As Critical Role continues its third campaign, its ravenous fan base has been enjoying getting to know the brand new characters and fresh setting. But after seeing their favorites players sink their hooks into their new characters and Dungeon Master Matt Mercer's new adventure, a few fans have found themselves questioning some elements of the series.
With so many ionate fans, it's not out of the question that many would have their own ideas about the series and how it should go on. But some of those opinions have been a bit more unpopular than others.
Each Campaign Is Less Fun Than The Last
Three campaigns into the webseries, some fans have started to suspect that the quality of the show may be declining. "[Campaign 1] is my favorite by far in of characters and storytelling. [Campaign 2] to me was a small step down as I enjoyed several of the characters but didn't find the stories as compelling. [Campaign 3] to me is a mess," says Reddit faze4guru.
It isn't hard to hold a similar opinion, as many of the Critical Role are from previous campaigns. However, this early in the third campaign, it's hard to determine if the messy nature of the characters is a result of anything more than the fact that fans don't know the characters as well at this point.
Live Episodes Are Terrible
There are few things more exciting for a Critical Role fan than having the chance to sit in the audience and watch a session live. While some of the best episodes of campaign one took place in front of a crowd, some fans find them disappointing. "For me the fact that they play up to the audience more kinda takes away from the tension and drama." says Reddit not_imprsd, doing well to live up to their name.
It is frankly clear that the players do try to perform more obviously for crowds than they do when they're sitting around a table, but the results are still incredibly entertaining. Moments like Lady Vex'ahlia and the death of Lorenzo happened in front of an audience, and part of the momentousness of each occasion was having fans sitting by cheering on the players with every roll.
Ashton's Class Is Unbalanced
While many consider Taliesin Jaffe's character in the third campaign, the earth genasi barbarian Ashton, to have one of the best D&D homebrew classes. But not all fans agree. "When he rages, he rolls a die and gets a random ability. That’s fine. Then when he hits, he can add a dice roll and deal extra damage. That’s fine," says Reddit Sims177. "But at level 3, and having both those abilities? That is not fine."
It is a bit overpowered for a single character, even in a series that's had powerful figures like Percy, Keyleth, and Caleb. Still some characters may initially appear to be considerably stronger than they will eventually become. After all, Beau dominated the early campaign fights, while slowly giving a smaller percentage of the damage as the game went on.
Shopping Episodes Are Boring
While Travis Willingham often projects his disdain for shopping episodes, some fans find themselves even more incensed than Travis. Reddit weequay1189 says, "I hate them and think they are an enormous waste of time and get in the way of story and adventuring."
Still, though shopping episodes are a break from the action and at times the roleplaying, it's an essential part of the show that helps progress the plot a great deal. After all, where else could the characters meet NPCs like Gilmore and Pumat Sol, some of the greatest figures in the series? And how else could they get the materials that let them fight dragons and gods? Sometimes, the occasional shopping episode is worth it, if it means having the chance to see the players take down Vecna.
Taryon Is Better Than Scanlan
When Scanlan quit Vox Machina in the most intense moment of the first campaign, he was replaced by the dashing young Taryon Darrington. While most fans mourned the loss of Scanlan, others found themselves excited to see Taryon in his place.
"In the end, I think it was very liberating for Sam to be able to finally play a new character, with a different backstory, and an actual goal in life to work towards to," says Redditor maxvsthegames. It's true that Taryon had more potential storyline-wise. Not to mention that his absence allowed Scanlan to enhance his own story considerably. So, in the end, it really was a boon.
There's Nothing Wrong With Exandria Unlimited
For a show that puts together some of the best one-shots, it was a bit surprising that fans had such a mixed reaction to Exandria Unlimited. Many fans complained of a shaky plot and low levels.
Still, there are some fans that enjoyed it. "I like that it's more fast-paced compared to the regular Critical Role campaigns," says Redditor ShesAaRebel. "And I also think Aabria does a good job of keeping them on track, since this is a short series, and not a full campaign." Given how often fans complain about the Matt Mercer effect, it is a nice change of pace to get to see another DM handle the Critical Role stage.
The Cast Should Dial Back Out-of-Character Jokes
Part of the charm of Critical Role comes from some of the jokes that players make outside of their roleplay. After all, it would be hard for Travis to make any intelligent comments in the first campaign if he was in character all the time. Still, while most fans understand, others disagree with the idea of slipping out of character for a joke.
As Redditor BennyBonesOG says, "Some is fine, like Scanlan's awesome songs. But there's a line and it's frequently close to being crossed." So, in the future, if Marisha wants to crack a joke, she may need to do it as an undead sorcerer.
The Cast Should Eat More At The Table
Early on in the first Critical Role campaign, the cast would often snack on food sent in by fans or even just the occasional treat they'd bring in for themselves. "Felt more like a group of friends getting together for some D&D as opposed to produced show," says Redditor Swippinfrafes.
While the show did rather quickly shift from a home game to a full production, it still largely kept the same relaxed environment without having some of the audio issues that came with eating on camera. So, though it is sad that the players can no longer order in pizza during sessions, it at least makes the cast a great deal more audible.
Metagaming Is Fine
While this is an unpopular DnD opinion in general, some fans believe that there's nothing wrong with Critical Role cast occasionally resorting to metagaming to keep the plot moving. "I really feel that 99 times out of 100, punishing metagaming is the cure that's worse than the illness," says Reddit CrimsonPlato.
Though fans don't have to worry about players lying about dice rolls, there's nothing wrong with players helping each other solve puzzles or giving advice about how to take out a villain. If it means avoiding a full party wipe, like the players have risked in a few missions, it's sometimes important to throw away fears of metagaming and calling on the metagaming pigeon once again.
Jester Isn't Fun
One of the most beloved characters in Critical Role, Jester won the hearts of fans everywhere. Some fans, however, can't stand her. "Jester acts like an overgrown child and half of the group basically has to parent her, and half want to sleep with her," says Reddit Thomas_Adams1999. "She throws tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants, she acts completely on impulse with almost zero regard for the people around her, and sometimes she's just rude."
While Jester can be a selfish character at times, despite her occasional tantrum, she is a loving person at heart. After all, she nearly died to save Artagan and risked her life to protect Beau from the Hag. Besides, Jester often serves as the heart of the team and helps keep them moving even when Caduceus can't.