Critical Role (campaign three)

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Critical Role
Season 3
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes16
Release
Original networkTwitch, YouTube
Original releaseOctober 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)
Season chronology
← Previous
Campaign two
List of episodes

The third campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role premiered on October 21, 2021; it is set after the conclusion of the second campaign and Exandria Unlimited. It follows Bell's Hells, a party of adventurers, in their travels across the continent of Marquet. Campaign three airs each Thursday at 7 p.m. PT on Critical Role Productions' Twitch and YouTube channels except for the last Thursday of each month.

Cast[]

Main[]

Campaign 3 has maintained the previous Campaign 2 main cast members, with seven players and the Dungeon Master.[1][2][3]

Guests[]

Additionally, the following guests have made appearances:

Synopsis[]

Background[]

The story takes place after the events of the second campaign and the limited series Exandria Unlimited.[13] It is set on the continent of Marquet, which was briefly visited during the Vox Machina campaign.[14][15] SyFy Wire highlighted that Marquet is "home to massive deserts, mountains, and even a volcano" and that it is "uncharted territory for the series".[14]

Multiple characters in this campaign are returning characters. Dorian, Orym, and Fearne premiered in Exandria Unlimited while Bertrand premiered in the one-shot "Search For Grog".[2][5] "Mercer noted that both Johnson and O'Brien brought character concepts they were toying with for Campaign 3 over to Exandria Unlimited, where they had the chance to develop them with Aabria Iyengar. There was no expectation to carry the characters over to Campaign 3, but the two players enjoyed the characters so much, they decided to keep using them moving forward. Daymond was brought in a special guest to help carry them forward over into Campaign 3".[2] Willingham's second character, Chetney, was inspired by a character he had previously played in the non-canon one-shot "The Night Before Critmas".[6]

Production and format[]

The format is largely unchanged from the later episodes of the first campaign, with videos of the cast and any battlemaps presented in 3-5-hour episodes. Technical changes however were introduced during the run of the second campaign which have carried over to the third campaign such as subtitles, character information and pre-recording. Since Campaign Two Episode 54, episodes are transcribed by a professional transcription service.[16] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show had broadcast live, but has been pre-recorded since Campaign Two Episode 100.[17][14][18] A new set, designed by professional amusement park designers Shaun Ellis and Polly Hodges, was built for the third campaign. The cast are no longer divided into socially distanced individual tables, but returned instead to a common table as had been the case prior to the pandemic.[19][20] The campaign features "enhanced set designs, music, lighting and effects, along with improved sound (each actor will have an individual mic)."[21]

The show airs each Thursday at 19:00 PT on Critical Role's Twitch and YouTube channels.[22][23][18] In a change from the previous campaign, campaign three of Critical Role will not air new episodes on the last Thursday of every month; instead, other content by the studio will air in its time slot.[14][18][24] The third campaign's premiere was simulcast live in Cinemark Theatres along with the regular Twitch and YouTube livestream.[1][25] Similarly, the upcoming 17th episode of the third campaign will be simulcast in Cinemark Theatres, Landmark Theatres, and Cinépolis along side the regular livestream; Critical Role advertised this as part of their 7th anniversary celebration.[26][27]

Episodes[]

2021[]

EpisodeTitleRun timeOriginal air dateNotes
1"The Draw of Destiny"03:58:25October 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)Guest stars Robbie Daymond. Was simulcast in Cinemark Theatres alongside the regular Twitch and YouTube livestream.[1][25]
The episode opens in the Oderan Wilds' capital city of Jrusar with Imogen and Laudna on a cable car heading to the Starpoint Conservatory where they discover their request to access the libraries has been denied. Meanwhile, Ashton and Fresh Cut Grass head to the Spire by Fire Inn to seek work. Orym, Fearne, and Dorian arrive in the city via airship; they have been tasked by the leader of the Air Ashari, Keyleth, to find a man. Everyone is drawn together by an arcane incident outside the Spire by Fire where they group up to fight animated objects. They are assisted by an elderly Sir Bertrand Bell who then offers to introduce them to a well paying man, Lord Ariks Eshteross. The next day everyone regroups before heading to Eshteross's manor. Eshteross challenges the group to prove themselves due to Bertrand's boasting – the episode ends as the lord himself rushes the group.
2"Trial by Firelight"04:07:40October 28, 2021 (2021-10-28)Guest stars Robbie Daymond. Aired on the last Thursday of October as an exception.[19]
3"The Trail and the Toil"04:08:42November 4, 2021 (2021-11-04)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
4"On the Trail of a Killer"03:52:12November 11, 2021 (2021-11-11)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
5"The Threat Between the Walls"04:25:35November 18, 2021 (2021-11-18)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
6"Growing Bonds and Teasing Threads"03:54:57December 2, 2021 (2021-12-02)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
7"Behind the Curtain"03:49:38December 9, 2021 (2021-12-09)Guest stars Robbie Daymond. Introduction of Willingham's new character.
8"A Woodworker's Quandary"03:23:00December 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.

2022[]

EpisodeTitleRun timeOriginal air dateNotes
9"Thicker Grows the Meal and Plot"04:14:35January 6, 2022 (2022-01-06)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
10"Ghosts, Dates, and Darker Fates"03:16:29January 13, 2022 (2022-01-13)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
11"Chasing Nightmares"04:52:18January 20, 2022 (2022-01-20)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
12"Make It Fashion"04:36:53February 3, 2022 (2022-02-03)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
13"A Dance of Deception"04:01:00February 10, 2022 (2022-02-10)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
14"In Too Deep"04:45:08February 17, 2022 (2022-02-17)Guest stars Robbie Daymond.
15"The Tunnels Below"04:42:24March 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)–
16"The Shade Mother"04:12:12March 10, 2022 (2022-03-10)–
17TBATBAMarch 17, 2022 (2022-03-17)Will be simulcast in Cinemark Theatres, Landmark Theatres, and Cinépolis alongside the regular Twitch and YouTube livestream.[26][27]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Blood hunter is a homebrew class developed by Mercer.[7][8]
  2. ^ a b Preferred pronouns: he/they[11]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Spangler, Todd (September 30, 2021). "Critical Role Sets Campaign 3 Premiere Date, Will Simulcast First Episode in Cinemark Theaters". Variety. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Critical Role's New Campaign Features Some Surprising Characters". ComicBook.com. October 23, 2021. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Critical Role: Everything to Know About the Characters of Campaign Three". CBR. October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "Critical Role's New Campaign Contains Surprise Tie to Vox Machina Campaign". ComicBook.com. December 9, 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021. There are also lingering questions about how Laudna was resurrected – Laudna is a Hollow One that exists between life and death, but the exact manner in which she was resurrected is still unclear, as is whether it was a deliberate resurrection or merely an accident.
  5. ^ a b "Critical Role's Matthew Mercer Explains End of Most Recent Episode". ComicBook.com. November 5, 2021. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hoffer, Christian (December 10, 2021). "Critical Role's New Character Has Fans Feeling Deja Vu". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Critical Role Reveals Shocker About One of Campaign 3's Characters". ComicBook.com. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "Matt Mercer Releases Revised Version of Dungeons & Dragons Blood Hunter Class". ComicBook.com. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Kunzelman, Cameron (June 2, 2018). "Matthew Mercer Explains How To Be A Good Dungeon Master". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "D&D DM Tips, According To Critical Role's Matthew Mercer". ScreenRant. November 25, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "The Draw of Destiny". Critical Role. Season 3. Episode 1. October 21, 2021. YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "Critical Role's Robbie Daymond on Campaign 3, How He Named His Character, and More (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  13. ^ Hall, Charlie (September 30, 2021). "Critical Role's full season 3 begins next month, live online and in movie theaters". Polygon. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d Carter, Justin (September 30, 2021). "Critical Role crew promises 'wild ride' in Campaign 3, reveals theatrical D&D kickoff". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "Critical Role: Where Is Marquet?". ComicBook.com. October 3, 2021. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  16. ^ "CR Transcript & Closed Captions Update | Critical Role". Critical Role. April 5, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Grebey, James (July 1, 2020). "'I miss our characters': What the Critical Role cast did during COVID-19 hiatus". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c State of the Role: Campaign 3 Announcement Fall 2021 (YouTube). Critical Role Productions. September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "ICYMI: Campaign 3 Premieres October 21st & State of the Role Updates". Critical Role. September 30, 2021. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  20. ^ "Critical Role Debuts New Set for Campaign 3". ComicBook.com. October 19, 2021. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  21. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 14, 2021). "Inside Critical Role's Growing D&D Fantasy Empire and the Making of 'The Legend of Vox Machina' for Amazon". Variety. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  22. ^ Hoffer, Christian (January 18, 2020). "How to Watch Critical Role". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  23. ^ "Starting today, Critical Role and Talks Machina will now air on both Twitch AND YouTube! Twitch will still be the BEST place to engage with our community with a moderated live chat and immediate access to VODS for Twitch subscribers". Twitter. Critical Role. January 21, 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  24. ^ Marisha Ray [@Marisha_Ray] (September 30, 2021). "For clarity on taking a break from Critical Role (main show) the last Thursday of every month : This won't effect too much till 2022. We will be live on the 28th of October for Ep 2. The last Thursday in November is Thanksgiving, and in December, the holidays" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ a b Whitten, Sarah (September 30, 2021). "Critical Role to premiere its third Dungeons & Dragons campaign in Cinemark theaters". CNBC. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021. Tickets for Critical Role's third campaign, which cost $25 in the Los Angeles area, largely sold out within an hour of Thursday's announcement. Additional screens have been added on Cinemark's website to accommodate the interest.
  26. ^ a b Sheehan, Gavin (March 1, 2022). "Critical Role Returns To Theaters To Celebrate Seventh Anniversary". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  27. ^ a b Marshall, Cass (March 1, 2022). "Critical Role's seventh anniversary brings the show back to movie theatres". Polygon. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
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