Critical Role FINALLY talks OpenDND & their own RPG

Matt Mercer and Marisha Ray talk with Linda Codega to expand on their Open D&D opinions, and the possibility of a Critical Role RPG! ▶️ More below! ⏬
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00:00 why Critical Role's opinion is...critical!
02:58 Critical Role "independence" from dnd
04:08 hinting at a Critical Role RPG
06:35 Matt Mercer & Marisha Ray talk Open DND
08:35 Critical Role supports indie RPG creators
#opendnd #criticalrole #dndogl

[@BobWorldBuilder]

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[@adamsavard535]

The metal dice look awesome! If the Canadian dollar ever gets just a little better, I'll look into other ones that you might bring out down the road! (51 dollars, even at 18% off, is really steep when eggs are 10 bucks a carton!)

[@chronosschiron]

HERE IS THE WROST PART OF IT ALL YOU WON SOME FREEDOM but video games increased 25% wotc only 3% and under hasbro all told including wotch lost 17% that means your industry with inflation is not really growing get off 5e and make new shit or you all are doomed

[@malcolmrowe9003]

Hi Bob. Thanks for your view on this interview. Could you add a link to the full interview, or is it pretty much all there in your video?

[@derekrose3328]

One thing you got close but not quite on the nose my friend: yes they ARE riding a line, BUT the line they ride is because they’re still under contract at the moment which REALLY limits what they can say lest they suffer severe consequences. They’ve got to get out of the contract before they can speak freely on how they really feel, and so in the meantime they’ve issued STRONG statements if you read between the lines of what they’re saying. They’re moving on from D&D in collaboration with other people in the industry (the multiple ‘kings of the underground,’ including but not limited to Darington Press, and that’s just what I like to call those companies: Piazo, Cobalt Press, there’s about 15 of those guys) and developing something that’s basically 5e D&D with some integrated 3.5 & Pathfinder elements, but going by a different name (O.R.C. I think is the tentative title? Some sort of acronym like that). But, that’s the reason why: they’re under contract still so they have to be REALLY careful. And, I doubt it’ll be a full year they have to stick with that contract. There’s a strong possibility that they signed a, ‘per campaign,’ contract thus meant to span campaign 3. What I can’t wait to see? An unchained Sam Riegel, and an unfiltered Marisha and Liam getting to finally tell us how they REALLY feel about all this. 👏🏼 That’ll be gold man.

[@nadamuchu]

can you please caption the interview clips too? I am deaf and I was so hyped to finally see captioned coverage of this...

[@MrDrumStikz]

Well, it's worth pointing out that they are SPONSORED by D&D Beyond, so they need to be careful what they say about WotC. I'm not surprised that Matt has been hesitant; his hopes and dreams are all tied up in how sponsors react to what he says publicly.

[@HereticalKitsune]

Aye, sounds plausible.

[@KnightoftheRose98]

Honestly...That's probably the case. I suspect no company has the financial resources to match that sponsorship money at this point.

[@kateslate3228]

He's a fucking voice actor. He has a livelyhood already

[@MaindexOmega]

@@kateslate3228 i really don't think the salary of a voice actor can even compare to what he makes with critical role

[@joshuaatkins8889]

@@kateslate3228 And what of all those employed by Critical Role who are *not voice actors?

[@EngCenturion]

To be fair this is more Marisha's department as she is the creative director.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Great point!

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

Matt is a fantastic DM, but if you look into any interviews he's done about his personal life and his mental health/personality type you quickly learn there's a very good reason he almost always has either his wife or his big muscular jock friend with him for most of these types of interviews with outsiders and actual journalists. The company could not exist without Matt, but he'd be the first to admit he personally could never run their company. That's why Travis stepped up to run the business side and Marisha stepped up to run the production side.

[@RogueAlchemist]

@@CitanulsPumpkin I respect his self-awareness and humility. :)

[@tassadar7945]

@@RogueAlchemist the best leaders know when to delegate to cover their weaknesses

[@zebaklongfang9344]

indeed.. and on that.. pause.. another thing to consider would be Matt as a master improv may have held his tongue exactly not to improv his words, risking saying too much... and leaving that answer to Marisha.

[@sivesterrp]

I think it's super important for people remember that 1: losing critical role by breaking NDAs would hurt all their employees. And 2. Breaking NDAs would kill their chances at returning to primarily voice acting. Voice acting is filled with NDAs and if they broke whatever they have with WotC, they'd kill their voice acting careers by showing they can't be trusted

[@sirlionheart4614]

Wotc needs CR more than CR needs wotc.

[@sivesterrp]

@@sirlionheart4614 this is true, but WotC has the backing of Hasbro and it the professional harm it could do to the main cast and all their other staff is CRs bigger concern. It's important to also note that in last Thursdays episode, DnDBeyond was not present as an advertiser

[@grey8288]

@@sirlionheart4614 Yes, and CR need jobs more than they need dnd. So they can't talk trash, nor can they reveal anything in the NDA, or they risk their jobs both in CR and VA, even though they're working on systems to get away from dnd.

[@sonnyajvoll5865]

That's a good point about their VO careers, I hadn't even thought of that angle.

[@tinyhowie]

@@sirlionheart4614 decoupling takes time. I'm sure CR is working on it, but not at this very moment. It also good to show their future new sponsors that they are not impulsive decision makers. I'm sure we're going to see more from them within this year.

[@TapiTalk]

It was a good response. You can tell they are very tied down with NDA's so they said what they could, which is more than enough for me.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yeah, overall they're being polite and professional for their partners

[@andrewlustfield6079]

@@BobWorldBuilder Where critical role is at is really clear. Bob, speaking of indie games--I'd love to see you play test and review Castles and Crusades. I've heard nothing but great things about it.

[@solaries3]

NDAs do not stop you from giving your stance on publicly available information.

[@Randomnerd2002]

@@solaries3 depends on the NDA

[@adrianwebster6923]

@@solaries3Contracts can also contain non disparagement clauses. not to mention that publically criticizing them may potentially create cause under the contract to terminate a sponsorship early with financial penalties. Without a sound backup plan before speaking this could be costly.

[@Callimachus33]

To be fair, if you look at the reaction of people in the industry to their post, most of them agree that considering Critical Role's contractual obligations to WotC, which likely include an anti defamation clause, their statement was actually very harshly against WotC's moves on the OGL, and was probably all they could get away with.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

Yeah, exactly. Admittedly, the first time I read the statement, my first blush impression was that it was a lot of wordy, bland nothing-statements designed to avoid taking a stand until it was clear how things were going to play out. It felt sort of cowardly and unsatisfying. But then I immediately read it a second time and realized that the entire statement expressed support for the point of view of their business partner's critics. AND it didn't offer any support at all of WotC or the OGL (choosing instead to refrain from mentioning them altogether). It's the PR version of "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Only, in this case, it's more like "if you're contractually obligated to not say anything that isn't nice, don't say anything at all." What they chose not to say actually said a lot. Honestly, I think the statement is pretty clear about which side of the argument Matt and the gang support. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people were expecting the CR gang to respond to the situation like a tank instead of playing it like a rogue so, when there was no big, dramatic gesture of defiance, people were disappointed. Fortunately, a lot of us do understand the legal constraints they're almost certainly under and appreciate the fact that a bunch of gamers are playing the "business" game intelligently rather than rushing face-first, hacking and slashing, into the toothy maw of TPK. I mean, can you imagine if they'd dropped a statement that was like, "F WotC! This tyranny shall not stand! We'll burn CR to the ground before we let you push this money-grabbing OGL through!" and then, a week later, WotC's like, "Oh, hey, D&D community... JK! We're leaving the OGL alone and giving you 99% of what you want. Sorry!" As the angry crowd puts down their torches and pitchforks and slowly disperses back to their D&D tables (or sticks to their guns and tries out some PF), you'd just see CR left standing alone on the barricades, surrounded by business partners and sponsors looking at them super-duper awkwardly. And, y'know, probably tearing up some checks.

[@geoshark12]

@@johnplaysgames3120 Cr is the lawful good paladin while they have great power the must uphold there oaths and there words

[@paulscott2037]

Marisha is amazing in these sorts of professional interviews. She knows exactly how to express herself and the company without going too far and that in itself is a skill that is really difficult to get right.

[@ChartreuseDan]

Marisha like "Independence from WoTC? Oh we couldn't possibly say anything about that. *HERE IS EVERYTHING THAT WOULD ENTAIL WHICH I JUST HAPPEN TO BE ABLE TO RATTLE OFF ON DEMAND* " I don't necessarily think that's a guarantee of looming independence but it should definitely sound threatening to wizards and Hasbro because it absolutely is. She may as well have stared straight into the camera and said, "be a real shame if we went our own way and our fans came with us" (my asterisks didn't work right so I did an edit)

[@solaries3]

I'd imagine, in their own minds at least, they've always been pretty independent from WotC, and I'd say that's accurate. They've also gone without DDB sponsorship, and all the other sponsorships they do? I'd bet a lot of that is also to ensure that independence.

[@doctorsethjones]

That interview had so much subtextual tension. One thing I noticed was Linda asking "Will you do another supplement like the Tal'dori book or Netherdeep?" They name-drop two products in that question, one published under the OGL by Darrington Press, the other an official WotC adventure. Matt starts off "We'd love to. . ." then looks at Marisha to save him. She picks up the ball by talking about how many things they'd love to do if they had the time.

[@CBRN-115]

That's enough then. It speaks volumes

[@bunnieknox7570]

It’s honestly really cute how even though Matt is the all around game master and very well spoken, he looks to Marisha for help diffusing these matters and giving a balanced answer. I think it really speaks to their balance as a couple, and that look of him sort of asking her to help him or take the lead is ♥️

[@JB-xl2jc]

@@bunnieknox7570 Exactly, covering each other's weak spots and knowing when to tag your SO in a such a green flag

[@Stuugie.]

@@bunnieknox7570 I think that just means that A they trust each other (ofc) amd B they understanf each other's strengths, and from what I've seen from CR over the years Marisha definitely seems to have the corporate aspect down

[@LadyDarkHatter]

Considering how vocal and open Matt is about his feelings on things (his appearance on Game Grumps for Monopoly speaks volumes) so that twitch and tension definitely speaks to holding back his true thoughts. That man wants to speak SO DAMN BAD

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

Can i get a quick rundown on the game grumps event you're talking about? I feel like i missed something spicy

[@Bones-n-Brawls]

@@CorwinTheOneAndOnly I believe it’s just a video he did with the game grumps on their channel! I forget when but you could probably find in on there

[@Vale5893]

@@CorwinTheOneAndOnly It wasn't anything spicy necessarily, but he was very vocal about his dislike of Monopoly as a game and monopolies in general, which makes it pretty easy to connect the dots to his thoughts on WotC's choices.

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

@@Vale5893 Yeahhhh that does kinda sound like Matt. I love him but he has a bit of an issue conflating symbology or satire with the real thing. Ranting about how monopolies are bad while playing a game about rolling dice and buying houses does sound like him. As a fellow writer, I completely understand though. To creatives, the *only* thing that matters is the world in our head and the things we care about. If he can't get past the fact that the board game is titled monopoly, that must be how deep his dislike of monopolies is seated.

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

@@restfulori212 intent and actual results are two completely different things. Monopoly is closer to how chinese housing markets work than actual capitalist real estate anyways

[@tyghe_bright]

There's a good reason their partnership works well. Matt's focus is creative, and Marisha is more business-minded. She expected a question about the OGL and was prepared.

[@cheezeofages]

Matt Mercer is an improv genius and had been sneakily liking tweets that were supporting OneDnD. Him doing an almost cartoonish "UM" movement and hesitating was pretty much him publicly saying "Wow the whole situation is f'ed up at what WotC did was horrible but I can't say what I want to say because of contracts." Also the very slight hint there might be a Critcal Role video game in the works. Hmm

[@VonSnootingham]

Did you mean he was liking tweets that support OPENDnD? Because OneDnD is the WotC one.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Oh man, that's a good point. The "hesitation" could have been a thought-out response in itself lol

[@whoahanant]

@@VonSnootingham I think he meant the opposite because he was liking tweets against the new OGL.

[@maxgrieve]

I think the golden rule is this: based on influence and popular exposure, WOTC needs CR much more than CR needs WOTC. We can all speculate about what's been discussed behind the scenes, but ultimately the way the OGL and transition to OneD&D has been handled to date is a liability Wizards can ill afford in this relationship too.

[@Ryquard1]

using Fjord words from C2 "You need me more than I need you" *throws D&D into the lava*

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Right, at this point CR was probably more worried about how WotC's bad decisions could hurt their own brand by association

[@sodasaintcommentaries4054]

Yeah, I suspect that behind closed doors, CR has gone full Fjord: "You need me, more than I need you." They're definitely making their own system or alternate ruleset, or keeping that in their back pocket if WoTC doesn't drop the tomfoolery. The fact that they said it this publicly speaks volumes for those who can read between the lines.

[@deltagold6839]

Unfortunately, this isn’t just about money, but could become a full-blown legal issue due to the contract they have with D&DB.

[@Ryquard1]

@@Alfabravo313 your reach is way bigger than what you can actually grasp

[@EasymodeTom]

An official Critical Role RPG would be a huge kickstarter success even if the game sucked, they'd be crazy not to try. I'm glad they aren't rushing it.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

My thoughts exactly. They know how much they could make, so the fact that they're taking it slow to make it a good game (assuming it's happening) is admirable

[@tattoodude8946]

@@BobWorldBuilder That is also something I really admire about the Critical Role crew; they take a lot of pride in what they do. They are not going for a quick cash in. It genuinely seems like they do not want to let their fans down.

[@gorgit]

Nah, its not like they are able to release a CR ttrpg thats shit. They gotta use it in the future, so it actually has to be put together rather well.

[@TacticalReaper56]

More than likely already finished it, just takes around a year for a trademark to kick in. Keep your eyes out in 2023 for new things being Trademarked by Critrole the company. Or even their Press.

[@thomasstyan2066]

@@BobWorldBuilder Admirable, and good business sense. They might make money from a flawed game, but it would damage the CR brand. If it's great, then it will only strengthen the brand.

[@mchamberlain7408]

Matt focused on Marisha during her answers in absolute fear haha

[@llamatronian101]

That "Are you sure?" energy.

[@smellthensing2221]

Did he burn through those 30 pieces of silver already?

[@littlecatthewolfhound]

I also saw a lot of "my wife is so capable" energy, too

[@johnplaysgames3120]

​@@littlecatthewolfhound Honestly, that's what I got out of it. Where Matt seemed to struggle with what he can and can't say to the point that he was afraid to say anything, Marisha jumped in and took control of each answer and navigated really, really well. She didn't say so much that they'd get into legal or business trouble but said just enough to plant some seeds for the future. She rode the line really well, I thought, and, as you said, it looks like Matt did too.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

@@llamatronian101 Lol, I thought that too. That being said, the CR folk are professional enough to not walk into an interview -- one with the person who kicked off the whole OGL news cycle, no less! -- without already having prepared answers for the obvious big questions they'll be asked. I honestly don't think Marisha was winging it here. I'm sure she and Matt knew exactly how much they were going to say and not say before they ever went in to that interview.

[@TonyCrenshawsLatte]

If CR had signed OGL 1.1, I have no doubt WotC would have screamed that fact as loudly as corporately possible, especially when the backlash started coming.

[@kohakuaiko]

Signing OGL 1.1 would have made Matt's Bloodhunter theirs so it was not going to happen.

[@solaries3]

@@kohakuaiko It's on the DMsGuild, so WotC can already use it as they care to. So can anyone else who publishes it on DMsGuild - that's how the license works.

[@TheAciddragon069]

@@kohakuaiko Matt's Bloodhunter is already theirs, he posted it on the DM's guild (which WotC owns) hence why it hasn't been in any of the Exandria books

[@paawan3764]

They were in quite a tough spot. On one hand, they're sponsored by DnD Beyond but if they signed the ogl they would've been slaughtered by the dnd community. I'm glad it got resolved.

[@mateofantasma]

Word. It is evident they did not (as they should)

[@TheFoxfiend]

I heard a lot of "We have to be careful what we say" subtext in there. I imagine that there were somethings they couldn't say due to internal NDAs on upcoming projects, and there may have been some disapproving things they couldn't say because of their association with WotC. All in all I think they managed a diplomatic response that still holds some promise for a bright future.

[@knghtbrd]

The moment where Matt was stuck in a processing loop confirms for me everything: They're very much tied up in contracts right now and really can't say … much of anything, until they can. I wonder how long the non-disparagement clause will keep them from even saying Hasbro's plan here was … ill conceived.

[@Travelerr]

I've heard its not uncommon to be two years PAST the time of contract termination. So... Even if they parted ways, they'd have to wait 2 years past. The Legal side of things could very well bury their small company. the contracts are THAT bad universally.

[@knghtbrd]

@@Travelerr we saw the OGL "draft" and subsequent bullshit. We should have a good idea what kind of thing we are looking at here.

[@Alex-cq1zr]

@@knghtbrd yeah. It's probably a "deal with the dragon" in shadowrun language

[@Cpt_JohnRackham]

Could just be the issues where Wizards of the Coast is a big source of money for them.

[@Fae2705]

He rolled low on that Deception check! Even with the help action!🤣

[@TheEssentialGameMaster]

If I had to speculate, I'd say we're ~2 years from the launch of Critical Role's own RPG. It feels like it would make a lot of business sense for the launch of it to coincide with a new campaign where they're running that system.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!

[@cherylf7333]

I love the way Matt looks at Marisha like "oh thank god you're here to help" 😅

[@catherined.398]

Fun fact: this has happened before. When SNE and Record of Lodoss approached TSR to make an official public expansion to D&D, TSR did what TSR usually did, which was take legal action. This caused Record of Lodoss to jump from D&D to Runequest, before they decided the best action they could take was make their own TTRPG: Sword World. Now Sword World and Traveller are the biggest TTRPGs in Japan.

[@luketfer]

minor correction, IIRC Call of Cthulhu is the biggest TTRPG in Japan, Sword World, I think, is the biggest fantasy TTRPG.

[@catherined.398]

@@luketfer actually, that sounds right. Did it upset the hold megatraveller had?

[@luketfer]

@@catherined.398 It appears so. A minor correction and to confirm yours Sword World is indeed the biggest TTRPG in Japan, CoC is currently the biggest non-Japanese TTRPG, outselling D&D by quite a large margin, so I'm assuming it broke the hold that traveller did.

[@magnusbergqvist2123]

@@luketfer And if I recall correctly from an article about it, the sale of Call of Cthulhu in Japan(ese), outsells all other versions combined, including the English version...

[@AugmentedSmurf]

I feel like whatever system CR use, they'll still craft amazing stories, because they're just that talented, professional, and dedicated. For them, it's the stories that matter, not particularly the systems they use to craft them.

[@darmakx99]

True, but systems can inform and influence the stories told. Some systems are just plain better for telling some sorts of stories than other systems are. So making a system that doesn't just let them, but one that helps them, tell the sorts of stories they want to tell would be ideal. Like sure, they could tell their stories with any system, but why use something that isn't as good for those stories when something that IS good for them is right there?

[@oldmanofthemountains3388]

Considering how much homebrew they've added to the game, I always assumed they were on that path. Especially after "official" books came out, not to mention Darrington Press books. It reminds me a lot of when Paizo created Pathfinder.

[@robertfisher3307]

Props to Linda for knowing the assignment. It was supposed to be Legend of Vox Machina season 2 but at least half the interview was about those 3 big questions.

[@Tuskbumper]

I've been saying this for a minute, but one of the main reasons D&D is so big rn is because of CR. Wotc losing them is a really big deal honestly.

[@charleswain6124]

I mean, it's not one of the main reasons. It's a reason, sure, but not one of the main ones...

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Yep they've helped introduce millions of people to the game! It would be pretty wild for them to officially split from D&D. I think, like Matt and Marisha said, they'll continue to incorporate more games into their shows, rather than wholly leave D&D behind. Like a lot of us, they love the game even they may not agree with what the company behind it does. We'll see!

[@_____2219]

@@charleswain6124 it will be one of the big reasons. CR has a big influence on the ttrpg community, one comment from them and half the people will.

[@valentinegodek4681]

@@_____2219 critical role has a very large influence in the D&D community, but you’re kidding yourself if you believe they have the influence to literally pull half the playerbase away from 5E. People like us who watch videos about the D&D community are in the minority of the playerbase.

[@klaykid117]

As someone who got in to the hobby around 2013 to 2014 before the play test of 5th edition and the start of CR I can certainly say that critical role and partly stranger things really propelled the hobby into more of the mainstream with the help of 5e being easy system to learn

[@user-fd5nz5lo7m]

Also it`s worth pointing out that Matt sometimes makes a full new mini-systems for his oneshots. The best example being Elden Ring oneshot, when he almost completely changed fighting and character progression, the former also looked pretty cool with active evasions and blocks. I`d like to see full rule list of it.

[@LiquidNebula]

I really wish they would come up with their own system or at least something similar. Taldorei Reborn is such an amazing book, and I can see Exandria being its own thing. But along with all of these new systems, everyone is developing: Will they last? Man, I bet that was nerve-wracking. Anything they say will break out a war with WotC's lawyers. Because people will follow them blindly if they leave D&D. Recently, Matt was streaming, moving his minis to the new map room, and showed a Pathfinder mini box, and chat exploded. He knows and he sees the community and can't talk about it.

[@kohakuaiko]

He's had/used Pathfinder minis for years, bur yeah, that had to be intentional.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

I think their audience is big enough to make a lasting game, assuming the game itself would be well-made. And the way they talk about, I think it would be a good game!

[@LiquidNebula]

@@kohakuaiko yeah I know. I am one that likes Pathfinder Minis but not from WizKids. I belive Reaper Ministures does a far better job. But my point exactly, it was the moment and just the look on his face.

[@LiquidNebula]

@Bob World Builder I believe so, too. They have relationships with some of the most creative minds out there. I just don't want to see a company to create a system that will lack support from its parent company, creators, community, and 3rd party publishers. I also see there's going to be an overwhelming pool of options, which I love, but also wish that the community doesn't become so dismissive or divided for one system or another like it happened with D&D/PF. Normal concerns (almost PTSD-like). I do believe we have learned many lessons from this and especially to be more diverse in what we play and not bring each other down when we have a common goal. We just want to escape adulthood and kill monsters 🤣.

[@spxdersen]

They transitioned from Pathfinder to D&D in campaign 1

[@isaacchristensen659]

I think they handled the questions very well.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Agreed!

[@solaries3]

By being evasive?

[@Wizard_Pikachu]

@@solaries3 They said what they could without getting into legal trouble because we all fucking know, I guess except you from your statement, that they have contracts with D&D Beyond and probably wizards of the Coast and probably has bro when it comes to some of this shit so they have to be extremely careful

[@SpilledInkWell]

By giving a more definitive answer while not putting there show a culmination of their life's work in danger and not disparaging their active partners that could result in a lawsuit or sour relationships with future sponsors.

[@-WolfMan-]

Yeah, sometimes it's better to know when to Bite your own Tongue... especially when you realize that certain "Ears" may be listening to these interviews.

[@Dracobyte]

Matt Mercer is lucky to have Marisha Ray not only as a wife, but also as a business partner. She handed Linda's question with grace. I just want ask the community a fans to be patient and understanding this possible project, as it will probably take a long time before we see a glimps of the new system.

[@unofficialjuijin]

It's interesting to notice. When Marisha speaks, his eyes are glued to her and every time she looks to him, he nods in agreement/support.

[@bye1551]

I love their relationship. It's very clear that Marisha "wears the pants" so to speak but they divy up responsibilities to their own strengths and support eachother and love one another for those strengths. Nerd culture is very lucky to have them

[@robertsonjp]

Of course it's in the works. They've been building towards it the whole time. Matt has created worlds, campaigns, classes and customized class mechanics/abilities, weapons and items, mechanics for custom encounters, and countless characters, NPCs and encounters. Creating their own system is a matter of assembling all the existing pieces and then filling in the blanks. They have the material, the creativity, the people, and the financial resources to get it done. I'd place my bet on it being in progress for quite a while by this point but, If not, it definitely is now.

[@firebird8600]

This sort of hard hitting breaking news is why I ordered a set of the amazing Bob World Builder dice last night. (Not really, I've been meaning to order a set for weeks, but my brain kept forgetting, but I did remember last night when I took a side quest over there)

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Haha thank you very much! :)

[@shannonwatson8023]

The way Marisha steps in to help Matt with some questions, and the way matt looks at her for doing it is just amazing!! Really a great group of humans

[@darcyw156]

A critical Role RPG would be popular, no doubt. I wonder if it will be different enough from other systems to make it worth playing. Great video Bob. Insightful.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks! Yeah they'd have an INCREDIBLE amount of buy-in right off the bat

[@_____2219]

It can probably have but I do see them creating a system where every major kill has a "hdywds" moment. Like they have to roll for an ability check to see if they would be able to to do it with advantage and a +10 to the roll to make sure it does happen.

[@Pendragon-dnd]

@@_____2219 having to roll for the chance to describe how you kill something doesn’t seem compelling when Matt just lets the players do it now whenever anyways

[@lyianx]

I kinda feel.. given the popularity of Critical role, the "star power" behind it, would had the potential to be more popular (given enough time) than D&D. Their stream, and Animated shows feel like much more of a promotional and marketing push than anything D&D has done so word would spread really fast. Not saying it would dominate D&D quickly.. just that it has a chance to dethrone it (especially after all this OGL drama putting a bad taste in players mouths)

[@mrrizzla4961]

A more narrative driven and streamlined system would really help them tell stories when it comes to things like combat. They've already got the brand, they should definitely make their own game.

[@spencerstanley4759]

Yeah anyone who takes a 6 second pause with the kind of expression is EXTREMELY passionate about the topic, and is just holding themself back from saying things they will regret (especially under an NDA of some sort!). But I feel like Mercer could have cursed out wizards on the spot for how horrible they've acted, thankfully, he has excellent restraint and knows how to be presentable.

[@hardrocker8101]

I really hope they do make their own system, I think it could be really good. Would also be great for them to work with Dimension 20 and have Brennon working on it too.

[@tannertadlock7741]

With that in mind, does that make Calamity his “trial run”?

[@a13xw71]

Bob, i feel like you are the embodiment of positivity in the community. Like even when the whole OGL debacle was happening, you stayed as positive as possible. It very refreshing.

[@michaelnagel2205]

Seriously, @Bob, I appreciate your relaxed, optimistic delivery. There has been so much sensationalized rage regarding the OGL issue, your outlook is a cool drink of water. Have enjoyed your cideos for a while keep it up.

[@bishopccvb9801]

Normally Id personally say that so much positivity might feel false or forcrd But man Bobs being a wonder, hope hes doing ok too

[@Eteneme]

This is actually the reason why I don't want him to do the interview with WotC. They want to hype him up and try to make him forget (and the audience) about what they did -- that they're good and that is safe to go back to DND

[@HouseDM]

Could you imagine saying, "hey y'all, we gonna play Critical Role this weekend?" Like, the game. One could dream.

[@BigmanDogs]

I think it was a good way to answer the question without answering it. Give people alternate information that they are genuinely curious about.

[@Deris87]

Since WotC put the 5e SRD under Creative Commons, my hope has been somebody will do their own updated variant of 5e. If CR goes that route I'd be all over it.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Marisha Ray handled Linda's questions gracefully!

[@thygamerguy]

Man, I haven't watch critical role before but after watching parts of the interview, I always known they were good people, but they really used the phrase "with great power comes great responsibility" excellently and I may now start it :)

[@stephenwells2464]

Matt has the best poker face in situations in their games where I’d be giggling and spilling all the secrets so to see him pause says a lot.

[@crowhaveninc.2103]

This interview really shows what a power couple Matt and Marisha are. They've mentioned in interviews how they compliment each other's weaknesses. Matt's the charming empathic face, Marisha is down-to-earth business woman. Brilliant to see her so competently address these difficult questions with such guile. ... Maybe she should play a rogue next.

[@kvothe5026]

I love that you timestamped the original video snippets you showed, loved your editing :D PS: Hope this is definitely happening!

[@maverickdelta]

When Marisha mentioned their roots, I can’t help but be reminded that they started playing on DnD 4e, then immediately switched to Pathfinder. They switched to DnD 5e prior to streaming with Geek and Sundry.

[@matthewrussell1600]

to my knowledge they never played 4E. Matt liked 4Es pantheon and world, but hated the game (like most did) and just outright adapted it for pathfinder, only staying there until 5E came out.

[@maverickdelta]

@@matthewrussell1600 On November 19th, 2015, in response to an early photo of Marisha and Travis using a DnD 4e character sheet, Matt Mercer tweeted the following: "The veeeery first session was very simplified 4E combat rules (we had new players), so we used he sheets/color coding". The link to that tweet can be found through Wikipedia.

[@matthewrussell1600]

@@maverickdelta hm neat TIL

[@Graywolf335]

I just hope that Matt gets to reclaim the Gunslinger and Bloodhunter from DM's Guild and that they re-print "Explorer's Guide to Wildmount" & "Call of the Netherdeep" under Darrington Press. They need they're stuff to be solely their own.

[@GrimViridian]

I feel like Matt could just make his own gunslinger class that would work better than the fighter subclass personally, but yeah I really hope he gets to keep his blood hunter, first d&d class I ever played

[@curtisholsinger6023]

Appreciate this. Critical Role has been getting flak that they absolutely do NOT deserve, for not being more open about their future and their connections. NDAs are both necessary and very restrictive (if written well) when doing business at or above a certain level of revenue. Remember, they have sweetheart deals with an industry giant (Amazon) and are being given priority advertising spots. Marisha's final comment about indie companies would absolutely be taken as a warning or even veiled threat by WotC. She said as much as she possibly could, legally. Thank you, Bob. I appreciate your perspective on this.

[@MostLikelyMortal]

Very often marketing types will recommend company reps have prepared responses to certain questions. So, “man, wouldn’t that be ____” is definitely a flag for that

[@tannertadlock7741]

“Ok Matt. I need you to act like we haven’t even talked about it for 8 years now”

[@ZorValachan]

it's really good to see you seem to be more like "yourself" in this video. I'm not saying you are (or need to be) a Pollyanna or anything but watching you present things in a calm and positive manner has always been a delight and seeing how the major issues in hobby/career you love affected you was a real bummer. I hope you rise out of this refreshed and reinvigorated!

[@timothymason7008]

Great video as always Bob! Still waiting for the D&D OGL dust to settle so we can see that funny music video!

[@jamesanderson6769]

Agreed, lets not throw them under the bus. They have a team, many of whom would loose their jobs if they skrew up.

[@elffkinnie]

I think if Critical Role made a system of their own, it would likely take a lot from both d&d and pathfinder, as that's the system where they first started. Both systems have a lot of similarities in the broad strokes, but I think they'd combine what they found worked best for them with their own flair and takes on certain mechanics, such as Mercer's rules for resurrection, various class options and how certain spells are interpreted.

[@FlashGordon5272]

They are such an awesome team. Anytime one of them stumbles, the other is there to pick up for them. It’d be interesting to see them make their own system. If they could combine the ease of access of 5e, with the balance/ variety of Pathefinder 2e, that could be VERY cool. I’m not sure how successful it would be outside of the fan base, but like Marisha said, variety in the TTRPG space is always a good thing.

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Totally agree! I think they could make a great game--or even multiple games for different styles!

[@petalsinthebreeze]

Alright, here me out, Shadow of the Weird Wizard

[@Wynstat]

Hey Bob. Just bought a set of your dice. Thanks so much for your content. I just came across your channel today & it is great! Keep up the great work keeping us informed.😃

[@BandannaBread]

3:43 The silent look exchanged between the two of "That wasn't what we were asked, but we're in too deep now."

[@mikemalo47]

They also probably have a NDA with d&d beyond due to their affiliation

[@thomasace2547]

If CR went down it’s own system route, I believe WotC know how vital CR is for maintaining D&D cultural popularly More likely WotC will provide CR an upgraded contract that continues using D&D, with allowances towards CR Merchandise

[@captin3149]

I feel if they were doing that, then CR wouldn't have been forced to remove so many D&D-specific terms in their show. Whether the CR crew did it on their own, or D&D made them remove the terms, either way they've already been distancing themselves from D&D. I feel that after the contracts that are already in place expire, then CR will be in the position to follow through on their own productions.

[@thomasandrewclifford]

That ship has essentially sailed now 5e is common law. They'd have to offer CR something using OneD&D and I really cannot see them jumping aboard that quickly sinking ship. I'd say CR either bides its time for Black flag, Pathfinder 3 or makes their own system.

[@Enn-]

GREAT observations Bob! Thanks!

[@jdreyn02]

I was impressed by the whole cast of Critical Role from day one when they were still under the Geek & Sundry banner. It was clear they all had talent as voice actors but they had a genuine connection as friends because the game they streamed began as their home game. It was a unique homebrew of 5th edition d&d and pathfinder that pulled me in immediately. Their initial setup was not impressive very little production value at the beginning but that changed quickly now they are a straight up powerhouse. I am also proud to say I saw the initial stream where they sold a 100 t-shirt limited run to gauge interest in less than 5 seconds after it went online lol. Whatever happens they have given an enormous positive spotlight to the rpg's community and deserve tons of credit for that. Critical Role shouldn't be forced to be peacemakers for the idiotic debacle that WOTC and Hasbro created.

[@Errafri]

The looks she gives him while speeking are so amasingly telling. More than all other words, it's like "it'll be fiiine, lets tell them *something* " And I would definitly be on the preorder list if that comes out

[@DDCRExposed]

It would be interesting to see what Critical Role (CR) creates for their own game system (if they choose to do so) since their roots are based in D&D with Pathfinder 1e, initially, than swapping to 5e. Looking at other companies that are/have done so with Enworld's "Level Up Advanced 5e" and now Kobold Press' "Black Flag," I am certainly curious to see what a rule book for CR would look like.

[@chazblank2717]

I started making my own system over 3 years ago prior even to the lockdown and I’m just now getting into first drafts… these things take time, but these folks also have way more creativity and emotional/financial support behind them… add to that all the motivation and inspiration from the recent debacle, the collective experience of several seasoned players/DM’s with these types of charts and tables seared into their brains since adolescence and they could be just as far along as me in a matter of months.

[@apocalypso3427]

It's definitely a tough project for one person to tackle! I've been developing a new system from scratch (not related to other systems) for over a year myself. People don't realize just how involved new system development really is lol. I've been working 12+ hours, 7 days a week since I started and I'm STILL not done...and I've just been working on the SRD essentially lol. I'll still have to go polish it and put it into a readable form with setting, etc. But we are about to get started with playtesting and I'm excited. Good luck on your system! Can't wait to see it out there!

[@chazblank2717]

@@apocalypso3427 thanks… I’m trying to keep mine similar enough to the games it’s based on that it can just run modified modules and campaigns from Call of Cthulhu, Traveller and Cyberpunk in between and throughout it’s extensive procedural sand-box elements… damn dude, I’m maybe half as productive as that on my best or just least busy dead-of-winter weeks… since I’m dealing with some Titans of IP (specifically owned by the Mouse) I’m not really planning more than a very limited private printing for my editors and play-testers. Though it probably wouldn’t be too difficult to smuggle a handful of lower cost printings into antique shops and used book stores Banksy style… maybe drop a few somewhere at busy Convention Halls… if you can think of any other low-key punk-rock distribution methods (analog or digital) I’m all ears 😁 would love to share it more widely but hesitant to put it out there, least of all with my real name attached or any way of tracing it back to me.

[@apocalypso3427]

@@chazblank2717 Lol I feel you, man. I like your Banksy idea. That'd be pretty awesome once people caught on :D Like a treasure hunt lol. And I understand making it similar enough to others for conversion purposes (which also reminds me I need to write up conversion guides eventually, so thanks! lol). And you could always use a pen name if you wanted to share it more widely but remain more anonymous. But I also understand wanting to keep the printing run small...publishing is expensive. I think I'm going to be throwing all my core stuff up for free on a website as posts/pages and then just putting it neatly into a low cost pdf for those that want the convenience of it. Good luck, man! Your project sounds pretty sweet!

[@chazblank2717]

@@apocalypso3427 something that really helped me was stepping away from a one book ethos… it’s natural to wanna put all your information into one place out of simplicity, efficiency, or even laziness since if your notes are anything like mine they most likely all exist in a single overly complex/wordy text document… and while I might still combine some things back together if it makes sense to, dividing everything up along the lines of the classic D&D three pack really helped me organize my thoughts… best of luck on play-testing. Seth Skorkowsky has a great one on that topic if you haven’t checked it out already.

[@apocalypso3427]

@@chazblank2717 Oh for sure lol. Right now I'm essentially building an SRD (bare bones rules and gameplay information), which will probably be about 400 pages when I'm done since it's a new system and I have to explain every detail. Later that will translate into core books (probably two rule books and a bestiary) with the addition of fluff and worldbuilding/setting, etc. For me, it's way easier to dig through a well-organized SRD to make changes while playtesting than to try to find everything in fluffed up books lol. Once I'm sure everything is working well I'll be writing the core books from the SRD :) For me, it just makes the editing that much easier since I'm dealing with untested mechanics at the moment lol.

[@pzalterias5154]

I'm so hyped by the idea of 3 / 4 big ttrpgs in the market instead of 1 giant. But if all do dnd clones with same classes and monsters, it will be so boring and divide the community for nothing.

[@Akasen1226]

I'd be pretty stoked to see them make a game. I don't know if I'd play it immediately, but I'd definitely love to see what they'd bring to the table if they did so.

[@not-a-theist8251]

I noticed his hesitation as well and was pretty astounded by that because he surely expected this question. It was a genuine response. And yes there is absolutely a CR roleplay in the works Also had np idea that this was the journalist who broke the ogl story

[@andrewshandle]

People with no stake in this at all: "How come CR aren't willing to burn down their close working relationships with the company they have been working with for years because we're angry?!??!!?"

[@juliecampbell860]

Honestly, I think CR handled this the best way they could. When you're in any kind of relationship with someone/something, be it business or personal, the respectful thing to do when you disagree with that entity is to discuss it with them first instead of airing your dirty laundry in public (unless you want to nuke the relationship from orbit and don't care about the collateral damage). And if you're trying to work things out in that relationship (or at least end the relationship on relatively good terms), you still vent in private and don't make a big public stink.

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

I’m not really a fan of Critical Role, but I enjoyed Matt Mercer and the general performances. And wow I would extremely love to see them develop a new system. It would absolutely encourage more people to try non-D&D games, which is pretty much always a win.

[@pacer2310]

Nice to see this comment because I feel like an alien for being just super medium on critical role. I don't want to watch other people play D&D - especially some heightened reality version of it where everyone is an experienced actor and has a D&M with that much experience.

[@allmyhomieshatefreud5501]

Linda truly pulled no punches in this interview, sure it was a bit hard to watch Matt and Marisha trying to come up with a response that doesn't breach any contracts while getting their stances across, but sometimes that's just the journalism we need. Kudos to them!

[@troyphoto7]

I didn't read Matt as "stunned" when asked about the OGL... that was the "What can I legally say about this and not be in breach of any contracts?"

[@GazpachoTabletop]

I noticed that you now start your videos with how to have fun playing ttrpgs together and that's awesome!

[@riculfriculfson7243]

Community Support Mode Engaged! Hopefully, my dice are on the way (first time buying metal). 😁

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thank you very much!! :)

[@cmorellato]

Bob, I feel like you're one of my friends! Hahaha I laughed so joyfully over your reactions I almost felt we were talking. I share this same energy! I've analysed this interview in the same way! Now that this whole story is all feeling somewhat over, I'm actually excited for the future of TTRPG. Really glad we get to share these times and I love our community. Cheers from Brazil! :)

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Thanks very much! You're right that these are exciting times for the TTRPG community :)

[@josephsanders7856]

Good job Bob! I am glad you made this one!

[@dustinlight4716]

Great video! I really agree with the closing message.

[@LeRodz]

Given the situation they are in, i think M&M managed to handle it pretty well. Marisha specially was great on coming up with answers to such direct questions. On another note, a CR system is totally in the works, and was even before the OGL situation, i have no doubt. I don't think we will see it anytime soon, and that's good. They can have all the time they need to make sure it comes out great.

[@_____2219]

I'm really proud of Marisha here for basically becoming the spokesperson for CR with how involved she is. People needs to respect this woman more because damn she's cool.

[@Michael-bn1oi]

It's literally her job. She's being paid to do it. Idk what you mean lol

[@461weavile]

Yeah, she did enroll to be whatever her job title is. (I know she's in charge, just don't know her title.) She's probably had a lot of practice at situations just like this. I was slightly surprised that we were so focused on Matt when that question was asked; I think maybe Marisha was having as much fun seeing Matt's reaction as we we're.

[@lidular]

I had the exact same thoughts when watching the interview. I also was thinking of Travis trying not to say too much. I would love a video on what a CR system might look like

[@MercilessRascal]

This video is exactly the explanation I needed about Critical Role's take on this entire debacle. Your smile and fun character further makes this even clearer! Thank you for this great video and I'm glad I stumbled upon you, good sir. Let's hope for a Critical Role RPG!!

[@samuelwillliams7333]

Hey Bob I'm planning on buying some Bob World Builder dice to support the channel. Do you happen to know how many are left?

[@morgagnomic]

I hope Critical Role makes their own system. I would love to see how they build one to better capture their dramatic and cinematic style of play. Would definitely buy it

[@redknight808]

Great analysis, Bob. I didn't get much out of the interview when I first saw it, but you really brought in some great commentary. Matt has decades of playing many kinds of TTRPGs under his belt and doesn't mind crunchy stuff like Pathfinder. If you look at his character and magic item designs, they are pretty involved. However, if he is going to make something ideal for his group of improvisational player-actors, it's going to be lighter, more flexible, and dynamic. I think he'll stick to a d20 system to keep things familiar for his group and their audience, but not genre-specific. Or, at least, something easily adaptable to a new genre/setting with a new book. I'm a 36-year veteran of the generic Hero System TTRPG, only buying other games as reference material, but I WILL buy Matt's game if CR makes it. I respect the hell out of his vast experience, ability, and creativity.

[@DanDarden]

This reminds me of when Rock 'n' Roll fragmented into subgenres. I'm trying to keep my eye on the PF2e ball, but there are a lot of fragments moving in different directions on the table.

[@eopatcjo]

Bob WotCDestroyer has a manic energy that is absolutely infectious. The roiling fury of a man betrayed by the hobby he adores, muted by the monastic restraint of the world's friendliest builder.

[@ianj1828]

Oh yeah. They are totally doing it already. They just can't talk about it yet.

[@gzzuss]

Thanks for the breakdown, I could not handle the background music for somewhat reason

[@heather9130]

My friends and I were playing our first ever D&D game, Lost Mines of course, just running around like kobolds without a clue. I had so much anxiety about not knowing what to do at the table that I wanted to quit. We talked to NPCs like if we just keep hitting A they'll spit out information. Charming or intimidating them never occurred to us, and we didn't roleplay at all. And our DM was like, "Wanna watch Critical Role? I heard it's fun." Critical Role showed us so many different ways we could approach situations, how to roleplay, and gave us a lot of exposure to the rules. It made me feel confident. I'm a DM now running my own homebrew. I appreciate Matt and Marisha so much for what they've built. And I agree with what others have said that of course they're bound by NDAs and have to play nice. I have no doubt they support the community. The community boosted them to the level they're at. And then as creative as they are, I'm sure they'd love to make their own system regardless of what WOTC does. They're already making board games. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do.

[@aweckzs]

genuinely impressed with marisha's corporate and passive statement when i KNOW she wanted to say how bullshit this all was

[@sebastianpinoalipaz5935]

They are probably making it already, but it will remain undisclosed until they're unbound from whatever contract they have with WotC.

[@MightySquishy69]

I remember stumbling upon campaign 1, and boy howdy, how they took off!

[@VictorVonGrooove]

Hahaha!! The hand twitch!! That's so funny. I missed that while watching the interview the first time.

[@DutchOrBelgian]

Another fabulous video! Thank you for using Linda’s correct pronouns. I think it would make sense financially for Critical Role to develop an RPG system.

[@SpecTeach]

Oh God, the way Matt was looking at Marisha when she answered was like "please don't break the NDA please don't break the NDA oh God she's gonna break the NDA and we're all gonna be jobless and get sued into the deepest layers of the 9 hells"

[@offcenterideas]

It's too early to say if it was coincidence or not, but it is worth note that the first CR episode filmed after the D&D OGL debacle made no mention of their long-standing sponsor, D&D Beyond. They still did their standard "WE PLAY DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS!!!" intro bit, but that's (1) still factual and (2) a years-long tradition. Also, in all the interviews they've done in the past few weeks (that I've seen), they've all been very careful to use the term "TTRPG" instead of mentioning D&D. And it's a very conscious thing too, as they've never really done that before, and you can see the occasional pause in their speech right before they use the term, like they're watching their words.

[@xphoenixrising]

I also wanna point out that Darrington Press was already coming out with publishing their own low-magic RPG that Matt's been working on. So! They did great.

[@lejandario7779]

The fact that in the first interview though Travis answered the question you could hear Matt saying "Man..." As in "Man, that'd be rad". A little off topic but you gotta love Marisha's fashion sense

[@beefytaco6374]

Yeh there is going to be a new critical role rpg. I also think it will be similar to dnd since they began with pathfinder and are using dnd.

[@KoM]

I could’ve sworn that when Darrington Press launched, the press release they put out mentioned that Matt was working on his own ttrpg game system. Am I remembering this correctly? Does anybody else remember seeing that?

[@isaiahwelch8066]

The whole interview with Matt and Marisha, along with the interview you showed with Travis, merely confirmed what I already suspected. When the initial Critical Role statement came out, and people said that it wasn't strong enough, I said more than once, on more than one channel, that there was more going on than we were being told. One of the things was that was apparently forgotten was something Matt himself said a long time ago: "She's the fighter. She's always willing to battle to keep what she thinks is important. I'm the diplomat out of the two of us." And when you consider that aspect of their personalities, I then said that Marisha was probably mad as hell about the OGL debaucle, and wanted to come right out and say that Critical Role stood with the community. I even said that Marisha was probably ready to go on the warpath against WotC over the OGL. But Matt, being the diplomat, had to assuage her anger about everything, and I'm sure that others within Critical Role also told her (I'm thinking Travis and a few others) about what could happen if she did what she was wanting to do. At the same time, people probably had several conversations both within the company, as well as with Chris Perkins and others at Wizards about this. And at the end of the day, Marisha probably realized that if she let her emotions get the better of her, things would go downhill very quickly for Critical Role as a company. I also said, before this interview, that I didn't think Critical Role would forget where they all started out. Point is, Critical Role stands with the community. Rather than having a fist raised like some more outspoken people, for Critical Role, it's more of a "wink and nod," a more "If you know, you know" kind of confirmation.