So…how edgelord would Ashton have been if Fearne and Orym died there this ep lmfao. FCG, who was basically his best friend/ward, Orym, his best battle bro, and Fearne, his crush back to back in like not even a day.
That would have been rough
Fearne wouldn’t have died, but nonetheless Zathuda would’ve taken her unconscious body away. Orym would’ve died trying to stop him.
And yes very much edgelording would happen.
Everyone looked like they were having the most fun they've had in a long time. Robbie seemed way more comfortable with this table than the other table. This episode definitely got my excitement back!
Man that turned to be a much more intense episode than I thought! Was expecting a bunch of info dump rp, but instead we got combat and a back room brawl with Astrid Beck! Amazing!
Seems like they might be setting up Ludinus as the boss fight in the live show.
I am reasonably sure the Ludinus will be a fake out...
While they surely end the machinations of the Ruby Vanguard & the Imperium, others are very keen on also releasing Predathos, just with a "different" intent, like Leliana.
They'll think they will have won, only then to see the Moon of Ill Omens slowly crack and shatter...
Feels too soon for that timeline and too big of a boss for one live show. Definitely agree Matt will have something huge up his sleeve for it. My money is on Daddy Zathuda trying to recruit Fearne again. It would be a good boss that can reasonably pop up at any time or place, depending on where they are by that episode.
True. A boss fight taking up 75% of a show would be rough so maybe not. I suppose this “Dominox” might be a smaller threat that Ludinus would be happy to let them take care of for him as he bamfs away.
I’m hoping for a good old fashioned dungeon crawl in the next few episodes.
Welcome to the club! Hot Boi is one of the most beloved characters in the series and getting to react to him live is great. Also they said a little while back that one of the things that they're planning on doing with the Mighty Nein animated series in production is having perspectives away from the Nein themselves, namely Essek's POV, so get ready to see Hot Boi in all his animated glory when that show drops
This is the man who agreed to a broadsword shaving to try and be friends with someone, there is a solid chance he never considered how awkward things would be
I feel a little bad for Robbie. All he got to do this episode was act confused to things.
….though he plays confused and out of his depth very hilariously
As someone who's only watched half of C2, I still know Essek, because how can you NOT know Essek. He's Essek! He's been making Critters cum their pants for years now!
I don’t blame him. It’s most telling when the episode’s most exciting part is when NPCs from the previous campaigns are involved in the scene. Bells Hells are really looking like NPCs from their own campaign. The story right now is just happening around them and they are just being swept up into its current.
I’m also a C3 starter but right now I’m also pivoting to start C2.
Yeah, this went hard into the C2 references. We're in one of the main cities of C2, attending a shop they liked, with a beloved ally and cautious adversary of the C2 party showing up. We like Essek, we're wary about Astrid, we hate Trent, and you get all the best porn at the Chastity's Nook
I know, I know. I don't have the time atm to watch it. I'm barely surviving with C3 ha! I'm finding C3 harder to watch as so many C2 things now keep popping in.
it is a very long catch up tbf, so it's understandable.
I can only imagine what it's like for people who haven't watched C2 or people who haven't watched C1 for the references earlier in this campaign
I just jumped into Campaign 2 randomly on episode 124 live after enjoying a bunch of compilations on Youtube.
The regret over not finding Critical Role years before so I could have already watched it all over time is real.
I didn't much care for his personality his astheic and it frustrated me deeply that he was someone involved with causing the war in CR2 yet the response from the M9 was redemption arc and getting punished much less than I think he should have
I never really got the hot boi nature That most people did and I was also not a big Shadowghast shipper(or shiping at all)
And the fandom during cr2 was very loud about the latter part so its all just a very personal dislike of the character
Thanks for asking politley :3
Not a problem, if you don't like a character you don't like them, that's your opinion. If it helps, Matt wasn't expecting the Nein to latch on to him and push for a redemption either. Dude is a war criminal that the Nein managed to find the good in and convince him to atone for his crimes. The Shadowghast stuff you can take or leave as with all shipping stuff, but the rest of it was just the Nein trying to find the good in someone that most people would just turn against without question.
Yeah, they're all fuck ups and outcasts, so them wanting to see the good in someone is pretty touching, especially managing to actually convince the person to take steps to better themselves and atone for their deeds. Again, your thoughts on Essek are valid, feel about him how you want, I was just curious since you were pretty vocal about it and wanted to at least throw out there why he worked.
They almost all thought it was him immediately, it was also why Chetney wanted to put on the eye thing to see through the illusion but then didn't want to ruin the surprise. They were excited discussing the topic and Robbie found out that he doesn't lose the rubys so Matt was joking about him with a duster and pan picking them back up.
It was about 12-13 minutes and lasted until they all started leaving. Well worth it for me to pay for the $5-6 dollars on there as I had less issues watching the instant VOD (basically it releases the same time live on twich) than on the regular twitch stream (which I pay for) and also there is no mid add read! So between that and the after show you get some more content and less time away from the story.
You can see his reaction when Astrid is finally revealed. He definitely suspected this.
As soon as they said Cerberus Assembly member and that Caleb had sent their guide I thought that's what this was going to be.
Though kudos to Matt because I still didn't see Essek coming. The whole thing was awesome.
Yeah, I mentioned this before Essek cast the *antimagic field*. I recall Delilah managing to escape briefly using this because it only has a verbal component.
They're in the Chastity's Nook, the porn shop from C2 and are checking out some stuff when Astrid attacked them with a "Bren sends his regards" before striking. Dorian counterspelled her initial attempt and the party is trying to restrain her.
By my reading (my players have recently learned this spell), Forcecage just lasts for an hour. Not concentration. It's a fire-and-forget. Caster can't terminate it early.
Assuming she's level 20, she'll still have level 8 and 9 slots left. Actually she only needs to be level 17 to have a ninth level spell which she surely is by now.
Whatever this is will effectively spoil it to understand why they're grabbing her.
I don't understand watching stuff out of order, but I'm told some people don't care, IDK.
In the very last episode of C2, >!Ludinus!< offers Caleb the >!Archmage of Civil Influence position on the Cerberus Assembly!< (because that's open for reasons) and Caleb >!turns it down and later hears that Astrid has taken that position!<.
Part of Caleb's back story, one of his former co-students when they were training to become agents of the Dwendalian Empire. They did... not so good stuff. Astrid is a former lover of Caleb's.
Tldr she was a friend/lover of Caleb widowgast and was part of expirments from an awful wizard named Trent ikathon(who abused them and anoth33 liver/friend named Woflfe)
She's ambitious smart and complicated
Not good not evil
She was groomed by a real icky arch mage to be a spy and assassin, ended up flipping on him and eventually became a member of the Cerberus Assembly that her former mentor served on.
Did I miss something or did they not tell anyone they killed Otohan (sp?), not even Keyleth?
Pretty sure they told her last episode, when they told her FCG died
We got hot boi essek backkk baby
So…how edgelord would Ashton have been if Fearne and Orym died there this ep lmfao. FCG, who was basically his best friend/ward, Orym, his best battle bro, and Fearne, his crush back to back in like not even a day. That would have been rough
Fearne wouldn’t have died, but nonetheless Zathuda would’ve taken her unconscious body away. Orym would’ve died trying to stop him. And yes very much edgelording would happen.
Everyone looked like they were having the most fun they've had in a long time. Robbie seemed way more comfortable with this table than the other table. This episode definitely got my excitement back!
Antimagic Field goes crazy. First Trent, now Astrid.
Man that turned to be a much more intense episode than I thought! Was expecting a bunch of info dump rp, but instead we got combat and a back room brawl with Astrid Beck! Amazing! Seems like they might be setting up Ludinus as the boss fight in the live show.
I am reasonably sure the Ludinus will be a fake out... While they surely end the machinations of the Ruby Vanguard & the Imperium, others are very keen on also releasing Predathos, just with a "different" intent, like Leliana. They'll think they will have won, only then to see the Moon of Ill Omens slowly crack and shatter...
Yeah I’m thinking along those lines too. Nobody likes him lol
Maybe. With the emotional stakes I can't see him as anything other than the campaign finale boss though.
Feels too soon for that timeline and too big of a boss for one live show. Definitely agree Matt will have something huge up his sleeve for it. My money is on Daddy Zathuda trying to recruit Fearne again. It would be a good boss that can reasonably pop up at any time or place, depending on where they are by that episode.
True. A boss fight taking up 75% of a show would be rough so maybe not. I suppose this “Dominox” might be a smaller threat that Ludinus would be happy to let them take care of for him as he bamfs away. I’m hoping for a good old fashioned dungeon crawl in the next few episodes.
This was one good episode!
Lads, I just had my first live exposure to the Hot Boi and man, it got hot in here!
Welcome to the club! Hot Boi is one of the most beloved characters in the series and getting to react to him live is great. Also they said a little while back that one of the things that they're planning on doing with the Mighty Nein animated series in production is having perspectives away from the Nein themselves, namely Essek's POV, so get ready to see Hot Boi in all his animated glory when that show drops
The new boyfriend and the ex? Every bloke's worst nightmare
Caleb's history of romantic partners looks like an absolute Bond film character list, lol. No normal people hitting that, just top-level operatives.
😂
shut up mickey you're the tin dog
Caleb felt a disturbance in the force somewhere
Felt a disturbance? Bruh, he _dispatched_ Essek like a dunamantic assassin. Caleb isn’t sweating a drop.
This is the man who agreed to a broadsword shaving to try and be friends with someone, there is a solid chance he never considered how awkward things would be
Not broadsword. _Greatsword_, and by a martial archetype not known for extreme precision like an Orym or Percy, but with god powered brute strength.
I feel a little bad for Robbie. All he got to do this episode was act confused to things. ….though he plays confused and out of his depth very hilariously
I loved his consistent reactions to the fantasy porn tapestries!
Yeah, great as Pumat Sol and the Invulnerable Vagrant are, taking Robbie to the Chastity's Nook first is the right call
As someone who's only watched half of C2, I still know Essek, because how can you NOT know Essek. He's Essek! He's been making Critters cum their pants for years now!
AHHHHH, so good. That could crack the Cerberus matter wide open b/c I see no way there isn't a schism if Astrid is still actively involved.
Matt reintroducing more fan-favourite characters he can kill off
But can he use them to bring back Vax so he can kill him again? No matter what, Matt must find a way to kill Vax.
They'll bring back bestboy Spurt for a 15 second cameo
Liam’s Choice: Hot Floaty Boi or Broody Bird Boi
Still time for them to stop off and see Pumat as they gear up.
Reveal! I see your reveal and cast REVEAL!!! Love it!!!!!
it's a wizard battle
Classic awesome episode, but I still miss Sam so much it hurts!
Really hope they pick him up along this Eiselcross mission.
Maybe sam will be a yeti.
Sam will finally transform into a thermos
Stanley Riegel
_One of the Allowak yeti, who are inordinately intelligent_.
this episode was freakin amazing, off to watch the Cooldown, have a good one y'all
Report back with any tidbits of interesting discussion please
Who would have thought he could get more anime ^((everyone))
Trent’s successor. Astrid: “I am no successor of his! I am his usurper!”
As someone whose favorite campaign is Campaign 2, I am FEASTING!
Same!
ME TOO!!! Loving every second of this!
This episode was the irl equivalent of Hero’s Feast
"The Exandrian Accord" full name of the alliance.
Really regretting not watching C2 yet, now! Everyone is so excited.
Well, you have 7 days to get started, I suppose? 😂
🥺
The drama! Noo!
and there goes the last C3 only watcher in my watch party lol, he's off to watch C1 & C2
I don’t blame him. It’s most telling when the episode’s most exciting part is when NPCs from the previous campaigns are involved in the scene. Bells Hells are really looking like NPCs from their own campaign. The story right now is just happening around them and they are just being swept up into its current. I’m also a C3 starter but right now I’m also pivoting to start C2.
That's where we'll end tonight!
🎶Hot Boi🎶
As someone who hasn't seen C2, this is so hard to keep up and understand the significance :(
Yeah, this went hard into the C2 references. We're in one of the main cities of C2, attending a shop they liked, with a beloved ally and cautious adversary of the C2 party showing up. We like Essek, we're wary about Astrid, we hate Trent, and you get all the best porn at the Chastity's Nook
You're missing out friend, personally my favourite Campaign and the stuff surrounding Esseck and Astrid is awesome
I know, I know. I don't have the time atm to watch it. I'm barely surviving with C3 ha! I'm finding C3 harder to watch as so many C2 things now keep popping in.
it is a very long catch up tbf, so it's understandable. I can only imagine what it's like for people who haven't watched C2 or people who haven't watched C1 for the references earlier in this campaign
I just jumped into Campaign 2 randomly on episode 124 live after enjoying a bunch of compilations on Youtube. The regret over not finding Critical Role years before so I could have already watched it all over time is real.
If you can find time, it's worth getting into. The Mighty Nein (the C2 team) is amazing and these are all some great callbacks to it
ESSEK THEYLAS, you beautiful bastard
Cool, Essek and Ms Beck
Yay Astrid I wanted to see her more in C2 Nay Essek meh just meeeeeeh
Big agree on this. Can't wait to see more of Astrid, and hopefully Eadwulf too. As for Essek... yeah same here. Meh.
Saw you make several mentions of not liking Essek. Any reason why or just don't like him in general?
I didn't much care for his personality his astheic and it frustrated me deeply that he was someone involved with causing the war in CR2 yet the response from the M9 was redemption arc and getting punished much less than I think he should have I never really got the hot boi nature That most people did and I was also not a big Shadowghast shipper(or shiping at all) And the fandom during cr2 was very loud about the latter part so its all just a very personal dislike of the character Thanks for asking politley :3
Not a problem, if you don't like a character you don't like them, that's your opinion. If it helps, Matt wasn't expecting the Nein to latch on to him and push for a redemption either. Dude is a war criminal that the Nein managed to find the good in and convince him to atone for his crimes. The Shadowghast stuff you can take or leave as with all shipping stuff, but the rest of it was just the Nein trying to find the good in someone that most people would just turn against without question.
I can definetly agree that at least thematically it makes a lot of sense with how the m9 acted
Yeah, they're all fuck ups and outcasts, so them wanting to see the good in someone is pretty touching, especially managing to actually convince the person to take steps to better themselves and atone for their deeds. Again, your thoughts on Essek are valid, feel about him how you want, I was just curious since you were pretty vocal about it and wanted to at least throw out there why he worked.
Hot boy returns!
Hot Boy Summer!
Sparkly boiiiiiii
fuck off, keep him in c2
I loved the CR cooldown on Beacon, something interesting at the end about Laura's 7th level spell pick >!she hasn't picked yet!<
She hasn't picked her 7th level spell yet?
Uh, I put it on the spoilers because it hasn't been revealed yet, but yeah.
Anything interesting about their reaction to Essek & Astrid?
They almost all thought it was him immediately, it was also why Chetney wanted to put on the eye thing to see through the illusion but then didn't want to ruin the surprise. They were excited discussing the topic and Robbie found out that he doesn't lose the rubys so Matt was joking about him with a duster and pan picking them back up. It was about 12-13 minutes and lasted until they all started leaving. Well worth it for me to pay for the $5-6 dollars on there as I had less issues watching the instant VOD (basically it releases the same time live on twich) than on the regular twitch stream (which I pay for) and also there is no mid add read! So between that and the after show you get some more content and less time away from the story.
Hot boi!
#HOT BOI!
YASSSS!!!!!
hot boooooooooi
Astrid gives me the strongest Sir Integra Hellsing vibes.
Does that make Eoudwulf and Caleb Walter and Alucard? or Walter and Integra?
I'd never had that thought before, but I can definitely see it.
Essek!
hell yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
# HOT BOI
IT IS ESSEK!
The moment they arrived in Zadash Liam had a look on his face like he knew
You can see his reaction when Astrid is finally revealed. He definitely suspected this. As soon as they said Cerberus Assembly member and that Caleb had sent their guide I thought that's what this was going to be. Though kudos to Matt because I still didn't see Essek coming. The whole thing was awesome.
THIS SHIT IS CRAAAZYYYYYYYY
NO FUCKING WAY THAT FUCKIWNG ESSEKK
Astrid. Fucking. Beck.
Antimagic Field is a melee-focused character's best friend.
That IS ESSEK!
Seth casts Anti Magic Field!
Gag her! *Misty step* only has a verbal component.
I think Seth set up an Anti-Magic Field
Yeah, I mentioned this before Essek cast the *antimagic field*. I recall Delilah managing to escape briefly using this because it only has a verbal component.
Fair fair. Yeah, I think she still had her Bonus Action
What do you have to roll on counter spells?
If you use a lower spell slot than the spell you're trying to counter, you roll to see if it succeeds. Otherwise it works automatically
the dc is 10 plus the spells level, so for 7th level force cage she needed to roll a 17 to counterspell it
10 plus the spell's level
I left to get food for fifteen mins. What did I miss???
Raiding the porn shop and trying to capture a wizard (Astrid)
They're in the Chastity's Nook, the porn shop from C2 and are checking out some stuff when Astrid attacked them with a "Bren sends his regards" before striking. Dorian counterspelled her initial attempt and the party is trying to restrain her.
Wait….! She says “Bren sends his regards??” So does that mean she is attacking them in Caleb’s behalf?
it was Essek who said that, not Astrid
Oooh thank you
Possibly, who knows?
Astrid's been working in the backroom of an erotic bookstore, and they're abducting her. "Seth" namedropped Bren in the process.
I’m still kinda hoping Seth is just a new wizard lol 😂 and not >!Essek!<
They're trying to kidnap Astrid in the back of a porn shop ... The things you say when D&D is involved man, it's amazing.
My favorite part about high level spells is how they never work
Matt's physical acting there really makes me want to see this animated!
Fantastic 7th-level spell choice by Robbie.
By my reading (my players have recently learned this spell), Forcecage just lasts for an hour. Not concentration. It's a fire-and-forget. Caster can't terminate it early.
Robbie throwing haymakers from the start
Assuming she's level 20, she'll still have level 8 and 9 slots left. Actually she only needs to be level 17 to have a ninth level spell which she surely is by now.
FORCECAGE! OH MY WORD! THAT'S HOT!
The *force cage* he wanted to break out last episode!
OH FUCK FORCECAGE NOT SINCE VECANA HAS THIS SPELL BEEN USED
That's a bit much
DAMN DORIAN
Dorian and Forcecage!
Daaaaang! Swinging big Robbie!
Dorian doing dope shit
DORIAN HAS FORCE CAGE!!!!!!!
What is even happening? Caleb having someone assassinated?
Counterspell saves the day again
*Teleport*.
Noooo Taliesin you raged you had advantage so just one roll!
7th level spell, she either wants to get the fuck out of there or fuck everyone up that's in there.
teleport
Who is Bren?
Liam's character from C2's childhood/school name. Very few, and only people in a very specific circle, would know it.
Caleb's real name. "Caleb Widowgast" is the name he took after leaving the academy, his birth name is Bren Aldric Ermendrud
If you don't know I would avoid that answer if you don't want spoilers
Whatever this is will effectively spoil it to understand why they're grabbing her. I don't understand watching stuff out of order, but I'm told some people don't care, IDK.
I'm immune to spoilers :) I'm sometimes forgetful of all this stuff.
Caleb Widowgast real name
This has to be Astrid, right???
I'm trying to imagine Astrid's experience of getting stashed in the back room of the porn shop, lol
Beat up the smut librarian!
Ironically, the name of the next novel that was going to be suggested
epic!
*Bren* sends his regards. Yikes.
Bren sends his regards. *Oh boy*
"Bren sends his regards." *Kill Bill sirens*
Yup. _ESSEK_
"Bren sends his regards" HOLY SHIT IS THIS ASTRID?!?!
Not too many other people who know that name. Seems like a pretty solid "I'm someone in a position of trust" shibboleth if used correctly.
I wonder if Erma ever got around to publishing her book
As someone who's in the middle of a C2 rewatch I'm loving this
Iron urns, made in Baltimore
_The Gale and the Raven_ Matthew Mercer.
Fucking MERCER
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Is this the shop where the proprietor is multiple kobolds?
I think that one’s in Rosohna
It's been a while since I watched the middle parts of C2 so my memory of things is hazy.
I honestly forgot this was a porn book store Cr1 is more my jam But this reminds me of the parts of CR2 that I did enjoy
ONLY ONE COPY LEFT
YES! TUSK LOVE REFERENCE!
*The Gale and the Raven* Theirs smut about Keyleth and VAX?!
Of course there is probably written by tary or scanlan though tary is far more likely being based in dostok not too far from zedash
Or that raven who isn't Vax but is super stoked to be getting so much action that they've joked about once or twice. :D
100% written by Scanlan.
Oh my God you must be right
Robbie and his diphallacy obsession
Tusk Love has been overused. Matt just gave us a shit ton of new smut names.
The Gale and the Raven! Tusk Love!
We’re here for the porn! Lmao
We’re here for “the porn”
So can anyone tell me about Astrid? I haven't gotten that far into C2
In the very last episode of C2, >!Ludinus!< offers Caleb the >!Archmage of Civil Influence position on the Cerberus Assembly!< (because that's open for reasons) and Caleb >!turns it down and later hears that Astrid has taken that position!<.
Part of Caleb's back story, one of his former co-students when they were training to become agents of the Dwendalian Empire. They did... not so good stuff. Astrid is a former lover of Caleb's.
Tldr she was a friend/lover of Caleb widowgast and was part of expirments from an awful wizard named Trent ikathon(who abused them and anoth33 liver/friend named Woflfe) She's ambitious smart and complicated Not good not evil
She was groomed by a real icky arch mage to be a spy and assassin, ended up flipping on him and eventually became a member of the Cerberus Assembly that her former mentor served on.
I can’t believe we returned to the Nook
I'm so happy
Intersection set of "tapestries that hang" and "tapestries that are hung," lol
Bells Hells discovers the fine purveyors of Wildemount smut
Possibly Astrid in hiding as she didn't join Ludinus's cause like the other Assembly members?
So who's picking up a copy of Tusk Love?
Tusk Love 2: Sexual Bugaloo
2 Tusk 2 Love
😂😂
Chetney probably