3 Years Ago, Matthew Mercer Faced His Ultimate Critical Role Test

Over the decade that the Critical Role cast has played Dungeons & Dragons together before an audience of fans known as Critters, we've witnessed truly extraordinary moments of love, heartbreak, and devastation: Vax’s (Liam O’Brien) sacrifice in Campaign 1, the death of a beloved party member in Campaign 2, and the eye-opening lore reveals in Campaign 3, to name just a few.

Yet for every one of these epic moments, Critical Role’s cast has produced just as many that tested the patience and sanity of their acclaimed Dungeon Master, Matthew Mercer. Instances like Vex'ahlia (Laura Bailey) accidentally shooting Scanlan (Sam Riegel) in the neck while practicing archery from her flying broom, or Jester’s (Bailey) truly unhinged Sending messages spring to mind.

However, Mercer has revealed one episode that stood out as particularly memorable because of the absurdity of the cast’s plan, and because he, as their Dungeon Master and narrator leading them through this adventure, had no choice but to deal with it.

Critical Role takes a dirty turn in Campaign 3's funniest episode

Image: Critical Role

Campaign 3 is one of the more serious campaigns in Critical Role history, with the party Bells Hells grappling with the mystery of Ruidus, and the god-eater, Predathos. In Episode 44, “Bawdy Basement Belligerence,” the party has just returned from a meeting with members of the Grim Verity, a secret academic group in the city of Yios. However, Bells Hells hear footsteps above them from their basement location, leading them to believe the villainous Ruby Vanguard has followed them.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Bells Hells has only two options: fight or flee. However, the party chooses a secret third option that nobody saw coming: strip and pretend these Ruby Vanguard members — and their pet air elemental — have interrupted Bells Hells while they film a pornographic movie. If that sounds ludicrous, it is. It is also one of the funniest, unhinged moments of Campaign 3. The moment is made even funnier as you watch the light in Mercer’s eyes slowly fade as he realizes his players are committing to this bananas plan.

“What was the sound, boys?” Imogen (Bailey), the Bells Hells' Ruidusborne sorcerer, calls out to the delight of the rest of the cast, “We're just getting started.”

“Aw yeah, we’re fully committed to fucking,” Riegel responds.

Image: Critical Role

What follows is the player characters trying to convince an entity made of wind that they’re a porn company. FCG (Riegel) brings the lights to the production as an automaton, while Chetney (Travis Willingham) transforms into his werewolf form and pretends he’s there to “fix” the Bells Hells pool. It is absurd in the best way, made even funnier by the cast’s glee at their high rolls and Mercer’s facial expressions.

However, don’t misread Mercer’s pained expression throughout the episode. As conveyed in the Dungeon Master’s Founders Favorite interview, he’s exactly where he wants to be.

“That sort of escalation is a beautiful example of D&D, in my opinion,” Mercer says, and he is absolutely right. While none of us here at Polygon have the same experience Mercer does as a Dungeon Master, those who have can relate to the joy of watching your players take the world and scenarios you’ve created for them and mold them into something completely unexpected.

Image: Critical Role

For one thing, it’s a great example of how player agency can challenge your perspective. Mercer clearly did not expect his players to try to get out of the sticky situation they were in by making it stickier, but he still had to move the scenario forward while respecting his players' dice rolls. Granted, that ended up working out in his favor, as the half-elf and human accompanying the air elemental quickly sussed out that Bells Hells were lying, but it’s still a moment of (hilarious) collaboration that provides levity… while also establishing that pornography is definitely a thing in Marquet. Lovely bit of worldbuilding, that.

It’s no surprise that “Bawdy Basement Belligerence” became one of Mercer’s favorite moments in Critical Role history. The episode perfectly highlights the beauty of improvisation in Dungeons & Dragons. Would this plan even be considered — let alone acted out — in a TV series or movie? Perhaps, but it would be impossible to capture the magic of every actor, including the Dungeon Master, whose closest equivalent would be a director, being unable to predict what’s next, and acting on the fly to keep the narrative going.

Fortunately, this wasn't the last time Bells Hells did something completely out of pocket. There are plenty of other hysterical moments in Critical Role history, but the basement pornographic film shoot will forever stand out as one of its best in both our and Matthew Mercer’s eyes.

Critical Role Campaign 3: Bells Hells is available to stream on Beacon and YouTube.