This was INTENSE!! | Reaction | Vox Machina | S1 EP 9-10

[@charlesdanby144]

Ashley/Pike was away filming a TV series for much of this period of the campaign... but she tuned in via Zoom (Astral Projection), and used turn undead as a cleric at possibly the best time it could ever be used (tons of low CR undead instantly vaporized)

[@tonisallerasquintana5905]

Watching the acid trap scene after having burned my arm with sulfuric acid today in the lab hits different, I don't even want to imagine the pain Grog had to go through there.

[@theanyktos]

😬😬😬ouch that must've sucked

[@Raysa1208]

Hope healing goes well!

[@risperdude]

Delilah was a powerful wizard before turning to the Whispered One to save Silas.

[@ayzekpie9432]

13:20 I haven't found this exact fight, but I assure you, Matt Mercer IS a most flexible DM. So many times the players surprised him with their actions, but after a minute of shock the story went on as if nothing had happened. He's a machine.

[@Nitrinoxus]

Episode 10, here we go! Buckle up, folks, the roller coaster ain't stopping 'til the end: - While I don't have a map of Castle Whitestone to hand, I would imagine that the tunnels they entered through were originally storage cellars that the Briarwoods converted to holding cells -- the de Rolo family wouldn't have had much use for a dungeon, though the original builders may have designed it for such. - As a trained animator (AAS in Animation), I think you're _close_ in your assessment. Rather than thinking of the shots in the series as '3D spaces in a 2D world', though, think of it as a 3D world that we're seeing through a 2D window -- the locations being animated extend outside of what we can see in any given shot, and the animators have to keep the rest of the location in mind, in much the same way that a filmmaker would plan around the entire set or shooting location. - Yeah, Percy wasn't reacting to the sketchiness. Meet *Dr. Anna Ripley* -- scientist, engineer, unofficial Artificer, and for a while, Percy's private torturer. - ...So, still think it's fine to leave Percy on his vengeful crusade against the Briarwoods? (As for your musing about whether it's possession or just angst, consider this: when Percy speaks through that mask, especially since executing Anders, _there's _*_two voices_* -- Taliesin Jaffe's, and Matt Mercer's.) - Ziggurats are one of the oldest religious structures in the world, with the oldest dating back to the dawn of civilization. They were considered to be the ideal place to commune directly with the gods, and were often seen as symbols of the divine provenance of the dynasty that constructed them. - Trust those premonitions going forward. Whenever I've been hit by a strong gut feeling like that, something's happened within the day. - Bit of BTS trivia: originally, the List was only supposed to have five names -- Taliesin had had the idea that, if Percy took out every target, five _more_ would be added, creating an endless hitlist; amusingly, Matt Mercer had the exact same idea, but neither of them brought it up to the other until after the campaign had ended. - You'd be wise not to underestimate Vax's movement speed, especially going into Season 2. Blink at your own peril! - If she was Undead, Keyleth's healing spell wouldn't have had any effect at all. No, that's been the real, live, flesh-and-blood Cassandra de Rolo the whole time -- meaning that, in all likelihood, the information she was 'leaking' to the Resistance was done with the Briarwoods' full knowledge and permission. They've had the entire city of Whitestone dancing in their palm for five years. - Congrats on being on the same wavelength as DM Mercer, Matt. You may just have a future in DMing! - I'm a sucker for well-designed traps and puzzle bosses, so I was _absolutely_ taking notes on the entire Residuum Refinery section. High stakes, a timed element, necessary cooperation between players (including hazards that take advantage of the players' unique abilities to circumvent!), and the opportunity for each member of the team to feel like a hero for the part they played -- whether it's a series original or a campaign moment, I consider the entire trap to be a _brilliant_ bit of DM work! - Next week's episodes are an intense one-two punch, and even though you've already seen them by the time I've written this, I feel like there's twists, reveals, and cliffhangers you _were not ready for._

[@HazySkies]

Zombie apocalypse weapon of choice for me would be a bo staff of some kind. Nimble, long reach, bludgeoning weapon. Utility of keeping things at bay, can act as a supportive walking stick to assist with long treks, usable for vaulting to high areas of safety or over grounded traps, can be wedged in or between surfaces to prevent a potentially fatal fall, and probably more. The possibilities and value of long stick has been ageless.

[@Mattables]

Solid Choice!!

[@sandrosliske]

Good choice, but I'd go for the spear. Can still bludgeon but got that comfortable distance head stab. But if all else fails then a good old trusty club.

[@izzyliberty8720]

I'd like to second the spear, but really any sort of polearm. Assuming I get trapped in my home, I know I need to get rid of the stairs that lead to my flat - at least the very bottom stairs - and I will definitely need the reach to keep things away from an elevated position. Alongside all the great, staff-like qualities that polearms keep too. And as long as you have a solid staff or something that can be used that way, you can upgrade it with blades or other sharp objects repeatedly, so even if my homemade spear loses the blade part in a skull, I can re-make it fairly easily with materials I should have more than one of at home already.

[@neintales1224]

A cleric is often OP vs undead, but this also was a nod to Ashley not being at the table in person, but via Skype- and also she IS at a temple, in a chamber that channels power, as the High Priestess noted in an earlier episode when she was trying to get through to the Everlight. So she isn't necessarily going to be astral projecting and so on constantly from here on out. And a ziggurat is a stepped pyramid, I believe with a flattened top, like the temples in ancient Mesopotamia etc.

[@purplelikefire]

Proving once again you are perfectly dramatic for this show!! Thanks for sharing your theories! It was so fun to see you watch them come to pass

[@wildbronco038]

Cassandra was never undead. She was killed and revivified, which is basically the magical equivalent of restarting someone's heart with an AED, or successfully performing CPR on them. The eye glow is meant to show that she's mind controlled, similar to how Sovereign Uriel is.

[@mintchocotaco]

hahahaha not the blessed butter knife 💀💀💀"guess i GOTTA use this now 😒"

[@vanessaaves3271]

I'm loving your reactions to this! And the 2 for 1 format is fantastic.

[@mintchocotaco]

Seconded!!

[@MomokaViixiv]

can u imagine the mental gymnastics and mine fuckery they had to pull in order to do this in dnd lol like yea i jump into the acid ik it does so much damager per round im doing it! lol and pikes player being like ima heal him each round to counter the acid! and the bard trying his best to keep making the saves to keep them all lifted JESUS amazing!

[@AugustoEL]

Haven't watch the campaing. But played lots of D&D and PAthfinder. Trust me, saying "I jump into the pit of acid" is not the weirdest or stupidest thing. Even less as a barbarian. I know. I leterally played one taht basically was droped into an enemy aremy by a friend that had an item tha could use gliding. He droped me (I was playing a giant intincet barbarian, a PF2E subclass) As I fall I tunrn into my giant (Huge size) form land making a crater and start choping part of a literal army that had undeads in the mix as well as two fucking litches. I was literally way into the enemy lines on my own. Not only did I survive I took out a fucking giant chunck of them. I also got fucked hard, but that is why you play as a barbarian, you have more HP that you know what to do with and you jump into damage like a meat wall/sponge of damage.

[@steventaylor546]

The animators at Titmouse did a great job on this first season and the quality just gets better and better with each season. Loving your reactions so far!

[@patricia9720]

You see things that I miss. and I have watched this many times. You help me appreciate this show more than I already do. Thank you

[@easterslice]

Pike is a cleric. I don't know enough about clerics to know what subclass, but I know she's a cleric. I enjoyed you stopping to express your suspicions about Cassandra and Dr. Anna Ripley. These events played out a little differently in the campaign, but that churning feeling of uneasy about Cassandra and Ripley was definitely there. Thank you also for stopping to point out some of the animation freezes. It helps me better appreciate what the animators are doing.

[@Ozgarthefighter]

I believe she was War Domain.

[@damian01061973]

Originally Life Domain but changed to War after her resurrection after dying to a Glabrezu, this also turned her hair white.​@Ozgarthefighter

[@canadiankazz]

Pike's player was Skyping in from NYC. She was off filming Blindspot, remember?

[@pinkrole2210]

my zombie apocalypse weapon would be a climbing chainsaw. You know one of the ones you can with one hand.

[@MarselinD]

Episode 9 end song is AMAZING

[@REDEADTHEUNDEAD]

5:20 “does anyone else have any cool accessories”? Ohhh just wait till season two!

[@jonathanblyth1463]

Forever GM here - thinking on your feet and reacting to what our (chaosclown) players are doing is pretty much the whole thing. It's like a dance. And we love it. Oh and zombie apocalypse weapon is a fire axe.

[@elbruces]

"Ziggurat" is just Sumerian for "pyramid."

[@AAAndrew]

You're good enough, you're smart enough, and, by golly, people like you. 😀 Seriously, we're enjoying your reactions. Yeah, Titmouse has some amazing directors and story-boarders. And this is as poor as it's ever going to look. It just keeps getting better every season. Delilah was already a powerful wizard who was kicked out of a group of powerful mages for her experiments in necromancy. And that's what she turned to in her desperation. Several of the folks taken by the zombies, including the one on the ladder, were cameos of the Titmouse artists. As for the ice wall question, a good DM will adjust your battles to the situation on the ground, including using moments like that to help punctuate action in a larger battle across a city. In the middle of the battle, they brought in a screen where Ashley Skyped in (her "astral projection") as a surprise. In the show, remember it was mentioned in the last episode that she was in a temple that could amplify the god's power more than most mortals can tolerate, "especially for one whose connection is questionable." That's how The Everlight can boost her powers and send her via astral projection. She made everyone's' weapons Holy Weapons, which is why they were so effective against the undead. A Ziggurat is an ancient form of pyramid, found mainly in the Tigris and Euphrates valley with the ancient Babylonians, etc... They were used for religious ceremonies.

[@Nitrinoxus]

Time for another double feature with undead creatures! Episode 9 first, I'll do 10 separately: - I agree, the visual design and animation of this series _really_ make the most of the medium. Doing those kinds of 'wipe' transitions between camera angles is _possible_ in conventional cinematography, but it's rarely worth the amount of effort and doesn't always look great -- with animation, you've got _complete control_ over the viewpoint, and can do things that would be _impossible_ with a physical camera. - Is it really so hard to believe that love can drive someone to extremes? Delilah got what she wanted, but as with all Warlocks, she had to strike a bargain with a patron to do so -- if she doesn't hold up her end of the deal, her patron is no longer obligated to do the same. - If we're talking a _fantasy_ zombie apocalypse (which, yes, _is_ a thing -- thank you, _Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft!),_ my weapon of choice would have to be one of the assorted weapons enchanted with Turn Undead or a sunlight-creation effect. At the very least, I'd want a Corpse Slayer Spear from the Wildemount campaign setting, just across the way from Tal'Dorei here. - Gust of Wind is 2nd level, actually, and can only knock a target back by 15 feet or so at most. Good for creating a bit of distance, but it's better for setting up a large AoE killbox for something like an upcasted Cone of Cold. - You want cool gear? _Keeeep watchin', my dude...!_ - Wasting your breath on a fallen comrade is a good way to be the next one to fall. There's time to grieve after the battle is won. - My Way of the Astral Self Monk used their projected limb to replace one they'd lost years ago, so using a variant of Bigby's Hand as an alternative prosthetic arm is a potentially viable solution! Not bad thinking, Matt! - Bad News. An apt name, given its raw firepower. - Yeah, when a battle takes a bad turn, it turns _fast._ - Like I said: Cone of Cold. - Shape the battlefield during a tactical retreat, use one of DM Mercer's 'Accelerated Rest' house rules to get in a short rest in a few minutes, rally the troops (and rile the Grog) with a good Charisma roll (either Performance or Persuasion), and get ready for a heroic last stand while praying for a deus-ex-machina to help out Vox Machina. Sounds anime A.F. to _me!_ - ...I mean, she's not _wrong_ -- confessions of love during a pitched battle for your lives is _pretty bad timing._ - Speaking of dei-ex-machinae, how's about letting your absent Cleric join the battle from across the continent via the Astral Projection arts of the Temple of Zoom, and help bail out the entire town with the most epic Turn Undead of all time? - As anybody who's played _Shadow of the Colossus_ could tell you, you gotta deal whatever damage you can while you're scaling a titanic monstrosity to reach its head's assorted weak spots -- every little bit helps! - The Dawnfather and the Everlight aren't interchangeable deities in the Exandrian pantheon, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see their Paladins and Clerics cooperating on a battlefield like this one. Standing against the forces of evil is one of the duties both faiths share. - Astral Projection can be exceedingly dangerous for the caster, too, especially if you're traversing the Astral Plane to get somewhere. If the connection between your body and your Astral self is severed, you're dead -- no saving throw, no healing options, just _dead..._ and in _this_ campaign, death isn't something to treat _lightly._ - One of my characters fights with a frying pan. Don't knock the utility of an improvised weapon! - I won't dispute the sketchiness, but there's more to say. I'll loop back to it at the start of my _next_ stack of responses for E10!

[@Bigsteelguy4]

Yeah, now you are getting it, Yes that is a Vengeance demon overshadowing Percy, I won't say anymore but you are correct. Also they just showed it in this episode, so technically i'm not spoiling it.

[@CandleLight129]

Vampires can entrance people by looking into their eyes. Cassandra is being controlled by Sylas as shown by the yellow flash in her eyes. Anders really did slit her throat because "his employers encourage him to make his own decisions" and he hates the De Rolo family. Hopefully that helps clear up any confusion.

[@stereotreme]

zombie apocalypse weapon of choice is the crowbar. a solid hunk of metal, no chance of weak handles, joints, pivots, or welds. no edge to dull over time or real need for maintenance. multiple sizes and weights, so you'll always be able to find the perfect one for you. no need to worry about ammo. super useful for prying open locked doors, and absolutely perfect for bashing in undead heads.

[@lichking410]

My anti-zombie weapon would definitely be a crowbar.

[@nutelasaur9453]

join the club of people upset at Anna Ripley for staying alive

[@nutelasaur9453]

@@Moon-Goddess well if people see your reply, yes it could. i purposefully left it ambiguous to avoid that

[@sandpiperr]

@@Moon-Goddess Um, not until you said that! To people who've only seen up to season 1 episode 10, though it doesn't mean anything other than people are upset she escaped the acid dungeon!

[@bludfyre]

​@@Moon-GoddessIf he'd said, hypothetically, that the people are mad Ripley is still alive because: she gets freed by Scanlan, she kidnaps Grog's baby brother, sacrifices him to Tiamat, and now leads a firearm-powered army who conquers Whitestone and executed Cassandra, I would agree with your spoilers comment.

[@sandorfalusi3486]

Zombie apocalypse weapons: Scoped crossbow with a laser sight for ranged, which is silent and the ammunition is reusable, or you can even make more, and a machete type large knife for melee. good in a fight and for survival as well.

[@lorissajowers1766]

15:40 She was filming Blindspot and she Skyped in and they used the Astral projection thing to explain why she would be popping in and out of the campaign

[@Moon-Goddess]

Pike is a Cleric. Ashley (Pike's VA) was on a series called Blindspot and was away for long periods of time for filming. Sometimes during filming she would make time to skype in. Especially if the team needed her. They implemented some of that into the animated series (her astral projection, her searching for her Goddess). Thankfully since Campaign 2 episode 100 (Covid period) and forward Ashley is back permanently. And she is so good as Yasha and Fearne. I would use an ice pick, bow and/or a Kama in a zombie apocalypse. Something for close/medium combat and something for far away is always nice. Ice pick would be fast and deep. Kama would be nice if I had some room to hack and slash. And a bow for far away and hunting. But if I would have to choose 1, I would go with the Kama.

[@johnobrien7562]

they were all pretty stacked in terms of magic items in game. magic armor and weapons, rings of protection. Keyleth's antlers gave her +2 wisdom and +2 charisma, bringing those stats to 22 and 10. In show, Vax does have a certain purveyor of magical items who dotes on him, so he may be doing a bit better than his teammates. Anders slitting Cassandra's throat - in the campaign, it was an illusion, but here, it may be that they expected that Vox Machina would have Pike with them to heal. Or Anders was just doing it because he honestly wanted her and Percy dead.

[@gloomcat3867]

36:11 Pyke is the best bestie confirmed 😂

[@themorenajay]

1 - Delilah is - in my opinion - someone to respect and fear at the same time as she knows what she wants /which most of the time is her loved one back/ and has the ability & knowledge to get it at ANY cost. She's like... a great villainess but the kind you can admire secretly. I just remembered how Hagrid introduces Voldemort to Harry "He did great things. Terrible - yes - but great." 2 - I'd rather never face a zombie apocalypse because I HATE the idea but I guess my weapon would be clever hiding & the heaviest thing around me that I can pick up & swing. 3 - It's....not symbolic or angsty. You'll see. 4 - None of those Cassandra theories. She's just mind-controlled. But also - them Briarwoods did raise her to think certain things. & 5 - I don't know how in EVERY single video you keep the same perfect nail polish. In the same colors every time. I'm finding that very impressive & interesting.

[@Mattables]

@@themorenajay it’s a gel coat on my nails, so it’s hard to prevent me from biting them 😅 it usually stays on for a few months

[@themorenajay]

@@Mattables it still is impressive you keep the same colors in the same order :)

[@mgormley7530]

Matt had a whole big battle against the undead planned and then Ashley reached out to say she was free and could Skype in. The connection was not great, but it tuens out bringing a cleric to an undead thing is very good

[@smashbrandiscootch719]

Hey, just refound your channel after realizing id already seen you reacting to a Satisfactory video! Im glad you're having a good time with this series. A lot of us donated a total of $11million to get this kickstarter off the ground. It was SOOOO worth it.

[@LIAM_PCK0L]

Yall think Mattables would like the OSC, I believe ONE is something he'd like, but what about II, BFDI, Animatic Battle?

[@parandomal]

My zombie apocalypse weapon would be a billhook, basically a compromise between axe and machete with a curved tip meant for cutting branches. They have good weight and balance to hack and bludgeon, could be fitted to a haft for a polearm, and come in handy for cutting wood for survival and disposable weaponry.

[@bludfyre]

I would rather have a Lochaber axe. Perfect for removing zombie heads from zombie shoulders, while staying back out of their reach

[@necroxisz]

"Does anyone have cool armaments or equipment?" 👀 One suggestion I would make: It's fun and cool to recognize D&D stuff (Definitely, I love doing it myself) but I've seen a lot of reactors who are newer to D&D are trying to meticulously 1-to-1 analyze every part of every action scene to D&D. When it's being very highly editorialized to fit episode structure and flow. ESPECIALLY season 2 and beyond.

[@samuraiko]

Zombie apocalypse weapon of choice -- ironwood bo staff and boken for backup. I'm set. Also, Matt -- buckle the f--- up for Eps 11 and 12 because if you were exhausted here, they're gonna put you through the wringer in the best and worst way. (And get ready for some seriously god-tier animation!) :D

[@andthenhesaid]

So - some of the questions about how the narrative was constructed from the live play sessions, and other such things, were answered in this series of ‘making of’ features. They were pre-release promos so they should be spoiler-free (and you’ve watched it all by now anyway). kzbin.info/aero/PL1tiwbzkOjQwJdoNetaNJE1zZVOE7xi8u&si=7zXv6vCV06Z3DmbA

[@cleosan8150]

Seeing you react to the series I'd really love to see you reacting to the actual campaign - because it's definitely worth the watch! =)

[@JanWiels]

His karma points

[@AugustoEL]

In D&D/Pathfinder? Well going from mechanics of the game... there is a reason why clerics always are depicted with maces or warhammers. It was the bast options to killl undead in the old versions, hell the cleric was the "Zombie nuking class". But as I said in Gravity falls response a warhammer, it is the perfect zombie not only weapon but tool, most have a pick on the back so you can use it not only to also kill zombies but also to grab things or help in reaching something or somewhere. Also if we add magic, bring in the holy weapons magic and holy water.

[@KarmahsQuest]

My zombie apocalypse weapon is necromancy. I win.

[@johnhoolehan690]

Season 2 is gonna make this man lose his mind

[@canadiankazz]

"I know for certain..." *is proven wrong a second later* lol sorry, I had to laugh 😂

[@ayzekpie9432]

I think the main thing about zombie weapons is distance. A stick with knives, a pitchfork, something is easy to poke and return. P.S. Since the zombie theme has started, I advise everyone to read the original World War Z, the films have lost so many cool and terrifying aspects of the fall of civilization.

[@MehrGills]

Yes, you are mostly right about Delilah. She was actually already a wizard (on the cerberus assembly), but she didn't study Necromancy until the whispered one showed her the way to bring her husband back as a vampire. She really is a great partner-willing to do anything for you

[@christopherjunkins]

And now we get to how they skyped her in for the seshs. (Pike - Ashley)

[@I.Lostalim]

Astral Projection, aka Skype. A short clip of that moment from the table if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3aud3SKiKulmqcsi=ycR13JTUEuIlM3J_ That whole sequence with the Zombies was less like traditional combat and more like a narrative sequence with Matt stopping every so often to let everybody do one thing each as they kept fleeing. It was fun to watch the original and amazing to see converted to animation.

[@balijosu]

DMing is about 30% pretending you meant it. (I think the 'sup was a Firehawk Borderlands 2 reference.)

[@TearsOfLa]

Vax's daggers and belt are seperate items. The best turns into a snake, the daggers can return to their owner. Whoever said the belt was responsible for the returning, your info is bad and you should feel bad (that's a joke and a reference, don't flame me haha). Cant remember specifically what magic items they had at this point, but the cool magic shit comes later, these are basically just trinkets

[@SomeoneTookMyOldName]

No, at least in game the belt is responsible, it’s an item called a blink-back belt, ported over from pathfinder. It may be different in the show however because they have changed a few other things, such as combining his boots of haste with a different item in season 2.

[@ryuzakidestiny]

Cassandra was mind controled all the time. She is not really a friend of the Briarwood and she is not an undead.

[@JanWiels]

A war hammer

[@sandorfalusi3486]

14:35 Have you ever played Borderlands 2?

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

...'sup!

[@emilydaniels3535]

Your instincts are good, but your theories are little off. Cassandra isn't a vampire, just charmed by Sylas