Critical Role to Use D&D 2024 Rules For Campaign Four, Expands to Three Tables and Thirteen Players

Critical Role will continue to use Dungeons & Dragons as the play system for its upcoming campaign, with the cast expanding to three distinct tables consisting of a total of 13 players. Today, Critical Role announced new details about its new campaign, which is set to air on October 4th. The new campaign will feature the full founding cast members as players, alongside several new players. In total, the cast includes Laura Bailey, Luis Carazo, Robbie Daymond, Aabria Iyengar, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Whitney Moore, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Alexander Ward, and Travis Willingham, with the previously announced Brennan Lee Mulligan serving as GM.

The campaign itself will be run as a "West Marches" style of campaign, with three separate groups of players exploring the world. The groups are divided into gameplay styles, with a combat-focused Soldiers group, a lore/exploration-focused Seekers group, and a intrigue-focused Schemers group. All three groups will explore the world of Araman, created by Mulligan for the campaign.

Perhaps most importantly, Critical Role will not be switching to Daggerheart for the fourth campaign. Instead, they'll be opting for the new 2024 ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Daggerheart will be represented at Critical Role via the Age of Umbra and "other" Actual Play series, as well as partnerships with other Actual Play troupes.

 

[Scribe]

Really disappointed they're sticking with D&D.

Yep. As I had noted I was already turning back to SD from DH anyway, but was going to at least check this out to see how they would manage DH.

Running 5.5 though?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'm moderately pleased with it being D&D, but I am really stoked about this campaign structure. My enthusiasm level for this certainly has increased.

 

[Gorck]

I’m really looking forward to seeing how they handle the changes from the 2014 rules to the 2024 rules. IIRC, they used some 2024 rules during their Australia shows (at least I vaguely remember Ashley using a 2024 version of a spell or something).

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Focus here seems to be on the decision to stick with D&D rather than promote their own game, but I'm more intrigued by what the particular campaign is slated to look like.

That sounds very cool as a D&D campaign. I was probably going to suggest a veer towards Westmarches for my current group because everyone seems to want to give DMing a shot (a strange but welcome thing) and it seems like a good way to be able to trade up without everyone having to roll new characters all the time.

As a show I have some doubts. The divided groups reminds me of reading the Song of Ice and Fire books and all the times the plotline I cared most about was delayed for many chapters while we checked in on new randos or someone doing something less interesting, and then eventually all of book four was dedicated to the plotlines I found less interesting and I checked out.

As the latest installment of the "flagship product" of the Critical Role empire, I think they are seriously diluting the brand here. Thirteen players! Who is Critical Role? How am I going to subtly and slowly form para-social attachments to three different groups and their dynamics? This hardly feels like my idealized image of a long-running home-game at all anymore. Which is all to say I think this is a "product" which will likely test the patience of some diehards and probably not be particularly great at bringing in new fans in the way prior campaigns hooked new fans.

That said, more power to them for doing what they want to instead of what conventional wisdom says would be best for their brand (ie: stick to the formula).

 

[Imaro]

Glad their going with D&D... I just dont think Daggerheart would be able to carry a campaign spanning this long and with this many players...I'm doubly glad they decided to go with 2024 5e rules.

 

[Thourne]

Glad their going with D&D... I just dont think Daggerheart would be able to carry a campaign spanning this long and with this many players...I'm doubly glad they decided to go with 2024 5e rules.

Yah, it would be a heavy lift for a new game as light on material as it is.
Don't take me wrong, I love Daggerheart but it is still in the crib.
Edit: This is coming from someone who doesn't like D&D either.

 

[wicked cool]

I remember the original Dragonlance where they split the party but then at some point they get back. It sounds like they will be together but maybe they get picked to split based on strengths

 

[mamba]

Yah, it would be a heavy lift for a new game as light on material as it is.

it is a custom setting, so there is not much D&D material that would help either. Given that they are going with D&D 2024, they do have a similarly limited set of options when it comes to races and classes imo

 

[Imaro]

it is a custom setting, so there is not much D&D material that would help either. Given that they are going with D&D 2024, they do have a similarly limited set of options when it comes to races and classes imo

Only they can use options from 2014 with little to no problem if they need to or want to.

 

[SkidAce]

I'm always 10 minutes late finding headlines.

"I just wanted to grow up and be an RPG reporter" /sniffle