#tpks happen to everyone

[hanatsuki-esperanza]

Unpopular Critical Role Opinion: The Group Should Have TPK-ed in Episode 34.

Instead, we got Imogen becoming even more of a Main Character and unlocking stupid OP Anime-Protagonist Level powers in addition to her already OP Plot Armor. Otohan could have easily killed Bell’s Hells and she would have in any other campaign.

TPKs were extremely common in older editions where the mentality of DM-vs-PCs was more prevalent, and while that mentality has lessened, TPKs still happen all the time in DnD campaigns. 5e and the new edition make it even harder to kill PCs, but TPKs aren’t always a bad thing. It gives the players and DM a chance to restart the plot from a new angle. Sure, you lose the characters you’re attached to, but that’s just how the dice roll sometimes. While you can tell stories in DnD, at it’s core, DnD is a game of strategy and chance. You roll dice to determine outcomes and the potential for failure exists at the heart of the game. Yes, the characters are comforting to people, and we want them to succeed through it all, but it’s exciting and real when you don’t know if a character will survive, versus if you know they’ll survive to the end of the campaign.

We’ll never see a TPK on Critical Role, which is unfortunate. In Critical Role, the characters here are too important to lose, especially the Imogen ex Machina. (Also, from the way the fandom reacted when possible 3/7 PCs were in danger of not being revived, if a TPK actually did happen, the fandom would implode).

[blappel]

Hei has Died.

[elftwink]

been learning to play ironsworn (gritty fantasy ttrpg which you can play with a gm but is mostly suited for solo or small group co-op gmless play) after having the rulebook pdf for several years (stars finally aligned to remove invisible thing blocking me from reading it idk) because i'm on another solo ttrpg kick & i don't know what took me so long to get around to this game because it genuinely is exactly what i was looking for. years ago when i was playing through solo 5e modules i should have just been playing ironsworn (believe it or not, 5e isn't very suited to solo play and is extremely clunky when you try lol).

also though i have dabbled in some other solo ttrpgs, a considerable amount of them are journaling games which is fun but imo considerably more work (usually by the time i'm a quarter of the way through the journal entry, i know how to entire scene played out and i want to move on to the next gameplay thing, so i get frustrated and bored quickly. it feels like when you solve a level in a video game but don't have the coordination to pull off the necessary move so you have to spend 20 extra minutes doing something you already figured out), so i really appreciate like not needing to write something for the game to progress (ive been taking notes for my own record since im playing solo and thus am not really out loud roleplaying the way you do in a group, but i definitely could do that instead and not take notes and the game would still function perfectly)

& ive been playing by myself but also in the past ive played a lot of ttrpgs in very small groups which has been other games but is mostly dnd and like. we also should have been playing ironsworn so that having a gm was not necessary. have definitely played games where we had to adapt the rules soooo much to do something that is just base game included in ironsworn. plus it's rules-light enough to do pretty complex moves that pose difficulties in bulkier games (ever introduced someone to dnd and they tell you they want to do a sick backflip and catch something and then attack and you have to tell them that will require several different consecutive rolls and some creative liberties with how the rules are 'supposed' to let you move? you can just Do That in ironsworn. use the strike move and describe it. done!)

the one thing is that although it's rules-light enough to theoretically play any setting or genre (some with more difficulty than others), ive found so far that like... the grittiness and sense of threat is very built into the mechanics so that would be sort of difficult to work around or change (but i think it's great from a game design perspective). what i mean is like, okay: you start with 5 max hp. there isn't really a way to raise this max hp, you just slowly gain abilities (assets) that make you less likely to have to lose the hp in the first place, or that make it easier to recover. when you encounter foes, you rank them on a scale of 1 -5, and enemies on the lowest side of this scale do one harm to you, while enemies on the highest side do five harm to you. so even though encountering an epic enemy won't always be deadly due to the assets you have, they are ALWAYS capable of taking you down to 0 hp with one good hit. so the feeling of threat is much more present compared to games where your character starts to be able to just tank and push through a failure or huge threat.

admittedly also i'm playing solo, im still learning how to balance combat, and also i built a character who has NO combat talents and iron (the close quarters fighting stat) is one of my lowest stats so i personally am under much more threat than if you built a character who knew how to fight or who could do deadly harm. but also the other thing about combat is it's extremely difficult to maintain control of the fight; you have to score a strong hit to do it on basically all moves, and there's a really limited pool of moves available when you don't have the initiative, and obviously none of them really favour you. i don't know that this makes combat genuinely more difficult, but it does make you feel like the fight is always about to spiral out of your control. every second you let it drag without decisive action feels like it brings you closer to dying. like i said, this is a feature of the game design and not a problem in any way. just thinking about it because when i was initially learning i was going to try to supplant it into a homebrew fantasy world of my own but the tone just wouldn't be right. and that it is somewhat difficult to replicate the kind of worlds that i typically play or run for dnd, which tend to lean somewhat sillier and definitely much higher fantasy

but i like to try new things and tbh especially in dnd i find that i very rarely feel that sense of threat and when i do feel it, it has nothing at all to do with the actual mechanics and reality of the combat and everything to do with how well the dm sells it to me and makes it sound and feel scary and dangerous. which is a testament to what a good gm can do for you but i do appreciate the threat feeling more built-in and also being actually real.

[workingwhileidream]

Okay Burrow's End had me thinking some thoughts... So here are my favorite Dimension 20 moments that rotate like a rotisserie chicken in my brain (in no particular order other than the order I thought if them).

- Riz goes into the butthole of the Corn Ooze Monster (Fantasy High). The first absolutely insane shenanigans move anyone makes on D20, setting the tone the show will have forever.

- Raphaniel kills Queen Pamelia (Ravening War). I think I saw Brennan's soul leave his body briefly when he got that How Do You Want To Do This from Matt. Time was an absolute flat circle that day.

- Hank convinces Brennan to let him role savvy instead of sneak (Mentopolis). Hank is one of the most famous content creators, having him on the show was phenomenal to begin with. Then right out of the gate, he pulls this move in his first episode. And it just works. Hilarious, instantly iconic.

- Jet Dies (A Crown of Candy). When Lapin dies, it is shocking but I wasn't attached to him as a character. Lapin was a bit antagonistic and his death happens early in the season. On the other hand, Jet is instantly likeable. Emily and Siobhan are amazing as siblings, their performances this campaign are some of my favorites. I have siblings and I am very close to them, so this hit me like a ton of bricks.

- The entire epilogue of Burrow's End. "Are you pitching and Air Bud ending?" is one of the instant hall of fame quotes from this show. I started crying I was laughing so hard.

- Ylfa's bottleneck and the TPK (Neverafter). There are so many close calls for total party kills in Dimension 20 history, but this is where it finally happens and it's only 3 episodes in. I was on edge, expecting another TPK at any turn, for the rest of the campaign.

- 3 nat one initiative rolls for the battle that literally opens the season (A Starstruck Odyssey). The beginning of a new season is always full of excitement. This season was extra special, having everyone back in the dome after the pandemic and the season being based off Brennan's Mom's comics. The zoom energy is still in the air and I still think about this season opener a lot.

- Mother Timothy Goose breaks Snow White's concentration with a cantrip (Neverafter). Only Ally Beardsley could and we all damn well know it. Still didn't stop me from being so far in disbelief that all I could do is laugh.

- Hob's "You will never know another lonely day" speech to Rue (A Court of Fey and Flowers). I will still cry about this if I think about it for too long. Rue and Hob's romance is the heart of this season to me. I won't be over it ever.

- Gertrude convinces Nyruth to give the Questing Queens very powerful boons after the Queens tried to rob them only a few hours earlier (Dungeons and Drag Queens). The fact that this season exists drives a level of serotonin into my brain that is unimaginable. This is the definition of a big swing and when Bob rolls well, Brennan has no other choice than to honor it. This is one of the moments I have made a meme of. I cannot wait for season 2.

- Wuuvy shows up to the duel and she did not come to play (A Court of Fey and Flowers). Aabria has talked about how Wuuvy is one of her favorite NPCs and I feel the same. Wuuvy and Rue's relationship has such a great arc and this moment is so pivotal.

- Fabian's no good very bad day (Fantasy High Sophomore Year). An iconic moment in D20 history that was truly wild to watch live. For everything to go so fantastically bad for Fabian and Lou was unprecedented. There is a reason why people still talk about this moment to this day.

- Amathar survives being pushed off the castle (A Crown of Candy). Brennan tried to kill Lou so many times in this campaign. I really thought Brennan had gotten him with this one, my stomach sunk. But Lou pulls it out and Amathar lives once again.

- Pib plays "Smoke on the Water" (Neverafter). "I stepped out to play 'Smoke on the Water' " is also a hall of fame quote to me. This list could be all Pib moments if I'm being honest, he's my favorite Zac character. And the fact that Zac doesn't roll well makes this moment funnier to me.

- Buddy Bear gets planted with the All Blossom (Dungeons and Drag Queens). Jujubee and Brennan owe me a therapy session for this one. I sobbed. My cat is my baby and I will be ruined the day she leaves me, so I get it. I really do.

- "Eat your dice, Brennan" (Fantasy High Sophomore Year). A great bit made physically possible by Siobhan. I hope Siobhan gives him gummy dice or something like that so that Brennan can continue to eat his dice for Junior Year.

- Orange Top Hat Fairy (Neverafter). It's a horror season and the cast is doing bits about how hot a mini is the entire finale and the Adventuring Party that followed. I felt the stress and off the walls energy through the screen. The Smooth Criminal pin was the first piece of Dimension 20 merch I bought.

- Viola's epic takedown of Phoebe (Burrow's End). Watching Rashawn absolutely crush it her first time in the dome was amazing. I loved Viola from the jump, her arc was so satisfying and fun to watch. Also the idea of a tiny stoat kicking a gun just the right way to get it to fire is hilarious. No notes other than please have Rashawn come back on every season she possibly can.

- Evan Kelmp warns the Rosemont student not to duel him (Misfits and Magic). Brennan's deadpan warning matched with the reactions of the other players and Aabria really make this scene. An underrated Brennan moment for sure.

- Stacey Fakename turns out to be real (Mentopolis). This was such a good reoccurring bit, so to have Stacey be real at the end of the story was too funny. In a season of bits, tropes, and puns - this one has the most payoff to me and is definitely my favorite.

[oopsallmabari]

finally met the viddasala. just had the FASTEST tpk ive ever experienced in this game.

[ziracona]

Love that everyone in Breaking Bad gets fucked. So funny. Like every single montherfucker is in jail, dead, or if let slightly off the hook or incidentally involved (Skyler, Walt Jr,), life ruined. All of them. 87 years jail for the looney tunes lawyer, Stoic Dad 2 is dead, the gay classy bitch got Harvey Dent’d fatally, Walt doesn’t even get to die on screen, Marie loses everything, it’s a tpk. Every bitch in the show straight up Hayes Code’d.

Except Jesse

Who gets to go live free and start over in Alaska.

Unreal. And like god bless if anyone ever deserved to be a creator’s pet, like straight up earned it, to such a degree it is “We’re going to kill you in S1 Mr. Paul” to S5 “You can kill me off but everyone will quit watching” Jesse Cap’N Cook Pinkman. The acting Oscar worthy, the breakdowns, the range, climbing into a box to see if a body would fit, go-karting sadly, ‘Yeah bitch! Magnets!’ to the revenge killing, truly, he had it all.

Kid went through enough in s1 to last a lifetime and then Walt just kept on happening again and again after. Even the ethics rules of the show’s universe unmatched by the power of a pathetic little guy literally everyone is rooting for. God bless enjoy Alaska bitch you earned it.

[utilitycaster]

OK the two non-FCG major thoughts I had about this episode are:

How is Liliana going to fit into all this? Like, sure, I'll buy that Imogen's pleas have had a real impact - especially the second one, honestly. The first, impassioned and earnest as it might be, can't compare to seeing the daughter you keep saying you're protecting (and I do think Liliana thinks she's protecting her) near-dead at the hands of your fellow general. On the other hand, what - is she coming with them to Ria'Doin? Is the Vessel of Predathos (TM) going to just waltz on in? And what happens when it comes out that yes, they were in Kreviris on Volition business, and they will continue to be involved with the people who tried to kill her? I'm interested in all of this because it feels very precarious and volatile but man is it delicate.

It does feel significant how close they got to a TPK even after very quickly taking away the backpack. I've been treading carefully here and will continue to do so; as someone who had many criticisms of the Bassuras Otohan fight and of the character (and still does) I don't actually take issue with her build or power level here. It's more a weird sense of like...I've never seen it get so close in past campaigns and certainly not at this high a level; the only vaguely comparable thing is Keyleth failing multiple death saves while in the Nine Hells and that was because she happened to be their only way out. I don't think this fight was by any means structured to be unwinnable or even necessarily require a death, and I don't have any interest in Monday morning quarterbacking it in detail, but it did feel like a much more...blasé attitude towards it than I'm used to seeing. And obviously I don't think anyone was uncaring either! It was pretty clear from the response to FCG's sacrifice that everyone is deeply invested! I think two really interesting hooks just got set up up. I just...really hope Matt's on 4SD soon because this all feels, again, precarious.

[britcision]

Anyway I dunno how helpful this is gonna be to anyone but me, but uh… I… may have made a lil summary list of all the chapters of Dungeon Meshi by who’s in them and the vaguest description of what happens

(This began when I was trying to see if Chilchuck and Mithrun had been in a single panel together pre finale for Fanfic Reasons - they had been

One. Single. Panel.

Before Mithrun fucked off upstairs at Thistle’s house)

There are OBVIOUSLY spoilers it’s chapter by chapter but I like being able to pinpoint where the fuck to search for random obscure details so: Spoilers Below The Cut

DunMeshi chapters

1 - Falin goes down, leaving the dungeon, meeting Senshi. Giant scorpion hot pot

2 - man eating plants vs plant eating man

3 - basilisk hunting, meeting Doni and Fonil

4 - how not to pick mandrakes

5 - Chilchuck the trap expert, cooking with traps

6 - living armour, Laios first death

7 - analyzing and eating the living armour, Kensuke acquired

8 - Senshi and the golems

9 - veggie knight Laios, meeting the orcs

10 - meeting Kabru, treasure bugs

11 - spirit sorbet

12 - living paintings, first sighting of Thistle

13 - Chilchuck vs Mimics

14 - hair is important for magic, Anne actually does not like you sir, kelpie soap

15 - corpse collectors find Kabru, Kabru Swears Revenge, instant mermaid tpk, mermaids hate Laios��� singing

16 - kraken attack, parasites in parasites

17 - Marcille and Falin flashback, making fake dungeons, the natural dungeon, rip Laios

18 - planning rests, Marcille vs the Undine, Marcille low on mana - need lots of iron, Namari approaches

19 - Namari and the Tances meet Laios and co, the Undine is Super Duper Mad Actually, how resurrection works in the dungeon, fun with tentacles

20 - the undine fight part 2, trying to send Marcille to the surface for mana reasons with Namari and the Tances, Namari discovers the adamantine wok, Tances to the surface

21 - Laios and co down the shortcut full of tentacles, frog suits

22 - Tances to the governor, Namari and the twins visit a resurrection centre and bond

23 - Laios and co down to the castle town, how to fight the dragon awake and without Shuro? Mapping the town, planning

24 - leading the dragon around, Kensuke defects, stabbing feet is mid actually

25 - backup plan, let’s stand on a pot full of fireworks, the sacrifice play, Laios may learn some healing spells pls

26 - flashbacks with Laios, Falin, and the puppers, healing everyone up, excavating the dragon’s stomach and also guts

27 - putting the bones together, not enough left to reach the surface, it’s Fucked Up Necromancy Time, we gots a FALIN

28 - rest and recovery, dragon cooking season, Falin’s a lil OP now, Thistle Has Opinions

29 - hey guess what there’s still dragon in there, Thistle and Falin vs Laios and co, ghost rescue

30 - orcs on the fifth floor, Chilchuck would like his friends to live please, retreating to the surface?

31 - well shit going back is less easy than it looks, the moving maze, dryad snacks

32 - Tance resurrects Kabru and co, Kabru Swears To Go Home And Chill, attack of the corpse collectors, Kabru Has Morals

33 - Kabru and co working out who keeps “stealing” their stuff, a look at Laios and co from the outside and they all look shifty, sea serpent, Shuro and co meet Kabru and co

34 - teaching Laios healing magic, infinite energy in the dungeon, Laios mana sickness, the castle town is moving again, cockatrice, Marcille is petrified and pickling

35 - Chilchuck maps the dungeon city’s changes, dungeon cleaners, Shuro and Kabru and co arrive

36 - Kabru is kinda creepy okay, Chilchuck has something almost like a map, So Did You Fucking Save Falin (it’s complicated), Splitting The Party But For Safety Reasons, Laios tells Shuro and Kabru what has been happening including his Questionable Decisions, Shuro Backstory Via Maizuru

37 - Shuro is stabby and Kabru is a dick, HARPIES, Laios Maybe Should Not Have Told Shuro, Falin on the rampage

38 - Kabru Fucking Murders Falin (or DID he), reviving everyone, Laios vs Shuro, Marcille can MAYBE heal people I GUESS, Kabru has anatomy question, monster dinner for Kabru, Kabru and Shuro’s combined co go back to the surface and leave their supplies behind

39 - Suspiciously Convenient Downwards Stairs, why are we being attacked anyway, shapeshifters are just like us actually, Laios and all his impressions are super obvious so you can’t be mad

40 - Laios and crew with the shapeshifters cooking challenge

41 - Izutsumi joins the party, use your tools properly, decursing Izutsumi

42 - nightmares, Laios and Marcille

43 - reaching where the dragon fight took place, ice golem, Izutsumi and Chilchuck bond

44 - Izutsumi gets Namari’s coat, flashbacks with Izutsumi, barometz

45 - Kabru and Shuro’s crews reach the surface, Canaries reach the governor and Kabru reports, Laios Sees Dead People

46 - spirit kidnapping, the Golden Country and domesticated monsters, the mad sorcerer’s curse, Prophecies And You

47 - dungeon pancakes in the golden company, Yaad experiences Consequences, frozen over floor, That Is A Griffin Not A Falin

48 - griffin done kidnapped Senshi, making familiars, it turns out crafting skills are important, Senshi rescue

49 - Senshi’s Tragic Backstory™️, griffin vs hippogriff soup

50 - first changeling day! Elf Senshi, through the golden door

51 - changeling’d Laios and co vs gargoyles, We Are The Mushroom Circle, wash up

52 - dwarf elevator, Falin and Laios backstory, Canaries reach the dungeon

53 - Kabru, Namari, Canaries, the shadow governor and Mithrun being intensely fuckable

54 - Kabru, Namari and Shuro, mushrooms attack, Thistle Sighted

55 - Mithrun vs Thistle Round 1, Laios’ party have been changelinged take 2 (ogre Marcille) and eating ointment

56 - bicorn Laios’ party, the Chilchuck wife reveal

57 - flashback Falin and Laios take Marcille to the dungeon for the first time, headless horseman comes for some bicorn

58 - Laios’ party, succubi attack and the party goes down, Izutsumi focused

59 - Izutsumi’s succubi and party replenishment

60 - Laios’ succubus dreams and winged lion conversation, Laios the Dungeon Lord

61 - Kabru backstory reveal, Mithrun’s broke ass self reveal, Be sure not to want too much, The Ship Begins

62 - Mithrun the Dungeon Lord, footrubs work fuck you, their week alone and teleport scroll to meet up with the Canaries

63 - Laios and crew find Thistle’s house, phoenix fight and cooking, found book 1

64 - Marcille opens the book, need to make a meal for Falin

65 - dungeon rabbits and Marcille’s corpse tour

66 - top floor of the dungeon, Bickering Next To Holes Is Bad Actually, Kabru and the Canaries have a snack and Mithrun will not fucking stop staring, Laios and crew prepare a meal, Thistle is Suffering

67 - flashbacks with Laios and Falin, Laios kills Falin, Ready to take and have something taken

68 - Thistle’s backstory, someone has CLEANED, fuck you winged dragon

69 - Thistle and the Dragons nearly rock up a tpk

70 - Thistle shoulda researched dragons more

71 - Laios bondages Thistle to solve problems, Thistle instead creates a new problem

71.1 - Daydream Hour 4, character sketches, Canaries

72 - Thistle’s Brand New Feeder Fantasies, winged dragon eats Thistle and frees Laios and co to recover, Izutsumi finds Yaad

73 - Marcille is hung over, the Canaries and Kabru reach Thistle’s house, Cithis decides it’s hypno-time and Mithrun hunts down Thistle for round 2 (unneeded)

74 - Mithrun constantly accidentally menaces Marcille, Marcille unseals the winged dragon

75 - Mithrun vs Demon round 1, Marcille becomes Dungeon Lord and spiders it up

76 - Kabru, Canaries, Laios and co aftermath of Marcille’s leaving, dealing with the injured, Kabru sucks at explanations and Lycion is impatient, Canaries lose Laios and co

77 - orcs have captured Shuro and Namari, the dungeon shifts

78 - monsters running rampant, Namari and Shuro and Flamelle trying to work out what to do to save the world, sides picked for/against Laios as Dungeon Lord (he isn’t but okay)

79 - Marcille sees Falin and her dad, Laios and crew don’t drown yet, the Canary familiar army gets weird and eats them and promptly regrets it

80 - pooped out by coatl, Laios and co reunite with Marcille to discuss wtf, demon is a stripper, Laios says maybe stop Marcille says stay in the kitchen and make me a sammich

81 - Laios and co getting into Marcille’s past with FakeDad, do in fact make her a sammich, it does not work and subterfuge is still needed to escape

82 - phone calls on the surface, dungeon is leaking

83 - Kabru and the Canaries see the crack, monsters line up for combat, Marcille gets a new outfit that 1000% does not stop Mithrun from coming for her ass, Mithrun vs Marcille round 2 but he’s been listening and totally tries talking her down one whole time, Canaries tpk’d except Lycion

84 - Laios rescues Lycion, reconnects with Kabru Shuro and Namari, demon shares its goals and sides square up to contain the dungeon, monsters stop to let Laios and co through to see Marcille

85 - Laios and co find Falin in the tower, Marcille drowning in desires but the strongest one is for DRAMA (Chilchuck’s family)

86 - monsters will not listen to Marcille’s stop, sealing the bookhand demon, How do I stop being a dungeon lord?, Laios offers to defeat the demon and resurrects Mithrun on that alone so he signs off on eating Falin

86.1 - Daydream Hour 5, alternate outfits and more Canary stories

87 - demon backstory, needs other site

88 - Laios and co inside the demon (still a thot), Laios makes a deal

89 - dropping of Marcille and the gang with Namari and the Canaries, “Laios” makes a break for the surface but IT IS MITHRUN WITH A STEAL CHAIR Mithrun vs Demon round 3, still no noticeable success

90 - what if y’all go hang out with monster Laios instead, The World Is Ending And It’s All My Fault (Marcille and Kabru), Mithrun Is Having None Of It, Marcille and co chase down “Laios”, demon arms go claw machine

91 - vore and reverse vore, Laios vs “Laios”, get cursed bitch

92 - back down the tower then oops gotta escape the dungeon anyway, Marcille and gang find Namari, looking for Laios

93 - Now We Have A Dinner Party, different groups coming to help, found Laios

94 - elves in the aftermath, Mithrun serving up Falin, leftovers and veggie scraps

95 - meal, About That Golden Country, resurrection take 2

96 - epilogue

[its-mekjt]

Favourite parts of 3×98 (potential spoilers below the break)

woke up early by my sister. today is the day i try to get chappell roan tickets for me and my friends. pray for me. they come out at 10am. right now, it it is 8:37am. I'll be pausing the VOD halfway through to fight a war.

PART ONE

▪︎ BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN WOO

▪︎ NOT THE CROWD CHANTING TPK.

▪︎ travis' costumes slays

▪︎ live nordverse show my god.

▪︎ HAPPY PRIDE

▪︎ dorian storm angst time besties

▪︎ first roll of the night (24)

▪︎ "mmm i'm gonna make a mistake."

▪︎ matt has broken

▪︎ imogen failed wisdom save

▪︎ "you hate me." // "bitch no i don't."

▪︎ the spectrum of what the demon shows you: your mom or dead kids

▪︎ "i'm going to hell." // "probably pretty soon."

▪︎ gambling with teven

▪︎ fearne does not know what the pact is

▪︎ OH SHIT ASMODEUS

▪︎ dorian's parent's have REALLY good lawyers

▪︎ quick break for me to get chappel roan tickets (i didn't get them)

▪︎ THAT'S WHAT THAT KNOCK IS CALLED?

▪︎ RIEGEL RETURNS. (hello dani carr)

▪︎ HOT MINOTOUR YESSSSSS

▪︎ bells hells follow the gods just because they're famous, confirmed

▪︎ happy pride.

▪︎ ashton wisdom saving throws. (14)

▪︎ HEY MATT. THIS IS EVIL.

▪︎ the [dismayed screaming].

▪︎ the cheering when braius' character sheet came up. (YEAH PALADIN/BARD BABY)

▪︎ the crowd going FERAL for teven

▪︎ fearne, teven and the many people they're bound to

▪︎ fuck off no. creepy child. bye bye travis.

▪︎ the person who went 'ow!' in the crowd, you are my spirit animal.

▪︎ "did someone say FLY?"

▪︎ DEVIL CHILD DEVIL CHILD DEVIL CHILD.

▪︎ 21 FAILS? MATT YOU DEMON.

▪︎ laura bailey. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "YOU'RE NOT SURE."

▪︎ ANIMATE OBJECT YESSSSSSS. best spell.

PART TWO

▪︎ YO THAT MINI

▪︎ drop that bitch on the crystal

▪︎ YEAH COUNTERSPELL. LOVE IT.

▪︎ HERALD OF ASMODEUS LETS GO.

▪︎ "i see a red door and i want to paint it black."

▪︎ dominox has girlboss energy

▪︎ what is dominox's unpopular opinion?

▪︎ chug, chug, chug

▪︎ fighters, man. love them.

▪︎ NOT 2 NATURAL 1S LIAM.

▪︎ orym the hummingbird.

▪︎ 46 on the FIRST hit? rip orym.

▪︎ dorian has a panic attack

▪︎ the planning happening behind robbie

▪︎ RIEGEL COMING IN CLUTCH

▪︎ sam stop breaking the set

▪︎ counterspell the counterspell

▪︎ right now, ludinus is like the coworker you really don't like but they're being helpful for once.

▪︎ I FORGOT ABOUT ESSEK AND LUDINUS

▪︎ essek is going to have to fill caleb in on so much stuff

▪︎ YEAH MATT GETS A HDYWTDT

▪︎ time to beat up ludinus now

▪︎ that'll go for 5000 gold in a few years

▪︎ braius is flirting with everyone with no regrets

▪︎ LORE LORE LORE

▪︎ DM SWAP. HELLO MULLIGAN. WHAT IS GOING ON.

▪︎ "LIGHT." YESSSS

▪︎ NO THAT CANNOT BE THE END. W H A T.

[soath]

Having had a day to think about it, I’m really wondering how much of this Crownkeepers-cut-to was planned. Obviously they had it in the works as an eventuality, but did they always intend to do it now, post-moon, or was this precipitated by FCG’s death? Did the rest of the cast know? Looking at how the episode was blocked out, how Matt banished everyone and then left before Aabria stepped in, it’s very possible that they weren’t on set the same day. Scheduling is hard enough as it is! Setting a separate filming time for the second act smooths the gears considerably.

If I had to guess, I’d say there have been loose discussions building a reunion with the Crownkeeper cast since episode 86 or earlier. They’ve probably been sharing their schedules and commitments, Aabria’s been brainstorming stuff, lines of lore communication have been opened. If it didn’t happen immediately post-moon (under other circumstances maybe not mid episode? though the drama was VERY good) it would have happened a little later, maybe pre-filmed, as a little break for the cast.

As for why they’d choose to do it now… though prior PC deaths gave multiple episode of downtime before people came in with their replacement character, those were also much different circumstances. Bells Hells are firing on full cylinders, they need their team locked and loaded, there’s a ninety percent chance they’re going to go to Keyleth and immediately volunteer to go to Aeor. One-two episodes gives Sam time to develop a character who can mesh with the rest of the team fast, and probably run a few playtests or minisessions since he’ll be jumping into a brand new build at level 13. It also gives them time to potentially book other guest slots, put Christian Navarro and Emily Axford on call as needed, etc. The whole party composition just changed drastically and they’re trying to juggle that amidst the schedules of some very busy performing artists!

As for how the Crownkeepers day in the limelight will end, it’s still very ambiguous. In the short term I think Aabria is angling to replace Opal with Deni$e in the lineup, relegating Opal to Zerxus level tragic champion of a Betrayer status. That’s if she doesn’t TPK the whole team of course, which there’s a small but not nonexistent chance she’ll do—Aabria pulls her punches a bit more than I would but she still hits hard. I don’t know if there’s a path for them to get to Bassuras to join Orym in a timely manner. My suspicion is that the mini game will end with them on the run from Opal, in dire straits, still in the middle of nowhere Tal’Dorei, headed vaguely to the Ashari, then Dorian getting Orym’s latest grief struck message and Robbie being put on the spot to answer in 25 words. Which seems like a very prettily vicious ending.

[marcussour]

Me the other day: I probably won't be able to keep watching CR live, gonna switch to the VOD's from now on

Me last night: Well, we had an hour change and the episodes are starting an hour earlier, let's try and see if I can still do it...

AND BOY OH BOY AM I GRATEFUL I DID WATCH IT LIVE LAST NIGHT

It's been like 6-7 hours since it ended, and all I could think about was the episode, and that ending.

I've been watching CR since campaign 1, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that was one of the most stressful and brutal episodes of any campaign I've seen, I think I can only compare it to the most stressful parts of EXU: Calamity, and we even went there knowing it was gonna have a "bad" ending. I know we've been close enough to a TPK before, but I never felt that risk so tangible and real as in last night episode. I was legitimately angry at Matt some times, like, nah, he overdid it, he went to far, Otohan's far too OP. And, besides the luck of the rolls, both for and against, I kept thinking like, Otohan's not even using the backpack, imagine what could've happened and how much worse it might've been if Imogen hadn't remove that from the equation. Of course everyone there has their full support and confidence in Matt, and he has the years of experience of being an incredible DM, but that was so stressful.

And of course, there's the ending. SAM MOTHERFUCKIN' RIEGEL. I can't stress enough how many flashbacks I had of Vox Machina and Scanlan's most iconic decisions (both the one in A Bard's Lament and, of course, the clutch one in the final fight). He's just that good, as a player and a performer. Just, coming out of the left field with that choice, understanding perfectly the consequences of what he was doing, and like, the slow realization in everyone else faces as they came to their senses regarding what Sam was doing, the disbelief, the sadness, the anger. It was all too real and powerful. I was watching, 02:24 am here, just, sobbing in my couch watching everything unfold as FCG final sacrifice ended up saving the party and taking out one of their biggest threats. It was just, so poweful.

It was a moment and an episode we'll be talking about for years to come. And it's amazing to think that we'll be so focused on the fight and it's finale, that you might overlook what happened in the first half, especially the fact that Imogen, against all odds, apparently managed to turn Liliana away from Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard, which is gonna be huge, because I, for one, was fully convinced that they weren't gonna be able to do that (thank the gods for that 31 that Laura rolled).

This episode was an all timer, can't wait to see how things are gonna unravel next week. If there's a way to bring back FCG without his core (and if they replace it or rebuild it, is it the same FCG?), how is everyone's reactions going to be when they have more time to process, what's gonna happen now with Liliana, how and when will they return to Exandria, and of course, in what way Sam's gonna surprise us with a new character (already having flashbacks from Taryon Darrington introduction)

[arclundarchivist]

So I think a Demon of Loathing could possibly a genuine TPK for this party XD.

It seems like Dominox’s abilities draw from a place of truth while still warping it, which loathing and insecurity is so good at doing, but that implies that Chet did indeed kill a bunch of kids, which has to fuck with not only him but Travis as well, because Travis is a father of a young son, and Matt was punching with kids that are around Ronin’s age but you gotta look at Chet and how while he acts like a crotchety, devil may care guy, he genuinely wants to see people happy and well off, with a deep amount of empathy beneath the veneer.

And now he has to grapple with the fact that his hands are likely marked with the blood of children.

Dorian’s reaction to the vision is going to be interesting.

And so will whatever the others may have to deal with.

Laudna and Imogen are the most vulnerable at the moment, but as Tal/Ashton said They’re fucked. Everyone of them has self loathing problems.

Demons in Exandria are born from the dreams of Tharizdun, and are stated to be apart from the current cosmic confrontation going on, and I’m just staring at that and what happened with Cognouza and I’m starting to think that the Gods smacked Aeor out of the sky for reasons not yet fully know. Like sure the Creator Hammer, and their warped living weapons, but this is the second entity that has been in or began in Aeor that seems to have a latent connection to Tharizdun.

Also Sam’s new character is going to be introed being dumped right in the middle of this and I am so curious who he is going to end up playing. I do wish FCG was here though…

[hauntedwizardmoment]

okay. this is. potentially such a weird specific ask but as i am over here getting ready to tpk my party who said that. what do you think would happen if for w/e reason jace's college party like. brought jace AND porter along for a mission. no idea WHY this would happen but i'm. literally just picturing the weirdest pissing contest between peregrine and porter during fights and jace is fighting for his life because the tanks are trying to one up each other so he can't even clock that he's kind of being fought over actually.

OH MY GODDDD YEAH. god. i have so many thoughts on this bc like

peregrine and porter are both like. so insecure about their masculinity in ways that i think would clash TERRIBLY. like, if this is adjacent to blood and turpentine canon. maybe their new offensive caster (drow wizard, name currently undecided but he's ysvelde's cousin) bites it and aurora's not able to resurrect him. so they need a backup.

and invidia is like "guys we're close to elmville. i know none of you like him but we could get jace" and dagbert and ysvelde are like "it's not that we dont LIKE him its that he's just. a lot of drama. with aurora and peregrine and everything." but then invidia asks peregrine who's kind of like the unofficial party leader and he's like (convinced he and jace could have an affair bc he's unhappy in his marriage and in his mind jace has always been available to him as a backup option) "well, we need all the help we can get and he's our best option" and i think the only reason aurora would agree to this is bc she thinks whatever mission theyre on might actually kill him

anyways. jace shows up with porter, to everyone's shock, and is like "you guys remember porter? he said he was free too and i figured we could use extra muscle" and IMMEDIATELY peregrine is like "why'd you think that? dagbert and i are--" and then dagbert (only professional on the team) is like making nice with porter and theyre like bonding and peregrine is like [grits teeth] okay. okay. it's fine. it's just a week in the red wastes like old times.

and porter KNOWS about jace and peregrine so he's like playing up the fact that theyre together. like jace gets hurt by something and aurora like rolls her eyes and moves to heal him and porter's like nah don't worry i got him, and kisses jace's hand for a Lay on Hands. and peregrine is fully like [actively seething] calm down calm down calm down calm down

ofc this leads to peregrine taking stupid risks in a major battle bc he thinks he'll win jace over by showing him how he can protect him. and he gets hurt as a result. and so does porter bc now he's taking damage that was meant for peregrine. and jace has to be the one to burn his 9th level spell slot and kill whatever monster theyre fighting. and he's like "guys youre both better adventurers than this?? what the fuck was that?" and neither of them want to admit that theyre kind of in a contest for who can show off in front of him so theyre like "it's nothing, won't happen again"

but ofc it DOES happen again. and again. and aurora who has made it her mission to not interact w jace at all lest she "accidentally" let off a 7th level inflict wounds and reduce him to a pile of black ichor when they still need him is like "you need to tell your little dalliance to knock it off because if you two get my husband killed i can't be held responsible for what i do. youre not even dressed like a whore this time around, i dont know what kind of hex you cast on him but fucking stop it"

and jace would ignore this because to him thats classic aurora, pissed off at him for no reason & blaming him for shit he didn't do, until invidia is like "did you bring porter to fuck with perry on purpose because that's SO you and SO petty i love it" and jace is like "no of course not, i genuinely thought we could use another tank" and ysvelde is like "okay but like, you wanted to fuck with him a little bit, right? make him jealous?"

and jace (low int) finally gets it and is like oh my god. martial classes are all fucking IDIOTS. is that why theyve been absolutely fucking useless in every fight? i shouldve gone through with marrying you ysvelde my life would be so much easier if i'd done that. and THIS is when invidia and ysvelde spill all the drama to him about peregrine and aurora's crumbling marriage and jace comes clean about peregrine coming onto him at his own wedding. and they laugh and laugh and it's like old times for a brief moment.

and then peregrine and porter get into a physical fight bc peregrine doesnt like that porter's been very touchy-feely with jace lately and porter was like "what's it matter to you? he's mine now, not that he was ever yours" or some other creepy possessive bullshit like that. and jace has to separate them and talk both of them down (well he yells at porter and is very soft-spoken and simpering with peregrine) because they wont listen to anyone else.

[level2janitor]

whenever someone complaints abt a ttrpg being 'gamey' the standard response is "well what did you expect?? you're playing a game, dipshit". but i think by 'gamey' the actual criticism being made is that it feels artificial

5e's always felt gamey to me because of the annoying obligation to balance encounters and an adventuring day. you need to have enough encounters to drain the wizard's resources, they need to walk a tightrope between challenging the PCs and not TPK-ing them, etc etc.

and everyone talks about how hard this is on the GM with the limited tools 5e gives you (which it is) but it also has the unrelated effect of feeling extremely forced from a player-side. the illusion of a consistent world starts to slip because what the PCs encounter has to revolve around the PCs for the game to work.

also i've been seeing a lot of 4e defending on my dash lately and like, yes it's a good game that's very good at the thing it chooses to do. but the criticism that 4e feels gamey (read: artificial) is extremely valid; the strict separation between combat and non-combat results in all flavor basically being only flavor

there's a 4e paragon path you can take called the Entrancing Mystic, whose powers have flavor text describing how you bewitch and ensnare the minds of your enemies. what do the powers actually do? some forced movement in the combat boardgame. what happens if you use them out of combat? who knows! they certainly weren't designed to be used that way, because their actual effect is measured only in terms of the combat boardgame

obviously there's a lot of aspects of non-4e D&D and similar games that are unrealistic. hit points are not how being stabbed works. but certain gamisms bother me more bc they create a clear disconnect between the fiction and the mechanics in a more tangible way.

like, 13th age's resting system (great game but i wanna pick on it here) has you fully heal every 3 or 4 encounters. only had one encounter? no full heal-up, even if you're resting. you have had four encounters? you get a full heal-up. there's a halfhearted sidebar about how the GM should contrive a reason for the heal-up to happen.

as a game balance mechanic, it's great! but i despise it because it's so disconnected from the reality of the game world. HP and fully healing on a rest isn't realistic, but it's an abstract representation of something that happens in the fiction. take a rest -> fully heal is unrealistic but internally consistent with the game world. 13th age healing is not - the in-universe characters can never acknowledge it as it makes no in-world sense.

anyway the reason i'm grumpy abt this lately is the MCDM game has a taunt mechanic that's just straight-up called taunting and it irks me so so bad. again, great game, super fun, but taunting leads to so many situations where an NPC does stuff they wouldn't do

y'know, like a videogame! where the dialogue and personality is just a skin over a set of game mechanics. and when NPCs start behaving out of character with no in-world justification (cause taunts aren't mind control ofc, it's just a guy... taunting you) they feel gamey. artificial.

i like all of the games i brought up (except probably 5e) but i had to get that out of my system thanks for coming to my ted talk

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

Look I know many of us wanted a TPK á la rogue one, but I honestly feel like this is just as (lbr, more) tragic. See with the former, everyone dies but the fruit of their efforts is known by others. Even a TPK not like rogue one still feels less painful because there are no survivors. What actually happens is that most of them lived! Despite it all, they survived and they can pass on parts of the dead to the living in their own ways (Colin tracks down the FDA; amangaeux and deli grow from knowing karna). And yet, they can’t memorialize the two properly. They can’t even mourn them without having to explain how they knew each other and what led to their deaths. Because, at the end of the day, this is a secret campaign of secrets and the survivors only lived because of it.

[lazywitchling]

Under the cut because it’s long:

Okay so now here’s the thing. I will forever mourn that the scene of Aragorn and the Palantir was not in the theatrical edition. Because it absolutely needed to be. If I’m remembering the theatrical edition correctly, we go from Aragorn suggesting ding-ding-ditch with Sauron, being told he won’t go for that, and saying “I think he will”, and then immediately cutting to a shot of his chest with the White Tree of Gondor on it, signaling that he’s Ready To Be King and that he’s Taking Responsibility and whatever. He has a look of grim determination, ready to take on this challenge.

But in the extended edition, we go from “I think he will” to a scene where Aragorn deliberately picks up the Palantir to challenge Sauron. Faces off against him to say “Hey bitch, I got the sword that defeated you, I got the throne, and I’m coming for you in this Epic Combat For The Ages.” And Sauron, who is very aware what genre he’s in, is thinking to himself haha, finally our epic showdown where I win. And he shows Aragorn a vision of Arwen dead, which Aragorn had been fearing this whole time. Aragorn drops the Palantir, backs up, and the Evenstar necklace drops off of him and shatters on the floor.

When we cut to the shot of his chest, we’re no longer looking at the White Tree crest, but at the fact that the necklace isn’t there. And his look of “grim determination” looks more like a man who has lost every hope he had and is just going through the motions, heading off to a suicide mission.

I am forever upset that the scene was deleted from theatrical release, because it absolutely enhances what happens next:

They march on the gate. They are going to die. Their forces have been devastated by Pellenor Fields. They’re knocking on the door of Sauron’s entire military forces. This is a for certain TPK, and everyone involved knows it. They’re doing it anyway, because even though they’re all going to die, the fact that they rang the front doorbell means that Sauron isn’t watching the back window, where Frodo and Sam are sneaking in. That’s all that matters.

And then the gate opens and the Mouth of Sauron appears. He shows that he has Frodo’s mithril shirt.

There is. no way. they could have got that shirt without Frodo being dead. Which also means that Sauron has the ring.

They lost. 100%. There’s the proof. He’s looking at it. Frodo’s dead, the Fellowship failed, Sauron has won, and for certain the future is now the slaughter and enslavement of everyone in Middle-Earth. The “Game Over” overlay shows up. They’re done.

And now it’s basically Sauron laughing at and taunting Aragorn. You have nothing. You’ve lost everything. What is there to fight for? What do you have left?

If you’ve been following my Hobbit Day posting, you might know the answer.

“I’ve got one hit point left. >:)”

Aragorn turns to his friends. Smiles. Says: “For Frodo.”

And just charges the BBEG.

This is what I’m talking about with Tolkien’s brand of hope. It’s not bright shiny “everything will work out! Teehee!”

It’s “For Frodo.”

Read: “Fuck it. I have one hit point, it’s still my turn, and I still have my action.”

I’ll relate it to the moment that you always remember from these movies: Sam carrying Frodo up the mountain.

Sam is trying to get Frodo to have even a shred of hope. But Frodo can’t. He’s done. He’s spent. He’s got no more fight in him to give.

It’s Frodo saying “I can’t. I only have one hit point left.”

And Samwise Gamgee says “That’s okay. Because I still have one hit point left.”

“I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

That’s Tolkien’s hope. Not “it gets better”, but “I’m not fucking dead yet.”

EDIT: and btw, since I’m on about my Boromir feelings today - Aragorn is in red and blue like Boromir used to wear.