"So must of you are in the elevator, you have a giant eagle in the room, Tiberius has jumped out the window--" A beautiful description of D&D's chaos lmao
These are the moments I love most playing D&D. Especially when the group goes in with a well crafted plan and then it just erupts into pure fly by the seat of your pants fast paced chaos.
Keyleth can’t decide what she’s doing and eventually chooses an action that doesn’t do what she hoped it would do, Tiberius saves himself with no regard to the team, everyone else panics until it works. Some things never change.
Keyleth can’t decide what she’s doing and eventually chooses an action that doesn’t do what she hoped it would do, Tiberius saves himself with no regard to the team, everyone else panics until it works. Some things never change.
What I love about this video is it shows that when you decided to stream your games you didn't put on a face for the audience, you still play the same as ever.
Yeah main difference seems to be that they only have one conversation going at any given time now, though they occasionally whisper to one another, but it usually seems to be out of character stuff. I guess it's another reason why things can sometimes move slower on camera than other sessions, though they might make up for it in less goofing around our of character, which you often get in groups.
I love how 4 1/2 years ago they almost died for not checking out what a rug could do and now that I am watching through campaign 2. I understand why they will never let a chair in the middle of a room be just a chair.
@@BBTManiac I'm a bit unsure about the timeline but they almost lost a party member to a rug. Then the thing with the chair happened. Which is why I was laughing my ass off last Thursday night when the first fight happened.
@@bigdrew565 --*MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT NOTTS BACK STORY*-- the carpet almost killed Nott the night they got the Dodecahedron. And the chair was in the middle of the room in the basement of the apothecary that Nott's husband owns.
@@fitz8923 like the song says, it's been a while. I'm lucky i can remember what happened yesterday, let alone 2 years ago. Having watched campaign 3 e1, though...I have to say, a new video might be in order.
Matt's body language after he says 'Make a Use Magical Device check', is absolutely hilarious. He had the tiniest sh*t-eating grin on his face, waiting for the reaction that Sam and Travis gave. He is a master story teller
His patience in this scene is amazing. You can tell the whole time he's trying to get them to notice the carpet without being too heavy handed. I can almost guarantee that part of the reason he went to "help" Laura with the check was to distract himself from having an even bigger grin on his face. I know that trick well.
I love how Matt sets this up for them. He waits for ages before finally having to give them options so that they'd notice. "It's just you, the broken platform and the rug." 9:00. I bet Matt was going crazy on the inside just waiting for SOMEONE to touch the rug.
I was thinking pretty much the same. The moment he said it's just you guys and the rug falling out the tower...I knew he was like fuck it I'ma give them a obvious clue about this "rug"
How many times do I have to say "rug" before they get it? It's especially funny because I just rewatched the episode where they have a fight on the airship with raiders riding wyverns. Matt placed Ballistas on the map, and mentions the Ballistas SEVERAL times. You can tell he put them there for someone to use, and no matter how many times he mentions them none of them ever think to use them.
@@LednacekZ That’s because RAW, a beastmaster’s companion absolutely sucks. There are so many good UA/homebrew revisions of the beastmaster out there because the RAW version is absolutely terrible. It basically turns the game into pokemon
I know I’m not the first to say this but I love the classic snapshot of a DND game. “So, most of you are in the elevator, you have a giant eagle in the room, and Tiberius just jumped out the window.”
Travis said that when he first played he had no previous experience with D&D and when he showed up the game was already in full swing. I imagine he walked into a somewhat similar situation of "wtf is going on".
In Between the Sheets, each of them said how nervous they were separately for different reasons. The players like Travis having never really done it, but also Matt at the time had only justttt been getting bigger roles so compared to Laura Bailey and Ashley Johnson, he was intimidated as all hell to DM for them. But we all know the story he did it for Liam’s bday, and every single one said “so when can we do it again?” And then the rest is history. But you can see, even though maybe this is like maybe the 2nd or 3rd session and they didn’t even really know each other before this, this engagement and friendship is sooo tangible even then 😊
"Oh, it's all scripted, it's totally scripted..." Oh, please. 😄 Any time I hear this, I just laugh - anyone who plays D&D understands the chaos and stellar moments we're looking at... This video is perfect proof.
The funny thing is that it being scripted would be so much harder and much more impressive. They are all great actors, but they would have to be the greatest actors of all time. A few tv shows have done a live uncut episode with no breaks, just one long shot (Mad about you is one, and I think Arrested Development did one). They did it for one episode. It was a half hour show. They had to rehearse for weeks to make sure they had it down to do one shot. Even for a broadcast (ignoring the live audience) they would have had to start all over again if anyone screwed up. Missed their cue, stepped on someone elses line, etc. For the cast of CR to be able to do it every week, for a 3-5 hour show would be impossible. Writing a new 3-5 hour episode every week. Less than a week of rehearsal time, while they do their other acting jobs. One single take. And they'd have to remember the script for the battles perfectly. Imagine if they screwed up their lines or got them out of order. They tell Matt they hit and he describes the Critical hit...... Except they forgot to say it was a critical hit. Missing line, someone responds to something that was a line the other character was supposed to say. This happens all the time in scripted shows. But they just have to redo the scene. Can't do that here. Spoilers for future life events......... Imagine the fast script rewrite and everyone having to remember all new lines in a few hours when Laura went into labor. Again. They are great actors, but even they aren't that great.
they have confirmed a lot of it is scripted/agreed on beforehand, but its all for the sake of entertainment and having cool moments in the narrative, its still a classic dnd game of chaos and improv for the most part
@@chompette_ I have watched all of Critical Role and Talks Machina and I've seen every panel recorded but I've never seen any of them say that seriously, it's usually one of them (usually BWF) making a joke about "the writers" because people have thought it was scripted before. Often in early days one of them would say "Don't say that! People might take you seriously!" and they're right. I usually see someone in chat asking if it's true. Unless you actually know them personally, I think you've just misunderstood some jokes (or you're just a troll, I don't know). Based on what I've heard in and out of game, none but Matt actually knows what might come, and that's his job so [shrug] (sorry this is long)
@@VentStrike i think it's either this or they misunderstood one of the cast saying something like "i talked to matt about my character multiclassing", which, to someone not familiar with dnd, might sound like scripting, but that's what's expected for dnd, since somethings are so unexpected and with deep repercussions that your DM needs a heads-up before, and the player needs to understand at least a bit of how this will work in-game so he doesn't get tired of playing his character after that.
I love how everything is the same. Sam is trying to abandon Trinket, Marisha has turned into a giant eagle and is carrying the gnomes, and the magic carpet shows up!
I cant count the endless complaints we had from neighbours. Or we once scared the pizza guy so much he drove back without ringing the bell again. And other stuff
I assume in Pathfinder druids can transform into flying creatures pre 8th level? Must have been weird when they transitioned to 5e and all of a sudden Keyleth lost that power.
@@SkrymNV Don't think they transitioned to 5e until they started streaming, at which point they were all level 9, so she would've still had that wild shape option open to her
I find it hard to sit during intense action sequences I run for my game too. Plus, he has a second camera set up on him when he stands for the show. :) And he does a lot during major battles, especially when the terrain comes out.
I've never resonated with anyone more than I did with Liam when he started humming Last march of the Ents/Nature's reclamation from Lord of the rings and then died inside when everyone continued with Jurrasic Park theme.
And now in 2019....Here we see a troupe of great friends having an enjoying a nice evening of Dungeons and Dragons. 1. Not knowing that the future of their game was about to explode to the excitement of thousands around the world. 2. That Taliesin would have to start changing his hair color. 3. Travis shown here to be two sizes smaller than he is now... 4. Proof that Marisha, Laura and Ashley had found the fountain of beauty and youth, but never bothered to tell anyone about their discovery. 5. That Matt can grow hair, even on his chin, but that his face was enchanted by a slow growth spell. 6. Sam's smile never fades, even in the darkest of times. Pretty amazing bit. Thanks for sharing it Liam...
Logan True bro are you the same guy that was copy/pasting a tribute to Orion on campaign 1 episode 21? My man, you gotta stop replying to month old comments talking about him.
Unless it was mentioned before this video starts, he doesn't mention it at all until the last moment (7:55), leading me to assume it was Matt's (well executed) Deus ex Machina to save them This despite multiple descriptions of the platform at various stages. It's not mentioned when they get on (0:33), are descending (2:38), when Percy shoots the mechanism and it starts to free fall (3:50), when the platform breaks (6:35). I think it was good DMing, but I don't think the carpet existed until they were plummeting and Matt came up with it as a way out. I can't remember if Matt has said he doesn't fudge rolls, but when you can improvise a flying carpet, why would you need to fudge rolls? I like his style.
Man, the only thing that's really different (at least from my perspective) these days is that you all try not to talk over each other so much, but that's it. This is so cool. Thanks, Liam!
Actually Dragon Quest had a MUCH better combat damage and dice rolling system... 4.bp.blogspot.com/-dGosVxgZ700/UxPKpU2eCdI/AAAAAAAAPnU/f-8CiNEnGBQ/s1600/DragonQuest2.jpg
They best part is seeing how they still have their same quirks after all the years, growth, and fame. They still have that rapport and genuine love of the game.
I started watching Critical Role this week while sick, and I'm almost through the Kraghammer story arc. After watching the Q&As in episodes 4 and 10, and hearing about the origin story for the carpet, I decided to seek out the video of when the carpet was discovered. Even knowing what was coming, I was still panicked and excited while watching this. In the future, when someone asks me what the appeal is of Dungeons & Dragons, I'm just going to show them this video.
Just like with Girl Genius comics, I started at the beginning, but also at Episode 50, and have just caught up to current with the new ones. The old ones, I'm still around Episode 5...
I'm ashamed to admit the first time I showed my brother a glimpse of Critical Role, he took one look at the pretty ladies and instantly dismissed it, not with any words, but you could tell he was thinking these aren't real dnd players. Nothing could be further from the truth. You rock Liam. Thanks for sharing this.
+Kyle Middleton Seriously? Some of my favorite D&D companions over the years have been women. Hell, the best Star Wars DM (during the Living Force days) I've played with was a women.
@@cussundriakneal9904 Sexist* And not that I disagree with you, but the whole girls being "better at being a nerd" thing sounds stupid. Regardless, yes OP's brother is an idiot and a sexist.
I remember back when you could still read the comments on the stream and a few people jumped in with similar comments of "what are they paying the pretty girls to play this game". Others have also expressed the idea, even beyond pretty girls, that as actors they only play to make a show/to make money. But you can see in the end, it was and is just a bunch of friends having fun playing D&D,.
I'm a woman and I DM for an all female group. All of us are genuine D&D lovers and absolute nerds. I hope your brother has learned something a this point.
My absolute favorite bit of this scene, and there are so many gems, is Travis giddily yelling at Laura, "Go get em! Go get em!" after the flying carpet catches her and she needs to save Percy/Trinket. The excitement and joy in his voice is so contagious!
Anyone who doubts the authenticity of the Critical Role episodes should watch this. Huge thank you to Liam for capturing and sharing this moment which shows D&D at its finest; a group of friends in a darkened room, loads of snacks and escaping to a fantasy world where almost anything is possible.
"He's the hero Critical Role deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll re-enchant him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A magic carpet."
The only hard thing about these home game videos is really seeing how often Matt compulsively adjusts his clothes. Knowing someone I look up to so much experiences the same pain as I do is both comforting and heartbreaking.
@@Sprtschk True, but they are likely referring to Matt's body dysmorphic disorder, which he has said manifests in things like adjusting his clothes a lot.
5yrs later, and it's strange to think about everyone's hair. Matt has Short hair, Liam has long hair, and Taliesin's hair looks like he's trying to get a role in either Twin Peaks or Mad Men. Laura's hair looks like she's trying to grow out a bob cut....and somehow Sam, Marisha, and Ashley all haven't changed their hair too much.
It speaks to Matt's DM skills that I, knowing that all of these characters would survive, was genuinely on the edge of my seat, wondering if they were goin to make it out alive,
You know, I'm not gonna lie, I always wondered in the back of my mind if you guys were play acting your reactions on the show just a bit. I'm so glad to see that I was wrong! :)
This "trap tower" reminds me of a lot of his other situations where the players have to figure out the "solution" to the puzzle before the time runs out. I am pretty sure he planned for the carpet to be a fail safe in case they didn't get out before it started plummeting. I am guessing this is why he sneakily specified "You are plummeting, just you, the elevator and a carpet" when describing the situation, to remind the players that there was a carpet there.
Having been a DM in these kinds of situations before, we usually come up with three or four aces in the holes that are not particularly well-hidden to save the party. He may have extended the collapse out a bit to buy them some time to make the discovery but I could tell he was sweating for them to actually interact with the rug. That is just my opinion on what I see having put my players in a collapsing building before which was quite similar lol
When you make kill traps like this, as a DM, it is important to have a fail-safe in case that they fail, as otherwise the Players will call foul. Whether it is with a magical item that appears, like with the magic carpet here, or through outside intervention, like a temporary ally or a trap that was meant to kill, but had their enemy stops it just before truly killing the players so that they can capture and interrogate, leading to a prison escape.
This video makes me feel sad about Orion, something I didn't think possible. He was with Vox Machina for 3 years pre stream, and was a friend to these people. For whatever reason - health, addiction, personality - he threw all these friendships away. It's crazy that he's only in 27 episodes of campaign 1, but was actually there much longer prior. Just sad
Look at this gang of friends having the time of their lives at this home game and tell me Orion sticks out or doesn't belong. Seeing how happy and healthy he was at the time makes me feel a twinge of sadness. Due to the camera setup on stream Matt has to stay seated which i think probably makes him feel a little constrained. He can't walk around and make sweeping hand gestures because he has to stay in frame most of the time.
This shows one great example of why a house is better than an apartment you could never get away with this in an apartment unless your players came from the apartments surrounding yours in every direction
The other day I watched a video where Talisen mentioned how he was familiar with Matt's puzzles and that, on the first one Vox Machina faced, he had to let them at least try before easily solving it. Which makes it so much better when he had Percy shoot that crystal holding up the platform everybody was standing on.
These people don't even know it will be a two (at least) season animated tv show in 7 years time. Hell, they don't even know that this will be watched by millions of people relatively soon!
What's a little sad about this tho is how normal and happy Orion sounds. I have to wonder if the instafame of the show didn't aid in his self destructive behavior...
Anyone with a family member who judges D&D harshly through a distorted religious lense needs to show this video to that family member because this right here is what D&D is all about. A group of friends together having fun.
This SO reminds me of the sessions I used to run back in the 80s. (Unfortunately, I moved to Arizona in 89 and never have been able to find another group to play with as either a player or a DM.) I miss my Friday and Saturday night sessions. SIGH
Watching this when they first mentioned it versus watching it now after Matt's Between the Sheets: noticing how he uncomfortably fidgets with his shirt and stands slightly awkwardly like I did when I was similarly insecure with my body.
All the chemistry between them is the real magic. A grand master DM, players that work together, true friends, cramped tables doesn't hinder them in the slightest, a veggie plate that is actually getting eaten... Some could only wish for such a posse of people half as cool as this group. Lovers of the game and winners at life.
