Twice When Matthew Mercer got “How Do I Want to Do This?” Critical Role

When Matthew Mercer got “How Do You Want to Do This?” Or “How Do I Want to Do This?”
Campaign 2 Episode 87
Campaign 3 Episode 98

[@chorlesteajones6794]

It couldn't have happened at a better time for the second one. Sam returns after his medical hiatus and it's a live show.

[@uhejnjd]

I swear, Matt biggest fans are his friends.

[@Thinkingmakesitso.]

He always gets so embarrassed, but both times it seemed to work out well for the narrative and everyone gets so excited for him anyways. Matt deserves it 😂❣️👏
BTW that was so much fun to witness at the Greek! 😊

[@Kalah_]

In case someone doesn't understand: Matt always asks the player who gets the final strike on an enemy "How do you want to do this?", prompting them to describe the kill. Also, of course, Matt tries to let the players be the heroes of the story, so whenever one of his own NPCs participates in combat, they're not "supposed" to be the ones dominating the fight or even getting the final hit. But because Matt also follows the rules, it can happen. The players loved it these two times when it did. :)

[@liaml3739]

If I had a nickel…

[@Javid_74]

Weird that it happened twice...

[@danielstephens1185]

About as weird as Travis and Laura BOTH rolling a 4 during that teleport spell fiasco.

[@ChrisTian-ed8ol]

Or Travis rolling 3 natural 1 in a row.

[@oneofakandy1276]

2

[@subman23]

@@ChrisTian-ed8ol *"PERRY the consecutive identical rolls?!?!"*

[@xenosaga8436]

I'm surprised this has only happened twice in hundreds of episodes and almost a decade of playing D&D. They need to adopt more NPCs to force Matt to do this more often.

[@bluestar2059]

I think he usually tries to avoid things like this, because he wants the players to have the cool moments and not the NPCs. But sometimes it's unavoidable, and it happens anyway.

[@sarahvonhoene]

@@bluestar2059I wonder how often he get close to a HDYWTDT of his own and manages to avoid it?

[@Just_a-guy]

@@sarahvonhoene To be honest I usually dont use hard "boss have exactly X hp and will die only if this is reach" just play with window o HP and finishes them if that will make sense. Wizard stabbing with a knife for 2 dmg with opportunity attack doesnt sounds good just because it is "how much he had left" also Barbarian doing 80 dmg with 3 brutal crits and not killing enemy because he has 1 hp more is bad. So it isnt that hard to "avoid" IMO :D

[@bluestar2059]

@@Just_a-guy In that style of DMing (which I also use in my own games), no.
But it's entirely possible that Matt uses the actual numbers, so it may genuinely be a matter of skill that he avoids it as many times as he had.

[@Just_a-guy]

@@bluestar2059 could be but I doubt it because it is less entertaining. It is much better to kill enemy with 80dmg hit even if enemy "should have" 85hp left and similar thing goes other way around imagine big boss dying to some 10dmg from area of effects spell that enemy saved against :D

[@sarahvonhoene]

It is so wonderful, crazy, and sweet that this has happened only twice EVER, and yet Matt acts like it’s a “not again“ moment for himself. Especially since everyone else wants it when it happens 😂💙

[@subman23]

Not going to lie, I dig that Sam and Laura _both_ tried to get the audience to say it and the audience was like "nope, we don't get to say the line. Only one man's gonna say that line"

[@TheCart54321]

But we’ve never heard the audience say it, though I would’ve loved to hear it

[@subman23]

@@TheCart54321 exactly. And it should remain that way forever, sorry for not actually being sorry 🤣
The same way you'll never hear Superman say "I am vengeance, I am the night" or Wolverine say "with great power comes great responsibility". Just not their line

[@jothrax4673]

The HDYWTDT was inevitable in the last one given that Matt's NPCs were 3 of the 4 people actually fighting Dominox 😂 (i know that's an exaggeration but Bells Hells were on the fence the whole fight about killing the demon)

[@BYERE]

Huh... Well ain't that a coincidence. I'm currently listening through C2, and I just listened to that first episode (the defeat of Obann) the same day you uploaded this video XD

[@kat_lynn_b3315]

Can someone explain why he resists saying it?

[@Fez8745]

he wants the players to get the kills and explain how they do it, rather than them watching it happen more or less. some more reasons probably as well but yeah.

[@SignoftheMagi]

As a DM, it's his job to create the narrative for the players to use. The players are the heroes of his stories, not him. And Matt is a pretty humble guy. Saying it puts him in the spotlight, something he has never been comfortable doing.
In short, he's a good DM who wants to make his friends into heroes...but he doesn't think he is good enough himself. That is why they were so happy for him. This time, Matt gets to be the hero of a fight.

[@kat_lynn_b3315]

Thanks y’all!

[@clivevii2231]

in the newest 4-Sided Dive he said something really funny, equating it to masturbation because "he beat his own Monster - glad you bought tickets"

[@malchedil7821]

It feels kinda like cheating when you kill the BBEG that you yourself created.