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]

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

No word yet that I know of. This looks more put together than Candela Obscura when that quickstart dropped. So...soon?

 

[Reynard]

No word yet that I know of. This looks more put together than Candela Obscura when that quickstart dropped. So...soon?

How much longer does the Candela Obscura stream have left? If I had to guess, I would think they would do something similar where they put out the quickstart when they begin the limited run game.

 

[overgeeked]

How much longer does the Candela Obscura stream have left? If I had to guess, I would think they would do something similar where they put out the quickstart when they begin the limited run game.

Candela Obscura is an ongoing monthly game. Chapter 1 just ended and they’ve announced Chapter 2 in the same slot with a new cast. Last Thursday of the month.

 

[Reynard]

Candela Obscura is an ongoing monthly game. Chapter 1 just ended and they’ve announced Chapter 2 in the same slot with a new cast. Last Thursday of the month.

Oh. I thought it was a limited run thing.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Oh - I think I see what's happening.

They're not just a streaming game company. They're a collection of actors/artists/writers who have gotten together and found a wildly popular niche for their creative impulses that turns out makes them money. Turning their own creativity into money is like the platonic ideal of what every actor/artist/writer wants.

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.

So you think designing and releasing two new games very different from D&D but continuing to primarily stream (their largest source of revenue ASAIK) D&D would be a creative decision?

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

I wonder if they think a lot of people they want to buy this game are also looking to do live performances.

 

[Micah Sweet]

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."

Hard good, or hard bad?

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

That's interesting. I want more crunch and less story focus and superhero fantasy out of D&D.

 

[Reynard]

Hard good, or hard bad?

I meant they are going to agree with the sentiment. I think many of those people came to the game for the story the stream was able to tell, and then found themselves working against the game to find that story. A more PbtA inspired system is likely to flip that situation.

 

[overgeeked]

Someone’s doing an AMA over on r/CriticalRole.