#i only know sam riegel and liam o'brien

[danwhobrowses]

Since Critical Role's big endgame battle has begun (as of ep. 113) and looks to give us a fair handful of Lv. 20 combat across the board with VM and later the Nein - and also since the Omen Archive are yet to do a level up overview for Bell's Hells to Lv. 15 like I expected them to do after ep. 112 - I find myself optimistically and curiously wondering how Bells Hells would shape up should they reach Lv. 20.

Admittedly, I do remain worried about how underleveled they are; I know it's intended since the Hells are the 'underdogs not meant to be in this position' group but still, for comparison Essek debuted at Lv. 15 in C2 and Vox Machina ended their campaign at Lv. 18 when the stakes were slightly lower than what we have with Ludinus, the Vanguard, the Imperium, and Predathos. Still, with nothing we can do but pray they make it out alive - and I hope they do - I've decided to indulge that rare bout of optimism and deep dive into what would their Lv. 20 state look like? While also considering what they may add during this final arc should they level up in between like they did the last time they were on Ruidus.

We're gonna go through each character one by one for this, so I'll start with my favourite (aka the one I wanna talk/ramble the most about).

Ashton is perhaps the easiest endgame build to tell class-wise, it's likely Tal will have them go the full 20 since Grog has already done the Fighter dip and there's not many other multiclasses that can be of a greater benefit to them; the intrigue however with Ashton focuses on the ASI they get at levels 16 and 19, the first one particularly if there's still a level up mid-battle. The obvious route for the first ASI is to get back the CON they lost in the shard incident - which I still find an unfair penalty since they gained nothing from surviving the bold and deemed impossible action, 'your reward is you get to live' doesn't stick with me given that the 10 rolls (well, 9 plus the resurrection ring) are proof of survival anyway - and absorbing Dusk Hunger sadly didn't give back, adding to their DEX instead - which, also kinda stubborn of Matt, adding 1 AC isn't exactly worthy of absorbing a legendary item especially compared to what Orym got with Ishta, they were better off trying to dual wield it if Matt's not gonna give stats that'll suit Ashton's wheelhouse, STR and CON, and let the tank be a tank - so it will likely fall into Tal's hands to get Ashton's stats to where they want them to be. Either way, Ashton's STR and CON are going up if they hit Lv. 20 as pure Barbarian, Primal Champion adds 4 to both and increases their max to 24, so without ASI Ashton will have 22 STR and 20 CON by Lv. 20 anyway, with ASI however Ashton can go 24/22 in either direction - and we can't rule out more absorption in the future, since Legendary loot may be yielded from this endgame battle plus Otohan's Backpack, Zathuda's storage cloak and maybe any other armour from the two could be Legendary items just gathering dust among the group, but if Ashton were to take any of them they'd have to wait a day since the Harness only grants 1 permanent and 1 temporary buff per person, and each person who uses it on the same day risks it breaking by 20%. However, we also can't rule out Ashton taking a feat instead of ASI, it's a slim chance but there are some feats that can be of use for Ashton in general or specifically vs Ludinus; Mage Slayer, Strike of the Giants (Hill or Stone Strike, of the two I'd go for Hill because of it causing the prone condition, which will help Ashton and allies, like Orym with that 1d6 extra Force Damage, stack critical damage), and Great Weapon Master could be powerful if they don't focus on ASI. The Tough feat is always good for being tanky too, but such a feat would likely only be used at the Lv. 19 ASI/Feat domain to get the most out of it. The only other places Ashton can get major potential buffs - outside of any new enchanted items that aren't armour - are from Dunamancy and their Titan powers, but neither have provided a clear opening for improvement as of yet. Ashton hit their final Dunamancy path at Lv. 14, where they got Mark of the Messy End (which compared to Essek getting access to stuff like Reality Break doesn't seem to balance out but I guess Wizards are glass cannons so Dunamancy does more with them), but there is a quiet, lingering mystery over how Potions of Possibility and Luxon Beacons will behave if Ashton and their Dunamancy brain interacts with them, given how they have many potions on hand, in general and gifted to them by the Kryn Dynasty before they met with the Nein, and Ludinus using Luxon Beacons as power sources, there is potential for Ashton's Dunamancy to increase that way - or simply through Matt adding an extra Dunamancy path in place of an ASI/Feat, a Dunamancy-based feat, or swapping Primal Champion with something else. The Titan Form could also improve by level, and I kinda hope it does, it's powerful but given the time limit and Exhaustion it's still below the level of Grog's Titanstone Knuckles in terms of utility, if more power or less limitations are imposed the higher their level it could scale Ashton up further in a similar manner to having a Vestige or, in Orym's case, a Relic of the Red Solstice.

Speaking of Orym, you'd assume that he'll also go for the clean 20, but this is Liam O'Brien we're talking about - he gave Vax a Druid level for his love of Keyleth, so you can't put it past him to add a level in Bard for Dorian. Like Ashton, Orym has 2 ASI waiting for him at levels 16 and 19, due to maxing his DEX - and absorbing Ishta overclocking it (a DEX increase that actually makes sense as a Finesse blade Fighter, adding +1 to AC and attack rolls and a higher DC for enemies to save against superiority die attacks) - Orym has already dipped into feats a lot but could always find room for more. Great Weapon Master, Shield Master, Mage Slayer, and Tough again at level 19 are viable options for Orym and his build, but there's also a unique option of, instead of taking a level in Bard, Magic Initiate: Bard in lieu of Dorian; taking the feat lets him gain the 4th attack Lv. 20 Fighter yields while adding some handy Bard magic such as Friends, Thunderwave, Command, Bane or Cure Wounds - all of which are Level 1 Bard spells. While adding a level in Bard would be a nice gesture, the Magic Initiate feat would probably work better for Orym's build if he wanted to reference his connection to Dorian this way, since he doesn't need 4 extra 1st level spells and he already has a lot of proficiencies and bonuses to cover his rolls anyway, plus he still carries the sending stone if he doesn't want to do either. If he went for ASI, Orym could try to rival Ayden's passive perception by buffing his WIS, but I doubt anybody would hold it against him to be less perceptive than a god. Regardless of ASI and feats, a pure 20 in Fighter does up Orym's lethality immensely, getting a potential 12 attacks with two Action Surges - the second gained in Lv. 17 - in one round (16 attacks if hastened and 17 if hastened and a Time Rage Mark of the Messy End - which I believe allows you to attack with Bonus Actions - is used on an enemy), which would make him an extra efficient killer and protector for combat, which suits his character as well. While multiclassing is an uncommon trait to reference a partner, in Orym's case it's probably moreso cute but unnecessary flavouring.

Adding an element of their partner into their build is something Imogen has done already with decent effect, however. Imogen is another pure 20 likelihood; she has 2 ASI, a Metamagic choice, her final Origin Feature - Warping Implosion: essentially you teleport and anyone within 30 feet will be caught in a gravity fissure - and Sorcerous Restoration - 4 sorcery points restored per short rest - waiting for her at the full 20. As alluded, she already has Laudna influences in the Shadow Touched feat and a vial of her blood in her equipment so she needn't use a feat or a multiclass in further reference to her, which means it comes down to what options she chooses for her ASI/Feats and future skills. With her CHA maxed out already, the two ASI would need to go elsewhere or to feats; War Caster could be used to help her concentration spells, such as the reskinned Hunger of Hadar, Telekinesis, and Investiture of Lightning, unused spells such as her mother's Reverse Gravity, Hold Person, or Globe of Invulnerability, or future 8th-9th level spells such as Dominate Monster, Gate, and Mass Polymorph (turn them all into horses!). Otherwise using one of those ASI to add 1 to INT and WIS will add to saving throws of those stats (+1 for INT and +2 for WIS), she can also remove all her stat negatives by adding an ASI to her STR in place of a feat. Imogen also has options with choosing a final Metamagic from Sorcerer; she has Quickened, Distant, and Twinned Spell already, so the next one needs to also be helpful in combat; the potential of Extended and Transmuted Spell are decent, but Heightened Spell may be the best fit for her - spending 3 Sorcery points to impose disadvantage on a spell save can be very useful when using Imogen's spells such as Psychic Lance, especially against powerful magic users like Ludinus. Going a little extra meta with things, Imogen at Lv. 20 is only going to exist in one-shots or guest appearances - which means short rests aren't likely to faze her as much, also recovering 4 out of a total of 20 Sorcery Points per short rest isn't a lot when you get all of them back after a Long Rest. If Imogen were to pull a swerve and multiclass she could simply sacrifice an ASI for an 18/2 split or just take a 19/1 dip without it doing any negative effect to her current build. Of the multiclassing options, I find that the Tempest Cleric could gel pretty well with her build; connecting her lightning magic and her storm analogies (and her attempt to reach out to the Stormlord) from a narrative perspective, while combat-wise she'd get to use Wrath of the Storm to damage anyone that attacks her (as many times as her WIS, so 1-3 depending on her ASI usage) and, if she goes for the 18/2 split, she can use the class' Channel Divinity to max out a spell's lightning damage - which if used on a 9th Level Lightning Bolt is 76 damage without enhancements! - she also gets some minor healing to add to her repertoire, and with a group without a pure Cleric you can't really have a shortage of players who can heal even if it's a little bit. I can't see any other dip doing her as much benefit, so the full 20 is more likely, even if the maxed out Lightning Bolt would work wonders.

You know who also knows Lightning Bolt? Well, a fair amount of players and NPCs but also Dorian! Let's talk our Boy in Blue - no I did not say 'Blue in Boy' in my head when typing, shush! - he's our last PC likely to be a pure 20 of the group, also because the rest have already multiclassed, but like Imogen there is also the opening for a little bit of multiclassing. The ASI in levels 16 and 19 are probably best put into maxing his CHA stat that's currently at 16, DEX could also go up to 20 for additional Gambolcleft damage but the sword is pretty powerful as it is - it depends if Robbie wants Dorian to focus on Spell or Melee output for stats, but casting is probably the better way to go. Not many feats would help Dorian outside of maybe Tough and War Caster, perhaps Slasher but they do seem like minor additions he can go without, so ASI is likely the best route to take for him. Unlike with Orym where a dip in Bard wouldn't do much good mechanically, Dorian could easily take a dip in Fighter and have it be a solid investment; the Bard's Lv. 20 ability Superior Inspiration only helps if you've used up all of your Inspiration, and as said with Imogen that probably won't come up in a one-shot scenario where Lv. 20 Dorian would likely appear, but by Lv. 19 he will already have added spells from any magic class via his final dip into Magical Secrets - and honestly I have no clue what one he could take because like, all of the spells! Wish is probably the go-to one but Dorian doesn't want anything from the gods so maybe not? - and he'll already have a 9th level spell slot from earlier levels. A 1-level dip in Fighter can give Dorian Second Wind for some self-healing and another Fighting Style to choose from: either Superior Technique - like Orym has - or Duelist would suit best, and if Robbie sacrifices an ASI he can go up to a 2nd level for Action Surge, which is handy should he focus on melee. There aren't many other 1-level dips that would suit Dorian narratively, there was probably Warlock potential in EXU: Prime when the crown was in play but since, again, the group lacks a pure healer, Dorian is probably better off investing his stats and skills towards Bard spells - which in turn bolsters DPS as well as healing.

From one Bard/DPS healer to another, Braius debuted with some pretty high stats to begin with, with only WIS being a negative modifier. As a 12/3 multiclass he can go a few different directions - much like his character arc and selection of deity - but it leaves him at a crossroads - also like his character arc. The 12 levels in Oath of the Ancients Paladin means he's locked out of getting Bard's Magical Secrets, if he maxes out his remaining levels in Bard he gets 2 ASI, a College of Tragedy feature (make crits be at rolls 18, 19 and 20 after an ally is hit with a crit plus a '+10 on a roll but a -10 penalty on the next' skill), Countercharm, and his Bardic Inspiration dice will go up to 1d8, but all of those are kinda covered by Dorian's higher level Bard class and Ashton's Mark of the Messy End while in Luck Rage to a higher or better extent. The 3 levels in Bard however has locked Braius out of Paladin's Aura improvements and the big Elder Champion buff, which is a big loss, if maxed out in Paladin they'll get Cleansing Touch - end a spell on yourself or anyone you can touch as many times as your CHA, one ASI, a 5th level spell slot (handy for Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Destructive Wave, and Summon Celestial), and Undying Sentinel - which is just a once-a-long-rest Relentless Rage with no CON save. Build-wise, it would be best for Braius to go one of three different paths; either go for a 15/5 split - so no 5th level spell but he gets 1 ASI, Undying Sentinel, and Font of Inspiration for the 1d8 inspiration - a 14/6 split - where we swap Undying Sentinel for the college feature, or go the unique path and add a third class - while the 5th level spell slot has powerful spells Braius' combat is much more melee-based so it is a less likely option. A 14/3/3 triple split sacrifices his ASI/feats but 3 levels in Fighter gives him another Fighting Style, Action Surge, Second Wind, and a Fighter subclass to add to his combat prowess. One unlikely Fighter subclass that could suit Braius is the Rune Knight; with 3 levels Braius will have access to 2 runes, which can be tied to his character's artistry, to add to his gear - the Fire and Cloud Runes being the most useful to him from what I see - they would also get Giant's Might as a skill for an extra 1d6 of damage once per turn. Fighter isn't the only class Braius can benefit from though; he would only need to dip 2 levels in Cleric or Druid to gain their subclass-based abilities; a Shepherd Druid would give the group a slight benefit with the Hawk Spirit skill, using a reaction to attack with advantage and having advantage on perception checks, but similar to Imogen he'd probably benefit a bit more from dipping into Cleric - particularly Grave, War, Ambition, and Peace Domain Clerics, who each have abilities that can further empower him. A dip in Barbarian would be handy for Danger Sense - not so much Rage because you can't use spells - maybe opting for the Zealot path subclass, which also suits narratively, for an extra 1d6 damage, or a dip in the Monster Hunter Ranger to aid in picking out weaknesses. A 12/4/4 split could also work, forgoing Cleansing Touch to grant Braius 2 ASI or feats if Sam wanted them; with that they can balance their WIS to 10 and then max out their CHA and another +1 elsewhere, or just do a feat like Fey Touched - since he was touched plenty by a Fey Hag all across her manor - to max the CHA and gain a spell like Hunter's Mark to aid in combat.

Speaking of Hunters, Chetney may not have been designed to survive the campaign but with Travis rolling the fatal 0 when playing as Grog that old man is still, somehow, kicking. If Travis doesn't pull a Bertrand and allows him to continue defying the odds and live to Lv. 20, Chetney would be in a similar position to Braius - having gone the Tealeaf route and locked himself out of the full 20 in Blood Hunter by having a dip in Rogue - in being in a crossroads of classes. If he invests his remaining levels in Blood Hunter to 19, he still gets a lot from the class; 2 Order Features (advantages on bloodlust saving throws and on any branded creature, then unlimited hybrid transformations on the next feature), 2 ASI, and an extra Blood Maledict. Chetney's 1-level dip in Rogue however means he could also invest into any Rogue subclass for a 17/3 split (or a 16/4 split if he sacrifices a Blood Maledict for 2 ASI over one) instead; Assassin would help his damage output especially since he likes going Invisible, but the Revived subclass would be funny implying that he died but miraculously came back and no longer needed to risk dying in his sleep because he doesn't need to sleep anymore. Chet could also triple class like we suggested with Braius; 3-5 levels in Artificer - since he's a toymaker his toys can be infused beyond the enchanted distractions, going for the Armorer subclass can also be handy for the Thunder Gauntlets ability too, 2 levels in Fighter - for Action Surge, 2-4 levels in Monk - which has decent potential if his chisel is made a dedicated weapon plus the possible boons from Kensei, Mercy, or Open Hand paths, or even 3 levels in Ranger - where Hunter, Gloom Stalker, and Monster Slayer subclasses each have skills that could help Chet in combat, can all be seen as options, but it can also run the risk of being overcomplicated. Despite a Feat sidestepping Chet losing control in his Hybrid Form, logic says that Chet would likely stick with the 19/1 route since the feat only imposes a disadvantage against losing control and he can still do collateral damage, character-wise he'd likely want to keep his Lycanthropy on lock as much as he can. Plus, going to 19 Blood Hunter levels yields unlimited transformations and the second ASI hits at Lv. 19; with the two ASI - which he cannot get from triple classing - he can max out his STR and buff up his CON, DEX, and/or CHA for any additional bonuses, he has no negative stats so any are fair game. I don't see any feats that'd be too helpful, but outside of AC or DC boosts from increasing CON or DEX, upping CHA could also help with persuasion and being persuasive and tricksy.

Persuasive and Tricksy are some of many words you can use to define Fearne, who is also a Rogue multiclass. Her current 10/5 with Wildfire Druid as the majority allows her some wiggle room for her to go a few different directions. The 5 levels in Rogue have locked her out of a second ASI in Druid, the timeless body (not really a big deal for a fey), additional Wild Shape perks, and the 9th Level Spell Slot though, but if she invests only into Druid levels for the full 15 she does still gain one ASI and her Wildfire Feature 'Blazing Revival' - where once per long rest Mister can sacrifice himself (I don't think it's a permadeath sacrifice just like an 'off the board until resummoned' sacrifice) to revive her to half HP if she's downed - alongside a 6th, 7th and 8th level spell slot. If she goes for an even spread of 10 levels each with Rogue's Arcane Trickster however, she gains 2 ASI, 2 more proficiencies, Evasion, Magical Ambush, and a few more lower level spells. Both have valid directions - and as much as Fearne is a 'collector' I think a third class probably won't suit her and will perplex Ashley further - for her character even with mixing the level splits; a 12/8 split will grant her 2 ASI and a 6th level spell slot, while a 14/6 split grants one ASI, a 6th and 7th level spell slot, the Blazing Revival, and 2 proficiencies. Since Fearne doesn't do many sneak attacks and uses her Rogue abilities more for pickpocketing, it would probably be sensible to lean more towards Druid; a 15/5 split if she wants that 8th level spell slot for Sunburst, Incendiary Cloud, or Feeblemind, but a 14/6 split if she can do without - Plane Shift could narratively be on her radar so she can travel to the Feywild as she pleases, but Fire Storm is still a mighty 7th level spell that can be additionally buffed by her titan form which as mentioned with Ashton could also potentially scale up with levels - would give her more stuff to work with, plus extra Druid Levels buffs up Mister's health so he could be looking at 75-80 total HP (5+(Druid Level x 5)) depending on whether Fearne goes level 14 or 15. Since Fearne took War Caster already from her last level and her WIS is already maxed out, ASI to CON could be looked into to add health, AC, and DC, while also improving her chances at holding concentration for her saving throws, alternatively she can up her DEX to improve her pickpocketing so she can finally claim one of those eggs, since she's tragically 0-2 on that. Feat-wise, there is still the Elemental Adept: Fire feat to bypass enemy resistances to Fire too, lots of enemies will have Fire Resistance after all, so if she doesn't want to use ASI there is still that to use it on. So level-wise there is some wiggle room but class-wise she is better off picking one to focus on.

Our final member of the Hells Laudna has already picked her focused class; on a 12/3 Sorlock with her patron bound to a soul anchor - get fucked Delilah - she has implied to go pure Sorcerer from herein. Marisha has previously stated that she saw no gain in any more Warlock levels even when Delilah was still active and while a 6th level in Warlock would grant her an ASI at Lv.4 and unlocks Grave Touched - change damage to Necrotic plus 1 extra damage die when in Form of Dread, which is pretty solid - it does indeed suit narratively for Laudna to avoid more Warlock levels. The 3 levels she has gained from Warlock though have (war)locked her out of her final Sorcery feature of Umbral Form - which would've made her resistant to everything but Force and Radiant Damage, so like Braius' Primal Champion it's quite the loss - but she still looks to get Shadow Walk which aids her mobility, providing that there's darkness or shadows in the vicinity, as well as one ASI and another Metamagic option by continuing the Sorcerer's path, not to mention a dangerous 9th level spell slot. Unlike Imogen, Laudna opted for Empowered Spell in her current Metamagics alongside Quickened and Twinned, doing Heightened or Transmuted probably wouldn't suit Laudna like it does her partner though. Instead, Careful Spell could be a good choice for Laudna since her CHA is maxed out, so she could pick 5 creatures to auto-succeed a saving throw to a spell she sends, but since she doesn't have many AoE spells Extended Spell may be the better fit to keep up concentration on spells like Animate Objects, Mirror Image, or any future powerful concentration spells she'll have access to like Eyebite, Globe of Invulnerability, Reverse Gravity, or Blade of Disaster - which Delilah used pretty effectively in Aeor - ongoing. Even so, the one ASI remains; the Amulet of Health puts her CON to a fixed 19 so if she added one CON it'd be 16 without attunement, which is still pretty good but worthless if she just keeps using the amulet, she could put +1 in her woeful STR so it's a -2 rather than -3, or opt for feats such as War Caster - for those powerful concentration spells - or another Eldritch Invocation with Eldritch Adept, such as Armor of Shadows or Eldritch Spear, which may be more fitting for her fun scary nature.

And that's all of them, for a TL/DR I expect Ashton, Orym, Dorian and Imogen to do the pure 20 for their classes, while Chetney will go 19/1, Braius and Fearne go 14/6, and Laudna goes 17/3. But if it were me, the only ones I'd adjust from those would be Dorian (19/1, adding Fighter), Imogen (18/2, adding Tempest Cleric), and Braius (14/3/3, adding Rune Knight Fighter) just from a meta/fun perspective. Either way I'll just be happy to see them make Level 20, so fingers and every other digit I have stay crossed for whichever route they choose.

[thessalian]

Thess vs TLOVM S3, Ep 1

I've been so exhausted and fed up this week that I forgot TLOVM was starting today! How remiss of me! So here we go with liveblogging! One episode at least. I may draw this out some.

Oooh. This is new. I mean, I did see the first three minutes or so on YouTube, so it's not a huge surprise, but that level of spycraft is ... at once too well-planned for the "At Dawn, We Plan" Brigade and also just fucking reckless enough for that bunch of yahoos.

Also, pouring one out for Lance Reddick. I knew this was gonna hit different, but ... damn. Is it okay if I say that he's replaced Matt Mercer as my Official Voice of Thordak? 'Cos he totally has, and it's the best memorial I can give him - two of my top villains or at least antagonists (Sylens is still my number one douche-canoe).

Damn. Liam O'Brien vs ... Liam O'Brien. Also, every time I think "Damn, he has range", I kick myself for forgetting his Speak-N-Spell Liam ... thing during that one-shot he did that one time. I mean. Holy shit.

DAAAAAH! I mean, I knew it was coming because I've already seen this bit but DAAAAAAAAAAH!

...Is the mood a bit wrecked when I see Thordak cram his head into a crevice and all I can think is "Themberchaud"?

Now, see, I did not see how he got out of that. Now we are getting into the "What the fuck did you people cook up?!?" territory.

One Day Earlier?!? ASSHOLES! HOW DO YOU HAVE A CLIFFHANGER AT THE START OF AN EPISODE?!?

Fuckmuppets.

...Okay, I knew Raishan sounded familiar. Now, keep in mind that Atlantis: The Last Empire was the last movie I saw before I landed in a psychiatric hospital because of an ongoing nervous breakdown finally hitting crisis point, and never watched it again, so it says a lot about me that I can find the voice of Princess Kida familiar.

...VIOLENT ELF FEMALE VOICE FOR DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS?!? BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!

Okay, get OFF IMDB, Thess.

Yeah, I knew we were getting the Plate of the Dawnmartyr. We'd have to, given the trailers about the hells.

...Wait. Putting some of the snippets together ... and given that they have to streamline stuff for a series like this ... are they going to combine that trip to the hells for the Plate of the Dawnmartyr with throwing Yenk at Vorugal?!?

(No, I literally don't know; I'm kind of calling it here, though.)

Also ... would you call that spell a series of Silent Images? If so ... cool.

OMG GILMORE.

Grand Poobah de MAYONNAISE?!?

Ah, I missed this side of Pike in the first couple of seasons.

...Not sure if that was the dumbest possible thing Grog could have possibly said, or the only thing that could have broken the tension. ...Porque no los dos?

N'awwwwwww. I mean, I know it's a shame that some of this stuff has to be ... rushed, a little? But they're doing it pretty damn well!

[snipped because character limit]

Okay, get OFF the rage at the narrow-minded bullshittery of reviewers, Thess.

...Oh. Ooooooooh. So instead of having Keyleth cast Foresight on him before that whole thing with Thar Amphala, it's now ... something he gets from the Raven Queen? That makes sense.

Also ... I'm taking it that no one's going to flag up that if Keyleth goes Archdruid, of fucking course she's going to outlive the entire rest of the party! Chill, Vax!

You guys are DORKS.

"Well, one can certainly--" WHO WROTE THIS?!?

.........Sam Riegel was one of them. Because of fucking course he was. You are not a gnome, Sam, nor are you specifically a goblin. What you are is a troll.

.........Aaaaaaand Travis Willingham is the other. I wonder if he wrote any of the Vex/Percy stuff, given he was always the captain of the good ship Perc'halia.

...Trinket, really?!?

Okay, that was Matt, doing a little Sun-Tree whisper. Not "Sun Tree; A-okay!", but I'll take it.

...I feel a Leverage "explaining how Vax got out of that mess" moment coming on. Also ... it's nice to see Gilmore do the charm without quite the innuendo.

On the list of "Things To Never Say Before A Mission", Grog? "What could possibly go wrong?" is right at the top, so shut up.

...Okay, not quite what I was thinking, but ... oh gods, Gilmore, you adorable glorious narcissist! (Okay, part-time narcissist.)

Yeaaaaaah, see, I would have asked Gilmore for a Scroll of Dimension Door, personally. Or maybe Clairvoyance? Anyway, this is more exciting.

Yeah. No. So glad Lance Reddick got this done before he passed. I have chills. May you live as long as your name is spoken, sir.

...I ... literally can't praise Reddick enough. Holy shit.

Ooooooooooh. Marquet is so pretty!

...Given that "high noon" is not usually that much of a D&D phrase, and thinking of who Matt Mercer voice-acts with a ... certain phrase? I'mma say that's Sam being a troll again.

Oh, that's a great way to get Ripley back into it. ...Wait, does this mean she already has Cabal's Ruin? .........Wait, does this mean she kept Cabal's Ruin from Umbrasyl?!?

So ... gunshots. And ... Percy's the only one in evidence with a weapon of that type. And ... they just ran in. Hey, Percy, remember when you used Bad News' scope as a telescope? And when Pike followed Vax with Clairvoyance? WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT?!?

No no no Percy DON'T HAVE THE GUN OUT WHEN--

She does have Cabal's Ruin.

Also ... oh FUCK.

...So it's not Percy's turn to have the brain cell today. Okay.

And, I mean, it's almost never Grog's turn to have the brain cell. He is very generous with the brain cell.

STOP DEMONSTRATING THAT YOU HAVE THE KIND OF WEAPON THAT KILLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE, PERCY! I DON'T REMEMBER INT BEING YOUR DUMP STAT!!!!!

...Okay, so INT is Percy's dump stat just for today, then.

...Wait. Who does have Vox Machina's collective brain cell today? Please tell me it's not Scanlan.

Percy would you--?!? Ooooooh fuck.

Oh. Okay. Cabal's Ruin in action is the coolest fucking thing...

Also I don't remember their trip to Marquet being this--

Hi, Matt!

"Does ... she ... spice?" "...Dude." Good one, Scanlan.

I do love the banter between these two--

Ooooh. As a televisual reveal of Orthax and Ripley's whole deal, that is next level awesome.

Oh. Oh. Oh so are we ... not having the fight on the tit-crevasses? We're doing this right here?

"In Memoriam - Lance Reddick" ...Yep.

But at the same time ... I DO NOT HAVE ROOM FOR SAD; FIRST YOU GAVE ME YIKES AND THEN GAVE ME A CLIFFHANGER SO GO FUCK YOURSELF.

(Not you, Mr Reddick; rest in power, and on your laurels because you were badass.)

Okay, so who the fuck is voicing Anna Ripley?

Kelly who? (Kelly Hu, that's who, but-- Sorry; I'll see myself out.)

Lady Deathstrike?!? VISAS MARR?!? Okay that's awesome.

I'm sorry, but Scanlan jazzy flight singing is not what I need right now. Though I guess it kind of drives home the "We are cliffhanging you right here; cope".

Right. I could watch another episode, but ... no. No, I have to work tomorrow and that means I need to wind down, and--

Wait. Did they say Draconia?!? Did Orion Acaba let them use that?!? Oh, I don't even want to think about that level of negotiation, after everything.

[gamergirljournalist]

Review: The Legends of Vox Machina Season 3 (2024) - Relationships intertwine with adventure

RATING: 4/5 Stars Warning: this review contains spoilers for the third season of The Legends of Vox Machina

Season 3 of The Legends of Vox Machina has dropped and thanks to Amazon, I received early access to the show. Ever since the successful Kickstarter campaign, this D&D-themed animated series was able to share the tale of Critical Role's first campaign in an easy-to-digest format, especially for new fans who don't have the time to watch hours of D&D campaigns that span hundreds of episodes.

For those who don't know what this show is about, it stars the original Critical Role cast - Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Travis Willingham, and of course, Matthew Mercer. All of them reprise their roles that form the Vox Machina team, who travel across Tal'dorei to stop various enemies, while also forming some alliances. While many thought that Season 3 would feature a new campaign, it was actually a continuation of the Chroma Conclave - the second arc of the Vox Machina story. So was this latest installment able to tie this story together within the 12 episodes it received?

Warning, I will be spoiling the show, so if you want to watch it blind, steer clear for now. Also, this review is written by someone who hasn't watched the original livestreams.

In Continuation of the Chroma Conclave arc

Season 3 continues where season 2 left off, where the Vox Machina team finally learns about Thordak's plan and somewhat forms an alliance with Raishan. Unlike season 1, where it was able to tell the entire Briarwood arc, the Chroma Conclave story was extended into two parts, with season 3 merging multiple side quests and story arcs into 12 episodes. While it does try to make it work, it seems like some of the stories felt condensed to keep the ball rolling, especially if the show wants to move on to its next story arc in season 4 (more on that later). Not to mention, it's clear that some changes needed to be made, especially if they were to tell this story for a Television/Streaming size format. It's not all bad as it gives greater focus on our characters.

Less action, More Relationship Building

The previous seasons of The Legends of Vox Machina showcased so much action and adventure, something that's reminiscent of many Dungeons and Dragons games. But season 3 flips that format and decides to focus on the relationships our characters have. Whether it's Pike's trust in the Everlight, Vax and Keylith's will-they-won't-they situation, and Percy and Vex's situationship, all of these relationships get a fair amount of time in the spotlight and play a role in how our characters develop, not only as themselves but also as a team. And it's not just the team dynamic, even those outside the party like Scanlan's daughter, Vex and Vax's father and mother, and Allura and Kima, these external characters also play a role in the team's development. It's really great how The Legend of Vox Machina showcases that our source of power is from the people we're close with, not just from physical strength alone. If you're invested in the relationships that have been formed since the show's beginning, it's best to grab some tissues because you're going to need them.

The adventure isn't over yet.

Fans of the original livestream know what happens to Vox Machina at the end of the campaign. So the way that season 3 ends shows that the adventure isn't over. The final episode teases another big bad is on the horizon, while our team splits up for the time being to work on themselves. It's quite a heartfelt ending, while also teasing there is more to come. While a season 4 (or possibly a season 5) has yet to be announced, The Legend of Vox Machina has prepared itself to tell one or two more final story arcs before it moves towards the Mightly Nein campaign.

Overall thoughts

In all honesty, The Legends of Vox Machina Season 3 feels a bit rushed. While it did conclude the Chroma Conclave story in this season, some story beats had little development and you wished the show did more with it. But it also makes sense why it was condensed the way it was due to the amount of time and episodes the show has. Despite some of its flaws, it's also a fun season, with more relationship-building, music from Sam Riegel, LGBT+ themes, and the usual Dungeons and Dragons antics translated into an adult animation show.

Viewers will be on the edge of their seats, and there may be tears, but in the end, it wraps up another story arc that needed two seasons to showcase its conclusion.

The Legends of Vox Machina Season 3 is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

[xombigirl]

I posted 1,297 times in 2022

That's 122 more posts than 2021!

504 posts created (39%)

793 posts reblogged (61%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@xombigirl

@maybetwice

@luckthebard

@dailyliamobrien

@beetlemancy

I tagged 1,060 of my posts in 2022

Only 18% of my posts had no tags

#critical role - 540 posts

#liam o'brien - 239 posts

#liam thirst cult - 203 posts

#cr spoilers - 189 posts

#sam riegel - 139 posts

#orym of the air ashari - 85 posts

#laura bailey - 80 posts

#exu calamity - 69 posts

#answered - 67 posts

#travis willingham - 63 posts

Longest Tag: 122 characters

#i personally think travis would kill as a druid and it was my first pick for him when we were speculating about c3 classes

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Thank you Aabria for my LIFE.

It's the 💖 that really sells it for me.

835 notes - Posted June 8, 2022

#4

I come bearing HQ photos from the CR panel at SDCC! They are watermarked because yes I got them from Getty Images but they're too pretty not to share.

See the full post

1,072 notes - Posted July 24, 2022

#3

Since Geek & Sundry's website now directs to Nerdist's site I thought it would be smart to go on a deep dive in the Wayback Machine to grab some stuff from G&S so it doesn't disappear. I couldn't have done this without my Bestie and Shame Pit Roomie, she knows who she is.

@mysticalspiders has already done a great post for the Vox Machina playlists, especially as the relate to The Legend of Vox Machina so check out that post here!!

This Google Doc contains the liner notes and playlist links for all of the Sagas of Sundry: Madness character playlists and for GM Ivan van Norman's playlist which is for both Sagas of Sundry: Madness and Dread.

This Google Doc contains the Ask Vax Machina column which was featured on G&S's website during c1

This Google Doc contains the original story that Laura Bailey wrote about how Vex'ahlia originally came to have Trinket the Bear.

I also have plans to finish transcribing the cast interviews that were also featured during c1 on the G&S website.

If anyone can think of anything else from the old days that needs to be archived from G&S please let me know!!

1,248 notes - Posted January 31, 2022

#2

See the full post

1,648 notes - Posted May 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Sam posted a few shots of himself, Liam and Marisha in "The Dead Zone" from Thursday's episode.

See the full post

1,881 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[nott-emotionally-stable]

these two? exuding chaotic energies? within thirty seconds of on an episode of Talks Machina that’s about some serious emotional shit? 

what  a fucking shocker.

[callowyn]

campaign 3 wishlist

some of these are actual guesses but most of them are just raw unfiltered id, I am ✨🔮🕯️✧ 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 ✧ 🕯️🔮✨

marquet campaign!!!

FEAT. J'MON SA ORD

also feat. kaylie "the meat man" shorthalt and her army of ducks

exploration of blightshore

exploration of literally any part of issylra that isn't vasselheim

it becomes a significant plot point that there are demons on the moon

yussa errenis gets himself locked in another dimension that was invented specifically to thwart mages

99 problems and tharizdun is at least twelve of them

more vestiges of divergence make their appearance

discovering a luxon beacon on a different continent 👀

uk'otoa (uk'otoa)

"is [npc] the new gilmore" becomes "is [npc] the new hotboi"

someone plays a sorcerer so I can finally figure out how they work

someone commits to having a french accent for the next ~3 years

someone gets 10 levels into their starting class and is then assigned paladin by a god they know nothing about

taliesin jaffe plays a class that matt homebrewed

sam riegel plays a goliath and drinks everything out of increasingly ridiculous shot glasses

sam riegel is the party's only healer

sam riegel's character acquires a gun and then never uses it

travis willingham plays a bard

liam o'brien plays another bisexual, but a girl this time

liam o'brien's character has an optimistic outlook and a loving family

one of the players ends up with two characters and it's ashley johnson

I am gay for marisha ray's character (free space)

return of the laura bailey wink

a marisha/laura romance gets to be requited

a sam/travis romance of literally any kind

also travis/taliesin or taliesin/liam

my multishipping ass just wants to watch these people flirt lmfao

one of the pcs is the parent of another pc

one of the pcs is a sworn enemy of another pc and is playing the long game double-cross

taliesin jaffe is secretly chaotic evil

matt lets them get away with option orgy instead of boss battle

a guest pc beats spurt's speedrun time from introduction to death

a guest spot from any one of the mcelroys but especially clint

everyone is confused by the new seating arrangement

the gang all gets to play at the same table again

they cry and so do we

please feel free to add your own 8)

[critmasexchange]

Post Deadline Pinch Hits #1-3

PINCH HITS #1 - #3

We have three (3) Post Deadline Pinch Hits. These are due by 23:59 on December 27th.

To claim, please direct message the comm with which PH(s) you’d like and your AO3 name (DMing is required to preserve anonymity).

Crossposted to the Dreamwidth Comm

PINCH HIT #1

For Owlmoose

Request 1 Art or Fic Fandom: Critical One-Shots: Bar Room Blitz   Jayne Merriweather

Summary Given Jayne's loyalties, I'm really eager to know what she's been up to during the time of Campaign 2. Mix it up with any other characters you like, but please keep it gen, and if there is violence I'd rather it not be too detailed or graphic.

Request 2 Art or Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign One   Pike Trickfoot & Grog Strongjaw

Summary Friendship fic please. I would love a story or artwork about the two of them growing up together, and getting into and out of trouble in Westruun.

Request 3 Art or Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Group: Caduceus Clay & Fjord & Melora | The Wildmother

Summary I'm quite fascinated by this entire situation and would be eager to see nearly anything focused on it. Gen only please.

Request 4 Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Group: Fjord/Jester Lavorre

Summary This ship is getting really adorable and I'd enjoy pretty much anything focused on it. I prefer vanilla to kinky and character-based stories to porn without plot.

PINCH HIT #2

For Wiccy Request 1 Fic Fandom:Crash Pandas: Too Trashed Too Curious  Ringo, Sass Car, Guy on Motorcycle, Reggie Burns Group: Rhinestone & Albert T. "Baldpaw" Skunk, Group: Izzy/Vin Diesel

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 2 Fic Fandom: Critical Crossovers   Group: Beauregard Lionett & Grog Strongjaw, Group: Lockheed & Nugget & Professor Thaddeus & Trinket, Group: Melora | The Wildmother & Professor Thaddeus & Trinket, Group: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Shaun Gilmore, Group: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Taliesin Jaffe, Group: Nott the Brave & Scanlan Shorthalt

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 3 Fandom:Critical One-Shots: Thursday By Night   Fic Group: Vampire Liam O'Brien/Vampire Sam Riegel, Group: Vampire Liam O'Brien & Vampire Sam Riegel & Vampire Travis Willingham, Vampire Matthew Mercer

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 4 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign One   Group: Grog Strongjaw & Scanlan Shorthalt, Group: J’mon Sa Ord/Shaun Gilmore, Group: Keyleth/Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, Group: Shaun Gilmore/Vax'ildan, Tiberius Stormwind

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 5 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Group: Animals of the Mighty Nein, Group: Animals of the Mighty Nein & Melora | The Wildmother, Group: Animals of the Mighty Nein & The Mighty Nein, Group: Avantika & Uk'otoa, Group: Beauregard Lionett & Professor Thaddeus, Group: Caduceus Clay & Fjord, Group: Caduceus Clay & Fjord & Melora | The Wildmother, Group: Caduceus Clay & Jester Lavorre, Group: Caduceus Clay & Pumat Sol, Group: Caduceus Clay & Pumat Sol & The Simulacra, Group: Fjord & Beauregard Lionett, Group: Frumpkin & Sprinkle & Nugget & Professor Thaddeus, Group: Jester Lavore & Nott | Veth Brenatto, Group: Jester Lavore & Sprinkle, Group: Pumat Sol & The Simulacra

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 6 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Group: Beauregard Lionett/Dairon, Group: Beauregard Lionett/Keg, Group: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast, Group: Caduceus Clay/Eadwulf, Group: Caduceus Clay/Fjord, Group: Caduceus Clay/Fjord/Melora, Group: Caduceus Clay/Melora, Group: Caleb Widogast/Essek Thelyss, Group: Caleb Widogast/Essek Thelyss/Yussa Errenis, Group: Caleb Widogast/Jester Lavore, Group: Caleb Widogast/Mollymauk Tealeaf, Group: Caleb Widogast/Nott | Veth Brenatto, Group: Caleb Widogast/Nott | Veth Brenatto/Yeza Brenatto, Group: Fjord/Melora | The Wildmother, Group: Jester Lavore/The Traveler

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 7 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Frumpkin, Henry Crabgrass, Jourrael | The Inevitable End, Keg, Kiri, Marius LePual, Orly Skiffback, Professor Thaddeus, Sprinkle

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 8 Fic Fandom:Critical Role RPF   Group: Dani Carr/Taliesin Jaffe, Group: Laura Bailey/Sam Riegel, Group: Liam O'Brien/Sam Riegel, Group: Marisha Ray/Matthew Mercer/Taliesin Jaffe

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 9 Fic Fandom:Yeehaw Game Ranch   Any Character

Link to Dear Critter Letter

DNWs which apply to all requests: Hard core BDSM (including things such as nipple clamps, butt plugs, strap-ons, gimping, kinbaku, testicle/genital torture and humiliation), Big/little dynamics, age play, Lactation, Blood play, vore, inflation/stuffing, sounding, medical kink, body modification/body horror, descriptions of broken or breaking bones (saying a bone is broken is fine, detailing the sounds/feelings or descriptions of what it looks like after are not), description of eye trauma (saying eye trauma occurred is fine, describing it happening or what it looks like after are not), bestiality, rimming, water sports, scat, feet (as a kink or really any descriptions of them), Death!Fic (mentions of canonical death(s) is fine), unrequested setting AUs, unrequested non-canonical pairings, unrequested gender/sexuality identity headcanons/fanons (I do not consider WOG to be canon in most cases), heavy gore, mpreg, pregnancy/birth, characters under the age of 13, genderswap, first person pov, 2nd person POV (unless otherwise requested), poetry, clowns, underage (under 18) romance or sex, descriptions of child abuse, blood relative incest, cannibalism and zombies.

PINCH HIT #3

For Wildheartsneverdie Request 1 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Group: Beauregard Lionett/Jester Lavorre

Summary Request 1: Beau and Jester. Friends to kissers, baby! Does Jester realize she doesn’t need a stinkin’ man? Are they college roommates? Do they mutually realize their feelings might be more than just friendship? Anything focusing on them becoming more than friends will melt my heart, so get creative with this one.

DNW: Please nothing with graphic violence, character death, non-con, scat, vore. No a/b/o. No incest.

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 2 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Kiri

Summary Request 2: The continued adventures of Kiri. What kind of shenanigans does she get up to after departing the guardianship of the Mighty Nein? Does she make any new friends? Give me lots of fluffy fluff.

DNW: Please nothing with graphic violence, character death, non-con, scat, vore. No a/b/o. No incest.

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 3 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign One   Group: Taryon Darrington & Vex'ahlia

Summary Vex and Taryon Darrington. What do these two besties get up to at the Slayer’s Cake? Do they have a mysterious customer? Do they need a special ingredient for a special bake? Best friends forever!

DNW: Please nothing with graphic violence, character death, non-con, scat, vore. No a/b/o. No incest.

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 4 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign One   Keyleth, Pike Trickfoot, Vex'ahlia

Summary Ladies Night Out, Vox Machina Edition. I want to see the ladies of Vox Machina hanging out together, having a nice time or getting into trouble. Is there a little romance on the side? That’s for you to decide!

DNW: Please nothing with graphic violence, character death, non-con, scat, vore. No a/b/o. No incest.

Link to Dear Critter Letter

Request 5 Fic Fandom:Critical Role Campaign Two   Jester Lavorre, Beauregard Lionett, Yasha, Nott | Veth Brenatto

Summary Ladies Night Out, Mighty Nein Edition. I want to see the ladies of Mighty Nein hanging out together, having a nice time or getting into trouble. Is there a little romance on the side? That’s for you to decide!

DNW: Please nothing with graphic violence, character death, non-con, scat, vore. No a/b/o. No incest.

Link to Dear Critter

[internetremix]

Weird hypothetical question. If the various IR shows were somehow turned into movies, who would you want to play the characters? (not counting yourselves)

Kristen: I do not know enough actors by name to answer this question.

Scott: I only know enough about voice actors, so...

Queen: Hmm...I'm not 100% sure on Grace, but there's an actor in the UK called Ramona Marquez who worked on this comedy show as a kid called Outnumbered. I could her see younger self playing Minerva, and now she's older, I could picture her as like an older Nancy Perry. I could also see Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove in Hunger Games) playing Quintessa :)

Phill: Eddie Murphy to play everyone

Alex: Masque will be played by Kevin Hart. Ignore the fact that I modeled his appearance after Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. He is definitely Kevin Hart.

Xander: Acererak will be played by Willem Dafoe

Uprising: Idk any actors

Tex: No one else is good enough to be me

Ann: Whyyyyyyy did I suddenly think of the Murder God being played by Morgan Freeman?

Scott:  (Screw it. I'm going to assume this is an animated film and use voice actors as a reference.)

I modeled a few of my character's voices with clear confidence of who I wanted to emulate. I specifically modeled Esgaal's voice off of Robert Carlyle. I would love it if he played my boy. Sam Riegel and Liam O'Brien for Percy/Noah and Charles respectively as well.

I don't have anyone specific for Adri. I just remember that I wanted to give him a deeper, more mature voice. I suppose a good fit would be Lance Henriksen. I could also see Lucien Dodge playing Malafein, as I really enjoy how he portrays his more enigmatic roles like Dust and K1-B0. I can't think of anyone for poor Kalail.

Adric: Darn, they actually said not you, that means my knowledge of actors ends there.

Juno: Obviously Scarlet Johansson for everyone

[littleintrovertednerd]

My Top Five Fandoms

There are so many fandoms that I live and breathe for, but these are my top five (as it stands, as honestly they can change from a day to day basis)

1. The Umbrella Academy.

As the youngest of a whole hoarde of brothers and sisters, I gotta say I so appreciate the sibling energy™ in this series. Every single character (yes even Luther) is so well fleshed out. They have so much depth - flaws, quirks, values, obsessions, so on and so forth. And yes, they are all very dysfunctional and problematic and flawed, but that's the beauty of it. It's dysfunctional people, with traumatic childhoods, finding love and acceptance with each other and learning how to heal and be better.

2. Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Starting with Iron Man all the way through to Endgame, I've loved the multi-story, interwined narrative that they created. Every story has it's own genre and vibe, yet they all fit together so seamlessly. And despite having such a large collection of characters, they've all been so well developed. These movies and tv series embody the heroes narrative, the striving to do the right thing no matter how hard it is.

3. Critical Role.

What is not to love about this show? This cast, these characters, their stories. This show really get me into RPG Tabletops and Dungeons and Dragons, helped me how learn how to play and feel comfortable Roleplaying. Not to mention it is a delight to watch the interactions and friendships of Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Liam O'brien, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Ashley Johnson and Tailisen Jaffe. This show has made me fall in love with fantasy and fairy tales and adventure.

4. Assassin's Creed.

I've only really recently started playing Assassin's Creed during the Coronavirus Lockdown and I'm only about halfway through the series. But from where I'm at right now, I can honestly say that I love the premise of these games. Time Travel (albeit sort of) - Awesome. Great Characters (Connor Kenway dragging Founding Fathers) - Phenomenal. Shadowy Organisations influencing the progression of society throughout history - Terrific. Insight into differing cultures and time periods - Beautiful. I love this game series because it explores the murkier areas of right and wrong and makes you think about that there is much in our past that we can't know and perhaps then we shouldn't base our present upon it.

5. Lilo and Stitch.

Look. I can't emphasise how much I love this movie. It has so many layers and so much beauty to it. It's about family and friendship and finding a place to belong. It's quirky and funny, but has a down to earth story at it's heart.

[chaotic-carnifex]

Who of the Critical Role cast would YOU trust to rule the world?

Here's my answers:

Laura Bailey: That's... a truly terrifying thought.

Travis Willingham: I'm not seeing any difference to the above scenario tbh?

Sam Riegel: NO. That's an awful idea. Just no. The only saving grace in this scenario is the fact that Quyen Tran would immediately usurp her husband and she's way more capable of ruling the world.

Liam O'Brien: I somehow feel like this would be unfair to Liam? I mean, I don't think he'd be bad at it, it's just... he already seems like he's got the world on his shoulders sometimes, let's please not actually put it there.

Marisha Ray: I'd be okay with that. She's cool. I feel like her and Matt would probably end up sharing the responsibility, because it really is a lot for one person to handle and Matt would be 100% supportive of her.

Matthew Mercer: Again, I'd be fine with this. I trust him. Also, he's already ruling an entire Fantasy World in his head, if he can handle Exandria, he can rule the real world too.

Taliesin Jaffe: You know, I was gonna make a joke about how we don't know for certain that he doesn't rule the world... but then I realized that's bullshit, bc the world would definitely be a much better place if Taliesin Jaffe did, in fact, rule it. So yeah, sign me up for that.

Ashley Johnson: Actually, never mind, sign me up for this, holy hell. Fuck yes. Ashley Johnson for Queen of Motherfucking Everything.

Bonus

Brian W. Foster: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

[pomrania]

Speech overlap in conversation between close male friends

((So this is the final paper I did for my Gender and Language course, looking at an All Work No Play clip with the conversation between Sam and Liam. Posting it here now, because why not. Word count: 1913 words.))

Introduction

Too many things are incorrectly ascribed to gender. So many relevant variables, from power to intimacy to social status, are all folded into “gender” like it's the real reason for any finding, even without gender stereotypes interfering with what researchers believe they see. I felt that what we were given as features of female conversation, particularly between friends, was not due to gender, rather openness between the parties involved. In our society, unfortunately, emotional intimacy between men is often stigmatized, leading to some avoiding it for fear of repercussions; there is also pressure on them to constantly posture their masculinity and heterosexuality.

  If one looked specifically at close male friends, would their conversational features be the same as those of female friends who aren't afraid to be open with each other?

  I selected speech overlap as a focus, because it encompasses a wide variety of purposes, from supportive back-channelling to violative interruption. I chose a pair of friends whose interactions were already on publicly-available video, whose work and relationship I was familiar with, who were conversationally proficient, and who didn't subscribe to toxic masculinity.

Methods

  Liam O'Brien and Sam Riegel, the participants for this paper, are colleagues and close friends. They are both white cis men in their 40s, reasonably well off, and established voice actors noted for their involvement in Critical Role.

 I chose for analysis a clip from the beginning of “All Work No Play: Sword Fighting”, the first video in an online series that follows Sam Riegal and Liam O'Brien as they chat about whatever comes to mind, engage in various activities, and discuss “the fun [they] done”. This clip begins with them talking about their earlier podcast and how this show began, and goes to such varied places as the identity of a particular Schwarzenegger movie, children's birthday parties, geocaching, and finally introduces the sword fighting they had done. The conversation took place in a studio, with both participants sitting across from each other at a round table. They had beverage available throughout, presumably alcoholic.

 The total duration of the analyzed clip was 11:42. Except for one hard cut done as a joke, and one sound effect added, the video has unbroken unedited audio, of an unscripted conversation between friends. The visuals switched between camera sources, but only the auditory aspects are under consideration here.

I transcribed the clip, and noted any overlaps. I classified the overlaps according to five categories:

"simple" overlap, where the second speaker began before the first speaker was entirely finished, but after the meaning was clear

successful interruption, where the second speaker took a turn from the first speaker before that one was done

failed interruption, where the second speaker tried, unsuccessfully,

back-channelling, or supportive listening

"additional", which covers both "interruptions" to add information with no intent of seizing the turn, and instances where both parties are talking at once with nobody yielding; the former corresponds to Coates' (1988) Type V

I came up with those classifications myself, in absence of prior widespread definitions. With the exception of "additional", I noted who initiated each overlap.

Results

Failed interruptions are, by far, the least common type, with only five instances out of a total of 111 overlaps. Back-channelling was the most common type of overlap, primarily due to Liam's contributions. “Additional” had the second-highest frequency, possibly due to its use by me as a “catch-all” category.

  As shown in the table, Sam and Liam have similar total numbers of overlaps, but they differ when broken down by category. Simple overlaps and failed interruptions occur in roughly equal number between participants; there are faint trends, but not to a significant enough degree to justify declaring, as those might be pure randomness.

  Liam has a drastically higher amount of verbal back-channelling, while Sam had substantially more successful interruptions.

  Of interest is the fact that Liam has roughly the same amount of failed and successful interruptions, which shall be discussed further later on.

  Some other results aren't apparent from the table, being qualitative rather than quantitative. While many topics occurred as a result of natural conversational drift, some were brought up intentionally; and in all four instances, this was done by Sam. None of the overlaps or interruptions was received negatively by either person; this accords with both Hunt (2005) and Coates (1988). The division and location of back-channelling will also be discussed later.

Conclusion/discussion

 Although “knowledge of being observed and recorded” can change people's speech behaviours, I have reason to believe that such was not the case here, making this video a valid representation of their casual conversations. The participants are professional voice actors, who have also had their weekly D&D games filmed and broadcast for the past four years. Having watched almost all of said D&D game broadcasts, which often run for four hours per session unscripted, I can confidently say that their verbal behaviour, in the examined video, does not appear to differ from that which I have previously seen, at least when they are not acting in-character.

Asymmetry in conversation, even across multiple features, is not unusual, and greater or lesser use of one feature is not necessarily linked to usage of a different feature (Freed et al., 1996). However, I only have the one pair to work from. There might or might not be a general correlation between frequency of back-channelling and simple overlap and failed and successful interruptions; I have no data to tell me one way or the other.

 The conversation in question is very obviously cooperative and not competitive. Aside from the usual purpose of social bonding, and that All Work No Play is designed as an “excuse” for these two to hang out, this conversation was also explicitly filmed for fans of a show that both Liam and Sam appear on, so that they can see them interact.

 “Interruptions” can be violative, an attempt to steal a turn, or they can be from enthusiasm. Prior knowledge of Sam's behaviour, along with Liam's reaction or lack thereof, leads me to believe that his “interruptions” are the latter kind. Sam has an outgoing and “active” nature, he always needs to be doing something; and I am like that too.

 Liam has roughly equal (low) numbers of failed and successful interruptions, and Sam has a much higher number of successful interruptions than Liam. For an interruption to be successful, it requires two things: an attempt, and acquiescence on behalf of the other party. These pieces of information tell a story about the relative natures and dynamics of the participants. Sam feels a greater urgency to speak than Liam does, and Liam is happy to play along with it. I would expect this pattern to continue whenever active extroverts and more passive introverts are friends and have a conversation together, although I have no data to back that up, only intuition; this could be the subject of a future study.

 Even though Liam had the highest rate of back-channelling, Sam still did a decent number. Back-channelling, by definition, is supportive and displays involvement in the conversation. However, a high amount of back-channelling alone does not denote a friendly conversation. Hunt (2005) recorded a group of three friends who had a similar rate of back-channelling to this study, but only if laughter and sound effects were included as such, whereas I did not count them.

 Something interesting concerns instances of narration by each person, and how the other responded to it. Sam's longest stretch of narration, describing a birthday party he attended recently, was frequently interspersed with Liam's back-channelling. Liam has comparatively long uninterrupted stretches of speech, where he describes geocaching, or how birthdays change as children age. This cannot be explained simply as Sam being less supportive than Liam, when viewed in context. Liam's narratives are intended to convey information, while Sam's described an experience of his. Sam also left much more room for responses in his narrative. This difference in how they narrated might or might not be responsible for the difference in amount of back-channelling.

 Not much can be definitively said from this about the overall nature of gender and conversation, although it provides evidence for features between two particular people. Some of the relevant apparent features of female friend conversation are simultaneous speech due to high involvement, high rates of back-channelling, and cooperative conversation-building. All of those were found here.

 There is evidence to support that gender matters less than specific variables, when it comes to speech outside of public contexts. As follows, two studies examined pairs, controlling for conversational needs and other factors.

 Freed et al. (1996) looked at pairs of same-sex friends, and usage of “you know” and various types of questions. They found that “you know” was used in the same ways, at the same frequency, regardless of gender, and its variation depended upon discourse needs, what type of talk there was. Question frequency did not vary by gender, although particular types of questions were used somewhat more often by the male or female pairs. They concluded that most of the observed gender differences, in natural environments, came from how gender affects what discourse requirements one is exposed to, and therefore how one would speak.

 Kollock et al. (1985) looked at same-sex and opposite-sex intimate couples who live together, and found that for most features, dominance was more important than gender. Much of those results are outside the scope of this study, but it provides additional evidence that “gender” is often a confounding variable. One interesting tidbit is that in their study, less than half of the interruption attempts were successful, a start contrast to my findings, where the vast majority were successful. There are however some substantial differences in situation between their and my research, such as the nature of the participants' relationships (couples vs friends), and their research methods invoked potential conflict between members of a pair.

  There are five great limitations in this study. First, although there have been attempts to create a system for classifying types of overlaps (Roger et al., 1988), nothing has of yet been commonly accepted. Therefore, one cannot easily compare results between studies, including my own, at least not in a statistically valid manner. Second, I only looked at a segment of one conversation, between one pair; I don't have as much data as I would like. Third, there is little-to-nothing available with which I can compare my results. My results may be generally applicable to all male friends of similar closeness, or they may be unique to Liam and Sam, I have no empirical evidence to direct me one way or another, only vaguely similar studies, and gut instinct. Aside from that, I only know two studies that examined conversational features between female friends, both of which I cited here; they are separated by a continent and two decades, and look at vastly different participants, so their actual comparative value is limited. Fourth, my classification system was flawed, specifically with the “additional” type; I should have noted an added comment or question along with its attribution, and kept the unattributed type for instances where it's unclear whose “turn” it might be. Fifth, I failed to account for transition-relevant places specifically.

  Despite those, the overall findings of my research are valid, even if they could be better.

  In conclusion: while I may not have conclusively proven my hypothesis, I have provided evidence that supports it, and taken a much-needed look at an understudied field.

References

Coates, J., Cameron, D., & Coates, J. (1988). Gossip revisited: Language in all-female groups. Women in Their Speech Communities: New Perspectives on Language & Sex, 94–121.

Critical Role. (2018, September 30). All Work No Play: Sword Fighting. Retrieved March 18, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD1CXWE7KwM

Freed, A. F., & Greenwood, A. (1996). Women, Men, and Type of Talk: What Makes the Difference? Language in Society, 25(1), 1-26.

Hunt, S. (2005). Some (more) features of conversation amongst women friends. Southern African Linguistics & Applied Language Studies, 23(4), 445–458.

Kollock, P., Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1985). Sex and power in interaction: conversational privileges and duties. American Sociological Review, 50, 34–46.

Roger, D., Bull, P., & Smith, S. (1988). The Development of a Comprehensive System for Classifying Interruptions. Journal of Language & Social Psychology, 7(1), 27–34.

[ophelialmx]

I’m happy to finally share this only a million hours later than anticipated for @widofjordweek. ^^ This series can’t be tamed but it will earn the use of that tag.

- - -

“So have you been – did you take notes on any of this?” asks Sam-Nott.

“No,” says Laura-Jester. “I didn’t do that. But! I did draw a picture of Fjoooord. And Caaaayleb… And Caleb is on Fjord’s lap…”

“Oh god,” Sam-Nott responds.

"Oh no," Travis laughs under his breath.

“But they’re being very polite!” Laura-Jester adds defensively, shrugging like this is obvious and looking around at the other players. “They’re both wearing clothes mostly, and they’re just having some tea, you know, they’re having a great time!”

“Jester!” Sam-Nott snaps unconvincingly.

“But also,” Laura adds sincerely, in Jester’s voice, “Fjord has an evil-guy twirly moustache because I know we are definitely suspicious of what he is up to.”

Chapters: 1/?

Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role (Web Series) RPF Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast, Laura Bailey & Sam Riegel, Fjord & Nott (Critical Role), Nott & Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre & Nott, Fjord & Jester Lavorre Characters: Caleb Widogast, Fjord (Critical Role), Nott (Critical Role), Jester Lavorre, Travis Willingham, Liam O'Brien (Actor), Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson Additional Tags: If you haven't flirted with your friends in character have you even D&D, Innuendo with a capital I, Nott the Best Detective Agency, Widofjord Week, I mean in my own way, Some references to het ships but nothing serious Series: Part 3 of Definitely not a romantic sub-plot... Summary:

Nott has good reason to be extremely suspicious of Fjord. It's time for the Detectives to look into his obviously very real sneaky dealings and secret motives...

OR

Sam and Laura take an idea and run with it.

[dungeonmastersconsortium]

I was showing my roommate literally everyone from CR (perks of being bi, they're all attractive) and the only one she thought was attractive was Travis. I mean, ok, she's straight, but still. Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Taleisin Jaffe (which my predictive text now knows, apparantly). Sam Mothafuckin' Riegel (I paid for stuff on DND Beyond because of that man). Also, all the woman are gorgeous, and I forgot what I was saying. Critical Rile is just a lot of attractive people. K thx bai

I mean yeah everyone on that show is attractive, objectively speaking

[corink]

claire-folley replied to your post “I’ve been in the same room as Liam O'Brien at least 2 or 3 times but...”

Did Liam O'Brien voice Dimitri and Clark from PL too????

lmao apparently he did, which I did not know until right now, but now that I think about it you can tell its his voice like now that I’ve watched countless hours of CR lmao

Liam has voiced tons of stuff just like all the other CR players, but at the time I did not know like almost any voice actors names, 

I was just at a con and it was like “there’s an autograph signing with Sam Riegel” (Liam and Sam were next to eachother but they had different lines and I didnt really know and wasn’t about to get in line again)

and the other time I was at a Critical Role panel with all the VA’s just talking about it and answering questions (I only really knew like the names Sam Riegel, Matt Mercer, and Laura Bailey) 

[divagonzo]

Ugh I’m trying to write something original cause I’m stuck with my fanfics and I want to write a female centric story but all ideas I come up with are “save the world” “go quest to save city” “girl saves boy/boy Saves girl” but I don’t want to work on those! But I can’t think of anything else cool to write :C what do I do ?

Hiya Nonnie. Cuppa tea?

Hmmmm. Given my rubbish writers block (and RL taking up so many of my daily spoons the last six months now)...

Hmmmmm.

Are you wanting something shippy or something Angst/Fluffy/Meet Happy/General audiences work?

I guess if you want an idea...

I'm currently elbows deep in Found Family / married for tax benefits kinds of stories (because my top fandom is about to blow up in about 2 weeks from now!) and those tropes are so good for me.

So...

If you want it shippy....

Two best friends (extra biscuits if it's in anyway queer related) decide that one needs benefits for reasons*** and they decide to get married but afterwards realize, "I'm comfortable showing you affection" and then realize "Oh damn, I love you more than platonically" but only the two of them know and everyone else sees them as "And they were room mates" and nothing changes outwardly.

(That was first idea I came up with)

Or second one...

Person A reads a book and falls in love with the series yet no one in their immediate friend/family circle is interested - but finds their tribe online and bonds with others over fandom and eventually meet someone who becomes their BFF. (General Audience story - no shippy elements - all platonic)

(This idea is loosely based on Liam O'Brien / Sam Riegel and how they met/became BFF / etc.)

Or a third one...

Person A is desperate in life, and reaches out to an anonymous chat room / social media forum. Strikes up a friendship with someone who is a name/number. Turns into a solid friendship and it's only at the end of the story that they agree to meet (because they are both adults and it's cool!) and Person A is shocked because Person B - their BFF now - is like 40+ years older than them and never realized because they are wicked cool.

Any of those strike a cord, nonnie?