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But what about Critical Role's creators? After numerous Dungeons & Dragons (and now Daggerheart) adventures together, each has their own favorites. This includes Matthew Mercer, the internet’s most illustrious Dungeon Master.
Mercer recently shared eight memorable moments from Critical Role's history on Beacon, Critical Role’s streaming platform, in a new series called Founders Favorites, highlighting moments that were especially meaningful to him as both a player and a Dungeon Master.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Critical Role Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein, Campaign 3: Bells Hells, The Search for Grog, and Exandria Unlimited: Divergence.
1
The Search for Grog live-show
Image: Critical RoleWhile Critical Role had done several live-show episodes before — notably at GenCon — “The Search for Grog” was a one-shot that followed Vox Machina as they hunted Grog’s soul after it was stolen and trapped in the Plane of Pandemonium.
Based at the Ace Hotel Theatre in Los Angeles, the one-shot was a monumental moment for Mercer, as the screaming crowd helped him realize just how beloved Critical Role had become after years performing live.
“It was insane,” Mercer says in his Founder Favorites interview, “but the sound that everyone in that theatre made, that was the moment I understood sports.”
2
Jester’s cupcake
Every Critter who watched Campaign 2 knows how epic it was when Jester, the jokester tiefling cleric with a heart of gold, tricked the hag Ishemai into believing she agreed to end Nott’s curse in episode 93 of the second campaign. It’s a scene that undoubtedly highlights how skilled Laura Bailey is at using the tools her Dungeon Master gives her. The fact that even Mercer admitted it’s one of his favorite moments of Critical Role shows how much of a flex Bailey's decision was.
“I’ve never been more proud/deflated by a character choice in the sense of what I had prepared for it,” Mercer says. “It's such a great example of player ingenuity, dice, and me not realizing when I gave them an item that I was undoing my own plot point down the road, which is the truest Dungeon Master experience.”
3
Mollymauk’s death
Image: Prime VideoEveryone’s most beloved blood hunter tiefling, Mollymauk Tealeaf, both won and broke hearts during the short time we knew him in Campaign 2. He was easily one of player Taliesin Jaffe’s coolest characters, and he had an intriguing blank-slate background that players were desperate to see Jaffe unearth. Unfortunately, Mollymauk’s time was short-lived, and he met a terrible end at the hands of Lorenzo in episode 26 of Campaign 2, “Found & Lost.”
“It was a player's death at a moment when the majority of the party that had access to resurrection-type magic was gone,” Mercer says, referring to the kidnapping of the party’s main healer, Jester.
R.I.P. Molly. Gone but certainly not forgotten.
4
Caleb gives the beacon back to the Bright Queen
A key selling point of the Mighty Nein was that, unlike the upright heroes of Vox Machina, they were seen as more morally ambiguous anti-heroes who only looked out for themselves. However, that changed when Caleb Widogast (Liam O’Brien) returned the beacon to the Bright Queen and the Kryn Dynasty in episode 56 “The Favor” of Campaign 2 — despite the Kryn Dynasty largely being considered an ‘evil’ group.
"That maneuver completely shifted the direction and tone of the campaign," Mercer says. “Another great example of how the tabletop collaborative experience is so unique.”
5
Bells Hells first fight with Otohan Thull
Image: Critical Role“I’m going to be a little selfish here from a DM standpoint,” Mercer teases about his next favorite moment.
We can see why that warning is warranted, because the fight between baddie Otohan Thull and Bells Hells in Campaign 3, episode 33, "Blood and Dust" is one of the bloodiest battles in Critical Role history.
Despite having a full party at the time, Bells Hells couldn't take down villain Otohan during their time in Bassuras, which left most of the party downed and even led to Laudna's (Marisha Ray) death (again) in the gnarliest way imaginable.
No matter what the party did, Otohan was simply too strong to defeat, and Mercer admits he took pleasure in watching the “fear” in his players' eyes.
“The realization that things were happening on a scope and scale beyond their momentary ability to tackle was delicious,” Mercer says with a grin.
6
Bringing Laudna back
Hot on the heels of Laudna’s death, Bells Hells were desperate to bring their friend back from the abyss. To do so, they traveled to Whitestone in episode 36, “A Desperate Call,” of Campaign 3 and asked Vox Machina to help resurrect Laudna. However, resurrection isn’t that simple, and the group had to enter Laudna’s psyche to find her and bring her back.
Because Laudna’s tragic backstory is linked to one of Campaign 1’s villains, Delilah Briarwood, the cast was thrust back into a familiar setting — only made nightmarish by Laudna’s shattered psyche and perspective of Whitestone.
“The entire fight at the base of the Sun Tree in this space was a lot of fun to prepare,” Mercer says, “and a lot of fun to watch their reactions to."
7
Bells Hells films a porno
For all the criticisms people may have about Campaign 3 of Critical Role, one of the most memorable scenes occurred in episode 44, “Bawdy Basement Belligerence.”
While attempting to escape a fight with an air elemental, Bells Hells decide the best way to do so is to strip down to their underwear… and pretend to film a pornographic film.
“That sort of escalation is a beautiful example of D&D, in my opinion,” Mercer says.
The entire episode is hysterical, largely because you get to see the light fade from Mercer’s eyes as he realizes his players are 100% serious about filming an orgy… and he has to take it seriously too.
8
The callback of a lifetime in Exandria Unlimited: Divergence
The Exandria Unlimited miniseries might not include all the co-founders every time, but it remains the best series for exploring Exandria's origins. By the end of Divergence, you will also be crying alongside Mercer as Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan and player Liam O’Brien cook up an emotional surprise for him.
In the final few scenes of Divergence, it is revealed that Mercer’s dwarven character, Garen, is the mortal incarnation of the All-Hammer, who helped shape Exandria. With O’Brien as Bahamut, Bahamut appears to Mercer’s character and takes him on a “tour” of everything Garen created as All-Hammer—a direct callback to Mercer creating Exandria as a place to play games and develop stories with his friends.
“It’s a moment that will forever live carved in my heart,” Mercer confesses. %!s(