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.

 

[Chaltab]

I would argue that Critical Role has built a much more diversified business than WotC.

It's hard to say that in over all terms, WOTC has tried many different ventures with D&D to varrying degrees of success.

But CR has done a good job of making the various pillars of their business matter. The fact they've gotten three seasons of an animated series off the ground and are about to launch a second show, in the time that WOTC has managed a single movie and a failed TV show pitch indicates they're doing something right that WOTC isn't.

It may just be that a small LLC owned by 8 founders is more flexible inherently than a megacorp-owned business.

 

[bedir than]

DH is missing a big pile of WotC cash according to this guy.

So if his sources are right D&D will be heavily advertising D&D 5.24e & D&D Beyond on Critical Role, in exchange for a ton of money, more then what extra cash from switching to DH would have brought them. Especially since DH sold out, so it really doesn't seem to need the help.

This is just smart from a business perspective. And no one can say they don't have faith in DH because they went with 5.24 instead, because instead WotC bribed them to do it so no hit to DH's rep. Matt Mercier clearly has the lobes for business as the Ferengi say.

This is the same person that claimed the 2024 PHB only sold 3,000 copies in its first month

 

[UngainlyTitan]

It's hard to say that in over all terms, WOTC has tried many different ventures with D&D to varrying degrees of success.

But CR has done a good job of making the various pillars of their business matter. The fact they've gotten three seasons of an animated series off the ground and are about to launch a second show, in the time that WOTC has managed a single movie and a failed TV show pitch indicates they're doing something right that WOTC isn't.

It may just be that a small LLC owned by 8 founders is more flexible inherently than a megacorp-owned business.

On the animated shows side, being actors and where they are the have more insider knowledge and contacts than Hasbro or Wizards, which I reckon helps.

 

[CleverNickName]

This is the same person that claimed the 2024 PHB only sold 3,000 copies in its first month

Oh that guy. No wonder I can't see the thumbnail; I blocked that channel ages ago.

 

[JConstantine]

DH is missing a big pile of WotC cash according to this guy.

Instead of some random youtuber talking out of their arse, we could take Brennan and Matt at their word:

 

[AlViking]

This is the same person that claimed the 2024 PHB only sold 3,000 copies in its first month

So you're saying there's a chance their information is inaccurate? But he has a podcast, they always know what they're talking about, right?

BTW I didn't bother watching. Until proven otherwise I believe Brennan and Matt.

 

[Afroconan]

WotC bribed them to do it

Even if what Glicker claims was true (which coming from him, I sincerely doubt), why do you have to paint it as a sinister underhanded move when at worst it's just business?

I'm sorry but it's really hard to take those sort of claims seriously when presented like that.

 

[mamba]

DH is missing a big pile of WotC cash according to this guy.

does WotC pay them or is that just baseless speculation?

I think what it might be missing is the same level of interest in the viewers, not sure if CR knows that or is just not willing to risk it

 

[Reynard]

does WotC pay them or is that just baseless speculation?

I think what it might be missing is the same level of interest in the viewers, not sure if CR knows that or is just not willing to risk it

One would likely be safe in assuming that they know their business well enough to make the decision they feel is the right one.

 

[AlViking]

technically the OS is also software and yes, you could write an app that goes straight to the machine level without an OS in between, there just is no need for that any more, everyone has an OS these days

Apart from that it doesn't change the point. The software developer can still decide to write an app on any platform or work on an OS, or use something that is platform independent like Java or web-browsers (JavaScript, etc.). So the developer has much the same choice ahead of them as the 3pp TTRPG creative.

Championship goalpost shifting here.
Coding for Java or web browser you're still dependent on an interface to implement your code in. Theoretically you could write your own OS but unless you're Linus Torvald, it probably isn't happening.

It also doesn't change anything. Companies frequently create products that supplement some other company's products. They've decided to hitch their wagon to someone else's products and there's nothing wrong with that business model.

If third parties have decided to create supplements, that's their decision. The comparison of WOTC to MS has no basis.