Critical Role To Wrap Up Third Campaign, New Exandria Unlimited Miniseries Announced

Critical Role's third campaign will end next week with an extra-sized final episode. Today, the popular streaming series announced that its third campaign would wrap up on February 6th with an 8.5 hour episode. The series finale is being called the "conclusion to this chapter in Exandrian history, and the dawn of a new age." The third campaign followed a group of adventurers who got wrapped up in a plot to rid the fantasy world of Exandria of its gods via a god-eating entity trapped in one of Exandria's moons. Characters from Critical Role's previous campaigns made significant appearances in the campaign, with the cast playing their old characters for limited periods.

Following the finale, Brennan Lee Mulligan will lead another 4-part Exandria Unlimited episode, titled Exandria Unlimited: Divergence. The series will explore the Divergence, a moment when the gods of Exandria removed themselves from the world after a devastating war between pantheons. The cast will also include Matt Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Jasmine Don, Alex Ward, and Celia Rose Gooding. That series will air for four weeks starting on February 13th at 7 PM on Critical Role's various streaming channels.

No plans were announced for a fourth Critical Role campaign. Campaign 3 ended Critical Role's tradition of weekly live episodes, with the show shifting to pre-recorded episodes that aired three times a month. Speculation has grown that Critical Role's cast (which has remained the same for 10 years) would shift, or that the game would abandon Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition in favor of Daggerheart, a fantasy RPG developed by Critical Role's Darrington Press imprint.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I bailed on C3 right around the time they got their butts kicked by Otohan Thull the first time around. I was just not vibing with the characters this time around, and the story (and their decision making) were just really meandering. I was shocked to find out that they were still on the red moon a few weeks ago. It just seemed like interminably long campaign.

Agreed. I tried to watch C3, but I didn't care for any of the new PCs and couldn't get into it.

 

[Seramus]

or that this ending has been pre-ordained

I will admit the ending has seemed almost pre-ordained for years now. I'm sure Matt would allow things to end a different way, he's always been willing, but the players just haven't made any big plot changing decisions... so everything is sliding towards the place you knew it was going.

 

[Von Ether]

I've never been able to focus on their episodes for more than half an hour, but love the shorts they do Youtube (and I am sure they are also on TickTock/Redwhatever). OTH, I greatly appreciate for what they have done for the hobby.

And of course anytime creative people can not only survive but be successful doing a creative thing it's time to celebrate! Especially in an economy that seems to make that an uphill battle by default.

 

[Seramus]

That seems so crazy to me. I was watching last night and listening to Matt Mercer catch himself saying “Genasi” and suddenly correcting himself to “Djinn” kind of underscores the conflict. They’re clearly at odds with the IP.

This is just Matt keeping himself legally distinct. He was on good terms with many folk at WotC for a while now, but it saves everyone some hassle if he uses generic terms. He doesn't have to ask permission, and WotC isn't obliged to write a contract or defend their IP from a friend (a legal obligation).

 

[Micah Sweet]

I've never been able to focus on their episodes for more than half an hour, but love the shorts they do Youtube (and I am sure TickTock/Redwhatever). OTH, I greatly appreciate for what they have done for the hobby.

And of course anytime creative people can not only survive but be successful doing a creative thing it's time to celebrate! Especially in an economy that seems to make that an uphill battle by default.

I'm quite happy with their success. That doesn't mean I need to enjoy engaging in their specific content.

 

[TiQuinn]

This is just Matt keeping himself legally distinct. He was on good terms with many folk at WotC for a while now, but it saves everyone some hassle if he uses generic terms. He doesn't have to ask permission, and WotC isn't obliged to write a contract or defend their IP from a friend (a legal obligation).

I get it but it feels like a full separation is inevitable.

 

[Reynard]

I've never been able to focus on their episodes for more than half an hour, but love the shorts they do Youtube (and I am sure TickTock/Redwhatever). OTH, I greatly appreciate for what they have done for the hobby.

The most fun I have had with Critical role is going and finding the original play videos for an episode or scene I really loved in the Vox Machina cartoon.

That and the kaiju fight.

 

[Von Ether]

This is just Matt keeping himself legally distinct. He was on good terms with many folk at WotC for a while now, but it saves everyone some hassle if he uses generic terms. He doesn't have to ask permission, and WotC isn't obliged to write a contract or defend their IP from a friend (a legal obligation).

And to be honest with WotC's traditional Xmas layoffs, you can't guarantee your friends will always be there so it's a bit of futureproofing as well.

Slight tangent, I know a lot of sales and marketing people who consider their client not the company but the company representative they work with. The odds are when someone moves into a new position, they will bring on the vendors they already work with.

 

[Reynard]

In another timeline, I wonder of a litigious WotC came down on streamers for "copyright violation." Are APs "derivative works" if brought to court, I wonder.

 

[Seramus]

In another timeline, I wonder of a litigious WotC came down on streamers for "copyright violation." Are APs "derivative works" if brought to court, I wonder.

Games Workshop, I'm looking at you!