Critical Role Critical Role Launches Subscription Streaming and Member Service

Critical Role announced the launch of Beacon, a subscription service for fans of Critical Role. While all existing streaming content will be available as always on Twitch and YouTube, but the service will offer exclusives such as access to an exclusive Discord server, immediate podcast and VOD recordings of live shows, early access to Critical Role Abridged and The Re-Slayer’s Take, and exclusive new shows including Critical Role Fireside Chat and Critical Role Cooldown.

Critical Role Fireside Chat will be a monthly AMA interview show featuring a different cast member. Each episode will be live streamed taking questions from the members-only Discord lasting 30-60 minutes. The first episode on May 21 will feature Matt Mercer.

Critical Role Cooldown is a backstage pass to Critical Role each week with post-show reactions, pitching plans from the cast, and more. The first ten episodes are available now starting with Campaign 3, Episode 83, and new episodes will air every Thursday following the live stream.

Members will also have access to pre-sales for events starting with Critical Role Live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. Paid members (not free trial accounts) will have access to purchase tickets on May 20 at 10:00 AM Pacific, while general sales open the following day.

Sign-ups are open now for a free 7-day trial, which will be auto-renewed for $5.99 at the end of the trial and on each month thereafter.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Are there any good podcasts that are predominately women playing? I find that the story lines and play are markedly different between women and men. I find both quite engaging but different which is really nice.

I know there's more than one, but Broadswords is the only one I can recall by name. (It's a pretty great name.)

 

[EthanSental]

Are there any good podcasts that are predominately women playing? I find that the story lines and play are markedly different between women and men. I find both quite engaging but different which is really nice.

Not a podcast but Viva la dirt dnd on YouTube all female player series Misfits that just started and is in 30 minute segments.

 

[bedir than]

Are there any good podcasts that are predominately women playing? I find that the story lines and play are markedly different between women and men. I find both quite engaging but different which is really nice.

D20 Dames was a podcast with women and non-binary players who specifically targeted kid friendly play. It's sadly done.

Girls, Guts, Glory broke up and their players are all over the place now.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm with those who find the current season way too slow paced. It's still entertaining enough that it works as background entertainment while I paint miniatures, but if you asked me to identify particularly awesome moments that I remember, I would have trouble. In fact, if you asked me to explain the plot, it would be difficult.

For me, this became an issue with the last arc of season 2, and now it's like this story that just never seems to go anywhere. I much preferred how seasons 1 and most of 2 had distinct story arcs that I could engage with.

Also, it feels like they are kind of segueing towards a more "Daggerheart" style of play and...it's not selling me on Daggerheart.

 

[SkidAce]

I listen to downloaded podcasts of critical role, while cutting grass, running or driving.

Done this since the beginning and just now caught up. I dont believe I actually watched any episode.

My opinion; Season 1, fantastic, felt just like my standard dnd group, mistakes, jokes, questions etc. Voice actors PLAYING dnd...loved it.

Season 2 had some ups and downs (slow start IMO) but turned out great, grew to be a big fan of Caleb.

Season 3, its fine, and I enjoy it....but...

Instead of voice actors PLAYING dnd, it feels like STORIES/ACTING on a light framework of dnd.

I liked it best when it was 50/50 and felt like regular folks like I know playing.

 

[Clint_L]

Season 3, its fine, and I enjoy it....but...

Instead of voice actors PLAYING dnd, it feels like STORIES/ACTING on a light framework of dnd.

I liked it best when it was 50/50 and felt like regular folks like I know playing.

This. The current season feels to me like actors looking for dramatic scenes to play together. Season 1, in particular, felt like actors having fun with D&D and embracing the wackiness. Not that they couldn't hit the dramatic notes when they needed to, but mostly it felt like friends who happened to be super talented actors having fun and playing D&D. Now it feels like super talented actors looking for a showcase, and D&D is a distraction for them.

Daggerheart feels like it is catering to the latter style. Unfortunately. Although I like an RP heavy game, there still has to be a game sometime in there, IMO.

 

[Queer Venger]

Part of my resistance to anything CR is that nothing can be as good as people keep telling me that it is.

Whenever people are super loyal to a brand or have rabid fandom I get suspicious. Some sort of ingrained Gen X skepticism mixed with my own need to be contradictory to popular opinions to fuel my fragile ego.

I get this, Im in a similar boat; I think you can love something without needing to like the fandom. That said, none of the CR merch is of ANY interest to me except for some of the CR miniatures that I can repurpose for my table.

I agree with you Clint, looks like they may be setting up dagger heart as their next game system; at which point I have no interest in CR and which will be a bummer for me.