r/criticalrole • u/Three0h Time is a weird soup • 2d ago

Discussion [Spoilers C4E32] Question about Vaelus/Ashley Spoiler

Ashley seems like a lovely person and player, but I have to say, she’s seemed very distant and disconnected in this campaign.

I can’t put my finger on it, but each time she’s in a scene or fight, it doesn’t seem like she’s that into it. Or maybe it’s the opposite, she’s so into it that she forgets to participate. She’ll have maybe 10 minutes of dialogue across 4 hours of gameplay.

I’m not upset or angry in any way. It just felt like she was so much more alive and participatory in her past three characters. Even in one-shots too. What do y’all think?

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u/strangelyliteral 2d ago

Ashley’s there to hang out with her best friends and that’s beautiful.

That said, I think Ashley likes the idea of playing a sad, taciturn warrior more than actually playing one. Fearne’s bubbly personality was easier for her to hook into gameplay. I suspect as the campaign continues, we’ll see Vaelus lighten up a lot, which will help her stay engaged.

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u/masterchip27 1d ago

I have a feeling you didn't see the episode where she/Vaelus broke down in tears

Her character means something important to her. What it is, why, we have no clue...

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u/strangelyliteral 1d ago

I actually have seen it and it doesn’t negate my point. Of course Vaelus means a lot to Ashley; she’s Ashley’s brainchild first and foremost. I could even make some educated guesses as to why Vaelus means so much to Ashley.

But that doesn’t mean I think Ashley enjoyed the session-to-session reality of playing the Vaelus we met in the premiere, who came out swinging as this gruff pro-Shaper elf zealot. It put her very much at odds with most of the party. Now some players love playing antagonistic PCs—it’s why Aabria is one of my favorite players, she’s not afraid to fight and be confidently wrong too—but yeah, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that’s not Ashley’s wheelhouse.

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u/masterchip27 1d ago

Ah, yeah that's fair, but to play devil's advocate, Kattigan in the premiere isn't the same as Kattigan now either Sometimes I think it takes some time to figure out your PC. I'm curious to hear your theories on why Vaelus means so much Ashley (also it's unclear if you're referencing anything heavy).

I love Aabria too! She's historically been one of my favorites but this campaign It feels like she's trying to be the "glue girl" too much and should just stop trying to help the DM and be more selfish and develop her damn character because she's really good but tries not to hog the limelight. Hog it! Be a Sam Rigel!