I cordially invite everyone who bitched decided that fresh cut grass detonating wouldn’t have killed otohan to 𝒷𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝓂𝑒.
even setting aside matt confirming the fact that otohan only had about 40 hit points left (and that’s a pretty significant setting aside) what does it Matter. why do you care so much more about each and every hit point someone ‘should’ have than the overall story. if that moment felt robbed somehow because it didn’t ‘follow the rules’ or ‘wasn’t right’ – what does that even mean – why are you here. you have an extremely limited capacity for imagination and storytelling. if you need something to be Exactly Right before you can enjoy it. and this is coming from your local bitch with ocd.
if you still feel the need to complain that matt, a gm with years of experience running a complex game for seven of his closest friends who have all built complex characters with extensive backstories, occasionally forgets rules as written or decides to do something different than you think should be done, maybe remember *checks notes*: THIS IS NOT YOUR GAME. THIS IS THEIR GAME. AND YOU’RE CHOOSING TO WATCH IT. FOR FREE.
“not to be a rules lawyer, but–” you know exactly what you’re doing and I want you to shut the whole entire fuck up forever.
Since I'm on the subject of Candela Obscura, I must pay respect to the first circle, the Circle of Vassal & the Veil.
My favorite character from this group was hard to pick, as the cast was amazing, but it was ultimately Professor Howard Margrove.
The particularities of his personality drew me in. In Robbie's words, he is "a real creep, a punchy lab wizard scientist." Watching his character go from logical to seeping into madness is so cool in this system.
Robbie's thought of "If you gave a neurotic wizard the ability to land a solid punch" is wild and relatable.
Honorable mention goes to Auggie, who was the sweetest of hearts.
I finished my rewatch/relisten of the Vox Machina campaign in mid-December (although I recently re-embarked on the second half of the Chroma Conclave arc hoping season 3 of TLVOM will be announced (released?? 🤞) by the time I reach "A Bard's Lament"). Predictably, I bawled, AGAIN, but by then I'd already been scribbling and sketching ideas for this for... a couple of weeks? Hence the little WIP preview last month.
I'll never shut up about this moment. It's just as beautiful as it's heartbreaking, in- and off-game, especially taking into account all the context of characters/people involved.
Also, bonus, because after I finished sketching that 6th frame I thought a hug was needed.
one of the DMs I play with has, like, 70 slips of paper that say, "Loading," with bits of random D&D mechanics advice ("partial cover grants +2 to AC") that he slots onto his DM screen when he needs to look something up, assemble something, or think up a mechanic for player bullshit.
the reason critical role is so good is because every campaign features at least one cast member creating a character that they intend to be doomed by the narrative and matt and the rest of the cast going don’t be an idiot, Our Love Will Undoom Them. like in the explanation of percy’s final playlist, taliesin wrote, “Cheers to a happy ending for a character intended by his creator to be karmically irredeemable. May we all be so fortunate.” and just, Yeah.