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Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:14 pm
by Redfive
I know this has come up a few times in the Tabletop thread but I thought I'd give this a thread of its own--now that it's over--kinda.

For anyone that may not know what I'm talking about, Critical Role is a live streaming Dungeons and Dragons campaign put on by several friends that happen to be voice actors.

When the first Twitch stream went live the group had already been playing the campaign for a couple of years and it continued with weekly episodes until it wrapped up this past Thursday with Episode 115.

I didn't even know it existed until they were around Episode 90 and my time being what it is, I haven't had the opportunity to watch more that 6-7 episodes (the first 6-7). This was, however, more than adequate to get very familiar with the characters and when I stumbled on the finale on Thursday I watched the last 90 minutes or so and it was fittingly epic. There were almost 40,000 people watching live as well.

I doubt I'll go back and watch more episodes--I expect there are around 330 hours I have yet to watch, but I'm mainly posting this because a) it kicks ass and 2) They will be starting a new campaign in January and I intend to watch that one from the start.

Since I haven't had any luck finding a group to play D&D, or more specifically, getting the group I had to play again, this is at least a way for me to experience D&D (DM'd and played at a high skill level).

The fact that they are all voice actors and not afraid to really get into character was pretty huge and the emotion in the finale (and many, many episodes before) was absolutely authentic.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:16 pm
by hentzau
I've been listening to the podcasts since they are starting to convert the twitch streams/youtube videos to audio only. I've made it up to episode 55 that way. They're pretty fun and engaging. I really do hate the bear, though.

When you listen to a lot of these podcasts, though, certain things to jump out at me about the game and player behavior. They approach every encounter assuming the worst from people, and will automatically start doing insight checks on every single person they meet with every single conversation, and the players in my game have started to pick up this habit from them as well. So I've started to use a "passive insight" for all of their interactions, and if they are in fact being lied to, and their character detects something shady, I will describe that to them, and then allow them to make an active roll to see if they pick up something further. It's streamlined the process a lot, and seems a lot more organic rather than automatically assuming the worst from people.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:53 pm
by Redfive
Yeah, you've watched / listened to way more than me but just from what I've seen the bear was..meh.

All the rest of it was outstanding though and was very entertaining.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:17 pm
by Redfive
FYI, the new campaign starts Thursday night at 7pm PST on Geek and Sundry's Twitch channel.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:36 pm
by hentzau
Yeah, I still haven’t made it through all of the episodes yet. But I’ll probably start watching the new series when it comes up.


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Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:51 pm
by Redfive
10 minutes.

Hype is real.

Critical Role Campaign 2

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:21 pm
by Cylus Maxii
This is awesome.


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Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:23 am
by Redfive
New campaign promo poster

Enlarge Image

which is a riff on this old 80s poster for D&D

Enlarge Image


New 80s intro video

that kicks ass

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:23 pm
by Redfive
Episode 2 7pm CST!

Enlarge Image

1 of 2 billboards in Los Angeles

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:36 pm
by Daehawk
Mork suspenders! I had a pair myself .Yup was real proud of them. Wish I knew where they were now. Not that Id wear them out. Nope not me.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 1:47 am
by Zarathud
I have had more women compliment me on wearing suspenders with my suits than any other accessory.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 4:20 pm
by hentzau
So I have finally made it to the final battle in the campaign. This one I decided to actually watch on YouTube, because of the stakes/emotions/etc. I've managed to remain fairly spoiler free, other than the obvious dramatic fate of one of the characters. But, as I said, it's been broadcast for a long time now.

Truly an amazing long form improvisational show.

Sidenote: This isn't Critical Role, but it is Critical Role adjacent, and probably the CR guys owe a bit of debt to the folks at Penny Arcade with their Acquisitions Incorporated sessions. They just did a show last night at PAX East, and it is some truly awesome D&D. Think D&D mashed with PUBG. Currently on video replay on Twitch, but probably soon to be on YouTube. I recommend it highly.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 4:52 pm
by LawBeefaroni
I've really enjoyed Nerd Poker and Authors & Dragons so I'll probably throw this one on the backlog.

Zarathud wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 1:47 am I have had more women compliment me on wearing suspenders with my suits than any other accessory.
Well, of course. Suspenders keep your pants on!


(See also, hepcat"s 2005 declaration of war on suspenders).

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 5:59 pm
by Redfive
hentzau wrote: Fri Apr 06, 2018 4:20 pm So I have finally made it to the final battle in the campaign. This one I decided to actually watch on YouTube, because of the stakes/emotions/etc. I've managed to remain fairly spoiler free, other than the obvious dramatic fate of one of the characters. But, as I said, it's been broadcast for a long time now.

Truly an amazing long form improvisational show.

Sidenote: This isn't Critical Role, but it is Critical Role adjacent, and probably the CR guys owe a bit of debt to the folks at Penny Arcade with their Acquisitions Incorporated sessions. They just did a show last night at PAX East, and it is some truly awesome D&D. Think D&D mashed with PUBG. Currently on video replay on Twitch, but probably soon to be on YouTube. I recommend it highly.
Yeah, I saw AI at PAX South a couple months ago and it was great. I prefer the Critical Role style more 'serious' (I use that term loosely) play style rather than the grabass style I saw at PAX. To be fair though, that is the only session of AI I have ever seen so I don't know if it is representative of the whole series. Chris Perkins had the party actually travel across dimensions and they were running around inside the WotC office.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:10 pm
by Blackhawk
AI is pretty intentionally absurd. It's meant to be D&D based entertainment rather than a 'typical' game.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:27 am
by hentzau
Finished out the first season last night. Now I have no idea what the hell I'm going to listen to in my car. That was some damn fine entertainment there. It's funny how emotionally invested I got in these characters, and damn were the tears flowing in that last episode (the cast, not me. Although I do admit there were "dust in my eyes" moments. It really is a shame that they couldn't have Ashley Johnston there for the episode rather than Skyping her in, because technology failed them in a couple of key moments and she dropped off of the show.

Seriously, if you have a long commute, I cannot recommend listening to the podcasts of these games more.

Re: Geek and Sundry - Critical Role

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:23 am
by Redfive
I stopped with the first campaign once they started the second because I just don't have the personal bandwidth. I suppose I could set it up for the vehicle but my commute is only 20-30 minutes. Guess that works out to about an episode a week more or less.