Critical Role's The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 Comes Out in June

Misanthrope Prime · 2026-03-03T16:31:19+0000

Legitimate question.

Crit Role changed the names of the gods because they're WotC IP- Sarenrae>Everlight, Whispered One>Vecna, etc.

Stranger Things... didn't have to pay WotC a fee to name their villain Vecna, and if anything, Vecna is now a big part of WotC's brand identity because of that.

As such, do you think they will want people to call Vecna... Vecna?

Reynard · 2026-03-03T16:35:30+0000

Misanthrope Prime said:
Legitimate question.

Crit Role changed the names of the gods because they're WotC IP- Sarenrae>Everlight, Whispered One>Vecna, etc.

Stranger Things... didn't have to pay WotC a fee to name their villain Vecna, and if anything, Vecna is now a big part of WotC's brand identity because of that.

As such, do you think they will want people to call Vecna... Vecna?

Stranger Things Vecna has nothing to do with actual Vecna, so it would actually probably be more confusing than anything to use the name in Vox Machina (even if the VM Vecana is much closer to D&D Vecna).

Afroconan · 2026-03-03T16:38:23+0000

Misanthrope Prime said:
Legitimate question.

Crit Role changed the names of the gods because they're WotC IP- Sarenrae>Everlight, Whispered One>Vecna, etc.

Stranger Things... didn't have to pay WotC a fee to name their villain Vecna, and if anything, Vecna is now a big part of WotC's brand identity because of that.

As such, do you think they will want people to call Vecna... Vecna?

I may be mistaken but I recall they changed them when they released the Tal'Dorei campaign setting, which was a third party 5e product because of copyright, and then they kept them as such with Vox Machina.

It may have to do with the context in which you use those names?

Morrus · 2026-03-03T16:39:24+0000

Misanthrope Prime said:
Legitimate question.

Crit Role changed the names of the gods because they're WotC IP- Sarenrae>Everlight, Whispered One>Vecna, etc.

Stranger Things... didn't have to pay WotC a fee to name their villain Vecna, and if anything, Vecna is now a big part of WotC's brand identity because of that.

As such, do you think they will want people to call Vecna... Vecna?

I imagine they want to own their own content.

Reynard · 2026-03-03T16:49:28+0000

Afroconan said:
It may have to do with the context in which you use those names?

Or the Duffer brothers just talked to WotC/Hasbro. Both "demogorgon" and "mind flayer" aren't really protectable (especially since they don't actually look like the things with the same names in D&D) but Vecna certainly is. I am sure WotC realized how much they benefited from ST, and they already had a publishing relationship with them.

ShinHakkaider · 2026-03-03T17:02:54+0000

Misanthrope Prime said:
Sarenrae

Minor correction, Sarenrae isn't WOTC IP, it's Paizo as their game started as a Pathfinder game. Percy started as a PF1e Gunslinger...

saviirkad · 2026-03-03T17:06:36+0000

ShinHakkaider said:
Minor correction, Sarenrae isn't WOTC IP, it's Paizo as their game started as a Pathfinder game. Percy started as a PF1e Gunslinger...

To fully go um actually on this, it started as a D&D 4e one-shot, that became a Pathfinder home campaign, before it aired as a D&D 5e actual play.

Bolongo · 2026-03-03T17:30:25+0000

saviirkad said:
To fully go um actually on this, it started as a D&D 4e one-shot

Yep, which is why all the rest of the deities, apart from Sarenrae, are straight up the 4e pantheon.

Osgood · 2026-03-03T18:46:22+0000

ShinHakkaider said:
Percy started as a PF1e Gunslinger...

I've never watch the streams (I don't have the time or patience for actual plays), but I find that interesting. Based on the animated series, I just assumed he was a warlock and the guns were a creative interpretation of eldritch blast.