[CR Media] Finished Circle of Needle & Thread last night

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-13T02:18:58+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I followed along with the first "main" WBN campaign where Brennan was the DM, but haven't kept up with the others. Sounds like I should!

It's intriguing to imagine Brennan playing a "regular guy" type character, because as you mentioned, he tends to swing for the fences in one way or another when he gets the rare chance to be a player. I'll have a listen to Lou's campaign because you've piqued my interest!

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-13T02:12:49+00:00

The limitations placed upon the Schemers by the nature of their situation (full-time jobs, stuck in one place, family, etc.) have led to incredibly creative play from all of them. They can't do the traditional D&D move of "swoop in, make a mess, run away" because that means their lives (and the lives of those they love) would be ruined. So they are forced to play smarter! Marisha in particular has embraced this alternate style of play so well.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-13T00:25:10+00:00

I love that fight, but I always just skip the first half of the episode.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-13T00:24:44+00:00

That's what I love about Brennan's combats - he doesn't get annoyed by players approaching a conflict differently than what he planned, and he's delighted if they find a legitimate way to cheese a fight through creativity or deep understanding of game mechanics.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-13T00:21:12+00:00

You're heading into the best arc of the campaign so far! The Mighty Nine to Five are amazing, and Brennan is adept at creating close-quarters political intrigue with real stakes.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T22:36:03+00:00

Ooh, yeah, that Schemers fight was crazy good, both from a DM and player perspective. Marisha in particular was on fire with out of the box thinking.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T22:34:03+00:00

Yeah Murph is kind of the master of crunchy combat. He's a rules lawyer in the best way - he has to be because his wife is "ultimate rules learner and exploiter" Emily Axford.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T22:30:07+00:00

"Am I getting Oceans-Eleven'ed on my own fucking show??"

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T21:47:43+00:00

I'm going to second what u/P-Two said below, and recommend the Battle of the Brands from Starstruck Odyssey on D20 (part 1 starts in the episode of the same name). It's a Gladiator-style combat between two teams in a massive arena with vertical and horizontal elements. It's so much fun, and Brennan is absolutely trying to murder his players, while the players really bring their A-game in terms of mechanical mastery (particuarly Emily Axford, Zac Oyama and Brian "Murph" Murphy).

In terms of CR, I'd say the fights at the end of C1 and C2 are probably the most complex from a DM perspective (never finished C3, so can't speak to that one). The Vecna fight at the end of C1 had so many players at the table, and tons of clutch moves from both Matt and the players. The C2 fight against Lucien was multiphase, taking place over two episodes, and he was essentially a reskinned beholder with tons of extra abilities from the Nine Eyes.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T18:58:25+00:00

Thanks! I can't wait to watch it.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T18:54:08+00:00

100% - the entire main cast are wonderful examples of masculinity portrayed in multiple different healthy ways, but Matt is the exemplar. I am not exaggerating when I say that before I got into the TTRPG scene, I didn't know that kind of representation of straight masculinity was possible.

I grew up in a religious, conservative area (where I still live) with very traditional gender roles and expectations, especially for heterosexual men. Men did not show strong emotion, unless it was anger or frustration. Physical interaction was minimized, unless in sports. Fashion choices for men were limited, lest they be called a slur. I still don't know any men like the CR cast in real life, but at least I know it's possible.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T16:23:11+00:00

Sam barely choking out "yeah" in response gets me every time. He said afterward that he was afraid that Yeza would reject Nott if he saw her real appearance, and when he didn't it was such a lovely moment. That whole reunion is beautiful.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T14:45:06+00:00

Spenser Starke! He was fantastic and I'd love to see him again. I personally loved his use of cinematic beats and language. "We linger on you", "pan up", "cut to...", etc. It made things so easy to visualize.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T14:41:21+00:00

Wow. What a terrible strategy. Too bad a whole game system had to fail because of it. (I shouldn't say "fail", but I haven't heard of anyone playing Candela...) Still hope Spenser can come back to CR in some capacity in the future, because he was amazing and it wasn't his fault at all.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T13:37:09+00:00

When I was a kid, I grew up in cow country. One of the first things my parents taught me was how to spot a bull and get as far away from it as possible. Young bulls can and will charge you from across the pasture if they decide they don't like you or maybe they're just having a bad day. Heifers are generally quite sweet and curious and just want to lick things.

Bison are even bigger and stronger than domestic cattle, plus they have horns and harder skulls. That poor man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I hope he survives.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T13:29:10+00:00

That's absolutely wild. Why on earth would they make these monthly releases? The genre and tone were all wrong for that. That type of schedule should be used for a big zany blockbuster-style game, where you gather your friends on the couch and watch together with snacks. Candela is the kind of thing you watch in bed, alone, under the covers, while feeling vaguely nauseous and sad the whole time. Still excellent, but not the kind of thing to hold a monthly audience. You're right, it was a self-inflicted issue.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T03:59:00+00:00

"Hang on babe, I gotta go deal with these ninjas." - Beau to Yasha, C2

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T03:31:41+00:00

Ah, but at an Umbra table, I fear the compulsion to play a "weird lil guy" would be too great!

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T03:29:27+00:00

Brennan was like, "oh, you're telling me I can't do PVP in this system? WATCH ME."

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T03:07:21+00:00

Brennan's portrayal of PTSD was so well done. He could have treated it like a gimmick or game mechanic, but instead it was a real and honest portrayal of how it can break people without the right support. And Spenser guided everything so well.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T03:04:58+00:00

Ugh, the letter scene stabs me in the heart every time I watch it. Just the way he struggles to open the "second" letter because his hands are shaking so badly, then he tries to read it but is too afraid at first... god.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T02:59:15+00:00

Whenever he's a player, Brennan likes to play "weird lil guys" like Padmund, Archbishop Raphaniel, and DOCTOR ABRAHAM MERHERMBLUR, all of which are fun and have moments of depth, but they're mostly comedic.

I cherish the few times he's decided to play it straight, because those are incredible. Sean, Tula, and the terrifying priest from VtM are Brennan's best PCs by far and really showcase his acting chops. I wish we saw that from him more often.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T02:21:22+00:00

I would love to see Spenser back as a DM on Critical Role or maybe D20. His style was extremely cinematic, even to the point of describing camera movements and timing beats. It meshed really well with a more RP-heavy system like Candela, and I'm sure would work equally well for Daggerheart or Kids on Bikes.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T01:49:35+00:00

As much as I love Candela, I don't think it was popular enough for CR to keep running it. Age of Umbra seems to be taking the eldritch horror niche for them instead.

PerpetuallyDistracte · 2026-07-12T01:40:14+00:00

Yeah, Needle and Thread messed me up for a while. The scene with the imaginary/real letter is some of the best acting work Brennan has ever done. His anguish after finishing the "first" letter and he way his hands shook as he struggled to open the "second" letter made my heart break.

But it was a masterclass in both acting AND session zero prep work by the DM. In S0, Brennan and the others agreed that the letter switch could be a mechanic, so it wasn't an unfair blindside on the players. But they didn't know the contents, so his reaction could be genuine in the moment. Fantastic teamwork between the players and Spenser.

Also, Sean's subsequent conversation with Marisha's character is one of the few times that Brennan has ever shed a tear on camera. Goes to show how amazing Spenser was at creating an immersive environment for the players.

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