Pre-Show
MATT: Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. (clamoring) Ho boy.
TRAVIS: (wheezes)
MATT: Before we jump into our episode tonight, we have a few announcements to get through, beginning with our first sponsor of the evening, "Batman: Gotham City Chronicles," the RPG. Sam?
SAM: "Batman: Gotham City Chronicles" the RPG is a roleplaying game that drops you right into Batman's classic city of danger. But it's not just a superhero game, guys. You can crack cases, hatch plots, and do battle with evil or against good guys. Their funding campaign is live right now at Gamefound. The All-in Collector's Edition comes in two bat boxes, one with three books and a GM screen for the pure roleplayer, Ashley, and another box with awesomely immersive accessories, figurines, battle maps, dice sets, help cards, the works, for Taliesin.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm! Ooh, oh, we've got stuff.
LAURA: Oh.
SAM: That's right. This is what it looks like.
ASHLEY: Show it off. Show it off.
LIAM: Whoa!
SAM: This is the deluxe thing, it's really cool.
MATT: Hell yeah.
LAURA: Ooh.
SAM: Investigators, vigilantes, cops, thugs, and super villains, all have a role in Gotham. And you can play as any of them. Roll dice as one of Gotham's iconic characters or even create your own. Now that last feature was exciting to me, so I made some new characters.
MARISHA: Yeah.
SAM: That I'd like to pitch.
MATT: Oh no.
SAM: To our resident comic aficionado, Taliesin Jaffe. Now, Taliesin.
TALIESIN: Oh, okay.
SAM: Be honest. Tell me which of these characters are good enough for Gotham and which fall short of the mark. First up. It's Mattman. (laughter)
MATT: No, not Batman. Mattman. A long-haired vigilante who transforms boring TTRPG sessions into bangers. He uses accents, backstories, and fleshed out characters with ill-conceived names like Magina, Gulva, and Quothole. (laughter)
SAM: Taliesin?
TRAVIS: What?
TALIESIN: I mean-- I mean, it's pretty derivative. I mean, do better. Just do better.
SAM: Okay, fair, fair, fair. Next up is Robbie Dayman.
ROBBIE: Oh no. (laughter)
SAM: His superpower is he makes--
ASHLEY: He looks so good.
SAM: His superpower is he makes you feel insecure because he sits right next to you and does exactly what you do, but slightly more charming and handsome when he does it. (laughter) (clapping)
TALIESIN: So this is much better.
TRAVIS: The blush.
TALIESIN: This is much better but I feel like it needs something. It needs some zhuzh. Maybe like, I don't know-- Like make him a mutant or something.
SAM: A mutant? You want mutants?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: Okay, how about Marisha Ray?
ASHLEY: Oh!
SAM: A mild mannered content creator who is bitten by a radioactive manta ray. (laughter) Now she roams the seas looking for the cure that can reunite her with her infant son.
ASHLEY: Oh!
LAURA: Oh!
ROBBIE: Oh my god.
TALIESIN: That is amazing! It's so amazing that it's actually been done before and it's called "Black Manta."
ALL: Oh.
TALIESIN: No, sorry. It's been done.
ASHLEY: Dang.
SAM: Okay, how about this one? The Blind Spot. (laughter)
LIAM: Ooh.
SAM: Just when think she's right next to you, she disappears for four years to appear on a cheesy TV procedural. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Dang.
TALIESIN: Dude. It's Batman grounded. No one's going to believe that shit.
SAM: That's true.
ASHLEY: Yeah, no one will believe that one.
MATT: Oh my god.
SAM: And lastly, lastly. Triple Tex.
LAURA: Oh, whoa!
ASHLEY and ROBBIE: Whoa!
SAM: Triple Tex.
ASHLEY: That's awesome.
SAM: Tex, Tex, Tex. A transplant from Dallas, Texas with the strength of 10 horses and the brains of 10 cows. (laughter) His catchphrase is "I'm Batman," because he's so dumb he thinks he's Batman. (laughter)
TRAVIS: That's good. It's the striking likeness.
TALIESIN: I fucking love it. Send it to the game designer.
SAM: All right!
TALIESIN: Fucking love it! (cheering) That did it!
SAM: Venture into Gotham City with these characters or 15 turnkey scenarios, 400 pieces of comic art, and the most complete guide to Gotham ever assembled. Support the game now at bit,ly/crbatmanrpg. Matt, bat to you.
LAURA: Wait, wait, I want to go to a con.
ASHLEY: Who drew these?
LAURA: I want to go to a con and see somebody in this cosplay.
ALL: Yes!
LAURA: So bad!
ASHLEY: Mattman!
MARISHA: Someone will do it.
LIAM: I want to see you like this next Halloween is what I want to see.
MATT: I'd wear it.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LAURA: Yeah, you'd look great.
ASHLEY: I'm Mattman.
MATT: I love it. Awesome. Thank you so much, Sam.
TRAVIS: I'm Mattman.
MATT: You probably noticed my voice is a little thrashed. I'll be in my lower register for this game tonight.
TRAVIS: Yeah, baby.
MARISHA: Woo!
MATT: But yeah, our next sponsor is Quip. The team was kind enough to send us their brand new electric toothbrush, the Quip 360.
SAM: Ooh!
LAURA: Ooh!
MATT: I've been enjoying using this one for some time now. It's been pretty much completely transformed my oral routine, which was very necessary, especially after many years of no dental insurance.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MATT: In my younger days. But before, I was using a manual toothbrush and it sucked. But now, my teeth are clean.
ASHLEY: (laughs)
MATT: It is delightful. It is simple and sleek, super quiet.
SAM: Wait, how long did you have disgusting teeth? (laughter)
MATT: Many years, man. Many years. It's been a rough go. That's why I don't smile often. It is simple, sleek, super quiet, no annoying buzzing. Just a smooth clean feel.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: Here, I'll go turn it on there. (quiet buzzing) See? It's nice and gentle.
LAURA: Nice little buzz.
MATT: Scientifically proven to remove 11 times more plaque and whiten twice as much on day one. Plus is accepted by the American Dental Association. If for some reason you don't love it, you can return it for free within the next 30 days. If you do love it, you'll get a lifetime warranty and the option to subscribe for free refills or free refill heads every three months. Just like the 25,000 five star reviews and mouths already loving Quip. For Critters--
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: (wheezes)
MATT: -- get 20% off site wide and a free travel case and countertop stand at getquip.com/criticalrole. That's 20% off and a free travel case. Travel case, there it is. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Whoa! Whoa!
ASHLEY: Do it--
MATT: Pretty.
ASHLEY: Do the rest as Gaz!
MATT: I got toothpaste and water picks. I got a whole package here.
ASHLEY: Do the rest as Gaz.
MATT: Yeah. (laughter) (like Gaz Tomo) That's 20% off and a free travel case. Only at getquip.com/criticalrole. Thank you, Quip, for sponsoring this episode. Awesome, Marisha, you're up next. (cheering)
SAM: I love that they wrote copy that was basically, "My mouth used to smell like shit, but now--" (laughter)
MATT: You know--
ASHLEY: You delivered it so well. I was like, "What's going on here?"
MATT: I killed off my shame many years ago. Go ahead, Marisha.
MARISHA: You guys. As we're heading into the end game here with campaign three. It's true, it's coming. A friendly reminder that we have a ton of resources to help you or a fellow Critter catch up if you ever feel behind. Of course, our incredible Lore Keeper, Dani Carr, has weekly episodes and recaps on critrole.com. And quick little video summaries on our socials, which are really cute and really fun. I love them so much. If you are wanting to jump in from the start, but don't have much time, you can also check out our shorter episodes which are Critical Role Abridged on Beacon.
TRAVIS: Abridged.
MARISHA: Yes, also really fun. There's unique art and little maps. It's super cute.
TRAVIS: And they're short!
MARISHA: Yeah, and you can find that on Beacon.tv or of course, the Critical Role YouTube channel.
MATT: Fantastic. Thank you, Marisha. Laura, you're up.
LAURA: What? Oh my gosh! We have clothes! (laughter)
LAURA: You guys, we have this thing. It's in a new Vox Machina collection. Hold it up, baby.
TRAVIS: Oh, I got it.
LAURA: We got a Grog Strongjaw flannel-lined denim shirt jacket.
MARISHA: Oh yeah.
LAURA: Listen--
TRAVIS: With a shoulder pauldron.
LAURA: It is so wonderful.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Flannel-lined.
LAURA: It is warm and cozy.
MARISHA: Ooh! That is soft!
LAURA: You might have seen Travis wearing it in previous episodes because he wears his all the time.
LIAM: That's handsome.
LAURA: And we're just--
TRAVIS: I do, okay?
LAURA: -- announcing it now.
TRAVIS: I get lots of compliments.
LAURA: It's got a little--
ASHLEY: It's like an old vintage Levis flannel-lined.
LAURA: It's great. Check it out. It's in all the shops.
MATT: Hell yeah. Thank you, Laura.
TALIESIN: Going to get one.
MATT: Well, friends.
SAM: By the way, Keo drew these. Just so you know.
MARISHA: Is it true Keo did these?
ASHLEY: Amazing.
MATT: Keo drew those? (cheering)
ASHLEY: Let's go!
MATT: Holy shit.
ROBBIE: (whistles)
ASHLEY: Keo, so good.
MATT: Yeah, Keo! (cheering)
SAM: Nice!
ASHLEY: So good!
MARISHA: What the heck?
MATT: Amazing, dude.
MARISHA: You've had this talent the whole time?
MATT: The whole time? The whole time?
MARISHA: The whole time.
MATT: Awesome. Thank you, buddy.
LAURA: Excellent.
ASHLEY: Keo also has really cool writing by the way.
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: Putting that out there.
MATT: Now I believe that concludes our announcements.
MARISHA: Oh man.
MATT: So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of--
LAURA: Oh god.
MATT: -- Critical Role. (hands drumming) (cheering)
♪ Critical ♪
♪ Critical ♪
♪ It's Thursday ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
ASHLEY: ♪ One-by-one, we climb until we reach the top. ♪
♪ Two-by-two, we fall. ♪
LAURA: ♪ Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? ♪
♪ Hold your breath and roll! ♪
MATT: How do you want to do this?
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ Who knows what will happen? ♪
♪ He might! ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure, ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight! ♪
LIAM: ♪ From the healer ♪
♪ To the renegade ♪
MATT: ♪ We all share the same goal ♪
MATT and TALIESIN: ♪ Adding more allies ♪
♪ Taking more chances ♪
SAM: ♪ Hold your breath and roll ♪
MARISHA: You can certainly try.
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ It's Thursday night. ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ From darkness, our friendship will rise ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure: ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight ♪
♪ Oh, get ready, ♪
♪ Get ready, ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
(flames whooshing)
Part I
MATT: And welcome back. So let's get the cast in here and see where the evening takes us.
TALIESIN: Oh, we're doing it.
MATT: Come on in, friends.
MARISHA: (laughs nervously) What in the Fortress of Solitude is this?
ROBBIE: What?
TRAVIS: It's a cake!
LAURA: Oh my god!
TRAVIS: It's a cake!
ASHLEY: Oh my god!
MARISHA: Is it cake?
ASHLEY: Whoa!
TRAVIS: Dude! Oh man.
ROBBIE: Whoa.
TALIESIN: We're screwed.
SAM: There's battery packs on the sides.
LAURA: This is so sick!
TRAVIS: Matthew!
MARISHA: Look, they're so twinkly!
TRAVIS: What have you been up to?
SAM: So pretty!
MATT: I've been plotting things for a long time. Nox is an incredible, incredible creator.
TALIESIN: Oh, this is some Nox shit.
ASHLEY: Wow!
MATT: Oh yeah.
TALIESIN: Oh wow!
ROBBIE: Dude, it's internally lit, too.
MATT: Little bits and pieces--
LAURA: Wow!
ASHLEY: Oh my god!
MATT: He did the majority of this and did an incredible job.
MARISHA: Can I touch it?
MATT: Sure.
TALIESIN: Oh wow!
LIAM: Don't break the icing!
LAURA: I know! It looks like a cake. I want to eat it!
SAM: I like the "Miami Vice" colors.
ASHLEY: Wouldn't that be fun if that was also a cake?
TALIESIN: At then end, we get to eat the--
LIAM: Slice.
TRAVIS: ♪ (battle music) ♪
MATT: So, I guess, if you want to place yourself anywhere in particular.
LIAM: You and I are going to be up a lot.
SAM: ♪ Place yourself ♪
TALIESIN: I know. I don't mind. Worth it.
LAURA: Where am I, Matt? Where am I?
MATT: Actually, you are--
TALIESIN: Matt will help.
MATT: -- you are not there.
LAURA: (laughs anxiously)
ROBBIE: (laughs) Oh! Cruel!
ASHLEY: I feel like I'm in somewhat close vicinity to Imogen.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Reaching out to where I think--
MATT: So you would be, probably, we'll say there.
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: I think I would be back and to the left of that, ready to--
MATT: Back--
LIAM: Back--
MATT and LIAM: -- and to the left.
TALIESIN: Right over--
MATT: Over here?
TALIESIN: Yeah, right there, ready to deal with shit.
TRAVIS: I remember getting smashed into a wall when I ran up. So I'm maybe over here.
MATT: That's true. So you would be over here. Yeah.
TRAVIS: Yeah. All the way up against it.
MATT: Just getting to your feet.
TRAVIS: I've got a crystal poking through my appendix.
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Which you don't need anyway.
MATT: Nah.
TALIESIN: It's a look.
MATT: Other folks--
SAM: Can you move me to the right a little bit because I, just like this combat, is brought to you by WizKids Minis.
TRAVIS: Oh, smooth! (laughter)
ASHLEY: Wow!
SAM: Bells Hells unpainted miniatures, available now. Bring the Bells Hells to your tabletop with new upcoming unpainted, primed miniatures. Get them today at your local game store or Wizkids.io/CRUnpainted.
ASHLEY: This is so cool!
SAM: WizKids.
TRAVIS: Fucking Mercer!
LAURA: Wow!
MARISHA: I feel like I would be by Imogen.
TRAVIS: MFM.
TRAVIS: She got pulled off.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: Imogen got pulled?
TALIESIN: Mm.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Okay, yeah. I'll flank Fearne.
ROBBIE: Can I flank-- Oh.
MARISHA: I'll be near Fearne.
ROBBIE: Can I flank Fearne left, is where I was going to go.
TALIESIN: Oh yeah.
MATT: Sure.
ROBBIE: Tip of the spear.
MATT: How about you, buddy?
MARISHA: Holy shit.
LIAM: I'm thinking what--
ASHLEY: Oh my god, I'm so nervous!
TALIESIN: Actually, yeah. Since that's the case, if you can move me a little, actually, yeah. Right, not quite on the line.
LAURA: Everything's fine.
TALIESIN: Yeah, a little further.
TRAVIS: Nothing to be worried about.
TALIESIN: Yeah, and a bit towards them again. Because I want to be able to--
ROBBIE: Yeah!
TALIESIN: Right on the-- Yeah, right there.
LIAM: I don't want you to fall over.
TALIESIN: No, yeah, right there so that I can take a hit if something starts moving. Since I'm tanking pretty hard right now.
MARISHA: You wasted it!
ROBBIE: Wasted it.
LAURA: Ooh!
ROBBIE: Wasted it.
ASHLEY: You just rolled a 20?
LAURA: You're going to roll ones for the rest of the game.
LIAM: Oh, I did, too!
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: You did, too?
LIAM and TALIESIN: Yeah!
ROBBIE: (laughs)
LAURA: Ooh! Wait, let me do it, too.
TALIESIN: I ain't rolling my shit.
LAURA: Nope. (laughter)
ASHLEY: That's such a cool dice.
MATT: All right.
LAURA: Isn't it so pretty?
TRAVIS: He's reaching for shit!
MATT: I guess now that you guys are playing.
TRAVIS: No, no, no!
ROBBIE: Whoa!
ALL: Whoa!
TRAVIS: (screeching laugh)
TALIESIN: I like that.
TRAVIS: What the hell is happening?
ROBBIE: Whoa!
LIAM: That's totally freaky!
MARISHA: Oh my god!
ASHLEY: That is so fucking cool!
LAURA: I'm a Kaiju!
TRAVIS: Oh my god!
TALIESIN: I want one!
ASHLEY: Oh my god, you're a kaiju!
LAURA: (screams)
ROBBIE: What the fuck?
LAURA: That is so much bigger than I thought!
TRAVIS: (unhinged laugh)
TALIESIN: I want to run. I don't know about everybody else, but I think we should just run.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
TALIESIN: Let's get out of here.
MARISHA: That's my girlfriend!
TRAVIS: Oh no!
SAM: (laughs)
MARISHA: She's so hot!
SAM: She's something.
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Literally legs for days.
MATT: As you've watched--
LAURA: Oh no!
MARISHA: Wow!
TALIESIN: Oh boy.
MATT: -- Imogen overtaken by the essence--
MARISHA: Oh my god.
MATT: -- of Predathos, and crack and grow.
LAURA: (gasps) She lights up, too!
MATT: The multi limbs, the extension of the crystalline body, this massive entity that has essentially forced the entire timeless pantheon of Exandria into a fit of fear and desperation--
TRAVIS: Oh Jesus.
MATT: -- now grows before you through your friend. Imogen.
MARISHA: Oh my god.
MATT: In this space, your friends fade away.
LAURA: Oh no!
MATT: You sit in a dark, red, black space with mist floating around, glimmers of light on the far horizon. You see this lightless expanse, a place between worlds. You can sense the massive sphere that is Exandria and the realms that overlap it and beyond, dark, except for the distant red tethers of Ruidusborn. The entire populace is dark to your vision, but the few seeds of Predathos all of a sudden come into your essence and you can see the numerous little seeds of you? Of us? The lines begin to blur between you and whatever this entity is that's part of you now. Then beyond that, you can sense their dreams woven together, where they're all connected through this endless sleep that Predathos has been pushed into and that need to awaken, that need to be brought past the threshold. Because beyond that darkness, there is light, burning, bright light, numerous vibrant entities hiding in their distant golden realms, quaking. They cannot escape. You are so hungry. What are the rest of you doing?
TRAVIS: What do you mean? Shitting all over the place!
MARISHA: I know.
ASHLEY: Yes.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it.
LAURA: Is this happening because I rolled a 12 in the last game?
MARISHA: Probably.
LAURA: (laughs)
MARISHA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: What do you mean?
LIAM: Well, yeah, and what is this being doing? Or what is her demeanor?
MATT: Right now, not even focusing on any of you. Just standing. You can't tell if it's basking or is just presently not concentrating on the chamber. It's like a distant stare of a creature that's mind is a thousand miles away.
MARISHA: Oh my god.
MATT: You watch as her mouth cracks open and you see the dozens and dozens of sharp fangs and you see the dozens and dozens of sharp fangs that-- (exhales breathily)
LAURA: (groans)
MATT: -- as a mist escapes from the open mouth and a bit of slobber--
LAURA: Slobber?
MATT: -- drips from her chin. (laughter)
TRAVIS: In my wolf form, can I reach into the bag? I'm going to take out the harness, the funnel.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: I'm going to lithely put it on.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: Oh, okay.
SAM: Oh.
MATT: It's going to take you a second, but you start.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MATT: Okay. The rest of you.
SAM: Can we take actions?
MATT: I mean, yeah. Combat has not started yet.
SAM: Yeah. Oh my god.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
LIAM: Yeah man, I'm not sure why--
TRAVIS: The entrance that we came in is as tall as her knee? Or could the entrance-- I mean, there's a giant god walking around now, god killer. It was an us-sized portal that we came through, right? Ish? Opening?
MATT: Well, the actual crevice where it broke through was probably about 15 or so feet up and about 10, 15 foot wide.
TRAVIS: Damn it.
MATT: An entity of this size could crawl through it.
TRAVIS: Got it. Got it, got it, got it.
ROBBIE: I want to look over at Fearne. Is she reacting any way to this transformation in Imogen? You know, she's the only Ruidusborn among us. Is there anything going on with her?
MATT: Fearne, after watching your friend more or less vanish into whatever this thing is before, you called out to her. Your connection hasn't been severed. You still sense her. In a way, you can, on the periphery of your consciousness, take in moments of what she's experiencing. The very faint essence of this disconnected vision, this singular mind that can only really see its brethren and its prey. So I would say, Fearne, how are you reacting in this moment?
LAURA: You all are invisible to me.
MARISHA: I know. It sucks!
ASHLEY: Oh my god. All right. I am going to take on the Spark of-- I'm going to take on my flame.
MATT: Okay. Do you have Mister with you as well?
ASHLEY: Yes, I do.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Oh boy.
LAURA: Now you can fight her. You're definitely--
ASHLEY: That's way better.
LAURA: It's way easier.
SAM: Mister will help.
ASHLEY: Way easier.
LIAM: One v. one.
TALIESIN: Well you can fly.
ASHLEY: Mister will help too, for sure. I am going to, with the tether-- Is my tether still connected to Imogen?
LAURA: Yeah. Yeah.
MATT: You can faintly see it, yeah.
ASHLEY: Am I able to touch it, or is it--
MATT: It's ephemeral.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: You reach out and your hand just passes through it, like it's mist.
ASHLEY: Okay. I'm going to call out: Imogen? Can you hear me?
MATT: You have this echoing silence around you. You hear the faintest noises, and once again, little flashes of light to the right and the left of you. Uncertain how far or the source, but you hear no words.
MARISHA: Can I attempt to cast Phantasmal Force on her?
MATT: If you'd like to.
TRAVIS: You're going to kick it off? We're going to do it?
MARISHA: Well, I don't want to hurt her. I can choose to do damage, but I want to--
MATT: Are you casting it on her, or are you casting it on the entity? Meaning, are you focusing on Imogen, or are you focusing on this?
MARISHA: Imogen.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Oh boy.
MATT: What is the DC on that?
TRAVIS: I don't know.
MARISHA: (laughs) Why are you answering? (laughter)
ASHLEY: I don't know. (laughs)
MARISHA: Intellect 18 saving throw.
MATT: All right. Go ahead and make an intelligence saving throw, Imogen.
LAURA: (laughs) No, I rolled a two!
MARISHA: Oh, okay. I just want to put in her head the moment that Laudna and Imogen met in the plains, horses in the background. Then it flashes and it jumps time, and then there's Imogen and Laudna alone in a little cabin in the woods. Then it flashes again and it's our time in Jrusar, in Zhudanna's little one bedroom in Zhudanna's little one bedroom that we rented. Then again, flashes again. Bells Hells, the Dreamscape Theater. I just say: I know you're in there. Remember who you are. You've got this!
MATT: You see these images flashing through you and a distant warbling sound. (static whispers)
MARISHA: Control it!
MATT: No language.
MARISHA: You're very capable!
MATT: No words, just noise. These staticky images trying to push through the darkness. Each one, you almost instinctually bat away, like cobwebs. There's a familiarity and a comfort that's brought with the fear of not knowing. These other lights seem to glow a little brighter for a second before vanishing in the periphery.
MARISHA: Push it down.
MATT: The spell connection ends and the entity breaks from its reverie. (deep) "It is time."
LAURA: Oh!
SAM: Oh god!
TALIESIN: Oh no!
MATT: "We must awaken." (rumbling) Takes a step forward.
MARISHA: Ah!
MATT: Do you all do anything?
MARISHA: Can I move?
SAM: It's moving?
MATT: Mm-hmm.
LIAM: Close the door.
SAM: I'm going to say a quick prayer. Please, help me. Please, help me keep it here. I will spray, with my Poison Pen, I will spray ichor on the ground, and out of that I'm going to use Nature's Wrath to try to hold it and keep it there.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Vines can spring out and try to grapple it.
MATT: All right.
SAM: Restrain it.
MATT: What's the DC and for what saving throw, again?
SAM: I mean, it's going to be fine. It's going to not work, but I'll try. It's just a DC17 strength save.
MATT: Strength? All righty. That's going to be a 20.
SAM: Yeah.
MATT: So as the vines erupt from the floor, which you can see itself, a pulsing mixture of Ruidian rock and the Predathos teal glass, woven like veins, thick, to the core center of what looks like the place where Predathos was sealed, like the inside of a red and teal womb. The vines erupt and break and wrap around, and you watch his Predathos, for a second, balks, (whoosh) and lifts off the ground, hovering faintly. A wave of psychic energy apparates around the vine, scattered to the ground. All of you feel this intense pressure in your mind as you're pushed back about three or four feet, and this pulsing headache strikes your mind for but a moment. You're still lost in the darkness.
LAURA: I'm just lost. Okay.
MATT: But you watch as now it floats in the air, it looks down at you. "Stand aside." I need everyone to roll initiative.
MARISHA: Oh!
ROBBIE: (shouts)
MARISHA: No!
ASHLEY: Oh, wait!
LAURA: Do I roll?
MATT: Yeah, you do.
ASHLEY: (sighs) Ugh.
LAURA: I don't know what's happening!
ASHLEY: I know, I know, I know.
MATT: All righty. 25 to 20?
SAM: That's cocked.
MARISHA: I know. Wait, wait, wait.
ROBBIE: 24.
MATT: Ooh!
ASHLEY: Oh, come on!
MARISHA: I'm going to roll my Imogen dice.
ROBBIE: Use the one--
ASHLEY: For real?
LAURA: (laughs) (grimaces)
LIAM: 20.
MATT: 20. All righty.
ASHLEY: Who was up first?
TRAVIS, SAM, LIAM, and MARISHA: Dorian.
ASHLEY: Dorian? Okay.
TALIESIN: Orym.
LIAM: Forcecage.
ROBBIE and LAURA: (laugh)
ROBBIE: I already made that joke.
SAM: Do it.
LAURA: On the knee. (laughter)
MATT: 20 to 15?
ROBBIE: I'm out of that.
TALIESIN: 17.
MARISHA: 18.
TALIESIN: Oh, cool.
ROBBIE: I'm don't have a lot of sauce.
ASHLEY: Dorian, Orym, Laudna?
SAM: Laudna.
TALIESIN: Laudna.
SAM: Ashton.
TALIESIN: Ash.
MATT: Okay. 15 to 10?
LAURA: 13.
MATT: 13.
TRAVIS: Boo!
MATT: 10 to five?
SAM: Seven.
TRAVIS: Seven.
TALIESIN: Oh!
MATT: Rollies. Go.
SAM: ♪ Rollies, rollies ♪
ROBBIE: Let's go!
TRAVIS: 12.
SAM: One.
TRAVIS: Woo! (laughter)
MATT: All right, so Chet and Braius.
SAM: Braius Doomseed.
ASHLEY: I rolled a one.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: So three.
LAURA: Woof!
TRAVIS: Not the time, Fearnie.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I know, I know! But maybe I'm getting it out of the way.
ROBBIE: Is that coffee?
SAM: It must be. It's like pumpkin spice.
ROBBIE: It smells so good.
MATT: So as Predathos glows in the air, the hair of Imogen, itself flowing weightlessly. This renewed terrifying goddess of the end of the pantheon, its attention once far away and consumed with its hunger and the distant quivering, angry, fearful gods. Its attention returns to the chamber and shifts down to the rest of you. With a giant dagger toothed smile across your friend's face, almost cracking the sides as it curls upward. Dorian, you're up first.
MARISHA: (groans)
LIAM: Just an entity--
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
LIAM: -- that can kill gods.
MARISHA: Fuck! What do we do?
ROBBIE: Yeah. Sweet, locked in! All right, as soon as Braius casts and the tension snaps, I'm immediately going to use my wing boots to fly.
MATT: All righty.
ROBBIE: I'm going to use my max speed, I got 40, and I want to fly up and circle around to Predathos' left hip area there.
MATT: You got it.
ROBBIE: As we're looking at this entity, it looks like, from the mini, that's not a mini, that's a--
SAM: A maxi.
ROBBIE: -- maximum!
LAURA: A maxi.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: It looks like Predathos' body is infused in these crystals or whatever in a way, or--?
MATT: You can't tell if it's apparating from it or it's drawn the crystals to it, like armor.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: But they look woven into its form.
ROBBIE: Yeah, okay. So I want to test that, but I'm also going to play off of Braius' move to try and slow her down for now.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: So straight ahead. I want to cast 3rd-level because it's a test. I want to do Shatter.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: I want to try and target her left hip joint there to see if I can slow her down.
MATT: Okay. You got it.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: All right, now this is--
TRAVIS: Chipping away. Let's go.
MATT: All right, so what's the DC on that?
TRAVIS: Trial and error.
ROBBIE: It's a con 16.
MATT: Con 16, okay. It's a 15. Not going to use Legendary Resistance. Going to let it go through.
LIAM: Woo!
ROBBIE: Okay.
SAM: You won! That's it! That's it!
LAURA: You did it!
ROBBIE: (laughs)
LAURA: How do you want to do this?
ROBBIE: Okay, so it's just 3d8, but I want to make the origin point that hip.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: And see if it's impactful at all. Just 13 damage.
MATT: 13. What kind of damage?
ROBBIE: I guess it'd be thunder damage. Yeah.
MATT: It's thunder damage?
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Okay. (whooshes) (explosion) This massive detonation hits the side hip of the Predathos form as it's focused down, its eyes glowing, glass (explosion) explodes and shatters out the side of it. You watch it (thuds) give into it. You've cast the spell a number of times. It's never been this effective.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: You watch as the head shifts--
SAM: Thunder damage. Make a note.
MATT: -- in your direction.
ROBBIE: Thunder.
TRAVIS: Thunder!
ROBBIE: Then, I'll just--
LAURA: Thunder!
ASHLEY: Thunder!
ROBBIE: It turns its focus to me?
MATT: Its head turns to acknowledge your presence.
ROBBIE: I'll go, "Help me! Help!"
TRAVIS: (laughs)
ROBBIE: And I'll give Orym inspiration for my bonus action.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: It's been slightly musical. (laughter)
TRAVIS: ♪ Help me, Rhonda ♪
TRAVIS and MARISHA: ♪ Help, help me, Rhonda ♪
MATT: There you go. We can't afford that. (laughter)
MATT: All right, that finishes Dorian's go. Orym, you're up.
LIAM: Question for the RP of it all. So this massive miniature is on a giant thing of rock. Do we consider that part of this terrain that she's climbing up and onto, or is that just to help keep her standing?
MATT: It's more to help keep her standing.
LIAM: Okay.
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: Okay, then--
MATT: So consider the base of it is a, I'll say this, like a whirlwind. You watch as broken shards that were shattered from the hip and the nearby terrain from the Shatter spell pick up and gather and begin to swirl around the base of it, psychically gathered, almost like a spinning storm. So the outside of this is essentially going to be the mini.
LIAM: Okay. So Orym, with one hand, wipes a tear that's crawling out the side of his eye and then starts to sprint towards this figure.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: I eat tears.
LIAM: He's going to leap and ricochet off of its knee, essentially.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: Jumping as high as he can, and then he Misty Steps and lands on her shoulder.
MATT: On her shoulder! Okay. Let's go!
TRAVIS: Come on! Going for the Gundam pilot door!
MATT: Make an acrobatics check for me.
MARISHA: Yeah! Yeah! (laughs)
TRAVIS: Jumping up at that bitch.
LIAM: Okay. That's 21.
MATT: 21. Yeah. You leap in the air and grasp onto the side of the knee and apparate. You are now up on the shoulder. You grab onto the nearby splinters of Ruidian glass crystal that are spiking out from the shoulder blades.
LAURA: Your whole body's the size of my face.
SAM: (laughs)
LIAM: I grab onto some of the crystals coming out of that face and lean in towards the side of it and say, "Imogen Temult, I delivered you to the moon because I believe in you, and I'm not going to give up on you! Don't you give up on us! Take control of it!" I don't know if that's my action or what, but that's what I came here to do.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: The Misty Step is a bonus, if you'll allow it. I will also throw back a potion. But that was my goal, was to try to reach her.
MATT: Okay. Then, you're using your action, I'll give you two rolls for this. persuasion check and an insight check.
TRAVIS: Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice!
SAM: Nice, nice, nice!
LIAM: It was almost a 20--
MARISHA: (groans)
LIAM: -- but I rolled a two.
TRAVIS and ROBBIE: (laughs)
MARISHA: No!
LIAM: So the persuasion is a big eight.
MATT: Okay. So as you're speaking out loud, there is absolutely no reaction to what you're saying.
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Imogen, you hear the distant rumble of that static once more, sourceless, absolved of any recognition or language.
LIAM: How much is inspiration?
ROBBIE: I got it right here. 12.
LIAM: 12?
ROBBIE: Yeah.
LAURA: Ooh!
MARISHA: Is it cold? It's just me?
LIAM: Jerk! That gets me up to 14 total, which I'm sure doesn't change.
LAURA: For persuasion?
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Okay. Oh no.
LIAM: That's not on me.
MATT: That's persuasion, not insight.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
LIAM: I was just trying to get that higher.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: Roll high for insight!
LIAM: And I don't have Indomitable. Let me check. I don't have it. I used all my Indomitable re-rolls. Okay.
MATT: Okay. So yeah. Not finding any reaction to what you're saying.
LIAM: Should I still roll for insight?
MATT: Yes.
LIAM: Also dog shit.
TRAVIS: That's crazy.
LIAM: That is 10.
LAURA: Oh fuck!
MATT: 10.
TRAVIS: Oh yeah, there's lots of purple.
MATT: You are lost in the moment. The attempt to try and reach your friend, wherever they may exist within this, seems to be lost with the swirling of psychic winds around you.
LIAM: Would you allow for a potion?
MATT: You used your bonus action to--
LIAM: Well, I Misty Stepped. That's why I'm asking.
MATT: Right, but you Misty Stepped, is casting that as a bonus action.
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: So with the action of that, you would not be able to use the potion this round.
LIAM: Okay. All right, then that's it.
MATT: All right, finishing Orym's go.
TRAVIS: Oh boy!
MATT: That brings us to initiative count 20.
LAURA: Oh!
MATT: I'm going to roll.
TALIESIN: Thank you. It's from the Winchester Mystery House.
MATT: Let's see.
LAURA: Cool.
MATT: All right. The pulsing energy within the crystals of the Imogen-Predathos entity, the teal glow seems to flicker and shift on the inside until the color instead gives off almost a golden hue. You see this faint golden light seem to emanate from the inside of the crystals, and it's almost like part of the essence seems to shift. Imogen, one of those distant lights, you see it now becomes a golden light on the horizon, and then it's gone once more. So that's the initiative count 20. Laudna, you're up.
TRAVIS: Wait.
ROBBIE: Yeah?
MARISHA: Okay.
SAM: I don't know.
MARISHA: So Predathogen is clearly trying to leave.
MARISHA: So Predathogen is clearly trying to leave.
LIAM: Ask your doctor.
MATT: Right now, it's stepping to leave, and then after being affected by a few of your spells, took notice and is now looking down and focused on your troop.
MARISHA: I'm going to turn around. How far--
SAM: You running?
ROBBIE: (laughs) A sprint--
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: -- out of the chamber.
SAM: Fuck this!
MARISHA: I think this is a deal breaker.
TALIESIN: Wow.
TRAVIS: Eat well, my love. My baby! (laughter)
LIAM: It's not you, it's me! (laughter)
MARISHA: My girlfriend turned into a God-eater. Am I the asshole? (laughter)
MARISHA: How far is the mini gate, the mini divine gate?
MATT: Oh, it's about maybe 120 or so feet that direction, towards where the cavern itself comes to an end. So past the battle map.
MARISHA: Do I see anybody coming?
MATT: You glance over, you don't see anybody at the moment, no.
MARISHA: Is it still open? Is there still a hole in it, or has it closed shut again?
MATT: The boundaries still remain, but there is that faint, the area where Ludinus and you had pushed through, it looks like the boundary has become thinner, like the veil has been somewhat abated. It still exists, but it is thinner in those spaces, and remains.
MARISHA: Okay. I'm going to back up as far as I can go and start getting to the in-between point, and I'm going to keep my attention on the gate that we came through. I'm not going to do anything yet. I'm going to cast Bane.
SAM: (Bane) Oh!
MARISHA: (laughs) You're the Batman RPG. On Predath-Imogen.
MATT: All right, and that is a--
MARISHA: It is a 18 charisma.
MATT: 18 charisma. Literally rolled a natural 10 plus seven. So 17.
MARISHA: Oh! Okay.
MATT: Going to allow it.
MARISHA: Going to allow it. He's saving all these--
TRAVIS: Not worried about it. Not worried about it.
MARISHA: He's saving all these resistances.
MATT: So Bane now sits upon Predathos.
ROBBIE: Scary.
MARISHA: Okay. She's Baned. Then, I am going to bonus action go into my Form of Dread.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: Just to give myself--
MATT: Describe your Form of Dread in this moment, please.
MARISHA: Describe my Form of Dread. I think it's, once again, mirroring a little bit ever so slightly the Matron of Ravens and what Laudna saw when they went and spoke to her. So there's almost this illusion of a mask, but she goes pale, eyes go dark. Big, long, flowing black robes that go to nothing with, if you blur your image a little bit, there's feathers in there.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: That's my turn.
MATT: Okay. Finishing Laudna's go, Ashton, you're up.
TALIESIN: Oh boy! Can I get underneath this ground?
MATT: Let's see. This is currently unworked stone, so you could move through it, yeah.
TALIESIN: Okay. I want to dive down and make a running leap in front of Imogen.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: I'm so tense.
MATT: Now, the thing is, the glass that's interwoven through here will likely be an issue. So moving through the ground, there will be a roll to make sure you can avoid it.
TALIESIN: Okay, I think I'm not going to go deep. I'm going to use it to get an angle that is a better angle towards leaping high as opposed to just--
MATT: Okay. You got it. Then, what do you do?
TALIESIN: I'm going to attempt to jump somewhere where I can get right in front of the path of this monstrosity, and I'm going to freeze my hammer in her way.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: And grab onto it, but make an immovable object just to see.
MATT: You got it.
TALIESIN: And somewhere to perch.
MATT: So as your turn begins and you begin to formulate this plan in your mind, since the initiative count 20 has gone, although actually, Laudna, because you started close there as well, I'll have you both make wisdom saving throws for me.
MARISHA: Fuck! Okay.
TALIESIN: Advantage.
MARISHA: Got advantage. Yeah.
TALIESIN: Are you within 10 feet of me? No, you are not.
MARISHA: I moved back.
LIAM: What's triggering their roll?
MATT: I'll tell you in a second.
LIAM: Okay.
TALIESIN: Advantage on wisdom.
LIAM: I ask because I'm on her shoulder.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MARISHA: Okay.
TALIESIN: 17. Okay. 19.
MATT: 19?
MARISHA: 25.
MATT: Okay. You succeed, you fail. So you manage to push this away in your mind as you back out of the way, but you can feel these psychic whispers that get louder and louder and louder. Ashton, as you began to focus, now that Predathos is more or less coming online, those whispers (whispers) get louder and louder into this high-pitched squealing scream of thousands of voices, almost at once, in your mind. This oppressive awareness begins to press into your brain and, until your next turn, your attacks have disadvantage and Predathos has advantage against you.
LIAM: Oof!
MATT: But you continue your turn.
LAURA: Ugh!
TALIESIN: Yep. Okay.
TRAVIS: (laughs nervously)
TALIESIN: I'm not taking an attack this round, so that's good.
TRAVIS: You guys ever tried to stop a train as it rolled by?
MARISHA: I know! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Not in a while. (laughter)
TALIESIN: So yeah. I'm making the jump--
TRAVIS: I got it! I got it!
TALIESIN: I'm just getting away.
MATT: All right, so you can more or less move right into this, jump in the space here to try and stop it. All right.
TALIESIN: If I can even get close enough to almost make contact, so I'm right in the way.
MATT: Right in the way?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: Sure. So you leap. Make an athletics roll for me.
TALIESIN: All right.
MATT: You do have advantage on this,
TALIESIN: Okay. That's right, because this is not at disadvantage.
MATT: Because you're raging. Yeah.
LAURA: I've never had abs like this before.
TALIESIN: It's not an attack. That's right. (laughter)
ASHLEY: I know. Look at your abs.
TRAVIS: You got Olympic sprinter abs.
MARISHA: You do!
TALIESIN: For me, that's terrible. 17.
MATT: 17 is fine.
ASHLEY: I feel a little embarrassed. I lost my underwear.
MATT: You glide down and then leap into the air, bring the hammer up and click it, and you're now currently held in the middle of the air, hanging by your hammer.
TALIESIN: Actually, I'm using it as-- I got it to the point where I'm using it almost as a standing point. So I'm not going to hang.
MATT: Okay, so you want to have it down and you're on the hammer.
TALIESIN: With a foot on the hammer.
TRAVIS: Oh cool!
TALIESIN: I'm going to use my bonus action--
LIAM: Mary Poppins.
TALIESIN: -- to try and call out: (sighs) Imogen, you've got to come out of this! We need you right here, right now! You need to be here!
MATT: All right, make a persuasion and an insight check.
TALIESIN: Oh, okay. Not with advantage.
LAURA: Roll high! Oh right.
TALIESIN: Not with advantage, I assume?
LAURA: What?
TALIESIN: No advantage. Persuasion's going to suck. Yeah. I failed. Natural one on persuasion.
MATT: (laughs) (groans)
MARISHA: Wowsers!
ASHLEY: Oh, come on!
MATT: You bite your tongue halfway through the first sentence and (splutters)
ASHLEY: You get something, right?
TALIESIN: Insight?
MATT: Insight.
ASHLEY: Wait, aren't you close to Orym? No.
ROBBIE: It's like a schadenfreude feature.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
LIAM: It is true. You're within 30 feet of me, and it's a one, so you can re-roll it.
TALIESIN: I can re-roll-- Can I--
LIAM: A one.
TALIESIN: Actually, I would rather re-roll the insight because I'm not negative one for that.
MATT: Well, it's only if you roll a one for the insight.
LIAM: So it's if you roll a one. So you have to roll it again.
TALIESIN: Okay, I'll re-roll it. All right. Oh, that's better. (laughter) That's a seven. (laughter)
ASHLEY: That's better. (laughs)
ROBBIE: Better.
MATT: You still bite your tongue. Not as painfully as it as it would've been in an alternate reality, but it catches you mid-sentence.
TALIESIN: Here we go for insight, to fucking see what happens.
MARISHA: That's my reaction.
TALIESIN: That's better! 17.
LAURA: Great!
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)
MATT: 17?
TALIESIN: Okay.
SAM: A whisper? Guys! I have nothing to sell.
LAURA: ♪ I really want to know what he's whispering ♪
SAM: Buy the Critmas album. It still exists. The vinyl should be shipping soon. Yeah.
ASHLEY: Oh, I forgot these were here.
LAURA: Yeah. It's a malt ball.
ASHLEY: Malt ball?
LAURA: Malt ball.
LIAM: This'll solve our problems.
LAURA: Mmm!
ROBBIE: (laughs) That one tastes like Arch Heart. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I'm going to yell down. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I think we got to crack her open!
SAM: Ooh!
TALIESIN: She's in there, but I think we got to crack her open.
ASHLEY: What do you mean? What do you mean?
MARISHA: Yeah, what?
ASHLEY: What does that mean?
LIAM: Open with a joke.
TALIESIN: Crack it open.
TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
TALIESIN: What else would he mean?
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: Finishing Ashton's turn there.
SAM: Yeah.
TALIESIN: I'm not a metaphor person.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: Predathos is going to spend two Legendary Actions before its turn.
TRAVIS: Whoa! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Wait, wait! Think about this. Think about this, Matt. Matt, let's reconsider for a second.
LAURA: Did I roll for Predathos? Is that what my--
MATT: No, you have your own initiative.
LAURA: Oh. Okay, okay, okay.
TRAVIS: Matt, let's consider this for a minute. Maybe not two.
ROBBIE: Just go after her.
MATT: It's going to use two of its special actions, two of its Legendary Actions, two of its special actions, which, within its current form, the golden hue that's emanating from the crystals begins to brighten higher and higher.
ROBBIE: No.
MATT: All of a sudden, this golden beam (whooshes) echoes out in a massive cone in front of it.
LAURA: Uh oh!
TALIESIN: Shit!
MARISHA: That's not good.
MATT: This bright golden light--
LAURA: Ruh-roh!
ROBBIE: No! (sizzling)
MATT: -- catches everyone except for Dorian and Chetney.
LIAM: And Orym.
MATT: All right. And Orym, yeah.
TRAVIS: What'd I tell you about hugging the microwave? (laughter)
MATT: I need all of you to make an intelligence saving throw for me.
TRAVIS: Intelligence?
MATT: Yes.
ASHLEY: Intelligence?!
TRAVIS: Could you make it constitution?
LAURA: Oh! Okay, what? You're smart!
LIAM: Is that a 10 or is that an eight?
TRAVIS: What if we, oh. What if we barter gods? Let's barter.
TALIESIN: Oh god!
ASHLEY: This is a magical effect, so I can redo. I have advantage, I think?
MATT: I'll say it's a magical effect. Sure.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: There it is. There it is.
TRAVIS: Okay, so that is an eight, right.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
ASHLEY: 17?
MATT: 17. Take 11 points of radiant damage.
LAURA: Radiant!
ASHLEY: Oh!
MATT: 11 points of radiant damage.
LAURA: Oh, that's nothing.
MARISHA: 16.
MATT: 11 points of radiant damage. And?
TALIESIN: Nine.
MATT: 11 points of radiant damage.
ASHLEY: Radiant?
MATT: As it unleashes the Skein of the Golden Order, this blast of light fires out of it. In a brief minute that you feel yourself almost momentarily blinded, you see an endless spectrum of almost geometric equation lines of golden energy. As it blasts into your bodies, singeing the exterior, you also find yourselves shifted in place, and it's going to arrange you as it sees fit.
TALIESIN: Okay.
LAURA: What?!
ROBBIE: Oh!
TRAVIS: (shrieks and whoops) Yes!
LAURA: That is so cool!
TRAVIS: Oh shit!
ROBBIE: You're getting set up.
TRAVIS: Oh no! Human centipede.
LAURA: What? (laughter)
TRAVIS: You will do my bidding now! (laughter)
ROBBIE: Oh no!
SAM: I want you two to kiss!
TRAVIS: No! No, Matt! Think about what you're doing! Wait! Stop it!
ROBBIE: Yeah, of course.
LIAM: Oh no! Just lined you up?
MARISHA: This is not going to be good.
ROBBIE: Y'all getting cloaked.
TRAVIS: Matt, don't look so smug!
MARISHA: That was just his first one. He's about to do something else.
MATT: Imogen, in this moment, you see that golden flash on the horizon and almost a golden specter or something before it vanishes.
LIAM: Oh boy.
LAURA: What does it mean?
ASHLEY: What?
MATT: That's going to finish its legendary action.
MARISHA: What?
LIAM: Golden specter? Are you on a cloud?
MATT: Now it comes to Predathos' turn.
SAM: This was after action?
ASHLEY: Now? Now it comes to Predathos' turn? What did you just do?!
LAURA: That was just a legendary action.
LIAM: Special legendary.
TRAVIS: There's two of them. Two of them, two of them.
LIAM: Do it whenever I want.
TALIESIN: -- they want, it can.
TRAVIS: It's something that's triggering. We don't know what.
MATT: It's now going to move forward, gliding.
LAURA: And step on us.
LIAM: Oh dear.
MARISHA: (yelps)
SAM: Jesus.
LIAM: Oh dear.
MATT: Right up there--
SAM: Obelisk is not--
MATT: -- as its massive arms begin to (whooshes) strike downward, its Reaving Claw, it's going to make two Reaving Claw strikes.
TRAVIS: Oh my god.
MARISHA: Should've damaged--
MATT: Let's see. We're going to do one against Ashton since you were the one that was closest in front of it.
TALIESIN: Sure.
MATT: That's going to be a 25 to hit.
TALIESIN: That hits.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: It has four arms?
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: I am going to use Erratic Defense.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Eradicator!
MATT: So first off, you take--
TALIESIN: Well, maybe, but roll so I can figure out what I'm doing, actually, before I--
ASHLEY: Her nails look fabulous.
LAURA: Her nails look fabulous. I was thinking I should've done turquoise on my nails instead of red.
MATT: It'd be 34 points of slashing damage.
TALIESIN: Which I get halved anyway.
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: Then, mm. I'm going to--
MATT: Take 17.
TALIESIN: I'm going to hold off on the Erratic Defense then, because I want to get worse. So halved that's 17 points of damage?
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: All right, so I'll take that 17 points of damage.
MATT: The other one's going to go against you, Orym, since you were on the shoulder, and that's going to be, oh, that's not good. That's going to be a 17.
LIAM: Miss.
MATT: Misses. You duck out of the way and you feel it coming towards you. You put up your shield and keep low and it glides off.
LIAM: Oh, between two crystals.
MATT: Then it's going to use Exploit Fate.
ROBBIE: What?
MARISHA: Exploit faith.
MATT: Fate.
MARISHA: Fate.
ROBBIE: Oh no.
MATT: So that strange spread of geometric golden light now (whooshes) spreads out in about a 30-foot radius around it and all of you feel this weird tug of almost the exterior of reality pulling at you in ways that you don't want it to. So until Predathos' next turn, whenever anybody in that radius makes a successful attack or saving throw, it's reduced by 1d4.
SAM: Okay, okay.
MATT: And Predathos gets plus 1d4 on its saving throws.
TRAVIS: Oh my god!
MARISHA: I have Bane up.
MATT: Right, so it cancels Bane more or less--
TALIESIN: I'll also say--
MATT: -- 'til the next round.
TALIESIN: -- anybody within 10 feet of me gets a 1d4 on attacks and saves.
LAURA: So everything's canceled, then.
TALIESIN: So that might cancel everything out as well.
MARISHA: So is it just even?
TRAVIS: As long as--
MATT: More or less, as long as they're next to you.
TALIESIN: Yeah, as long as they're within 10 feet of me.
LAURA: Within 10 feet of you?
ASHLEY: That's close. That's very close.
MATT: All right.
TALIESIN: You're all there right now, though.
MATT: The Predathos engine is starting to come online. That finishes its turn. That brings us now to Imogen.
LAURA: What do I do?
MATT: Imogen, you are in this dark, vacuous space with these strange glimmers on the horizon. All you can really understand and feel in the periphery is that strange matrix of distant Ruidusborn across Exandria. You can almost see through what would be Ruidus wherever you might be. You can almost sense the dark orb, but the only light that exists are those plumes of red of your brethren, and you cannot help but feel drawn to wanting to devour those burning golden lights.
LAURA: The ones that keep flickering on and off in my periphery?
MATT: Those are weird little visions that are happening.
LAURA: Oh, those ones are there. So that's different. The things that I'm seeing flicker are different than the hunger balls.
MATT: Yeah. The focus of Predathos is on them and it's drifting in that direction and you keep seeing odd things on the horizon. What do you want to do?
LAURA: Okay. (sighs)
MATT: Chetney's on deck, by the way.
LAURA: Ugh. Okay, you said I can see the Ruidusborn, though.
MATT: Yeah, you can sense them.
LAURA: I can sense them, which means I would sense Fearne because she's right in front of me.
MATT: Yeah, you can. Well, if you want to try and concentrate on that.
LAURA: Yeah, I want to try to focus because I know one of them is in this room with me and I want to try to focus all my attention onto that, so that it can ground me a little bit.
MATT: Okay, all right. Make a spellcraft roll, or a--
LAURA: A charisma?
MATT: Roll and add your charisma to it, yeah.
LAURA: Okay. (grunts) Okay. (huffs)
TRAVIS: ♪ Come on, baby ♪ ♪ Come, come, my baby ♪ ♪ You're my butterfly, ♪ sugar baby ♪
LAURA: 14.
MATT: 14. (sighs) You're trying to focus on the odd network of Ruidusborn out there and to change that attention to the space around you, and you begin to see that red tether that emanates from your chest, your essence, and it seems like it drifts out into the shadow before you, but you don't see a person yet. You see the faint red glow where someone would be.
LAURA: (sighs) If I focus on the essence of the Red Moon, though, I'm trying to see if there's any way I can get an advantage on that roll if I know that tether is something I can feed on.
MATT: Right. The tether isn't predominantly connected yet because you're still lost in this shadowed space. So it's still your turn. Time is a bit weird and stretchy where you currently sit, so.
LAURA: Oh god, okay. The flickering lights that I keep seeing, if I try to focus on those light sources coming in and out, can I get an idea of what that is?
MATT: Make a perception check.
LAURA: 19?
MATT: 19. Okay. You pull away from trying to concentrate on the tethers and the distant Ruidusborn matrix, and you look over towards that golden specter you saw for a moment and you can see through this. It's a black mist that seems to obscure the horizon, and as it fades for a moment, you see once again this entity. You're not sure how far off it is, but it's almost to your right, and it looks humanoid-ish, but it's this faintly, almost immaterial gold spectral form, and you see it standing there, almost like it's being slowly carried on an impossible, an ocean current. Just drifts in the darkness.
LAURA: There's two of them? There's one over here.
MATT: Well, you see the one there. You've seen two different flickers, but there's just one that you've now focused on. and you can see it and you now have it locked on as something in this space with you.
LAURA: Okay. Can I call out to it?
MATT: What do you want to say?
LAURA: I see you. Help me.
MATT: You see its head shift up towards you and you see where there would be a face, it's like looking at a translucent person made of golden stardust, and there is the shape of a skull within, also made of the same material, and it seems to acknowledge you. Its jaw hangs agape and it drifts there. Its end of its arms and its torso breaking away into the darkness. What do you want to do?
LAURA: It devoured you. Were you one of the gods?
MATT: You see the faintest glimmer of flame within itself. The remnants of what has sustained Predathos over all these years since its sealing, the last remaining flicker of Vordo, the Golden Weaver. (gasps)
TRAVIS: Vordo?!
MARISHA: We got a name. We got a name.
TRAVIS: Vordo, the Golden Weaver.
MATT: You've heard this name before. It was uncovered by the Grim Verity.
LAURA: Oh, that's right.
LIAM: Vordo.
MATT: It was one of the two lost of the original Exandrian pantheon.
ASHLEY: Vordo the what?
TRAVIS and MARISHA: The Golden Weaver.
SAM: New god just dropped. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Oh my god.
MATT: It is but ash and shreds of what it once was.
TRAVIS: One of the two that were missing, and you see one.
LAURA: Okay. Okay.
LAURA: I don't know if this is going to work.
MATT: It has acknowledged you.
LAURA: Uh-huh.
MATT: You have acknowledged it and there is a dark expanse between the two of you. You still have your movement. What do you want to do?
LAURA: Oh.
SAM: (nervous laugh)
LAURA: Can I try to move my mental energy to it?
SAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: You can certainly try.
SAM: Yeah, yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
LAURA: I want to--
TRAVIS: (laughs)
TALIESIN: This is so fucking--
LIAM: Turns towards us. First time? (laughter)
LAURA: I want to try to use Telepathic Bond and reach out to it to create a mental tether link with it as I'm moving towards it.
MARISHA: Cool, cool, cool.
MATT: Okay. I will say because this space is based in your will, roll and add your charisma modifier to it.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, ah!
MATT: If you roll a total of 15 or higher, you will get within range to do this. Otherwise, you'll have to wait 'til next turn.
LAURA: 22!
ASHLEY: Whoo!
ROBBIE: Yeah!
MATT: You see it off in the distance. It's like something that's too small or too large. You have no sense of depth or perception in this space and you focus on it, (whooshes) and dart off in an impossible speed because there is no real matter or distance here, and suddenly, (whooshes) you're before it, and in that moment, you can see, truly it is barely there. What looks small is now massive but empty, you can just barely make out a constellation between each of these specks of gold, and it drifts there, slowly withering away, and you connect to it, and with the end of your connection that finishes your turn.
LAURA: (sighs)
TRAVIS: Holy shit.
LAURA: Oh my god.
MATT: Chetney, you're up, with Braius on deck.
SAM: Oh boy, oh boy.
TRAVIS: Can I give my turn to Imogen again? (clears throat) (laughter)
MARISHA: Yeah, right?
TRAVIS: I'll--
SAM: My turn, Matt?
TRAVIS: (laughs) I will move. I'm somewhere over here, right?
MATT: Yeah, you're right Here.
TRAVIS: I'll move towards fucking Predathogen.
TRAVIS: I'll move towards fucking Predathogen.
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: I'll move forward 20 feet and I will use the scythe, the Turmoil, (whooshes) and I will use the scythe, the Turmoil, (whooshes) and I will aim at that left hand, one of the two that was swiping down at our friends, and I will cast Shatter--
MARISHA: Yes.
TRAVIS: -- up at its forearm to the blue crystals, taking a page out of Dorian's book--
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: -- trying to emulate that, and it is a constitution 17 save.
MATT: Succeeds with a 19, so--
TRAVIS: Yes, indeed it does.
MATT: So we take half damage, however it takes full damage, so whatever you roll, it takes.
TRAVIS: It takes full damage. But why, Matt? But why? Yes, 13.
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: 22 points of thunder damage.
MATT: 22 points of thunder damage.
TRAVIS: With my bonus action, I will Misty Step behind Predathogen, but up behind its left, actually up on the platform, clinging to the blue crystal that's--
MATT: Okay, so you want to, up here?
TRAVIS: Yeah, maybe a little lower, by its calf if I can.
MATT: Sure, sure.
TRAVIS: Just-- (clink)
MATT: Place you right there.
TRAVIS: Yeah, great.
MATT: You got it.
TRAVIS: That's my jam. Actually, I'll use my one feature, and I'll do, what the hell's it called? Brand of Castigation on the ankle. Give it a little wave. (laughs) No, a little marker on the back of its heel with a CPOP.
MATT: Okay. Just double checking on the Brand of Castigation, you can place it after an attack?
TRAVIS: Let me see. You can do it once per short rest.
MATT: Right, but what's the trigger for it?
TRAVIS: It is-- Oh, you might be right. Let me see. Where the heck? Where the heck? Once per short, ah, when you damage a creature. Okay, I'll save it.
MATT: Oh, so when you damage a creature?
TRAVIS: Yes. Oh, but I did with--
MATT: You did damage it with Shatter.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MATT: So yeah. So as you cast the spell from the inside of this arcane weapon you carry, as it shoots outward and explodes, (explosion) it detonates near its arm and you watch as the glass breaks off and goes scattering all across the ground, the sound of thousands of tiny crystals raining down upon the rock and stone. You watch as a number of them break outwards stop in the middle of the air and then shoot back in, but now they're glowing a deep crimson hemocraft red as they burn now, a magical hemocraft glyph into its forearm, and the Brand of Castigation has taken form.
TRAVIS: I like that. I'm good. I'm going to save that for my next turn because it has to be done with a weapon that has an active rite, and the scythe does not have an active rite yet, so I will aim to do that.
MATT: So you envision this in your head as something you will do in the near future. (laughter)
TRAVIS: I just had my Sherlock Holmes moment. (zips) (laughs)
MATT: Got it. Cool.
TRAVIS: Yeah, thanks.
MATT: All right, finishing your go. Braius, you're up, with Fearne on deck.
SAM: Okay, I get two attacks per turn. Can one be a spell and one be a melee attack?
MATT: No.
SAM: They both have to be melee.
MATT: Well, I mean, a spell, unless the spell's a bonus action, then you can do two melee attacks, but at most, the spell's an action to cast, then you can just cast that.
SAM: Got you, got you. Thunder seems to be good, but I can do more damage if I swing away, so I will swing away. I will step next to Ashton and call out. "If we need to kill Imogen, we must. (laughs) Anything to stop this thing." I will bonus action cast Ensnaring Strike on my first attack, and I'll swing away with my flail. So I get plus a d4 to my attack, but minus a d4 to my attack, right?
MATT: Correct.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: But also, you--
SAM: Do I roll both of those or do they just negate?
MATT: No, you just roll.
SAM: Okay. (laughs) That is a 16. Oh, 28 to hit.
MATT: That hits. Roll damage.
SAM: Okay, and I will use, also use Divine Smite at 2nd-level.
LIAM: Yes.
SAM: And I will also activate the extra damage that my weapon can do, so that's another 3d8, so that's another 6d8.
TRAVIS: Whoo!
MATT: Okay. Note for me which is weapon and which is radiant, please.
SAM: Will do. Okay, let's see here.
LIAM: Go, beefcake.
SAM: All right, first, the weapon.
TRAVIS: Lord Lovely Legs.
SAM: The weapon deals--
LAURA: You're up next.
SAM: -- 13 points of damage.
MATT: All right.
ASHLEY: Sure.
SAM: Now, Divine Smite--
ASHLEY: I'll fix it right after.
SAM: -- deals 15 points of, what is that? Radiant damage?
MATT: Radiant damage.
SAM: Yeah? And now, poison from the weapon--
MATT: Yup.
SAM: -- deals another 12 points of damage.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Plus then, I'm sorry, that Ensnaring Strike also does a d6, which is another three.
MATT: Okay, got you. So you strike. Your first hit with the weapon, your Divine Smite flashes on it. The radiant light that burns into it seems to not penetrate as far as you would hope, seeming like the golden hue of its current essence seems to shrug some of that radiant power off.
SAM: Oh, got you, got you.
MATT: But the rest of it seems to still strike true, but that completes your first attack, and then you have the Ensnaring Strike.
SAM: Yes, so a large creature, which I assume this is, has advantage on its save--
MATT: All righty.
SAM: -- but it's a strength 18 to save.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: That's plus a bonus.
SAM: I know.
MATT: That is technically a 16, even with advantage.
SAM: (yelps)
MATT: All right, so--
SAM: So.
LAURA: (laughs) Did you roll so bad?
MATT: I rolled really bad.
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: So again, as my weapon sprays black ichor, a poisonous ichor all over, I guess, the toes of Imogathos, the poison black vines will creep up from the ground and try to restrain it and hold it down.
MATT: Okay, all right. So it is restrained.
SAM: Okay. Then I get another attack.
MATT: Which you have advantage on because it's restrained.
SAM: Yes, I do.
ASHLEY: Mm.
LAURA: Nice.
SAM: That's a two.
MATT: Oh, actually, let's look at point of order. I got to remember. Make a wisdom save for me.
SAM: (gasps) Okay. Wisdom save, we have advantage on, because of Heroes' Feast, but that's really good anyway. Okay, 16 plus eight. 24.
MATT: So the oppressive awareness of Predathos, the whispers that are piercing into your brain, you keep them at bay. Your turn continues unhindered.
SAM: My advantage rules were ass-y. I only got a 16.
MARISHA: Ass-y.
MATT: A 16 to hit?
SAM: Yes.
MATT: That unfortunately is going to miss.
SAM: Yeah. (laughs)
MATT: So the first strike hits. The second one, you swing a second time with your poison pen and it clatters against a heavy part of gathered Ruidian glass, and while part of it cracks and breaks, it is no injury to the actual entity itself.
SAM: I moved up to make these hits. If I move back in the middle of all of my allies there, will it get an attack on me?
LAURA: You want to be back in the cluster that was trying to put you in?
SAM: I impose all kinds of advantage if I'm within 10 feet of people.
LAURA: That's true, that's true, that's true.
SAM: But am I within 10 feet of people now I guess is my question?
MATT: If you want to move behind Ashton--
TALIESIN: I'm so curious--
MATT: -- there.
TALIESIN: -- combined what we'd get for everything.
MATT: Move there if you want.
SAM: Sure.
MATT: Okay. That'll work.
TRAVIS: Mudslides for everybody.
SAM: Fuck yeah.
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: TGI Fridays. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Looks like we got him.
TRAVIS: Do a real quest-- (laughter)
ROBBIE: Yeah, it's like we're in 2004.
TRAVIS: Get a twisty straw--
MARISHA: That was so cute.
TRAVIS: -- and everything, and regrets afterwards.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: End of your turn. It's going to use a Legendary Action to take a claw strike at you as you move alongside.
SAM: Go for it.
MATT: That's going to be 24 to hit.
SAM: That hits.
MATT: You take--
SAM: Actually, just barely. (laughs)
LAURA: Your AC is that good?
SAM: It's 22.
LAURA: Whoa! That's a good AC.
ASHLEY: Damn.
MATT: 24 points of slashing damage.
SAM: Ugh.
LAURA: Oh no.
LIAM: Plate armor.
SAM: Ouch.
MATT: A massive claw cuts you off the side of the shoulder, and you almost get knocked onto your feet from the sheer weight of the blow. You see its four arms now, its long, scythe-like claws at the ready, and it's looking to pluck this garden. That finishes your turn. Fearne, you're up, with Dorian on deck.
ASHLEY: Oh boy.
TALIESIN: I believe in you.
ASHLEY: All right.
LIAM: Do it in one.
ASHLEY: So I am, yeah. We'll take care of it right this second. All right, so I am going to, I would like to get up to Predathogen's foot.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I would like to be on the foot, like when you ride--
LAURA: A foot.
ASHLEY: -- daddy's foot.
ROBBIE and MATT: (laugh)
SAM: Daddy?
TALIESIN: I know what you meant.
MARISHA: I want to be on her foot, like when you ride Daddy's foot.
ASHLEY: Yeah, you know when you're a kid and you wrap around.
ROBBIE: Okay, okay.
TRAVIS: We went to that sweet and innocent place.
ASHLEY: Oh, sorry, sorry.
ROBBIE: Oh, yeah.
ASHLEY: You dirty little sluts! (laughter)
ASHLEY: All right, so.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I still want to try to connect with Imogen and pull her out, so I am going to--
MARISHA: Does it always light up?
SAM: It does when I plug it in. Stanley is excited about this fight. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Okay, I would like to-- I want to take my nails and I want to dig into the calf.
LIAM: The nails, Madame.
ASHLEY: With the tether, I want to, if I can, try to wrap it around my hand and tug and try to get her attention.
MATT: Okay, so you're just trying to pull on the tether?
ASHLEY: I'm just trying to pull on the tether.
MATT: Okay, it is ethereal. Your hands pass through it. So you can try and reach for it.
LAURA: It's a mental tether.
ASHLEY: I know! I want to be able to--
SAM: Just believe harder.
ASHLEY: Yeah, if I can somehow--
LAURA: You're doing it!
MATT: You're placing your hand into that faint bit of red energy and trying to use that as a connective point.
ASHLEY: Yes. And close my eyes and try to connect with--
TRAVIS: ♪ Close my eyes ♪
ASHLEY: -- where I feel like Imogen has been going when she connects with Predathos to try to go find her.
MATT: Okay, so I will say, make an insight check for me.
ASHLEY: Okay.
LIAM: Break the trend. Nope.
ASHLEY: 19.
SAM: Oh!
LIAM: Oh, she got a high modifier.
MATT: 19.
LAURA: Yeah, she's got a real good mod.
MATT: She's deep in there.
LAURA: (snickers)
ASHLEY: Shit, shit, shit.
MATT: You can sense her in there, but you can't connect to her directly. There's no way to reach her at the moment. This is Predathos in front of you.
SAM: Wasn't that what they called the thing in Chernobyl?
LAURA: Oh yeah, the foot?
SAM: Daddy's foot. (laughter)
TRAVIS: The elephant foot!
ROBBIE: It's elephant foot, it's the elephant foot.
TRAVIS: The elephant foot!
ASHLEY: The elephant foot? Yeah.
MATT: I want to believe it's daddy's foot.
ASHLEY: ♪ Daddy's foot ♪ All right, so then what I will do, (laughter)
ASHLEY: I will cast Blight.
MATT: Well, you used your action--
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: To talk. Okay.
MATT: -- to try and reach out to her and see that element. But you do, as part of the insight, where you don't see she's there, you do also gain, what Ashton was saying before is, currently she's very difficult to reach because she's so far into this entity. If this entity were to be pulled back a bit, she might be easier to reach.
TRAVIS: Fearnie, just burn a Hope and go again.
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)
ASHLEY: I was like--
LAURA: Wait, how?
MATT: You still have your bonus action, if you want it.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: And Mister can go as well.
ASHLEY: All right, Mister's going to shoot some flame seed.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Pew!
LIAM: This is it. How do you want to do this?
ASHLEY: This is it. How de der de der der.
SAM: Try to break one of those perfect nails with a flame poop.
LAURA: Those ones will be the hardest to get.
MARISHA: Predathos is like (gasps)
LAURA: No!
TALIESIN: Hand rage.
LIAM: Going back to my cave! (laughter)
ASHLEY: That's great. 24.
MATT: 24 would succeed, yeah.
ASHLEY: Okay, great.
LAURA: Good job, Mister.
ASHLEY: So Mister's going to shoot a little flame seed. A little flaming piece of shit.
TALIESIN: God-eater taken down by flaming poop.
ASHLEY and LAURA: Oh!
ASHLEY: Six points of damage.
SAM: Yeah!
ASHLEY: Flaming shit.
MATT: All righty.
SAM and ROBBIE: (laugh)
ASHLEY: Then--
LAURA: I'm reachable now, guys.
LAURA and ROBBIE: (laugh)
ASHLEY: I'm just going to try to stay close and to--
LAURA: Hold onto my foot.
ASHLEY: -- just hold on.
TALIESIN: Also, you do damage just from being on her.
LAURA: Oh, that's true.
ASHLEY: Well--
TALIESIN: You do.
LAURA: Only if you say you want to, but if you're within range of somebody, don't you?
ASHLEY: No, it's just--
LAURA: No?
ASHLEY: If I get hit though, with a melee attack.
LAURA: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
MATT: All right, end of your turn, Fearne. It's going to use two more legendary actions to use Cerebral Shock Blight. It's focusing on you.
TALIESIN: Okay.
MATT: I need you, Ashton, to make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
TALIESIN: Okay. Am I at advantage?
LAURA: You've got this, Ashton!
LIAM: Because of Heroes' Feast.
LAURA: Heroes' Feast!
TALIESIN: Okay, and I get my d4, or do I lose my d4?
MATT: You have disadvantage because it has Exploited Fate.
ASHLEY: That was such a pointless--
TALIESIN: Okay, so just a straight d4. Do I lose that d4? Does it also do the negative d4 that I cancel out?
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: So it's a straight roll.
MATT: A straight roll.
TALIESIN: All right. Oh god, that sounded like a lot. Nat 20! (cheering)
TRAVIS: Let's go, Ashton!
LAURA: It's all turning around.
MATT: Nat 20.
LAURA: That's what we needed.
MATT: Damn.
TALIESIN: That was just a psychic attack, that wasn't--
MATT: Yeah, I'll go into this in just a second.
TALIESIN: Okay. So I can't do that.
ASHLEY: I wanted to try to persuade you.
LAURA: I know. I know, baby.
TALIESIN: Can't do that.
ASHLEY: I was going to come persuade.
TRAVIS: I know, baby.
SAM: I know, Daddy.
MATT: Okay, so you--
ASHLEY: You got to persuade. I didn't get to persuade.
LAURA: You didn't say anything.
MATT: So what would've been 36 points of psychic damage is reduced to half.
TALIESIN: Okay.
MATT: So instead, you take 17.
TALIESIN: 17.
SAM: Oh wait, did he just make a save?
MATT: 18, sorry.
TALIESIN: I did just make a save.
SAM: You get to add plus four to your saving throw.
TALIESIN: It was a natural 20.
LAURA: But that one got--
SAM: Okay, good. (laughter)
MATT: Sorry, so 18 points of psychic damage to you.
SAM: Was that a spell? Is that a spell?
MATT: No.
SAM: Goddamn you.
TALIESIN: That wouldn't count as the sort of thing where-- No, because it doesn't miss, so I can't use--
MATT: Correct, so the effect does not continue.
TALIESIN: So it's 18--
MATT: The Psychic Shock Blight, the Cerebral Shock Blight ends with you.
TALIESIN: Okay, 18 points?
MATT: 18 points of psychic damage.
TALIESIN: Thank you. Okay, sorry.
MATT: All right, finishing that go, now it is Dorian's turn.
LIAM: Oh boy.
ROBBIE: Chet, remind me where did you target with your Shatter on your last turn?
TRAVIS: The left forearm.
ROBBIE: That left forearm closest to me?
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yeah, so I'm going to use all my movement, try to get up to that, and fly and target the same spot Chet was.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: Then as I'm going through the air, I'm just going to do a cantrip, I think it makes sense, called Booming Blade, and I'll make my normal weapon the target of it, and I'll try to take my melee attack on that same wrist joint kind of--
LIAM: Viper blade?
ROBBIE: Kind of. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That'll be my goal.
TRAVIS: Booming Blade did not get used enough in our campaigns.
MATT: Going to drift up--
ROBBIE: It looks fun.
MATT: -- to around there?
ROBBIE: Yeah, and try to get in melee range of around where Chet was targeting.
MATT: Yep, I'll allow that.
ROBBIE: Cool. Hi-yah.
SAM: You have advant-- Is this an attack roll?
ROBBIE: It is an attack roll.
SAM: You have advantage, because it is restrained.
MATT: However, because it has Exploit Fate up, you also have disadvantage on attack rolls.
SAM: Goddamn you!
ASHLEY: But I'm definitely--
MATT: So it's just a straight roll.
ROBBIE: It is still, so I rolled a 16 plus 12--
ASHLEY: I'm holding it down--
ROBBIE: Yeah, so 28.
MATT: That'll hit.
ROBBIE: Yeah, okay. Cool, cool, cool.
TRAVIS: Yeah, Booming Blade that arm!
ROBBIE: So it's not a ton of damage, but--
TRAVIS: But if it moves--
ROBBIE: Yeah, so it's 10 damage, but is that thunder damage?
MATT: Well, here's the thing. Booming Blade is a cantrip, correct?
ROBBIE: Right.
MATT: So how much damage does it deal?
ROBBIE: It deals the normal weapon's attack.
MATT: Oh. I got you.
ROBBIE: Plus the effect.
MATT: Okay, got you.
ROBBIE: Yeah, so it was just 10 from the blade.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: But then because of my level if you willingly move only five feet, you'll take another 2d8 of thunder damage.
MARISHA: Nice.
MATT: Got you.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: I'm trying to keep it in this spot.
TRAVIS: Wrapped in Booming--
MATT: So you strike in where--
SAM: Keep her down!
MATT: -- you had softened up the space in its arm there, and as you strike in, you feel this energy, this weird vibration flickering in place, this threat. Okay. That finishes your turn?
ROBBIE: That's all I can do.
TRAVIS: It's a good move.
MATT: Orym, you're up.
LIAM: That status effect, the disadvantage is on the entire party, right?
MATT: Anybody within 30 feet.
LIAM: Within 30 feet.
MATT: Until its next turn.
LIAM: I am within 30 feet. Okay, so because I know that Imozaddy is going to throw me against the wall like a ketchup packet soon, I pull out a potion vial that I've had forever and I down a potion of Invulnerability.
LAURA: Nice!
MARISHA: Ooh!
MATT: Okay. That's a bonus action.
LIAM: Then I'm going to start-- I don't have any magic, so I just start slashing away at the side of this being's face.
LAURA: Ow, ow, ow!
LIAM: With every slash of Seedling, I'm shouting her name.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: So disadvantage.
SAM: No, not at disadvantage. It's restrained. You get advantage on attacks.
MATT: It is restrained, yeah.
LIAM: Straight roll?
MATT: So it's a straight roll.
LIAM: God, one of those is a 20 on the Dorian die.
SAM: But wait, aren't you attacking twice? Why don't you use both of them?
LIAM: That's the DM's call.
MATT: Reroll, because it was not intended for that.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LIAM: Way lower.
LAURA: Aw, so much lower.
LIAM: Way lower. 17 on the first.
TRAVIS: I bet it was him.
MATT: That misses, unfortunately.
MARISHA: Somehow I'm blaming him.
SAM: What?!
LIAM: Yeah. 24 on the second.
MATT: 24 hits.
LIAM: Okay, I'm going to make that a goading attack.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Asmodeus! (laughter)
TRAVIS: The Lord of the Hells will be pleased.
MATT: That's wisdom?
LIAM: It is, sorry, that was cocked, six. Yes, it's wisdom. Six plus nine is 15--
MATT: 26, so it succeeds.
LIAM: Okay. 15. That is 24 points of slashing damage.
MATT: All righty.
LIAM: I'll try one more time.
LIAM: Balls. That's a 17, misses.
MATT: Okay, so one strike hits. You strike through it. The goading does not seem to pierce its current focus.
LIAM: Right, she's all one purpose. I'm going to-- I don't necessarily know that you have to move the miniature but using what little movement Orym has, he's going to try to crawl through crystal and get behind her head.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: So he's less--
LAURA: The back of my neck?
LIAM: Yes.
ASHLEY: The nape of your neck?
SAM: It's massive pieces of dandruff all over.
LIAM: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: All right.
SAM: (disgusted groans)
LAURA: Giant flake.
LIAM: Trying to make it marginally harder to grab me.
LAURA: Listen, we don't shower very much.
MATT: All right.
SAM: It's dried out here!
ASHLEY: Ruidian keratin.
MATT: That finishes your turn. All right, that brings us to initiative count 20.
TRAVIS: Why does that matter?
MARISHA: I don't like that.
TRAVIS: What did you do?
LAURA: I don't know what it does. I don't know what it does and he's rolling it out here.
SAM: Initiative count 20?
ASHLEY: What'd he just roll?
SAM: I've never heard of that.
MARISHA: I'm terrified.
MATT: So the golden light within fades.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: And it returns to its standard Predathos teal green crystal glow. Psychic energy flickers through its body, and through the strange, terrifying, crooked grin of the Imogen face with its shark teeth. So beginning of its turn, it gets its legendary actions back.
TALIESIN: Cool.
TRAVIS: What are you doing back there, Matthew fucking Mercer?
MATT: It's going to take two reaving claw attacks first.
TRAVIS: What kind of claw attacks?
SAM: Reaving.
MATT: Reaving claw.
TRAVIS: Reaving.
LAURA: If one of those, since it's so big, if the arm that has the Booming Blade on it moves, that would be moving five feet, though, wouldn't it? So that would get-- (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: It could just attack with the two other arms.
TRAVIS: It holds that one bitch up.
MATT: It's got four of them. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Three arms--
MATT: Okay, so Exploit Fate is still currently up, so it still maintains that, and for you, since you were affected, it's going to focus both attacks on you.
TALIESIN: Okay.
LAURA: Oh god, she keeps aiming for Ashton.
MATT: So it has advantage on the attacks against you.
TALIESIN: Okay. Okay.
SAM: Oh, it's attacking someone within five feet of me? Well, first of all, it's restrained, so it has disadvantage.
MATT: Yeah, so disadvantage. Yep.
SAM: And because it's attacking someone within five feet of me, I'm going to use Truthbearer, Fabled Plate of Uther Vendrock.
TRAVIS: Whoa! Whoa!
SAM: I'm going to use my reaction to impose disadvantage on it because he's attacking someone within five feet of me.
MATT: Okay, so then that roll would be the disadvantage roll, then. That's going to be 30.
SAM: Oh, Jesus!
TALIESIN: Amazingly, it does hit.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: You have cursed me, Truthbearer, Fabled Plate of Uther Vendrock! (laughter)
TALIESIN: I can do a couple things here, but yeah.
MATT: All right, so that's going to be-- Not a great damage roll. 20 points of slashing damage, reduced to 10 because you're raging.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
MATT: The second strike is also going to be at a standard roll.
TALIESIN: Oh, against me or against--
MATT: Against you.
TALIESIN: Okay, so 10--
MATT: That is a crit.
TALIESIN: -- points of slashing damage.
SAM: A crit?!
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: So since that's--
MATT: It crits on an 18 and up.
TALIESIN: Well, here's an interesting thing. I'm going to use Erratic Defense on that crit, so.
MATT: Okay, let's go.
TALIESIN: You get to roll it, I suppose.
MATT: I do.
TALIESIN: Come on, baby, do something cool.
MATT: That's 40 points of slashing damage.
LAURA: Oh fuck.
TALIESIN: So 40 points reduced to 20.
MATT: Yep.
TALIESIN: So how is this going to work? I have resistance to it, so I'm now at 10 points of damage.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: That's nice.
SAM: That's very nice.
TALIESIN: As it hits and it makes contact, the arm makes contact, and suddenly there's this weird shifting, and almost the sound of it slows, and there's this little blue shift as it starts moving a little slower. Its speed is halved--
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: -- until its next turn.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: And they can't make more than one melee or ranged attack.
ASHLEY: Melee.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: Melee!
TALIESIN: Then also for fun I'm going to burn my-- Where'd it go? It's on the next page. I'm going to use my fire ring, one of the charges, which deals 1d8 fire damage, and I think it moves it 10 feet away from me no matter what size it is. I couldn't find a size restriction.
MATT: Yep.
TALIESIN: So that's eight points of fire damage.
MATT: All righty.
TALIESIN: And it is, in its slowed form, then shifted 10 feet back.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Huh?
TALIESIN: Before that, yeah.
MATT: So it's pushed about there. Well, it teleports it over as part of the ability, which would pull it from the restrain.
SAM: Goddamn it.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
SAM: That's okay.
MATT: So in that case--
TALIESIN: I apologize.
SAM: That's okay.
MATT: You all get--
TALIESIN: Oh shit, did it all go--
SAM: When it moved, did that trigger your thunder?
MATT: -- pushed out of the way.
LAURA: Oh, because it's a teleport.
ROBBIE: I think it has to willingly move.
SAM: Willingly move.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
TALIESIN: I'm double checking that it's a teleport. It says pushed, maybe. Hold on, let me read the object. Because it might be pushed.
MATT: It says pushed 10 feet?
TALIESIN: Yeah, it says--
MATT: Well, here's what I'll say then.
TALIESIN: Push them 10 feet--
MATT: Okay. Hmm.
TALIESIN: I was giving flavor.
MATT: No, fair.
SAM: Rollies?
MATT: I'll say, yeah, Rollies.
TALIESIN: Dude! Okay.
MATT: Let's go, we'll keep it fair.
SAM: It's a DC 18 strength. Do you want to use that? Or do you want me to roll for concentration?
MATT: Up to you.
ROBBIE: Roll.
SAM: I'll roll.
MATT: Let's go. Let's keep it fun.
LAURA: Okay, Rollies.
SAM: What am I adding?
MATT: No, you're just rolling.
SAM: Just rolling?
MATT: It's Rollies, bro.
TALIESIN: What am I rolling?
SAM: To see if you can break my concentration.
LIAM: It's Rollies. There's one rule to Rollies.
TALIESIN: 10.
SAM: Seven. (groaning)
SAM and ROBBIE: (laugh)
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: One roll to rule them all.
MATT: So as you push back--
TALIESIN: Okay.
MATT: -- you actually break the magical tether and the vines pull off.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
MATT: Predathos is no longer restrained.
SAM: Asmodeus will curse you and your elders!
MATT: You need to make a strength check for me to see if you can hold on, as suddenly, Predathos is pushed backward and you're clutching onto its back.
LAURA: Would Fearne also need to do that?
LIAM: Not just wedged?
LAURA: Because she was holding onto the foot.
MATT: That's true. Make a strength check for me, Fearne.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
LIAM: Okay.
TALIESIN: Goddamn it.
ASHLEY: It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
LIAM: All right, hold on. Looking for my stuff.
TALIESIN: I'm going to take every opportunity to push, so that, away from the door.
SAM: That make sense.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LIAM: I'm going to use--
TALIESIN: Oh, that's the power on.
LIAM: What is it?
ASHLEY: 14.
MATT: 14? Sure, I'll say you manage to stay held on at its base there.
ASHLEY: I'm good at-- (grunting)
SAM: Daddy's foot.
TALIESIN: Erratic Defense is--
LIAM: I'm going to use a superiority die and use Zephran Heart to add the superiority die to my rolls.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: Wow.
LIAM: 16, 23.
MATT: Yeah, you manage to stay onto the back, and without tumbling 40 feet to the ground.
LIAM: (sighs) Oh god.
MATT: All righty.
LAURA: You got to roll better.
MATT: Does that finish your turn?
LIAM: Got to roll.
MATT: Or your reaction on that--
LIAM: This is not my fight.
MATT: -- right?
TALIESIN: That was a reaction.
MATT: It is slowed, so it cannot continue on, fuck, into its Telekinetic Evisceration.
LAURA: Wha--
TALIESIN: What a name.
ASHLEY: Evisceration?
ROBBIE: (wheezes)
MATT: That'll be a future round.
LAURA: Okay, cool.
MATT: However, it can still use its Miracle Devourer, since it's not part of the attack.
TALIESIN: So it is a-- Not a melee or ranged. It's not an attack. It's not a melee or ranged attack.
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: Okay.
MATT: That fucks up part of its turn. Okay.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.
MATT: It is slowed.
ASHLEY: Okay, that's good.
MATT: So it's going to continue to move back to about there.
LAURA: Does it get two rounds per--
ASHLEY: He's getting scared.
LIAM: Two turns per round?
LAURA: Two turns per round?
MATT: No.
ASHLEY: As many as he wants?
TALIESIN: Legendary actions.
MATT: It's been a round.
LIAM: Legendary actions.
MATT: Legendary actions.
LAURA: Okay.
SAM: Then it gets another one.
LAURA: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
ASHLEY: Three times.
LAURA: That's where you do your--
LIAM: Legendary actions are used after a player character.
SAM: It just intentionally moved.
LAURA: I see.
MATT: So it's going to move back.
SAM: Yeah, it just did.
MATT: You do get an attack of opportunity, if you want to take it.
SAM: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Oh, does that--
MATT: As do you, and it does move, so the Booming Blade does go off.
ROBBIE: It did move willingly?
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Okay.
TRAVIS: I'm moving with it.
ROBBIE: (frustrated scoff)
SAM: Yeah, baby!
ROBBIE: Throw those in the trash. Five.
MATT: Five?
ROBBIE: Five thunder.
SAM: So it's quadrupled.
LAURA: That's doubled.
ROBBIE: (chuckles)
MARISHA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: What do we have to do--
MATT: Well, at 11th level, it becomes-- Let me see, so both damage increase roll--
ROBBIE: I think it's just two.
MATT: The damage is increased by 1d8 at 11th level, 2d8, 3d8, and again, so it would be--
LAURA: Why does it say only two--
ROBBIE: I think it says two on my sheet, I don't know why.
MATT: I think it should be 3d8, so roll one more.
ROBBIE: Okay. Hey! Seven, five, 12.
MATT: So 12, all right.
ROBBIE: 12 thunder.
MATT: That is 24 points of thunder damage.
ROBBIE: Oh, okay, well good.
TRAVIS: 24 to hit?
MATT: 24 does hit and you also can have an attack of opportunity, if you like.
ROBBIE: With my normal weapon, 24 to hit.
MATT: That hits.
ROBBIE: Yeah, sweet.
SAM: Kill her.
ROBBIE: Hey. (groans) 13. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Wow.
MATT: 13 points of damage. What's your damage?
MARISHA: Is your nose bleeding?
ROBBIE: It is-- Simple math.
TRAVIS: 18 points of slash, yeah, 18 points of slashing damage plus six points of thunder damage, so 24.
ROBBIE: Nice.
LAURA: Nice, Chet.
TRAVIS: 22, 22.
MATT: Six points of thunder damage?
TRAVIS: Yes.
MATT: Becomes 12, so.
LAURA: (loud burp)
LIAM: Oh!
TRAVIS: Cool, so.
LAURA: Sorry.
TRAVIS: 18 plus 12, 30.
LIAM: It's like I can still hear her.
MATT: 30, you got it. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Why the thunder, what's wrong with the thunder?
MARISHA: It's crystals.
MATT: It seems like part of it, some of the crystal structure inside has a hard time with that thunderous impact. So as you strike back as it moves, gliding backward, crystals shatter off to the side and it pulls back. As a bonus action, it's going to use Telekinetic Vacuum on Laudna. Laudna, could you make a strength saving throw for me?
MARISHA: Oh.
TRAVIS: Telekinetic Vacuum?
MARISHA: I hate that.
SAM: You get plus four to your saving throw.
MARISHA: I do?
TALIESIN: Yeah, and you're still in my thing, so you don't--
MARISHA: So I have a minus two to my strength save. Okay, so minus is, okay, 12.
MATT: 12.
MARISHA: I don't know why I contemplate.
MATT: Predathos backs up, puts two of its hands forward and the eyes flash and you feel this psychic field apparate around you and you get (whoosh) yanked and shunted 60 feet towards it.
MARISHA: (grunts)
SAM: Whoa.
MATT: So Laudna gets plucked from the back and brought right up into melee with it.
TRAVIS: Melee.
TALIESIN: You can attack, at least.
MATT: They can attack.
SAM: If we have to kill Imogen--
TALIESIN: The time, the Slow distance. Okay.
SAM: -- we must. And if we have to kill Laudna--
MATT: Slow means it prevents it from doing a multiattack on its turn--
SAM: -- then we must.
MATT: -- but still take a single legendary action.
SAM: Just kill everyone.
ASHLEY: Shut up, Braius.
SAM: Just saying it would be safer to just kill everybody.
ASHLEY: No!
MATT: That finishes its turn, Laudna, you're up.
TRAVIS: Oh boy.
MARISHA: Okay. I look up at this massive Imogen but not Imogen figure, and I run my fingers across this Matron mask that's still on my belt. Very conflicted because I'm not sure when is the right time.
TRAVIS: Or what the fuck it does.
MARISHA: Or what it does.
LIAM: Yeah.
MARISHA: I'm going to hold. I'm in melee with it, so if I leave, it's bad news bears.
MATT: Would possibly be.
LAURA: Although it's slow, so can it still take a reaction?
MATT: Well, it still has reactions, it just can't take a multiattack.
LAURA: Got it, got it, got it.
MARISHA: I am going to send out a Void Puppet.
SAM: (goofy) Ho ho ho ho! (laughter)
MATT: Void Puppet.
MARISHA: Void Puppet.
MATT: There we go.
TALIESIN: That's the way to do it.
ASHLEY: (silly noise)
TRAVIS: That gets its attention.
SAM: It's me! (laughter)
MARISHA: So I'm going to throw a spirit at it to give her disadvantage.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Okay.
MARISHA: (huffs) I hate this. If I'm this-- well, I have Spell Sniper. Would this be disadvantage being base-to-base on spells?
MATT: It is a ranged attack, so it would be technically. Spell Sniper--
MARISHA: Ignores 3/4 cover.
MATT: Ignores 3/4 cover. I don't think it ignores the--
LAURA: But if you don't aim for my feet and you aim up at the face, that's 40 feet away.
MARISHA: That's what I'm curious about. Like would this still be considered--? Would I have disadvantage with her being this big?
MATT: I mean, rules as written, yeah.
MARISHA: I don't want disadvantage. Well, but it's an attack, but this is actually--
MATT: Do make a wisdom save for me, by the way, because your turn did start within its Oppressive Awareness.
TALIESIN: Oh, would also--
MARISHA: Oppressive Awareness?
TALIESIN: Yeah, well.
MARISHA: Oh, that's not great.
TALIESIN: Would you have been? No, this was one she had already moved, never mind.
MARISHA: 15.
MATT: Okay, so that's a failure. So your attacks are at disadvantage for your turn and Predathos' attacks have advantage on you.
MARISHA: But if it's something that she has to make a saving throw for, would that be at disadvantage?
MATT: No.
MARISHA: Okay. I'm going to throw a Disintegrate right at her chest and try and target the crystalline structures, and try and start shedding away this outer shell. and try and start shedding away this outer shell. With Ashton's words, "We got to crack her open."
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Yep.
MARISHA: Ringing in my head.
TRAVIS: Yep.
MARISHA: So disadvantage because of the spirit.
MATT: Correct.
TRAVIS: Yep. Let's go, good call.
MATT: It's going to be with disadvantage, that would've been a 19. That's going to be a 15. Legendary Resistance to succeed.
TRAVIS: Oh there it is, the first one!
TALIESIN: Well done. Well done.
ROBBIE: He don't want that to happen.
MARISHA: I knew that was going to happen.
TALIESIN: We have to burn 'em anyway.
MARISHA: Okay, so wait. If you succeed, do I still do half damage?
MATT: Disintegrate, I believe, is all or nothing.
LIAM: Yeah, all or nothing.
MATT: So as you begin to conjure the beam of Disintegrate and focus upward, the massive form of Predathos, with your partner's face, looks down at you and you feel this (swooshing) in your brain and the spell gets blasted from your hands as you can't even concentrate on the arcana to weave it forward and the spell is lost.
MARISHA: Spell's lost.
MATT: I mean, it's spent, so.
MARISHA: It was my only 6th-level spell.
ASHLEY: Oh.
ROBBIE: Oh boy, oh boy.
TRAVIS: Had to try it. You had to try it.
MARISHA: Yeah.
LIAM: One resistance.
TRAVIS: Had to try it.
MARISHA: Huh?
TRAVIS: He hasn't used any.
LIAM: -- legendary resistance.
LAURA: That was the first of the legendary resistances.
TRAVIS: Yeah, he's been letting them go.
MARISHA: I know, it's because he's unbothered!
TRAVIS: But you're a threat. You're a threat!
MARISHA: Aah!
MATT: Does that use the Void Puppet?
MARISHA: Huh?
MATT: Does that use the Void Puppet?
MARISHA: Yeah, it's just a--
MATT: Okay.
SAM: (goofy) Bye! (laughter)
LAURA: Stupid.
MARISHA: (goofy laugh)
MATT: That finish your turn, Laudna?
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: All right, at the end of its turn, it's going to spend one legendary action to do claw strike on you. It has advantage on the attack since you were affected by its Oppressive Awareness. That's going to be a crit.
LAURA: (gasps)
MARISHA: Uhhh.
TRAVIS: Silvery Barbs.
MARISHA: Silvery Barbs.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
LAURA: Hunker down.
ASHLEY: Yeah, hunker down.
MATT: Okay, it's not a crit. (laughs)
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: But it is a standard hit.
TRAVIS: Ho-ly--
MARISHA: I have Silver Barbs and then I'm going to, who's up next? Who's up next?
TRAVIS: Ashton.
MARISHA: Ash. You get advantage on your next thing.
TALIESIN: Whatever my next thing is.
LAURA: Oh no.
TALIESIN: Making that face.
ASHLEY: Why is he doing that?
MATT: You take 34 points of slashing damage.
TALIESIN: Ew.
TRAVIS: That would've been--
MARISHA: That would've been bad.
TRAVIS: That's 70.
MARISHA: On your next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
MATT: That would've been a bad crit.
LAURA: That would've been a real bad crit.
MARISHA: 30.
SAM: ♪ It's Critmas ♪ (chuckling)
MARISHA: That's a reaction--
TRAVIS: ♪ There goes all Laudna's brains ♪
MARISHA: That's a reaction, okay, okay, 30 what?
LIAM: 34.
MATT: 34 points of slashing damage.
ASHLEY: Oof.
MARISHA: Okay. Okay. (laughs)
MATT: Finishing Laudna's go.
MARISHA: That Matron mask is looking real attractive.
TALIESIN: Trying to find it and I don't know where I put it. Is turning off the hold on the hammer a bonus action or an action?
MATT: No, you can do it as part, using an item as part of an action, so you can just click it off.
TALIESIN: Okay, but I don't get an attack that round, then.
MATT: No, you can.
TALIESIN: Okay. I'm-- Fuck this noise. Running full speed and I'm going to jump and try and make some attacks here.
SAM: As he leaves my melee range.
TRAVIS: Huh? Huh?
SAM: I watch him go. (laughter)
MATT: All right, Ashton.
TALIESIN: Okay, I'm going to take--
SAM: It's just you and me now, Mister. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I don't have advantage on this because it's just saving throw and skill checks, correct, Marisha?
MARISHA: Huh?
TALIESIN: I don't have advantage on attacks just--
MARISHA: Yeah.
LIAM: On anything.
TALIESIN: On anything.
MARISHA: Attacks, saving throws--
TALIESIN: Oh, excellent, so I'm taking advantage on this.
MATT: So which one?
MARISHA: Silvery Barbs.
MATT: It means on the next one.
ASHLEY: ♪ Silvery Barbs, Silvery Barbs ♪
TALIESIN: Oh, I don't get--
MARISHA: I then get to choose a different creature that I see within range. Choose the creature, the chosen creature has advantage on the next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within one minute.
MATT: Correct, yeah. It's just the next roll.
LIAM: One, yes, next one.
MARISHA: Yes.
TALIESIN: All right, so I'm attacking With advantage.
MATT: Well, the disadvantage because of the--
TALIESIN: Is it still up?
MATT: Well, actually, you started your turn outside of its Oppressive Awareness. That doesn't matter.
TALIESIN: Okay, so I'm--
MATT: Yeah, you're fine.
TALIESIN: I have advantage. And my d4 as well, right?
MATT: Correct, yeah, you're good.
TALIESIN: All right, here we go, come on, come on, give me something fun. Nat 20! (cheering and clapping)
ASHLEY: Yes-uh!
TALIESIN: All right, I'm also going to put a Chaos Burst into this now because I can do that.
MATT: You can do that.
TALIESIN: So that's a d8 that I get to roll.
MARISHA: Was that with advantage?
TALIESIN: Come on. Some cold damage, that's fine. So let's start with-- This is going to be fun. Let's start with 2d10 cold damage to see what we get. That's nine, 12, 13, 13 points of cold damage, and that is doubled already. Let's see, I get some extra stuff, where's my--? Okay, and then I get an extra 2d6, so it's 2d6 for the weapon, plus it's 2d6, it's 8d6, I believe. Is that right?
TRAVIS: Sounds like it.
TALIESIN: 4d6 double, yeah, because it's 4d6 double. (laughter)
ROBBIE: In Chet voice.
TRAVIS: I want to believe it.
TALIESIN: So that's 10. 16. Oh, actually, I'm going to reroll that one. I don't like it. 10, 15, 19, I can do that.
SAM: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Both ones, rerolling. That was a--
TRAVIS: 16.
TALIESIN: -- 19. That's 27.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: And-- 27. That's 35 points of damage from the weapon, and then all creatures who are, yeah, that's right, all creatures have advantage on it 'til my next turn.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: I'm seeing if there's anything else that I get out of that, just to check. Sorry, I know you're about to fuck with me.
TRAVIS: I don't like it. (chuckling)
TRAVIS: We're in tune after all these years.
TALIESIN: I think that's everything?
TRAVIS: You ever seen a fisherman when he looks over the water?
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Yeah, double checking, but I think that's everything.
TRAVIS: One of you bitches is lunch.
LIAM: Shotgun over a barrel of fish.
TALIESIN: Yeah, am I missing any other--
MATT: That's 34 points of damage in the attack?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: All right, that's your first attack, you have your second attack.
TALIESIN: Yeah, got my second attack. Not--
MATT: Not at advantage.
TALIESIN: Not advantage, all right, here we go. 13, 14, 15, 16. 16, 26, 30 to hit.
MATT: 30 to hit, that hits, yeah.
TALIESIN: Oh, I forgot there also is 14 more damage to that first attack.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
MATT: Any additional bonus?
TALIESIN: That's my normal damage.
MATT: Yeah, I was like, this should be higher than that.
ROBBIE: Is he still rolling dice?
TALIESIN: Yeah, not doubled.
MARISHA: I have no idea.
TRAVIS: He gets a second attack.
ROBBIE: That sounds like a lot.
TALIESIN: That's eight--
LIAM: It's been a couple years and we're still not sure.
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: 12.
ROBBIE: Does a lot of damage.
MARISHA: How does his character work?
TALIESIN: 22 points of damage.
MARISHA: No one knows.
MATT: Got it.
TALIESIN: On that attack.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: He's got up Pinterest.
TALIESIN: Thwap, thwap.
MATT: So you leap, wham! A heavy hit that cracks the front of its knee and shin area.
ASHLEY: Ooh.
MATT: You can see the crystals cracking upward.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: A heavy impact. Second blow strikes and part of it flakes off and scatters to the ground.
ASHLEY: Great, great.
MATT: It's taking some hits.
ASHLEY: Ow. All right, all right, all right.
TRAVIS: Do the shins still look the same, or is it revealing anything underneath it where it's damaged?
MATT: I mean, it's the musculature of Predathos. At the end of your turn, it's going to you use two last legendary actions to use the special attack Cerebral Shock Blight.
TRAVIS: What?
MATT: I'm sorry, this is Telekinetic Evisceration.
TRAVIS: Telekinetic Evisceration?!
MARISHA: Evisceration?
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: It's going to use this on you, Chetney.
TRAVIS: Why?! (laughter)
TRAVIS: I'm hanging out in the back!
TALIESIN: Travis, it's what I would do.
TRAVIS: I'm down by the cankle, just leave me alone. (laughter)
TALIESIN: What happened to your face, though, man?
MATT: Make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
TRAVIS: But I don't want to!
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: Advantage.
TRAVIS: Advantage, advantage.
LIAM: Do we still have disadvantage whammy on us all?
ASHLEY: Why?!
MATT: No, that's passed.
LIAM: That faded for the moment.
TRAVIS: Oh god, this is terrible! Seven.
LAURA: No!
MARISHA and ASHLEY: No!
TRAVIS: Four and a five.
ASHLEY: Oh!
ROBBIE: Telekinetic Evisceration.
LAURA: Baby.
ROBBIE: It's not real.
ASHLEY: Chet!
TRAVIS: Ankle.
MATT: You take 48 points of psychic damage.
ASHLEY: Oh!
LAURA: Oh fuck!
TRAVIS: (howling) Ow!
MATT: As you feel your body lift up in the air, and suddenly the rest of you watch as a bunch of these psychic blades just (stabbing) pierce into your body and your mind and you feel like from the inside out you're being pulled apart for a moment before you are telekinetically thrust 30 feet away.
TRAVIS: Oh!
LAURA: My god.
LIAM: Mind bullets.
ROBBIE: 30 feet?
TRAVIS: Mind bullets! (laughter)
TRAVIS: Damn! Matt!
TALIESIN: Damn.
TRAVIS: No! I worked so hard to get back there!
MATT: I know. That finishes Ashton's go.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LIAM: Oh boy.
TRAVIS: I fall to the ground and I'm like that dog in the video that's running in its sleep.
ASHLEY: Oh.
MARISHA: Oh.
TRAVIS: (dog yelps)
ASHLEY: Oh no.
MATT: All right, Imogen, you're up.
LIAM: One of your intestines hanging out.
TRAVIS: Yep.
MATT: You now sit in this dark space with the strange, barely-hanging specter of one of the fallen gods, Vordo. What would you like to do? You see that one little burning flame within that when you acknowledged it, the tiniest flicker of its essence that still sits.
LAURA: Okay. We need to get out of here. We need to break free. Help me. Join me.
MATT: Make an insight check.
LIAM: Come on.
MARISHA: Come on, girl.
LIAM: Level up, level up.
LAURA: (chuckles) (blows raspberry) 10.
MARISHA: Why?
LAURA: 18. (laughter)
MATT: Best you can tell is there's nothing there.
ASHLEY: Ugh.
LIAM: Oh.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: It's been fed nearly clean, and right now, what remains is just empowering the entity that's now part of you.
LAURA: It's empowering--
ASHLEY: Give him some pocket bacon.
LAURA: Well, my fear is that if I do anything, it's going to make Predathos stronger if this creature is still feeding Predathos, right?
MATT: Could be.
TRAVIS: Unless you're now in the jellyfish tentacles, too.
LAURA: Right.
ROBBIE: Slowly digested over a thousand years--
TRAVIS: Yep.
ROBBIE: -- in the belly of a star.
MARISHA: It's like a black hole slowly siphoning a star.
TALIESIN: Okay.
TRAVIS: Do you want to loot the god corpse? (laughter)
TALIESIN: I mean--
TRAVIS: Does it have any platinum on it?
LAURA: Gods feed off of praise, right? Of worship.
MATT: I mean, yeah. No one knows this exists anymore and what's there is gone.
LAURA: Right.
MATT: It is like-- The best I can describe is it is the corpse of a god that's just enough there that it's still part of the entity.
ASHLEY: Ooh.
LAURA: Okay. (sighs) I read about you. You're not forgotten.
MATT: It's just drifting.
LAURA: I'll get out of here and I'll follow you, Vordo, the Golden Weaver. Fate answers to you.
MATT: The best way I can describe what you sense is that fate does not belong to this.
LAURA: Fuck.
MATT: Fate has been passed on to another entity.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thinking about that, I think about the golden threads and the Matron, and I remember the golden threads that connected all of us when we were in the presence of the Matron and I'm going to focus on those golden threads, the golden threads that tied me to Laudna and the rest of the Bells Hells, the strong threads. Can I focus on that to try to pull me back to them?
MATT: Roll and add your charisma.
ASHLEY: Come on, come on, come on.
MARISHA: You're charismatic as fuck.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Come on.
ROBBIE and LIAM: (yell)
LAURA: 15! [loud clunk]
MATT: 15?
TRAVIS: (yells)
MATT: 15's not terrible.
TRAVIS: That ended up in your coffee.
MATT: You focus on the golden threads and as you try and concentrate, it's hard to make out a different shade of gold amongst this weird spectral firelight that is this constellation remnants of a long-dead god.
LAURA: I remember Laudna's was silver, though.
MATT: Your friends are too far for you to reach.
MARISHA: Fucking hell.
MATT: But as you concentrate, you can see the faintest bit of a thread connected to that single flame that burns inside. The faintest little remnants of what holds it to this realm. It's there before you, ready to be plucked.
LAURA: I pluck it.
MATT: How do you pluck it?
SAM: How do you want to pluck this?
MARISHA and SAM: (laugh)
LIAM: (gentle honk)
LAURA: (laughs) I'm going to reach out and touch it and send a Shocking Grasp along it.
MATT: As you concentrate on it, you feel an element of that hunger, that impossible empty need to feed that you've only experienced in the times that you've connected with Predathos, and now since you are within it. As you release that essence of your gifted ability, that hunger extends along the thread as you watch it turn to a sparking blue. You extend your essence, and like a hand grasping and snuffing a candle, you grab that final flicker of its golden flame, and swallow it.
LAURA: (gasps)
MATT: You watch as the remnants, the last gasping breath of the essence of the devoured god scatters to shadow-- (surprised gasping)
MATT: -- and is gone.
SAM: You just ate a god.
LAURA: I ate a god.
TALIESIN: Yeah!
LAURA: I ate a god within a god.
LIAM: It's like a nesting doll.
MATT: The rest of you immediately watch as within the crystal of its body, that golden glow emanates and then seems to vanish. You watch the crystals crack all across the body a little bit, the very essence of its physical form begins to shatter from the inside. It now no longer has use of those abilities.
LAURA: (gasps)
TRAVIS: Oh, damn!
ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
LAURA: In the last moment after that happened, I'm going to shift my head over to the other light blinking in the distance.
MATT: You also gain 40 temporary hit points. (cheering)
ASHLEY: Yes!
TRAVIS: He was on fumes!
LAURA: On top of my other temp hit points or that cancels out my other temp hit points?
MATT: That basically circumvents it, so you just have 40 temporary hit points.
MARISHA: Is it good?
ROBBIE and LAURA: I don't know.
ROBBIE: It feels like a forbidden fruit.
TRAVIS: Sometimes you drink the blood of the vampire.
MATT: That's going to finish your turn, I think.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
MATT: All right, Chetney, you're up.
TRAVIS: What do you mean I'm up?! (laughter) I just want to stay down and play dead! (laughter) I'm fucked over here; what'd you do this to me for?! I stand up, use half my movement.
MATT: Well, you weren't knocked prone, you just got pushed back.
TRAVIS: Are you sure?
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: Did you take bludgeoning damage when you got flung 30 feet?
TRAVIS: Why would you ask? No, I took 40--
MATT: No, it pushed him back. Narratively, he got flung, but he wasn't thrown in the air.
LAURA: Got it, got it, got it.
TRAVIS: Okay. All right.
LIAM: Unless...
TRAVIS: I'm on my feet, I skated back like a fucking badass.
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Okay, cool. "Dragon Ball Z." I'll run forward 40 feet.
MATT: 40 feet.
TALIESIN: (quick footsteps)
TRAVIS: ♪ (hums "William Tell Overture Finale") ♪
ASHLEY: (hums "Dueling Banjos")
MATT: 40 feet will get you almost into melee.
TRAVIS: Almost into melee. Almost.
MATT: Well, let's see, if it pushed you back 30 feet and it got pushed back 10 feet from you and you're in melee. So no, actually you would've be, it would be just enough to get into. I actually pushed you back a little bit too far.
TRAVIS: Well, that's good.
MATT: So you actually do manage to catch up with it.
TRAVIS: Okay.
TALIESIN: Yeah, it was only 10 feet.
TRAVIS: I'll take it. I'll take two swings with Turmoil.
MATT: Let's go.
TRAVIS: That'll be great. All right. Ah! That was unintentional. 17 plus nine, 26.
MATT: 26 hits.
TRAVIS: Second one. Ugh, no, that's a 16. 16.
TRAVIS: 16 misses, right?
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Okay. Three. Oh, can I say with my bonus action, I'll drag the scythe up my leg and cast a Crimson Rite on it.
MATT: Sure. You got it.
TRAVIS: It will do six points of lightning damage.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Okay. Five, 10. 10 plus six is 16. Plus six. 22 points of damage, six of which are lightning.
MATT: You got it. All right. Okay, so the strike comes in from the side, (blow thudding) digs into it. The echo emanates from where the blade sticks into the glass exterior of its bottom part. It's looking pretty hurt, you're starting to see some wear and tear on this form. The glass overall in its body and parts of its the wounds are, you can see, the striations of interior muscle glowing with its psychic power.
TRAVIS: Ah. Then all that time ago when I had my Sherlock Holmes vision. (laughs) Now that I've damaged it, I'll use Brand of Castigation now.
MATT: You got it. Now the shattered glass bits sink into where you struck it and form that glyph of hemocraft upon its body.
TRAVIS: Amazing.
MATT: All righty.
TRAVIS: That's it.
MATT: I finishes your go.
TRAVIS: Thank you, sir.
MATT: Braius, you're up, with Fearne on deck.
SAM: Do I have enough movement to get up next to them or will I be behind them?
MATT: What's your movement?
SAM: 30.
MATT: Unfortunately, I don't think you have the movement to get there. Yeah, you get up to here.
SAM: (growls) Okay.
MATT: If that's what you want to do.
SAM: Yeah, I think so.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Then I will use bonus action to Misty Step the rest of the way, to get between Laudna--
LAURA: Bless you.
SAM: -- and Wolf Chetney.
TRAVIS: Stop it!
MATT: Between Laudna and Wolf Chetney? Like there?
SAM: Then I will, as my action, I will cast Thunderwave--
TRAVIS: Thunderwave! Thunder damage.
SAM: -- at... 4th-level.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Right?
MATT: Constitution save?
SAM: Right, yeah. Yeah. It is, where is it? I never have cast this spell before in my life. Constitution 18.
MATT: 24. So it succeeds.
SAM: Damn.
MATT: It's okay, it would take half damage, but it takes full damage because of its vulnerability.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: So roll the damage.
SAM: So that's-- It's 2d8, 3d8, 4d8, 5d8?
MATT: Correct.
SAM: Okay, great.
TRAVIS: Matt-tew.
MATT: Yes?
TRAVIS: Turmoil does thunder damage, which I forgot to roll. Rolled a d8, it's a three. So six?
MATT: So six, more. I got it.
TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SAM: 23 points of damage.
MATT: 23 points of thunder damage, you got it.
SAM: Thunder damage. And, oh, it succeeded so it doesn't get pushed back.
MATT: Correct.
SAM: Darn it. That's my only move.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: That's it.
MATT: All right, that finishes your go, Braius. Fearne, you're up, with Dorian on deck.
ASHLEY: All right, all right, all right. All right. So what I'm going to do is, is I'm going to Flaming Marisha Rays. (chuckling)
ASHLEY: Shoot it up, shoot them up at the-- I'm going to try to get rid of more of the crystal and expose more of our beautiful woman.
MARISHA: Do they take the shape of this?
ASHLEY: Yes, flaming manta rays.
MARISHA: Flaming Marisha manta rays.
ASHLEY: I get an extra d8 from my form and from Mister, so two extra d8. Okay, so we've got three. Three.
MARISHA: Really good. I know.
ASHLEY: Do I have advantage?
MATT: I don't think so.
ASHLEY: I don't know why I thought that.
MATT: Well, these are ranged attacks, right?
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: You are right next to it because you're grabbing its leg. These would be a disadvantage technically because it's ranged attacks.
TALIESIN: Is she within 10 feet of me?
MATT: Because you're grabbing on its foot. Technically, I'll say yes because the mini makes it look taller than it is.
ASHLEY: Can I just let go of the leg?
MATT: You can, if you want to step out of it. I mean, its attack range is larger than five feet. So you can move back and still be in its melee range, so you can do that.
ASHLEY: Okay. All right, I'll do that.
TALIESIN: You get a d4 to add to your attack.
ASHLEY: Great. Okay.
MATT: So you would step back.
ASHLEY: So I will do-- Okay, so number one.
LAURA: Plus a d4.
ASHLEY: 19 plus d4.
MATT: Well, technically you're still in melee with it. Because it's ranged, so if you want to try and step out of its melee range to not take disadvantage on your strikes you can, but it will get an of attack opportunity on you. Or you can take a disadvantage on your attacks.
SAM: These are the tough choices in life.
MARISHA: It's very tough.
ASHLEY: I'll take it.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: The attack?
LAURA: You going to take the disadvantage or you take the attack?
ASHLEY: I will take the attack, which might be--
MATT: I rolled really badly. 17?
ASHLEY: That just hits.
MATT: Okay, so it still hits you.
TRAVIS: You fucked it up.
ASHLEY: I did. I did. I did.
TALIESIN: You still take the negative d4 from the Hex?
MATT: Oh, from Bane, that's right. Bane reduces it. Well, did you maintain concentration from the fast strike last time it hit you?
MARISHA: Let's find out. What do I got-- It's got to be like?
LAURA: 40 points.
MARISHA: I did not.
LAURA: Aw, fuck.
MATT: The Bane does not change it. So it is no longer Baned. And, so you still take the damage from that. Okay, we're getting all this figured out in order of operations. All right, so that.
MARISHA: (unhappy grumbling)
LIAM: (like Bane) You'll miss me when I'm gone.
SAM: Who's this guy?
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: (laughs)
SAM: There's just some guy over here. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Who is that guy?
TRAVIS: The door was open. I just--
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs) (laughter)
ASHLEY: I just came in here.
ROBBIE: Oh! Whoa! I don't know...
SAM: Is this the bathroom?
MARISHA: I was looking for a bathroom.
MARISHA and ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: So Fearne, you take 22 points of slashing damage as you push out of its combat range.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Its claws just (slash).
ASHLEY: All right. Okay. So the first hit would be 20.
MATT: 20? Misses.
LAURA: (groans)
ASHLEY: Shit. All right.
LIAM: We're creating dungeons. Get him out of there!
ASHLEY: Second hit.
TALIESIN: That was with a d4?
ASHLEY: That was with a d4.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: God damn.
ASHLEY: Do I do d4s for all of them?
TALIESIN: Yep. Every attack gets a d4.
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: Every save and every attack.
ASHLEY: Okay, that'll probably hit.
MATT: Did you add a d4 to the first one?
ASHLEY: Yeah, I did. Yeah.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: So that one's 31.
MATT: That hits.
ASHLEY: Okay. That's not going to hit. 16.
MATT: No.
ASHLEY: Okay, so one of them hits. So that's 2d6.
MATT: Plus your 1d8 fire, right?
ASHLEY: And an extra one because of Enhanced Bond.
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: All right.
TALIESIN: Oh, all attacks would've had advantage because I critted. Shit.
MATT: Keep that in mind.
TALIESIN: Yeah, shit.
MATT: All attacks in general?
TALIESIN: I think so. Hold on.
LAURA: So you would've rolled with advantage for all three of those?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: We'll see.
LIAM: Now he's on Etsy.
LAURA and SAM: (laugh)
TALIESIN: Yeah, "All attack rolls against the creature are made with advantage until the start of my next turn."
MATT: Okay, so you have advantage, actually.
ASHLEY: Okay, so then we'll say first hit.
MATT: First hit.
ASHLEY: 16.
MATT: Right.
ASHLEY: Points of damage.
MATT: Well, you've rolled three attacks, right?
ASHLEY: I rolled three attacks.
MATT: 16 points of damage. All righty.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: First one hit, and so now roll a second dice and if this one does hit, then the second attack would hit. You have one more to roll after that.
ASHLEY: Okay. Plus a d4. Okay. 14 plus 11, which is 25.
SAM: That's good.
MATT: That hits. So roll one more with advantage. So that's the second one you'll do damage for.
ASHLEY: 19, 22.
MATT: 22 just hits.
ASHLEY: Okay!
TALIESIN: Hey! Good to know.
ROBBIE: Wow!
LAURA: Roll again in case you crit. Roll again in case you crit.
ASHLEY: Oh, roll again in case I crit? Okay.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: No.
LAURA: Okay.
ASHLEY: No, okay. Okay, okay.
MATT: Okay, so roll the damage for two more.
ASHLEY: Two more. Okay. I add the d8s for both or it's just one additional d8?
MATT: Well, how is it described on each?
ASHLEY: Okay, let's see. So, der, der, der, der, der. "Whenever a creature hit..." No, that's not it. "Whenever you cast a spell or hit with an attack that deals damage, you choose to deal an additional 1d8 fire damage."
LAURA: Okay, so that means--
MATT: Yeah, so you would do additional d8 on the spell. So not for each hit.
ASHLEY: Okay. So we already did the 1d8.
MATT: Correct.
ASHLEY: Then for Enhanced Bond.
TRAVIS: Enhanced Bond.
SAM and ASHLEY: Enhanced Bond.
TALIESIN: Bond.
ASHLEY: "Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage or restores hit points while your wildfire spirit is summoned, roll a d8." So I would roll an additional d8 then.
MATT: I'm sorry. Whenever you cast a spell, it said?
ASHLEY: "Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage."
LAURA: Oh, so it would only be one additional.
MATT: It would only be one. Yeah.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: So roll the extra 4d6.
ASHLEY: So just 2d6. 4d6. Okay. All right, so we've got an additional eight and (grimaces) four.
MATT: Okay, so another 12 points of fire damage. (blasts firing) Blasting it with flame blasts as the streaking columns of fire burning across it with each hit.
ASHLEY: I guess bonus action, I'm going to scream out: Imogen, Laudna's hurt!
MATT: Okay. You spent your action to cast the spell, so you scream this out into the ether. Hopefully it finds purchase. You're uncertain.
ASHLEY: I should have done that.
LAURA: No, no, no, it's fine.
MATT: It's all good. So--
TALIESIN: No, no.
ASHLEY: Should've done that first.
MATT: It is Mister's turn.
ASHLEY: Well, I was just going to do that as my bonus instead of--
LAURA: Oh!
ASHLEY: -- having Mister do something.
SAM: Instead of Misters.
LAURA: Oh, that's instead--
MATT: Oh, I see.
LAURA: -- of Mister attacking.
MATT: Well, I'll say, it wouldn't waste a bonus action, because it was an action to actually try and formally reach out, so I'll let you still have your bonus.
ASHLEY: Okay. All right.
MATT: That doesn't count.
ASHLEY: So Mister's going to take a flaming shit. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Oh, I think that's going to hit.
LAURA: Yeah, that did hit.
LAURA and LIAM: (laugh)
ASHLEY: That's a good boy!
LIAM: It's a big one.
LAURA: That's a big poop.
ASHLEY: Him did a 25 to hit.
MATT: That'll do! Roll some damage.
ASHLEY: Oh ho ho! That's a big old poo poo. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Okay.
LIAM: Play-Doh Fun Factor.
ASHLEY: Ooh! Good boy! He rolled a six. Okay, six, 11 points of fire damage.
MATT: All righty.
LAURA: He did almost as much fire damage as you. (laughter) (laughter)
ASHLEY: Good boy!
MATT: Awesome. (monkey hoots) (flinging)
ASHLEY: Yeah, you got it.
MATT: And goes, (whimpers), and hides off to the side of you.
TALIESIN: Fair.
ASHLEY: He has a little bit of diarrhea because he's scared.
LAURA: He has his little teeny-weeny gun.
MATT: Yep.
MARISHA: Oh, the gun!
MATT: All right, finishing Fearne's go.
ASHLEY: He's got the squirts.
MATT: Dorian, you're up, with Orym on deck.
TALIESIN: Again, advantage, which I, yeah, totally forgot.
MARISHA: So is that advantage all round?
LAURA: That's right, 'til he goes.
TALIESIN: Yeah, 'til the end of Predathos' round.
ASHLEY: Predathos.
TALIESIN: So you also have advantage on attacks, and if you're anywhere near me, you also get a d4.
ROBBIE: All right. I'm going to reposition, fly straight in front of Predathos-Imogen, right down the pipe. Why fix what ain't broke? I'm going to cast Shatter again, but this time at 4th-level.
MARISHA: Yes! Yes!
TRAVIS: Yes, yes, yes!
ROBBIE: I don't know if I clocked this before if it matters, but a creature made of an inorganic material such as stone, crystal, or metal has disadvantage on the saving throws. How much made of stuff are they?
MARISHA: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
MATT: I think at this point enough to make it disadvantage on that saving throw.
ROBBIE: Okay. Cool.
SAM: All right! Do it.
ROBBIE: So it'll be 16 con to save.
MATT: Okay. Oh no, a natural six and a natural two.
ROBBIE: Cool.
MATT: Even with his, (laughs) his bonus, even with this bonus it would be a 15.
MARISHA: Oh!
ROBBIE: Sweet, sweet.
MATT: That's a failure.
ROBBIE: Yeah, that's good. Okay, so we'll roll good. So that's 5d8.
LAURA: Yee!
ROBBIE: Not bad.
MATT: It's going to use its second legendary resistance-- (groaning)
MATT: -- to reduce that damage.
SAM: No, it still takes half damage, right?
MATT: That would've been a lot of damage at that level.
ROBBIE: 19.
MATT: 19.
ROBBIE: Is what I rolled.
MATT: Is what you rolled?
ROBBIE: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
MATT: Okay, yeah. So that would be 19 total reduced to half but then full, so 19 points of thunder damage. Okay.
ROBBIE and MARISHA: Okay.
TRAVIS: Matt has a checklist.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: All righty.
TALIESIN: Good, good, good. Burn another.
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yep.
MATT: Impacts blast into it. You can see parts of the body are starting to break as it moves and the crystals starting to fall off and heavy shards scattering to the ground, a terrifying crystal rain to those that are settled around its base. Finish your turn, Dorian? Bonus action? You good?
ROBBIE: Where are you at, Chet? Are you smudged up there?
TRAVIS: I'm up there, dog.
ROBBIE: Okay, yeah.
TRAVIS: -- left foot. (laughter)
ROBBIE: You're all dinged up. I was like--
TRAVIS: I'm next to Braius.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Chet, keep smashing, dude! Get him. You go, good boy! I'll get him inspiration. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
TRAVIS: My tail starts wagging. (laughter)
TRAVIS: 12.
ROBBIE: 12.
TRAVIS: Oh, a 12, dang! Okay.
ROBBIE: That's it for me.
MATT: Okay. Finishing your go, Dorian. Orym, you're up.
LIAM: Do I have advantage still from your feature?
TALIESIN: Yes, you do.
LIAM: Okay, so Orym flips around Seedling in his hand and presses the hilt against the back of this creature's neck, and his fingers splay wide. Come on, Imogen. Come on! Small black blooms spread out from his hand and little dark tendrils through the crystal wrap around this creature's neck as I cast Hex.
ROBBIE: Mm!
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: Then I grip the blade and start slashing at the back of her neck.
TRAVIS: Yes! Let's go!
MATT: You got it.
SAM: Kill her!
LIAM: Shitty roll to start.
SAM: Kill her!
LIAM: That is a--
SAM: Kill Imogen.
ROBBIE and LAURA: (laugh)
LIAM: -- 19 is the first.
MATT: 19 fails.
LIAM: Fails.
MATT: That was with advantage, right?
LIAM: Yes.
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: Next one is a is a crit, natural 20.
SAM: Woo!
MATT: Let's go.
TRAVIS: (impressed whistle)
ROBBIE: There it is.
LAURA: Okay. Okay, okay, okay.
TRAVIS: Why so casual?
MARISHA and LAURA: I know.
MARISHA: So stressed.
LIAM: Six, and we'll make this a goading attack. So that's doubled, so that's eight.
MATT: Natural 19, so it succeeds.
LIAM: Eight-- That's fine. Eight plus four is 12 for the superiority. 12 plus nine is 21.
MATT and LAURA: 21.
LIAM: 21 for the first slash.
MATT: That was double with the crit?
LIAM: The dice. I doubled the dice, and then added, so yes.
MATT: So 21. All right.
LIAM: Yes. Oh, I didn't add the Hex.
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: Additional 10.
MATT: Great! So 31 points of damage in that strike.
LIAM: Okay. That was the second slash. Third. It misses. Action Surge.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: Definitely hits. 30. 31. We'll make it a Goading attack.
LAURA: (chuckles)
LIAM: 14 plus the superiority die. 14, 17 for the fourth slash.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: Just chipping away at the back of the neck.
TRAVIS: Let's go!
LIAM: Higher still. 26 for that one.
MATT: That'll hit. Roll damage. Let's go.
LIAM: Did you roll for a Goading attack on that?
MATT: That one would be 20.
LIAM: 20. Okay. I keep going anyway. So that hits. I didn't roll the Hex on the last one again, so another four points from the Hex. So then, this is the next attack. That's six plus nine is 15. Goading attack.
MATT: All right.
LIAM: Superiority die. 17 for that slash.
MATT: You got it.
LIAM: Then, I think I have one last slash left?
MATT: Natural 18.
LAURA: (groans)
LIAM: Goddamn it! Hits. That's a 26 to hit.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: I'm going to say-- No, I'm going to-- I lost track of my superiority die. I'm just going to do a regular attack. So that is 14.
MATT: 14 damage.
LAURA: Did you do the Hex?
LIAM: Nope.
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: Another three.
MATT: All right. 17. Got it. So (whooshes) you guys are hearing these heavy strikes, these rapid blasts of Seedling tearing through the back of the Predathos form. You watch as crystals and bits of flesh are raining below and it starts reeling back a bit, and as the Imogen mouth opens, the jaw seems to almost descended, like it had disconnected and (screeches) You feel that static of the room get (whooshes) heavier and heavier still as it's looking like it's sustained some hits.
SAM: Yes!
MATT: That finishes your go, Orym? Brings us back to initiative 20. Okay.
TALIESIN: Okay.
MATT: The crystals within lose their teal color and instead, a dark black inky coloration starts to (whooshes) spill within the inside of its form. The glowing psychic eyes now shift to a black void, and you feel the chamber itself drops 20 degrees in an instant.
ASHLEY: Ooh!
ROBBIE: Oh! Wait!
LAURA: Wait! Wait!
ROBBIE: Wait!
MATT: So first, it gets its legendary actions back.
ROBBIE: What if we pull-- You.
MATT: It cannot do its multiattack because of what you did last turn.
TALIESIN: Yep, that's true.
MATT: Well, no, because they did that during last turn, so--
TALIESIN: No, it's to the end of this turn.
MATT: The end of this turn? Okay, got you.
TALIESIN: So still can't do it.
MATT: Okay. So.
TALIESIN: That's half speed still.
MATT: Okay. So instead of that, it's going to use Chasm of Eager Darkness.
LAURA: What the fuck? (laughter)
MATT: Actually, before it does that, it's going to bonus action Telekinetic Vacuum on you. Make a strength saving throw for me, Orym.
LIAM: Okay. Okay. That's not great. That's a 13.
MATT: That's a failure. After all the strikes in its back, one of its hands rises up and seems to almost pluck something from the air, and as it does, you all watch Orym (whoosh) get yanked and held in the air, and it flings him psychically. (dismayed exclamation)
LIAM: Ketchup packet.
LAURA: Into a wall.
LIAM: Splat!
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: It's going to throw you. It can do-- Yep, 60 feet in a direction of its choice. It's going to throw you 60 feet up this way.
TRAVIS: (astonished exclamation)
MATT: At the angle, it's going to be an additional 40. So that's 80 feet you fall.
MARISHA: Feather Fall! Feather Fall! Feather Fall! Feather Fall!
MATT: Did you use your reaction?
MARISHA: It's been a round.
MATT: It has been a round. You're right.
SAM: ♪ It's been a round ♪
TRAVIS: Wow!
ROBBIE: Nice.
MATT: Gently crest to the ground.
MARISHA: Oh!
TALIESIN: Oh!
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Wow!
MARISHA: I was saving it. I was saving it.
TRAVIS: (exclamation)
LIAM: Flung into the roof, though, before the Feather Fall?
LAURA: Or just high?
LIAM: Or I just get 'ported?
MATT: It goes and throws you at an angle where you're going to get close to the ceiling, but not quite there.
LIAM: Okay.
MATT: Then, you were going to plummet the rest of the way for a full 80 feet before she Feather Falls you.
LIAM: Okay.
TRAVIS: Good god!
MATT: Now, it's going to go ahead and use Chasm of Eager Darkness.
TRAVIS: Magic's real good, y'all.
LIAM: I just float past your giant face.
TALIESIN: Counterspell.
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: Chasm of what?
ROBBIE: Eager Darkness.
LAURA: Eager Darkness. Just don't worry about it.
ROBBIE: It's like regular darkness, but like--
LAURA: It's eager.
SAM: It wants it more.
TRAVIS: ♪ Of eager darkness ♪
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's still hungry. It's still young and hungry.
LIAM: ♪ Like a rock ♪
LAURA: It's Chasm of Eager Darknessing you.
MATT: That is--
ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
SAM: Everybody.
MARISHA: Okay.
TALIESIN: ♪ Everybody ♪
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: That is most everybody, yeah.
LIAM: Everybody in the way of getting.
ASHLEY: But I'm on fire, and I emit 30 feet of bright light.
SAM: (laughs)
MATT: Yes, you do. I need all of you to make a constitution saving throw for me, please.
SAM: Everyone--
MARISHA: All of us?
SAM: Everyone near me gets plus four.
TALIESIN: Everyone near me also gets a d4.
SAM: So that's Fearne.
ASHLEY: Plus four?
LIAM: 10 feet?
LAURA: Plus four and a d4.
SAM: 10 feet.
TRAVIS: Constitution saving throw.
MATT: Correct.
SAM: So Ashton, Fearne, Chetney, Laudna.
LAURA: So, but they--
ASHLEY: We get a d4?
LAURA: And plus four.
SAM: You get a plus four.
TALIESIN: And a d4 if you're within 10 feet of me.
ASHLEY: Ooh!
SAM: Oh, great!
TRAVIS: Plus four or d4?
LAURA: Great!
SAM: Plus four from me.
MARISHA: Plus four for you, and then what, Ashton?
TALIESIN: Then, if you're within 10 feet, a d4 added to that as well.
MATT: All right.
SAM: Is this a constitution save?
MATT: Correct.
MARISHA: Hang on.
SAM: That's 10, 20.
TALIESIN: Oh wow! Yeah!
MATT: You watch as the open, distended jaw of Imogen-Predathos opens wide, and out of it this black, swirling, dark void (whooshes) seems to encompass and swallow the space around you to where you can see nearly nothing.
TRAVIS: Am I close enough to you, Ashton?
TALIESIN: Yes.
TRAVIS: I am?
SAM: Ashton? I don't know. That's up to Matt. Is he within 10 feet of Ashton?
MATT: You--
TALIESIN: You look like it.
MATT: You're just on the cusp, I'd say.
TRAVIS: 21 without Ashton's d4.
MATT: 21 succeeds! So you take 24 points of cold damage--
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MATT: -- and you are not blinded.
TRAVIS: And I'm not blinded?
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Oh!
MARISHA: 31.
LAURA: Yes!
MATT: You take the same. 24 points of cold damage, and you are not blinded.
ROBBIE: 19, with no boons.
MATT: You take 49 points of cold damage.
ASHLEY: Oh! Oh!
ROBBIE: That's chilly!
MATT: And you are blinded until the end of Predathos' next turn.
ROBBIE: What?!
LAURA: Oh fuck!
MATT: Braius?
SAM: 13.
MATT: You take 49 points of cold damage and you are blinded to the end of Predathos' next turn.
LAURA: Even with all those buffs, you still only had 13? Fuck!
SAM: I had four or something like that.
ASHLEY: 24.
MATT: 24. You take 24 points of cold damage and you are not blinded.
TRAVIS: Holy shit!
ASHLEY: Okay.
LIAM: Dirty 20.
MATT: Dirty 20.
SAM and ASHLEY: Dirty 20.
MATT: That just barely makes it. So you take 24 points of cold damage and you are not blinded.
LIAM: Halved to 12 because I'm invulnerable right now because of the potion.
MATT: Correct! Yeah.
LIAM: Okay.
TRAVIS: You guys!
MATT: All right, so that puts--
TRAVIS: Blood hunters, am I right?
LAURA: (laughs) You guys!
TALIESIN: Blood hunters, am I right? Am I right?
SAM: Wait, is that magic damage?
MATT: Correct.
SAM: Oh!
TALIESIN: Oh?
LAURA: Was that magic damage?
SAM: Everyone around me, including me, is resistant to spell damage.
MATT: It's not a spell.
SAM: Goddamn you! (laughter)
MATT: All right, so who did I say was blinded? It was Dorian, it was Braius.
TALIESIN: I assume I take 24 points of cold damage as well.
MATT: Because you rolled a--
TALIESIN: 29.
MATT: 29. Yeah.
TRAVIS: 24.
SAM: To get my bearings, I start reaching around like this.
MATT: So who is it? It's just the two of you that are blinded.
SAM: Yes.
MATT: Right? You all managed to succeed?
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: Okay, good.
ROBBIE: I'm okay. I'm okay.
SAM: Who?
MATT: All right.
ROBBIE: You and me?
SAM: Yeah.
MARISHA: Are people looking--
MATT: That's going to finish Predathos' turn.
ROBBIE: Leading each other.
MATT: It no longer has--
LAURA: You probably are the roughest.
MATT: -- the Slow on it from your reaction.
TALIESIN: That is correct.
LIAM: Dorian is flying blind?
MATT: Yeah, you're suddenly in darkness. You're floating in a void. You vaguely recall that-- The shadows for everyone else, the shadows fade as the jaw (crunching) clicks back into place and Braius and Dorian seem to be reaching out as their eyes are now black voids as well. With that, Laudna, you're up, with Ashton on deck.
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: You still have advantage.
LAURA: (laughs) So stupid.
SAM: (laughs) I'm just trying to find my way.
TALIESIN: And you still have a d4 and advantage.
TRAVIS: I don't know when it would be time, but you have the thing, and it's not trending. I mean--
MARISHA: It's not going good.
TRAVIS: -- Predathogen is looking rough, but not super rough.
MATT: Looking roughish, yeah.
MARISHA: Does it take an action to put on this mask?
TRAVIS: The Matron Mask?
MATT: Oh, it's a use items thing. If you want to, it would take part of an action, I'd say.
MARISHA: Is it time? Is it time?
LAURA: I don't know!
TALIESIN: Why are you asking us?!
TRAVIS: We don't know if it revivifies, saves. We don't know if it hurts. We don't know if it turns her into a 40-foot fucking Gundam. We don't know what it does.
MARISHA: Okay, I'm going to quicken a spell and I'm going to do Mirror Image on myself.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: (exhales)
MATT: Beginning of your turn, please make a wisdom saving throw.
MARISHA: Me?
LAURA: Because you're close.
MATT: Yep, for its Oppressive Awareness.
TALIESIN: Plus a d4.
MARISHA: Ooh.
TRAVIS: Impressive Awareness?
TRAVIS: Good rolls!
MARISHA: Good rolls!
SAM: Nice roll!
LAURA: (laughs)
MARISHA: Plus eight. So 26.
ASHLEY: Oh wow!
MATT: Yeah, you're not affected by it.
MARISHA: Okay. Okay.
MATT: Continues. Okay, so I'm going to put Mirror Image on myself and then confirm spells. Doo ba doo ba doo ba doo ba doo. Mirror Image. ♪ I'm burning through some ♪ fucking spell slots ♪
TALIESIN: Start. Boop. Okay.
ASHLEY: Quinoa.
MARISHA: Yeah, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it.
TRAVIS: (snorts)
MARISHA: Being hit so much and seeing everybody else take some pretty severe damage. Oh, I hope this isn't a mistake.
TRAVIS: There's no way to know. There's no way to know.
MARISHA: Laudna pulls out the Matron Mask.
MATT: Make a perception check for me real fast.
LAURA: Oh boy! Perception check?
ROBBIE: As soon as you pulled it out.
MARISHA: Why?
MATT: Make a perception check.
TRAVIS: Maybe it looks different because it's near its--
MATT: Just make a perception check.
MARISHA: It's bad. 10.
MATT: Okay. Continue your turn.
LAURA: Oh fuck!
ASHLEY: I wonder if it's bringing something back.
MARISHA: Am I in an aura or something?
SAM: I can't see you. (laughter)
MATT: I mean, the whole room feels that (buzzes) that oppressive buzzing of psychic presence pressure on your mind and consciousness. But nevertheless, continue with your turn.
MARISHA: I put it on.
MATT: Okay. You pull free the mask of the Matron of Ravens, looking down into the inside of it. You place it upon your face.
ROBBIE: (gasps)
MATT: Nothing happens.
LAURA: Ugh! She's not going to come because it's blocked.
MATT: You pull it away and look. It's not working. It's not working! It's not working. What do you want to do?
MARISHA: Fuck! Fuck! (wails) That was my action, right?
MATT: Well, that's part of the immediate scenario of trying it on.
MARISHA: I look up. Maybe I'm too close, so I'm going to move away.
SAM: Oh boy!
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: I know! I know! I know!
MATT: You back up a little bit.
TRAVIS: Should you stick it on her face?
MATT: As you glance at it, we'll say this uses your action to back away and glance at it. You notice the mask that you received was porcelain and perfect. This one has some odd minor imperfections on the inside.
LAURA: That motherfucker!
ASHLEY: You!
SAM: It's just business, guys.
LAURA: (indignant gasp) (shouting)
TRAVIS: You're not serious!
LIAM: (incredulous laughter)
TRAVIS: Right now?!
SAM: I'm a good painter.
LAURA: You!
ASHLEY: Oh, you little shit!
LAURA: You fucking dick!
MATT: And you are currently blind.
SAM: Yep.
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: I just--
TRAVIS: Is there a little signature?
MARISHA: Slow turn to Braius.
ASHLEY: Do any of us see this, if we're not blinded, or we're just in the dark?
MATT: No, the dark has faded. You see Laudna backing up. The mask did nothing, and she slow turns to Braius.
LAURA: (gasps)
SAM: Is anyone out there?
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: Why is everybody so quiet all of a sudden?
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Oh my god!
MARISHA: I'm going to put the mask back on my belt and do everything in my fucking power to hide my fury and distrust.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: He's in darkness, right?
MATT: No.
MARISHA: I can see. Oh, he's just blind.
MATT: No, the darkness faded, but his eyes are now black voids, and he cannot see.
MARISHA: Do I have enough time to, because I'm near him.
MATT: You're right next to him, yeah.
MARISHA: Do I see the Matron Mask on his person?
MATT: You can make an investigation check to see if you can try and find it on him.
MARISHA: You dick!
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Can I give her Guidance since I saw the exchange?
MATT: It's an action to cast Guidance.
ASHLEY: I know!
MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I'm just checking. See if you forgot.
LAURA: You could do it.
MARISHA: Use this one.
LAURA: You get a plus four because you're next to Braius.
MATT: Well, I guess here's my question--
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: Are you running up and searching him, or are you just looking at him?
MARISHA: I don't want to--
TRAVIS: (slashing)
MARISHA: Yeah. I don't want to alert him that I know something's up.
TALIESIN: Well, he is blind also.
MATT: Then, we'll make this a perception check to see if you can. Perception or investigation. I'll allow it for you.
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: This isn't to pull it off him. This is just doing--
MARISHA: Perception's better. Okay.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MARISHA: Yeah, that's good. 23.
MATT: Braius, if you wouldn't mind rolling a sleight of hand check for me.
SAM: Sure.
TRAVIS: (clucks)
MARISHA: You evil motherfucker!
SAM: Nine.
MATT: All right. Where is it hiding on your person?
SAM: It's on my belt, probably under some folds of draped, you know, awesome clothes that I have.
MATT: You see as he's shifting around, there's one part underneath his material and his armor that, about the size of a mask, that is holding against the rest of his adornments.
TRAVIS: (gleeful laughter)
MARISHA: I'm in my Form of Dread, so I go to crack my neck in fury, but my head just turns a little too far and goes (cracking)
MATT: This loud (cracking) snap sound echoes through the buzz.
SAM: What was that?
MARISHA: (growls) Is that it? That's my turn, I'm guessing?
MATT: You don't have a bonus action?
MARISHA: I bonus actioned to put Mirror Image.
MATT: That's right. You did Yeah. So you have movement.
MARISHA: No.
TRAVIS: Just stay right next to him.
MARISHA: 100%, yeah!
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: (pants) Is it--
SAM: I love that I don't know that this is happening.
MARISHA: No. (laughter)
SAM: To myself, I'm like: I've got them right where I want them. (laughter)
SAM: They don't fucking suspect a thing!
ASHLEY: You're saying it out loud and we're standing right next to you. (laughter)
MARISHA: Am I on the side of him where the mask is currently?
MATT: I'll say it's on the other side.
LAURA: Good thing all of us are blind.
MARISHA: Then, I don't want to break. Can I shift just to the other side?
MATT: You can move behind him. Yeah.
MARISHA: I don't want to break--
SAM: When I see the look on their faces!
MARISHA: I don't want to get hit.
MATT: No, you won't leave the melee range because it's a massive melee range.
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: Okay, so that finishes your turn.
LAURA: You asshole!
MATT: Ashton, you're up, with Imogen on deck.
TALIESIN: I assume I didn't notice any of this shit going on that's going on behind me.
MATT: I don't think so.
TALIESIN: Nah, yeah, I assumed so.
MATT: Yeah, your passive--
LIAM: Wait until they see how powerful I am.
MATT: Your passive perception is 11.
TALIESIN: Yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: All right, I'm going to--
SAM: Dorian's going to fall in love with me.
TALIESIN: So I'm going to try and take another flying leap and keep hitting exactly where I've been hitting before.
MATT: Go for it.
TALIESIN: I want to see if I can get this thing to fall. And my advantage is gone. I'm doing the math in my head. Is there anything negative that I'm taking right now? Or no. I'm straight up. There's no advantage.
MATT: Oh, at the start your turn, make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
TALIESIN: Oh, that's right. Wisdom. No advantage. Oh, yes, advantage. That's right.
TRAVIS: [inaudible] (laughter)
TALIESIN: Yay! 17, 18, 19, 20, 22.
MATT: 22. That's enough. You manage to resist the Oppressive Awareness and continue your turn as you please.
TALIESIN: Okay. There's no advantage anywhere. No, so I'm going to roll. I'm actually going to do, yeah, just going to take straight rolls like this for a moment. First attack. Nat 20.
TRAVIS: Oh! (cheering)
TRAVIS: That's your third one, man!
ROBBIE: Three!
LAURA: Good job, Ashton!
MATT: Dang!
ROBBIE: Wow!
TALIESIN: Okay. So that, again, is, and I'm going to put a Chaos Burst into that because that's fun.
TRAVIS: Save us!
TALIESIN: This is going to be another one. I can't find my pen.
LIAM: Blue balls of not knowing--
TALIESIN: There it is.
LIAM: -- what the mask does.
MARISHA: I know!
TALIESIN: Let's see what kind of damage I do. Come on, thunder! No, but that's okay. We're going to be doing poison damage, which will do what it does.
MARISHA: (laughs)
LIAM: Here we go.
TALIESIN: So that's 1d10. Well, let's start with then 2d10 poison damage. Where's my 10? There we are. That's going to be six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 points of poison damage.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Then, that's 4d6 times two, so that's--
MARISHA: Wow!
ROBBIE, ASHLEY, and LIAM: (like Owen Wilson) Wow!
TALIESIN: You fuckers! Shush! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Nine, 18.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Plus 16. Which I'm going to-- 18, 16--
MATT: So that'd be 34.
TALIESIN: 34? That's 11. So that's 34, 45.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
TALIESIN: Then, oh fuck! I have to reroll both of those. No better. It's the exact same roll. Plus three, plus 14. So--
MATT: Okay, so for the Brutal Critical, you're adding 1d6--
TALIESIN: So I get 2d6 from my normal attack.
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Then critical, add an extra 2d6 damage, and then I'll attack roll. Yeah, and so that's--
MATT: So it's 4d6--
TALIESIN: Times two.
MATT: Times two, yeah.
TALIESIN: Which-- that was 8d6 that I just rolled.
MATT: Right, so that doesn't get doubled then past that?
TALIESIN: No, everything is straight and then we just add after the three.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: We add 14.
MATT: So for a total of--
TALIESIN: Oh, Jesus Christ! I lost track, sorry. Three, 14. I know, this sucking-- Oh fuck! I lost two of them. I'm so sorry. 18, 16.
MATT: So it was 35.
TALIESIN: There's one I'm missing. 18, 16.
MATT: 34.
TALIESIN: I think there was a 14 in there. I think it was 18, 16, 14, three.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: I'll go with that.
TALIESIN: Three plus 14. So that's, oh my god! Four, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12. So that's 18.
LAURA: (chuckles)
TALIESIN: 18. 18. So that's 16. That's 26. 36, 46. Is that right? 66 points of damage? Plus the 10 from poison? Or the eight from poison?
LAURA: 66?
TALIESIN: Is that right? Yeah, I guess.
LAURA: From four attacks?
TALIESIN: That's 8d6.
LAURA: Oh yeah. I mean--
TALIESIN: Plus 14.
MATT: Well, now here's the thing. Because you rolled 2d6 and then 2d6.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: You doubled each of those?
TALIESIN: Yeah. Well, no. 2d6, 2d6, 2d6, 2d6. I just did, yeah, two, four, six, eight.
MATT: Right.
TALIESIN: So no double on any of this.
MATT: Right. But I'm saying, then how did you get 14 to 18 on 2d6?
TALIESIN: Oh. That's--
MATT: That's what I'm curious about.
TALIESIN: Okay. Something went wrong. Okay. Should I try this again?
LAURA: Start over.
MATT: Start over and re-roll it.
TALIESIN: That's because I was thinking. Okay, yeah. I'm so sorry.
MATT: Just roll the dice and we'll double the dice value.
MARISHA: It's because you were thinking about how we were being betrayed!
ASHLEY: Yes.
TALIESIN: That, too--
SAM: Is someone talking?
TALIESIN: The math is not happening in the head right now.
MATT: That's okay. We got you. So roll that.
TRAVIS: "Is someone talking?"
MATT: So that's--
MARISHA: Sorry!
TALIESIN: -- 10 doubled.
MATT: Right, so we'll say 10.
ASHLEY: Betrayus Doomseed.
MATT: Roll again.
ROBBIE: I couldn't even imagine.
TALIESIN: That's--
ROBBIE: It's wet!
SAM: Who said that?
MATT: 15.
TALIESIN: That's five. Yeah.
MATT: So that's 15. But that's all you roll. So it's 2d6 for your weapon, and then it's an extra what?
TALIESIN: It's 2d6, and then an extra 2d6.
MATT: Four.
TALIESIN: So that's so-- Four. Yeah, 4d6 was 15, just now.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: Right.
TALIESIN: So doubled.
MATT: Sorry, I'm trying to figure this out. So you have--
TALIESIN: I roll 4d6 for my weapon when I'm critting.
MATT: Right, for Brutal Critical.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Then, we double that.
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: So 30,
TALIESIN: So that's 30.
MATT: Right. 30.
TALIESIN: Then there was 2d10 poison damage.
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: Which was eight.
MATT: 10.
TALIESIN: Oh, it was 10. Thank you. That doesn't get doubled. That's just--
MATT: That does get doubled. It's all part of the same attack.
TALIESIN: No, I mean that was doubled.
MATT: That was doubled. Okay.
TALIESIN: Then, add 14.
MATT: Okay, got you.
TALIESIN: Thank you. Sorry.
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: So many dice in this attack.
SAM: Yeah, yeah.
LAURA: So that was 66.
SAM: 66?
LAURA: Oh, 54.
MATT: 54, yeah.
SAM: 54.
MATT: There we go. Cool. Just want to make sure we got through that. Cool. Thank you for that.
TALIESIN: Okay.
TALIESIN: The second attack. (laughter)
LAURA: Second attack!
SAM: Oh god! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Which now has advantage because every attack from now on has advantage.
SAM: We're going to go to break. (laughter)
LAURA: You got this!
TALIESIN: If I had been a little different, that would've been a critical, but it did well, so that's a hit. I rolled a 19, which is not quite a critical yet. Then, so that's 2d6 plus 14. That's really good! That's 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 25.
MATT: 25.
TALIESIN: Yeah. 15, 25.
MATT: All right. Two heavy, heavy strikes on Predathos' form. More of the crystals are breaking away, parts of the body are splitting, and you can see it has sustained some heavy damage. The entity itself is looking fairly ragged.
TALIESIN: Tiny chunks of glass are starting to come off my hammer as this crystal on crystal is not happy. (discontent murmuring)
TALIESIN: Weird little sparks are starting to fly.
MATT: All right, that finishes your turn?
TALIESIN: Yes, it does!
MATT: All right, end of its turn, it's going to spend two Legendary Actions to use Touch of Piercing Winter.
TALIESIN: Cool.
ASHLEY: Ooh!
TRAVIS: Touch of Piercing Winter!
MATT: It's going to use it on you.
TALIESIN: Yeah. No, yeah, really?
TRAVIS: TPW.
TALIESIN: Oh, I also assumed I would, not that it matters, but I was going to hop back into the group so that I'm still a d4 with everybody.
MATT: Okay, so you move back this way?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: You can tell how powerful attacks are by how many words are in them.
TALIESIN: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: That's how I operate. All right. So that will be... 25? That hits you, right?
TALIESIN: Yeah, that hits.
MATT: Okay. So you take--
LAURA: You took a little Touch of Piercing Winter there.
TALIESIN: Ow!
MATT: (laughs)
SAM: Just a touch.
TALIESIN: A smidge.
MATT: All right.
TALIESIN: Yeah, take it.
MATT: All right.
ROBBIE: (gasp-laughs)
LIAM: (gasps)
TALIESIN: Don't gasp! What the fuck, man?
MATT: 38 points of cold damage. I need you to make a constitution saving throw.
TRAVIS: Why? Why?
TALIESIN: Looking rough, kids.
SAM: Plus four.
ROBBIE: Oh really?
SAM: Plus four to your saving throw.
LAURA: That says something.
TALIESIN: There's no save for this. This is just a hit.
SAM: You just said a--
TALIESIN: Oh yeah. Plus four to my saving throw? Make a, what was it? A constitution?
MATT: Constitution.
TALIESIN: Okay.
LAURA: You got this!
TALIESIN: That's plus four.
ROBBIE: You're so strong.
SAM: Not plus a d4? Plus four.
TALIESIN: Both.
SAM: Okay, good.
TALIESIN: Oh yeah. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 31.
SAM: Whoa! (laughs)
ASHLEY: Okay. (laughter)
LIAM: I'm made of rock.
MATT: So the--
TALIESIN: That's 38 points of damage.
MATT: The dark energy that exists, the essence of whatever endless darkness that it's currently calling upon reaches out to you and you feel something within your chest begin to grow cold and reach out from within. The cold attempts to seize your body, but you shrug it off and you are not stunned.
LAURA: Oof! Oh, stunned?
TALIESIN: Is it an attack, by the way, or was that a spell?
MATT: Huh? It was a ranged attack.
TALIESIN: It was a ranged attack?
LAURA: Stunned is the worst!
TALIESIN: I don't know if this does anything then. Nope. Not a melee. Okay.
MATT: Okay. That finishes your go?
TALIESIN: Yeah!
MATT: Imogen, you are now back in the endless void around you. The golden constellation of Vordo now finally released to the Annals of the Forgotten. You now stand, your own light glowing a little golder, and you're just in the space. What do you do?
LAURA: My attention shifts to the other flicker that I saw on the horizon.
MATT: Make a perception check for me.
TRAVIS: Guidance! (laughter)
LAURA: Perception. Perception. 17?
MATT: 17 is just barely over enough. It's hard to notice an entity of shadow amongst darkness, but it's not the visual, it's the feeling of its direction and presence, and direction that is colder than all the rest. As soon as you feel it, you begin to push towards it. Roll and add your charisma, please.
LAURA: Natural 20! (cheering)
MARISHA: Yes! Finally!
TRAVIS: I think that's good!
MATT: You look past the shadow to where it is blacker than black. There is an umbra void before you. Within a moment, you almost seem to fold the dark space and take one step, and you're there before it. It's an absence of color that cannot be described, and were it not your mind merged with Predathos, you wouldn't be able to even grasp its presence here. It is a color that swallows color, and it is in the form of the remnants of a tattered and fading entity, not too dissimilar to the one you experienced before. You see before you what remains of Ethedok, the Endless Shadow.
LIAM: (gasps)
TRAVIS: Ethedok!
TALIESIN: Hello.
TRAVIS: Cool!
ASHLEY: Cool!
MATT: What would you like to do?
MARISHA: In the shadow, is that what he said?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LAURA: The Tether.
MATT: Okay. Roll one more time and add your charisma. This will determine a number of things.
MARISHA: (gasps)
TRAVIS: Whoa!
MARISHA: Oh no!
LAURA: I shouldn't have rolled that one! I knew it! It's a one.
TRAVIS: It's an actual one?
ROBBIE: A one?
TRAVIS: An actual one?
SAM: Not good!
ROBBIE: Oh, no way!
LAURA: I just want to see if I'd rolled the other one.
SAM: Maybe that's enough.
MATT: Don't do that. That's just going to make you unhappy. (laughter)
MATT: Don't do that.
ASHLEY: What was it? Was it still bad?
LAURA: No, it was great.
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: Get off the WebMD!
MATT: As you try and express the thread and tether once more, as soon as you try and focus, the shadow swallows it. For a moment, you feel yourself lost to even your awareness of Exandria, and the god seems to fall into shadow, and you are alone and seeing nothing. And that's where we're going to end your turn.
LAURA: Fuck! (groaning)
MATT: Chetney, you're up.
LAURA: (groans)
TRAVIS: Okay.
MATT: Actually, before the end of your turn, Chetney--
TRAVIS: Yep.
MATT: It's going to spend its last legendary action to make an attack.
TRAVIS: No, let me move first!
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Let me move!
MATT: No, this is the end of Laudna's go.
LAURA: But I like the idea that Vordo is in Imogen, which is in Ethedok, which is in Predathos. This is a full nesting doll.
MATT: (laughs) For the moment, lot of layers. This is an ogre onion. All right. It's going to come after you.
MARISHA: Wait! What, what, what, what?
TRAVIS: Because you had the wooden mask!
MARISHA: What, what, what, what?
TRAVIS: You had the shitty mask!
MATT: Oh, no, it does not have advantage against you. So it's just going to be a straight roll. That's cocked. Oh, that's not good.
LAURA: Oh no!
MATT: That's going to be a 15.
ROBBIE: No!
MARISHA: My AC is 15. Shield.
LAURA: (gasps)
MATT: (whooshes) You reactively pull back and your energy (impact) deflects the attack as these giant scythe-like claws--
MARISHA: Yeah, I've got Mirror Image up.
MATT: It's up to you.
MARISHA: Shield's a reaction.
MATT: It is.
MARISHA: Let me see first.
MATT: No, no. You don't going to do that. You choose first.
MARISHA: Yes. I'm going to use Mirror Image. (laughs)
MATT: Oh okay. So you're using Mirror Image, you're not using Shield.
MARISHA: I'm not going to do Shield.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: Which is what I needed to roll.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: So there goes one level of Mirror Image.
MATT: Okay. So (whooshes) it strikes off and destroys one of the various illusionary Laudnas around you. All right, now, Cheney, it's your go, with Braius on deck.
TRAVIS: (laughs) Thank god you didn't hit me!
MARISHA: I'll save my reaction.
TRAVIS: I'll move around this way, staying in melee.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Not engaging any--
LAURA: Oh no!
TRAVIS: -- fucking nails.
MATT: You all can see the face of Laudna that sits up there, itself is cracking. It is starting to crumble and pieces of it are falling off and flaking and plummeting off the side. You get the sense that the form is--
ASHLEY: Wait, Laudna or Imogen?
LAURA: No, no, no.
MATT: Sorry, Imogen, I meant.
LAURA: Imogen.
SAM: Oh.
MATT: We're back again.
MARISHA: Three years!
MATT: I know. (laughter)
LAURA: Vex and Vax.
MATT: You know.
TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll go all 40 feet so I can tuck myself in the back, in case, you know, I don't know, any fucking yellow brick roads come out of their face again.
MATT: Sure.
TRAVIS: I'll take two swipes with--
MATT: Let's go.
TRAVIS: The first one's a natural 19, for a 28.
MARISHA: Yeah, fix it.
MATT: That hits.
TRAVIS: The second one is a 13, for a 22.
MATT: Oh, thank you.
LIAM: Braius fell down.
LAURA: He deserves it.
LIAM: Man, that's so far away.
MATT: He does.
LIAM: I can barely get to him.
TRAVIS: I think 22 hits on the second one, yar?
LIAM: Is this his ring?
MATT: That is, yeah. He's blinded.
LIAM: So are you.
TRAVIS: Nine and six is 15.
MATT: I know, I'm having to pull over this way.
TRAVIS: 15 and seven.
LIAM: Oh, he's down!
TRAVIS: Four and three is seven. 21.
LIAM: Operation, you're the doctor.
TRAVIS: Nice! 11. Six, 17. 17 plus four. The first one is 23 points of damage, seven of which is thunder. So it's actually 14.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: So sorry. That is--
MATT: 30?
TRAVIS: Yeah, 30.
MATT: All right.
TRAVIS: Thank you. The second one was four points of thunder, so eight. So 29 points of damage on the second one.
MATT: Nice! Almost 60 in one round. All right. Yeah, the form is definitely starting to come apart and that faint glow from its interior flesh, the striations of its inside form, is pulsing with that dark energy. That finishes your go. Braius, you're up, with Fearne on deck. You are blinded this turn.
SAM: I am. This is not good. I could attack with disadvantage, right?
MATT: You can.
SAM: But I don't know what's going on. I think I'm going to be selfish. I'm going to use Lay on Hands and heal my self 70 points. I'm going to use Lay on Hands and heal my self 70 points.
LAURA: Oh!
MATT: Okay! Go for it.
ASHLEY: You bitch!
MATT: Your healing--
SAM: (gasps)
MATT: -- oddly, doesn't seem to be as strong as you had hoped. You heal half of it--
ASHLEY: Oh!
MATT: -- as Predathos Devours the Miracle and heals some of what you lost.
SAM, ROBBIE, and ASHLEY: (groans)
LAURA: You selfish--
TRAVIS: You traitorous bitch! You!
MARISHA: You do this on purpose!
TRAVIS: You!
SAM: I didn't know that that was going to happen!
TRAVIS: How could you?!
MATT: (laughs)
LAURA: You're so selfish! (laughs)
MATT: So yeah, so you only heal half within the radius of Predathos and Predathos heals half of what you lost.
LAURA: Oh no!
ASHLEY: Oh! (slightly hysterical laughter)
MARISHA: Does Laudna see him do this?
MATT: You see him heal himself, and the glow (vacuuming) gets swallowed by some of the shadow, and you watch as some of the cracked crystal (cracking) forms back together again.
MARISHA: Her eye just twitches. (laughter)
MARISHA: Even more unsure.
SAM: Then, not really knowing where I am or who's going to hit me, I will Misty Step back 30 feet.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Do I get an attack of opportunity?
LAURA: No.
MATT: No.
ASHLEY: Damn.
MARISHA: (laughs)
SAM: Then, still not knowing where I am-- however, I have something called Labyrinthine Recall? I have something called Labyrinthine Recall?
MATT: Yeah.
SAM: So I know where north is, always.
MATT: You do. You know where north is on Exandria.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: (laughs) On the moon, it's a little wibbly-wobbly. So I'll say you know directionally where you came from.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: I'll put it that way.
SAM: Then I will turn to my right and go 30 feet that way.
MATT: 30 feet that way?
LAURA: (babbles)
TRAVIS: Whack!
MARISHA: Trip and fall.
SAM: Oh yeah! I mean, there's rocks everywhere. (laughter)
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Okay. So (whooshes) Braius disappears in a flash of magical energy and is just now running off, blindly, in a direction.
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: I meant a little further back.
MATT: A little further back? Okay. There?
SAM: And that's that.
MATT: Okay. Finishing Braius' go, Fearne, you're up. You're now at the base--
ASHLEY: Just seeing this.
MATT: Fiery. You--
ASHLEY: Why did we bring him here? We've only known him for, like, four days! (laughter)
ASHLEY: All right, so what I'm going to do,
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I am going to shoot out my Mage Hand and I am going to slap Imogen's face with it--
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: -- and grab it.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm going to scream: Laudna is hurt! Wake up, Imogen!
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm going to try. I'm trying to persuade her.
MATT: Indeed, and using your action to do so, you can persuade--
LAURA: Break through my shadow cloud!
MATT: -- because of the damage that it's sustained, the DC is far lower.
LAURA: Oh, that's great! DC's lower.
ASHLEY: Okay. Okay. All right.
MATT: The more damage that this form has taken, the easier the DC.
ASHLEY: I'm going to roll it.
MARISHA: Guidance?
ASHLEY: Guidance. I'm going to guide myself. Thank you.
LAURA: No, you can't.
MATT: Guidance is an action.
ASHLEY: Never mind. I'm just kidding. (laughter)
ASHLEY: I'm just making sure you all know the rules here. (laughter)
LAURA: What do you add to it? Oh, that's an eight. No, that's a 10?
ASHLEY: It's a three. (laughter)
LAURA: Is that--
MARISHA: Those are all very different numbers.
TRAVIS: Your dice are the worst!
SAM: (laughs)
TRAVIS: The worst! How can you think it's three different numbers? One of them has two digits! (laughter)
ASHLEY: Wait, am I adding anything to it?
MATT: You're adding your persuasion.
LIAM: Persuasion check.
ASHLEY: I know, but anything else?
LIAM: No!
ASHLEY: Okay. Okay.
LAURA: Okay, okay, yeah.
MARISHA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: It's 15.
MATT: It's 15?
SAM: If it's a 10.
LAURA: No, no, no.
ASHLEY: No, it's a three.
LAURA: That was a three. That was a three.
ASHLEY: Fuck!
LAURA: It really looks like a 10, though.
TALIESIN: Can I see this die?
ASHLEY: Maybe it is a 10.
TALIESIN: I need to see it. I don't understand it.
MARISHA: It's a three, but I just hope it's a 10.
TALIESIN: Oh, it's this one.
MATT: Laudna, is your-- Laudna. Imogen.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: I do it still. I don't know why. I don't know why. I shuffled it somewhere in my brain incorrectly.
TRAVIS: ♪ Spread your legs ♪
ASHLEY: I knew I shouldn't have rolled it, too. I knew I shouldn't have rolled it.
TRAVIS: Spread your wings!
ASHLEY: It was too much pressure.
MARISHA: Spread your legs and fly.
MATT: I don't have enough processing power these days.
TRAVIS: None of us do.
MATT: Imogen, in the middle of this darkness where you are lost with without sight, without place, no connection to the world and anything around you--
ASHLEY: Your hands are freezing!
LAURA: I know! I'm so cold!
MATT: You hear clear as day, the voice of Fearne, shouting this. As it does, in the darkness, you see a red glow, like the end of a tunnel. What do you do?
LAURA: (gasps) I go towards it!
MATT: You rush towards it and feel that red glow get brighter and brighter and brighter, until suddenly, you run into resistance, some sort of a field is pushing against you. Go ahead and roll and add your charisma.
LAURA: Okay.
MARISHA: Come on!
LAURA: 19.
MATT: 19.
ASHLEY: Yes!
MATT: You push through and the rest of you watch as the broken wounds in the chest and torso of Predathos split apart, and you watch, pushing through--
SAM: Ew!
LAURA: (gasps)
MATT: -- Imogen, like some terrifying nightmare childbirth, pulling her way outside of the torso before she emerges and gently falls to the ground.
LAURA: Me?
MARISHA: Oh!
ASHLEY: (gasps)
ROBBIE: Whoa, you're back in the mix!
SAM: Is she nude?
MARISHA: Is this good?
MATT: No, no.
ROBBIE: Okay.
TALIESIN: Does she have hair? That's really the question.
ASHLEY: Most importantly--
TRAVIS: Oh no! Oh no!
LAURA: Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!
ALL: Oh!
TRAVIS: Whoa, Matthew!
LAURA: What does that do? What does it mean?
SAM: It's a Transformer?
LIAM: It's no longer Imogen.
MARISHA: Oh!
ROBBIE: Oh! That's worse!
LAURA: Oh!
LIAM: Oh! (groaning)
TRAVIS: Whoa! That's dope!
MATT: You watch, with the loss of Imogen's--
TRAVIS: Whoa!
LAURA: That is so fucking sick!
MATT: Current combined presence, Predathos in its natural form is revealed.
LAURA: Oh, should I have stayed inside?
ASHLEY: Oh shit!
MARISHA: I don't know.
ROBBIE: I don't know.
MATT: You still are connected to it, but you're not directly hosting it in the moment.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: We don't really want to hurt them.
MATT: So that's your action.
ASHLEY: Was that the right choice?
LAURA: That was a great-- Hi!
TALIESIN: Yeah...
ASHLEY: Hi.
MATT: So now, you can now actually engage in this battle if you want.
LAURA: Amazing! Okay.
MATT: So would you like to move, bonus action or anything?
ASHLEY: All right, so I'm going to get out of this clump.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'll move over. I'm going to go over to closer to Braius. So I have 35 feet of movement.
TRAVIS: Braius?
ASHLEY: Yeah. Because I'm not going to let him get the fuck away.
SAM: You don't know anything about me.
MATT: Yeah, that'll get you next to Braius.
ASHLEY: I have seen! (laughter)
ASHLEY: I saw the mask situation go down. I saw Laudna give you a dirty look, and I know my girl's dirty looks, and I also saw you-- (laughter)
SAM: She's a walking dirty look!
ASHLEY: -- I also saw you heal yourself.
SAM: Yeah, I was hurt.
MATT: I'll allow it.
ASHLEY: Something's off. (laughter)
MATT: I'll allow it.
ASHLEY: I'm not doing anything. I'm standing over here. Then, bonus action. Mister's going to shoot a flaming shit.
MATT: Let's go!
SAM: 49 points of damage.
ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughter) That doesn't hit. That's 14.
TRAVIS: Are you sure? Can you even read it?
ASHLEY: I can! (laughs) (laughter)
SAM: It's either a two or the letters--
ASHLEY: Or a 20. I don't know.
SAM: A letter L. (laughter)
TRAVIS: It's a question mark.
MATT: All right, Fearne that finishes your go.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I'm done.
MATT: Dorian, you're up.
ROBBIE: Okay.
LIAM: All right.
ROBBIE: Okay. Has one of those flaming poops ever hit in this battle?
MATT: One of them, yeah.
SAM: Yeah!
ROBBIE: Did it do any extra damage?
MATT: It didn't do extra damage.
ROBBIE: Didn't do extra damage.
MATT: But it did damage.
ROBBIE: Oh, but no extra damage.
MATT: Correct.
ROBBIE: Okay. I need that question. Okay, cool. Am I still blind?
MATT: Until the end of this turn, yeah.
ROBBIE: Oh man!
TALIESIN: I'll also say, though, that it's advantage to hit still. So that might negate the disadvantage to--
MATT: It's advantage to hit because of--
TALIESIN: Crit.
MATT: Oh right, because you crit again.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
MATT: That build, man!
TALIESIN: I know.
MATT: That feat is nasty!
TALIESIN: That's actually a standard in barbarian. I think.
ASHLEY: Oh, okay.
MATT: No.
TRAVIS: No.
MATT: I think it's one of your feats that you took.
LAURA: (as Travis) No.
TALIESIN: I'll double check.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: The Crusher, or whatever it was one you took, I think?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ROBBIE: After getting hit with that previously. I didn't really move. I was hovering, shivering and blind, and I'm going to be going: I can't see anything, and I'm going: You think that's cold? I've been wearing chiffon for weeks! (laughter) Then, I'm going to go, (smooches) I'm going to blow a kiss in the general direction of where I think this asshole is and go (blows) and 6th-level Cone of Cold. Fuck you!
LAURA: Nice!
ASHLEY: Yes!
MARISHA and TRAVIS: 6th level!
ROBBIE: I know! We're in a big fight, right?
TRAVIS: We're in a big fight!
ROBBIE: We're in a big fight.
MATT: You know where it is. With that range, it catches it.
TRAVIS: Yeah! Who's got the triangle now?
ROBBIE: Let's go!
ASHLEY: Yes!
TRAVIS: Who's on top and who's on bottom now?
ROBBIE: All right. So it's my same con save. 16 if you want to half it. I know. Not great. That's not bad. That's a lot of dice. Sorry. Eight, 16, 15, 19, 26. 31, 30... 37, 41, and I get to roll one. 47.
MATT: 47. It makes a 21 on its con save.
ROBBIE: (groans)
TRAVIS: Yep.
MATT: But that is still--
SAM: 23.
MATT: -- 23 points of cold damage.
ROBBIE: Sweet!
ASHLEY: Do you have--
MATT: That definitely negates and goes past what it regained.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: On Braius' turn.
ROBBIE: Sweet!
MATT: You see all the frost gathers around it--
MARISHA: Nice, nice, nice!
MATT: -- as the cold impacts the crystals and coats the face. Its jaw (exhales) opens up and that mist extends the cold temperature, giving this cloud that seems to apparate of frozen moisture. You're still blind, though. You don't see this, but everyone else does. (laughs)
ROBBIE: Did it work? Was it cool? I had a line and everything!
TRAVIS: It was so cool! (laughter)
MATT: All righty, finishing Dorian's go, unless you want to move or do any bonus action at all.
ROBBIE: I do not want to move. I could fly, right? I don't want to move.
MATT: Yeah, okay.
ROBBIE: I'm just going to float.
MATT: Orym, you're up.
LIAM: Nothing fancy at all, but I think with Orym's perception, he clocks the stink eyes forming on Braius. But there's more to do. I have advantage because of your-- again?
TALIESIN: Against attacks against them, and yeah. How close are you to me?
LIAM: Yeah. Well, I'm running in between you and Imogen. So I'm right there.
TALIESIN: Only when you're within 10 feet of me.
LIAM: Okay, well that's where I'm going to be. So I run for it and I start slashing with Seedling. So I'm going to re-roll the one. Did not get a 20 out of it, but that is a 28 to hit.
MATT: That hits.
LIAM: So this is Hexed. So I'll just roll the 2d6s at once. That is 13 points of damage for the first slash.
ROBBIE: Yay.
LIAM: Next one is a 20 to hit?
MATT: 20 misses.
LIAM: Misses. Okay.
MARISHA: It's 22 as the max number.
LIAM: The third one is, I rolled a 19 plus 14, so that hits. I'm not going to use my last superiority die, though. So that is a terrible roll, too! Nine, 10, 11. That is, yeah, 11 more points of slashing damage.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: That's it.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.
LIAM: That's it. I'm going to shift slightly towards Laudna. I'm going to shift slightly towards Laudna.
MATT: Okay. Right there?
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: That's as far-- So you get a thing. All right, finishing your go. We're up on 20 here.
TRAVIS: Oh god...
MATT: Okay. So yeah, so it reverts now to its base form. The Ethedok darkness fades from its crystals and the teal glow remains. Predathos is going to begin by using Telekinetic Vacuum on you, Dorian.
ROBBIE: Fuck!
MATT: If you can make a strength saving throw for me. I'll say because you're blind you're at a disadvantage.
ROBBIE: Strength save? Got it. 20 on the first one. 15.
MATT: 20 is what you got?
ROBBIE: No, no, no. I got 15 on disadvantage. Yeah.
MATT: That's going to fail.
ROBBIE: (groans)
MATT: You feel yourself in the shadow all of a sudden (whooshes) and pulled at amazing speed as it plucks you from your flight and drags you down to its level--
TRAVIS: Oh boy.
MATT: (whooshes) 60 feet to there. Beginning its turn now.
LAURA: Oh, this is not going to be good.
MATT: We'll see if it's--
TALIESIN: No, it is not going to be good. I am also not great.
MATT: Multi-attack. It's going to take two attacks. You know what? At you, because you're the one that it hasn't really gotten to yet. It's going to take--
LAURA: Oh no!
ASHLEY: That's really cool.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: The first attack is going to be 28.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: All right.
ASHLEY: I thought maybe it had a back, but it's--
MATT: So you take...
LAURA: It's so gorgeous!
TALIESIN: It really, although I liked it with your face better.
LAURA: (chuckles)
LIAM: All right, should have stayed down there.
MATT: Ooh.
LIAM: Would have become a God-eater.
MATT: 29 points of slashing damage.
ROBBIE: Okay, for the first one. Okay.
MATT: Second one's a natural 20.
ROBBIE: Whoa!
LAURA: (screams)
MARISHA: Silvery Barbs.
MATT: Silvery Barbs.
ROBBIE: (wheezes)
LAURA: ♪ Silvery Barbs ♪
MATT: That's different.
SAM: Did you use your reaction?
MARISHA: Silvery Barbs. I'm going to take that Nat 20 and immediately give it to Dorian.
MATT: All right. That's a 17.
ROBBIE: That is my AC. Yeah.
MATT: It does hit you, but it's not a crit.
ROBBIE: Yeah. Thank you.
MARISHA: It's not a crit.
MATT: Wow. Okay, that okay. That's a lot--
LAURA: Oh fuck!
MATT: -- less.
TALIESIN: It could have been worse.
MATT: 15...
MARISHA: It's a lot less.
MATT: Yeah, you take 22 points of slashing damage.
ROBBIE: (exhales)
TALIESIN: Oh right.
LAURA: Woof, that could have been--
ASHLEY: What, what, what are you at?
MATT: It then follows up with a Telekinetic Evisceration attack.
TRAVIS: Uh oh!
MATT: Then, it's going to make--
TRAVIS: Over here, bitch!
LIAM: My nerves.
MARISHA: Woo.
MATT: You know what? You've been hacking him pretty hard. It's going to come at you.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MATT: That's going to be 26 to hit you, Orym?
LIAM: Yes, sir. That hits.
MATT: All righty. So with that, you take--
MARISHA: Burning through spells.
ROBBIE: Yeah. I don't have a lot of spell slots.
TALIESIN: Oh boy!
LIAM: (crunches)
TALIESIN: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
MATT: Oh, these are not good rolls. Good for you. Not good for me.
TALIESIN: Okay. Man!
MATT: You take 26 points of force damage.
LIAM: Down to 13 because of Invulnerability.
MATT: Indeed. Then, I need you to make a charisma saving throw.
MATT: Charisma? I'm so charismatic. That's a one. I'll re-roll it.
MATT: All righty.
SAM: Ooh, I get another Bardic Inspiration.
LIAM: That's a 10.
MATT: That's a 10.
LIAM: It's going to fail. (laughs)
MATT: It tears into your mind and your body. The psychic powers become these blades that seem to cut you from the inside and out, and you feel your body lock up, and you are restrained.
LIAM: (grunts)
ROBBIE: Restrained.
TRAVIS: Scheisse!
MATT: All right.
LIAM: Cool.
MATT: Then, it's going to go ahead and use Miracle Devour to keep that up again. Finishing its go, Laudna, you're up.
MARISHA: Is Braius still blinded?
MATT: Actually, no, at the end of this, Braius is no longer blinded.
MARISHA: Fuck!
SAM: (gasps) Fearne, what are you doing over here? What's happening?
MATT: Nor is Dorian.
TRAVIS: Mace!
ASHLEY: What are you doing?
SAM: Oh my god! His face changed! (laughter)
SAM: Wait, does that mean Imogen is out? Who is controlling Predathos?
ASHLEY: I am, and you're going to die. (laughter)
MATT: Laudna, what would you like to do?
MARISHA: I want to try and, oh my god, I hate you. Mage Hand the mask away from Braius.
MATT: Okay. So you cast Mage Hand?
MARISHA: Yep.
MATT: All right. Braius, make a perception check for me.
SAM: Perception?
MATT: Correct.
SAM: Perception. 10.
MATT: 10? As you get your vision back and see Fearne next to you, flickering, and notice Imogen's now back and the form has shifted once more of Predathos' towering physique, you also see something glide through the air as the Mask of the Matron has been plucked from your side and is gliding over.
SAM: Wait! She got it?
MATT: She Mage Handed it off of you. I rolled to see if you would notice it.
SAM: Her Mage Hand is not invisible!
MATT: No.
SAM: (babbles) (groans)
LAURA: (laughs) (laughter)
MATT: Well, here's, here's what I'll say. What did you have it affixed with?
SAM: I had it on a hook on my belt, under my draped clothing.
MATT: Right. So not a hook. Roll a d20 and add your charisma modifier. I'll say it's a 15 DC. If it doesn't beat a 15, then you pull on it and it's still tugging on its belt.
SAM: Yeah, not holding it out there. It's under, in.
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: Yeah, I have a plus 11 to my... Oh wait. Just straight charisma?
MATT: Just straight bonus.
MARISHA: Do I get any d4s or anything like that?
LIAM: What do you say?
MATT: No, it's not an attack roll. Why?
TALIESIN: Or a save? No.
MATT: No.
LIAM and MARISHA: It's too late.
ASHLEY: Are you close to Ashton when you get--
MARISHA: No, that's the thing. If I had any-- no.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: So instead, you don't see it float, you see it lift and tug and you feel it pulling at your side and you glance over and can see Laudna trying to pull as the Mage Hand is currently trying to tug it from your side.
SAM: I narrow my eyes at her and snarl.
MARISHA: I narrow my eyes back and snarl!
SAM: What are you doing?
MARISHA: What the fuck are you doing? I think you know what you did.
SAM: Yeah, I know what I did. I'm fulfilling my promises. I'm fulfilling my mission, and you won't stop me.
ASHLEY: (gasps)
MARISHA: I still have a move, right?
MATT: You still have a move, yeah.
MARISHA: I'm going to lunge towards the mask and see if I can put my face in the mask on his belt.
SAM: (shrieks) (laughter)
TALIESIN: Oh my god! (laughter)
ASHLEY: Come on!
LIAM: Shove your face in his ass. (laughter)
MARISHA: I'm still in my Form of Dread, so I'm going to--
MATT: 30 feet will get you right at the base.
TRAVIS: What are you doing?
TALIESIN: I love it!
MATT: All right.
SAM: Hey! Hey! I don't consent to this! (laughter)
MATT: So this is going to be contested.
SAM: Sure.
MATT: So I will say you roll acrobatics and you roll either acrobatics or athletics, and whoever wins, we'll see if this happens.
ASHLEY: Can I assist in any way?
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: If you want to use your reaction to give her advantage, I'll allow it.
ASHLEY: Yes!
SAM: Also, what are you trying to do with this mask?
LIAM: Get it on the face.
MARISHA: Get it on my fucking face!
SAM: To do what?
MARISHA: I don't know! At this point, to get it away from you!
SAM: You're just going to use it?
MARISHA: Natural 20, motherfucker! (screaming)
TRAVIS: Wait, wait. He can do it. He can do it.
MARISHA: And an 18.
SAM: Yeah, 18 total
MARISHA: Natural 20 plus three.
ASHLEY: Woo! (high pitched) Oh!
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: You try and finagle backward, but describe to me how Laudna serpent slithers using the dark essence of her undead Delilah-fueled form to slip past him.
MARISHA: Yeah, it's like, you know, when horror films, where they'll take frames out to make it look dark.
LAURA: Ooh! Yeah.
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: Dart, like you get closer, and as I lunge.
LAURA: Full "Ring".
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: As your face touches the inside of this mask--
SAM: Get out of there! (laughter)
MATT: -- cold encircles your body, encircles all of your bodies.
LAURA: All of them.
MATT: As you watch as Predathos, roaring, arms out, seems to slow to a momentary stop, as shadow takes your vision. For a moment, you feel, for most of you, removed somewhere else. You, once again lost in darkness--
LAURA: Fuck!
MATT: -- until your feet find a crimson pool at your feet. In the shadow, you see emerge from above, pushing through thousands upon thousands of golden threads, a masked face of the Matron looking upon you. "Let's talk." And we're going to go to break. (screaming)
LAURA: What?
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Yeah. You have a momentary reprieve to converse with the Matron. We'll see where that takes us.
LAURA: Oh my god!
MATT: We'll be back here in a few minutes. Thank you for hanging in for that. We'll see you in a little bit.
LIAM: What?
TRAVIS: Okay, okay, okay!
Break
When I first started my beat with the JCPD, Gotham City was already riddled with crime and corruption. Most cops were happy to look the other way in exchange for a few dollars. Then he rose from the darkness. A shadow among the shadows behind his vigilante's mask. He threw himself into a crusade against the empires of sin. No one knew who he really was, and yet he has become my friend, my brother in arms. Our example has also inspired other heroes with secret identities to emerge. Thanks to them, we are no longer alone. But the horror has continued to grow, pillaging the city and turning it into hell on earth. Crimes and evil plots are spreading like a cancer, street by street. Every day they corrupt and intimidate citizens who are just trying to protect their humanity. It's as if Gotham City itself were testing us.
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(mysterious music)
♪ It's a merry, merry Critmas ♪ ♪ (It's Critmas!) ♪ ♪ Oh, here in Californ-i-a ♪ ♪ It's a merry, merry Critmas ♪ ♪ (It's Critmas!) ♪ ♪ Around the table playin' games ♪ ♪ The fire burns, ♪ ♪ the stories are told, ♪ ♪ 'Til it's time for bed, ♪ ♪ and the cocoa's cold ♪ ♪ It's Critmas... ♪ ♪ (It's Critmas!) ♪ ♪ We're hopin' that you roll our way ♪ ♪ Have a merry, merry Critmas! ♪
You've fought well, princesses. But this battle is far from over. I've made sure of it. You didn't think there were only six princesses in Twelvefold, did you? [laughter] Allow me to introduce Elise LaKraken, Diva of the Twelve Tides. Qasima al-Basar, Gentlewoman Thief of the Lamp. Kahurere Skyfisher, Rebel of the New Dawn. And then there's me, Azil with a Z. What Other Letter Would It Be? [laughter] By mind, magic, or might, claim your crown at last. Dare to be... Queen by Midnight Quarter Past. We'll see you in time. [laughter]
(mysterious music) You see a rolled up piece of paper, tied with a bow. Farah takes the scroll and unfurls it. As you unfurl this piece of paper, you are struck with your own visage as well as all of your friends'. A sketching of a wanted poster, with one major detail. All of your eyes have been scratched out. The word, "Buffoon" is violently scrawled all over Timpani's face. There are dagger point sized holes in the poster as if it has been used as target practice. Seems like we made someone mad. Farah hands Frog the poster.
LAURA: Hey Critters! Laura Bailey here to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop. Style should never be a dump stat, darling. This is seriously magical. Ooh, so comfy cozy. Go ahead, darling. Treat yourself. It's so cute. I can't handle it. Look at this. Isn't it fashion? So much fashion happening here. Check it out. Look. It has pockets. This is a lot of stuff, you guys. We have so many cool things right now. And hey, if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now.
(epic music) (mischievous music) (typewriter clacking) (peaceful music)
TRAVIS: Move the rook to B6.
MARISHA: Okay, see if that opens it.
LAURA: I'm trying it. [clicks] (gasping) [metal clattering] (cheering)
MARISHA: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Wait, it's blank. There's nothing in here. What the hell?
TALIESIN: The phonograph said that the answer would be in the journal.
TRAVIS: Oh, maybe we missed something, like some clue we're not thinking of!
LAURA: Ah, we only have four minutes left!
MARISHA: Okay, okay, think.
TALIESIN: Okay. The song said, "Look to the beacon." Look to the--
MARISHA: Right. Beacon. Light.
MARISHA and
LAURA: (gasp) The lightroom!
LAURA: Get it out.
MARISHA: Okay.
TALIESIN: Oh, uh!
MARISHA: Uh-huh.
TALIESIN: The cryptex!
LAURA and MARISHA: (scream)
TALIESIN: The key is in the cryptex!
LAURA and MARISHA: We know!
LAURA: So if every other letter--
MARISHA: Times two.
LAURA: -- is the combination--
TRAVIS: Did you say times? Times, like a clock. It's in the clock! But how do you open it?
LAURA: (uncertain noise)
MARISHA: Okay. What is it?
LAURA: Okay, it's six.
MARISHA: Okay.
LAURA: Two. Four.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: 624? It's 6:24!
LAURA: Uh. Zero. [unlocking]
MARISHA: (gasp)
LAURA and MARISHA: (excited noise)
TALIESIN: Guys, guys, I think I found it!
TRAVIS: But it's not opening!
TALIESIN: So how do you unlock this?
MARISHA: That's not the cryptex. This is a cryptex.
TALIESIN: Wait, I think if I push my fingers into... No, that's not working.
MARISHA: We just need the code word. What's a six-letter code?
TRAVIS: I think it's jammed!
LAURA: Arlo said that in order to find the answer we need, we have to look to the beacon.
MARISHA: Uh-huh. Right. But Colonel Popcorn's telegram says--
TRAVIS: (grunts) [clattering]
MARISHA: "Be Aware -(STOP)- Exciting New -(STOP)- Amazing -(STOP)- Critical Role Content Available at Beacon.tv. -(STOP)- Oh my god. No Idea How to Finish this Fake Telegram -(STOP)-"
TRAVIS: Reveal your secrets to me!
TALIESIN: Can either of you help me, help me with the--
MARISHA: That's not a cryptex!
TALIESIN: I am very aware. (groans)
LAURA: Okay. What about this? Huh? Um, it says, "Try using Beacon." [shattering]
TALIESIN: Hey, Travis. Could you help with the--
TRAVIS: Not now, dude, I'm trying to save us! We've only got 90 seconds left! [slamming]
TRAVIS: (shrieks)
LAURA: "10% off merchandise. Members-only Discord. Exclusive new series." Is that a clue?
MARISHA: I don't know, it just feels too obvious, like something that a lazy writer would try and shoehorn into a script.
TRAVIS: (shrieks)
LAURA: Well, that would also explain this.
MARISHA: I know. That's useless.
LAURA: Literally no one says "literally" anymore.
MARISHA: Exactly.
TRAVIS: We're running out of time, people! Come on!
MARISHA: Uh. Okay, we just need a six-letter word that unlocks this artifact and also unlocks amazing content!
LAURA: Also, would it kill you to try to help us, Ashley?
ASHLEY: What do you think I'm doing? While you all are busy sucking eggs in La La Land, I was making an improvised munitions charge that'll blow this door off with minimal loss of life and hearing.
LAURA: You don't explode a door, Ashley! That's not how an escape room works!
ASHLEY: Oh, really? Because that is literally what this is, an escape room.
LAURA: She just said "literally."
MARISHA: "Literally."
TRAVIS: 30 seconds!
TALIESIN: Help! It's again!
ASHLEY: Fire in the hole!
LAURA and MARISHA: (scream) [lever slams] [alarm buzzes] [door clacks]
KYLE: Hey, guys. Uh, good job or not, I guess. Tried your best.
LAURA: Did we do it? Did we escape?
KYLE: No. No, no, you didn't.
TRAVIS: Oh, so close.
MARISHA: It was the stupid cryptex. The code word was too hard.
LAURA: It was impossible!
KYLE: Was it?
MARISHA and LAURA: Yeah!
KYLE: What was the name of the detective?
LAURA: Detective Beacon.
KYLE: Yeah, it was Beacon. Yeah? And where did the murder take place?
MARISHA: Beacon Street.
KYLE: Yeah, yeah. And what was the name of the law firm that hired Detective Beacon to exonerate the Beacon State graduate from the murder on Beacon Street?
MARISHA: Beacon, Beacon, and Associates.
LAURA: And Associates.
TRAVIS: So what was the code word?
KYLE: It's Beacon! It's Beacon!
LAURA and MARISHA: Oh.
KYLE: Yep, see? Here's the room key and here is all the cool new info about Beacon, our new membership program that offers discounts, early access to the Critical Role podcast, and new content like "Critical Role Abridged" and "Re-Slayer's Take," along with exclusive content like "Fireside Chats," "The Crit Role Cooldown," and many more to come.
TRAVIS: So how do you get into the clock?
KYLE: You don't! That's just a clock!
TALIESIN: Kyle.
KYLE: What...
TALIESIN: I have a problem.
KYLE: What did you do? Those weren't even here for the escape room. Where did you even get those? (sighs) ♪ (gentle, upbeat music ♪ "Hello Bees") ♪
THE BEE KINGS: ♪ Hello Bees, it's me again ♪ ♪ Look to the Beacon, ♪ my old friend ♪
Part II
MATT: And welcome back. So as you all find yourselves pulled from the chaos, the fear, and the tension of this throwdown with Predathos, you sit in a facsimile of the Matron's realm. At the distant edges, you still feel the oppressive buzz of Predathos' psychic power pushing into your mind. You are still present where you were physically, but in this brief moment, it seems that time has paused or slowed to give you a momentary moment to talk. Here, the wind picks up in a whirl of black feathers and circles you and scatters off. The Matron looks down upon you and you all glance at each other. Seeing yourselves here, though, your forms are immaterial and still shifting with the buzzing of static. You in particular, Imogen, are barely present, yourself strongest held to Predathos, and the rest of you can just see a spectral image of her that itself is staticky and ready to pop out at any moment as the Matron stares down amongst you. "My tether within the heart of hunger holds but for a moment, but a moment I can stretch to a few. You who has bound with the entity, your body is beyond my sight and I imagine is beyond all of our wrath. You and the Red End together have become the nightmare of my brethren. Well done. What have you learned of the God-eater?"
TRAVIS: It consumed two gods, Vordo and Ethedok.
LAURA: I could see you from within. I saw your light. I felt driven to find you, to consume.
MATT: "Then what shall be done?"
LAURA: I saw you, but I saw nothing else. There were Ruidusborn, little red bits of light and the gods. Nothing of Exandria and no mortals.
MATT: "So it is singularly focused, it seems."
LAURA: I had a fear that if it couldn't consume you, then it would move to humanity, but I don't think that's the case.
LIAM: Are you free?
MARISHA: She certainly doesn't look like it.
LAURA: No.
SAM: But neither is Predathos.
LAURA: No. I can still feel it.
SAM: So if you stay, it stays?
LAURA: Here or in--
SAM: The physical place, yes.
MATT: "This is what my brethren move to, their armies currently mount to the moon itself in hopes of resealing you with the entity and staving off this pantheon apocalypse."
LAURA: You think that'll work indefinitely?
MATT: "No."
LAURA: I don't either.
ROBBIE: It's just what it was before.
TALIESIN: And we won't have that.
MARISHA: Do you feel like you can control it?
LAURA: Not yet, but it was certainly easier to break free once y'all had attacked. I think its physical form is not fully realized. I think if we can break it down, we can control it. I can control it.
SAM: Control it for a short time or forever?
LAURA: I don't know.
MARISHA: I won't have you stay. I won't have you trapped in that place. What can we do?
MATT: "What will you do, vessel? You stand here on the precipice of the future of all. What would you do?"
LAURA: You're the one who wanted change. You wanted to leave, didn't you?
MATT: "I want many things. But what is it you want to do?"
LAURA: You ascended once. You gained control, right?
MATT: "I designed the rites, yes."
LAURA: Tell me how to control it.
MATT: "The essence of Predathos is beyond our sight and understanding. It cannot be destroyed as we know it. But all things can be brought low for a time. That happened once before at the Titans' behest and allowed us the chance to put it away." She smirks. "Us. (snorts)"
MARISHA: So we put it away, then.
MATT: "If that's what you wish."
SAM: With Imogen?
MARISHA: No.
SAM: Well, then what, because we can't make another cage.
TALIESIN: Can't we?
SAM: I mean, we just went through this.
TALIESIN: No. I mean--
LAURA: I don't want to give it up.
SAM: What do you--
MARISHA: Predathos?
LAURA: You're scared of it, right?
MATT: "More than anything."
LAURA: As are your brothers and sisters. This is the time for change.
MATT: "So you step in the Arch Heart's path."
LAURA: I don't want to kill the gods, I don't want them to be eaten, but we can see clearly things can't go on the way they've been. It's an endless cycle. Predathos can't see mortals.
MARISHA: You've walked amongst us before.
TALIESIN: You were humbled. It suited you. All of you.
ROBBIE: We can't just seal them up again. Another Ludinus would come along in another hundred or thousand years.
LAURA: So we seal the gods. We bring the gods back to Exandria.
TALIESIN: We put a wall around us.
MARISHA: There's already a wall.
TALIESIN: Will it keep Predathos out?
LAURA: What do you think?
MATT: "Whatever Divine Gate we've assembled, Predathos can shrug away. But are you insinuating the gods step from their pedestals?"
SAM: Hmph.
MATT: "Speak plainly, vessel."
MARISHA: She has a name.
SAM: It's either Laudna or Imogen, depending on how nervous you are. (laughter) She means you would give up your godhood and become mortal. Instead of hiding him away, you would hide on Exandria, and all of your brothers and sisters, all of them.
TALIESIN: Or they could run if they refuse. It's a choice.
MATT: Her mask recedes a bit into the shadow with the flickering of static, and emotionless as it is, you can almost sense a smirk from beneath. "The rites I designed. Could be restored. Reversed as they once were. Like before, it would need their consent. We cannot force such yokes upon my family."
LAURA: But they're scared of Predathos.
TALIESIN: Couldn't they take their chances if they wanted?
LAURA: Sure, it's always a choice.
MATT: "Hmm. So you would set it free and make it their choice. To descend. Or flee. (snorts) (laughs gently) Such things are not beyond the realm of possibility."
SAM: If you undid this, if you reversed this rite, the rite that you used to become a god and instead made the gods mortal, would they lose their powers?
MATT: "To an extent. Much like during the Calamity, as you've all witnessed, they would lose themselves 'til they reclaimed their memories. And there is a unique alien power still in Exandria that weaves itself through a cycle of rebirth. Perhaps there are two parts to this equation. (laughs) Strangely clever. It can be done. But you will have to convince them. When this is done."
MARISHA: How much time would you need?
MATT: "For the time it takes to bring Predathos low and carry it beyond the threshold before they brick you back into the Red Moon."
LAURA: Okay. Bring him low, keep control, and talk to the gods.
MARISHA: How do we do that?
TRAVIS: Does that mean you have to go back in?
LAURA: That means we have to fight him to get him weak enough that I can control him. Right?
MATT: "Stands to reason."
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: "But let's hope reason still stands when this is done."
LAURA: Let's hope we don't die in the process.
MATT: "If you do, well, I'll be waiting."
TRAVIS: (exhales)
MATT: "Is this what you wish?"
LAURA: Sound good? (laughs nervously)
SAM: We can't let him go.
TALIESIN: Why?
SAM: I mean, we can't let him go--
LAURA: Now?
SAM: -- now. No, yeah.
TALIESIN: We finish. We do this. It feels fair. It feels more fair than anything.
LIAM: Since this whole journey started.
MARISHA: Does this match your master plan, Braius?
TALIESIN: (snorts)
SAM: Not exactly. Not exactly. (laughs)
MARISHA: Are you going to attempt to kill us over it? Or should we kill you first?
SAM: I wouldn't like that. My goal is to make sure that my god is preserved, whatever that means, but it sounds like that's the goal for us for all the gods is to not let them perish, but I don't know that I could convince him to give up his power. I don't know that we can convince any of them to give up their power.
MARISHA: It's still their choice.
ROBBIE: Unless we set him free and control him.
LIAM: Right now, we're fighting so that your lord can make a choice.
LAURA: Don't betray us.
LIAM: If we don't, there is no choice.
MATT: "Whoever holds the entity, we cannot touch."
LAURA: Right.
MATT: "That is a place of strength to bring to the table. I cannot see all their hearts in this I cannot see all their hearts in this one way or another. But where you tread next no mortal has or likely ever will tread. If you step to negotiate with the gods, well, good luck."
MARISHA: Wait, how do we get in contact with you again? The mask?
MATT: The mask begins to slightly darken, the (whooshes) static edges getting louder and louder. She says, "I will reassemble the rite once broken piece it from the corrupted creation of the Whispered One. I can convert what was done once, but you must convince them to cross the threshold. For what you plan to do, I can grant two boons, for in but a moment, I will lose you." You can feel now the red thrum of Predathos. "Do you wish Potency to see your strikes true? Do you wish Fortification, the means to defend yourself from the hatred ahead?"
LAURA: Oh, this isn't what--
MATT: "Do you wish Convalescence, the renewal of mind and arcana? Do you wish Restoration, the weaving of wounds and blood?"
LAURA: Oh fuck.
MATT: "Or do you wish Understanding, a leap ahead in personal wisdom and knowledge?"
LAURA: We get two of them?
MATT: You can choose two of these boons. (cheering)
LAURA: Aww.
LIAM: Get to make, oh, that's so sick.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, okay.
LIAM: One decision for the whole group, or each--
MATT: One decision for the whole group. You get to pick two of those.
LAURA: We get two of these? Okay, okay, okay.
TRAVIS: What about virility?
LIAM: Level up.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
LAURA: Is Understanding--
TRAVIS: The ability to perform under any circumstances. (laughter)
MATT: "What was once lost cannot be restored." (laughter)
TRAVIS: I'll take some elk antlers. Anything.
ROBBIE: I got a great peptides guy.
TRAVIS: Okay, okay. (laughter)
LAURA: Understanding. Is that understanding Predathos' weaknesses and everything, or is that a level up?
LIAM: Or understanding level 16.
MATT: More the latter.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, huy, huy, huy.
MARISHA: A level up.
LAURA: A level, oh fuck. Or full health restoration.
TRAVIS: Potency, Fortification, Convalescence.
LAURA: What was Convalescence again?
MATT: Convalescence was the restoration of mental ability--
LAURA: Spells.
MATT: -- and arcana.
MARISHA: Wait, turn that this way again.
TALIESIN: One for spell people, and one for--
LIAM: All your HP--
MARISHA: Take a picture of it.
SAM: Yeah, how--
LIAM: All of your slots--
LAURA: Oh, jeez Louise.
LIAM: -- and juice back.
MATT: Well, you don't know how extensive it is--
LAURA: Right, right, right, right.
MATT: -- but.
LIAM: That's what we're guessing at.
TRAVIS: Is there a code in that map, Mercer? Is there a code in those letters?
MARISHA: I can see--
ASHLEY: That looks, the variable font.
TRAVIS: Is there a hidden meaning?
MATT: It's just a fun font.
LAURA: This is fucking--
TALIESIN: It's just a fun font.
LAURA: -- awesome.
LIAM: It's a funt.
ROBBIE: That's how you know it's serious.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Someone burnt the edges.
LIAM: How hurt is everybody?
TALIESIN: I'm hurt.
LAURA: I'm not hurt at all, but I just popped out.
MARISHA: I'm hurt.
TALIESIN: I'm very hurt.
MARISHA: I'm afraid a few more of these big, big swings that he does.
TALIESIN: I can take one or two more big swings--
LAURA: And we don't have a healer.
MARISHA: We don't have a healer.
TALIESIN: -- then I'm going to be running on-- I couldn't last one more round after that.
MARISHA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: I've got one high level I can catch.
LAURA: But if we got--
MATT: You still have 35.
LAURA: If we got Convalescence, then we would get our spells back potentially. Some of our spells.
MATT: Possibly.
TRAVIS: Fortification.
TALIESIN: Understanding seems like a good idea. Think one physical one and one--
TRAVIS: Oh, that's Restoration.
TALIESIN: Understanding's fascinating.
MATT: Restoration seems to be--
TRAVIS: Will you hit us with the descriptions one more time?
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: Potency is to help your blows strike true and clear.
LAURA: That's really good.
SAM: Advantage.
MARISHA: Advantage. Which is sick.
LAURA: Is that just blows or is that magic stuff, too? Is that spells and attacks? We don't know. Okay.
ROBBIE: The problem is we're a balanced party.
MATT: Fortification is to better defend yourself against the dangers ahead.
TRAVIS: Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SAM: Disadvantage for him.
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Convalescence is the restoration of knowledge, which is arcana.
LIAM: To long rest somewhere.
MATT: Restoration is the weaving together of wounds and blood.
SAM: Hit points.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Understanding is a grand advancement in personal experience and worldly knowledge.
ASHLEY: That's a pretty good--
SAM: That's pretty fun.
ASHLEY: Understanding's the one.
SAM: That's pretty fun.
LIAM: I like to defer to the group.
ROBBIE: Yeah, and psychic abilities.
TALIESIN: Also, depending--
LIAM: I haven't been hurt much at all, and I'm good with whatever.
ASHLEY: I vote Understanding for one.
TALIESIN: I think Understanding is a really good idea.
LAURA: We would get an ability score improvement at least at level 16. I don't know what everybody else gets, but--
TALIESIN: It'd take a second to look.
TRAVIS: Right.
SAM: (laughs) Oh man!
LAURA: This is intense, Matt!
TALIESIN: Yeah.
TRAVIS: I think it's Understanding and Convalescence or Fortification. I don't think it's Restoration or Potency. Oh, we're not going to be able to heal, right?
MARISHA: Potency.
TRAVIS: But people aren't hurt?
LAURA: We have a couple people that are super hurt and then a bunch of people who aren't hurt hardly at all.
TALIESIN: Yeah, and there's a chance that I won't go down if I hit one hit point.
TRAVIS: I don't care about you.
TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter) If I don't go down, I'm taking you with me. (laughter)
TRAVIS: I'm way lower than you, so that would be fine by me.
ROBBIE: I'm pretty good. I've got some heals. I've got some heals, though.
SAM: I've got some heals, too.
ROBBIE: Yep.
TALIESIN: And yeah--
SAM: Still have potions galore.
MARISHA: We do have potions.
LAURA: We do have a lot of potions.
TALIESIN: We do.
SAM: We could just chug them.
ROBBIE: Heals feels like a waste.
TRAVIS: Convalescence, Restoration of Knowledge, Fortification, Better Defense.
TALIESIN: I'm okay with that.
TRAVIS: So maybe higher AC--
TALIESIN: I would love all my shit back,
TRAVIS: -- more hit points.
TALIESIN: I will admit, because I'm thin.
MARISHA: I mean, Potency, if we get advantage on everything, but--
LAURA: I know, Potency could be really cool. I don't know what everybody's spells and mental abilities are--
LIAM: Oh jeez!
LAURA: -- but Convalescence could be good.
MARISHA: That's the thing, Convalescence is more directed towards the spellcasters, it seems.
LAURA: Right?
TALIESIN: We would think.
MATT: It seems to be more centered to arcana.
TRAVIS: Right now, thunder's doing the most damage. The goal is to outlast Predathos, right?
LAURA: Right.
TRAVIS: So magic is kind of--
LAURA: Yeah, but I have no thunder damage things.
MARISHA: I don't either.
LAURA: So our heavy spells. Do you have any thunder damage thing?
ROBBIE: I have a lot, but mid-level stuff.
TALIESIN: Going up a level would help a lot.
ROBBIE: I'm actually okay on spells, lower-mid, and then I've got two still high levels. I don't know.
LAURA: So I feel like Understanding is one of the ones we'll take, right? This feels like leveling up in a game. Like you're going, "I don't know I don't know."
ROBBIE: Which one's Understanding again?
LAURA: The level up.
TALIESIN: Level up.
SAM: Level. We think.
ROBBIE: I mean, who would--
LAURA: I mean, yeah. Level up mid-fight?
ROBBIE: Who would want to turn that away?
LAURA: Level up mid-fight?
ROBBIE: Yeah. I don't know.
TALIESIN: Got to do it.
LAURA: It's badass.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MARISHA: So if we're all saying-- I can make being my warlockness, my Eldritch Blast, which is a cantrip, as my bread and butter and that never goes away.
SAM: I just need to be able to kill you all, so--
LAURA: Mm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. So Potency.
MARISHA: Are we feeling Understanding and Fortification? Is that what it seems like we're boiling down to?
LAURA: Or Understanding and Potency? One of those two.
MATT: What are you feeling?
LAURA: Hit harder, defend harder.
TALIESIN: Fine either way. Actually, defend harder.
ROBBIE: Yeah, that's what my gut says.
LAURA: Defend?
ROBBIE: But we'll just--
TALIESIN: We already hit pretty hard.
ROBBIE: Just their output is crazy.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: I mean, I'm--
TRAVIS: Just got out.
ROBBIE: -- one hit away and I only took two hits.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: So I don't know.
SAM: I'm for Convalescence myself, but--
LAURA: Because you'll get your healing spells back.
TRAVIS: You traitorous bastard!
LAURA: But I mean, healing spells back is a huge thing.
ROBBIE: I don't think he's a traitor. I think he didn't want to give his mask up.
LIAM: While we're in this liminal space--
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: Am I able to turn to Ashton and give him this big-ass--
MATT: You do not have any of your items with you. You are here in an ethereal, almost a jettisoned consciousness space.
TALIESIN: If we go up a level, that'll probably give me some extra HP. Just because of, I assume we just roll.
MARISHA: If we level up with Understanding, does that, because a traditional level up also gives--
TRAVIS: You get hit points and other stuff.
MARISHA: -- your hit points and stuff back.
MATT: If that's what it does, then that would--
TRAVIS: If that's--
ROBBIE and TRAVIS: What it does!
TRAVIS: You Swiss cheese son of a bitch!
TALIESIN: I'm okay being low.
LAURA: I think we'll get a few more hit points, but we're not going to get our hit points back. That's my guess.
TALIESIN: I'm okay being low.
MARISHA: Someone pick Fortification.
TALIESIN: I like Fortification.
ROBBIE: If only we had some way to decide!
MATT: (buzzing)
LAURA: I know.
TALIESIN: I like Fortification, personally.
MARISHA: Wait, should we Rollies?
MATT: (static buzzing louder)
ROBBIE: The other two vessels should--
TRAVIS: Let's Rollies. The two highest dice get to pick one.
LAURA: Okay. Okay. No, but we definitely should get Understanding, right? Everybody wants Understanding.
TRAVIS: Maybe except me.
ASHLEY: I feel like--
LAURA: Fucking hell!
ROBBIE: Let's do it.
LAURA: Rollies.
ROBBIE: Everybody?
MARISHA: Everybody Rollies?
LIAM: What are we rolling?
TALIESIN: Who gets to choose.
ROBBIE and SAM: Wow!
LIAM: Who gets to choose? Ugh.
TALIESIN: Nine.
LAURA: 17.
ROBBIE: 11.
LIAM: 15.
MARISHA: 12.
TRAVIS: Seven.
SAM: Five.
ASHLEY: 19.
LAURA: Okay, so me and you.
SAM: Hey, it's the two Ruidusborn!
ROBBIE: Yeah, it's perfect!
MARISHA: All right, all right, all right.
ASHLEY: Understanding.
LAURA: And?
ASHLEY: I don't know. I don't.
MATT: Fearne, what are you feeling? The Matron turns to you.
LAURA: Potency or Fortification.
SAM: Oh!
ROBBIE: (laughs nervously)
MATT: "She, born of the Red Moon. She who dances between--"
ASHLEY: Ah!
TRAVIS: Pick the easy one!
MATT: "-- family and factions."
LAURA: Just do it!
ASHLEY: Okay. Wait, wait, wait. Potency and Fortification, explain these one more time.
LAURA: Potency, hit harder. Fortification, better defense. Convalescence, get your spells back. Which one?
TRAVIS: Everybody wants Understanding.
ASHLEY: Yeah, we're doing Understanding for sure.
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I want to pick Convalescence.
LAURA: Then do it. That's your choice. You rolled a 19.
ROBBIE: Spell back?
TALIESIN: Do it.
SAM: Spells.
TALIESIN: Do it.
ASHLEY: Convalescence.
MARISHA: All right.
TRAVIS: Say it with your fucking chest!
ASHLEY: Convalescence!
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: "The choice is made."
SAM and ROBBIE: (groan)
ASHLEY: Hopefully that wasn't a bad decision!
ROBBIE: Ah!
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: "Those who carry the path of the Red Moon, be true and survive." As the mask pulls back, the winds pick up around you and you hear thousands upon thousands of raven caws get louder and louder, until suddenly, you feel this whisking whirlwind of feathers pick you all up. So Convalescence. Fearne, roll 5d6 for me.
SAM: Okay, okay, okay.
TRAVIS: 5d6.
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Roll high. ♪ Roll so high! ♪ ♪ Roll high ♪
ROBBIE: ♪ Please ♪ ♪ Roll high for everyone ♪
SAM: She using the little teeth.
LAURA: ♪ The teeth and others ♪
ASHLEY: I'm using one tooth.
LAURA: ♪ Never roll high, but it's okay ♪
ROBBIE: Do it!
MARISHA: Come on! It's probably going to be how many spell slots you get back.
SAM: The teeth got a six!
LAURA: The teeth got a six?
ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: Oh, that's so good! That so good!
ASHLEY: That was really good! All right, we got 12 plus 10. 22 plus six, which is 28.
LAURA: 28!
MATT: 28. You can restore amongst your party 28 levels of spell slots, however you choose.
ROBBIE: The party.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MARISHA: Levels. So once again, a level six is going to take six.
MATT: Six of those.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: So you decide amongst yourselves. You have 28 to distribute amongst the party.
ASHLEY: Ugh! Okay.
MARISHA: Wowsers!
LAURA: But then, wait.
MATT: For Understanding--
LAURA: Yes.
MATT: -- the entire party temporarily gains two levels.
LAURA: (gasps)
SAM: Two levels!
ROBBIE: What?
SAM: Wait.
MARISHA: Two levels?
SAM: Temporarily?
MATT: Temporarily, you gain two levels.
LAURA: But that means we would automatically get a spell slot for those levels.
MATT: If your level allows that, then it would, yeah.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, okay.
SAM: Oh my god.
LAURA: So let's level up temporarily.
LIAM: Oh.
LAURA: And then--
MARISHA: Are we going to sit here and level up right now?
MATT: Real fast. Let's go
MARISHA: Real fast.
LAURA: Oh! This is the fastest level up.
MARISHA: Holy shit!
LAURA: Up to 17?
ROBBIE: What?
LAURA: Jesus!
ROBBIE: How do we go back?
ASHLEY: Okay. All right.
SAM: It'll do it.
ASHLEY: I mean, okay.
SAM: Do we have to roll hit points for these levels?
LAURA: Should we make a copy?
MATT: Roll hit points for these levels as well.
SAM: Oh my god!
LAURA: Oh fuck! Okay. So wait. That's a d6. I'm going to roll 2d6. Should we just do that?
MATT: Go for it. Go for it.
LAURA: 10! I rolled 10.
MATT: Great. So yeah, so add 10 to your hit point total, plus your constitution.
LAURA: I rolled a 10.
SAM: I'm going to roll 2d8. Right?
MATT: Roll hit points. See what you're doing.
SAM: That's a one. Reroll.
TRAVIS: No, I'm actually not.
TALIESIN: What am I again?
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I'm a 12.
ASHLEY: Aw, boo.
LAURA: Okay.
SAM: I got 11 more hit points.
ROBBIE: We make ourselves--
MATT: It's whatever your hit points are.
ROBBIE: -- level 17!? If you're taking two more levels of blood hunter, then it would be 2d10.
ROBBIE: All in bard.
MARISHA: Okay.
ROBBIE: Then, we roll twice, right?
MARISHA: Rolled HP.
MATT: Correct.
MARISHA: Two fours.
LAURA: That 17 hit points.
ROBBIE: I can work my two dice, and eight. Okay. A d8. Okay.
MARISHA: All right, that's pretty nice.
TALIESIN: That's 13.
ROBBIE: Hi-yah! (gasps) Seven! Hi-yah!
MATT: Oh dang.
ROBBIE: Eight!
MATT: Is that 10 and a nine?
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MATT: Woof. Nice!
ROBBIE: Seven and an eight! Let's go!
TRAVIS: That means we get what for that?
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: How many HP per level do we get?
ROBBIE: I rolled HP, so I add 15, 2d8.
TALIESIN: It's our toughness level, right?
MARISHA: -- full level up.
MATT: Well, you roll your hit points, which is a d12, and you add your constitution modifier.
SAM: Oh my god!
ROBBIE: One, two, three.
MARISHA: Adding two levels.
LIAM: So I rolled an eight and a four. Total of 12.
MATT: Okay cool. So you get 12.
TALIESIN: 13.
SAM: I rolled a seven and a four.
MATT: Great. You get 11.
SAM: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: I rolled a five and a one.
MATT: Okay, well you reroll a one because we do reroll ones for hit points.
ROBBIE: Okay, good, good, good, good, good.
TRAVIS: So 10 and a nine.
ASHLEY: Oh a six! 11. Nice!
MATT: So you gain 19.
ROBBIE: (gasps)
TRAVIS: Hit points.
MATT: Yeah, plus your constitution modifier, which it should add automatically. Double check that.
MARISHA: Cool. Okay.
ASHLEY: So I'm going to do-- What was I on?
ROBBIE: You can increase your ability score.
LAURA: Yes!
TALIESIN: So we're now at level 17.
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Yes!
ROBBIE: Ability score improvement, please.
ASHLEY: Okay. Okay. I know what I want to do.
TRAVIS: Wait, level 17?
ASHLEY: I know what I'm going to do.
LAURA: One of my, Metamagic-- For Metamagic at level 17, if you get it--
MATT: You gain two levels.
MARISHA: We gain two levels. Yeah.
TALIESIN: All right, all right, all right.
LIAM: So we're at level 17. Okay.
SAM: And it froze.
ROBBIE and LAURA: No! (laughter)
LAURA: Ruh-roh!
MARISHA: Oh fuck!
LIAM: Two questions. One--
MATT: Yes.
LIAM: At level 17, I get two action surges, more Indomitable. Will all those refill, or do I just get use of the one extra?
MATT: You just get use of the one extra.
LIAM: The one extra. Okay.
MATT: Yeah, you do not restore anything you would've gotten on a rest, but anything in addition that you gained, you gain.
LIAM: Then, since this is a temporary, god-booned level up, I'm at 22 dex. Could I raise that dex to 24 in this god moment?
MATT: You still have the limitations of your mortal form.
LIAM: Okay. Okay. Okay.
TALIESIN: I took Tough.
SAM: Ooh, smart!
LIAM: Good idea.
LAURA: Nice!
SAM: That's smart.
TALIESIN: So I'm back at a very reasonable amount of HP.
LAURA: Nice, nice, nice!
LIAM: Wow!
TALIESIN: Yep, that was a lot of HP it just gave me.
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: (satisfied sigh)
MATT: See how well it does you.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I'll let you know.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Talking that shit.
TALIESIN: I'm working with what I got.
MATT: I love it. I love it. That's awesome!
TALIESIN: I have a new thing I can do, which I should learn.
ROBBIE: I could gain more magic.
MATT: As you all are yanked back from the vision and return to your physical forms here in the core of the red moon Ruidus, Predathos, in its massive grown form, cracked and crumbling in places, is angrily pushing its consciousness against the back of all of your minds. Laudna, that finishes your turn. Ashton, you're up.
MARISHA: Oh wait! We haven't divided up our spell slot stuff.
LAURA: Oh fuck!
MATT: Oh, that's right.
TALIESIN: You can do that while I'm--
MATT: We should do that.
TALIESIN: -- doing my thing.
SAM: Well, there's seven of us and there's 28.
MARISHA: But not all of us are spellcasters.
LAURA: Yeah.
SAM: We at least each get four levels, right?
TALIESIN: Hold on. Sorry.
MARISHA: But--
SAM: If anyone wants to give up theirs--
MARISHA: Ashton, you don't need one.
TALIESIN: Fuck no. I have no spells.
LAURA: Ashton doesn't need one.
SAM: So that's an extra four.
MARISHA: Then Orym doesn't-- Do you have any spells, Orym?
TALIESIN: I am coming to-- Well, you know what I'm about to do.
LIAM: I have Misty Step as part of my Fey pact. I don't know if that would--
MATT: You could restore the use of that as a level one. Same with Hex.
LIAM: Level one, so a single slot for me.
LAURA: Okay, so 27.
MARISHA: So one.
LAURA: Okay, so we're at 27 to divide amongst-- Does Chet need any spells back?
MATT: Chet does not use spells.
SAM: Wait. Was it 26 or 28--
LAURA: Okay.
SAM: -- that she rolled?
ASHLEY and LAURA: 28.
MARISHA: One, two, three, four, five. So 27 divided by five-ish.
MATT: Some lucky rolls.
LAURA: Okay, so five each, and then two of us get one extra. Five spell slots for-- All of us get five, and then two of us get six.
ROBBIE: Okay.
SAM: I'll just take five.
ROBBIE: I'm going to take my five because I have-- For heals.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: That's my minimum threshold for Mass Heals.
LAURA: So you take six.
TALIESIN: While they finish that up--
ROBBIE: I'm taking five.
MARISHA: If I take six, I can get back my Disintegrate.
LAURA: Yeah, take that. Definitely.
TALIESIN: I know what I'm doing.
ROBBIE: Now I have one--
ASHLEY: So that means--
LAURA: Do you need six?
ASHLEY: Does that mean--
ROBBIE: -- Mass Heal where I won't have to burn--
ASHLEY: -- I would get--
LAURA: You would get six.
ASHLEY: I would get my one 6th-level or--
LAURA: Or two three levels.
LIAM: I'm going to call this out above table.
LAURA: So I'll take a five.
LIAM: For a feat, I'm taking Fighting Initiate Duelist, which is going to make my slashes nastier.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Great!
LIAM: Plus two to every hit.
LAURA: I have a lot of spells.
MATT: All right.
MARISHA: All right.
TALIESIN: Is it time?
MATT: It's time.
MARISHA: I think it's time.
MATT: Ashton.
TALIESIN: I'm not even going to run. I'm going to start walking. I'm feeling pretty fucking confident. I'm going to slowly gain my speed, start spinning the hammer, and I'm flipping up, and I'm one-handed, just taking a nice big, shiny, sparkly--
MATT: Beginning of your turn, make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
TALIESIN: All right. That's at advantage. Where's my other-- That's with a d4. All right. He's too far away for that plus four to count, I assume?
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: You should boost it?
TALIESIN: That's fine.
ROBBIE: I didn't do it on my ability check.
TALIESIN: 15, 16, 17--
MARISHA: Hell yeah!
ROBBIE: Okay.
MARISHA: Yeah, that's great.
LAURA: Bump to increase your constitution.
TALIESIN: 15, 15, 16, 17, 19.
MATT: 19 fails.
TALIESIN: Yep.
MATT: So your attacks are at disadvantage, and Predathos' attacks against you are at advantage.
TALIESIN: All right. That's fine.
LAURA: What kind of a save is that? Is that an intelligence save?
TALIESIN: No, it's a wisdom save.
MATT: Wisdom.
LAURA: A wisdom save. Okay.
MATT: But continue your turn, please.
SAM: We're supposed to say our hit points out loud.
TALIESIN: I don't care.
MATT: Yes, please. If you could, so we know what our new maximum hit point total is.
TALIESIN: Maximum is 201. Currently sitting at 83.
MATT: There you go. All right.
TALIESIN: Fuck yeah! Perfect! I'm going to take my--
MATT: We'll come around to your turn. We'll shout out at the top of each turn.
TALIESIN: I'm going to take my first attack at disadvantage and I'm not even going to use probability. Fuck it.
MATT: Okay. You can go Reckless and cancel it out. Since you already have disadvantage on attacks against you anyway, it's not going to hurt you.
TALIESIN: Nah.
MATT: Okay!
TALIESIN: Just for fun, let's see. The first attack-- Goddamn, it's hard for me to-- That's 13. Oh, no, five. That's right. Disadvantage. So that's 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 to hit.
MATT: 19 fails.
TALIESIN: I cast Mark of the Messy End.
LAURA: What is that?
MATT: Okay. Okay.
MARISHA: Mark of the Messy End?
MATT: Please describe it, what it does.
ASHLEY: Oh boy.
TALIESIN: Until the end of my next turn, criticals happen between 18 and 20 for everybody.
MARISHA: Oh!
LIAM: Everybody?
TALIESIN: I believe everybody. Let me double check, but.
MARISHA: Ooh!
TALIESIN: I'm going to reread that really quick to make sure I'm not a crazy person.
LIAM: Because your disco ball is vibing for everybody?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LIAM: Wow.
LAURA: Wow!
TALIESIN: Let's see.
MATT: Yeah, the probability surrounding Predathos' physical form currently is leaning towards a messy end.
LIAM: Let's rock!
TALIESIN: I'm double checking--
LAURA: Sick.
TALIESIN: -- to make sure I got that right.
MATT: Just for next round.
LAURA: Okay.
TALIESIN: "Whenever you miss an attack on a creature, you may mark them with fate. Attacks against it--" (mumbles spell description) It says, "Until the end of next turn, attacks against." So yeah, it's attacks.
MATT: Yeah. Attacks against it. Yeah.
TALIESIN: 18 through 20, kids!
MARISHA, LAURA, and ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: All right. So that was your first attack.
TALIESIN: Yeah. Now I'm going to level out and now I'm actually not going to have disadvantage for this attack.
MATT: Well, you can only choose reckless for the attack action.
TALIESIN: Oh! I was going to say I'm picking Reckless for this, for the second attack. Or no, I'll keep it at disadvantage. I don't care.
MATT: I'll double check to see if you can do Reckless in the middle of the action.
TALIESIN: I don't mind.
MATT: No, I don't mind. Go for it.
TALIESIN: Are you sure?
MATT: "When you make your first attack on your turn." So yeah. No, you cannot.
TALIESIN: Disadvantage. That's a shame because there's a nat 20 in there.
MATT: There is.
MARISHA: (groans)
TALIESIN: Five. ♪ Five ♪
MARISHA: Hubida, hubida, hubida, hub.
LIAM: You've had three today.
TALIESIN: Yeah, I'm fine with that. Yeah, it's 19 again.
MATT: So that misses.
TALIESIN: That misses.
MATT: Both attacks miss. However, describe what we see as you go ahead and mark Predathos' form for this.
TALIESIN: As I take my missed shots, somehow, the little multicolored sparkles that are bouncing around my hammer start to all turn these little shards of white, like fireworks that are no longer multicolor, but just those little white sparklers. They start to spread and they start to pierce all the little crystals in little bits and pieces. Slowly, parts of the interior of Predathos, they start to look like a little cosmic universe that you could lose yourself in.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: It starts to look, yeah, looks a little odd.
MATT: I love that. That finish your turn?
TALIESIN: I'm backing off a bit, back into the center of everyone.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Then I'm good.
MATT: All right. Imogen, you're up. Your first round on the battlefield.
LAURA: Oh god! Oh god!
MARISHA: (laughs)
LIAM: (laughs)
LAURA: Okay. Am I within melee, or is it--
MATT: You are within its melee range, yes.
MARISHA: Okay.
LIAM: Do you need to call out your hit points?
LAURA: Oh, this is-- Oh, my hit points. My new max is 106.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: Okay. This is a--
LIAM: Triple digits!
LAURA: -- dex save. I am going to--
MARISHA: Just had a look, I was like, "Oh god!"
LAURA: -- Lightning Bolt at 5th-level.
MATT: Let's go. Okay. Dex save. Predathos--
LAURA: Straight up the middle.
MATT: That's a natural 18. That's going to be a total of 26.
LAURA: Woof! Okay, so it takes half damage.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
LAURA: But I'm going to use a sorcery point and transmute the lightning damage to thunder damage.
MARISHA: Oh!
LIAM: Ooh!
ROBBIE: Yeah!
ASHLEY: Ooh!
TRAVIS: Chef Boyardee!
MATT: So roll that damage, and it's going to take full damage on it.
LIAM: Wow!
TRAVIS: What are your hit points by the way?
LAURA: 106. I already said it.
TRAVIS: Oh, that's right.
SAM: Have we seen--
LAURA: Okay, so that's 10d6.
SAM: Have we seen it take psychic damage yet?
TALIESIN: I doubt it can.
LAURA: I know that's-- I'm resistant to psychic so I can't imagine that it isn't.
ASHLEY: Got to pick someone every time. Why did I do that?
LAURA: 12. (tongue waggling) 18.
TALIESIN: Brutal Critical is my new thing.
LAURA: 22 points of thunder damage.
MATT: 22 points of thunder damage, nice. As the bolt arcs through and a flash of light, it strikes and goes through it, and it looks like it's unaffected. The bolt vanishes for a brief second and then (intense thunder) and there's a flash of a filament through where it struck through and this burst of thunderous energy that causes parts of its body to crack, more crystals fall. It's lumbering in a very, very precarious way.
LAURA: Okay, I'm going to use my movement to come over here.
LAURA: Okay, I'm going to use my movement to come over here.
MATT: Okay. Right there, yeah.
LAURA: Okay. Yeah.
MATT: Does that finish your turn?
LAURA: Yes.
MATT: All right. Chetney, you're up, with Braius on deck.
TRAVIS: I take two swings with the scythe. First. 19 to hit?
MATT: 19 misses.
TRAVIS: Oh, it's actually-- my modifier went up. It's a dirty 20 to hit.
MATT: 20 still misses.
TRAVIS: Ah no.
MATT: But still add it.
LAURA: Do we add anything? We're not adding anything anymore, right?
TALIESIN: Unless you're near me.
TRAVIS: Both miss.
TALIESIN: You'd still get a d4.
MATT: Actually, make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
TALIESIN: If you're still near me.
TRAVIS: Six.
TALIESIN: That's what we got.
MATT: Okay, yeah, so your attacks actually have disadvantage.
TRAVIS: They both miss anyway.
MATT: (laughs) Okay. And attacks against you have advantage.
TRAVIS: My turn's done.
SAM: Oh Jesus.
MATT: All right, that finishes your go.
SAM: That was too fast.
MATT: At the end of your turn, it's going to spend two of its legendary actions. to attempt to use-- It's going to attempt Cerebral Shock Blight on--
LIAM: That's my favorite Gatorade flavor.
MATT: Isn't it great? Cerebral Shock Blight on Fearne. Fearne, make a wisdom saving throw for me, please.
ASHLEY: Oh, okay.
MATT: You know what? No, no. Not you. Laudna. Laudna, make a wisdom saving throw from me, please.
MARISHA: No! Why does this keep happening to me?
LIAM: Heroes' Feast.
ASHLEY: Heroes' Feast.
MARISHA: Okay.
TRAVIS: You know what, for my bonus action, which I didn't use, I'll do Blood Curse of Bloated Agony on it.
MATT: Okay, good to know.
TALIESIN: I like that one.
MARISHA: 22?
MATT: 22 succeeds, okay.
MARISHA: Great.
MATT: So you take-- (quiet counting) You take 32 points of psychic damage, but it does not spread to your allies near you. but it does not spread to your allies near you.
MARISHA: 32?
MATT: Yeah. Well, half that because you succeeded, sorry. So it'd be 16.
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: So 16 psychic damage and the blight stops with you. Now--
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: -- finishing that, Braius, it's your turn, with Fearne on deck.
LAURA: Can I ask a technical question--
MATT: Sure.
LAURA: -- that I should already know the answer for?
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: If I am telekinetically shoving somebody out of a melee range, if I moved--
MATT: Forced movement does not--
LAURA: Forced movement.
MATT: -- trigger opportunity attacks.
LAURA: Okay, that's good to know. Okay, which I did know already.
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: I just wanted confirmation. So if Dorian wanted to be out of melee range and I didn't want Dorian to take an attack of opportunity, then I could force push him out of its melee range.
MATT: If he's at the edge of the melee range, you could do that.
LAURA: So if he's five feet away and I push him another five feet, he'd be out of the range. Right?
MATT: The melee range is longer than five feet with him because the arms are so long, it's about a 15-foot attack range.
LAURA: Oh, it's 15 feet.
MATT: So if you're at 15, you now see the range in the reach of the arms. But if he's at 15 feet and you push him into 20, then he'd be out of the range.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
MATT: So Braius, what you doing?
SAM: My max hit points are now 167 and my current hit points are 118. Am I more than 30 feet away?
MATT: You are probably, yeah. Let's see. Correct, you are about 40 feet away. 40, 45 feet.
SAM: Damn it. First, I'll look at the two ladies who are right next to me and say: I know that you guys are having some feelings about me right now. (laughter)
SAM: Probably not great, but I just want you to know... (laughter)
SAM: I love it. I just want you to know--
MARISHA: Keep talking.
SAM: -- it's nothing personal.
MARISHA: Mm-hmm.
SAM: I think I respect you both a lot.
MARISHA: I think it is personal.
ASHLEY: I'm taking it a bit personal.
MARISHA: Yes. I don't think you get to decide.
SAM: I'll make it up to you? Maybe if you guys-- Do you have birthdays coming up or like--
LIAM: God monster!
LAURA: We're in the middle of a fight!
SAM: Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! (laughter)
SAM: I will Misty Step away from them.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: Towards the creature. And close the distance and attack swinging away.
MATT: Let's go.
SAM: Let's just try. That's a natural one.
MATT: Are these attacks still at advantage from your last round?
TALIESIN: They are still at advantage.
MATT: No, no, no, you just took care of it.
TALIESIN: I just finished mine.
MATT: Never mind, you're good.
LIAM: Because you are 30 feet from me, I'll give you my reaction if you want to reroll that one because I know you like rerolling ones. (laughter)
SAM: Boy, that's tricky.
LAURA: Do it.
SAM: I don't normally do that. But as a show of good faith--
MATT: (laughs)
SAM: -- I always liked you, little one, and I'm going to steal your boyfriend. Okay, I'll reroll. (laughter)
SAM: It's a 28 now.
MATT: That hits.
ALL: Yes.
SAM: I'll use a level two Divine Smite.
TALIESIN: Remember 18 through 20.
SAM: Okay, I roll things now. Okay, first weapon damage. Terrible, that's 12. Then Divine Smite is another 10, right?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: Plus, 13, another 13.
MATT: Okay.
SAM: That's attack one.
MATT: All right, next attack,
SAM: Attack two. That's a natural one.
ASHLEY: Oh my god. (laughter)
TALIESIN: What you get for fucking with us.
MARISHA: Dude.
ASHLEY: But you reroll it?
SAM: I don't think I get to reroll this one.
MATT: No, I don't think you're close enough to him yet.
LIAM: It's also a reaction, so that's--
MATT: Right, that's true, yeah. So that concludes your attack, Braius.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: All right. So that finishes that.
SAM: That's it, that's my move, bonus action, and everything.
MATT: Yep, it's your movement and bonus action. You got it. Finishing Braius' go, Fearne, you're up, with Dorian on deck.
ASHLEY: All right, I would like to move up close to Predathos. I do have 35 feet.
MATT: 35 will get you not quite in the melee.
ASHLEY: But can I have Mister Dimension Door me the rest of the way? I haven't moved him around at all, but I imagine he's with me.
MATT: I'll allow it. So you want to teleport into his space?
ASHLEY: Yeah, so I'll use that.
MATT: All righty.
ASHLEY: I'm going to reach out to his foot and I'm going to cast Contagion.
MATT: Contagion.
TALIESIN: Interesting.
ASHLEY: I haven't done this before. I've been saving it for the right moment. Perhaps the moment is now! It's a constitution saving throw.
MATT: All right. You got it. That is going to be a 22.
ASHLEY: Works. So--
TRAVIS: The moment isn't now?
ASHLEY: Guess that moment isn't now.
MATT: Well no. Well, you make a melee spell attack against it.
ASHLEY: Well, okay, so "must succeed on a constitution saving throw." So you'll take half.
MATT: First, you have to make a melee spell attack against it.
ASHLEY: I do?
MATT: It does.
ASHLEY: It does.
SAM: Who the what?
MARISHA: What?
LAURA: Wait, say it one more time.
MATT: Are you using the 2024 rules for it different?
SAM: Oh Jesus.
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: I just have "your touch inflicts a magical Contagion. The target must succeed on a constitution saving throw."
MATT: They changed it in the new edition.
ASHLEY: Oh, they did? Okay, are we going by, my bad, my bad.
MATT: Mid-stream. All right.
MARISHA: That's legacy, right? Is she?
LAURA: She's legacy.
ASHLEY: I'm legacy? I don't know?
MATT: You're so legacy.
LIAM: I'm legacy, I'm legacy.
TALIESIN: I'm legacy and so's my wife.
TRAVIS: It'll be in the book. Where's the book?
MARISHA: That's true.
TALIESIN: I don't have the new book here, though.
MATT: Yeah, I mean the original spell as it works.
ASHLEY: I thought it was a touch. A touch situation?
MATT: Correct. It's a touch range to make a melee spell attack.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: It can inflict a series of diseases.
LAURA: Oh.
MATT: Now I don't know what the new version of it is, but I can look for it.
LAURA: Oh, so you're legacy, you're new.
LIAM: You probably-- Beyond has both listed.
TALIESIN: Yeah sometimes.
LIAM: One says doesn't, you probably chose the new fangled.
ASHLEY: Well, I feel like I got the regular one
TALIESIN: Unleaded.
MARISHA and LAURA: (laugh)
ASHLEY: Shall I scrap that and do a new idea? Is this weird?
LAURA: It'll say legacy underneath it if you--
MATT: Oh yeah. No, the new rules actually make it a, I mean, to be fair, the original Contagion is not that great of a spell.
ASHLEY: Oh, so I, okay, okay.
MATT: You know what, you know, here. I'll put it this way. It's 5th-level spell. You just leveled up at the behest of the Matron of Ravens. In this instance, I'll let you use it as you wish.
ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: Sweet.
SAM: So you get to pick any rules that you want with it?
LAURA: Yeah. So it works naturally.
ASHLEY: So it works automatically. It's actually a 30 for constitution.
MATT: Right, yeah, so it succeeds in the constitution saving throw. So it still takes half necrotic damage.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay, okay. All right. I already counted these out.
MATT: Hold on, let me see here.
LAURA: Heh.
MATT: Wait, no.
ASHLEY: No?
SAM: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Wait.
LAURA: Wait.
TALIESIN: Wait.
MATT: Wait, if--
TALIESIN: Wait.
MATT: Here, it doesn't say half damage. So on this, it's an all or nothing, like Disintegrate.
ASHLEY: Okay, got it.
MATT: So unfortunately, nothing.
ASHLEY: So it's a no-no. That's okay. That's all right. (rapidly mumbling spell description)
SAM: A few more tries.
ASHLEY: Okay.
SAM: It'll work.
ASHLEY: Target-- Okay, it didn't work.
MATT: Okay. So that finishes your turn.
ASHLEY: My turn is done.
MATT: All right. Dorian, you're up.
ROBBIE: No!
MATT: With Orym on deck.
SAM: No bonus action shooting stuff from Mister?
ASHLEY: I used bonus action to get a little closer to try to do it.
SAM: Okay.
LAURA: ♪ Get a little closer ♪
MATT: That was a good shot. It was a good shot. I'm sorry.
ASHLEY: No, that's okay.
LIAM: What are your hit points total?
ASHLEY: That's my--
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.
ASHLEY: I chose the wrong one.
ROBBIE: New hit points. 176, currently at 76.
MATT: Gotcha. Fearne, what was your hit points?
LIAM: Your new hit points.
ASHLEY: I did Slack them, but I will--
LIAM: Right, but announcing it at the table.
ASHLEY: I am currently at 55 hit points and my max is 112 now.
MATT: Under half.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.
MATT: All right, Dorian, what you got?
ROBBIE: Oh man. So I just got smacked to the ground. I like being mobile around it. So I'll use my movement to go up and back again. I'll go to the air again.
MATT: You got it.
ROBBIE: Sorry, you got to pull out the pedestal.
ASHLEY: Damn.
MATT: Are you staying within its melee?
ROBBIE: Am I in its melee?
MATT: Oh yeah.
ROBBIE: It's going to get a free whack?
MATT: If you move out of its range.
ROBBIE: I'll stay within range. That sounds terrible.
MATT: So up around here-ish?
ROBBIE: It's going to whack.
LAURA: That's what I mean.
TALIESIN: No, 15 feet.
LAURA: If you back up to 15 feet, then on my next turn, at least, I can push you out of melee range and you won't get the attack of opportunity.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Okay. Yeah, I guess would stay--
LAURA: So stay around the 15-foot and then I can at least try to help you on my next round.
ROBBIE: Okay.
TALIESIN: You're good.
MATT: That's about there.
ROBBIE: Okay. I'm going to, yeah, I'm going to-- We're wailing away on them, right?
LAURA and TALIESIN: Yeah.
ROBBIE: I mean, we're just-- Okay, yeah. I'll flick a little baby diamond off my pauldron and I'll hit him with that Chromatic Orb.
TALIESIN: Ooh.
ASHLEY: What's your HP?
ROBBIE: Why not? I haven't done it. I'm at 76.
ASHLEY: 76?
ROBBIE: Yeah, but I'm in the mix. That would be plus nine. (gasps) 19 plus nine.
TALIESIN: 19 is a crit.
MATT: That'll definitely hit.
MARISHA: 19 is a critical.
LAURA: Oh, that's a crit!
ROBBIE: Oh, that's a crit!
MATT: Yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Oh, sick! Dude, these new dice are nice to me.
MATT: All right, so roll. So it's 7d6, what type of damage?
ROBBIE: Oh, thunder for sure because I get to pick it.
ROBBIE: So--
MATT: On a crit.
ROBBIE: 3d8 for chromatic. Hi-yah! Nah, not great.
LAURA: Ah.
ROBBIE: Not great. Five, seven, 11.
LAURA: Times two?
ASHLEY: Times two.
ROBBIE: Times two because it's a crit, right?
LAURA: Hey! That's good.
MATT: That's 22 points of thunder damage.
ROBBIE: 22.
SAM: Which is doubled.
MATT: Doubled to 44.
MARISHA: Oh!
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Because he went with thunder.
ROBBIE: I can choose the element of my chromatic orb.
LAURA: Oh, right! And it doubles it after the crit. Whoa!
ASHLEY: Whoa!
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
LAURA: That's amazing!
ROBBIE: It's the old softball burner right at its dome.
LIAM: Oh! Oh!
MATT and ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: How do you want to do this?
ROBBIE: Whoa!
ASHLEY: What?! What?!
LAURA: What?!
TALIESIN: Chromatic Orb that motherfucker!
ROBBIE: No, no, no.
LAURA: Really?
ROBBIE: Really?
LAURA: That happened so much faster than I expected.
TALIESIN: We were whaling on the thing. We have been whaling.
ROBBIE: Wow!
ASHLEY: That was the most rounds we've done on something.
LIAM: How do you want to do this?
ROBBIE: Oh my god!
TALIESIN: I know.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: We've had a few more than that.
ROBBIE: There's something else.
MATT: Close though. It's close.
ROBBIE: There's something else here.
SAM: No, that's it. We won this campaign.
MARISHA: Yeah, there's no way.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
MARISHA: There's no way that's it.
ROBBIE: Sure, how do I want to do this?
MATT: How do you want to do this?
LIAM: Phase one.
ROBBIE: Yeah, of course. Yeah, he superhero flies up and then he's going to-- Hmm. He's going to have, before he throws his throw, flashbacks to the dirty alleys where we all met each other, the low-level skirmishes that involved us watching Orym almost getting eaten by a mimic wall.
LIAM and LAURA: (laugh)
ROBBIE: That was the last time he cast this spell, and his head flashes there.
MARISHA: Oh wow.
ROBBIE: He'll click that off and full on, pro baseball level fastball of this little diamond that cooks. As it cooks, it extends into this thunderous sound As it cooks, it extends into this thunderous sound and explosion right in its face.
MATT: You watch as it impacts. It's interesting, you expect it to detonate, and instead, it sinks into its head and sits in there for a second. It stands there, and you watch as the fleshy exterior of it begins to crystallize, the rest of its body beginning to expand and turn into an extension of the glass Ruidian crystal. It tries to move, but its body and torso and limbs all begin to stiffen and extend into broken jagged bits until the entirety of the form becomes a statue of Ruidian glass before your orb detonates within. (thunderous explosion) The shockwave scatters its body into tens of thousands of pieces as they rain across the entirety of the chamber. The form of Predathos--
SAM: Oh!
LAURA: What?
ASHLEY: What?
MATT: -- destroyed.
MARISHA: I don't trust it. I don't trust it.
ROBBIE: The form of Predathos.
ASHLEY: I don't trust it either!
ROBBIE: Of course not.
MATT: You all look around in the quiet of the chamber in the absence of the God-eater. A moment of victory finally washes over you. But you know it's not gone. Its presence hasn't changed. If anything, now it's everywhere. The rest of you look to each other in disbelief, a glimmer of hope in your eyes. You all look to Imogen, who instead, you can feel it brimming, shifting. who instead, you can feel it brimming, shifting. The ground begins to quake. Loose shale and stones scatter around. The whole room seems to be shifting and roiling. You watch as in this back wall, the ground begins to erupt--
LAURA: Oh no.
MATT: -- and grow as shards of glass emerge. You watch as a crested alien head merges, its multiple eyes glowing bright teal green. Its mouth opens an impossible size as it roars into the chamber.
LAURA: Oh no!
SAM: What the fuck is this?
MARISHA: Oh, no no no no! (clamoring)
TRAVIS: That's way bigger.
LAURA: I thought we already defeated it. What the fuck?
TALIESIN: No, no.
ROBBIE: Is he lifting with his knees?
TALIESIN: Oh.
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: As the ground quakes as well, in all spaces around, it roars out loudly (roaring) as two arms-- (forceful emergence)
LIAM: No!
SAM: What?
MATT: -- emerge from the nearby parts of the chamber.
LAURA: What the fuck? (excited yelling)
MARISHA: What is that?
ROBBIE: Yeah, that's so cool!
LAURA: This is sick!
TRAVIS: (laughs excitedly)
LAURA: We're in it.
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: As you all glance around the chamber, in all places it's still quaking. You sense: This chamber is Predathos.
LAURA: Oh fuck.
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
MATT: And it's angry.
ROBBIE: (nervous squeal)
MATT: And it wants back in. That's where we're going to end tonight's episode. (exclaiming)
ASHLEY: No! No!
ROBBIE: (yells)
TRAVIS: Oh my god!
MATT: We'll pick up in this phase--
LAURA and MARISHA: Oh my god.
MATT: -- the beginning of next episode.
TRAVIS: No!
LAURA: Longest fight ever.
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: The hands bursting through!
LAURA: What the shit?
ROBBIE: That's awesome.
MARISHA: That was sick.
TRAVIS: Can you turn his face this way for a second?
LAURA: Oh my god.
TRAVIS: Oh baby!
ROBBIE: Yeah!
TRAVIS: You a hammerhead and nobody understands you.
MATT: He's a fun one.
ASHLEY: Cool!
LAURA: Wow.
TRAVIS: Shit!
ASHLEY: A big boy!
MARISHA: Oh my god.
LAURA: Oh my god.
ROBBIE: It's scary.
MATT: So yeah. We'll pick up from here next time.
ASHLEY: (groans)
MATT: We'll see where it takes us.
LAURA: So now we've got to kill-- I was like: Wow, we just leveled up, and that happened so fast. We killed it. No.
ASHLEY: No way. No way, I knew it. No way.
TRAVIS: Do you not know Matthew of the Mercer?
MATT: Valid.
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
LAURA: The Mattman.
MATT: So I guess we'll pick up on this showdown with the God-eater next time. Thank you all so much for joining us.
TALIESIN: Oh god.
MATT: We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? (groaning) Good night.
Cooldown
TRAVIS: Oh, good job. Robbie, good job.
MARISHA: I thought we diminished him.
TRAVIS: Oh, my god. Well done, Matt!
ASHLEY: Predathos!
LAURA: Perderdoths!
TRAVIS: Okay, okay. How did this thing get made?
LIAM: Where?
TRAVIS: Look at the lights on both sides. You have a battery pack.
TALIESIN: This is some Nox shit, right?
MATT: Yeah, this is a culmination of a lot of wonderful people's work. The Predathos design-- I've been working with Tyler for a while, Tyler Walpole, on getting all the different forms designed. Kyle, you'll have to clarify the sculptor on this, on the actual Predathos 3D render of it. But the terrain is a Nox build.
ASHLEY: Look at those blue teeth.
MATT: Some of the small bits of stone I did at home, but the vast majority of this is a collaboration with Nox and Kyle and I putting this together for a while.
MARISHA: Kyle said Jesse Jerdak and Noxweiler.
MATT: There we go, yeah. So Jesse Jerdak is--
TRAVIS: Oh, big Jesse?
MATT: I wanted to before I said anything because I'm pretty sure that Jesse's been helping on a lot of amazing sculpts here and Jesse did such a great job with both ideating on some of the 3D space here, as well as doing the 3D sculpts of the Predathos forms. Yeah, and I've got some fun, fun, fun things to look forward to in the next throwdown.
TALIESIN: So if Fearne had gotten into the Voltron...
MATT: Yeah, so we had multiple different heads and different power sets depending on how it went. So we have, of course, the Imogen head that we got to see--
LAURA: Yes, so sick.
TALIESIN: So fucking gorgeous.
MATT: But if Fearne had gotten in, we had the Fearne head.
ALL: Ohhh!
LAURA: Look at that shit! Amazing!
MATT: It could have been Fearne.
TRAVIS: Where's the Braius head?
MATT: Then there's the Ludinus head if he had managed to--
ROBBIE: Holy hell.
LIAM: I'm sick of this dude!
MARISHA: There could--if we had failed and he got through.
LAURA: It could have been Ludinus. We would have had to fight Ludinus as Predathos.
MATT: I'm going to be honest. Breaking his concentration on that Ravenous Void spell with what your Blood Curse had done, really shored that up, because he was like-- the whole point was him trying to break through each one while pushing you guys back towards it. That definitely stopped him in his tracks. That was pretty sick. And all of you doing serious damage as well to break that concentration. That shifted the tide of that battle. But he was looking to come through and become the vessel as well, and this could have very well been you all versus the Ludinus version of this.
MARISHA: That would have made him probably more powerful.
MATT: Then he would have had all the spells.
TRAVIS: That would have been rough.
MARISHA: So because it was Imogen, it had more the Telekinetic Render and stuff.
LAURA: Oh, that's why?
MARISHA: But if it was Fearne, it would have been fire.
MATT: It would have had all the fire-based stuff, yeah. So yeah, it all depended on who ended up accepting the role of the vessel.
ASHLEY: Jaegering the Predathos.
MATT: If nobody did, then it would have come in with its base head and would have had its own additional power base.
LAURA: How could it have come through if nobody had taken it?
MATT: It still exists. It just needs the vessel to get through the boundary.
LIAM: It could have gotten angry and attacked us without someone merging.
MATT: Depending on how it went, it would have probably eventually led to a frustration-- It would have been if nobody accepted it. It would have been like, "Well then, I'm going to take you by force."
TALIESIN: While we're on the subject, what the hell, dude? (looking at Sam)
LAURA: Did that happen when we all left the table that one time?
SAM: The mask?
ASHLEY: Yeah.
SAM: No, that happened a long time ago, when you lent it to me for two episodes.
ASHLEY: Then you talked to Matt privately about it.
MATT: Yeah, he texted me on the side.
SAM: At the table, I said, when we all went to sleep that night, I was like, "I'm going to work on my art project." Which was making a fake mask.
MATT: I was like, "All right, let's do a few rolls, and see how good they were, and I'll compare them to people's--
LAURA: Perception?
MATT: --things that they were looking for.
ASHLEY: How do you feel about the decision you made?
SAM: I feel great about it. I wish that I hadn't been blind when it happened so that I could see--
LAURA: Her reaction to it?
SAM: Her more reacting to it. And I don't know what it's going to lead to. We're still in this fight, so we still haven't really dealt with it yet.
LAURA: Braius the Betrayer.
SAM: And I still don't even know--
ASHLEY: Betray-us.
SAM: --if my motivations are aligned with yours a hundred percent, so we got to figure it out.
MATT: We shall see.
ROBBIE: Yeah, I didn't get full betrayer vibes. You're not slitting anybody's throat.
SAM: Well--
TALIESIN: Lord of Lies lies with the Betrayer gods.
SAM: Because my god wants kind of the same thing that you guys want, which is...
LAURA: To survive?
SAM: To survive.
LIAM: I think that was a pretty good pitch for the gods.
LAURA: I feel like that was a good pitch, right?
ASHLEY: I feel like it was, too.
MATT: That was an interesting, inspired thread to go down.
LAURA: The only way to save them is to make them invisible.
LIAM: It's kind of like à la carte.
LAURA: But it brings their power down.
MARISHA: Yeah, you choose.
LIAM: Each gets to choose.
MARISHA: Run for the rest of your life, or...
MATT: If it works out and if you can both do it and convince them, but--
LAURA: If we can talk them into-- Oh, we just have to defeat this thing in order to do it.
MARISHA: You said we were close to diminishing it. This doesn't look diminished.
LAURA: This is a full level up.
MATT: You were close to diminishing that form.
LAURA: Oh my god. I love multi-level forms, so I love that.
MARISHA: I know, it's very JRPG.
LIAM: We thought that this thing was the god-eater, but we've been walking around inside the god-eater this whole time and didn't understand it.
LAURA: It's so cool! And no matter how many times you do it, it still is a surprise every time. I always forget. Like, "Fuck, that's right!"
MATT: (evilly) Yeah.
LIAM: Should the remainder of people call out their hit points? I don't know if we need it.
MATT: Yeah, let's do that, actually.
LIAM: I'm at a max of 181, currently at 156.
SAM: Did we all take Tough?
LIAM and ASHLEY: No.
TALIESIN: I didn't.
TRAVIS: I sure did.
MARISHA: That's a good idea. I'm at 153 max.
LAURA: Wow. That's so good.
LIAM: And that was Tough?
MARISHA: No, but I have really high Con.
TALIESIN: What did you take? You had two levels. What did you take?
MARISHA: Sorcerer. I'm probably done with warlock.
LAURA: That makes sense.
TALIESIN: But were there any special-- Did you take a feat or anything like that?
MARISHA: So I went up to level 13 and 14 with sorcerer, because I have my three.
LAURA: So you didn't get your third metamagic yet?
MARISHA: Correct. But I did get a new ability called Shadow Walker or something like that, where I can now as a bonus action teleport to shadows. I can go into shadow.
LAURA: Fuck yes! That's the coolest thing! That's a great one.
MARISHA: Yes, that's legacy.
ASHLEY: I took two levels in rogue. So now I get Evasion.
MATT: That's some survival shit right there.
MARISHA: So wait, what's your breakdown? How much rogue versus how much druid?
ASHLEY: I've got 10 levels of druid and 7 levels of rogue. Because of the weird levels that I did going up two levels, it gave me an ability. I was like, "Evasion's kind of cool."
MATT: Hell yeah. I love it.
LAURA: I'm 106 with 40 temporary hit points. And I took Ability Score Modifiers, so I bumped my Wisdom and my Intelligence up.
LIAM: You know, Predathos has gone belly up with his paws up. Maybe he just needs belly scritches.
LAURA: He just needs some belly scritches. Is he going to pop up with two more arms, though?
MATT: I don't know what you mean.
SAM: This might not even be his final form. If we kill this one and then two googly eyes appear up there on the pillar--
MATT: I just put a mask on and a Predathos jacket and then (growling and mauling).
LIAM: You just run around the table punching us.
SAM: That would actually be awesome.
ROBBIE: It'd be a way to end it.
MATT: I put Omar on the table and whatever he touches dies. It'd be pretty great.
MARISHA: Just put him in a little Predathos costume.
MATT: Oh my god. I'll see what I can do.
LAURA: That would be the best.
MARISHA: Dye his fur blue.
LAURA: You know, when Charlie was still around, people sent teddy bears with Trinket armor on them, and I took the Trinket armor and put it on Charlie.
MATT: I remember this!
LAURA: So he was our little Trinket boy.
MATT: It was super cute.
ASHLEY: I remember that picture when we saw it, and he looked super cute.
LAURA: Oh my god, and then I put a little foam sword on his back.
MARISHA: That was so cute!
TRAVIS: My hit points are 331, 153.
SAM: What?!
ASHLEY: No they're not.
MARISHA: Although I feel like that was close to your Grog numbers.
LAURA: That is your Grog numbers.
MARISHA: Your level 20 Grog numbers.
MATT: Grog is a meat sack.
TRAVIS: (as Grog) He's a big meat sack.
MATT: The other boons you guys didn't end up taking.
LAURA: What would they have done?
ASHLEY: I realized I should have done Con. I should have done that because it didn't affect everybody. I should have taken something that everybody would have gotten the boon.
TALIESIN: What, no, why?
SAM: It was awesome. You need spells.
ASHLEY: I'm second guessing it.
LAURA: Spells are great.
TRAVIS: You fucked it up.
ASHLEY: I know I did.
LAURA: Spells are clutch.
TALIESIN: We need spells.
ASHLEY: At least I rolled well.
SAM: What did we not get, Matt?
MARISHA: Make Ashley feel bad real quick.
MATT: Boon of Potency was the first attack on your turn had advantage and attacks do an additional 2d8 cold damage. Which is helpful for damaging more. Fortification is the entire party gains 60 temporary hit points.
LAURA: Okay, that's like one hit each.
MATT: Restoration was the party heals 400 hit points divided as you wish.
LAURA: Okay, so we all would have healed to full, probably.
SAM: I like what you did.
TALIESIN: Yeah, I thought that was the right call.
LAURA: Plus you rolled so high for those spells.
ASHLEY: I did roll really high.
LAURA: Like she rolled all fives and sixes.
MATT: You rolled really high.
LAURA: Because the max was 30. And she rolled 28.
ASHLEY: Yeah, it was all sixes and five.
TALIESIN: Taking the hit points would have been-- everyone gets one more time getting hit and that would have been it.
ASHLEY: Yeah, okay, okay.
LAURA: You chose the good one.
ASHLEY: All right, I feel a bit better.
LAURA: If I'd have been able to absorb or if I had rolled not a one on the shadow of Ethedok, what would that have done?
MATT: You would have had the opportunity to snuff him as well, which would have removed that power set from Predathos' capability.
ASHLEY: Does she have the ability now of Vordo? We don't know yet? Because if you ate him--
LAURA: I didn't get any radiant abilities.
MATT: No, you got temporary hit points from devouring him.
LAURA: Yeah, I got 40 temp. That's still really good.
TALIESIN: What if we put him in the backpack and then-- Sorry.
SAM: Let's game this out.
TALIESIN: God powder.
SAM: Oh, yeah. Chetney's still wearing the harness on his back, isn't he?
TALIESIN: Oh, yeah. I've never forgotten.
SAM: Suck that hand.
LAURA: Predathos was basically doing to the gods what Ludinus is wanting to do to other things, right? He takes them in, feeds off of them, but uses their powers for himself.
MATT: It seemed that he had the capability when he drew on it for the little bit he had, yeah.
TRAVIS: I'm just leaning against Braius right now in the in-between, just... (sucking)
TALIESIN: Is everyone trying to steal your boyfriend?
SAM: (showing off his t-shirt) When I'm done, will I look like this, Travis?
ALL: (sounds of awe and admiration)
LAURA: Did you do the whole game and nobody noticed you had that on?
MATT: I noticed it.
LIAM: Oh man. Laudna could teleport right into those eyes.
TALIESIN: I thought it was "The Punisher" or something. It's got a comic book movie vibe.
LAURA: Look at that little football player baby!
MARISHA: It's very circa early 2000s Abercrombie & Fitch.
TRAVIS: That's accurate. I think it's 2001.
ASHLEY: I bet you have one leg pushed up against the tree.
LAURA: Oh, definitely.
MATT: You're just missing the arm. (poses)
LAURA: Yeah, you do look like the bad high school kid that would pick on the nerdy main character.
MATT: It does have strong Flash Thompson energy. All right, let's pick this up next time and see where the fuck this goes. Love y'all.