Brennan Lee Mulligan Is Still an Evil Genius

Crown of Candy Spoilers
Following on from my last video I had to put some of my favourite Brennan Plot Twists! Let me know any that I might have missed!
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Twitter: / theesweetboy
Timestamps:
0:00 - Crown in the Lava
2:05 - Not A True King
5:29 - Gilear Dies #1
6:55 - A Life For A Life
8:44 - Gilear Dies #2
9:30 - The Cake Is A Lie

[@Jonathan331]

The funny thing about that Hamhead twist was Brennan was caught rolling a Nat20 stealth on camera and he took a photo of his roll too, while the players are talking amongst each other. You can see on his face he was trying so hard not to celebrate, lol. He ended up just surreptitiously winking and pointing at the camera (to let the editor know when the roll happened) and then reveal it later.

[@fishleaf1093]

I remember that. His face literally turned into the pogchamp emote. Lol Edit: it's on 1:24:28 of Episode 3 of Escape from the Bloodkeep.

[@nightstar6179]

Its such a fun moment. The villains had essentially one but Brennan was able to keep the story going in such a great way.

[@AiSard]

For those interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6XPpa2JqdJkmNE

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

@@fishleaf1093 Ha! Thank you for this, I didn't notice it when I watch the show.

[@SpaceSoups]

@@fishleaf1093 kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6XPpa2JqdJkmNE

[@jimmy_the_squid9456]

The Pontifex excommunicating King Amethar is one of the coldest things I've ever seen in actual play

[@TheeSweetboy]

It’s played by everyone so well, Game of Thrones brought to life

[@markuhler2664]

Don't know this adventure but felt he played a pope sticking to the rules really well. May have to binge his games.

[@turtles10]

it hurts every time i see it

[@sadboihrs]

dude when i watched that for the first time i had to take like 20 minutes to fucking sit there and stare at the wall fhdfowhefowheuhewuhweirhwierfh

[@lumberluc]

When I heard "don't" and "stop", I knew war was coming, and Hells be damned if that b**** got in the way

[@monkeybull445]

I like to imagine that Brennan’s monologue as Calroy was as much about the scene itself as it was Brennan himself complaining at how Lou had CONTINUALLY thwarted all if Brennan’s efforts to kill Amethar

[@THEGRUMPTRUCK]

"And her two bastard daughters." *Whispering* Call me that again. Lmfao.

[@blindbrad4719]

I thought he was going to as well LOL, I now pronounce you…

[@TerrariasTheOverseer]

Crown of candy was the coldest f*cking campaign I've ever witnessed

[@TheeSweetboy]

So good!

[@danteredgrave5238]

What actually happened at the end of the campaign?

[@kayleyhodson7079]

@@danteredgrave5238Honestly…just watch it. It’s worth going in not knowing

[@AlexGoldhill]

The pure hatred on the faces of the players during the Calroy monologue is pure perfection.

[@Fenizrael]

That monologue was INSANE

[@TeighMart]

@@Fenizrael It's at like @10:00

[@unicornmustache9273]

i almost stopped watching

[@meredithpike4668]

“Who is your lawfully wedded wife?” GAGGED ME

[@benharmon9575]

That cut from Amethar not being a true king to Gilear getting pummeled to death was jarring, but so fucking funny.

[@CannotBeVerified]

Yo the biggest plot twist for that last one was that he still didn't die lol

[@TheeSweetboy]

He’s Amethar the Unfallen for a reason!

[@buttered_wheel7382]

They took his daughter... He took their entire goddamn world

[@agraeyday8117]

I forgot how amazing the monologue reveal was with Calroy, truly epic twist that one

[@TheeSweetboy]

It’s one of my favourite moments from Brennan!

[@HenriqueErzinger]

The whole scene is amazing. He cuts from Amethar falling to kill Jet, and when he cuts back he describes Amethar sensing his daughter's death midair. It's brutal, and even more badass when he rages and survives the fall. The unfallen indeed.

[@GLidstroem]

I had to abstain from cake for a good while after that

[@sarahbearbabygirl]

like literally every reveal in his little speech had me more shocked than the last, mouth open and speechless. describing how he got each of Amathar’s sisters killed? just adding insult to injury over and over……he not only attempted to kill Amathar, but also ripped open every tentatively time-healed wound of profound grief inside him before his death. maybe the coldest shit I’ve ever seen.

[@mrssirens]

That Last monologue is a master class in character dialogue, he nailed everything down to the smugness and psychotic desire to explain just how badly they outwitted you while you are incapacitated.

[@jonsimpson6240]

"Can Gilear level up with us?" "... NO!" love this bit.

[@BouncingTribbles]

I love how hard Brennan tries to kill Gilear

[@Hypersaiyanike]

Tries implies that it's possible to fail. The difficulty comes from keeping him dead.

[@BouncingTribbles]

​@@Hypersaiyanikeit's more the how that makes me laugh. He just goes straight for him. No subtlety, just ignore the party and deal 20+ damage to Gilear. Especially that Bill Seacaster scene

[@elbruces]

And this is only *one* of the times that Brennan has had one of Lou's trusted assistants stab him in the back.

[@brocadeplayer9183]

It's happened twice now

[@snakeplissken1752]

Wait when's the 2nd time?

[@jelina5892]

​@@snakeplissken1752 exu calamity

[@randyfromrimworld]

As someone who has never watched the candy land thing it's very strange to see all this medieval political intensity which is clearly very in depth and fleshed out, for a world made of candy and the people being named after carmel and lolipops.

[@YOURNOTSAFEAGAIN]

It's honestly one of the best parts of that series, hearing all of these characters debate politics and succession and the legitimacy of the line of the throne and then you get a reminder that one of the characters is a gummy bear talking to a giant piece of steak

[@jeffjefferson7237]

Spoilers (and you really, REALLY ought to watch that season it is SO GOOD) but there is one point where the entire rest of the party is mourning for the death of a pc, and after several people offer words in memorial of the character, brennan cuts to a farmer who is a gumdrop, slipping on the chocolate dirt, and spilling jellybean seeds he was trying to plant behind the plow of his peppermint ox. The genuinely solemn moment utterly inverted into total comedy by the sheer reality check that yes, we are all pieces of candy in a candy country in a food world.

[@leomnidusofsparta]

Crown of Candy is my favorite series of theirs, it’s so fucking good

[@ashendude3394]

​​@@leomnidusofspartaI can totally see it being an adult swim animated series.

[@vatatheoanonymous3705]

Tbh, without the setting there would be virtually no comedic relief lol. It's the second darkest campaign, 1st being the fairytale themed campaign, imo.

[@babzm.1666]

God, the dissolution of Candia as a Concordant Power was truly such a shockingly wonderful bit of plotting on Brennan’s behalf.

[@0kieD0kiee]

I gotta say one of the biggest, most shocking moments ever of dimension 20 for me was 2:27 . I was legitimately shaken, like with the ramifications of what the question implied and GOD Crown of Candy was just unlike any other campaign in the level of intensity and seriousness and my heart just shattered over and over

[@thebandkid8066]

I was really hesitant to watch crown of candy because I didn't know the tone of the campaign before I started watching but I'm really glad I did. It's absolutely incredible

[@void-creature]

9:30 even with no context, I can just tell how damn PROUD that character is of his schemes, and how much he revels the opportunity to FINALLY being able to boast about them. (And Brennan obviously channeling his own pride as the DM here, very clever)

[@TheKristina1978]

Mega spoilers I’m about reveal. Lou survives that fall, and goes on to Kill Calroy(monologue man), and yes, it’s amazing

[@soupyllama3604]

@@TheKristina1978badass spoiler In one hit no less. Fucking poetic ass nat 20

[@sorecererslothful703]

"A Life For a Life" is one of the funniest, most out of nowhere thing I've seen in a D&D game. Then Augefort using this twisted situation to smuggle himself into heaven... my god xD

[@jordanpeterson5140]

We're lucky that Brennan likes TTRPGs, cuz with this ability to monolog if he had ill intentions he'd be way too powerful.

[@agamingenigma6116]

This man literally became the mad villain for candy land of all things.

[@manticorephoenix]

Calroy and Asmodeus, his absolute masterpiece of monologues

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

Brennan in Critical Role's Exandria Unlimited: Calamity absolutely blew me away. He is excellent always but with that show specifically he elevated the medium to a level I have never seen before and I do not think it will be replicated any time soon. It was truly a work of art, a tragedy in 4 parts. On par with history's greatest literary works.

[@ColieBear18]

Hes BRILLIANT in dealing out tragedy. I live for the catharsis in tragedy and god DAMN hes so fucking good at it. It hurt so good.

[@BLINDrOBOTFILMS]

The whole series is incredible, I just finished rewatching it, but his Asmodeus gives me chills. "To reach a hand down to somebody , they have to be BENEATH YOU"

[@chrisbrown6952]

I would love to see Trapp at more tables, he’s so fun.

[@Lerah99]

I was just thinking this!

[@rowdyrobgaming8726]

If he didn’t apparently hate Lou I think we would.

[@chrisbrown6952]

@@rowdyrobgaming8726 oh snap, is that a thing?

[@joshuakusuma5953]

@@chrisbrown6952 Don't think so. It's just an observation that Lou was never on Um, Actually so Lou just jokingly said Trapp hates him.

[@logicaloverdrive8197]

6:59 This moment is when it really hit me that this show is different in the best way possible. That twist and how calm brennan is afterwards still sits with me.

[@nansalem2142]

It's fun seeing Lou as Fabian at the very beginning at the life for a life scene screaming "What the fuck is happening?!" at the top of his lungs when you compare that with Lou as Nydas Okiro, fully done with Brennan's shit at that point, walking up from his chair, not even reacting while everyone else is screaming, and simply telling Brennan "You gotta cut this shit out, man." Mans has been put through it. He's seen some shit.

[@TheeSweetboy]

It’s the full cycle of Character Development when you have Brennan as a DM

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

Exandria Unlimited: Calamity was just a whole other level of story telling. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole production.

[@lowkeylokii4205]

Mc... *rib* *_PLEASE_*

[@Questfinder1]

​@@AleksandrStrizhevskiyepisode 4 i was sobbing for 6 hours. Man is evil

[@RabidDogma]

@@AleksandrStrizhevskiy That whole "one second" is legendary.

[@commonviewer2488]

The real tragedy at the trial is that Brennan (to his own admission) had been outplayed up until that point. They had repeatedly survived assassination attempts without a single casualty, and made the public aware of them. As he was struggling to think of what the Pontifex could try next, he turned to the lost love of the King, and used it to ruin everything when our heroes were at the finish line. "Were you declared Emperor" was all that had to be asked to end the conflict, and the Pope revealed they hadn't even left the starting line of this war.

[@G30R6E93]

Seeing that scene from Escape from the Blood keep first makes me SO HAPPY what a great compilation. Thank you!

[@TheeSweetboy]

I think it’s a heavily underrated series!

[@AceCruzat]

Man, ACOC concluded years ago and it STILL gives me chills, especially the Calroy reveal. Ugh. And then the scene with Jett and Liam still breaks my heart.

[@empressredbird]

Brennan's storytelling is a wet dream to many

[@ColieBear18]

Legit I want that tragedy its EXACTLY what I want.

[@jackcrook6330]

Lou freaking out during life for a life is fucking gold

[@jettblade]

Brennan is really good at building tension and getting the players invested in the game. Honestly that monologue from Crown of Candy was one of the best scenes and also leads into one of the most epic moments a character had on the show. Not going into any details but Lou built an amazing character and had an intense moment.

[@januarygrey]

9:30 *"The Cake Is A Lie"* That chapter title is *perfection.* 👌

[@johnnyb368]

0:46 Amy's suspicious "thank you..." gets me everytime.

[@victoriahood2784]

The betrayal of amethar by calroy still gives me chills 😅

[@JoshIdstein]

i havn't found time yet to watch D20 but Gilear's ridicolous death have me sold on making that time as soon as possible.

[@TheeSweetboy]

It’ll be a great investment of your time!

[@TBoring]

The one thing that always confused me about A Crown of Candy is that Sir Theobald named Amathar as a potential heir for Emperor. Theobald could literally choose anyone to be a potential emperor as champion of the Joust, so Amathar should technically still be made Emperor even if he has lost his noble title and is excommunicated. The Church wouldn’t have allowed it but I’m shocked no one brought up that Amathar still has a legal claim to the Throne.

[@Hope-kl6gy]

If you listen to the language used for the excommunication, it's not that he's stripped of his title - it's that he "cannot hold title". I think it's fair to assume that would overrule any function of assuming a title, at least in practical terms.

[@ollie__reid]

Yeah I believe only members of the church are allowed to hold titles in the empire. Not that uncommon when you look at the historical interactions between church and state

[@nickdziura7373]

Its later revealed when Amethar tells the Dairy Islanders that he was named emperor that it would supersede the excommunication, but they would need the book of st citrina to prove it

[@YeetSpace]

added info about it all but spoilers technically speaking everything the pontifex says here is incorrect, due to the fact that Amathar's previous wife technically died 5 days before he married caramelinda. the entire thing was a crock of shit plan made from lies due to the fact he was excommunicated for being an oathbreaker. whilst not being an oathbreaker, due to his first wife being already dead. Albeit lies that we're not known to be lies at the time, but still unconfirmed by anyone, and still then acted upon by the church and the enemies of house rocks. Due to the fact that even if it turned out to be untrue, the actions taken after excommunication would have led to a disallowment of recommunication if not for the fact that everyone else got fucking murdered and Amathar was the last named person by the emperor and given they had the book after doing the murders, They could publicly show that that truly was the case.

[@insanitybrickboi7168]

It's also important to note, Amathar wasn't just excommunicated, he was also part of an active rebellion because the crown went to Joren Jawbreaker. In that moment he was an enemy of both the church and empire; there's no way that Theo winning the joust could supercede a war.

[@Nitsua1201]

I can't believe you cut out him surviving the fall. Villainous.

[@kennethmorgan8795]

I'm looking forward to his next run as DM now that Fey and Flowers is done... not that I was disappointed with him as a player, far from it, but I want to look at/listen to the events and just think "Oh fk..."

[@MaybeAnnatar]

"...did Gilear level up with us?" "No!" classic.

[@teamcyeborg]

Episode 2™ is such a great example of calmly yet quickly moving on after describing the most terrifying things possible. My absolute favorite DMing tactic.

[@HemiHalfCentury]

Dude Brennan is too fucking good into legitimately turning into his characters

[@Steffert.]

Gotta say crown of candy was the best written campaign yet even though i never finished it

[@monicanieves87]

His monologues are better than any marvel movie. ( just my opinion )

[@vetchable]

1:45 he just goblin saluted

[@emunknown3395]

As someone who has been watching Dinension20 every week since 2018, I love seeing all these comments from people who've never seen D20 getting the wildest introduction to the series.

[@dallyowally]

I love that by the end of sophomore year Riz, Fabian, Fig and Adaine are all siblings to some extent

[@clayman648]

6:55 I remember seeing this whole one shot god it was so much fun! Brennan just ignores her complete logical countering statement about the lunch lady hahaha

[@verynormalhumans4420]

I'm shocked he hasn't run a VtM game. The horror movie monsters and complicated political chess games seem right up his alley.

[@glimmerofhope3074]

He's does play an excommunicated priest in LA by Night. There's a compilation that's like an 1 1/2 long. Adrian is... unhinged.

[@verynormalhumans4420]

@@glimmerofhope3074 Yeah, I saw that, he was a great player, I'd just love to see a chronicle with his as the Storyteller

[@dekusi1857]

i wish i could relive "a life for a life" for the first time again. i absolutely LOST MY SHIT fantasy high was my first exposure to DND lmaooo

[@MeredithHagan]

I don’t know a thing about RPGs, I just love listening to Brennan talk.

[@JAAAY62]

Still seeing the Calroy monologue makes me so mad. I'm still upset by that betrayal.

[@williamredmond8128]

"Marry a Milkmaid, she Moo-ves..."

[@LunaSomnium]

Ah yes, that first battle conclusion from Fantasy High Season 1. Jaw-dropping good times.

[@lucasjohnston1305]

Brennan is Littlefinger come to life

[@ladyblakeney]

Did Gilear level up with us?? NO!!!!

[@junebug6432]

I've never watched any of these series' but dAMN is brennan a good dm

[@munt368]

Just do yourself the favor of watching EXU calamity if you haven’t

[@vek144]

I had a similar 'Hamhead Moment' where I rolled a nat 1 for an Druid npc after they went off alone for firewood then immediately a nat 20 for that said npc to be kidnapped and replaced with a Changling just before the 1st long rest. The pc's saw my reactions and I proceeded systematically roll Deceptions after its every action while staring at each player but none questioned me. It managed to take out the Scout npc next and took her guise. Still no questions and it convinced the warlock to come to bed and let the pc's take watch. Shortly after all this the druid managed to escape and arrive on the scene. Finally the Deception was brought to full bare after the Warlock punctuated the situation with a good ol eldridtch blast to the Faker. It rose the warhorn to call the reinforcements...all they had to do is thank 'The Ranger' for getting the firewood and none of this would have happened.

[@linkshadow2]

God I’d die to just play one game with this legend

[@SeaKaned]

I feel like this is the exact type of video thumbnail that he would want to have a conspiracy video about him to look like

[@Froggeh92]

Brennan just mercing Galier every time he feels it is the best

[@blazerheata6479]

This just recommended to me. Hype for the Halloween season!!!

[@drakedarkstar5422]

When I see Brennan DMing he seems like sucking out players' IQ. Players start mumbling and fumbling against his words

[@sarahpruett6741]

"Here's to a future you can't fuck up." Is sooooooo cold, love it

[@t.h.mcelroy6597]

Absolute legend 💛

[@spenceduggs8449]

I remember being on a bus when Brennan dropped "who is your lawfully wedded wife?" I actually wasn't okay after this campaign, ACoC was INSANELY good 😭

[@abigailstone823]

Why do people always do his full name like they do for serial killers

[@weebjeez]

.... I feel like you have the answer for it, right there

[@__Insanity_]

Because he is some kind of otherworldly being that is so powerful, he actively reveals his true name to prove his power despite the common knowledge that knowing something's true name gives the knower some power over the entity. It's just flexing on the mortals

[@connerscott2687]

Because Brennan Mulligan is a capitalist and a union buster. He needs the extra syllable.

[@skittyjive9135]

first of all, he is one. second of all, thats his NAME. its his professional name.

[@melware1372]

This is so unnecessarily funny out of context

[@renthecowboy]

i think about that scene in the cathedral, i kid you not, several times a day. a crown of candy is my roman empire

[@lazypaladin]

OK Vid No.2 *_Massive Damon Gant vibes!_* This dude is neat 👌

[@sadcat1845]

What is the name of that chilling instrumental piece at 10:19, that has me child to the bones, and Brennan adds another dimension of layer to it which just mmmng gosh,...

[@thesmartI]

"price must be paid" BOOM

[@doubledamn2599]

So Brennan was doing this instead and THAT'S why the last season of Game of Thrones was so...well... you know.

[@shinybugg9156]

Did Gilear die twice?

[@cosmicremix311]

He dies so many times it ends up being a bit

[@seanthebluesheep]

A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.

[@TheDiablotak]

Calroy’s monologue is an all timer

[@TheeSweetboy]

One of the best ever

[@JohnSmith-ox3gy]

Mulligan is the third most evil word after Infect and Mindsculptor.

[@randomomelette2906]

Have you seen Evan kelmp?! He is always scary

[@localcthulhu3081]

i watch this video for inspiration whenever I DM

[@literal-tree]

"call me that again" naur

[@tovahwulf]

The Cake is a Lie bit, why is Brennan like this with Lou? XD Second time he did that to one of his characters (coming from ExU Calamity).

[@theMull90]

Did Gilear level up with us 😂😂

[@TK_Brainslug]

Brennan is so good

[@honque21]

Something about Brennan's hand movements at 1:44 is so mesmerizing.

[@NekoIceE]

7:56 this was one of my favorite moments 😂😂😂

[@terrorghost2027]

i just want to learn Brennan's snap ( 1:46 - 1:48) that was sick

[@souldragon9130]

I said this once, I'll say it again. If I see Brennan as a DM for ANY DND game I visit, Im GTFOing instantly. *Im not dealing with Sadism*

[@daviddiazv17]

But imagine missing a (probably amazing) campaign with one of the best DMs of our era because you can't handle a little (a lot of) pain

[@souldragon9130]

@@daviddiazv17 a lot of pain, David. just my point. He's the definition of wanting people to roll a nat 1.

[@soundaholixx]

I want this guy on the next fromsoftware title as a voice actor and producer please

[@mikedawe692]

Man, Brennan could give Steven King a run for his money. He’d be the only other guy that I’m sure could shock and terrify me more. I wonder if he plays D&D?

[@DharmaDerelict]

Yes but I wish there was more context cause I aint seen any of this before and have no idea what the evil genius part of it all is. Guess Im gonna have to go watch all of it now. x_x

[@austonhavok9011]

.... okay ill watch the crown of candy campaign

[@blainewagner2262]

Gilear can and will never catch a break 😂

[@SkreltNL]

even with the cabalhandsign in the picture no clearer way to show it

[@41tinman41]

Did anyone ever attempt to animate any of these? Seems like great material.

[@vladgdc]

there are some: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKa0ZICJqMiLeqc , kzbin.info/www/bejne/anfNYqqLa92HbNk

[@kurisusenpai5728]

I would love to watch it from the beginning of the campaign. Could anyone help me?

[@kshitijvikhankar]

Where can I watch the last one in full? Please

[@dionbiddick9070]

I remember once my part was visiting some famous library in a town somewhere and there was a young girl and her brother selling lemonade outside (their family owned an orchard and she'd take the excess lemons) one of my party when asked for like 2 copper looked at the girl, blinked and set down like 1 gold for each of the 3 cups he bought because that was the lowest he had. He came back later and I told him the story of how the pair got stopped and shaken down on thier way home the gold pieces were taken and the boy was crippled. Queue the next hour where he's like furious, goes and starts a violent and bloody bar fight (dude was a bard nicknamed 'the Wizard' if that tells you anything about him) and then went and asked the cleric to heal the young boy. Not the last time my level 15 party had to face the consequences of interacting with commoners

[@ryaneaston3487]

Question: Is Brennen's MO just to scar his players? XD

[@himonightbreeze]

I like that you can see Brennan's salad in the bottom right.

[@amekage2550]

Is there Aftercare for D&D?

[@godspeedhero3671]

Amethar THE FALLEN lol