Travis Willingham: Lessons in being a Good D&D Player

[@lukediehl1210]

My favorite Travis moment was from campaign 1. I forget some of the specifics, but it was a big fight, and they realized there was a big downside to attacking in melee. It was his turn. He debated his move for a long time, then said "Grog wouldn't know that. Grog's an idiot." He went with the stupid choice, all in the name of staying true to his character and not metagaming.

[@turdgrimlin4773]

Luke Diehl no one has responded to your comment and, I was worried you might feel left out so , I just wanted to let you know that I care about you and I think you are great!

[@myheadhurtsagain]

I think you are referring to the Black Ooze fight where and jumped up over the ogre bodies and started wailing away on the acidic ooze creatures that kept doing damage back to him as he fought them which ended up KO-ing him cause of splash back and massive damage rolls.

[@tvig567]

Oh god this is my PC. hahah XD Aspire to be more like Grog ?

[@elgatochurro]

Would prefer my players doing that than simply wanting the best stuff. I personally become very displeased and annoyed when my players bring up ruling disparities... "this tree trunk is too big for us to fall from the orcs hitting hit." Well then if it really was that thick... you'd all have trouble getting up it as thr branches wouldn't be 20 feet up, they'd be 40-60 feet up... I am the DM, not the players, if I say rocks are falling and you're outside... ROCKS ARE FALLING. I can't even give enemies certain abilities or spells because the players will debate "why does the undead paladin game divine smite" when I grabbed it just to make it necrotic damage... they could just TAKE MY WORD FOR IT AS IM THE FUCKING DM, BUT NOOOOO... I need to rename it, and the damage it deals and the flavor text so people don't tell me the obvious fact that I grabbed divine smite and threw it on an undead paladin just for the damage output.

[@Dumixfy]

I would have to disagree with you mate. Not on the Grog stuff, Travis plays his character almost perfectly, but your style of DMing. You aren't an allmighty god that tries to do crazy shit, you are a storyteller. All of your examples aren't really players fault, but your own (except maybe the first, but you could fix that). You could have told them that "orcs are massive creatures with giant axes, they wouldn't have any problems cutting down a tree of any size" instead of trying to argue about tree size. That bieng said i know that players can be a bit problematic in this area second one is just... no. If you have a good explanation why the rocks are falling than yes (for example they are near a castle that is under siege and a trebuchet is throwing rocks or en evil druid is throwing them off a mountain), but just rocks falling from thin air... no. This isn't a power trip, and if you do something like that, you are just a bad DM. Players are "bound" to your world and have to follow your rules, but that doesn't mean you should do any crazy thing you want. Again you are a storyteller and if you do shit like that, you are a bad storyteller and a bad DM (I know this was just an example, but it's a bad example) And the third one you just sound lazy, D&D is a pen and paper game, you don't have any visuals (for the most part), especially for spells. Players have expectations of how things work in a D&D world and if you just go around breaking those rules because "i'm a DM i can do that" then your players won't be as immersed in the world. And flavor text, incantations, descriptions of the spells is what brings them to life, what makes them real in players minds, and if you are too lazy to change that for a special character you made, then either don't do those types of characters or don't DM Now i know where you are coming from, i have DM'd quite a few games myself and i know how annoying players can be with bendind the rules in their favor or metagaming, but in the end it is your job to tell a story and to keep everything going as smoothly as possible. Know the rules better than them, try to explain as best as possible and be understanding why people do what they do, but also don't be afraid to nudge them in the right direction, punish them if they do something out of character and remember to talk to your players. And always remember, it is THEIR story, not yours, let them enjoy it how they want and try to accommodate their wants

[@Keltain]

Actually got to ask Travis advice on being a voice actor! His response was “become comfortable with rejection and stay true to yourself as an actor”

[@xinahliaofthefeywild8985]

Thats really good advise. Awesome that you got to meet him.

[@tristan9602]

I think one of my favorite examples of Travis's skill as a roleplayer was when he tried to get Pike to teach him to read Common. He went all-in on the roleplay, acting dumb and struggling with the lesson, and at the end when Matt ruled that he forgot the whole lesson, Travis was the only player who immediately accepted the ruling. The others all argued (not heavily, it was all good-natured and there was no animosity) and tried to convince Matt to be a bit more lenient. But Travis rolled with it and turned it into a hilarious moment for Grog.

[@WTFisTingispingis]

To be totally fair Grog is that kind of guy who'd forget entire lessons. I know i've had that problem with school.

[@ToastyTstdToast]

"Im not so hot on the numbers"

[@jamieadams2589]

@@WTFisTingispingis he forgot it because he learned it under the effects of an intelligence boosting potion

[@SingingSealRiana]

@@jamieadams2589 to be fair, he has a single int point over trinket . . . the chances where low to begin with

[@Nikotheleepic]

Travis realizes beyond anyone else maybe besides sam, that you don't have to win everything to have a compelling story

[@jokhard8137]

"Unconscious I go." He took that well.

[@WreathGhost]

When did that happen?

[@duckatali]

@@WreathGhost 3:20

[@PalleRasmussen]

In all fairness, Sam does that too. He will even say "I am fine", when at one HP.

[@reloadpsi]

This is how I try to play. Once you're unconscious, being worried is everybody else's job regardless.

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@reloadpsi well... Depends on your role in the party; I play the Tank and consistent damage dealer, so it is fairly relevant and important to the party if I go down. My character that is.

[@Kill3rR0s3]

A perfect example of this is when Pike hits the column early in campaign 1 and there’s a crack because of Grogs hammer and immediately Travis goes “you loosened it up for me” and hypes when Ashley replies “team work!” It’s such a sweet and funny moment

[@DragonKnightJin]

And it's all completely in-character, too. Grog might be 'simple', he's also too sweet (when not raging) to be actively malicious. Possibly *because* he's on the simple side. He's rather innocent. For the amount of bloodshed he's responsible for, anyway..

[@cpttusktooth7859]

When his character was on death's door. His wife came and picked him up with a magical necklace. Next round he whispers to Laura. Drop me ontop of my evil uncle. If I die, I die. Absolute legend. Nat 20. The crowd goes wild.

[@chronics23]

Time stamp? Or at least episode please, that sounds freaking awesome!

[@chronics23]

@@Blue_Lunacy thank you!

[@theharvinator]

@@chronics23 what ep?

[@Elektrokardiogramm]

Campaign 1 Episode 52: The Kill Box@@theharvinator

[@theharvinator]

@@Elektrokardiogramm thank you!

[@Destide]

Travis plays dumb so well and that's an amazing achivment, it's really hard to play dumb without stuttering play or a situation.

[@gilgameshv9tv]

sirico like when Vex pulled out the Deck of Many Things after she had tricked him into thinking she gave it to him and he IMMEDIATELY said “what, where did you find another one?”

[@kenmakouzume7368]

Or, even better. Grog's amazing bartering skills in which he managed to if i recall lower his own selling price by about 40 GP (or he ended up paying the other person) for an object to impress Vex and her money skills.

[@theDMLair]

Totally agree! I loved the way Travis portrayed Grog in season 1. It was insanely amazing! 😀

[@madmanmax120]

I forget who said it (a comedian I think) but it was something along the lines of "It takes a genius to play the town fool".

[@mikeyuskiw3477]

I agree - Grog is forever immortalized!

[@magicno2]

Ashley: Imma use rage Travis : YEAHAHAHA!!!! Everytime

[@Kaiser8361N]

EVERY. TIME.

[@kirbylamb1507]

Id like to rage? *extremely politely*

[@that1tallkid_498]

I love that he gets so excited for her it’s the best

[@BRHency]

2 years after this comment. Most recent episode. Travis still has this exact same reaction!

[@davidmathieson8661]

@@BRHency thats because those players who truly embody barbarian characters, hype the rage...even when it's not their character

[@rasnac]

Travis Willingham is the older brother every nerd wished they had growing up.

[@KickyFut]

A psychological question for you, though: If he was your older brother, would you have been the nerd you were growing up?

[@rasnac]

With a nerd role model like him to look up to, I'd even be a bigger nerd than I am right now.

[@KickyFut]

I'm not sure, myself. He was a jock growing up, even played football thru college. In those times when he was a kid the anime and Vidgame genres were looked down on... I think he got into anime later... He doesn't seem to be the bully type, I just don't know what influence he would have been as a kid.

[@rasnac]

He was a fat kid who loved comics as a kid and a theatre nerd all through high school. Who cares what sports he played? My dad was a professional soccer player and collected comic books. I'll never understand this class mentality Americans seem to have.

[@KickyFut]

That's pleasantly surprising! Oh, it matters because in the States, during the eighties and nineties there were a lot of groupings/cliques where the sports guys (the Jocks) normally picked on "nerds" and "geeks". It's less stereotyped nowadays, thank goodness! I never understood being picked on at the time, but after lots of Psychology classes I understand why they did then... Then, knowing that, I wish he was an older brother too!😁

[@wagawaffles]

I remember one time Travis was getting charmed as Grog and after a few seconds he asked Matt if he could be charmed while raging and Matt realized his mistake and the charm failed.

[@zachsilby4569]

Yeah, that sounds much better than, "wait wait, I am raging" it moves the attention to the DM as you are merely confirming something, like "I'm ok with this but just making sure it is possible first."

[@BubblingBrooke]

Not to mention, Travis is very attentive on making sure people aren't meta gaming. I'm still going through campaign one and numerous times he'll say someone isn't there when they wanna meta game something (like when Grog does his wonderful negotiations for goods). It's so easy to let meta gaming slip but Travis doesn't. He cares about the integrity of the game.

[@XPtoLevel3]

"no no no! there's no fuckin' pigeons!"

[@theDMLair]

Yes, that a great quality to have in a player! He's doing part of the DMs work for him -- a part the DM would rather not have to worry about. As a DM I always appreciate it when players help with tasks that I don't necessarily have to do myself in order to free me up for more important things.

[@Geburah82]

Yeah it's a big relief when you have some players who are inclined toward metagaming, especially newer players - and other players save you from being the 'bad guy' chiming in to redirect them all the time.

[@ahardcorejedi2968]

"Stupid fucking pigeons"

[@ahardcorejedi2968]

Not to mention it helps take the stress off of a DM trying to keep the room in check and helps respect your party members wishes instead of blaming a dm for being a hard ass, specially if multiple mistakes are made within a short period. It could easily give a bad look for a dm to newer players, so seeing someone next to you following said guidelines instead should make you feel like oh he's leading us and I should follow his lead. Overall I believe between Travis and maybe Liam they both take lead sometimes in situations where their characters excel, Fjord being charisma and Caleb being just over cautious.

[@jaffaesque]

Favourite Travis Moment- Vax: “Do you even know what Math is?” Grog: “Mathis?”

[@Blizzic]

You know if you wanna just make this a series where you basically just dissect why critical role and everyone involved with it is the greatest I'm totally down for that

[@sammayes948]

I wouldn't mind watching that myself

[@beepo111]

100% agreed!

[@nerdlydelicious1876]

Same!

[@WreathGhost]

Yes!

[@markbridges2168]

What is greater?

[@DanDanChair3427]

One of my favourite moments of his is when, in early campaign 1, he rolled a Nat 20 on an intelligence check.

[@oiman5733]

"Mhm yes that is an anti-scrying rune" "Yep this is a stone giant fort" He really knows what he's doing with that 6 int lol

[@brayidur]

@@oiman5733 he's has an Intelligence of 6, I think he knows what he's talking about.

[@someotherworldlybeing3167]

@@brayidur +6 in intelligence? That’s ungodly

[@ballsucker28]

@@someotherworldlybeing3167 not +6, 6

[@someotherworldlybeing3167]

@@ballsucker28 🤔idk man. 6 is the same as 6. Don't know what numbers ur confusing

[@ashleychen9120]

“Every time someone does something creative or interesting, he’s cheering them on” * cue clip on the perc’ahlia bath moment with Travis cheering on the side*

[@rykenman]

I know I'm late. but I really wanted to like this but can't because you got 69 likes and that's too perfect

[@DeathBringerBecky]

@@rykenman Hey, look at that! You resisting liking it was completely and utterly pointless! Who'd have thought?!

[@rykenman]

@@DeathBringerBecky umm I thought about it for a bit. But then I decided not to bother with it. And liked it when it passed 69. Soooo yeah.. Thanks for the reply!

[@TheJim9191]

My favourite part about that moment is how psyched Travis is about it when it's his wife's fictional character banging another dude's fictional character. Security: 100

[@nstimm02]

@@DeathBringerBecky but why the sarcasm a year after the reply xD

[@LordMyron09]

No joke: this video made my character go from annoying to amazing. You see, I was used to playing smart characters (think wizards, rogues etc), so I made a stupid ogre fighter (basically a goliath with some extra buffs to strength and de-buffs to intelligence and charisma). Originally, since I was used to being the "smart one" all the time, I unwittingly metagamed all the time, only playing up my stupidity in interactions where is was clear someone else should handle things my character would know nothing about. I could practically feel the hostility that was brewing when I was not in the room. Then, after watching this video, it occurred to me that I could change my characters' approach to try and fix things. It literally worked in two sessions: I started "explaining" my bad rolls before the DM had to invent something, congratulated fellow PCs when they did something impressive, and it even made me want to create "big names" for them for major events they would influence (like the member who always got bloodied but never downed was dubbed "death-cheater;" the cleric who loved to used a hammer shaped divine weapon "god-hammer" etc) made things change from my character being a groan fest to having fellow players (in and out of character) saying "I *love* X's character" was the most heartwarming thing I could imagine.

[@LordMyron09]

@@canela904 Indeed! People often take issue from things and never say anything about it. While some groups will keep people regardless, I think that reading the room is the key between making a character that is beloved and the one that people can't wait to see die. I started DMing a campaign of my own, and multiple people are complaining about an edge lord. He's been in multiple previous games, but he's acting like an edgy lone wolf with strong main character energy. Everyone says they're flabbergasted by this, but he's already gotten artwork of his character made and framed before level 2, so it seems like he's committing to an idea for how he wants his character to be (despite me holding the cards; that is the plot)

[@Simian-bz7zo]

There was a moment in campaign 1 that really drove home for me how good a player Travis is. Grog was bartering with a shop keeper and Travis intentionally paid over the odds for the goods, purely because that is what Grog would do (not being so good with the numbers and counting). Commitment to character, even when it hurts, is another sign of a great player.

[@jhinpotion9230]

And he did it partially as a response to Laura OOC trying to get him to haggle even though Vex wasn't there. It was great.

[@Cheesusful]

Yeah, I felt it was him deliberately winding up his wife for shits and giggles

[@peterlane7128]

It also didn't REALLY feel like much of a loss tbh, because they had had those things gs for a looooonnnnng time and did nothing with them, so it was literally just to rile Laura XD

[@chainclaw07]

Yeah its easy as a player to get into an encounter and simply think - i will solve it. Whether its combat puzzle or haggling or what ever. And taking the time to just play the character instead of the encounter makes the game ... more real? I guess

[@zabeerfarid7687]

It is important to note while Travis did that for roleplay more importantly he did to get his friends and wife to laugh

[@CappyK]

I reckon Travis must've played a lot of teamsports growing up. He just comes off as that guy who would block the tackle for you or throw you a pass to score instead of trying to hog it himself. And he plays "straight man" so well when other cast members are trying to make a joke. He's probably been Best Man at so many weddings...

[@williethenerfherder2193]

He played football in college, and he's from Texas.

[@kasandrahartshorn6268]

He has said that sports saved him because he has ADHD and needed the outlet

[@WTFisTingispingis]

@@williethenerfherder2193 That makes perfect sense.

[@Erblorg]

@@williethenerfherder2193 Played college ball, ya know

[@WTFisTingispingis]

@@Erblorg AT SOME CUSHY IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL

[@Matthew_Calmert]

He's also so anti-metagame. Like when he did the bad negotiation in campaign one

[@30noir]

That was hilarious.

[@MsDavid47]

Or how in campaign 1 when Vax shaved half of Grogs beard, mostly because Travis rolled badly, he was so angry he actually bended a mechanical pen, but he still stuck to it, not a word was spoken.

[@broken12smiles]

@@MsDavid47 let's say I don't know. Let's say I assume.

[@director1336]

Merchant: I will give you this potion for those 14 scales and TWO of those blood vials Grog: How about all the scales, and THREE blood vials

[@ozpin8329]

My favorite example of this is during the battle royale oneshot. Travis knows when Sam leaves the ball, but he makes Grog run over to where Terry used to be to check.

[@JayShoPalmz]

Travis is literally my favorite. I appreciate the doting older brother feel I get from him. Also his subtle direction and his enthusiastic engagement in the games are one of the main reasons why I love this show. I mean it also doesn't hurt that the dude is hot as well, good job Laura Bailey!

[@knightcyclops7330]

This is a beautiful love letter to travis and all players like him and a lesson for everyone else all in all an amazing video keep it up

[@MsCunningLinguistic]

To be fair, Travis deserves all the beautiful love letters he can get. Keep it up, lol

[@dyver123]

A friend of mine once called me the Travis Willingham of our DnD group, and I did not realize what that meant untill now.

[@vicky_thegiantpossum]

wow, that's a compliment. That means you must be a very great person and companion !

[@heallios3070]

"Is that horse a mustang?" This man is an absolute god

[@timandshannon03]

Heallios88 I'll name him Shelby.....

[@agamerspov]

Tim Hartley I was driving when he made that comment and I almost had to pull over I laughed so hard.

[@timandshannon03]

Same!

[@noiseofthevoid7363]

Name it Roy

[@DragonKnightJin]

@@noiseofthevoid7363 That'd be too meta for Travis.

[@philipfahy9658]

I feel like these lessons Travis shows are good lessons not just for D&D, but for life as well. Take the bad luck with positivity, hype up the achievements of those around you, and be focused on the fun and camaraderie before your own ego. Good lessons to live by.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Really really good point! Those skills of being a good colleague/friend/team members/family member are definitely transferable ones.

[@bionicletech]

Travis is everyone's older brother...except Laura's. He's Laura's Husbando

[@SamSphinx]

Louie Beaubien OSKAARRR

[@nangke]

Lucky woman

[@aurinsaint9058]

I wonder.... Do they ever do their character voices while in the bedroom?

[@ZanraiKid]

Best power couple since Lauren Faust and Craig McCracken.

[@theblazingcrusader6322]

Aurin saint I believe in an interview they say that sometimes without realizing it slip into their characters. So yes they do.

[@Roxanne-zq2xb]

The moment I really started to take notice of this kind of thing was when (spoiler free!) The mighty nein were fighting the bbeg and the players were freaking out. He popped out of character to remind them that it's just a game, what happens, happens. It's not worth the stress that the players sometimes put on themselves.

[@mynar_lenahan]

I remember Troy Baker (VO and best friend of Travis, considering Travis like a big brother) talking about how he (Troy) was having a tough time in his life (He didn't go into specifics) and Travis put him to one side and said, "There is a fire that is burning and if you just sit in it, it will make you stronger." I've never quite figured out how Travis does it, besides that it's all about clowning around with friends and enhancing the overall performance of the show. But I've always wanted to knowm

[@LittleCrowYT]

Wrf that's such a badass quote

[@Ask4This]

@@LittleCrowYT If you like quotes here's another "I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on." - Joshua Graham

[@Lario64]

Is that how Troy fucking named his album??

[@KasaiRayquaza]

Wait is that where the name for Troy's album: "Sitting in the Fire" came from?! I have a whole new respect/love for that album...

[@Ashbrash1998]

I believe I heard somewhere that he stepped up to help his mom with his other siblings. I can't remember why or where I heard it

[@Alassandros]

As a new DM, I love that Travis reacts as animated as he does when things happen. Too many times I'll spend a week preparing a session and get excited for certain things only to get crickets in the actual session. Nothing has bothered me more than a non-reactive party.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Oof, yeah, I feel ya! Nothing more exhausting than having to provide aaaall the energy in a group setting 😭 A lot of emphasis gets put on DM skill, but I think group dynamics & players' intentional engagement with the game are just as important to making things work? (That 100% applies outside of a D&D setting too - mutual respect, support & working for good communication are on all group members, not just us as leaders. Sometimes a group mix just doesnt work, despite best intentions, & knowing when to make that call is a really tough skill...)

[@barret-xiii]

the only times I saw Travis truly frustrated were at the tail end of Orion's run as Tiberius. Orion's rule-haggling and constant meta gaming clearly started to annoy Travis more than any other situation. One of particular note was when the group was gonna do some simple shopping at a market, and Orion spent a solid 5 minutes listing off spell components and other Sorcerer-related stuff, bringing the game to a halt. You could see Travis just grimacing and glaring at Orion the entire time.

[@TheShadowcat6969]

That was the same time that Orion attacked a fan on twitter calling them a leech and they were "uncrittered". Travis retweeted back at the fan that he wasn't and apologized. Strange enough that was the last we ever saw Orion, thankfully.

[@grondhero]

Watching S1, you'll see Travis eye Liam almost every time Liam puts Laura in a headlock. It looks like he's pissed, but he's gonna wait for Laura to say she's uncomfortable first. I've seen where Liam did that more than once before a break and when they came back, Travis was in the middle.

[@Nakall]

@@grondhero I don't think there is any animosity between any of the current cast. I doubt Laura and Travis have any issues with Liam. Liam treats Laura like a sister.

[@dark3rthanshadows]

yet YET i think people loove giving Orion a bad rep, but Laura has Vex also meta gamed a lot and others players wated many times in shops and their own mini side quests ,i don't know how friends they were outside and by the incoming of the things i think they weren't that much. but i feel that Tiberious was a rosebud that never opened

[@starcrafter13terran]

Actually Marisha has metagamed the past few episodes on a few occasions. But it's a bad habit that can be pointed out and fixed quickly.

[@Gordyan_Knot]

In campaign 1, Travis also managed to play a dumb character without it being frustrating. It's hard enough to WRITE a character like that, and Travis improvs it. It's also especially genius when he manages to do the right thing, but through using the logic of a unintelligent character.

[@miles6283]

I love this man

[@GoblinGeezer]

nohomo

[@codgod00]

I too have a brocrush on Travis Willingham

[@Meg_Lovegood]

He's a Texan, They're Built Fjord Tough.

[@matthewrobinett1012]

13th Evergreen I see what you did there I love it

[@percivallongname3418]

Ah hyuck hyuck lol 😂😂

[@stein6473]

Fuck you. Lovingly.

[@BRHency]

Not gonna lie. I love Fjord but Tex-blade Warlock was brilliant and yearn for it still.

[@leomiller1273]

coming back to this comment a year after it was posted. fjord just took the tough feat in episode 136 so he is *literally* built fjord tough now

[@dawi4ever]

Him and Sam are God tier

[@InquisitorThomas]

As for Orion... Well he had the excuse of Cancer and Drug Addiction.

[@dawi4ever]

Inquisitor Thomas Orion had some golden moments but shit happens

[@InquisitorThomas]

Squats Forever yeah I really enjoyed Tiberius during the Craghammer Arc.

[@C._Bradford]

Inquisitor Thomas Honestly I think he was a little to good at roll playing.

[@EvilShadow7777]

Orion was fine about everything other than dealing with the rules lol And frankly rules are meant to be bent sometimes. With the atmosphere he was playing in I don't blame him for his weird suggestions and attempted actions, though Matt did keep him in line and offered good resolutions.

[@grothus00]

When he mentioned rolling 2 on initiative it reminded me of one of my players in my game called The Fall (which is mostly homebrew, including classes and races). The 'Rogue' character Voltaire has a +12 to initiative with his abilities and magic objects, but he rolls so poorly that he almost always goes last or close to it. When he actually rolls above a 5 people legit cheer.

[@DragonKnightJin]

Tell that player to 'rage' before combat. It tends to help my rolls when I borrow the "I would like to rage" line from Grog. No clue why or how, it just does.

[@l3ftie578]

@@DragonKnightJin everything travis touches turns to gold, it's the only logical explanation

[@MocharaidThree]

It's funny, Travis is like the opposite of Laura when it comes to bad dice rolls. Watching her rage out a few episodes ago was hilarious though :P

[@toddunet6940]

"I'm PrEgNaNT !'

[@dark3rthanshadows]

and Marisha she wins by far the competition of saying "fuck you gill"

[@anothercub6958]

And for that dynamic, they are a serious power couple.

[@krampusklaws2238]

And her massive bag of dice, while Travis has his set. Just one set.

[@StealthMarmot_]

Travis notably was the most enthusiastic and happy when Vex popped out of the bathtub. So much so that he had to stand and dance a moment to get it out. And that was his wife RPing her character being with another player's character. Hes incredibly trusting and supportive on top of that.

[@Ashley-of6ro]

Sam gets a lot of praise for being one of the best players on critial roll to watch (And its justified, he's the loudest character- mainly when he's a bard- and is a very talented actor) btu Travis is such a gem and he portrays his characters so well, his acting is just brilliant and he seems like a lovable guy.

[@lorddestrustor8828]

I wouldn't call Sam the best *player* (mostly because I think this shouldn't be some kind of contest), but I would definitely call him the best *showman* of the crew; It's a role he's awesome at, and the aspect of this show he brings to the table. Travis is the pillar who holds up the group; that's what I feel his role is. He is the glue and the heart, the one you can always count on to support everyone else, either through honesty or some great comic relief.

[@Ashley-of6ro]

I agree there, as I said he's the loudest (Not in a bad way) and a great entertainer. Travis is just a beautiful amazing backbone to the group and I definitely most certainly do not have a crush on him.

[@DeEwouterKabouter]

I've always enjoyed that with Nott he does dumb shit that might get the party in trouble. A quality that fits very well with the character. And cmon who doesnt love Sam

[@Ashley-of6ro]

Only watched a few episodes of the new season, need to get that motivation to watch it after just finishing the old one. What i've seen from nott though sounds like a lot of fun ^^

[@NanoLT]

I dunno, I think Critical Role would me mediocre without Sam and Travis.

[@thequalitycomedian7842]

“Grog I need your help!” Travis: “Uh, GA, GRAAAAH!”

[@rookcapcoldblood2618]

Travis: “Reckless Grey Weaponmaster!” *rolls* Travis: “Ruuh! A *one?!”* *rolls again* Travis: *”A ONE!!!”* Matt: “A o- a natural one is an h-auto-fai-hai-hail. I-hai cannot- I ca-han-not...” Travis: “The Fuck... is going *on?!”*

[@a.z.pantera5577]

Basically, the point of the video is to not get what me and my group call "protagonist syndrome". It's something that I'm guilty of here and there and I'm trying to work on it.

[@JasperForge]

I was too, but i wasn't aware of it until it was pointed out to me. I was 12

[@dougmoore6612]

A.Z. Pantera, the fact that you are aware of it means that you are doing a great job. We are all the hero’s of our own stories. To know that, and then work with the team, means you have the right attitude! Nerdy By Nature, I wish I had been mature enough (and had a mentor wise enough) at 12 years-old to learn that lesson!

[@starhalv2427]

I am guilty of feeling salty when other players "steal the spotlight", but I do my best to prevent that from being noticed by other players.

[@tiph3802]

I never get tired of watching Travis give himself an aneurysm from sheer excitement whenever Yasha rages.

[@benpressly200]

I can’t believe you forgot to put in the part where he reminded Matt that Grog has disadvantage and got Grog killed by Craven Edge

[@BoojumFed]

To be fair, that was before he got a hold of Craven Edge's full description sheet. Don't think he knew what the stakes were. Not that I can honestly picture him trying to sneak in a win that he didn't earn even if he did know...

[@Arkatox]

Whether he knew the stakes or not, Travis would have brought it up when he remembered it.

[@eirei0789]

or when *MAJOR SPOILERS FOR S1* Grog *accidentally* critted Vecna and was very close to getting him to 0, possibly resulting in Vecna escaping to his phylactery. But Travis deals his max dmg anyway.

[@ryanwasky8922]

I just watched this episode... N20 and N1 what a way to go.

[@samroyden4586]

BoojumFed He still wanted it to be fair though, no matter the consequence..

[@TheHunterTroll]

Watching the difference between Grog and Fjord is truly amazing. Travis' dedication to roleplaying is seriously awesome. A lot of people want to DM like Matt Mercer but I want to be a player like Travis.

[@raknaroo2]

and he is going to be one hell of a parent

[@SuperLuis225]

I think one of the quickest things I had to learn as a player is that the DM is not an antagonist to be outsmarted. If anything, you and the DM are working together to tell a cohesive story, not undermine his narrative by sidestepping puzzles and breaking immersion

[@4195phoenix]

Not to mention at the part where the blinded creature threw the weapon at him through the other two creatures, he had just been dragged across the floor, so he wasn't even in the last place the creature saw him. So not only did the creature thread it's allies while blind, but it also tracked him...while blind. I remember being blown away at how he accepted Matt's ruling without pushing it after the initial question.

[@dubbingsync]

A great hype man example. One time Yasha said she’d like to rage and in hype man voice you here Travis shout, “yes you would!” And I just love that moment.

[@joshkorte9020]

In the first campaign Grog was so funny I’d have to pause for several minutes to compose myself, and Fjord is such a good leader that when he had that stone shoved into his stomach every one got so concerned and worried. Fjord is also the person that it seems like all of the Mighty Nein goes to when they need to talk and his relationships with Beau and Jester are the best because of how he’s teaching Beau people skills, and him and Jester are essentially a thing (their married in real life so...), but I’d say Fjord is the father of the Mighty Nein and cares for all of them and Grog was Pike and Scanlan’s son. It’s even funnier because they are both gnomes and he’s a friggin Goliath! All in all Travis has always been my number one, and number two would be Sam because of those amazing commercials that he does.

[@grondhero]

I think Travis had fun with Grog being the physically strong guy (considering Travis is obviously the strongest in the group), but when S2 started and Travis got to play Fjord, there were so many comments about how amazed people were at Travis' intelligence and wisdom and tactics and things. Like the (good) genie's been let out of the bottle, finally!

[@Neurodivergent-j1f]

One of my favorite and heart wrenching moments is when Grog asks for the deck back from Vex, Vex tricks him with a fake deck, and Travis just sucks it up. I can see how much it stung. For the record, meta gaming from others kept him from throwing the deck into the lava when he first found it.

[@orangephanta4514]

I need to show this to my friends

[@wanderingshade8383]

No. WE THE FANS need to show this to Travis.

[@generaleccentric5506]

I need to show this to my group... they suck 😂

[@ohiomoon1813]

Oh I did. I took this video, the one about Taliesan and the one about Marisha and sent them to a few dnd friends who need to learn this

[@noahlandrum3413]

My favorite thing about Fjord's leadership and conversational dominance is that Travis was clearly avoiding that role early on, but within 30-40 episodes of c2 he had no choice. Everyone turned to him for leadership and he had no further choice in the matter. He was their half orc voice of reason, like it or nott

[@nikolasIMO5000]

And that is why i love fjord, because he can shine more than grog...dont kill me yet, i love Grog, he has the better moments in campaign 1... but with Fjord I feel like Travis can do more stuff and interact more with the rest of Exandria, NPC and players alike

[@RPG_Angie]

As a person who occasionally watches reaction videos, I LOVE Travis in Critical Role. He's there for every joke, every cool move, and every interesting line. Marisha and Liam are a close second in this. And then there's the side game of watching Laura's face whenever Matt utters words like "thrust" or "bulging".

[@kjj26k]

Or sha- Laura: *Head is on Table* Travis: "You couldn't even let him finish the word!"

[@peolo-499]

Travis makes me seriously question my heterosexuality.

[@thundergod9696]

palmiro verdi not mine

[@DanateDMC]

It's normal

[@ethanwhite2210]

I feel like Travis is the man crush of a lot of dudes. He's just an approachable, cool, chill, respectful guy. That really resonates.

[@kimiyamk]

Maybe you're just Travis-sexual.

[@duranpredur1098]

Aren't we all?

[@SatyreIkon]

I'm not one for personality cult really, but Travis is a swell guy and a really good role model. I really appreciate the lessons you can learn from him and his respectful attitude.

[@RykerDavis123]

I just started watching critical role campaign 2 for the first time last week and I'm 14 episodes in. I've noticed all of this about travis and he's quickly becoming my favorite

[@dylanmaguire3595]

RykerDavis welcome to the community friend

[@CatsandDragons7]

I'm in a similar boat lol. Just started watching a few weeks ago, on episode 20 of campaign 1. Grog is one of my favourite characters, and Travis always has the best reactions to things!!

[@shawnweber3474]

You will love Sam too they play well off each other

[@MLDeS100]

Each of them will definitely have their moments but it's always been a tie between Sam and him in the first story. So far Laura and Sam are my favorites for the new season

[@idavisband]

RykerDavis

[@KurtMallard]

I started watching critical role the other day, I’m on episode 2 and honestly, Travis is my favourite part of the show. The way that he freaked out with excitement when the bard snuck into the big house with invisibility was so frickin heart warming and he’s like a huge happy dog and I absolutely love him. Travis is awesome

[@Heartdrive]

Grog genuinely is my favourite character out of season 1 and Fjord is my joint favourite with jester xP

[@ryanadshead4809]

A party member of mine had similar bad rolls, but multiple sessions, in a row. .. He did well to keep his composure. I had minor misfortunes comparable to that but it made me realize how top notch he was being, so during our after session I pointed out he super human patience and nominated him for a inspiration point which the group quickly got behind. Once you shake off a bad roll, or many, you realize that many times these can shape your adventure in the most interesting and off the grid ways and can get you to go out of your characters wheel house. Ultimate Shenanigans!!

[@nslater1388]

What I love about Travis is how he knows when to honor his character in a way that doesn't put the rest of his team at risk unnecessarily. He knew when to have Grog play the goof or a complete savage, and the few times he did have to step out of character to tell everyone one else that what they were about to do was too risky, or if they overlooked some crucial hint, shows his intelligence and attention to detail. I haven't caught up to the second campaign next (I got to ep 109 in three months) but I'm looking forward to seeing Travis play a more intelligent character.

[@cueball6969]

I love how Travis always hyped up Ashley whenever Yasha raged A real leader (and man at that) lifts others up

[@JnEricsonx]

Oh, my first game, we had a player who at first went barb, so I decided to play Travis to her Ashley. :)

[@hexnstuff6563]

Travis is the apex of what all men should want to be It's like the bread him in a lab to be the perfect human

[@runewalkingshaw6408]

Hex Nstuff they did

[@Twinrune]

They make Travis-bread? In labs none the less!? Does science really have no limits!

[@hexnstuff6563]

Twinrune crap lol

[@briarious9960]

The joke between all of the members of critical role is that travis has 20 in all of his stats in real life.

[@asherandai1000]

Briarious I'm disappointed you would think so low of Travis. 30 in all stats, he's clearly a god among mortals.

[@JD2jr.]

I really want Sam to be my favorite since he's so damn clever and fun, but Travis makes it hard just by existing.

[@LemanRussVanquisher]

Travis is Bae.

[@mr.smithsgovermentclass4556]

Will Mills Travis is best girl

[@douglasnevins1598]

DJ KO I mean, when it comes to Travis, I think just about everyone is a lil gay

[@douglasnevins1598]

k

[@louishenry2345]

@@douglasnevins1598 I ain't gay but Travis is Travis

[@TiliaCordata]

...ley ;)

[@radical_peasant]

more of a recent comment, but i think travis as chetney really shows how he's hilarious and plays soooo well but still gives light to all of the other characters :)

[@dylanmaguire3595]

He's such a beautiful creature. As grog he made great comedy relief, but fjord is currently my favourite character from either of the campaigns

[@massimojunio7916]

Me: Oh, nice, how to be a good player, let’s see this! Also me, remembering that I’m the forever DM: *internally screaming*

[@Vyndil]

Love Travis. When he played the rogue leader in one of their one-shots we really got a glimpse at what he's capable of with a higher int character that we never saw with Grog (although playing a low int character as well as he did is a real indicator of RL int imo). I feel we haven't seen half of what he's capable of with Fjord yet. My one quibble with him is when he rolls his eyes and audibly groans at shopping bits now and then, seems a bit disrespectful.

[@jhinpotion9230]

It's a joke, I'm pretty sure. yes, Travis genuinely isn't fond of those things, but his, "oh man not again," reactions are supposed to be made light of by the others, which they always are.

[@Vyndil]

I think the more over the top ones are, certainly, but he's mentioned offhandedly before having ADHD. Whether or not that's true or just hyperbole, there are definitely times when you can tell he's getting bored/impatient when the action slows down.

[@jhinpotion9230]

Oh for sure, but I also trust him to understand the necessity of them, and the enjoyment of the other players.

[@Venitas1000]

@@Vyndil which made orions last session that much more unbearable for him.

[@DeathBringerBecky]

"playing a low int character as well as he did is a real indicator of RL int" See, here's the thing. Civilized people can act like brutes and pass for such by acting without restraint for a time. Brutes *cannot* act civilized because they have no concept of restraint and no understanding of societal norms or tact, acting only in their interests and barrelling through any and every thing. You can act stupid easily. Pretending to be smarter than you are is next to impossible.

[@CazTails]

"Is that horse a Mustang" Freaking died at that haha

[@ruki4929]

I'm a simple man - I see the new video, I see Travis, I immediatly like it.

[@ronlittlejohn8046]

The times Travis succeeds are just made the all better. Like in Search for Grog when he comes back out as Grog, rolls 2 nat 20s and deals 150+ point of damage and kills the baddie in front of a live crowd

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

He seems to be the only guy willing to give his characters less than ten on a skill. I admire that.

[@dylanmaguire3595]

colin kuykendall to be fair, Sam and Ashley have some poor ass stats in the new campaign, but I do think that could be in part due to the joys grog brought to the first session with his awful intelligence

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

Dylan Maguire oh yeah I forgot they have shit charisma

[@FrumpybutSuperSmart]

Last campaign Scanlan had a 6 Wisdom the whole time. It's just that no one mentioned it.

[@cjrichards4342]

Sam definitely played him as if he had six Wisdom but Matt was lenient IIRC

[@5oundOfVictory]

We could all definitely see that Scanlan had a wisdom of 6 the entire campaign, he was just *extremely charismatic* about everything so it was super low key but if you looked for it it was definitely there

[@fakjbf3129]

Another good thing is that Travis knows what kind of player he is. When he first started the Vox Machina campaign he knew he wanted to be a strong guy who beat shit up, and thus Grog was created. Going into campaign two he still wanted to keep the melee because that's what he knows, but he also wanted to try out some spell casting. And thus he made Fjord, a Warlock with an enchanted falchion.

[@AceTaxiaGaming]

Travis is a truly amazing person, humble, kind and so joyful. This man is going to be a brilliant father

[@Yoder023]

Travis is the person everyone WANTS to be. He's awesome in every way and I can't remember a time I was put off in the slightest

[@orimcmullan4175]

Ooof in the first session I ever DMed one of the players started shrieking at me and another player because she wasn't getting her way.

[@bunbabbit4233]

Yikes

[@barren3207]

What on earth did you do (or not do) that could make her so mad about a game?

[@orimcmullan4175]

Apparently no one was listening to her and she thought I was trying to sabotage her (both aren't true) during a boss fight. But we're cool now, I just had to have a sit-down after and told her that that was over kill and was unnessisary.

[@barren3207]

I mean, good on you for being able to work that out. I just can't imagine someone taking this game so seriously to take failure as a personal insult, though I know it's not that uncommon and have even seen it myself. Had a guy slam his laptop shut and cry when his character died.

[@orimcmullan4175]

Ouch, but I get that, you put a lot of heart and soul into characters, but sometimes its a little much.

[@senrith_]

I keep coming back to this video time and time again when I am in need of addressing a player's behaviour in game. Travis is a amazing example of a not just a "good" player but a GREAT player!

[@SixStormsVA]

Travis' moments of just excited yelling and bursts of joy, no matter what the scenario, is my bread and butter. The hype man of Critical Role is the perfect title for him.

[@Vrinara]

Travis is one of the most chill guys I've ever seen. I think he's just a chill dude

[@iGuttsi]

Made barbarians cool again

[@C._Bradford]

chase green they are barebarians, they never stopped being cool.

[@DragonKnightJin]

Not gonna lie.. For some reason my Eldritch Knight's rolls are just plain better whenever I say "I would like to rage." There's nothing that would allow him to rage, but.. RNGesus just goes "Heck yeah, you rage, you magnificent bastard!" I owe Travis and Grog some insane actions because of that.

[@arturv.a.4542]

Not going to ruin that 333

[@kyleparker613]

@@arturv.a.4542 now its 369

[@arturv.a.4542]

@@kyleparker613 370

[@AdrienneMorrisa]

Any time Ashley rages during c2, Travis cheers. There's a whole compilation video showing this. I love it.

[@CyberChamp]

Bunions and Flagons... Need I say more?

[@timandshannon03]

CyberChamp Bunion Master!!!

[@FerreusVir]

I dont think I've laughed that hard at anything in a VERY long time. Gem of an episode.

[@fuski23]

This was thoughtful, genuine, and sweet... am i still on the internet?? or did I slip in to a alternate dimension where the internet is not full of poison?? great video, I to have a man crush on Travis.

[@JustAQNow]

Was almost expecting you to ask him out to dinner and a movie at the end there haha Great video, dude :D

[@StellaBorneWatches]

Only 10 episodes in but the largest thing that sticks out for epic moments is when Grog bes Grog, and the whole party cheers for him. "I encourage violence". Nothing like that when Percy whips out Bad News, or Tiberius casts a high level spell, just "Grog goes in a rage right at them". They are get love, but you can see how much they care for this man's fairly subtle support every single time you do something. He's the bear of a man who props you into his back, disregarding any pain, just so you feel better.

[@theDMLair]

Yeah! Travis is an awesome D&D player. Grog was definitely one of my favorites from session one. 😀

[@jordanleach4060]

I have recently started watching CR, and I am on ep 57 of Campaign 1, and Travis became my favourite person on the crew almost instantly. The man is a gem, and I have a huge love for people like him. Great video!! :)

[@xXDenryuuXx]

This is really wholesome! You put words to why i truly enjoy his characters and person. Great video!

[@thelastprawn2270]

these are all things i love about travis, he's always ALWAYS respectful, he stays true to his character and the spirit of the game and is one of the hype squad (like when Ashley raged for the first time). he's so important for squad morale

[@Dlnew3]

I'm a simple man, I see Travis Willingham and I watch

[@zephemerality]

That last point is what I love the very most about Travis. He's such a humble and supportive person and I'm really glad you ended on that note.

[@joelfinn1]

You're probably not gonna do one for each of the cast of Critical Role, but I would adore a video on Taleisan (Aka; The Ultimate Roleplayer), just since roleplay is something both DMs and Players can use to great effect. 😊

[@vukodsrbije]

Drogo Eldon Yeeeeeeeees i would LOVE to see him featured as a great role player

[@MaestroMagnifico21]

Your in luck there is a video about taleisan however its not about his role playing skills kzbin.info/www/bejne/aom8oqWYnbGdf68 check it out if u haven’t seen it yet

[@grimshock6983]

I think he doesn’t get mad, because he lives a great life. Great career, Great wife, great friends, and great years ahead

[@gracepeters1450]

I started watching the first session after I had caught up with the new episodes and what I noticed is how Orion (Tiberius ) would always steal the show and try to do everything, even to the point of asking to do something even after Matt said you cannot do that that is impossible. Many of the other players wouldn’t do this and the game would always seem so much more fun when you let other people finished what they want to do and not overthrow their turn

[@sybaen5931]

Yeah, in the end I'd say the show is healthier without him. I noticed the same when I first started binge-watching season 1.

[@WillyRTXGaming]

To be fair Tiberius was already an established character from Orion's standpoint (he also does his own DnD stuff now) and was going through some drug-related things during his CR run.

[@Randomness823]

I still remember him stealing the win in a big moment and it really pissed me off. Don't remember specifics, but the group was threatened to be squished by a pillar trap unless they could hit a tiny switch on the ceiling. Laura (Vex) was at an angle where it was very hard for her to hit it, but took the shot anyway. Success! As soon as the group started cheering Tibs slammed his mage hand into the button anyway. It went kinda quiet and people just stared at him like "really?!". Chat was pissed too. Fun times.

[@thegreatskinkpriest8104]

Travis is straight up god tier at voice acting, improv, and D&D. I just finished CR campaign 1 and started campaign 2 and he blows my mind every damn episode.

[@scarental5220]

Saying I have a favorite cast member of CR would be a lie, since I enjoy watching all of them play equally and their chemistry in and out of character is unparalleled, but Travis/Fjord is so much fun to watch interact with the world, NPCs and other players. He just gets so into it. But yeah, if you were to make a series talking about what makes the critical role cast so great, I would gladly watch that and share it around.

[@thederric2962]

Idk why I got this in my recommendations this late but. Omg. So happy someone is giving Travis all the stuff he deserves. He's my absolute favorite player in Critical Role and I too agree that he seems underrated somehow.

[@seanreynolds3033]

But he's my man crush. I think we can all agree in his awesomeness.

[@sebastianbell941]

Sean Reynolds he is one hot tamale

[@anothercub6958]

@@sebastianbell941 I had to catch myself before i read that as "Tah-mail"... Then I remember how that's a word

[@CommanderNixon]

I like these videos a lot because in a lot of other tutorial videos it's just the channel owner talking about tips they've learned from their experience, and that's great and all, but every DM has their own style like a fingerprint, so most of this stuff doesn't end up helping unless you identify your weak spots and adjust the tips according to those. With videos like this that use an exemplary instance of what you're talking about you point out the best aspects of the role, which in turn highlights the weak points of that role. So now you don't need to be the most self-aware person because you'll be able to see the parts you do right vs. wrong highlighted.

[@justinz9225]

Very true list, though there's so much more. I think his crowning achievement is his active goal to NOT metagame. He'll play his character's weaknesses to his own detriment, without prompting from the DM. I remember when Grog was negotiating with a vendor, he actually offered MORE gold than the vendor was asking for. Another thing is his obvious acting ability. SPOILERS... When Scanlan died (right before he left the party), Grog had one of the most emotional moments in the series. Grog was never much of a weepy character, but to play his sadness into anger by shouting "FIX HIM!" was a brilliant choice and incredibly emotional. What else would a dummy like Grog do? All he knows is that when people die, Pike fixes them. All in all, the guy is brilliant from beginning to end. He's one of the few actors on the show that is 100% enjoyable from beginning to end. And I don't say that to put the others down... it's downright near impossible for ANYONE to be enjoyable 100% of the time. We're human and we get in moods, or we're selfish or rude or snappy. That makes Travis all the more fantastic to watch.

[@demyy3527]

he voiceD KNUCKLES THIS WHOLE TIME I DIDNT KNOW WTF THESE GUYS ARE INSANE WITH THEIR CREDENTIALS