Critical Role Campaign 2 Episode 2: A Show of Scrutiny – Recap

Episode 2 is more cerebral than the first. We now have a faint idea of who the characters are and how they generally like to act. They even have some goals and can begin to move around Matt’s world making somewhat-informed choices. The party becomes a band of detectives, as they investigate possible causes of the carnival mishaps. They lie, deceive, trick, and sneak their way through Trostenwald and successfully discover that the devil toad is the culprit. They also free Mollymauk in short order, thankfully. For the most part, Matt lets the players do what they want and gives only subtle direction until the end, when the truth is revealed and more zombies head toward our heroes trapped in the tent. Overall, it’s a less exciting episode without a single combat encounter, but it’s still interesting. It’s the kind of session I’d be afraid to run with new players, as they might not know how to make their own fun yet. But for Matt’s seasoned veterans, it’s a worthy challenge and showcases a lot more fantastic role-playing from everyone at the table. I’m excited to see how the party fairs against more zombies and anxious for the inevitable showdown with the fiend. See you next week!