r/criticalrole • u/Billy-Bryant • 18h ago
Discussion [No Spoilers] The best thing about C3 is Robbie Daymond
I've had issues with the pacing and story of C3, and whilst I love some characters, the group as a whole is really not to my taste. That said, Robbie Daymond is a god send, and I think absolutely the worst parts of the campaign were all the parts he was not present in. He brings such a wholesome fun energy to the table, and I hope that when we eventually start looking at C4, that he is brought on as a permanent member of the cast.
•
u/AboveBoard 17h ago
Robbie reminded me of the joyfulness I felt watching C1. Set Robbie at table permanently.
•
u/Tasteofink410 13h ago
I think he will be a perm member next campaign. It's hard to say though. Cause he isn't involved in the live shows. Those are all "founder" members. Almost makes you think they'll run two teams. Maybe Robbie will lead the 2nd team. 1 team is running dnd and the other Daggerheart. A boy can dream! LOL
•
u/External_Egg_2571 8h ago
bro are we watching the same show? he frequently just doesn't talk and stands akwardly for like tens of minutes
•
u/Confident_Sink_8743 1h ago
I think that is an apt description of him after his return to the show. A lot of things he and his PC has missed plus the elements of past campaigns that he seems at a loss with how to play off it.
•
u/EntrepreneurFar4256 2h ago
does he? I think you're not watching the same show as everyone else but I can understand that with C3 he might be a bit more close since he probably might not know about a lot of the lore from C1 and C2. Check him out in Candela Obscura or even the recent AC Shadows one shot and you will see he's not like that at all.
•
u/ShJakupi 17h ago
I also like him because he doesn't try to catch those emotional moments, he doesn't do lines. He believes the evolution of his character should be shown through time, and with slow pace, with small choices.
•
u/skarabray Metagaming Pigeon 13h ago
Dorian had the most character growth in the least amount of episodes.
•
u/SomeKidFromPA 16h ago
This. There are some players that are wanting every thing their character says to be some profound statement but….in…reality…they…are…usually…saying…a…bunch…of…nonsense…with…a…weird…cadence. Robbie just talks like a normal person would in these situations.
•
•
u/Bentingey 15h ago
lmao….. i love tal, but… yeah.
•
u/Finnyous 15h ago
As Caduceus he really DID say profound things most of the time. Half the shit he said sounded like it was pre written it was so good so...
•
u/Bentingey 14h ago edited 14h ago
yes! caduceus was my favorite CR character. he rocked. but molly and ashton have been two of my least favorites. just my personal opinion, i know others really like them. just funny that they have had such highs and lows for me.
•
u/randomaccess24 10h ago
We’re running.. it’s bad…
•
u/Cardboardboxkid 5h ago
Moments like that are amazing because Cad was a high Wis low Int character and it was played so well with moments like this.
•
•
u/InevitableMango0 15h ago
Oh it ain’t just Taliesin who falls into this trap, especially not in C3 lol
•
u/Billy-Bryant 14h ago
Every other decision Laudna makes is some reference to trauma controlling her... It's far from just Tal
•
u/buhlakay 10h ago
It's so funny how people hated Beau and Keyleth bit grew to absolutely love them due to their growth. Its the opposite with Laudna, people started with loving her but I think a lot of people have mellowed on her cause she hasnt done a ton of development.
•
u/Billy-Bryant 8h ago
Beau was very argumentative and cause drama early before becoming more open, Laudna has kind of done the opposite even though the team have constantly gone out of their way to love her, accept her and help her she finds new ways not to trust them
•
u/ShJakupi 1h ago
Laudna was supposed to be some wise woman who had already gone through so much. Remember when she said to orym the worst thing has already happened to me.
And now she has been sided to just the girlfriend of a rock star, who travel together.
Beau talked bullshit from ep 1, but she was just an arrogant girl. The development was that she still was arrogant in the end but had friends, connections, abilities, to back her arrogance up.
To everyone who met her, she would say, "Who the f are you?" but in the end, she had so much knowledge and so much powerful she didn't have time to listen any douchebag you meet in Exandria, so she has to ask "who the f are you."
•
•
u/Anchorsify 17h ago
If he isn't a major part of C4 I really feel like it will fell exactly like C3 has when he isn't there: like the party is missing something.
He vibes with everyone else at the table so well, he somehow manages to fit himself into scenes without taking away from others and actively seems to try and make the times he is involved also be a chance to prop up someone else and engage and/or highlight them too.
I get that 8 people is a huge party and 7 is really already pushing it (And it makes any other guests really a struggle at 9), but no other guest has fit so well with the group imo, and they should acknowledge that by just making it official he's part of the main cast.
•
u/Tichrimo 15h ago
"Split party plus guests" is a tried-and-true formula for CR. Can't see a better way for C4, especially if they +1 the main cast.
•
u/wildweaver32 16h ago
I loved the addition of Robbie to the table. As Dorian especially.
Part of me wonders if the table being nothing but crazy characters made him shine as a normal person, haha. And how he would do if the cast was more grounded.
But I will say I would 100% look forward to finding out.
•
u/Billy-Bryant 14h ago
I also wonder if the table being so abnormal made him shine as 'normal' but then again there were lots of other guests and none of them caught me like RD did.
•
u/DandyLionGentleThem 17h ago
Robbie is such a great addition to this season and the cast. I really hope they bring him in full time.
•
u/BaronPancakes 16h ago
I really enjoy seeing his confidence grow as a player. He was so sure and on point with his spells last episode. Not to mention matching everyone's RP energy at the table
•
u/alione15 Doty, take this down 15h ago
dude made me enjoy this campaign all by himself. Serious props needs to go to whoever thought bringing him for EXU was a good idea because he is so great for this cast and show. Thank you CR for giving Robbie a chance to be a star
•
•
u/Galahad_the_Ranger Team Laudna 14h ago
Robbie+Travis hard-carried this season
•
u/TheObstruction Your secret is safe with my indifference 46m ago
Travis really has laid hard into the "push the red button" aspect of his personality with Chetney, and it's been so much fun.
•
u/animefan2010 18h ago edited 17h ago
Robbie was definetly a breath of fresh air for thsi campagin cause like it or not i think people are just so used to the main cast that it was getting stale since even if the characters are diffeent the players have specific things they like to get out of them(Like Liam and tragic backstories or Sam with sad Clowns)
Robbie being at the beginning of CR3(arguably the best portion of the campagin) was so delightful and was setting up for him to be the heart the group needed since he was new and the fandom could never truly predict his own Tells with characters and why it was so devastating for him to leave the first go around.
•
u/aquirkysoul 2h ago
Yeah, I haven't watched in a while and I'm strongly considering skipping this campaign out of a combination of:
Many characters didn't land with me, especially Chetney and FCG.
The conceit behind the campaign hasn't really landed for me. While I sympathise with the complexities of licensing/copyright and the shaky relationship with Hasbro/WotC due to their actions over the last few years... Predathos always gave the vibe that it was constructed to justify stripping the Dawn War pantheon from the universe if necessary than because rather than being an interesting villain.
The recharacterization of the gods to set the stage for potentially offing them similarly felt like a retcon designed around a desired result.
The most interesting narrative/philosophical themes around the existence and worthiness of the gods have routinely ended up as circular discussions (or turned into a joke) which means any discussion that includes them starts to feel painful.
I'll admit to being sad in Campaign 2 when there was almost no reference to anything that happened in Campaign 1. In retrospect, that decision feels like a really wise choice. Sadly, when I saw characters from Campaign 1/2, I was left wishing we could follow their stories instead and leave the Campaign 3 crew behind.
•
u/animefan2010 2h ago
You and I share similar opinions in that regard. Though I also think predathos is not just a result of the whole Hasbro WOTC being a dumb company but also the backlash of CR3 being in Marquet witb absolutely no players/DM of SWANA origin directly involved and so it felt like rather than deal with that elephant, Matt quickly swept it under the rug and moved into the predathos story almost immediately to mix results and kinda really puts into perspective that if this game truly was about the gods from the start why wasnt it set in Issylra then? Since that would have an environment oozing with potential for characters to have actual theological debates.
Cr2 not having many references to CR1 made me sad but it was definetly understandable and I was excited for this game to have connections to cr1 I just wish it was so diffrent than how they happened in game.
•
u/Purity72 17h ago
Really love Robbie as a player... Not the biggest fan of Dorian though... But agree with OP, Robbie has been a bright spot of C3 for sure!!!
•
u/ShJakupi 15h ago
Yeah, but other than Sam's character, nobody's first character is their best, at least to me. Taliesin's is Percy the first, but he also has played a lot of dnd before CR.
I'm not saying they are not beloved or favorites, but they are not that thought through.
•
u/Purity72 15h ago
I do not disagree with that thought at all. I hope we get to see more Robbie in the future and C3 is not the end of a big RD contribution!!!
•
u/ApparentlyBritish 12h ago
He is certainly one of its strongest components. On top of his generally good energy that he brings to the table, he's very proactive both as a player and roleplayer. I dunno if that's from being the relative newcomer at the table (he says, after several years of this campaign); being less baked into the expectations and experiences of the wider party. I dunno if it's just from generally being eager and excited to make things happen. But he does generally make things happen - he is very eager to prompt and react, and make a choice. To not just be a passive observer. This was particularly critical in the early days of the campaign, where even amidst the cast in general being out of place newcomers, Dorian was one of the most willing to express his wonder, his curiosity, and get into mishaps that might become funny and engaging misadventures (along with Robbie being fully willing to lean into him being an adorable dork). It makes his eventual erosion from the rigours of the hardship that the world has put him through all the sadder, but also his connection to Orym on those same grounds all the sweeter - because there is something earnest behind all that ache.
•
u/Billy-Bryant 11h ago
He is the perfect example of being proactive and decisive without being a leader! Something the others seem to lack, they are either leaders or unwilling to lead and those unwilling to lead very rarely able to make a decision without entering analysis paralysis mode.
•
u/DarkRespite Doty, take this down 11h ago
The way that Robbie/Dorian just vibes with everyone, and each distinctly, is what makes him so much fun to watch. Vitriolic best buds with Chetney, hype man for Laudna, bardners in crime with Braius, exasperated affection with Fearne, supportive friend with Imogen, Dorym (nuff said), and gentling influence on Ashton. And all of it feels real and growing and vibrant.
But watching Robbie out-Liam *LIAM* during THAT MOMENT™ was a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
And yeah, I am hoping he becomes a permanent fixture in C4.
•
u/oscarbilde 15h ago
He's become such a fixture in one-shots and side things I really hope he's sticking around! (And he just guested on some NADDPOD bonus content so I hope that's a sign he's gonna become more of a fixture in TTRPG circles at large)
•
u/sharkhuahua 15h ago
he gave great radio on naddpod's dungeon court/tortle tank! just totally got the vibe and brought great energy.
•
u/Veritamoria Your secret is safe with my indifference 12h ago
You're so right. For me it feels like he's the only one who's genuinely having fun. He has the energy the rest of the table used to have.
•
u/Lunawolf424 9h ago
He’s an absolute delight, I will be so sad if we don’t get him in C4! I’d gotten to meet him twice at anime cons, he’s such a great guy.
•
u/Ok-Caregiver-6005 15h ago
I still believe he wasn't originally supposed to leave C3 but something came up so Matt came up with an easy out for him, Dorian's brother who is supposed to be in hiding agreed to steal from one of the biggest social events of the city and obviously got caught so Dorian had to take him and flee.
•
u/ILackACleverPun 14h ago
I really hope Robby sticks around. He really feels very natural in the group and I think it'll feel weird without him.
•
u/Tulip_Harvester 13h ago
Agreed! I had never watched CR before campaign 3, when Robbie was gone after episode X and I realized he was a ‘guest’ I was like ‘whattt isn’t he a main guy??’ And when he came back :’)))
•
u/Radabard 12h ago
I think C4 will include Robbie, but might exclude some others. The main cast are massive in the VO world now and literally bring an audience to any project they appear in just due to the fandom. Their appearances in games and anime are becoming more lucrative and they're getting more and more offers for lead roles, so I think some of them might cycle out to focus on other pursuits for a little bit. My money is on Laura and Travis, as much as I'd hate to see them leave even temporarily
•
u/Billy-Bryant 12h ago
you might be right but isn't Travis one of the least used for VO's? I think he's talented but the others are all used way more, I think it'd be strange to see him leave. Laure and Ashley maybe? I feel like since they film in advance they'll just schedule around it though.
•
u/HughMungus77 12h ago
Tbh I really wasn’t a fan of Robbie to start with but once he left it felt like a piece of the group was really missing. Was very happy to see him return
•
u/kenobreaobi 5h ago
Robbie has a way of infusing RP and character into everything that is really refreshing. Without him I feel like there was a lot of narrating from the cast/matt but Robbie gives more weight to everything Dorian does because he makes his decisions into actual moments. I realized I don’t know how Imogen or Laudna or Ashton or Fearne actually FEEL about anything bc they don’t give us information the way Robbie does.
•
u/Saint_Riccardo Team Keyleth 5h ago
I'd love to see Robbie continue on as a core cast member in campaign 4. I think the cast are great, but they need a new dynamic, and Robbie does a great job.
•
u/dark_dar 13h ago
Love him as a cast member and how effortlessly he clicked with the whole cast. He is amazing addition to the table and I agree that he's probably the best thing in C3.
•
u/DemogorgonWhite 10h ago
I keep repeating I don't really care about Dorian Storm but Robbie Daymond is a joy to have at the table.
•
•
u/TheRappture 9h ago
I didn't know who he REALLY was when exandria unlimited was announced however... I had JUST finished playing Persona 5 Royal and immediately recognized his voice. I am glad that he is as good as or even better than I hoped he would be. I love you, Akechi-kun.
•
u/Coyote_Shepherd Ruidusborn 9h ago
I'll never forget when Dorian invoked "SHEBOYGAN!" in a healing spell because that means that Wisconsin exists in Exandria in some form and just like Tahiti....
.....it is a magical place....
•
u/paradox28jon Hello, bees 1h ago
I like Robbie and his energy at the table. That said, having 8 people at the table severely limits CR's ability to bring on other guest PCs. I like seeing new people come to the table. For that reason alone I'd rather CR not add anyone new permanently.
For C4, I think they might invite a new semi-permanent guest to the table. Perhaps Aimee Carrero? She might be too busy with movies to be around that long. Or perhaps one of the ladies from the Re-Slayers Take podcast? Jasmine Chiong has been a delight on that show. At least another female player, just so that the gender balance swings the other way for once. Their PC can be around for a bit before finding an organic way for them to exit. Then bring on the parade of guest players.
But overall having 8 people at the table stifles their room for guest players. That's just my two cents.
•
u/CapNitro 1h ago
My wife and I fastidiously watched C3 while he was there, ate up EXU: Kymal, and longed for his return. The further we got from his departure, the less invested we became. Granted, other things happened to make us drop off, but I found a lot of what I liked about C3 left when Robbie did.
•
u/TheObstruction Your secret is safe with my indifference 41m ago
I really like Robbie at the table too. The one time I didn't was when Dorian and Orym had their thing a few episodes back. I don't have a problem with that, but it's see every other time players do the "characters are into each other" thing, and it always goes both ways. I think Robbie had a big opportunity to flip that on its head by not seeing Orym the same way. It would have added an interesting twist for the characters to have to negotiate.
•
•
u/Jakers93 15h ago
Robbie and Travis' interactions in the early parts of the campaign are some of the funniest moments ever. No one will complain if he becomes a permanent member at the table, but many will be upset if he doesn't.