High Rollers: Aerois

[@ajcecil3448]

Too everyone saying that the ending was anticlimactic just remember that the party is people. Them having fun is what’s important and if that means that the dm has to step in to make sure that the players enjoy themselves that’s what has to happen. Yes it’s a bummer the tension is killed but when a dm see those looks on their players faces that means something needs to change. I think mark made the best out of a scenario where the party was on the verge of completely giving up. He saw that misstep and can grow from it.

[@nyanwizard2735]

Nothing was anticlimactic, I think that those people are just wrong. This was a tense consequence from a tense situation.

[@toasty4000000]

LATE VID SPOILERS @@nyanwizard2735 For real, fucking lucious' entire family is almost dead now, wtf lol

[@kellygingrich4302]

Yeah, also (SPOILERS), the final scene with everyone in Spear formation, holy shit - that was SO climactic!

[@caseyneiderman7702]

Sometimes,... the dice Bite the Party as a Whole. It's Why Dnd is Fun. If We were Superman all the time, it would be Extraordinarilly Boring!!!! 😊 A fail rolled 1 frown, may turn into a 20 slam dunk, Touchdown!!! That's the excellent part! The dice tell the plot, and the wonderful characters are Unique, and steer the Story.

[@vondarkmoor_6478]

Loved the little Brandon Sanderson homage from Mark with the storm light! “Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.”

[@naughtydred8538]

Storm chasers chasing a literal storm, as the tip of the spear, down to the bbeg, I don't think they even realised how perfectly that fit the name. So fricking awesome!

[@naughtydred8538]

Also I just realised that they lost someone to another bloody corridor

[@jeremyrichey4243]

So nice to see Johan again!

[@IndigoF0X]

I'm just thinking about how WILD it is that they're now so close with Starbane who was viewed as, like, the ultimate villain early on in the campaign... how far they've come

[@amyheath8261]

Starbs

[@bringmemyflail1321]

Drinking game gone horribly wrong: drink every time Mark says "Astral" Do not attempt.☠️☠️

[@Blindy_Sama]

This is awesome! I was waiting for him to come back! Also that's a definition that I thought I knew what it was and I looked up anyway and I shouldn't have...

[@sonofstarth1358]

The fact that the group destroyed the fenrir as it was about to deal heavy damage to a large ship gives me huge fall of cadia vibes

[@Avedominusnox8311]

There is so many things about this ark that scream 40k to me. The ginormous fleet fighting monsters and corrupted former soldiers sounds an awful lot like the imperium and chaos which I love.

[@Edrysian]

What an absolutely brilliant episode! Spoiler: It’s a shame how the dice rolled but as you all said; it still makes for a great story. All of the sacrifices won’t be forgotten. They’re not just NPC’s. They’re all heroes in our hearts, heroes who keep those skies clear!

[@psauxe]

I watched this on twitch. I tuned in again specifically for the mark robot voice 😂❤

[@BigCheddarMC]

Amazing high tension episode

[@BlackShadow1991]

Victory cannot come without a sacrifice, not against the final big bad of the campaign, a cosmic level threat 😨The losses hurt, but they are for the greater cause and they make, in my opinion, for a great story. Also the visuals were amazing, especially that spear combo thingy at the episode’s end 🤩And it might be late, but still, for the algorithm!

[@toasty4000000]

Holy shit the Aila/Giant thing was so cool, Mark is awesome

[@blanska]

gods, this is like in Mass Effect when you don't upgrade the ship and don't do the loyalty missions :'))))))))

[@guyrank2316]

Yeah the most hated mass effect move in the world... But even then they only kill one of your NPCs if your good... He killed them all

[@wyattfrye8262]

2:27:17 so mimir wasn’t helpful. “Here’s a map and a language you couldn’t speak, but I can’t tell you which console opens the door” bit of an oversight there, but oh still a good episode

[@Markcrazeer]

Yea, mimir should be able to provide information in any language. Even those so alien to its civilisation that it wouldn’t even comprehend how these things even do it.

[@Daaboo]

So Howard is worth saving at the cost of the whole crew but smeek? Noooooo 🤨 #JusticeForSmeek

[@Seraco5735]

I am in a glass case of emotions

[@Spiceodog]

Considering all the horrible things that could have gone wrong , losing only nanny norfir was a much better outcome then I expected

[@magley64]

I was so happy to see yohan make a return!

[@sheevanevahdunrong1874]

❤🎉❤I used to waste this show on work now it's a reward to have on my days off❤🎉 thanks again high rollers🎉

[@Chalvrek]

Spoilers: Noooooo Norfir! If they'd used that Passwall spell after sending someone (maybe Aila first) down a hallway, I think they would've avoided that d6 roll and maybe saved Norfir 😭😭😭😭 Shit happens, though - hindsight's 20/20 and they made a tough call in the moment. Super keen to finish the final arc of Aerois while I wait for the next episode of Altheya!

[@elmerthiendoesgames9061]

I think I'm recognizing some Fenrir binding ingredients.

[@EverlastingEclipse]

I don't think mark accounts for how skewed the dice can be xD

[@chrisbradley4206]

How do you though? Some games they can be great and other days not. That is how the story goes. He hasn't killed many PCs in the years of doing it and when he has they have been able to come back. Losing NPCs shows the definitive situation they are in. More will die to end this story

[@chuckallerston9997]

howard's gotta lucky role

[@spiceywolf15]

IM GOING TO CRY!!!

[@mtbrocket]

Watched it twice. I wish I could get a Starbane coffee mug but I am unemployed. Oh well, this is a great series. 😊

[@excusemeprincess8252]

Title name is ‘frog’? Hadar is actually just an angry little grung who’s trying to find water to submerge himself in?

[@huwjackson8110]

Yessssss! I just hope that the episode name doesn’t mean it’s the last😢

[@lonelysailer5774]

episode title too naughty to be posted, i see!

[@brads2041]

This comment is for Kim/Nova: "Sleep, Data"

[@racheltaylor7412]

STORMLIGHT!!! 😁

[@amyheath8261]

I love when Tom makes Quill flirt with Lucius, it’s so funny. But Lucius already has a boyfriend!!

[@jelenadjokic9843]

it's the ship we needed, aridan isn't around like 90% of the time to do cute/flirty stuff :(

[@Techstriker1]

~Looks at title~ Welp, that doesn't bode well... Guess I should catch up again. Edit: Huh the title went from "xxxx" to "The Dragon's Call" 🤔

[@luname1986]

😂😂😂 GOOGLED “clopping” 😅😅😅

[@bryan__m]

I did too. I watched that 5 seconds so many times to try and figure out what the fuss was about.

[@kellygingrich4302]

What a great episode! spoilers Felt so bad for them having to sacrifice Norfia - Nova is going to have to tell Lucius. And that was just a cool introduction for Ravs - legit didn't expect that. Also, the end was climactic as hell - the Stormchaser, literally behind the Tempest Dragon forms the head of the metaphorical and literal tip of the spear with all their allied ships behind them!! Please someone that needs to be a poster - that's one of the coolest scenes in the campaign!

[@lukeatkissphotography530]

Shame pt 2 audio is broken hopefully will be fixed soon.

[@ItZoTom]

SPOILERS: I love that Ravs came back for one last blast with the storm chasers! Such a good episode, but another brutal loss for the NPCs :(

[@Markcrazeer]

why did no one think to bring anyone that could read giant on to the giant's vessel!

[@tessraiten2484]

I would also not be able to shut up while Mark does his recap bc I'd be laughing at the ASStral KRACKen 🤣

[@thomasallen3225]

I’d pay to watch a live show IRL

[@SabreRunner]

""You watch as... You watch as..." And what if I turn away?

[@Kicksticks]

Man idk why but I for the life of me cannot picture that corridor at the end AT ALL. That really really hurt my head not knowing what the hell was going on. EDIT: Ive never actively disliked an episode of Aerois but man I know Mark coulda done so much better than this

[@naughtydred8538]

The corridor looks exactly like how you pictured it from the description, that's the whole idea with imagination right? I hope so, because I doubt any one of them pictured the corridor the same as each other.

[@Kicksticks]

@@naughtydred8538 i just said that I couldn't picture it at all. Hence my mind hurting confusing. Seemed like a few of them didn't really understand the layout either.

[@BetterKnownAsMalice]

I think thats just preference though right? This is personally one of my favourite episodes, it felt very thematical rather than mechanical, which was a great change of pace

[@HelenaOfDetroit]

I'm able to understand the layout, but admittedly, it took a little bit longer than usual. When he mentioned the sides were crystalline and transparent then it made sense. Basically, there's a main corridor (it's very large, like 30 feet ceilings and 50 feet wide because it's built for giants). This corridor opens from another, similar hallway with two large vents on either side. The main corridor would be used for access to the engine. This corridor is about 300 feet long. There is a door that connects this corridor to the hallway with the vents and another door at the end that opens to the engines. The first door I will call Door #1. The door that leads to the engines I'll call Door #2. To the left and right of the hallway is a smaller 'hallway' (it's still big but used for mechanical access by giants). The walls between this main corridor and the vents are crystalline and transparent. These 'hallways' are actually large vents that go along the length of the main corridor (they are parallel). Inside these two vents are large switches that override the automatic door system. However, these switches are located about 700 feet from the entrance to these vents (the ones located on either side of Door #1). This means that these two vents continue into the engine room by 400 feet. And sadly, Door #2 is only 300 feet from Door #1, and it's opaque (can't see through it). Because the vents continue longer than main corridor, and because the switches were so far in, Nova was unable to get line of sight within the distance of her spell. Hope it helps. And I know it's pointless but I pictured the cold vent on the left for some reason, but it could be either side.

[@Kicksticks]

@@HelenaOfDetroit Thank you so much. That is insanely helpful!!!!

[@nyanwizard2735]

JOHAN!!!!!!

[@alexsander471]

lewd episode special???? actually no just a placeholder that made through the release but lewd episode WHEN?????

[@AiceQream]

Quill has the ability to fkin Summon a actual player? Sheeessh

[@Arcyguana]

I think the whole corridor choice just didn't matter. It seemed like no matter what the players chose, it was going to be a coin flip. They couldn't get it right. They could only choose a pointless choice and hope the dice made it right.

[@bryan__m]

We don't really know if there were clues they missed somewhere that could have told them which door is which. Or if they had sent Aila down one of the corridors _before_ casting passwall, then they wouldn't have needed the coin flip at all because they could have just passwalled whichever door didn't open. Nova had a few different teleport abilities that didn't get used as well. Lots of possibilities, and we only know for sure about the one they chose.

[@johnlandon8741]

It's The KRACKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@asaultc]

Audio and video out of sync again after the break!

[@guyrank2316]

I've been playing for many years and this seems to be the hardest mood of dnd ive ever seen... Npcs that have trained and been through tons of battle die in less then 20 damage... Your instant kill rate is insane.. hadar true is a monster .... The lost of ever single npc i loved in less the 5 episodes... And the cast is just laughing at it the whole time... That started to bother me how they just throw the npcs under the table and save the less important one ... Howard love him but hes useless compared to any other npc they let die

[@KNDNumbuh343]

KALADIN BABYYY

[@MrNobu93]

Dimension door trough the door :)

[@locobo580]

She could have, but then she would have died too. She can only dimension door once I believe which is why they were holding on to it. They still had no way through the door so the choice was an npc dies or an npc and a pc. Disintegrate however could have done it but Lucius wasn’t there

[@unchartedfire]

Only real fans remember the original title.

[@NMXP]

Ah yes it was definitely nsfw definitely Xxxx rated 😂

[@gabrielrussell5531]

What was it?

[@NMXP]

I enjoy a lot of Mark's situations he creates but I also don't understand how he makes up his time tables etc.. like how many complete turns has it been since they first arrived it seemed like 5-7ish full rounds at the most 10? Seems very unrealistic with as much is going on to accomplish what they're trying. But regardless still a great show

[@KNDNumbuh343]

Mark said that the encounter will have wishy washy time purposefully (I assume it was for the drama) at the beginning of the last episode when operation Fenrir started

[@JeepWingfield]

[@graygarcia4175]

How dare you (please dare again)

[@mnkyj9]

It was great. Good story telling. I still hate Reign though.

[@FyreDrac]

AAAA

[@FyreDrac]

Nanny... :(

[@FyreDrac]

Tom said it well. HOLY SHIT. That was a fucking cool ending to a great episode. Yall are amazing.

[@Markcrazeer]

… Hmmm, splitting the party like this left the time limit ineffective. This would have been better handled by doing two full episodes. That would have given team infiltration time to properly infiltrate rather than losing time to the season party. I do not think team infiltration had enough time to pull it off. They would have had to do this perfectly. (I do suspect that if they weren’t anywhere near engineering things wouldn’t have been as bad at that time.)

[@SpiralLegend]

Idk why, but after the vor ark mark has become a serious power fantasy DM, and honestly, it's a shame to see someone who was such a cool DM actively make his players Miserable for the sake of "his story" like he actively choses to kill and target ever npc to highlight the gravity of the situation but he did so very little for any of them. No death saves, no eveson and boost to anything. And the whole section of infiltration where he made them kill an npc and let it go to waste?? It shouldn't have been a dice roll at all. It just sad watching the player have to suffer for the sake of marks "story" 😞

[@locobo580]

I mean no death saves for NPC’s is pretty common to be fair. Also do you see them suffering? Are they sad when an npc dies? Sure, but are they also out here pulling big brain plays and having a blast literally the next minute? Also yea. Don’t dictate who is having fun based off your weird attachment to NPC’s who are actively forgotten for entire arcs

[@thomasallen3225]

HR guys, to make more money do some post session reaction content that you charge for. Well maybe not for each session individually but reaction to 4 sessions.

[@Kicksticks]

They already talk about each session after the streams

[@guyrank2316]

I've watched every last episode in hated everyone.. how am I so drawn in but hate every choice you make

[@mls4444]

Why, why's it titled "xxxx"? I'm scared EDIT: also, first

[@MJAlloid]

Sorry, but neither Trott or Kim can ever roll what is necessary. As soon as Mark gave Kim the D6 roll and said what was necessary, I knew what was going to happen. They can't roll to save their lives.

[@MJAlloid]

Not quite as bad as Wil Wheaton, but not much better. Some of the worst dice rollers in the history of the game. Lol

[@danbuckingham5077]

2:39:50 "you have suffered enough, so you just auto-succeed" so we now know that they cannot fail at the mission, kinda ruins the suspense of any future battles as if they start to fail, it gets skipped

[@nisaanisahmad9727]

they didn't auto-succeed? mark saw that they'd expended a lot of resources and (spoiler) lost an important npc at a really risky point in the mission, so he decided they had already gotten to a point where they could complete the mission. if they'd fucked up more checks or made bad decision earlier then yeah there would've been more losses

[@odiogoponto]

Mark panders to Kim a lot, I think. She gets everything she wants. She is char based warlock? It's ok, she can be really smart and be an space engineer of tech she has never seen before also if se wants. Oh, what about changing my character a bunch of times? Cool. You know what I'd really like to fuse with my Etherna Patron... Okey dokey. Maybe connect and control a ship even though another player is the captain? Done. You see I've died alongside my Etherna patron, can I be ressurrected and steal the one from that really strong antagonist thas has a thousand years relationship to his? Eeeasy. You know what? He won't even complain... in fact he will suport it...aaand... here take back those spells you lost when you decided to change your class.

[@bryan__m]

Well they lost an important NPC on a 50/50 roll, so I'm having a hard time coming around to the idea that they just auto-succeed. It was clear that they were running up to the time limit, and he flat out said that the only reason they didn't lose another NPC was because they held onto the Arcane Gate. He had to make an on-the-go decision whether to end it today or split the encounter at a really odd place and mess up the pacing of not one but two episodes. I'd say he did fine.

[@bryan__m]

@@odiogopontoyeah, totally hate to see a GM keep the game fun for everyone.

[@odiogoponto]

@@bryan__m Absolutely! Consequences and real stakes are well known to break enjoyment on ttrpgs.

[@thomasallen3225]

Also to raise money how about auction off the chance to play with you guys. Or do the thing where the unique lowest bid wins.

[@Carbadonia]

First (not)

[@TheOriginalEO13]

That ending was soooo anticlimactic I get it they had bad dice rolls all session and as a DM I’d do the same but a “well everything worked out” and no roles to escape the Fenrir makes me, as a viewer, a little disappointed.

[@otterloversanon7371]

obviously you didnt watch till the park where mark said arcane gate wouldve got them across anyways

[@TheOriginalEO13]

@@otterloversanon7371 I listened to it on the podcast, and the description of the podcast made it sound much worse than what actually happened. So that’s where my disappointment lies.

[@Reblod]

That's how it usually is. Once the mission's completed, the exit is easy. There's no point in dragging it out any longer once they've done the thing they were meant to do

[@Markcrazeer]

Exciting is only going to be a problem if the mission was too easy 😊

[@locobo580]

The escape was never an issue? Arcane gate and back up dimension door had it in the bag. They had already dealt a lot of damage to the kraken as well so it was likely to be killed within a turn or so. Add that to the time constraints of the actual stream and you get them taking a cinematic look at what would happen next rather than extending an extra 20 minutes just waiting for it to be said out loud