The Open Road

is the fifth episode of the second campaign of Critical Role.

Pre-Show
Some of the cast is mentally lagging a little: a lot of recording sessions happened earlier.

Announcements

 * Thank you to our returning sponsor and partner for the foreseeable future: D&D Beyond. Matt just learned today that you can add players to your campaign, and now he has access to his player's character sheets at all times.
 * "Mordenkainan's Tome of Foes" is now available for pre-order on www.dndbeyond.com, and the code "beginnings" can be used to get $10 off the new book. Sam holds a competition between Liam, Marisha, and Travis to name a character generated on D&D Beyond.  The winner will personally get a copy of the book from Sam himself.  The contest ends with Liam = 2, Marisha = 0, and Travis = 2...so Marisha wins and gets the book!


 * Talks Machina is next Tuesday at 7:00 pm PST, to discuss tonight's episode.
 * The premiere of Weave Society happened yesterday. It is an interactive storytelling RPG played by the ladies of Geek & Sundry.  More episodes will air at 9:30 pm PST, after The Wednesday Club.
 * Episode 4 ("Disparate Pieces") is now available in podcast form for the Critical Role Podcast.
 * The latest issue of the Critical Role comic ("Vox Machina: Origins #4") is now available for digital download wherever digital comics are sold (Comixology, Dark Horse, etc.). Minxie is in it, killing things.
 * Check out the fantastic charity 826LA if you haven't already. The group does fantastic after-school programs for kids to get into creative writing.  If you can't give to help out this charity, you can donate your time as well to help teach some of these kids and help them expand their imaginations.  Critical Role continues to support them moving forward.
 * If you want to know what conventions the cast will be at in the near-future, watch last week's episode. It gets monotonous for them to announce it every episode.
 * "The Blade of Galadriel" expansion pack for "Middle-earth: Shadow of War" came out last Tuesday, and you can play as Laura. Not Eltariel, but literally Laura Bailey herself running around Mordor, throwing donuts.  She also has a Ring of Power.  Go get it and check it out.

Player Characters

 * Beauregard
 * Fjord
 * Frumpkin
 * Jester
 * Nott
 * Mollymauk Tealeaf
 * Caleb Widogast
 * Yasha (absent)