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.

​

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!

 

[Reynard]

Hmm...looks really nice...but super busy. Also, a loot of stuff for just one "character sheet" . So, not sure if I am the target audience for this. The art is nice for sure.

Btw, as it seems, these two games are not designed by the core-team of CR. Which, to me, is a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a game made by Matt, not just a game with the name of CR attached to it. But i guess they do not have the time or the inclination. I am sure at least Matt will have writing credits and all...but yeah, I really hoped to see what he would design...ruleswise.

On that topic...who is the guy who is in the lead here? Never heard of him. And as it seems, he is mainly "stealing" from other games and not really designing something himself (not that that is strictly necessary, mind you).

Which brings me to my main "man, that's disappointing" point: considering how much the CR team always talks about "we love you" and "we want to uplift other creators in the ttrpg space", i am really disappointed by how they are handling the CO game...it is clearly a FitD game...i really think they should have published it as that...THAT would have been uplifting others (in this case first and foremost John Harper, who really deserves the recognition).
They even gave "their" system an own name, for crying out loud (Illuminated Worlds system)

This is a very weird take, given Spencer Starke is a highly lauded game designer.

 

[overgeeked]

This is a very weird take, given Spencer Starke is a highly lauded game designer.

Agreed. I’d much rather a pro designer make a game that plays to the CR cast’s strengths and desires than have one of the cast try to design something. If Matt doesn’t write or contribute heavily to the GM sections of these games it’ll be a huge mistake, however.

 

[Reynard]

Agreed. I’d much rather a pro designer make a game that plays to the CR cast’s strengths and desires than have one of the cast try to design something. If Matt doesn’t write or contribute heavily to the GM sections of these games it’ll be a huge mistake, however.

Yeah. Game designer, writer, and game master are all different skill sets. People act like they are the same thing.

 

[overgeeked]

Yeah. Game designer, writer, and game master are all different skill sets. People act like they are the same thing.

There is some overlap. To be a good referee you need to have some ability with game design and some ability with basic storytelling in the speak in an engaging way sense. To be a good game designer you have to be a good writer otherwise no one will understand your rules or how to play the game. Etc.

 

[Reynard]

There is some overlap. To be a good referee you need to have some ability with game design and some ability with basic storytelling in the speak in an engaging way sense. To be a good game designer you have to be a good writer otherwise no one will understand your rules or how to play the game. Etc.

Lots of good GMs run by the book. Lots of designers only do the crunch. And "writer" and "storyteller" are not the same thing.

 

[SteveC]

Writer, designer, performer ... those are pretty different skill sets. It's rare to have someone with all three of them at a high level. I sort of think in many cases they're mutually exclusive.

I sort of compare this to how being a good technical person and being a good manager are rarely possessed by a single person.

 

[overgeeked]

Lots of good GMs run by the book.

Not in my experience. More often than not complex and silly mechanics get in the way of running a good game.

Lots of designers only do the crunch.

And that crunch has to be explained, almost exclusively via text with the occasional graphic. Perfect crunch poorly explained is poor design. Hence good designers need to be good writers.

And "writer" and "storyteller" are not the same thing.

Which is why I did not equate them.

 

[dbm]

good designers need to be good writers

Or they work with good writers. “Technical author” is another legit skill.

 

[overgeeked]

Or they work with good writers. “Technical author” is another legit skill.

I am aware. Point being: the designer needs to communicate the design to someone else. Generally, that’s in writing directly to the player. If not, it’s verbally explaining scrawling notes to someone who can write it pretty one day.

 

[aramis erak]

Another effect of switching from 1d20 to 2d12 is that tou get more of a bell curve when it comes to the rolled result. Whereas a d20 gives you 5% chance to roll any number, 2d12 ranges from 8.33% for 13 to 0.69% for 2 or 24. 50% of all rolls will end up in the 10-16 range.

AnyDice

AnyDice is an advanced dice probability calculator, available online. It is created with roleplaying games in mind.

anydice.com

Technically, not a bell. A bilinear distribution. Until you get 3, it lacks the changing of slope of a bell, and even then, dice are never a true bell curve, but a stepped bell curve.

Bilinear is easier to calculate by hand, too, than a bell of 3+ dice.