Penguinverse agreed! I think someone gets closer to perfection when they realize the aspects that they’re imperfect in. He’s incredible, he’s someone to emulate as a DM, but self improvement should be a constant focus for ANYONE, and I think that really adds to Matt as a person and as a DM :)
I think that's why Marsha is great for him. It seems mat reads people shit talking actually takes the criticism as valid points and marsha comes in saying Fuck those people
As DMs we're often overly critical about our abilities, especially after the players hit the plan and everything seems to go belly up. But from the players perspective it looks alot better usually. And in the end, as long as everyone is having fun.. you're doin fine!
How are you coming along in your epic quest. Just stopping by to say you can do it ect. As you do it more you get better at it. Just as long as everyone has fun during the games and are about it.
The fact that he's "writing on the fly" and it still works as well as it does is so impressive. I spend at least five times the amount of time in preparing for my sessions (according to his stated 1 hour of prep per hour at the table) and they are usually mediocre at best.
With Vex as a close second. Saves Grog's life, allowing him to get the killing blow, which stopped the battle, probably saving Percy, Pike, and Vex herself. After that, Vax, Keyleth and Scanlan would have likely had to run away to avoid a TPK.
MFAniki6390 With Druids having so many spells and being so versatile, I'm surprised she often acts as a run-of-the-mill mage and usually does things very straight-fowardly. Specially Keyleth who has the _Avatar_ motif and can use spells from all elements.
+Flwbjsfdp ' She seems to enjoy big gamble spells. Firestorm is a good example. She often has it and can't use it, but when she does. She also seems to have drawn the short straw of transportation management and has at least two spell slots devoted to that. I think it makes for an interesting hybrid between utility caster and boom-mage.
+Flwbjsfdp ' I didn't think Druids could cast spells while in an Elemental Form? That's why Keyleth always has to revert to do anything more helpful than smashing stuff or Gusting people off the rooftops. So if Greenbeard had started casting as an Earth Elemental, I hope Marisha would have called Foul Play.
***** Sunbeam is a concentration spell wich means you only have to cast it once and it keeps going for however long you want, while elemental form isn't, you just use it and it stays on without having to focus on it. It means that, technically, Keyleth could cast Lightning Bolt, then turn into an Air elemental and keep sending lightning down while flying around. _(And I'm pretty sure the Air Ashari might do that, now that I think of it)_ It would've actually been super cool if Greenbeard did that since it would've taught Marisha she can do it too.
"How do I remember so much about the games?" I'm also a GM, and let me tell you, something about the role in the game just makes you remember so much shit
True to that! I usually don't remember anything about other matters, but when I'm DMing, it's like I go into DM form or something, and memory kicks in.
I guess I should also say I remember the scenario because I've played it out in my head as a scene I wish I could be a character in. Like I was listening to the Skyrim theme, and I thought how could it would be to see Frost Giants lumbering out of a fog formed by the collapse of a glacier wall. It would have to be a higher level party, but the imagery of them running at each Frost Giant in turn and taking them down in two or three rounds each.
I came late to Critical Role, but went back and watched many hours of past episodes. Matthew Mercer is an AMAZING STORYTELLER and a truly epic Game Master! He is calm and reasonable regarding the rules, does truly AWESOME Acting for the NPCs, and his tales are engaging with a rich background of detailed world building. Even without all the nifty toys that he uses for his games, his games are worth watching for all the depth of Story he brings to them. His players also are to be commended. They are also very awesome Actors, who use their creativity as much as their stats to fight the good fight. I love the creative ways they solve problems. And I love the voices and the passion they bring to all their performances! I never thought I would enjoy watching other people play DnD but this has convinced me that watching the game can be as interesting as playing with the right Storyteller and Players on the screen. And Matt and his crew definitely are Performers worth watching! (and listening to!)
You think you came late? I came in around campaign 2 ep 60ish I love this show so fucking much. I literally cant use it to sleep. I have to no everything's that's happening. If someone talks to me I gotta go back a minute to get everything I missed in the conversation
I'm really glad that Matt made a point of how important Grog getting the final blow in that battle was. I had that feeling the entire battle, that if anyone else gets the last attack, then things aren't going to end well. I'm still playing catch-up on all of the episodes and having a blast doing so. :) This is a cool behind-the-scenes channel. Happy to have come across it!
You have reinvented me as a dm. I just started watching campaign 1 last month. Just watched thei episode. This was all the things I love about d&d. A plan, plan goes kaputt, crazy dice rolls, amazing choices!! Thank you for throwing fuel on my already burning gaming soul!! You are all amazing.
In the sub chat that episode many people were criticising moves/decisions by the players, Keyleth/Marisha in particular. While I wouldn't mind discussing "What would you do if you ran character X", in a constructive way as a player and DM (to improve tactical gameplay in your own games), I just want to say to the critics (a.) sometimes it's hard to see the "optimal move" when you're in the thick of it at the table, and (b.) the most important thing is for the players there to have fun, and do what THEY think should be done. Were the tactics/choices they made optimal? Honestly, no. But did their actions fit the narrative, with no metagaming, and was it a great experience and fun to watch? Hell yes! Sorry for the long rant, but to the cast of CR, keep doing what you do and have fun! Cheers, and FOR STRONGJAW!!!
It was especially frustrating that people kept critcizing her for not casting a spell yet when her turn hadn't come up yet, as if she had some superpower to break into other people's initiative and was choosing not to...
+NateCunha And she just had some unlucky rolls. Her second whirlwind failed because of the DICE. What was she supposed to do about that? I think her plan was to distract the archers and maybe draw some other people to her. That's not a bad idea, she just didn't get the rolls to be perceived as a major threat in the fight. At one point she asked if really no one wanted to deal with her and again: the reason no one did was because she had bad luck so her attacks didn't have a big impact. The comments directed at her were really unfair in that regard.
+Peter Siu While I agree criticizing a player is a no-no I think a lot of people were just REALLY nervous and saw one of the group's biggest guns sitting back. Mind you I was someone screaming for her to drop form and just nuke the clumped together barbarians, but that was about it. I don't think she did anything particularly wrong, but I think Air Elemental vs. Keyleth, Keyleth is more useful. Mind you if she just started blasting folks she would have been a bigger target than she was. That said, I don't condone giving Marisha or anyone shit for their decisions, but I understand the passion a little bit.
Watching this in 2020 where they have a full line of funko pops, an animated series in the works, a campaign long sponsor, continuous merch, and watching him and all the actors have the same exact reaction as Matt has here, the surprise of how far they've come and how far they're going. I'm happy to see the success for these p cool people. Personal favorite is watching the tech and maps skyrocketing.
I can completely understand the whole barbarian decision. I did the same thing at one point in my campaigns. By doing this Matt brings a more human and realistic aspect to the game and the PCs.
Matt the the thing I like most about your DMing is the depth of your story. And please give a DM chat on alignments and actions that can cause an aliment shift.
Matt you did a great job. Don't let people get to you your a amazing story teller. I keep watching even the whole party get killed. It be sad but that D@D. My DM killed two of my player it happen. So keep up the good work.
+Lance White Eagle Exactly!!! It's way too easy for trollish people to come along after the fact and start tearing Matt's performance apart in hind-sight. He does an amazing job running that game and the fact that he does so much just off the cuff is truly awe inspiring!
+Lance White Eagle Yeah.. Nothing about that episode looked the least bit disingenuous.. Try not to listen to people who are more concerned over finding faults than seeing things as they actually are.. Considering how everything went down, someone having a problem with it just reeks of them looking to boost their own ego.. o.o;
Matt, I would NEVER question your narrative, it is beautiful, layered, and so all encompassing, anyone who would attempt to tear at it I would challenge them to come up with a story that is even half as amazing and intricate as yours. Great episode! Great show! Thank you for sharing it with us, and don't change a thing because it all amazing!
My understanding of the Raven Queen's amulet was that as the creature that was taken into it was concerned there was no separation of time between going in and coming out. This impression was given based on the wolf that they pulled out of it at when they first got it. IMO I think Grog's rage would have been sustained. All the same LOVE what you're doing.
The phone is shaking! You can see how much nervous energy Matt is going through getting into the finer details and really getting crunchy. Mad respect and mad love to someone that's still FEELING that drive when they're already so amazing.
James Brooks That's pretty much Goliaths. They believe in survival of the fittest but also fairness. In a way, Travis went against this when Grog used a Potion of Giant Strength in his rematch at the Crucible. Goliaths also don't rely on magic items. They'll use them, but it's still just a tool.
Just finished this episode for the first time and remembered Matt did this video so jumped on it. He's been a great DM and is continuing to be even greater!
I'm so happy Matt addressed the Fanzine, since people have been asking about it, and I'm looking forward to working with them with the artbook or whatever we'll do!
It's been more than 2 years and it still surprises me how people hasn't realized yet that they are telling a story and that's how it is. It's not up to us to disagree with decisions made because that's the story, just interpret things as you wish.
Really late in viewing this but happened to stumble onto this when going through campaign 1. Short version: Love ya Matt - Kudos to you. Long Version: It is not easy to GM a game of any level (much less having the guts to do it in front of live/virtual audience) as it takes planning and impromptu story telling skills. People should understand that GMing is a labor of love and is an art form. As with all art forms - personal and emotional effort goes into the time invested into the "game" and only through such effort can good story telling be made. Ten GMs can run the Lost Mines of Phandelver and it could very well end up as ten very different outcomes in terms of player experience and take aways depending on the effort a GM put into the game and the group of players. IMHO - ONE of the reasons why critical role has been going on for so long and so successfully (yes I'm keeping up with campaign 2) is because Matt is GMing for people he knows and genuinely cares for at a personal level. Point being - you won't get this level of quality GMing by walking into your local Adventure's League Game or dare I say Gygax himself. Chin up buddy - for each critic smashing the warning button there there are a hundred more people who are watching your story unfold and invest what time they have to the glory that you and your friends created together that is critical role.
Thanks for the extra content! I'm making my way through C1 before I start C2, and it's great to be able to go through content almost as if I was watching in real-time!
Been a fan of Mercer for quite a few years. I got to meet him at a convention before knowing about Crit Role. I'm glad he's getting more recognition as a result of the show. He's awesome.
hey dude or dudette who runs this channel thanks so much for doing this, its such a blessing for those of us in different time zones! just wanted to give you some love! you da real MVP XD
Lost my sleep for that episode, enter work at 6:30am and the show start for me at 10pm. Worth every second of it. Keep up the good work, that goes for the whole crew that make this show posible.
+Omar Garcia (GARET) I'm right there with you! Got up at 6:30 as well and didn't get to sleep until sometime after 2:00AM. Last night was a real nail biter!
Ok, to me this is simple. From the way The Herd of Storms has been handled in game throughout the last few episodes I kind of see them as Klingons... more from the DS9 kinda view where we saw their culture through many different viewpoints. From the view of anyone falling under the blade they are bloodthirsty animals, bent on battle and destruction. But just like the Klingons they have a governing body and a set of principals, and even more like the Klingons they have a deep sense of honour and tradition. Although this was not a traditional coo within their ranks, they saw Grog at the head of it. Grog in the eyes of the herd is a disgraced cast off. His return and subsequent challenge played more to their sense of honour and tradition than their blood thirst and destructive nature. You just have to look at the society and the cultural factors that influence these matters.... and in an odd moment of standing on my soap box I would say that this is one of the many ways we can take a lesson from creative role-play and apply it to our normal lives. Look deeper.
+xyon172 I appreciate it, it means Travis pushing Grog's duel approach was almost completely justified in terms of the mentality. I was expecting the Herd to keep fighting as the more likely option, just because their loyalty to Kevdak didn't seem absolute and this isn't Mindslayers under K'varns thrall, nor undead slaves, nor trapped slaves, these are sentient beings that know what they're doing and have a sense of honour and fair play.
Thanks Matt for clarifying my fire damage question. Goes without saying I love you show and keep up the great entertainment. You all must have been so nervous.
For people who have never GM-ed it is hard for them to understand how we keep everything strait. I still shock players I've been playing with for years when I give them a look behind the curtain.
Having a D&D meet this Friday (the 13th!). Been DMing for about a year now, and Matt Mercer has been such an incredible teacher/instructor, whether he knows it or not. Bravo!
Don't worry too much about what people say Matt. You are one of the best dungeon masters. You just keep doing what you are and know you are doing a great job. Thank you for everything.
does anyone else get the vibe that matt would be literally the worlds most greatest and epic father? (barring darth vader of course. Quite you vader haters:) I mean, can you imagine growing up and having him to run games for you and your friends, whether its board, table top rpg, or video games? I just have a feeling he would make fun time so much fun! My dad didn't care for 'make believe', as he called it. Sadness.
Just want to add my thanks - for Critrole, yourself, the cast & crew these additional 'chats' EPIC Game sessions EPIC Story and engagement with the players - just look at everyone's reactions to events in game KEEP AT IT AND Yes to Critloot :D
epic boss fight; vox machina vs a simple wooden door with a screen door backup, lol. on the bathroom after a drinking binge or food poisoning issues .... erp! OMG love the guest players, have an ongoing want to see Yuri Lowenthal and Allyson Haislip! 5g and a party!
With regards to Grog losing his rage I felt a strong argument could be made that he should have kept it. The way the Raven Queen's amulet was explained is when someone is placed inside of it they are stuck at that exact moment in time as well.
I have to say, of all the sessions aired (that is, of course, not counting the couple of years pre-Critical Role that you guys ran this), episode 52 was the closest I've ever seen Vox Machina/the players to actually having a proper strategy/approach to dealing with a known-situation. Usually, they all just kind of do their thing and hope for the best -- ;) -- but this time there was almost a genuine sense of "we gotta act like we know what-the-fuck time it is..." that informed on most of their actions. A very nice sense of growth, as it were....
All I can say is I really freaking have been enjoying the show. Please all keep up the great work and grow. Thank you for giving myself something look forward to in my free time. Many blessing on all your house holds.
I can't believe how close they were to several player deaths, especially with so much danger they managed to avoid from Kevdag (?) and Greenbeard. Without Scanlan's MVP play there, I don't see how they could have come even close to winning. Some of them might have been able to get out alive, but that's it. If not TPK, then at least half party kill...
Wolfram Stahl One of the greatest things a DM can do (on occasion) is put the party in a situation that even they don’t know a solution to. In that case the players have to bring out their A game and start doing things that they wouldn’t have otherwise thought of to survive, hence we saw that some really cool plays that we mightn’t have seen otherwise. :)
I miss shit like this, just little real updates where Matt could actually talk to the fan base. Imagine trying to read the chat on a live stream and actually interact with it...
I played a lot of Overwatch during the Beta, and I've listened to hours and hours of Matthew Mercer talking in Critical Role. How did i not see the he voiced Mcree!!!!
Do you and your friends ever get the chance to go to a Ren-Fair ? If not you all really should go. Its like you walked right into D&D. You can go into it in costume as well. I think You and your friends would have a great time.
So cute all these comments from years ago. I miss when the world wasn't a complete mess and each week something even more ludicrous/alarming/heartbreaking happened.
Also sad about the hair cut. You also need to start growing out your beard if you want to fulfill your potential as a true wizard by the time all your hairs are white.
oh man, I'm a bit late on realizing he had done this. Glad I found it before Thursday and even more glad that you took the time to upload it to TH-cam. I hadn't realized just how very close the Vox crew was to utter TPK style disaster. I mean, I knew things weren't going well but I didn't realize they were THAT close
Matt. I apreciate how still you held the camera for a guy who talks and emotes with his arms. potentailly your entire body. but thats not on camera. ps im truly enjoying this story arc
If you watch some old clips of Vox Machina in Pathfinder, you'll see Matt standing up and walking around and flapping his arms and everything. XD People in the comments were so sad that he has to sit down the whole time for Critical Role.
Am I the only one who wants to see Matt do a cameo on 'Welcome to Night Vale' after that creepy "Have to run..."? Damn if he won't be a good character in the mess that is WTNV.
Re Psionics: From what I can tell, they didn’t really turn out balanced until 3.5. And most people just assumed that that version was broken from their prior incarnations and by overlooking a very, *very* important rule limiting how strong a single power could be. There was a great thread on the old WotC boards debunking all of the myths about the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the base psionics book for 3.5) which you might be able to find an archived version of, title was something like “Myth: The XPH is Overpowered”. I mention that because the guy who made that thread went on to be one of the guys behind Dreamscarred Press, the third-party publisher that released a Pathfinder version of 3.5’s psionics with the book “Ultimate Psionics”. Aside from it being possibly more balanced than its predecessor, the oft-overlooked rule I mentioned before got its own big, prominent, stupidly-hard-to-miss sidebar.
It was a massivly epic scene during that episode. It's clear the herd hasn't really chosen between grog and greenbeard yet and I'm curious to see how the group handles the next episodes with their new frenemies.
+Andrew Pinero I was referring to the two factions. It wasn't until this episode we knew which side of the political thought process Kevdak's son fell on. I won't mention spoilers but worth a watch
Critical Role is a life saver right now for me. I just moved out of state, don't know anyone. All I do is work and sit at home playing video games and watching movies. Critical Role feels like I'm playing with them. It's like they're my friends haha. I just finished this episode last night and it was amazing as usual. I can't wait to finish all of them and then I'm going to try and find some people to play D&D with. I've played TTG's before but never D&D. I was interested before Critical Role. Now it's a must. Although I can't help but feel I'll be a tad disappointed with my DM, because they won't be Matt Mercer haha!
Basically if Grog hadn't done the final blow, it would likely have been a tpk or at least a death or two. Pike and Grog were very low, most of the others were pretty low too. If the herd kept attacking, it's unlikely that they'd won or managed to all get away. P.S. Birds ARE awesome :)
Yep, that stroke of genius of popping Grog out of the Pokeball to hit Kevdak really saved the team. There would've been a looooot of crying otherwise ^^;
One follow-up I would've liked to ask off the back of the last question ("Do you find running the game physically draining?") is how much of a difference it makes running the game AND doing all the other streaming/production/on-set stuff on top. I've run a long-term game before, and just sitting in my living room, marshaling a plot and keeping track of NPCs while coping with random dice-rolls and the players' actions is draining enough (in a good way, like a satisfying gym session... but still draining). But Matt and the team have the extra work of dealing with multi-camera and audio technology (plus, of course, Skype), and a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that has nothing to do with the game we see on the screen, and I would've loved to hear a bit about the extra work that goes into an episode versus just sitting at home with your buddies.
You guys seem to be gaining in popularity and now even sponsors. While you guys are great friends are there fears where the possible fame and or money could possibly cause rifts? I'd hate for something so amazing like friendships be fractured because of this stuff. Perhaps prior planning and agreements as a group could help protect against such things because you guys ARE a brand. You guys are gaining a lot of momentum and I hope you continue to do so in a way and form that maintains your friendships etc. Because each character / actor is important to the whole. Keep up the amazing work!!!! I finally was able to talk my gaming group into playing D&D and it's in big part because of you guys.
I'm going to be Co-DMing with a friend new to DMing (we both want to just play sometimes) and Matt Coville's video is actually what I am sitting him down to spark his self education and our collaboration down the right path. Except for one episode because Im totally stealing an idea from it and want it to be a surprise :) thank you for turning me onto him
I was curious if Matt was still taking encounter submissions. I haven't heard anything since the community voted for the Black Ooze in the Underdark of Kraghammer.
I often feel like the tech crew assisting with the stream could stand to do a better job of getting the battle maps in shot. Glimpses are snatched of Matt's scenery and it looks really good but it's rare to get a good angle.
![Quick Critmas & Marisha's Birthday Hangout - AUDIO FIXED [Spoilers E52]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NkmzyMnmU4Y/mqdefault.jpg)
![Critical Role Panel with Matt & Taliesin @ Another Anime Con 2016, Manchester, NH [Spoilers E71]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mT3FR5ujQBw/mqdefault.jpg)
I hate it when Matt is so hard on himself, anyone would be lucky to have a GM like him
That's what makes him so good. He is hypercritical and very articulate with what he does. Love him and the rest of the cast.
Matt's a legend
Penguinverse agreed! I think someone gets closer to perfection when they realize the aspects that they’re imperfect in. He’s incredible, he’s someone to emulate as a DM, but self improvement should be a constant focus for ANYONE, and I think that really adds to Matt as a person and as a DM :)
I think that's why Marsha is great for him.
It seems mat reads people shit talking actually takes the criticism as valid points and marsha comes in saying
Fuck those people
I think he prefers to be called DM but yes its true
Having Matt say his narrative isn't the best, makes me feel like i am the worlds worst DM because i'll never be as good as him.
As DMs we're often overly critical about our abilities, especially after the players hit the plan and everything seems to go belly up.
But from the players perspective it looks alot better usually. And in the end, as long as everyone is having fun.. you're doin fine!
How are you coming along in your epic quest. Just stopping by to say you can do it ect. As you do it more you get better at it. Just as long as everyone has fun during the games and are about it.
You also do not get paid to make a great narrative. For you it is a hobby, for him, it is a job (an enjoyable one but a job none the less).
The fact that he's "writing on the fly" and it still works as well as it does is so impressive. I spend at least five times the amount of time in preparing for my sessions (according to his stated 1 hour of prep per hour at the table) and they are usually mediocre at best.
Take some writing classes and you'd be surprised how well you can do!
Matt is just such a cool guy.
+BoldCaster isnt he? :D
He's honestly my role model, I aspire to be like him all the time.
Matt is such a good lad. I'm so pleased for him that he is finding his hard work on this show rewarding. Thanks as ever for the upload Crit-Scope!
+Fenristhegreat
Scanlan really was the mvp last night. Round of applause for Sam, for both his choice of spells and shirt design.
But not necessarily in that order.
I wish Scanlan could have read this comment.
With Vex as a close second. Saves Grog's life, allowing him to get the killing blow, which stopped the battle, probably saving Percy, Pike, and Vex herself. After that, Vax, Keyleth and Scanlan would have likely had to run away to avoid a TPK.
When is Scanlan NOT the MVP?
Django Cribbs the 3 times Keyleth ended up taking the mantle. But past that, it’s always Scanlan.
Wait the knuckles give added structural damage? So VM might be able to defeat their toughest enemy, DOORS!
That's exactly what I was thinking. :D
_"Greenbeard was gonna shoot sunbeams in earth elemental form."_
Matthew Mercer, aka the Devil.
+Flwbjsfdp ' Hopefully Marisha watches this, because this needs to happen in-game, and it might as well be Keyleth.
MFAniki6390 With Druids having so many spells and being so versatile, I'm surprised she often acts as a run-of-the-mill mage and usually does things very straight-fowardly. Specially Keyleth who has the _Avatar_ motif and can use spells from all elements.
+Flwbjsfdp ' She seems to enjoy big gamble spells. Firestorm is a good example. She often has it and can't use it, but when she does. She also seems to have drawn the short straw of transportation management and has at least two spell slots devoted to that. I think it makes for an interesting hybrid between utility caster and boom-mage.
+Flwbjsfdp ' I didn't think Druids could cast spells while in an Elemental Form? That's why Keyleth always has to revert to do anything more helpful than smashing stuff or Gusting people off the rooftops. So if Greenbeard had started casting as an Earth Elemental, I hope Marisha would have called Foul Play.
***** Sunbeam is a concentration spell wich means you only have to cast it once and it keeps going for however long you want, while elemental form isn't, you just use it and it stays on without having to focus on it. It means that, technically, Keyleth could cast Lightning Bolt, then turn into an Air elemental and keep sending lightning down while flying around. _(And I'm pretty sure the Air Ashari might do that, now that I think of it)_
It would've actually been super cool if Greenbeard did that since it would've taught Marisha she can do it too.
"How do I remember so much about the games?" I'm also a GM, and let me tell you, something about the role in the game just makes you remember so much shit
FullCircleStories Lots of reading and planning for me. I remember things because I planned to incorporate it.
True to that! I usually don't remember anything about other matters, but when I'm DMing, it's like I go into DM form or something, and memory kicks in.
I guess I should also say I remember the scenario because I've played it out in my head as a scene I wish I could be a character in. Like I was listening to the Skyrim theme, and I thought how could it would be to see Frost Giants lumbering out of a fog formed by the collapse of a glacier wall. It would have to be a higher level party, but the imagery of them running at each Frost Giant in turn and taking them down in two or three rounds each.
FullCircleStories Same, terrible memory normally but I can remember almost every single detail about the game I run.
I just constantly read the DM and players handbook #mighthaveabitofaproblem
Matt and Travis. The Legends of Vox Machina Cartoon made the Grog v Kavdak fight so amazing. Thank you for sharing so much with us
I came late to Critical Role, but went back and watched many hours of past episodes. Matthew Mercer is an AMAZING STORYTELLER and a truly epic Game Master! He is calm and reasonable regarding the rules, does truly AWESOME Acting for the NPCs, and his tales are engaging with a rich background of detailed world building. Even without all the nifty toys that he uses for his games, his games are worth watching for all the depth of Story he brings to them.
His players also are to be commended. They are also very awesome Actors, who use their creativity as much as their stats to fight the good fight. I love the creative ways they solve problems. And I love the voices and the passion they bring to all their performances! I never thought I would enjoy watching other people play DnD but this has convinced me that watching the game can be as interesting as playing with the right Storyteller and Players on the screen. And Matt and his crew definitely are Performers worth watching! (and listening to!)
Wow, that's an awesome way of telling what we all think
I started a week and a half ago and have been binging on it non-stop in my free time. I agree with everything you say here.
You think you came late?
I came in around campaign 2 ep 60ish
I love this show so fucking much.
I literally cant use it to sleep.
I have to no everything's that's happening.
If someone talks to me I gotta go back a minute to get everything I missed in the conversation
YES!! By the Blessings of serenrae, someone finally did a periscope horizontally ;P
+Long Tran I as JUST thinking this!
+Long Tran
Holy shit! I was actually misled into thinking that periscope only worked in portrait mode, for specific use on mobiles or somesuch xD
I'm really glad that Matt made a point of how important Grog getting the final blow in that battle was. I had that feeling the entire battle, that if anyone else gets the last attack, then things aren't going to end well. I'm still playing catch-up on all of the episodes and having a blast doing so. :) This is a cool behind-the-scenes channel. Happy to have come across it!
Crazy and lucky that Grog needed to make the final blow! It was an amazing episode
Matt you might think your narrative isn't perfect cause we do we love your storytelling and thats why all of us come back and watch you and the gang
You have reinvented me as a dm. I just started watching campaign 1 last month. Just watched thei episode. This was all the things I love about d&d. A plan, plan goes kaputt, crazy dice rolls, amazing choices!! Thank you for throwing fuel on my already burning gaming soul!! You are all amazing.
In the sub chat that episode many people were criticising moves/decisions by the players, Keyleth/Marisha in particular.
While I wouldn't mind discussing "What would you do if you ran character X", in a constructive way as a player and DM (to improve tactical gameplay in your own games), I just want to say to the critics (a.) sometimes it's hard to see the "optimal move" when you're in the thick of it at the table, and (b.) the most important thing is for the players there to have fun, and do what THEY think should be done.
Were the tactics/choices they made optimal? Honestly, no. But did their actions fit the narrative, with no metagaming, and was it a great experience and fun to watch? Hell yes!
Sorry for the long rant, but to the cast of CR, keep doing what you do and have fun! Cheers, and FOR STRONGJAW!!!
It was especially frustrating that people kept critcizing her for not casting a spell yet when her turn hadn't come up yet, as if she had some superpower to break into other people's initiative and was choosing not to...
+NateCunha And she just had some unlucky rolls. Her second whirlwind failed because of the DICE. What was she supposed to do about that?
I think her plan was to distract the archers and maybe draw some other people to her. That's not a bad idea, she just didn't get the rolls to be perceived as a major threat in the fight. At one point she asked if really no one wanted to deal with her and again: the reason no one did was because she had bad luck so her attacks didn't have a big impact.
The comments directed at her were really unfair in that regard.
+Peter Siu While I agree criticizing a player is a no-no I think a lot of people were just REALLY nervous and saw one of the group's biggest guns sitting back. Mind you I was someone screaming for her to drop form and just nuke the clumped together barbarians, but that was about it. I don't think she did anything particularly wrong, but I think Air Elemental vs. Keyleth, Keyleth is more useful. Mind you if she just started blasting folks she would have been a bigger target than she was.
That said, I don't condone giving Marisha or anyone shit for their decisions, but I understand the passion a little bit.
Right. Marisha isn't bad, she just can't ever see the "optimal move".
...also Ale!
Watching this in 2020 where they have a full line of funko pops, an animated series in the works, a campaign long sponsor, continuous merch, and watching him and all the actors have the same exact reaction as Matt has here, the surprise of how far they've come and how far they're going. I'm happy to see the success for these p cool people. Personal favorite is watching the tech and maps skyrocketing.
I can completely understand the whole barbarian decision. I did the same thing at one point in my campaigns. By doing this Matt brings a more human and realistic aspect to the game and the PCs.
Last night's game was EPIC! You all did awesome.
Matt the the thing I like most about your DMing is the depth of your story. And please give a DM chat on alignments and actions that can cause an aliment shift.
Matt you did a great job. Don't let people get to you your a amazing story teller. I keep watching even the whole party get killed. It be sad but that D@D. My DM killed two of my player it happen. So keep up the good work.
I think it's crazy that even WITH Sam/Scanlan using Hold Person, they still nearly got beat.
Episode 52 was AWESOME! :D Been able to start catching it live on stream since Episode 50. :)
honestly man, Matts my hero! im 30 and im not ashamed in the least to say this dudes my idol, such a great individual and a talent like no other
I'm kinda hoping Wizards of the Coast will eventually produce an Exandria setting.
Well... Not WotC, but you can get an Exandria book soon-ish. So, Yay!
Josh Diffey Now they are, but I'm guessing you already know that
what? where can you purchase it?
its not released yet. I think Matt said he wanted it to be ready to be published early 2017? So we've got a bit to go unfortunately.
I thought the setting book was helped made with WotC recources
Not gonna lie, Matt going hard and requiring players to put their best on the table made this one of the best TTRPG fight I've ever seen👌
Shame people give him flack for his game choices. Hope he doesn't let it get to him.
+Nausicaa451 Exactly, DMing is not easy work to begin with, and doing it on his level and scale is amazing.
+Lance White Eagle Exactly!!! It's way too easy for trollish people to come along after the fact and start tearing Matt's performance apart in hind-sight. He does an amazing job running that game and the fact that he does so much just off the cuff is truly awe inspiring!
+Lance White Eagle Yeah.. Nothing about that episode looked the least bit disingenuous.. Try not to listen to people who are more concerned over finding faults than seeing things as they actually are.. Considering how everything went down, someone having a problem with it just reeks of them looking to boost their own ego.. o.o;
It’s very easy to shout from the other side of a screen
Matt, I would NEVER question your narrative, it is beautiful, layered, and so all encompassing, anyone who would attempt to tear at it I would challenge them to come up with a story that is even half as amazing and intricate as yours. Great episode! Great show! Thank you for sharing it with us, and don't change a thing because it all amazing!
My understanding of the Raven Queen's amulet was that as the creature that was taken into it was concerned there was no separation of time between going in and coming out. This impression was given based on the wolf that they pulled out of it at when they first got it. IMO I think Grog's rage would have been sustained. All the same LOVE what you're doing.
True! I didnt think about that
I just imagined that Grog paced back and forth punching himself to stay angry.
well to be fair he was on 4 hp
and got healed anyway
so he still would of had the same outcome
@@SPACEHARICE he had an ability that meant he couldve dropped to one hp instead but youre right about the healing
By removing metagaming and specifically thinking of ways "what would their character would do" makes the game phenomenal to watch.
The phone is shaking! You can see how much nervous energy Matt is going through getting into the finer details and really getting crunchy. Mad respect and mad love to someone that's still FEELING that drive when they're already so amazing.
Seeing this video this much later I now hear Enchanter Pumat Sol coming out occasionally.
I was thinking the same thing😎👉👉
I see a DM who didn't get to do the fun murder stuff to his players. I can almost feel bad for him. Maybe next year.
What I think of when I saw and heard from Grog's clan was Klingons. Proud warriors, but honour-bound and have respect for tradition and rules.
James Brooks That's pretty much Goliaths. They believe in survival of the fittest but also fairness. In a way, Travis went against this when Grog used a Potion of Giant Strength in his rematch at the Crucible. Goliaths also don't rely on magic items. They'll use them, but it's still just a tool.
Bryan Woods yeah its what I thought. They are the Klingons of Exandria
Just finished this episode for the first time and remembered Matt did this video so jumped on it. He's been a great DM and is continuing to be even greater!
I'm so happy Matt addressed the Fanzine, since people have been asking about it, and I'm looking forward to working with them with the artbook or whatever we'll do!
Matt is amazing as a DM! I love how he goes along with players decisions or in corporate their behavior into the game. Great work and dedication
It's been more than 2 years and it still surprises me how people hasn't realized yet that they are telling a story and that's how it is. It's not up to us to disagree with decisions made because that's the story, just interpret things as you wish.
Whoever runs this channel, you r a legend!!
+hawkeye 2124 Thank you so much! We try our best :-)
Ah Matt before the High Noon PTSD struck
Talks Machina before it was born XD
Really late in viewing this but happened to stumble onto this when going through campaign 1.
Short version: Love ya Matt - Kudos to you.
Long Version:
It is not easy to GM a game of any level (much less having the guts to do it in front of live/virtual audience) as it takes planning and impromptu story telling skills. People should understand that GMing is a labor of love and is an art form. As with all art forms - personal and emotional effort goes into the time invested into the "game" and only through such effort can good story telling be made. Ten GMs can run the Lost Mines of Phandelver and it could very well end up as ten very different outcomes in terms of player experience and take aways depending on the effort a GM put into the game and the group of players.
IMHO - ONE of the reasons why critical role has been going on for so long and so successfully (yes I'm keeping up with campaign 2) is because Matt is GMing for people he knows and genuinely cares for at a personal level.
Point being - you won't get this level of quality GMing by walking into your local Adventure's League Game or dare I say Gygax himself.
Chin up buddy - for each critic smashing the warning button there there are a hundred more people who are watching your story unfold and invest what time they have to the glory that you and your friends created together that is critical role.
Thanks for the extra content! I'm making my way through C1 before I start C2, and it's great to be able to go through content almost as if I was watching in real-time!
Been a fan of Mercer for quite a few years. I got to meet him at a convention before knowing about Crit Role. I'm glad he's getting more recognition as a result of the show. He's awesome.
hey dude or dudette who runs this channel thanks so much for doing this, its such a blessing for those of us in different time zones! just wanted to give you some love! you da real MVP XD
+ulexite hahaha, awesome! Thank you so much! It's great to read comments like this :-)
Lost my sleep for that episode, enter work at 6:30am and the show start for me at 10pm. Worth every second of it. Keep up the good work, that goes for the whole crew that make this show posible.
+Omar Garcia (GARET) I'm right there with you! Got up at 6:30 as well and didn't get to sleep until sometime after 2:00AM. Last night was a real nail biter!
Ok, to me this is simple. From the way The Herd of Storms has been handled in game throughout the last few episodes I kind of see them as Klingons... more from the DS9 kinda view where we saw their culture through many different viewpoints.
From the view of anyone falling under the blade they are bloodthirsty animals, bent on battle and destruction. But just like the Klingons they have a governing body and a set of principals, and even more like the Klingons they have a deep sense of honour and tradition. Although this was not a traditional coo within their ranks, they saw Grog at the head of it.
Grog in the eyes of the herd is a disgraced cast off. His return and subsequent challenge played more to their sense of honour and tradition than their blood thirst and destructive nature.
You just have to look at the society and the cultural factors that influence these matters.... and in an odd moment of standing on my soap box I would say that this is one of the many ways we can take a lesson from creative role-play and apply it to our normal lives. Look deeper.
+xyon172 I appreciate it, it means Travis pushing Grog's duel approach was almost completely justified in terms of the mentality. I was expecting the Herd to keep fighting as the more likely option, just because their loyalty to Kevdak didn't seem absolute and this isn't Mindslayers under K'varns thrall, nor undead slaves, nor trapped slaves, these are sentient beings that know what they're doing and have a sense of honour and fair play.
Thanks Matt for clarifying my fire damage question. Goes without saying I love you show and keep up the great entertainment. You all must have been so nervous.
For people who have never GM-ed it is hard for them to understand how we keep everything strait. I still shock players I've been playing with for years when I give them a look behind the curtain.
You are a wonderful DM and a person. You are all great. Thank you for what you all do. :)
Having a D&D meet this Friday (the 13th!). Been DMing for about a year now, and Matt Mercer has been such an incredible teacher/instructor, whether he knows it or not. Bravo!
Matt is amazing! :D He really keeps in touch with the fan base ^^
12:00 - McCree
Don't worry too much about what people say Matt. You are one of the best dungeon masters. You just keep doing what you are and know you are doing a great job. Thank you for everything.
does anyone else get the vibe that matt would be literally the worlds most greatest and epic father? (barring darth vader of course. Quite you vader haters:)
I mean, can you imagine growing up and having him to run games for you and your friends, whether its board, table top rpg, or video games? I just have a feeling he would make fun time so much fun! My dad didn't care for 'make believe', as he called it. Sadness.
Liam already does most of that :)
I envy the kid that will grow up with Matt and Marisha as parents
+leavy
I envy Baby Baileyham tbh, Travis is a hug with a face and Laura is just, well, Laura
I'd love to see Sam Witwer on CR
Just want to add my thanks - for Critrole, yourself, the cast & crew these additional 'chats'
EPIC Game sessions
EPIC Story and engagement with the players - just look at everyone's reactions to events in game
KEEP AT IT
AND
Yes to Critloot :D
Watching this back 3 years later where Matt is just surprised to have sponsors, OH BUDDY you have no idea where Critical Role will go xD
Thank you critical scope, so glad you put this up (just watching through Crit Role now, up to 53 :P)
P.S. I really hope Laura likes the Bear Bow I gave her. **crosses fingers**
Thank you for all your wonderful work Matt, my Dungeon Grand Master!
epic boss fight; vox machina vs a simple wooden door with a screen door backup, lol. on the bathroom after a drinking binge or food poisoning issues .... erp! OMG love the guest players, have an ongoing want to see Yuri Lowenthal and Allyson Haislip! 5g and a party!
Yes. It would be great to see Yuri on CR. This must happen at some point.
It is cool watching this 3 years later
With regards to Grog losing his rage I felt a strong argument could be made that he should have kept it. The way the Raven Queen's amulet was explained is when someone is placed inside of it they are stuck at that exact moment in time as well.
I have to say, of all the sessions aired (that is, of course, not counting the couple of years pre-Critical Role that you guys ran this), episode 52 was the closest I've ever seen Vox Machina/the players to actually having a proper strategy/approach to dealing with a known-situation. Usually, they all just kind of do their thing and hope for the best -- ;) -- but this time there was almost a genuine sense of "we gotta act like we know what-the-fuck time it is..." that informed on most of their actions. A very nice sense of growth, as it were....
All I can say is I really freaking have been enjoying the show. Please all keep up the great work and grow. Thank you for giving myself something look forward to in my free time. Many blessing on all your house holds.
I can't believe how close they were to several player deaths, especially with so much danger they managed to avoid from Kevdag (?) and Greenbeard.
Without Scanlan's MVP play there, I don't see how they could have come even close to winning. Some of them might have been able to get out alive, but that's it. If not TPK, then at least half party kill...
Wolfram Stahl One of the greatest things a DM can do (on occasion) is put the party in a situation that even they don’t know a solution to. In that case the players have to bring out their A game and start doing things that they wouldn’t have otherwise thought of to survive, hence we saw that some really cool plays that we mightn’t have seen otherwise. :)
Hey Matt it's your story to tell man. Keep up the awesome job!
the best map yet keep up the good work
I miss shit like this, just little real updates where Matt could actually talk to the fan base. Imagine trying to read the chat on a live stream and actually interact with it...
I played a lot of Overwatch during the Beta, and I've listened to hours and hours of Matthew Mercer talking in Critical Role. How did i not see the he voiced Mcree!!!!
Do you and your friends ever get the chance to go to a Ren-Fair ? If not you all really should go. Its like you walked right into D&D. You can go into it in costume as well. I think You and your friends would have a great time.
So cute all these comments from years ago.
I miss when the world wasn't a complete mess and each week something even more ludicrous/alarming/heartbreaking happened.
❤️
You are the most amazing dm. I don't know how you keep track of all those npc's in a fight like that.
Let's set up an indie Gogo to get Matt a 3D printer.
Naaaaa the critters dont do crowd funding. 😜
250 bucks.... you dont need crowd funding .....
Also sad about the hair cut. You also need to start growing out your beard if you want to fulfill your potential as a true wizard by the time all your hairs are white.
the light almost gives him sepiroth points in the hair.
oh man, I'm a bit late on realizing he had done this. Glad I found it before Thursday and even more glad that you took the time to upload it to TH-cam. I hadn't realized just how very close the Vox crew was to utter TPK style disaster. I mean, I knew things weren't going well but I didn't realize they were THAT close
Matt. I apreciate how still you held the camera for a guy who talks and emotes with his arms. potentailly your entire body. but thats not on camera.
ps im truly enjoying this story arc
If you watch some old clips of Vox Machina in Pathfinder, you'll see Matt standing up and walking around and flapping his arms and everything. XD People in the comments were so sad that he has to sit down the whole time for Critical Role.
Matt, I know this is way over a year old, but I wanted to say that your story is amazing.
3D minis.... almost exactly two years later it's now a thing! Not just for one campaign, but two and for PCs and NPCs as well.
Am I the only one who wants to see Matt do a cameo on 'Welcome to Night Vale' after that creepy "Have to run..."? Damn if he won't be a good character in the mess that is WTNV.
That would be so awesome!
HYPE for Critical Role Animated on Amazon! Glad your dreams came true, Matt
Hahaha! Have a TPK so everyone can reroll as dwarves.
Re Psionics: From what I can tell, they didn’t really turn out balanced until 3.5. And most people just assumed that that version was broken from their prior incarnations and by overlooking a very, *very* important rule limiting how strong a single power could be. There was a great thread on the old WotC boards debunking all of the myths about the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the base psionics book for 3.5) which you might be able to find an archived version of, title was something like “Myth: The XPH is Overpowered”.
I mention that because the guy who made that thread went on to be one of the guys behind Dreamscarred Press, the third-party publisher that released a Pathfinder version of 3.5’s psionics with the book “Ultimate Psionics”. Aside from it being possibly more balanced than its predecessor, the oft-overlooked rule I mentioned before got its own big, prominent, stupidly-hard-to-miss sidebar.
It was a massivly epic scene during that episode. It's clear the herd hasn't really chosen between grog and greenbeard yet and I'm curious to see how the group handles the next episodes with their new frenemies.
well they will chose grog because you know... Greenbeard is..dead.
+Andrew Pinero I was referring to the two factions. It wasn't until this episode we knew which side of the political thought process Kevdak's son fell on. I won't mention spoilers but worth a watch
Critical Role is a life saver right now for me. I just moved out of state, don't know anyone. All I do is work and sit at home playing video games and watching movies. Critical Role feels like I'm playing with them. It's like they're my friends haha. I just finished this episode last night and it was amazing as usual. I can't wait to finish all of them and then I'm going to try and find some people to play D&D with. I've played TTG's before but never D&D. I was interested before Critical Role. Now it's a must.
Although I can't help but feel I'll be a tad disappointed with my DM, because they won't be Matt Mercer haha!
Basically if Grog hadn't done the final blow, it would likely have been a tpk or at least a death or two. Pike and Grog were very low, most of the others were pretty low too. If the herd kept attacking, it's unlikely that they'd won or managed to all get away. P.S. Birds ARE awesome :)
Yep, that stroke of genius of popping Grog out of the Pokeball to hit Kevdak really saved the team. There would've been a looooot of crying otherwise ^^;
i thought maybe using basilisk might have helped. tie one up, but hold person definitely works too. :)
+Daniel Alexandro I am a DM, and that has given me a BRILLIANT idea for one of my villains !
thank you !
Your welcome :)
It would of been a cool idea, but hard as hell to do.
One follow-up I would've liked to ask off the back of the last question ("Do you find running the game physically draining?") is how much of a difference it makes running the game AND doing all the other streaming/production/on-set stuff on top.
I've run a long-term game before, and just sitting in my living room, marshaling a plot and keeping track of NPCs while coping with random dice-rolls and the players' actions is draining enough (in a good way, like a satisfying gym session... but still draining).
But Matt and the team have the extra work of dealing with multi-camera and audio technology (plus, of course, Skype), and a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that has nothing to do with the game we see on the screen, and I would've loved to hear a bit about the extra work that goes into an episode versus just sitting at home with your buddies.
need to have troy baker on critical role that would be awesome
You guys seem to be gaining in popularity and now even sponsors. While you guys are great friends are there fears where the possible fame and or money could possibly cause rifts? I'd hate for something so amazing like friendships be fractured because of this stuff. Perhaps prior planning and agreements as a group could help protect against such things because you guys ARE a brand. You guys are gaining a lot of momentum and I hope you continue to do so in a way and form that maintains your friendships etc. Because each character / actor is important to the whole.
Keep up the amazing work!!!! I finally was able to talk my gaming group into playing D&D and it's in big part because of you guys.
For some reason, this got recommended just after Campaign 2 episode 52, and it took me 2 and a half minutes to realize that,
It did the same for me today
Thanks for the upload, I am never up when they periscope so these are priceless :)
I'm going to be Co-DMing with a friend new to DMing (we both want to just play sometimes) and Matt Coville's video is actually what I am sitting him down to spark his self education and our collaboration down the right path. Except for one episode because Im totally stealing an idea from it and want it to be a surprise :) thank you for turning me onto him
I loved the look on his face just before the 26:00 mark when he said "You have to run." :D lol
Thanks for liking my tweet about Grog's potential mega-evolution.
Consider yourselves subscribed =]Love this channel
+James Cross It was very interesting :-) Thanks for subbing! We do our best to gather as much videos as possible :-)
I was curious if Matt was still taking encounter submissions. I haven't heard anything since the community voted for the Black Ooze in the Underdark of Kraghammer.
+James Robbins He tweeted this yesterday!
It's funny that he called his hair getting longer "ridiculous" back then.
I often feel like the tech crew assisting with the stream could stand to do a better job of getting the battle maps in shot. Glimpses are snatched of Matt's scenery and it looks really good but it's rare to get a good angle.
It definitely is better in Campaign 2
By far the best episode I've seen out of all of them. :-)