Matt Mercer, the dm of Critical Role, said that Sylas was struck with a disease that was uncurable until Delilah found a cure, but he had already died by then. She then screamed out into the void, and something answered, promising to teach her how to bring back Sylas (as a vampire) in exchange for her to be its’ slave, and she took the deal.

And this is why no matter the genre of a game, you ALWAYS respect the healer!

It's a running joke that Pike's armor is big and clunky, every time she runs or fails a stealth roll the whole party just starts going like "clink clink clink clink clink"

apparently Percy's unlabeled barrel was left blank, suggesting it was intended for himself, but it was later confirmed that it was actually to symbolize that the list would be unending

About the empty spot on Percy's list: Matt Mercer, the dungeon master and Talesin Jaffe, the guy who wrote played and voiced Percy, talked about this in their show discussion. The empty spot was supposed to symbolize the cycle of vengeance and how if one gives into their rage, there is no end to the list basically, kindof a "there is always room for one more on the list" kninda deal.

The fact that delilah opened that door so easily shows how big of a threat she is

Dont worry, bringing the Sky Tree Corpses back to life had no lasting consequences at all :) Also Pike's Astral Projection is literally just the explanation they had for Pike showing up when Ashley would join in while in NYC and play over Skype. Whenever Skype went out Pike would just blip out and pop back in when she got the call back up. Astral Project = D&D Facetime

"That's the Lupa playthrough" Archi dies "Damn Lupa"

The show’s exaggeration of Pike’s power is basically just her ability to cast holy weapon on so many people. Evaporating a horde of undead instantly? Yeah, clerics in dnd can just do that. Throwing low level undead at clerics in dnd is like throwing level 2 charmanders at a blastoise. It’s the one area where the cleric class can be considered OP.

12:40 Funny you said Venmire reminds you of Lord Baelish from GoT He’s actually voiced by the Hound

Pike’s Astral Projection was for when her player was either Skype calling from New York or was able to visit for a while. She can’t do it outside of an Everlight temple I believe.

11:11 Barely 1 minute and this man already found a way to abuse the Holy power. Roshi: Damn, we need more groceries. Astral project to a supermarket. Store Clerk: Holy shit whats wrong with you!? Roshi: Oh this? This is just the divine light imbued to me by the gods, and it allows me to separate my spirit from my physical form. Also what aisle is your orange juice?

Pike is a Cleric and Clerics are literally NUKE BOMBS agains Undead, that is why pike was THIS OP in this episode (she is always great, but she was better in this one XD).

PIke could also be this powerful because her body was in the temple that we were told could channel more power than most people could handle.

the comment/question "Percy has been the main character this season I wonder if each character is going to be the main character for another season?" Because this was a D&D game, each character had a backstory that was made by each actor as they played together. The DM, Matt Mercer, took all the bits & pieces the players made for their stories & made story arcs where each person got to be the main character. So yes, if the show ends up renewed for a 3rd or more seasons (since season 2 is already in production) there would be a story for each person - and there is also an over reaching story that connects them all. Season 2, without any spoilers and going by the timeline, would be about the elf twins, Vex & Vax, and possibly also Grog

6:27 Ya'll are the *only* reactors Ive seen catch that double entendre.

Lupa still spinning his hands like if they’re watching avatar.

To sum up clerics "Offer comfort where you can, but don't forget you're an engine of death if you're provoked."

I took out a horde of skeletons the other day playing DnD with my cleric ability Destroy Undead. Clerics are beasts against undead, especially low level undead.

The editing on this ep was top tier. All the zoom ins on Lupa were hilarious!

3:40 I know you guys don't watch the actual DnD games, but this moment has recently come back in a pretty big way, like 6 years after it originally happened

Actually, on the stream, it was VAX who got to Cassandra and Anders first and he did throw daggers at him but didn’t do enough damage so he slit her throat anyway.

Love the sound of pikes Morningstar spinning back to her hand, that sound bite made the attack so much more powerful and theatrical

so glad someone else noticed the subtle "whack it off" joke, i missed it on my first watch through lmao

This is the only freedom that I offer you is such a sick line. God Percy has got some awesome one liners this series!

Needed this for a boost before I finish writing up the first draft of an essay. Thanks guys!

Lupa was thinking the sun would kill the zombies like in Minecraft.

Pike coming down like "BRING ME THANOOOOS!" xD

Pike's astral projection is actually how Matt (the Dungeon Master) allowed Ashley Johnson to play with the group remotely over zoom while she was working in New York. When she "loses strength" and disappears... the call dropped out.

this episode is a public service announcement to always have a cleric in the party

I still want to see you react to the 2012 TMNT show. Starts kinda rocky but there are so many great moments. One of my faborite shows ever. ... Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is also one of my favorite shows ever. That could be cool too.

"Everything's free for Grog" It's funny cause fun fact! By the end of their game, Grog isn't the only one who TOOK the most damage being the tank, but he's also the one who's DEALT the most damage in the party.

The thing is, clerics are insanely powerful against undead. They literally have a skill called Turn Undead and Destroy Undead.

Love that I wasn't the only one confused by Archie's death. Must have been a Nat 1 xD.

The astral projection of Pike was how they explained Ashley Johnson's (the address who voices Pike and plays her character in the game) was Skype calling in to the game. She was on set in New York filming Blindspot for ABC and everybody else was playing in L.A. so she would Skype in to the game on Thursdays and this is one way it was explained away.

9:30 This is why you bring the Giant, not because they hit the hardest and take the most damage… but because they have the best battle cry.

During the dnd campaign each character had their own Chapter/Arc where they are highlighted. This is Percy’s Arc

it's funny. Ashley Johnson AKA (Pike) has been in there d&d campaign since before it was on KZfaq and twitch, (at home). She is also on the show "Blind Spot". so when they show her Astral projecting, it's when she had to be away from the game, and she was zooming in to play. they have a screen with her zooming where her chair normally is when this happens during they're game. It's the only way the DM could think of since she was not there in game, but became available to play. lol

Astral projection is not something Pike can do on her own (at this point). D&D Mechanically, astral projection is a max level spell that Pike didn't have access to at the time of this campaign arc. In the game it was a hand wave for how frequently the player was absent. In the show's narrative , it is explained by a statement by the priestess in the temple. That tower that Pike was meditating in helps focus massive amounts of divine energies.

7:05 that courage joke got me

Attention all 30 and 40 years olds you'll recognize Dr Anna Ripley's voice because she is voiced by Kelly Hu If you watched Nash Bridges and The Scorpion King movie

3:40 This may have unforeseen consequences...

Astral projection is a interesting spell in 5e although you have to protect your cord or you will get severed

yes in Episode 7, when they asked what the Sixth barrel was for.

Thanks for the reactions. You guys are great.

Time to kick my feet up, open a coke can, and watch Roshi, Sheera, and Lupa watch my current favorite tv show. While wearing my "The Legend of Vox Machina" shirt.

I laughed so many times watching y'all react to this. Fasten your seat belts for the final act. It's a trip! If y'all have any influence with Johnny O'Dell it would be cool to see a reaction compilation featuring this channel, StruggleNation, Syntell, Everyday Negroes, YaBoyRockLee, Bobby Chill and ColeKingCage plus My Name Is Simon, BizzyBron and Lynk Cable. Only three of the channels I listed knew anything about Critical Role and Vox Machina before the animated series aired but everyone brings the same energy, enjoyment and enthusiasm for the series and story line. Coming from a DND nerd who's been watching the Critical Role livestream since 2019, it's a real treat to see other people of color embrace an animated series based on a game not many of us have played and readily accept the in-game mechanics as logical explanations for certain outcomes. It's another one of the ways Critical Role has introduced DND to a wider audience and I'm here for it.

9:12 the Men In Tights reference, very pleasantly surprised to see y’all have seen my favorite movie. (Yes, men in tights is referencing Malcolm X)

Interesting note about the bag of holding. There is a fan folklore about the “bag man” that exists within it. Basically every time the bag is used it gives off a ping that signals bagman to it unless someone else at another place uses the bag that changes his direction. Once he reaches the entrance of that bag he comes out of it, grabs the closest person and bring them inside to kill and eat. Again it’s fan folklore since wizards of the coast (WotC for short) havnt made an actual creature like that… yet >:)

I think I remember during this part all the characters were disguised as Percy and Cassandra to throw off the bad guys.

it seemed like you noticed that the 6th barrel/bullet was for percy cause right after the show of the shadow aiming the gun at percy you say something like oh its for him. but yea. that shadow thing is a huge clue.

From now and for ever more it shall be known as Bagic Mag!

Oh man, the next three episodes are gonna be so siiiiick

This man, Lupa-San said Vampire Zombies, I just want yall to think about that.

10:00 Yeah, the timing is horrible, but you gotta imagine Vax would spend his last moments kicking himself if he died before letting it out there.

Ya fams are back! Hell yes!

Ashley was busy filming Blindspot during much of campaign 1, but she skyped in for events like this.

This is how I wish my faith build in Elden ring was... Just murking everything in golden light

And here we see how Skype is translated into the D&D world! Unable to be there physically, yet still be present...to an extent.

Astral projection is a high level spell in DnD that basically lets you have a free lifeline, you aren't any weaker than physical form because you have to be super powerful to cast it. In this case, her god is casting the spell. But Pyke is still a cleric and clerics fuck up undead.

Fun Fact: In the D&D game Ashley Johnson (who voices Pike) had to leave to work on the show Blindspot in NYC. But for this particular episode they had her Skype in for the session with a TV monitor of her face next to the other players. The DM rationalized her sudden and brief appearance through astral projection, which was also a tongue in cheek nod to both the player and character being there, while technically not being there via a projection of light.

I hope you guys go back and watch these episodes again so you can actually hear the dialog.

Pike is a War domain Cleric, and if there’s one thing they’re good at, it’s killing undead

Well the Astral Projection was cast by the Everlight, not by Pyke

Yesssss 💪🏻

Pike's ability to Astral Project was only possible because of the temple she was in. One of the priests in a previous episode explained that the room they were in (the one with Pike's cleansing ritual) was able to channel more magic than any single person can hold.

The whole astral projection things was Matt’s work around for the fact the Ashley had to Skype in from New York because she was filming a show called blind spot for a long time.

8:17 Sheera 🤣🤣

Awesome

The astral projection isn't something Pike can do normally, it was a gift from here god so she could help her friends. In the campaign Ashley had to Skype in from New York so Matt came up with astral projection lol.

6:15 such sorrow

Quick wit it

They should watch some clips from this campaign

You guys should watch Bel-Air it's good for a remake of an iconic 90's sitcom

If I remember correctly, I think Ashley (Pike's player) might've actually been playing via Skype for this session.

Anyone else hear Immigrant Song in their head when Pike makes her entrance?

Pike in her astral form is OP because she is currently channeling a ton of power from the temple of the Everlight. Remember the priestess said that it contained too much power for a single person to control. Well, as soon as she got right with the Everlight, she was allowed to harness the power to go and help her friends, the group she has chosen to walk with IN THE LIGHT. It's kind of a reward for overcoming her doubts and finally being honest with the type of holy person she wants to be...which seems to be the kind that crushes unholy f*cks!

She got faith 100🤣

In D&D, Clerics can turn/destroy undead without even casting a spell. Divine magic (cleric and druid) is holy and/or elemental. If you face undead, you better have a cleric or your party is fucked.

What’s the name of the new song in the outro? 🙏🏽

Fun fact: pike was gone because the player had to leave for a while. Her reappearance in this episode is because she joined the game for a session through Skype. That's why she's Astral projecting, as a way to explain how she could suddenly show up and disappear if the session had to be cut short.

"Waving the hero flag" 😂😂😂

3:46-Oh, it gets more fucked up in about 2 campaigns!

You guys start reaction overlord i didnt know it

Pike came in like Thor in infinity war

Powers of a cleric, if its undead they aren't going to be having a great time. In D&D and Pathfinder a good chuck of cleric spells are dedicated to putting the hurt on undead. So Pike's power here is mostly cause of her class... and plot

Clerics are OP.

A recommendation to watch "So I’m a Spider, So What?"

PRAISE THE SUN

glad they put the briarwoods backstory earlier in the series than they did in the campaign. makes things easier to understand

You guys should react to the OG teen titans

So the last bullet was left blank to show that the list would never end. Even though both Matt (the DM) and Taliesin (Percy) never coordinated this, they both knew that once all 5 names would be crossed out, another set of 5 would appear. And the cycle would repeat forever...

"Not me thinking DnD.." THINKING WHAT?!?

A little suggestion for you : If you want to see a good movie that can make your whole body and mind shaking to its core, then I STRONGLY (and I repeat it again, STRONGLY!) suggesting you to see a movie called MIRACLE IN CELL NO 7. This movie is sooo good even I still can't move on from this one, and I personally think this movie is waayy more touching than All Of Us Dead, Train To Busan, or any Korean movies and series that l've watched before. You don't believe me? Then go watch it for yourselves, I DARE YOU NOW! And now I'll be waiting for your reaction tho😎🤘

Use Astral projection to avoid covid and never leave the house.

I'm sad Pike didn't have Revivify to get Archie back. He was dope.

You know… it occurs to me that ppl are telling them all about the campaign in the comments but I don’t blue if Roshi and them realize that they may know the ppl who made this Jay from watching anime so IM leaving a little list of one character played by the same actors as the VM counterpart: Silas: Levi (AOT) Grog = Roy Mustang (FMA) Vex = Trunks (DBZ) Vax = Gaara (Naruto) Percy = Blanka on street fighter Pike = Ellie (The last of Us) keyleth = a bunch of characters on Fire emblem Scanlan = Clovis ( Code Geass)

Pike came in like Thor in Infinity War. Came out like “Bring me the Derolos”

He said .90 caliber bullet

Pike has connected by Skype.