Critical Role Critical Role Campaign 3 Discussion (SPOILERS)

[Azuresun]

The energy also feels very different now, and IMO this was stronger than Campaign 2's opener; I'm hoping with the fact we have a bunch of returning characters and some already established early mystery that this campaign will get off to a more directed and explosive start than Campaign 2's first twenty five episodes. Not that there were not great moments or highlights there, like the party relationship between Caleb and Nott, or Mollymauk and Beau and... everyone, but

Spoiler: Campaign 2 spoilers

as sad as Jester, Fjord and Yasha's kidnpa, along with Mollymauk's death was, that was really when the campaign started, and everything became focused and directed.

It's early days, but it does feel like the group is a lot more cohesive and amenable to working together. C2 did have a long span when it was a collection of angsty loners who were all waiting for someone else to ask them about their tragic backstory and who often didn't have a firm reason to hang out together. I have a feeling that was why Caduceus had such a "team dad" personality, to actually bind the group together a bit tighter.

 

[Baron Opal II]

I thought Laudna and FCG were interesting characters, and that it was fun to have "Don Bertrand" be the gathering force. I am expecting that by episode 5 Travis will have a new character, Bertrand being dead or even more retired. The Laudna's and Imogen's backstory will be an interesting reveal. That Ashton is bland at the moment is okay as I felt the attention was on the ladies and FCG. I am confident there will be an interesting reveal of Ashton's healed wounds and their relationship with FCG in time.

I am getting really tired of Liam playing anxious / depressive characters. That Orym is planned to be a wallflower is understandable given his focus last campaign, but stop moping already. Hopefully Dorian Storm survives this initial jaunt and will be back at a later time. I have a feeling that a benefit of the 3 on 1 off schedule is that the Crown Keepers, and thus Matt, will play again. Fearne is a very interesting character that irritates me. That laconic voice grates on me, but I appreciate the character and her identity. It's hard to play a fae, and Ashely is doing a fine job of it.

Matt was not amused at Sam's total derail of the game with the gas can. I would not have been either. It was funny, but totally stopped the momentum of the game.

 

[Bolares]

Matt was not amused at Sam's total derail of the game with the gas can. I would not have been either. It was funny, but totally stopped the momentum of the game.

Have you met Sam? He pulls this stuff since campaign one. Choosing what moments to disrupt. If Matt was not okay with it he would've talked with Sam by now...

 

[MarkB]

Have you met Sam? He pulls this stuff since campaign one. Choosing what moments to disrupt. If Matt was not okay with it he would've talked with Sam by now...

Also, the jerrycan was awesome. Continuity with his oversized flask from the previous campaign, combined with perfect theming for his current character.

 

[jgsugden]

....Far stronger start than Campaign 1 (which just dropped in with no context). The party doesn't quite mesh as well off the bat as they did in Campaign 2, but I think the episode overall is stronger here in C3...

This is a bit of false memory, I think. They were not meshing well at the start of Campaign 2, either. Few campaigns mesh well if they have deep roleplaying until the PCs have bounced off each other for a bit. I think episode 6 or 7 is where they'll feel like 'a party' and not strengers thrust together, if prior experience at my table (and Campaign 2) holds.

 

[jgsugden]

OK so ... Fresh Cut Grass killed Dancer and his allies, right?

And given that Travis asked whether Bell knew anything about the NPC name that Orym mentioned, but not about the Anger when Orym mentioned it - we know that he knows about the Anger. So that seems to point heavily to a Grog connection. Grog's offspring?

 

[Bolares]

This is a bit of false memory, I think. They were not meshing well at the start of Campaign 2, either. Few campaigns mesh well if they have deep roleplaying until the PCs have bounced off each other for a bit. I think episode 6 or 7 is where they'll feel like 'a party' and not strengers thrust together, if prior experience at my table (and Campaign 2) holds.

I think the real start of them meshing well in C2 is the pool episode (when beau creepedon Yasha)

 

[MarkB]

And given that Travis asked whether Bell knew anything about the NPC name that Orym mentioned, but not about the Anger when Orym mentioned it - we know that he knows about the Anger.

Or that him not knowing about the Anger was already established offstage.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Matt was not amused at Sam's total derail of the game with the gas can. I would not have been either. It was funny, but totally stopped the momentum of the game.

That's not my reading of the situation. He looked both shocked and amused (as he does everytime something like this happens). Sam does things like this all the time and it is arguably a good thing from a spectator point of view.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

This is a bit of false memory, I think. They were not meshing well at the start of Campaign 2, either. Few campaigns mesh well if they have deep roleplaying until the PCs have bounced off each other for a bit. I think episode 6 or 7 is where they'll feel like 'a party' and not strengers thrust together, if prior experience at my table (and Campaign 2) holds.

Nope, not how I feel about CR2.

In C2, I remember the first moment that Jester's group met Nott and Caleb. It was an actual character moment, instead of in CR3 where everyone meets up because a cart of animated objects spills over.


They still feel like strangers here, but the meeting feels way more natural to me.