Dungeons & Dragons 

Here you can see: - Matt Mercer looking 17 - Liam with an ill-advised attempt at growing his hair - Taliesin with a surprisingly normal hairstyle - Marisha, who apparently hasn't aged a single day - Laura, who somehow doesn't make one dirty joke in the whole trailer - Sam being Sam - Ashley Johnson, actually sitting at the table

Little did they know that this would eventually lead to one of the biggest things to ever happen to Dungeons and Dragons.

"Who do you work for?" Scanlan: "I work, for the custom's department"

Matt: "You all suck." That's how you know you won the game, when you make the DM insult the entire party.

Everyone: *nervous/stressed/panicking* Ashley: *sleepy*

Imagine telling these people that night that they would have figures, comic books, art books, be an official D&D Setting, and have 2 seasons of an animated series in the works. Well deserved, and congrats on all the hard work you all have put in over the past few years, Cast, Crew, and Critter alike. You have built an incredible community, and I can't wait to see what's next

Lol Liam hugging Travis and being too small to have arms go around.

This was the perfect glimpse into the pre-Geek & Sundry days of VM that I have always been curious about. Everyone looks so energetic and joyful. I'm surprised I had not stumbled across this before. Thanks for posting it Ashley

Its no wonder that Critical Role became what it is. Thats a team of friends that shares a special bond.

I love that this is basically the campaign 2 intro lol

Travis looks so young. Marisha never changes.

welcome to the cursed short hair matt. the consequences of such a curse is taliesin jaffee has a passably human hairstyle.

Man, this looks fun, they should make this into a show or something.

There's a small part of me that feels like the most fun they ever had playing was at home when it was just them... But I'm glad we are able to see them every Thursday night. Knowing one day they will go back to home games.

Matt: Go ahead and make a Magic Advice check Me, only familiar with 5e: the WHAT

Mayhaps Marisha Ray is a druid after all. She hasn't changed ONE bit.

Yes, indeed, this should be in the intro to Critical Role

This is absolute proof that adorable and badass arent mutually exclusive.

I just ran across this video, and it's funny because just a few hours earlier, there was a reference to Scanlan posing as a customs officer. :)

I loved that slowed down "We're gonna diiieeee!!"

3 years later the story comes to an end in front of 35k people. As one of the those 35k, I am thankful for the privilege of seeing it. It was a one of the best pieces of entertainment I have ever seen. Thanks Vox Machina.

I like seeing how close they were and how Orion was more happy, or at least seems that way here.

I kind of wish they had a way to do more stuff that showed their entire bodies, with Matt's emoting and Liam's acting, and the like in their current format (pre CoVid, anyway). Kind of shows how much the players at any table can get into it.

it is so cute and wholesome seeing them sitting around the table and laughing and hugging each other. I love critical role but it's a very different vibe when it's just sitting around a single table with your friends

I miss Orion with these guys. I hope he is doing well and as happy as he can be.

>_> It took me all this time to realize this - Holy shit that's Brimescythe isn't it? We actually got to see all the choroma conclave after all!

1:51 RAGE LOOTING!!!

It's so cool to see them start the first campaign in a regular dining table. And to see them finish it in a beautiful and iconic custom-made table... So fricking wholesome it just fills me with pride for them.

I just love how Liam is jumping around the whole time lol

And so was born the greatest DM of our generation, Matt Mercer.

So this is what Ellie would have done if the zombie apocalypse never happened.

"Bluff check" hehe I always forget that critical role started out as a pathfinder game. It takes a skilled DM to move from one system to another mid-campaign wow

EPIC MOMENTS !!! we've seen the blue dragon fight, the rage looting and the magic carpet in use !!! just Classic Moments. wish you had more vids of these games. Thanks for posting that miss johnson ! wait what... 8 hours of play ?!! man !!!

2:15 I would pay good money to know what Scanlan is saying at this point XD

I keep coming back to this video for one reason: because this video is the complete essence of what Dungeons and Dragons is and should be. Most games are during quiet nights around a table with friends, drinking, laughing, cheering each other on, working as a team to solve what are essentially mental puzzles and feel as though they are a part of a larger, more magical story. And to some, it's an escape from their daily routine, a way to break into a fantastic world filled with sci-fi and fantasy elements they adore--and we can see that this is the case for this table of nerds. And they've used their popularity to reach out to all of us who feel the same way about our weekly meetings with our adventuring parties, both in solidarity and in excitement for the game. This is truly one of the best videos Critical Role has ever released, and it's a real treasure showing the true meaning of Dungeons and Dragons. Thank you so much Ashley Johnson, and the rest of the CR crew

Oh my god, its so nice to see Orion there and everyone actually enjoying it

Matt, Travis and Talisen look so young while Liam looks older and gother

just finding, Ashley's Vids and Liam's vids of the older Pathfinder games . these are great . So that is what SHITS mean. :)

The origins of an Internet phenomenon.

Here we are, 6 years later watching the Arcane Gateway that probably got most of us into DnD. This is a great group of friends that gets to have fun for a living

Now that Critical Role is going, if a video of this full session exists, it needs to be posted!

"You all suck" - Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III

Man seeing Orion again makes me happy and sad all at once. I miss that guy

I love watching you guys play simply because of the genuine joy of playing is infectious. That, and because I like roleplaying.

Once every year, we shall make the pilgrimage to this holy site, to honour the birth of our religion. Long Live Critical Role! 120

Holy S.H.I.T.S that video is EPIC! Well done!

this is both hilarious and super heart warming :'''') I'm so happy we get to be a part of this now!

I love when these randomly pop up as a YT recommendation...I'm on Ep 40 of the first campaign and it's so fucking great. Seeing glimpses of the home game that started it all is really cool. lessthanthree

1:20 You put Liam O'Brien near anyone and He. Will. *Snuggle.*

Is 1:59 the origins of rage looting?

"I've been in this Dungeons & Dragons campaign for over a year now. No joke, some of the best nights of my life have been through this campaign." Video description = Why we play D&D. Making memories. It doesn't matter if none of it was real. The camaraderie and laughter are real.

1:27 From the humblest of beginnings, this band of adventurers know not how far they'll rise.... But we do.

Finding this after having watched all of campaign one and just started campaign 2 makes my heart so full

Vox Machina thinking it's all over after defeating 1 Blue Dragon. Matt : Don't worry there's 4 more, you just don't know it yet...

Ok, but on top of how awesome everything in this video is, the editing is incredible man.

From humble beginnings to now.... Vox machina and everyone at Critical Role, you have all touched my heart.

I feel ... very sorry that we can't have this in the official streams. It is THIS kind of anticsa that truly makes D&D. While the main show is really really good, it still stands that we miss out on a lot of bullshit that also makes D&D so unique.

A birthday wish for a D&D game became more than they could ever wish for.

1:38 "WE'RE GONNA DIIIIIE"

I love CR, but this video so makes me miss my past in person D&D campaigns. Been playing on-and-off for more than 20 years, and I am very much missing being able to play in-person games.

omg. this is epic, so talented, this should have been the intro for critical role in the start of the show.

Thanks so much for posting this, Ashley! Six years later, it's so heartwarming to watch these early seeds of warmth and enthusiasm - not to mention thrilling to my inner geek, to see those oft-discussed moments (like the flying carpet, rage looting, and the customs con-job) being played out in the moment. Never take this video down; it's a history of joy.

Now we've seen this amazing group make an animated show out of this encounter. Thank you for all the years of top notch entertainment. I can't wait to see what comes next. Is it Thursday yet!?

I just see the Liam carpet poimt of view video

I can watch this video as many times as I wish, but I can only like it once. Love the glimpse into pre-Geek&Sundry days and how alive everybody seems. It's an energetic, tightly knit group of close friends. Thank you so much for the opportunity to see this, Ashley

Looking for Pike's death and I find this... WHAT DA HELL ASHLEY! This is amazing! xD

My favorite thing about this is that Ashley posted it, & the two times we specifically focus on her, she’s yawning & then eating popcorn 😂😂😂I love you, Ashley! 😜😎

Awesome... This is like... Better than watching Netflix, for hours.....

Coming here after all these years watching is so beautiful.

Wow, this was uploaded 2014?! RU-vids algorithm needs work. I should have gotten this recommended way earlier.

“Bluff check” caught me way off guard till I remembered that their campaign began as a Pathfinder game.

Such humble beginnings. Can't believe it's been 6 years, and look how it's grown since then. Here's to following your adventures for (hopefully) many more!

Oh my god... This brought tears to my eyes and I'm just in the middle of Campaign 1

now I finally know percy's full name

Thank you, RU-vid gods, for randomly recommending to me this absolute lost treasure of the early days of the S.H.I.T.s!

this is so beautiful. I shed a tear

I love how the intros are 8 epic action shots and Ashley Johnson eating.

Good to know Travis always had a proper mug for Grog. :)

They are all so grown up now!

i got into dnd in the 80s, around the time of the controversy. so i didn't get to play til college. when i did tho, i made friendships that lasted for many years, and we had all sorts of wonderful gaming and non-game times. the game was at the center of it all, tho, and years later, i met some other friends who also loved the game, and we bonded over that and more. the joy and friendship in this video (and of course CR) brings it all back and takes me higher. thanks for this and all the rest.

Literal tears of awesomeness were shed watching this. Thank you for sharing!

Ah, role-playing! Sharing great stories and adventures with a good group of friends. Love it!

I appreciate what the RU-vid recommended deity has brought me this night.

This could make for one hell of a Kickstarter thing to take it to Twitch with a professional production of sorts.

0:26 love that you can see liam recording the video he uploaded to his own channel

6 years later, it's so awesome to see you back then. I feel like I grow up with you, job, kid, family.

This is amazing! I love getting a glimpse of the early game, back when they just played this for fun, goofing around. Having no idea that this would one day turn into an actual career! They look so young and happy. Now today they still are young, happy and finally able to share this with all of us. I am so glad to see how they have used this for such good purposes too. The idea that from the first episodes they were also fundraising for charitable causes and have now increased that by so much. These are not just good friends, these are good people.

I love how it's so clear that their style, fun, and passion hasn't really changed all that much from their humble home beginnings to playing in front of tens of thousands of people weekly.

That's awesome. I'd love to see more of the uncut footage.

That was an elegant and insightful piece of cinematography. Thank you :3

Oh yeah, Orion was part of this once...

Been listening (sometimes watching) for years now and have never scene this lil bit of nostalgia. I have a strong urge to start VM all over again! Thank you, RU-vid Recs.

The birth of the magic carpet wow

Omg~! Seeing this after binging all of the stream is amazing! Especially the reveal of the original flying carpet!!

I love how the names get progressively longer: Grog Pike trickfoot Keylith of the air ashari (oh, this one's really long, it goes into the next line) Percival frederickstein von mussel klossowski derolo III (oh, nvm)

So many good things to see in these old videos. Friends. This was awesome.

I just got this on my reccommended feed 6 years later and it’s brilliant.

Oh man, I love it when nostalgic videos like this find their way into my feed.

Aww, look at all the young faces... :) the almost-beardless Travis, the natural-haired Taliesin, the elvishly unchanged Matt.. :)

Wow.....after watching all the Critrole material and coming across this gem is absolutely amazing!!!!