It's like the Mom and Dad when their kid gets home from school after a fight and the Mom is like "I'm so mad at you for fighting." while the Dad is just "Proud of you son!" :P
Travis and Sam are agents of chaos - stuff that is going to fuel story conflict, drama or even just a kickass character moment always gets them going. That moment when Marisha is processing and trying to bargain with the prospect of bringing him back from this, and he just says "Marisha..." - he knows this is it, and that they have to honour the choice.
This hits so much harder now after Sam's cancer announcement, this wasn't just a character heroically sacrificing himself to save his friends this was a man facing down his own mortality and telling his closest friends how much he loves them
I love it. Wasn't mean, wasn't rude, wasn't snappy. Just a "hey man, let it happen." Marisha is trying so hard to find a way to undo or reverse it and then just realizing FCG and Sam have their mind made up I'm sure is just a helpless feeling. It's such a massive moment. Otohan has been such a thorn in their side. This Boogeyman figure they've actively avoided. She's the only character that has made the stakes feel deadly so far. Defeating Otohan should have felt like relief and like a massive victory. The fact that everyone still feels so defeated speaks to how much they love Sam as a player and friend and FCG as a character. Travis is a real one for knowing and appreciating immediately what Sam was doing and what it means.
It's so good and somewhat relieving to see the rest of the cast not enabling Marisha's out-of-touchness. I like her but she seems so oblivious to narrative dynamics sometimes which annoys me a lot, specially during C2.
Not just that, but all 8 of them had dice in this roll. Very rarely do you see a DM loan out their dice during a game, but Matt had to, because it’s him paying tribute. In a sense, each of those 20 d8s represented a life or a memory FCG saved: the other 6 players, FRIDA, Dorian, Deanna, Bertrand, Dancer, Imahara Joe, and countless others FCG touched.
It's Matt's expressions that get me. He is as devastated as the rest of the cast, and it shows. He normally keeps decently in DM mode during a PC death, but the Kamikaze run of FCG gets to him.
I think this may have been lost on some, but as a DM I was able to recognize this. But Matt's little speech at the end was a good indicator. Sam didn't just save his friends with his heroic sacrifice, he didn't just kill Otohan. He saved Matt's campaign. thousands and thousands of hours of work and world building. The party really had little hope of winning, a TPK was imminent, matt even joked about it. Realistically speaking FCG's sacrifice shouldn't have killed Otohan. Matt had him row just for sake of it. But you don't let a sacrifice like FCG's go unrewarded. The attack had to kill Otohan, rule of cool always trumps rules as written, especially in service to the story. And Matt being the absolute legend he is made sure Sam was 100% aware of the fact that there was no coming back from this. And he let Sam have the floor to make FCG's death have really meaning and emotional weight. Of course Sam being Sam had to twist the knife as much as possible. Two absolute legends, making an unforgettable moment.
It’s because in the past, Matt had the direct responsibility of killing the PC. This is the first time he’s watched a true sacrificial PC death where he couldn’t stop it. In a sense, Matt felt the same helpless feelings as a player watching their PC get taken out.
@@darkguardian50 I saw someone in another thread do out all the math for the hits she took and even with the healing pot she took, the blast would have dropped her to 0. Not by much, but it did. I think when Matt decided how much damage Sam should roll, he let it be enough.
@@LednacekZSome do. The Wildmother has been there for several PCs, both through narrative moments and dice rolls. So has the Matron of Ravens, and the Storm Lord.
Watching tal through this is devastating. Early on in the campaign during one of the 4 sided dive episodes, Tal said he was worried that FCG was going to kill himself trying to save the party. I think he meant it more that FCG was going to push himself too hard and get himself unnecessarily killed in some avoidable fashion, but seeing him pull this in the midst of a seriously deadly situation with no apparent hope of escape was heart rending.
Yeah, Taliesin was the one that got me too. When he takes his glasses off, and then just buries his face on the desk. And Liam looks like he's experiencing every kind of grief at once. They both always feel very in-character during the game, so that's gotta be a rough combo, feeling your own emotions AND the character's. Watching the whole table fall apart, and Matt as well, it wrecks me as much as the death does. One of the most painful things to me is that Ashton never even saw FCG's blaze of glory, neither did Orym. They didn't see him smile. They got knocked down after giving everything they had in this fight, maybe not expecting to get back up again, maybe feeling like they failed, and when they wake up FCG is just gone. Those two in particular are always throwing themselves in harm's way, preferring to take the hurt themselves (they go about it in very different ways, but the same intent, it's easier to hurt than to see a friend hurt), they shared that trait with Letters, and I think they're both always going to wonder if there was *something * they could have done if they had been awake. (I don't think there was, but I don't know if either of them will be convinced of that.)
“And so, one of the Exandria’s greatest warriors had vanished in a blinding flash of light, having made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his loved ones. His name was FCG, a proud Bells' Hell.”
Tell me Otahan...does a warrior like you feel fear from a robot? His friends will die and the machine (machina) says no (nein)...machina nein!! (vox machina, and mighty nein) Maaaa chi....maaaaa....chiiii....nein!!
I wasn't a viewer when Vax said goodbye or Molly died so this was my first live CR permadeath, incredibly ballsy play from Sam to save his friends from an unwinnable slaughter. This was a full blown Iron Giant moment, the gentle robot originally designed to be a weapon making the ultimate sacrifice to protect those they love
What Sam did was really amazing. The entire fight was so hopeless at this point. Chat was miserable, people were angry at Matt for going too hard on them, people were angry at Matt for going too easy on them, people were angry at chat for being angry, it was really bad. Then it all just completely went away the moment Sam did this.
I don’t think Matt planned to make Otohan defeatable. The dice rolls were totally random and not planned but it still seems like Otohan wasn’t gonna die easily. I think maybe the goal was to kill one or even two of the party and flee again. FCG and Sam himself realized this and put an end to it
@@FireWolf583 yeah, I'd be curious to hear matt's thoughts on that fight. He started looking pretty concerned towards the end so I wonder if it went worse than he expected. Hopefully he'll be on the next 4 sided dive.
@@FireWolf583I think it was less of making otohan not defeatable but just they weren’t strong enough and Matt was hinting during the fight that this would be a TPK and it could make for an interesting story lol
@@minorglitch01 I agree. After fully killing Chet in the first round and then only knocking people unconscious for the rest of the fight I'm curious as to what Matt's goal was with this encounter. Especially with how frequently laudna has been checking the scry ball and they still couldn't manage to outrun otahan. No shade intended here, but it didn’t seem like Matt expexted Otahan to actually die here so I wonder kind of outcome he intended. Either way what we got was incredibly powerful and utterly unforgettable. RIP FCG ❤
I think they got unlucky to lose one of their main DPS from the first fight, Chetney, right away. And then left him too low to use any blood magic. Imagine using that ability that punishes multiattacks on her! Also them constantly avoiding her ment she had the attack while they weren't prepared. Instead of them being able to surprise attack her or sth
I imagine that this is the first time in a long time, maybe even the first time period, Ashton had felt that much grief about someone he’s lost. He was more angry than sad when Laudna died but FCG and him were very close. I don’t think he realized how much he’d grow to like FCG or how protective he’d feel of the little robot
@@FireWolf583Not only did Ashton realize it, he's outright said it several times, especially early on in the campaign. Ashton may be in constant physical pain at all times, but this seems like the second time he's ever been truly hurt.
I've seen him angry and sad and happy and playful and giddy and calm but I've never seen him truly devastated like this. I'm worried for Ashton after this. Laudna too. They've both been walking a tightrope and I think this might be enough to push them over the edge.
That's what you see? The somewhat smile, almost relaxation, though not quite, and realization, to me, is him realizing Sam is SAVING his campaign by doing this. This was a Party wipe if Sam doesn't do what he did. Matt is completely on Edge and nervous during the last half of the fight or so as he just flat out doesn't roll bad once the entire fight. He knew this campaign was as good as done for because it was a fight they couldn't win. Even with the contraption off Otohan she is still slaughtering through them all. He even starts only knocking people unconscious instead of full killing like he did with Travis in the beginning of the fight. it was like he was trying to find an out but didn't know how to get out of it. And in comes Sam with another one of his brilliant ideas, that not only saves his friends, but the entire campaign.
for all the jokes and the clown sam riegel can be at the table, he is without a doubt one of the best dnd players of actualplays, not only because he makes compelling characters but an overall great player
I didn't think a horny bard would make me cry. I was wrong. I didn't think an alcoholic goblin girl would make me cry. Once again, I was wrong. This one, however, well... clearly, I don't learn because once again, sobbing so hard... Sam has some of the best moments that impact the story so much and so often, it seems to come from nowhere because he does tend to have a very jokester attitude and build characters who are very silly on the surface.
you can tell matt just cares about every single one of the characters, but more about the people behind them. Sam would sacrifice himself for his friends in reality, absolutely insane play.
Time and time again Sam Riegel shows his utter expertise at playing this game. In every character he puts his whole heart. With Scanlan he wanted so badly to save wish for Vax, and made the narrative decision to not. For the betterment of the story and the better ending. With Nott he sacrificed her own story to better Calebs story, put aside her fear of water to help Fjord, among many other sacrifices. In Calamity as Loquatius he made a story-turning speech. And here with FCG he makes the decision that saves everyone. Sam is a master of playing his characters to the betterment of the story in the deepest and most profound ways. In ways that cause conflict and change, in ways that advance the stories they tell, in ways that matter. He is truly one of the best players at this table and maybe in the dnd actual play space in general. And really he's just having fun and playing to his strengths. Amazing.
Me too. He always gets hyped at the coolness aspect of what's going on, even if it's tragic. But he also goes into super Friend Management Mode and Hang in Matt's Every Word Mode.
He's a great hype man at the table. He spent pretty much all of this fight dead, but was still having the time of his life and keeping everything cheery while others were getting stressed out.
5:38 i cried harder when FCG mentioned F.R.I.D.A. 😭 i know this is a game and it's fictional but my first thought was when and how are they going to tell them that FCG is gone 😢
Two time Emmy award winner Sam Riegel, the only player able to utterly destroy the table with polar opposite emotions, either uncontrollable laughter or uncontrollable sobbing.
Knowing what we know now, this wasn't just Sam saying goodbye to his character, this was possibly Sam saying Goodbye to the table and all of us. Remember, you matter, may every day be a smiley day...
To quote Epsilon: "There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith."
"The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too."
I think this was the point he hatched the plan. Either here or right before because he was watching his health. He was throwing the kitchen sink to stop the TPK.
@@KBBQEnjoyer Oh, it's you who's saying that lol. Asked and answered. I'd disagree with you but I feel it will just empower you to complain a lot, and who wants that?
Ashton is not going to be the same after this. The one he cared for most was also his first real friend. A Faithful Care Giver, to a Broken Greymour Boy
i hope this isn't a spoiler but i can't remember if it was before they closed this episode or within the first 5 minutes of the next, but.... ashton taking FCG's changebringer coin is making me think and hope that ashton will become the changebringer's champion somehow. i mean a being of chaos and possibility, desperately trying to see what their fallen friend saw in this god they never believed in and now have to save, finding comfort? resolution? in this god... that's something talisen would do
I know that Laura was shouting detonate earlier, but the proof is in the pudding here - none of them expected for that to Actually be an option hurdurhur robot self-destructs is well known and often executed trope but then... but then sam says, ok bet Devastation.
1. I will never recover from this. Ever. I am beyond devastated. My sweet boy, he was so special:( 2. Someone animate this immediately 3. Sam Riegel once again showing me why i love this game so much and why i love critical role and why he's my favorite
And this is the first permadeath in CR. Now you know why they named their new game as it is, because the Blaze of Glory should feel like a Dagger to the Heart.
If you notice his eyes in his final monologue: There isn't a glimmer, a moment, or a thought of regret in Letter's/Sam's eyes. No worry, or "what am i doing." Just a happy twinkle, and a smile of goodbye to his friends; his life-bringers. The first words he said to the group are the same ones he leaves them with: Have A Smiley Day! God I Love D&D and Critical Role.
I love how when matt asked sam how he wanted to do this he didnt describe the explosion and how it ended otohan but instead described what FCG experienced in those last few moments
I understand that this is an incredibly sad moment, but the main thing that kept running through my head was how does this effect Orym's deal with Nana Mori.
@YouAnd_OnlyYou Yes, exactly...since FCG didn't come back from Ruidus "okay," I think this means the terms of the deal have not been met, and Orym is free from having to serve her. I don't think any of them realized this in the moment, and with Matt allowing this to happen (by essentially making it unavoidable with how powerful Otahan was), he can't really negotiate around how much this means the deal is off.
@@phillipbernhardt-house6907 The deal is they have to come back to Exandria all alive. They did that. Waiting to see if Matt will stand on that fey loophole.
"There's so many good stories where some brave hero has to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors cheer, and everyone lives happily ever after. But the hero never gets to see the ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain’t that a bitch.” -Pvt. Church
The chat for this went crazy, People were losing their minds. and yet Sam always manages something like this. The clutch counterspell vs Vecna... Stabbing the baby manticore in C2 and now this. This is up there with the amazing cupcake adventure in awesomeness. If you have not seen this watch, it on Monday but trim your fingernails first. Critters rock.
Laura being the first player to start picking out dice to hand over, even before Matt asked, was what broke me... that and Taliesin through this entire part...
I suspect Matt knew because it looks like they're exchanging texts for a few minutes before that, but it hadn't really hit because he was concentrating on answering and also keeping the game running.
@@jobear41 possibly. They were obviously exchanging texts but I assumed they were discussing mechanics. Like about how the rage thing worked because we haven't seen it since much earlier in the campaign. 50-ish episodes ago. I don't think Matt fully grasped what Sam was doing until he did it.
All the comments saying otohan was too op should probably remember that Matt was rolling well enough to bankrupt a Las Vegas casino (I think he got like 8 crits). If his luck had been worse, it probably would have just been "challenging" instead of "life and death."
I love how such a poignant moment is punctuated with a 20d8 damage roll. That's D&D for you. Kudos to Mercer for forgoing the Reflex save for half damage, that would have played out very differently. "Ok FCG blows apart for 38 points... Travis your up."
He said ottahan had around 40 smth hp so after a 38 she would have been one round from death. For like 11 hp at most this was the right call from matt imo.
This was such a brutal fight and it needed a brutal end There were three explosions that day in Kreviris. One, devastating the tunnels bellow. Another, destroying the music hall. And the third, a blast fueled by the overwhelming strength of a loving soul
Watched the entire thing when it went live on YT. Can't believe this was the 1st "live" view I caught up on. What an ending! Sam Riegel continues to surprise me.🤯😭
Yeah, no s**t. I never see anything live due to the time difference (still asleep). But decided to log in after waking before work. Yeah some mild spoilers I thought but hey. Nice at breakfast... could not be that much... would be only be 20 minutes anyway. 3 guesses which 20 minutes... man. One way I spoiled myself for when I can see the whole thing tomorrow, but on the other end it is the most impactful one live bit I could have seen and it kind of feels good to have been there for this.
@@frogfairy1163 IKR! I'm not usually able to view the episode live on YT because of my sleeping schedule too, but for some reason I caught it just after Sam's ads and I wasn't able to turn my phone off for the rest of the day. I kept watching for hours while I did something else. But I'm glad I did. Credits to Matt for allowing it to happen, though I suspect Otohan still has a few HP left, not to mention the ability to take half damage. The fact that Sam manages to pull off impactful moments like this is astonishing to me even after all the years they've been playing DND as a group. They're all topnotch players, but Sam pulling on our heartstrings is really something else. Can't wait to see the VOD in a couple of hours. Cheers!
@@awkwardaquamarine19 Yeah Otohan for sure had some HP left. But kudos for letting FCG have the win for the blaze of glory. Felt fair, logical. Intent, sacrifice and story trump de technical numbers game in this case I think and it's not like Otohan hadn't suffered a fair bit of damage by that point. It was a hard won victory no matter how you slice it even with a few waved hitpoints. Would have felt wrong for me if Matt hadn't. The perfect, if sad, end to FCG's story. The character was one of my favorites, but it all fits so nicely like this and Sam gave a beautiful fitting end speech. To go back on any of this would cheapen the moment. Will miss FCG though.
@@frogfairy1163 Same. I'll miss FCG as well. It gave me a mini heart attack when Chetney was killed earlier (spoilers). I could tell that Travis made peace with the fact that he could be killed in game (as I suspect all of them are with their characters), but I'm glad they brought him back. Travis and Sam have a knack for creating really entertaining characters. Meanwhile, Taliesen and Liam seemed most affected by FCG's heroic sacrifice.
It's possible that Sam pulled- well, a Sam- and said he felt like FCG's arc was done and wanted to give the party an Avengers moment, thus the OP encounter, but then- did not tell Matt that the Blaze of Glory was his plan. Either way, We got Regal'd yet again.
1:16 The look of shock on Matt's face. Part of me wonders if Matt thinks that he's responsible for pushing Letters to that point. I don't blame Matt, there was no way of knowing that. But still, that Supreme Healing potion + the Exaltant form from Otohan was a death sentence.
I seem to remember seeing someone mention somewhere online, that doing the math on her stats, Otohan would have still had a good amount of HP left over, the 79 points of damage from FCG's detonation wouldn't have mechanically killed her, though it would have brought her a lot closer, but that Matt was probably so take by Sam's description of FCG's emotions at that moment and his love and dedication to his friends, that he couldn't take this victory away from him, he couldn't let this sacrifice be in vain, it was just too good of a climactic final blow, so as DM, he made the call to just let it kill her. 😅😭 If true, as a good DM, he probably knew he should still ask for a damage roll, but he may have already decided before he even asked, or having seen how much damage Sam rolled, and that it brought her fairly close to death, he made the judgement to just end it there, likely considering how tough the battle had been so far and how willingly Sam was to sacrifice his character in hopes of defeating Otohan. I think it was a good call. 😅
Yet again Sam making the entire cast cry… in campaign 1 it was Scanlan using his level 9 spell slot to fight their enemy, thus reducing the chance of bringing back Vax. Campaign 3 is FCG sacrificing himself to defeat Otohan
I am glad narratively Matt made the choice not to make them carry on fighting because realistically that wouldn't have killed her and I think a tpk was inevitable if they'd carried on. I think the whole table knew that so what Sam did was just brilliant it narratively gave matt a way out for them without anyone else dying.
It also makes the Otohan kill much more legit. You can't crawl your way into beating her, unlike against everybody else. Otohan has so much more speed, she always can get away. They could have rolled better and they could have had the upperhand, but then Matt has to make the decision to let her die, or have her run away. If she runs, the table would have been devastated, if she dies, that speed is a mechanical herring that many DnD viewers will pick up on. The FCG sacrifice made this so much better. As Matt described, Otohan didn't see it coming.
Yeah, this saved the whole campaign. It’s why Matt was the first to lend dice. He didn’t want to kill the party, but he was going to with the way he was rolling Nat20s all night.
@@fatesrequiem Im not a fan of Critical Role, but I am a fan of Sam Riegel. So I decided to check in and Im glad I did because I almost witnessed a TPK.
@@fatesrequiem From what I saw I felt like that was kinda an unwinnable fight or just extremely difficult to the point of a TPK. And when Sam decide to forfit his character to save the party it was an automatic kill for the Boss.
Marisha: "I'm so mad at you."
Travis: "I'm so proud of you."
It's like the Mom and Dad when their kid gets home from school after a fight and the Mom is like "I'm so mad at you for fighting." while the Dad is just "Proud of you son!" :P
Travis and Sam are agents of chaos - stuff that is going to fuel story conflict, drama or even just a kickass character moment always gets them going.
That moment when Marisha is processing and trying to bargain with the prospect of bringing him back from this, and he just says "Marisha..." - he knows this is it, and that they have to honour the choice.
That’s not just Sam. That’s two time Emmy award winning mother-freshcutgrassing Sam Riegel.
Just remember fcg got to eat a pastry as a little worm guy before he died
😭
He’ll have all the pastries he wants in heaven 😢
Yes I was so happy he was able to!
He finally had a flesh tongue that was canon
😢
This hits so much harder now after Sam's cancer announcement, this wasn't just a character heroically sacrificing himself to save his friends this was a man facing down his own mortality and telling his closest friends how much he loves them
2:27 That “Marisha.” from Travis followed by her immediately retracting into herself was peak big brother energy
Grown up in the room.
I love it. Wasn't mean, wasn't rude, wasn't snappy. Just a "hey man, let it happen." Marisha is trying so hard to find a way to undo or reverse it and then just realizing FCG and Sam have their mind made up I'm sure is just a helpless feeling. It's such a massive moment. Otohan has been such a thorn in their side. This Boogeyman figure they've actively avoided. She's the only character that has made the stakes feel deadly so far. Defeating Otohan should have felt like relief and like a massive victory. The fact that everyone still feels so defeated speaks to how much they love Sam as a player and friend and FCG as a character. Travis is a real one for knowing and appreciating immediately what Sam was doing and what it means.
It's so good and somewhat relieving to see the rest of the cast not enabling Marisha's out-of-touchness. I like her but she seems so oblivious to narrative dynamics sometimes which annoys me a lot, specially during C2.
@@lololoEasy robocop, it's a human reaction
@@saikanji9570 For real, the let's attack Marisha trope is officially dead and stank in the ground and needs to be kept that way.
"... they make every day a smiley day.", that was the moment that broke Liam. 😭
it breaks me, every time
Everyone crying while handing him their dice it's what fucking broke me
Not just that, but all 8 of them had dice in this roll. Very rarely do you see a DM loan out their dice during a game, but Matt had to, because it’s him paying tribute.
In a sense, each of those 20 d8s represented a life or a memory FCG saved: the other 6 players, FRIDA, Dorian, Deanna, Bertrand, Dancer, Imahara Joe, and countless others FCG touched.
It's Matt's expressions that get me. He is as devastated as the rest of the cast, and it shows. He normally keeps decently in DM mode during a PC death, but the Kamikaze run of FCG gets to him.
I was watching his face specifically and when he realizes what Sam's doing it's so... heartbreaking.
I agree. I think it was the hardest for him, he had to hold his emotion and narrate the scenarios.
I think this may have been lost on some, but as a DM I was able to recognize this. But Matt's little speech at the end was a good indicator. Sam didn't just save his friends with his heroic sacrifice, he didn't just kill Otohan. He saved Matt's campaign. thousands and thousands of hours of work and world building. The party really had little hope of winning, a TPK was imminent, matt even joked about it. Realistically speaking FCG's sacrifice shouldn't have killed Otohan. Matt had him row just for sake of it. But you don't let a sacrifice like FCG's go unrewarded. The attack had to kill Otohan, rule of cool always trumps rules as written, especially in service to the story. And Matt being the absolute legend he is made sure Sam was 100% aware of the fact that there was no coming back from this. And he let Sam have the floor to make FCG's death have really meaning and emotional weight. Of course Sam being Sam had to twist the knife as much as possible. Two absolute legends, making an unforgettable moment.
It’s because in the past, Matt had the direct responsibility of killing the PC. This is the first time he’s watched a true sacrificial PC death where he couldn’t stop it. In a sense, Matt felt the same helpless feelings as a player watching their PC get taken out.
@@darkguardian50 I saw someone in another thread do out all the math for the hits she took and even with the healing pot she took, the blast would have dropped her to 0. Not by much, but it did. I think when Matt decided how much damage Sam should roll, he let it be enough.
“FCG…you are witnessed.” -the changebringer definitely
Nar, assassin bot assassinated as programmed. Change-bringer was out of touch and out of time. Truly tragic.
Oh you are so cute, You really think Gods care?
@@LednacekZSome do. The Wildmother has been there for several PCs, both through narrative moments and dice rolls. So has the Matron of Ravens, and the Storm Lord.
His friends will die and the machine (machina) says no (nein)...machina nein!!
(vox machina, and mighty nein)
Watching tal through this is devastating. Early on in the campaign during one of the 4 sided dive episodes, Tal said he was worried that FCG was going to kill himself trying to save the party. I think he meant it more that FCG was going to push himself too hard and get himself unnecessarily killed in some avoidable fashion, but seeing him pull this in the midst of a seriously deadly situation with no apparent hope of escape was heart rending.
Yeah, Taliesin was the one that got me too. When he takes his glasses off, and then just buries his face on the desk. And Liam looks like he's experiencing every kind of grief at once. They both always feel very in-character during the game, so that's gotta be a rough combo, feeling your own emotions AND the character's. Watching the whole table fall apart, and Matt as well, it wrecks me as much as the death does.
One of the most painful things to me is that Ashton never even saw FCG's blaze of glory, neither did Orym. They didn't see him smile. They got knocked down after giving everything they had in this fight, maybe not expecting to get back up again, maybe feeling like they failed, and when they wake up FCG is just gone. Those two in particular are always throwing themselves in harm's way, preferring to take the hurt themselves (they go about it in very different ways, but the same intent, it's easier to hurt than to see a friend hurt), they shared that trait with Letters, and I think they're both always going to wonder if there was *something * they could have done if they had been awake. (I don't think there was, but I don't know if either of them will be convinced of that.)
I was seriously seriously no expecting THIS reaction from him and it's also what broke me into tears. Beautiful.
Taliesin created FCG for Sam. It's personal for him.
“And so, one of the Exandria’s greatest warriors had vanished in a blinding flash of light, having made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his loved ones. His name was FCG, a proud Bells' Hell.”
I get this reference, I applaud you
Tell me Otahan...does a warrior like you feel fear from a robot?
His friends will die and the machine (machina) says no (nein)...machina nein!!
(vox machina, and mighty nein)
Maaaa chi....maaaaa....chiiii....nein!!
Sam out here pulling an Android 16 is gonna have Ashton go full Gohan next episode.
I was thinking the same thing.
For the birds.
I love that I understand this reference now after watching Dragon Ball for the first time this year... RIP Toriyama 🧡
Yea that would track. A total breakdown followed by some major destruction
We talking the actual DBZ version or TFS? Either way, I’m excited
I wasn't a viewer when Vax said goodbye or Molly died so this was my first live CR permadeath, incredibly ballsy play from Sam to save his friends from an unwinnable slaughter. This was a full blown Iron Giant moment, the gentle robot originally designed to be a weapon making the ultimate sacrifice to protect those they love
Even then, Vax came back as the Chanpion of Ravens and Molly came back as Lucian then Kingsley.
@@Lrbearclawin a sense this might be the first true permadeath of a character
@@Lrbearclaw the only thing if they do it is rebuilding him but maybe it wont be the same or it will be just an empty automaton
What Sam did was really amazing. The entire fight was so hopeless at this point. Chat was miserable, people were angry at Matt for going too hard on them, people were angry at Matt for going too easy on them, people were angry at chat for being angry, it was really bad. Then it all just completely went away the moment Sam did this.
I don’t think Matt planned to make Otohan defeatable. The dice rolls were totally random and not planned but it still seems like Otohan wasn’t gonna die easily.
I think maybe the goal was to kill one or even two of the party and flee again. FCG and Sam himself realized this and put an end to it
@@FireWolf583 yeah, I'd be curious to hear matt's thoughts on that fight. He started looking pretty concerned towards the end so I wonder if it went worse than he expected. Hopefully he'll be on the next 4 sided dive.
@@FireWolf583I think it was less of making otohan not defeatable but just they weren’t strong enough and Matt was hinting during the fight that this would be a TPK and it could make for an interesting story lol
@@minorglitch01 I agree. After fully killing Chet in the first round and then only knocking people unconscious for the rest of the fight I'm curious as to what Matt's goal was with this encounter. Especially with how frequently laudna has been checking the scry ball and they still couldn't manage to outrun otahan. No shade intended here, but it didn’t seem like Matt expexted Otahan to actually die here so I wonder kind of outcome he intended. Either way what we got was incredibly powerful and utterly unforgettable. RIP FCG ❤
I think they got unlucky to lose one of their main DPS from the first fight, Chetney, right away. And then left him too low to use any blood magic. Imagine using that ability that punishes multiattacks on her!
Also them constantly avoiding her ment she had the attack while they weren't prepared. Instead of them being able to surprise attack her or sth
Fcg: I am alive! I am alive for the first time!
Everyone: You've always been alive! 😢
This hit everybody, I don't think I've ever seen Talesin break character like that. This one hurts
No joke. Not even when it was his own character. This one was just bad all around.
I imagine that this is the first time in a long time, maybe even the first time period, Ashton had felt that much grief about someone he’s lost. He was more angry than sad when Laudna died but FCG and him were very close.
I don’t think he realized how much he’d grow to like FCG or how protective he’d feel of the little robot
@@FireWolf583Not only did Ashton realize it, he's outright said it several times, especially early on in the campaign. Ashton may be in constant physical pain at all times, but this seems like the second time he's ever been truly hurt.
I've seen him angry and sad and happy and playful and giddy and calm but I've never seen him truly devastated like this. I'm worried for Ashton after this. Laudna too. They've both been walking a tightrope and I think this might be enough to push them over the edge.
He even wasn't so break when Molly died. 😭
Taliesin giving Sam his “good shit” is so sweet. 🥲
The moment that Matt realized what he was doing…. Killed me.
You can see Matt’s heart breaking as Sam asks to guiding bolt himself
That's what you see? The somewhat smile, almost relaxation, though not quite, and realization, to me, is him realizing Sam is SAVING his campaign by doing this. This was a Party wipe if Sam doesn't do what he did.
Matt is completely on Edge and nervous during the last half of the fight or so as he just flat out doesn't roll bad once the entire fight. He knew this campaign was as good as done for because it was a fight they couldn't win. Even with the contraption off Otohan she is still slaughtering through them all. He even starts only knocking people unconscious instead of full killing like he did with Travis in the beginning of the fight.
it was like he was trying to find an out but didn't know how to get out of it. And in comes Sam with another one of his brilliant ideas, that not only saves his friends, but the entire campaign.
for all the jokes and the clown sam riegel can be at the table, he is without a doubt one of the best dnd players of actualplays, not only because he makes compelling characters but an overall great player
He’s a jokester but first and foremost he’s a storyteller even more than Matt in some ways. Have a smiley day
I didn't think a horny bard would make me cry. I was wrong. I didn't think an alcoholic goblin girl would make me cry. Once again, I was wrong. This one, however, well... clearly, I don't learn because once again, sobbing so hard... Sam has some of the best moments that impact the story so much and so often, it seems to come from nowhere because he does tend to have a very jokester attitude and build characters who are very silly on the surface.
Marisha saying "I'm so mad at you" and then Travis with the "I'm so proud of you" is heartbreaking.
Timestamp? I must have missed it
@@nissanfreak22 1:45
"You are who you chose to be!"
*_Superman..._*
I understood that reference.
😭😭😭😭
You didn't!!! 😭
My 16 year old said this exact quote while he was bawling.
You're not crying, I'm crying. *Edit: Plus, justice for Lord Eshteross.
For him and so many Otohan has murdered.
OH GOD i didn't even think about that
Remember, we may not be having a Smiley Day today, but because of FCG they will have a Smiley Day tomorrow
you can tell matt just cares about every single one of the characters, but more about the people behind them. Sam would sacrifice himself for his friends in reality, absolutely insane play.
Art reflects life.
They all look absolutely saddened by this but Taliesin just looks devastated
At least FCG took Otohan with him!
Gambit would be proud. I've had enough of the heroic deaths for a while, thanks.
It’s so cosmically fucked up how both of these self sacrifices happened back to back last week.
Nooo don't remind me DX That was so unexpected...
Bruh still too soon 😂
This was an epic moment all its own, but part of me did wonder if Sam happened to catch X-Men this week before playing haha.
@@JLD22591 Critical Role isn’t live anymore, so this would have been recorded a week or two ago. Sam made the heroic sacrifice all on his own
Time and time again Sam Riegel shows his utter expertise at playing this game. In every character he puts his whole heart. With Scanlan he wanted so badly to save wish for Vax, and made the narrative decision to not. For the betterment of the story and the better ending. With Nott he sacrificed her own story to better Calebs story, put aside her fear of water to help Fjord, among many other sacrifices. In Calamity as Loquatius he made a story-turning speech. And here with FCG he makes the decision that saves everyone. Sam is a master of playing his characters to the betterment of the story in the deepest and most profound ways. In ways that cause conflict and change, in ways that advance the stories they tell, in ways that matter. He is truly one of the best players at this table and maybe in the dnd actual play space in general. And really he's just having fun and playing to his strengths. Amazing.
I love Travis's reactions through this whole thing
Yeah, I love it too.
He's the only one all giddy that someone finally slammed the big red button in 9 years of this god forsaken game.
Me too. He always gets hyped at the coolness aspect of what's going on, even if it's tragic. But he also goes into super Friend Management Mode and Hang in Matt's Every Word Mode.
He's a great hype man at the table. He spent pretty much all of this fight dead, but was still having the time of his life and keeping everything cheery while others were getting stressed out.
This views different knowing now that he was going into cancer surgery and radiation treatments... Love you Sam, you epic epic boss! 😍❤
Dorian would be so fucking proud
5:38 i cried harder when FCG mentioned F.R.I.D.A. 😭 i know this is a game and it's fictional but my first thought was when and how are they going to tell them that FCG is gone 😢
That's gonna be another hard episode.
"The names FCG, Mon Ami... Remember it."
too soon
In the same week….I’ll never recover
Two time Emmy award winner Sam Riegel, the only player able to utterly destroy the table with polar opposite emotions, either uncontrollable laughter or uncontrollable sobbing.
Knowing what we know now, this wasn't just Sam saying goodbye to his character, this was possibly Sam saying Goodbye to the table and all of us.
Remember, you matter, may every day be a smiley day...
To quote Epsilon:
"There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith."
"Ain't that a bitch?"
And ain’t that a bitch…
Ain't that a bitch.
Ain’t that a bitch.
"... Ain't that a bitch?"
"The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too."
I think this was the point he hatched the plan. Either here or right before because he was watching his health. He was throwing the kitchen sink to stop the TPK.
Oh FCG? Yea I feel like Sam was planning to have his character die like this at some point
Travis saying "I'm so proud of you" made my year
And people say Critical role lost its magic. this is sadder than Mollymauk's death
Certainly on par. Who says that, btw? 🙂
@@billberndtsonthousands of people just look at the avg viewer count. This campaign has been lackluster af compared to 1 and 2
@@KBBQEnjoyer Oh, it's you who's saying that lol. Asked and answered. I'd disagree with you but I feel it will just empower you to complain a lot, and who wants that?
@@billberndtsonsorry the straight up facts confuse you. CR pulls 1/5th of the numbers campaign 2 did.
@@KBBQEnjoyer Oh, shhh... It's past you nap time.
Now thats a cleric moment when you sacrifice your self for the party
Sam does it again! GG. This might have been the closest Matt's had the party by the balls in the 9 years they've played.
"Marisha"
I know. That energy of 'we all know what's happening , so don't torture yourself trying to change the inevitable'
@@johnymey4034 More like "let Sam have his moment, you are not in the spotlight for once"
@@neruba2173 no, not at all
@@neruba2173 Nah he was just telling her that it aint happening, sam made his mind.
Ashton is not going to be the same after this. The one he cared for most was also his first real friend. A Faithful Care Giver, to a Broken Greymour Boy
i hope this isn't a spoiler but i can't remember if it was before they closed this episode or within the first 5 minutes of the next, but....
ashton taking FCG's changebringer coin is making me think and hope that ashton will become the changebringer's champion somehow. i mean a being of chaos and possibility, desperately trying to see what their fallen friend saw in this god they never believed in and now have to save, finding comfort? resolution? in this god... that's something talisen would do
I know that Laura was shouting detonate earlier, but the proof is in the pudding here - none of them expected for that to Actually be an option
hurdurhur robot self-destructs is well known and often executed trope
but then... but then sam says, ok bet
Devastation.
She was shouting that at Ashley. Just before they talked about the fire shard form having some sort of detonation ability.
@@Drakoni23 at the time? it was FCG's turn and Otohan was all up in his business - I'm fairly sure it was him she was shouting at
@@grandpa6065 But i don't think anyone saw this coming
"I am alive" is the most potent thing he could have possibly said in this moment. Ugh. My heart
1. I will never recover from this. Ever. I am beyond devastated. My sweet boy, he was so special:(
2. Someone animate this immediately
3. Sam Riegel once again showing me why i love this game so much and why i love critical role and why he's my favorite
And this is the first permadeath in CR. Now you know why they named their new game as it is, because the Blaze of Glory should feel like a Dagger to the Heart.
On the other hand...Liam is on the other end of it and now he has to be seeing how it felt when they lost Vax.
Loved how Matt described how FCG's core overloaded, the cascade system overloads of slightly different locations.
If you notice his eyes in his final monologue: There isn't a glimmer, a moment, or a thought of regret in Letter's/Sam's eyes. No worry, or "what am i doing." Just a happy twinkle, and a smile of goodbye to his friends; his life-bringers. The first words he said to the group are the same ones he leaves them with: Have A Smiley Day! God I Love D&D and Critical Role.
Bell's Fresh Hell's.
This is actually really good 😆
Fateful Bell’s Hells is another contender
I love how when matt asked sam how he wanted to do this he didnt describe the explosion and how it ended otohan but instead described what FCG experienced in those last few moments
I understand that this is an incredibly sad moment, but the main thing that kept running through my head was how does this effect Orym's deal with Nana Mori.
All depends on how Nana wants to treat their brief return to Exandria.
Mine was: "does this mean FEARNE is going to be the healer now?!?"
Only thing that goes through my head knowing this happened was "They could have just not gone back to Ruidus". 😖
@YouAnd_OnlyYou Yes, exactly...since FCG didn't come back from Ruidus "okay," I think this means the terms of the deal have not been met, and Orym is free from having to serve her. I don't think any of them realized this in the moment, and with Matt allowing this to happen (by essentially making it unavoidable with how powerful Otahan was), he can't really negotiate around how much this means the deal is off.
@@phillipbernhardt-house6907 The deal is they have to come back to Exandria all alive. They did that. Waiting to see if Matt will stand on that fey loophole.
Gutsy play, Sam. Respect. 🫡
"There's so many good stories where some brave hero has to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors cheer, and everyone lives happily ever after. But the hero never gets to see the ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain’t that a bitch.”
-Pvt. Church
This beautiful on so many levels. It is so in character for FCG to want to protect his friends at ALL costs.
The chat for this went crazy, People were losing their minds. and yet Sam always manages something like this. The clutch counterspell vs Vecna... Stabbing the baby manticore in C2 and now this. This is up there with the amazing cupcake adventure in awesomeness. If you have not seen this watch, it on Monday but trim your fingernails first. Critters rock.
Dose this unit have a soul
Yes
New Party name, "Bell's Hells on Grass".
Next airship is named after him
"Pussy Riot"
Bell's Fresh Hell?
@@crzycras8895 Fresh Prince of Bell's Hells
@@grandpa6065Noooow this is the story!
Laura being the first player to start picking out dice to hand over, even before Matt asked, was what broke me... that and Taliesin through this entire part...
This episode broke me. Idk whose reaction was worse. They all hurt! Especially Matt's when he realizes what Sam was doing.
I suspect Matt knew because it looks like they're exchanging texts for a few minutes before that, but it hadn't really hit because he was concentrating on answering and also keeping the game running.
@@jobear41 nah it legit surprised him, you can see the second the realization kicks in
@@jobear41 possibly. They were obviously exchanging texts but I assumed they were discussing mechanics. Like about how the rage thing worked because we haven't seen it since much earlier in the campaign. 50-ish episodes ago. I don't think Matt fully grasped what Sam was doing until he did it.
Poor Taliesin. Man, idk who to feel worse for.
Smiley Day Faithful CareGiver
why am i putting myself through this again ♥
Was listening while working and I had to pause, my eyes got watery 😭
The change bringer should Pinocchio FCG into a real boy
That would be so good,here's hoping
That qould really downplay the story wouldnt it? Plus I doubt Sam would want to retread ground with body switching
@@teenybopper2352 i mean laudna did the same its all up to the player if they want to continue the charachter or not
Yes!!!!
Well, Thanks to sam for giving me depression
I love it here
All the comments saying otohan was too op should probably remember that Matt was rolling well enough to bankrupt a Las Vegas casino (I think he got like 8 crits). If his luck had been worse, it probably would have just been "challenging" instead of "life and death."
I love how such a poignant moment is punctuated with a 20d8 damage roll. That's D&D for you. Kudos to Mercer for forgoing the Reflex save for half damage, that would have played out very differently. "Ok FCG blows apart for 38 points... Travis your up."
The rule of cool....it supercedes cheesing to save the party
He said ottahan had around 40 smth hp so after a 38 she would have been one round from death. For like 11 hp at most this was the right call from matt imo.
Matt so didnt want to do this.
How do I not want to do this? lol
He gave Sam every chance to back away from the edge
@@jimmy_the_squid9456 He gave Sam the same number of warnings Spotify gives me when I'm trying to cancel my Premium subscription
Still in disbelief
Everyone at the table: *absolutely devastated*
Travis: *giddy*
First time I’ve bawled my eyes out to Critical Role in a while
The look on Matt's face after Sam says he's aiming at his core. Just instantly knowing that's FCG's last stand
If we knew then what we know now...
The sacrifice actually fits the character very well.
This was such a brutal fight and it needed a brutal end
There were three explosions that day in Kreviris. One, devastating the tunnels bellow. Another, destroying the music hall. And the third, a blast fueled by the overwhelming strength of a loving soul
Every campaign Sam pulls some tear jerking shit. It was only a matter of time really. Well done
God damn it Sam 😢💔
Requiest in pace FCG, Long may he reign (I have emotional damage now)
Watched the entire thing when it went live on YT. Can't believe this was the 1st "live" view I caught up on. What an ending! Sam Riegel continues to surprise me.🤯😭
Yeah, no s**t. I never see anything live due to the time difference (still asleep). But decided to log in after waking before work. Yeah some mild spoilers I thought but hey. Nice at breakfast... could not be that much... would be only be 20 minutes anyway. 3 guesses which 20 minutes... man. One way I spoiled myself for when I can see the whole thing tomorrow, but on the other end it is the most impactful one live bit I could have seen and it kind of feels good to have been there for this.
@@frogfairy1163 IKR! I'm not usually able to view the episode live on YT because of my sleeping schedule too, but for some reason I caught it just after Sam's ads and I wasn't able to turn my phone off for the rest of the day. I kept watching for hours while I did something else. But I'm glad I did. Credits to Matt for allowing it to happen, though I suspect Otohan still has a few HP left, not to mention the ability to take half damage.
The fact that Sam manages to pull off impactful moments like this is astonishing to me even after all the years they've been playing DND as a group. They're all topnotch players, but Sam pulling on our heartstrings is really something else. Can't wait to see the VOD in a couple of hours. Cheers!
@@awkwardaquamarine19 Yeah Otohan for sure had some HP left. But kudos for letting FCG have the win for the blaze of glory. Felt fair, logical. Intent, sacrifice and story trump de technical numbers game in this case I think and it's not like Otohan hadn't suffered a fair bit of damage by that point. It was a hard won victory no matter how you slice it even with a few waved hitpoints. Would have felt wrong for me if Matt hadn't. The perfect, if sad, end to FCG's story. The character was one of my favorites, but it all fits so nicely like this and Sam gave a beautiful fitting end speech. To go back on any of this would cheapen the moment. Will miss FCG though.
@@frogfairy1163 Same. I'll miss FCG as well. It gave me a mini heart attack when Chetney was killed earlier (spoilers). I could tell that Travis made peace with the fact that he could be killed in game (as I suspect all of them are with their characters), but I'm glad they brought him back. Travis and Sam have a knack for creating really entertaining characters. Meanwhile, Taliesen and Liam seemed most affected by FCG's heroic sacrifice.
Sam Riegel, the legend that hides behind his friends until he suddenly makes the most heartfelt roleplay event in every campaign...
only legends make the sacrifice play!!!!!
First words: Smile Day
Last words: Smile Day
Wow
It's possible that Sam pulled- well, a Sam- and said he felt like FCG's arc was done and wanted to give the party an Avengers moment, thus the OP encounter, but then- did not tell Matt that the Blaze of Glory was his plan. Either way, We got Regal'd yet again.
I cried so much 🥲💔
At his funeral I hope they plant flowers...blue perineums...also known as smurf's taint, Na'vi gooch, or Cookie Monsters' grundel.
Ashley Johnson you😢💔🥲😢
how dare you Sam
1:16 The look of shock on Matt's face. Part of me wonders if Matt thinks that he's responsible for pushing Letters to that point.
I don't blame Matt, there was no way of knowing that. But still, that Supreme Healing potion + the Exaltant form from Otohan was a death sentence.
I blame him. He made a horseshit encounter that was not winnable. They tried to in game block off the tunnel to NOT fight her. He forced it.
That's like blaming him for Molly's death when they fought the Iron Shepherds. @@jimmyhjt
@@jimmyhjt he made it win able but he was rolling really really well. It wouldnt be a easy win but still.
@@jimmyhjt You can't blame Matt for the way the dice roll.
I seem to remember seeing someone mention somewhere online, that doing the math on her stats, Otohan would have still had a good amount of HP left over, the 79 points of damage from FCG's detonation wouldn't have mechanically killed her, though it would have brought her a lot closer, but that Matt was probably so take by Sam's description of FCG's emotions at that moment and his love and dedication to his friends, that he couldn't take this victory away from him, he couldn't let this sacrifice be in vain, it was just too good of a climactic final blow, so as DM, he made the call to just let it kill her. 😅😭 If true, as a good DM, he probably knew he should still ask for a damage roll, but he may have already decided before he even asked, or having seen how much damage Sam rolled, and that it brought her fairly close to death, he made the judgement to just end it there, likely considering how tough the battle had been so far and how willingly Sam was to sacrifice his character in hopes of defeating Otohan. I think it was a good call. 😅
Yet again Sam making the entire cast cry… in campaign 1 it was Scanlan using his level 9 spell slot to fight their enemy, thus reducing the chance of bringing back Vax.
Campaign 3 is FCG sacrificing himself to defeat Otohan
Campaign 2 when he revealed Nott's backstory
I just love
Marisha: "are we able to get him up after this?" and Travis immediately looking at her and going "Marisha" lol
They have now killed Ludinus knight, killed his bishop and potentially turned his Queen correct?
EMOTIONAL DAMAGE
Nope, turns out this still hits hard after seeing it the first time 😭 smiley day!
I am glad narratively Matt made the choice not to make them carry on fighting because realistically that wouldn't have killed her and I think a tpk was inevitable if they'd carried on. I think the whole table knew that so what Sam did was just brilliant it narratively gave matt a way out for them without anyone else dying.
It wouldn't have, the damage would have been damned but mechanics be damned my boy can tell a story
It also makes the Otohan kill much more legit. You can't crawl your way into beating her, unlike against everybody else. Otohan has so much more speed, she always can get away. They could have rolled better and they could have had the upperhand, but then Matt has to make the decision to let her die, or have her run away. If she runs, the table would have been devastated, if she dies, that speed is a mechanical herring that many DnD viewers will pick up on. The FCG sacrifice made this so much better. As Matt described, Otohan didn't see it coming.
FCG after everything was said and done, turned out to be a ticking time bomb of feelings and emotion!! 😂
It was either he kills himself or TPK
Yeah, this saved the whole campaign. It’s why Matt was the first to lend dice. He didn’t want to kill the party, but he was going to with the way he was rolling Nat20s all night.
@@fatesrequiem Im not a fan of Critical Role, but I am a fan of Sam Riegel. So I decided to check in and Im glad I did because I almost witnessed a TPK.
@@fatesrequiem From what I saw I felt like that was kinda an unwinnable fight or just extremely difficult to the point of a TPK. And when Sam decide to forfit his character to save the party it was an automatic kill for the Boss.
not me being a few episodes behind in c3 and clicking on this thinking it was a smiley day compilation. now im crying blood
Sam why u gotta make me cry for, and why u make everyone 😭😭😭😭😭😭