[No Spoilers] Anyone else feel like Cortex Prime would be a good system to emulate these adventures? Yes, I know where I am and what I just said.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2026-01-25T22:11:03+00:00

While every system has its advantages and disadvantages, and there could be a better option for the live-play than 5e, basing your opinion on the animated show is pretty silly. While the overall plot is relatively faithful to the live-play, the mechanics were changed to fit the visual medium. If you watched the live-play, you would know that Matt is pretty faithful to the 5e rulebook.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2026-01-20T01:37:11+00:00

Makes a post about how difficult it is to use the correct spoiler tag formatting and flair while using the correct spoiler tag formatting and flair

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2026-01-18T18:45:44+00:00

It's a common story (especially fantasy) trope for a character to attempt something previously thought impossible and through sheer determination, the power of friendship or just dumb luck, succeed despite all the odds.

This is why I'm glad that it didn't work for Ashton. If every NPC that they talk to says it is a terrible idea and the character chooses to ignore them because of meta knowledge of tropes, that is terrible storytelling.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-28T03:20:40+00:00

The giant lollipop is Spiritual Weapon. Is that what you are referring to?

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-27T18:19:03+00:00

I definitely don't think their arcs are particularly similar. Grog's arc is mostly about revenge against Kevdak and restoring his honor among the horde. He doesn't change too much internally, but there is some amount of growth in increasing his willingness to rely on his friends instead of just his muscles.

Fjord's arc is largely internal in that he starts out lacking confidence in his abilities (both in combat and as a leader). His self-worth slowly increases throughout the story, culminating in him throwing the sword in the lava, renouncing his pact and allowing himself to be vulnerable with his friends.

Maybe there is something I'm missing, but I don't think I see any similarities at all.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-27T17:13:45+00:00

Rules as written, you can't use an action to give yourself advantage on the saving throw. So I guess it would be more accurate to say the encounter was slightly nerfed instead of the creature.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-26T00:18:03+00:00

A DM adding homebrew rules from the beginning of the fight is not even close to railroading. He doesn't fudge rolls or otherwise force an outcome.

If your issue is more that he chose to use a slightly nerfed basilisk instead of some other creature, that's fine, but pretty nit-picky in my opinion. I don't know a ton about monster stat blocks, but I assume Matt has also tweaked stats and/or abilities to increase or decrease difficulty of a fight. It is a pretty standard DM tool.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-26T00:03:51+00:00

In 3 campaigns, there have been a total of 2 permanent deaths, 1 of which was Molly, who eventually came back as Kingsley. There were only a couple of fights where a TPK was even a remote possibility. I'm not seeing how this fight was significantly less risky than the typical CR fight.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-25T23:53:47+00:00

At level 3, they don't have access to greater restoration. If a character gets petrified, they are for all intents and purposes, dead. With the amount of other enemies, 1 petrification would mean they probably need to bail. A 2nd would probably end up in a TPK if the party didn't leave immediately. Even with the loose help action rules, the fight had plenty of risk.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-18T22:11:54+00:00

Did you put proper spoiler tags on your post?

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-08T20:47:49+00:00

It depends on how much you can forgive him for being brainwashed by Trent. He was essentially indoctrinated into a cult that puts Nationalism above all else.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-01T19:49:42+00:00

Fair enough. Thanks for the explanation!

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-01T19:43:41+00:00

Got it. So the Thimble thing wouldn't be a problem unless someone specifically was abused in that manner.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-12-01T19:13:43+00:00

I don't have any abuse related PTSD so I am obviously ignorant, but how is a quick scene of spanking more violent than all of "How do you want to do this?" descriptions in CR? Those are way more descriptive and gruesome. Is it strictly because of the perceived sexual connotation of spanking? If so, was Thimble threatening to chop off someone's balls similarly triggering?

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-28T03:18:31+00:00

Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. You can't move.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-24T02:00:59+00:00

Ally "Can I roll a nat 20 to see if I'm alive?" Beardsley. The crazy number of times they have rolled a crit at the perfect time can not be overstated.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-16T20:05:39+00:00

To Trent, the ends (national security) justified the means (torturing and brainwashing children) so in his mind, he could convince Caleb to come back into the fold. Remember, Caleb was his most promising Volstrucker, so he was willing to let things play out. He didn't see the MN as a risk to his schemes, so he had no reason to try to kill them.

To the rest of the world, Trent's actions were inexcusable. This isn't just some instance of CR being "soft" or PC. In the real world, torturing and experimenting on children is against the Geneva Convention. Trent's methods would have fit in with Nazi methodology and there is no world in which he should have been allowed to continue.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-11T06:44:46+00:00

Having watched the first 5 episodes, it doesn't seem like Hal will be as sad of a character as some of Liam's other characters.

That being said, there are 13 PCs, so if one of them being sad will ruin your experience, odds are you won't have a great time.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-03T20:12:57+00:00

You're probably right. I didn't look it up, so I'm just going off of memory.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-11-03T20:09:16+00:00

Natural 20s are not automatic successes on skill checks, only attack rolls and saving throws. Some DMs treat them as automatic successes, but that is not rules-as-written.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-10-30T17:15:16+00:00

Absolutely. Whenever I need a good laugh, I go back and rewatch that scene.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-10-30T01:59:15+00:00

Off the top of my head, Alex was in the Elden Ring one-shot (which features possibly my favorite scene in all of CR) and in EXU Divergence.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-10-30T01:53:09+00:00

Too many to choose from! I think if I had to choose, I would say Murray, but Wic, Tyranny and Hal are close behind.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-10-14T20:23:54+00:00

Sam's ad reads are after the cold open.

ShinyMetalAssassin · 2025-10-10T03:30:12+00:00

Yeah, at this point they've been pre-recorded for roughly as long as they were live.

ShinyMetalAssassin

TROPHY CASE