Critical Role campaign one

Critical Role campaign one
Season 1
Campaign poster art by Matteo Scalera and Moreno Dinisio.
No. of episodes	115
Release
Original network	Twitch, YouTube, Alpha (from 2016)
Original release	March 12, 2015 (2015-03-12) – October 12, 2017 (2017-10-12)
Season chronology

The first campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role premiered on March 12, 2015; it consisted of 115 episodes and concluded on October 12, 2017. It followed Vox Machina, a party of seven to eight adventurers, in their travels across the continent of Tal'Dorei. Campaign one broadcast live each Thursday at 19:00 PT on Geek & Sundry's Twitch channel, with the video on demand (VOD) being available to Twitch subscribers immediately after the broadcast. On the Monday following the live stream, the VODs were made available for the public on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel.

Cast

Main

• Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master
• Ashley Johnson as Pike Trickfoot, gnome cleric
• Travis Willingham as Grog Strongjaw, goliath barbarian / fighter
• Laura Bailey as Vex'ahlia "Vex" de Rolo, half-elf ranger / rogue
• Liam O'Brien as Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar, half-elf rogue / paladin / druid
• Taliesin Jaffe as Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, human gunslinger
• Marisha Ray as Keyleth of the Air Ashari, half-elf druid
• Orion Acaba as Tiberius Stormwind, dragonborn sorcerer (ep 1-27)
• Sam Riegel as Scanlan Shorthalt, gnome bard (ep 1-85 & 98-115), and as Tarryon Darrington, human artificer (ep 85-102)

Guest

• Felicia Day as Lyra, human wizard
• Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Zahra Hydris, tiefling warlock
• Wil Wheaton as Thorbir Falbek, dwarf fighter
• Will Friedle as Kashaw Vesh, human cleric
• Kit Buss as Lillith Anioska Daturai, tiefling wizard
• Jason C. Miller as Garthok, half-orc rogue
• Chris Hardwick as Gern Blanston, dragonborn wizard
• Chris Perkins as Shale, goliath fighter
• Patrick Rothfuss as Kerrek, human paladin
• Noelle Stevenson as Tova, dwarf/werebear blood hunter
• Jon Heder as Lionel "Chod" Gayheart, half-orc bard/barbarian
• Darin De Paul as Ethrid "Sprigg" Brokenbranch, gnome rogue
• Joe Manganiello as Arkhan the Cruel, red dragonborn paladin/barbarian

Synopsis

The Kraghammer story arc (16 episodes, 1–16) starts in media res at the point in Vox Machina's story where the cast's original home game left off. It takes place primarily in the subterranean depths of the Underdark, and culminates in a battle between Vox Machina and a dangerous beholder by the name of K'varn, who is controlling an entire city of Illithid.

The Vasselheim story arc (7 episodes, 17–23) splits the party into two groups, who seek to prove their worth to the "Slayer's Take", a local adventurer's guild in the ancient city of Vasselheim, by taking on dangerous missions. This arc features multi-episode guest appearances by Felicia Day (Lyra), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Zahra), Wil Wheaton (Thorbir), and Will Friedle (Kashaw), adding a new twist to the now-divided adventuring band. This arc also includes the first episode (episode 22) that touches on a character's backstory, as Keyleth visits another druid tribe to continue her Aramenté, a journey to become the leader of her people.

The Briarwood story arc (15 episodes, 24–38) leads Vox Machina to Percy's ancestral home, the city of Whitestone, which was once ruled by his family. The party have to fight for control over Whitestone against Lord and Lady Briarwood, who are responsible for the demise of most of the de Rolo family and have taken the city as their own. The Briarwood's ties into necromancy and a secret cult make things even more dangerous, and Vox Machina must stop them from completing a ritual that threatens to endanger the entire kingdom. During the early stages of this arc, Tiberius leaves Vox Machina for good.

The Chroma Conclave story arc (45 episodes, 39–83) begins with the attack of four ancient chromatic dragons on Emon, the capital of Tal'Dorei, with the Sovereign and other important political figures falling in the onslaught. The dragons take control over and divide the kingdom, and in order to defeat them, Vox Machina needs more power than they currently have. They search for the "Vestiges of Divergence", famed and extremely powerful magical items from ages passed, which are scattered throughout the world. During the ongoing battles against the powerful dragons of the Chroma Conclave, the backstories of some characters are also further explored. Smaller arcs focus on Grog's herd that once exiled him, the last figure from Percy's traumatic past, as well as a strained family reunion for the twins, Vex and Vax.

The Taryon Darrington story arc (16 episodes, 84–99) begins with the departure of Scanlan from the group, whose use of "spice" (an in-campaign illicit drug) and disagreements with the group culminate in an argument that shakes the party. While traveling to Ank'Harel on the continent of Marquet, Vox Machina meet Taryon Darrington, an inexperienced aspiring author and adventurer. Adventuring together with Taryon, some smaller story arcs see Vox Machina helping Keyleth (who seeks to complete her Aramenté), literally traveling to hell, as well as dealing with Taryon's family, who reside in the Dwendalian Empire on the continent of Wildemount. During this arc, which is loosely defined by Scanlan's absence and Taryon's presence in the party, Pike's family also makes an appearance and her relationship with them is explored. The arc includes a one year time skip between episodes 94 and 95.

The Cult of Vecna story arc (16 episodes, 100–115) revisits the mysterious and dangerous artifact that was activated beneath Whitestone Castle during the Briarwood story arc. Scanlan finally rejoins Vox Machina, while the party now has to fight a cult which tries to summon the evil lich demigod Vecna, who seeks to ascend to true godhood and rule Exandria. His ascension actually succeeds and he becomes the only god on this side of the Divine Gate, which keeps the other gods from directly interfering in the world they created. With the indirect help of some of the prime deities who aid them with special powers, Vox Machina are the only group of heroes who can possibly stop the "Whispered One" in one gigantic final battle.

After the conclusion of the primary campaign, several one-shots have taken place using Vox Machina. These include "The Search for Grog" and "The Search for Bob", which portray an adventure on the plane of Pandemonium which was only briefly summarized toward the end of the final episode. Additionally, the "Dalen's Closet" one-shot portrayed the wedding vow renewal of Vex'ahlia and Percy one year later.

Production & format

The Vox Machina campaign originated as the home-game of the cast, which started in 2012. While the adventures prior to the Kraghammer arc in 2015 were not formally recorded, some shorter recordings have been released by the cast. The format and production values evolved significantly over the course of the run. While the show began at a simple table in the Geek & Sundry office, set backdrops were added, along with individual microphones for the cast.

Campaign one was originally broadcast live on the Geek & Sundry Twitch and YouTube channels between March 12, 2015 and October 12, 2017, for a total of 115 episodes. Starting in November 2016, it was also broadcast live on the Alpha streaming service from Legendary Digital Networks. The show on Alpha had a unique overlay that included "real-time character sheets, damage and heal animations, and visualizations". Campaign one's closed captions were transcribed by a fan group who submitted them to Geek & Sundry. Geek & Sundry then added these to the YouTube VODs. The VODs have since been uploaded to Critical Role's own YouTube channel. A number of cast members were absent during episode 12, and so Mercer ran a Dungeon Master workshop rather than a session with Vox Machina. Further workshop and DM tip videos would be released by Geek & Sundry over the following years but unlike episode 12 these were not given numerical episode designations.

Pre-game segments

An announcement segment was present through much of the run, usually with Mercer opening the show, followed by other announcements such as new merchandise or other projects from the cast. These would continue into the second campaign in a similar fashion. On occasion, guests would be present for the announcement segment, such as prop maker Kai Norman in episode 15. The opening and break sequences initially featured backstory videos about each player character- these were removed from the introduction in favour of a live-action opening sequence with the cast. A segment informally referred to as "Critmas" featured cast members opening mail and gits from fans. This originated as a pre-game segment in episode 5, later becoming a sporadic post-game segment through the first half of the show's run. From December 2015, Geek & Sundry instead encouraged generous fans to donate to a list of sponsored charities.

Post-game segments

Several post-game segments were employed, particularly early on in the run. These included giveaways, Q&A sessions with the chat, and reading the names and messages of donors. Episode 11 featured a 45 minute dancing sequence after the game to celebrate reaching a subscription threshold. These segments later fell out of use and were edited out of the podcast versions of the episodes.

Episodes

No. in season	Title	Guests	Original air date	Notes
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1	"Arrival at Kraghammer"	–	March 12, 2015 (2015-03-12)	Ashley Johnson is absent.
Vox Machina enter the dwarven city of Kraghammer in search of Lady Kima of Vord. They get rooms at the Iron Hearth tavern, and Tiberius draws the ire of House Thunderbrand. Due to a misunderstanding, Vex's bear Trinket has become engaged in a bear fight back at the tavern and the party is forced to intervene. The following day they visit the owner of the mines Nostoc Greyspine, and learn that Kima had disappeared below some time ago. As they finish talking, a large group of goblins rush up to the surface and they aid the dwarves in fighting them off. They realise the goblins who just came out of the mines were actually fleeing a strange abomination, which is ultimately slain by Scanlan.
2	"Into the Greyspine Mines"	–	March 19, 2015 (2015-03-19)	Ashley Johnson is absent.
Greyspine offers the party a reward if they can stop the source of these attacks from below the mine. They stop by House Thunderbrand and purchase supplies at the Value of Valor before making their descent. They are attacked two umber hulks, along with three duergar and an intellect devourer. Grog is struck by a telepathic attack and falls unconscious. The last duergar surrenders, but Grog does not respond to healing.
3	"Strange Bedfellows"	–	March 26, 2015 (2015-03-26)	Ashley Johnson is absent.
After failing to revive the unconscious Grog, Vox Machina interrogate and torture the duergar before killing her. After they camp for the night, Keyleth is able to revive Grog through a ritual- though Vex is confident her kiss helped. Following tracks in the morning, they investigate a goblin village and spot a warcamp on the far side of a bridged crevasse. Scanlan approaches with the carpet and scouts out the area, finding trolls and a mind flayer. The party reunite and enact a plan involving the spell Hallucinatory Terrain, with Vax acting as bait to trick the trolls into tumbling over the edge. The mind flayer approaches and the bridge is cut, so the party retreat and explore a hidden cave lower down in the crevasse. They encounter a mind flayer outcast- and potential ally- named Clarota.
4	"Attack on the Duergar Warcamp"	–	April 2, 2015 (2015-04-02)	Ashley Johnson's first on screen episode. The cast host a Q&A at the end.
Resting in the abandoned goblin village, Clarota shares his knowledge of K'Varn, a beholder who has taken control of his people. They discuss various plans for how to attack the duergar warcamp on the far side of the chasm. Vax and Scanlan ambush the camp's illithid, while the rest of the party make use of the Daylight spell to blind their foes. The fight becomes more complicated when a bullette rises from below their feet to join the fight, but Grog manages to kill it.
5	"The Trick about Falling"	–	April 9, 2015 (2015-04-09)	The ooze was selected by the chat for the encounter.
The party interrogate the general from the camp, and with the aid of Clarota learn more about K'Varn. They intend to let him go, but his brain is eaten by Clarota. A risky escape leaves Clarota injured, and so they heal him and rest up. They encounter a group of ogres pulling a cart and a fight ensues- rousing the oozes concealed on the cart- but gain the upper hand.
6	"Breaching the Emberhold"	–	April 16, 2015 (2015-04-16)	–
As the group head deeper they encounter the subterranean fortress of Emberhold. They attack some of the guards and encounter a hidden stone door behind a falling flow of magma. They fight their way into a dungeon and rescue Lady Kima. She has a tense moment with Clarota, whom she naturally distrusts due to his nature as an illithid.
7	"The Throne Room"	–	April 23, 2015 (2015-04-23)	Travis Willingham is absent.
The party continue to explore Emberhold. They fight and interrogate a duergar mage and learn that K'Varn himself is likely waiting for them above. They debate their next actions, concerned that if they make a break for the surface they may be pursued and trapped in a two-front battle. They head for the throne room of the fortress and confront the duergar king Murghol. The king escapes amid a dangerous encounter, complicated by the presence of a basilisk. Grog is captured, Kima and Tiberius are petrified, and the unconscious Vax receives a serious burn on his right leg from magma.
8	"Glass and Bone"	–	April 30, 2015 (2015-04-30)	–
Emberhold is swamped by lava as Vox Machina retreat, carrying their frozen companions and discussing how to retrieve Grog. Tiberius and Kima are revived with Greater Restoration and Kima shares a vision she had of K'varn, who possesses one of the horns of Orcus. They rest, and track Grog's scent towards a pit filled with volcanic glass shards. Duergar below are fighting some abomination, and the party get involved. Trinket is knocked unconscious, but is retrieved by Keyleth, Tiberius and Pike. Vax discovers a duergar camp on the far side, containing Queen Ulara and a captive Grog.
9	"Yug'Voril Uncovered"	–	May 7, 2015 (2015-05-07)	Ashley Johnson is absent.
Tiberius is spotted and Vax is forced to kill the duergar lookout. They confront the queen and a fight breaks out, with an invisible illithid attacking. They free Grog from his shackles, and K'Varn possesses the queen, and asks them to come to his temple as "treasured guests". This starts a debate about their purpose below ground, with the group agreeing to try and stop K'Varn and retrieve the horn of Orcus. Some armour is discovered in a secret chamber, and is claimed by Kima. The party begin their descent to Yug'Voril, a subterranean city of illithid, and the home of Clarota.
10	"K'Van Revealed"	–	May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14)	The last episode with character backstory videos at the start.
The party are attacked by a group of undead and a cloaker. They encounter a portal to the far realm- perhaps K'Varn's entry point- and collapse the cavern around it. They perform some magical research, with Tiberius contacting his brother Jerahd and Keyleth scrying on K'Varn. She sees the Elder brain in the centre of the city, and sees the armoured beholder directly. They head for the city, and encounter a giant.
11	"The Temple Showdown"	–	May 21, 2015 (2015-05-21)	–
The party attempt to subdue and restrain the giant "Tiny" with mixed success, eventually putting it under a Geas spell so it can help them attack K'Varn. They make their plans for the attack and rest up. Grog nearly attacks Tiny when it downs his cask of ale, but a fight is averted. Through cunning use of the magic carpet and a Polymorph spell, Vox Machina crash through the roof of the temple and engage K'Varn. Lady Kima is turned to stone while Grog is killed and revived during the battle, but Tiberius lands the killing blow on K'varn's central eye and retrieves the Horn of Orcus.
12	"Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Tips"	Dan Casey, Zac Eubank, Ify Nwadiwe	May 28, 2015 (2015-05-28)	Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, Sam Riegal and Travis Willingham are absent
A special episode in which Matthew Mercer runs a D&D workshop and answers questions from the chat, as most of the cast are unavailable.
13	"Escape from the Underdark"	–	June 4, 2015 (2015-06-04)	–
Clarota is welcomed back by his illithid community, and immediately turns on Vox Machina. During the running battle, Percy shoots Clarota, and the Elder Brain takes considerable damage but is not destroyed. Tiberius teleports everyone back to Emon, and they return to their home at Greyskull Keep. Tiberius spends some time in Draconia, Kima is freed from her petrification by Pike, and the party learn that the horn of Orcus must now be sealed away in a secure location. Sovereign Uriel sends the party a message summoning them to his presence.
14	"Shopping and Shipping"	–	June 11, 2015 (2015-06-11)	–
Tiberius returns from Draconia with a bag of holding, Kima is returned to Allura and Vox Machina are paid for their exploits. The fate of the horn is discussed by the council, and a plan is agreed for Vox Machina to escort it to Othanzia. Overhearing the Briarwoods' name in the proceedings, Percy is disturbed. The party purchase a range of items at Gilmore's Glorious Goods.
15	"Skyward"	–	June 25, 2015 (2015-06-25)	–
Percy does some tinkering, and Pike heals the lasting damage to Vax's foot from the lava they had encountered earlier. The following morning, Vox Machina board the skyship Deera, to set sail for Vasselheim. On their way the ship is attacked by wyvern riders, but the party repel the assault.
16	"Enter Vasselheim"	–	July 2, 2015 (2015-07-02)	–
The airship comes to land in Vasselheim, and the party are escorted to meet Highbearer Vord. The Hall of Exalt below the Platinum Sanctuary has become infested with spiders, and so Vox Machina are hired to clear it out before sealing the Horn away in its depths. When they return to the surface, Pike learns of a recently rediscovered temple to Sarenrae in the city, and decides to stay and restore the temple.
'
17	"Hubris"	–	July 23, 2015 (2015-07-23)	It was announced that Ashley Johnson would be absent for a block of episodes due to her NY filming schedule.
Grog loses a fight in The Crucible, brawling arena in Vasselheim. The next day, while tracking down creatures in the woods outside the city, Vox Machina encounter and fight a hydra – stealing the kill from the hunting guild Slayer's Take. To avoid prosecution as poachers, Vox Machina agrees to be split into two parties to take on hunting trials and retroactively become members of the guild.
18	"Trial of the Take: Part 1"	Felicia Day, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	July 30, 2015 (2015-07-30)	Marisha Ray, Liam O'Brien, Ashley Johnson, Orion Acaba are absent this episode.
Scanlan, Percy, Vex'ahlia, and Grog are teamed up with two guild members, the human wizard Lyra and the tiefling warlock Zahra, to hunt down and harvest a white dragon. After doing some research in the city, the group treks through the Vesper Timberland. In the night, they are attacked by wolves and orcs, however, the group overpower their attackers and interrogate the survivor.
19	"Trial of the Take: Part 2"	Felicia Day, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	August 6, 2015 (2015-08-06)	Marisha Ray, Liam O'Brien, Ashley Johnson, Orion Acaba are absent this episode.
After a northwest push into the mountains, the group negotiates passage by frost giants. Using a spell, Lyra learns that the dragon's name is Rimefang and realizes that other members of the Slayer's Take were killed on a previous contact for this same dragon; this new contract could be a suicide mission. However, the group successfully defeat the dragon in its lair and revive their fallen allies. They return to guild, with all of the required dragon parts, and are welcomed as official members.
20	"Trial of the Take: Part 3"	Will Friedle, Wil Wheaton	August 13, 2015 (2015-08-13)	Travis Willingham, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel are absent this episode.
Keyleth, Vax'ildan, and Tiberius are teamed up with two guild members, the human cleric Kashaw Vesh and dwarven fighter Thorbir Falbek, to hunt down a rakshasa. As part of their research, the group consult with the Bastions (city guard) on strangely violent deaths in the city. This leads them to the Velvet Cabaret, a fancy establishment, where a wealthy merchant was residing before his murder. In their investigation, they discover that a rakshasa owns the Velvet Cabaret and then pursue the fiend as it flees through a tunnel underneath its room into a long subterranean tunnel fraught with traps. After overcoming traps, the group is attacked by an unknown creature.
21	"Trial of the Take: Part 4"	Will Friedle, Wil Wheaton	August 20, 2015 (2015-08-20)	Travis Willingham, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel are absent this episode.
After defeating an otyugh and then later ghosts, the group partakes in a Heroes' Feast before continuing their pursuit of the rakshasa. The group face a tough battle with the rakshasa before defeating it and harvesting it for parts. Upon return to the guild, Thorbir vouches for their success and they are welcomed as official members. Kashaw, meanwhile, says his farewells before planting a kiss on Keyleth and walking out the door.
22	"Aramente to Pyrah"	–	August 27, 2015 (2015-08-27)	Sam Riegel is absent this episode.
Vox Machina joyfully reunite at the Slayer's Take before being formally inducted into the guild. Vox Machina follow the Huntmaster Vanessa to a hidden ziggurat below the guild which acts as a temple to Ioun (the goddess of knowledge) where they meet Osysa, a gynosphinx, who magically brands their shoulders with the mark of the Slayer's Take. After some shopping, the group travel to the home of the Fire Ashari in the Sunder Peak mountain and meet with Flamespeaker Cerkonos who confirms Keyleth's mother, Vilya, came through about ten years ago on her own aramente. The group passes a trial by combat in the Elemental Plane of Fire; while there they see a huge red dragon pass overhead. After returning to Pyrah, the group celebrate Keyleth's success before Pike returns to her temple.
23	"The Rematch"	–	September 10, 2015 (2015-09-10)	Ashley Johnson is absent this episode.
Before leaving Vasselheim, Grog wins a rematch at The Crucible; his fight is observed by the Dawn Marshal Earthbreaker Groon. After concluding their business in the city, Vox Machina return to Greyskull Keep in Emon where they discover a young man, Kynan Leore, has been camping in front of their home for two weeks in order to meet them. Kynan wants to join their group; Vax, to make a point, strikes him with the pommel of a dagger and knocks him out in a single hit. After waking him up, Vax offers to mentor him if Kynan improves his training and returns. Seeker Assum Emring meets with the group to inform them that in a week there will be a celebration with Lord and Lady Briarwood of Whitestone to mark the construction of a bridge between Tal'Dorei and Wildemount. Assum noticed Percy's discomfort the last time the Briarwoods were mentioned, which matched up with Assum's own reservations about the couple and the group is invited to this celebratory dinner.
'
24	"The Feast"	–	September 17, 2015 (2015-09-17)	Ashley Johnson is absent for a block of episodes due to her NY filming schedule.
Percy explains to Vox Machina that the Briarwoods are responsible for deaths of everyone in his family; the only survivors of the attack inside Castle Whitestone were traitors and Percy wants revenge. He highlights that the names of the five conspirators from the coup are engraved on the barrels of his gun: Lord Briarwood, Lady Briarwood, Dr. Anna Ripley, Sir Stonefell, and Professor Anders. Before the dinner, the party run several errands: Vax buys enchanted daggers from Gilmore's Glorious Goods for Kynan only to discover Kynan has left the city; Tiberius, Grog, Vex, and Scanlan teleport to Kraghammer to look at the price of repairing their flying carpet and retrieve payment for their Underdark venture; and Grog starts to grow a beard due to the Belt of Dwarvenkind. Vox Machina attend the party with Percy disguised as Vax and during dinner, the Briarwoods explain how they inherited Whitestone from the de Rolo family. After a tense dinner, Vax stealthy follows the Briarwoods, takes down a guard and enters their guest suite. However, Vax is caught by the Briarwoods, fails to bluff and ends up paralyzed and captured before he could say the emergency code word “Jenga”.
25	"Crimson Diplomacy"	Kit Buss	September 24, 2015 (2015-09-24)	–
Vax overcomes the paralysis and charm spells, only to be attacked by the Briarwoods – Lady Briarwood uses necrotic magic and Lord Briarwood appears to be a vampire. Vax escapes by jumping out a second-story window while yelling "Jenga" into his magical earpiece. Vox Machina gather weapons and search for Vax; Seeker Assum and Lillith Daturai, a tiefling wizard, also join the fight against the Briarwoods but Seeker Assum ends up charmed by Lord Briarwood. Lord and Lady Briarwood retreat and, before teleporting away, they sarcastically invite Percy to visit his family in Whitestone. After the fight, Lillith explains that she is Zahra’s cousin who suggested that Vox Machina could aid her in her fight against the bounty hunter known as the “The Broker” who was hired by her sisters. Vox Machina successfully kill “The Broker” (who Lillith then reanimates to send back to her sisters); however, during the fight Tiberius killed an older civilian woman.
26	"Consequences and Cows"	–	October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01)	–
Percy stays at Greyskull Keep in his workshop while the rest of Vox Machnia answer a summons from Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei. Uriel demands that they explain their attack on formal guests of the palace, torture of the guests’ carriage driver, and leaving an elderly woman dead. During their accounting of the situation, Vax shows his bite wound and Keyleth explains that Lord Briarwood charmed Seeker Assum. After Keyleth uses a restoration spell on Seeker Assum, Assum pretends that the magic had no effect and Sovereign Uriel temporarily revokes Vox Machnia’s membership on the Council of Tal'Dorei until a formal investigation is completed. Afterwards, Allura explains that they only have a few weeks to provide evidence of their innocence and expresses disappointment in Tiberius insisting the old woman was a threat. Vox Machnia free the carriage driver who explains more of the situation in Whitestone: not only was the de Rolo family executed but so were all other nobles in the town who were replaced with mercenaries, anyone who objected to their rule was killed, and after several years the new nobles began to abuse townsfolk. The carriage driver himself was pressed into service; he stated that he’s only seen Lady Briarwood walk in daylight and that the castle was a place of sacrilege magics. As a diversion, the party (without Percy) decide to take a nearby job to look into a livestock problem. The party resolves this by convincing the roc’s owner to relocate to Vasselheim so the giant bird stops preying on local livestock.
27	"The Path to Whitestone"	–	October 8, 2015 (2015-10-08)	Last appearance of Orion Acaba.
Vox Machina fend off an attack in their keep; Vax believes the Invisible Stalkers were sent by the Briarwoods. Seeker Assum infiltrates the keep to explain that he is pretending to be charmed so he can investigate who else might have been impacted by the Briarwoods’ magic. Assum says he suspects Sovereign Uriel has been charmed, and he’s going to soon head for Wildemount to investigate the Briarwoods’ origins. During the party’s discussion, Percy begins to hear a whispered voice repeating the word “vengeance” and once by himself, Percy agrees with the voice. The party prepares to head to Whitestone by enchanting items, brewing potions and Tiberius sends a letter to his father requesting the aid of the Draconian army in order to support Percy, however, the request is denied. The party then teleport to Westruun and while on the mountain path through the Alabaster Sierras, they are attacked by serpentine creatures.
28	"The Sun Tree"	–	October 15, 2015 (2015-10-15)	Tiberius was played in absentia of Orion Acaba by Matthew Mercer
Vox Machina continue on their way after defeating the creatures and discover a stone giant fortresses which they determine was attacked two to three months ago by the dried blood pools. On the outskirts of Whitestone, they decide to rest in trees after they hear wolves while Keyleth in eagle form takes Scanlan to invisibly scout the city. Most buildings are shut, crops are failing, the few people in the city give a wide berth to the undead giants that are patrolling, and there are eight bodies hanging from the Sun Tree. Percy explains that the Sun Tree is a representation of the sun god Pelor. The next day, the party utilize magic to disguise themselves to infiltrate the city and head to see the Sun Tree; Vox Machina realize the eight bodies are effigies of themselves. The party regroup in a nearby abandoned tavern where Keyleth digs until she finds the Sun Tree’s roots and discovers the tree is dead. After Keyleth prepares a Heroes’ Feast for Vox Machina, she begins casting an eight-hour long spell to attempt reviving the tree.
29	"Whispers"	–	October 22, 2015 (2015-10-22)	Orion Acaba's departure was announced immediately before this episode.
The party split up; Vex and Grog to protect Keyleth and the rest to investigate the nearby graveyard temple. After magically breaking into the temple, they discover the priest of Pelor is dead, the temple is vandalized, and a half-burned note that states that in Emon Sylas “encountered the still-living subject, and had the pleasure of seeing his work first hand. […] If Delilah's hunch is correct and the subject is heading here, I may find myself needing to leave sooner than anticipated”. Percy investigates the altar closer and recognizes components similar to what he uses to make gun ammunition. On their way back, they discover a Sir Kerrion has been issuing impossible decrees to the townsfolk and that Keyleth is unable to revive the tree because something even further down is sucking the life out of it. The next day, still disguised as peasants, the party attend a sermon at the temple to the lawbearer god Erathis where Percy gives a prayer for outside forces to bring salvation and then slips a parchment to the Erathis Keeper Yennen. The party then infiltrate Sir Kerrion’s house, kill him, defeat his guards and interrogate a survivor who emphasizes that Lady Briarwood is the scariest and that the Briarwoods have a project room beneath the castle; Vox Machina then light the house on fire, leave the survivors tied up outside it, and stealth back to the tavern as warning bells ring.
30	"Stoke the Flames"	–	October 29, 2015 (2015-10-29)	–
Percy is questioned about the smoke that emanated from his body during the fight and his heightened levels of violence. Percy explains that a year after the Brairwoods coup he had a dream asking if he wanted the means to achieve revenge in exchange for the souls of those he would kill; after the dream, he had the first idea to create a gun. Percy states that it was just a dream, although the party isn’t convinced and decide they will save him if he goes too far. In the night, the party fend off a vampire attack before splitting up to find a new hideout. After attending another sermon, Keeper Yennen asks the party to follow him for a discussion where he explains that other community leaders are not yet onboard due to previous failed rebellions and that an informant told them that a ziggurat beneath the city is being repurposed for evil. Percy then recognizes another man in the room as Archibald Desnay, his father’s chancellor, and drops his magical disguise. Archibald explains that their informant inside the castle is in fact Percy’s surviving sister Cassandra who is being forced to serve the Brairwoods. Vox Machina determine their next targets: Scanlan will create a distraction at the Vedmeyer estate as a feint so the rest of the party can attack Count Tylieri. Scanlan ends up taking on the entire estate through various polymorph forms while the rest begin their attack on Tylieri's mansion.
31	"Gunpowder Plot"	–	November 5, 2015 (2015-11-05)	–
Scanlan manages to hold off Duke Goran Vedmeyer and his forces while lighting the mansion on fire but it requires him using most of spells and the Duke escapes; the rest of Vox Machina successfully kill the vampire Count Tylieri and his guards. Vex notices smoke circling Percy’s ankles who then deflects and reassures Vex that he is fine when he is not. Vox Machina regroup as civilians begin to fight the undead giants and then head for the Sun Tree. After more battle, the party starts to flee the area as they notice a skeleton army pouring into the streets.
32	"Against the Tide of Bone"	–	November 12, 2015 (2015-11-12)	Ashley Johnson, during Blindspot's production hiatus, joined via Skype for this episode.
Vox Machina fend off waves of undead with the help of Pike who has appeared as a not entirely solid apparition of herself via divine magic. The party then splits up to take on more undead giants with support of the civilian militia. Regrouping, they then head for the castle’s secret entrance about an hour away and Pike casts Greater Restoration on Percy which removes some of corruption but Percy isn’t ready to let go of his desire for revenge. They campout near the entrance to recover, and in the morning, Pike prepares a Heroes’ Feast. The secret tunnel leads to the dungeons and they discover an older woman imprisoned who begs for aid. Suspicious of the woman, Vex intentionally breaks her lockpick in the lock resulting in the woman’s anger who then grabs Vex’s hands with both of her hands, however, Vex feels only one hand.
33	"Reunions"	–	November 12, 2015 (2015-11-12)	–
Vox Machina reveal that the illusioned, imprisoned woman is in fact Dr. Anna Ripley; Ripley is then freed under strict conditions to help the party reach Cassandra. Percy and Ripley exchange jabs on gun designs and Ripley baits Percy by informing him that Cassandra would be with Professor Anders; this is a trap and in the ensuing fight Anders gravely injures Cassandra, Percy kills Anders who’s name then vanishes from his gun barrel, Ripley escapes and as the danger fades, Vax confesses his love to Keyleth before kissing her. As the party gathers documents & other evidence to clear their names in Emon, Cassandra explains her survival and her capture two years later during the first failed rebellion. After arming up, the party and Cassandra head to the undercroft where they fight a series of ghosts before delving further into a recently-dug tunnel.
34	"Race to the Ziggurat"	–	December 3, 2015 (2015-12-03)	Ashley Johnson joined via Skype for this episode.
Pike’s avatar manifests once again and the party continues further into the trapped tunnel system. Eventually, they reach a room where Cassandra presses a secret button that traps Vox Machina within the center of the room and the Briarwoods reveal themselves. In Vax’s escape attempt, he sets off an acid trap on the rest of Vox Machina; Cassandra tells Percy that she is now a Briarwood and has a destiny with the “Whispered One”. After they escape, Percy notices his gun barrel now displays the name “Cassandra de Rolo". The party stealth up the ziggurat and then in the ensuing fight, Lord Briarwood is killed after being pushed into his mist form. Lady Briarwood attempts to set of the ritual early which begins to impact everyone’s ability to cast magic before she and Vex are knocked unconscious.
35	"Denouncement"	–	December 10, 2015 (2015-12-10)	Ashley Johnson joined via Skype for this episode.
Vox Machina flee the ziggurat as the anti-magic field pulses; outside of the field, healing magic brings Vex to consciousness. Percy interrogates Cassandra who says she has no idea of the ritual’s true purpose, however, Scanlan manages to recall a being called Vecna. Percy begins to talk out loud to the voice within his head which has been urging him to kill both Lady Briarwood and Cassandra. Vox Machina readies for a fight as a smoke creature manifests from Percy’s gun and the creature warns Percy not to double cross Orthax. During the fight with the creature, Lady Briarwood attempts to escape and after the fight, Percy instructs Cassandra to kill Lady Briarwood. Scanlan uses magic to grab Percy’s gun and drop it into an acid vat; as it is dissolves, the cold core within Percy is extinguished. The citizens of Whitestone begin to celebrate after winning their freedom and Vox Machina begin to coordinate next steps with Keeper Yennen.
36	"Winter's Crest in Whitestone"	–	December 17, 2015 (2015-12-17)	A summary of the pre-Kraghammer campaign is played during the break.
In the two weeks leading up to the holiday of Winter’s Crest, Vox Machina secure the ziggurat and help rebuild Whitestone. Percy discovers that Lord Briarwood’s sword has a voice so he trades it to Grog for another weapon. Grog immediately accepts the offer of power from the sword’s voice. On Winter’s Crest, Vox Machina participate in multiple festival competitions. Privately, Percy, Cassandra and Keeper Yennen discuss the future of the city. Percy proposes that the city be led by a five-person council – a leader of the citizens, a leader of the wider farming community, an economic leader, Keeper Yennen, and Cassandra. Percy does not consider himself fit to rule and has other affairs to focus on. Later, Vex and Vax discuss Keyleth avoiding Vax while Keyleth and Percy discuss a reminder of giving into darkness.
37	"A Musician's Nostalgia"	–	January 7, 2015 (2015-01-07)	Ashley Johnson returned to play in-person for this episode. Tiberius was played in absentia of Orion Acaba by Matthew Mercer.
Before returning to Emon, Percy rebuilds Dr. Ripley’s pistol. Vox Machina discover both Pike and Tiberius at Greyskull Keep; after spending time in self-reflection, Tiberius explains he has failed as diplomat, he is not respected by his family in Draconia and his personal mission to recover magical artifacts has become stagnant. The party has a sentimental farewell as Tiberius has decided to leave Vox Machina. Vox Machina then meet with Sovereign Uriel and Seeker Assum to discuss the Briarwoods. Assum has discovered that the Briarwoods were accused of necromancy six years ago, thought to have been killed by a mob except Assum was able to trace them to Port Damali a few months after their “deaths”. Uriel confirms that Vox Machina is not at fault and restores them to the council as his mind is no longer clouded by the Briarwoods. The party reveals paperwork that shows council member Riskel Daxio is a traitor; after the meeting, Vox Machina track Daxio down, capture him and discover he worships Vecna. During their investigation, Scanlan encounters his former company, Dr. Dranzel's Spectacular Traveling Troupe, and lets a young gnome woman win a flute duel against him.
38	"Echoes of the Past"	–	January 14, 2016 (2016-01-14)	Ashley Johnson joined via Skype for this episode.
Vox Machina return Daxio to Sovereign Uriel who sentences him to immediate execution and then Grog beheads him with his new sword Craven Edge. During an evening pub crawl, Vox Machina encounter Gilmore who shares his knowledge of the archlich Vecna. While the party gets drunk, Vax has a private conversation with Gilmore where he tells Gilmore they can’t be together anymore because he has fallen in love with someone else that he thinks doesn’t love him. Upon returning to Greyskull Keep, Vox Machina discover that their guards have allowed Scanlan’s former troupe inside. Scanlan is confronted by the gnome woman Kaylie and discovers she is his daughter. Kaylie can’t bring herself to kill him and Scanlan hugs her while apologizing for not knowing of her existence. The next morning, Vox Machina decide to reinvestigate the home of General Krieg, another council traitor; a year ago, they had discovered he was actually the blue dragon Brimscythe and killed him. The investigation takes them to a secret cave (via a teleportation circle) where Vex determines the partially collapsed cavern system was ravaged by another dragon. Vex begins to scoop up leftover gold before the party is attacked by a giant wormlike creature with multiple rows of teeth.
'
39	"Omens"	–	January 21, 2016 (2016-01-21)	–
40	"Desperate Measures"	–	January 28, 2016 (2016-01-28)	–
41	"In Ruins"	Jason C. Miller	February 4, 2016 (2016-02-04)	–
42	"Dangerous Dealings"	–	February 11, 2016 (2016-02-11)	–
43	"Return to Vasselheim"	Will Friedle	February 18, 2016 (2016-02-18)	–
44	"The Sunken Tomb"	Will Friedle	March 10, 2016 (2016-03-10)	–
45	"Those Who Walk Away"	–	March 17, 2016 (2016-03-17)	–
46	"Cindergrove Revisited"	Chris Hardwick	March 24, 2016 (2016-03-24)	–
47	"The Family Business"	–	March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)	–
48	"Into the Frostweald"	–	April 7, 2016 (2016-04-07)	–
49	"A Name Is Earned"	–	April 14, 2016 (2016-04-14)	–
50	"Best Laid Plans..."	–	April 21, 2016 (2016-04-21)	–
51	"Test of Pride"	–	April 28, 2016 (2016-04-28)	–
52	"The Kill Box"	–	May 5, 2016 (2016-05-05)	–
53	"At Dawn, We Plan!"	–	May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)	–
54	"In the Belly of the Beast"	–	May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19)	–
55	"Umbrasyl"	Chris Perkins	June 2, 2016 (2016-06-02)	–
56	"Hope"	Patrick Rothfuss	June 9, 2016 (2016-06-09)	–
57	"Duskmeadow"	–	June 16, 2016 (2016-06-16)	–
58	"A Cycle of Vengeance"	–	June 23, 2016 (2016-06-23)	–
59	"Into the Feywild"	–	July 7, 2016 (2016-07-07)	–
60	"Heredity and Hats"	–	July 14, 2016 (2016-07-14)	This episode was recorded live at the Landmark Theatre in Los Angeles.
61	"Denizens of the Moonbrush"	–	July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28)	–
62	"Uninviting Waters"	–	August 6, 2016 (2016-08-06)	This episode was recorded live at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.
63	"The Echo Tree"	–	August 11, 2016 (2016-08-11)	–
64	"The Frigid Doom"	–	August 18, 2016 (2016-08-18)	–
65	"The Streets of Ank'Harel"	–	August 25, 2016 (2016-08-25)	–
66	"A Traveler's Gamble"	–	September 8, 2016 (2016-09-08)	–
67	"The Chase to Glintshore"	–	September 15, 2016 (2016-09-15)	–
68	"Cloak and Dagger"	–	September 22, 2016 (2016-09-22)	–
69	"Passed Through Fire"	–	September 29, 2016 (2016-09-29)	–
70	"Trust"	–	October 6, 2016 (2016-10-06)	–
71	"Vorugal"	–	October 13, 2016 (2016-10-13)	–
72	"The Elephant in the Room"	–	October 20, 2016 (2016-10-20)	–
73	"The Coming Storm"	–	October 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)	–
74	"Path of Brass"	–	November 3, 2016 (2016-11-03)	–
75	"Where the Cards Fall"	–	November 10, 2016 (2016-11-10)	–
76	"Brawl in the Arches"	–	November 17, 2016 (2016-11-17)	–
77	"Clash at Daxio"	–	December 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)	–
78	"The Siege of Emon"	Will Friedle, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	December 8, 2016 (2016-12-08)	–
79	"Thordak"	–	December 15, 2016 (2016-12-15)	–
80	"Raishan"	–	January 5, 2017 (2017-01-05)	–
81	"What Lies Beneath the Surface"	Patrick Rothfuss	January 12, 2017 (2017-01-12)	–
82	"Deadly Echoes"	Patrick Rothfuss	January 19, 2017 (2017-01-19)	–
83	"The Deceiver's Stand"	Patrick Rothfuss	January 26, 2017 (2017-01-26)	–
'
84	"Loose Ends"	–	February 2, 2017 (2017-02-02)	–
85	"A Bard's Lament"	–	February 9, 2017 (2017-02-09)	–
86	"Daring Days"	–	February 16, 2017 (2017-02-16)	–
87	"Onward to Vesrah"	–	February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)	–
88	"Tangled Depths"	–	March 2, 2017 (2017-03-02)	–
89	"Curious Tides"	–	March 9, 2017 (2017-03-09)	–
90	"Voice of the Tempest"	–	March 16, 2017 (2017-03-16)	–
91	"Vox Machina Go to Hell"	–	March 23, 2017 (2017-03-23)	–
92	"Deals in the Dark"	Noelle Stevenson	March 30, 2017 (2017-03-30)	–
93	"Bats out of Hell"	Noelle Stevenson	April 6, 2017 (2017-04-06)	–
94	"Jugs and Rods"	–	April 13, 2017 (2017-04-13)	–
95	"One Year Later..."	–	April 27, 2017 (2017-04-27)	–
96	"Family Matters"	–	May 4, 2017 (2017-05-04)	–
97	"Taryon, My Wayward Son"	–	May 11, 2017 (2017-05-11)	–
98	"The Mines of the Many"	–	May 18, 2017 (2017-05-18)	–
99	"Masquerade"	Jon Heder	June 1, 2017 (2017-06-01)	–
'
100	"Unfinished Business"	Jon Heder	June 8, 2017 (2017-06-08)	–
101	"Thar Amphala"	–	June 15, 2017 (2017-06-15)	–
102	"Race to the Tower"	–	June 22, 2017 (2017-06-22)	–
103	"The Fate-Touched"	–	June 29, 2017 (2017-06-29)	–
104	"Elysium"	–	July 6, 2017 (2017-07-06)	–
105	"The Fear of Isolation"	Darin De Paul	July 13, 2017 (2017-07-13)	–
106	"The Endless Atheneeum"	Darin De Paul	July 27, 2017 (2017-07-27)	–
107	"Scaldseat"	–	August 3, 2017 (2017-08-03)	–
108	"The Core Anvil"	–	August 10, 2017 (2017-08-10)	–
109	"The Ominous March"	–	August 17, 2017 (2017-08-17)	This episode was recorded live at the Old National Centre in Indianapolis.
110	"The Climb Within"	–	August 24, 2017 (2017-08-24)	–
111	"Shadows of Thomara"	–	September 14, 2017 (2017-09-14)	–
112	"Dark Dealings"	–	September 21, 2017 (2017-09-21)	–
113	"The Final Ascent"	Joe Manganiello	September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)	–
114	"Vecna, the Ascended"	Will Friedle, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Joe Manganiello	October 5, 2017 (2017-10-05)	–
115	"The Chapter Closes"	Will Friedle, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	October 12, 2017 (2017-10-12)	The events from the one-shots The Search for Grog and The Search for Bob take place during this episode.

Reception

In 2016, the show was nominated in the Streamy Awards for the "Gaming" category.

The show's length has been emphasized by multiple critics. In 2016, Ben Kuchera, for Polygon, wrote: "According to Geek and Sundry the show has reached over 37 million minutes watched, with over one million minutes watched per episode on Twitch. The show’s YouTube account has over 1.3 million subscribers, with over 10,000 paying subscribers on Twitch. What’s even more surprising is that following the story requires a substantial commitment on the part of the viewer. Episodes of Critical Role often last multiple hours, or may even be split into multiple parts. [...] The first episode now has over 650,000 views on YouTube, and continues to be viewed as people become fans of the show and catch up on past episodes". In 2017, Chris DeVille, for The Verge, stated Critical Role is "arguably the most popular and influential D&D liveplay series" and that "the YouTube archive of Critical Role’s first episode has accumulated more than 5 million views — this for a three-hour video almost entirely consisting of pals sitting around a table and acting out whimsical characters. Two years and 114 mammoth episodes later, their imagined adventures have spun off a comic book, an art book, and even a line of merchandise [...] — all in addition to inspiring countless works of fan-generated art, music, and literature".

In 2017, Jevon Phillips, for the Los Angeles Times, wrote that Critical Role "is bare bones. Mercer guides the narrative action as dungeon master, and a group of players [...] sit at a table and play out scenarios — sometimes for more than four hours". Phillips also wrote that "combining the two — watching people onscreen (online or TV) who are playing role-playing games — would seem to go a step too far in terms of our need to be entertained. [...] The fact that these shows can average hundreds of thousands of views is probably lost on those who don’t regularly watch TV online (re: older viewers)". In 2020, Alexandria Turney, for Screen Rant, highlighted that starting Critical Role can be a "little daunting" and that campaign one's "quality is noticeably lacking compared to future episodes which can be off-putting for those not already invested", while campaign two is "highly recommended for new Critters to watch, as it makes it easier to fall in love with the cast, which then makes it easier to go back and watch some of the lower-quality sessions of the first campaign".

Ryan Teitman, for Slate, wrote "sure, it’s corny, but the actors sell their performances so well that you really begin to invest in their emotional arcs". Teitman highlighted the emotional impact of a devastating city-wide attack: "in the midst of the chaos, they search the streets, desperately looking for beloved friends and allies. And in those moments, I forgot that I was watching D&D—I only saw the anguish on the faces of each of the actors as everything their characters had come to love came crashing down around them. I wondered how they could possibly deal with so much death and destruction".

Adaptations

• The campaign sourcebook, Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (2017), is a guide to the setting of campaign one. It was published by Critical Role and Green Ronin Publishing under the Wizards of the Coast Open Game License and is not considered "official" Dungeons & Dragons material.
• The comic series, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, is an adaptation of the group's game before the show.
• The upcoming animated show, The Legend of Vox Machina , will also include a canonic story that takes place within the pre-stream time frame. After the show was picked up by Amazon and "Prime Video ordered an additional 14 episodes, for a total of 24 episodes across two seasons", Critical Role announced that the animated show would adapt the full Briarwood arc along with other storylines from the game.
• The cooperative legacy-lite campaign game, Critical Role Adventures, is scheduled to be released by Darrington Press in 2021. Ivan Van Norman, head of Darrington Press, said that "the focus will be on exploring new stories, instead of just 'playing through Campaign I.' "