Critical Role
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"Is it Thursday Yet?"
Community to discuss anything Critical Role related.
Drop by our welcome post and share any feedback/suggestions if you have any. The FAQ post is also a thing.
What is Critical Role?
Critical Role is a group of nerdy-ass voice actors who sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons.
Streams every Thursday at 7pm PT and then rebroadcasts the following Friday at 12am and 9am PT on Twitch.
trigger warning
Due to the improv nature of Critical Role and other RPG content on our channels, some themes and situations that occur in-game may be difficult for some to handle. If certain episodes or scenes become uncomfortable, we strongly suggest taking a break or skipping that particular episode.
Your health and well-being is important to us and Psycom has a great list of international mental health resources, in case it’s useful: http://bit.ly/PsycomResources
Current shows
- Critical Role Campaign 3: Main D&D 5e campaign, streamed every Thursday at 7pm PT, except last Thursday of each month
- Candela Obscura: Horror drama campaign using their own game system, live streamed every last Thursday of each month at 7pm PT
- 4-Sided Dive: Talkshow with a roundtable discussion of 4 guests, to talk about recent episodes and answer fan questions. Streams every first Tuesday of the month at 7pm PT
- Midst: Sci-fi fantasy radio drama, streams Wednesdays.
- Re-Slayer's Take: podcast about a lesser-known band of heroes updates Mondays 5am PST
- Tales from the Stinky Dragon New episodes air Wednesdays every two weeks.
Basic Rules
- Follow server Code of Conduct
- Be kind to others
- No spoilers in titles
- For spoiler posts, mention the episode number in the title (e.g.
[Spoiler C3E61]) - The post body can contain any spoiler up to the episode in title
- Comments should not spoil any episode after the tagged episode
- For spoiler posts, mention the episode number in the title (e.g.
Links
- Critical Role's official website
- Critical Role on Twitch
- Critical Role on YouTube
- Critical Role Podcast C1E0 - C2E19
- Beacon
- The artsy MIDST episode list
- The Witch Wolf (webcomic by Loremaster Dani Carr)
Resources
- Interactive Map of Exandria
- Interactive Timeline
- Dharma Tree's Timeline
- Episode Transcripts
- Encyclopedia Exandria
- Critical Role wiki (fandom)
- Critical Role Stats
- Official Daggerheart Toolset
- The Omen Archive
- Episode Discussion Index
- CR Funny Moments (TVtropes)
- CR ABridged Art Archive
- Other Live Play TTRPGs
- CR Bibliography
(google docs spreadsheet)
(TY Dr Friedman!)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
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ExU: Divergence is a four-episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST.
Runtime Break start 4h 37m 2h 37m
ExU: Divergence | Part 3
"Mirror and Key"
We return to the world of Exandria.
In Torm's hill.
It is the morning after: mourning, revelry, fierce battle, and a taste of freedom. The noise that summons you from sleep to wakefulness is the noise of the camp looking out to the west from a taller ridge out past the briars (towards the edge). Near where Erro, the night before, saw the dawn for your very first time as daylight broke. And you see people mesmerized, shouting, cheering, looking out as they point towards a vast valley to the west. Shaped in ages long ago before the Calamity, before even the Age of Arcanum (for those learned few in Exandria that even know of that eon of the world).
Looking to the west, people cheer and weep with amazement as you see Nez (one of the matriarchs of Torm's Hill) going,
"This was briar and ash...briar and ash alone! There was nothing..."
And for any who join, you see (through the grey clouds overhead) areas where the clouds go from grey to white. No pure ray of light breaking through, but enough coming through the white clouds to illuminate. Black and red stone, charred rocky fields, and yet glimmers of distant grass or trees that seem to have sprouted up seemingly overnight. The arms of dead forest reaching towards Rybad Kol that were sundered in the falling of the Strife Emperor. Here (farther away from the realm of his influence) you see cool cold dewey wind blowing across the distant fields. For many of you the first time you have ever seen a field of grass in your life.
You gather belongings and rations; spend another day preparing for your journey forward. You see many similarly preparing. Torm's Hill is enormous and more refugees and prisoners and escapees are pouring in every day. But Torm's Hill (while it is a place of safety) is also closest to those realms of the Strife Emperor and whatever his former soldier or marauders (like those that Efkedrial joined in the waste) are doing back in that ash-choked land. Torm's Hill is a place of safety and strength and gathering, but not a place for the tender. For the weak, the innocent. Those look to the west and to new fields growing and begin (perhaps much more slowly than you all) to think of their own preparations for what a free life would be under even the dim light of a sun behind the clouds.
The following morning, you are preparing to head out. Many of you with a resurgence of belief, of hope. A certainty of the gifts you now wield. And one of you (the only one who has not gained a level of a PC class) gainst a Wisdom of the Earth feature to inscribe on your stat block. Allowing you to add a 1d12 of Inspiration relating to terrain and structures. There is a deeper secret within, that if at some point we arrive in an area of of Exandria to which Garen has some ancestral familiarity, it may take whatever shape most pleases you.
As you prepare to disembark from this place, the morning that you are set to leave, a small group gathers. Erro, you see Nez and Klyssara embrace you once again. You see looking up at you, Klyssara grasps your hand (Nia), kissing it and thanking you. She's been working side by side with you on the injured and sick. Since you've arrived, two more doctors and nurses have arrived; people with knowledge of medicine have arrived. So, even as you depart, there are two more to take your place. Garen you receive a large embrace from Bolray the old Bugbear (who now holds a small hammer at his side) and nods in a sense of the lessons you have imparted with him. Fiedra sees Otto and Tevine both cross their arms looking at you. You see Tevine make a face and say,
"Shame you're leaving. Now that we cut out Marlath's tongue, we could really run quite a game on this town. You know what I mean?"
Previous Episode: "Seven of Them"
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Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST.
Runtime Break start 8h 45m 2h 55m
Episode 121: A New Age Begins
Last we left off, through the chaos of Bell's Hells, Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, and many other heroes that rose up to try and halt the unbridled emergence of the 'God Eater' Bell's Hells finally delivered to the core of the moon Ruidus where they battled with Predathos itself. Which now, upon its defeat remains dormant temporarily within its vessel, Imogen Temult. After passing beyond the boundaries that kept it locked away for an untold amount of history you begin to step to your trek back towards Exandria.
Tense interactions with some of the 'holy armies' perched upon the moon to stop what you are doing at all costs, without understanding the intent behind it. You are eventually given passage to Vasselheim itself, in the moments of a dimmed sky, which we will return to momentarily.
For back within the core of Ruidus (amongst the scattered subterranean tunnels) a wayward troupe of adventurers, responsible for defeating the Weavemind (and dealing with those who remained to surrender within and around the Arx Creonum), the Mighty Nein (shoulder to shoulder with battered but still-surviving Gaz Tomo and other members of the Volition) suddenly receive a message to Mr Caleb Widogast here. Bell's Hells asking for their aid. Some way to free themselves from Ruidus. To get out from where they were. Though not enough to actually find or gather where they might currently reside. As such, hours have passed since the search.
And there we find them, scattered amongst the dark underground. The smell of fungus and a distant side-echo to each word spoken in a relatively silent world.
Previous Episode: "The Red End"
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below. ##The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
It’s the Season 2 Finale! Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- Episode 19 releases Monday, March 3rd on your preferred podcast platform at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon
Campaign 3: Kanon
A team of trained soldiers is caught in the middle of a war between distant deities and under-dwelling devils. As they turn the tide of this celestial crusade, a voice beckons them from the beyond—destiny or doom?
- Episode 12 releases Monday, March 3rd on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
- Episode 12 releases Wednesday, March 5th on your favorite podcast streaming platform and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon YouTube at 12am Pacific.
CharityHeart Session Zero
Join Game Master NerdyNightly and future players Clarus Polaris, Dani Carr, and Jasmine Bhullar as they create the world they will be using for CharityHeart!
Your donates will influence the world, characters, genres, & unlock fun extras! Donate to Critical Role Foundation and LA Fire Relief and effect the stream here.
- Airs LIVE on Monday, March 3rd at 5pm Pacific on the Darrington Press YouTube Channel
- VOD available immediately after the stream ends
Weird News is Coming…
- Tuesday, March 4th at 10am Pacific
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 43 releases Tuesday, March 4th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 43 Podcast out Tuesday, March 4th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 65 releases Tuesday, March 4th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Interlude #1 releases Wednesday, March 5th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Midst Messages releases Wednesday, March 5th on Beacon, Midst.co, and Podcast Subscriptions at 5am Pacific
CharityHeart Session Zero
Join Game Master NerdyNightly and players Omar Najam, Dicecream Sandwich, Zach the Bold, and Zac Clay as they play a game of Daggerheart shaped by your donations!
Your donates will influence the world, characters, genres, & unlock fun extras! Donate to Critical Role Foundation and LA Fire Relief and effect the stream here.
- Airs LIVE on Monday, March 3rd at 5pm Pacific on the Darrington Press YouTube Channel
- VOD available immediately after the stream ends
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 4
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the Gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
- Airs Thursday, March 6th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Thursday, March 6th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
- Rebroadcasts Friday, March 7th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
- VOD out Monday, March 10th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out March 13th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
Critical Role Cooldown – Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 4
Get a backstage pass to Exandria Unlimited: Divergence! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Brennan says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.
- Releases Thursday, March 6th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
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Ashley Johnson's CharityHeart Introduction
CharityHeart starts TOMORROW! (3/3/2025) At 8pm EST/5pm PST join us and @darringtonpress for our session 0 where your donations will help us create the world that our players need to SAVE
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Critical Role: Smiley Day! (preorder page)
A Good Advice Book From Your Favorite Robot Therapist
Wit and wisdom abound in this illustrated gift book from Fresh Cut Grass, Critical Role’s favorite robot therapist!
Join Fresh Cut Grass, an extremely helpful and empathetic robot, as they dispense hilariously unusual but well-meaning advice to the members of Bells Hells. As the adventuring party’s licensed therapist*, FCG grows frazzled trying to help everyone with every single problem that crops up—and soon realizes that they’ve forgotten one very important member of the crew: themself!
With FCG as your guide, you’ll learn important gems such as:
• Truth is like engine oil. It might taste bitter, but you gotta drink it!**
• Do unto others as if you know what the word “unto” means.
• And more!
Written by cast member Sam Riegel and featuring beautiful, full-color illustrations by Thorn L. Knight, this is the perfect gift for Critters of all ages who need a friendly reminder that taking care of themselves is important in order to have a Smiley Day!
*Not actually licensed or a therapist.
**Do not drink engine oil.
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Lost Odyssey: Godfall Reunites Tabletop Legends for Actual Play Charity Game Special
article by Rotem Rusak
The Book of Knowledge opens once again… and from deep within its pages comes a new one-of-a-kind actual play game special from Lost Odyssey, the star-studded celebrity gaming series. But this new one-shot legend, titled Lost Odyssey: Godfall, isn’t just any ordinary tabletop roleplaying experience. Oh, no. It’s extraordinary in many ways. First, and most importantly, Lost Odyssey: Godfall reunites tabletop icons in support of Extra Life for Kids, a program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. And second, Lost Odyssey: Godfall will bring you two immersive experiences you won’t want to miss, incorporating VR into the game in a way that will bring you right to the table.
To get the full sense of what’s in store for you in Lost Odyssey: Godfall, check out the campaign’s first-look trailer.
Lost Odyssey: Godfall, presented by Pathfinder & Demiplane, is coming soon to Geek & SundryOpens in a new tab. This actual play game special will showcase a new Pathfinder story set in War of Immortals. Pathfinder, by Paizo, is one of the world’s top fantasy role-playing game systems, and a Pathfinder game is always going to be an incredibly good time.
But we bet you want a recap of who exactly will be seated at the table. Well, this Lost Odyssey entry reunites some of the absolute greatsOpens in a new tab. Lost Odyssey: Godfall will star Matt Mercer as Ghentros, Reggie Watts as Bronwyn, Deborah Ann Woll as Audrey, Felicia Day as Sylph, & Brandon Routh as Palanon, alongside Game Master Bill Rehor (Beadle & Grimm’s). And they’ll be embarking on an adventure that will have you at the edge of your seat.
Showrunners DiMuccio & Miller have adapted the game into two immersive experiences, joining together with the teams of Lost Odyssey & Light Sail VR. First, the game special, is described as “a cinematic journey where audiences will see our heroes join together in the aftermath of the cosmic events born of the new Pathfinder landscape.” And two, the VR experience, “where for the first time fans get to sit down with the players at the table and feel the adventure around them. The magic of a home game, next to tabletop legends.” Stay tuned to learn more about both journeys.
Of course, as we mentioned, the most important aspect of all is that the Lost Odyssey: Godfall campaign’s chief mission is to support Extra Life. You can help support the work Extra Life does by checking out Lost Odyssey’s Extra Life Superteam page where you’ll find treasures in a collection of games, show exclusive props, tabletop gear, and more. Just to be clear, 100% of all proceeds benefit Extra Life for Kids, a program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Whether or not you secure a fun treat, you’re welcome to donate to this good cause. Extra Life is “mobilizes passionate gamers to help treat sick and injured kids in their local communities.” We invite you to immerse yourself in the campaign action and help save lives. What could be better than that?
As we mentioned, Lost Odyssey: Godfall and all the Matt Mercer, Felicia Day, and co. fun will be coming soon to Geek & SundryOpens in a new tab‘s channels. And you, of course, you’re the most important part. Welcome back to the table.
Additional footage:
Behind the Scenes IGN Video
IGN Virtual Reality Preview
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Avowed
A one-shot adventure
Join Game Master Matthew Mercer for a special Avowed inspired one-shot as he guides players Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Anjali Bhimani, SungWon Cho, and Whitney Moore through the Living Lands and shadow-haunted shores.
Welcome to Eora, a vast and mysterious world of magic, politics, and discovery where empires weave and rove over their interests in the many gods who have presided in ages past over the Wheel (the cycle of rebirth the soul underdakes with each passing). The soul itself is a studied thing, a being's own essence, and its mechanics themselves are studied across many lands within the field of animancy. Texts and great machines recovered from the ancient civilization known as the Engwithans pertained to and manipulated souls in ways that are still not fully understood.
But such matters carry little interest where our story begins, as a sizable prison ship recently set sail from the Aedryan capital city of Highcrown heading northward.
This ship, the Dancing Umbrage, carries a cargo of numerous convicts of varying degrees of notoriety, shackled then prepped into the ship for arrival to the Living Lands, the northern frontier island where numerous settlements and foreign colonies now seek to expand and claim dominion over the region's diverse geography and bountiful resources. Rumors swirl of unnaturally abundant landscapes and uncovered relics belonging to prehistoric culture, and the pursuit of such interests requires labor. Well, no labor is cheaper than prisoners without choice, prisoners that now wait within the belly of the Dancing Umbrage pushing onward across a choppy sea as a storm brews beyond.
So here, deep below the deck, the dull, swinging lantern light barely lighting the interior of these barred cells. The strong sense of musky sweat and mildew, salt-soaked wood itself giving this awful mixture of smells that sting the senses, like an invisible mist that hangs in the air around you. The loud sounds of hard exterior rainfall hitting the hull of the ship, the undulating creaking of the wood with each shift of every heavy wave causing you all to rock and push against the bars and wood that surround you.
Here in the shadows of this ship, the many criminals sent on this "adventure" sit behind these bars sliding with each of these heavy swings. A wooden cage filled with a unique mix of white collar criminals, grifters, thugs, and some career crooks all eager to be free from this seaside rocking coffin.
As we shift over to one of the two adjacent cells, with but a set of bars between them, what are you doing?
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.
The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- Episode 18 releases Monday, February 24th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon
Second Wind | Campaign 3: Kanon
Go behind the scenes of Tales from the Stinky Dragon Campaign 3: Kanon with the cast and crew as they discuss each episode, player decisions, DM secrets, and life stories in this exclusive bi-weekly show!
- Episode 11 releases Monday, February 24th on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 42 releases Tuesday, February 25th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 42 Podcast out Tuesday, February 25th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 64 releases Tuesday, February 25th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Episode 18 releases Wednesday, February 26th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- UNEND Season 1 has come to its epic conclusion on Beacon and Midst.co but stay tuned! We’ll have more coming to the cosmos soon so please check back here and check our @MidstPodcast socials for more updates!
Narrative Telephone
Much like the game of telephone we all played in elementary school, Narrative Telephone involves a group of friends telling and re-telling a short story from one person to the next; with only their memory to help them recount what they heard. As the story inevitably changes and distorts it becomes more and more outlandish and hilarious. They then gather to watch the results and react, comment, commiserate, and joke about the chaos that ensues.
- Episode 5 releases Wednesday, February 26th on Beacon at 12pm Pacific
- Episode 5 releases Wednesday, March 12th on YouTube at 12pm Pacific
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 3
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the Gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
- Airs Thursday, February 27th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Thursday, February 27th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
- Rebroadcasts Friday, February 28th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
- VOD out Monday, March 3rd at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out March 6th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
Critical Role Cooldown – Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 3
Get a backstage pass to Exandria Unlimited: Divergence! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Brennan says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.
- Releases Thursday, February 27th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
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ExU: Divergence is a four-episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST.
Runtime Break start 4h 46m 2h 25m
ExU: Divergence | Part 2
"Seven of Them"
We return to the Rifenmist Peninsula in the south of Gwessar. A continent that has not yet earned the name Taldorei. In an age long past, where a group of straggling survivors escape the ruin of the Prison of Rybad Kol. Headed north towards a whisper, or a promise, of safety.
A community known as Torm's Hill. Pockets of civilization here in the height of Calamity are few and far between. It's been less than two years since you were there. But two years is normally long enough for a group of people (trying to survive the Calamity) to be found and slaughtered. Those that you will find (or if indeed you will live long enough to find it).
After the event's mysterious, cosmic, divine in ways and yet oh so very real, that unfolded. Shattered stone. Lightning and thunder. Roots growing before your very eyes. Lights of some strange insect. So very wild and mundane and also so unworldly. Or in the locket of your sister.
Scattered from the other companions of your gang. Sent forward into the unknown, you have been travelling for days following a stretch of magically-conjured woodland hiding from the eyes of whatever this world now holds now that 'up is down' and chaos reigns.
We return to the moments after the falling of Starmy and Fiddleflask and the witnessing of a colossal figure moving across the landscape. Crocus, at your feet, made of thick leather cord and clasp, made of dragon ivory. A gift from a god whose care is as profound as it is fleeting. And glibly given.
The lightning fades and you are left in dark forest and you do the only thing that you can. Put one weary foot in front of the other.
You are three days from where you believe Torm's Hill to be. Some of you have two levels of exhaustion already. Starmion just became rid of his very last (Insta death at 6 levels), now knowing rest that you do not. You have three days left, assuming your party can move at regular speed. However, if enough of you hit that second level of exhaustion, then that three days might turn into six. So, lets see if you all die before even a single combat.
Previous Episode: "Give and Take"
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below. #The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- Episode 17 releases Monday, February 17th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 19 releases Monday, February 17th on Beacon at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon
Campaign 3: Kanon
A team of trained soldiers is caught in the middle of a war between distant deities and under-dwelling devils. As they turn the tide of this celestial crusade, a voice beckons them from the beyond—destiny or doom?
- Episode 11 releases Monday, February 17th on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
- Episode 11 releases Wednesday, February 19th on your favorite podcast streaming platform and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon YouTube at 12am Pacific.
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 41 releases Tuesday, February 18th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 41 Podcast out Tuesday, February 18th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 63 releases Tuesday, February 18th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
Avowed One-Shot
Join us in the Living Lands for a special Avowed inspired one-shot as our very own Matthew Mercer guides players Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Anjali Bhimani, SungWon Cho, and Whitney Moore to shadow-haunted shores.
- Airs Tuesday, February 18th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Tuesday, February 18th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
- VOD out Thursday, February 20th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out Tuesday, February 25th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Episode 17 releases Wednesday, February 19th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- UNEND Interlude releases Wednesday, February 19th on Beacon, Midst.co, Podcast Subscribers at 5am Pacific
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 2
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the Gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
- Airs Thursday, February 20th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Thursday, February 20th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
- Rebroadcasts Friday, February 21st at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
- VOD out Monday, February 24th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out February 27th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
Critical Role Cooldown – Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 2
Get a backstage pass to Exandria Unlimited: Divergence! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Brennan says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.
- Releases Thursday, February 20th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
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Minoring in Pangolin with Brennan Lee Mulligan
Comedian and legendary game master Brennan Lee Mulligan joins to share the downsides of being raised by artists, learning curse words from Dave Chappelle, getting your teeth pulled by a sketchy dentist, the charms of Jeff Goldblum, and why billionaires have gotta stop.
Jeff Goldblum has his own version of Chuck Norris Jokes where they're all non-violent or vaguely sexual. For example:
Dolphins travel to swim with Jeff Goldblum
Cheers to Puddleglum for inspiring the secular philosophies of a young BLeeM.
After you finish watching that, check out
How DnD Became a Career: Brennan Lee Mulligan’s College Journey
In the first episode of our College Journeys series, Hank Green talks to Dimension 20 host, Dropout writer, performer, and overall great guy: Brennan Lee Mulligan. Before Brennan joined the CollegeHumor cast and became a famous comedian/writer/game master, he was (in no particular order): a 14 year old philosophy major, a Law & Order PA, a LARP camper, a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” contestant, a bartender missing a front tooth, and more!
We’re on a mission to learn how people have learned! To do that we’re interviewing people from various fields and asking them about their lives, careers, and college journeys. The "College Journeys" series aims to inspire viewers by showcasing the varied paths to success and highlighting the importance of learning, both in school and through life.
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ExU: Divergence is a four-episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST.
Runtime Break start 5h 01m 2h 32m
ExU: Divergence | Part 1
"Give and Take"
"Hope...
is a dangerous thing. Cruel and painful."
You behold, on obsidian walls, overlooking the fortress prison of Rybad-Kol, your leader Asmog (a vampiric hobgoblin dressed in black armor) who holds a writhing hobgoblin elder by the throat, lifting him up off the ground.
The Sundering Lord, ruler of the Steel Keep, this is the commander of the garrison of the prison which all of you will from this day to your last.
"Hope. That which corrodes the soul and weakens the spirit. That sharpest and most painful barb. It can drive you to madness if you let it. No, for you my pets, I do not wish this."
Under his hand you see the grip tighten and the writhing elder that is held aloft (silver streaks in his hair he wears the clothes of a prisoner). As Asmog raises him ever higher, the Sundering Lord looks at all of you.
"If pain is what you feel, then it is the comfort of dispair you musk seek. Surrendering hope is the only balm you will ever know. Some will tell you otherwise! They are fools."
Assembled beneath him (filling the square of the central plaza of Rybad-Kol under a red ash-choked sky) you see a thousand prisoners on their knees, shackled. Surrounding them, armored Fire Giants. Row upon row of human, half-orc, hobgoblin...You see there are numerous demons populating the walls. Chattering in glee and laughter as they look down at this public display of power.
"For those who require assistance ridding themselves of that most painful substance, allow me to inform you, despite the ministrations of the REBELLIOUS in nature. When next the Red Moon touches the western sky, we will march to glory and the final defeat of the PRIME DEITIES! FOR THE STRIFE EMPEROR!"
The armies assembled chant in unison. Massive drums, each forty feet tall with hobgoblin drummers standing besid them, massive batons in their hands. You look out.
"Word has just reached the Steel Keep. The Allhammer is dead! The Platinum Dragon, devoured! And, of course, the Moonweaver has just met her final end. But what of your divinity?"
He turns to face the hobgoblin still choking under his supernaturally strong grip.
"The Changebringer. That mistress of good fortune. Do you see good fortune before you here?"
He drops the hobgoblin to the wall. The hobgoblin elder, a secret worshipper of the Changebringer, raises his head.
"She has not seen to save you here. Speak. Do you repent knowing that your ultimate defeat is soon at hand?"
You see the hobgoblin look and whisper,
"I do not. I do not."
"No?"
You see Asmog lifts a hand. Out under the open sun (because even as a vampire, the sun has not shown here in a hundred years, perhaps he has no need of threats). He raises his fingers to snap them and below you see there is a small family of hobgoblin prisoners looking up. And you see that behind them a group of soldiers draws their weapon to level them at their face. The elder (a thin leather cord that has had his holy symbol ripped off of it) looks down.
"I repent. I repent. Please don't hurt them."
"What was that? Speak louder so that the other prisoners might hear."
"I repent! Change is not coming. The Changebringer cannot save us. Listen to what they say, I am sorry. I repent. I have wasted my life in worship to her. I do not believe!"
"Persuasive words. I'm glad that you at last have seen the truth before the lie of Hope could destroy you. The Strife Emperor still does demand punishment, though."
Asmog reaches a clawed hand into the stomach of the hobgoblin elder (up through the chest, through the neck) grabs the mouth and skull of this elder from within and wrenches the head into the chest cavity of the body. Arm covered in viscera as he sloughs him off and he falls a hundred and fifty feet to splatter on the court before you.
Asmog smiles, licks the blood off his fingers, turns to a lieutenant (a massive human enforcer in thick cast-iron armor) who nods. He turns back and goes,
"Well, what are you waiting for?! Back to work you slags!"
The drums beat and prisoners are yanked via chains.
Back to work.
This is Calamity. And the terrible work of the Betrayers.
Matt, I would like you describe your character for us and what he is currently busy doing with the knowledge that your hand is bleeding under the effort that you now expend.
Tonight Matt and Liam will be playing with:
Jasmine Don
Alex Ward
Celia Rose Gooding
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DELVE INTO DAWNSHORE! ⚔️ 🧭
Join us in the Living Lands for a special @AvowedtheGame inspired one-shot as our very own @matthewmercer guides players
- @marisha_ray
- @willingblam
- @sweeetanj
- @ProZD and
- @TweetneyMoore
to shadow-haunted shores on Tuesday, Feb. 18th!
SungWon Cho (ProZD)
Whitney Moore
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.
The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- Episode 16 releases Monday, February 10th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 18 releases Monday, February 10th on Beacon at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon, Second Wind | Campaign 3: Kanon
Go behind the scenes of Tales from the Stinky Dragon Campaign 3: Kanon with the cast and crew as they discuss each episode, player decisions, DM secrets, and life stories in this exclusive bi-weekly show!
- Episode 10 releases Monday, February 10th on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 40 releases Tuesday, February 11th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 40 Podcast out Tuesday, February 11th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 62 releases Tuesday, February 11th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
Fireside Chat with Matthew Mercer
Matthew Mercer is returning to the tavern for a special fireside chat to address any lingering threads from our Bells Hells campaign!
- Airs Tuesday, February 11th, at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Episode 16 releases Wednesday, February 12th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 18 releases Wednesday, February 12th on Beacon, Midst.co, and Podcast Subscribers at 5am Pacific
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 1
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the Gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
- Airs Thursday, February 13th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Thursday, February 13th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
- Rebroadcasts Friday, February 14th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
- VOD out Monday, February 17th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out February 20th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
Critical Role Cooldown – Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 1
Get a backstage pass to Exandria Unlimited: Divergence! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Brennan says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.
- Releases Thursday, February 13th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
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Orym's Song on the video page is the newest of a series of songs announced for future release.
Lilli is a musician in a band called Ginger and Pear, but has also been writing songs for the characters in Critical Role for over the past four years. Her style can be described as contemporary folk, though Yasha's song "Bare Bones" has a fan-made orchestrated version that has an ominous mood in a cool way.
The lyrics clearly make an effort to highlight the vulnerabilities of the characters and get us to recognize them in ourselves and eachother and I find it very creative. I hope you find something that you enjoy as I have.
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With the epic conclusion of Campaign 3 coming to a close on Thursday, February 6th at 7pm Pacific, our newest Exandria Unlimited series Divergence just around the corner on Thursday, February 13th at 7pm Pacific, and 10 YEARS of storytelling in the world of Exandria, we know there are many hours of content and lore that folks may have missed out on.
So to help everyone stay up to date, we made this handy guide that will show you where to find Critical Role resources from Critical Recaps to character descriptions and more!
What Should You Know Before the Campaign 3 Finale?
Campaign 3 encompasses 10 YEARS of storytelling wrapped into one campaign and it follows the lives of the chaotic adventuring party, Bells Hells.
In a world with endless free time (what a dream), one would ideally watch the following before diving into the Campaign 3 Finale:
But with so many new Critters joining us for Campaign 3, we created some resources to make catching up as easy as possible! Here is a list of all the unique ways you can get up to speed on Critical Role content!
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode. Our Lorekeepers have ensured you’ll catch all the crucial plot points, characters, and worldbuilding you’ll need to get started with Critical Role, catch up to the current episodes, or revisit old friends. Plus, each episode is enhanced with new pieces of artwork, bringing key characters, items, and moments to greater visual detail.
Critical Role Abridged begins with Critical Role’s third campaign, Bells Hells, with new episodes airing every Tuesday at 10am Pacific on Beacon and YouTube.
Critical Recaps
Every Wednesday, Lore Keeper Dani Carr writes weekly episode summaries for all our Critical Role and Exandria Unlimited episodes! So if you ever miss an episode and need to catch up fast, head over to critrole.com and Dani will fill you in!
If you’re short on time, watch these 60 second video episode summaries created weekly by Dani Carr for our social platforms.
For The Mighty Nein specifically, our show Crit Recap Animated summarizes Campaign 2 arcs in short 5-10 minute videos and is narrated by Lore Keeper Dani Carr. The episodes are written by the incredible mind trust of Dani, Marisha Ray, and Kyle Shire, with animation by Offworld Studios.
(BONUS POINTS: If you want to watch an animated show based on the Campaign 1: Vox Machina adventures, be sure to check out our series with Amazon Prime, The Legend of Vox Machina!)
Exandria Lore
Take a deep lore dive into the history of how Exandria came to be, from the Founding, to the Calamity, to the Age of Arcanum, and beyond — narrated by Exandria’s architect and our very own Game Master Matthew Mercer.
Starring our beloved Lore Keeper Dani Carr, check out this deep lore dive into the history of Rudius and the Gods.
Character Descriptions
Campaign 3 is extra special because it includes characters from all three of our major campaigns! So to help everyone learn a little more about the familiar faces joining the show, Dani Carr created these videos to introduce our three adventuring parties: Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells.
Check out the official Character Descriptions for the characters in Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells.
Check out the official Character Descriptions for the characters in Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells.
Also from Exandria Unlimited and Exandria Unlimited: Kymal
Characters Fearne Calloway, Orym of the Air Ashari and Dorian Storm were actually a part of another adventuring party prior to the events of Campaign 3 known as “The Crownkeepers!” These two Exandria Unlimited mini series explore the adventures of this group and are both game mastered by the legendary Aabria Iyengar!
What Should You Know Before Exandria Unlimited: Divergence?
Taking place after the events of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the Gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.
The incredibly talented Brennan Lee Mulligan will be returning as our game master for the series alongside players Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Jasmine Don, Alex Ward, and Celia Rose Gooding!
Since Divergence takes place LONG before the events of our main campaigns, preparing for the series is even easier!
Exandria Unlimited: Calamity is a four-part mini-series set a thousand years before the adventures of Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells. It follows six distinguished heroes from the Age of Arcanum as they uncover an insidious corruption beneath a city that they’ve sworn to protect. This is a story where Exandria’s greatest minds could not—or would not—see the truth before it was too late. These mighty protectors will do everything in their power in an attempt to prevent the inevitable… The Calamity.
Chronological Order
The list above is just a summarization of our main campaigns, mini-series, and resources associated with Exandria Unlimited and Critical Role. But rest assured, there are PLENTY more stories from Exandria to explore with comics, one-shots, novels, and more!
So, to keep track, the incomparable Dani Carr created an official History of Exandria timeline for reference!
We hope this guide gives you everything you need to get ready and get HYPED for our Campaign 3 Finale and Exandria Unlimited: Divergence series!
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.
The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- Episode 15 releases Monday, February 3rd on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 17 releases Monday, February 3rd on Beacon at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon, Campaign 3: Kanon
A team of trained soldiers is caught in the middle of a war between distant deities and under-dwelling devils. As they turn the tide of this celestial crusade, a voice beckons them from the beyond—destiny or doom?
- Episode 10 releases Monday, February 3rd on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
- Episode 10 releases Wednesday, February 5th on your favorite podcast streaming platform and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon YouTube at 12am Pacific.
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 39 releases Tuesday, February 4th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 39 Podcast out Tuesday, February 4th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 61 releases Tuesday, February 4th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Episode 15 releases Wednesday, February 5th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 17 releases Wednesday, February 5th on Beacon, Midst.co, Podcast Subscribers at 5am Pacific
Campaign 3 Tale Gate
Join our founding cast, friends, and crew for a special LIVE celebratory pre-show leading into our Bells Hells finale. Bring all of your questions, comments, and feels to the chat, as we hang out together & answer your questions!
- Airs LIVE on Thursday, February 6th at 6pm Pacific on Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube
Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 121
It’s the Campaign 3 Finale! Fair warning, dear Critters – we have crushed our previous livestream record as our finale episode of Bells Hells clocks in at over eight hours. Buckle in, grab some snacks, water, and your friends, and let’s see how 10 years of cumulative storytelling will meet its EPIC conclusion!
- Airs Thursday, February 6th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
- VOD and Podcast out Thursday, February 6th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon (Will be split into two parts)
- Rebroadcasts Friday, February 7th 9am Pacific on Twitch
- VOD out Monday, February 10th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
- Podcast out February 13th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific (Will be split into two parts)
Critical Role Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 121
Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 121! You’ll be right there at the table immediately after Matt says “Is it Thursday yet?”, experiencing the cast’s post-show reactions.
- Releases Thursday, February 6th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
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Dice Rolls to Deities: Inside Critical Role’s Untold Secrets
Join your favorite voice actors as they recount their journey from humble beginnings in anime to the phenomenon that is Critical Role. You'll laugh, gasp, and maybe even shed a tear as they discuss their creative process, character development, and unforgettable moments from their campaigns.
Event: SacAnime Summer 2024
Guests: Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey
Date Of Recording: August 31, 2024
Recording Time: 10:30AM-11:30AM
⏱️ Timestamps / ❓ Questions
- 0:00 What's Wrong With You, Don't Know Who You Are Talking About, This Is Our Panel
- 0:36 Critical Role Panel
- 3:09 How do you feel your gaming experience has changed over the years?
- 5:39 What preparation do you do now for the characters you create?
- 8:37 Is there anything that you take away from the characters you play?
- 11:31 Is there one moment of pure joy that you had while playing with your friends?
- 13:12 Was it pre-planned for Vexahia to take the broom?
- 14:26 At what point did Fjord and Jester fall in love with each other during campaign 2?
- 17:00 How many close calls has Chetney had with Dynios?
- 18:07 Is there an chance that Chetney might live long enough to have a cameo in campaign 4?
- 19:05 How has your process of building and making characters changed over the years?
- 20:50 Has doing the research to revisit the old campaign brought in the emotions from the old campaign?
- 23:50 What moment from Critical Role most impacted you?
- 25:18 Which Deity of the pantheon is your favorite?
- 26:39 Who is the most vile critical person in Critical Role?
- 29:43 How do you go into the recording sessions knowing your characters are going to fight each other?
- 31:20 What is your favorite blooper or mistake?
- 32:58 What weapon would you like to own?
- 34:08 How would you describe each other?
- 34:58 Which two characters are completely opposite of each other out of all the characters you had voiced?
- 35:39 Do you play Baldur's Gate 3 and what is your comfort level?
- 38:10 What drives you to put out as much content as you do?
- 39:49 What went through your hearts and minds when seeing Jester get killed?
Edit#1:As of 9am PST (2/2/2025), the video has gone private. I'll leave this post up for when/if it is restored.
Edit#2: 1pm PST (2/4/2025) video has been restored to public viewing
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State of the Role VoD
Greetings, Critters!
First things first, thank you so much for your patience while we’ve been slowly but surely bouncing back into our new normal after recent wildfires hit close to home.
Over the past several months, our creative team has been working tirelessly to map out all of the wonderful content that we will have in store for you after C3 concludes.
Upcoming Schedule
Freaky Thursday Bells Hells Charity One-Shot
- January 30th at 7pm Pacific
Featuring our beloved Campaign 3 characters, here’s what our dope ass Game Master, Matthew Mercer, has planned for you:
Two Elemental Royals have made a wager: Are modern mortal “heroes” as resilient and courageous as those of legend? Hearing of the recent, wild exploits of Bells Hells, these two entities pluck the troupe from Exandria and force a series of challenges to test their skills, wit, and ability… all while the Elementals subtly manipulate the odds between Order and Chaos to serve their bet. Weird magics weave throughout the realm, as onlookers from across the realms alter the dangers mid-contest, rending the battlefield or even swapping souls between the players! Can Bells Hells survive this series of clashes, and does either Order or Chaos truly carve the path of a hero?
For our non-canon one-shot, there are two different ways that your donations can shape our game and even more ways that you can help us raise money for an important cause that’s close to home for us.
Campaign 3 Tale Gate
- February 6th LIVE at 6pm Pacific
10 years, 3 campaigns, and hundreds of episodes. An epic for the ages deserves an epic final stream! Join our founding cast, friends, and crew for a special LIVE celebratory pre-show leading into our Bells Hells finale. Bring all of your questions, comments, and feels to the chat, as we hang out together & answer your questions!
Bells Hells Campaign 3 Finale
- February 6th at 7pm Pacific
Fair warning, dear Critters – we have crushed our previous livestream record as our finale episode of Bells Hells clocks in at over eight hours. Buckle in, grab some snacks, water, and your friends, and let’s see how 10 years of cumulative storytelling will meet its EPIC conclusion!
Fireside Chat with Matthew Mercer
- February 11th at 7pm Pacific
We’re sure that you’ll have some immediate questions after the finale, so Matthew Mercer will be hosting a special fireside chat for Beacon members to address any lingering threads from our Bells Hells campaign.
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence Premiere
- February 13th at 7pm Pacific
Exandria Unlimited: Divergence is a four-week miniseries that will pick up the pieces in the wake of Calamity. As the Prime Deities construct the Divine Gate, join us as the mortals of Exandria rebuild their shattered world and learn to live without the Gods walking among them.
Our cast includes Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Jasmine Don, Alex Ward, and Celia Rose Gooding, and will be Game Mastered by the incomparable Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Exandria Wrap-Up
- March 13th at 7pm Pacific
We’ll cover questions and topics from all three of our main campaigns (Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells) as well as each of our Exandria Unlimited installments, and any other pieces of lore and worldbuilding from our novels, game materials, and anything else that’s helped us all explore and fall in love with Exandria over the past 10 years. Questions will be taken from Beacon members (Keep an eye out – question submission is coming soon!)
It’s an inexplicable honor to be able to have the opportunity to create this world and tell these stories together for the past ten years. You are a huge part of the motivation to do what we do and we are stronger because of your support.
We’re already hard at work creating the next thing that will drop on our content channels and will have another update for you in the coming months.
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Critical Role Foundation Donation and Voting Page
The recent wildfires surrounding Los Angeles have absolutely devastated our local community. Starting today, January 27th and ending on February 28th, we’ll allocate and evenly split every single Donations will be split equally between the following three organizations, outside of our 10% emergency fund allocation and any admin fees: the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, the Latino Community Foundation and the LA Fire Department Foundation
FREAKY THURSDAY: Bells Hells LIVE One Shot
Polling and pre-show rewards close at 6pm PT on 1/30. We will be opening up in-game rewards promptly at 7pm PT
Milestones:
- MONSTER I: A Deadly Monster is unleashed!
$35,000.00 - FREAKY THURSDAY: Players swap bodies to the right
$50,000.00 - DISPLACEMENT: Players teleported 50 ft randomly
$65,000.00 - FREAKY THURSDAY: Players swap bodies to the right
$80,000.00 - CATACLYSM: All Hazards cast their Cataclysm spell
$100,000.00 - MONSTER II: Another Deadly Monster is unleashed!
$110,000.00 - CATACLYSM: All Hazards cast their Cataclysm Spell
$140,000.00 - FREAKY THURSDAY: Players swap bodies to the right
$160,000.00 - APOCALYPSE: Meteor Swarm is cast on battlefield!
$180,000.00
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Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.
The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2
Follow the escapades of the second-coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria: The Re-Slayer’s Take! After six misfit mercenaries are rejected from the elite monster hunting group, The Slayer’s Take, they band together, battling supernatural creatures across the rugged continent of Issylra.
- The Re-Slayer’s (Bonus) Take with Jasmine Chiong releases Monday, January 27th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 16 releases Monday, January 27th on Beacon at 5am Pacific
Tales From The Stinky Dragon, Second Wind
Campaign 3: Kanon
A team of trained soldiers is caught in the middle of a war between distant deities and under-dwelling devils. As they turn the tide of this celestial crusade, a voice beckons them from the beyond—destiny or doom?
- Episode 9 releases Monday, January 27th on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon at 12am Pacific.
Critical Role Abridged
All the twists and turns of an episode of Critical Role in half the time! In Critical Role Abridged, the rich tapestry of a Critical Role campaign is lovingly distilled to its most pivotal, hilarious, and poignant moments in about 60-90 minutes per episode.
- Campaign 3, Episode 38 releases Tuesday, January 28th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
- Campaign 3, Episode 38 Podcast out Tuesday, January 28th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Campaign 3, Episode 60 releases Tuesday, January 28th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
UNEND, Season 1
Several decades after the events of MIDST and Moonward, a supernatural ship and a remarkable crew set forth on an expedition to explore the highest heights, deepest depths, and furthest reaches of the known cosmos. But their journey is fraught with peril as they discover truths and realities far stranger than any of them could ever have imagined.
- Episode 14 releases Wednesday, January 29th on the Midst Podcast YouTube at 10am Pacific and your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
- Episode 16 releases Wednesday, January 29th on Beacon, Midst.co, and for Podcast Subscribers at 5am Pacific
State of The Roll | January 2025
Join Marisha Ray, Matthew Mercer, Travis Willingham, and Ashley Johnson for the latest updates in Critical Role Land.
- Releases Thursday at 9am Pacific on Beacon and YouTube.
Critical Role Foundation Presents: Freaky Thursday
A Bells Hells Charity One-Shot
Tune in for our LIVE Critical Role Foundation Charity One-Shot to support those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
This will be a live (that’s right, LIVE) stream featuring the Bells Hells cast in a non-canon adventure shaped by YOUR donations. Learn more and donate now at critrole.com/CRFLovesLA
- Airs Thursday, January 30th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube
- VOD available on Beacon and YouTube after the stream ends.
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Dimension 20’s sold-out show at MSG shines a light on decades of TTRPG performance
A brief history of role-playing games played in front of live audiences.
If you’re drawn to the vibe of sitting among hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people screaming their heads off at a roll of the dice, 2025 is your year. The calendar is currently full of live, in-person role-playing game performances with a scope and scale that’s bigger than anything that’s come before. Critical Role looms large of course, and is celebrating its first decade with a series of sold-out live shows in the US and Australia that are sure to draw big crowds. Meanwhile, Dimension 20 has plans for touring the West Coast. But first, the prolific troupe of improvisors at Dropout is mounting the single largest D&D live show in the history of the genre, with a sold-out show for nearly 20,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. And while these live shows are setting new records, it’s important to note that they’re actually part of a much longer tradition of live role-playing game performance that is, in many cases, a fair bit older than some of its current fans.
As an academic who studies the history of actual play, I’m usually encountering the difficulties of tracking modern digital shows, which now number in the tens of thousands each with dozens or potentially hundreds of hours of content. When I turned to look into the offline prehistory of people playing role-playing games for live audiences, I found a new set of challenges: while some fans of actual play likely know that shows like Dungeons & Daddies and Not Another D&D Podcast have mounted their own tours of growing size since the early 2020s, and that Glass Cannon has toured since 2018, they are just a part of the latest generation of the offline version of performed play.
An important part of the prehistory of modern actual play online is the prior decades of people playing role-playing games offline, for audiences in theatres, bars, convention halls, and college campuses across the globe. Finding information about those performances presents new challenges: hunting down old convention programs, shaking my fist at dead websites, keeping an ear out for those who remember and can tell me what it was like to be at those shows.
So far, the oldest example I’ve been able to trace is Hampshire College’s Deathfest, a battle royale-style event described as “Dungeons & Dragon’s weird cousin” that slowly accumulates an audience across the experience, as defeated players become part of the audience. The annual game has been organized for over three decades. It’s almost certain that other college campuses put on some kind of role-playing games for audiences in the 1990s and 2000s (and let us know about them in the comments!).
Similarly, conventions were an early site for audiences to watch other people play. Game designer Allan Goodall recalled in a message to Polygon a Call of Cthulhu game at the first Necronomicon in Danvers, MA, in 1993. Set during Boston’s Big Dig, the adventure features 12 players which Goodall noted included “NPC ghouls.” Tracy and Laura Hickman’s Killer Breakfast was a long-running Gen Con tradition that ran from the late 1990s to the early 2020s, sending hundreds of players to their doom in the span of just two hours.
Convention live shows met early actual play when the Acquisitions Incorporated series began performing live shows at Penny Arcade’s PAX conventions in 2010, starting with annual installments at PAX Prime until adding PAX East in 2014, West in 2016, and South, Australia, and Unplugged in 2017. The loosely-connected narrative now sprawls over a decade, but never demands too much of its audiences thanks to animated recaps helmed and narrated by Kris Straub.
Critical Role’s early live shows in 2016-2020 were primarily main campaign episodes performed in conjunction with various conventions, though the logistics of livestreaming from theatres not used to such a complex production lift meant technical issues often thwarted the troupe. By the time they returned to live shows in the 2020s, they were able to create more sophisticated recording setups for their shows, though like the rest of the company’s content the shows are now aired after recording.
In a similar way, Dimension 20 only had limited chances to perform live before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the core cast of Intrepid Heroes playing at Chicago’s C2E2 convention in 2018 and Brooklyn’s Bell House and RTX in 2019. Aabria Iyengar ran a special one-shot of Misfits and Magic at Gen Con in 2022, but the core cast didn’t play live again until April 2024, when they played six shows in four cities in a sold-out UK & Ireland tour.
In addition to colleges and conventions, comedy clubs, bars, and other nerdy event spaces have been used for improvised gameplay. This analog tradition still continues on stages like Los Angeles’ semi-scripted show Dungeon Master, which has run since the early 2010s, and Seattle-based Dungeons & Drag Queens, which has toured across the country since 2021. But the richest as-yet unexplored part of the history of live performances including role-playing games is the connection to various Fringe festivals. Fringe festivals spotlight performances created outside of theatre institutions, often small-scale, low-budget, or experimental. Fringe festivals bring together thousands or tens of thousands of shows across dozens of venues or more, and so records can be spotty or even non-existent.
DnD Improv began at the 2006 Winnipeg Fringe Festival and has run ever since. Polygon heard from comedians Ben McKenzie and Richard McKenzie (no relation), who first put together “+1 Sword,” an improvised show including D&D the duo performed for a dungeon-like basement bar at the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival and 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival. The two would then create a fully-improvised comedy show Dungeon Crawl, with Ben as DM and a guest cast of comedians and improvisers, with lots of audience input. The show would run with various settings monthly until 2014, and has been performed intermittently since, including at PAX Australia. The show somewhat resembles The Twenty-Sided Tavern, now an off-Broadway show with a planned mounting in Australia, which appeared at Edinburgh Fringe. Also at Edinburgh, last year Chaosium, the National Library of Scotland, and University of Edinburgh’s History and Games Lab collaborated to sponsor a live Call of Cthulhu game.
This is still very much work in progress. There’s far more recovery work to be done to trace the history of role-playing games in live theatrical performance – whether you’re a fan, a player, or just found yourself at an improv club at just the right time, please let us know in the comments if you remember live shows that we shouldn’t forget!
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Runtime Break start 4h 52m 3h 06m
Episode 120: The Red End
Bell’s Hells, after trekking deep into the depths of the red moon of ill omen, Ruidus, you found yourself at the very core. After sending Ludinus’ form scattering into some oily bubbling substance, you stepped into the central chamber, where the two Ruidusborn accepted a meeting. As you watched it swell and grow to a monstrous size, and begin to step towards its exit, you all rallied around this terrifying entity. Trying to beseech your friend who seemed beyond your reach as Imogen (somewhere within the consciousness of Predathos) sought to engage with the shreds that remain of the two gods it once swallowed and forgot in history. As you battled it, trying to peel back its hardened carapace (and the blue-green crystals that armor its torso and body) you began to see opportunities to reach for your friend where you managed to free one of the two lost entities.
In a moment of crisis and panic, Laudna placed the (bequeathed) legendary mask of The Matron upon her face, discovered it was a fake (crafted by one of her own companions, Braius) and through some rapid fenagling with your terrifying Form of Dread you placed your face into it and briefly transported the consciousness of you and the rest of your troop into the Matron’s realm to have a discussion with her. There in that stretched moment of time, you came up with a very curious possibility on how to deal with the current Predathos-God situation on Exandria. After expressing this possibility in a bit of banter, your moment came to a close and you had to choose two from a number of boons that the Matron could provide.
As you stepped back out of her realm and into your conscious selves back here on the moon, you chose the recovery of some of the arcane knowledge that your group had expended as well as a brief swell of lively experience (temporarily gaining two levels from 15 to 17). Finishing destroying this entity (as it crumbled, it’s form shattering across the room in innumerable shards of broken Ruidian glass) you had a moment to breathe in the silence and process what had happened before the room itself began to shake. As (erupting from across the chamber) a massive kaiju-head Predathos (currently furious) began to burst through the ground where two of its massive claws reached out to claim vengeance and possibly reclaim its vessel. To ride out and beyond, to feast upon the quaking gods beyond the divine gate.
As these massive claws come streaking through the air (their fingers reaching, the scythe-like claws cracking in the air as it expands),
the gargantuan crested head of Predathos roars.
It’s mouth lighting up with a bright glowing-blue light, and you see a flicker of black energy inside that seems to pulse.
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