One of Matt's Best NPCs Ever: Henry Crabgrass | Critical Role Highlight

Matt Mercer has to make up a grass NPC on the spot in Campaign 2. Enter Henry Crabgrass.
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[@Pixelists]

Who are your all-time favorite NPCs?

[@Sakura163]

Henry is one of my favs but got to love hot boi Essek

[@ericglimme3362]

Nana Morri, Zorth, Victor, Madame Musk

[@ChrundleKelly]

Sun Tree

[@koalamager5604]

the black powder guy, is it victor? i forgot also lord eric esteroth

[@mariagdiaz1290]

Henry Crabgrass, Pumat Sol, Orly Skiffback, Artagan, Sun Tree, and Donnie Boy.

[@mattbas-vi7750]

"Oh my god, we're petting crabgrass" You wake one morning and never expect that's one of the things you'll say along the day

[@frankficcle7081]

They are literally touching grass.

[@DreDredel3]

Petting & naming crab grass. And having an intelligent conversation with it. Wasn't expecting to see that this morning 😂😂😂 love this show

[@Zz-qr3mv]

Playing D&D makes you say a lot of things you never expect to say

[@1SevenCirclesDesign]

you know I never cared much for plants until one day a friend gifted me a particular pot plant I still have it and heavens forgive to anyone that does anything to my plant, cause I wont

[@Allantitan]

@@DreDredel3Travis almost sounds like he needs more coffee or something just so he can process all of……that

[@CommanderNixon]

"I'm kinda catchin' myself off guard with the things I know" when you DM a character that shouldn't understand a concept but the words already came outta your mouth so now you gotta double down on it

[@ItsIntelligentDesign]

“It’s kinda hard to tell when, you know, you’re grass” is just one of those top tier quotes

[@Allantitan]

You can almost see Matt mentally saying “I did not know I was gonna voice a clump of grass today….i think I need more coffee”

[@roryschussler]

I remember in a game I played, we were tracking down a lich's lair. It was in a field, so we asked a squirrel about if there were any dangers nearby. It said yes, there are terrible things that will swoop down out of the sky and kill you. We assumed that meant the lich had some kind of flying undead monstrosity patrolling around, and spent awhile worrying about that. Turned out the squirrel was just talking about normal hawks.

[@mikemorr100]

Oh, I love that! That's so in character for a squirrel

[@Carnage7209]

Clever

[@SkyGandalf]

I didn't get to hear Marisha's quip over "Henry the no grab-ass crab grass," that one had me crying afterwards

[@skyebaldwin3087]

"There are limitations to grass apparently" had me over the edge! good stuff xD

[@novAviator01]

Over the hedge some might say

[@Langey_Fitness]

"To be fair, I don't even know what language is!" 😂

[@INDAREVISH]

Wish Henry could come back, like someone turned him into an elemental and next time they meet he asks consent to hug people.

[@HieiKirisame]

He becomes an elemental but all he can say is "I am Groo...Henry."

[@someguyonline321]

Now home brewing a crabgrass golem and hiding Henry in a random part so if someone pics the right spot, they get Henry

[@williamfalls]

Random encounter pitch: "You hear a rustle in the wind and turn around, but nothing seems out of place. Just grass swaying in the wind... (But those with high passive perception notice... The grass isn't just swaying... It's _moving_ around. Like a hive mind, the crab grass is approaching the party. You notice, though, that it stops and keeps a respectable distance.) What do you want to do?"

[@prinzezzqtpi5437]

​@@williamfallsI'm getting flashbacks to The Ruins.

[@askthepizzaguy]

Imagine if he was an ice elemental and did all sorts of ice damage on contact with the hug. That's why you ask for consent, ladies and gentle grasses.

[@tetsushatarii2108]

“Ya know, you sit on a horse, these things happen.” I seriously can’t get over some of Cad’s quotes 😂

[@Zorkahz]

That quote has me on my ass every time 😂😂 the fact that I don’t know what that means makes it even funnier

[@tears_of_asariel3198]

@@Zorkahz his character is a vegetarian, and can also talk to plants, he is defending his eating of plants that he can talk to, with the others eating meat, but they still ride on a horse, and treat it nicely/talk to it

[@XeaRae]

Matt going along with it and creating a voice and personality of a clump of grass on the spot is so amazing!

[@jaycue7641]

Henry's plucky and cheerful personality instantly made everyone like him! Even hearing that he may only have ten more minutes to talk to another living being was acceptable for him! Becoming sentient for Henry's was just another day, but it was also his best day! Like every other day!

[@Sakura163]

Best NPC ever!!!! ❤ Ashley's cosplay of Henry is one of my favorite things from CR EVER! 😂😂😂😂

[@Mightymajin]

OMG, I forgot Ashley dressed as Henry for Halloween that year!

[@melissanotthewebsbusiness7272]

"It's all downhill for Henry for here" Flowers for poor Henry Algernon Crabgrass! 😭

[@toriasdax2166]

Puts a whole new perspective on touching grass.

[@PaulGuy]

Consent, please.

[@ivansleepy4722]

​​@@PaulGuyhahaha... wait, what do you mean like... in a "petting" way?

[@albertthompson5808]

​@@ivansleepy4722more of a "heavy petting"

[@ivansleepy4722]

@@albertthompson5808 please no

[@captaincokecan]

classic Talesin "Well you know you sit on a horse these things happen"

[@ChrisG_90]

Not a day passes were I don't miss Henry Crabgrass.

[@shannonmcnally9483]

Big bad of campaign 4.

[@Amaradeia]

"Oh my god, we're petting crabgrass." - Travis, lol

[@Falter.]

That gives the "go out and touch grass" - thing a whole different meaning.😅

[@x0Vinny0x]

The power of storytelling is enough to make you adore crabgrass.

[@easuwraxwell5107]

I love Henry, he's so wholesome and cheerful even though he's just grass.

[@AaronC.]

Jester: "I pet Henry" Henry: "Consent please" J.: "Oh, ah- May I pet you?" Henry, solemnly: "Yes you may" I adore this game.

[@denniskrust2137]

Henry can count higher than Grog....by A LOT.

[@ParadisePanda1]

i really hope henry crabgrass makes it into the animated series

[@azurastar3223]

He has to, along with the chair, and the bad luck bandits. They are iconic scenes.

[@houndgirl7365]

​@@azurastar3223 I mean they haven't included Keyliths iconic scene yet so who knows. I'm hoping for M9 they have the Captain tusktooth reading as well that book was especially entertaining with the ghosts.

[@lzniR]

Jester is one of my favorite character in all Critical Role. Laura did a very good job.

[@innocyte_]

To be honest Jester is just Blue Laura.

[@DarthPoyner]

Campaign 2 is the BEST. Far superior to any of the others.

[@jakemaxgross]

@@DarthPoynerI thinks it’s the most enjoyable to listen too.

[@stratosfire1943]

Laura and Ashley going "Oh No" got me so good 🤣

[@shaskusmas]

I was a few months behind on CR when the Henry Crabgrass started popping up all over the internets. Spent an entire weekend binging just to find out what the fuss was about. I was not disappointed.

[@peteralexandergraae2830]

I just looked in google "lifespan of c r a" The suggestions were crabgrass, crab, crane in that order

[@Hughes86]

This show is so amazing! Something and funny just keeps coming up again and again. I love it! Henry was so nice.

[@Tigerjunky93]

How in the world did Matt just come up with that on the fly? The voice and everything is perfect

[@j-dawg4774]

Crabgrass: "You need to ask for concent before you pet me." **Days Earlier getting stepped on with someone's entire body weight**

[@Mrbananasgfan]

Henry crabgrass, sun tree, and shade tree all have a conversation together, who else would want to hear it?

[@jdreyn02]

I cast AWAKEN on Henry Crabgrass! After spending the casting time tracing magical pathways within a precious gemstone, you touch a Huge or smaller beast or plant. The target must have either no Intelligence score or an Intelligence of 3 or less. The target gains an Intelligence of 10. The target also gains the ability to speak one language you know. If the target is a plant, it gains the ability to move its limbs, roots, vines, creepers, and so forth, and it gains senses similar to a human's. Your GM chooses statistics appropriate for the awakened plant, such as the statistics for the awakened shrub or the awakened tree. The awakened beast or plant is charmed by you for 30 days or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. When the charmed condition ends, the awakened creature chooses whether to remain friendly to you, based on how you treated it while it was charmed.

[@chadbizeau5997]

Lol the grass would be smarter than Grog after the awaken spell lol!

[@justurbaby]

I'm just imagining a future point where some creature has one of the group trapped in a dangerous situation and it looks bleak when all of the sudden out of nowhere we hear "thwip thwip thwip.".. And the evil creature just falls to pieces and out of the darkness there stands Henry crabgrass smiling and waving...

[@chadbizeau5997]

@@justurbaby Henry Crabgrass: *wipes the blood off of his sword* ".... He didn't ask for consent."

[@cXspXr]

only matt could personify and make you fall in love with actual grass

[@yuity81]

I really love the way you edited the close ups of the cast members. Well done! 👍

[@rakuloe]

Watching Campaign 3 and KZbin just recommended this. Now I'm def gonna watch C2 after this. Henry Crabgrass is amazing, what a moment lmao.

[@yiledute]

Begs the question, does talking to the plants, the "normal" ones, give them new found sentience? Is it possible for them to start to try and comprehend life and maybe even eventually tap into magic?.

[@Caiyde]

The spell description specifies "limited" sentience, though I'm not sure what that means, and also it only lasts 10 minutes, so I"I assuming the plant forgets whatever it"a "learned" once those 10 minutes are up, and it'll be a new entity the next time you cast the spell. At the DM's discretion, of course. My explanation is that you're not actually talking to a plant - you're temporarily drawing a nature spirit into a non-sentient object so you can ask it questions about its domain.

[@jacobw.6744]

​@@Caiydedefinitely has exceptions though, right? The sun tree definitely remembered the previous conversations in the vox machina campaign. Though I guess it's a pretty special tree.

[@Caiyde]

@@jacobw.6744 100% there would be exceptions, aye. I'd look at them as literally just another set of NPCs - Whatever's speaking through the Sun Tree is a recurring character, but you don't need a recurring character for every blade of grass, so those are the nature spirits you use the random name generator to make.

[@AkasukiShikiHollow]

I hope the Henry the crab-grass gets animated into the anime.

[@Amraterasu]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say "Oh my god, we're petting crabgrass." I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.

[@spaceman9599]

This is Matt Mercer at his finest - put on the spot to make an NPC from grass, he hits it out of the park!

[@Seven50ml]

Now I feel guilty about touching grass without concent.

[@zankaa8031]

I still love the idea that Essek flies because of a jainist-like respect for life

[@jacobhale4537]

Henry Crabgrass is actually an avatar of Tharzidun, js lol

[@Nuggetmonk]

"consent please" xD

[@honooryu5374]

Henry the consent crabgrass head of HR

[@nikoshurricane]

This 6 minutes clip (talent aside) is the reason i love dnd

[@Snowshift]

_"Well, you know- you sit on a horse, these things happen."_ -Caduceus Clay, on the subject of eating sentient plants.

[@chihiausagi2023]

critical roll doesnt just touch grass. they name and converse with grass

[@askthepizzaguy]

They get consent before touching grass.

[@sethpf798]

Please let there be Henry in Baldurs Gate 3. If not Dlc

[@k0r0z1f]

Yeah... no. It would be cool but that's not for nothing that there is no speak with plants spell in BG3. Speak with dead and animals are so limited it's almost a shame.

[@akumaangelus2999]

@@k0r0z1f pfffft imagine not knowing about those rare crabgrass that can speak common.

[@k0r0z1f]

@@akumaangelus2999 are there really crabgrass that can speak in BG3?

[@jordanplanas176]

I can't wait to see this animated.

[@joshuagrinsell149]

This is gonna be wild in the animated show

[@davidparkes7741]

Anyone know the time limit on Speak With Plants?? I just had the mental image of Henry doing the dead guy from the D&D movie post credit scene where he was still under Speak With The Dead.

[@coreylemon]

Speak with Plants I think is an hour

[@coreylemon]

But if I recall correctly, its not "speak with any and all plants," its "Speak with the plants right in front of you when you cast the spell"

[@davidparkes7741]

​@@coreylemonAww, I figured that it was something like that. The movie scene is still a headcanon for me lol.

[@worthbygrades]

Honestly I love canine, but sometimes he is as useful as Henry. I mean, he's pretty much an extension of the sonic screwdriver Is there when the plot needs him and if Having him there makes It's too easy, then you just can't answer that question or whatever you're trying to do. Doesn't work. You get the idea "Even the sonic screwdriver won't get me out of this one."

[@daminguez]

1:58 "I'm HENRY.... HENRY Crabgrass"... that was cute! XDD

[@Lunasera]

Our first Pathfinder GM (sadly he moved) created leaf ducks. He explained them as alchemic-magical constructs that looked like ducks made entitely out of foliage. The alchemist who made them used them to keep his lawn in shape. And our elven rogue decided to buy one. 😂 Soon we found out that this duck would eat anything plant-based and in shocking quantities. When abcertain quantity was met it would lay eggs made of whatever it had eaten which would hatch into ducks made of the same. And they weren't exactly easy to train, my half-elf ranger tried. We ended up to take turns in distracting the rogue while our human magus killed the eggs or ducklings with cold spells cause they were threatening to become a plague. (Of course out of game everyone was fine with this even the rogue.) But our GM didn't stop there. The original duck grew in size one night and our dwarf cleric got into a fight with the rogue about killing it when suddenly it withered and died. In the dried leaves we found a golden fruit that was a cross between a pineapple and a raspberry. From which some time later a shapechanging animal hatched that ate anything but especially magic. It tried to eat the protective wall of a temple and we had to explain that we had a hard time controlling this living hazard. 😂 Loved it!

[@spacecowboy45]

And this is Dungeons and Dragons folks. I've had my fair share of nonsense. My favorite was using mindflayer...bits, to check for traps. You'll laugh, but it freaking worked. Tied them to a rope and chucked it down a hallway.

[@beaniemanmg9134]

There is Victor, Pumat Sol and Henry Crabgrass.

[@Mediados]

Next character: FMH Freshly Murdered Henry

[@davidparkes7741]

*Points.* Corner, now!!

[@lavans5721]

FULL METAL HENRY picture of grass on screen FULL METAL HENRY same picture of grass, but darker with red eyes Fmab reference

[@Dessertpvnk]

Xandis (C3) Airship Captain, or the Sun Tree lol they're my fav, right up there with Victor from C1 lol

[@Msmuerth]

Hands down Henry crabgrass my favorite NPC of all time. :)

[@RAYNE0912]

Henry needs to be a returning character at some point.

[@GeoffreyEatWorld]

We are the Henry. Resistance is futile.

[@cartoonjohnstudios]

Reminds me of when my drunk Druid had a conversation with a rat and the rat said something to the effect of “Well, I’m the only me!” which sent my drunken character down a sobbing, blubbering state that the little Rat believed in himself and I should too.

[@chevrobert6607]

I am really regretting some of the things I've done to and upon various grasses, trees, and shrubs right now.

[@Happyhannahping]

It's between Henry Crabgrass and Bolo for the absolute best off-the-cuff NPCs.

[@randomcosplay6389]

Matt. You come up with the best npc’s. 😂

[@mamakitsune]

This is why D&D is the best game ever 🖤

[@Mortyrian]

Essek has a heart of gold.. .. . . .. . ... . .. .. .. .. . .. .. . ..

[@jaimie1938]

"You sit on a horse, these things happen." 🤣🤣

[@ian3314]

I love Henry (Gerbert) Crabgrass.😂

[@gilessaint-loup2426]

I honestlt think people will riot if neither Pumat or Henry are not in the animated M9

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Pumat will for sure

[@spicysage8969]

Can’t wait to see this get animated 😂😂😂

[@josephzeug3891]

I am looking forward to the day when this gets acted out in The Mighty Nein series.

[@Furryfattal]

Love how the consent is always 💯 ready to go, they just gotta ask 😂 Henry the man 😂

[@ilshat2955]

So Henry is more intelligent than Grog since he can count up to 50 at least and use complex words.

[@yellowsoy2475]

Touching grass takes on a whole new meaning….

[@MonthManAugust]

Jester: Cadeuces, you know you could speak to plants this whole time?! Cadeuces: Yeah! Well, I mean... Yeah. You know, you sit on a horse, these things happen.

[@thundererodinson1668]

A simple Awaken spell n Henry can always be a talking crabgrass. Loolz

[@heathercarver321]

“Go touch some grass! But ask consent first!”

[@billedefoudre]

Thinking about it, every plant and animal probably totally know about day and night cycles, seasons, and years. They couldnt point a direction for the life of them. But time ? Its a given. Probably down to the hours, if not minutes. xD

[@loganskiwyse7823]

Interesting side note on grass being stepped on hurting it. It turns out that the way a plant would "scream" is by releasing what are known as VOCs into the air. The smell of a yard being mowed is the massive release of those VOCs in response to being "hurt". Of course, what this means for a plant is very different from an animal. Still, it is fair to say that not only does it hurt but you can smell them scream.

[@obnoxiouspedant]

you can smell me fart but it doesn't hurt most the time

[@gadraven405]

I'm actually traumatized xD

[@Pablo360able]

can't believe sam's c3 character is named after lawn screams

[@starbugmechanic5236]

We-Are-Henryyy…Crab-Grass

[@Nocny_Informator]

My player talked with the moss in Kobold's Cave, it was also a collective mind, and it was also asked about time of a specific event. It shocking how similar the scenes were (There is no way he watched campaign 2, I'm not sure he knows what Critical Role is even)

[@animusnocturnus7131]

You could say that Jester was... touching grass. 😎

[@splatninja9447]

So what if a druid were travelling and they met henry crabgrass by happenstance. Say some residual magic had left Henry sentient. PC druid, idk, pixie, yeah that could be fun. The pixie uses its druidic magic to grow henry into a humanoid plant mass that the pc can ride in or on. Henry Crabgrass is now an awesome companion for a pixie PC.

[@jeng9927]

This scene has made me long for a crabgrass plushie 😊

[@dakripaez1254]

I need a crabgrass friend dude

[@danismithmn]

I don't keep up with CR, but it'd be great if they ever talked to one of those 5-leaved 'grasses'. "Does it hurt when you get stepped on?" "No, but we don't like when we get smoked. It hurts a LOT!"

[@piercingmoon24]

I kinda stopped watching campaign 2 due to being busy with work. I wanna continue watching it, but I lost track where I stopped. Does anyone still remember which episode they found out that their friend, the floating drow dude was working with the bad guys?

[@gabepatton9851]

I don't know the number but it's a live show episode where caduceus casts true sight on beau. That should be enough for you to find out if you haven't yet.

[@RampantCanine]

When you finally go touch grass and it likes it :)

[@ZannNewman]

ah, ethics + daft spells = roleplay fun! Does the 'speak with' set of spells imbue intelligence, sentience, sapience, a concept of self, passage of time etc ? or are these things always there and the spell just translates them? It's like Owls in Harry Potter, its canon that ALL birds are smart enough to act as Post carriers, but wizards still eat chicken...

[@TimpanistMoth_AyKayEll]

An icon.

[@VudoLydinys]

Isn't the change to 2.0 will go live on All servers even if you will be in the middle of one?

[@TheTsugnawmi2010]

Henry wants consent before petting. What does that mean when people walk on him? Are we all monsters?

[@ottokarl5427]

Did Sam "I hate pets" Riegel really suggest they could take Henry with them in a jar?

[@AstariNyght]

The fact that this happened and then Sam was FCG...jealous of Henry, Sam?🤣

[@dnf-dead]

Oh crabgrass 😂

[@chadbrochill19]

Matt speaks: : o

[@Bummul]

The best npc is Pretty imo, from campaign 3.

[@Paveway-chan]

Best one since Viktor

[@dicerson9976]

Ah, DND players literally touching grass XD