Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry

Starter Kit - D&D Edition, Part 4: Healing & Diplomacy

Host: Jason Charles Miller / Podcast by geekandsundry
Date: September 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of Starter Kit - D&D Edition, Dungeon Master Jason Charles Miller leads the players (Thumper and Moon) through the fundamentals of healing, exhaustion, rests, and party planning in a D&D adventure. The episode is a practical guide woven into a live-play session, highlighting the mechanics of rest and recovery, party diplomacy, navigation, and player interaction with NPCs. The group recovers from a perilous battle, debates next moves, and navigates a dense dungeon, where they're joined by a new, possibly untrustworthy orc companion, Lalacra. The action culminates with a tense combat inside the legendary library, putting all their newfound healing and teamwork skills to the test.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Healing and Recovery After Battle

• Situation Recap: The party begins with Haldor (Thumper) unconscious after defeating goblins and a tough "gray tall dude."

• Mechanics Clarification:

  • Unconsciousness: "Being unconscious, you can't use [a healing potion]." (Jason Charles Miller, 01:47)
  • Assisting Allies: Other players can administer potions to an unconscious friend.
  • Spell Slots & Healing: Moon uses a spell slot for cure wounds, reviving Thumper and restoring hit points.
  • Second Wind Explained: Only usable in combat, representing a surge of adrenaline.

• Rest Types Explained:

  • Short Rest: 1 hour; roll hit dice to regain HP, wizards recover half spell slots, clerics do not recover magic.
  • Long Rest: 8 hours; full HP and full spell slot recovery.
  • Strategic Considerations:
    • Risks of resting in unsafe locations: "If you did it in the middle of a hallway, then probably some creature would kill you..." (03:12)
    • "Is that a risk that you take?" (Jason Charles Miller, 04:24)

2. Rest, Resource Management, and Planning

• Player Decision-Making:
  • Resting is a party decision, involving who stands watch and where to rest safely.
  • Moon volunteers to keep watch as the others rest.
• Humorous Note: The party debates the merits of returning to "the mushroom room" to rest.
  • "Of course. He wants to go back to mushrooms." (Moon, 05:05)
• Maximizing Recovery: Thumper and Moon coordinate rolling for healing and spell slot recovery.

3. Dungeon Exploration & Navigation

• Exploring New Rooms:
  • Party chooses routes at random for exploration.
  • Jokes about dungeon design: "They should invest in like an open layout. I feel like that's the new thing..." (Moon, 07:23)
• Atmosphere Building: Descriptions from the DM about the uniform, carved black rock dungeon.

4. Diplomacy & Meeting Lalacra

• Encounter: The party meets Lalacra, a formidable female orc with two goblin followers.

• Dramatic Turn:

  • Lalacra kills the goblins with her: "I'm sick of these people." [Stabs the goblins.] (Jason Charles Miller, 09:18)
  • She offers to join the party, revealing her dissatisfaction with the current dungeon leadership.

• Dialogue and Wit:

  • Thumper jokes: "Someday I'm gonna marry that girl. I think she's the perfect wife for my little charisma on her." (08:31)
  • Moon: "She does want to be our friend." (09:34)
  • Lalacra: "The people running this place are idiots and ridiculous. I'm sick of this place. You're clearly the alphas of this place. I do want to join with you." (09:55)

• Trust Issues (Player Meta): Players openly discuss whether trusting Lalacra is wise, foreshadowing potential betrayal.

  • "We never asked if we could really trust this person...Maybe she has a much better plan for trapping, killing, and eating people." (Thumper, 12:04)

5. The Library of Rogan & Zelliger

• Reaching the Library: With Lalacra's guidance, the party navigates to the sought-after library.

• DM's Room Description:

  • "The floor of the room is covered with dust, but beneath is a beautiful and shiny surface of polished red granite... blocks of white granite...form the letters R and Z with an ampersand in between." (Jason Charles Miller, 13:04)
  • Wall sconces with beetles emitting an eerie reddish glow.

• Player Banter:

  • Moon lights up Thumper's beer yet again: "I cast light on his beer again." (14:24)
  • Humorous reactions to the DM's atmospheric details.
  • Perception checks yield "a lot of cool books, things of that nature." (Jason Charles Miller, 14:45)

6. Diplomacy Turns to Action

• Lalacra’s Motive:

  • She seeks allies to take out the hobgoblin chieftain.
  • "If you will join with me to take out this hobgoblin chieftain, I'll share with you whatever riches we find." (Jason Charles Miller, 15:06)

• Sudden Danger:

  • The party is interrupted by pounding at the door – two more gray creatures (“hobgoblins”) bust in, along with goblins.
  • Announced dramatically: "Let's roll for initiative." (Jason Charles Miller, 18:59)

7. Combat in the Library – Mechanics and Teamwork

• Initiative and Turn Order: Players practice D&D initiative and action mechanics.

• Attack Choices and Combo Moves:

  • Players use ranged and magic attacks before moving to melee.
  • Magic Missile used for targeted attacks; sneak attack mechanics explained and executed adeptly by Moon.
  • Moon successfully uses a combination of dagger and sneak attack to kill a hobgoblin with flair.

• Notable Combat Highlights:

  • Moon’s sneak attack & banter:
    • "[Roll] You're going down, hobgoblin." (Moon, 26:54)
    • "[After the kill] You just got him. That was it." (Jason Charles Miller, 26:57)
  • Deborah’s cinematic move: "I would like to request that I do like a cool move where I roll over your back." (Moon, 27:40)
  • Lalacra initially hangs back, observing and not helping -- "She wants you guys to prove your worth." (Jason Charles Miller, 28:52)
  • Warding Flare used by Moon to protect against attack, forcing DM to roll with disadvantage: "So he's gonna roll an attack at a disadvantage. So I'm gonna take the lower number and...yeah, he totally missed." (Jason Charles Miller, 31:03)

• Healing in Combat:

  • Deborah tends to Thumper with a healing potion mid-fight: "I'm gonna just walk up and just, like, kind of mop off your brow, make you drink..." (Moon, 36:03)

• Battle Ends with Flair:

  • Moon lands the final blow:
    • "We believe in you." (Thumper, 37:44)
    • "20." [critical hit, fireball] (Moon, 37:46)
    • "It's literally like a small little nuclear explosion...He exploded into a million pieces." (Jason Charles Miller, 38:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Healing & Rest:

  • "You can only use second wind in combat." (Jason Charles Miller, 02:25)
  • "A short rest is an hour. A full rest is eight hours. You get all your hit points back. You get all your spells back. You get everything back." (Jason Charles Miller, 03:55)

• On Risky Resting:

  • "If you did it in the middle of a hallway, then probably some creature would kill you..." (Jason Charles Miller, 04:12)

• Introducing Lalacra:

  • "I'm ready to make a change." (Jason Charles Miller, 09:30 as Lalacra)
  • "The people running this place are idiots and ridiculous. I'm sick of this place. You're clearly the alphas of this place." (09:55)

• Player Trust Issues:

  • "Maybe she has a much better plan for trapping, killing, and eating people." (Thumper, 12:04)
  • "She wants you guys to prove your worth." (Jason Charles Miller, 28:52)

• Combat Banter:

  • "I would like to request that I do a cool move where we like I roll over your back." (Moon, 27:40)
  • "I'm never using the fireball ever again." (Moon, 30:10)
  • "You just got him. That was it...hobnobbing with the afterlife." (Jason Charles Miller, 26:57)

• Final Blow:

  • "We believe in you." (Thumper, 37:44)
  • "20." (Moon, 37:46)
  • "It's literally like a small little nuclear explosion. You just hit that goblin. He exploded into a million pieces..." (Jason Charles Miller, 38:01)

Important Timestamps

• [01:05] — Introduction to healing, exhaustion, and party planning
• [02:25] — Explanation of second wind (combat healing feature)
• [03:24] — Types of rest and their benefits
• [07:36] — Encountering two goblins and Lalacra, the orc emissary
• [09:18] — Lalacra turns on her goblin companions
• [13:04] — Arrival and detailed description of the library
• [15:06] — Lalacra proposes alliance against the hobgoblin chieftain
• [18:59] — Hostile forces break into the library, combat begins
• [26:54] — Sneak attack mechanic and a successful backstab
• [27:40] — Deborah’s cinematic roll-and-strike
• [31:03] — Use of Warding Flare (combat reaction mechanic)
• [36:03] — In-combat healing with a potion
• [38:01] — Final “nuclear” fireball and end of combat

Conclusion

This episode is a treasure trove for both new and veteran players, blending D&D rules explanations with vibrant roleplay and humor. The party learns the essential mechanics of healing and resting, debates trust and diplomacy with a new orcish ally, and navigates both the dangers and absurdities of dungeon life. Combat showcases a dynamic mix of magic, tactics, and teamwork, punctuated by memorable banter and a fiery climax. As always, Jason Charles Miller’s guidance as DM keeps the momentum, teaching moments, and laughs rolling in equal measure.

For Listeners New and Old

If you missed the episode, this summary captures its spirit, character dynamics, teaching moments, and key in-game action. Whether you’re learning the ropes or just here for the drama and jokes, "Healing & Diplomacy" lives up to its name with both insightful game mechanics and classic party shenanigans.