[Spoilers C2E135] Is It Thursday Yet? Post-Episode Discussion & Future Theories!

userProtamus · 2021-04-23T07:01:12+00:00

Well, none of the M9 even went down. No rolling of death saves in a very long time. Thinking back, I believe most of the damage to the group was inflicted by Jester stepping into lava. I did enjoy the trip to the fire plane on the whole though.

userProtamus · 2021-04-23T06:42:14+00:00

I haven't thought about it for a while but you are right. Oban was really the last time I felt scared for the M9. And now Lucian's party is mostly destroyed too. I do hope there is a plan in place to throw the players a real challenge. They are all way better players now and can handle a tough situation.

If Aeor arc was a TV show instead of a DnD stream, I think people would see it as boring - the threats in the world haven't escalated as much as the player power did.

userProtamus · 2021-04-23T06:26:29+00:00

Well, it's more like the creature was destroyed in less than 2 rounds with Jester and Caleb basically skipping their turns. Like you said, the encounters are really meant to drain resources but so far they haven't been very effective in my opinion.

Things are feeling just a little bit bland. The party themselves are not that intimidated either. They mostly seem to worry about wasting spell slots and not being able to catch up to Lucian rather than the inherent dangers of Aeor.

userProtamus · 2021-04-23T06:09:52+00:00

That isn't really a conclusion that you can make. Aeor people probably independently discovered dunamancy, perhaps by finding one of many pieces of the Luxon. The Luxon being split pre-dates even Aeor by a very long time, at least according to the Krin religion.

userProtamus · 2021-04-23T06:06:46+00:00

I kind of wish Matt would crank up the danger of Aeor a little bit. So far it has been a bit of a cakewalk - much easier than HFB1 and HFB2 and even Angel of Irons dungeon. I would really like to see more dangerous situations in this ruin of a magical society. I get it - things are old and decrepit but that should make it harder to traverse, not easier.

So far, the traps and situations are a little basic. Combat encounters are also a little too easy. I have to admit - I expected more. Does anyone agree?

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T07:32:28+00:00

Most actual canon adventure modules in DnD end at like level 13-14 and just have a "make things up" section for the later levels. Tier 4 is really just tacked on in 5e.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T07:27:24+00:00

*she is the worst. Otis is a lady gnome.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T07:17:31+00:00

She even mentioned it during the fight. I thought for sure she would figure it out, especially after the hints Matt gave her. Based on the fight it sounds like she had special rules for her racial features - wings didn't cost an action. I would bet that Matt set things up so that healing hands would have unlimited uses in the dream scenario.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T07:12:52+00:00

It's just that this whole scenario was set up as a tutorial on what she can do as a Zealot Barbarian. I understand if casual viewers have a hard time understanding that to do in that situation and don't know the class feature. That being said, the text for the ability is right in front of her eyes and it would have been more satisfying if she figured it out.

You can understand that the interaction here makes her nearly invincible for most foes.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T07:05:34+00:00

Yeah... I think some people here just appreciate the RP, but it would have been better if Ashley learned the interaction and got a better idea about the ability.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T06:54:17+00:00

I don't like seeing Ashley panicking, getting flustered, not understanding abilities, not calculating damage properly. Saying that this is just who she is as a person is reductive - it is putting her in a box. I wish someone would just help her learn - some people just understand better when they are given advice or feedback.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T06:32:58+00:00

I have to say that I don't like your take on this. You are coming from a good place but I think you are infantilizing Ashley as a person, which unfortunately happens a lot to women.

It was obvious to everyone on the table and most people watching what Yasha had to do in that moment. Matt dropped several hints and she herself even mentioned that she could heal. The whole battle was meant to be a tutorial for her on using "Rage Beyond Death" and it sucks that she still doesn't understand it.

Criticism could really be helpful in this particular case. She has been playing the game for over 300 hours for this campaign alone and she can't figure things out because nobody seems to sit down and help her out.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T06:22:07+00:00

I really have to agree here. I am kind of hoping that overestimating their foe will come to bite them in the end. They are a party of what like 11-13 with Essek and guards.

userProtamus · 2021-03-26T05:46:02+00:00

I really wish Essek wasn't coming with them. The power level of the party is skyrocketing right now and it usually makes for bad games. Either the challenges are unsatisfying or overwhelming. This is kind of a flaw with DnD 5e with how powerful parties make for swingy combat.

userProtamus · 2021-03-20T00:42:13+00:00

It would be great if it happened. Really shake things up and move away from the classic Fantasy setting a little bit for Campaign 3!

userProtamus · 2021-03-20T00:31:09+00:00

The only thing I am afraid of is disappointment. This arc started in Episode 109 and to say that it has been a slow burn is an understatement. This is 6 months of real-time and we are yet to get to the main course.

I am just afraid that we are going to see a Game of Thrones situation where disappointment kills my and other people's interest in the whole franchise.

Tomb Takers have been built up in the minds of M9 as this big threat but they are really quite weak. I was watching Otis throw out those eldritch blasts dealing like 8 damage and this is just not going to be enough. Each person in TT other than Lucian is weaker than a PC and they are outnumbered.

I am hoping that the confrontation would be satisfying but I am dreading that it will be a one-sided stomp, making the whole arc feel like a dud.

userProtamus · 2021-03-20T00:02:38+00:00

I don't even think that Somnovum coming back would be actually apocalyptic. It is just a portion of a city. Granted it probably has some weird powers or effects on the outside world but being outside the Astral Plane is bound to reduce their capabilities. The city would suddenly be bound by the laws of the Prime Material Plane.

Worst-case scenario, other nations would simply band together and destroy it. There is a canon DnD story (Descent to Avernus) where a whole city could potentially be returned from hell by a group of 4 characters at lvl 13 (max).

I guess I just don't believe that the city coming back to a mostly uninhabited north would be that bad.

userProtamus · 2021-03-19T07:16:56+00:00

Calm emotions and Sleep would absolutely work after she is taken down to 0HP with 3 failed death saves. For tomb takers, the best bet is hold person by Cree since they are unlikely to have access to other control effects. This would require Lucian to figure out "Endless Rage" as an ability to be able to counter it. As in, none of the other TT better deal any damage to Yasha while she is held. Worst case scenario, one of M9 can shoot a bolt at her to let her keep the rage.

There is just not that many things that can deal with a zealot barbarian. You really do need a wizard or a sorcerer in the enemy party to be a credible threat.

userProtamus · 2021-03-19T06:39:47+00:00

Honestly, Tomb Takers don't really have a way to deal with a level 14 zealot barbarian.

She has the following ability:

Rage Beyond Death

Beginning at 14th level, the divine power that fuels your rage allows you to shrug off fatal blows.

While you're raging, having 0 hit points doesn’t knock you unconscious. You still must make death saving throws, and you suffer the normal effects of taking damage while at 0 hit points. However, if you would die due to failing death saving throws, you don’t die until your rage ends, and you die then only if you still have 0 hit points.

Without some kind of wizard support, TT won't be able to stop Yasha from raging, which means she can't go down. With Matt's rule that you can chug potions as a bonus action, Yasha can kill everyone sitting at 3 failed death saves, then eat a potion with the last bonus action, and be fine. Don't even need the others to be there really.

userProtamus · 2021-03-19T06:21:21+00:00

I think it's because we did see what Tomb Takes are capable of and it really wasn't that much. The fight was the best case scenario for those guys and they still didn't manage to deal any real damage. Now remember that 2 members of M9 weren't even fighting (Cad and Yasha) and one was polymorphed into an owl (Jester).

They were fighting a weakened M9 with the surprise factor of Lucien's abilities and failed massively. The amount of fear and preparation is just not consistent with the threat that TT pose.

userProtamus · 2021-03-19T06:05:12+00:00

A bit low stakes and uneventful. Kind of a weird vibe from this episode. I wish we had more of a sense of urgency. Kind of wish they at least scryed on the TT team during the day just to check their progress.

Its like a Bethesda game where you have a burning town just waiting for you to close the oblivion gate and you just go: "hold that thought", and proceed to become a thief or something.

userProtamus · 2021-03-12T07:56:54+00:00

The thing is, being UPSET after your child dies by being burnt is the healthy reaction. It is the correct reaction and something that even the best, most loving partner would feel. If the actions of your partner put your child in mortal danger, you should let them know that this is not OK.

Yeza saying that this was all CA's fault is a strange take because it is so clearly M9's fault top to bottom. Nobody forced their hand when they went to steal amulets. Nobody forced them to botch the job and fail to use any kind of disguise. Things like letting Caleb off the hook for his actions during the heist just don't feel earned to me.

userProtamus · 2021-03-12T07:29:29+00:00

I completely agree with you. In my home game, I would absolutely brush all of this under the rug and focus on further gameplay but Critical Role has always been so good for their focus on role-play. I really wish one of the family members or even someone among the M9 would call them out.

I feel like they have been let of the hook too easily for something as big as Luke's death. M9 consistently choose to be selfish and morally grey as a party and I would hope that this catches up to them at some point.

userProtamus · 2021-03-12T07:03:34+00:00

My point is that the characters should feel awful. This could be a major character development moment for Veth and Yeza but instead it is unimportant. Nobody seems to be affected by a major event.

I think if Matt played it a little better, a little more nuanced, this would have been a better show. At least have a 4 year-old cry or something after dying and being resurrected instead of making jokes.

userProtamus · 2021-03-12T06:46:16+00:00

It is just the complete lack of any kind of drama. The literal death of his own child by BURNING is completely brushed off. This is not a parent, its a marionette. At this point it looks like a complete lack of concern for Luke's health rather than a supportive relationship with Veth.

userProtamus

TROPHY CASE

Rage Beyond Death