"San Diego Comic-Con 2024 - Critical Role Fireside Chat & Cast Q&A" (Sx87) is a special episode presenting the Critical Role cast's Q&A-style fireside chat panel from San Diego Comic-Con on 30 July 2024, moderated by Krystina Arielle.
Synopsis[]
- Q: How is it being back at Comic-Con?
Matt has been coming to Comic-Con for almost 30 years, so he feels old. Travis and Liam commented on the cosplayers and invited them to stand up. - Q: Any updates on season three of The Legend of Vox Machina in October?
It's coming October 3rd. Travis shares a clip set in Ank'Harel and a new still of Vax'ildan and Thordak. He mentions that the Mighty Nein series is in production, and shows an animatic of Jester running from guards and meeting Fjord for the first time in Port Damali. He thanks the fans for supporting the Kickstarter that made The Legend of Vox Machina and this series possible.
Turning to questions from the Beacon Discord:
- Q: If you were transported to the Tal'Dorei setting, what would be your preferred class and background?
Marisha would want to be a magic user: a sorcerer or druid, part of the Cerberus Assembly. Ashley would want to be a smooth rogue, with Marisha as her boss, maybe her bodyguard. - Q: What character do you want to play that you haven't played yet?
Liam would play a prolonged time as a healer who worships a god. - Q: During SwordGate, if Orym had failed his save on Phantasmal Force, what would Laudna have made him see?
Marisha thinks the plan was to convince him that Laudna was Keyleth and ask him to hand over Ishta because it's bad news. - Q: What did Dominox show Ludinus Da'leth?
Matt thinks it likely would have been souls of people that Ludinus had cared for but had to be sacrificed for his end goal, hoping to cause him to question whether he's doing the right thing. - Q: What was it like getting to play a major lore moment for the Matron of Ravens?
Laura found it stressful; she had a love-hate relationship with the god before embodying her because of what she'd put the characters through. To prepare, she learned a bunch of backstory from Matt which she must keep secret and which she wanted to honor. She appreciates the god much more. - Q: What character from a Shakespearean play is most like Orym?
Liam sees elements of Puck or Ariel aesthetically. Maybe the swordfighting ability of Tybalt or Mercutio. Emotionally, Olivia. - Q: Now that Fjord has found Vandran, has he given up on finding Sabian?
Travis says Fjord isn't letting sleeping dogs lie. That might be explored later. - Q: How did you balance Yasha's physical strength with her vulnerability and sensitivity in your performance?
At the table, Ashley wanted the contrast so she could have tender moments, like with Grog. The upcoming series depicts more of Yasha being a badass than they could have at the table, plus some sweet moments.
Turning to questions from the live audience:
- Q. For Ashley: When you're making a new character, where do they come from?
Ashley says it's been different each time, but she starts with behavior work. It also has to do with where she's at in her personal life and what reactions she wants from her friends at the table. With Pike, it was informed by a note from Matt about her character knowing Grog. - Q. For Matt: What do you imagine a future era of Exandria looking like?
Could go differently depending on how Campaign Three ends. He has often imagined a post-Victorian era level of technology. - Q. Recording The Legend of Vox Machina and now the Mighty Nein series, how has it been to revisit those characters?
General agreement that it's great. Marisha says it's like seeing old friends. Liam feels like they never leave; they just get to peel themselves back and let those characters out again. Laura says they can get back into characters instantly. According to Matt, when Laura plays Jester, the cast thinks that's her final form. Liam notes the connections between the characters in Vox Machina are different than the connections between the Mighty Nein, and they feel the shift. Laura admits to sometimes thinking it's the day for playing Vex'ahlia, but then suddenly realizes it's the day for reading Jester, which is a very different vibe. Matt says that also carries into the days when it's time to get back into playing Bells Hells, and Laura agrees it's hard to tame those characters (mainly Jester) and go back to playing Imogen. - Q. If you were one of Exandria's gods and could change the fate of one character, who would it be and what would you do?
Travis might make the Lord of the Hells successful at something. Marisha has the selfish impulse to be the Raven Queen and give Vax back; Laura wonders if that's possible, and Matt refuses to confirm. Liam would make sure Ludinus had a happier childhood. Travis answers again, joking that he'd go back and make "Dieter" the Plank King. Laura says she'd be the Arch Heart and give Orym some magic because he needs it, but Liam politely declines. - Q. Matt likes to keep his secrets, but how much do you go over about themes, setting, and story during Session Zero?
Liam jokes about the cast doing weekly four-hour rehearsals and going over their beats and loosely fleshing out dialogue, then doing scene work to follow up. Marisha worries about people taking this joke too seriously, but Travis continues the joke about doing multiple takes. Back on topic, Travis says they get nothing before the campaign, except they got a primer on new continents for Campaign Two. Laura says they were told how long the period between the second and third campaigns would be, and that the third campaign "would start more pulpy", as Matt puts it—and also way more deadly. Liam was shocked at how Matt took the private stories that each player shared with maybe one other person and brilliantly weaved them together as significant elements of the entire campaign. - Q. For Matt: As a GM, how does he determine the events that occur outside the party and ensure they don't make the antagonists overpowered or allow the antagonists to achieve their end goal quite yet?
Matt says it's challenging to balance the worldbuilding with the players' pace. Don't want to punish the players for taking time to have fun by saying that caused them to lose. Helps to imagine the complications getting in the antagonists' way; even the smartest enemies can't anticipate everything. Hopes that when the heroes' and antagonists' stories intersect again, it's interesting and organic and energetic. A lot of unexpected things happen along the way, and it's important not to make the enemy so overwhelming that the players can't have fun and win... unless your players want that, which would be strange. - Q. Since Daggerheart is on track for release next year, is there a plan for having a campaign with that system?
Marisha says the audience will definitely see them playing lots of Daggerheart, but also Dungeons & Dragons and other game systems that are not from Darrington Press. Travis says it's all up in the air: they like to toss out ideas, and because they're an independent company they can chase that, which has worked out well for over nine years. He and Marisha and Matt all say Daggerheart is really fun to play. Matt adds that the beta has been successful. The cast jokes that this questioner has a great voice and he's hired. - Q. For Travis: You've worked with Laura on a bunch of stuff, including as Roy Mustang and Lust on Fullmetal Alchemist and their work on Avengers. Does that work help inform their roleplay in the Mighty Nein or in the Vox Machina series?
After some jokes about how expansive the questioner means to be with the word "roleplay", Travis says it's an honor to work with Laura, who is one of the most talented actresses out there. There's a lot of trust there, which makes everyone at the table fun to bounce off of artistically. For himself and Laura, they use their characters' voices at home while doing chores, and their kid picks up on it and treats them as their characters; he's also created his own character. - Q. What song reflects your character's current state of mind?
Travis: "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder". Liam: "Bright Star" by Anaïs Mitchell. Marisha: "Freedom!" by George Michael, after getting the upper hand on Delilah Briarwood. The players have playlists they haven't published, as they did in previous campaigns, but they agree they should do that again. Matt, for Ludinus: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears and "No Church in the Wild" by Jay-Z. Laura: "Orpheus" by Sara Bareilles, trying to keep hope alive.
As they wrap up the panel, Krystina has one more question:
- Q. 2025 is going to be a big year for Critical Role, it's your 10th anniversary. Can you give us a tiny hint of what to expect for this milestone?
Marisha jokes about them still barely having a plan after all this time and also says that a Critical Role video game would be cool. Travis asks the audience if they want to see more live shows and they reply with big cheers. Liam is longing for more with the Darrington Brigade. Laura says she's going to make really cool clothes for the shop. Matt can't wait to play with more genres in Daggerheart. It's going to be an amazing year.
Krystina thanks the cast and the audience for coming.
Trivia[]
- Sam Riegel was not present at the panel, but as Marisha Ray explained he's fine and was spending time with his family in a beautiful location.[1] Taliesin Jaffe was also not present for undisclosed reasons.
References[]
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