Critical Role PSA: You are not Matt Mercer

[BRayne]

It's always felt more like laughing at than laughing with, to me, and just a little bit like punching down. If I had been the player doing the falling, I would have been seething.

I mean said player married him a few months later so I doubt it was taken too too seriously

 

[billd91]

I do. Mercer botched the falling rules (which isn't horrible in itself) then played it up to make the player who'd done the unwise thing look stupider, just for laughs.

They were all laughing, including Marisha, the goldfish high diver cum dead druid. So, yeah, they were all joking about it, including the player of the dead PC. So as far as you potentially seething about it, you aren't Marisha. You aren't in the gaming group. So don't project your feelings where they don't belong.

 

[prabe]

1) You're assuming he didn't houserule falling damage. (Which many DMs do; falling damage stupid low at great heights.)
2) Every DM botches a rule at some time. If that makes someone terrible there are no non-terrible DMs.
3) It was being played for laughs by everyone. He made some effort to be serious but everyone was dying of laughter. The whole situation is so absurd it's hard not to laugh. Watching it live I was dying of laughter the entire time. I'm more surprised he kept a straight face as long as he did...

Now, keep in mind, Matt knows his players. Probably better that you know your players after four years of weekly games plus set-up and one-shots and hanging out. And said player is his wife, who he also knows. He's not going to cross a line or upset them.

1) Sure, I'm presuming that he's playing by the rules in the book, but that's the least important part of it, really.
2) It's how he handled the scene thereafter that sets me off. I mean, he could have rolled the 20d6, or he could have just done 120 bludgeoning, or he could have just killed the character.
3) Yes, everyone was laughing, but it sure feels as though they're laughing at Mercer making fun of the player. And of course the player is laughing, too; how else are you going to react when everyone's laughing at you?

Look, I realize that my reactions to that scene are driven at least as much by what's inside my own head as anything else, but they are what they are, and that scene is like nails on a blackboard to me.

 

[Jester David]

It's always felt more like laughing at than laughing with, to me, and just a little bit like punching down. If I had been the player doing the falling, I would have been seething.

I understand that. That's a totally fair position and you're justified to feel that way. And if you were the player doing the falling and your friends playing with you know you have issues with being laugh at hopefully the tone would be different.
And that's fine.

But that's probably not the case at that game, and Marisha seemed more than happy to laugh at herself later.

Not being Matt, I don't know how he would have reacted if the player had grown upset at a character's death from a suicidal jump. Ideally he would have hushed the table and been more sombre. He's shown a willingness to avoid discomforting players in the past.
Right now I'm rewatching campaign 2 and I'm at a seduction scene and he does leave it up to the player to make the move, trusting them to set their comfort level, and then moves on fairly quickly. So he's away of his players feelings and wants them to be happy.

 

[prabe]

The trouble with the internet rears it's head again as I have no idea if you're being sarcastic or ironic or critical at them for laughing at the tragic...

I figured he was being sarcastic at/about me, which is ... not a big shock, given how my atypical my reaction is. And FWIW, I don't mind the sarcasm, here.

 

[Jester David]

3) Yes, everyone was laughing, but it sure feels as though they're laughing at Mercer making fun of the player. And of course the player is laughing, too; how else are you going to react when everyone's laughing at you?

Look, I realize that my reactions to that scene are driven at least as much by what's inside my own head as anything else, but they are what they are, and that scene is like nails on a blackboard to me.

Still totally fair. I apologize if I was pushing.
We're all nerds here and I think we all have a negative experience with being laughed at. I can sympathize.

 

[S'mon]

I use 1 hp damage per foot for falling onto rocks like that... but I cap it at 250 damage, which looking at her level 17 Druid sheet, would have not killed her! :-O

Edit: also, it takes 2 rounds to fall 1000', so after a round I'd probably say something like "Ok, you have been falling for a long time... looks like you're approaching the rocks (or water, equally lethal from that height)... would you like to reconsider your life choices?"

 

[prabe]

Still totally fair. I apologize if I was pushing.
We're all nerds here and I think we all have a negative experience with being laughed at. I can sympathize.

You're fine. Far as I know we're fine. That last bit was self-knowledge and kinda directed at all the other people who were quoting me and replying as I was typing; you were just the one I was typing at--sorry if it felt I was lashing at you.

 

[Oofta]

All I can say is that it looked to me like a DM that knows his players well and they were all having fun.

Well, I sure hope he knows his wife well. I'm not sure exactly what else people would expect in that moment or how this was particularly "bad" in any way.

 

[darjr]

Thank you for that explanation. Having been in embarrassing situations before I get it. I do really think had you been in that seat Matt would have at least tried to put a stop to the stuff that bothered you. And I think the other players would have acted differently too.

May you find the game you love.