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!

 

[overgeeked]

It felt kinda like a midpoint between Dungeon World and 5e in terms of play.

Ooh. Dish please.

 

[Autumnal]

These are not corporate types for the most part so they're not trying to "maximize shareholder value". But they have a platform for creative work and the money to make it happen, so they're doing the creative things they want to do and hoping to make enough money to keep it all going. Everything doesn't have to be about making the optimal corporate decision if you have goals that aren't just maximizing your payout in raw dollars.

This! They have a responsibility to each other not to ruin the show, but that’s really different than the Milton Friedman style of maximizing shareholder value. Things that keep them happy and engaged and wanting to more are investments in the human capital if you want to looking at it, but that ends up being misleading The point is not having to boil everything down to a simplistic economic tally.

 

[overgeeked]

Two more...

 

[overgeeked]

Worth noting that with this campaign Matt's been dropping the D&D names of things and using new names.

Katari is what they're calling cat-folk now. Katari is the ancestry card for one of those characters.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I am a little surprised to discover it is a flavor of PbtA. I would have guessed a more traditional RPG, seeing as how they (and their audience, presumably) are coming off 5E.

PBTA is much better for live performances, as it mostly means the story keeps going forward, and there's not people (including math-challenged CR cast members) stopping to do addition all the time.

CR's Monsterhearts one shot was arguably one of their best shows ever.

 

[Reynard]

I am going to guess that for a certain cohort of people that came to D&D through CR, this quote here is going to hit hard: "This game is what I have always wanted out of D&D."

 

[ReshiIRE]

Can anyone explain to me why we're assuming that because Daggerheart is not a d20 system / 5e like or such, that it won't replace 5e for campaign 4?

Seems like it's all based on speculation or people talking past each other... ?

 

[overgeeked]

PBTA is much better for live performances, as it mostly means the story keeps going forward, and there's not people (including math-challenged CR cast members) stopping to do addition all the time.

I think that also explains the cards and why advantage is proliferating instead of bonuses. It's just easier to work with for the less mechanics-focused players at the CR table. Which I really like because it's one of the things I was doing with my hack of D&D. Replacing discrete this or that bonus or skill from race and background and class with straight advantage. It's so much easier and smoother.

I am going to guess that for a certain cohort of people that came to D&D through CR, this quote here is going to hit hard: "This game is what I have always wanted out of D&D."

Yeah. Real hard. Long-time gamers fit themselves into the mechanics of the game they're playing. People new to the hobby push against those limitations all the time. For people who came to the game from a neat story they watched on YouTube...boy, watch out.

Can anyone explain to me why we're assuming that because Daggerheart is not a d20 system / 5e like or such, that it won't replace 5e for campaign 4?

Seems like it's all based on speculation or people talking past each other... ?

The argument is mostly wishful thinking.

 

[overgeeked]

I think that also explains the cards and why advantage is proliferating instead of bonuses. It's just easier to work with for the less mechanics-focused players at the CR table. Which I really like because it's one of the things I was doing with my hack of D&D. Replacing discrete this or that bonus or skill from race and background and class with straight advantage. It's so much easier and smoother.

From the notes in one of those posts, dis/advantage is rolling 1d6 and subtracting or adding from the total rather than an extra d12 and picking.

I'm very interested in this game. Especially if it's a less crunchy, story-focused version of D&D. All the superhero fantasy with way less crunch? Yes, please.

 

[Reynard]

From the notes in one of those posts, dis/advantage is rolling 1d6 and subtracting or adding from the total rather than an extra d12 and picking.

I'm very interested in this game. Especially if it's a less crunchy, story-focused version of D&D. All the superhero fantasy with way less crunch? Yes, please.

Do we have any idea when we are likely to see a quickstart or anything?