Critical Role Q&A and Battle Royale: Take II

The thumbnail for "***Critical Role* Q&A and Battle Royale: Take II**" (Sx10), featuring Liam O'Brien, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer and Travis Willingham cosplaying as their characters.

### Episode

Specials,​ Episode 10
(C1E54a)

### Game system

Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition

"***Critical Role* Q&A and Battle Royale: Take II**" (Sx10) aired in lieu of "Umbrasyl" (1x55), which was postponed due to multiple cast members being absent.

In the first half of the episode, Matthew Mercer, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O'Brien, and Marisha Ray answer questions sent in by the audience. In the second half of the episode, Percy, Pike, Keyleth, and Vax'ildan fight one another in a battle to the death.

## **Synopsis**

### **Pre-Show**

Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight's pseudo-episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy voice actors will be answering your questions and then doing a fantastic battle royale showdown between Pike, Vax, Keyleth, and Percy. For those of you who were here for their last battle royale, it's going to be a fun circumstance where the players are dropped into a scenario they do not yet know. They'll be forced to battle with only one victor, the last man standing.

### **Announcements**

* This week's episode is sponsored by **Loot Crate**. You can get $3 off your subscription with the code 'criticalrole' at www.lootcrate.com/criticalrole.
* A Vox Machina article series has been going up on Friday nights, starting with Grog's. Keyleth's will go up tomorrow and the rest will come later on.
* Taliesin's first episode of *Signal Boost* will be live on Tuesday.
* This week had the launch of *Overwatch*, Blizzard's new game. Matt voices a character in the game named McCree.

### **Part I: Q&A**

* What's your weirdest DND experience?
* **For Ashley**: What classes would the characters of *Blindspot* be?
* Would the characters of Critical Role fight each other? What would lead to such a confrontation?
* What would the characters of Critical Role be doing if they weren't part of Vox Machina?
* What's the worst/best TPK in any game you've played?
* Who assigns or comes up with the episode titles?
* **For Liam**: Does Vax have a death wish?
* How long did it take for character creation?
* For Ashley: What led you and Travis to link your backstories?
* Is **Matt** aware of the technicalities of *Dimension Door*?
* **For Matt**: Anything in game that has genuinely shocked you?
* When are you getting "Your Fun Is Wrong" t-shirts on the Geek and Sundry website?
* **For Marisha**: Is Keyleth vegetarian?
	+ A: No.
* **For Ashley**: Do *Blindspot* writers work with you to incorporate Critical Role references or do they do it on their own?
* **For Liam**: Will you ever DM a one-shot?
	+ A: "Maybe in a year or so. But I'm playing with kids. The kids have low expectations or no expectations. I don't remember any of the rules. Seeing all of the Quivering Palm business and dragon fight business, I'm not ready for that."
* What's your character's biggest fault?
* **For Matt and Taliesin**: When did Matt tell Taliesin about the demon in the gun?
* **For Matt**: Did Scanlan get XP for destroying the gun?
* **For Marisha**: Why was Keyleth hostile towards Kima?
* **For Matt and Marisha**: Do you discuss game events after the episodes?
* Why is there such polarizing anger towards Keyleth?
* **For Marisha and Liam**: How do you avoid real-life awkwardness?
* **For Ashley**: Do you prefer to watch things unfold or to be in the driver's seat? Also, would you convert anyone to worship Sarenrae?
* **For Matt**: Do the Vestiges still draw their power from the deities?
* **For Matt**: How did the guests come about? How do they join?
* **For Taliesin and Matt**: Does Matt shut you down when it comes to sketches and inventions?
	+ Taliesin's answer: "I try really hard not to push the technology of anything Percy makes past 1901, 1880. I'm not looking to bring the Vietnam era to D&D."
	+ Matt's answer: "Number one, would [it] be functional in the world, two, how far, these designs, could you actually produce based on your experience in the engineering realm. Even things that were available in a historical sense, in certain time periods, those were people that spent their entire life steeped in these feats of engineering. Whenever you bring me an idea, it would be like trying to marry what you're trying to accomplish versus what would be viable within the game, and finding balance as it is, but an aspect of your class features."
* **For Matt**: Did you plant Zahra's flying cloak and Vex's broom?
* What inspired Vaxleth?
* **For Matt**: How much world-building have you done that we haven't seen yet?
* If you could pick another Critical Role character to play, who would you choose?
* **For Matt**: Did Gilmore start off as a caricature or a fleshed-out character? Is he based off of a real person?
	+ A: "I have fleshed out a good portion of Marquet. I've fleshed out elements of Wildemount. It's not as fleshed out as others. Othanzia and Tal'Dorei are the two most fleshed out in my world, because those are the two where you guys have spent your most time. Whenever this game's done, we start a new campaign, it'll probably still be in Exandria, but it might start in Marquet. It might start somewhere else in the world and have a whole different cultural flavor and flair, and it'll be a whole different side to this world. And there'll be references to and history that exists that you would know, because you were part of it before, but you'll be a whole new group of adventurers in a whole different part of the world. That'll be fun."
* **For Matt**: Thoughts on LGBT relationships in Exandria?
* **For Matt**: Origin of the "College of the Maestro"?
* **For Liam**: Why do the twins know Abyssal?
* **For Ashley**: Who is Pike in love with?
* How do I get my PCs to not be murderhobos?
* What's your character's greatest virtue?
* **For Matt**: What challenge ratings do the dragons have after your modifications?
* **For Liam**: What characters do your kids play? Would you ever introduce Vox Machina into their quest?
* Were there ramifications to Keyleth killing a child?
* What character would Matt create to play with Vox Machina?
* Which character dying would have the biggest impact on the group?
* Have you ever made a terrible decision while playing or DMing?

### **Break**

**Tune in Tuesday!**

* AXYB | 4:00 pm PDT, Telltale Games Controlled by YOU!
* Drama Club Heroes | 7:00 pm PDT, Live Script Read of Whedon's WONDER WOMAN script

### **Part II: Battle Royale**

Final showdown is between Keyleth and Pike.

Keyleth uses *Grasping Vine* which pulls Pike into the lava pit in the center of the map. This move brings Pike's HP down to 4.

In a last ditch effort, Pike slams into Keyleth, pushing her back into another stream of lava. Keyleth then takes 35 points of fire damage. Her total hit points at this point are 51 bringing her down to 16. In the same round, Pike uses her bonus *Divine Word* spell, Keyleth fails her charisma saving throw and Pike walks over to burn Keyleth, touching her hair and saying, "Sorry, I need to kill you." With this, she pushes her face into the lava, the divine energy protecting her from the heat, and what was once Keyleth lies a smoldering mass.

Pike is victorious!

## **Featured Characters**

### **Vox Machina**

* Keyleth
* Percival de Rolo
* ~~Scanlan Shorthalt~~ (absent)
* ~~Grog Strongjaw~~ (absent)
* Pike Trickfoot
* ~~Trinket~~ (absent)
* Vax'ildan
* ~~Vex'ahlia~~ (absent)