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.

 

[Nikosandros]

Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that there actually is a paid sponsorship by WotC. Then what? What does it change? Why should we care?

 

[AlViking]

It’s still just little bits and pieces of information and not the entire picture, and that’s the problem; it’s also the hook that gets people concerned with such things coming back.

Edit: Let me ask you this - what is Professor DM’s source of data for the statement “Brendan Lee Mulligan will buy a house in LA, a Ferrari, or a small island in the Caribbean for the amount he was paid to Gamemaster this season?”

I think that underscores my issue with his information.

I'm sure the Brennan is being paid for the gig, he should be. But the idea that any one individual on the show is getting that much money for a single season almost puts this in the realm of comedic parody for me.

This is entertainment, not news.

 

[Reynard]

Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that there actually is a paid sponsorship by WotC. Then what? What does it change? Why should we care?

Oh, sure, it starts there innocently enough, but soon WotC is paying CR to cancel Age of Umbra and start an Exodus stream. Then Daggerheart "sells out" again and is never seen again!

Slippery slope!

 

[TiQuinn]

I'm sure the Brennan is being paid for the gig, he should be. But the idea that any one individual on the show is getting that much money for a single season almost puts this in the realm of comedic parody for me.

This is entertainment, not news.

For all I know, he could be paid a ton of money.

My problem with all of this (gestures wildly to almost all industry discourse) is that people get so wrapped up in trying to figure out the money aspect of the industry but almost all of it is based on hearsay, supposition, and very incomplete data. It’s an industry where the largest player does not even break down the sales for the product most forum goers are interested in in its 10-K, let alone a smaller non-public company like CR/DP who has no incentive to share that information. And to @Nikosandros point I’m not even sure what it’s in service to.

 

[AlViking]

Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that there actually is a paid sponsorship by WotC. Then what? What does it change? Why should we care?

I don't see why it would matter. I don't think they went with D&D instead of DH for the reasons I said above, it would be an unnecessary when nothing stops them from doing DH streams.

I think it's primarily the WOTC haters (or podcasters looking for eyeballs) pushing this idea that the only reason to continue streaming a D&D show is because they were "bribed". DH is an unproven commodity at this point. I think the odds of DH ever threatening D&D's dominance, or even in the foreseeable future, is slim but but it is in no way threatening that dominance currently.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Oh, sure, it starts there innocently enough, but soon WotC is paying CR to cancel Age of Umbra and start an Exodus stream. Then Daggerheart "sells out" again and is never seen again!

Slippery slope!

Traditionally in the current era (at least in the tech business) one just buys them out and bury the IP

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Hence why it shouldn’t be presented as fact or evidence.

I agree with you, I was just reporting what ProfessorDM has said in other videos. I would never consider him a reliable source of news but an interesting gossip. I prefer the Ghostfire Games and Mastering Dungeons podcasts as the best rpg news sources.

 

[Reynard]

Traditionally in the current era (at least in the tech business) one just buys them out and bury the IP

Joking aside, I am surprised Hasbro never just bought CR.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Joking aside, I am surprised Hasbro never just bought CR.

I strongly suspect they would never sell, or at least until they got much older.

 

[TiQuinn]

I strongly suspect they would never sell, or at least until they got much older.