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Last week, tabletop gaming royalty Critical Role announced their highly anticipated fourth campaign at their Indianapolis live show. Premiering on Oct. 2, the currently untitled actual-play series will see the troupe of voice actors once again craft an intricately told fantasy saga whose improvised story and action will be determined by player decision and rolls of the dice, streaming live for fans to see.

Details are slim, but the one major revelation has created a stir online: Dimension 20’s Brennan Lee Mulligan will be taking over the Game Master’s...

Rowan Hall and Spenser Starke reflect on how they have found the balance between external feedback and staying true to their vision with the open beta testing of Daggerheart. The collaborative approach of Daggerheart's combat mechanics encourages players to be more invested and creative in shaping the story as well as communicative at the table. Campaign frames in Daggerheart allow GMs and players to choose different fantasy sub-genres for a unique and immersive experience.

Critical Role launched its game publishing imprint, Darrington Press, in 2020 and has debuted a number of games under this banner. Candela Obscura and Daggerheart have been highly anticipated by fans as role-playing games, with the Candela Obscura Core Rulebook being released last November, months after the Candela Obscura actual play had first debuted on the Critical Role YouTube and Twitch channels. Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall teamed up to create the horror-inspired world and lore...

Moonward expands Midst universe with new characters on a mission to find the fallen moon in The Fold. Moonward features iconic Critical Role stars Marisha Ray and Liam O'Brien in a collaborative, narrative-focused storytelling experience. Midst creators Sarah Wile, Matthew Roen, and Xen Hartzell bring a unique storytelling style to Moonward unlike anything Critical Role has done before.

Critical Role is expanding the world of Midst with Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story, which will follow a new set of characters as they set off on a dangerous mission to discover what happened to the Moon after it fell into The Fold. Midst began with the moon falling out of the sky into a dark void of nothingness known as The Fold. Moonward, for the first time, will explore what exactly happened to the moon after the events of the Midst podcast.

Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story stars the talented trio...

Your browser does not support the video tag. The thrilling conclusion of Candela Obscura: The Crimson Mirror shocked everyone with unexpected survivor outcomes and enriching character arcs. Game Master Liam O'Brien's fluid storytelling approach allowed players to shape the narrative, resulting in surprising twists and deep character connections. The horror anthology series showcases the importance of character development and personal sacrifice in a gripping tale of mystery and danger in the world of Candela Obscura.

Critical Role's horror anthology series Candela Obscura closed out the story of The Crimson Mirror with a terrifying end as the circle was broken with some of the members meeting a tragic end. Liam O'Brien served as Game Master, weaving this horrifying tale or mystery and horror with Aimee Carrero, Alexander Ward, Imari Williams, and Taliesin Jaffe starring as their own circle of Candela Obscura investigators. Each chapter of Candeloa Obscura consists of three...

Critical Role may consider leaving DnD 5e due to a number of factors with the game itself and its publisher. The company is developing its own Ttrpg, Daggerheart, to possibly replace DnD. The potential release of DnD 5.5e in late 2024 could influence Critical Role's decision to switch systems.

Critical Role has used Dungeons & Dragons' fifth edition ever since it debuted back in 2015. With its simple, easy to understand mechanics, well-known reputation, and relatively fast gameplay for a tabletop game, it made it the perfect system for the streaming show, so much so that other shows, like Dimension 20, have followed in the same vein. Still, with the constant controversy that Wizards of the Coast seems to find itself in, Critical Role could look at leaving the system behind.

This wouldn't be the first time the Critical Role cast has switched systems, nor would it be the first big company to leave the IP behind.

Liam O'Brien leads a chilling tale of terror and mystery in the latest installment of Critical Role's anthology series, Candela Obscura: The Crimson Mirror. Episode 2 delves deep into the characters' backstories, with a focus on trauma and dark turns for each investigator in the new circle. Liam also teases the Legend of Vox Machina season 3 and how Mighty Nein stands out from it predecessor.

Candela Obscura: The Crimson Mirror is the latest story in the Critical Role anthology horror series. In this chapter, Liam O'Brien leads the tale of terror and mystery that Aimee Carrero, Alexander Ward, Imari Williams, and Taliesin Jaffe must navigate through as the new circle of investigators. The chapter opened with intense action as the investigators returned from a mission to retrieve an artifact. However, they soon learn that all is not as it seems when they attend a masquerade before chasing suspects to a...

The new episode of Critical Role's Candela Obscura promises unexpected twists and turns, taking the investigators to new and shocking places. Viewers can expect to delve deeper into the backstories of the characters, revealing more about their past deeds, traumas, and relationships. Liam O'Brien brings intense horror and high risk immediately with unexpected twists and turns, including an upcoming Indiana Jones-style adventure through Oldfaire.

The Critical Role anthology horror series, Candela Obscura, returns with a bang in the first episode of Candela Obscura: The Crimson Mirror. Critical Role cast member Liam O'Brien steps into the role of Game Master, weaving a tale of terror and intense action with a new group of investigators. The Circle of Crimson Mirror includes Aimee Carrero, Alexander Ward, Imari Williams, and Taliesin Jaffe, Critical Role cast member and one of the original creators of the Candela Obscura game.

Each chapter of Candela Obscura consists of...

Aabria Iyengar learned valuable lessons about fear and exploring themes in Dimension 20: Burrow's End, which helped her in leading Candela Obscura. Burrow's End had multiple layers of fear and explored concepts like violence and government, while Candela Obscura focuses on a singular fear. Candela Obscura aims to be clean and easy to follow with self-contained episodes, while Burrow's End was serialized. The main fear in Candela Obscura revolves around the idea of becoming the worst thing you've encountered.

Aabria Iyengar breaks down how Dimension 20: Burrow's End helped prepare her to lead the new season of Critical Role's Candela Obscura. Iyengar was able to explore several themes, tapping into multiple very real horrors of the world throughout Burrow's End. It seems Candela Obscura will be focused on a singular horror theme, which makes sense with the shorter season.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for Dimension 20: Burrow's End,...

Inspired by Brennan Lee Mulligan's character, Aabria Iyengar offers players a devil's bargain in Candela Obscura Chapter 3. The success of Mulligan's character and the fun of playing with a hidden secret influenced Iyengar's decision. Candela Obscura explores the monstrous elements and internal battles of its characters, delving into a different aspect of horror.

Aabria Iyengar breaks down how Brennan Lee Mulligan's character in Dimension 20: Burrow's End inspired her to offer a similar devil's bargain to the player in Chapter 3 of Critical Role's Candela Obscura. Burrow's End is full of twists and turns, but perhaps one of the most shocking was the revelation that Mulilgan's character, Tula, had been a revenant the entire time after dying long before the beginning of the season. After seeing what Mulligan was able to do with this character, Iyengar wanted to offer a similar opportunity to the players of Candela Obscura, giving...

The twentieth season of Dimension 20, Burrow's End, concludes with the stoats facing their biggest threat to Last Bast in a final showdown. Aabria Iyengar crafted a horror-filled season with less silliness compared to previous seasons, exploring themes and using the 5e system to enhance the storytelling. The First Stoats were a contentious topic, with Aabria defending their actions, but ultimately they would have aligned against Phoebe if they had survived.

The twentieth season of Dimension 20, Burrow's End, has come to a close with epic battles and the family of stoats making choices that determine the fate of the world. The family of stoats has come a long way from fleeing their Warren and racing through the Blue Forrest, but after wiping out the leadership of the Last Bast, dealing with the human threat and protecting 20,000 stoats falls on their shoulders now. As they face the biggest threat to Last Bast in one final showdown,...

Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! brings comedy and heart to Dungeons & Dragons, featuring new players, terrifying monsters, and inevitable death. The fourth episode follows a chosen family as they navigate a new house, encountering a monster and fighting to save each other. Aabria Iyengar and Gina DeVivo discuss inspirations, improvisation, and the fun of creating a character in a short amount of time.

Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!, the Beadle & Grimm's Dungeons & Dragons series on the Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures Fast channel, available on Amazon Freevee, and Plex, brings comedy and heart to each game. In the series, the players, a new group every game, play level one characters who take on truly terrifyingly powerful monsters that they have no hope of defeating. With each episode featuring a new Dungeon Master, a party of adventurers, and monsters, the battles are full of outlandish comedy and unexpected heroism...

Critical Role Summary: Critical Role is a weekly livestreamed show that uses roleplaying game mechanics as a means to explore and develop stories from the vast fantasy world of Exandria, with sweeping narratives intricately woven through collaboration between Game Master Matthew Mercer and his fellow cast of veteran voice actors, including Ashley Johnson, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, and Liam O’Brien. Release Date: 2015-03-12 Cast: Matthew Mercer, Sam Riegel, travis willingham, Laura Bailey, marisha ray, Orion Acaba, Taliesin Jaffe, Liam O'Brien, Ashley Johnson Genres: Fantasy, Adventure Seasons: 3 Story By: sam riegel Writers: Sam Riegel Network: YouTube TV Streaming Service(s): YouTube, Twitch Directors: marisha ray Showrunner: Brandon Auman The third chapter of Candela Obscura introduces a new team of investigators called The Circle of Tide & Bone, with Aabria Iyengar as the Game Master. Candela Obscura is an ongoing horror anthology series that uses...

Critical Role's full core rulebook for Candela Obscura explores and expands upon the lore, gameplay, and horror of the game featured in their series of the same name. The game is a six-sided dice-based Ttrpg set in The Fairelands, a world ravaged by war and dangerous magick, with players working together as a Candela Obscura Circle of investigators tasked with hunting down and solving terrifying mysteries. Lead game developers Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall discuss the collaborative development process with Critical Role, the importance of including mythology and lore in the game, and the unique mechanics of scars that explore impactful consequences of players' actions.

Critical Role's full core rulebook for Candela Obscura fleshes out the lore, gameplay, and horror of the game featured in their series of the same name. In 2020, they started their own game publishing company, Darrington Press, which has released different competitive and cooperative games.

Candela Obscura: Circle of Tide & Bone, the next chapter in the horror series, features an incredible cast and will premiere on November 30. The trailer for the new chapter hints at the characters' personalities and motivations, including an older member, a character with a dark side, and potential fractures within the group. The Candela Obscura series and game take place in a war-torn land and center around an organization tasked with protecting the Fairelands from magical threats. The new season promises to deliver another thrilling and horror-filled story.

Critical Role has a new trailer for the next chapter of their ongoing anthology horror series, Candela Obscura, debuting at the end of this month. The new chapter will once again feature an incredible cast, including Critical Role's own Liam O'Brien and Sam Riegel, along with Gina Darling, Ashly Burch, and Noshir Dala. Aabria Iyengar will step into the role of Game Master...

Tabletop RPG fans can get their dose of gothic horror next month when Darrington Press releases the Core Rulebook for Candela Obscura on November 14th. Available in both a standard hardcover edition as well as a hardcover limited edition for collectors and fans alike, the RPG has a free quickstart guide for those eager to learn more about the game prior to the Core Rulebook release.

In this investigative horror RPG designed and written by Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall, and featured on Critical Role, you are a member of a secret society, the eponymous Candela Obscura, which confronts occult horrors from beyond, keeping hidden the true nature of magickal incursions besetting our world. You’ll pursue strange occurrences and encounter dangerous magicks, fighting back against a mysterious source of corruption and bleed. Candela Obscura is the first to use the Illuminated Worlds System, a newly designed system that uses...

Critical Role's Candela Obscura returns with a new team of investigators, facing dangerous magical threats in the war-torn Fairelands. Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Luis Carazo, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Zehra Fazal make up The Circle of Needle. Each chapter takes place over three episodes, exploring intense horror themes and consequences in the Illuminated Worlds system.

Critical Role's Candela Obscura returns with a new team of investigators facing dangerous magical threats. Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Luis Carazo, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Zehra Fazal make up The Circle of Needle. Spenser Starke, one of the designers of Candela Obscura, makes his Critical Role debut as Game Master, and Taliesin Jaffe returns as the trusted lightkeeper. Candela Obscura is set in The Fairelands, a region filled with dangerous magic and new technology at the turn of the century in the aftermath of a devastating war.

Each chapter takes place over the course of three episodes,...

Candela Obscura Chapter 2 takes place in The Fairelands, a dangerous and technologically advanced region after a devastating war. The season stars a new team of investigators, The Circle of Needle and Thread, led by Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Luis Carazo, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Zehra Fazal. The Ttrpg uses Darrington Press' The Illuminated Worlds System and the second episode will premiere on September 28 on Critical Role's Twitch and YouTube.

Critical Role's horror series, Candela Obscura, returns for another grim tale full of scares and tragedy with Chapter 2, which follows The Circle of Needle and Thread, a new team of investigators. Candela Obscura is set in The Fairelands, a region filled with dangerous magic and new technology at the turn of the century in the aftermath of a devastating war. The new season stars Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Luis Carazo, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Zehra Fazal, with Spenser Starke, one of the Candela Obscura designers,...

The team behind the critically-acclaimed animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, Critical Role is set to take the audience back to the realm of otherworldly horror with the second chapter of their ongoing Dnd campaign series Candela Obscura. The new three-episode chapter includes a new circle, a new game master, and a whole new set of magickal enemies. Now, you can watch the premiere on the big screen as tonight's premiere will be simulcast in select Cinemark theaters.

Dimension 20's Mentopolis brings together both returning and new players for a gritty, hard-boiled mystery in the city within Elias Hodge's mind. The characters in this noir setting embody beloved tropes of the genre and serve specific functions within Elias Hodge's mind, giving fans insight into their roles. The season explores the intersection of psychology and philosophy, delving into the concept of the conscious mind as a smaller fragment of the larger workings of the mind.

Dimension 20's latest side quest, Mentopolis, takes players and viewers into the cityscape that exists within the mind of scientist Elias Hodge. This season brings Dimension 20 alumni and first-timers in the dome to the table for a hard-boiled mystery in the gritty city of Mentopolis. Players include Siobhan Thompson, Mike Trapp, Danielle Redford, Alex Song-Xia, Freddie Wong, and Hank Green, with Brennan Lee Mulligan serving as Game Master. Each character...

Gen-Con has come and gone. The gaming conference — think Comic-Con for tabletop fans or Super Bowl weekend for people who live their lives one D20 at a time — is one of the biggest events of the year and always brings with it a few notable intersections of entertainment and tabletop. And the runup to this year's Gen Con was no different, with big news from the world of collectible card games and high-profile actual plays.

In this month's edition of Cardboard Cinema, we are slashing our way through news about "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and blasting a "Critical Role" update from the biggest screen possible. We're also setting the stage for an epic "Eve Online" adaptation and allowing ourselves, finally, to be swept up in the hype around "Magic: The Gathering" and their Universes Beyond.

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Mercer is open to running a Resident Evil one-shot on Critical Role and is interested in exploring a small, unique place reminiscent of the original game's cramped mansion and subterranean laboratory. A Resident Evil one-shot would allow Mercer to delve into a different horror subgenre and explore character dynamics and close-quarters battles that TTRPGs excel at. While a one-shot is hypothetical, Mercer's deep knowledge of the franchise as both a player and voice actor, along with Critical Role's track record of bringing new and exciting stories to beloved worlds, would make Resident Evil a perfect addition to their impressive lineup.

Resident Evil: Death Island star Matt Mercer reveals what part of the world he would want to explore if given the opportunity to run a Resident Evil one-shot on Critical Role. Mercer is no stranger to Resident Evil. First a fan of the videogames, he joined the franchise as Leon S.

The new Critical Role series Candela Obscura follows a group of investigators called together by the Candela Obscura to investigate strange magical occurrences. Candela Obscura is set in The Fairelands, a region filled with dangerous magic and new technology at the turn of the century in the aftermath of a devastating war. Each episode of Candela Obscura is a new mystery for the investigators to solve.

The first chapter of Candela Obscura, which will take place over the first three episodes, stars Matt Mercer, Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, Robbie Daymond, and Anjali Bhimani, with Taliesin Jaffe as the Lightkeeper. The Candela Obscura Ttrpg was created by Jaffe and Chris Lockey. Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall serve as the lead designers and writers. The Candela Obscura Ttrpg uses Darrington Press' The Illuminated Worlds System, which was designed by Stras Acimovic and Layla Adelman. New episodes debut the last Thursday of every month on Twitch and YouTube,...

Candela Obscura, Critical Role's new gothic horror series, follows a group of investigators brought together by the Candela Obscura to solve a magical mystery. Candela Obscura takes place in the turn-of-the-century region of The Faireland in the wake of a devastating war, with horrifying magic and new technology flourishing. Candela Obscura features a new, magic-filled investigation for the circle to solve in each episode.

Candela Obscura's first chapter will be composed of three episodes. The first chapter of Candela Obscura stars Matt Mercer, Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, Robbie Daymons, and Anjali Bhimani, with Taliesin Jaffe as the Lightkeeper. Jaffe, along with Chris Lockey, created the Candela Obscura Ttrpg, with Spencer Starke and Rowan Hall serving as lead designers and writers. The Candela Obscura Ttrpg uses the new Darrington Press game system, The Illuminated Worlds System, designed by Stras Acimovic and Layla Adelman. New episodes debut the last Thursday of...

The last few months have been huge for Critical Role. On top of the long-running actual play show (now well into its third campaign) and The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2, which was released on Prime Video earlier this year, Critical Role Productions has been expanding in surprising ways. In March, it announced the acquisition of the immersive drama podcast Midst, going on to release remastered episodes of the series. Now Critical Role is setting off on its latest endeavor outside Exandria: a new horror series titled Candela Obscura that uses the new Illuminated Worlds Ttrpg system, created by Taliesin Jaffe and Chris Lockey, with lead designers and writers Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall.

Set in a new turn-of-the-century-inspired world called The Fairelands, Candela Obscura follows a group of investigators fighting a mysterious force. The show is structured around standalone episodes in which players must solve a mystery. The series...