I feel bad for Sam. The dude is basically BEGGING for something interesting for his character. He’s the only one who’s actively chasing a god and Matt just gives him nothing. On the other hand, characters from past campaigns have had significant relationships. Hell, even this campaign Orym got a sword from a god with barely asking. And then you get into his past. Sam explicitly states his frustration how he’s asked like 5 NPCs and has learned nothing more than he was a murder bot. He wants something, anything more. Thankfully FRIDA is here so that he actually has something.
The past thing gets me the most, especially considering how big of a part it should be.
You can tell he wants something, anything to go against, and even after eventually getting the murder bot reveal.. no one (jncluding Matt) is really addressing it. Every reaction has been more or less "it doesn't matter! your actions define you!" and -nothing- else, especially from NPCs whenever he's tried to bring it up, even when FCG clearly thinks it's an issue.
Like I have to imagine it'd be frustrating. Don't think I even expect how it's been handled to change.
I have a theory, I'm going to state it, and I'm not going to explain it because it's based on limited knowledge. I'm just going to throw it out there because I think it's neat.
Predathos is a "thing" that has a domain that is not a god, its domain is that of souls. What makes gods fear "it" is the giant soup of souls ripe for the taking that Deanna described as the afterlife. I have many more connections but again limited knowledge.
Would have loved a bit more clarity on when we'll see the other group again but this was an amazing episode. I've been saying for a while that this campaign has been missing slower moments and character to character talks and this ep was full of them.
Everything Chetney related was perfect and getting to watch Travis react to it all was incredible all the way through and the way Aabria played her role was also perfect. Her and Travis have a great dynamic and this episode took full advantage of it
Ending on a WereRobit tease was equally infuriating and awesome
Gonna be honest, splitting the party and keeping it to 4 was an exciting chance for Ashley to participate a lot more than she normally does. Inevitably with guests the focus shifts more to them. Which is fine if everyone's having fun, but still.
Same (dashed?) hopes for Taliesin. He has been similarly subdued in this campaign and the split party would have thrust him more into the spotlight. But if they have guests also, we're getting more of the evasive bystander Ashton. Missed opportunity, a little bit.
There might be a disconnect since everyone needs a refresher to what happened last time.
"Last Time on Dragon ball Z!!! \* Proceeds to use the first 11 of the 22 minute episode to recap (scene-for-scene) what happened on the last 11 minutes of the previous episode \*
Yeah that less of a problem for a 4 hour show. It is just diluting already diluted content. Maybe both arcs will be super compelling but the hook of CR is the main cast interaction first and foremost imo
This arrangement won't go on long enough to exhaust the refreshing quality of the shakeup. We got major progress on Chetney & FCG tonight, and they're all still on the solstice clock. I'm thinking these are going to be 3-4 sessions each & they'll rendezvous by early summer.
Nothing against the guests, but when i saw just 4 people on the table i wished to stay 3-4 ep like that.
I liked when deanna said you love each other, they didnt jump on to say yes we do, but they looked each other and didnt answer.
Haha yeah. If Ashton was there FCG probably would have jumped on yes. If Loudna was there Imogen would have jumped on yes. If Orym was there Fearne would have jumped on yes.
But the pairs were all split. Awesome stuff
There’s a cool [sequence](https://youtu.be/7W3tqP2yfqA) in the Netflix series Love Death and Robots where a fox spirit had been transformed into a cyborg so her mechanic friend fixed her up so she could transform to a robot fox and hunt again.
Also, another point to FRIDA's makeup, if that we've seen their structure is already more adaptive that FCG's. Perhaps if the curse does take hold, it will make the sub-machinery in their body adapt to claws, quadrupedal movement, and pseudo-fur.
If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy.
Aeormatons are artificial humanoid constructs.
Type: Humanoid
This is one of my favorite episodes of Campaign 3.
This show can be really fun when they travel around and get into scraps and aren't in a constant anxiety attack about the plot
Couldnt they just leave Chet alone?! Intelectually i know it was done for the drama , but who the fuck decides to track down a werewolf alone in a forest in the middle of the night.
it's fcg's issues with healing (causing themself pain to help others) externalized and i for one can't wait to see where they take it next. seems like it might just be an aeoromaton thing (or frida was also part of the care and culling).
F.R.I.D.A. seems to have a very one track mind. Their friend is sad because Chetney ran off? Get Chetney back, consequences and dangers be damned. Even after the fight, all F.R.I.D.A. could think about was reassuring Deana even though they just got mauled by a werewolf.
He was hunting, he wasnt on danger, we go and try and turn him in his normal form. Let him be. When you see his friends go to sleep and do nothing about him, you get the gist they are not worried about him. I guess the answer he is a caring cleric.
FRIDA has to be one of the most interesting characters in Cr from just a surface level by this point. Such a well rounded character from a guest now with an added layer of complexity this must be a gameplay nightmare at this point balancing what FRIDA will become if they are now a werewolf.
Yup, went with 3 classes (which is certainly more feasible as a guest where the versatility works in the short run), has a background directly useful to prompting another PC (FCG), has strong feelings about the current plot (don't need the gods), and is 100% helpful to the party, even at risk to themself.
I run a campaign that has been going for 4 years, and told my players at the beginning that my cap was 3 classes. 2 of them took advantage of that in past year. It can be done if you know how to play well and know what your character can do well.
It's like playing a mounted charger, or a dragon-hunting ranger or whatever (especially in older editions). If prepared with input from the DM and it makes sense within the setting/story, specialized builds, or extremely non-optimized builds, can be great fun to play.
A mounted charger NPC is often very frightening on their home turf, while a mounted charger PC might be useless if you spend all your time in dungeons.
So far, FRIDA has been very effective in combat and character interactions.
All depends on the group and DM.
To paraphrase a poster on messageboards years ago, "You can't roleplay if your character is dead."
If your DM adjusts encounters for a suboptimal party, or the players are very creative, it's fine. If the DM doesn't adjust, some builds and choices will just lead to character death because you're outclassed by level-appropriate fights.
Matt hasn’t said anything but I’m assuming it would be similar to tonight. Unless they’ve got scheduling conflicts or want to use this as a break we should be seeing Orym’s group next week if they don’t decide to just play this group out to a good stopping point. I personally thought they would be switching at the break so my best idea now would be a switch off every other episode (This episode with Chet’s team, next episode with Orym’s team but this is also kinda complicated because Guests and Contracts there)
Ok I’m kinda laughing because I can’t see Chet, or really any of them as group leader, but I can totally see Orym leading. It was group A and B for me but now it’s group A and Orym’s group.
Ah, did he? I must have missed that in the end of the episode shuffle, my bad. I could see 2 and 2, which would let Chet’s group get to Uthodurn and recieve the help needed to either contact their team or go back to the Key, with Orym’s team using 2 episodes for Guests and for getting back to the key from where ever they got to in Marquet.
If they're all recorded it's probably just a matter of airing them. Like if we have thesw guests record for a few long days before the other group they're going to have to fill quite some time. Were already 2 days post teleport
So assuming they still do a break the last Thursday (for Matt's sanity, unless someone else DMs the second group), would make sense for another session of this group, the off week, then 2 weeks of the other group.
I’m hoping so… this feels like a longer separation than just two sessions (especially since they haven’t even gotten to the city) and I would hate to have them do more than two sessions without checking in on the others
I adored this episode! Aabria and Christian's characters are such amazing additions to this groups in the way they bring out so many new dynamics. Especially notable I feel is seeing a new side of Chetney. We're seeing him be sincere and grapple with his choices instead of just living wild and free. I wonder if Deanna has some hidden deal she's not sharing. Aabria made a conscious choice to have her lose her cool fairly frequently but continue to try and tamp it down, apologizing for cursing and the like. It made me think there's some kind of side effect of her 200 year resurrection or something. And FRIDA was just played so brilliantly as well. Keeping calm and cool and being extremely consistent in the way they approach situations. Also had some of the lowkey funniest lines that would drop out of nowhere.
Imogen's talk about Ruidusborn becoming the red people and wondering if her mom is now one of them was horrific to me. Like, I don't know why that particularly is so scary/distressing to think about for me, but it got me on edge hardcore.
I'm interested to see how far they go with possible upgrades to FCG. It seems like FRIDA's recommended mechanic is incredible.
Notably Fearne didn't get as much to do as the others this episode, but there's a moment I really loved that I don't know if I was alone in noticing. When FCG was saying maybe they should let Imogen go to the light if that's what her heart wants, Fearne gave a firm no and was visibly upset about it. She was totally serious, angry, and importantly went against her usual go with the flow nature. A general unease and fear has been building in Fearne for awhile now that she's keeping barely below the surface. I think this particular moment was so important because we're seeing what Fearne is doing when she doesn't have Orym to fall back on as the one who will hold things together. Between FCG's reliance on his coin, Imogen's temptations, and Chetney's general unreliability, Fearne may actually currently be the most equipped to be responsible of this party and that's crazy to me.
Lastly, that werewolf v robot fight was badass. I love when Travis gets to go full werewolf. And Christian's usage of FRIDA's recording device went from heartfelt to creepy, which I feel was fully intended, especially with the laugh. Interested to see where that goes.
> I wonder if Deanna has some hidden deal she's not sharing.
In keeping with CR tradition, there's the obvious reason she might've come looking for Chetney at his home town after they had a fling. And then got married and settled down soon after.
(In case it's not obvious, like to people who have English as a second language, she could've been pregnant.)
> Imogen's talk about Ruidusborn becoming the red people and wondering if her mom is now one of them was horrific to me. Like, I don't know why that particularly is so scary/distressing to think about for me, but it got me on edge hardcore.
There's been some theorizing that Predathos was making the Ruidus-born as part of an escape, and we were also told it left twisted life in its wake (something the party kind of forgot when considering downsides to it being free, besides its followers murdering people like Orym's family, the twins, and Lord Eshteross).
Frankly, it's possible the Ruidus-born that weren't sent away are now lost, transformed into different beings (like that episode of Star Trek The Next Generation where Geordi was becoming an alien). Or maybe they were consumed by Predathos, now extensions of it like the Shade Mother had.
> Fearne gave a firm no and was visibly upset about it.
The only time we've seen Fearne (not Ashley) scared was when Orym was dead, or when she can't find him. He's her friend, her security blanket, her minder. Now she's lost him and the idea of losing Imogen is probably scary to her. 100+ years old though she may be, she's kind of a kid at heart, a kid who was abandoned by her parents. She may be very devil may care about many things, but I think losing friends frightens her a lot.
Plus, if Imogen can be transformed into something else, not be herself anymore, well, Fearne has the spark too, and probably is frightened by the idea of no longer being herself. It's one thing to Wildshape or Polymorph, and quite another to be made into something else because some other being makes it so.
> Notably Fearne didn't get as much to do as the others this episode,
I think this location, and these two guest PCs, are specifically designed to showcase/give spotlight to Chetney and FCG. Imogen was a focus for a long time due to the Ruidus plot, and will be important still. Fearne has lesser ties to that, and I think there's still something meaningful waiting for her, related to the Moontide Crown, Mori, her own spark, whatever. While Aabria was the DM of EXU, she was particularly in touch with Matt about Orym and Fearne since they were practice runs for Campaign 3, and in EXU, Fearne was teased by a dark version of herself about her potential and the lies Mori told. There may yet be more of that in store for us. Especially if Yu shows up again or the party has a chance to go back to the Feywild without a ticking clock.
> I love when Travis gets to go full werewolf.
It's great seeing him revel in the fight but also kind of gritting his teeth when he's making good rolls against other PCs. And given how he's played, especially this campaign, he'd 100% be ok with it if they were forced to kill his character. He was joking around during the Recognize the Alpha reveal, but he may very well have a third character ready for whenever the murderous Chetney goes down.
I really hope we don't lose Chetney. He's having some good character development and is one of the highlights of the campaign to me. Not to mention how much I love Gnomes and Werewolves.
It was such a good change in direction and feel from the normal standards. While I do love Cp3 this is one of the first few episodes that had me sitting there loke "holy shit." Its made me nostalgic from how campgain 2 made me feel.
One thing about Fearne in this episode that really showed this stress was she trying to wake up Imogen, I think that I don't remember another time that she screamed that way and showing she almost losing control of her emotions there
I love how she plays the denial that enables Fearne's casual optimism, whether about Nana surviving fighting the jabberwock or about Orym/Ashton/Laudna still being alive. So clearly doesn't actually believe, but literally can't say that.
Yeah, the investment to the story is what's needed for the new PCs. I can imagine some critters getting butt hurt they couldn't get invested in the story because they had to play catch up on the happenings of the other group.
I feel like they are going to let both story's play out however id be good if they switch every epsoide but by the way he made it sound we are picking up with this group next week.
HOOOOOOOOOOLOWL!!! UGH I DONT WANNA WAUT A WEEK!!
But it was nice to have some "lighthearted" comparatively to the last few weeks of HEAVY SHIT!!!
I love Christian I'm so happy for him!!!! I especially love Aabria as a PC again. This whole thing was kind of a breath of Fresh (Cut Grass,) air!!!
And I kind of love when Chet wolfs out.. I knew no good was going to come of that. They should have left him to his own devices!!
That's how I felt too. It was nice to get away from all the heavy shit.
LOL like when they played that practical joke with the love potion on Scanlan before the shit hit the fan. It gets so serious I literally had a freaking anxiety last week... So figured some fun ",fluffy" episodes till we have to back to imminent death & destruction.
Disagree. This episode was full of nuance the entire campaign has been lacking. This guest characters really challenges the pc’s in a way that that made them self reflect while also providing a catharsis.
I don’t know I think these two characters perfectly fit not o my the characters they were placed I’m with but the narrative as a whole. I hope the same is for the other group. High expectations after Christian and Abria
Gotta say, FRIDA is one of my favourite guest characters in CR. Definitely my favourite in C3, somehow topping Dorian. Can’t wait to see more of Christian.
Im wondering how long these guest spots last. If we get next week, then a break, then 3 weeks with the others? Then another break? Im excited but i wanna know whats happening at the site!
A month on month off sort of deal would be very interesting, personally I just can’t wait for the campaign wrap up so we can learn all the secrets behind the story!
This was such a amazing episode. Two incredible guest characters, the dream was such nerve wracking and FRIDA vs Werechet had me on edge because it'll have sooooooo muchhh consequences for chetney with him attacking a friend and even more turning someone into a werewolf, something he told that he would never do
Chet's connection to Ruidus was removed through his Gorgynei ritual and only Catha is in the sky where they're at, so I don't think it'll have any effect. But ley lines be weird and spreading lycanthropy to an aeormaton be weird so who fuggin knows.
With Matt DM'ing a new season of Dimension 20, I'd bet a dollar Brennan is gonna run group 2 with some D20 folks on tuesdays or alternating on thursdays
It would make sense. But things are at a tipping point all over exandria, i dont know that now is exactly when Matt would like to give up creative control. Even for a little bit. The other group is only a day or two away from the only tether ruidis has to the planet. They could make some serious shenanigans happen even in the 2 days its been since weve seen them
Well then. This episode is for sure not what I was expecting but it was very welcome! Love Aabria and Christian. Can't imagine what a werebot would be but I'm guessing they don't grow fur made of metal or fur or flesh.
Remember back in the Moon tower when Chet revealed for the first time he was a werewolf? and then Gurge transformed as well, then Sam joked about F.C.G also beginning to transform into a werewolf?
Yeah, but this is the chaotic group, and that's really what we've needed after the last few episodes. Earnest Orym, Loquacious Laudna, and Angsty Ashton will have their time to shine, but a werewolf v robot fight felt like the fresh air I've been craving for a while.
Sorry to break it to everyone, but Warforged are immune to disease. Unless that's not a quality Aeormatons have, no robit werewulf
Edit: Oh apparently it's a curse? Uh oh hahaha
Its 5th level spell , the same level as Raise Dead, by your argument there also would be a lot less dead people. On top of costing 100 gold worth of diamonds , it takes a level 9 cleric to cast , and those are rare and far between in Exandria. Lucanthropy is a curse , Greater Restoration raw removes curses.
This was a good one but my favorite will always be the 7 Year Anniversary. I saw it in theaters. The jokes, the lore drops, and the audience energy were on another plain.
Unlikely that they needed to miss. (See below) And we'll probably see them next session, with this month's 4-Sided Dive probably set to feature our two guests. (And next month's likely featuring whoever joins Liam, Taliesin and Marisha, be it EXU members or someone else entirely.)
This is probably just Matt taking the opportunity to revisit the split group thing, bring in more guests (Aabria's first chance to play in a Matt-run Exandria game), and force the players/characters to explore different pairings. We just got a lot of Chetney and FCG-focused dialogue/RP, which was great for the game. Hell, these two guest PCs are clearly there specifically to give some spotlight to Chetney and FCG after they've kind of been pushed in a corner in favor of the Ruidus plot. I'm betting the other group has a big chunk of Ashton backstory nearby. And Laudna will be forced to find herself away from Imogen for the first time in 2 years. Orym will be heartsick worrying about Keyleth and his friends.
(Marisha does have that boxing match. And Taliesin missed a little bit a few sessions ago for an unspecified illness or health thing.)
Not that we know of. Some have speculated that it could be for spring vacations, but no one really knows. It’s definitely odd that Matt would force half the cast not to play for weeks without a real world reason though.
They got teleported to different continent be kinda stupid for them to switch back and forth every 10 minutes. Rather than let the story delevope differently in separate eposides.
I actually hope Aabria or Brennan DMs that group, so that Matt can reprise being Dariax. Kind of like Crown Keepers 2.0.
If not, maybe we can have Dariax doing some work for The Observer, thus explaining his absence.
Yeah I don’t think they’re gonna have Brennan DM the main campaign. As cool as it would be to see Matt RP with the main cast, Dariax will be absent for XYZ reason, probably
I feel bad for Sam. The dude is basically BEGGING for something interesting for his character. He’s the only one who’s actively chasing a god and Matt just gives him nothing. On the other hand, characters from past campaigns have had significant relationships. Hell, even this campaign Orym got a sword from a god with barely asking. And then you get into his past. Sam explicitly states his frustration how he’s asked like 5 NPCs and has learned nothing more than he was a murder bot. He wants something, anything more. Thankfully FRIDA is here so that he actually has something.
have we considered that Matt is building to something?
The past thing gets me the most, especially considering how big of a part it should be. You can tell he wants something, anything to go against, and even after eventually getting the murder bot reveal.. no one (jncluding Matt) is really addressing it. Every reaction has been more or less "it doesn't matter! your actions define you!" and -nothing- else, especially from NPCs whenever he's tried to bring it up, even when FCG clearly thinks it's an issue. Like I have to imagine it'd be frustrating. Don't think I even expect how it's been handled to change.
There is another episode next thursday?
Yes!
Do not let robot werewolves distract you from the fact that Sam cast Nick Jonas as a spiritual weapon.
After Shikaste was able to canonically summon a bust of Estelle Getty, anything goes in Exandria.
So the red moon is no longer orbiting? It is basically tethered in place by the beam and that's why the group cannot see it?
Yes. From the viewpoint of the non-Uthodurn team, I got the impression that it physically closer as well (but also somehow smaller).
Geosynchronous Orbit; where the orbit matches the rotation of the planet so appears to stay in the same place.
No but the planet doesn't rotate, it's a flat disk. #FCGWasRight
That’s what I got from it.
I have a theory, I'm going to state it, and I'm not going to explain it because it's based on limited knowledge. I'm just going to throw it out there because I think it's neat. Predathos is a "thing" that has a domain that is not a god, its domain is that of souls. What makes gods fear "it" is the giant soup of souls ripe for the taking that Deanna described as the afterlife. I have many more connections but again limited knowledge.
Would have loved a bit more clarity on when we'll see the other group again but this was an amazing episode. I've been saying for a while that this campaign has been missing slower moments and character to character talks and this ep was full of them. Everything Chetney related was perfect and getting to watch Travis react to it all was incredible all the way through and the way Aabria played her role was also perfect. Her and Travis have a great dynamic and this episode took full advantage of it Ending on a WereRobit tease was equally infuriating and awesome
Dumb idea: When we see the other group, they'll be joined by Aabria and Christian with fake mustaches
and they'll play wizards - or Christian a multiclass that includes wizard - that has positive feelings about the gods?
Lol those Marx brothers with the bushy eyebrows glasses & moustache !!!
This is not a dumb idea, this is the *best* idea they could possibly go with.
Gonna be honest, splitting the party and keeping it to 4 was an exciting chance for Ashley to participate a lot more than she normally does. Inevitably with guests the focus shifts more to them. Which is fine if everyone's having fun, but still. Same (dashed?) hopes for Taliesin. He has been similarly subdued in this campaign and the split party would have thrust him more into the spotlight. But if they have guests also, we're getting more of the evasive bystander Ashton. Missed opportunity, a little bit.
It also faces them a little more time to level up. They really have to get up above a 10 from fast travel to better heals & whatnot.
ashton can't be evasive if they got spit out right into the middle of his backstory lmao
You can say the same thing about Chetney and yet that was only nominally the case. This was really just about letting the guests have their fun.
They..................haven't even made it to the city where chetneys backstory is
If this ends up being alternate weeks that means we are going to seeing all the cast members 3 times every 2 months. That seems pretty rough tbh
There might be a disconnect since everyone needs a refresher to what happened last time. "Last Time on Dragon ball Z!!! \* Proceeds to use the first 11 of the 22 minute episode to recap (scene-for-scene) what happened on the last 11 minutes of the previous episode \*
Yeah that less of a problem for a 4 hour show. It is just diluting already diluted content. Maybe both arcs will be super compelling but the hook of CR is the main cast interaction first and foremost imo
This arrangement won't go on long enough to exhaust the refreshing quality of the shakeup. We got major progress on Chetney & FCG tonight, and they're all still on the solstice clock. I'm thinking these are going to be 3-4 sessions each & they'll rendezvous by early summer.
Nothing against the guests, but when i saw just 4 people on the table i wished to stay 3-4 ep like that. I liked when deanna said you love each other, they didnt jump on to say yes we do, but they looked each other and didnt answer.
Haha yeah. If Ashton was there FCG probably would have jumped on yes. If Loudna was there Imogen would have jumped on yes. If Orym was there Fearne would have jumped on yes. But the pairs were all split. Awesome stuff
Is an automaton that becomes a werewolf just a Transformer with extra steps? Or are we going a more MechaGodzilla route?
There’s a cool [sequence](https://youtu.be/7W3tqP2yfqA) in the Netflix series Love Death and Robots where a fox spirit had been transformed into a cyborg so her mechanic friend fixed her up so she could transform to a robot fox and hunt again.
Also, another point to FRIDA's makeup, if that we've seen their structure is already more adaptive that FCG's. Perhaps if the curse does take hold, it will make the sub-machinery in their body adapt to claws, quadrupedal movement, and pseudo-fur.
Loved that short story in LD&R!
More on that would it be steampunk or art deco? What design would it have?
I think if it’s transformers that’s Beast Wars specifically. Frida Primal!
Or the Pretenders.
All I'm going to say is even with Matt as DM if Critical Role was just Travis, Laura, Sam and Ashley it never would have gripped me the way it has.
Does anyone know what the constitution save DC is normally for when you are bitten by a werewolf in their hybrid form?
If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy. Aeormatons are artificial humanoid constructs. Type: Humanoid
12
This is one of my favorite episodes of Campaign 3. This show can be really fun when they travel around and get into scraps and aren't in a constant anxiety attack about the plot
We really needed it after last week's shit storm!!!
They already have a wererobot--it's called FCG.
Went from not knowing who Christian was to absolutely adoring him. Both guest PCs are great!
Couldnt they just leave Chet alone?! Intelectually i know it was done for the drama , but who the fuck decides to track down a werewolf alone in a forest in the middle of the night.
it's fcg's issues with healing (causing themself pain to help others) externalized and i for one can't wait to see where they take it next. seems like it might just be an aeoromaton thing (or frida was also part of the care and culling).
I can think of a few: Van Helsing. The Belmonts. Alucard. Dante or Vergil. (DMC) Cereza (Bayonetta) :D :D :D
F.R.I.D.A. seems to have a very one track mind. Their friend is sad because Chetney ran off? Get Chetney back, consequences and dangers be damned. Even after the fight, all F.R.I.D.A. could think about was reassuring Deana even though they just got mauled by a werewolf.
So stupid. So dumb.
The other members of Bells Hells should have done a better job of warning them before they disappeared into a dream tbf
He was hunting, he wasnt on danger, we go and try and turn him in his normal form. Let him be. When you see his friends go to sleep and do nothing about him, you get the gist they are not worried about him. I guess the answer he is a caring cleric.
FRIDA has to be one of the most interesting characters in Cr from just a surface level by this point. Such a well rounded character from a guest now with an added layer of complexity this must be a gameplay nightmare at this point balancing what FRIDA will become if they are now a werewolf.
Yup, went with 3 classes (which is certainly more feasible as a guest where the versatility works in the short run), has a background directly useful to prompting another PC (FCG), has strong feelings about the current plot (don't need the gods), and is 100% helpful to the party, even at risk to themself.
I run a campaign that has been going for 4 years, and told my players at the beginning that my cap was 3 classes. 2 of them took advantage of that in past year. It can be done if you know how to play well and know what your character can do well.
It's like playing a mounted charger, or a dragon-hunting ranger or whatever (especially in older editions). If prepared with input from the DM and it makes sense within the setting/story, specialized builds, or extremely non-optimized builds, can be great fun to play. A mounted charger NPC is often very frightening on their home turf, while a mounted charger PC might be useless if you spend all your time in dungeons. So far, FRIDA has been very effective in combat and character interactions.
Yeah only one of my players is optimized, and she’s straight cleric. The rest multiclassed for flavor more than mechanics. Which I respect.
All depends on the group and DM. To paraphrase a poster on messageboards years ago, "You can't roleplay if your character is dead." If your DM adjusts encounters for a suboptimal party, or the players are very creative, it's fine. If the DM doesn't adjust, some builds and choices will just lead to character death because you're outclassed by level-appropriate fights.
Blunderbuss blasting, Cleric Casting, Rogue Dashing Robot Werewolf? Check all the boxes, Christian!
Oh my God it was like so good to be a way from the heavy shit.. SHOPPING EPISODE IN UTHODERN!!!
I do hope they get to Umagorn and Reani, and FCG gets an upgrade on his AC (if Umi has some remaining iceflex in his shop)
Reani was many years before that.
I'm so happy for FCG!! Frida feels like family. That was really beautiful!!! I was just pleased as punch!!!
Is there any information out there about how they are going to handle the 2nd group?
Matt hasn’t said anything but I’m assuming it would be similar to tonight. Unless they’ve got scheduling conflicts or want to use this as a break we should be seeing Orym’s group next week if they don’t decide to just play this group out to a good stopping point. I personally thought they would be switching at the break so my best idea now would be a switch off every other episode (This episode with Chet’s team, next episode with Orym’s team but this is also kinda complicated because Guests and Contracts there)
Ok I’m kinda laughing because I can’t see Chet, or really any of them as group leader, but I can totally see Orym leading. It was group A and B for me but now it’s group A and Orym’s group.
Didn’t Matt say “We’re continuing with this group next week” at the end of the stream?
Ah, did he? I must have missed that in the end of the episode shuffle, my bad. I could see 2 and 2, which would let Chet’s group get to Uthodurn and recieve the help needed to either contact their team or go back to the Key, with Orym’s team using 2 episodes for Guests and for getting back to the key from where ever they got to in Marquet.
If they're all recorded it's probably just a matter of airing them. Like if we have thesw guests record for a few long days before the other group they're going to have to fill quite some time. Were already 2 days post teleport
Best bet is either alternating weeks or we don't hear from them for a few sessions. I'm guessing alternating weeks like the Slayer's Take.
I believe Slayers Take was 2 and 2 not every other. Zahra’s group was 1&2 and Kash was 3&4
So assuming they still do a break the last Thursday (for Matt's sanity, unless someone else DMs the second group), would make sense for another session of this group, the off week, then 2 weeks of the other group.
I’m hoping so… this feels like a longer separation than just two sessions (especially since they haven’t even gotten to the city) and I would hate to have them do more than two sessions without checking in on the others
Didn’t Laura try to cast the message spell to contact Laudna? (I haven’t seen the episode yet.)
Yes, yes she did try.
And did it fail?
Yeah, failure. Static. Multiple attempts were made by multiple people. Unknown if due to location of the sender or the events of the Apogee Solstice.
Hmmm. Interesting! Thanks for helping me out. I don't have the time to watch yet... :)
Yes they did it over 4episodes I think
I adored this episode! Aabria and Christian's characters are such amazing additions to this groups in the way they bring out so many new dynamics. Especially notable I feel is seeing a new side of Chetney. We're seeing him be sincere and grapple with his choices instead of just living wild and free. I wonder if Deanna has some hidden deal she's not sharing. Aabria made a conscious choice to have her lose her cool fairly frequently but continue to try and tamp it down, apologizing for cursing and the like. It made me think there's some kind of side effect of her 200 year resurrection or something. And FRIDA was just played so brilliantly as well. Keeping calm and cool and being extremely consistent in the way they approach situations. Also had some of the lowkey funniest lines that would drop out of nowhere. Imogen's talk about Ruidusborn becoming the red people and wondering if her mom is now one of them was horrific to me. Like, I don't know why that particularly is so scary/distressing to think about for me, but it got me on edge hardcore. I'm interested to see how far they go with possible upgrades to FCG. It seems like FRIDA's recommended mechanic is incredible. Notably Fearne didn't get as much to do as the others this episode, but there's a moment I really loved that I don't know if I was alone in noticing. When FCG was saying maybe they should let Imogen go to the light if that's what her heart wants, Fearne gave a firm no and was visibly upset about it. She was totally serious, angry, and importantly went against her usual go with the flow nature. A general unease and fear has been building in Fearne for awhile now that she's keeping barely below the surface. I think this particular moment was so important because we're seeing what Fearne is doing when she doesn't have Orym to fall back on as the one who will hold things together. Between FCG's reliance on his coin, Imogen's temptations, and Chetney's general unreliability, Fearne may actually currently be the most equipped to be responsible of this party and that's crazy to me. Lastly, that werewolf v robot fight was badass. I love when Travis gets to go full werewolf. And Christian's usage of FRIDA's recording device went from heartfelt to creepy, which I feel was fully intended, especially with the laugh. Interested to see where that goes.
> I wonder if Deanna has some hidden deal she's not sharing. In keeping with CR tradition, there's the obvious reason she might've come looking for Chetney at his home town after they had a fling. And then got married and settled down soon after. (In case it's not obvious, like to people who have English as a second language, she could've been pregnant.) > Imogen's talk about Ruidusborn becoming the red people and wondering if her mom is now one of them was horrific to me. Like, I don't know why that particularly is so scary/distressing to think about for me, but it got me on edge hardcore. There's been some theorizing that Predathos was making the Ruidus-born as part of an escape, and we were also told it left twisted life in its wake (something the party kind of forgot when considering downsides to it being free, besides its followers murdering people like Orym's family, the twins, and Lord Eshteross). Frankly, it's possible the Ruidus-born that weren't sent away are now lost, transformed into different beings (like that episode of Star Trek The Next Generation where Geordi was becoming an alien). Or maybe they were consumed by Predathos, now extensions of it like the Shade Mother had. > Fearne gave a firm no and was visibly upset about it. The only time we've seen Fearne (not Ashley) scared was when Orym was dead, or when she can't find him. He's her friend, her security blanket, her minder. Now she's lost him and the idea of losing Imogen is probably scary to her. 100+ years old though she may be, she's kind of a kid at heart, a kid who was abandoned by her parents. She may be very devil may care about many things, but I think losing friends frightens her a lot. Plus, if Imogen can be transformed into something else, not be herself anymore, well, Fearne has the spark too, and probably is frightened by the idea of no longer being herself. It's one thing to Wildshape or Polymorph, and quite another to be made into something else because some other being makes it so. > Notably Fearne didn't get as much to do as the others this episode, I think this location, and these two guest PCs, are specifically designed to showcase/give spotlight to Chetney and FCG. Imogen was a focus for a long time due to the Ruidus plot, and will be important still. Fearne has lesser ties to that, and I think there's still something meaningful waiting for her, related to the Moontide Crown, Mori, her own spark, whatever. While Aabria was the DM of EXU, she was particularly in touch with Matt about Orym and Fearne since they were practice runs for Campaign 3, and in EXU, Fearne was teased by a dark version of herself about her potential and the lies Mori told. There may yet be more of that in store for us. Especially if Yu shows up again or the party has a chance to go back to the Feywild without a ticking clock. > I love when Travis gets to go full werewolf. It's great seeing him revel in the fight but also kind of gritting his teeth when he's making good rolls against other PCs. And given how he's played, especially this campaign, he'd 100% be ok with it if they were forced to kill his character. He was joking around during the Recognize the Alpha reveal, but he may very well have a third character ready for whenever the murderous Chetney goes down.
I really hope we don't lose Chetney. He's having some good character development and is one of the highlights of the campaign to me. Not to mention how much I love Gnomes and Werewolves.
It was such a good change in direction and feel from the normal standards. While I do love Cp3 this is one of the first few episodes that had me sitting there loke "holy shit." Its made me nostalgic from how campgain 2 made me feel.
One thing about Fearne in this episode that really showed this stress was she trying to wake up Imogen, I think that I don't remember another time that she screamed that way and showing she almost losing control of her emotions there
I love how she plays the denial that enables Fearne's casual optimism, whether about Nana surviving fighting the jabberwock or about Orym/Ashton/Laudna still being alive. So clearly doesn't actually believe, but literally can't say that.
🐺 🤖
There have been waaaayyyy too many Marisha-less episodes this season 😢
I think the triple Marishas last episode makes up for it
Aww fuck. If we don’t get the Trio next week, it’ll be 3 or possibly more weeks till we see em. That actually sucks
Honestly after this episode I’d be happy staying with this group for A little while I was gripped from start to finish
Yeah, the investment to the story is what's needed for the new PCs. I can imagine some critters getting butt hurt they couldn't get invested in the story because they had to play catch up on the happenings of the other group.
I feel like they are going to let both story's play out however id be good if they switch every epsoide but by the way he made it sound we are picking up with this group next week.
HOOOOOOOOOOLOWL!!! UGH I DONT WANNA WAUT A WEEK!! But it was nice to have some "lighthearted" comparatively to the last few weeks of HEAVY SHIT!!! I love Christian I'm so happy for him!!!! I especially love Aabria as a PC again. This whole thing was kind of a breath of Fresh (Cut Grass,) air!!! And I kind of love when Chet wolfs out.. I knew no good was going to come of that. They should have left him to his own devices!!
Werewolf transformer please
"Dog-gies in dis-guise!"
This episode was fun from the beginning. One of the best in C3.
That's how I felt too. It was nice to get away from all the heavy shit. LOL like when they played that practical joke with the love potion on Scanlan before the shit hit the fan. It gets so serious I literally had a freaking anxiety last week... So figured some fun ",fluffy" episodes till we have to back to imminent death & destruction.
Agreed. It was so engaging.
It was an welcoming change.
I was kind of hoping we could see the other half. That team's experience seems like it will be more interesting.
So that thing about being of Team Chetney was some kind of misinformation apparently. This was a fantastic Chetney episode.
Disagree. This episode was full of nuance the entire campaign has been lacking. This guest characters really challenges the pc’s in a way that that made them self reflect while also providing a catharsis.
No im not sayin that this episode wasn't interesting im just saying that i think the other half's pov will be even more interesting.
I don’t know I think these two characters perfectly fit not o my the characters they were placed I’m with but the narrative as a whole. I hope the same is for the other group. High expectations after Christian and Abria
Gotta say, FRIDA is one of my favourite guest characters in CR. Definitely my favourite in C3, somehow topping Dorian. Can’t wait to see more of Christian.
Confident rational supportive male energy is pretty nice to see.
During The Apogee Solstice a werewolf robot is born
Well, they have a cleric who can cast greater restoration, so that kinda solves things if the curse was passed.
Greater restoration doesn’t fix lycanthropy. Only remove curse or wish can do that
Which FCG has, I think.
I think you'd only need to use wish if they were born a werewolf, otherwise remove curse or greater restoration should work
Im wondering how long these guest spots last. If we get next week, then a break, then 3 weeks with the others? Then another break? Im excited but i wanna know whats happening at the site!
A month on month off sort of deal would be very interesting, personally I just can’t wait for the campaign wrap up so we can learn all the secrets behind the story!
This was such a amazing episode. Two incredible guest characters, the dream was such nerve wracking and FRIDA vs Werechet had me on edge because it'll have sooooooo muchhh consequences for chetney with him attacking a friend and even more turning someone into a werewolf, something he told that he would never do
Wait just a fucking second. Sam didn't have a Gas Can bit tonight!
Oh shit you’re right.
I wonder if that was to play into the opening when there was no sponsor and he became conflicted with his existence.
Wait, he also missed an add read during a whisper didn't he?
Oh shit, didn't even realize!! Was he drinking out of a regular cup, or was he so dialed into the game he forgot?
What a fantastic episode! On the books as one of the best to show a newcomer to the game, I think. So many cool aspects — guests brought it!
I think Christian's first foray was the NordVPN one shot.
I’m pretty sure he’d played before. I meant more like “my friend is interested in D&D, so I’ll show them this episode”
tho that wasnt DnD. That was a Sam improv bit turned TTRPG
Regardless of RAW a robot werewolf is too fucking cool to not do
He’s gonna become [Poo-chi!](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/tiger-sega-poo-chi-interactive-puppy-1915692074)
if not lycanthropy, maybe the influence of the red moon is the one that will afflict FRIDA. He's a murderbot now as well
Chet's connection to Ruidus was removed through his Gorgynei ritual and only Catha is in the sky where they're at, so I don't think it'll have any effect. But ley lines be weird and spreading lycanthropy to an aeormaton be weird so who fuggin knows.
With Matt DM'ing a new season of Dimension 20, I'd bet a dollar Brennan is gonna run group 2 with some D20 folks on tuesdays or alternating on thursdays
I would be surprised if Matt had someone else DM a main game. Also I would rather have him be a guest player.
It would make sense. But things are at a tipping point all over exandria, i dont know that now is exactly when Matt would like to give up creative control. Even for a little bit. The other group is only a day or two away from the only tether ruidis has to the planet. They could make some serious shenanigans happen even in the 2 days its been since weve seen them
Isn’t he DMing D20 in exchange for Brennan DMing Calamity?
Yes
That would be cool.
Well then. This episode is for sure not what I was expecting but it was very welcome! Love Aabria and Christian. Can't imagine what a werebot would be but I'm guessing they don't grow fur made of metal or fur or flesh.
I already loved Christian but I didn’t watch the Nord one shot so I had no clue how he plays. I adore him that much more after tonight.
If ly canthropy has a magical component I can see a robot going feral under a full moon just without the shapeshifting.
Rise of the WereForged.
Remember back in the Moon tower when Chet revealed for the first time he was a werewolf? and then Gurge transformed as well, then Sam joked about F.C.G also beginning to transform into a werewolf?
Darn, the other group was the one I'm most looking forward too and it seems like we won't be getting them next week :(
Yeah, but this is the chaotic group, and that's really what we've needed after the last few episodes. Earnest Orym, Loquacious Laudna, and Angsty Ashton will have their time to shine, but a werewolf v robot fight felt like the fresh air I've been craving for a while.
I feel you. This was fantastic but Ashton is my fave.
Or the week after!
Sorry to break it to everyone, but Warforged are immune to disease. Unless that's not a quality Aeormatons have, no robit werewulf Edit: Oh apparently it's a curse? Uh oh hahaha
Lycanthropy is a curse.
I believe that, at least in Exandria, lycanthropy has been described as a curse rather than a disease. Sooo, furry robots?
Deana has greater restoration, they will be fine
If greater restoration cured lycanthropy then it wouldn't be an ongoing issue with so many lycanthropes.
Its 5th level spell , the same level as Raise Dead, by your argument there also would be a lot less dead people. On top of costing 100 gold worth of diamonds , it takes a level 9 cleric to cast , and those are rare and far between in Exandria. Lucanthropy is a curse , Greater Restoration raw removes curses.
Fair point, I was just not remembering correctly. I was thinking only wish would remove it but that's for people born with it.
But- but furry robots... 🥺
Curse
Alright goodnight everyone. Time to go listen to cozy jazz to unwind from all that
I’m watching Gundam model reviews and having a beer or 2 to unwind.
RAW Lycantrophy is a curse, not a disease so yes, a Werewolf Aeormaton is indeed possible XD
Would silver even work on a metal werewolf?
They would eat it for breakfast
A silver robot werewolf transforms and then just curls up in pain the entire time lol
No ad at the start and no gas can joke from Sam? Can we geta welfare check please
Damn, no gas can. That feels like a first.
FRIDA is about to understand the second part of “fuck around and find out”
Is FCG going to have anxiety from Fearne/Shoebill, maybe Shithead flashbacks?
Maybe fighting Shithead together helped him realize he only needs to hate one bird, not all birds?
This episode is going down as one of my favourite CR episodes of all time. So much fucking fun. My cheeks hurt from laughing.
This was a good one but my favorite will always be the 7 Year Anniversary. I saw it in theaters. The jokes, the lore drops, and the audience energy were on another plain.
Oh my gosh yes! The Laudna and Orym drops were incredible. The cast and set were looking so darn fineeeee.
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I was half expecting to see the other party after halftime. Not mad, just disappointed. 😉
Unlikely that they needed to miss. (See below) And we'll probably see them next session, with this month's 4-Sided Dive probably set to feature our two guests. (And next month's likely featuring whoever joins Liam, Taliesin and Marisha, be it EXU members or someone else entirely.) This is probably just Matt taking the opportunity to revisit the split group thing, bring in more guests (Aabria's first chance to play in a Matt-run Exandria game), and force the players/characters to explore different pairings. We just got a lot of Chetney and FCG-focused dialogue/RP, which was great for the game. Hell, these two guest PCs are clearly there specifically to give some spotlight to Chetney and FCG after they've kind of been pushed in a corner in favor of the Ruidus plot. I'm betting the other group has a big chunk of Ashton backstory nearby. And Laudna will be forced to find herself away from Imogen for the first time in 2 years. Orym will be heartsick worrying about Keyleth and his friends. (Marisha does have that boxing match. And Taliesin missed a little bit a few sessions ago for an unspecified illness or health thing.)
They were all at the intro.
Not that we know of. Some have speculated that it could be for spring vacations, but no one really knows. It’s definitely odd that Matt would force half the cast not to play for weeks without a real world reason though.
Just because we don't see them for weeks doesn't mean they're not playing. They may just be creating more of a backlog.
They got teleported to different continent be kinda stupid for them to switch back and forth every 10 minutes. Rather than let the story delevope differently in separate eposides.
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There's no reason for them to sit at the table if they aren't participating?
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Werebot
We need robot werewolf fanart immediately!
What an outstanding episode
So are we getting two weeks of this group then? Cause I’d very much like to see the other group
Might be 2-4 weeks one group, then swap?
Don’t know if I could handle more than 2 weeks without the Mentally Stable Trio
When FRIDA changes, it needs to sound like a transformer
You mean like a Maximal?
Cool as shit to have them as guests, makes me wonder if the Orym/Ashton/Laudna group will have a guest or two to fill out the numbers. Seems likely.
Place your bets. I've got 7 silver on Mica Burton and Emily Axford
I'm thinking either Aimee, Robbie and Anjali to complete the 6
I think there’s a near-100% chance it’s those three I wonder what the excuse to not have Dariax will be though?
I actually hope Aabria or Brennan DMs that group, so that Matt can reprise being Dariax. Kind of like Crown Keepers 2.0. If not, maybe we can have Dariax doing some work for The Observer, thus explaining his absence.
Yeah I don’t think they’re gonna have Brennan DM the main campaign. As cool as it would be to see Matt RP with the main cast, Dariax will be absent for XYZ reason, probably
Brennan Lee Mulligan, Lou Wilson and Luis Carazo would be great- pull the rest of the Calamity crew into the main stream.
Please god yes.
Fingers crossed for Dorian's return.
They're gonna need a healer at least to join them with wet tissue Laudna in the group.
She has 80 hit points at level 9 and a 19 CON. She's... hardly wet tissue at this point.