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.

 

[mamba]

But it is the best at what it's trying to be: a genetic TTRPG with wide market appeal, tailored to new players.

I don’t even think it is the best at that, it is too complex for that. It is the one with the largest brand recognition and ‘marketing budget’ (I include books, movies, CR, Stranger Things, etc. in this) however. This is what makes it attract the most new players, not the ruleset

 

[billd91]

I don’t even think it is the best at that, it is too complex for that. It is the one with the largest brand recognition and ‘marketing budget’ (I include books, movies, CR, Stranger Things, etc. in this) however. This is what makes it attract the most new players, not the ruleset

And it has the biggest player base already in place, which means new players can easily find resources both online and in person to help guide and teach them as they take up the game.

 

[AlViking]

My understanding is that Felicia Day suggested the switch because D&D is better known.

That's not what they say on their wiki.

 

[Parmandur]

Google took Linux and spun Android off it, akin to Pathfinder from D&D by Paizo.

Qell, this right here is the major difference: D&D is morenlike Linux than Windows.

 

[CleverNickName]

I don’t even think it is the best at that, it is too complex for that.

(shrug) If you say so. Most people who play D&D might disagree... but I haven't asked all 50 million of them. My nieces and nephews picked it up right away without a hitch.

It is the one with the largest brand recognition and ‘marketing budget’ (I include books, movies, CR, Stranger Things, etc. in this) however. This is what makes it attract the most new players, not the ruleset

I agree with you on the brand recognition point, though. It is definitely a big draw for new players.

And it has the biggest player base already in place, which means new players can easily find resources both online and in person to help guide and teach them as they take up the game.

This can't be understated either. The amount of D&D material and support online, both official and unofficial, is immense. It's almost a culture all it's own.

 

[Reynard]

This may be true, but I think that mechanically it is in the sweet spot for a lot of players and GMs

That may be true, but it isn't specific to 5E's particulars. It is more about the weight of complexity versus accessibility and robust mechanics versus simple math, etc.. A game doesn't have to be "d20+ mods with a giant pile of rules exception based abilities" to be in that sweet spot.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I don’t even think it is the best at that, it is too complex for that. It is the one with the largest brand recognition and ‘marketing budget’ (I include books, movies, CR, Stranger Things, etc. in this) however. This is what makes it attract the most new players, not the ruleset

I am not convinced of that, I think it has close to the right amount of complexity, it gives the more mechanically minded players enough levers without getting too much in the way of the players that want to work out of the box.
It will be very interesting to watch the future trajectory of games like Daggerheart and Draw Steel and 5e over the next number of years.

 

[Reynard]

It's a game that works well for a lot of people. That and enumerable other factors that nobody really understands.

This seems at odds with your suggestion that any other company could out-D&D D&D if they just tried hard enough.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

That may be true, but it isn't specific to 5E's particulars. It is more about the weight of complexity versus accessibility and robust mechanics versus simple math, etc.. A game doesn't have to be "d20+ mods with a giant pile of rules exception based abilities" to be in that sweet spot.

Totally agree with you, it could have been something else. Being a first mover is part of what got D&D to this point. But if it never changed or adapted something else would have replaced it now.

 

[Reynard]

The "netowrk externalities" issue that WotC identified in 2000 and built 3.x and the OGL around are very real things.