlbear

2: Cyrus Wyvernwind

3: Caleb Widogast

#mcmlondoncomiccon #mcmcomiccon #londoncomiccon #comiccon #comiccon2023 #criticalrolecosplayer #CriticalRole #CriticalRoleCosplay

[the-homebrewists]

May I ask you a question about homebrewing since you seem to know? how would I go about creating a race that is literally just a goldfish.

i think my solution would be to not make that a race, but make a goldfish creature stat block (maybe use a quipper as a base) since itd likely be a cr 0 creature with little to no unique abilities, and just add class features onto that stat block.

this works for more complicated creatures too-- i once let Luci play a wizard that was also an ancient blue dragon and we didnt have like, race stats for that i believe she just tacked class features onto the existing stat block.

also also, you can do this for enemy stat blocks as well! spice up your owlbears by giving them dangersense, give an orc sneak attack, the world is your oyster!

-mod nix

[pocketgalaxies]

tary: you can write your share of the 10,000 gold as an in-kind donation and get that taken off of your taxes at the end of the year

damian: oh so that 10,000 gold goes not to us?

tary: to the people! to the people of wildemount!

everyone: ://

owlbear: i'm a people of wildemount ://

[mayapapaya33]

Can we talk about how we have both old man Bruce Wayne and lego batman in Critical Role in the form of Lord Eshteross and The Owlbear. I am a huge fan of the theory that Eshteross was the first Owlbear in his youth, the gritty, intense, tragically heroic one. That there have been several since and the Owlbear we see in the Darrington brigade is like the fourth or fifth and is the goofy try hard lego batman version in Exandria. I love it so much.

Yes, The Darrington Brigade is 17 years before C3 but that math checks out, Eshteross could have been the Owlbear in his younger years, then eventually passed the mantel on. The Owlbear we know and love could have picked up the mantel either by copying rumors he heard in the criminal underbelly of the world, or by coming to the conclusion that owlbears are scary independently, which is hilarious.

C3 E13 (25:17)

FCG: And Lord Eshteross? 

E: "Yes?"

FCG: "Some of us have the ability to communicate either telepathically or at a distance with creepy whispers. I don't really know your skillset other than you're a badass and kind of rich. Do you have any way of signaling us silently or anything, or any magic at your disposal?"

E: "I am not a practitioner of the arcane arts, but I'm a, while somewhat aged, capable master of the martial." He grabs this heavy cane off to the side, and you remember, a number of you, taking some heavy wallops from it in the past, and smacks it on the ground a bit. It gives this reverbing ring as it impacts, just (stick reverbing). 

Ash: "Mysterious, badass, rich, it's like Owlbear Man". (laughter) "I mean, if you think about it, it's basically Owlbear Man". 

FCG: "I've heard those stories."

Ash: "Yeah, they're my favorites growing up."

E: "Owlbear Man does not exist. He's a folktale. A way to scare children in the outskirts of rural villages."

 FCG: "And criminals." 

Ash: "And criminals."

E: "Such a thing does not exist."

Laudna: "But I thought he was a criminal himself, right? Which makes him cool. He's like a vigilante."

 Ash: "It's on both sides, I mean, like, you know, growing up, clearly."

I mean come on, he's totally the og Owlbear!

Honorable mention to Percy who is definitely also giving old man Bruce Wayne vibes for sure. He just doesn't really fit into the Owlbear side of the equation; it's not his style. There is wonderful fanfiction potential in it though. Young Percy running into Eshteross instead of Orthax and learning how to fight crime to avenge his dead family oh my god this is amazing someone please write it hahahaha.

[athousandotherfaces]

A small brain tickle that I've had since starting my Druid playthrough, especially as Circle of the Moon, is that as wild shapes in game are granted based on leveling up, (as opposed to just observation of the animal in the ttrpg source material, with some level/CR discretions; and I do operate on the assumption that the wild shapes in BG3 still need to be seen/observed ahead of use) are the reactions the traveling companions must have to my tav's wild shapes. It's got to be a wild (sorry) ride:

There's suddenly an owlbear on the battlefield? Ok, yeah we saw one in that cave during our time together, that tracks.

Deep Rothe? Yeah, we all saw our druid talk to some in the Underdark

There's a Saber tooth WHAT on the field now? When, or where in the Hells did she see that?

Really makes me want to write up some background for how and when Willow saw the wild shapes she uses.

[educationaldm]

I have been saying that a Druid wild-shaping into an owlbear won't break the game, but here's Think DM presenting the statistical case for it.

#Wildshape #DnDMovie #DnD #DungeonsandDragons

[cagemasterfantasy]

DND Monsters: Primeval Owlbear

Magically Perfected Predators

Huge Monstrosity, Unaligned

AC 16

Initiative +5 

HP 126 (12d12 + 48)

Speed 40 ft., Climb 40 ft., Fly 5 ft.

Str 22 +6 Dex 14 +2 Con 19 +4 Int 8 -1 Wis 15 +2 Cha 7 -2

Saves: Con +7 Wis +5

Skills Perception +8

Senses Darkvision 120 ft.

CR 7 

Traits

Magic Resistance. The Owlbear has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The Owlbear makes two Ravage attacks.

Ravage. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 5 ft. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) Slashing damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature and the Owlbear moved 20+ feet straight toward it immediately before the hit, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) Slashing damage and has the Prone condition.

Screech (Recharge 5–6). Constitution Saving Throw: DC 15, each creature in a 30-foot Emanation originating from the Owlbear. Failure: 27 (6d8) Thunder damage, and the target has the Incapacitated condition until the end of its next turn. Success: Half damage only.

Habitat: Forest

Treasure: None

[softness-and-shattering]

I was fully expectinflg ghe hag to have lair acrions, after all that warning eith the door and the myltie stage descent into the lair. Though I guess having the duplicates fulfilled the same role re action economy, and a party of four isnt so big, its not like a cr or d20 party of 6-8. Ive played in bigger groups and its not great.

I wasnt feeling fantastic today so I noodled around unfinished act 1 quests. I found the letter to Kagha. Im torn bc its super fun to have a secret backstory of shadow druids but like. She cant just be a bitch, she has to be 'evil' too? Idk.

Curious if Ill get a dialogue option to tell Halsin about it and how he'll react. I still cant seem to add him to my party. Does he just hang out at camp?

I also found the Harpers lookout. Ive found the scuffed rock, and a similar significant rock by the bridge on the Risen Road but neither Laezel or Larlach can throw them, shoving does nothing, shatter does nothing. Do I specifically need thunderwave? Or a telekinesis spell? What am I missing?

While trying to work out if Wyll can learn thunderwave (seems not) I discovered he has Gaseous Form so I tried using that to investigate some of the burrows Ive come across. The risen road one behind the bouse just leads into the crllar. Havent actually looted that yet. Went into the owlbear cave but couldnt find the burrow in there. And then I remembered Auntie Ethel and got caught up in that quest area.

Thr guy hunting Asterion is interesting. Left him peacefully. Astarion doesnt like me much. I wanted to ask who was huntong him but instead he asked where he was to be taken. Baldurs Gate of course. All roads lead to Baldurs Gate. Excepting that I have quests in thr city like finding Dammon and Mol, Id be starting to believe getting there is the end of the game. I want to buy my people nice clothes! Especially Karlach! And I took Wyll out of armour so he could use mage armour and he was suddenly rather naked. Switched him to showing camp clothes but it was a bit silly.

Mm at one point I directed Wyll to eldritch blast a redkap and instead he used arms of hadar on my bard. I dont know if I misclicked badly or if his patron is messing with him but it didnt happen again. I did swap him out soon after.

Slaps BG3 thus bad boy can hold so many entrances to the underdark! Theres the selunite temple, the drop from the spider lair, the elevator from the zhentarim hideout (considering gaseous form to loot those juice treasure rooms), the feather fall portal from Ethels lair, am I missing any? Presumably the moon towers/baldurs gate exit.

I was partway through the arcane tower when I started today but I wanted lighter questing. And geez area/act 2 has so many magical weapons. Im tempted to keep them all for some super specific cirumstance but id probably do better to sell them. Slowly working out what can be sold.

Im actually kinda mad that rope isnt practical. I got into a dumb pickle in the caravan cave with the gnolls. Jumped down to loot an area and two of my guys couldnt jump back. Grabbed rope and...its useless. So I took a long redy and fed em potions of giants strength and they made the leap easy. (Speaking of I am so tempted to open the case but those letters were very strict about not opening it and idk who its for and what their significance may be. Maybe its treasure. Maybe its a chest full of eye-yeerks. Who knows?)

Im also not absorbing the other eye slugs. Was it the narrator or dream guardian, the first time I used the illithid power, who said "You have lost something you will never get back". I do nooot trust it. Probably second playthrough Ill do it just to play with the game mechanic. Also romance Minthara maybe. I dont trust the sleep guardian but I dont super distrust her either. Idk what her deal is. But we're not absorbing more slugs losing more of ourselves no thanks. Back to the yeerk pool with them.

I do really love the quest diamonds that tell you where to go. "Find my missing husband please" oh there he is he got quite lost huh. Im still laughing at "and dont try ransom him back to me or you'll be skiny and stuck with an old man". The dialogue is really good. Laezel doesnt say shes monogamous, she says "I was interested but all the dogs have been picking you over. I prefer fresher meat". A little degrading, but at leasy shes not doing some weird jealousy thing. Usually I face with my bard. But then I used Karlach to talk to Dammon and all the dialogue options are perfectly in her voice, its great.

Im also loving the map design. Theres plenty going on and plenty to do, but not so much that you get lost in the weeds. Enough that it feels like a big grand world full of history and places to explore that arent directly plot relevant. Its a delicate balance of referring back to main events and keeping things tangential. (The women dealing w the hag for her husband. I never got to tell her about her brothers?? I thought it would be the first dialogue option but no zomvie busband abd off she goes to find their corpses on the fucking path?! Hut the devs cant think of *everything*, its ok).

Also the little things, undergrounds start getting spidery consistently, underground lairs lead to the underdark its very....verisimilitudinous???

Im also wondering if I can fo the underdark and the mountain pass righer in serial or at the same time. I do need to find the githyanki for Laezel that was our very first lead. Plus double the xp double the loot but I was forced into telling Halsin one or the other so idk if the game forces the issue.

K I think thats all I have to infodump today. Oh except seems like Shadowheart was a selunitr kid and thats pretty fucked. She likes me a lot. I dont think I reciprocate to that level. But astsrion doesnt like me much so yknow. Win some lose some.