Critical Role Announces Two New RPGs

Critical Role’s publishing arm, Darrington Press, has released a ‘State of the Press’ video announcing two new tabletop RPGs.

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Two new RPG systems we’ll be releasing: Illuminated Worlds, optimized for short story arcs and adaptable to myriad settings, and Daggerheart, a fresh take on fantasy RPGs with emphasis on longer campaigns and rich character options.

At Gen Con this year, you’ll be able to play AND purchase Queen by Midnight, and you’ll even be able to take our two upcoming RPGs for a spin. We hope to see you there!

 

[Parmandur]

Sure. One of the stages of acceptance is realizing that CR, as successful as it is ... is not Disney.

Yeah, it's not even D&D.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I’m probably one of people who would most likely move away from Critical Role if they were to fully drop D&D as their main system for their series. I’ve never been able to get into their one-shots that were not D&D, and I’ve never been able to get into other live play shows that were using other systems despite the praise from people recommending them. For me personally, it was the fact that these well beloved voice actors were playing and enjoying a game I also greatly enjoy that made the show so much fun, coupled with understanding the rules used and not being lost because I know the game so well.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be mad of this is the direction they take. They are fully within their right to move to their own system to continue to tell their stories together, and if they have more fun with their own system they should definitely use it. I also hope others enjoy their new system as well. It just won’t be for me is all, which saddens me but it’s what it is.

 

[OB1]

I agree! I think they are fans of CR first, and D&D ... and RPGs in general ... second.

Look- we have all sorts of people that are even bigger fans of the MCU, or Star Trek, or Lord of the Rings ... yet all of those properties that people love (and are infinitely more popular than CR) haven't become huge RPGs. The one exception, kinda sorta, is Star Wars. And even that is tiny.

So maybe this will be different. Eventually things change. But as a gambling man, I prefer to side with the house.

I'm with you in general, but the switch may not be to try and have Dagerheart become the most popular TTRPG in the world (or even the 2nd or 10th) but to use their brand to sell more product and to gain more creative ownership over their entertainment product.

And to be fair, Matt has stretched the mechanics of D&D to the limit to fit his vision for the story this season, and at this point it may be easier for him to move to a completely home-brewed system (which they then also sell to fans) than to keep working within the D&D framework. Even if Daggerheart fails as a product, it may still fit the needs of the show.

It's a big gamble even if that is the case, as it could open up the Liveplay space to the next talented group who is running a brand new AE5e to become the new hot thing. It's a huge decision either way and one I'm glad I don't have to make.

 

[jerryrice4949]

With publishers thinking WoTC is vulnerable between the OGL fiasco and the update version of D&D we are seeing a great splintering. However many of these new games won’t garner the financial success they are hoping for and some will come back to D&D. My prediction anyways.

 

[Rhineglade]

Gut instinct: Hard Pass. Love Critical Role and the folks involved with it but I've had enough of all the "knee-jerk" reactions everyone seems to be falling back on after the hiccup from WotC. To me, it's like seeing someone struggling out in the water and tossing them an anchor.

 

[gorice]

Sure. One of the stages of acceptance is realizing that CR, as successful as it is ... is not Disney.

I didn't mean to imply that. But, I think it's notable that licensed RPGs typically don't have any kind of support from or partnership with the licensor. Lucas or Paramount or whoever have been very happy to take money from RPG publishers and then wash their hands of the matter. Actually getting this stuff in front of a wider audience is another thing.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sweet. Now we get to see if CR will switch to their own RPGs for their live streams. Or just use their own stuff for one shots or shorter campaigns.

Daggerheart is a new system. “For now we can simply say that it uses a new system designed for long-term fantasy campaign play, with rich options as your characters progress.”

Yeah, that seems suggestive.

I hope WotC has a dump truck full of money they can drive to Los Angeles.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's an interesting choice.

Put in the most basic terms ... most companies, other than WoTC/Hasbro, don't get rich making RPG products. And even there, it was only the unprecedented success of 5e that really allowed that in terms of sales of the system itself.

Critical Role doesn't make the bulk of their money from their campaign settings. No- they are about entertainment. On the one hand, they have a lot of people that love the entertainment. On the other hand, it seems like quite a gamble to risk the entertainment empire they have built in order to sell an RPG system. Sure, they get more control, but it doesn't seem worth it.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this is a cunning strike. But if you've bet against D&D for the past 50 years, you would have lost a lot of money. And I don't think CR is going to be the one to change that.

Yeah, my guess is this is more along the lines of "like a lot of gamers, we've always wanted to dabble in game design. Our current success allows us to do that, so why not?"

 

[TwoSix]

Seems like a smart idea to me. They'll sell a lot of books, and I don't think switching systems will have a large amount of impact on their overall viewership. (I think just the overall passage of time will be the greater factor there; no king rules forever).

You don't have to challenge D&D to make a few million selling RPG books in the current market, you just have to have a novel and interesting hook. "Official game of Critical Role" works.

 

[darjr]

Gut instinct: Hard Pass. Love Critical Role and the folks involved with it but I've had enough of all the "knee-jerk" reactions everyone seems to be falling back on after the hiccup from WotC. To me, it's like seeing someone struggling out in the water and tossing them an anchor.

WotC isn't struggling. I assure you.