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!

 

[Micah Sweet]

I don’t think WoTC is worried. They can advertise on and promote other streamers if they need to, could even bankroll competition entirely if they wanted. If the updated D&D does well Critical Roll will probably find their way back to it.

That's a little pessimistic even for me. I'd like to think that CR has a little faith in their own work, and that they considered carefully before making a break from WotC. Going back would be hard to see as anything other than a failure on their part, and yet another triumph of corporate interests over creativity and art.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Maybe is like one of those settings using two game systems, their own, and the universal d20/5e.

I understand CR wanted to keep their creative independence, but they also need the best vibes with Hasbro/WotC. A right parnetship deal should be good for both sides.

Now there is a serious rivalry between the different retroclones, but there is an almost empty space to be full, TTRPGs with leverling-up but not fantasy, for example Paizo's Starfinder and Everyday Heroes.

What if CR was used for "backdoor pilot episode for other gamelive shows? New PCs are introduced as "guest artists" and later these continue their adventures in a different show.

What exactly do they need from Hasbro/WotC? It seems like a pretty strong brand on its own.

 

[darjr]

What exactly do they need from Hasbro/WotC? It seems like a pretty strong brand on its own.

Nothing really seeing that the SRD 5 is in CC and the OGL is intact.

 

[OB1]

Interesting that DDB was back as a sponsor for CR last night. WotC and CR I imagine will remain close regardless of if Daggerheart is a direct competitor or not. I think there are three possible outcomes

1. Daggerheart is a non-compatible product with 5e, and CR switches to it for the next campaign, while continuing to have WotC ads.
2. Daggerheart is a compatible product with 5e and CR switches to it for the next campaign. Daggerheart could potentially become available on DDB or the OneVTT.
3. Daggerheart dies or is majorly delayed in development (possibly after WotC gives CR a boatload of cash to switch to 5E2024) and CR sticks with D&D for the next campaign.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Those stats aren't necessarily helpful. Critical Role has been around for significantly longer than that. They started off as just one of many programs under Geek & Sundry's banner, way back in May 2015, less than a year after 5E was released. June 2018, the start of the data, was when they launched their own separate Twitch channel after realizing that they had outgrown their "parent". It was only a few months later when they moved into their own studio space, but the ability to even do any of that was driven by how enormously successful they had already become. Critical Role "took off" in 2016.

Yeah, this is right here. While D&D 5E was certainly successful before CR hit, CR was big very early on in 5E and I feel like its presence as a live play show is what helped expand the audience. Live plays certainly aren't new, but their show just had a fantastic energy to it along with the improv skill of professional actors that really helped sell it things. It's almost an ideal presentation to help get new people in, and I absolutely would attribute the significant expansion beyond the original audience to Critical Role creating an easy way to see how to play through a medium that D&D had yet to really hit it off on.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Pre-Critical Role, the biggest live play show was the podcast-only The Adventure Zone, where they play extremely fast and loose with the rules and, especially in those early days, clearly viewed it as a goof. It was popular, but it didn't embrace the game in the same way as Critical Role does.

(It was enough to convince me to pick up the Starter Set, though.)

 

[Parmandur]

Pre-Critical Role, the biggest live play show was the podcast-only The Adventure Zone, where they play extremely fast and loose with the rules and, especially in those early days, clearly viewed it as a goof. It was popular, but it didn't embrace the game in the same way as Critical Role does.

(It was enough to convince me to pick up the Starter Set, though.)

No doubt that Critical Role is the biggest actual play show...but they aren't the only one, and their audience is still just a slice of the pie.

Definitely big enough to make their RPG a pretty big success by industry standards.

 

[Parmandur]

Interesting that DDB was back as a sponsor for CR last night. WotC and CR I imagine will remain close regardless of if Daggerheart is a direct competitor or not. I think there are three possible outcomes

1. Daggerheart is a non-compatible product with 5e, and CR switches to it for the next campaign, while continuing to have WotC ads.
2. Daggerheart is a compatible product with 5e and CR switches to it for the next campaign. Daggerheart could potentially become available on DDB or the OneVTT.
3. Daggerheart dies or is majorly delayed in development (possibly after WotC gives CR a boatload of cash to switch to 5E2024) and CR sticks with D&D for the next campaign.

They already run multiple systems on different streams: this gives them a new option, but that doesn't necessitate burning any bridges longterm.

 

[Riley]

I remember a hugely popular realplay podcast back in the 4e days (Critical Hit, which is great) that faded when they didn't make the 4e to 5e switch.

Today I learned that Critical Hit was a different thing from Critical Role.

(No, I’ve never made it past a few minutes trying to listen to most ‘actual play’ RPG podcasts.)

 

[bedir than]

Pre-Critical Role, the biggest live play show was the podcast-only The Adventure Zone, where they play extremely fast and loose with the rules and, especially in those early days, clearly viewed it as a goof. It was popular, but it didn't embrace the game in the same way as Critical Role does.

(It was enough to convince me to pick up the Starter Set, though.)

Bigger than Acq Inc?