Glossary

The following is a glossary of terms used throughout the wiki, many of which are related to the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons or to the lore of Exandria.

A
ability check: A way to determine how well a character achieves a certain task or uses a certain skill. Ability checks are made by rolling a 20-sided die (d20) and adding any s that character may have to the relevant skill. Armor Class: The measure of how hard a creature is to hit in combat. Higher numbers indicate they are more difficult to hit. A higher AC can be the result of better armor; a higher score; or magical effects. arcane magic: Mechanically, this refers to the magic practiced by classes other than s, s, s, and s. For more, see and. artificer: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons with some spellcasting abilities, specializing in infusing magic into objects or potions. is their spellcasting ability score. Taryon Darrington is a notable artificer in Exandria.

B
barbarian: A martial, player class in Dungeons & Dragons that has an ability to enter a state (known as rage) in which they are able to do more damage and are themselves more resistant to physical damage. Notable barbarians in Exandria include Grog Strongjaw, Yasha Nydoorin, and Ashton Greymoore. bard: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magic through creation and artistic expression, characterized by their ability to inspire their allies. is their spellcasting ability score. Notable bards in Exandria include Scanlan Shorthalt and Dorian Storm. Battle Royale: A special type of where all battle each other to the death until one is left standing. Usually this is a encounter. For an example, see. bidet: A greeting sometimes used by fans of Critical Role. Comes from Grog Strongjaw mistaking the words "good day" for "bidet" in. blood hunter: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that has mastered the art of hemocraft and has altered their own physicality in order to better fight monsters. Factions in Exandria related to blood hunters include the Claret Orders, the Tombtakers, and the Gorgynei. Notable blood hunters include Mollymauk Tealeaf and Chetney Pock O'Pea. This class was created by Matthew Mercer.

C
campaign: In s, when a party of s play an extended storyline that continues over multiple play sessions, such as Campaign 1: Vox Machina. In contrast to s. Charisma: Charisma is one of the six ability scores used in Dungeons & Dragons and refers to one's ability to interact with and influence other people. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills are based on Charisma, and s, s, s, and s use Charisma as their casting stat. check: See. class: A class, in Dungeons & Dragons, refers to a character's broad skill set. It defines whether or not they rely on magic, weapons, or a mix of the two, what abilities and features they may have, and what they may have done to gain these abilities. cleric: Clerics are spellcasters whose magic comes from a divine source. They derive their powers through their devotion to a deity, god-like entity, pantheon, or concept. They are notable for having access to nearly all healing and resurrection spells, and for the ability to turn or destroy undead creatures. Their spellcasting stat is. concentration: Some spells or abilities require that the person performing them concentrate to maintain them. A creature can, unless explicitly stated elsewhere, only concentrate on one spell at a time. Additionally, if that creature takes damage, they must make a with a  10 or half the damage taken in that hit, whichever number is higher. If they fail, they lose concentration. Constitution: Constitution is one of the six ability scores used in Dungeons & Dragons and refers to one's hardiness, health, and stamina. While no skills are based on Constitution, Constitution measures how well a character can withstand difficult physical tasks such as going without sleep, resisting the effects of poison, or enduring extreme heat or cold. are determined by Constitution, and rely especially on this stat. Critter: A term for a fan of Critical Role.

D
darkvision: The ability to see in complete darkness. Typically, a creature with darkvision cannot perceive colors in darkness, only shades of gray. Most s in Dungeons & Dragons that have darkvision have a range of 60 feet, though drow have a range of 120 feet. Some or features or magic items can also grant a character darkvision. DC: Difficulty Class, the numerical measure in Dungeons & Dragons of the difficulty of a particular task, such as resisting a spell's effects or performing a physical feat. An or is made against this number to determine success or failure. A DC is variable and may be determined in numerous ways, ranging from adding various s based on the game's rules to the deciding what it is based on roleplay and situational factors. death saving throw: A death saving throw is a type of made when a character's are reduced to zero. The of a death save is 10. A player will make death saves for their character until that character is no longer at 0 HP (and is conscious); is stabilized at 0 HP; or dies. If a player gets three successful saves prior to getting three failures, the character stabilizes. If a player gets three failed saves prior to getting three successes, the character dies. If the player rolls a natural 1, it counts as two failures. If the player rolls a natural 20, the character gains 1 HP and is conscious. Dexterity: Dexterity is one of the six ability scores used in Dungeons & Dragons and refers to grace, agility, and reflexes. The Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth skills are derived from a character's Dexterity score. is also sometimes determined by Dexterity score, as it represents an ability to dodge hits. Ranged attacks typically rely on Dexterity, and most martial classes, but especially s and s use this stat for their attacks. divine magic: In theory, magic that comes from a deity, one's own faith, or a connection with nature. Mechanically, this refers to the magic practiced by s, s, s, and. For more, see. See also. druid: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magic through a connection with nature and characterized by their ability to turn into beasts, called Wild Shape. is their spellcasting ability score. Factions in Exandria related to druids include the Ashari, and notable druids include Keyleth, Reani, and Fearne Calloway. Dungeon Master: The of a Dungeons & Dragons game. Dungeon Masters include Matthew Mercer (Critical Role), Aabria Iyengar (Exandria Unlimited, Exandria Unlimited: Kymal), and Brennan Lee Mulligan (Exandria Unlimited: Calamity). Though Dungeons & Dragons has a specific name for its Game Masters, sometimes the Dungeon Master is referred to as a Game Master.

E
expertise: Expertise in a skill or with a tool allows a character to double their proficiency bonus for checks using that skill or tool. s and s gain expertise through a class feature, also called Expertise. It can also be gained through a.

F
familiar: Animal or creature companions who are magically bonded with a spellcaster such as a or. They are usually. Examples of familiars include Frumpkin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. feat: Feats, in Dungeons & Dragons, serve to extend and customize a character's abilities outside the limits of,, and background. Feats can be taken instead of Ability Score Increases at character levels that provide the opportunity to do so. fighter: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons specializing in physical combat and weaponry. Fighters are highly trained individuals and typically rely most on or. Notable fighters in Critical Role include Percival de Rolo, Keg, and Orym.

G
Game Master: The player responsible for running the game, including devising encounters, managing the world, and structuring the story. A Game Master may have a more specific name, such as the of a Dungeons & Dragons game. going Minxie: A phrase used by Keyleth to indicate that she would be using her Wildshape ability to transform into a large wildcat.

H
Hit Points: Hit points, or HP, refer to how much damage your character can take before falling unconscious. A 's HP is determined by their and score. homebrew: Any rules within a game of D&D made up by individuals that are not in official rulebooks. How do you want to do this?: "How do you want to do this" is the way Matthew Mercer tells players in his games that they have defeated a significant enemy creature in combat. It permits the player to describe their victory. Hello, bees!: This phrase derives from when the Mighty Nein visited a meadery on Bisaft Isle during Campaign 2, and Jester greeted the bees. It has since been used on Critical Role merchandise and often serves as the greeting in their newsletter.

I
Initiative: Initiative represents the order in which s, s, and environmental actions occur during combat in Dungeons & Dragons. PCs have an initiative bonus, based in part on their score. A will often signal that combat is about to begin by telling players to "roll initiative" Intelligence: Intelligence is one of the six ability scores used in Dungeons & Dragons and refers to reasoning ability and the recall of knowledge. The Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skills are derived from a character's Intelligence score. s and s use Intelligence as their primary casting stat. Is it Thursday yet?: A phrase originated by Dani Carr to reflect the impatience many s have while waiting for a new Critical Role episode, as the show airs on Thursday nights in the United States. First mentioned on air in and used as the show's signoff since.

J
Jaeger: Jaeger-ing is when a player or the DM temporarily acts as another person's when that player is absent. From the movie Pacific Rim, where Jaegers (from the German word for hunter) are robots controlled by humans—sometimes two at a time, as with Liam and Laura for Pike in, where they originated the term. Jenga: A code word that Vox Machina uses to indicate danger and/or to attack, coined by Grog in. Since Jenga is a brand name for a toy, in The Legend of Vox Machina it was adapted as "Chenga."

K
Keyfish: Refers to a notorious incident in which Keyleth dove off a thousand-foot-high cliff in and Wildshaped into a goldfish near the bottom of her descent only to crash onto a rock and take sufficient falling damage to result in her death, despite having the ability to Wildshape into a flying creature. Critical Role has memorialized this in merchandise.

L
long rest: Considered equivalent to a night's sleep. Most s require 8 hours to complete a long rest, though they may spend a few hours of that keeping watch or performing other restful activities other than sleeping. Spell slots,, and many or features are restored after the completion of a long rest.

M
mage: A magic user who focuses not just on spellcasting but on the study of magic itself. Mages are far more likely to be practitioners than users, though it is not a requirement. makin' my way: The cast of Critical Role often sings a quick snippet of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" when someone says "make [your] way" or "make my way". Began sometime in late Campaign 2, possibly started by Travis. melee: Refers to attacks made in the range of reach (vs. attacks made at range with a bow and arrow or a thrown weapon). s, s, and s typically are considered melee martial classes. metagaming: When the player inappropriately uses real-world knowledge to determine their character's course of action, that their character couldn't know. When players want to give advice to each other and their character isn't there, a running gag started in Campaign 2 where they coo as a metagaming pigeon who happens to be flying by. modifier: A number that is added to a d20 die roll as part of an, attack roll, or. Modifiers are determined by a number of things including the ability score,, and bonuses from items or spells. When referring to ability score modifers specifically, the modifier is equal to the score minus ten, divided by two, rounded down. monk: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons specializing in unarmed combat and martial arts. Monks can channel a force called ki which powers their attacks. They rely on and. Factions in Exandria related to monks include the Cobalt Soul, and notable monks include Beauregard Lionett, Groon, and Dairon. multiclass: A player character who has taken levels in more than one. Typically this requires certain ability prerequisites, and reflects a combination of different skills that character has developed. The classes of a multiclass character are often delimited with slashes. Many PCs in Critical Role have been multiclasses, including Vax (//); Vex (/rogue); Grog (/); Fjord (/paladin); Veth (rogue/); Laudna (/warlock); Chetney (/rogue); and Fearne (druid/rogue).

N
non-player character: A character played by the or. Contrasted with a. Examples of non-player characters include Shaun Gilmore, Allura Vysoren, Marion Lavorre, Essek Thelyss, Ariks Eshteross, and Jiana Hexum.

A non-player character may have mechanical abilities derived from a, have mechanical abilities derived from a in the way that a player character does, or have no mechanical abilities at all. Additionally, non-player characters who are classed do not necessarily follow class rules in the way that a player character must; Essek, a who has abilities from two es (Graviturgy Magic and Chronurgy Magic), is an example of this.

O
one-shot: When players convene for a single, self-contained session where the story is resolved, such as. The s may be unique to that sessions, as in, or from s, as in. One-shots can sometimes extend over 2-3 play sessions, but any longer than that is often considered a, or in the case of Critical Role Productions, a miniseries.

P
paladin: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magic from an oath to a deity or principle. Paladins are a hybrid class, with both combat capabilities and some spellcasting, and are characterized by the ability to do holy damage on attacks. They use as their spellcasting stat. Notable paladins include Vax'ildan, Kerrek, and Fjord. PD: Year notation indicating that a year is Post-Divergence, that is: after the Divergence. Most media set in Exandria takes place in a year PD. For example, Campaign 2 begins in 835 PD. player character: A character played by a player who is not the or. Contrasted with a. In Dungeons & Dragons, all player characters have abilities derived from their and gain levels as they progress through the game. proficiency: Refers to whether a character has some skill in a particular area or mastery with an item, which gives them bonus to checks, weapon attacks, saving throws, etc. s have a proficiency bonus that increases by one as they gain levels and add this bonus to skills or weapons with which they are proficient. s and s have a class feature called, which allows them to double their proficiency bonus in chosen skills; expertise can also be gained through certain s. PvP: Combat where the s fight each other instead of s.

R
ranger: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons with nature and tracking skills and some magic that derives from their connection with the wilderness. They are a hybrid class with both combat skills (often, but not always, ranged) and magic. They use as their spellcasting stat. Notable rangers in Exandria include Vex'ahlia. rogue: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that specializes in stealth and the acquisition of various skills, particularly those suited for covert missions. Rogues are characterized by their ability to sneak attack, in which they do large amounts of damage to foes under certain conditions. Factions in Exandria related to rogues include the Clasp, and notable rogues include Vax'ildan, Vex'ahlia, Veth Brenatto, Chetney Pock O'Pea, and Fearne Calloway.

S
saving throw: A d20 die roll made to resist an effect, usually a negative one such as a damaging spell, a poison, or an attack. Saving throw s are determined by character, the relevant ability score (eg: against fear effects; against most poisons), and any items or spells affecting the character. To pass a saving throw one must meet or exceed the. session zero: A game session run before the campaign properly starts, often used to discuss the nature of the campaign, build characters, and set expectations within the group. sorcerer: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magical powers from an inherent source within them, often a bloodline or exposure to magical forces that permanently imbued them with powers. Sorcerers are characterized by their access to metamagic, an ability that lets them vary the nature of their spells beyond the standard in some way. is their spellcasting score. Notable sorcerers in Exandria include Shaun Gilmore, Imogen Temult, and Laudna. statblock: In Dungeons & Dragons, a statblock refers to a list of a creature's ability scores, combat moves, speed, and other relevant information. It typically is used by a. Strength: One of the six ability scores in Dungeons & Dragons; refers to athletic ability and physical power. The Athletics skill is derived from a character's Strength score. Many attacks use Strength, and it also is used to determine how high or far a character can jump. s, s, and many s and s are Strength-based. subclass: A particular specialization within a character's. Classes specialize between levels 1 and 3. The name for the subclasses within each class differs; eg, s have different "domains".

T
TPK: TPK is when an entire adventuring party of s is killed in action. It is more likely to occur at lower levels, when the characters are, have fewer healing spells, and often, less player experience. TTRPG: Tabletop role-playing game, a form of role-playing game in which players verbally describe the actions their character takes to interact with the world through improv acting and a formal set of rules is used to determined the character's success or failure. Many systems have the session led by a, but these are not universal features of TTRPG games. Dungeons & Dragons is an example of a TTRPG. Truesight: Truesight is the ability to see in normal and magical darkness, detect invisible creatures and objects, and see through visual illusions and shapeshifted or transformed personas, and also into the Ethereal Plane. Some creatures with Truesight include certain dragons, sphinxes, and pit fiends.

W
warlock: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magic through a pact with an otherworldly powerful entity. They are characterized by Pact Magic, which works somewhat differently than standard spellcasting, and their pact boon. is their spellcasting score. Notable warlocks in Exandria include Zahra Hydris, Fjord, and Laudna. wizard: A player class in Dungeons & Dragons that gains magic through study of the arcane. is their spellcasting score. Factions in Exandria related to wizards are the Arcana Pansophical and the Cerberus Assembly, and notable wizards include Allura Vysoren, Caleb Widogast, and Essek Thelyss. Wisdom: One of six ability scores in Dungeons & Dragons.