Taliesin Explains The Change In Energy When Playing In Front Of A Live Audience

Critical Role has largely shifted from a live-streamed show to pre-tapes, but they have played a few live sessions using their new system, Daggerheart. Jaffe explained how it is different to play live both in studio and on stage in front of an audience. He also discussed how the intense emotional response of the audience affected the players and shared his greatest fear about playing in front of a live audience

Taliesin Jaffe: “Well, we’ve played live a few times with Daggerheart now, which if you had asked me before that, I would say that there’s no real energetic difference. There was a little bit more of a feeling of nerves, which is surprising because on a functional level it’s not really that much different. The live audience on the other hand, I mean there’s playing live on the internet, there’s playing live in front of people and it is hard to describe. It is a very intense rollercoaster of having that instant response.
I suppose I’ll say that the two things are, the intense emotional responses are always interesting is people actually laughing at your jokes or not laughing at your jokes, and it definitely encourages you to be a little snarkier than normal, just biochemically. And then the feeling, having an audience be emotionally invested or having fear or having a fear response even though it’s quiet is intense and makes the stakes feel very, very heavy. God, my greatest fear is a TPK in front of a live audience. That would not go over well. That’d be so bad. That would feel bad for everyone involved.”
Screen Rant: “It’d be very quiet drive home.”
Taliesin Jaffe: “Oh, it would be a very, very rough that didn’t sign up for Macbeth at that point. Just like, Oh, no. We came off the coast to A TPK not that long ago, so not to spoil, and we were genuinely starting to have that. I wonder what we’ll do. Oh boy.”

Jaffe couldn’t share any surprises to come during the live show and explained how Critical Role is able to keep himself and the other players in the dark, so they can experience surprises with the audience. He revealed that on the rare occasion they do know a surprise is coming, it is usually related to scheduling.

Taliesin Jaffe: “I don’t know anything. We do a pretty good job of keeping as out of that field as humanly possible. We do not discuss where we’re going pretty much ever. There’s some things occasionally that normally involve working around people’s schedules, but I think that’s happened maybe once this campaign. It just doesn’t happen very often. It’s a rare occurrence.”

The costumes of the Critical Role cast during live shows have become a famed part of the experience, with each of them bringing their own style to a shared theme. This can be anything from pirates to cosplaying as their characters. Although Jaffe remained tight-lipped about what to expect from the Bells Hells live show, he did confirm that their theme had been chosen and stated, "Dress up is one of the best parts

Taliesin Jaffe: “Yes, we have. I suppose anything else would be spoiling. Oh boy. Yeah, I’ve been getting, poor Jenny has been texting me at one o’clock in the morning going, How about that? I’m like, Yeah, sure. Dress up is one of the best parts.”

Taliesin Shares Insight Into Ashton’s Feelings About Losing FCG, “Some Conflicting Feelings Of Who To Blame”

In the wake of FCG’s sacrifice to save Bells Hells, the party has been reeling. Many of the Critical Role cast members have shared their feelings and the feelings of their characters, including Liam O’Brien in an earlier interview with Screen Rant. However, Jaffe hasn’t fully gotten into the ramifications of Ashton’s feelings about the loss of FCG. Ashton and FCG were close friends whose connection spans back to before the Bells Hells got together. Jaffe broke down how Ashton is handling the grief and processing this loss.

Taliesin Jaffe: “I won’t talk to the other characters experiences. I don’t really know necessarily where a lot have come from, but this is not Ashton’s first rodeo with somebody close dying. It is, especially in certain subculture groups, it is not uncommon. It definitely is creating some conflicting feelings of who to blame, which is definitely getting in the way of Ashton’s, maybe I need to be slightly less self-involved with my emotional issues. Like so many things in a game like this is being put on, I don’t want to say a back burner.
Well, I guess we’re caught up enough that we know that the notion of wearing something definitely came up and that kind of wake, I suppose, would be the best way to put it and that kind of level of honoring. Definitely, I suppose, I mean, anger is such an easy thing to say for a barbarian, but he’s not really that angry of a barbarian as barbarians go. It’s other issues, but that’s such a good question, I’m trying to hit it just right. Definitely just a lot of trying to figure out where to put the blame, especially since this is exactly how Ashton knew it was going to go down.
If not there, when I suppose this was sort of a bit of an inevitability in their head. So sometimes it’s blaming Change Bringer, sometimes it’s blaming himself, sometimes it’s blaming anybody for not listening to him. But right now, self-recrimination is always the easiest, its easy for most of us. That fight went very poorly for everyone involved. Definitely looking for other connection right now and realizing that they’ve been bad about that forever.”

The Bells Hells quest has led them to Aeor, which played a major part in the Mighty Nein’s story as well. Jaffe explained how Ashton’s reaction to exploring Aeor is similar to Caduceus’ during campaign 2. He also broke down how he views the stories of each party of heroes, from Vox Machina to Mighty Nein, and now Bells Hells.

Taliesin Jaffe: “Ashton and Caduceus are having the exact same response to [being in Aeor], which is it is absolutely batsh-t that someone like me is getting to do this. It is very overwhelming. This was not part of the universe’s plan to actually go to the furthest reaches of the planet and see things that almost nobody had ever seen before. They’re a little awestruck by the whole thing. They always are getting a little bit into their head and getting a little mildly self-important.
That’s their main push right now is just, this is ridiculous. I don’t want to say frustrated, but a little blown away that no one else is having that response of, We just went to the moon and now we’re here! Does that not f-ck you up at all? It’s just, How is everyone else okay, this? This is insane! They’re definitely doing, How many people have actually been down here? And I think someone’s like, Oh, there’s been like dozens. I’m like, Dozens?! It’s insane! God, think about that!
There is no reason why it should be us. This is in a very specific level, there’s so many reasons it shouldn’t be us other than, honestly, other than one member of our party. We are not that important. I often say it is a party mostly of sidekicks. Other than Laura, it is all characters who in any other circumstances would be mid-level NPCs. It is fascinating.
My go-to is Vox Machina where we’re kind of f-ck ups trying to become heroes and Mighty Nein were villains trying to become heroes, or at least trying to not be villains, and then [Bells Hells] are somewhat ordinary people trying to just have some control, just trying to gain some control over reality. Which is very now. I’m not saying it’s going well. I’m saying they’re trying.”

Breaking Down Ashton’s Empathy For Laudna In The Wake Of Swordgate

Although he wasn’t at the heart of the recent interparty conflict of Swordgate, Ashton did have an intriguing reaction. While some of this was tied to their own recent bad choices, Jaffe revealed the different factors that gave Ashton more empathy towards Laudna. This included an understanding of where Laudna’s dark path could take her with Delilah as well as guilt about how she got to this point.

Taliesin Jaffe: “Still coming down off of a lot of at least self-realization for whatever good it does. Half the battle, but the part that doesn’t count. He’s still coming down off of that self-realization. He’s spent most of his life being, I don’t know if you saw Cruella, but he’s basically been the henchman of a evil genius. So he’s not a good person. Well, he has spent most of his life being a somewhat broken, very corrupted person with a very, very well-developed moral compass, which is an odd thing to be.
Definitely after everything that happened with having an arm cook and then getting beaten pretty hard about it. They’re feeling very defensive for anyone being, they’re a little blown away that there’s not a bit more empathy for everyone’s situation right now, especially considering who we are. And feels a little responsible for where Laudna is right now because of what happened when the group was separated. Definitely is very protective of her as well, because she is the most paper thin, stiff breeze goes down, and is someone who is quietly also a bit of a villain or destined for it on an inevitable level.
He has a lot of poor opinions, or at least misguided opinions about the group. But I will say the one thing he knows, which I think is definitely true, is that everyone’s dealing with their own sh-t. The whole point was they’re supposed to be helping each other and understanding that everyone in this group, he spent his whole life around very broken people, and this is a group of very broken people. You have to hold everyone to a slightly lower standard and be a little nice about it. If that had gone any further, she would’ve been minced me. It would’ve gone badly for somebody. There’s a protectiveness of everybody, but particularly the people who are on the edge.”

(continued)