"San Diego Comic-Con 2023 - Critical Role Fireside Chat & Cast Q&A" (Sx77) is a special episode presenting the Critical Role cast's 1-hour Q&A style fireside chat panel from San Diego Comic-Con on 22 July 2023, moderated by Robbie Daymond.
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- Q: What's it been like to develop and publish your own games through Darrington Press?
They've been having a really good time with it and are excited about the things that have released and the things that are in development. - Q: You have been expanding Exandria and are in the first steps of going beyond it with projects like "Midst". What are you most excited about in welcoming in other creators into the "Critical Role" family?
It's been great to invite new people to tell stories with them. Marisha and Sam heard "Midst" and fell in love with it and with the fact that its creators, Third Person, were three friends telling a story. Critical Role hopes to allow other creators to tell their stories on this platform, too. - Q: "Candela Obscura" is a first of a kind project, collaborative of all of the parts of the business. What challenges did that pose, and what are you the most proud of?
Marisha explains "Candela Obscura" started development before the pandemic but was put on hold because they wanted to make sure they could do it justice when they could all get back in a room together. They were inspired to do it because they knew what kind of game they wanted to develop to fit the type of horror genre play style that they wanted to show, and looked at other systems. When Darrington Press started, they decided to build the game system themselves, which proved challenging. - Q: Matt: Will we ever find out the fates of Vax, Beau, and Caleb during the Apogee Solstice?
Matt thinks they could figure out Vax's fate soon, but as for Beau and Caleb, there's a live show in the UK in October 2023 that will revolve around the Mighty Nein and their reaction to the Solstice. Matt is in the rare position of having multiple campaigns in the same world over time, so he can cross threads between campaigns, something he's dreamed of since high school. - Q: Everyone: Who was the first person your character thought of after the Apogee Solstice?
Laudna: Imogen
Imogen: Laudna
Chetney: Fearne
Ashton: FCG and Imogen, because they're both the weakest and most destructive
Fearne: Orym
FCG: Dorian, because Sam wants to include Robbie
Orym: Keyleth
Matt: Taryon Darrington, who would have seen it as a chance for adventure - Q: What's been your favorite moment of Campaign Three so far?
For Matt, it was Bor'Dor's betrayal of the party that irrevocably left a scar on some of the players. For Laura, it was The Kiss. And shooting the porn movie. For Liam, everything that happened at the Malleus Key when three of Marisha and his characters were within 100 feet of each other. For Sam, Laudna's death and the choices that entailed. For Ashley, the threesome, but also the moment after the gnarlrock was destroyed when Imogen said to Laudna, "You lied!" For Taliesin, it was not only Bor'Dor's treachery, but also the caper at the Twilight Mirror Museum. For Marisha, the "You lied!" moment but also Laudna telling Orym her origin story. For Robbie, it was leaving. - Q: Matt: How do you manage the feelings and the tactics of sewing all those pieces together into a big, beautiful tapestry?
It's a combination of having an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but also a lot of pressure to create stories the cast will enjoy, rather than trying to please the audience. Over the years, Matt's planted seeds and made comments with a loose idea of how they could connect, and now he has a chance to make some of those connections. - Q: Matt: How did you decide how to split the party?
He wanted to shake up the storyline and force them to interact more with some of the others in smaller groups, and to miss those they were separated from, as well as to put them in a disorienting position. A lot of the choices came from which relationships he wanted to see brew more. He also had a chance to dig into some characters' backstories in far-away locations, like Chetney's. Some of it was pure scheduling around the cast's other commitments. - Q: Taliesin: What's something Ashton hasn't told anyone?
Ashton has two geometric symbols on the back of their leather jacket, and they've figured out what one of them means. - Q: Liam: What was it like to stay in character as Orym while you have all these other characters of yours in the space?
He felt like he was melting down. Liam is worried about Vax, and found himself frustrated with Caleb for not being able to get the collar off, but feels Orym held his own. - Q: Marisha: Did you immediately know what Laudna's Form of Dread was going to look like as you were creating her in your mind's eye?
Yes, it's what Travis is most afraid of. She wanted it to reflect Delilah being her patron by wearing mourning attire for Sylas. - Q: Ashley: What were the key differences in playing a character like Fearne as opposed to some of the characters that you've played in the past?
Being able to play full time has made a big difference; she feels like there was more to explore with Yasha. With Fearne, she just wanted to have fun at the table and be able to act out the weird things that pop up in her head. It's been really fun. - Q: Everyone: Is there an aspect of your campaign three characters that is 100% like you and an aspect of them that is the opposite?
Fresh Cut Grass, like Sam, is always smiling, but unlike Sam, he actually is always happy. Like Imogen, Laura can get overwhelmed in crowds. Ashton and Taliesin both deal with a weird emotional vacuum in their past. They are different in that Taliesin doesn't process his issues through anger. The others confirm Tal's pretty eternally chill. Marisha wants to be like Laudna in being more aware of what's actually a real problem and what isn't a big deal. She's not like her because she doesn't have necrotic flesh. Orym in social settings is quiet and hesitant, as is Liam except with this group. Orym's also agile, and Liam hurts himself regularly. Matt is like the NPCs of Exandria in having a lifetime of experiences and emotions, but unlike them he physically exists in Comic-Con right now. - Q: Laura: Imogen has been through a lot lately. What has all of that taught her now that she's more at ease with the circlet stopping outside thoughts?
Imogen can finally find herself, and the Circlet was everything. Up until that point, she hated her powers and wanted them to go away. Now, she's more comfortable being who she is and not as introverted as she used to be. - Q: Travis: For as experienced and old as Chetney is, how confident does he feel about the task at hand with the Ruby Vanguard?
He thinks they're screwed and doomed to fail, but he's going to go out with a bang. And maybe talk to Nana Morri about being made 300 years younger, then sleep with everybody. - Q: Sam: What was it like to say goodbye to FRIDA?
Christian Navarro is such a wonderful person, a great player, and a sweet boy. It was interesting and weird to start thinking FCG was falling in love with the other robot, and saying goodbye was really hard. He wanted to stay behind with FRIDA, but felt needed with the party as the only God person in the group. He hopes Fresh Cut Grass gets to see FRIDA again. - Q: Liam and Sam: Why has TikTok made you both such a menace at the office?
Liam just did it because Sam went away, and then they made him do it. He was scared and is still scared now. Sam reveals that the cast absolute hates it. - Q: Everyone: Is there a small micro moment that has stuck with you the most over the years?
Taliesin is proud of "What the Fuck is Up With That?" For Travis, it was asking his wife if he could kiss her in Campaign Two. Laura confirms that in all of their years of marriage, she had never seen him turn that red. Marisha is partial to the cannonball contest in campaign one. Ashley chooses the Beau/Yasha date, and the Third Campaign moment when Matt bleated in character as the Fabio goat. Liam enjoyed Matt role playing as grass, but his top pick is writing Der Katzenprinz and reading it to Jester. Matt reveals that was his choice as well. His favorite moments are when the cast find ways to gift each other, whether with physical objects or in story moments. Sam agrees it's less the moments in the game and more the moments where he can see his friends, like when Marisha chair perches or watching Laura and Ashley draw dicks. Taliesin says that the entire time Percy was in a relationship with Vex'ahlia was nuts... in a good way.
Turning to questions from the audience:
- Q: Liam: What aspect of Caleb Widogast would you want to be in your life the most?
Unlimited reality alteration. Letting his imagination do anything it wanted. - Q: Marisha: What was the conversation like with Matt when you first decided that Laudna was gonna be a body on the Sun Tree?
She approached it gradually. At first, she thought about being the Pike figure, a little girl, but decided that could get problematic, so she pivoted to the Vex dummy instead. Matt thought it was really messed up, but very cool and complicated as well, and made her aware that it might lead to some interesting agency elements down the road depending on her choices. - Q: Matt: What's the best cosplay you've seen of a character from the show?
Hard to pick because there have been so many. He enjoys both the ones that are very accurate, and the various interpretations and artistic takes. He does remember a video with an amazing Matron of Ravens. - Q: Everyone: What would your smell-inspired robot name be?
Suggestions include for Chetney, Bourbon Sawdust. Sam suggests Undercarriage and Travis adds "Inbetween-us". Laura says Pocket Bacon. - Q: Laura: Has there been anything on the show that you had to talk to somebody that's not Travis about and you just wanted to gush about?
Laudna. She didn't talk to anybody about that, but really wanted to. She wonders what her mom's motivations are and she can't ask anybody. Travis reveals they used to talk on the way home but Laura put the lid on it in C3, so he knows she has secrets. - Q: Matt: What is your inner core rule as a DM you will never stray off from?
That if a rule prevents the players from having fun at the table, it's not worth holding onto. If a rule's stopping the group from having fun, Matt will find a way to bend or get around it. He was more strict in the past because he felt the scrutiny of the internet and of people who complain when he gets the rules wrong, but it didn't feel right. So now, his hard rule is, "Play it by the rules until it's not fun and then break 'em." - Q: Sam, what is your vision of Riegelmania?
Sam loves doing the ads at the top of the show, even when they're stupid. It's the one thing he looks forward to the most in the week, a weird moment of pure creative freedom. Thank you to the advertisers for letting him do it because he's sure they get yelled at by their bosses. (Mentioned favorites were Sam slowly turning into a sunflower, and when he told them, "Some of the bits are for the audience and some of them are for me.") - Q: Travis: Are we ever going to find out who Fjord's parents are?
There's an animated series and a live show coming, so they're not done with these characters yet. - Q: Matt: Are there any guest characters who you would like to explore their storylines more?
All of them. Matt also has plans for Robbie's Dorian Storm, who he considers more cast adjacent than a guest character. But the answer to the question is Shakäste.
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