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 2 releases Monday, August 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episode 4 releases Monday, August 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific Beacon!

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 22 releases Tuesday, September 17th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 22 Podcast out Tuesday, September 17th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 44 releases Tuesday, September 17th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 108

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, September 19th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, September 19th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, September 20th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, September 23rd at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out September 26th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 108

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 108! 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, September 19th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

With the release of Wayfinder Echoes, we were thrilled by the community's overwhelming response. Many players asked how they could support the studio. We said: spread the word. Gift copies. But ultimately we wanted to offer a special way for players to support us directly.

We knew that if we were to offer something for purchase outside the game, explicitly intended to support us, it needed to be special. We wanted a partner who had walked in our shoes—someone who understands the challenge of fully funding and bringing to life a world they love. We found the perfect partner in Critical Role, who shares our passion for creating and funding a beloved world with the help of a dedicated community!

Here’s an early sneak peek at some of the content coming in this exciting pack!

“We are huge fans of Critical Role, so we’re super excited for this collaboration, which we hope is the first of many.” said Joe Madureria, CEO of Airship Syndicate. “If players love this Supporter Pack, we’d love to make more--with Critical Role, and other IP’s in the future!”

"We want to continue to find fun and unique ways to interact with and explore Exandria” Shaunette DeTie, Critical Role’s Licensing Manager said. “Seeing the creative team at Airship bring elements from Vox Machina to life in Wayfinder has been such a treat for the entire Critical Role team and we hope that players find this collab as cool and enjoyable as we do."

This pack will go live with Wayfinder’s 1.0 launch on October 21, 2024. This pack is entirely optional and directly supports Airship Syndicate and Critical Role’s incredibly dedicated and talented teams. Players can purchase it outside the game, and directly from Steam or the PlayStation store for $19.99 USD and it includes:

The Wayfinder - Critical Role Supporter Pack comes packed with items and includes:

• 4 Character Personas. Including:
  • Grendel as Grog Strongjaw
  • Niss as Vax’ildan
  • Venomess as Vex’ahila
• 1 Trinket Mount & Saddle
• 4 Character Charms
• 15 Housing Items
• 10 Sprays

From CR's email

Critical Role Comes To Wayfinder

Bring a touch of Exandria to Evenor with new skins, mounts and items from our friends at Wayfinder! Play as Grog Strongjaw, Vax’ildan, and Vex’ahila and bring Trinket to battle as a brand new mount - try them when the game releases in full on October 21st!

The game is in early access right now and can be purchased on Steam for 30% off, or find it on the PlayStation Store.

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 47m	3h 20m

Episode 107: Under the Arch Heart's Eye

Bell's Hells, after receiving formal titles from the Voice of the Tempest amongst the many movers and shakers of Exandria who are gathered in the center of Vasselheim to decide how to tackle the threat of Ludinus, the Vanguard, and all that seems to be emerging dangerously from the Red Moon Ruidus. You all heard word that one of Ludinus' Simulacrum is travelling with the Sorrowlord Zathuda to connect with the Unseelie Court for some semblance of and additional plot that hadn't been considered.
Gathering your things, you all went and headed out to the Fey Realm, meeting up with Nana Morri. There in the Ligament Manor you gathered your thoughts, your plans, and set out to the Shrine of Gilded Gifts (an abandoned temple in the center of an abandoned fey city) where this meeting was supposed to take place. As you carefully infiltrated the surroundings of this temple, you caught the arrival of both the dark fey Unseelie emissary and its surrounding guard, as well as Ludinus, and the Sorrowlord and his terrifying dragon, Gloamglut. After quietly (with the aid of Ira Wendigoth, The Nightmare King of who you called from his hiding spot on Ruidus to help you) you quietly wiped out the entirety of the exterior guard without being noticed, and upon surrounding the exterior of the massive temple grounds, immediately brought to life the stone statue of the Arch Heart in the middle of this Arch Heart temple to distract them.
In that chaos Fearne rushed in and turned one of the two central pillars of this temple floor into mud (which both cracked some of the structural foundation of this temple and left two o the three emissary figures from the Unseelie currently held and restrained with the now muck-filled quicksand floor). As Gloamglut, the Sorrowlord, and Ludinus' Simulacrum currently finish figuring out what is happening and turn in your (Fearne) direction as you spin to flee, the rest of you on the outskirts of this templed, either the front door, or in this case, Imogen and Laudna (who are in an upper floor looking in through a series of visual slits in the stone),
It's Time to Roll Initiative.

Previous Episode: "Unseelie Interrupted"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Watch the second campaign on Twitch and YouTube any time you want!

Runtime	Break start
3h 54m	1h 33m

Episode 107: Devoutness and Dicks

The Mighty Nein (after spending some time on the island of Rumblecusp in anticipation for the coming preparations of Traveler Con) you discovered a people that lived here who had lost their memories over time and some seemingly ancient entity known as Vokodo (that had taken residence beneath the mountain). Upon learning about the different mysteries and dangers throughout, you discovered a cavern full of abandoned ships.
You fought dangerous creatures around and eventually went beneath the mountain itself to fight this Vokodo creature. You learned (as it was dying) of what it seemed to be fleeing from within the Astral Sea. You escaped the boiling waters with the treasure that you had accrued from its hoard and (it seemed) freed the people of Vokodo from this clouding fog that their memories from them.
As they returned, many of them realized who they once were and decided to return to their old life. Some chose to stay with the new life they had made here, nevertheless, a night of final celebration for the villagers of Vokodo (as the village that it once was) was brought forth around a large bonfire.
You all helped them into this final night. You saw some early arrivals to the TravelerCon event begin to try and find their place amongst the vicinity. After saying your bits before the next day, you went and crashed up in Vilya's room and went to bed.
As the warm temperature of the temperate island morning begins to creep into the chamber (the seaside moisture in the air itself sticking in a sweaty way to your skin) you begin to wake up, one by one, within the comfortable interior of the tree where Vilya had taken up residence as Viridian for quite some time.
As you glance out from the elevated portion of this tree, you look into the loose thoroughfare of this village that surrounds this central space. You can see there are people walking about (some folks that are going about their common day to day business within the village of Vo, some that have gathered things and are currently packing). What looks to be a group of individuals that are in the first batch of those leaving for the day. Vilya has already left; woke up before any of you did and is not in the chamber. You can see from above that she is currently gathering with those individuals, prepping them and making sure that everyone who is leaving today has everything they need (because it is a one way trip for them).

This summer has flown by! We launched Beacon, had some fun in our Discord with AMAs and Fireside Chats, playtested Daggerheart, released the final season of Midst, journeyed Moonward, saw the DOWNFALL of Aeor, introduced The Re-Slayer’s Take, AND got to see so many of you at our convention appearances and live shows! PHEW.

And we are JUST. GETTING. STARTED. with plenty more stories to tell this Fall! Here are all the exciting new releases coming your way this season!

September 9th

The Re-Slayer’s Take, Season 2

The Re-Slayer’s Take is back with more all-ages adventure in Exandria! Returning to the table are Game Masters, George Primavera and Nick Williams alongside our main cast Jasmine Bhullar, Caroline Lux, Jasmine Chiong, and Jasper William Cartwright! This season will also have some very exciting guests including Matthew Mercer, Alex Ward, Xander Jeanneret, Ashley Johnson, and Billy Boyd!

• In Season 2 of The Re-Slayers Take, the group discovers that, despite having defeated the Timberblight, their mission is far from complete. Issylra’s shadows are still haunted by more ghosts, including some from The Re-Slayers’ own past.

September 23rd

Fireside Chat LIVE with Ashley Johnson

The wonderfully sweet and incredibly talented Ashely Johnson is heading to the tavern for an exclusive Fireside Chat with our Beacon Bits!

• This Fireside Chat will stream LIVE on September 23rd at 7pm PACIFIC only on Beacon.
• All questions will be curated directly from Beacon members via Discord.
• VOD will be available on Beacon immediately after the stream ends.

September 30th

Tales From The Stinky Dragon

We are excited to announce that we’re welcoming Tales From The Stinky Dragon to Beacon! Join the amazing former Rooster Teeth crew including Game Master Gustavo Sorola and players Barbara Dunkelman, Chris Demarais, Jon Risinger, and Blaine Gibson for the much-anticipated Campaign 3 of this beloved family-friendly D&D podcast!

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?

• Campaign 3, Episode 1 of Tales From The Stinky Dragon will premiere on Beacon and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon Patreon on September 30th at 12am PST.
• Campaign 3, Episode 1 of Tales From The Stinky Dragon will premiere on your favorite podcast streaming platform and the Tales From The Stinky Dragon YouTube on October 2nd.
• New episodes will follow every other Monday at 12am PST.
• Beacon Members and Patreon Members will receive episodes 48 hours early and have access to the exclusive Tales of the Stinky Dragon bonus show, Second Wind, where they go behind-the-scenes and deep dive into the latest episode.
• Second Wind will be released in between episodes of the series every other Monday at 12am PST

October 3rd

The Legend of Vox Machina, Season 3

Season Three of The Legend of Vox Machina is coming to Prime Video on October 3rd!

You can watch the trailer right now but TLDR – shit gets REAL. To celebrate this kick-ass new season, we’ll be hosting a Season 3 Cocktail Party LIVE on October 4th and two roundtables in a new show we’re calling Insight Additions where we can discuss all the intricate, behind-the-scenes details with you all!

Everything is at stake in the long-awaited Season Three of The Legend of Vox Machina. The Chroma Conclave’s path of destruction spreads like wildfire while the Cinder King hunts down Vox Machina. Our lovable band of misfits must rise above inner (and outer) demons to try and save their loved ones, Tal’Dorei, and all of Exandria.

• Season 3 Cocktail Party will air on October 4th on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch.
• Insights Additions #1 will discuss Episodes 1-6 of Season 3 and it will air on October 15th at 7pm PACIFIC on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch. The VOD will be available October 17th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube.
• Insights Additions #2 will discuss Episodes 7-12 of Season 3 and it will air on October 29th at 7pm PACIFIC on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch. The VOD will be available October 31st at 12pm Pacific on YouTube.

October 9th

MIDST: Unend

OH. Did you think Midst was over? There’s still a whole cosmos to explore out there dear listener…From the incredible minds of Third Person (aka Xen, Matt Roen, and Sara Wile from Moonward & unreliable narrators of Midst), the audio drama UNEND will premiere October 9th on Beacon, Midst.co, your favorite podcast streaming platform, and the Midst YouTube Channel.

We have A LOT more information to share about this audio adventure. But since you’re already reading this article…here is an exclusive first peek of what it’s about!

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.

• The Official Series Trailer will be released on September 25th!
• Episode 1 will be available on October 9th at 10am PACIFIC on the Midst YouTube Channel and 5am PACIFIC on your favorite podcast streaming platform.
• Beacon Members, Fold Members, and Podcast Subscribers will receive the first three episodes of UNEND on October 9th at 5am PACIFIC and remain two weeks ahead of the free feeds.
• New Episodes will air weekly on Wednesdays in the MIDST-LE of the week.

Narrative Telephone

The beloved Narrative Telephone returns in a refreshed monthly series! Originally a way to keep telling stories together when we couldn’t be at our table, we still loved the chaotic yarns that unfurled as we told and retold one another’s tales.

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 and improvisational skills 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.

• The first episode will air October 16th at 12pm PACIFIC on Beacon and will be released on the Critical Role YouTube Channel two weeks later.

Fireside Chat LIVE with Travis Willingham

Our guiding force and CEO Travis Willingham is making his way to a Fireside Chat with our Beacon Bits!

• This Fireside Chat will stream LIVE on October 21st at 7pm PACIFIC only on Beacon.
• All questions will be curated directly from Beacon members via Discord.
• VOD will be available on Beacon immediately after the stream ends.

Special Annoucement for 2025!

Next year is the 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRITICAL ROLE! We couldn’t be more grateful for you critters and the endless support you have shown us this past decade and we can’t wait to kick things off with some very exciting news.

Be on the lookout in late October for more information!

Critical Role Presents:

A Daggerheart Critmas Story LIVE

Watch Daggerheart played LIVE for a special Critmas one-shot at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ on December 7th – just across the bridge from downtown Philadelphia!

Game Master Matthew Mercer will lead players Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, and Marisha Ray through an exciting live actual play of Daggerheart with the spectacular Lenore Riegel (aka Momlan) serving as our Master of Ceremonies.

This will be a standalone Critmas themed one-shot with a new setting and characters determined during a Session Zero (which will drop ahead of the live show) using the final Daggerheart game rules.

VIP ticket holders will get to be a part of a 45-minute preshow where the cast will finalize their Session Zero and YOU can contribute suggestions that could affect the story and game ahead of the main show!

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 1 releases Monday, September 9th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 1-3 release Monday, September 9th at 5am Pacific only on Beacon.

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 21 releases Tuesday, September 10th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 21 Podcast out Tuesday, September 10th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 43 releases Tuesday, September 10th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 107

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, September 12th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, September 12th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, September 13th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, September 16th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out September 19th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 107

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 107! 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, August 15th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Whoops! Sorry for the late post!

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST, or VOD on Beacon. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST

Bells Hells return to the Fey Realm in an attempt to tangle an upcoming meeting between Ludinus and the Unseelie Court...

Previous Episode: C3E105 Collecting Legends

• Critical Recap
• VOD: YouTube, Beacon
• Episode Discussion

While the Demure trend still has some momentum, I put together this little tribute with the base being the amazing piece by yghiilra.

"Don't you mean dem-'yure?"
Braius:"No."

Also keep an ear out for the completed release of the Demure Remix

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

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 20 releases Tuesday, September 3rd at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 20 Podcast out Tuesday, September 3rd on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 42 releases Tuesday, September 3rd at 10am Pacific on Beacon

4-Sided Dive, Episode 27

Discussing Up to Campaign 3, Episode 105

Join Travis Willingham, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Laura Bailey as they discuss complicated gods, Ludinus’s plans, newly found freedoms, and their thoughts on character development!

• Airs Tuesday, September 3rd at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Tuesday, September 3rd at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, September 4th on YouTube at 12pm Pacific
• Podcast out Friday, September 6th on your favorite podcast streaming service

MOONWARD: A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join our three Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for an extra special episode of Midst Messages as they create their characters for Moonward!

• Session Zero will be available on Wednesday, September 4th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Session Zero will be available on Wednesday, September 4th at 10am Pacific on Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 106

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, September 5th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, September 5th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, September 6th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, September 9th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out September 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 106

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 106! 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, September 5th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Penguin Random House Link

Uncover the lost years of Critical Role’s unrelentingly upbeat undead spellcaster in this original prequel novel to Laudna’s adventures with Bells Hells.

Written by USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, Critical Role: Bells Hells—What Doesn’t Break delves into the unexplored years before Laudna joined up with the crew of Bells Hells, chronicling her departure from Whitestone and her solo adventures on the road to Jrusar.

Audiobook Read by Grey Delisle, Marisha Ray, Laura Bailey and Robbie Daymond

For as long as she can remember, Laudna has had a friend. A mentor. A little voice whispering in her cropped ear, promising that, no matter how monstrous she becomes or how far she wanders, there will always be someone to guide her.

And so, Laudna is content.

But the thought of more—of life, of love, of the magic stirring in her still veins—is unrelenting in its familiarity. More is the dream of the young girl trapped behind the bloodstained walls of Whitestone, and the nightmare of the woman who now stalks the woods outside them. More, Laudna’s little voice reminds her, is dangerous. From Tal’Dorei to Marquet, the world is infested with heroes destined to rid their kingdoms of creatures like Laudna.

The little voice is right, she knows.

But still, she thinks of more. And when she reaches for that dream, what reaches back will change everything.

Critical Role's Liam O'Brien talks the tragedy and cosmic horrors of 'Moonward,' teases the crew's next big publishing moves

by Cheryl Teh

Critical Role's new podcast, "Moonward," is a wild, four-episode dive into cosmic horrors.
"Moonward" builds on the "Midst" podcast, which Critical Role acquired in 2023.

It's now all but official that Critical Role is in its expansion era.

Once best known for the show where eight nerds played "Dungeons & Dragons" on Twitch, the business has now grown, with an aggressive push into podcasting and publishing, including novels and comics slated for release well into 2025.

CR also has two Amazon-backed animated series in the works, one of which will premiere on October 3. Through its games publishing arm, CR released a major role-playing game "Candela Obscura" last year and just rounded out its open beta for its new gaming venture, "Daggerheart."

CR rolled out "Moonward" in August, a spinoff of the company's 2023 acquisition of the "Midst" audio drama. In "Moonward," CR cofounders Liam O'Brien and Marisha Ray step into the space Western-style, cosmic horror narrative that Xen, the narrator of "Moonward," wove to explore the ruins of a fallen moon.

BI sat down with O'Brien and Xen to talk about the new podcast venture and what comes next.

INTO DARKNESS

"Midst," the podcast series that "Moonward" builds upon, was originally created by Xen, Matt Roen, and Sara Wile. Critical Role acquired "Midst" in 2023, and "Moonward" is just one part of a larger story.

Spoiler alert: In the podcast's third and fourth episodes, O'Brien's character, Walden Orlock, contends with a boatload of personal trauma. But the series ends on a hopeful note, as Orlock, piloting his spaceship, manages to help get Wile's character back to the relative safety of the planet of Midst.

Orlock, who O'Brien describes as a "nice, grumpy bear," was a homage to some of the men in his family. And the inside of Walden's spaceship was a tribute to the Burning Man community, of which O'Brien considers himself a "junior member."

"The most in-depth characters I've done on our channel are really just exploring things about my life," O'Brien said. "I love fluff. I certainly love romps, fun, and light stuff, but if anyone is familiar with my past work, I like cracking open the coconut and seeing what's in there."

And unlike CR'susual "Dungeons & Dragons" games, the narrative control in Midst didn't rest on dice rolls. As the lead narrator, Xen gave all the players the license to choose when to fail.

"Moonward" listeners will also hear Xen create the soundscape for the podcast live with their guitar and other instruments. And they'll hear Xen play the role of the enigmatic non-player character, Mother Trauma.

"There's something wonderful to me about a kind of haunted therapist who is borderline inhuman," Xen said. "Possibly some kind of potentially undead person — but he's also a mental health professional and a guidance counselor."

AND BEYOND

CR's acquisition of the "Midst" podcast doesn't just mean there'll be more of Xen, Roen, and Wile's content — there's also a series of upcoming comics set in the "Midst" universe that are rolling out soon.

Each comics issue will be a stand-alone "Midst" story, Xen said.

"We've always been pretty adamant that 'Midst' is and has always been more than just a podcast," Xen said. "We're still exploring new ways to expand that cosmos."

O'Brien, too, tells me that he's been doing a lot of "reading behind the scenes." Each of CR's eight co-founders has their own focuses, he said, and he's been helming the company's push into book publishing and graphic novels.

"Critical Role: Vox Machina — Stories Untold," for one, is an anthology scheduled for release in March, and O'Brien wrote the foreword.

"We hope to get into original, brand-new things that have nothing to do with a table or dice," O'Brien said. "And it's all just different flavors of storytelling. And I love filling my days with it."

Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham make their first apearance at AnimeNYC and discuss everything going on in Critical Role Land with a fireside chat and short Q&A.

youTube VoD

alternate front end VoD

Timstamps ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ

• 00:00:00 - Introduction & Welcome
• 00:01:17 - Guidelines for Q&A Session
• 00:04:33 - Anime NYC Experience
• 00:07:18 - Character Dynamics in Voice Acting
• 00:14:37 - Sam's New Role in Bells Hells
• 00:16:54 - Taliesin on Chronic Pain Representation
• 00:18:53 - Marisha on Adaptation Challenges
• 00:20:13 - Neal Acree's Score
• 00:22:11 - Fearne's New Look
• 00:24:17 - Q&A Session Begins
• 00:27:50 - Matt Mercer's Role in FF7
• 00:31:42 - Character Mindset Techniques
• 00:37:39 - Improv Tips for Actors
• 00:39:59 - Importance of Listening
• 00:40:55 - Audience Q&A: Presidential Campaign
• 00:42:03 - Mother's Influence on Dreams
• 00:43:40 - D&D Renaissance Impact
• 00:46:42 - Future of D&D Campaigns
• 00:51:52 - Finding the Right D&D Group
• 00:56:54 - Excitement for Critical Role's Future
• 00:58:44 - Final Thoughts and Announcements

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 12m	2h 11m

Episode 105: Collecting Legends

Last we left off, Bell's Hells recently returning from the ruins of Aeor to find the western encampment in the Hellcatch (Valley outside of the Malleus Key) had been overrun and destroyed. You fled to Vasselheim to catch up with Keyleth, and the survivors of that incursion. Many of the movers and shakers of Exandria have been gathered to Vasselheim to discuss and decide what is to be done here in the rapidly approaching crux of Ludinus and the Vanguard's plan as the impending (some sort of incursion or straight up invasion of the Ruidus folk) and the Weave Mind's armies gather here onto Exandria proper.
You were present for a number of arguments and discussions here in the Platinum Sanctuary of Vasselheim, where you presented (upon prompting) the information that you had uncovered both upon the moon and some of the other dangers, such as the information that Ludinus may have uncovered in the ruins of Aeor. After stepping away for the evening, you were brought by Keyleth to the Birthheart (one of the most holy places of the Wildmother) where Orym had a true communion with one of the Pantheon. Upon which was granted a legendary enhancement to Seedling, the blade that carries his past and his hope. After an evening's rest (some weird games of Spin the Bottle) and a brief bout of oversleeping, you caught up to a handful of loose allies that wished to forge a plan to present to the forum of all these gathered dignitaries, generals, and political leaders. In meeting with them, you presented the specifics of what you found (what your worries may be, the strengths of your knowledge, the strengths of your connection to Ludinus and his plan) and a plot was hatched. Not to fight through each barrier to get to him, but through the loohole of this singular portal you uncovered, a back door to the Red Moon of Ill Omen, to strike all three points at once.
Thus with this plan, semi-forged and ready to be presented for approval to the rest of Exandria, you begin to exit the Trial Forge. At which point, a familiar and strangely daydream-like psychic incursion takes Imogen's focus. As she finds herself pushing through the red dust of her lifelong recurring nightmare, scattered past and reversed to the green wind-tossed fields of the Taloned Highlands. Where, in this vision, her mother has come to her.
"Imogen, are you okay?"

Previous Episode: "The Cradles' Convocation"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

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 33m	1h 51m

Episode 104: The Cradle's Convocation

Bell's Hells, after trekking to the ruins of Aeor, had an encounter with Ludinus Da'leth himself (during which he showed visions of the fall of Aeor in hopes of expressing the dubiousness of the great deities that are considered the prime beings of law and morality in this world).
After trying to convince you to join him and the Vanguard in their interests, you combated his outlook and also each others' (with some internal strife in communication), after which Laudna's own dark passenger was triggered. Thus battle ensued with a Delilah-possessed Laudna. You defeated her and (while she was reduced within) used the soul anchor (that you had taken from the ruins) and successfully completed a ritual with Essek's help that bound Delilah into the stone which was then bound within you (Laudna), reversing the power dynamic between you and Delilah.
After you went to go meet up with the Voice of the Tempest and the rest of the troop that was waiting on the western encampment within the Hellcatch Valley. You arrived to find it in ruin, still smoldering. The fallen stone being picked through by Reilorans and Vanguard soldiers alike. With rapid reaction, teleporting to Vasselheim. There you were able to maneuver through the city, climb the stairs that lead to the Platinum Sanctuary (where it seems a lot of dignitaries from around Exandria are gathering, along with their compatriot armies and protectors).
Upon arrival, Essek had to say his goodbyes, for there was tenuous relations with some other figures that were present. Upon arriving here on the outskirts of this crowd that had gathered in the central forum of the Platinum Sanctuary, you were trying to push through to get a good view.
You saw people from all over Exandria here. You saw within Vasselheim itself:

• The Highbearer Vord
• The Earthbreaker Groon
• The Holy Curator
• The High Hierophant
• The Coven of the Veil of the Matron of Ravens
• J'mon Sa Ord, the leader of Ank'Harel
• Keyleth, Voice of the Tempest
• Empress Leylas Kryn of the Kryn Dynasty of Xhorhas; The Bright Queen
• Gavis Aranda from the Chandei Quorum of Jrusar
• Guardian Tofor Brotoras from the Council of Taldorei
• Mythmaker Qi Mendozi
• Allura Vysoren and Lady Kima of Vord and a number of others

As you tried to push your way through, a massive goliath figure (with over-sized stone gauntlets, a bit of a paunch, and a black fuzzy beard with streaks of gray) made your announcement loudly, causing the group in front of you to divide slightly, and the entire chamber to shift its attention back to you in one moment. Here in that tense, awkward silence, all eyes are on you.

Previous Episode: "Cages"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Announcement: https://www.innersloth.com/announcing-among-us-x-critical-role/

Hello Crewmates and welcome to tonight’s episode of Criti-

Waaait a minute. Sorry, I meant to say — our collab with Critical Role is out now on all platforms!

Roleplayers rejoice! Adventure awaits as you try to perceive the Impostor, roll high on your task checks, and hopefully avoid that TPK in update v2024.8.13. Will donning the threads of members from Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, or Bells Hells save you from an untimely death at the hand of the Impostor? Well… you may certainly try.

Getting to work alongside the wonderful crew of the hit TTRPG show Critical Role to bring some of their magic to Among Us for Gilmore’s Curious Cosmicube has been mind blowing. Be sure to go to our in-game store and spend some Stars before the Cosmicube is gone on November 12th, 2024 at 7am UTC / 2am ET! For those in the Pacific time zone the Cosmicube will be gone on November 11th, at 11pm.

If you need a refresher on how Cosmicubes work check out this article so you have advantage on your knowledge check.

Once you’ve purchased, you can take your time (or grind) to get the following items:

• Artagan’s Cloak Skin
• Artagan’s Hair Hat
• Artagan’s Incredible Brows Visor
• Chetney’s Eyebrows Visor*
• Chetney’s Headband Hat*
• Chetney’s Tracksuit Skin*
• Dust of Deliciousness Nameplate
• FCG’s Noggin Hat
• Fearne’s Dress Skin
• Fearne’s Hair Hat
• Jester’s Dress Skin
• Jester’s Horns Hat
• Laudna’s Dress Skin
• Laudna’s Hair Skin
• Mister Pet
• Mollymauk’s Garb Skin
• Mollymauk’s Horns Hat
• Moons Over Exandria Nameplate
• Nott’s Cloak Skin
• Nott’s Hood Hat
• Nott’s Mask Visor
• Orthax Manifested Hat
• Pâté Pet
• Scanlan’s Hand Hat
• Sprinkle is “Fine” Hat
• Teatime with Caduceus Nameplate
• The Nine Eyes of Lucien Nameplate
• Vax’s Armor Skin
• Vax’s Hair Hat

* Equipping all of Chetney’s items as an Impostor will include a brand new kill animation! (Your untimely demise is a small price to pay to see it.)

That is a lot of items – hopefully you survive your adventures to show them off!

Is it Thursday yet?

Innersloth

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

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 11 releases Monday, August 12th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• We’re taking a brief break but will have more episodes coming soon to Beacon!

EverythingIsContent

SteamWorld Heist II

Join Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe as they set sail for adventure and sink rival ships in SteamWorld Heist 2! Learn more here.

• Airs Monday, August 12th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD out Monday, August 12th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, August 14th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube

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 17 releases Tuesday, August 13th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 17 Podcast out Tuesday, August 13th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Campaign 3, Episode 39 releases Tuesday, August 13th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

MOONWARD:

A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for a four-part, standalone, improvisational mini series to the destroyed moon of Midst. Learn more here!

• Episode 2 releases Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific on the Midst Podcast YouTube Channel
• Episode 2 Podcast out August 14th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episode 3 & 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Episode 3 & 4 VOD and Podcast available on Wednesday, August 14th at 10am Pacific Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 104

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 16th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 19th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 22nd on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 104

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 104! 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, August 15th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

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 6m	2h 2m

Episode 103: Cages

Bells Hells, after trekking deep into the ruins of Aeor along with their guide, Essek Thelyss, you encountered the strange demonic entity that was keeping the Vanguard at bay, Dominox. Defeating it by pushing it through a gate into the abyss of its origin with the aid of Ludinus Da'leth, who then gave you a vision through a relic that he had discovered not too far beyond that of the Fall of Aeor (an era of Exandrian history spoken of but largely lost in its details), as it was it seems, one of the darkest moments for the Pantheon. With the intent of showing this to the world to erode the faith of Exandria (and in the hopes finding a point of understanding with your group) the invitation was given to join the Vanguard and see the world the way he does. After much debate and some heated discussion, he left the offer in your hands and left an offer in Delilah's as well.
Tossing a relic of enticing power towards Laudna (the words having hold in her heart), Delilah fought her way to the surface and wrestled control of Laudna. The rest of you were forced to do battle with your friend in what may be her darkest moment. But you managed to defeat Delilah, sending her back for the time being as but a shard of shadow withing Laudna's spirit, likely rapidly growing back.
At this moment, satisfied with what youve learned, Essek took your group via teleport to a place of safety, the abode of his partner Caleb Widogast. Here in this humble abode within the Dwendalian city of Rexxentrum. You had a moment to breathe. A moment to absorb, though still more likely to come. In the midst of these conversations, debating on what you've seen, what you've witnessed, what you've discussed and what's to be done next.
It was considered that this 'soul-anchored' gem (now empty and bereft of its intended target) might have a secondary use to turn the tides of poor Laudna's fate. After talking with Essek about it (and him looking to research its possibilities), he seemed to come to you with a bit of hope that it is indeed possible, though challenging.
After coming up from his study, his laboratory, to all of you saying that it could be done but it needs to be done quickly, likely before Delilah can begin to recover her former power in this subdued state. Time is of the essence, and began to draw you all back to the laboratory here in this late, late hour, as you stand exhausted, but hopefully driven to see this through.
So, here, as you all begin to follow Essek back into the laboratory where you arrived, you see him now, a number of books even further scattered amongst the laboratory interior. But you see he's taken some time to organize some of the stacks into more solid towers. It has a number of strange instruments laid across one of the tables. He runs over quickly to start sketching out a larger runic circle than the teleportation one that brought you all here in the first place. In the quiet as you all stand there, he begins the initial process.

Previous Episode: "Reconciliation"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

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 10 releases Monday, August 5th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 12 releases Monday, August 5th at 5am Pacific only on Beacon.

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 16 releases Tuesday, August 6th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 38 releases Tuesday, August 6th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 39 releases Friday, August 9th at 10am Pacific on Beacon

MOONWARD:

A Midst Roleplaying Story

Join Midst Creators: Xen, Sara Wile, Matt Roen, alongside Marisha Ray and Liam O’Brien for a four-part, standalone, improvisational mini series to the destroyed moon of Midst. Learn more here!

• Episode 1 Airs Wednesday, August 7th at 7pm Pacific on our new Midst Podcast YouTube Channel, Critical Role Twitch Channel and Critical Role YouTube Channel
• Episode 1 Podcast out August 7th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 7pm Pacific
• Episode 1 VOD available immediately after the stream ends on Midst Podcast YouTube Channel, Critical Role Twitch Channel and Critical Role YouTube Channel
• Episode 1 & 2 VOD and Podcast available on August 7th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Episode 1 & 2 VOD and Podcast available on August 7th at 7pm Pacific Midst.co

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 103

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 8th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 8th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 9th at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 12th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 15th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: Campaign 3, Episode 103

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 103! 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, August 8th at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

What goes on behind the scenes in the most formidable alliance in the nerdworld business
article by Cheryl Teh

Brennan Lee Mulligan of "Dimension 20" fame remembers when he first met Critical Role's Matthew Mercer, and relates that anecdote with the infectious joy of a man who's found his gaming soulmate.

Mulligan was working on "Um, Actually," a web series on the streaming platform Dropout, and for one episode, he was tasked with writing errors into a round of "Dungeons & Dragons" combat laid out in comic panels. Mercer was a guest on that November 2018 episode. At the time, "Critical Role" — the "D&D" Twitch stream that turned the company Mercer co-founded into a key player in the nerdworld business — was just taking off.

Mercer, as a "rules lawyer," had to spot all the mistakes in Mulligan's slate. He not only got all of them, he found ones the other man hadn't even listed.

When filming wrapped, they stood at the elevators at that West Hollywood studio, talking about their "D&D" games.

"There's love at first sight, and this is one of those variations," Mercer told BI. "Like, this is a person I immediately know: 'I'm going to know for a very long time, and I look forward to seeing them again.'"

These two men have now formed a formidable alliance in the nerdworld business. The shows they front get fans to pack arenas: "Dimension 20" sold out Madison Square Garden for their January 2025 gig, and "Critical Role" has filled venues from Wembley Arena in London to the Greek in Los Angeles.

Beyond that, they also have leadership roles behind the scenes. Mercer is the chief creative officer at Critical Role, working with his eight friends on everything from Amazon-backed animation series' to board game ventures. Meanwhile, Mulligan is one of the major creative minds at Dropout, a streaming platform that's now gunning for Emmy nominations.

Mulligan helmed his first Critical Role miniseries, EXU Calamity, in May 2022. Mercer then returned the favor, and game mastered for "Dimension 20's" Ravening War," a six-episode campaign that aired in May 2023.

On to 'Downfall'

Mulligan told BI he had long watched Critical Role, and that he got to dive deep into Mercer's lore while working on EXU Calamity. Then he was invited back for "Downfall" — a three-episode arc that aired in July.

Mercer told BI that working with a guest game master like Mulligan on Critical Role requires a "strong sense of trust" because of how dear the stories in Exandria are to him.

"I was anxious at the possibility of trying to live up to what I saw in my head, then had the joyful realization that somebody else that I trust can do it better justice than I think I ever could," Mercer said of Mulligan.

Mulligan said he would go to Mercer with "broad strokes" of where he planned to take the narrative. But Mulligan had "total freedom" to improvise while role-playing at the table, which he found "really gratifying."

"With Matt, it's never restrictive. It's much more like: 'Here's an area that I need to protect for something coming in the next campaign, and then everything else here is the playground," Mulligan said.

Crafting Aeor

Mulligan said it helps that he and Mercer are always on the same page — from their familiarity with mythological references to similar visions for the story's direction.

Together, they built the sprawling landscape of Aeor, from a glamorous speakeasy where robots and humans can party together to the brutalist architecture of key city wards. They also created a battle set together, setting the stage for where the gods of the Exandrian pantheon warred against dragons, monsters, and powerful mages.

"We pulled minis together for that battle and really pulled out all the stops," Mulligan said.

"I was right off camera behind the curtains watching the whole thing as it was happening, just giddy and crying, and it was wonderful," Mercer said.

Mercer and Mulligan agreed that storytelling and work aside, they're just glad they get to hang out with each other.

"As a person who grew up challenged to find community at various points in my life, and the passions and things that I loved were not the easiest to find people to share it with," Mercer said.

Mercer says telling stories for his friends is his love language, and he's glad to be able to do that with Mulligan.

"The CR crew have become the closest people in my life that aren't blood," Mercer said. "What's great about these collaborations is it allows that family to expand, it allows more people to come in and be that community," he added.

Now, Mercer's back in the game master's seat for Critical Role's campaign three. I asked if he would want to be a player at Mulligan's table for a change, perhaps piloting a fan-favorite character, the elven wizard Essek Thelyss.

"Nothing wrong with pitching it. I'd love to," Mercer said, adding that if the opportunity comes up for another adventure with Mulligan, he's game.

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 07m	1h 19m

Episode 102: Reconciliation

Bell's Hells, following the path of Ludinus and the Ruby Vanguard into the ruins of Aeor, accompanied by Essek Thelyss (somebody who had been there a handful of times).
You delved below and into the darkness that had taken the Vanguard and Ludinus' interest in the ruins, Dominox, a grand demon from lore long ago.
You had gone through and had suffered terrible visions from this demon in proximity to the engine that he still clung to, the Soul Anchor holding him present.
You met a new figure, Braius, a minotaur revealed to have been a worshipper of the Lord of Hells. Also Teven Klask, a devilish entity that has been bound with Fearne.
After getting into battle with Dominox, and Ludinus coming in at the last minute to help you defeat this entity (and claiming no aggression or animus towards you). You stopped after defeating the Dominox and he invited you to join him in the chamber beyond, one of the goals of his excursion. Here in this domed, cracked, partially-ruined chamber, you see amongst the rising stairs and statues of Aeorian mages of old, a central dome-like dais. Ludinus pulls from it a sphere of light blue arcane ribbons, an information keeping device of some kind. He tells you this is the Occultus Thalamus, and it is indeed a record keeping device. What he has found with the time spent with it is of utmost importance to Exandria. Ludinus asked you to look into this.
As he activated it, a white light filled your vision and you all experienced within this record (viscerally, as if you were there and amongst them) the tale of these gods, pantheon members of Exandria, who during the height of the Calamity had called a truce because the last great floating city had developed technology that could abjure the gods themselves.
Scared and uncertain, they reincarnated as mortals and infiltrated this city. Seeking information they discovered existence of a device, the Factorum Malleus, that could (in theory) destroy the gods themselves.
In this information-seeking infiltration mission, they found conflict and allyship. They found means to question everything about their presence and what it is they are doing here on this world. When push came to shove, they all still came to agreement, the city had to die and all of the information with it.
So you experienced from the beginning of the arrival of these beings stepping into Aeor, to the final destruction of the city of Aeor as it crashed into Eiselcross. That is what you are aware of through this vision. The prologue and the epilogue are more just for our fun narrative aspect of it as the audience and players. That is what you have experienced as Bell's Hells. Here as these fragments of information and moments and people and faces and screams and energy whoosh by. Eventually the light fades and here you all stand once more in this cracked and ruined and long forgotten chamber that house the Occultus Thalamus.
As you all take a breath, feeling yourselves back in your bodies, feeling the sensation of your own flesh and touch and the buzzing of energy of the strange, alien, wildly altered magic of these ruins around you.
Ludinus still stands holding his orb, smiling and holding it to his chest.
"Fractured as it may be, the Thalamus gifts us with an unintended boon, a record of divinity's true face. The face I've always known. They wade in their narcissistic fantasy and push forth the decrees for mortal lives. Contradictory among their kin, an endless tapestry of guesses and punishments. Harvesting their faith through reverence and fear, ultimately to redirect the natural flow of the soul to their realms and feed from them.
Here you know what I know is true. The living soul of Exandria borrowed and reshaped to create us as the seeds to their eternal garden of exploitation. We are chained to a cycle of their making against the natural order of life between these realms.
The Eidolons, the natural spirits of the land, they existed before the gods arrived and will exist long after they are gone. They are primordial spiritual life we once were, stolen and industrialized to sustain their self-obsessed tyranny. They funnel the very essence of the world away from it, a sentence of entropy for Exandria in ages to come.
What they did not account for was the strength of our spirit, the drive of our ambition, the desire to learn and grow, make and unmake and make again.
To challenge the mysteries of the universe with the brief time we have.
In their arrogance, they made something more perfect than them, us. In the Age of Arcanum, our enlightenment was revolution, an age where philosophy, art, and the promise of understanding were our purpose. It was their presence, their thrones, their meddling that brought ruin upon our potential. We deserve to inherit the future and they would not dare step aside and let us be greater than they.
I understand it may take some time to truly absorb what they are. What did you see? What do you see them as? What did you experience through this vision?"

Previous Episode: "Downfall: Part Three"

• CritRole Recap
• Episode Discussion
• YouTube VoD
• Alternate Front End VoD

Braius artwork by yghiilra

Please note that these broadcasts are only scheduled for the times listed below.

The Re-Slayer’s Take

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-Slayers (Bonus) Take w/ Dani Carr releases Monday, July 29th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific
• Episodes 11 releases Monday, July 29th at 5am Pacific on Beacon.

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 15 releases Tuesday, July 30th at 10am Pacific on YouTube
• Campaign 3, Episode 36 releases Tuesday, July 30th at 10am Pacific on Beacon
• Campaign 3, Episode 37 releases Friday, August 2nd at 10am Pacific on Beacon

San Diego Comic-Con Q&A Panel

Join Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, and Travis Willingham (sadly minus Sam Riegel) as they discuss everything going on in Critical Role Land with a fireside chat and short Q&A.

• Releases Tuesday, July 30th at 12pm on Beacon and YouTube

4-Sided Dive, Episode 26

Discussing Up to Campaign 3, Episode 101

Join Brennan Lee Mulligan, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey as they discuss the tragic tale of Downfall! They will also be playing a very fitting game of KerPlunk because you know sometimes floating cities go kerplunk…

• Airs Tuesday, July 30th at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Tuesday, July 30th at 7pm Pacific on Beacon
• VOD out Wednesday, July 31st on YouTube at 12pm Pacific
• Podcast out Friday, August 2nd on your favorite podcast streaming service

Critical Role: Campaign 3, Episode 102

Bells Hells continue on their adventure…

• Airs Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube
• VOD and Podcast out Thursday, August 1st at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon
• Rebroadcasts Friday, August 2nd at 12am Pacific and 9am Pacific on Twitch
• VOD out Monday, August 5th at 12pm Pacific on YouTube
• Podcast out August 8th on your favorite podcast streaming service at 5am Pacific

Critical Cooldown: C3, Ep 102

Get a backstage pass to Campaign 3, Episode 102! 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, August 1st at 7pm Pacific only on Beacon

Laura Bailey Talks Critical Role: Downfall and Becoming the Matron of Ravens

*article by Josh McCoy

Critical Role may not have invented the idea of watching several of the most talented vocal performers of the era weave an epic narrative through a collaborative storytelling game, but they've virtually perfected it. Over three Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, several one-shots, and thousands of hours, they've built a fan base that could take on the world. Each dive into the world of Exandria reveals new details that will keep long-term fans hooked. In Critical Role: Downfall, the returning cast and a few new faces embody avatars of the mighty Prime Deities as they launch their attack on the legendary flying city of Aeor.

Laura Bailey is a beloved member of the Critical Role family. While she remains one of the most celebrated voice actresses in the gaming industry, critters remember her best as Vex'ahlia, Jester, and Imogen, among others. In Downfall, Bailey takes on the role of Emhira, the physical embodiment of the Raven Queen. As a new deity, the Matron of Death is still finding her place in the Pantheon. Downfall sees Laura Bailey portray a level 20 Warlock using her character's own divine form as a patron. Bailey talked to Game Rant about creating her character, working with new cast members, and the experiences she's had over 13 years of sitting around playing Dungeons & Dragons. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: You were tragically not able to appear in Calamity. So what was it like to finally get to work with Brennan Lee Mulligan as a dungeon master?

Oh my gosh, he's so talented. Yeah, I was unbelievably excited when I got to do, or when I thought I was gonna get to do, Calamity, and we did the whole, you know, building character process with him. And so I was even more excited because he just has so much wonderful insight and was devastated when it didn't get to happen. Marisha did an amazing job, though, and took that character, made it her own, and really developed it. But yeah, I jumped at this opportunity when they asked if I would be down for doing Downfall. I was beside myself.

Q: What's it like to onboard new cast members like Abubakar Salim, Noshir Dalal, Nick Marino, and other newcomers?

It was amazing. We've worked with Abu before, and we've worked with Noshir before. This was the first time we'd ever even met Nick, so I met him when we were developing the characters together, and he's so wonderful. I don't know how, every time we bring new people into Critical Role, they happen to be the most wonderful human beings, and they really are. And I think that, you know, we bring in people that are friends of the family a lot of times, or we bring in people that are friends of friends, so that's how we end up finding such amazing people. And Abu had actually watched Critical Role and had been a fan of the show, and we met up with him in London, and we were huge fans of his as well. So it was just wonderful that he got to that. He had the time to come out and do this. They were also sweet and so open to explore the characters and dive into the lore, because with Downfall there was so much history, right, obviously, and so much lore that you had to kind of get into your brain before you could even start to create a character. So yeah, they were all so committed. It was amazing.

Q: Speaking of that lore, what was it like to step into the role of a character that has had such an impact on your previous characters? Were you going back and watching how Matt played the Raven Queen or working on trying to make this your own?

No, no, I wanted to be true to what Matt had already established, and I did go back and watch, but it turns out I didn't really need to, because I had a very strong memory of her appearing to us. Yeah. It's very strong. And yeah, it was actually Marisha who brought up me being the matron from the get-go when they said, “You guys are gonna be playing the gods of Exandria. Here's the whole Pantheon; go to town,” and really nothing was off limits. Brennan had kind of mentioned, "Maybe let's play a little easy with the Betrayer Gods," because he had plans for that. So Marisha was like, “I really want to have Matron representation at that table, and it could be really cool,” and I was terrified to play her because she does have so much lore and so much of it is shrouded in mystery still. I don't know it or I didn't at the time, and then I got to have some meetings with Matthew and some meetings with Brennan on the side and find out a little bit more of a deep dive about her history, and that way I could play her a little more accurately with how they were seeing it with how Matt was seeing it.

Q: With Downfall being the first time you’re each picking existing characters, what was the process of sitting down and selecting which gods you'd be representing?

We each picked, and it wasn't decided for sure that I was going to be the Matron. That was just one of the options that you know, like, let's think about this one, because it would be fun to have her at the table. She's just so present in all the campaigns and that makes sense. I mean, the goddess of death, so each person kind of came in, and we pitched basically three characters to the table, meaning the rest of the cast and Brennan, and said like “this is what I was thinking for this God and this is what I was thinking for their avatar and how that could work” because ultimately, we played three characters, but we were really trying to embody two separate entities. And so then, after we all kind of pitched all three, then we went back around the table and thought about how those ones could mesh and which ones resonated strongly with the rest of the group and that's how we ended up being the characters that we did.

Q: How did that impact building the characters mechanically with you stepping in with really powerful level 20 characters? Are you pulling entirely from the lore, or what would be interesting to play from a gameplay perspective?

Everything was on the table, right? Brennan, when he threw out he was like "you guys are gonna be level 20," he also said "anything you really think of that you want to do, just pitch it to me, and we can probably make it work because you’re Gods. You can do whatever you want," which that freedom is a little overwhelming, you know. I haven't played a lot of level 20 characters to begin with, and then I picked Warlock, which I'd never played at level 20. Yeah. So it was really like looking at it and going, “how does this work for her? Why would she choose Warlock?” I thought about maybe, you know, would a Wizard make more sense, but she was, you know, she wouldn't want to do things that she'd already done. So it might be nice to come back in this life and have it be easy, you know. You don't have to learn everything in magic. It just comes to you from another power. So she basically made a pact with herself and she was her own source of power.

Q: As a role player more generally, are you the type of person who has a massive list of stuff that you want to do eventually or are you approaching every single new challenge like a completely new blank slate?

I mean, there's always gonna be ideas, right, of things. “That looks really cool, I want to get to play that,” but then each time a new campaign comes up, or a new game comes up, all that goes out the window, and you start focusing on that campaign. And I tend to… this is so dumb... I think about, like, physically, what I want them to be sometimes and then “how do I fill that out?” How does that make sense? You know, literally with Imogen, my starting point was I wanted her to have pastel hair. Where do I go with that? And I had come up with like a whole bunch of different characters that could have this kind of sort of appearance and then ended up with Imogen. So yeah, with the Matron, I thought it would be really fun to make her Avatar something that looked really soft and almost innocent and gentle, so that it would be more of a contrast when she did reveal that Matron form.

Q: What's the process of finding the relationships that may have already existed with these characters that have obviously been around so much longer before you took them over? What's the process of finding who your friends and enemies are among your circle?

Well, honestly, it's already kind of established within the history of Exandria, so you know. It's more about what we know, at least for my character. We know that she came in, that she kind of forced her way into this Pantheon and, at that point, it's like, how do the others perceive her? And how did she perceive them in her mortal life? How did she perceive them? Once she became a God, what did they do? Did they shun her? Did they welcome her? Each person had a different reaction to how that would happen because she basically replaced a member of their family. This whole campaign, this whole mini-game, has been about “what is family and what is family to the Gods?” So, we actually went around the table right before the very first game. We'd already kind of established everything, you know, we'd had side conversations between the players about who knew each other. That's why Nick and Ashley had calls between each other and really established their character relationship and everything, but at the beginning of session one, we went around and said basically, who each person was in a family, like if you're sitting around a Thanksgiving table? What would each person be at that table? Would you be the older sister? Would you be the father? I was that girlfriend that shows up that nobody really knows and maybe stands to the side for a little bit. The new one that nobody knows how to treat yet. So yeah, we re-established that right before we started playing so that it would be fresh. Because it needed to come with that history the moment we started playing, it had to have all of that history.

Q: Are you a person who is conscious of playing with or against type? Are you experimenting in the realm of things you haven't played with in the past? Are you very aware of how this character might interact with some of the traits you might remember from Jester or Imogen?

I think that it's normal to want to play something that is different from something we’ve already shown, right, and with each character. Vex, we never knew or thought about it ever being shown to anybody but our friends, so we were just playing what was natural to us, and that's how Vex ended up being who she was. With Jester, I wanted to be the complete opposite of Vex. I wanted to play a character that didn't have to think before she started talking, and it didn't have to sound smart. I could just, you know, be stupid, and it was so much fun to do that. And so, with Imogen, it was how can I separate her from both of those experiences and how she would perceive things differently than them. And then with the Matron, there's so much history there. It's almost like I wanted to find the connecting threads between what Matt had already established and what her relationship would be between those characters and the other gods, like how did she get from this point to where she is in the future campaigns, right? And also, how do I show those glimmers of moments? You know, she has that moment in Campaign One, where she actually has mercy. She sees something in Vax and is able to change the threads of Fate to make his deal, and could I find a moment in the campaign to show that kind of similar personality trait of hers, right? I really thought about it when I wasn't expecting it. When Brennan suddenly said, “You are the Matron, explain what this character sees.” I didn't know that was gonna happen, and I didn't know I was ever going to be explaining my Divinity in that way, and all I could do was think about the moments that Matt had described in the past and was trying to give that same world to the character that Brennan was playing… Oh, he's so good. I don't know if I've said that already, and he's so fast. Like I'm used to playing with Matt and so like coming in with another GM who brings his own flavor of speed and comedy and depth. It was just so much fun to get to experience that.

Q: You’ve had so much experience with one DM. And is it more challenging or is it just a kind of welcome reprieve?

It's not a reprieve by any means because I look forward to our weekly game with Matt, probably more than anything else that we do and he still surprises us. I don't know how he does it after 10 years of playing together that he still... Actually, it's more than that, isn't it? Wow… personally, off camera. Yeah, it's like 13 years almost… Wow. Geez Louise. He still surprises us. It was just, I think, more nerve-wracking to play with Brennan, because I don't know how he's gonna perceive what I'm giving him. Oh, I lost a little sleep before our first game, that's for sure.

Q: In a couple of weeks, we're going to come back to Imogen, and we're going to learn what she has gained from this experience. What do you feel like you've learned from this? What do you feel like you've gained from the Downfall Arc?

Well, I gained a lot more history about Exandria, that's for sure. Travis, that's my husband, he is. all about the history. Because he and Sam executive produced the Vox Machina Animated Series, they have to know all of that. Travis really has become a wealth of knowledge as far as all of the different moments in history and Exandria and what it all means. I was still very confused about all of it, if I'm gonna be honest. But after this game, I fully get it. Oh, this is the Divergence. Oh, this is the Calamity. Oh, this is… Yeah, I feel like I'll be coming back in as a player with a better understanding.

Q: Do you sense a radical difference in tone between playing week to week and playing in Downfall?

Oh sure! Sure, I mean, Brennan let us know from the get-go that this was going to be a tragedy, right. It has to be. So there were those moments of levity, but honestly, I was surprised there were going to be any. I had no idea he was going to throw out that whole bar sequence. And it was so welcoming. It was so nice to have that moment of brightness in all of the horror that we were seeing. So, yeah, there weren't any shopping episode in Calamity. You know, there's no time to just kind of chill. It’s run and gun.

Q: How does the shorter time limit affect how you make a character when you're not going to be with them for quite as long?

I don't know if it did. I mean, I think if I was playing a one shot or a one-off I would not commit to that much backstory. Like when we were creating Menagerie characters, we went super goofy because we were like, “wow, we're going to play this one time,” and then we had so much fun, and we are going for it. But that's how we started with Vox Machina. We thought we were only playing one game, so we created characters quickly and then as you play, you create more backstory, and I think that's normal for a tabletop game. It's different now, going into the future campaigns that we've done, because we know we're going to be playing them for maybe a hundred games or more. So you want to create all of that before you begin. With Downfall, all of that was already available. I didn't have to create anything for the Matron. I did, you know, I talked to Matt. I talked to Brennan and really kind of established some stuff. And then I had to create all of Emhira’s backstory, and we didn't know how much of our avatar’s backstory was going to be in the game, if any. It was more just for our own knowledge of where they were coming from.

Q: Are there any interesting details about Emhira that you feel like might not have even made it onto the screen?

So, I mentioned her warlock patron was the Matron. So I had created a backstory where the Matron actually decided what child she was going to be born into, created The Pact with an unborn child, and sent her Champion to that family before or upon Emhira's birth and so Purvan, her Champion, was with her from her birth to protect her and keep her safe throughout her life and to help teach her everything that she would need to know, how to fight and all of that kind of stuff, and took care of her and her family and really helped out. So he was like a father to her, in some ways.

Q: You got this opportunity to select from the Prime Deities. If you had been given the same opportunity to pull from the list of Betrayer Gods, is there one that particularly calls your name?

I love the Lord of the Nine Hells, but maybe The Crawling King? I don't know why I pulled that in here. I have all these... Look, I have all of these books because my son is obsessed with drawing monsters from our game world. He presented me with like seven new drawings this morning of Iron Golems he was pretty excited about.

Q: That is adorable. Eventually, the fanart corner will just feature his drawings

[Laughs] No joke. No joke.

Q: Is there something that no one has asked you yet that you feel like you want to discuss?

Gosh… I don't know if I have anything that hasn't been asked… Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I have so much fun stuff planned, but I can't say any of it. It’s all hidden and mysterious. There's so much fun stuff that happens in the final episode of Downfall, and so much fun stuff that is coming up in our Campaign Three. We've already played a couple of games post-Downfall, and there's some really, really great stuff. Oh, it's good. It's good. I wish I could talk about it. Oh, no.

Q: Did you design your character’s clothing?

That was our amazing artist, Hannah Friederichs. I sent ideas to them about hairstyle and clothing colors and the general like softness or hardness of certain elements, and then, you know, we were presented with a few different options for looks based on what we had sent in and then we kind of refine it from there, just like we do for our other campaigns as well.

Q: A few people pointed out that Emhira looks quite a bit like you

Oh, really? That wasn't my reference, but I'll say good. I had said I had sent images of like Rachel Weisz from The Mummy and Catherine Zeta-Jones from Zorro, like, I want this ultra-feminine, soft look. So if they say it looks like me, then I'll take that complement.