Media References and Puns of 2-06 The Howling Mines

Behold, the Focus of this week’s Fiesta of references and puns. There’s a bit of Flex required, but we consider it our Super Duty.

Media References

  • (0:00:06) Travis: Yeah, we do!  Matt: Apparently someone’s got mail on Drag Race.
  • (0:01:32) Sam: (sings “Sabre Dance” by Aram Khachaturian)
  • (0:04:03) Matt: Those of you who have an Amazon Prime account can get a free subscription to the Twitch channel through Twitch.
  • (0:19:12) Liam: This is a Zork game. “We go downstairs.”
  • (0:27:55) Laura: Shrimp scampi, butterfly shrimp.  Travis: Coconut shrimp.  Laura: Fried shrimp. (Forrest Gump)
  • (0:33:25) Thadeus: Her name is Gesture?  Taliesin: It is a gesture, like Prince.  Matt: The adventurer formerly known as Jester.
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Media References and Puns of 2-05 The Open Road

Question: Are "nine/nein" puns listed in this article?
Answer: NEIN. Those can be found here. (Though plenty of sea-based puns surfaced here, among others.)

Media References

  • (0:07:00) Laura: The Shadow of War expansion pack, The Blade of Galadriel came out!
  • (0:13:13) Matt: Imagination!  Laura: You’re doing it, Feeder, you’re doing it!  Taliesin: Bangarang! (Hook)
  • (0:24:07) Liam: Wakka wakka! (Fozzie Bear)
  • (0:25:56) Travis: Reach for the sky! (Toy Story)
  • (0:25:58) Taliesin: Be careful, those fingers are loaded! (Blazing Saddles)
  • (0:33:31) Taliesin: She’s starting to believe. (The Matrix)
  • (0:55:09) Liam: You would tell us if something was wrong, Rorschach.
  • (1:09:16) Liam: Vasquez.  Travis: You’re just too bad, Vasquez.  Matt: Vasquez is a pretty good print. Vasquez and Starbuck from the new Battlestar.
  • (1:10:49) Liam: It must be nice! (“Washington on Your Side” from Hamilton)
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Media References and Puns of Episode 2-04 Disparate Pieces

A survey of instances the adventurers were, as Liam quoted, breakin' the law in this episode:

  • Imitating a member of law enforcement
  • Lying to law enforcement 
  • Leaving the confines of house arrest 
  • Attempting to flee from law enforcement 
  • Assault (To Beau's credit, it was in self-defense)
  • Burglary
  • Purchasing drugs
  • Mail fraud

Media References

  • (0:01:12) Sam: Best picture: La La Land! No, it’s Moonlight!
  • (0:02:22) Sam: Not the Oscars.
  • (0:04:00) Matt: We have a new show coming up featuring the Weave RPG from The Monocle Society.
  • (0:20:13) Travis: We literally held up the head of Barney and shoved it in her face.
  • (0:28:47) Sam: The Jonas Brothers.
  • (0:29:06) Liam: Was he recognizable? Did we leave him looking like the dude at the end of The Last Crusade after he drank the wrong cup?
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Media References of 2-03 The Midnight Chase

Media References of 2-03 The Midnight Chase

Thanks to @asheface for this art piece!

  • (0:13:48) Travis: *singing* Rewind! [...] Liam: I remember that night.  Laura: Now I just want to do Hamilton with all of our character voices. (“Satisfied” from Hamilton)
  • (0:22:48) Travis: If this was Tony Hawk, you’d be adding points still!
  • (0:25:43) Fjord: We need to drop this f***er and get the hell out of dodge.  Sam: *Theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly*
  • (0:44:13) Fjord: Is that single horse a mustang? [...] Marisha: We had better get $100,000 from Ford for that one!
  • (0:44:52) Taliesin: Are you going to name it Sally? (“Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett)
  • (0:48:57) Matt: You hop your mustang.  Travis: I do. Shelby.
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Media References and Puns of Episode 2-02 A Show of Scrutiny

This may have been the first cat-related pun of the campaign, but we're guessing it won't be the last.

Media References

  • (0:25:30) Travis: Tried to do the Sherlock Holmes.

  • (1:34:19) Liam: One of those little kids’ toys where you pull the magnet to pull the filings. Marisha: A Mister Wooly? (Wooly Willy)

  • (1:35:25) Sam: Angelyne. Laura: Yes. With big lips. (Thanks to Henry for this one!)

  • (1:38:58) Travis: New York is where I'd rather stay! (Green Acres)

  • (1:45:56) Taliesin: We are the Logan’s Run of D&D.

  • (1:55:39) Laura: Is Fabio on the cover?

  • (2:21:09) Taliesin: Purple Rain. (Prince)

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Media References and Puns of Episode 2-1 Curious Beginnings

Media References and Puns of Episode 2-1 Curious Beginnings

Thanks to @uffiebird for this art piece!

For those who are new around here, we publish a weekly list of the puns and references to books/movies/tv/pop culture that the cast makes. Now is the part where we dance!

Media References

  • (0:00:48) Matt: We’re going into a cool partnership with the folks at D&D Beyond! [...] There’s a one-time discount of $10 off any digital book in the dndbeyond.com Marketplace when you use the code word “beginnings.” [...] You apply that code at checkout.
  • (0:03:11) Sam: Our second sponsor tonight is Backblaze! [...] ‘Twas the night before Critmas…
  • (0:04:47) Matt: Our friends at Wyrmwood have been awesome…
  • (0:09:00) Marisha: Comixology. Liam: On Zune.  Marisha: Dark Horse.  Liam: Palm Pilot. [...] Limewire, you know.  Marisha: Napster.
  • (0:11:00) Matt: Thank you to Ian Phillips of Iron Tusk Paintings who has painted the miniatures for this campaign.
  • (0:11:47) Matt: Final thank yous to Warner Brothers and Monolith Entertainment for letting us incorporate the Shadow of War soundtrack into Critical Role soundtrack here on the air. [...] And CD Projekt Red has been nice enough to let us use the Witcher series soundtrack also incorporated into the campaign.
  • (0:32:18) Sam: *intones the beginning of “Bad to the Bone”* (George Thorogood and the Destroyers)
  • (1:02:47) Nott: The Soul Train Academy! (Either the tv show or the awards)
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Hearthstone One-Shot Masterpost

Hearthstone One-Shot Masterpost

Thanks to @TriaElf9 for this art piece!

One post to cover the characters, World of Warcraft references, candle mentions, and Leeroy Jenkins (among other things). You know, the whole ball of wax.

Mentions of the word 'candle': 63

Character Descriptions

To help out all you Critter artists, we took note of times that the characters' features were described.

Lohkor:

  • Travis: Yes! I am Lohkor Windfallow, paladin, keeper of virtues and righteousness. I am devilishly handsome and I don’t play well with others because of that devilish handsomeness. But my skills are always for sale and my fellows seem to appreciate my roguish good looks.
  • Matt: His armored self, being top-heavy…
  • Wields warhammer

Greldamine:

  • Laura: Oh, hi. My name is Greldamine Clypso! I’m a gnome mage. I am short, even for a gnome, I know, that’s fine. I wear hair in a high bun. It’s brown.
  • Greldamine: Do you have robes? [...] I’m partial to purple.
  • Matt: Not touching the fungus with either side of your armored shoulder pauldrons. Your mantle, I guess it would be.
  • Greldamine wields Aluneth: Metal staff with purple and gold inlay, top has three pointed purple stones in a triangular pattern that float.
  • Greldamine: Oh, it cracks my glasses!

Bundle:

  • Taliesin: My name is Bundle. I’m a dwarf. I’ve got a very nice lime green robe. I’m a priest and I’ve been studying for quite some time. [...] Going a bit bald and I’m trying to do my best to bring it over and it’s going into not a great beard, but I use the ham hocks to liven it up a bit.

Aerwin:

  • Jennifer: I’m Aerwin Whiteclaw. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been in this much company, it’s rather overwhelming. I am a night elf of the rogue persuasion.[...] I dress in black. I prefer it that way.
  • Matt: There is a beautiful, jagged dagger with a series of red gems across the blade, a chain affixed to its pommel...

Quazirat:

  • Liam: Yes, my name is Quazirat Toes. I am Draenei. I wear all white at all times top and bottom, underneath and front. Whole nine yards. I am simple man, I like to test myself in battle for the glory of Argus.
  • Liam: Do I see with my Draenei eyes as I stroke my chin tentacles…
  • Matt: In one of the sheaths is a blade. As you pull it out, it has a wicked metal, curved point at the end, like a forked point. It has an energy pulse gem in the center of where the hilt is.
  • Liam: This is called Adventure Fury: Blessed Blade of the Thrill Seeker. This weirdly pristine longsword is encased in meticulous, almost gaudy gold scrolling and rune-like carving that spell out phrases like ‘Carpe Diem’-- like your shirt of the doughnut-- and ‘You Only Live Once.’ You gain +2 to all attacks and damage rolls made with this weapon. You are immune to fear. If you ever attempt to flee from danger, you must me a wisdom saving throw (DC 12). On a failure, you instead rush towards the challenge in hopes of glory. YOLO!
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Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise Masterpost

Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise Masterpost

Thanks to @drunken_pilot for this art work!

Once upon a time, a sponsored scarecrow, a Cristal-drinking housebreaker, a pair of magic-wielding exes, a raging queen, and portable hole enthusiast went on a singles cruise. It only got weirder from there.

Character Classes

  • Scarecrow: Scarecrow L4 Way of the Open Straw Monk
  • Peter Pan: Half-Elf L4 Bard
  • Wendy Darling: Human L4 Druid
  • Goldilocks: Human L4 Eldritch Knight Fighter
  • Queen of Hearts: Human L4 Path of the Berserker Barbarian
  • Hatter: Halfling L4 Wizard
  • Bonus: Sam revealed on Twitter that Jon Heder's character would have been the Tin Man!
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Media References of Trinket's Honey Heist

Media References of Trinket's Honey Heist

Thanks to @kkamabr for this art piece!

Bonnie and Cow got nothing on the Jersey Bears. There were more media references than puns this week, but just bearly. 

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Media References of Grog's Bunions and Flagons

Vax sure knows a lot of other TTRPGs for not knowing how to play Bunions and Flagons...

Announcements

  • (0:51:58) Travis: Tonight’s episode is brought by our wonderful sponsor, Marvel Puzzle Quest!
  • (0:04:05) Travis: Some of you will be attending PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia.
  • (0:04:40) Travis: We will be in Australia, we will be at SupaNova.
  • (0:05:04) Liam: Next week, Marisha will be in your chair, running a game of Honey Heist.
  • (0:06:25) Taliesin: The Critical Role podcast got updated today. It now goes to 70.
  • (0:06:39) Taliesin: Some of us are going to be at BlizzCon tomorrow.
  • (0:07:00) Taliesin: Phil LaMarr’s coming on next week to talk Thor.
  • (0:07:29) Laura: It was just announced that I joined the cast of The Last of Us II!

The Game

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Media References and Puns of Episode 115: The Chapter Closes

One last time, we’ll take a card tonight. Then we’ll go on one last mission, THEN we’ll teach them how to say goodbye.

Media References:

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Media References and Puns for Episode 114: Vecna, the Ascended

Fun fact: This is the eighth time that the cast's crosswalk "wait" joke has been referenced!

Media References

  • (0:00:20) Matt: Our episode tonight is brought to you by our friends at Marvel Puzzle Quest.
  • (0:00:40) Sam: When I heard that Rogue and the other X-Men are kicking off the celebration. [...] Sam: Including the all-new X-Men vs. Apocalypse Event! [...] Did I mention that you can recruit Gambit for the first time? [...] Did I also mention that Nightcrawler is coming later this month?
  • (0:03:10) Matt: Our comic through Dark Horse is available.
  • (0:03:49) Taliesin: We’re going to be covering monsters, monster books. We’re going to be covering the origins of Groot, and the big creepy monsters of yesteryear and some modern, creepy monster books. iVampire, etc.
  • (0:04:36) Travis: Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. (Comic Con Inside Joke)
  • (0:21:10) Liam: Before he started, that was Optimus Prime. (Transformers)
  • (0:21:50) Laura: It’s like I walked into Target; I just lost all brain function.
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