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.

 

[Parmandur]

Again, I don't think this is the "main reason." The main reason is D&D brand inertia, it's "kleenex factor" as others have brought up previously.

That's a big part...but the scale of the market not being a major lode for investment is another.

 

[mamba]

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

I agree with this, but the comparison was never between D&D and Windows, but between software developer and game designer.

The SRD makes D&D Linux-like, the network externalities and market position make it the Windows of the TTRPG space. At least there is no abuse of monopoly power, unlike MS

 

[AlViking]

I legitimately do not understand your intention any more. Obviously I must have misunderstood your point from the get go. So that's on me.

It would have been nice if you had tried to reiterate it when that became clear, though.

My point is that people sure seem to keep trying to say that D&D is in spite of the system. I disagree. The brand has a lot of advantages but no matter how much brand recognition you have, no matter how much you spend on marketing, it doesn't matter in the long run. Brand recognition, nostalgia, marketing will get your foot in the door it won't sustain sales and growth for over a decade.

If people don't find a product worth the cost they aren't going to continue buying it.

 

[Parmandur]

I agree with this, but the comparison was never between D&D and Windows, but between software developer and game designer

The stakes to society are way lower in TTRPGs: WotC market leadership status doesn't give them massive power over society.

 

[mamba]

The stakes to society are way lower in TTRPGs: WotC market leadership status doesn't give them massive power over society.

sure, but how is that relevant for the software developer vs game designer discussion? Both can work on an app for any system / supplement for any game or on an existing or new OS / TTRPG

 

[Crimson Longinus]

My point is that people sure seem to keep trying to say that D&D is in spite of the system. I disagree. The brand has a lot of advantages but no matter how much brand recognition you have, no matter how much you spend on marketing, it doesn't matter in the long run. Brand recognition, nostalgia, marketing will get your foot in the door it won't sustain sales and growth for over a decade.

If people don't find a product worth the cost they aren't going to continue buying it.

I think 4e pretty clearly proved that.

 

[mamba]

I think 4e pretty clearly proved that.

and despite the sales slump, D&D was still the best selling TTRPG, or very close to it

 

[Parmandur]

sure, but how is that relevant for the software developer vs game designer discussion? Both can work on an app for any system / supplement for any game or on an existing or new OS / TTRPG

Because the broader impacts and individual risk level are way lower, D&D dominance is not nearly as intense at suppressing alternatives. Pretty much all carrot, no stick.

When WotC tried a little stick, it led to them releasing the rules into Creative Commons.

 

[AlViking]

sure, but how is that relevant for the software developer vs game designer discussion? Both can work on an app for any system / supplement for any game or on an existing or new OS / TTRPG

The tangent came up because someone stated D&D was just like MS and Windows. Except they have very little in common because MS used all sorts of anticompetetive practices to establish and maintain their dominance in both the OS and web browser markets.

WOTC may have won the popularity contest for now but they didn't do it through shady business practices. Compare that to TSR, who threatened lawsuits against every company that encroached at all on their turf.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I just can't believe Brennan stole my idea from a random post I made in 2022!

To me, I feel like Troupe Style Play would be great for a Game of Thrones style game. The DM could alternate between Palace Intrigue, Band of Knights, and Border Guards stories. The players would make three characters, one for each setting, ...

I could see playing out three adventures per season. You would do a round of Palace Intrigue, Band of Knights, and Border Guards adventures...

It would definitely be rewarding to have stories connecting or new information being revealed across the three settings!

I just hope I get my name in the credits!