Critical Role | Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray & Travis Willingham | Talks at Google

Travis Willingham, Marisha Ray, and Matthew Mercer discuss the origins of Critical Role the show and company, their approach to crafting characters, the benefits of playing DnD with the people you work with, and why they’re all so darn charitable!
Check out their past content at / @criticalrole and catch them live every Thursday night at 7pm PST.
You can find more details about Critical Role at critrole.com/.
Moderated by Matthew Prince.

[@lucasm.3864]

"No one's gonna watch 4 hours a week of D&D." Hold on, the 5 hour episode they just dropped today is getting to the good part.

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

4 hours is the perfect amount of d&d!

[@Jaijaibinkx]

Try telling my players that; 4 hours becomes 6 far too easily.

[@callmegoats]

Like that would be totally ridiculous.

[@andrewthao4869HK]

And then you get the real marathon sessions of 8-12 hours, lol.

[@alexmurray1847]

I had a 48 hour session with friends over a weekend once

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

"Felicia Day asked us to." Matt's tombstone.

[@junkname9983]

Felicia also had a Talks @Google and that's an interesting video as well. Look it up if you haven't seen it yet

[@tonymarino8]

Matt's Tombstone will read "How do you want to do this?"

[@G.F.SF55]

​@@tonymarino8 or "you can certainly try"

[@ScorchHellfire]

The greatest irony ever: *jocks* got Matt Mercer, the quintessential theater nerd, to play D&D for the first time. xD

[@chrisparker6517]

"it's helped me with decision making under pressure" - Marisha Ray 2018 "I turn into a goldfish" - Marisha Ray 2017

[@SarahAndreaRoycesChannel]

Hybris kills "We are golden gods!" was just uttered before that. Than again she was right as it turned out to be a minor inconvenience.

[@maskedconquest3657]

didnt she kill herself looking for a diamond or something? i was a bit distracted with trying to stay concise i was laughing so hard

[@Aidscapade71]

@@maskedconquest3657 She was basically too wrapped up in herself. There are s bunch of different things she could if done but hubris did her in, on this wierd kind of High.

[@PerfectChaosZeta]

Hey, people learn from mistakes, right?

[@JCGver]

@@PerfectChaosZeta 200d6 is certainly a way to teach your players something

[@estoy1001]

19:40 - He started with a mining town, and ended on Owlbear ecology in less than three minutes. He is the Bob Ross of RPG's.

[@Jedibigfoot]

that needs to be a new series just regular fireside chat with Matt building an entire world and story

[@dwylaw]

And his hair-game is as least as strong as Bob's :D

[@nirobu]

And he doesn't even think that what he was doing was difficult :(

[@killcat1971]

*Set's Owlbear traps*

[@ariaflame-au]

Judging by recent events that might be Terry Crews

[@shadowelrick7991]

Can we all just appreciate how Marisha perfectly broke down exactly what we love about Critical Role, and used that as the concept for three amazing new shows? People don't give her enough credit for the hard work she does in advancing the channel. Brava Marisha, brava!

[@isabelleli4457]

I felt called out when she said that part of the appeal of Critical Role was all of them being such good friends, and not just the stupidly high calibre of their game. My nose is bruised. Marisha's a goddamn psychic.

[@shadowelrick7991]

@@isabelleli4457 I know right?! But this just proves that she is damn good at her job. She was responsible for the new wave of shows that appeared on G&S, and they've been doing really well. When they announced that she would now be in charge of the Critical Role channel, I was so happy, because I knew she was going to do an amazing job.

[@LaenayaSathe]

AGREED!! You go, Marisha!!!

[@caramelcoffees]

absolutely love the stuff crit role has been coming out with lately. marisha deserves a lot of credit for her creative decisions!

[@FulcanMal]

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't like her at first. Now I like, admire, and respect her more than anyone else on the show.

[@lurkspar]

Watching travis while matt talks about worldbuilding is hilarious

[@djarchangel6695]

Paused video to come down to the comments to see if anyone else noticed it. Glad I'm not the only one.

[@igotsmeakabob]

Where is this roughly, time-wise? Thanks Edit: around 18mins

[@lurkspar]

@@igotsmeakabob around 19:40 when Matt talks about building the mining town, as he goes more in depth Travis' just starts noping out like 'Nah, nah that's not how normal people think.'

[@PyjamaRex]

Matt's also just talking about Phandalin right?

[@a.o.9594]

I was going say the same he is either “I’m in the present of Demi god” or “ my brain is melting”

[@HeatherVillalta]

The interviewer: “I’m only on episode 22” when they mention character deaths. Oh no. He has no idea.

[@VexonCross]

Few minutes later, Deuce namedrop.

[@jakobtrangsrud8264]

And straight up spoils later on.

[@ABeast83]

Poor guy probably thinks Caduceus is a guest character

[@makesomebacon]

its the best thing that happened to the campaign tbh

[@AlmightyCow1]

That was surprising. They're usually really good about spoilers.

[@wolframstahl1263]

20:24 How is Travis not surprised Matt reads rocket science in his spare time. I would have never ever guessed that Matt had any free time.

[@sydney4814]

If you watch the older critical scope videos (Or in one of the eearly episodes of Campaign 1) Matt and the cast got gifted a mountain of super cool NASA stuff (stills from the Hubble space telescope, stuff like that) by a very senior employee of NASA, the amount that he, Marisha, Taliesin and Travis all lose their minds over it is really adorable:) almost all of them seem to be space buffs. Matt also seems to have a very deeeeeeeep knowledge of geology from watching the original underdark segment of CR C1 (E1-E13) where he goes into great detail in the mineral/geological composition of the subterranean caves they are exploring.

[@jacktalos7]

Not gonna lie, you had us in the first half 😂

[@ludiviner1530]

Travis "I'm not limited in anyway [in d&d]" goes and stab Santa

[@chrisgatton621]

Hahaha, best scene ever. I loved Chutney.

[@rowanmurray2842]

Chris Gatton same

[@blueashke]

@@chrisgatton621 And now we have him back, though with the name as Chetney now instead.

[@xyon172]

I'm crying with laughter watching Travis react to Matt explaining his world building. It's a mixture of school kid in an algebra lesson, and love and respect and awe for his firends talent. So sweet.

[@xiconp1993]

I'm 100% convinced that Travis would be a good fit into any sitcom.

[@kickit246]

I love watching Travis all the time, he's like Matt's biggest fan. He always looks on with wonder when Matt is describing something crazy.

[@jamiedodger2361]

Get someone who looks at you the way Travis Willingham looks at Matthew Mercer

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@kickit246 he is everybody's biggest fan if you notice. He is always cheering averybody on and happy on their behalf and in awe of their abilities.

[@canniloni]

PalleRasmussen you’re right. for example, i love the way he reacts whenever ashley does some cool barbarian stuff on the show because he’s just so proud of her. it’s adorable

[@BiggySn1p3r]

I could just sit and watch a 2-3 hour video of Matt Mercer coming up with campaign ideas.

[@lucasm.3864]

I'm 90% sure that he would've kept going with that initial idea for the next 6 hours... and I'd watch every bit of it.

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

As a newbie DM, that would be my dream!

[@jessemeeks8953]

Okay heres my pitch, do it like bob ross, but with dnd

[@Angelos42]

jesse meeks We will add some happy little storyhooks here...

[@Vegas242]

It's not about world building exactly, but Mike Mearls' Happy Fun Hour is definitely worth checking out

[@garrettrobinson3826]

Interviewer: "I'm only on episode 22" Matt Mercer mentions Caduceus not five minutes later

[@ClaymanV]

Cuz not 5 episodes later Cadeuces joins lol

[@HulluMel]

@@DWargs I went through this same exact train of thought

[@CptObvious]

The interviewer mentioned in the reddit thread for this video that he had already had Molly's death spoiled for him.

[@Donnerjkks]

DWargs I found this way to funny

[@joemcgurk7226]

"I want an axe. Can I hit things? Cool." And thus, Grog was born.

[@kaeleastlord]

I mean... it's not wrong. Travis had no idea what he was doing when Laura dragged him to the first session and Matt ended up asking questions like "what do you want to do?" "Hit things and not have to think about it" "ok, barbarian would work so here's some good race choices" and so on and so forth.

[@carric_siannodel7935]

Marisha "We've slain Vecna we can handle corporate"

[@solosmoke7330]

Even after all these years, Matt still looks at Marisha like he's seeing her for the first time and falling in love. He hangs on her every word. It's beautiful

[@PalleRasmussen]

My father did that for 60+ years with my mother. Life goals...

[@Deschain-um7jz]

I’m still blown away by how tough and smart my wife is. Terrible eyesight though, apparently.

[@R3cov3ry]

a wizard named Trent?!? Calebs main bad guy is Matts first character?

[@fardareismai4495]

Man, I think the trauma of running to the front lines with a sword when he was very weak and getting his ass kicked turned him into a power hungry torturer... That seems like a reasonable explanation

[@tavernmancer]

xanth.fandom.com/wiki/Magician_Trent

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

"Matthew is bae." Travis you are SO right!

[@Maddismukke]

Sorry, not a native speaker... what does that mean?

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

@@Maddismukke bae = babe, in this context: A person you (platonicly) love very much

[@Maddismukke]

@@YuubiTimberwolf Aw, thanks! Didn't think that it's usual to say it that way.

[@Wolverine-eh3sg]

@@Maddismukke but in Dutch, it means poo

[@ryanscott9354]

It's weird how big they've gotten. When I first started watching I thought I was the only person in Iowa that watched it. A little more than a year later one of the first things said when you meet a new DND player is "So you watch Critical Role?" I think the group chemistry really makes it, but Matt Mercer is the golden standard of DMs. I am glad they are introducing new people to DnD, a game that is dear to my heart. Thank you CR staff.

[@Gordyan_Knot]

Hiya! I'm also a Critter from Iowa, and I do the same. To me, bringing up CR is the most likely way to find some common ground right away with a new player or DM.

[@Ellesworth97]

Iowan here too! I was at the library studying for exams and someone saw me watching CR and came up to talk to me. It was so awesome to meet someone else who was a fellow Critter!

[@Stormcrownn]

Iowa baby! There's lots of people that have watched it. Those KZbin views are no joke.

[@johnekare8376]

Grailsarvas Wow! That’s just amazing. I’ve heard of RPGs being used in therapeutic setting but hearing of a real world example and that it seems to be working makes me so happy. Respect for taking your time to make a difference to those kids and thank you for sharing.

[@nyssa2602]

Yoooooo Iowa here too!!

[@stellasilvae]

My god, Marisha is brilliant.

[@New_Theaology]

Knife wielding Circus Roadie.... Do you mean Mollymauk Tealeaf?!?

[@jayneed6974]

No, the roadie was Yahsa.

[@TheOneBored]

...matt's first character was a militant wizard named trent, who's parents "mysteriously died"? campaign 2 spoilers?

[@Canadian_Princess]

"No one is going to watch DnD for four hours a week..." Hold my beer, because Critical Role is what made me want to DM. Thank you everyone at Critical Role.

[@chaosrex1487]

Literally same here.

[@Kalev225]

Likewise, picked up open legend (new system matt contributed to) just to try out dm.

[@rileymitchell3510]

exact same

[@Aidscapade71]

the definitely inspired me to get back into it.

[@keidangoins9364]

Yeah it's legit the reason I've been able to get so much better at DMing. All the little tips and trick you pick up on during episodes or that people discuss in the comments have elevated my game to the next level. I went from barely managing the starter's set to building my own world and power dynamics and plot and map and everything (hence why I've been playfully accused of going "full mat mercer" which I think should be a saying)

[@aubreyvictoria320]

I love the size progression of fitting in the chair from Marisha to Matt to Travis haha

[@FoulMouthCrow]

I clicked on this, not planning to watch the whole 50 minutes, and as soon as I heard Matt, Marisha, and Travis talking, I couldn't stop listening.

[@jesusirizarry4493]

There you narrating my experience with this video.

[@Donnerjkks]

It’s almost 2 am. I have work in the morning. Halp.

[@suola7948]

It's almost 3 am and I have work today...

[@theanyktos]

Same, it's half past 12 and I'm definitely going to finish it.

[@adrianasantorio9971]

same, was just looking for one little quote and here I am 30 minutes later

[@rhun13]

Shout out to the moderator and audience for bringing some extremely great questions. You hear a lot of the same questions at the CR convention Q&A's so it was cool to get into some wider ranging topics here.

[@lorinatidc]

I would want to sit and talk about Marisha's breakdown of the CR metrics and data for hours. She has a brain behind this that is captivating. Seeing the beyond of CR is fascinating. She hits it, it's not DnD, it's them and they are lightening of personalities people connect with coming from all over the place in who and how they found each person they follow. TV, Games, Cons, Anime, Etc. And people with self insecurities can really connect with the demographic that was/is DnD for decades. There are no better ambassadors than this family of friends but for people, not for DnD. Given the level, many will never be happy/satisafied in DnD the way they are fantasizing/watching it here but as people to connect to across many hobbies, they are that.

[@mkang8782]

A bit of thread necromancy is appropriate for a video about DnD, right? This is what I tell folks about why I enjoy watching CR: they are clearly friends playing a game, as opposed to a handful of relatively random folks. No slight intended towards other streams, but for my interests, this is the essential element.

[@blairbird8022]

Constant fear of TPK is real.

[@fardareismai4495]

Tell me about it...

[@HalflingHelper]

This has been up 7 hours, where is flando with the timestamps!?

[@Angelos42]

Origami Cubes Well, it’s not on one of their usual channels, so maybe they havent found it yet

[@theglitchexplorer3488]

R/Woooosh

[@rodrikforrester6989]

@@theglitchexplorer3488 r/foundthemobileuser

[@NorthWriter]

Ha ha! This thought totally crossed my mind, too! :D Long Live Flando!

[@DMStraylight]

42:50 is the most important thing Matt says. A proper Session Zero solves 90% of all issues at the table.

[@UncleTrog]

I started running D&D games around about 1980, still running them today. Never once have I run a Session Zero. But you know what? He's f**cking right. My current game is on pause because of life stuff, I'm going to run a session zero before I restart it. Can't express how much I love these folks, CR has made the world a little bit brighter for me and I know for a fact it's saved lives.

[@josemhernandez1974]

Honestly Critters are some of the kindest, polite and most welcoming groups of people I have met. Proud of that community. I came from the time was playing D&D was a bad thing and now it is not.

[@rimurutempest4945]

Jose Hernandez Well, except if it’s about Marisha. Defend Marisha, Bash Marisha, you’ll always find someone who’s gonna call you out.

[@hilnnerfarias913]

@@rimurutempest4945 talk about this gjaddajg guy, the dude gets triggered hard if someone say they like Marisha. He's probably a gatekeeper.

[@michaelnagel2205]

I believe many of us would like to learn the glorious beginnings of Sean Gilmore. To flesh out the Rune Child legacy and learn more of that region of Matt's World

[@TharnsGirl]

I demand a novel about him. I wonder if they're hiring ghost writers?

[@elbruces]

Well Matt's Tal'Dorei campaign guide has them as a playable subclass for sorcerors... so anyone cab make it up themselves.

[@Questfinder1]

Having a large group of lgbtq friends my entire life. I know sean gilmore, he is very glorious. Careful with his husband, he swings both ways. Lol. Kidding. No seriously love matts characters.

[@bigbundle3223]

Matt should do some one-shot side stories with these minor characters.

[@isobelmoody8328]

Watching this video on the day they announced the second of their tie-in novels? I'm feeling hopeful that one of these days we will read that.

[@ASquared544]

The fact that basically jocks introduced D&D to Matt is both kinda ironic yet kinda fitting

[@tharrock337]

What Marisha says at 25:27 is propably the most beautiful compliment a game could ever get. I tried to tell my dad the same thing ad he told me I sound like a Jehovas Witness. I think you have to play D&D in order to get how much it builds confidence and makes you explore yourself and your relationships with others.

[@kmerritt09]

As a person who came back to D&D after a really bad situation, I can say that playing this game has been absolutely critical in helping me move past it and become a better person. I've discovered that when I make a character's flaw something about me that I would like to maybe grow through or move past, playing the game helps me process that and use the skills my character learns in the game and apply them to my own life. It really has been pivotal in helping me through those things and I can say I would not be the person I am today without it. Critical Role is a large part of the reason why I even started playing again and I owe this show more than they could ever really imagine.

[@beebobox]

Wonderful to hear

[@joshr6589]

It looks like DnD played a...Critical Role

[@shadowscall7758]

@@joshr6589 Darn it, you beat me to it.

[@Drazatis]

I first clicked on Critical Role during their first Halloween episode; and caught a glimpse of Travis’ tavern wench outift. I’ve been a fan ever since.

[@Jedibigfoot]

9:44 literally the reason I fell so far into D&D oh this D&D had always seemed interesting, I'll watch videos on it to get more into it like I do with other things *watches vin diesel D&* wow is this Mercer guy a professional DM? will have to look for more stuff with him *finds Critical Role* wonder if this is any good? *hundreds of hours later*

[@SebiStr99]

Same exact story right here

[@Evija3000]

I was interested in DnD, but I was wasn't sure such long episodes and campaigns would be interesting to watch. So I went step by step - Vin Diesel, Liam's One Shot, Critical Role.

[@Evija3000]

@italkcrab There's even a somewhat expectable twist that makes it kinda intriguing.

[@julieaubutgaudet4403]

Had the same kind of introduction to critical role except my first video was dnd with terry crews. Then i found critical role and I am a critter through and through!

[@russjohnson1715]

Literally my gateway. In that order.

[@Jundt]

Travis Willingham: My character is Grog Matt Mercer: My character is Exandria. Sup?

[@haydenjenken1213]

.....was told I couldn't be a drow ranger..........so i became a tiefling warlock instead.

[@Kassiopeia_Noir]

Why couldn't you be a drow ranger?

[@haydenjenken1213]

Dm said no

[@Kassiopeia_Noir]

Aw, that's too bad. What kind of campaign are you playing? I'm about to DM a Tal'Dorei campaign myself.

[@hilnnerfarias913]

Worst class with the worst sub race, really, your dm saved you from having a nightmare playthrough. You're a ranger that has difficulty to shoot in day light on top that the ranger gets really weak with time. Your friends become powerhouses and you fell kinda stuck in the same power level.

[@sydney4814]

@@hilnnerfarias913 Aye, the 'ol Vex dilemma, it is why Laura said she avoided the later Battle Royals that they did as bonus content in CR C1, since by LV16 she is totally underpowered by just about every metric by every teammate, especially Percy, Keyleth and Grog.

[@selbur4326]

"There are a lot of D&D shows and none of them have exploded in the way Critical Role has" Those other D&D shows don't have Matthew Mercer DM'ing for them

[@Draeckon]

I think it's also because most of the other shows aren't comprised of professional voice-actors. Critical Role is a very specific style of D&D that focuses on doing interesting voices as well as the characters, and the players are very well versed in creating dynamic and engaging interactions between the characters on the fly. Likewise, Mercer clearly enjoys playing around with his voice and creating worlds and thinking through the logical implications that come with them in his spare time - all things that play very well into being a DM. Most players in other games don't have that kind of background to enhance their play, and not all DMs speak with different voices, either because they simply don't have the ability to or don't want to (Matt Colville mentions in more than one video that his favorite long-time DM Jim Murphy never once spoke in character, it was always in the third person and Colville himself doesn't always speak in character either). Which is fine - the beauty of D&D is that there's more than one way to play it. Unfortunately, for those D&D shows that don't do it the way CR does, the majority of potential viewers just won't find it as interesting a lot of the time. Tl;dr: The cast and DM of Critical Role are very charismatic people and play in a way that supports it, while your average D&D players/DMs typically aren't quite so charismatic, even ones that have been playing for a long time.

[@samoclese6435]

Just watching Travis while Matt is going through the whole mining town thing is nearly more entertaining than actually listening to Matt. Nearly.

[@uiscepreston]

To be fair. All Work No Play predates Critical Role. In fact, All Work No Play started everything. On their second episode while brainstorming about what recreational (non-work) thing they can do together (the whole point of the podcast), Liam says he has been putting off their acquaintance Matt's offer to host a D&D game but does adds that maybe it's something they could do for his upcoming birthday. Sam is so hesitant about the idea because he has no clue what D&D is but loses his mind when he finds out he can be bard! A while later, on the next AWNP, they are two giddy schoolboys talking about the party and just how amazing an experience it was. But you have to remember that Liam's birthday is also Laura's birthday and she brought Travis - who also had no D&D experience. So there is this whole serendipitous synergy that bought them together and changed all their lives.

[@netcowboy]

This "evolution of storytelling" saved my life by giving me a new way to look at the world. As I've learned more about each of the "personalities", I've been inspired in my situation of starting a new life. At 54 years old who played white box, I feel as though I "began" with Critical Role. We are witnessing a form of modern Shakespeare or Milton. CR saved my life. EDIT: Maybe most like Homer since Homer was more than one person doing the storytelling. And it was the oral transmission of stories. Not the written. Anyway, CR directly inspired me to volunteer at the local library. And I was recently elected President of the Board of the Library Friends group. My first act was to invest 30k in a diversity collection for the children, and also of course to welcome D&D games in our Community Room. Thanks, CR

[@mr_kayo]

That sounds awesome

[@timothybyars2199]

Congrats..DND is amazing not for what it is but what it can be..

[@Matt-fm1wo]

This sounds awesome! I'm going through some shifts in life myself and don't know where I'm going, but inspiration is always an interesting thing...and Critical role is an amazing source of it! :)

[@Raikomon]

"I'm only on episode 22" oh honey you have a STORM coming

[@spot6532]

I remember just scrolling through the depths of Twitch one day, found this thing called "Critical Role" on something called "Geek&Sundry" with episode 3 in the title. Its still weird to see this gem explode into what it is now, and still have anyone I talk to where I live know nothing about it or D&D

[@zacharyharwell351]

While Travis was talking about Operation Supply Drop I had a thought: A party of Fighter/Rogue builds played by Navy SEALS would be AMAZING to watch

[@AlephSharp]

that Gilmore story comment sounded Suspiciously like a hint

[@blacksilketchings]

right?? what if... what if liam's new character for Search for Grog is Gilmore?

[@AlephSharp]

@@blacksilketchings they said new characters, but something about the way they were talking, especially travis, made me think they have something for gilmore, or involving him, in the works.

[@displacedjim]

@@blacksilketchings I think that is an outstanding theory.

[@displacedjim]

Aleph, that's *exactly* what I immediately thought, and that it meant Gilmore would be part of The Search For Grog.

[@blacksilketchings]

@@displacedjim I guess we can only hope. It'll be excellent either way.

[@MrBartolomeo22]

50:13 "Who knows, maybe we'll find some ways to dip into those stories of Shawn Gilmore and others." VOX MACHINA ANIMATED SPECIAL ;)

[@StolenFromTime1]

I want to find someone that looks at me the way Travis looks at Matt.

[@davidioanhedges]

The entire cast breaking into applause and .... Liam O'Brian's reaction to Victor says it all "I'm going to stand over here and fail to stay in character".....

[@TheSouthernPirate]

(Drow Ranger) Every player: I heard about this guy Drizzt, can I play him ? Every DM: NO, NO, HELLLLLL NO !!!!

[@Jaijaibinkx]

Although lowkey most players nowadays know nothing of forgotten realms lore so they know nothing about drizzt other than he’s a good drow ranger (technically battle master fighter in 5e according to Perkins)

[@marcusalm7350]

Have to give props to the interviewer. Good questions that let the guests go into depth explaining while still staying on topic.

[@donewithlife637]

Been watching since I was in the 8th grade, now I’m a junior in high school, it’s honestly shocking to see how much Critical Role has exploded, they deserve it!

[@subaruowner5601]

Nobody will watch 4 hours of D&D? Yo, I don't even play D&D and I binged Campaign 1 nonstop until I was caught up. Even now, my highlight of the week is when new episodes drop.

[@subaruowner5601]

Also, is it just me or does anyone else wanna kick it and have a fat smoke sess with these guys?! lol

[@benjaminhembel5474]

"God forbid your character dies... im only on episode 22" is like saying "god forbid your boat sinks, but with a name like the titanic how could it"

[@JaviRuiz911]

This was so good. Thank you!

[@CDN_Ewok]

What an excellent talk, thank ya!

[@RoraighPrice]

sitting her listening to matt mercer and his friends talk about D&D, i realise that i do indeed have a role model a Critical Role Model.

[@andremedaglia350]

I just love how genuinely fond and interested Matt is! He always looks so grateful on every interview =)

[@damnentertainmentweekly]

They all have a beautiful friendship I love it so much.

[@scook9999]

It's so wonderful so see genuinely good human beings continue being good human beings. I want more of this in our world.

[@Nahuman]

A big thank you to Matthew Prince! Marisha, Matt and Travis are always a joy to listen to, but your questions, their framing and general facilitation technique made this even better! It's so nice to listen to an extremely well-moderated panel. :)

[@RandomHer03]

Matt Mercer is such a good role model to young men. This is masculitny we should strive for.

[@jannelleglover2150]

Travis' experiences are continually relatable to me. So glad I'm not a alone in feeling excited and overwhelmed at the same time.

[@cz1822]

I never realized how much I relate to Matt. I’m just starting D&D, and my experience is pretty similar to his. I’m trying to convince my friends to play, so I can dm for them. I’m also good with the complex stuff that comes with world building. It’s very encouraging to find someone who you look up to that went through the same experiences as you, and has a similar mindset to you.

[@DPSpade4ever]

I love these cause you really get to see some things about who they truly are or a part.

[@guillaumegayot807]

Kudos to the moderator! Great presence and great questions!

[@piemaster6512]

I am very pleasantly surprised at how good the Q and A section was. Usually the questions can be stale, or weird. All these questions are great.

[@InkyPetrel]

I had somehow missed this old interview, and hearing Marisha talk about this, now in 2022, is so cool, because they absolutely succeeded. And their vision remains one that comes from a place of GOOD. "To tear down the barriers into storytelling. And to let everybody know that it's, - everyone can be a storyteller. There's a story behind all of us, and don't be afraid to get out there and tell these things."

[@XthegreatwhyX]

The way Mercer writes campaigns is the way TV showrunners should write shows. But it's not. I'd up it a notch, and say that ALL shows should be written in a roleplaying room, not a writing room. Organic character development, consistent lore, coherent sotrytelling. Three things that are very hard to do, and more and more lacking in TV.

[@XthegreatwhyX]

@Grailsarvas I'd say the opposite. A good TV episode would need 2-3 sessions of material. A lot of what happens in CR wouldn't make the final cut, because TV shows require a pacing that RPGs don't have.

[@ThisNameIsBanned]

The stories also dont really translate well to a movie screen. In your "mind" it ofcourse does, but thats the beauty of just having it in your mind, the pictures can be whatever you specifically enjoy, not what someone tells you see or feel. Thats also what "stretches" a lot of content. A lot of dialog is just meaningless chit chat, you would remove that from a movie entirely if you could, and focus it down to a 1hour / 2 hour content. And as you want story to be compact, you have to remove a lot of stuff. Otherwise you end up with a series , like game of thrones, and even there, you have to cut a lot of content to make it feasible for a TV show (and some argue game of thrones and the like get worse over time, when they get more money, they get less good dialog, and just focus on the visuals of effects, which hurts the story in a lot of spaces). So while its easy to believe that a Mercer way of storytelling might be a cool movie, its really not ... The power of a story of imagination is that your own imagination can carry a lot of weight.

[@SarahAndreaRoycesChannel]

The way JMS described creating Babylon 5 seemed quite similar.

[@LordRanilin]

@@SarahAndreaRoycesChannel Did Straczynski have the entire 5 season story arc written before the first season even started filming? I vaguely recall that being how it was. Regardless, B5 will always be the best example of a longform story as a TV series to me!

[@SarahAndreaRoycesChannel]

@@LordRanilin Only the greater arc and plot points, than flashing everything out from there. Always flexible enough to react to hurdles, like actors leaving, having the last season cancelled than uncancelled....

[@McBabe12329]

Damn I wasn't expecting this video to show up and love listening to it while working.

[@HenhousetheRed]

40:41 Matt talks about holding a campaign in Marquett

[@utkugul6867]

Yeah and now they are doing it. Its great :D

[@Kalibby22]

"id like to go to marquett"...and then they did!

[@RandomHer03]

Matt Mercer is precious. I'm grateful for him.

[@raaziabacchus4703]

I've been watching Critical Role from around Episode 15 of campaign 1. Critical Role got me into playing dungeons and dragons and brings me such immense joy every week. I'm so proud of these nerdy ass voice actors and all they've accomplished. It's a pleasure being a #critter

[@w1ntrmute]

The description of Sam at 47:29 is absolutely perfect! 🤣🤣

[@anitaardi4456]

THIS is the comment I was looking for. I can even see him dressed up in this costume and running around with glitter!

[@ralphrombauts6769]

The audience put forth a lot of interesting questions and we got some great answers! Thanks audience!

[@sogekihei9585]

Okay for real though ALL of the questions, even by the audience, are so freaking good and allows them to like give real answers to like real questions. It's just refreshing is all

[@julieaubutgaudet4403]

So humble! I love these guys!!

[@zebswanson5881]

my goodness when matt was talking about world building he gave me so many good types of how build towns. things I hadn't thought of. THANK YOU MATT! my world will be a bit more indepth now.

[@angelofdusk13]

The interpersonal relationships was my big draw. I love when the cast breaks out into song together, or when they lean on each other laughing or when two people say something at the same time. I love seeing people who love each other so much.

[@chriZzZzZzable]

This is maybe their best Interview yet

[@shaylic3795]

Travis's hoodie string is bothering me.

[@serphdia8376]

Now it’s bothering me as well, thanks

[@UncleTrog]

Damn. Now it feels like I lost the game.

[@scottrauch1261]

Had to keep the string off the critical role symbol. Obviously.

[@matt.oconnor]

Skillful marketing display

[@muckschmuck1853]

He fixed it just after I read this! Good news guys he fixes it at around the 36 minute mark

[@zmayer6207]

Really love the Interviewer in this. He seems to really know and respect what people of Critical Role are doing. :D

[@evalynn1863]

I would pay all the moneys to learn all of the information Matt has created for Gilmore. He is so special to me too, the dynamic with him and Vax, meeting his parents, learning about the whole rune child part of it, I am completely fascinated by that man and I sincerely hope he's still alive and M9 get to meet him someday. He's one of the only characters in all of Critical role to inspire me to write fanfic. I don't write a lot of fanfic, but there are certain interactions or moments where I can't stop myself, its just the love for him overflowing onto the page. I miss him so much. I adore Pumat and Orly and other NPCs this campaign but no one will ever be as important to me as Shaun.

[@aswadchowdhury3271]

Same - Gilmore is my favourite character on CR

[@trevinwoodruff1202]

That Xanth reference! I havent heard mention of those books ever! Matt Mercer you are even more awesome!

[@virtualatheist]

I've been reading and collecting Xanth books since A Spell For A Chameleon first came out. XANTH ROCKS!!!

[@unicyclist97]

So many puns

[@ELStogs762]

*Shawn Gilmore Backstory*

[@cryofpaine]

Critical Role novel.

[@caramelcoffees]

it's kinda like the 3 leaders. fjord is the leader of the m9. matt is the DM so he's kind of the leader of the table/show. and then director marisha leading the company. all 3 are doing exemplary work hahaha

[@johnhorn990]

Travis is also the CEO of the company.

[@axelericson7439]

I want a Gilmore comic!

[@CoopMoe]

Backstory 101 "Who were your parents, what did they do, and how did they tragically die setting you off as an adventuring orphan?"

[@polyoxy4423]

It's interesting hearing how Matt built Exandria, personally, I fall into the former of the two types of worldbuilders he suggested. It gives me a sense of security knowing what came before in my world history. From that frame-work I can build and piece together the purpose and location of townscapes and weave them into the larger picture of factions and politics.

[@mtljin]

I got into the show because it was available on podcast and youtube. I loved how supportive the community is. I love the story that Matt tells. I love Liam O'brian and Sam Riegel.

[@MrFancyFingers]

Who’s going to watch it for four hours? During the start of covid I would watch 2-4 episodes of second campaign a day. It kept me sane while I was literally alone for a year.

[@dsmithson531]

Roleplaying in general is a great outlet for anyone, to work through things and the opportunities to do that and adventure with friends allows for broadening my imagination. It's definitely helped me step out of my own shoes and gain more confidence as well as be more verbal when the need arises. Matt and I have a lot in common, which has been cool - shy introvert with some self esteem issues, which have mostly been worked through with roleplaying.

[@ameliajones2266]

20:00 is so perfect and funny and such a good representation of how Travis reacts to Matt

[@KingoftheSage]

The beginning part of this really makes me want to step forward and do my own storytelling. I have a few ideas certain plots I'd like to express. Ironically it has a few holes in it, but that's where a campaign can come into play! To fill those details, in how, why, and what transpired for these things to happen. I really want to, but I've got a few things I need to do first: find a place for it, the people to carry it out, a few more rules and guidelines to set it all up... Critical Role has really made me want to step out.

[@garret1930]

22:54 he's literally a wizard trying to make his book understandable to the wider world.

[@johnmack20]

Thank you matt mercer for being one of the players that's willing to fill the void

[@wilcovandersluis9652]

Something that is really fun and i can recommend trying. Is making a story up with your DnD of a different setting, that has the PC's and NPC's come back in. A player in our group decided to make a Barista variant of the story and we all brought in ideas of how our own but especially the other characters would behave in that world with things they did in the main story.

[@maddie.bolland.7]

They are all so eloquent and intelligent! I could listen to them talk about d&d forever haha.

[@Tcrumpen]

For me as someone who is new to both Critical Role and D&D. The fact that you have a table of players that not only can roleplay very well, but can bounce off each other like a house of fire and can have so much comedy in there helps a great deal. Can't count how many times i've watched the "Fjord Expedition" scene or even the Grog 2x nat 20 scene