Brennan Lee Mulligan to GM Critical Role Campaign 4

Critical Role's fourth campaign will launch on October 2nd, with Brennan Lee Mulligan behind the GM Screen. Critical Role announced that Mulligan, best known as the DM for Dropout's Dimension 20, will be the Game Master for the entirety of Campaign 4. The announcement was made this evening ahead of tonight's live show in Indianapolis, with Mulligan running a campaign in a brand new world assumably created just for the show. Critical Role stated that more cast announcements and other details about the campaign, such as what game system it will use, will be revealed in the coming months.

Mulligan has worked with Critical Role in the past, with both of his Exandria Unlimited miniseries having received high praise from fans. The news is also a major shakeup as this will be the first time that a full-length Critical Role campaign has not featured Matt Mercer or the world of Exandria. Both Mercer and Exandria are "taking a break" according to a press release, although Mercer is working on a second Age of Umbra miniseries that will assumably be released sometime in 2026.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis are developing a setting for Daggerheart.

“New Daggerheart World by Creators of Eberron and More: Finally, we have Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis’s new world in Daggerheart! From the minds of fan-favorite RPG worlds like Eberron and innovative tabletop games like Phoenix Dawn Command, Illimat, and the Adventure Zone Storytelling Game, Twogether Studio’s Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis are partnering with us to make their next grand world using Daggerheart. Expect thrilling worldbuilding and brilliant new player option designs from this powerhouse team.”

This has been a master class in wooing D&D fans without ever saying a bad word about D&D or WotC.

 

[Gradine]

Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis are developing a setting for Daggerheart.

“New Daggerheart World by Creators of Eberron and More: Finally, we have Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis’s new world in Daggerheart! From the minds of fan-favorite RPG worlds like Eberron and innovative tabletop games like Phoenix Dawn Command, Illimat, and the Adventure Zone Storytelling Game, Twogether Studio’s Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis are partnering with us to make their next grand world using Daggerheart. Expect thrilling worldbuilding and brilliant new player option designs from this powerhouse team.”

I had zero interest in Daggerheart before I read this, but now I am that Leo DiCaprio meme from Django Unchained.

 

[thatOneLinuxDM]

Didn't Daggerheart sold out all physical copies already?

I was able to find this from a shop two days after it had 'sold out' so I'm not sure what the metric for this was. All companies will fudge their numbers though pose news in the most positive light. Sadly the binding quality was quite lacking (same reports as others on the Darrington Discord.)

Three print runs according to Darrington Press. If CR lacks enough confidence in their own game to run it as a full campaign the customers will notice.

“It’s such a great game that you should play it while we keep playing this other game” is an atrocious sales pitch.

It's not a lack of confidence to not want to make too many changes all at once, new world, new GM, and new system, would be a lot to muddle in one sweep. Equally, it's not like Daggerheart is a D&D replacement or successor, they're different games which appeal to different people.

 

[Seramus]

I was able to find this from a shop two days after it had 'sold out' so I'm not sure what the metric for this was. All companies will fudge their numbers though. Sadly the binding quality was quite lacking (same reports as others on the Darrington Discord.)

Yeah, several are still floating around in stores. GenCon sold out completely - more specifically they sold all their physical stock on Friday, but had some set aside for Saturday and Sunday... which also sold out.

 

[Snute]

I was able to find this from a shop two days after it had 'sold out' so I'm not sure what the metric for this was. All companies will fudge their numbers though. Sadly the binding quality was quite lacking (same reports as others on the Darrington Discord.)

It means that they sold through their (Darrington Press or rather their distributor) stock, either directly to customers or FLGS. They likely do not have the means to track every FLGS inventory. No fudging of numbers involved.

 

[thatOneLinuxDM]

It means that they sold through their (Darrington Press or rather their distributor) stock, either directly to customers or FLGS. They likely do not have the means to track every FLGS inventory. No fudging of numbers involved.

Yeah, I get that, it was a bit of a pop at all the headlines (not exclusively from any one outlet) touting 'DaGgErheARt SoLD oUt!' without the nuance. Your comment alone is more informative than 90% of the reactionary YouTube videos made on the subject. The original comment I replied to was the catalyst for the comment.

It was a bit harsh of me to suggest they fudged the numbers, more specifically I should have said 'if you print 5000 copies and sell 5000 copies, you've sold out, but you're also in charge of your own distribution run.'

 

[Seramus]

 

[wicked cool]

Are they expanding the table size. Campaigns haven for the most part the core group with extended guests like Robbie or others. With Matt as a player will Robbie be a guest or are they losing 1 due to health/another child or tv
I find it fascinating on the system choice and gm choice etc etc . Brennan doesn’t live in the are so did he move.
Based on his campaigns for crit role I can see him
Embracing the daggerheart rules and I think it’s a big mistake if they don’t
You have rolled out your system and your core audience is critical role. It’s a new campaign and your potentially new customers are jumping on . Why would they buy daggerheart if you are teaching them d&d

 

[Teemu]

CR going with 5e for their new flagship show would be so bizarre considering all the work they’ve done in the past few years to go as independent as they can. They have their own streaming platform, their music publishing company, they have Darrington Press, and they have their brand new D&D substitute game Daggerheart. All this time and money spent on their own business ventures and yet they’d stick with D&D when they have their own game that fills the same niche? It doesn’t make any sense to keep playing 5e in their main show when you look at what they’ve been doing.

Crawford and Perkins are not creating new 5e compatible content at Darrington Press, unlike what some folks suggested before GenCon. It’s clear they’re going full steam ahead with DH. So obviously it would make the most sense to market and showcase their own product in their flagship show that gets the most views and thus furthers their business interests. What benefit would they get from sticking with 5e? They’re going to lose and gain viewers regardless because they’re switching up the cast.

 

[TiQuinn]

CR going with 5e for their new flagship show would be so bizarre considering all the work they’ve done in the past few years to go as independent as they can. They have their own streaming platform, their music publishing company, they have Darrington Press, and they have their brand new D&D substitute game Daggerheart. All this time and money spent on their own business ventures and yet they’d stick with D&D when they have their own game that fills the same niche? It doesn’t make any sense to keep playing 5e in their main show when you look at what they’ve been doing.

Crawford and Perkins are not creating new 5e compatible content at Darrington Press, unlike what some folks suggested before GenCon. It’s clear they’re going full steam ahead with DH. So obviously it would make the most sense to market and showcase their own product in their flagship show that gets the most views and thus furthers their business interests. What benefit would they get from sticking with 5e? They’re going to lose and gain viewers regardless because they’re switching up the cast.

The D&D / CR alignment made sense when we still saw the use of Vecna in the game, or monsters such as Beholders and Mind Flayers. But increasingly, product identity has meant Critical Role has had to divest themselves of the very things that I would expect to see in a bonafide, official, This is Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

I just don't think the juice is worth the squeeze to keep things as D&D for the sake of the system with them any longer, particularly when they have an extremely compelling reason to promote their own product.