Creating Characters for Candela Obscura: Needle & Thread

Get a behind the scenes look at the character creation session for Candela Obscura: Needle & Thread!
Guided by Spenser Starke, players Travis Willingham, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Zehra Fazal, Luis Carazo, and Marisha Ray select their roles, choose their specialties, and forge their chapter relationships using the Illuminated Worlds System.
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And other friendly local game stores in the US.
Candela Obscura is an ongoing monthly horror drama that follows an esoteric order of investigators as they use centuries of knowledge to fight back against a mysterious source of corruption and bleed. Leveraging gaming as a story mechanic, the series features the Candela Obscura tabletop roleplaying game from Darrington Press, which is built on the Illuminated Worlds system.
The second chapter of Candela Obscura stars Travis Willingham, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Zehra Fazal, Luis Carazo, and Marisha Ray with a story led by gamemaster Spenser Starke.
Originally Created by Taliesin Jaffe and Chris Lockey
Game Design and Writing by Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall
Directed by Steve Failows
Produced by Maxwell James and Steve Failows
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[@rhysgeese1424]

I love that Luis & Brennan have clearly been scheming since Calamity

[@emmakane6848]

I just saw an interview Brennan did a while back about relearning Spanish and trying to find people to speak it with. I remember Luis answering a question using it during the Calamity Instagram takeover. So now I’m wondering if they’ve been meeting up/seeing each other outside of games for something like that.

[@emiliobustamante2401]

Scheming against the audience's hearts

[@joabpelling462]

@@emmakane6848I mean you can really see their friendship dynamic so I wouldn’t be surprised if they have

[@n4l9bx]

I surrender myself over to the beautiful heartbreak

[@antuanlemon484]

This whole squad in general it’s like mostly calamity

[@treycool9565]

I love how much of a Lorehound Travis is. He’s literally sitting there with a massive grin on his face eating all of these character backgrounds up and still asking for extra helpings.

[@jule4772]

LOREHOUND, thats such a sick word.

[@winsmi1984]

Being the first generation after the protection ends is the best character backstory concept

[@optimistprime3192]

“Write that down, WRITE THAT DOWN!”

[@Verylengthyapple]

Fr

[@pallas9113]

I absolutely loved Auntie Bee, the caring, nurturing woman who devotes her life to helping people, the _criminal._ It's very easy to see how her relationship with the legal system would be completely antagonistic. Someone who works against "the law" which seems to ever only be employed to hurt the people who need help the most.

[@Lena-fc9ce]

she strikes me as someone you might meet in one of brennans worlds (sort of like the cubby family from fantasy high) as just a logical extension of an unjust system -- the embodiment of "illegal =/= immoral"

[@soorian6493]

The embodiment of "Don't mess with the do-gooders, because in an unfair world most do good out of anger."

[@doccerebrum5449]

No spoilers but the marisha luis brennann synergy was heart wrenchingly well played.

[@xatlern]

Wow, that line that Luis said about how Marion and Sean just keep ending up at the same place together...brutal

[@Wolplum]

OH wow...

[@daisykid3]

Ohhhhhh dang that hits different after the finale, good catch!!

[@samuraiko]

I am devoutly hoping that CR does these for every chapter's group... the insights into the GMs, the players, the collective storytelling, the ideas, all of it. I'd also love more insight into how they came up with the character designs and wardrobe looks!

[@Blue_Lunacy]

I hope so too. Now that they did this for both chapters, I think it's highly likely that they will continue to do so.

[@paulsavas2394]

And for main campaigns!

[@christenh359]

These are so helpful as a GM.

[@snoopynwoodstock99]

+

[@yiklongtay6029]

Zehra cringing at everything Brennan said is perfect. Sean can't catch a break

[@Blasted2Oblivion]

Seriously. It's like "Can't get any worse for Sean." only to actively get worse at every step.

[@stormsofboredom5348]

love that spenser explains his GM style right off the bat :)

[@PeTTs0n88]

his* (source: his IG and CR wiki entry) and GM* (they've gone to using the Game Master moniker more and more), but yes - communication in TTRPGs is such a key component.

[@stormsofboredom5348]

@@PeTTs0n88 thanks!! updated comment w correct titles :)

[@richardboncal5417]

Classic session 0

[@OlessanYT]

Zehra: "I'm new to tabletop games--" [proceeds to lore like a pro]

[@JesterLynnette]

Can you guys also release the post game discussion for needle and thread? Would love to hear what the cast thought about how the episode played out for their characters

[@mattbriddell9246]

Would make for a great 4-sided Dive!

[@savannahcollins6942]

I love the idea that they could, after each anthology, release their session 0 and character creation for each group. If anything, just as a cool guide for GMs to run their own (give a baseline if they need it).

[@TazzleSundress]

I would love a post game discussion! Preferably many hours and/or multiple of them. But no to session 0, some things just need to stay holy and offline (though I would love to be a fly on the wall for many a session 0)

[@darksendkilla]

@@JesterLynnettewas that the comic con panel?

[@bludfyre]

​@@TazzleSundressThis is, essentially, a session 0.

[@claireythefairy]

Zehra Fazal is an absolute gem.

[@feitocomfruta]

Just casually dropping the “my great grampa captured a djinn”

[@randomripoff123]

now with the context of death rituals in newfaire (thank you spenser and rowan, this shit is so fucking cool): sean choosing to shoot those men in the face--no mouth to close. sean choosing a baseball to represent his brothers, both of whom presumably were never given proper burials, and the baseball has stitching in an endless loop, and he traces it like a rosary and he uses it to forcibly keep open the mouth of another man he beats to death--who also has his hands tied behind his back fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck dude

[@Suzyiz]

I didn't even think of that and now I'm screaming

[@Landis963]

Oh man, we thought Brennan was going hard in That Scene before now.

[@daisykid3]

Omg thank you for calling that all out, I love seeing the layers of detail and meaning that other people are exposing with insights like this!

[@thenosieyartist6924]

Holy shit...now im trying to think about how to turn the "take me out to the ball game" into a dies ire song

[@carlotacosta9193]

I LOVED Needle and Thread, everyone did a phenomal job and now I absolutely NEED more of Spencer as a dm!

[@daisykid3]

Spencer was absolutely fantastic, I second this wholeheartedly!!! I would love to see him run another chapter in the future.

[@birdieb0y25]

Funniest thing episode 1 I really wasn't feeling Spencer AT ALL but by the end I fucking love him and this circle in big part to how he gm's

[@smol_menace]

I love seeing how Zehra closes her eyes to really take in and immerse herself in each character description and pain.

[@konstance13]

I love her physical rp. The way she "looks" at what's in front of her or reaches her hand out at different points.

[@Sarah-oj7bh]

Hearing them say that they're kind of the clean up squad makes the opening train mission make so much more sense to me.

[@joecurran910]

it is frankly unfair that Zehra is new to all this and is so effing good at it.

[@dwil0311]

It shouldn't be surprising since she does professional voice acting and theater. Going to school for acting is basically studying how to roleplay. So I wouldn't say she's new to it.

[@Oddricm]

Well, she's got no Djinn messing with her.

[@drmirabilis]

@@Oddricm even though it's totally a game, i fully believe that her RP with Luis with their souls merging will continue to keep the Djinn at bay. She's got the CO charm IRL and everything!

[@Dfarrey]

​@@drmirabilisit's my understanding that djinni have a fondness for storytelling, so creating and publicly sharing a story like this may very well put her on the djinn's good side.

[@Niniju8970]

Some people are just so good at telling stories. Something I am always in awe of and strive for myself. Her role in this campaign was amazing. All of them were, of course. Brennan Lee Mulligan is always a massive win.

[@drmirabilis]

It is AMAZING to see what was essentially backstory/pre-planned, what was plotted behind the scenes with the GM, and what was made up on the spot. Hats off to everyone involved in CO, this is incredible

[@DarkLawYGO]

Love seeing Session 0s like this. its so cool seeing them all work together

[@rendonor5070]

I hope they invite Zehra again for another game. She's phenomenal ❤

[@michellemahar9030]

Wow, this group was incredible together! I love Spencer's choices. I loved how the group was so great working together. I have never seen Zahar in anything else and she needs to be in more because she is amazing! So is Luiz. I didn't think he could break my heart more than he did in Calamity, and I was wrong! I love Brennan in anything. He is always so fast on knowing what choices to make in the moment. Marisha brought such heart and warmth that the group needed. And Travis never ceases to amaze me with the superb choices he makes as a play. He knows when to let others do what they need to and when to go big.

[@thathiefsandiego]

Zehra is so fucking awesome. I didn't know her before but already a fan. Also, this whole video is perfection, love it. I was hoping for a 4SD with them, but if it's not happening I accept this instead.

[@davidjennings2179]

Think it's really important to show these session 0s, a lot of people watch games like this and then want to bring the same drama to a game they GM but without having the necessary discussions with their players. This is a collaborative game, do the ground work with your players if you want to put them through games like this.

[@dominikhaba695]

25 seconds in, Zehra won everything...

[@PrettyGuardian]

This is a role-playing game for us but for her it's every family gathering.

[@HenriqueErzinger]

I didn’t know she was new to this, as she says. It’s really impressive. This is pretty much an all-stars table, and she was one of the highlights for me. She’s incredible in her descriptions.

[@AkutomiNamikaze]

What a great cast of characters! I sure hope nothing heart-breaking/horrifying happens to any of them that changes them forever!

[@chellegoesmoo]

Continuously so impressed by Spenser. Such a nuanced and perceptive GM.

[@playitbyear5312]

Having one of your players pulling from Mere Christianity and CS Lewis’ delve into Chardin’s theological philosophy might make me happier than any experience I’ve ever had at a table.

[@awwmarc]

It's really interesting to observe how other people create their characters. So much of psychology here. I wish there was more content like this. You people are great.

[@Blasted2Oblivion]

29:56 I love that and wish I saw it more. A bad person in a backstory doesn't have to be magically corrupted or under some influence by the big bad. Sometimes they can just be an awful person.

[@LeeCarlson]

With the idea of "Lovecraftian unicorns" my mind went immediately to Charles Stross' short story "Equoid."

[@ThomasUfnalCrowlake]

Man, that is a good story. And available legally for free, for those who haven't read it!

[@das_machina]

I think Sean is one of my favourite characters on CR ever

[@xandaera]

Thank you so much for posting these, CR! As a DM, I find these to be an invaluable resource :)

[@punkrockpearl84]

Yeah, why no one really shows their session 0 stuff is a massive oversight. I like seeing this type of thing also, because it helps you grow. I usually do a one on one or a small group first for character creating, but a group would be SO much easier, and maybe faster.

[@daisybeam3357]

Naddpod releases session zeroes for their campaigns if you want to see some more stuff! It's DMed by Murph, who is also in D20, and it's really cool to see all the factors that he and the players consider as they prep for a new campaign.

[@Diamondarrel]

Spenser knows the trick! Go into session 0 with nothing cause you need to have all the PCs to build NPCs, places, problems and intertwine them all!

[@emilymitchell6823]

I’ve been looking forward to this absolute masterclass of character creation! Eek!

[@danlaw1991]

Love the insights that these additional videos give. TTRPGs may have been new to Zehra but she came to play with an absolutely incredible character & backstory. Also it in no way took away from the brilliant performance she delivered throughout the chapter alongside her fellow circle members. Love me a good Omar cameo as well. He’s so adorable.

[@Wirstead]

One of my favorite things from the Candela Obscura Show is that after the episodes are all aired, they release the character prep/session 0

[@michellekarey-mckenna9588]

These are so informative and cool. I'm glad they're doing them. If I ever get a chance to play, I would definitely be a coachman. Those guys see so much s**t driving these investigators around that at least a few of them would have to be apart of Candela! 😅

[@dirtdart81]

"Luis: (excited grunt)" God bless these subtitles

[@aidenchristian4497]

They then proceeded to traumatize everyone with that heart-wrenching performance

[@dhdurhueur-qe5pn]

Hilariously I have watched very little of the actual series, but I love these sessions zeroes.

[@drmirabilis]

Watch this one!

[@davidjennings2179]

This one was some pretty powerful story telling if you're up for hours of watching - I know that isn't for everyone though.

[@elasiaval904]

this one was sooooo good, but it is really long

[@JulieJSchmidt]

Is this the one that had the 5+ hour session? I watch them live on Thursday's, cuz "It's Thursday Night," so yes, this is a longer watch. But it's absolutely worth the time. They all did so well, and the story was phenomenal. Spenser guides them into so many details.

[@elasiaval904]

@@JulieJSchmidt ep 3 was 6 hours and the other two were just over 4 yeah

[@berriesblue4302]

Holy moly the burial lore is SO FASCINATING!!! And of course love all the character work and discussion we get to see!

[@josephhenryreyes8205]

What a way to Intro a BTS of this Candela Chapter

[@Xsomono]

Damn, Spencer is fucking awesome :O I learned a lot watching him moderate the game. I feel like he really employs the tools of TTRPGs well for telling a story. The intro where he made everybody pick where they want to be in the action and especially the letter were amazing. Also loved hearing everybodies thoughts on their backstories. Its really cool that we got to see this process.

[@arillusine]

Absolutely LOVE getting to see the character building/session 0 behinds! As a new DM, I can’t wait to do similar stuff for my next table ❤

[@kalebjernigan]

I love CR posting session 0s! I hope they do this with more stories to come!

[@saeyyy]

Seeing how this prep stuff flows for other groups is so so helpful.

[@hilaryjordan7761]

Thank you SO MUCH for posting these CR. The behind the scenes make it all so much more magical. ❤❤❤

[@daisykid3]

DUDE. THE LORE DROPS ABOUT RELIGION AND CULTURAL PRACTICES IN THIS GAME FUCKING SLAP (to quote Brennan) I LOVE WORLD BUILDING DETAILS LIKE THAT!!!!! It makes everything feel so much more grounded. I want to play this game so bad...

[@gctypo2838]

41:48 Brennan basically doing "you think someone would go onto the internet and just tell lies?!"

[@Zombie_Toast]

Spencer was such a phenomenal DM; I hope we get more.

[@UponThisAltar]

The way Spenser says "Your grandchildren are *fucked* " just kills me 😂

[@lgob7]

I really enjoyed this behind the scenes look at character creation. As a GM, I find it very helpful to see how the pros and literal game designers think about building a story within their system. I hope to see lots more of things like this.

[@joshg6910]

I love watching them design their characters with the knowledge of what happens to them in the story.

[@twistedpuppetOG]

Lol, Brenan is such a nerd. It's adorable. XD

[@commander515]

TBH, I have very little interest in watching this monthly anthology series (nothing against it, I love everything CR does, but horror's just not my thing) but I must admit I find these behind the scenes/group character building sessions fascinating. Such a cool look at how these awesome role-players brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other to make a collaborative story. Plus the detailed backstories, the associated lore, and their headcanons behind them are all just so damn good.

[@Darkwindturbulence]

Glad you know your boundaries, as someone who loves this type of horror it is NOT for everyone.

[@feanaro2712]

It's always funny seeing the players in casual clothes on the set of Candela Obscura, but the Auntie Bee / Marisha Ray dissonance feels especially strong.

[@Avenray19]

Candela Obscura, Dishonored, Sunless Sea (Fallen London). All of these scratch that existential Itch. I need more gothic victorian steam punk occultist stories 😢

[@turkeymonkeyck]

There is a part of me that's holding out hope we get this at the end of Campaign 3 as well, because damn I love these so much

[@IcarusNadir]

This was so far my favourite Candela chapter. Absolutely amazing.

[@ricketyanthony]

Because this is a new game, I love that they provide these session zeroes. I trust they'll keep it up due to fans' demand.

[@natetron7000]

The marketing for these is next level, it’s the future really. It’s no longer just about the system or game, specifically, but about presenting something that people want to be a part of. “That, that thing they’re doing, I want to do that and be part of what they are doing!”

[@mamaliege2461]

Its so fun watching this, like knowing it was before it all happened. Like knowing where their ties came from, what the ideas and themes they chose to explore came from. After being absolutely wrecked emotionally by the episodes that came after, coming back to the beginning is interesting, specially to me who always loved to create characters and want to make character design for a living and loooove some TTRPG. It is a masterclass from people who do this for a living (wether is ttrpg/ acting or voice actors) that makes me thrilled to put what I have learned here into practice. Definetely keeping this series in my (wounded after the finale ) heart. 🥰 PS: Damn, Omar is such a big boi now! Adorbs lil babe!

[@second0banana]

Luis talking about being an empty vessel at 57:40 ... You can watch Spencer getting ideas.

[@gmoneyboats587]

Also, notice that when Brennan brought up Pinocchio, Spencer smiled and interrupted the thought to get pronouns 😂

[@adamhastings750]

I honestly love this type of content so much... seeing the wheels turning and things being put together is just super cool to me.

[@ketchumm9048]

I cannot get over how fucking good needle and thread was I LOVE THEM GUYS SM

[@margaridabaptista3712]

Marion Collodi out here making Liam Wilhelmina proud, with the seed guy/war guy duality 🙌

[@Zuggog_The_Janitor]

I can’t wait to run my group through the story I have planned.

[@Leliarose]

This is so much fun!!! I love that this is being published. Thank you!!

[@cheekydamunky]

I adore these bts videos about character creation. Thank you all so much for sharing so much of your process.

[@evetobe]

Oh, so that's why Marisha's character seemed older - because she was remade from an even older lady

[@NoFaceMage]

Oh my god... "If it Bleeds it Leads" would have been amazing.

[@SummerOtaku]

I feel guilty but I actually love these Candella session zeros more than watching the campaigns. Like very interesting flavorful chunks in bite size form.

[@Blasted2Oblivion]

Don't feel bad. Some people love lore more than the game it's in and this is all 100% lore. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

[@nekoplayer2279]

1:24:11 - "I kinda like mine." 🤣 Travis using Chetney's voice in this bit! 🤣 It's so goddamn funny!

[@frankmartinjr6236]

Brennan with the cool Unsleeping City Shirt 😊

[@kellyallbright448]

Spencer was awesome as DM! And the way Brennan can be so soft-spoken while delivering such brutal violence is absolutely masterful and makes it all the more powerful.

[@leauxgan]

I 100% was not expecting this video but i’m SO happy they made it

[@kellyallbright448]

All of these people, as well as the other cast members of critical role and candela obscura, all of these people are absolutely incredible in what they do. The range they have when creating characters, and not only developing them but using that backstory to influence their portrayals and decision-making, it just shows a level of passion, emotion, and intelligence that elevates these stories. I love watching these round table deep dives after watching the campaign. To get a peek behind the curtain gives these little a-ha moments of how those impactful interactions were designed and then organically played out. Love Candela Obscura and all the DMs and cast members. Can't wait for Chapter 4!!

[@Blue_Lunacy]

It just occurred to me that Brennan's back story was about the horror done by humans. The very thing that CO wants to add the Eldritch Horror game genre.

[@StardustScribe]

It is so cool to see these discussions knowing how the players worked this into the game. I love it.

[@mel_ottav]

I absolutely love this! I would love to see this for all the circles, as well as the cast on 4 sided dive for a discussion. I really want to GM a Candela campaign (my guide is on it's way!) so I will devour all the behind the scenes content possible.

[@user-jn4sw3iw4h]

"I love that, It's horrifying" Now that's a summary if I ever heard one

[@TehBuggy]

Great session zero, I loved that they shared this! I think a lot of people either skip a session zero or don’t really know what to do, but this was awesome. Not only character creation and general story stuff, but things like the GM describing the style they like to use, the players saying what aspect of their characters excited them, and what play style everyone can expect. I especially loved when Luis was explaining his character’s background and told the GM that he wasn’t very interested if whether or not his character’s perception (vague to avoid spoilers here) was actually true or not and that he was really more eager to discover how that affected him regardless. Even his explanation of how he wants his ability to come into play and asking the GM if it would be ok to interrupt the narrative, it really sets expectations and helps everyone collaborate to all have a fun time 💜

[@Greg-oc7dj]

Look, I LOVE LOVE everything about this. I'm heavily on board for what's being played here. I really wish there were better content warnings on stuff here. I know people who were strongly turned off by the PTSD stuff here. I wish I could have warned them about that, and I wish it was obvious to them when they tuned in.

[@Greg-oc7dj]

As a GM I love what Spenser is doing in this chapter. He is so reactive to what the players are doing, while assigning strong consequences to their decisions. So good.

[@Leukotrieneb4]

PoC players ,muslim player , gay players and players with different ethnicitys. Critical role being over differences and i fuckin love them for this

[@alijoc]

i’ve always felt that creativity has no boundaries and has no pre-requisite of one’s background and identity, and i love this session zero so much because it shows exactly that

[@Rahul63942]

This is the best candela campaign yet!!! What the fuck!!

[@fuelbot]

I really hope they keep releasing these. They're so fascinating.

[@brzinger6]

1:09:00 "I wasn't DONE!" chills dog

[@toddalexander5015]

Imagine what cpr in this world would be like

[@Landis963]

@@toddalexander5015 I could see it taking on extra significance - when you do the rescue breathing, you are giving of your live breath to stave off the madness of an improper burial. And, of course, once it becomes clear that CPR has failed and the person is dead, that's when the hands go over the mouth.

[@brotleibinger]

They should air these before the episodes. I wasn't really interested before, now I'm eager to find out where these characters end up.

[@RyokoVT]

Goes to show that even if you're new to TTRPGs, you can still absolutely kill it with improv and creativity!

[@swiftlymurmurs]

Wait, so by fusing his soul into Jean's body, that means Marion gave himself eternal rest inside her? AUGH, THE ROMANCE!

[@rebeccabarnet6746]

Having watched this after I watched the whole Needle & Thread season, holy cow the prep for this was amazing and I love how it played out in the show. Also I am living for Spencer's lore drops. Brennan's comment of "Spenser, this is very cool and it slaps" at 1:07:55 is entirely how I felt. I feel like how Travis looks and Brennan thinks about lore drops -- massive grin and wheels turning.

[@myrinity_]

LOVE peeking behind the curtain like this. Thanks for sharing!!

[@HyperEwok1]

Shout out to Brennan who looked at this London coded city (let's be real, every steampunk metropolis is London coded) and absolutely rejected it, because this campaign takes place in NEWH YAWK, BAYBEE.

[@TK_Brainslug]

Oh bloody hell Travis has to go first, that's so hilarious to me 😂

[@pauliporcupine]

I am so here for these character creation sessions! the lore, the way they come up and adapt things to make sense for the story is fantastic! I love it. Also, Omar!

[@TannerWeinberg]

1:07:50 love the GM to GM excitement for the deep lore.

[@imthestein]

Marisha, space development was expanded war development as it was a response to the cold war, most immediately Sputnik. I hope this doesn't sound patronizing and instead just a fun fact

[@Landis963]

I was thinking that, too: space development is war development by other means.

[@imthestein]

@@Landis963 I did an internship at NASA years ago and the head of the department spoke to all of the interns. It was just after the space program was ended and he said if you want to see the space program started up again just have China go to the moon, tear up our flag, and plant their own flag and you'd see the space program suddenly flooded with money

[@Spyrouz]

omg im listening to c3 whilst im working as a gardener, i get to listen all day and im on ep 45 so far and now im seeing this and i get to follow along and i cant wait

[@barb61]

Just going to say this chapter was phenomenal- I ❤ trAvis and marisha but the guests were absolutely amazing and Spencer’s delivery was aces

[@painappledad1352]

Having good examples of sessions cero, is really underated. Thanks for sharing ♿🙇🏻‍♂️💛