Welcome to the Dark Side [Full Episode] | Escape From the Bloodkeep Episode 1

[@dimension20show]

Gang! To celebrate it nearly being a year old, we're releasing the ENTIRETY of Escape from the Bloodkeep to KZbin for free over the next six weeks, leading up to the launch of our newest campaign, A CROWN OF CANDY (trailer here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIDRn6SBhc1oiLs). If you haven't seen it or only seen parts of it, check in each Saturday for a new full episode!

[@ruthenium7475]

Ні

[@goldengaruda8935]

Thank you.

[@matthewespino5875]

WOOO THANKS SO MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE EPISODES KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK BRENNAN

[@WolfiePH]

Thanks. I'll takebit as sn unofficial birthday gift.

[@thefallenonelucifer6]

Yes finally have been waiting for more my data plan or I guess my phone in general doesn't like twitch so I can't watch you guys stream I've been waiting forever for more videos

[@Cross177]

I love how this group devolved from the darkest generals trying to jumpstart the apocalypse to 6 board members of this business trying to scramble to keep this place floating.

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

Boss just ghosted and he took most of the paperwork with him and you just have to scramble to survive long enough to get out while the getting is good before the IRS realize what’s happening: but also LotR

[@StrangeAesir]

I mean corporations are jumpstarting the climate apocalypse, so it's does make sense.

[@musclecat1005]

It has such middle management vibes, and I love it

[@pete-treedish4363]

When your alignment is lawful evil but you highlight lawful😂

[@pablothecoffeelover2551]

⁠@@musclecat1005more like middle earth management Amright!? 🖐️

[@SonofOrion42]

Gotta say, as a first time viewer, Brennan is a god damn renaissance DM. The sheer energy and variety in his performance boggles my mind. The players easily stand on equal footing with him, too! The chemistry between them all is unreal.

[@reesearterberry7380]

It’s because he’s just a little bit insane

[@aidenbenton2987]

I highly suggest fantasy high, you’ll fall in love!

[@ethanwalters8797]

@@aidenbenton2987 Unsleeping city is good too, Murph’s Kugrash steals that series for me

[@oliviaespiritu6698]

@@ethanwalters8797 I love Murph's characters. Riz is def my fave atm

[@vaibhavguptawho]

@@ethanwalters8797 I finished watching Unsleeping City yesterday. It was sooo good. And I've been a fan of Critical Role for the last 2 years. Very different styles of DMing, both awesome.

[@clarathered]

"You said it was bad news" "No I didn't, I Just screamed" Has me rolling every time

[@stevenboelke6661]

19:20 the look of horror on all of the womens' faces after he says "they have no birth canal" is priceless

[@elbruces]

Wow, it really biscayne Stark difference. Men: ha ha, that's messed up, Brennan. Women: I have never heard anything more horrific in my life and am dying inside now at the thought of it.

[@obxpyrate]

@@elbruces For real. The first time I watched, I immediately started softly screeching while curling up and hugging my belly with sympathy pain. I still physically cringe on rewatches lmao

[@mistahjenkins4826]

I just noticed, over an hour in, that Efink's name is just Knife backwards. She's literally just called 'Knife Murderdeath'. I love it.

[@sarahmorris4575]

Oh my gosh that’s amazing

[@AnimeLover930]

Oh wow..Your comment is only reason I know this

[@mistahjenkins4826]

@@AnimeLover930 They actually mention it in the last episode, but I at least have the distinction of knowing I figured that out on the first one. At least I can say my brain functions! ; u;

[@Arrradiance]

@@mistahjenkins4826 thats funny, i thought it was basically just F'ing Murderdeath

[@thekaiser3815]

@@Arrradiance that's the joke

[@RAWatson1989]

Seeing Matt Mercer enamored by another brilliant DM during the librarian part was so wholesome. So good

[@phaerius8265]

I'm laughing my ass off at work during that part right now.

[@lostinalbion4223]

Me at the Start: "Man, it takes guts to be a DM with Mercer at the table." Me, five minutes in: "..... Oh."

[@InimitableAde]

Holds his own, doesn't he?

[@addisontaylor5979]

Matt was so unimpressed though. I wanted to give him a shoulder rub or something, loosen the dude up.

[@justanotheruser7228]

Addison Taylor I don’t think he’s unimpressed, just seems immersed and trying to take it in

[@sinonslife4812]

Unpopular opinion I like Brennan’s DM style more then Matt’s I have seen both and Brennan just takes me in waaaayy more

[@lostinalbion4223]

@@addisontaylor5979 I don't really see it as Matt being unimpressed, I think he's just got a chill sort of personality as a player.

[@sothethesloth4636]

The six most wholesome, respectful, supportive-to-each-other villains I've ever seen. LOL.

[@vcagande7998]

As soon as Efink was talking about herself I immediately knew where this campaign was going Not a single seriously evil bad guy and I’d die for them all

[@rb4121]

I'm actually so down to write an evil mini-campaign for some friends of mine

[@mach6794]

Yeah it’s sorta my one complaint. I think the players (particularly Erika) were a bit too invested in their personal goodness make their characters actually evil, rather than just spooky.

[@willnelson9906]

@@mach6794 i find it hilarious, honestly. i love it

[@davidhollowelljr949]

You catch more flies with honey

[@zerogoodcontent7293]

I can’t get over the fact that Lilith is constantly eating every single lover she has and doesn’t realise it XD

[@juanpauloarcillas7600]

Chances are she might her own children as well.

[@man-just-die4401]

I also love the fact that her children don't seem to notice either, like they whatch the entrance for the whole night.

[@elizabethlee2136]

I think the kids eat the orcs after she's done and make them soupy orcs in the webs

[@jamofapollo3338]

WAS THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING god it didn't even occur to me????

[@nosiree7104]

@@jamofapollo3338 yes lol, she picked a tusk out of her tooth and everything

[@ionceateapinecone]

Brennan flawlessly jumping back and forth between intense narration and friendly conversation is probably my favourite thing ever

[@whitevii1533]

A true Master at work

[@namerif731]

Whenever he goes into his friendly narration voice I can't help but imagine that Hawaiian ukulele kickstarter music.

[@briankirz231]

Matt can't help but say "you watch as" lmfao

[@yooooo8600]

I say it all the time, whether I’m a DM or a player, because of Matt

[@LawTaranis]

Brennan says "you see" with the same amount of habituation.

[@BornAScout]

Yep yep yep. If you ever DM, the vocab just infects you forever

[@symphony_in_plaid4592]

it's so good 😂 at least I haven't heard him say "vicinity" or "elements" yet 😜🤣

[@kingcurry5139]

@@symphony_in_plaid4592 or toothy maw

[@gerboosh]

This Matt guy is a great player! He seems like he has the potential to be a dm some day!

[@cactyystotementertainmentl9247]

Have you not seen Critical Role???

[@thijsholtslag]

@@cactyystotementertainmentl9247 you never experienced sarcasm before??!!!!

[@GreenLanternCorps2814]

@@thijsholtslag lolllll

[@nunya5230]

@@thijsholtslag was it sarcasm tho

[@bedonbutter5749]

@@nunya5230 it was sarcasm.

[@shawnamoore6759]

Lol DM was snacking when it went back to him after Matt's character description. He was thinking... "Well, Matt's describing something...I have a while."

[@k0pstl939]

We love Brennan

[@kiddo6393]

@@k0pstl939 we love them all

[@emo6577]

It’s so funny when they catch Brennan snacking he’s always so goofily embarrassed when he’s caught with his mouth full

[@somebloke4998]

Well some of us are pod people. I’m a little podling. We I have chosen this pale hairy constantly sweating body?! No. Does it need constant almonds? Yes!

[@max_2da_max336]

@@somebloke4998 To answer your question, almonds

[@deviles]

"My therapy went crazy. I told my therapist about my stuff, and they lept from the top of the Bloodkeep, and they turned into bats, and the bats hanged themselves." Just out of nowhere. Those lines are why Brennan is just the greatest man alive.

[@Sabbathtage]

"Do you know how determined you have to be to hang yourself as a bat? They can fly!"

[@flask223]

Rip if you’re sensitive about suicide. No warning out of nowhere you’re evening is ruined

[@dallas1346]

@@flask223 they make help in all forms

[@Serothil_and_stuff]

@@flask223 that's so obviously a joke. As someone who has been contemplating suicide, having had a major depression, with next to no will to live, this was fucking hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing for 15 minutes straight, replaying that part over and over again.

[@YTStarGazer]

@@Serothil_and_stuff hope you’re doing better, and have an amazing day

[@grasstastic9922]

1:45:50 “I can’t continue to unlive like this” such a subtle but great line

[@TheRealKLT]

The best part of "crossovers" like this is that all the Matt Mercer fans get to discover Brennan Lee Mulligan, and all the Brennan Lee Mulligan fans get to discover Matt Mercer. Not to mention all the other great players. And the rest of us who knew of them all already get to just have a blast.

[@systemgroove3406]

_Emplying we aren't already having a blast????_

[@thilypad557]

Except the idiots in the comments comparing the two as DMs instead of just enjoying the game or leaving.

[@Rads994]

And then there's those of us who are fans of both and get to see them bounce back and forth

[@Beau74]

@@systemgroove3406 *Implying

[@abnarain8359]

Coming here after BLM's amazing run on CR for Calamity.

[@jacobdavis5722]

I love the way Matt plays his character in this! You think you're getting this dark grizzled edgelord when you see the image of him. And then he's laughing, panicking, having an existential crisis, etc. He plays the emotions and expressions so well and it's a real treat to watch.

[@mistamemewide]

Leiland is a Hexblade Warlock trying to do his best man.

[@BrickBoy1894]

“I don’t think you can promise that-“ “I WILL PROMISE WHAT I LIKE!”

[@brycemcwhorter5909]

Billi molloh9l9l9

[@egg_mittens]

It's also fun how he doesn't turn off his DM description style even when he's a PC. You always hear him say "and you see"

[@repulser93]

Kinda funny when you remember he played the Witch-King in Shadow of War.

[@mrcv9576]

If something immediately screams: “AHHHHHHHHHH WHAT AM I????” when born....maybe it should not exist

[@partypanda967]

Mrc V shit, guess I shouldn’t exist

[@ricomarez7834]

Agreed, it should be screaming "WHAT IS ANYTHING!!!!!"

[@0cramoi]

idk chief you might be onto something

[@MFinGonzo]

His life got better within 5 min of showing up. He got new eyes!

[@madsam7582]

@@MFinGonzo and a weapon.

[@doonthefool1607]

There's something funny but also awesome about having Matt Mercer be a player but still describe his character's actions the same way he would describe something as Matt the DM

[@brendanwatroba8568]

I think it's a "Forever" DM thing. When Brennan guested on Critical Role for the Elden Ring one shot he did that as well

[@jonathanpatel5626]

Best Line: "I TOLD MY THERAPIST ABOUT MY STUFF, AND HE LEAPT FROM THE BLOODKEEP. AND HE TURNED INTO BATS. AND THE BATS HANGED THEMSELVES.

[@JayEmsey35]

DO YOU KNOW HOW COMMITTED YOU HAVE TO BE AS A BAT TO HANG YOURSELF? YOU CAN FLY! Had me absolutely DYING in my kitchen

[@jimmy_the_squid9456]

"DO YOU KNOW HOW COMMITTED YOU HAVE TO BE AS A BAT TO HANG YOURSELF? YOU CAN FLY!"

[@BadSkeelz]

"Oh my god, do you see a ring?? Did he have a ring on him??" Took me a few minutes to realize that Maggie wasn't looking for a Ring of Power, but an ENGAGEMENT ring. Good stuff.

[@tinkerer3399]

Oooooooh, that makes sense. I was like "Wait a minute, did she forget what the ring analogy is here?" then I just skipped on by because so much stuff was happening.

[@julia-1582]

funny enough i thought the exact opposite. It took me 15 mins to realize that the ring of power might even be in play

[@Liam-Welch]

I was just thinking of the one ring from LOTR

[@iGotBulletproof-Insomnia]

Lol yeah it took me a moment too xD

[@koseorhun]

"Hell, your old hometown" " I hear there is a Chili's there now". Perfect underrated Mike there.

[@butcanyoudothis3320]

" DO YOU KNOW HOW COMMITTED YOU NEED TO BE AS A BAT TO HANG YOURSELF? YOU CAN FLY! "

[@jamiemccoy6051]

"Do you know how committed you need to be, as a bat, to hang yourself?! You can fly!!" Is literally one of the top 5 lines of any form of Tv/Book/Film/Interactive Media you'll ever come across

[@gavinlangston603]

I had read this before hearing it, and it still didn't prepare me for how great this line is

[@lordmcdeath01]

I laughed so hard I greyed out for a second.

[@racheld8920]

The DELIVERY was perfect. I laughed so hard.

[@allmountaintv]

that was such an incredibly funny scene, laughed my ass off

[@aniboteva7783]

Re watching this I still laughed

[@Peter-xs2mu]

By the way: The surprised look on Rekha's face at 1:42:00 is genuine. She and Brernnan had agreed that Maggie would be pregnant by Zaul'Nazh and either by insight or by luck Amy Vorpahl guessed it at the first opportunity.

[@matehiqu9905]

real life divination magic

[@ImJustHereToWatch14]

Oh man, I just assumed it was a first time player being unsure whether she could make a decision like that with that kind of impact on the story

[@johnp1806]

Less luck and more a player reacting to stuff their character would find out and think. It was excellently done

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

That’s awesome, I genuinely wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or improvising or not! But Amy guessing seemed more like “okay do we have a clear line of succession for the throne because that might be important” and less an actual guess, which was great thinking on her part!

[@NorthernFirefighter]

Loved Maggies reaction and that was a heck of a guess/Divination by Amy

[@DawnsonRPGs]

I love that, during the intro, everyone else is looking at Brennan with big dumb grins on their faces and then there’s Matt looking all stoic and serious like... “hmmm, how intriguing.”

[@DetectiveOlivaw]

Matt immediately taking notes in his head about lore and worldbuilding he can use for his character’s responses later while everyone else is just along for the ride is honestly so on brand

[@quinnsinclair7028]

"Escape from the Bloodkeep" Otherwise known as Tolkien fans poking plot holes in Lord of the Rings for like an hour straight.

[@jayhall1439]

Right! They 100% just stormed Mordor!!!!

[@royernster6792]

For like 18 hours straight 😂😂😂

[@slim404]

As a longtime LOR fan I must concur!

[@alexdevitry7842]

There are no plot holes in Ba Sing Se.... wait

[@petesgurl101]

@@alexdevitry7842 Lol

[@maruisaiahnapa7381]

I was genuinely terrified of the Vinguri during their introduction, then they turn out to be a bunch of genteel dandy lads from a 19th century country club and sweetest support system for Kraz-Thun. Such great subversion of stereotype from a talented DM and an equally wonderful circle of players!

[@symphony_in_plaid4592]

Genteel dandy lads omw 😆 I love it

[@FlashakaViolet]

THIS! The Vinguri were probably my favorite part of the whole campaign

[@spencermccombs1044]

They're like Monty python knights

[@romxxii]

I love how Brennan and Matt explain it later in the BTS and cast reunions: Matt's terrible dice rolling + the realization that someone who's spent centuries mind-controlled by a greater evil will probably not be totally put together, no matter how badass their armor and demon-wyvern looks.

[@audoldends6799]

This comment did not prepare for the depths of hilarity to expect. I love them

[@quackthulu9575]

My favourite dnd names are just regular names with weird apostrophes like J'er'em'ih or Br'aad

[@imeantherearethedarktownsy5210]

yesn't nosn't was that a jrwi reference

[@quackthulu9575]

@@imeantherearethedarktownsy5210 absolutely

[@imeantherearethedarktownsy5210]

Good, good

[@captainkiwi77]

J’ames sm’ith

[@cutiepuppy4427]

B'loody Mary Smith

[@sanddry738]

THIS is how a freaking Evil campaign can be so damn good. The sheer switch from epic nearly-edge lord evil to hilarious casualness is amazing. The energy of the DM is great and the players are great as well. Absolutely hilarious and honestly I’m rooting for the bad guys

[@darkvizardking69]

I mean we rarely get stories about the villains or see them during their time in the lair with it basically being their office space. This shit is gold!

[@Senok13]

Well, the basic "heroic tale" almost every times begins by the system of: - Bad giuys planning something - Bad guys do something to move their plans forward - The heroes (players) reacting to said actions - The bad guys try to escape, for the sake of continuity If you play an evil campaign, you need to present your players with a situation, what inspires to MAKE A PLAN FOR SOMETHING BAD. Evil always has a REASON, why it wants to be evil - even if said reason is nothing else, just wants to be evil, which can be because of some kind of madness, a misunderstanding about the concept of evil, or it thinks, that for a greater good there should be exist a "necessary evil". It can be even mere boredom! The point is, that evil NEVER comes from "nothing". The plain reality can be depressing for someone, who wants to give itself an "adrenalin rush" (even if they wouldn't call it this way, not knowing about enough about how their bodies works), or just get angry about someone, who get something before them, for what they worked really hard, while the other had mere luck... There are countless reasons, what could lead astray someones from the "right path", if their character not stable enough. But there is ALWAYS A REASON. In this case, the villain campaign goes as: - DM create a reason to be bad - The bad guys (players) plan something to react to it - For the success of the plan they do something bad - The local "heroes" began to pursue them, ensuring the campaign's continuity

[@dieyng]

"Nearly-edge lord?" Yeah, that was only near-edge lord, 🙂

[@cantaloupegodling352]

It's the bad guys who are usually the overwhelming power in the brief moment at the end where they suddenly become the Underdogs. And everyone loves to follow Underdogs.

[@clintonvergejr6428]

Markus: “Does anyone have a plan B!?” Maggie: “I THINK WE’RE TO LATE FOR A PLAN B” uncalled for! 😂

[@VeteranDecanus86]

Seeing Matt Mercer’s idle face is such a surreal experience. He’s always so animated in interviews and CR, so seeing him just sitting there, listening is really strange.

[@ferrous719]

He doesn't have an idle animation. It's bizzare

[@hashiispep]

​@@ferrous719 shbsuhabsugih😭😭💀

[@coffeecoder8162]

I mean, considering everything that he is always involved in. It's probably nice for him to just get to chill and relax for a bit.

[@logicaloverdrive8197]

@@ferrous719 They put all the money and effort in his regular animations and forgot to give him an idle animation

[@damongonzalez9789]

His idle animation only has two frames. Focused with hand over mouth. And focused without hand over mouth

[@mackenziedillon295]

J'er'em'ih is the best possible spelling for this creature's name.

[@ashspades5307]

Trapp on a future episode of umm actually if we ever get more. Brennan spell J’er’em’ih. Brennan: is this how you feel when I’m torturing you during a session?

[@yachijassi9571]

can’t believe all of the episodes are going to be released for free 😫 a poor girl’s dreams come true

[@jamiethefaulty4418]

I wish more episodes were free, I get so into each campaign and then it just stops and I cri

[@aloysiusmarquise5282]

SAAME SAME OMG

[@suisui7481]

@@jamiethefaulty4418 that's why I am waiting till this happens I will start this campaign when it all is here

[@netherveilgames996]

@@jamiethefaulty4418 dropout is like 4 bucks yo

[@ginodeking]

@@netherveilgames996 for me the problem is that credit cards aren't common here and they don't accept PayPal

[@wargboyz]

How is no one commenting on Matt's "this could only have been done with eagles" line. I almost wrecked my car o was laughing so hard

[@Baan616]

Because the entire episode is a non stop stream of LOTR references, this was just the most obvious one.

[@Liam-Welch]

@@Baan616 they literally said Galadriel’s name Edit: or Randalf the wizard

[@ninamariaknitting]

Yes!!! None of the players even said anything! I was laughing so hard.

[@zackmuravev2730]

it was so good, and i think only Brennan laughed at it. I had to rewatch it twice XD

[@ozzmen4494]

Plus the why didnt they guard the entrance to the volcano.

[@Raccido]

Leland and Maggie just screaming at each other after the Dark Lord dies is the best moment of RP I've seen in a while 😂

[@seasnaill2589]

WHERE'S THE CROWN LEILAND!?

[@V3x0r]

NO HE LIVES WITHIN ME!

[@TheRealKLT]

Everyone's on here with the juvenile "who's better" nonsense, meanwhile Brennan and Matt riffing off of each other was a fucking delight and you should all just shush and enjoy it.

[@jeewo5895]

Yessss. They are both great in their own styles, they're incomparable cause their styles feel so different.

[@catdragon1313]

How can you say something so bold yet so factual?!

[@dumpy_frog]

Broke: Matt’s best Broke: Brennan’s best Woke: Trapp’s best

[@ophiuchus_kin]

@@jeewo5895 completely different indeed

[@oliviahaglund8978]

Seeing them talking together is the BEST. Why compare when you can enjoy them better together.

[@jenniisthewriter]

Ok, 49:45 may be my favorite exchange in all of Dimension 20. Brennan: he looks at you... Rekah: Stop. Brennan: like he looks at nobody else. Rekah: Stop. Brennan: and for me to be able to tell that when he has no eyes or face THE DELIVERY THE TIMING It's perfect and I love it so much

[@owlsmood2364]

YES!! 😆

[@roomtemperature7096]

Coming from never stop blowing up...rekha is so funny omg 😂

[@Cultureghost]

You can tell Matt still can't shake the DM side while he talks

[@KaterTotz]

Cultureghost he’s definitely taking notes 😂

[@TheKillaShow]

Id argue players should be more descriptive about themselves in that way. A DM wont (or shouldnt) mind if you take small moments to be a DM when describing what you are doing. Then the dice finish the story.

[@TheLearningDroid]

one of the things I have liked about introducing my players to fate is it strongly encourages that self descriptive/story telling element in players

[@mero40k]

Try saying something positive.

[@AENock]

@@KaterTotz Good DMs borrow, great DMs steal

[@davidscribner1841]

I love Brennan's interpretation of the ring/crown landing in the fire and the Dark Lord losing his intense demeanor as he feels the burning

[@russellmz]

i loved the captain thinking the dark lord was imitating all his enemies dying and going "yeah! that's right!"

[@trapjohnson]

If this were on cassette, I'd have ruined the tape rewinding this bit.

[@bulletcrasherrryt1766]

Not Matt silently cradling the SINGLE ember, waiting for someone to realize Leilands dismay. 💀💀

[@johnthomason9980]

45:54 "Six foot tall muscular librarian" is basically my dream woman

[@blazerheata6479]

No relation at all but how do you feel about Lady Dimitrescu

[@hamiltoneu]

Naughty librarian

[@lukelblitz3627]

@@blazerheata6479 make her maybe 5-7 years younger looking,one foot smaller and i already have a ring waiting for her

[@scribese7en]

*Yeeeeeeessss...*

[@DParkerNunya]

Same

[@murphyslaw159]

Wow. Came for the Mercer. Stayed for the GM's enthusiastic description of the setting. Holy Shiitake he sold it hard!

[@triccele]

I just love Brennan, he's so animated, descriptive ...and makes great noices and voices!

[@k0pstl939]

Brennan is amazing as a dm

[@eline8087]

From now on I will be saying holy shiitake a lot. Thank you.

[@shannononeill482]

omg yes. Came to be able to watch Matt be on the other side of the screen...fell in love with Brennan as he GM'd.

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

Watch his CEO series. Good stuff.

[@Eramiserasmus]

Brennan is a treasure of a DM who puts so much energy into his performance I feel like I'm actually at a RenFair.

[@liamross340]

he was a counsellor at a LARP camp lol i think he still does it sometimes

[@AlixL96]

It's so fun to see each of these villains who could have their own boss battle in a normal campaign all teamed up together, only to be defeated by their own personal drama.

[@DrZaius3141]

Rekha and Trapp as first-time players are absolutely frickin insanely good. I mean, everyone is great, but doing this for the first time ever and participating in such a way... unbelievable.

[@roomtemperature7096]

Both being performer help a lot. Honestly who would've thought college humor picking up dnd would been such a perfect marriage.

[@juliamary7047]

Emerging from their cave of blankets, the Poor Dimension 20 Fan rushes to the free episode, ready to devour it whole.

[@alexanderlab.6608]

Lmao "poor". Or maybe people don't see paying the same price for a subscription of Hulu for a single show worth watching. Seriously, $5/month is rediculous when they only have a few shows, only two of which are positively rated. No offense to them.

[@juliamary7047]

@@alexanderlab.6608 Dropout has more than 2 shows. It has several, including individual sketches. I recently got dropout, and it's a good investment, even if just to be able to watch A Crown of Candy on my own time.

[@cormorantcolors]

Idea: The DMs of all the big D&D shows get together to play a campaign with someone who cannot DM to save their life.

[@Ziaotic]

that sounds painful

[@zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba0]

@@Ziaotic You must've stopped watching. Smart man.

[@lordprecision8437]

Reminds me of a funny idea me and the table thought of: Where the DM has to play a one-shot, where the DM is the only PC and the rest of the table have their own separate DM screens and bark random skill check requests at the singular player.

[@h3lblad3]

I volunteer as tribute.

[@isabellasevillaaguilera9679]

Oh wow

[@queenannsrevenge100]

(Jer’i’mih is introduced) DM: Make an animal handling check. Me: An ANIMAL handling check!?!?!

[@alexv3357]

I mean I've had to make Animal Handling check to ride a Broom of Flying. Jer'i'm'ih is at least _alive_ as far as anyone can tell

[@GZilla311]

An Animal(?) Handling check.

[@lordcantiismyname]

When you're in and from the blood keep thats just another animal. Besides what stat would you even roll for Abberation Handling?

[@polarknight5376]

@@lordcantiismyname sanity

[@lolbots686]

tbh my necromancer would have fit well,that would be malphael niel,a necromancer,lawful evil,hes merciful sure but he could still be evil,he has a pet hellhound named cerberous who he takes care of and cherishes so much

[@zahawolfe]

I love this reverse LOTR story. It's so funny seeing what it would have been like as the commanders of the dark army try to deal with the fallout of the dark lord being destroyed. Matt saying that "they could only have made the journey by eagle" is such a funny reference

[@YannickJur]

Lilith the spider queen must be my favorite. Excellent play, bonechilling voice. Also nothing mad eme laugh harder than her eating all of her mates without realizing, and her kids being like loving but rebellious teenagers.

[@Brasswatchman]

Also her being a total wine mom.

[@wolfwolfensteiny]

The comedy is absolutely quality. Campest villains ever and I never knew I wanted this so much before! The bit with the torturer where even Matt was speechless. Oh damn, I am dead.

[@GZilla311]

He was hard at work. And working diligently.

[@Hallucin0g3n]

Honestly, it seemed like he took that character exactly directly from season 2 of critical role that Matt played as an NPC, zorth the armless goblin, pretty sure Matt made it first. I wonder if Brennan did this intentionally as a nod to Matt. Also Brennan played the same voice amazingly well. When Matt did it, all the critical role cast could barely keep their shit together with laughter and amazement.

[@RM19061]

I laughed so hard when matt came in the game like a kind of lichking off presence and after that they have a conversation like a kind of cheerleaders/ 18th century lords 😂😂

[@captainkiwi77]

When he described the hair I was like “omg he’s the prettiest of pretty boys”

[@ross8093]

I love the nastiness between Leeland and Maggie being like "no he's my Lord and husband you harlot"

[@Spinelblade]

"This could only have been done on eagle back" I see what you're doing there Mercer. That's good shit. I also love that while everyone is freaking out Brennan is laughing because he totally got that one.

[@kaizenkltr]

I love Ify man he seemed so nervous and quiet for like an hour then his character got introduced and he didnt look back lmao

[@DaBezzzz]

TIL even if you're a cutthroat captain mercenary who got a contract with the Lord of Shadows, master of hellish beasts, the partner of the Dark Lord, the literal leader of the four most powerful wraiths in the world, the farseer who whispers with the dead, or the Queen of fucking Spiders, you still have your insecurities and probably need a hug

[@deanwhite4298]

Especially if you’re the leader of the four most powerful wraiths in the world

[@eliotmcclaff]

Just some time stamps for myself (can you tell I absolutely adore Leiland?) 2:46 - Efink Murderdeath’s intro 13:06 - Sokhbarr’s intro 18:49 - Sokhbarr’s scream beast companion gives birth 20:58 - Sokhbarr’s son born from nightmares appears 25:12 - Kraz-Thun/Leiland’s intro 32:53 - Lilith’s intro 44:48 - Maggie’s intro 52:33 - Markus St. Vincent Intro 1:04:33 - The Library of Madness 1:24:14 - the guards just wanna pick some flowers 1:26:24 - “you are loved, you are important” 1:27:22 - “We *have* names” 1:32:28 - chaos ensues 1:33:13 - Leiland is protective of his little ember-lord 1:34:43 - there goes the undead orc army 1:36:48 - Leiland and Maggie fight over The Lord of Shadow’s ashes 1:44:38 - Leiland’s monologue 1:45:37 - I *think* Leiland just tried to kill himself 1:49:14 - really seems like Leiland had an affair with the Dark Lord 1:50:22 - Leiland *will* promise what he likes. Also, Leiland will not share The Lord of Shadows 1:52:19 - snack and nap 1:53:55 - “bugs, what’s up?!” 1:55:49 - The Library of Madness returns! 2:01:04 - again, just really love Leiland

[@bmiranda58]

Leiland is so amazing. Thank you for these time stamps. Also he totally tried to kill himself right there.

[@mewiththeface6717]

13:06 don't you mean the beginning of uh, uuhhh, um, huh, eh, huh, I don't think before I speak, ummm uhhh, eh, uh the boglord?

[@scouttyra]

+

[@UnknownPersonaY]

You forgot 1:14:20 Turducken of Torture

[@jesusv1992doctorwhofan]

Thanks so much

[@stormbard]

As someone totally unfamiliar with this (I was just browsing, saw Mercer and clicked) I’m now totally in awe of Brennan.

[@KatzIzzbored]

Mankind's greatest treasure

[@Novel272]

Welcome!

[@lavenderwalrus9875]

hope you watched fantasy high

[@SimonDouville1]

"I go full Galadriel photo-negative" oh that gotta be a good serie.

[@AlphaMaleJoey]

I fucking love that the friend dynamic for the characters is just like a mid 2000s sitcom

[@athaya2992]

legit this is friends but evil (and no intragroup couple)

[@zarthered]

The first exchanges between the NPC and Matt's character makes me realize how hilarious a The Office-like satirical sitcom of LotR would be!

[@beth6166]

When Matthew Mercer started talking in a Gilmore voice I did a little happy dance

[@ryanadkins6816]

I'll rewatch it, sure why not?

[@mr.blizzie1200]

The guys that guard the throne room need to be protected at all costs. "When we beat all the elves, and dwarves, and hoooomannns, will we move to where they are? Where theres trees and sunshine and stuff?"🤣 I've been crying with laughter in my office for 20 minutes straight after that conversation. HOW HAVE I NOT WATCHED THIS BEFORE NOW ??!!! And Matts character too, i am binging this whole series without stopping and nobody can stop me now

[@collectorofmyst2107]

Well they certainly couldn't go to where the sunshine is 😅They'd turn to stone!

[@trapjohnson]

In my case, because I did not know Dropout gave us one campaign, Gratis.

[@a.bookmonkey6790]

I love it when Brennan is clearly so utterly delighted or surprised by the antics of the players

[@last2nkow]

Mathew mercer making socially awkward Nazgul a thing

[@juli3290]

Trapp is so fun to watch play, he just seems completely happy with everything and its so great

[@ashleyhoughton8592]

That screambeast birth was phenomenal.

[@obxpyrate]

The absolute horror on all the women's faces at the table when Brennan describes the birth process of scream beasts had me both cackling and going "girl, SAME WTF"😨 😱

[@last2nkow]

i love how while everyone else is just losing their shit Mercer just keeps staying stunned in character and pining over his dark lord.

[@CloudianMH]

"you said it was bad news" "no i didn't I just screamed" jesus christ brennan I nearly DIED

[@subsonic100]

"Do you know how committed you have to be as a bat to hang yourself?! YOU CAN FLY!" Ok I'll admit, that one got me good :'D

[@UchihaKat]

Debating who's the better DM is pointless, because more than anything, any DM just wants someone to DM for THEM so they actually get to play for once. Matt and Brennan are both great, and becoming friends with each other and other DMs in the dnd podcast circuit only benefits them all. They get to play!

[@evilbeardedman]

Brennan is such a good DM and the chemistry across the table is amazing. Also, so cool to see Matt just enjoying himself without the pressure of carrying the campaign on his shoulders.

[@stephenryan1912]

I'm only 7 minutes in, and Brennan is a voice acting (and just plain acting) master, but whoever does the sound design is amazing and needs to be paid more. Great job, I know you had to go through each part to find the right effect to make this story hit just right. We see you.

[@Trigun99]

Generic awesome comment to increase KZbin analytics

[@joshuaizly5502]

I'll invest my thumb in your joke since it will obviously get top comments and maybe I could scrap something for myself

[@somefishhere]

Conversational metrics aka replies to threads also increase KZbin analytics. Here is my contribution

[@welladay]

additional contribution

[@Nortarachanges]

Alex Hong, this is my reply to your reply. Must appease the algorithm ^_^

[@queti486]

Praise the algorithm!

[@PyrotechNick77]

I lost it at "We all stan the Dark Lord"

[@sophienah4654]

Matts character cradling the ember long after the lord died was hilarious

[@thetuerk]

Only 30 minutes in, but this is what I have to say: This episode displays PEAK expectation subversion with the world-building and atmosphere clashing with it's characters. It's great!

[@Impendable]

Matt sitting there holding the ashes for like 30 minutes with the sad puppy looks just gets me lol

[@berkleypearl2363]

I love so much that this is literally lord of the rings but from the bad guys perspective

[@janeloden4186]

when your listening to all of her cute kids and know that some adventurer would probably try and kill all of them.

[@imvaughan]

Jane Loden I would definitely cast fireball over an over until they are all gone

[@aileenzhao7951]

Goddamnit I can't with this

[@stitchm0m897]

I have only had these thousands of shadow brood for a day and a half but if anything happened to them I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself

[@Wickerless]

Can we just like acknowledge how the sound effects in this are super spot on? If any of these are done live and not post, this is actually insane.

[@rileyscherer129]

Most of them are done in post

[@rileyscherer129]

There's actually a really interesting behind the scenes about it

[@michaelweddle7279]

@@rileyscherer129 thank you. i am 5 minutes in and wondering if there is a button they are pushing to do the voice effects while they talk lol

[@CateMastro]

Knowing Brennan wants to be a dad, imagine the bedtime stories that storytelling talent can deliver!

[@wakeruncollapse]

They’re gonna be WILD.

[@ryanaiden]

Matt fully deserves this kind of DnD experience after all he has given as a DM. Brennan. Well done my liege.

[@arock4269]

I can't afford Dropout (broke college stude from a 3rd world country) and this amazing set of players was a tease not be heard from again. I'm glad you guys are releasing them again, it's honestly awesome. I just hope the Sophmore year gets released faster.

[@nathanhowell1119]

Sophmore year is available on Twitch.

[@arock4269]

@@nathanhowell1119 The Vods are locked for non-subs

[@HFTNYC]

Twitch VODs are available for everyone for a week after the episode originally airs!

[@djantjoek]

can relate :')

[@CaptIronfoundersson]

If Dropout had a free version with ads like Crunchy Roll, I would 100% be there.

[@FrogToadBug]

Brennan's voice acting is amazing. I realize they throw some effects on his voice sometimes, but he does so much to make each character feel unique.

[@ajtcj1356]

I just imagine Olag singing “the room where it happens” and I am crying with laughter at the thought.

[@trapjohnson]

Now to see if he comes back in a big way big bad style later on ;) (I am way late, and only through this vid)

[@LunarWolf-ux7mq]

Mike’s character is just the Hagrid of this world.

[@EthalaRide]

I'm so happy that everyone can now see the brilliance that are these characters and their whole arcs and situation. I will seriously NEVER get over Leiland's whole deal!

[@momozuke2757]

She held that fake glass of wine up for 2 hours

[@bobbirdsong6825]

I wasn’t expecting a girlfriend vs best friend competing for the dark lord’s attention dynamic here but it works somehow

[@Brasswatchman]

"Best friend." Sure.

[@Deelusi]

There's peeps in the comments who said that Matt looks bored while listening but that's just Matt's face when he is listening attentively. I think it's a habit of being a DM. Because I noticed that Matt doesn't allow himself to indulge in the jokes, he just laughs for a solid 2 second before immediately switched back to professional mode. He also does that in the first episode of Undeadwood

[@Randomness823]

Its the resting-DM-face, born from an abundance of "my players are planning aloud give NOTHING away" face

[@allthenamesiwantedweretaken]

First time watching this, I love Matt's character. A dark lord with self confidence issues, so adorable.

[@IlviaggiodiMartis]

I just Love Lilith and the healty relationship she have with her ten thousand-ish children XD

[@HanzGretel]

Came for Matt Mercer. Stayed for Brennan.

[@Spectralyzed]

I honestly came just to see both in the same setting. This was glorious.

[@joshuaizly5502]

Don't get me wrong Brennan is an amazing DM but I would love him to be a player and stay in one single character.

[@mischief7781]

Ikr? After he told a story about one of the times he was a pc I now want to see him play

[@joshuaizly5502]

@Alex Orjuela thank you, I knew Murph was also a DM but I have never seen his stuff. I will definitely check it out when I finish this

[@michaelfels4742]

I love him as a DM but would like to see him as a guest on critical role campaign 2 and as a player on critical role one shot. He played a great character on a d&d podcast before.

[@SnapGrapplePop]

His character on Naddpod is great (as is the whole series).

[@MrKChusker]

I’m praying for a critical role appearance from him.

[@halls423]

Shout out to Ify for basically sitting silently for 53 minutes.

[@Brasswatchman]

True. Some seriously impressive patience on his part.

[@RDR911]

Dude came to play D&D and not just fuck around with RP conversation memes. Respect.

[@puddinghoax]

Not sure how exactly I expected Matt to be as a player, but I am unsurprised that he plays in the same fashion as he GMs. It's delightful!!