The Perfect Adventure Epilogue? - Vox Machina, Ep. 35 | Critical Role Demystified

Percy has to face down his inner demons. But does this ending work in a D&D game?
CW: A character threatens suicide, also some foul language
Chapters:
00:00 - Lesson: How Matt Keeps the Pressure on Percy
06:17 - Lesson: Orthax Isn’t a Great Final Fight
09:19 - Recap: Destroying the Gun
10:47 - Lesson: How to End a Story Arc
18:21 - Outro
You can watch the full episode here:
Episode 35 - Denouement
Part 1:
• Denouement: Part 1 | C...
Part 2:
• Denouement: Part 2 | C...
#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #rpg #wizardsofthecoast
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[@Trintron46]

The gun being thrown in the acid and releasing Percy of his curse was a shock to me when it happened. I thought he would be fine and was so mad when Scanlan first threw it in. It was an awesome reveal!

[@thefiresworddragon927]

So what you're saying is, you're Percy from the animated show in that moment

[@heatth1474]

I honestly wonder if Matt didn't plan that at all and had the smoke come out of the gun as a way to validate Sam's choice

[@Jellybelly98]

@@heatth1474 he said in the after show that the whole scene of him throwing the gun in the acid took him by surprise, he had intended for the curse to continue and become a bigger problem but then Sam happened and well, the rest is history.

[@starscream71288]

The Keeper Yennen fart is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Matt ran with it so well, and the way it slowly breaks everyone is just priceless.

[@piperbird7193]

The funniest part to me is Ashley probably wouldn't even have heard it, since it was a sound from her mic, so she wouldn't even know what everyone was laughing about.

[@starscream71288]

@piperbird7193 very true. I'll have to watch it again and pay closer attention to her.

[@SLorraineE]

It's also funny because if he hadn't acknowledged the sound, they likely wouldn't have all broken character like that. Everyone was ready to just ignore it, but Matt likes to tie in any noises from the set and it just worked perfectly to create a wonderful break of tension in this heavy episode

[@TakeWalker]

"I was very scared, I'm a little man!" Lines that stick with you for some reason. XD

[@IgnisKhan]

I think there's a major aspect of the Orthax fight that you're overlooking: The demon was expelled from Percy after he rolled a natural 20 on his will save versus its influence. I don't think Matt planned to have the fight there, in that corridor and those circumstances, but he wanted to honor the significance of a critical success. So, he just winged it. By that metric, it's actually pretty impressive they still got some dramatic mileage out of the encounter.

[@SLorraineE]

I love Travis' reactions when Matt says cool things. His response to Grog's part of the thank you speech is just pure joy and excitement. I think part of what makes Critical Role so good is that engagement from the players. Travis often has the most visible reactions, but the rest of the cast are clearly all in too. With all of them so fully invested, the story feels so rich and real to us because it is for them

[@mkang8782]

It's such a "little thing" to acknowledge the characters the way Matt does it, and it's clear every time that his players soak it up. It's a technique worth nurturing and growing.

[@abrilvonbunny6205]

my blood ran cold when you said "a lich king that wanted to be a god... his name was Vecna" sent shivers down my spine... it was like saying Voldemort at this time in the campaign

[@troikas3353]

I could never really blame Tal for being a little annoyed from a mechanics perspective, that gun was grandfathered in from their Pathfinder game and iirc couldn't actually be made in 5E. His homebrew class also started to struggle more and more outside a few moments where luck aligned and he never really got a great weapon upgrade to replace the pepper-box.

[@OccidentalAvian]

He did eventually get a replacement magic pepperbox from Ripley but it wouldn't be for another 35 or so episodes.

[@troikas3353]

@@OccidentalAvian Yeah but it wasn't all that great and he never gets a chance to upgrade it any really. Percy really could have used a rather powerful weapon to make up a little for the wonkyness of his class mechanics. Kinda like how Beau in C2 really could have used a better staff much sooner given how weak monks were.. and still are really.

[@SnekkySnek]

@@troikas3353 tbf beau did get those minotaurs electro gauntlets that really buffed her up before she got the staff

[@BigKlingy]

Doesn't Percy hold the Vox Machina record for most damage in a single round, though? I never felt like he was underpowered. And Beau in Campaign 2 felt broken until Matt started giving bosses immunity to Stun.

[@ColonelMustache]

Did Scanlan ever pay Percy back for the gun? I do remember Percy getting back at him while they broke Kaylie out of prison.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

So sad Delilah's gone She was such a good villain. It's so disappointing that this is the last we'll see of her. Then she won't I don't know find increasingly bizarre and annoying ways to resurrect herself.

[@Daltygaming2]

Yeah..Hopefully that doesn’t happen.

[@billystokes3917]

Yep. Gone for good. No way we're seeing her again...

[@Methadron]

I actually think, that Orthax did what a demon would do. They are chaotic beings by their very nature. So escaping a battle would not necessarily be on its mind. Especially not if this small nugget of cold in Percys chest could have been a place for him to reform. Later in C1 we learn that in Matts world, demons and devils are only ever permanently killed if they are killed in their home realm. So why run away from your servant and a good fight, if you can always reform later on.

[@MrSeals1000]

As someone who watched all of campaign 1 straight through without going back much, it's always SO much fun seeing little threads that were intentionally or much less intentionally there that get picked up far into the future. Like dam! Sam being the one pushing for a library?? I love that

[@thefiresworddragon927]

You got through episodes 1-27? My word, you're brave.

[@kjj26k]

@@thefiresworddragon927 They are actually pretty good if you know utterly nothing about critical role AND especially TTRPGs as a whole. All of the "poor" plays and the presence of a "That Guy" completely flew over my head because I had no idea what Good DnD was, I didn't even know what DnD was. Honestly, all my memories from the Kraghammer Arc are magical because I was discovering the awesome power of a TTRPG with great players and a fantastic DM.

[@Pablo360able]

I can't wait for the next episode, where nothing bad happens

[@kjj26k]

First time I've ever seen this comment be honest.

[@JinbaHGS]

I love the slow, steady shrinking of Travis in the love scene. Lol

[@knghtbrd]

As the campaign goes on the players get better at having romance between the characters be less embarrassing and giggly … they are adults and they are professional voice actors after all … this is just something it took them a little time to get used to since these characters are *their* characters. And they're all friends who are watching a private moment in a very public space. They'll get there. I mention it because your group doesn't have to get there. You group can fade to meta discussion for a moment like this so it's less embarrassing for the group (and your players. You can fade to black which will probably result in a little "wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more!" which is easy to laugh off. Or your GM, kinda being informed above table where you guys want to go with it can kinda narrate something simple and appropriate: The two of you take a nice, quiet walk together to share a moment of each other's company. Vax makes it clear that he's got some feelings for Keyleth, and Keyleth nods-she knows. But she's also committed to her task and the road is dangerous… She's not quite ready to return those feelings in kind, but Vax can see in her face that some of the fatigue and anxiety there a moment ago has faded. The other players will doubtless think that's very sweet and as long as it was not a surprise to Liam and Marisha that the scene was gonna go down like that, it's totally fine. Y'know what else is totally fine? If your group isn't comfortable doing this kind of thing-or if YOU are not comfortable doing this kind of thing, don't. This is what session 0 and above table discussions are for. Again, none of this kind of thing should ever be a surprise or an actual discomfort for the table. What happened here could've made these guys actually uncomfortable. Again, it didn't, a little embarrassed maybe but they handled it all right and it's quite endearing… I loved this scene, rest of the cast hiding their faces and giggling and all. ❤ But being okay with what happens at the table is the most important thing. This is a game, entertainment, the point is to be having fun. Not feeling uncomfortable or like something very inappropriate is happening. I've probably beat the horse to death now. Forwarning, acceptance, and appropriate limits for the group. I'll stop talking now.

[@AristophMarloque]

It's also worth noting that this is the first proper romance they're having since they started streaming their game. I believe they've said there was at least one or two romances during their home game pre-streaming drays. It wasn't that they couldn't or even hadn't done it before. It was more that they didn't know how far it was appropriate to take that side of the game in a very public and very popular stream where some of their viewers may be understandably uncomfortable with the subject matter. They weren't just messing around in their buddy's living room anymore. The players' opinions were no longer the only opinions that mattered. So they played it on the safe side and it ended up a little awkward until they found the right balance.

[@TheMagicMan333]

Yeah, by and large my group works on the Star Trek rule. People kiss, the camera fades to black, then comes back in on somebody putting their boots on.

[@MushyUndTingly]

I kind of disagree about the Orthax fight. The point of the entire Briarwood arc is Percy's journey of vengeance and justice. Percy somewhat early on in the arc, admits that he's glad that justice can be found but makes no qualms about hurting people and finding justice and is well aware that he's fine going down the dark path. But as he kills Briarwood allies, he slowly comes to realize that maybe vengeance isn't really what he believed it would be. So part of the reason why I think the Orthax fight stands on its own is not really the mechanical, technical masterpieces that other battles that have come before and after, because it doesn't really need to be, but narratively, it stands on its own. Not every climatic boss battle needs to be this huge over the top kind of thing. Besides, if you want to think about it, the previous fight between Vox Machina and Lord and Lady Briarwood IS the climatic showdown. I know I'm probably the only one who thinks this way, and YMMV and all that, just wanted to give my perspective on this.

[@AlexDelux2500]

Throwing the gun into the acid was such a brilliant moment!

[@Lionbug]

Sam _is_ the best after all

[@manueltorresart2345]

I feel the same as you with the Orthax fight, as a cathartic moment for Percy, it feels dull if we compare it with the fight they had in the previous episode.

[@persephonehades7547]

The "pardon me" moment has lived in my mind ever since I watched this episode. I was waiting in anticipation to you covering that.

[@GregMcNeish]

I remember having similar feelings regarding the Orthax fight, when I marathoned the show during COVID (I was introduced to CR in May 2020 and watched all of C1 over that summer). The fight felt divorced from the character drama that surrounded it, and I found it so underwhelming (especially compared to the previous episode where the drama was so entwined with the battle) that I was honestly surprised and actually apprehensive about it being the season finale for Legend of Vox Machina. That they fundamentally changed that fight, transforming it into an internal, character-driven scene was not just a good call, but NECESSARY to be able to close out the arc that way. I think this episode was saved from being a bit of a dud by the surprising (to everyone, especially Sam) catharsis of throwing the gun into the acid, breaking the demonic pact. THAT was the triumphant moment, and it was as unrelated to the combat as anything could be. Nothing about the story would change without that fight, and if that's the case, maybe there shouldn't be a fight....

[@kasiamleczarska9078]

100% agree

[@Dunybrook]

I think Orthax already accomplished his main goal of having introduced firearms into Exandria and all the chaos and death which that will eventually cause. Torturing Percy as much as possible was just an added bonus. Matt probably would have let them use greater restoration or something to get rid of the demon.

[@bristowski]

This is a good channel. This is a good series. I like Mike.

[@ShyyGaladriel]

I enjoyed this moment with Orthax a lot first time I watched it.

[@spencerpommier806]

What's that low rumble in the distance? Ehh probably nothing

[@Skip6235]

Oh man, I am so excited for episode 39. . .

[@WaveShock007]

Orthax probably wanted to, go quote Thomas Raith from Monster "Eliminate the Competition".

[@AdThe1st]

Was just watching your Pathfinder Character Creation videos when this uploaded, love your channel

[@GWR515]

Thanks Mike! I really love getting these videos every two weeks

[@sleepyspartan1367]

Honestly, I feel the best way to recreate the animated series would probably be to have the player (Percy/Talson) be the boss with a different mechanic like them trying to reach the PC and giving them cool abilities like Percy having infinite ammo, no gun breaks, free teleport (Misty). The full combat would be to prevent the boss player (Percy/Talson) from obtaining their goal (killing Delilah) before the other players can obtain their goal (saving Percy)

[@Startagainfully]

Orthax is chaos and discord he is a monster that has no goal except to convince others to cause as much harm and damage as he can he is not a boss he is temptation. The temptation to be a murderhobo to not think about consequences or reason just revenge murder and discord

[@beegborg3303]

I was mid video from someone else saw the thumbnail an jumped over instantly lol love these so much

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Another great video as always! Currently watching the second season of The Legend of Vox Machina.

[@nickbrown638]

Honestly, (translating the show’s approach to the game) I would have Percy be possessed, while narrating what Percy sees on his turn, inside his head.

[@LeWebslinger]

Yeeeeee was waiting for this soo much. When I ll get some income i will support you mate

[@vi8440]

ah yes the first mention of vecna! i'm sure nothing else will come of this silly little lich thing!

[@TheSwamper]

"a lot of players don't like making tough choices." Huh? One of the joys of DM'ing is to have the players be in situations where they have to make touch choices. It's kinda part of the game.

[@threewaysdivided7143]

You know, having watched the TLoVM animated series recently (and with this episode from you in mind) I kind of wish the show had gone for more of a middle-ground with Percy's depiction in the lead-up before diverging completely into a battle-in-the-mind for the Orthax fight. The show version was dramatic but, compared to how Tal played Percy - having him actively realise that (having now had a taste of vengeance and felt no better for doing so) he no longer wanted to pursue that path and was ready to walk away from Orthax - the show felt like it took a lot of Percy's agency away by having Orthax so strongly at the reigns and his friends having to cry out to make him even consider pulling back. The battle-in-the-mind was still more dramatic visually, but I think having Orthax be so overtly present behind Percy in the show came at the cost of weakening his character, which is a shame because it felt like some of those scenes could have been easily re-written (or they could have condensed some bridging scenes elsewhere to free more time) in order to balance the scale better. There was the opportunity to give Percy more active agency in saying no, and then have Orthax fully reveal themself to seize control once Percy tried to back out. Maybe it's just my writer-brain going but I think the animated adaptation missed a few tricks where a middle-road would have been possible within the same amount of screentime.

[@theunfamousone2818]

dingo doodles is animating her "fools gold" campaign where a character has fought the group a few times similar to how percy fought vox machina in the series

[@dolphin64575]

LOVING the lessons you're pulling from these, especially pointing out things that DON'T work so well. Critical Role is not The Most Perfect D&D Game Ever!

[@lefterismplanas4977]

Theese are awesome and I love you for them

[@SmilingTomatoes101]

It's been over two months since this video came out but that first 40 seconds stuck with me so much I wanna comment on it. The way you misremembered the laptop cutting out is, oddly enough, a really good example of why TTRPGs work so well. It's not part of the actual story, literally stops the game, and was objectively a mistake. Yet because you're invested in what's going on, it can be reimagined into something that works extremely well as a dramatic tool. Hell, it was such a potentially cool moment they put it into the animated series. Just goes to show that inspiration comes from anywhere and how good this game is at convincing people to suspend their disbelief

[@adamcimrmann]

Wait so Vedmire survives in the Campaign? Kinda the opposite to being torn to pieces by to Townsfolk lol

[@Pumpky_the_kobold]

I don't think that, by this time, they had started talking about the plotline they were personally interested in exploring, and therefore all roance was just as random to them as any encouter thrown in by the DM (and I might be wrong), which explain their reaction. It's very... childish, but I understand that somehow that is how you process surprise. But that love story is actually so cute in the show, seeing is a bit surprising to me. But to be honest I couldn't deal with someone firting with me IRL so. Who am I to judge!

[@Pumpky_the_kobold]

Again, thank you for the video!, excellent work!

[@SNDKNG]

Yo can I make a request? The audio for the clips is pretty soft (compared to your audio). Any chance you'd consider buffing it?

[@tylamcgilverson3923]

Hey guys normally on the discord I leave a giant fallow along. I'll do that here in my own comments. Love you Micky

[@tylamcgilverson3923]

It's really important to remember this episode is a capstone for an arc. It's important to take time from your sessions to have a moment where one arc ends. It allows the characters to breath. I recommend doing this MORE at higher level sessions vs low level sessions

[@toonezon4836]

ok, so this part, when vax and kiki are confessing love and everyone's trying to give them space is still maybe one of my absolute favorite parts of campaign 1, if not critical role over all, and was very disappointed they didnt include it in the LOVM series, spesifically everyone hiding/their reactions, especially taliesin/percy wrapped in his scarf. also, now i need a side by side of this vax/kiki reaction, and the cast reaction from the imogen/laudna kiss from campaign 3 episode 65

[@alliebrown4790]

Kind of rude to give spoilers for campaign 3 on a video for campaign 1 with no warning…

[@vincentlevarrick6557]

Holy Sarenrae. Could you NOT have spoiled that please? Some of us are new to CR - are watching from C1, hence why we're here. You could have at least mentioned the Campaign + Episode /first/ then the PC names.

[@toonezon4836]

@@vincentlevarrick6557 cmon now, its shown both in the clips mike uses in this video, and the love confession IS in season 1 of LOVM, i have nothing in my comment about campaign 3

[@toonezon4836]

@@alliebrown4790 what spoilers? i didnt discuss anything that mike didnt show this video, and the love confession was in LOVM season 1, i regretted they didnt show the reactions. imention nothing about campaigns 2 or 3, i didnt spoil anything that wasnt already in the video

[@alliebrown4790]

@@toonezon4836 you did mention a specific character moment from a specific episode of campaign three. I’m not trying to be rude. Just trying to remind you that not everyone is caught up and it’s not okay to spoil things from beyond this episode of campaign one without a spoiler warning

[@ColonelMustache]

The moment of Grog failing to pants Vax was the moment I lost interest in their prank dynamic, simply for the mechanical reason that Vax, being a rogue, is now basically unbeatable in any dice contest that would be relevant to their spats. Expertise + Reliable Talent means that Grog might even be statistically UNABLE to beat him, though I don’t know exactly what their stats looked like at this time.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

True, but to be fair, the prank war has a freaking legendary ending. One of the best scenes in the whole campaign.

[@ColonelMustache]

@@TheLordofMetroids hm, I’m actually totally blanking on what that was.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

@@ColonelMustache The love potion scene. Vax was given the potion by Terry to prank Grog and he decided instead to bury the hatchet right into Sam's back.

[@SupergeekMike]

I just don’t like pranks so I don’t care for almost any of it lol

[@ColonelMustache]

@@SupergeekMike Yeah that’s fair. I thought shaving the beard was going too far.

[@HeitorFaria-yd2vd]

First