Earlier this year, asCritical Role’sthird campaign was wrapping up, there was a sense in the air that perhaps this was the end of an era. The climax of the campaign saw the very fabric ofthe world of Exandriairrevocably changed, and allowed every player character from all three main campaigns to come together in an epic finale. In many ways, the finale of Campaign Three felt like a send-off to the first decade of Critical Role as a whole.
With the latest news from Critical Role’s upcoming fourth campaign, it seems that sense of conclusion was proven accurate. Critical Role announced that, with the start of a new campaign (coming October 2nd), the team will also welcome a new Game Master in Brennan Lee Mulligan, longtime TTRPG-er and DM for Dimension 20 at Dropout, which means, CR’s beloved game master Matthew Mercer will be taking a new seat at the table.
A New Beginning
With this news, it’s easy for longtime fans like myself to feel a bit wistful about the past decade. However, that’s not to suggest that an era of Critical Role is over, but rather, that Critical Role is starting fresh. To use a very popular expression from the fandom: It has begin.
With the turn of the decade, Critical Role has taken some very bold steps into the future of their own franchise, first with the introduction of their own TTRPG system, Daggerheart, and now with their fourth full campaign. Based on the announcement, it seems clear that this new campaign is taking place not in Exandria, but in an entirely different location.
Whether this new locale will be the invention of Mulligan or a collaborative effort with the cast of Critical Role remains unclear. As Mulligan has been given the title of Game Master instead of Dungeon Master, this announcement also begs the question whether Campaign Four will, in fact, make the official switch to Daggerheart over Dungeons & Dragons.
GMs Of Exandria
Regardless of speculation, undoubtedly, this announcement marks a major shift in the way in which we can expect to watch Critical Role. Mulligan and Mercer both have distinct, unique tones as GMs, alongside other GMs like Aabria Iyengar, who have added their stamp to the Critical Role narrative thread. This is nothing new, in some ways. However, while Mulligan has GM’d for Critical Role in the past, his games have often been relegated to a handful of sessions, never a full campaign.
So, what will a full campaign run by Brennan Lee Mulligan look like within the world of Critical Role? It’s easy to speculate that perhaps Mulligan’s influence will steer Critical Role more towardthe style of Dimension 20, or that perhaps, the campaign as a whole will take on a darker tone a la Exandria Unlimited: Calamity (also spearheaded by Mulligan).
However, it seems clear that, based on this announcement and the potentialswitch to Daggerheart, it’s more than likely that we should expect something else entirely. Daggerheart has collaborative worldbuilding rules – perhaps this new campaign will take place in a world devised by the entire table, not just Mercer or Mulligan. And, with Matt joining the table as a player, it’s easy to feel excited about the prospect of new characters that we’ll come to know and love within the fabric of Critical Role.
Ultimately, the takeaway is this: With ten years of tabletop-driven storytelling under its belt, and a host of new projects coming our way, it’s clear that Critical Role is not letting up steam, even if it is giving its veteran GM (and Exandria) a bit of a rest. This announcement is a breath of fresh air, the hallmark of the end of one era, and the start of something entirely new that has anticipation for Campaign Four higher than ever.
