Talks Machina 86: Welcome to the Jungle

is the eighty-sixth episode of Talks Machina. Taliesin Jaffe and Sam Riegel discuss with host Brian Wayne Foster.

Synopsis

 * @WolfeDragon: All: How was spending time with Momlan? Did she reveal any other Sam secrets like the comic books?
 * @Cuwikhons: Taliesin: Clay seems more upset about undead than most clerics. Is that just because he's a grave cleric and he considers them to be against the natural order of things or does he have a personal history with them?
 * @TheMeggyPants: Sam: Nott seems to be turning to alcohol more again in these past few episodes. Aside from the water, what about this new environment scares her the most?
 * David Faux: Taliesin: Caduceus has been brutalized a bit lately. You've done a really great job rp'ing a resilient and chill character that seems to stay pretty unfazed, but is there a breaking point?
 * @MegMHanna: Sam: Is being the "mom friend" something inherent in Nott's personality or is it a role she's taking on out of necessity?
 * @drawsshits: for both: Now that you've seen Travis struggle with his sailor background, is there any special research or study that you're doing for your own character background stories or you have done?

Gif of the Week

 * 2sloths' DM Shenanigans gif


 * @MissSunFlower94: Taliesin: Caduceus has been increasingly disillusioned with the Mighty Nein- what about them frustrates him most? And what about them keeps him with them?
 * McFly9419: Sam: Nott left her goblin tribe due to moral objections. Does she have similar objections to some of the Mighty Nein's actions lately?
 * @AtomicRoboTesla: To Sam and Taliesin: Is it weird to be moral compasses of the party this campaign?
 * @SirenStormSong: Taliesin: Caduceus's Island By Night vampire powers sounded pretty painful for him to cast, and he appeared "even more gaunt" - Is this type of magic hard on him?
 * EnderTech74: Sam: How does Nott feel about Caduceus calling [her] out and saying he doesn't trust Nott to keep a secret?
 * @Forrestdear: For the tallest and the smallest: Have your opinions of Fjord changed since finding out more about his patron, his parlay with Avantica, and the expedition to the island?

Fan Art of the Week

 * @ambikyu's "leomund's tiny hut".


 * @FereldanPride: Taliesin: Caduceus is usually calm and collected, but we've seen him panic a couple times during recent fights. Is this because he's not use to such a hostile encounters now that he's with the M9 or has he been sheltered so long he has a fear of getting hurt?
 * Leaper182: Sam: we know that Nott thinks of Caleb as her son. Does anyone else in M9 look like a likely candidate for getting adopted by Nott?
 * @MarvelousMissC: Taliesin: Has Caduceus ever had to treat illness to the scale of what Beau has? If not, is he apprehensive about having to go about curing her, seeing as his magic did not work?
 * BondisaTimeLord: Sam: Scanlan stole a gun last campaign, largely to mess with Percy. Nott has stolen a gun, and now has a keg of gunpowder. Does Nott want the gun because it's shiny OR because Sam wants to keep messing with Taliesin?
 * @CarnotLesbian: For Both: When your characters have scenes together, how do you visualize that height difference working?
 * @DonaldCheeto: Both: Does Nott lie impulsively (regarding loot) because of her goblin upbringing? And does Caduceus tell the truth impulsively because he is honest or does he forget to lie?
 * DarkWolfSeven7: Taliesin: In the past several combats, Caduceus has been taking a substantial amount of damage. Has this influenced your choices for what spells to prepare and/or possible future feats for Caduceus?
 * Filigreesails: Sam: The three characters you've played across these two seasons of Critical Role have been very different, but they all have one thing in common: a combination of relatively high intelligence and low wisdom. Is it just the potential for comedy and chaos that draws you to this combination, or is it something more?

Quotations

 * Brian: "'I learned a lot about how a body decomposes by life on the streets.'" (making fun of Taliesin).
 * Sam: "Is Overwatch the high noon game?"