Critical Role Is Critical Role Scripted

[Gorck]

I also want to say that if I'm remembering correctly... the BBEG had Multiattack and Matt had either decided at the top of the turn they were taking both their attacks on Molly, or that he might have even rolled both attacks at the same time. And when the first hit dropped Molly to 0 HP, I want to say the second hit was rolled a crit and thus did 2 failed death saves? Something like that? And that either Molly had already had a failed death save and thus now had 3 and died... or on Molly's turn he rolled a death save and failed it, thus passing away. And because the party were all lower than 5th level, no one had Revivify yet to bring him back.

I'm probably missing or misremembering some details, but in either case I want to say Matt didn't intentionally decide to take a second swing on Molly after he was told he fell to 0 HP. It was already prepped to be made even before Talisien told him the result of the first hit.

It’s been several years, but I vaguely remember Ashley Burch taking a lot of heat for it because many Critters felt his death was her fault.

 

[billd91]

I also want to say that if I'm remembering correctly... the BBEG had Multiattack and Matt had either decided at the top of the turn they were taking both their attacks on Molly, or that he might have even rolled both attacks at the same time. And when the first hit dropped Molly to 0 HP, I want to say the second hit was rolled a crit and thus did 2 failed death saves? Something like that? And that either Molly had already had a failed death save and thus now had 3 and died... or on Molly's turn he rolled a death save and failed it, thus passing away. And because the party were all lower than 5th level, no one had Revivify yet to bring him back.

I'm probably missing or misremembering some details, but in either case I want to say Matt didn't intentionally decide to take a second swing on Molly after he was told he fell to 0 HP. It was already prepped to be made even before Talisien told him the result of the first hit.

It's his own blood maledict that takes the last of Molly's hit points. He gambled with single digit hit points, maybe a bit impulsively, and lost.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It's his own blood maledict that takes the last of Molly's hit points. He gambled with single digit hit points, maybe a bit impulsively, and lost.

Ah right! Thank you!

 

[Weiley31]

The animated show is.

 

[billd91]

It’s been several years, but I vaguely remember Ashley Burch taking a lot of heat for it because many Critters felt his death was her fault.

Neither Sam nor Ashley Burch contributed much to the fight, by their own volition and not being hampered by the enemy, so I can see an argument that they left the other 3 way more vulnerable than they had to be. I remember thinking that the two of them really could have had a much bigger impact than they did as I was listening to the podcast. I don't think it was their fault, per se, but let's just say that they weren't working as the well-oiled machine they appeared to be at the start of the ambush. Because that's how the fight started - with the Mighty Nein ambushing the enemies, getting a pretty good drop on them, before getting their butts handed to them.

 

[Clint_L]

It's his own blood maledict that takes the last of Molly's hit points. He gambled with single digit hit points, maybe a bit impulsively, and lost.

That's right. The choice to kill the character was quite intentional - Molly was down a death save and Mercer chose to have the BBEG, Lorenzo, stab his prostrate body, an automatic critical and two more failed death saves, to make a point to Ashley Burch's character and the rest of the party about crossing him. It was some cold-blooded DMing, but it was the right call for the story. Sparing the character would have felt like a cop out, IMO.

 

[pemerton]

It depends on how literally you mean “plotting out.” Like, obviously planning out every detail of what’s going to happen and forcing events to follow your plan regardless of what the players do is bad. But, coming up with a scenario, preparing some set-piece moments for significant story beats, seeding the adventure with relevant character spotlight moments, that kind of thing? That’s just normal DMing.

Right. Planning out broad plot points isn’t scripting

I said plot points, not an entire campaign plot. Advocating in favor of DMs having some idea about what plot points could be coming up in the next session is about as hot a take as claiming the sky is blue.

I guess this is one approach to GMing. To me it seems a bit railroad-y.

 

[Oofta]

I guess this is one approach to GMing. To me it seems a bit railroad-y.

Depends on how set in stone the plot points are. If they're flexible it's jut another way to plan out certain things and think about general campaign direction. You could label some of my planning as plot points, but they don't always work out. Sometimes the players decide to go left, sometimes they convert a potential enemy into an ally. Any number of things can alter the plot point or remove it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I guess this is one approach to GMing. To me it seems a bit railroad-y.

Yeah, if you're a DM with not a lot of skill yet. But most of us know how to do it so it isn't "railroad-y".

Knowing your players and what they tend to do when offered breadcrumbs and then having encounters and scenarios in mind if they do indeed follow those breadcrumbs is just being good at what you do. And there's no force or railroad necessary.

 

[Charlaquin]

I guess this is one approach to GMing. To me it seems a bit railroad-y.

It seems railroady to plan events? Like, for example, “three days after the PCs arrive in villageberg, it gets attacked by a dragon”?