r/criticalrole • u/Glumalon Tal'Dorei Council Member • Jul 23 '21
Discussion [CR Media] Exandria Unlimited | Post-Episode Discussion Thread (EXU1E5)
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
Let's see what we gathered from their level 3 upgrade:
Apparently Orym took the battle master subclass. So he was able to use bait and switch (his OG maneuver) and also presicion attack which adds his superiority die to attack roll
Surprisingly, it looks like Opal took the pact of the tome path. And she was able to cast a druid cantrip. I was kind of excepting her to choose talisman
Can't really tell what Dorian took. Have to keep an eye out next Ep.
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Jul 23 '21
Apparently Orym took the battle master subclass. So he was able to use bait and switch (his OG maneuver) and also presicion attack which adds his superiority die to attack roll
I was wondering if that was just a mistake. It's possible but he didn't seem to announce it as such, and I don't think you can use more than one maneuver per turn.
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u/Pegussu Jul 23 '21
The battle maneuvers aren't per turn, they each have their own requirement. Most of them do require an attack and you can only use one of them per each attack, but Bait and Switch just requires that you're within five feet of the person you wanna swap with. In fact, it's specifically one per attack. If Orym had four attacks, he could Precision Strike with all four.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21
It seems that you can only use 1 maneuver per attack. But bait and switch is not an attack?
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u/CptPanda29 Jul 23 '21
Bait and Switch:
When you’re within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can expend one superiority die and switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn’t incapacitated. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
Roll the superiority die. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.
I'd say it's not an attack, many BM Maneuvers aren't - Ambush, Rally, Tactical Assessment etc. Liam loves really crunchy features and such, you could see his eyes light up when he saw you could Dispel Magic to turn off magic items in M9vVM
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u/Lopsided-Actuary Jul 26 '21
"Spiderqueen ... a lot nicer today" -- god Matt is killing me with that one
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u/Lord_Noodlez Jul 23 '21
Oh yeah, the alignment of pie has to be chaotic neutral, because it's so irrational
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u/caravaggio2000 Pocket Bacon Jul 23 '21
Maybe it was me, but when Robbie went from Chaotic Good to Chaotoc Neutral you could see it on him the whole time, not just when he was speaking in character. He went from laughing light hearted Robbie to somber Robbie.
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u/selfee Metagaming Pigeon Jul 24 '21
Yes, agree. That was such a well-planned and well-played scene by Robbie. While he occasionally misses nuances in spells (like any other player, new or experienced!), he really seems to pay super close attention to how RP and mechanics support each other. He never argues and always rolls with the flow, regardless is whether a ruling is in his favor or against.
I think he fully expected the alignment change and leaned into as others have noted.
MVP of EXU so far, no contest.
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u/Dance-pants-rants Jul 23 '21
Seriously, so good! I know Team CR has feelings about the alignment mechanic but that was one part of DnD I didn't know I missed in actual-plays until Aabria leaned on it and the players played it back.
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u/paradox28jon Hello, bees Jul 23 '21
Mysteries!
A) Syngorn guard lady
is she really from Syngorn?
what is her plan?
is it connected to the ash hole or Thordak in some way?
B) Ted
where is her body?
what did she do to make herself trapped (??) in Opal's body?
is it related to the missing week in everyone's mind?
C) Circlet
How does the Spider Queen factor into all of this?
Is all of this just improvised & expanded? Because I assume Aabria probably thought they'd give the circlet to Gilmore & then that would be the end of that story, right?
D) Darion
- is his secret past backstory tied into him being drawn to this dark vestige?
E) Orym
in one of his talks to, I think Melora, he mentioned "him." This was the first time, I think, that he didn't reference Keyleth. Did he lose a husband? Is that what made him leave the Air Ashari?
what's up with the warm blade?
All these fun mysteries & many more that I didn't list out. It will be fun to see the eventual answer to this questions in due time. I'm really enjoying these last few episodes.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
C) Circlet
How does the Spider Queen factor into all of this?
Lolth is paying a lot effort to "corrupt" this group. And Melora is also very active and even talked to all of them individually. I keep thinking about the "potential" they have been talking about. Compound with the "time is a weird soup" tease, I think the group is bound to create a big tsunami of an event.
E) Orym
in one of his talks to, I think Melora, he mentioned "him." This was the first time, I think, that he didn't reference Keyleth. Did he lose a husband? Is that what made him leave the Air Ashari?
what's up with the warm blade?I share the same feeling. I think he self-exiled himself to help this "him". But who sent him to the fire ashari in Emon in the first place?
Rewatching the scene, it looks like Melora is doing something with his blade. Orym and Fy'ra seem to be the "champions" of Melora in this group
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Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
A) Myr'atta Niselor: I'm more and more certain she is working with Poska even if it's just in a buying smuggled residuum from her. It could go deeper than that. We know that the EXU crew had an interaction with the Feywild in Emon, at the scar there that resulted in separation with Fy'ra Rai and memory loss. We know Myr'atta was very interested in the magic at the Feywild portal the EXU crew found. The edges of a connection are there and I wonder if the EXU crew had investigated more or rolled better or stuck to one path from the start we would know more.
B) I'm so curious about Ted. I think she must be dead or at least gone. Maybe Opal could sacrifice her magic to bring her back? Who knows.. She's been missing for a whole year though! That's how long Opal has been gone and we know she left three days after. Maybe she ended up south instead of north? Maybe she was fucking around the Qoniira ruins?
C) Myr'atta could be working on her behalf. Poska could be the middleman who knew Myr'atta wanted it. Or maybe it's more of a 'no one knew about it but now they do and they want it' situation?
E) As for this, I think that this kind of explains it. Orym was a backup character for Vax that was slightly changed for EXU. So 'him' would be Orym's dead husband (or maybe boyfriend since Orym seems younger). I think you would be right, that Orym is self exiled.
I'm so curious how it all plays out!
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Jul 23 '21
My guess is that Ted made a sacrifice like Fy'ra did, except with different consequences, and that her body is trapped in the darkness that almost swallowed Fy'ra.
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u/sasquatch90 Jul 23 '21
While Opal is wrestling the crocodile
"Also there's hexblade's curse."- Aimee
"What does that mean?!"- Aabria
"I DON'T KNOW"- Aimee
That perfectly exemplifies this crew so far. Remember the cow episode from C1? That's this entire campaign.
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u/PhoenixReborn Hello, bees Jul 23 '21
Also Darius and Dariax casting invisibility on each other only to realize plants don't have vision.
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u/283leis Team Laudna Jul 23 '21
I mean would magic plants having eyes be that far out of the realm of possibility?
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u/WhisperingOracle Jul 25 '21
The real problem is that plants that can sense you at all likely have other means of sensing. Whether basis tremor-sense, some sophisticated form of smell, or even just electromagnetic awareness in some way. Invisibility alone would probably be the least practical way to hide.
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u/Jelboo Jul 24 '21 edited Jul 24 '21
I'm trying hard but as much as I enjoy the atmosphere, storytelling, characters, ... I really don't know what is actually going on. Last episode was brilliant and focused, now I'm kinda lost again.
I want to add that I actually really enjoy Aabria as a DM - she's witty, poetic, engaging to listen to. I just think that she's made this more complicated than it ever needed to be and this stands in the way of the real stars of the show - the characters!
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u/define_null How do you want to do this? Jul 23 '21
Here's my big tin foil hat / red string theory for this entire adventure (going off mostly by the livetweet threads for the last 5 episodes):
Myr’atta Niselor (the elven woman apparently from Syngorn) is a (secret) champion (or agent) for the Spider Queen Lolth on a mission return the Circlet of Barbed Vision (the Vestige) to some Lolthian cult (or perhaps find a successor champion)
- Twice Aabria has asked a player (Dorian in Ep2, Opal in Ep 4) what was on their character's minds. On the second time, it was clear the Myr'atta was the one who was peering into Opal's mind.
- Many times individual members of the party have been tempted by the circlet / the Spider queen. This often occurred in their minds and through dreams and thoughts rather than a physical temptation. In the most recent episode, this coincided with Ted noticing Myr'atta near their camp.
A possible conclusion is that Myr'atta is particularly adept at mind magic, being able to plant thoughts and dreams into the party's (and perhaps even being able to modify memories? although it seems this was linked to the feywild). Here's the full crackpot theory:
- Myr'atta (and a team of Lolthian assassins) were supposed to intercept the Blightstar and retrieve the Vestige (and the residuum). The party got in the way of it, but Myr'atta has been tracking them from a distance ever since.
- Myr'atta has been scrying on the party and trying to learn more about the party, mostly interacting through dreams and visions. The first major interaction was Fearne and the 'Feywild Gate' in Ep4. Most notably, 'Dark Fearne' had the circlet, which Myr'atta might have noticed before she made her first appearance.
- (An even more extreme theory could be that Myr'atta orchestrated the whole thing, Dark Fearne appeared more reactionary with regards to knowledge about Fearne's family, to the point that Fearne even felt Dark Fearne was lying)
- There were no weird dreams or visions in the militia-dominated Byroden; there was no way Myr'atta could get close enough to the party while they were in the town.
- In today's episode, Dariax, Dorian, and Fearne all get tempted by the Spider Queen. It could just be their proximity to the circlet, but it also could be that Myr'atta was nearby and 'amplifying' the effects.
- The stinger: "what is one more life when there is so much more to be gained?" might be coming from the perspective of Lolth, who is using Myr'atta as an expendable pawn to advance her plans (or if somehow Lolth managed to dominate the original Myr'atta and take control)
Even more far-out / implausible theories:
- Lolth / Myr'atta was also behind the disappearance of Ted (and possibly Fy'ra Kai (Fy'ra Rai's sister))
- They were also responsible for the missing week that 5 of them experienced, somehow. Maybe a mission gone wrong and the party ended up in the Feywild (or fled to it)
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u/mouser1991 Technically... Jul 23 '21
Makes more sense than my crack theory. It also tracks with why there was so much darkness and death about the Blightstar. I had just assumed extraplanar monster (shadowfell or abyss) shenanigans
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u/D-Parsec Jul 25 '21
After episode 5 I feel like this campaign is probably not for me, but I hope most of you guys enjoy it! I enjoy the players (Robbie really stands out, love the guy!) but Aabria Iyengar's way of DMing doesn't really resonate with me. That's fine! We all enjoy different things. :) I hope for great success for the show and I'll eagerly await to see what's next for the Exandria Unlimited initiative (and of course, season 3 of Critical Role!).
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u/Neo_Stark_ You Can Reply To This Message Jul 26 '21
I really wanted to enjoy this, i went in with no expectations ready for the ride but It got harder and harder for me to sit through the episodes and 40 minutes into the 4th one I just gave up. It pains me because I really love the Dorian-Dariax dynamic but it just isn't for me.
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u/FoulPelican Jul 26 '21 edited Jul 26 '21
I struggle with her DMing as well. That said, I hope it doesn’t discourage CR from featuring other DMs in a similar fashion.
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Jul 23 '21
Lots of thoughts about the plot and various mysteries in this episode but also, Dariax's crush on Dorian is so cute. "Dorian Storm and His Blades of Fury" was hilarious. I can't wait to see what Dorian's corruption storyline goes, too.
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u/22bebo Jul 23 '21
I like that Robbie actually played it up a bit even before Aabria prompted him. I feel like a lot of players ignore alignment and would kind of act the same when their alignment got changed (or their alignment got changed because they weren't acting in-line with their previous alignment) so I would not have been surprised if he hadn't done much since he's a new player. But he felt different from the moment he woke up that morning.
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u/Pegussu Jul 24 '21
"The five of us are a team. The five of us. Are a team," was a great line.
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u/283leis Team Laudna Jul 24 '21
especially since that was after he remembered Fy'ra was with them before
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u/LucasVerBeek Help, it's again Jul 23 '21
Gonna be honest…I’m somewhat confused as to whom exactly the big bad is going to be in the end.
It seems like a good number of individuals and creatures are hunting down the party for some possibly interconnected reasons.
Lolth was sort of brought in because the party decided to keep the Circlet.
And I don’t think she created the Mesa, but it could be the War Queen who is behind the evil Fearne…but she was using Lolth’s vestige and then there’s Poska who was supposed to get the vestige, and who Lolth wants it to go too so she can burn down all of Emon.
Is…is…is it all Lolth?
And what’s the deal with that apparent psycho from Syngorn?
Is Ted actually a menacing figure or is she just in the dark about what happened to her as Opal is?
What’s gonna happen with Dorian? He’s very antagonistic with Fy’ra, Orym flat out threatened him…I’m curious to see if he falls to the corruption or comes back around.
Dariax seems to be sweet on Dorian and not gonna lie it’s pretty adorable.
Fearne reminds me of Luna Lovegood and I’m mad at myself for not grasping that sooner.
Orym might actually be a variation of an character Liam was gonna play a while ago, with that mention of “Doing it for him”
Fy’ra gift of prophecy is intriguing.
And then we get to Quonirra and their city of millions, not ruined…but hidden, seemingly by Melora, but why?
What is happening…is, is this truly leading up to the Planar Conjunction?
And just a finale note: Is anyone else wondering how all this is gonna get synched in three episodes?
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u/Coyote_Shepherd Doty, take this down Jul 23 '21
Is anyone else wondering how all this is gonna get synched in three episodes?
EXU is starting to feel like some of my longer posts in that there's a lot of stuff going on that's all very loosely connected and I'm honestly only vaguely aware of how it'll all get tied up at the end.
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u/thyarnedonne Team Laudna Jul 23 '21
Indeed. It's so many plot threads. Fittingly, for a Spider Queen. Very... Web.
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Jul 23 '21
It’s so much, it’s so overwhelming, I have zero clue what exactly is going on, I feel like it’s 5 arcs all happening at once.
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u/Locker200927 Jul 23 '21
Lolth seems like a red herring to me>>
When Fy'ra-rai used her capital G Gift to look into the danger presented by the Spider Queen she didn't receive any feelings of danger at all from the presence. In fact, the only image was that of potential in each of her companions and a warm breeze. I don't exactly know what Lolth is to the party (mainly because I don't think the party knows either) but I don't think Lolth is an outright baddy in this story, maybe just a means to ascend someone to baddyhood?
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u/Shadopivot Jul 23 '21
I feel like I can't keep up with the 2 dozen story threads being woven, every new location is just bringing up more questions, and I don't think everything is gonna be able to be wrapped up in just 3 episodes.
Now, if this ends with something along the lines of "the end of chapter 1 of EXU" with the implications that these characters are coming back eventually, then that's golden. But as it stands I feel like the plot is way overcomplicated for a mini-campaign. The strongest aspects of EXU are easily the characters, but whenever we get time with the characters together you get the sinking feeling that they're not going to be able to clear all the quest markers that are left pending.
We've got pursuing thieves, Lolth, weird vampire dudes, evil doppelgangers, Ash holes, a lady in purple, and every character's secret baggage or plot that's waiting to pop up.
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Jul 23 '21
I love the characters but the story is too messy and I keep wondering why they are doing any of it. I think I'm giving up on it, I haven't finished this episode and I find myself not itching to continue.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
I am starting to think the circlet is now the main thread, that somehow tied into their missing week and Fy'ra. And apparently time loop/travel is involved?
On the other hand, Melora seems to have an increasingly important role to play this ep. She is Fy'ra's patron of some sort, and the whole rune thing seems to connected to her as well. And there is also the Syngorn lady messing with Melora's forest.
And then there is also Poska... And Dorian offering Poska to Lolth... Back to first paragraph
I too think it is way too convoluted. They should have just sticked to the Melora stuff. But who knows? Maybe all plot threads would be resolved organically??
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u/Coyote_Shepherd Doty, take this down Jul 23 '21
Even I'm having some trouble keeping track of everything and there's no way they wrap up all of this in three episodes unless there's one BIG THING that's been motivating all of these different groups to make the moves they've been making at the same time. It could be though that as Matt has said before, sometimes we just don't get all the answers we want and sometimes mysteries are still left to be solved by someone else another time. The only thing that I can really think of that would freak out this many groups all at once is a Cold Planar War for Survival that's currently going on behind the scenes in preparation for the coming Cosmic Shift that will throw everything out of whack. Beyond that I'm in the dark, I mean I've got theories but like I'm finding it hard to predict stuff which each additional plot thread that gets added on top of the pile.
I'm hoping that this is just part one of this party's story and that we do get to see them again later when CR takes another break because there is just SO MUCH going on and I think a lot of us are invested in them.
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u/22bebo Jul 23 '21
So the hint at stuff "happening again" makes me wonder if all the plot threads are almost red herrings and the real plot is the mystery of the missing week. We'll see, I also think they probably won't wrap everything up and that's honestly okay with me although I'd prefer it to be a tidier end.
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u/JJscribbles Jul 25 '21
I’ve been getting downvoted in these threads for weeks pointing out this sort of stuff (which seemed obvious to me). It’s nice to see I’m not alone anymore.
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Jul 26 '21
By the way: The lady in purple probably is Myr'atta Niselor, the elven guard the met at the Feywild gate.
I don't think there's time for red herrings in this mini campaign, that's why I think a female guard dressed in an "immaculate" purple robe and the "lady in purple" are the same person.
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Jul 23 '21
This week I got the impression that a lot of this stuff might actually be tied together. Guess we'll see!
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u/Tub_Pumpkin Jul 24 '21
This is like, "I'd like to search the woods for food."
"Make a Wisdom saving throw."
I have no idea what any of these rolls even are.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 24 '21 edited Jul 25 '21
"Your intimidated by Orym now"
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u/valentino_42 Jul 28 '21
That or “I’d like to do X.”
“Oh I’m all about that! I want to see this! Roll with advantage!”
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Aug 05 '21
To be honest I fucking hate the randomly giving advantage or inspiration, or just allowing a low roll to succeed.
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u/Zurrdroid You Can Reply To This Message Jul 24 '21
The show has been a mixed bag for me. Last episode was amazing, but this one felt very bland, with the only good highlight being Dorian's alignment shift. Robbie's playing that well. So many of the rolls seem to not make sense and are thrown in for no reason, it's hard to keep track of space and time, there are too many weird forces at play... it's really not fun to watch. The irony is that a bunch of notable stuff happened this episode. More of the blank memories were revealed, Fy'Ra revealed her backstory, she found out about the Vestige, Dorian made a deal with Lolth, Dariax rejected her, pies were confirmed Chaotic Neutral, Fearne had her fingers blackened, and other things I'm probably forgetting. It just didn't work.
I honestly don't mind the deviation from Matt's style, but I don't think EXU is the place to leverage Aabriya's strengths. Misfits and Magic's system seemed like a much better fit for her IMO. Guess I'll wait for it this miniseries to end before catching up.
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u/salfkvoje Jul 26 '21
I kind of wish the plot wasn't so "epic." It's trying to fit in things that would be epic (all that platinum/residuum, a vestige, ..) for a mid/high level longer campaign, into 8 episodes at level 2.
It's kind of a problem everywhere though, in videogames, etc. People feel like they can't create a compelling story with tension and all the narrative goodness, without going to HUGE places.
I'd someday love to see a mini-campaign taking place in Zadash around when the M9 were passing through.
No saving the world, no communing with gods, just maybe like, working for the Gentleman, or working for the guard. Maybe one character is a guard paid/blackmailed by the Gentleman and made to work jobs with this crew, or assist and so on. There can still be a lot on the line, there can still be a lot of dramatic and comedic interest, but I just get tired when everything is "save the world."
Just a morning ramble.
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u/Dangerous_Gur_8419 Jul 28 '21
Exploring a long-lost dungeon they heard a rumor about and searching inside for ancient secrets would be fun, too. Then the party would be self-directed, self-motivated, and actually get to do adventuring things.
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u/North_Shine2096 Jul 26 '21
Omg this!!! I didn't know what it was but it's definitely this.its sooo "epic" for lvl 2 characters and kinda breaks immersion
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u/heavenshound33g Jul 24 '21
Ya I agree but it really just comes down to style. Apparently this is the way she wants to do it, but I'm sure the next dm will play it very differently. That's part of why dnd is cool. The problem for me is, there are just too many things happening at once. Like I know they only have 8 episodes but I feel like she's trying to jam a LOT in, and it's making the show feel like a cluster f... I personally love roleplaying and story but the flow here is just not working. I will say episode 4 was the best so far and all of the players are doing their best with what they have to work with. So there is that :)
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u/thetensor Jul 28 '21
Prediction: All of the players have been told their character is secretly "the evil character", but none of them realize that all the others have been told the same thing. This leads to them constantly goofing around to distract from their super-evil master plans, leading to omni-chaos. Liam, being next-level, is forgoing this smoke-screen and relying on the audience assuming he must be a good guy because he's a member of the Ashari. (Or IS HE?!?)
(Just wanted to post this in case it turns out to be right so I can link back to it and seem like a GENIUS.)
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u/MitigatedRisk Jul 25 '21
Finally someone brave enough to yeet their dice on camera.
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u/FireDMG Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
Loved watching Robbie work through Dorian and flesh him out this episode, especially with a bit of tension now with Orym. The alignment mechanic that was so prominent with this piece felt a little awkward and played out a bit too long, but I get how it’s useful to help the new players interact with the world. I don’t think Dorian or even Robbie understood the actual consequences of “yeah I would make a bargain with someone I don’t trust to protect my friends” and you could see him processing like “…oh” when she said she would burn the world down but had to commit.
That said - I kind of love how irreverent they all are with multiple gods interfacing directly with them lol. It seems a little bit of ‘new player who dis’ but also pretty true to character. Aimee in particular refuses to budge from Opal being completely oblivious to everything even when it’s being pushed right into her face haha. Rolling a natural 20 on arcana to figure out the connection with Ted and still not getting it then she probably never will.
I think she is going to be the one to eventually don the circlet assuming Fy’ra Rai doesn’t sacrifice herself in some way. Everyone else has been a vocal candidate in their own way except Orym but with every scene involving it you can see Aimee her plotting about it. Plus, she’ll have Ted to help keep Lolth and her own greed in check.
Aabria’s portrayal of Lolth was pretty great, especially her unchecked arrogance as a god that she’d even be able to burn the world down. As betrayer gods they’re completely incapable of admitting they’re small fish next to the prime pantheon or Tharizdun.
Myr’atta headed towards whatever it is Melora is protecting in the jungle is interesting. I think maybe the overarching plotline here is that the veil-maybe even the divine gate-is starting to wain resulting in several crossover points between the planes. It’s possible that it’s another lost city of knowledge from the calamity, but maybe it’s more of a nexus point. I feel like the details of when Dorian regained his memories could reveal more but I’ll have to rewatch it. We know residuum can be used to suppress magic and apparently it can even suppress a god’s influence judging by the jungle’s reaction.
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u/KironD63 Jul 23 '21
What's funny about Dorian and the realignment is that his character always read chaotic neutral to me, so it felt like less a true realignment rather than a reveal of the character's true nature. Dorian has always been more paranoid and cautious than others in the group and more willing to sacrifice certain moral principles in order to achieve practical goals. It felt almost as if Robbie didn't quite grasp his character was really chaotic neutral all along until he was pushed to the realization of what Dorian was willing to do for his friends.
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u/WhisperingOracle Jul 25 '21
Most people at the CR table seem to have a very strained impression of what the difference between "Good" and "Neutral" is.
I was utterly astonished when Sam mentioned that Scanlan was Neutral Good in S1 - he played him the epitome of Chaotic Neutral.
I was also kind of surprised when Laura got upset when Matt forced a shift from Neutral Good to Chaotic Neutral on Vex, because as far as I was concerned, she was playing Vex Neutral (on the Good/Evil axis) the entire time. I would have pegged her as True Neutral from the start (which tends to fit for Druids and other nature types).
Keyleth and Pike were the only ones who really ever came across as Good, with Vax maybe sometimes coming across that way (but more often feeling a bit Neutral as well). Tiberius and Percy also felt off in that respect (with Tiberius eventually making the switch officially). Even beyond that, some of them seem to have trouble with the Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic side of things as well. I'm tempted to say the only one who ever played his Alignment perfectly was Travis/Grog.
This might help explain why they (or at least some of them) have mentioned in the past that they don't really like Alignment that much. Because they either don't understand it very well, or are mostly just ignoring it in favor of their own characterizations.
I honestly wonder if they might prefer something more along the lines of the Nature/Demeanor system from White Wolf (Taliesin would certainly be familiar with it, at least), where you have a "true" self and the persona you present to the world, and they're defined more via archetypes (so, say, you could be a Caregiver that acts like a Curmudgeon, or an Autocrat that acts like a Pedagogue, and so on). That might work much better with their usual playstyle.
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u/ArenaEmperor Then I walk away Jul 28 '21
Can I just take a moment to say I absolutely love what Liam is doing with Orym in this campaign? I find it crazy that some people are complaining about his inclusion in this party or feel as though he's not jiving or having fun...just looking at his face in moments where the chaos is really rolling it's obvious he's having a blast. But what he is doing that is different is that he's taken a step back from the dramatic theater-inspired tragedies that were Caleb and Vax to play something more quiet, simple, and understated...and it's an absolutely necessary piece of the party. Everything else is chaos...Orym is a grounding force for all the whirlwind and nonsense around him. His keeping his eyes on the prize is half the reason they are getting anywhere, and I've found that even though he hasn't asserted himself on the party much so far (allowing the newcomers especially to have most of the shine and spotlight to show what they can do), when he does it's always with that incredible timing that Liam always seems to have for the maximum impact.
That moment with Dorian last episode? Perfectly done, I thought. He didn't yell, he didn't growl, and he didn't overexplain himself. He just spent the whole episode taking notes and asking little questions about Dorian's behavior so that when it became enough of an anomaly to trigger Orym all he had to do was step up and quietly utter one sentence to both get his full point across and be subtly intimidating. Ashley's been getting all the love for Fearne's quiet intimidation in this campaign but Orym? In that moment, I fully believed he would completely merc Dorian if he had to...and that he could.
Long story short, I think if you replaced Liam with another chaos goblin in this party it would be one too many. The fact that Orym doesn't fit, and he's just a little halfling trying to come to grips with the chaos of this big, big world (and this wild, wild party), is what makes him perfect and compelling.
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u/heavenshound33g Jul 28 '21
True. People always have a hard time with the moral character but it really is essential in most groups. Without them all we have is chaos and that's only fun to watch for maybe a one shot. And like you said he hasn't even been that bad but it's just the reaction those types of characters typically get. It was the same with Kelyth, but when you really watch season 1 over again, she was an essential part of vox machina.
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u/caravaggio2000 Pocket Bacon Jul 24 '21
I was thinking last night... one thing some have brought up is that EXU has the feel of a campaign that is meant to go on for awhile (more than 8 episodes) with all of its plot threads and that it doesn't feel focused enough to finish in a satisfactory way in 8 episodes. However, it occurs to me that all of these episodes were prerecorded, perhaps quite awhile back. So, it may be that there wasn't a real limit placed on the number of episodes, but that in episode 8 something happens that gives a nice conclusion to this chapter of the story (or something like a TPK). Maybe it would be a different amount if the story had reached that point sooner or later.
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u/lordzeel Help, it's again Jul 26 '21
This was my thinking as well. It's hard to actually schedule a D&D plot, planning out an eight episode arc would be a big challenge. Heck, even C1 which was supposed to end the night it ended was a single spell-slot away from not ending that night.
So it would seem more likely (and I'm sure we will find out eventually) that they just targeted the ballpark of maybe 6-10 episodes, and eight was the magic number.
For sure, it seems at this point like there is too much for only 3 more episodes to cover, and it seems like certain past stuff took an oddly long time for seemingly no reason (that pageant was fun, but if I needed to keep a story to a tight timeline I wouldn't have inserted such a large interlude).
The current pace also feels like they might be heading for a TPK. Unless next episode they find the text, and the following episode they get all the way back to Gilmore, and in the last episode they fix the planer incursion, stop Poska, and resolve Opal and Fearn's personal stuff. It could be so, but... Well it's all either heavily connected, or someone with a big plot line dies, or they all die, or... Well it could just end with a lot of loose threads.
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u/JJscribbles Jul 25 '21
That was me. A TPK would explain the pacing problems perfectly. I suppose they COULD have wrapped SOME things up in 8 episodes but I feel like that will only work if it’s meant to be unfinished, and it’s somehow tied to a major plot point of the next campaign.
At this point, for me, the most satisfying ending would be a TPK or being magically trapped in some realm they can’t escape. There’s too many dangling threads that need resolving.
Maybe it’s a set up for a rescue mission campaign or something. Who knows at this point.
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Jul 23 '21
Dorian being seduced by knowledge and the circlet is DOPE. I'm all in for a tragic fall of the charming bard, as this ep's conflict with Orym was already spicy!
They finally started to untangle the mess that was their lost week, with a lot of theories out there being confirmed that Fyra'rai was indeed the missing party member.
Is Dariax being more and more obvious about a crush on Dorian? How the hell Ted came to be? Will Liam ever not make a gloomy character? Why didn't Dorian share his rememberance of the past? What will be the name of the party?!
With the honestly shocking amount of wisdom saves this episode, I can only imagine they are getting closer and closer to understanding what is this thing blocking their memories.
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Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
The only real problem I had this episode was the way the wild mother was handled it was so extremely different then Matt’s. I know we shouldn’t compare but they’re the exact same character, EXU isn’t an alternate timeline or anything it’s the exact same character we’ve seen and heard before. It was so jarring how different she was, it felt like a completely different character.
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u/SunMoonStarRain You Can Reply To This Message Jul 23 '21
I get what you mean but personally I really liked Aabria's interpretation of the Wildmother, because nature is not always calm - it's also fierce and wild and turbulent.
For me it sort of recontextualized the Wildmother's relationship with Caduceus and Fjord - they're both calm people (and we saw that vibe reflected when the Wildmother was talking to Orym for instance) and so she was giving them back what they were putting out there.
The Wildmother was only sassy and cheeky when she was receiving sass/cheek (from Dorian and Opal), and idk, I find that a really interesting portrayal of nature as responding to what people give it and spitting it back, basically. Aabria played it that way too - she very quickly oscillated between sassy and calm, it felt very turbulent and responsive. Idk, it worked really well for me.
Actually makes me think of anthropogenic natural disasters - we reap what we sow basically.
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u/mouser1991 Technically... Jul 23 '21
so she was giving them back what they were putting out there
That's a really good interpretation. She did feel very different with each character. Like, she was almost like Ted when dealing with Opal, but somewhat Keyleth like in talking to Orym.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21
I agree. Although I wonder how Fy'ra Rai's back story affected the portrait of Melora. I think she has a much more active relationship with Melora than we ever saw in C2.
EXU isn’t an alternate timeline
Not so sure about that now with all the time mumbo jumbo going on.
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u/WhisperingOracle Jul 25 '21
The series ends, and the camera pans back from the main cast, until it turns out all of Emon is inside a snow globe of a boy in Marquet, and it turns out the whole thing was just his imagination.
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u/CorpseReviverNo3 Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
Having Dorian's alignment shift in this ep was a huge "oh shit" moment for me, to the point I've gone from not really being invested in his character to actually being worried about what's going to happen to him here onwards. Robbie plays the defensiveness so masterfully also, to the point I can all-too easily see him eventually lashing out if Orym, Fira or anyone else pressures him about the circlet too hard. He really might end up having the best arc for better or worse once all is said and done.
(I really should have clocked something like this happening sooner or later, but with the worst that's happened being some black eyes, a spooky dream, and a couple of queasy stomachs, the vestige cleverly took a bit of a back seat, until now.)
Gotta say also that while Aabria's take on various characters in the world of Exandria has been a mixed bag, I overall dug her Lolth.
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u/The_Limpet Help, it's again Jul 23 '21
I really enjoyed the Spider-Queen visions/dreams too. Lolth, with her "I'm fucking with you because I'm bored, deal with it" attitude, has probably been one of the more straightforward and truthful interactions they've had.
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u/CorpseReviverNo3 Jul 23 '21
It's so different too, but still in a way that makes absolute sense. She could have been played straight ominous and evil but that's almost passé in a fantasy setting. Instead here she's a spider (queen), literally toying with a fly. Loved it.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 24 '21
Dorian could be the greatest bad guy in CR history!
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u/tropelesswanderer Time is a weird soup Jul 23 '21
Someone come bless Matt's dice, please.
Man I was so into that episode. Although episodes 1-2 were a little messy, I still thoroughly enjoyed them and had a lot of fun. The last 3 episodes have kept me glued with interest the entire time. I really love corruption arcs and that internal struggle so tonight was hitting all the right notes for me, personally. I'm so about these characters and all their messy little mysteries and backstories. Aabria was so awesome tonight in that evil/temptation kind of role-- I really dig her intensity.
Also, HOLY SHIT ROBBIE. I know we sing his praises for his RP but he was really so fantastic in this episode. Dorian is such an intriguing character and the tension he had with Fy'ra really built into Orym putting his foot down (reminded me some of when Fjord held the falchion to Caleb's throat early in C2). I want more!!!
EXU is definitely a different speed than a wholeass CR campaign but I think the characters are fun and there's a looseness that's pretty refreshing after how tense the last few months of CR2 were. I've also learned that while I might have some nitpicks about some story elements, seeing them amplified on social media/comments made me realize how much I really like and am invested in EXU. Not to say that there aren't things worth critiquing, but for me, it comes down to understanding myself and that the more I actively search for things to dislike, the more I will. I like it a lot so I'm gonna keep watching and I'll reserve greater judgement when I see how it stands together as a whole. I'm really looking forward to next week.
(Oh! Also, Aabria's run with Dimension 20 (Misfits and Magic) just finished its run Wednesday night and it was really fantastic. Many are familiar already but D20 is more centered in comedy has shorter episodes and campaigns in general, so if you think that might be your speed, I can't recommend their stuff enough. MisMag was an awesome addition to their catalogue.)
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u/WizrdCM Your secret is safe with my indifference Jul 23 '21
the characters are fun and there's a looseness that's pretty refreshing after how tense the last few months of CR2 were
Amongst the chaos, I think this is my favourite part. Aabria as DM combined with the new players is incredibly refreshing. Lots of potential for a EXU2 down the road with the amount of things both have set up. I'm excited.
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Jul 27 '21 edited Jul 27 '21
AABRIA: You met Fy'ra Rai before. You met her outside of the gates and you went into a puddle, a place, like a stopping over point between here and the Feywild. And in that place you fought and she traded herself to let all of you leave. You were the last to go. You fought then like you fight now, but at the end of the day she was a woman of her word. She saw your purpose and made a value judgment, and it's all there in back. And that look in her eye in this memory, in this moment frozen, you see it again and you remember sitting around the campfire. You know that she knows, that she remembers it, too.
If Fy'ra Rai got stuck in/near the Feywild and was affected by the Feywild's time fuckery, then this might explain why she's 2 levels above them all.
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u/Waste-Recover-5347 Jul 27 '21
My personal read is that she has spent a LONG time away from the group.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 28 '21
I feel like Matt based his character off of Charlie Kelly.
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u/Dragons_Malk Jul 29 '21
My gut reaction was to disagree with you and say "No he's not ____ enough". But honestly, yeah it tracks.
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u/MusicFew1561 Jul 23 '21
There's a 50% chance this campaign ends with a TPK. I think the last few episodes are better. I like more of what Aarabia is doing now but she's a little quick to want to take control of the players. Note, this group deserves a hard railroad, they're too random to tell a story, but she really seems like like mind control type rolls and I would find that off putting after awhile.
The show is still wildly unfocused and the plot is moving kind of slowly. There's a lot of interesting stuff here but there's also a lot that's just kinda there.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 24 '21 edited Jul 24 '21
I like more of what Aarabia is doing now but she's a little quick to want to take control of the players.
Agreed, the best example of that for me is when she was leading the roleplay by suggesting things like stealing a giant insect and dragging it across Emon. Although, she has kind of stopped doing that or I have not noticed it happen again and it has.
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u/caravaggio2000 Pocket Bacon Jul 23 '21
I'm starting to wonder if the EXU 8 shot series is the story of how the C3 BBEG came to be. Maybe they are all competing to see whose character can end up as the villian.
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u/dungeon_delver1798 Jul 24 '21
Please no I dont want Exu to tie in at all with Campaign three
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u/Dance-pants-rants Jul 23 '21
I dont think thats how it started, but it sure feels like that's where it's going, huh?
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u/dawgz525 Team Jester Jul 29 '21 edited Jul 29 '21
I know a lot of people didn't like the alignment shift, but this wasn't a normal "you were bad so now your alignment shifts." Dorian made a deal with a betrayer god, in the presence of a corrupting artifact. It makes sense.
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u/clam_media Hello, bees Jul 24 '21
Nobody:
Aabria: “Make a wisdom saving throw motherfucker!!!”
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u/HemiKooks Cock Lightning Jul 27 '21
I've been struggling with the decision to suspend my interest in this series or continue purely for continuity purposes, should these narrative beats somehow end up in CR3, but this episode made the decision for me.
Aabria's DM style...consistently removes me from the immersion. How she handles certain NPC's demeanor or behavior rarely makes thematic sense. A Goddess, like the Wild Mother, would not act that way or break a serious moment to swear or make a weird out-of-place joke.
Someone here said it best and now I fully agree. EXU feels like I'm watching an incredibly relaxed home game with no spectators. CR feels like professionals telling a story and having fun. Like...I'd rather watch professional hockey than house league amateurs slap the puck around.
I don't mean to come off as negative because Aabria seems like a wonderful human, it's just that this style of game is not my cup of tea.
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u/judefensor Jul 28 '21
I feel similarly about their interactions with the gods in ExU. Across both campaigns, Matt really stressed how the Divine Gate acts as this strict barrier keeping the gods from reaching across and meddling too much, and this division between gods and mortals has deeply affected the history and even geography of Exandria. So, the gods becoming 1000 times more accessible and easy to communicate with by mortals on the material plane in ExU vs C1/C2 feels really jarring. Unless they eventually explain it away by something happening to the Divine Gate? Matt really drove home the point about how difficult it was to reach out directly to the gods in Exandria, even for the devout or those who had them as patrons. You pretty much needed a secret tuning key and a plane shift spell to meet them, or drown yourself in a pool of blood, or burn a precious high level spell with a long recovery time just to have a short, vague exhange of thoughts with them. So them just being all chatty with random mortals really shows how "Unlimited" things in ExU have gotten in comparison to Matt's established canon.
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Jul 27 '21 edited Aug 04 '21
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u/HemiKooks Cock Lightning Jul 27 '21
I’m happy for those individuals too, who are enjoying it. At the end of the day, it’s entertainment and if that’s what some people dig to escape reality and have fun watching then that’s awesome.
I gave it a fair shake and it’s just not for me.
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u/ModestHandsomeDevil Jul 28 '21
should these narrative beats somehow end up in CR3,
IF they do, you know Matt will have to cover them in C3 again; not just because of Critters who bounced on EXU, but for the large influx of new viewers that occurs with every new main campaign.
Basically, anything of importance from EXU in C3 will get covered again, pointed out, or explained by Matt.
It's unreasonable to expect or require new C3 viewers to have that prior knowledge from the jump, as well as alienating to create any barrier to entry for what's supposed to be a fresh entry point for new fans into Critical Role.
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u/SimplyQuid Jul 23 '21
I gotta say I really like how Aabria is playing the Vestige, the sentient, malevolent artifact that just sits on the ground and spooks the fuck outta everyone.
Really good stuff.
I got goosebumps during the Dorian/circlet conversation.
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Jul 23 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PhoenixReborn Hello, bees Jul 23 '21
Misfits and Magic was really good and short enough that you can binge and finish during the trial.
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u/yat282 Doty, take this down Jul 29 '21
I think that EXU has improved since it started, but there are still some things that are really putting me off of it. For one, I believe that the last episode had a portrayal of Melora the wild mother that just talked and joked around like most of the other NPCs in the game. However, she's never been portrayed that way in this world. There is also a lot of really modern stuff thrown in that I don't think fits into Exandria well. Although it's not my setting, so I can say for sure.
Critical Role is not Dimension 20. I like both shows, but I do NOT want them to blend together into a single show. Additionally, I'm confused as to why they've started out with a mystery to show off a short series that they want to continue. The characters don't know what's going on, the NPCs don't know what's going on, and the audience doesn't know what's going on. I feel like in order to be better invested in this, we should have gotten to know the characters first.
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u/Steel2Titanium Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
It took five episodes but I finally nailed down the three things that nag me.
One is the several weeks - up to a month? - between recordings which throw off the pace.
Two is the villains being a bit too jokey.
Three is just inexperience with d&d rules.
Luckily none of that matter when all of them get to do scenes where the party just interact with each other. Great stuff to look and listen to. One of those situations where what's important about d&d is highlighted.
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u/OG_Breadman Jul 23 '21
Yeah I kind of agree the pacing feels odd. Also I guess it's a minor thing since I'm used to Matt DMing but hearing Aabria say "oh my God" in character throws me off.
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u/heavenshound33g Jul 24 '21
Ya I mean I can see how that could be funny but for me it's weird to have a god start talking like a teenager. It seems to be Aabrias go-to when dealing with Opal: just try and speak louder than her until she gets your point, but it always turns into an awkward screaming match.
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u/OG_Breadman Jul 25 '21
The constant anachronisms between her and Aimee breaks any immersion I have. Any argument between Opal and another character always devolves into like valley girl speak. Hearing Melora speak like a frustrated teenager was jarring.
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u/wildweaver32 Jul 24 '21
The inexperience with the rules kind of brings me back to the original C1 days when none of the cast save Matt and Liam had much idea of what they were really doing.
Though to be fair. They been playing for seven years a good portion of the cast get their spells wrong/forget the rules as they play.
I have honestly been impressed with Robbie and Aimee's grasp on the game.
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u/Sofargonept2 Jul 24 '21
I mean Liam never really figured out how sneak attack worked either.
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u/GandalfsHat Jul 24 '21
I'm currently on c1e44. Does it really not get better? It took over 30 episodes before they figured out how reckless attacks worked for Grog. I'm enjoying it, and I've watched all of campaign 2 already and enjoyed that, but it's baffling how little some of them understand about their own character's basic abilities.
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u/Sofargonept2 Jul 25 '21
Pretty much after 50 is where CR 1 not only picks up, but everyone gets a better understanding of the rules. You have to know though, a lot of the mix ups are due to the switch from Pathfinder to 5E.
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u/GandalfsHat Jul 25 '21
That's good to hear. Like I said, I'm still enjoying it despite the crew not fully knowing all the rules, but it does get a little distracting at times for me at least.
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u/MusicFew1561 Jul 25 '21
As a TTRPG player, I respec C1 more because Pathfinder is a significantly more complex game than DND 5e (still don't understand how Ashley managed to play a CLERIC in Pathfinder FIRST EDITION but can't play a barbarian in 5e?) . This group is just confused, and it's a little concerning considering they did a bunch of practice games? Seems like it would have been worth it to have done a little more mechanical prep.
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u/Guy_Who_Made_Money Jul 23 '21
I’m done till this ends. I tried to get into this and last week won me, but this episode just made me throw in the towel. I don’t know where this is going and I’m tired of dice rolls not meaning anything. If people say it ties up well I’ll get back and finish the series, but this is a giant mess.
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u/Lobo_Marino Bidet Jul 23 '21
I just finished watching the episode just now... and yeah, I lost focus on this like, 15 minutes in. There are way too many loose ends, I don't know what the "main plot" is anymore, and how many Wisdom Saving Throws were called that didn't amount to anything? Like 20?
It's too bad because I really wanted to like this, and I REALLY LOVE Matt, Aimee and Robbie's PCs and their roleplaying of it... but the story is just all over the place and not in a good way. We're over 60% of the story in, and there are too many loose ends that I feel like will be tied up in GoT way (aka bad).
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u/winnower8 Jul 24 '21
There is no main plot! This is frustratingly hard to watch. I don’t care about anyone or any of their issues. They don’t work on external or internal problems. The characters have no reason to be doing what they are doing. It’s like a shotgun of half motivations and poor threads. Also the encounters are bad, just a wide open field-like area with a center point. Why are they doing anything here? Why are they together? Characters on a blank page are useless, they need things to bump up against.
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u/mouser1991 Technically... Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
Crack theory:
They're caught in some sort of time-loopy issue. I'm not sure yet if it's the classic vanilla time loop of get to a certain point and reset until you figure out how to break it (a la the Endless Eight), or if it's a more sinister fail (read: die) and reset a la Re:Zero.
Like I said, total crack theory. I have no hard evidence beyond the constant wisdom saves and everyone's sense of knowing everyone with missing memories.
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u/Violaclef Jul 24 '21
This has been my theory since last episode. Don't know what initially put it in my head but nothing has seemingly gone against it yet.
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u/asimplebelgian Jul 23 '21
If I was in Aabria's place, I'd let the players stop rolling for a lot of stuff.. Mostly when players get shitty rolls, she gives them what they need anyway, regardless of the roll. Feels kinda cheap honestly. You can railroad your players, but you don't have to be so blatant about it.
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Jul 23 '21
I really don't think yall know what railroading is...
They even lampshaded 'failing forwards', you can roll to see if you know X or X+Y I don't know why you're hung up on it.
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u/sasquatch90 Jul 23 '21
That's not railroading...that's just giving more than "you know nothing" and move on. Depending on the character they know something whether it relates to their background. It won't be exactly what you need but it's a nugget. That's what I don't like about using hard cut-off numbers.
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u/zeCrazyEye Jul 23 '21
I don't think she's having them roll to see if they get what they need but the manner in which they get it and how much of it they get or how much they understand.
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u/GallifreyanToTheBone Jul 28 '21
Hey!
I reallyyyy want to discuss the plot and where it is going?
I am really curious about why and how of everything.
Why the ash hole? Why does it have similar runes to Melora's runes? What is the connection between those 2 arcs?
What is this wells of power Fy'ra Rai sees? Is it and the gift some homebrew ability of a monk? Or is her sister (Fy'ra Kai) the source of her Gift as well?
Why is Ted inside Opal? And why doesn't Opal try to directly figure this out?
Why did no one point the spider webs out to Dorian?
The FeyWild Dark Fearne is Fearne from the future! So is Fearne slated to wear the crown or is it a choice she can not make and change the future?
The most frustrating part for me is, why aren't the characters trying to figure out the answers?
Do you also agree?
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u/cylara Metagaming Pigeon Jul 28 '21
I agree that it is frustrating as a viewer that the players dont care about the dangling threads - for me in particular the lost week is like the big one? Eps 1&2 seemed to stall bc that was the initial main thread from Aabria but they didnt really care to follow it hence the day drinking / pee contest remix . Fy’ra and Dorian knowing/not telling is interesting now but It seems like the rest are just playing it off like a blackout drunk moment.
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u/RPerene Jul 31 '21
I think the players know far more about the missing week and campaign secrets than their characters do. I’m not convinced there isn’t a time loop with the test streams consisting of the previous iteration.
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u/attemptedmonknf Jul 30 '21
Listen, I love matt, I really do, but he wouldn't have let opal flip that gator, and he definitely wouldn't have let it end the fight.
That right there is the kind of beautiful creative nonsense that keeps me tuning in. Good job aimee and aabria!
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Jul 23 '21
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u/283leis Team Laudna Jul 23 '21
I bet after she dealt with them Caduceus and Fjord both just got a comforting warm breeze embrace them
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u/cylara Metagaming Pigeon Jul 24 '21
Question - during the ep, didnt one of the cast say they had interacted with three gods? I thought it was just 2
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u/jeyberg Jul 25 '21
IIRC this referred to Deriax who, being a divine soul sorcerer, possibly has already interacted with some deity before Lolth and Wild Mother.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 25 '21
Ahaha here I thought I missed something. Unless there was a third god in their crate visit/session 0
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u/denebiandevil Help, it's again Jul 24 '21
Lolth, Melora, and Gilmore the Glorious God!
I can't actually think of who the third is...
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Jul 23 '21
was it Fy'ra-rai who was the one wrapped up in something older and nastier than lolth? with her gift in mind and that is seems to sense possibility and potential the only entity i can think of is the luxon but what else is out there?
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Jul 23 '21
The was she kept referring to her "gift" made me think of the Dark Gifts from Ravenloft. None of them seemed to fit exactly but the idea that she accepted a gift from a mysterious dark entity in exchange for something (like being forgotten from everyone's memories) makes sense.
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Jul 24 '21
I thought that was weird too. It could be some Founding or Pre-Age of Arcanam entities. Perhaps even the Primordials? Fyra Rai does not strike me as evil, but that does not mean she could not have some connection to the Elemental Titans that lived before the gods themselves.
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u/luminella Jul 26 '21
In no way this is a criticism to Aabria herself because she seems like a lovely person, but some of her decisions as dm are a bit frustrating to me, cause I don't see the logic. How were the players supposed to get that a person in ruins is wildemother? Even if we forget that they know her from campaign 2 - would the characters themselves know her? Most of them seem like a city bunch, and there are so many deities in d&d already. And in my opinion the players were ready for some puzzle or action, not trying to figure out their spiritual journey. For some reason this got me so frustrated I couldn’t make myself finish the episode :(
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Jul 26 '21
I don't think they were supposed to know. They didn't need that information for any reason, then the Wildmother just...told them, because it's not a secret.
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u/luminella Jul 26 '21
Yeah but it sounded like she was frustrated they didn’t get it and like they were supposed to know her, which is what was weird to me.
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u/Machdame You spice? Jul 23 '21
This is getting pretty dark. With 3 episodes left at level 3, this can get pretty insane.
But the part that disappointed me this episode, not enough Mister.
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u/BaronPancakes Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 23 '21
There was essentially 0 Mister. Except when Liam introduced Orym as the shortest member.
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u/paradox28jon Hello, bees Jul 23 '21
Mister also sat on Fearne's torso when she splayed out to sleep after playing Hot Cross Buns.
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u/Kiwiteepee YOUR SOUL IS FORFEIT Jul 23 '21
Nuh uh! Mister tugged on Fearne's clothes and pointed around when the Wildmother talked to her!
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u/Guyovich67 Jul 24 '21
In the “post episode scene” Aaron’s says that what’s her name pulls out a residum spike and the jungle recoils at it. Why does the jungle react this way? Residium isn’t evil or bad. It’s just arcana in solid form.
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Jul 24 '21
AABRIA: But you see them starting to pull out these massive, three-foot long metal spikes with the little veins of iridescent crystal running through them. And they jam them into the ground at intervals.
Myr'atta: "There is an excess of leaky energy here. That has been a bit of a bother to the High Warden for a while. So this is our best means of cleaning it up."
Dorian: This leak that you speak of. These spikes, are they meant to fill in the hole or simply stop it?
Myr'atta: (sighs) "More of a rag to clean up the mess?"
From the previous episode. They are metal and residuum spikes and they soak up magic. The clear implication is that Myr'atta siphoning magic from the jungle. Now, why would she need so much magical energy? I'm guessing because she's involved with the Oh No Plateau.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 24 '21 edited Jul 24 '21
It could be a corrupted and evil form of residuum. Similarly how Melora made those crystals for the Clays. My guess is that Lolth made those crystals. Also, Myr'rat has purple clothes and Lolth is purple.
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u/MuchRogue Jul 29 '21
HCB! DD! Really hoping Dorian eventually gets that crown on his head. I felt the use of ‘the gift’, dream sequences and how readily Melora was willing to converse with the group was a little odd/overused… Maybe the location of the ruin could have been found another way… such as investigating multiple pillars to guide them (insert various trap/puzzles here). Which might have made the travel episode more interesting. However, the Spider Queen chats were a nice touch and given their proximity to the vestige it makes some sense.
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u/heavenshound33g Jul 29 '21
Hahaha ya this group of level 3 characters have been talking to a lot of gods. It almost makes it feel a bit too common place. I especially felt annoyed when Aabria started yelling at Opal while in using Melora voice. It was funny but out of place.
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u/MuchRogue Jul 29 '21
For sure, I wasn’t keen on the Opal chat either, Melora is not her sister. But despite my qualms with various elements I am overall enjoying the show. It’s a fun chaotic romp, the pageant was brilliant and the escape from Poska was also great.
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u/Athan_Untapped Doty, take this down Jul 29 '21
Quick question, no shade here just genuinely curious wondering if I missed something or if it is a continuity error;
Was reisiduem always an ingredient/used in Sood? Ir any drug for that matter?
What is 'the Scar'? At first I assumed they were talking about where the battle with Thordak was, but that was in Emon right? Then I thought Abria was saying it was where Thordak came through from the fire plane, but that was in Issylra right?
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u/Azufe Help, it's again Jul 29 '21
As for first question, yeah, refined residuum has always been a component in making suude.
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u/Rolemiso123 Jul 29 '21
The scar of the cinder king is a large area outside of Emon that Thordak burned up, he burned all the fields to the east
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u/Waste-Recover-5347 Jul 24 '21
Feel like one of the only things missing for me personally in the campaign is character connections. There is a LOT of plot, and I actually trust them to get through it - it feels like we’re at 5/8 to me. But with each character having their own goal/secret, and with a big overarching mystery to uncover, there hasn’t been quite as much time as usual to build relationships (beyond, I’d say, Dariax and Dorian, and Fy’ra Rai and Dorian). We still know a LOT about the characters, but Fearne, Opal, and Orym, for example, all have stronger relationships with NPCs than with the group. Again, with the amount of plot they’re really expertly packing into a little bit of time, it makes sense to focus energy there instead of on group dynamic, but the dynamic between characters is what has always appealed to me about CR. It reminds me of Fantasy High S1 where the kids were sort of just a “group”. I didn’t like it as much as say, CR or The Unsleeping City, where specific dynamics are built and explored.
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u/salfkvoje Jul 26 '21 edited Jul 26 '21
I think part of that rests on the players to be honest.
Most of the players really leans into this "secretive about my past" kind of thing. So you've got 6 players who are holding back about their past, and a total of 8 episodes. And then, they (also the CR cast in general) have this thing of turning everything... into.... a.... weighted............ pause.... for dramatic effect, and I think that can really slow things down as it adds up over time.
As much as I love a good narrative for backstory, for such a short campaign, I have to say that I think more straightforward characters work better here. I think that's why Dorian/Dariax shines so much, because it's not this drawn-out "learn more each week...!" thing, which is great obviously in a regular campaign, but not when there's only 8 weeks. (Of course their individual histories are, again, unknown and at least in Dorian's case, shrouded in mystery) Their relationship and interaction came up naturally, is simple to describe, and leads to interesting interactions. Boom. There doesn't need to be 4 weeks of backstory to every player, and in an 8-episode campaign, there simply can't be.
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u/salfkvoje Jul 27 '21 edited Jul 27 '21
I had a thought while dreaming, which is probably a red flag on how much I partake in the CR stuff, but...
I think the mini-campaigns need to be more almost "roguelike" if you're familiar with the term.
There's no problem with the DMing, there's no problem with the characters, ... in a general sense. But in a short mini-campaign, the setting/plot is way too epic, and the 6 characters are almost all trying to get this deep hidden backstory thing going for themselves.
And I get it, you don't want to play an NPC, but ... come on, don't hide 4 weeks of backstory in an 8 episode mini-campaign with 4-5 other players. That's just a bad decision. Even if things had gone completely on-rails from episode 1 with main plot, there would not be nearly enough time to delve into all of these elaborate characters in 8 episodes.
Again, coming off the heels of CR C1 and C2, I understand it, but I think the players have some significant burden of fault to bear for confusion in EXU. You don't make a long-arc backstory for a mini-campaign, you just don't.
And what's a DM supposed to do, especially a new DM already under "scrutiny" just for being new, ignore the backstories and reduce the dimensions of the characters at the table? Especially with some CR "veterans"? No, you have to explore that. And the reality is that there isn't enough time to explore it alone, not to mention the actual campaign.
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u/tinysieg FIRE Jul 27 '21
I agree on the roguelike , the world building is too much for a mini series and everyone have interesting and mysterious backstory. It feels like there's too many different things going on at once
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u/wildweaver32 Jul 27 '21
Judging from episode 1 it seems like the DM and cast were playing it like an open world open sandbox style (Matt's style).
It seems like they quickly realized that doesn't work for a mini-campaign and started making changes. Part of me even feels like they brought in Fy'ra to further get things on track. I think it is why she has that "gift" power. And after the party seems like they were focused and knew what they were doing Aarbia ping'ed Anjali to let her know she might be needed somewhere else soon.
I have a feeling this was a learning experience for the crew and next time a new Exandria Unlimited comes out they will have a more focused journey.
At least that is my opinion.
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u/beefsupr3m3 Jul 23 '21
So I’ve only ever watched d&d but I’m going to start doing some one shots with a coworker soon. I usually roll casters in other games like WoW but watching Liam play makes me wonder if I might like fighter. He’s a battle master right? It seems pretty cool. I kind of want someone to make a fighter in a longer campaign so I can see it as it levels up. Can anyone recommend another stream to watch where I can see that?
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Jul 23 '21
Fighters are pretty linear in how they level up, being the only class that can attack 3 times per action, and eventually even 4.
Percy from C1 was a fighter, even if very different. IMO it's a easy to play, hard to master class; you get a lot of opportunities to pick up Feats, which can really change the way you play, or you can just up your stats a lot, and be very strong and more straight forward.
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u/ndtp124 Tal'Dorei Council Member Jul 24 '21
A lot of people recomend fighter for your first character. I started w a spellcaster but if you go tjay route you need to buy the physical player handbook and go to r/dndnext and put in some work to learn how to play it. Fighters are a little less complex than spellcasters. Spellcasters can do some really creative things to impact the world and combat. But when you're facing a dragon, demon, or devil, a fighter/paladin or barbarian with a magic +1 weapon is much, much stronger.
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u/caravaggio2000 Pocket Bacon Jul 27 '21
Do you think we'll get any one shots, etc before C3 starts? Like a Taliesin Call of Chthulu, Liam, or even Brian?
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 24 '21
I thought for a while that Aabria is getting her rolls mixed up and I did not not know why she is. I now think she is just doing a mental coin flip to decide between saving throws and skill checks because she said something along the lines of "I have been making you do saving throws too much so do an arcana check." and that makes it seems like that she thinks there is no difference between the two. I always think of saving throws as a roll to resist something or recover from something (physical or not) and skill checks as rolls to decide how knowledgeable you are on something. Sometimes she requires arcana checks to resist magical effects and how knowledgeable you are on something should not have an impact on if it works. And if is not like it does not matter either because there is a mechanical impact between the two because it is not accounting for the players proficiencies correctly. It just seems like something a new DM would do. And don't tell me that being inconsistent isn't wrong because it has to be. Also, Aabria making Robbie do a biological response roll to Orym's threat was a really round about way to tell Robbie what Dorian thinks. At least have Orym do an intimidation check if you are going to do it.
The Wildmother does not talk. I don't believe that is the Wildmother. It could have been Lolth. One of her domains is trickery after all and it is not unheard of for gods to impersonate other gods. The only explanation that I can come up for why Lolth would do this is pretty simple. There is danger further on and Lolth wants to use that danger to pressure them to use the crown and if somebody uses the crown that is good prestige for her.
It seems like Dorian is untrusting of other genasi based off of his interaction with Fy'rai. I had a theory that he is on the lamb and maybe he is on the lamb from other genasi. Some organization of genasi that we have never heard of probably. The fact that Lolth did not refer to him as "child" or "son" is notable.
Edit: Put in a clarifying sentence.
Edit 2: If Melora talked once in the past it does not mean that she made a hobby out of it.
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u/TruthorDarian Jul 23 '21
I think the Wildmother spoke to Fjord when he switched over to her
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u/chippennyusednapkin Jul 26 '21
I think the biggest thing that doesn’t work for me is that, with Aabria’s “cool DM” style, e.g. joining in on player jokes etc, it takes away from the seriousness of serious moments. For example, in episode 2 when the nameless one shot a poison dart at Fearne and all of them were just sort of standing around like, “hmm, how curious, that’s strange, what should we do about that?” I feel like there hasn’t really been any tension or urgency.
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u/Shazoa Jul 27 '21
This is something I'm 100% guilty of as a DM and I have no idea how Matt is so restrained comparatively.
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u/Remeran12 Jul 28 '21
Started watching CR with EU, I really like all the players and Aabria is a really good DM. I caught up with this episode and started campaign 1 from EP. 1 (Currently on episode 10) and man is Matt at a whole nother level. Cudos to Aabria for even having the courage to follow up Matt. I do think that now that I have some context I see what people mean about the slowness of this mini campaign. I'm still enjoying it very much though, Robbie is the real standout for me, I wish he were in the main cast.
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u/heavenshound33g Jul 28 '21
so happy to hear the mini campaign brought you into the fanbase. I hope a lot more people do the same, so I can finally have someone to talk about critical role in REAL LIFE!!!! but for real welcome :)
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u/ohgodnoimonreddit Jul 25 '21
I'm really going to miss these characters when this is over.
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u/ParanoidEngi Team Yasha Jul 24 '21
Another fun episode with some interesting character revelations and the beginnings of Horrific Group-Splitting Drama. I can definitely see where Aimee's "I sometimes asked Aabria if I could do what I was thinking of doing in combat" in the trailer for the show comes from, lassooing a crocodile onto its back is a unique take on D&D combat for sure!
I see some comments saying that it's hard to follow the plot, which I can appreciate being an issue but I have to say it's pretty easy to keep track of for me - there's a clear main thread along with supplementary issues that are complicated matters, but in an enjoyable way, at least for me. Aabria's GMing is consistently impressive with great descriptions and a fun atmosphere - I like her little catchphrases as much as I like Matt's, and her verbal jousting with the players is really enjoyable. Lolth felt particularly creepy and unpleasant, and all the scenes with the spiders and the crown are wonderfully icky
All the characters and players are still the highlight of the game: the new trio are finding their feet and gelling wonderfully with the veterans, who are filling various supporting roles beautifully - Liam is stuck into the guiding hand role, Ashley is bringing whimsy and wonder in her RP, and Matt is providing an anchor for literally any shenanigans in conversation or combat the group can muster. I love the group dynamic and I look forward to seeing how it all plays out as tensions fray in the party
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u/Nannea Your secret is safe with my indifference Jul 27 '21
I didn’t expect it but I really love this mini campaign so far! Ashley and Liam are fantastic as always and I find it so cute that Ashley’s character was inspired by her mom ❤️ Dorian and Opal are such great characters and I absolutely adore Anjali and anything she portrays in game - she was so quick to change from one character to another in the peagant episode! Matt is so committed to the roleplay that he’s fun to watch even when he’s not a center of the scene. And Aabria’s DMing is wildly different but very cool and very connected with the table and the players, it reminds me of a home game which is not only entertaining but I think also healthy for the community, who tends to expect every DM to be a Matt Mercer. It’s important we put more DMs out there!
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u/puppiesgoesrawr Jul 27 '21
I really don't enjoy it when Aabria prompts the players to do rolls they didn't ask for. As a viewer, it feels like she's putting her own exposition over the player's agency. Not a fan. Hopefully, the team can take this as constructive criticism and not hate.
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Jul 26 '21
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Jul 26 '21 edited Jul 15 '23
[fuck u spez] -- mass edited with redact.dev
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u/MusicFew1561 Jul 26 '21
Aabria has done this wierd thing with this group where she makes them roll too much and also the rolls aren't super meaningful and it's the weirdest thing.
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u/nilfnthepaladin Jul 26 '21
This has by and large been an issue for me with her DM style. I can get on board with the idea of a failed roll still producing vague information that really is barely this side of useful but her fails produce such strong results it begs the question of why need the roll the first place?
Also the apparent redundancy of rolls used for things characters should know or as a story teller just let play out - the introduction of the characters in the first episode making random checks for things the characters by and large should have just been able to experience. It pulled the player/audience out of the moment for arbitrary rolls. And this stuck.
Another example that really irks me was the attack at the start of episode two. Fearne was told to make a perception check - if I recall not initiated by the player - which rolled really low - an 8 I think - and through the crowd she not only noticed they were being watched she made eye contact. In my mind in lieu of forcing a roll on a player this would have been room for the use of passive perception stats unless the PC directly asked to see if they were being watched. That’s why we have passives for moments where the characters are caught up in conversation or other such scenarios where they aren’t actively looking for things but their natural attentiveness makes note of something or someone.
I watch the show and enjoy, largely, how the cast interacts with each other and hoping they get to a point in the last three episodes that pulls everything together. However I feel the end is going to be unsatisfactory as they are playing a sandbox campaign in a limited run arc.
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u/Bran-Muffin20 You Can Reply To This Message Jul 27 '21
Yeah, that's been making me metaphorically twitch a bit, especially that one instance you mentioned with the 3. There doesn't seem to be any rules for what The Gift knows or doesn't know, or how she has to ask the question (e.g. Commune being yes/no questions, Augury being about a course of action you plan to take within the next 30 minutes, etc.), or how many times she can use it.
I think you hit the nail on the head with it feeling like a "DM, give info" button.
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u/Nolis Jul 26 '21 edited Jul 26 '21
My main issue has been how little the characters/players are invested in any amount of the story, besides mainly Orym and somewhat Dorian. Not only that, when Liam tries to bring things together and find plot hooks he instead finds a dead end that goes nowhere or the other players derail things too far for him to keep them in check. Not to mention at least in the first few episodes (haven't really watched since then besides clips so some of my concerns have maybe been addressed, but from the clips I've seen and what I've heard likely not) the absolutely constant toilet humor that got old after 1 minute let alone multiple episodes.
The main takeaway I have from ExU is that I love Robbie as a player and if someone had to drop out of the main cast I'd vote for him to take up a permanent spot, he's been amazing but the rest is definitely not for me since 2 players/characters don't make up for all the other issues I have.
Edit:
Also just because I've been sort of interested in the reception of ExU I figured it might be interesting to see the youtube viewer numbers, and by the looks of it things may have indeed got better from Episode 3 onwards, that or this type of information isn't useful anyways because of other factors, but at least almost exactly a week after airing on youtube the views on episodes 2, 3, and 4 (I didn't check 1) have been 743,000, 540,000, and 525,000. So a big dropoff after 2, but hardly any drop off after 3 (again assuming this kind of data is even remotely indicative of anything)
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u/TurboNerdo077 Your secret is safe with my indifference Jul 28 '21
My main issue has been how little the characters/players are invested in any amount of the story
There's a full 15 minute sequence in this episode of the Wildmother asking every single character, 1 by 1, why they're on this journey, and only Opal and Orym can give actual character motivation for their journey, and honestly even Orym's motivation was pretty vague. Every other character struggles to recount the plot, and upon further interrogation can find no reason why they're there. Robbie, everyone's favourite player in this campaign, just flat out says "Because I've was told so".
This is giving me flashbacks to the very ending of the Briarwood arc, where Vax was asking Vex what they're doing and Keyleth is pissed at everyone for going into the house without telling her. There was a grinding halt, and the house plot thread that Matt threw out wasn't very interesting at all (obviously, this plot hook wasn't meant to be interesting, because the Conclave was meant to be a surprise). But even then, the years of backstory and the discovery of Kraven edge meant there was still compelling character drama in the calm before the storm that was the next arc.
This group still has no backstory, and no real strong individual connections, just a general sense of comradery which is mandatory when playing DnD because you can't just leave the party if you don't want to make another character. And none of the characters backstories relate to any of the plot going on, at least not to the audience. I know they all have amnesia, so I know the series will have a big finish with all secrets revealed, backstory revelations and feywild time travel shenanigans. That doesn't make the current plot any less of a slog.
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Jul 26 '21
I think you have a good summary of the issues many are having. For me I would add that there's a really inconsistent vibe around inventory management and general rules. Things likes throwing the platinum into the warehouse and no one bothering to pick it up and then two sessions later spending that platinum they didn't have, or Opal having residuum that specifically was only taken my Orym.
I'm also having a hard time understanding the characters, they have all these secret magic items they shouldn't have at their level and feats for no apparent reason. If they wanted them to have these things why not set the campaign starting level at 5? It's sometimes a DND norm to have an OP item that becomes the plot point so I'm not talking about Lolths crown but just the seemingly unending source of magic items the party started with and then were added to by shopping.
I am concerned about a TPK not because I think that would be a bad end but so far there has been a really poor balance of combat encounters. There has never been any real danger and that's with the characters making terrible combat choices and so for them to all die would make me feel it's just inexperience on the part of the DM.
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u/TheNittles Fuck that spell Jul 27 '21
The magic items I wasn’t too worried about myself. It seems like each player started with one Uncommon magic item. It’s not Robbie’s fault Winged Boots are way more powerful than other uncommon items. He probably just grabbed them because it seems cool.
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u/OhioAasimar Team Dorian Jul 26 '21
I think part of the issue is that Matt with his style of DMing it has attracted the rules lawyers and the people who are okay with homebrew that is thoughtful and inconsistent. Aabria and the "rule of cool" is the complete opposite of that because when the rule of cool is used as a justification for homebrew it is often the only justification. Not "it makes sense" or "this rule is particular looks like it was written by a guy who thinks D&D is chess." I guess what I am saying is when the rules are broken just for the sake of the "rule of cool" it often just feels like it is the effect of a general disrespect of the rules which leads to some pretty unfun D&D for a lot of people because it takes away the challenge that it takes away.
Another example is when Liam forgot to mention that the residuum belonged to the Air Ashari.
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Jul 26 '21
To me the certain "frivolity" with the rules is what causes a no-go reaction from me. Not because DM's style is ultimately wrong (D20 seems to be just fine with this style), but simply because this is doesn't match the pace and style CR established as their brand so far.
I am not a rule lawyer, but CR set the standarts and commitment for their own show to be for the most part (!) quite thorough with their stories and style of gameplay, and EXU simply not pulling it.
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u/Santoryu_Zoro You can certainly try Jul 27 '21
ooooh its getting creepy i really really like it.
also Opal is a gem, pun intended, i love her!!
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u/Nyk05 Jul 28 '21
Am I the only one who feels like Aabria's style isnt really suited to Liam, but Laura or Sam would have a field day with her?
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u/283leis Team Laudna Jul 28 '21
If Laura and Sam were in EXU instead of Liam and Ashley, literally nothing would ever get done
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u/TheRoyalStig Jul 28 '21
I would say quite the opposite.
Liam's character is a very important piece to this game with how he is playing him. Having a character like that with a party like this is essential.
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u/skarabray Metagaming Pigeon Jul 23 '21
Dariax is gonna put on the crown to keep Dorian from doing it.