D&D General Critical Role Season 4 and the Ship of Theseus

[Umbran]

In what you are describing, they are still the same setting, just with the focus pulled further out.

Well, no. Not "pulled out" - that would imply the overall focus is more broad, which it does not have to be.

For example, at the end of their last campaign, they did some funky stuff with the gods. They could, for example, use a different ruleset (say, Daggerheart) to look at the impact of that on a world other than Exandria*. While someone might quibble that is still "the same setting", when it is literally a different planet/world, and none of the old setting materials or lore apply, that's a pretty weak quibble.

In the Forgotten Realms, rules edition changes tended to coincide with major cataclysmic events in the history of the campaign world. Maybe for Critical Role, change of rules might come to coincide with change of world.

But if the next game is Cyberpunk Red for the system and setting, it's a new animal.

Maybe, maybe not. If, in Cyberpunk Red, on a different world, they are continuing that story line of what the gods are doing now? They are not bound by our preconceptions, after all.

While I don't expect them to go that far afield, there's no real call to pre-choose how to categorize what they might come up with. They are clearly creative folk. How about we let it happen and see, hey what?


* I considered calling this hypothetical world "Inandria", but decided that'd be dumb.

 

[Stalker0]

I think you are demonstrating the need to make a distinction between the original SHOW "Critical Role" that first aired ten years ago, and the BRAND "Critical Role" that exists now.

Yes, and I feel like with this season the OG members of Critical Role are trying to answer the OP's very question. How much can they change and it still draw in their CR audience? (and of course...grow it!)

Have they built something that requires their constant participation....or have they built a framework that can grow past them?

 

[nyvinter]

The big problem with 4 is that the CR fandom is against change and that's setting them up for failure no matter what they do. Their viewing pleasure goes before the players and their ability to rest. Critical Role has more hours than the One Piece anime. That's a wild amount. Matt isn't the only one who deserves a break.

Dimension 20 works just fine with different players and GMs, no-one says "Coffin Run" or "Never Stop Blowing Up" wasn't D20. So why is Critical Role more precious? (For me, it's not. Change and have fun, it'll bleed over to the viewer.)

 

[DarkCrisis]

For me, it's gotten stale and a change up is needed. Stuff like Talieson always playing some sort of edgelord and Sam the quirky funny character etc. Laura and Ashley being the only ones to seem to have actual range. And I get that most people play themselves with a small twist when playing an RPG but yeah fresh blood.

I dropped Season 3 pretty quick because it was just more of the same in a slightly different way. I found none of the characters interesting. Hopefully Season 4 brings me back.

 

[TiQuinn]

For me, it's gotten stale and a change up is needed. Stuff like Talieson always playing some sort of edgelord and Sam the quirky funny character etc. Laura and Ashley being the only ones to seem to have actual range. And I get that most people play themselves with a small twist when playing an RPG but yeah fresh blood.

I dropped Season 3 pretty quick because it was just more of the same in a slightly different way. I found none of the characters interesting. Hopefully Season 4 brings me back.

Yeah, I think a shake up is a good thing for them, be it splitting up the players, bringing in a new DM...basically all the things they're talking about doing for Season 4.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Critical Role is about the people. The game could change, the universe could change, the format could change.

The people could change too, but over time, exactly as a Ship of Theseus. But it couldn't be all at once. If next season had six different players, it wouldn't be Critical Role. Even if it was still D&D, set in Exandria, etc. But if one player hops out for a new one, and that over time there's a different cast, it could still be Critical Role. Definitions, identities or perceptions change over time.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe the answer is that Critical Role is the name of the table, not a specific game, setting, etc. People come and go at tables and at many tables, it's not just the same game every time.

In fact, in today's feed for Brennan's (amazing) Worlds Beyond Number podcast, we got the note that this episode is the end of their current The Wizard, The Witch and the Wild One arc.

"Here's to many more," the note continues. "In the meantime, we have wonders piled high to share with you, dear listener. Come, join us, and see. There are other worlds than these."

Which feels very on-topic for this thread.

As long as it's some mix of Brennan, Erika, Aabria and Lou at the table, with or without special guests, I'll definitely consider future stuff to be Worlds Beyond Number games/stories/podcasts. So far, they've already done a very chaotic barnyard crime story, which was about the most Erika Ishii thing ever.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So I take it the OP wishes for the return of race as class, gold for xp, and rolling stats 3d6 in order??

Honestly, I would love for Critical Role or Dimension 20 to do even a one-off of an OSR game. It's such a mechanical clash with their narrative-first games, it'd be really interesting to see the results.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Honestly, I would love for Critical Role or Dimension 20 to do even a one-off of an OSR game. It's such a mechanical clash with their narrative-first games, it'd be really interesting to see the results.

GlassCannon moving to Shadowdark will be interesting! It's not as old-school in all areas of play but I'll definitely listen to a few episodes to see how their style and the game mesh together.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

GlassCannon moving to Shadowdark will be interesting! It's not as old-school in all areas of play but I'll definitely listen to a few episodes to see how their style and the game mesh together.

I just subscribed to them. They put out an avalanche of content each week!