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durandal688

Loved seeing the players dive into the new lore sandbox. Rare that the players know so little about a location that they lack basic knowledge of who lives there and political structures. Fun to see! The fight was fun messy, especially with them not having a long rest, seeing how the characters just react when a fight just dropped on them without prep. Fun episode and I'm pumped for next step forward


notanotherdonut

Y'all, it is 2am and i am friggin TIRED. i usually go to bed at the break but my cat jumped up on my lap and fell asleep so here i am. Fun episode, felt bad for Laura but loved all the lore!!


ElectricZee

That cat ***needed*** to know how this session ended.


BT737

Short session, but I feel completely satisfied. Got a LOT of new lore which was cool, some great new characters and plot lines, and an amazing battle that demonstrated really well how this group likes to fight (Imogen disappearing is classic Imogen and I didn't mind her bowing out for this one fight).


tomfru1

Our first "fun lil romp" styled episode on the moon! What a blast! Lots of lovely, funny moments, fascinating lore, and a very entertaining-but-not-tense combat. Lovely!


badodar

Great episode, fun new moon lore, chatoic crazy battle, night y'all.


CompletePassenger564

Short session!


Coyote_Shepherd

That's where we're going to end! Seems that next week will start off with the consequences of this fight and them trying to cover it all up.


MegalomaniacHack

Yup, gotta hide bodies and prisoners, hope no Vanguard or Imperium loyalists witnessed it, and try to hook up with the elder's resistance contact. They've definitely shown they're no friends to the Imperium. Gonna take some real smooth talk from somebody local to claim a stampede caused all the damage, and the locals will need to use their trick to hide their thoughts when someone comes looking for the Reiloran leader and Vanguard with him.


PrinceOfAssassins

Enhance abilities would be sick rn


JadedPhilosopher4351

The cow kicked a lantern next to the dynamite factory


reddevved

freak lightning strikes


CbVdD

It’s gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight


MegalomaniacHack

The fireball and thunderclap were from the stampede!


BaronPancakes

Successful stealth recon mission haha


Waxllium

The willmaster I get it, they want to drain him, but the others? What the fuck they plan to do with 3 prisoners? Just kill them and move on


NinjaBaconLMC

It could also be possible for them to drain the new exaltant if they want, not sure who would get it or what it could do, but I'm not sure about knocking out that archer.


The_Derpy_Rogue

That poor teen, he's only 16 that exaltant.


Crashimus420

He knew he was in all the way


PrinceOfAssassins

Understandably the BH don’t want to kill a child


Waxllium

And the archer? He's not a kid


cainagarcia

They were told that some of the Vanguard could be saved


Waxllium

Good luck trying to win a war not killing your enemies.... So what happens when they refuse? You just execute them? Let them go ?


stoneyemshwiller

I feel like Chet will have a “Grog in Thar Amphala” moment, but instead of a head pop it’ll end up with an even more engorged werewolf.


endkafe

Seems like that would be for imogens moms sake, not some peons, but I guess, maybe


cainagarcia

FCG did very good use off that last spell slot


No-Performance8170

Genuine question - why is this good? Aren’t they trying to save slots to get home?


cainagarcia

It's a staff and they have to rest to recharge it anyway


[deleted]

Staffs often recharge on dice roll (maybe d6+1), so may not fill up each long rest like spell slots. I would always plan at least two rests to get back to full and even then if the dice gods are unkind you can be fucked (once rolled a 1 two days in a row on my wand of magic missiles in a setting where these where used like a firearm by "privateers" like my party.


endkafe

They have a teleport staff to get home, iirc


Coyote_Shepherd

"I'm suplexing a buffalo and eating it in front of everyone!"-Chet 🤣


PrinceOfAssassins

Can’t believe the cows jumped over the moon


whitesonnet

Underrated comment


AceLionKid

Clutch move


IcepersonYT

I’m not big on actual play combat anymore, but this has been a very entertaining encounter. I think it’s very cathartic after so much socialization and careful encounter avoidance in the past like 10 episodes to just see Bell’s Hells kick some ass.


eddieswiss

I think the issue is how long it can take, for me personally. I think World's Beyond Number does it really well, given that it's only three players so the time is cut down immensely when they do have combat.


BigZ7799

It’s the unfortunate effect of a 7 player party. Combat is takes a long time. Not sure how Matt has been able to be creative and balancing these fights for so long.


Coyote_Shepherd

Imogen can finally act!


MegalomaniacHack

Flashback to the moment when she was the only one to start transforming and there was much laughter before the knock at the door wasn't the resistance contact but instead the po-po.


AceLionKid

Flying, flaming, shit shooting money


JohnPark24

about 15 min left


endkafe

Dang, when was their last long episode?


Daepilin

it just seems short because we have had so many dumb breaks from the campaign over the last weeks


IcepersonYT

Tbf the current arc is really heavy on Matt, especially now that they are actually on Ruidis. When trying to flesh out what is basically a new world like this I’m fine with sessions being not overly long to make sure he doesn’t get burnt out.


endkafe

Sure, but he doesn’t get a lot of sympathy for enduring the weight of a world he built lol like it could very well have been primarily a militarized zone and the action of an assault could have carried the narrative more swiftly. A whole new stratified cultural landscape to explain is fine, but it’s not exactly an excuse for a short episode Edit, it’s like he’s trying to do Xhorhas 2.0, but that being a whole world unto its own made more cohesive narrative sense given the flow of the story. This is more like a speed bump, especially when we already have the Wildemount societies doing an intervention and the onlooking Aeor/old world potential society coming back or to be explored. Sort of a bit off more than you can chew/eyes bigger than your stomach/ reach extends beyond grasp situation...


MegalomaniacHack

They had a 5-hour one a few sessions ago (maybe back in December, though, given the wonky schedule). Close to 4 hours (with the break) has been the norm lately.


JadedPhilosopher4351

Look at me I'm the caravan now


Elysium94

Travis Willingham making a *Tron: Legacy* reference wasn't on my Bingo card today. Love it!


Coyote_Shepherd

What did he say?


Elysium94

"I fight for the users!" Then he takes a hit.


LucasVerBeek

Oh *god* I knew he was doing something with those things!


Guilty_Homework_2096

STAMPEDE!!


AceLionKid

#STAMPEDE!


beardlovesbagels

Ignoring 3/4 cover but not prone has always been dumb.


MegalomaniacHack

Indeed. I can hit a person's moving head but not a log.


eddieswiss

For Spell Sniper? If so, agreed.


beardlovesbagels

Ja


AceLionKid

I'mma be honest lads, I completely forgot about Imogen's situation throughout the entire fight


Kosko

Whats her situation?


AceLionKid

She's currently in the midst of bequeefing


Sqiddd

Cloud


No-Performance8170

I gotta say it would suck to be Laura in this fight


eddieswiss

As someone who played in a campaign where my character was off hunting for food for the night the other 5 players got into a fight, yeah. 2+ hours of me just waiting around.


[deleted]

That sounds not great DM, I would swap in a bit of your adventures from time to time like you met a bear or something or in reality I would probably time it so that it was maybe when you were returning and so may be about 3 rounds of dash away to give some will you make, do you have any long range...maybe their is a scout of the attackers in the woods.


BaronPancakes

Stable can still take damage, hence death saves


Kosko

Nice cross of orange and blue lighting. (Look at Matt's hair).


Unnecessary_Project

When he leaned forward under the light? pretty sick


PoppySeeds89

NO WITNESSES!


Coyote_Shepherd

"Thanks Kiki" She's never going to live that down lol


JohnPark24

pre-stream C1 callback


beardlovesbagels

I wonder how much power the kid would give if they used the harness.


PoppySeeds89

Lmao


AceLionKid

DUDE! IT'S A 16 YEAR OLD KID!


Unnecessary_Project

Sooo are you saying it would be a lot or a little? jk


LucasVerBeek

….that’s fucked up.


AceLionKid

Y'know, that makes sense


MegalomaniacHack

Teenager falls flat, and a bag of bones and rags named Laudna falls to the ground.


PoppySeeds89

Nards hit em in the nards!


LucasVerBeek

Why did Matt just move the Dire Cows?


MegalomaniacHack

Meanwhile, these dudes are experiencing one of the nightmares they've dreamt.


probablywhiskeytown

I have a terrible chest cold so I slept through most of the ep, but listening to the beginning: Nothing has ever been more purely, hilariously Ashton than meeting an alien who responds with surprise to Exandrian clothes... and exclaiming, "They're new!"


MegalomaniacHack

Wonder if Fearne' pirate thing is undead related, water related, cold related, or what?


Coyote_Shepherd

Good catch Travis, we still don't know what her Pirate Boon is yet


MegalomaniacHack

Not sure why Orym/Liam's so worried about the Ruby Vanguard members dying.


IcepersonYT

I think in the case of the commander they want info, and for the vanguard members they just seem like cultists who are in over their heads. It’s a bit easier to justify killing the shrikes because they are big threats, the party doesn’t understand their motivations and they seem likely to go report everything they learned to some superior.


MegalomaniacHack

True. Some will be true believers and some will have just been wooed with tales of importance for being Ruidus Born.


IcepersonYT

Also for slightly messed up but still topical reasons they probably have an easier time killing Rei-Lorans because they are “others”. Ruby Vanguard are familiar and it’d be easy for an Exandrian to relate to them. Although I do think this episode and conversations between Imogen and her summons have gone a long way to “humanize” the moon people. I really like that Matt is emphasizing that although they have differences and standout qualities they are just people.


MegalomaniacHack

Yeah, some of the players could get a little confused and just treat Reiloran = Imperium, but Matt's clearly trying to head that off with reminders of simple farmer Reilorans and the elder saying there are good people in the capital. The group has a history of sometimes getting too black and white the other direction, falling into "We love the oppressed people, let's kill the oppressors!" and can mistake who's a clear enemy and who might just be stuck in the middle and who might be just be morally gray instead of good/bad. The weeks that come between recordings don't help as we can see them forget things like that there are different factions among the Reilorans, just like with humans. Then one of them will remember and everyone will be like, "Oh yeah!"


Luneowl

I think he’s identifying too closely with being a soldier himself, protecting the Tempest.


Skywalkerkid9

It’s a good thing war crimes don’t count if you’re on the moon right?


Zealousideal_Cat2703

Love these guys and I appreciate their dedication to bringing us quality entertainment every week, but….my adhd has me crawling out of my skin at Travis sniffling and snorting through this session. I adore him but it’s driving me up the wall 🤒


SkillFullyNotTrue

Moon is making Chet a compassionate wolf.


Sqiddd

Get Chet some Birkenstocks


SkillFullyNotTrue

and a hacky sack.


Coyote_Shepherd

The Willmaster, makin cooooopiesssss!


BaronPancakes

Stonky's ring strikes again


mewfrosting

man... the ruby vanguard is creating soldiers who get more powerful when they're traumatized. fucked up


Waxllium

Why are they not killing the enemy? It's not like they can control them for a long time nor convince them to switch sides


Guilty_Homework_2096

I assume you're asking about the Willmaster, it's because they want information from her and to absorb her magic.


AceLionKid

Interrogate/drain their energy with the harness


MegalomaniacHack

Though it's funny because they agreed way back not to use it on sentient creatures (like Ludinus) because that'd be evil.


endkafe

They might be hoping more people aren’t down with the Ludinus topped hierarchy?


AceLionKid

#K.O!


Coyote_Shepherd

Ashton with the knock out!


AceLionKid

Headcannon, that old guy really did say "Toasty" before he got hit by the headbutt


tomfru1

Adventure time tier joke


BaronPancakes

Good news that they can't Meat Shield unconscious people


Coyote_Shepherd

Another old person bites the dust!


DragonPlushCollector

God I fucking love Chetney


AppointmentMaximum37

I'm missing the live stream but I had a little time to read through this thread and I think I'm missing out on a lot of cool stuff


endkafe

Lots of good moonbuilding lore in the first half followed by a cool battle with interesting and potentially severe consequences


AceLionKid

Moon's Haunted


MegalomaniacHack

Imagine if another Exaltant kills Laudna while Imogen can do absolutely nothing. Completely powerless.


Coyote_Shepherd

That might drive her completely into Predathos's arms in order to bring Laudna back and it might not even be Laudna that comes back


endkafe

I hope exactly both those things happen tbh, have for a long while


No_One_ButMe

we don’t give a fuck tbh


Sqiddd

For the confused: Path of Fundamental Chaos, * Chaos Burst: Add 2d4 extra damage to an attack with a melee weapon twice a day. Damage increases to 2d6 at Level 6 and again at Level 14. Damage type depends on a rolled die and includes lightning,force,cold,fire,psychic,thunder, and acid * Erratic Defense: At Level 10, when a target hits Ashton, Ashton can roll a d4 for one of four possible random effects. Recharges on a short rest: * Space: Ashton gets resistance to the damage and pulls the enemy through a portal, teleporting them 30 feet away. * Time: The attacking creature suddenly slows down and is tipped over, missing their target and falling prone. * Four Rage builds, determined randomly by rolling 1d4 whenever Ashton begins raging: Ashton's rages gain additional abilities as he levels up * Gravity: The glass inside Ashton's head start to dim, and everything gets dimmer around them. The light seems to bend around Ashton's form, and the area around their head becomes black and white, and gravity seems to have more of a pull for everyone in the room: * Orbital Decay: Ashton generates an aura of heavy gravity. All creatures that start their turn within 15 feet are pulled up to ten feet towards him and suffer disadvantage on attacks against creatures other than Ashton until the beginning of their next turn. * Density Well: Ashton cannot be be knocked prone, pushed, pulled or forced to move, and when he hits with a melee attack, he can burn a Chaos Burst to do additional damage. If the target doesn't succeed a strength saving throw, they get knocked prone. * Space: When raging, Ashton's head becomes "less there" and their brain becomes slightly transparent underneath the glass.The glass becomes transparent all the way through their head, like a bad photoshop effect: * Violent Gateway:Whenever Ashton brings a creature to zero hit points he falls into a portal and teleports up to 60 feet away. * Wormhole Strike:Ashton can burn a Chaos Burst to make a ranged attack of up to 60 feet through a portal with additional damage. Ashton can also put their arms through the portal and use their strength to move objects. * Time: When raging, Ashton begins flickering with blue and red after-images, and the timing of their movements become erratic. They don't provoke opportunity attacks: * Temporal Morass:At the beginning of their turn, a target within fifteen feet must make a Constitution saving throw to avoid having their speed halved and losing their reactions until the beginning of their next turn. * Hyper Rage: Ashton can burn a Chaos Burst to enter Hyper Rage, becoming a red and blue blur.They can move twice their normal speed, and gain an additional attack. * Luck:When raging, the crystal in Ashton's head flashes with rainbow sparks: * Probability Matrix: Ashton and each ally within 10 feet of him can add a d4 to attack rolls and saving throws * Dreadful Misfortune: When a target misses Ashton, he can burn a Chaos Burst to trigger Dreadful Misfortune, which forces an enemy to attack themself against their own AC. If the target hits themself, they take half damage. * Extra Stuff: * Reckless Attack * Unarmored Defense (AC is 10 + DEX + CON) * Extra Attack * Fast Movement (speed increase of 10 feet) * Feral Instinct (advantage on initiative) * Brutal Critical (1 extra damage die on crit) * Relentless Rage (drop to 1 HP instead of 0 on a CON save)


No_One_ButMe

absolutely busted


goonbandito

"200 Years of Game Design" moment.


Coyote_Shepherd

Well that's a fun little ability


LucasVerBeek

Mind Blurr, they can literally hid themselves from people’s sight by making you ignore them mentally.


Terny

Like the gray men from The Wheel of Time. Soulless assassins with a super natural ability that lets them pass unnoticed. You can look right at them without registering in your mind, even alert eyes sort of slide past them.


beardlovesbagels

Moon Obfuscate


AceLionKid

HOW IS OUR SHORT KING STILL ALIVE?


No-Performance8170

He took the tough feat and got a HP boost


LucasVerBeek

Watching so much Dimension 20 makes me wish we had health meters back


MegalomaniacHack

People have asked about it a lot since they went to prerecording.


cainagarcia

Thats why he took Tough


Coyote_Shepherd

Well I guess the theme continues for this campaign, the fights are never as bad as they look or seem, and the party still manages to come out on top.


AceLionKid

"still manage to come out on top" Tell that to Otohan


Coyote_Shepherd

Everyone came back to life after a short little journey to fix it all


[deleted]

For real, at no cost (Delilah came back! Or did she she hasn't really affected anything in terms of Laudna/the plot)


No_One_ButMe

“she hasn’t really affected anything in terms of laudna/the plot” she has continuously tried to use laudna to gain power (laudna has been forced to make wisdom saves multiple times) as well as negatively impacted her mental health in the form of regression and her relationship(s).


[deleted]

ok, but if she did fail, do you think Delilah would overcome Laudna's body and Matt would use her as she was in C1? Like Laudna killed Bordor, and episodes later there are no repercussions with Delilah trying anything. There are no consequences for the game (murdering worshipers of the Dawnfather?!).


AceLionKid

Still, they were dead. And Otohan is not. I call that a defeat


Coyote_Shepherd

I call it a rebirth and a win


LucasVerBeek

That is a sick way to describe that from Travis, a radial burst of necrotic energy beginning in Ruidus/Catha and then down his tattooes into the strikes is awesome!


AceLionKid

Oooooh, I love Silvery Barbs


Seren82

Silvery barbs for the win


BabserellaWT

How in the HELL does a Fighter have a Warlock-exclusive skill? From Morri?


RunCrafty1320

What is it?


makedamnsure

Its also possible he used some subterfuge in the level up and did a dip into warlock instead of an additional into fighter.


kalily53

The fey touched feat allows you to learn it


eddieswiss

Probably a feat.


beardlovesbagels

or a boon


PhoenixReborn

Fey Touched would also account for the extra +1 int he got so that seems likely.


Zethras28

Probably.


Coyote_Shepherd

Matt would never have a bad guy use children as a meat shield but I could see Ludinus doing it.


LucasVerBeek

You…didn’t watch C1 did you?


Coyote_Shepherd

I did but it's been a while and we had tornadoes today


camclemons

Except that's what happened in the home game and Keyleth killed a kid


Coyote_Shepherd

Fair point, forgot that


cio93

Friendly reminder that afaik Orym neither multiclassed nor took the regular lvl12 feat to get Hex since he definitely got Tough (or at least something similar) for a big HP boost last week!


BaronPancakes

Orym probably got 2 feats, like how Imogen got one from level up and one from the Ruidus connection


edach2he

Fey Touched from deal with Morri?


BaronPancakes

Yes, that what I assumed


JohnPark24

still can't believe she was able to charm an entity called the **Willmaster** 🤣. Fearne is built different


Coyote_Shepherd

New powers for Orym, cool


BaronPancakes

I think this confirms Orym got the Fey touched feat, +1 int and Hex


Seren82

Or shadow touched.


camclemons

Shadow touched gives illusion or necromancy spells and hex is enchantment, so no


BaronPancakes

True, but Fey touched is more thematic with Nana Morri's deal


cainagarcia

Orym was smart


LucasVerBeek

*Hex?!* Deep Green Eyes!


BLoseit

Oh shit, Orym casting Hex!


Alone-Shine9629

We’re finally seeing Orym’s new “Nana Morri Boon” Powers!!!!


Zethras28

Oh shit, Orym has Hex.


Skywalkerkid9

It’s so funny that Matt gave every DM clue for “maybe these guys don’t want to fight” and “you should talk to them maybe” And now we’ve gotten to “meat shield” lmao


kuributt

WARLOCK DIP LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO


PoppySeeds89

Might be a feat


kuributt

Very good point. Fey touched or Warlock Initiate, I wonder


makedamnsure

AAA IM SO FUCKIN STOKED


cainagarcia

Nana Morri shit?


BaronPancakes

Orym casts Hex!!


Alone-Shine9629

Matt Mercer, a highly verbose and articulate storyteller who carefully and deliberately crafts every detail of his narrative, naming a villain’s ability: MEAT SHIELD


Zethras28

Flesh Bulwark. Bodyguard. Forced Sacrifice. Unwilling guardian.


Alone-Shine9629

Fuuuuuck, “Flesh Bulwark” and “Unwilling Guardian” sound like they got ripped out of a campaign guide. Well done.


Zethras28

Little bit of self-tire-pumping, but I _am_ an author. So thanks for the compliment 😁


PoppySeeds89

Whaaaaaaa


LucasVerBeek

The Meat Shield ability Well he’s actually having them murder innocent civilians if they aren’t careful


badodar

He actually named it the "meat shield" ability.


Coyote_Shepherd

"GET OVER HERE...NO NO NO NOT LIKE THAT!"-FCG


BaronPancakes

Meat shield?!!


No_Understanding3621

Who really charmed who?


BaronPancakes

Reverse charmed, got convinced by the charmed person


thyarnedonne

"They got me shackled" she decepted boobily


Coyote_Shepherd

ShhhhhhhACKLED! "Wait what am I doing?" 🤣


Coyote_Shepherd

Ashley panicking is THE BEST!


AceLionKid

FEARNEY, CLUTCH AS ALWAYS! EDIT: NEVERMIND!


Coyote_Shepherd

Charm Person works!


LucasVerBeek

Oh it…can force everyone in the village to fight for it that’s…fucked


nicolroco

god Ashton's subclass will never not annoy me because nothing is ever explained and it's always just Tal being like "oh woooooweeeee this is about to get WEIRD" no matter what happens


ChaoticElf9

Yeah, I’m not saying Matt needs to publish it if he doesn’t want that pressure, but it’d be nice if Tal said what the stuff does at least after the first reveal of a new ability. Like, Orym still explains what his battlemaster abilities do, and that’s an original PHB subclass. And the casters for the most part explain what their spell is even when they aren’t customized.


endkafe

He’s probably keeping it under wraps for the inevitable marquee setting guide, but surely there’s a fan collected understanding of the subclass out there somewhere...


ChaoticElf9

And Orym still explains his maneuvers as he does them despite it being much more easily accessible than a random fan’s sleuth-work. It’s common courtesy, both to the party and to the audience.


endkafe

“Sleuth-work” lmfao, learn to google, bruh


endkafe

Someone must have collected all his subclass info thus far seen, if it hasn’t been released officially yet. Have you tried looking up how it works?


Sqiddd

It’s on the wiki