Grog: "Yeah, I wanna be live bait!" *Pike straightens up and gives him a Look* Grog: "No I don't-" Pike, simultaneously: "No, you Don't"

"let's dive into the game!" "....." "....." "no intro!" "no intro? dang.... everybody, act it out!" classic Vox Machina lol

Matt: "Picking up in two weeks from now..." Me, five years late to the party: "YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE!"

Laura is DEFINITELY one of those people playing video games who saves all her powerful items until the end "because there might be a more important time to use it!" and then the game ends and she's never used them

"Hey, oi! You're ugly! You're so ugly that you entered an ugly contest and they said no professionals!." ~Scanlan Shorthalt/Sam Riegel, professional comedian

It's kinda weird seeing Ashley present and Taliesin on a screen.

Grog: "Oh it's like... seven feet." People who don't know Grog: "That's barely even a dragon. Did it just hatch?" People who know Grog: "OH DEAR GODS IT'S GIGANTIC"

I love how Taliesin actually comes up with a basic idea and understanding of each of his machinations, instead of just saying, "I want to make a trap." He really gets into the headspace of his character.

"There must be some way out of here" Said the joker to the thief.

Vax: (talks to Scanlan about the dimension door plan) Me: (looks at the episode title) Me: (looks at Vax) Me: (looks back at the episode title) Me: (looks back at Vax) Vax: I'm an idiot Me: yeah I know

“Should i waste my dragon arrow on him?” Sam: “no, what? Of cour- he’s a dragon! This is it!” Had me laughing

Vex: I'm going to use my dragon arrow...wait. Do I waste it on him? Scanlan: HE'S A DRAGON! hahah

Is anyone gonna mention how PERFECT this moment was Tiny Vax: this is so fu- ***No camera signal*** 😂😂😂

Best part of being a new watcher, I'm immune to cliffhangers >:)

The Skype disconnects really make you appreciate how far the online communication tech has improved in just a few short years.

Absolutely losing it laughing about Grog's whole prison scene. Him faking reading the ledger book was gold, but him starting to say "I love books-- no, I can't even say it." to the guy in prison is hilarious. Travis has such a killer quick wit.

[actual intro plays] Bless the people that do these captions.

Matt: "we'll carry this one in two weeks. Sorry guys" Me binging them all years later: "heh"

Pike casts "Mom Look", it's super effective! Also Liam purposefully offering all his stuff to his team mates so they can be more effective knowing he's not going to be able to do much is team member goals

Laura only has two modes in combat, "We are SOO bad ass, nothing can defeat us." And "OMG WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!" *Sobbing Voice*

"I cast Thunderwave at 6th level into his stomach" Matt- what have i done...

I have a sneaking suspicion that poor Matt had a cool battlemap prepared for the Dragon Lair.

The fact that they actually went “the intro isn’t playing? Oh let’s act it out!” and then they DID and it was GLORIOUS and made me fall over laughing before the game had even started, and THEN the intro actually plays and I laughed even more

Matt: "The next episode will be in two weeks from now." Me: "ok" *clicks next episode*

I love so much about this episode, but this comment is about the actual battle. The idea of setting a giant mousetrap, that 100+ hp damage turn, teleporting two party members INSIDE the dragon... This is Vox Machina at their finest, pulling crazy shit and making one hell of a story, while still dealing damage to the big bad. I love this show.

Oh, the banter though! Matt: "It would be the eagles' turn, but they got *disooolved*!" Laura: "Thanks Matt, thank you for pointing that back out." Matt: "Oh, I like to. I also want to point out that you guys held my dragon to the ground for two rounds and hit it like a darn pincushion!" Marisha: "Which was awesome, by the way." Liam: "You'll feel better once Scanlan and I have dissolved..." Matt: "I will." :) Hahaha, I love it :)

2:39:12 I love the idea of a grown man legit terrifying his 7 friends with a quiet woosh sound effect. 🤣

Umbrasyl's whole thought process in this fight has to be something along the lines of 'WHAT THE HELL DID I EAT?!?!'

Grog: Your fate is in excellent hands. *Rolls a 17* Oh shit you're not dead XD

Sam: This is the worst cliff hanger ever! 2020: Hold my dice.

Every time Vax and Key have a moment, and Vex gags, I have to pause and cackle for a while. "She's a witch, did you see the broom?" chef's kiss

16:51: Matt's facial expression journey as Liam explains the immovable rod plan is what I live for. First there is confusion, then his inner player shows pure joy, followed by his DM realization of the implications.. *chef's kiss* ❤

After all the discussion and planning and setup they did I was SO waiting for Matt to say "The sun rises slowly crawls to it's zenith.. and then passes, and sets. Nothing happens. The dragon doesn't show up".

Grog in the prison is just about my favorite thing ever. 😂

i'm ten minutes into the fight and, as a DM i can tell Matt is REALLY frustrated at how WELL everyone planned the attack.

*Half way thru episode the battle starts* Me: “Man this plan is going pretty well” *Sees next episode is named “Umbrasyl”* Me: “...Oh boy...”

You lift up the tarp. It has some runes written underneath it. "What does it say?" It says, 'I prepared explosive runes today.' "Shit."

With Liam wearing that beanie and Laura's new hairstyle and their similar glasses, they look even more like real life siblings than usual. xD

Sam & Liam: "Take chances. Make mistakes. That's the fun of D&D." Also Sam & Liam: "What if we save a dragon the trouble, and just... let him digest us... for free?"

VM: pretending to do the intro Intro: plays Captions: [actual intro plays] Thank you to the Captioning Critters ❤️

Matt Mercer really shines when he plays old crotchety dudes like Old Davin or Victor, the black powder supplier

Matt: "Unable to move, that is the end of Umbrasyl's turn... That's messed up." He says after dissolving most of the Goliath herd.

Grog thinking Abjurist Nojia’s first name is Abjurist went under appreciated

Zanror : "That wouldn't make a dragon shaking in his claws." Mushu from Mulan: " Did you see those Huns? They popped out of the snow, like daisies!"

Players first, story second, and rules a distant third. Yes DD should have auto-failed according to the strict rules of the spell, but Matt talks a lot in his DM Tips series about letting players go off the rails, letting them try their crazy ideas...even if it's totally bonkers and honestly shouldn't work. He finds a way to let them try because he just wants to play a fun game with his friends.

When Percy puts on the boots of haste he turns into a machine gun

The fact that the crew eventually got the intro video ready to play, but let the cast finish their goofy re-enactment of it before playing it is GREAT.

Laura: *uses summoning spell* Matthew: "Alright, acid breath it is."

"HOW DO I WANT TO DO THIS?" *Mock crying* Feels laura feels

Vex dealt 108 damage on her first turn and one of the attacks didn't even hit

4:55 Crtiical Role Intro Live!! 7:26 Matt Mercer Giving The Status Of The Story Line So Far 10:12 Vox Machina Start With There Plan Of Action 14:58 Vax And Scanlan Discuss there Part 18:34 Scanlan Ask Advise From Vex 20:25 Scanlan Ask For Vex's Armor In A Very Scanlan Way!! 25:09 Vax Talks To Persy 27:04 Vex And Kayleth Talks To Zanror 36:49 Pillow Fight!!! 37:18 Kayleth See Zanror As Kevdak 41:07 Kayleth Talks To Werewa (Zanror's Wife Sorry In Advance If I Got The Name Wrong.) 45:10 Grog Goes To The Prison's Cells 49:18 Grog Talks To Orn Blackfoot 52:04 Grog Discovers Abris Nosesha 1:00:47 Grog Finds Reginal's Daughter Amelia 1:02:52 Grog Talks To Old Davon 1:08:40 The Skype Dance 1:09:34 Grog Talks To Orn In Trying To Be Convince Why He Should Be Set Free. Also Grog Has Very Small Range In Numbers Guessing. 1:12:10 Grog Needs To Work Better On The Guessing Game 1:28:28 Vax Talks To Kayleth And Kayleth Express Her Views On Religion. 1:33:30 Kayleth Rejoins With Vex And Pike 1:38:40 Break Begins 1:50:24 Break Ends 1:50:43 The Team Start To Set Up Fastbender 2:00:34 Keyleth Gives a Mustash To Fastbender 2:01:40 Scanlan ask Kayleth For The Rod Of The Movable Rodness 2:02:54 The Creepy Music!!! 2:04:50 Scalan Inspires Vex 2:06:48 Vex Starts To Ask Grog For Kevdak's Head And Grog Clearly Doesn't Want To Give It Up. 2:08:43 Pike Has Complete Control Over Grog 2:15:11 Sam Riegal The Spokemen For LootCrate (Promo 1) 2:16:12 Marisha Staying In Character 2:25:23 Vax Express His Feelings To Kayleth The Night Before The Fight Against The Dragon. Also Vex Sees Everything. 2:35:11 Scanlethhh And Kaylethhh 2:38:37 Umbrasyl The Black Dragon, One Of The Ancient Dragons Of The Chroma Conclave 2:40:07 The Trap Triggers And The Fight Begins!!! 2:42:50 Liam And Marisha And There Wishful Turns 2:43:21 Surprise Round 2:45:52 Vex Was Unsure On Using One Of The Dragon's Arrows But Scanlan Step In And Convince Her In Using It The Only Way He Knows How!!! 3:01:16 Vax Unleashes Fastbender And Trys To Cast Slow!!! 3:02:35 Introducing Mini Vax 3:07:51 Scanlan And Vax Travels In Side Umbasyl's Body 3:08:01 Before Going In To Umbrasyl's Body Scanlan Inspires Kayleth 3:19:02 Travis Showing His Singing Props 3:21:31 Umbrasyl Sets Him Self Free Of The Chains/Trap That Had Bind Him. 3:25:19 Umbrasyl Unleashes His Fury!!! 3:26:46 Umbrasyl "THE HOPE DEVOURER" 3:38:16 Scanlan Unleashes The Rod Of The Movable Rodness Inside Umbrasyl's Body 3:40:45 Vex Trys To Cast Grasping Vine On Umbrasyl 3:44:04 Waving Hair 3:47:36 Grog Uses The Magical Javlins / And The Javlin Of Lighting 3:52:54 Thank Goodness That Grog Was Acid Resistent. Not So For Kayleth Though. 3:59:56 Kayleth Jumps To Umbrasyl Foot To Hold It Down 4:03:16 Scanlan Cast Thunder Wave Inside Umbrasyl!!! 4:11:02 Vex Shoot Around The Spot Where Vax Is Underneath The Dragon's Skin With Pike Help But Ends Failing. 4:13:05 Poor Laura Bailey Just Wishing She Could End The Fight Already. 4:13:45 Zenror Tells His Wife To Run For Her Life With There Child While He Stays And Fight!!! 4:14:56 Grog Uses The Titan Stone Knuckles 4:17:42 The Eagles From Vex Attacks The Umbrasyl's Eyes 4:20:55 Umbrasyl Start To Escapes 4:22:49 Episode Ends (Cliff Hanger) 4:24:46 Sam Riegal The Spokemen For LootCrate (Promo 2)

I love the sneaky look you can see on Sam's face when he suddenly thinks of a great joke and is waiting for the opportunity to use it

Matt's favorite thing is screwing with them whenever possible and I love it. the music switches to horror and he starts making faces to panic them. priceless.

You know what I just realized? Tiny Vax's voice is just his "cuttlefish" voice. I love it.

The entire time during the preparation phase, I was screaming at my screen "Give Grog the Dragon Slayer sword!" Oh, well. If Umbrasyl had died too soon, we wouldn't have gotten the full course of Vox Machina's signature blend of sheer absurdity and insurmountable lethality. Also, Pike intimidating Grog was amazing. Let it never be forgotten that Trickfoot is the mightiest among them.

For the trap, I gotta wonder how many schematics Taliesin actually drew up and worked through just on his own time thinking it through.

I feel like my video games are slowly turning into "collect the cast of critical role - the game"

Fun fact: in this episode, they did 678 damage to Umbrassyl, and it only did 226 to them collectively! we'll see what happens next episode!

Matt electing to play 'The Dragon Thrashed and Wailed' from the Pillars of Eternity OST immediately as the trap is sprung and initiative is being rolled is so perfect.

matt: "we'll pick up in two weeks from now" me in 2022: "you mean 2 seconds, NEXT!"

"The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + ½ its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity." Never knew I'd need this

the horrified look on Matt's face when Sam said he was gonna do a thunder wave inside the dragon was priceless

As a DM, it’s amazing to watch your players come up with the most over complicated plans The DM in his mind: A trench disguised by hallucinatory terrain filled with Goliaths with grappling hooks The players: GiANt MoUSeTRap!

*"In Hawaii, the longsword is a finesse weapon."* Fun fact, of basically ANY weapon in the medieval period, the longsword is quite possibly _the best example_ of a finesse weapon. With it being only a little heavier than an arming sword or rapier while still mostly requiring two hands to use, it requires MUCH less strength to wield than other types of swords. Contrary to popular depiction, rapiers typically used the same amount of material to make as arming swords and were just as heavy. You're still swinging around a big bar of steel in only one hand.

"This is so fuuu--" [NO SIGNAL] The timing is top notch.

*Party votes against killing the dragon* Ok guys so how we gonna kill this dragon?!

I love how only Ashley/Pike is wearing a light color while the others are wearing black or grey. Just shows their alignment and even though it's unintentional, I still think it's cool.

It amazes me how Travis can make actual progress while acting like Grog is Jar Jar Binx-ing his way to victory

I just wanted to put this out into the world: In the game I DM my players are fighting their first dragon, and I swear with no prior knowledge of this episode, our Bard grabbed the Paladin and dimension-doored inside the thing. I'm rewatching this as study material so I can figure out how to run the rest of the encounter. Why are Bards like this.

Vex: "Are you SURE you want to be here..?" Grog: "YEH I do!" *Pike glares* Grog: "No, I don't..."

That "no signal" from the upper camera was just too perfect of timing

i know this episode is 5 years old but i’m watching through for the first time and it’s really fun to imagine them stress eating dice instead of jelly bellies

3:34:19 Matt says "it's too tight in there" - Laura doesn't bat an eye... that's how you know it's serious...

this is just a tiny moment but somebody pointed this out to me and at 3:05:08 sam starts playing a slide whistle quietly and liam looses it and it was super cute liam: he's playing a slide whistle laura!! what am i supposed to do??

Liam - "Teliesin, shoot from your screen! Then you get hit by a wang!" I died!

Them reinacting their own intro was so precious...

Leave it to Scanlan to... 1. Use a very unorthodox method to hold a dragon 2. Involve the bowels 3. ??? 4. Profit and hilarity

Hasted Grog = 100ft of movement and 4 attacks. What level of murderous raging dopeness is this?

"she doesn't clank if she doesn't move" lol me with my arthritis-ridden joints

3:45:45 Matt says "first signs of visible wounding" on Umbrasil when he's taken 485 damage at that point. God, how many HP did he add to that Ancient Black Dragon?

you know your game is stressful when you start wearing the PHB as a hat

Vax - "You'll feel better when Scanlan and I are dissolved." Matt - "Ya."

Rules as written, a dragon that size weighs a LOT more than the 8000lbs limit of the rod. If it moved, and the rod tried to stop it, the rod would deactivate as per the item description. What Matt Mercer did was much cooler, however.

If there ever was need of a perfect example of one of Matt's reveals from the players, it's at 1:01:30 It abouts sums up each individual's personality in one single frame 😂 Scanlan's face is priceless.

Grog ain't at his normal table. It's really throwing me off...

The dragon is probably thinking "This is the most unique fight of my life!"

So two episodes ago Travis was wearing the Labyrinth t-shirt. Last episode Taliesin was wearing it. And now Sam is wearing it. There's no way this wasn't planned.

4:03:10 - 4:03:20 Mr.Mercers face transitioning into pure horror is f*cking ✨️glorious✨️

I’m loving this Chroma Conclave Ark I’m so hyped that there’s no waiting between episodes either showing up this late to the game has been the most pleasurable viewing experience in a long time.

2:08:15 for Pike using the Mom Look on Grog.

The look pike gives grog when he says he wants to be bait, and the fact he was like.. um, no I don’t.. had me Rolling with laughter

Ashley is on top these episodes! Rolls high, knows what she's doing, has clear plans on her spells and reactions... This is so great!

Matt trying so hard to warn them that attacking the dragon in the lair is what he thinks is best and possibly prepared for, but the party ain't having it! Be interesting to see how it works out!

"If David Bowie can't keep you alive, then no one can"- Travis Willingham preach it

I'm always impressed with how much range liam has, hes a very good va

1:29:20 the way Liam delivers "In your room, in your room. Me leaving wasn't--" has big theater actor vibes and it's so good

Can we please have a spin off show where it's Oren Blackfoot, Old Davan, Enosia, and Reginald's daughter all in an adventuring party?

"We need to talk real quick." *10 minutes later* "I'm still confused."

Grog dealing with all of the prisoners was hilarious. Travis is such a legend.

I kinda wanna see an intro where when Keyleth shows up, she turns everyone into mist, the music cuts with a record scratch sound, and then it awkwardly highlights each mist as a character while Scanlan sings Trollololol. It should've been a thing for the intro videos. If only I'd been here at the beginning, I could've made it myself.