Media References and Puns of Episode 76: Brawl in the Arches

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As Vox Machina learned, a trip to the City of Brass is never just a three-hour tour.

Media References

  • (0:04:56) Liam: Just go, ‘Guuuuuuuh!’ […] Matt: Like, Donald Sutherland in The Body Snatchers!
  • (0:06:21) Travis: *sadly singing* All around me are familiar faces… (“Mad World” by Tears for Fears)
  • (0:07:14) Matt: [The Force Grey people] put out a cool poster today designed by the same artist who did the Stranger Things cover.
  • (0:14:24) Liam: I’d like to phone a friend. Matt: *laughing* Would you like to phone a friend…it’s not going to help. (Who Wants to be a Millionaire?)
  • (0:22:40) Liam: You run! You slide! Take a dip, and take a dive! (Crocodile Mile advertisement) Thanks to Hannes V. for this one!
  • (0:24:53) Travis: And, in the immortal words of Bob Ross, everybody needs a friend.
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Critical Role Records: First 75 Episodes!

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Critical Role Records: First 75 Episodes!

We’re 75 episodes in, and there are some RECORDS to display. Text below the break! Thanks again to @amandammcclain for her work on the graphic, and thanks to @ahoyhoyjet and @luvianblue for use of their art!

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Media References and Puns of Episode 75: Where The Cards Fall

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Sometimes you know when to hold them. Sometimes you know when to fold them. Sometimes you’re Scanlan, and you don’t know when to do either.

Media References

  • (0:08:43) Brian: Until then, it’s hiiiiiigh noon! (Overwatch)
  • (0:10:22) Cast: *sings* Somewhere out there… (“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram)
  • (0:25:12) Liam: It’s a scratch, a scratch-no pick, no pick! (Seinfeld)
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Media References and Puns of Episode 74: Path of Brass

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Fun Fact: On Geek & Sundry’s Disney Princess D&D character sheets, Pocahontas has a +5 bonus for Animal Handling, just like Pike!

Media References

  • (0:00:58) Taliesin: We’re going full NPR here.
  • (0:05:11) Matt: It’s just all Sesame Street.
  • (0:07:48) Marisha: There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.
  • (0:13:12) Travis: A lot of Fugees. Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide… (“Ready or Not” by The Fugees)
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Vox Machina Maximum Damage

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Vox Machina Maximum Damage

cade110794 asked: Hey, what’s the most amount of damage each VM character can do, individually, in one round of combat?

Note that the spellcasters often have additional status effects or area-of-effect capabilities with their spells, so their damage totals are correspondingly lower. Keyleth, in particular, can do far more damage in a single round if we allow for multiple targets. Also, some spells and weapons deal much more damage against certain creatures than others, like Keyleth’s Tidal Wave overkill of the fire elementals or Percy’s Dragonslayer Longsword against Umbrasyl, but for the sake of this post, we’re taking those out of the equation.

These calculations assume:

  • Only damage to one target
  • Target has no vulnerabilities or resistances
  • Target fails all required saves
  • Target is not a structure
  • Circumstances allow the spells to be cast/weapons to be used
  • No special location circumstances
    • No random ice spikes jutting out for a target to land on, no roofs to fall off, etc.
  • Falling damage is maxed at 20d6 (PHB 183)
  • All attacks are critical hits
  • Critical Role’s spellcasting rules are followed
  • No reactions are used
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What We Know About Kynan Leore: A List

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eclairqueen asked: I was wondering if it would be possible to get a list of timestamps of when Kynan is mentioned/focused on?

We were going to write our own summary of the roguish rogue, but we figured we couldn’t do any better than the description from the DM himself:

“A young man, low born and motherless, dreaming of purpose and meaning to his existence. A father beaten by his own failures and loss, venting his own regrets on his son. The boy wakes to a burning drive to change his fortune, to make every step he takes count to saving this crumbling life that surrounds him. This is the day he rises above a butcher’s son to begin his own journey. He’s seen what heroes look like, what they can do. He will become one.”

Kynan’s history has been less secretive to us than the other characters we’ve focused on, so rather than an in-depth analysis, we present: the full list of timestamps of when Kynan has been mentioned or present. Updated through Episode 73.

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Quick Answers 34

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Which oath does Lady Kima follow as a paladin?

Kima is now under the Oath of Vengeance, despite Matt’s tweet last July that she was an Oath of Devotion paladin. We’re not sure under what circumstances the switch happened, though.

Can Kima as a Halfling even wield the Holy Avenger Great Sword she was given?

Absolutely! Though the Rules as Written say that all Small creatures are at a disadvantage when wielding Heavy weapons, while still in the Underdark, Kima wielded a great sword with proficiency because, as a paladin, she is proficient with martial weapons. Further, have you seen Kima? She can scarf down chicken while doing one-handed pushups; one great sword isn’t going to give her problems.

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Media References and Puns of Episode 71: Vorugal

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This episode goes to show that you shouldn’t Asum what form Raishan is Larkin around in.

Media References

  • (0:01:02) Liam: But [the robe] looks just like Tom Cruise’s!
  • (0:04:10) Sam: Egypt, 1957. The Ark of the Covenant, sort of a crate that carried the 10 Commandments, is opened by Colonel Dietrich and Dr. René Balloq. Ghosts fly out, and it melts the faces of several Nazis while Indiana Jones hides his face. (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
  • (0:04:26) Los Angeles, California, 1995. Rookie detective David Mills, played by Brad Pitt, receives a cardboard crate from murder suspect John Doe! It contains the head of his girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow. (Se7en)
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Media References and Puns of Episode 69: Passed Through Fire

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Otherwise titled, “Turn Down For What: A Compendium.”

Media References

  • (0:07:41) Matt: I feel like Robert Durst.
  • (0:55:34) Sam: Not like Yoda or anything! (Star Wars)
  • (1:22:22) Taliesin: I’ve been watching South Park, I don’t know about you.
  • (1:22:25) Liam: No Hamlet death for you!
  • (1:37:01) Sam: It’s like that little doll hand from SNL.
  • (1:49:26) Liam: This going to David Bowie-you up.
  • (1:52:28) Matt: …and appear, Nightcrawler-style, in shadow, next to the whatever you hit.
  • (1:52:44) Grog/Travis: Obviously, daggers are your bag, baby. (Austin Powers)
  • (1:54:13) Liam: (about the music box) It plays ‘Turn Down for What.’
  • (1:58:27) Sam: *singing* Letters! We got letters! (“We Get Letters” from the Perry Como Show)
  • (2:08:04) Liam: Percy needs to go the f*** to sleep.
  • (2:13:42) Matt: Gouts of [blood], anime-style spraying, like Fist of North Stars spray.
  • (2:25:11) Liam: Turn down for Pike!
  • (2:28:29) Sam: Diplomatic Immunity. (Lethal Weapon 2) Thanks to an anonymous critter for this one!
  • (2:33:27) Sam: It’s really Patrick Rothfuss’ voice, though!
  • (2:41:36) Liam: Turn down for what!  Laura: Do-do-do-do-do… Travis: Stop, white people. 

Puns

  • (2:28:32) Scanlan: This is real diplomatic immunity man; I can get you off!  Travis: You can get him off?
  • (2:42:11) Scanlan: Sort of reaching around? 

Monster Analysis: Dr. Anna Ripley and Company (Part 2)

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In part 1, we broke down Team Ripley and what each member brought to the fight. This time, we will try to actually determine the state of the battleground (including leading up to the combat encounter itself), the strategies implemented by both parties, and what we can say about the fight itself.

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Resurrection Rituals

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Resurrection Rituals

Thanks to @advocatingavian for the art!

Given the events of episode 68, we’ve received a few asks about what Vox Machina can do. The most obvious choice is to get to Pike, which can happen in many ways at this point, so we’ll just discuss the various spell options they have at their disposal, and what we’ve seen from resurrections in the past. (Spoiler warnings for 68 under the cut.)

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Quick Answers 30

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What locations in Tal’Dorei has Vox Machina never visited?

Lots! We can’t know for certain, since we don’t know of all of their travels pre-stream. We’ve never seen them go/heard about them going to Kymal, Fort Daxio, Emerald Outpost, Jorenn Village, Wrettis, or Drynna. Thanks to a reminder from @bestahlia- Scanlan and Pike went to Kymal in Episode 56, though we’re unsure if the rest of the group has visited.

One might say that there’s a million places they haven’t gone, but just you wait…

Do you know what app Scanlan uses to do the little musical ditties?

We don’t (but, we’re betting someone out there does!)

Does the party have a finite amount of the Dust of Tracelessness?

Their supply is infinite!

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