Travis Willingham: Lessons in being a Good D&D Player

"When Matt says what happens, Travis takes that as a fact. even if Travis doesn't like it"
This the number one thing I do not understand with some players. You're in a roleplaying game with your actions having consequences. Why are you angry after getting arrested because you brutally killed an old lady?

Know your character strengths and weaknesses

As a newer player with an inexperienced dm, I fully understand getting upset at certain things but a true dnd player rolls with the punches and sends a few back

Critical role is to D&D what porn is to sex

I'm having a hard making it through Vox Machina 78 as Travis isn't there.

After playing DnD for a few years I realized that there were some campaigns where the PCs had to have some full-party major fail as part of the campaign plotline - a good reason to not fight the DM when it seems like the game isn't going your way. So long as you don't have a TPK-happy DM, good campaigns will have some way to get through them even when the dice hate you.

He is on beautiful beautiful man!

Its not the Nat1 thats suck more like the moment you get them.Nat1 in a situation like in the video..fun Nat1 during the fight against the BBEG that suck

Something to remember about CR is it an entertainment stream, so everyone there knows not to kick up a fuss and slow down the experience...

I asked Travis Willingham for advice as a voice actor and he told me "you have to be WILLING to HAM it up" then he shot finger guns at me and dabbed into the sunset riding the second largest horse I've ever seen.

You did not just pull "He is where all their strength comes from" at the end of the video 😭😭❤

He was also the captain of the perc-ah'lia ship, aka the ship of his wife and his friend's character. And he was the biggest emoter when Scanlan left VM briefly.

it's him... the dnd chad

Easily my fav player by a mile, he's just too funny.

My favorite thing about Fjord's leadership and conversational dominance is that Travis was clearly avoiding that role early on, but within 30-40 episodes of c2 he had no choice. Everyone turned to him for leadership and he had no further choice in the matter. He was their half orc voice of reason, like it or nott

This video has probably been the longest video I have ever watched, because I had never seen any Critical Role before, so when you said there were spoilers for C1 and C2, I immediately left to go watch them and finally finished after 8 months and now I'm back to finish the video

Whats the song called between the transitions ?

he's just an actor, not player. paid actor who follows the script and railroaded campaign. so, no, thanks

Casual CR viewer: "damn i wanna bang Marisha and Laura."
Experienced CR enjoyer: "damn i wanna bang Thor God of Thunder."

I feel like bringing up his role as Cell from DBZ or Roy Mustang from FMA would have been a better example of his acclaim

These are some great pieces of advise, thank you.

We've played an adventure in Simbaroum recently, my character was a towering ogre, a tank and somewhat of a heavy-hitter of the group. The first turn into the fight, he failed his safe throw against a mind-controlling spell. His resistance stat was very high, but I've failed my safe throws for three turns in a row, while he was mawing through his comrades.

I was salty about that, the overall chance to faile three throws agains my second-highest stat was very improbable. Thanks to this video, I will try to play it cooler next time this will happen.

awh that's so nice of you to say ^_^

This is amazing!! Great work

I love when I have to make an important roll in a social enocunter or like a really important stealth role type scenario.. and then I roll as bad as I can.. It's so fun seeing how things pan out.

Great video and great observations. He does seem like a great guy to have on your team.

Being very new to D&D the way I see it is Travis knows that this is a game, and he's here to have fun and makes sure everyone gets to have fun

We need an update on this video... now that he's done several different amazing characters in critical role!

All the things you listed are also the reason why he is CEO of critical role, he is just a great leader.

If I could pluck one of them to sit at my table while I ran a game, it would absolutely be Travis. If he's busy, Sam. Sam might be a little disruptive sometimes, but it's good natured and he does his homework.

This entire video is why the team made Travis the CEO of Critical Role Productions. Matt's the creative director, but they trust Travis to deal with the overall operations. And as Matt once quipped, Travis can be very intimidating during negotiations. His qualities strike me as someone who was taught to be mindful of his size, but to use it when it's appropriate (I was taught that, too). He's extra gentle because he has to be, until he has to not be.

if a Nat 1 happened to me 3 times in a row I'd probably think it's the funniest thing in the world

As someone fairly new to the game and who's primarily been the DM (I chose to take up the mantle for the ifrst group fo friends who were all entirely new) and one of my players then got a few new people into a second group he's DMing for, this video was a great reminder and put some good hindsight on the rough rolls I had in most of the first session. The adventure was super well suited to my character this was exactly what she's meant to do pretty much exactly, and she just was not rolling well, but in hindsight it worked increedibly well to go alongside the group's dynamic, as she is the only full spellcaster, and the only half caster is a ranger who is flavouring their spells as non magical techniques and they literally are too lucky (halfling) and oblivous to believe magic exists, compartmentalising some explanation velma style for what they see. having my character just fail at most magic while it was annoying to me at the time, really set up the group dynamic well, and in hindsight my other abilities had helped us find some cool things we wouldn't have otherwise.

Travis , Sam, and Taliesin are the goats

"[A] lot of stuff I never even knew about."

Uhm.

If the standouts for you are the newest animated rendition of Thor and Knuckles, you must be very, very young. His most famous, and breakout role was in Fullmetal Alchemist as Roy Mustang. You're old enough to watch it now, and I strongly urge you to do so. Show some goddamn respect.

Travis is my favourite.

I think this still holds true. I'm going through campaign 1 finally, while also keeping up with campaign 3, and he is still the player that argues the least. He just appreciates Matt's work. He doesn't ever cause problems for the other players, and his characters are the only ones I consistently enjoy.

Ashley ...i am going to rage
Travis RAGE!!!!!!!

Aver voy aver si poedo otlaves que mi cuerplo se vea de corores como el aro pasado

You should do another one of these analyzing Emily Axford!

I’ve met Travis in a non-D&D, social setting, and he’s just a nice, regular friendly and smart dude who is tall, very very tall

I can picture Travis stepping up to someone, flexing, and telling them "I will make sure your fun is bigger than my arms", then smiling.

I just watched your videos on Marisha and Travis. I have to point out that both of these people are playing with their spouses at the table. I do think that puts us on our best behavior, when we know that our behavior reflects on one of the others in the game because, you know, they married us.
I know a lot of D&D people don't like to play with their husband, or wife, but at least sometimes, it's nice to have that little bird on your shoulder.

I never get tired of watching Travis give himself an aneurysm from sheer excitement whenever Yasha rages.

Was Travis the inspiration for Gigachad? 😄💯

tbh watching how he plays Fjord in C2 helped me learn how to play a more level headed character. During the whole confrontation between Nott and the Might Nein, Fjord was quiet and listened to everything Nott had to say and thanked her for letting him know vulnerable and personal information about her while everyone else (except Jester bc she's a giant sweet heart) continued to be aggressive towards her. It instantly made me like Fjord a lot more and solidified him as team leader for me.

I love how Travis always hyped up Ashley whenever Yasha raged
A real leader (and man at that) lifts others up

Sam is a very good player, too! Maybe you can talk about him?

I'd love to see Travis play a bard

Travis is a literal gentle giant