Critical Role DROPS D&D in their New Show: Candela Obscura

...and immediately, a new best-selling indie TTRPG is born! ▶️ More below! ⏬
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00:00 why critical role's RPG is important
01:33 where critical role gets their power!
04:14 critical role's three new RPGs
07:18 free candela obscura PDF
08:30 everything we know about Daggerheart
09:22 BWB patreon-exclusive video?
10:05 critical role doesn't need dnd anymore
12:37 how this could change the RPG industry
#criticalrole #candelaobscura #dnd

[@BobWorldBuilder]

💥 Candela Obscura FREE Quick Start PDF: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/438694?affiliate_id=1987166 ✅ LIKE & SHARE: kzbin.infovideos ✅ PATREON: www.patreon.com/bobworldbuilder

[@SilverScribe85]

I'm happy CR is taking things in a new direction with their content...but this new campaign they plan on doing just doesn't resonate with me. I love the mystery/horror feel of it but I prefer to READ Mystery and Horror rather than watch that much content based on the genres. For me, only fantasy-themed RPGs will capture my interests

[@Spark_Chaser]

Forged in the Dark is the Blades in the Dark system. You were right.

[@seanleafgreen135]

Spoken like a true fanboy . I'm sure the gang at Critrole will enjoy the cuckage you're promoting

[@nickcarpenter3109]

​@@SilverScribe85 fantasy is good but really it's become way too saturated with movies,video games,books and of course tabletop. If I can do anything yo get away from fantasy at this point the better.

[@SilverScribe85]

@@nickcarpenter3109 I get it; at this point, some people might feel fatigued by it all (much like people have been with Marvel movies lately.) But from MY perspective, the Fantasy genre has been sorely limited these past few years. Sure; we've got stuff on streaming like House of the Dragon, Rings of Power and of course, Legend of Vox Machina (with Mighty Nein coming to Prime soon next.) But Rings has become a HUGE letdown and when it comes to movie, no one puts any effort into the work anymore. It's just special effects and nothing substantial to follow it up. Horror is no better either; while YOU'VE been feeling worn out by the Fantasy genre, it's Horror that's been that way for me. You've seen one story with vampires, werewolves, zombies or a murder mystery; you've seen them all and THIS direction CR is going feels just like that

[@cloud4an]

Wizards wanted to get a cut of the Critical Role pie, completely forgetting CR has not needed them for a long time.

[@FiLtheThriL]

Seriously? As if CR didn't almost single handedly create this renaissance.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Exactly! critical role has has their own awesome pie for a while now.

[@shaunhall960]

@@FiLtheThriL Actually yes, D&D was dying before they came along and they changed that and got old players and new one excited about D&D and the gaming hobby in general. WotC is the one to blame for hurting our hobby in the first place. Having said this it really is sad this all happened and it didn't have too. Had WotC encouraged the hobby and gave content creators the love they deserved we wouldn't be talking about this.

[@DavidJWGibson]

@@shaunhall960 D&D was actually doing quite well following the release of 5e. 5e was doing gangbusters for its first 2-3 years before the Critical Role bump became a thing and campaign 1 build up enough word of mouth to become a phenomena.

[@DavidJWGibson]

WotC got a cut of the pie. They published two books to Critters in partnership with CR and get a tonne of money on the DMsGuild for Mercer's creations. They actually GIVE CR money, by way of D&D Beyond sponsorship, because they know it's such good advertising. The OGL changes were 100% to stop larger corporations (Disney for example) from jumping into the RPG field using D&D's rules. They'd almost certainly have cut an individual deal with Mercer and CR to have it not affect them.

[@CharoGaming]

I hope more publishers make videos explaining how their systems are played. That's the only way our group even learned how to play dnd

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Most of the time it's just fans of the game making videos! They're not likely to pop into one's YT feed, but they're usually out there if you're searching for a game with even a small following.

[@shaunhall960]

Yes!

[@artloveranimation]

they are gonna make their own "how to play" video soon

[@ccarter1988]

Yep literally I keep saying that a huge reason people bite on 5e and CoC making them the highest played games out there...are because of the amount of easy to run oneshots and adventure modules for them. If a creator puts out a campaign setting in the hopes someone loves the setting, great....but if you product a few oneshots to show off the interest system mechanics and a module that will slowly introduce players to the world...makes the DMs load less (aka more likely for DM to want to try) and then players can get the itch to learn more.

[@dittrich04]

Shadowdark does their own videos on how to play.

[@Alex-yl8dz]

People forget that they were playing Vox Machina as a Pathfinder game before they converted it to 5E for streaming. I honestly thought they'd make the switch to Pathfinder 2E for campaign 3, the thought that they might have had their own game in the works since C3 started makes sense why they wouldn't want to learn a new system before learning another new system.

[@simonfernandes6809]

People forget the original game was D&D 4e.

[@ragnobash]

Popped in to say the same thing. They've shown that they are open to other game systems, but D&D grabs the most headlines. Now that they are known as a great show, and system is loosely followed anyways, this is a great time for them to make a switch.

[@Loki-]

Pathfinder's crunch makes the RP take longer to get to

[@SircoleYT]

Yeah this video is from people trying to take advantage of the drama for their own benefit. They're intentionally misrepresenting the facts to drive traffic to their own systems. It's actually a pretty sketchy thing to do.

[@SircoleYT]

​@@simonfernandes6809 pathfinder*, it was originally pathfinder. You're thinking of Acquisitions Incorporated.

[@Aaron-pj3ky]

One point not mentioned is that streaming shows is a compelling way to learn a system's basic structure, even if you don't learn the rules in detail. Sitting down and reading a 100+ page Player's Handbook is daunting, but it's not so bad if you've been following a show with that system and got a basic understanding of how it's played. I first learned Dungeons&Dragons from the first season of Adventure Zone and they were *terrible* at knowing how to play the game, but it still helped me out when starting in a game proper.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

So true!

[@matthewparker9276]

Especially if you're motivated to watch the show anyway, because you're already a fan of the cast.

[@Pootythief]

This is how I learned 5e, watching CR C2.

[@pvic6959]

yeah! I learned most of the rules through CR and then actually looked at the books haha

[@green_dragon_knight]

Absolutely- I learned 5e mostly from watching CR, and when I wanted to learn Monster of the Week I listened to The Adventure Zone’s mini campaign Amnesty (it’s great btw, I really recommend it)

[@minipaintingforyou]

Showing how to convert characters from 5e to Daggerheart would be so spicy 😱 If CR doesn't do it, you should. Ride that wave!

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Haha I just might!!

[@mikaelste-marie1275]

I feel Daggerheart is going to be for a 4th campaign.

[@SlocumJoe7740]

Yea, I hope Daggerheart is a Classes-less 5e Style system. I feel like it would fix the problem of Class Names that seems to be how WoTC plans to enforce copyright trolling. Like maybe purchase abilities "A la carte" style, like if I wanted a Robe Wearing, Staff wielding Divine Caster that uses Intelligence, you buy the packages to create the class. I feel it would fit more interesting characters.

[@kohakuaiko]

​@@SlocumJoe7740 so you mean like a d20 version of G. U. R. P. S. 😊

[@mikaelste-marie1275]

@@SlocumJoe7740 Not sure about that. I hope it's. It could be fun.

[@JCPRuckus]

I was trying to explain this to someone when Daggerheart first got announced. Critical Role is more FREE advertisement than every bit of free or paid advertisement every other non-D&D system has put together. Daggerheart could easily become the second most popular fantasy TTRPG based solely on that. The hardest part of playing a new system is getting players on board, and Critical Role will have players asking for Daggerheart in the same way it had them expecting every DM to be Matt Mercer.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Glad we're on the same page! Haha

[@stewi009]

Yeah, just look at how big of a splash Shadowdark made with its kickstarter, which was largely due to the established popularity of the Arcane Library as a publisher. CR's reach will make that look like a drop in the bucket when Daggerheart and... the other one... come out. Every time WOTC tries to kill the OGL, they end up spurring on the "big competitor product" they're so scared the original OGL will permit. First Pathfinder, now this. If they just left well enough alone, these publishers probably would've been perfectly happy to keep building off of the OGL, indirectly publicizing D&D in the process, because it's easier than making their own thing. Threaten to end their livelihood by taking away the license they rely on, and suddenly WOTC gets a first-hand lesson in how little the community actually depends on THEM, as a specific company, to have fun.

[@WDStr33t]

Undeadwood was several episodes using Savage Worlds Deadlands, so this isn't their first time doing this. Still excited though!

[@Oyster_Man]

I believe they have also used Call of Cuthulhu, Apocalypse World (the highschool monster one), and Vampire the Masquerade.

[@_KayWoah]

Undeadwood was a miniseries, not an ongoing series like Critical Role is and Candela Obscura will be

[@TabletopTurtle]

I don't know why, but my early morning brain read that as Savage World Dadlands and now I want that made into an RPG system. Roaming bands of dads making bad jokes, burning steaks, and taking too long on the toilet in a post apocalyptic land where there are no wives.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yes but I'm pretty sure that was only ever planned to be a specific number of episodes, where Candela Obscura is set up to be an ongoing show (if successful enough)

[@nickbeutler]

@@TabletopTurtle dadlands is actually a game the McElroy brothers designed and have played a couple times on the Adventure Zone (DM’d by Brennan lee mulligan I believe)

[@Harlizarrd]

Critical Role switching to Daggerheart mid-C3-on-stream would be funniest shit, honestly. "Thanks for the DNDBeyond ad Sam, now onto the game. Tonight we're abandoning DNDBeyond-"

[@OneWingedAngelsBand]

Watch Sam make some Daggerheart ad that has some shit like breaking up with DND Beyond or something like that 😂

[@ooooneeee]

Daggers are good for backstabbing 🗡️😈

[@BobWorldBuilder]

god bless Sam Riegel

[@Questfinder1]

No, they'll be as amazing about it as they were with Brian and the first guy from c1.

[@Dracobyte]

​@@Questfinder1 Orion Acaba?

[@DougCoughler]

My favorite fan theory based on the last CR episode and the announcement of the Zelda one-shot is that Nintendo wants a piece of the TTRPG pie and that CR and Daggerheart are going to be the ones to offer the first *official* Hyrule-based TTRPG. That would break the internet.

[@raphaelzakhm7310]

I do not see that happening but it would be without doubt really cool!

[@Kalin5513]

I like the idea of a d20 system over a D-not20 system, and with "It's Dangerous to go Alone" being probably the largest Zelda TTRPG system, and it's not a D20 system... Id love to see this happen. I hope an Official Zelda TTRPG would be made on the Daggerheart system.

[@FeenMachine88]

I'll switch to a CR system just on the trust they will always care about the players over money also less chance of the Pinkertons coming to my house

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Haha well said! They really do seem to genuinely care about the fans.

[@tempusavatar]

"Always" is a scary word. How quickly we forget that TSR was a scrappy group of people trying to make fun games in the 80s, and WotC was a scrappy group of people trying to make fun games in the 90s.

[@darthbek]

I think the only chance of Pinkerton involvement is if you were a super kickstarter backer and there was a tier where they ran a pinkerton one shot and you got to play. And now I want this.

[@ratatatuff]

At the end of the day CR is also just running a business.

[@American_Mike]

I am sorry you think that. MM and all of those people on the show ONLY care about the money. Did they play and stream before it was about the money? Yes. But they have shown that they ONLY care about the fans that get them the money and that is the fan base that wants to throw up gates and make PC changes because, reasons.

[@jacobgrimm9475]

Yes, the Forged in the Dark engine is based on the Blades in the Dark system.

[@LouiSwagula]

Never watched critical role since I prefer my shows to be on the shorter side so I was excited when they announced candela obscura. I will definitely check it out and read through the system

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yeah the length of the show is a challenge of its own!

[@valeri0n38]

​, agree. I'm only on episode 38/115 for C1. And I've been listening to the podcast every day at work for the last couple of weeks just trying to catch up. Sigh...

[@WD_Gaster66]

@@valeri0n38 Do not sigh at trying to catch up. Being caught up is a curse, not a blessing lol. You have to suffer waiting a week or more for the next episode!

[@genericname2747]

Yeah same, I'm not spending hours of my day on this, no matter how good the show is

[@recka5000]

Glad the dice have almost sold out! They roll really nice and very quickly became my main set of dice!

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks very much for getting a set! :)

[@RedBeardNP]

Came here to say the same things. Got to use them shortly after they arrived, love em!

[@fakjbf3129]

They done lots of one shots with different systems, Marisha DMing the Honey Heists, Sam DMing the Nordverse, they’ve even done a one shot with Pathfinder! They also did a short campaign in the Deadlands system called “UnDeadwood”, so this won’t even be the first non-one shot using a different system. So I wouldn’t call this quite as unprecedented as you make it out to be, but it’s definitely a huge step.

[@LemonMoon]

While the adventure zone isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be, it’s still successful enough to keep going and they almost always switch up the system while returning to 5e every once in a while.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Great point!

[@ThatWhichErodes]

i love the Travis ad-lib when Matt says "Dungeons and Dragons". best one at 2:15

[@konahrikvolkihar0185]

Honestly, been waiting for more info on this possibility ever since the OGL drama, on top of the lackluster content WotC has been putting out past couple years

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yeah between new releases like Shadowdark, and now this, it's just nice to be excited about new stuff again!

[@SircoleYT]

Funny, our groups all really liked Descent Into Avernus. And wasn't the OGL drama just a bunch of ignorant people thinking WotC was going to be clamping down on 3rd party creators when in fact they weren't and the OGL only applied to groups that partnered with them which was none of the folks comparing. Since you can't copywrite or trademark game rules, all those 3rd party content creators were completely unaffected by ANY OGL WotC put out. But that's no fun. Can't get riled up without someone trying to oppress you. So all these uninformed people got upset at WotC for doing nothing to them.

[@genericname2747]

@@SircoleYT Please do research instead of talking about stuff you don't understand.

[@lucianapalermo1534]

I would have never got into D&D if it wasn't for critical role! My husband and my son tried to pull me in for years and it just wouldn't call me, but when I started watching critical role I got obsessed with it! And now is my fav thing! Playing with my family and watching their campaigns, and I am so gonna try their new system 100% 🤩

[@pvic6959]

wouah. having a dnd family sounds amazing!! I hope you all are making memories to last a lifetime

[@thegreatdane908]

It does seem like the episode where they show how to switch might be a little more confrontational than CR wants to be, but I could definitely see them just making the switch and also putting out a video on youtube or something explaining what the transition looks like, but just in a general sense. Love the direction all of this is going, thank you for the videos!

[@MasterTMO]

Didn't CR start their first campaign playing PathFinder, and switched to D&D when it turned into a show?

[@dylantaylor603]

Yep (and the first ever session they played was actually 4e, Matt switched em to Pathfinder after that)

[@lordjalor]

Hey Bob! Going with the "trying out new games" I think you should try covering Quest! It's a simple beginner's TTRPG which I think you'll personally enjoy.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks for the recommendation! :)

[@SirxocolatlKaka]

Listen Bob, this was a great video that highlighted some very exciting points and seemed well researched. It was also presented entertaining yet succinct. However... The transition from Vax face to Liams face at 11:17 is the best part of the video for me by far.

[@shaunhall960]

Those dice are beautiful. On another note I hope CR allows other game developers and content creators to use their system as well as promoting other game systems. We really do need a lot of love in our hobby right now considering everything that has happened over the years.

[@GrayArmyGaming]

A test case to see how the community responds in order to judge how to move forward with replacing D&D with Daggerheart in Season 4? 🤔

[@jordanw2741]

I'd imagine the shift will be gradual. I'm thinking one shots for daggerheart, possibly getting A-List people to play and endorse it. Whether it becomes the system of choice for future campaigns.... We'll see. I imagine they will definitely play some 5.5e (as it should be called) when it comes out, as I'm sure there is still hype around that (regardless of the OGL controversy). Really curious to see Candela Obscura in play... And see what their capable of in terms of systems. Slightly nervous as Matt's contributions to d&d have been wildly unbalanced player options. But there is a whole team behind this, so might be unfounded.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yeah i do not think it will have an *immediate effect on D&D. If it's a big success, it'll make D&D sweat a little and hopefully up their game. Then if they don't, over a few years, we could start to see a turn of the tide, but D&D's name recognition will always be significant.

[@crschoen123]

"Forged in the Dark"..."Illuminated Worlds" definitely a theme there.

[@ellyjockey6164]

During the OGL controversy, I wished that someone would make another TTRPG and take care of it better than wotc ever will. Here we are. Daggerheart is incoming and I'm excited.

[@DiceTTRPG]

It is definitely going to shift some things around in the industry. A single system can spawn so many different games, like the Year Zero system being the groundwork for games like Alien RPG and Blade Runner RPG. Going the route of a simple system with a focus on roleplay is very smart to do, as that is genuinely what makes CR so popular. It's not them throwing dice with super optimized builds, it's how they've carried their characters via roleplay and narrative.

[@WilliamSlayer]

Thanks for the updates sir! I, like many others who have played DnD for many many years, thank everyone for trying out the system while it was 'cool' and (as usual) many people will move along and we thank you for having fun with us along the way! 😊

[@davidjennings2179]

I think learning rules by osmosis as you watch a compelling show is how a lot of people prefer to learn. That audience CR has access to will have a passing knowledge of how to play after and episode or two even if they didn't intend to. Its how I got into blades in the dark (Oxventure have a great series for that) and Call of Cthulhu. All in all I'm really looking forward to the broadening of interests I think this will promote. Fingers crossed it starts a golden age for TTRPGs.

[@chasestreet8082]

I've seen some people that are concerned that CR's new game will hurt Call of Cthulhu, which I absolutely love. I am more than willing to see what the game is like though, as I'm all for anyone showing there are other games and genres out there besides D&D and fantasy. Looking forward to seeing what this is going to be like!

[@gxantor]

A dynamic switch would be really cool if they could tie some character changes to the plot.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Oh man, that would be very critical role!!

[@jeanstark8425]

I've been thinking that's what the current plot in campaign 3 would be used for; if things go poorly, it could alter Exandria significantly.

[@jarroddt]

Illuminated Worlds quickstart releases the day before my birthday!? Best present ever!

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Happy almost birthday!!

[@jarroddt]

@@BobWorldBuilder omg thanks so much!!!

[@kslique]

Maybe now I can get my players to try a system other than D&D

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Exactly! If Daggerheart actually turns out to be their "dnd clone" that should be an easy one to test out

[@nomnomgoblin8901]

They also ran a oneshot with the PBTA Monster Hearts system once but a channel of that size running other systems is still really solid

[@kuutonen666]

Not a fan of watching long streams/videos but it's interesting to see where the situation is going to. Thanks for the coverage.

[@alantesser1645]

Bob - You're killin' it! Or buildin' it? I've been curious about the rumblings I've heard regarding CR's two new systems, but not curious enough to go digging just yet. This video made it so I didn't have to; thanks for condensing the info and providing some keen speculation.

[@Maveric45]

I wouldn't be surprised if critical role swaps systems made campaign. After all they started on camera going from Pathfinder the 5th edition. I'm interested to see what the future holds and swap mid-campaign or not I want to see what dagger heart has in store

[@quickattackfilms7923]

One of the most overlooked pieces of TTRPG media is Wil Wheaton’s old RPG series on geek and sundry. He made his own engine and ran a sci fi campaign that was legitimately sick. It was only a handful of episodes but those are what really got me into the hobby. Edit: it’s called Titansgrave and it actually came out JUST before the first episode of critical role. Suuuuch good times back when that came out.

[@PokeNaru29]

I think the bare minimum that will happen is that they’ll do some random one shots during the end of their current campaign to gauge how well it’s received, but I think they’ll 100% switch to the new system when the next campaign starts. I know there’s been a lot of speculation on the cast changing since I know they’ve talked about wanting to go back to home games, but this changed that perspective. Personally I don’t think I’ll ever fully leave d&d especially with the current group I have. I have been playing other games even long before the ogl stuff though. I recently have been running some avatar legends games, and it’s definitely tough to swap to at first, but it’s immensely easier to be the GM.

[@74gould]

Great video! I’m definitely interested in checking out the Candela Obscura stuff tomorrow. Cautiously optimistic. 😊

[@johdo_lodet]

I'm excited to see how these new games play out while at Gen Con. I didn't see Critical Role on the event listing. Does anyone know who's running the demos? Good stuff Bob, keep up the good work. So glad i stumbled onto your channel. Subbed immediately. :)

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks! :) I'm not up to date on Gen Con listings, but I'd be surprised if there were no critical role cast members. Probably a couple of them and the game designers.

[@johdo_lodet]

@@BobWorldBuilder Found it!! Darrington Press is at booth 2835 in the Exhibit Hall. When looking at the map, it's in the lower-right section. Woohoo...can't wait!

[@Matthewcmiel]

GREAT video, glad you mentioned the designers spearheading these projects, and how cool they are. Seriously great vid, bob!

[@Athkore]

Can't wait for Matthew to be Rules Lawyered in his own system.

[@darcyw156]

Psyched to play the new CR, Kobold Press, and MCDM games. I have moved away from DND and I still won't give Wizards any more $. I can't wait to give these a try! Great vid Bob! Thanks for the hype train.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Choo! Choo!! xD

[@nanorider426]

Yeah. The Kobold Press' kickstarter is already funded yesterday. I haven't bought a new D&D book for 15 years; I only buy second hand AD&D (TSR) now to fill out my dwindling holes in my collection. ^^

[@stewi009]

Yeah, I'm interested to see what CR's games and the MCDM RPG look like, too. I'll probably still play D&D now and then with the stuff I already have, but I haven't given them any money since the OGL fiasco broke and I'm not seeing a lot of compelling reasons to do so on the horizon.

[@dylanboczar999]

Just a word of warning; as a huge fan of the Kobold Press monster books, I heavily caution you against getting too hyped about their proposed game system. Based on the character options playtest they did a few months ago, they really have no idea what they're doing. I heartily support them as a third-party publisher, but their character options seem to basically be "all the oversights of the 2014 5e PHB turned up to 11"

[@jackhelm9852]

OK Bob, you have hooked me enough that I now make your videos a priority to watch when I see them come across my subscription list. Sooooo, time to support what I love. Glad to be a new Patreon supporter and delighted to help someone like you who can put out such balanced and fun content without fire or malice and only to promote the wide world of gaming in general (and all the companionship and fellowship that comes along with TTRPG's). Looking forward to seeing what both of the new Crit Roll games have to offer. Not sure if I will play them or not, sort of grounded in my own system for decades now (Hero System) but anything that builds the hobby is of interest to me. I am one of those folks you spoke of that could care less what system is being used, I watch for the story and the folks. So looking forward to new genre's being explored like Candala Obscura. Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see what you produce in the future.

[@phillip_rogersjr]

To quote Spock, “There is a historic opportunity here.”

[@keeganbarth2100]

I primarily learned how to play D&D from watching Critical Role. I think if they had a huge event happen in C3 that was world-changing and they switched to daggerheart, it would be a genius way to grow the system. Even if it is a temporary change until the in game world goes back to normal.

[@luffyswaifu420]

seriously love your videos, you always talk about things in such a non-biased, straight journalistic way, while still being entertaining and I cant stress enough how much we need people like you in this world.

[@KabuMontasaurios]

How about those oneshots playing Honey Heist?

[@azdgariarada]

How about fuckin Grog's oneshot?!? I'd happily watch an entire mini-series of the whole crew playing Bunions and Flagons!

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Good times xD But this game as a SERIES with no firm ending is what makes it a potential game changer!

[@The_BenboBaggins]

Received my BWB dice today - absolutely love them! Well worth the wait for them to reach the UK!

[@gamewrit0058]

7:18 Note to self: Download free candela obscura quick start guide tomorrow, on Thursday, May 25, 2023, before the premier. (Rubs hands together in excitement.) 🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲

[@BobWorldBuilder]

--and same note to everyone else!!

[@ericaltmann5711]

This is a good thing. Good on ‘em. There is a lot more to ttrpgs than just d&d. Exposing newer gamers to new systems is great, and a very healthy thing for the community and the hobby in general.

[@decoy2424]

CR has an uncanny ability to help people learn how to play systems by immersion. Anything their audience is going to watch, is going to learn how to play 2ndHand. I even started watching their CoC game just so I can see how mechanics are used in game. Their daggerheart game is going to do well, especially for those who prefer social interactions in-game. Love your content Bob, you definitely have expertise in Insight.

[@demetrinight5924]

I am certainly interested in trying the new systems put out by Critical Roll. I've already picked up DCC and Frostgrave and one of my friends got Thirsty Sword Lesbians. I have Pathfinder 1e. A new system isn't as scary as it used to be.

[@roguevirus]

Forged in the Dark was in fact developed by the Blades in the Dark folks. Your assumption was correct!

[@bm1747]

Just pointing out that call of Cthulhu has always been more popular than Dungeons& Dragons in Japan, wow! While remaining a niche product for RPG super nerds in the States. This is an incredibly wise strategy from them. If it blows up, they'll be in a better position to extend into a fantasy game. If you come for the king, you better not miss.

[@melinnamba]

I really Hope that shift towards more diversity of ttrpg systems will lead to more dice being available as single dice or in costum sets. I absolutly love 10 D10 systems, but it's really hard to find dice not by chessex that you can get in sets of 10 D10. And since I am a total dice dragon, that's one of my biggest ttrpg pet peeves.

[@mrlucius57]

I love crit role because of the vibe and the people

[@markdunlap9960]

I would love if they converted campaign three to the new system but I’ve honestly been looking forward to a new start with the new system

[@arthurvelwest5481]

As someone who isn't really a critical role fan, I am very excited for these new systems.

[@mattw.6726]

It's definitely going to be interesting to see how this plays out. In the meantime, I'd like to suggest checking out sci-fi RPG Stars Without Number (Revised) and/or its fantasy cousin Worlds Without Number. In addition to their own game rules, a huge section (read: most) of each book is dedicated to system-neutral worldbuilding, with all sorts of random generation tables to help things along. As such, I feel like they might be right up your alley. Even better, DriveThruRPG has a free version of the core rulebook for each, so you can check them out without having to throw down cash beforehand. Anyway, I'd really be interested to see your take on Kevin Crawford's sandbox setting generation tools. (I was kind of blown away by his depth of thought in many regards.)

[@joshjosh8301]

I would love to see all the big youtube creators pull together and do a critical roll style playthrough of various Indy systems. Bob, Hankerin, DM Scotty, Professor, Wyloch, Ben, etc...

[@zormarrivaks8257]

In spirit of reseaech you should try Blades in the Dark. This game is very fun and different in many interesing ways that other ttRPG, but also not in form that make it hard to try.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks for the recommendation! :)

[@aidanhogan-thomas1797]

You should talk about Mork Borg if you havent already. I got to play it this weekend and it was such a blast

[@doublekrpg]

Who else misses Bob's glorious long hair? Bad Boy Bob is fine, of course.

[@PonderingsOfPete]

I wonder whats in the contracts around the Tal'Dorei Campaign setting. Like if there's any non-compete/exclusivity clauses that could apply to the system used for the setting. That might determine how quickly they can roll out a new setting guide for Daggerheart. Really depends

[@eliontheinternet3298]

I don’t think they would ever fully convert away from DND (especially not right away) but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they did a special one-shot episode of their current characters in the new system to show people what it would be like to switch.

[@ArcaneAnthems]

You always make such thoughtful videos! Thanks for all you continue to do!

[@TeyrnHighever]

A healthy direction for the future of TTRPGs in general. Also, let's not forget about the six episode _Deadwood_ Critical Role campaign -- which used a version of Savage Worlds.

[@bl00dywelld0ne]

Correct. The Forged in the Dark rules set is the SRD pulled directly from Blades in the Dark.

[@benjaminchild3227]

I think there's a level of cultural awareness that DnD has that won't soon be overtaken, but even if Daggerheart only became the second most popular TTRPG, I'd imagine that would still be an enormous win for CR. I do think it also gives them a chance to have a real renaissance, to bring in a new group of viewers who will become loyal daggerheart fans, even if they've never watched the previous seasons.

[@calicothecappuccinogurl9874]

Keeping low hopes for a pleasant surprise. Honestly I have very big concerns about this, and this is coming from a critter who's cought up with the whole show and almost all side show's and one shots. As much as I love critical role they flopped BIG TIME on the blood hunter being very lackluster & other things like the Echo knight etc being broken at the same time. A lot of function's have so many holes in them because of ideas being poorly translated into the system with bad writing and cross checking nuance things players can do with certain abilities. ie: Aether walk; what happens if you leave something inside of a creatures body like a bomb or a dagger in the stomach? cuz it has enough space to still be considered "nearest unoccupied space", etc etc... There are just simple not enough examples or well used words and such in the ability descriptions.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Good points! Ultimately I think that shows how CR (and Matt's design) doesn't really fit with 5e where every little thing needs to be spelled out. Most games leave things up to interpretation so the players can be creative and the GM can actually be a GM, making calls about what should work and what shouldn't

[@knick5639]

I could be wrong about but I was under the impression that once published under Wizards content CR lost control over that content meaning they couldn't make changes/updates to work better. This may have been a contributing factor in setting up their own publishing and why the new Taldorei book didn't show up in Wizards store. I know balance isn't easy but Wizards has shown alot they didn't really care about making subclasses even balanced with eachother.

[@calicothecappuccinogurl9874]

@@BobWorldBuilder ya totally there are also many examples of how dnd kinda writes itself into a corner with how things work like hex not working with magic missle even tho it 100% logic wise etc etc

[@calicothecappuccinogurl9874]

@@knick5639 agreed at that point wotc should'a done some damage control or proof reading but it doesn't seem that that was the case.

[@quizzitnizzpin2695]

Great video! What you didn't really hit on is that a high profile streaming show going their own way is a great thing for us players (read: consumers) because it will create high profile competition for D&D. With that level of competition, WotC won't be able to rest on their laurels as easily, and will need to step fairly lively to stop loosing market share from not only needing to make up all of the lost good will from the OGL nonsense they pulled, but also to complete with CR's new stuff. Not to mention the eventual interest fall off after the Stranger Things excitement finally has passed that you spoke about. The irony of it all is it has kind of turned the infamous phrase, "You won and so did we [sic]." into kind of a self fulfilling prophesy. Perhaps not in the way WotC had imagined 🤣, but everything in the TTRPG world can't help but get better from this point!!

[@mayhemivory5730]

There is two (2) things that I could see hamper their success: 1. The aspect of mastery. Having watched their Doom Eternal oneshot (which was awesome and used DnD5e) I can tell you that its a lot more fun when you know how the game works and what the characters are capable of. A new system will naturally not have that. 2. Their new system (and game) does not appear to be fantasy. Colorful games such as DnD have a high recognition factor, that CRs „noire“ looking trailer didnt have. That being said, I‘m not too worried. Rather, I‘m very excited to see what they‘ll cook up!

[@erinsilver3920]

I would guess there is a D&D Beyond-like software in the works for the two systems as well. The team relies on the software I believe, and I can’t see them going back to paper character sheet for the main campaigns, at least. In that line, I would see it being smart that the character creation / stats being very similar or at least convertible in the software. This would allow players to carry over characters between systems, keeping their current levels, spells, class/race, etc. possibly.

[@andyrobinson6611]

I could see that their (CR's) upcoming Zelda inspired actual play would use the new Daggerheart system.

[@ladyprussia3618]

From my experience, I am a DM in an org where we have a fair few different tables and DM's running both long and short term campaigns. I run the most Roleplay heavy tables both short and long term, and I have already have a few people reach out if I would be interested in doing some oneshots of Candela Obscura

[@mattbriddell9246]

I think there's enough room for CritRole to do D&D and roll their new system out at the same time if they want to. They've definitely expanded to the point where they have a larger pool for casting than just the original CR group. My husband keeps insisting that there's some kind of merger in the works with Dimension 20 based on the amount of crossover appearances that have been going on lately with those two channels/groups, so that would certainly give them the expanded talent group they need to add new gaming system campaigns to their network if they want to go that way.

[@alanrodriguez3011]

If Ludinus gets his way, that could be a narrative explanation for a system/world reset.

[@ItsWindHere]

It would be huge if they waited for C4 for the additional benefit of having their own version of D&D Beyond as well!

[@Raukodraug]

I loved the Unisystem from Eden Studios which was the basis for “All Flesh Must Be Eaten”, “Terra Primate”, and “Conspiracy X” as well as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Army of Darkness TTRPGs. I love the idea of Illuminated Worlds being a similar base system which can be used to build different styles/settings of games.

[@TheOnlyKrazykat]

I thought I watched them because I loved the stories they told, then the animated show came out and I kept feeling slightly let down and that something was missing, finally realized I missed the cross-talk... turns out half the reason I love them so much is their personalities, interactions and the relationships they have... before this, I've never been the type to be a fan girl, and would never spend the money for branded merchandise - but honestly if I had even a couple extra bucks I'd be buying any of their stuff I could... it's been a very odd experience for me at 40+ years old.

[@TimpanistMoth_AyKayEll]

I'm in the same boat! In my forties, never felt this kind of emotional connection to 'celebrities' before. It's a bit weird, but I've been trying to lean into it and enjoy it. "Parasocial" is a boo-hiss word these days but from what I can tell, most moderately parasocial relationships are not really harmful, as long as one is capable of respecting boundaries. I.e., obviously don't stalk or otherwise bother real people.... but allowing my lizard brain to be soothed by the voices and faces of pseudo-'friends' on a screen is probably a healthier coping mechanism than a lot of other ones I've used over the years.

[@gaanong3219]

CR also has Undeadwood. Not sure what game system that was based on, but lots of folks enjoyed it.

[@mikaelste-marie1275]

100 % Daggerheart is gonna be a hit. Tales of the Valiant kickstarter is working really well, so people still want 5e type of system. Said what you want about Pathfinder 2e, it's design could be seen as the opposite of 5e which alienate some audience of 5e. So if Daggerheart is aiming to be more rule light than Pathfinder, it could help to get some old 5e fan on board For me, I am curious about Daggerheart even if it keep the trend of fantasy being the main genre of TTRPG (I much prefer supernatural and sci-fi setting)

[@tribaltalker1608]

Just a quick question for Bob - would you be up for a YT post to get a feel for how many of us are planning to watch Candela Obscura? And a follow up after the first episode? I get the impression that some people are exclusively invested in 5e and others are following the live-play cast members regardless of system. Of course if you've already done this, then you will also know that I'm embarrassed... and in my defense, YT sometimes does a terrible job of getting posts to subscribers.

[@broceollomon]

Daggerheart is probably going to be a game with extremely powerful PCs because that's what Mercer likes. That's not my favorite type of game, which is one of the reasons I stopped playing D&D, but I do think Daggerheart will sell very well. Illuminated Worlds does sound really interesting to me though.

[@Questfinder1]

Love the dice. Have a yellow set. Call them my Oracle sinflower set.

[@gamewrit0058]

"And I think that's better for everybody." I agree. ❤👍🎲

[@KarmaSpaz12]

I think an obvious point will be the thematic difference. Some people just like the sword and sorcery stuff while from the trailer the new project is striking a bit more modern. I think three episodes/sessions is playing it understandably safe.

[@nanorider426]

I would LOVE if CR converts to their own system on camera. This would be a nail in Wizards coffin. Not the final nail but a nail nonetheless. ^^

[@Synetik]

They played in another system before. They have a campaign called UnDeadwood.

[@Katterrena]

As soon as Critical Role announced Daggerheart my first thought was that Matt was going to use the craziness of the Apogee Solstice to transition the Bells Hells to their new system as a way to dramatically show how much the magic of Exandria has changed from these events. They already said that they plan to have Daggerheart ready for the masses in under a year. Considering the lead times of traditional publishing, that should mean that CR already has most everything prepared so it would be great for presale marketing if their audience had seen it in action before they buy it. So yes as much as I strongly agree that campaign 4 will be Daggerheart, I also think that the ongoing Bells Hells campaign will transition to Daggerheart as well. And I think it will happen once the BH have found a way to turn off the ongoing Solstice or go to Ruidis. Something thematically appropriate for why the magic would be different and irrevocably changed. But hey these are just my thoughts.

[@lostmessiah]

Gotta wonder if the Daggerheart system is going to go down the OSR route and base itself on B/X or BECMI. Although I guess it seems maybe a bit more likely that they'll take the O5R route and base their system heavily around the foundation laid out in 5E, as they do have their own playerbase to worry about and the familiarity might be a help for some of the members of their crew that just still seem to struggle with understanding the rules of the game they've been playing every week for the last 8 years.

[@fishisyum]

I sorta fell off season 3, been busy, but if they switched on camera I would 100% catch back up and be super excited to watch again

[@nathannguyen1431]

12:15 they're already doing that I think. With the release of Predathos 🤔

[@stewi009]

That Alice is Missing game looks pretty interesting. I know I can just Google it, but if you have done or would do a video on it, I'd be interested to hear more of your opinions on the subject.

[@GrayArmyGaming]

Didn’t they actually start with Pathfinder in their home game, and then switch to D&D 5e out of expediency? It is not hard to imagine they would do the same for n favor of their own system.

[@pndmike6330]

Correct! Percy was a gunslinger because that was a class in pf1e, and Matt homebrewed the bones of it to fit in the 5e engine. They also used the Golarian gods/pantheon for most of campaign 1.

[@GrayArmyGaming]

@@pndmike6330 Wow! Thanks for the extra background!! I didn’t realize that gunslinger was a thing in PF1. I just thought Matt came up with it on his own. 👍

[@igloboy]

To answer a early statment in your video. I watch for the roleplay and kot so much the system :) And I like your nrw videos of showing ither systems and auch. Great videos!