"Talks Machina Answers Your Questions Live at WonderCon" (TMx19) is the nineteenth overall episode and first live episode of Talks Machina. It was recorded live at WonderCon on April 1st, 2017 at 2:00pm Pacific time and later aired on Geek and Sundry's Twitch and Alpha on April 4th, 2017 at 7:00pm Pacific time.
The regular cast of Critical Role discuss "Deals in the Dark" (1x92) with Brian Wayne Foster, but try to avoid spoilers for anyone in the audience who isn't caught up with the show. They then answer questions from members of the audience in the second half of the panel.
Synopsis[]
Staff questions:[]
- For everyone: Between the different portals where Critical Role is available, every week a pretty insane amount of people watch the show. What's been the coolest or most surprising part about the community surrounding this show for you guys?
- Matt is continually proud of the community itself making CR more than just a show. Laura is surprised by the sexy-time art. Sam is surprised by the number of babies named "Liam", and suggests "Sam" is a nice name. Liam enjoys pics of folks playing D&D at home.
- For everyone: What are the joys and challenges of a game versus a show, and how do you not lose one or the other?
- Matt tries to invite people to be part of it, rather than just creating media to be consumed. Normally, they forget the cameras, but live shows are a different beastie altogether.
- For everyone: Has the show been therapeutic for you guys in any way, and if so in what ways?
- Travis admits they drink a lot. Marisha says they work things out from the internet response the week before, like an ouroboros. Laura always cheers up from spending time with her friends. Matt gets pre-show jitters every week, but the cast yelling profanity at him at the show open is their way of showing their love. Matt also notes that gaming together forges friendships. Liam shares that he worked through some of the toughest times of his life through gaming together.
- For everyone: Where do you guys feel Vox Machina stands in their ever-evolving ability to plan and seek varying options? How do you think it's going?
- They know they're terrible at planning and feel pressure to speed it up because they realize it's boring for the audience. Chaos is fun!
- For Matt: Tell us a little bit about devil contracts and the dangers of the Hells, where Vox Machina currently find themselves.
- Matt explains a bit about devils and contracts. He loves it when the party makes poor choices.
- For Sam: How much fun are you having with everything going on right now?
- It's exciting playing a new character, but terrifying. Laura and Marisha were genuinely pissed at him for 24 hours, and Sam admits he trolled them.
- For everyone: I want to hear everyone's favorite one-liners from the past 92 episodes.
- "Your secret is safe with my indifference."[1] "Trust me, I have an intelligence of six. I know what I'm doing."[2] "Life needs things to live."[3] "In the darkness, I say, 'fuck.'"[4] The whole Patrick Rothfuss "You have passed through fire" letter to Keyleth.[5]
- For everyone: What's something about your characters you think will never change, despite what Vox Machina ends up going through?
- Grog: Ale. Getting arrested once a year.
- Keyleth: Putting her foot in her mouth, her wanderlust, love and excitement for the world
- Percy: The air of superiority may go, but the anger issues won't go away.
- Vax: Vax will always step in front of trains to protect his family.
- Vex: Vex will always hold grudges, want to get naked, and love Trinket.
- Victor: Will have fewer and fewer digits.
Audience's questions:[]
- For Marisha, Taliesin and Sam: What would you multiclass your current character into if you had whatever option?
- Keyleth: Barbarian. Percy: Sorcerer. Taryon: Wizard.
- For Matt: I was wondering if there was anything else that you had to tell any dungeon masters who are up and coming?
- Watch Matthew Colville's YouTube channel.
- For Matt: I've noticed a lot of 18s and 19s failing recently while in the Hells. Is that due to levels scaling, or is it due to where they are?
- Scaling and the situation. Matt tends to adjust DCs based on what happens in the game.
- For everyone: You guys just entered Hell. As your characters, what were your first impressions and your second impressions? Of Hell?
- Everything's hot and it burns. This is fine, and the food isn't that bad. Vax was thinking it's one last job, and Vex was at a loss because her persuasion tricks weren't working.
- For Travis: You're not ashamed of being a fan of Hamilton. Recently, Lin Manuel tweeted that he played his first game of D&D. Who would you rather have a song of inspiration from, Scanlan or Lin Manuel?
- How about a rap battle between Lin and Scanlan?
- For everyone: Laura, you specifically this last episode came in with a slightly different accent. How do you guys keep the voices in your head in check?
- Normally it's not hard, but she'd just spent 8 hours in a South African accent. Matt keeps notes for NPCs of actors they sound like, or basic descriptions.
- For Matt: What's been one of your favorite experiences as a DM in the past couple of years, doing Critical Role?
- He likes sharing his knowledge and learning from others. His favorite event in-game was the attack on Emon.
- For everyone: Who would your greatest dream celebrity guest be?
- Stephen Colbert. Lin Manuel Miranda. The cast of Cats in costume. The Stranger Things kids. Judi Dench.
- For everyone: Did anything change because you converted from Pathfinder to 5th edition, character- or story-wise?
- Story-wise, no. They had to re-learn the mechanics. Percy took a LOT of reworking. Laura almost switched subclasses, but needed to keep Trinket.
- For everyone: Has Matt always been this sadistic, or is he really working at it?
- Always. He started nice, sucked them in, and now he's mean. After the Sun Tree incident, Marisha started wondering who she was sleeping next to every night.
- For Matt: What's your favorite mini that you've used in the game so far? Marisha, does he sit on the floor at home going, "Grr! Argh!" with them?
- Sometimes he does. For years, he couldn't afford big minis or Dwarven Forge and he loves playing with them.
- When Tary's book is finally released, like Volo and Elminster did, will Vox Machina release an annotated copy?
- Sam actually sat down and tried to write a little bit of it, but isn't sure how far he'll get.
- For everyone: Favorite magical item?
- Deck of Many Things, Broom of Flying, Dust of Tracelessness, the milk/water/mayonnaise jar, the Bag of Holding, Craven Edge.
- For Taliesin and Matt: With Percival's love of these demon deals, and Matt's newfound love of demon litigation with that contract, in the Hells, can we expect a sort of version of soul claims court at this point? Over Percy's soul?
- We'll have to find out. Such courts exist in Hell.
- For everyone: In the earlier parts of the show, you guys were given the jerky that had a very specific smell. We have our own homemade jerky that we would like to give to you. I'm wondering what would be the best route to get it to you?
- Give it to the Geek & Sundry reps in the hall.
- For Sam: What is Scanlan doing right now in the story? What do you think he'd be doing right now?
- That's a good question. Sam and Matt are trying to figure that out.
Quotations[]
References[]
- ↑ See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 2:18:05.
- ↑ See "Arrival at Kraghammer" (1x01) at 0:41:22.
- ↑ See "The Echo Tree" (1x63) at 1:15:52.
- ↑ See "The Throne Room" (1x07) at 1:06:29.
- ↑ See "Passed Through Fire" (1x69) at 2:01:58.
Art: