List of Critical Role episodes explained

Critical Role episodes split by campaign and then by year, as well as one-shot episodes.

Series overview

In June 2021, the cast of Critical Role finished their second Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The third campaign premiered on October 21, 2021.

Campaigns

Campaign one (2015–2017)

See main article: Critical Role campaign one.

The Vox Machina campaign originated as the home game of the cast, played from 2012 to 2017; the show begins in medias res with the characters regrouping in the city of Emon after approximately 6 months apart and the streamed campaign picks up where the cast's original home game left off. While the adventures prior to the Kraghammer arc (2015) were not formally recorded, some shorter recordings have been released by the cast. This includes audio from the first session of the campaign, which was released as a segment in the third episode of the podcast All Work No Play.[1] Additionally, Liam O'Brien released a recording of the magic carpet being discovered by the party.[2] Episode 36 features a summary of the pre-series history,[3] with artwork created by Wendy Sullivan Green and voice-overs provided by the cast.[4] The comic book, , is an adaptation of the group's game before the show.[5] The animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, also adapts a canonic story that took place within the pre-stream time frame.[6] [7]

Campaign one originally broadcast live on the Geek & Sundry Twitch and YouTube channels between March 12, 2015, and October 12, 2017, for a total of 115 episodes.[8] [9] Starting in November 2016, it was also broadcast live on the Alpha streaming service from Legendary Digital Networks. The show on Alpha had a unique overlay that included "real-time character sheets, damage and heal animations, and visualizations".[10] Campaign one's closed captions were transcribed by a fan group who submitted them to Geek & Sundry. Geek & Sundry then added these to the YouTube copies of episodes.[11] The VODs have since been uploaded to Critical Role's own YouTube channel.[12]

The episodes of campaign one spilt by year:

Campaign two (2018–2021)

See main article: Critical Role campaign two.

The second campaign began on January 11, 2018, and follows the adventuring party known as The Mighty Nein. The story is set on the continent of Wildemount, which was briefly visited during the Vox Machina campaign. The Mighty Nein campaign is set about 20 years after Vox Machina's final battle against Vecna;[13] [14] it takes place at a time where tensions are very high between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty, two of Wildemount's major powers.[15]

Prior to a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show had broadcast live, but has been pre-recorded since its return for episode 100 of Campaign Two.[16] In May 2021, the cast announced that campaign two would end shortly, however, "the Mighty Nein's story wasn't finished".[17] Collider reported that "Campaign 2 has spanned 100 hours of battle, 440 slain villains, and 530 total hours of dice-roll-driven adventuring. And that's not even counting the upcoming 7-hour finale".[18] The finale aired on June 3, 2021;[19] [20] it was the longest episode at just over seven hours.

The episodes of campaign two split by year:

Campaign three (2021–current)

See main article: Critical Role campaign three.

The third campaign premiered on October 21, 2021 with a simulcast live in Cinemark Theatres along with the regular Twitch and YouTube livestream.[21] Critical Role will continue to be pre-recorded for the third campaign.[22] [23] Starting with the third campaign, the main campaign 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.[24]

The story is set immediately after Exandria Unlimited which took place 10 years after the events of the second campaign.[25] [26] Several cast members reprise their roles from Exandria Unlimited.[27] The campaign is set on the continent of Marquet, which was briefly visited during the Vox Machina campaign. SyFy Wire highlighted that Marquet is "home to massive deserts, mountains, and even a volcano" and that it is "uncharted territory for the series".

The episodes of campaign three split by year:

Anthology series

Exandria Unlimited

See main article: Exandria Unlimited. Exandria Unlimited (ExU) is an anthology series and is a spin-off of the main Critical Role series. The first season was originally broadcast from June 24 to August 12, 2021. That season is set in the city of Emon on the continent of Tal'Dorei 30 years after Campaign One and 10 years after Campaign Two.[28] [29] The players in this season are Ashley Johnson, Robbie Daymond, Liam O'Brien, Aimee Carrero, and Matthew Mercer.[30] [31] The season's game master is Aabria Iyengar (known for other streaming shows such as Happy Jacks RPG, Dimension 20, and Saving Throw).[32] Anjali Bhimani guest stars in episodes four through six.[33] [34] [35] In March 2022, a two-part adventure sequel, Exandria Unlimited: Kymal, was released. It followed Dorian Storm returning to his friends after his time in Campaign Three. Daymond, Mercer, Carrero, Bhimani and Iyengar reprised their roles; Erica Lindbeck also joined the cast.[36] [37] [38]

IGN reported that "Exandria Unlimited will be considered canon within the wider Critical Role story, and 'will affect future environments and timelines across the overall lore of Critical Role.' So as fans await what may come from Campaign 3 of the core CR cast, Unlimited looks to offer a new vantage point into the world of Exandria".[39] IGN also highlighted that "it's likely not the only such story planned; the announcement for the series teases that 'Within the world of Exandria, there are an unlimited amount of stories to be told - and we have only just begun'."

The second season, titled Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, was broadcast from May 26 to June 16, 2022. It follows a group of heroes from the Age of Arcanum – an age 1,500 years before the Critical Role series[40] – who attempt to prevent the Calamity.[41] [42]

TitleEpisodesOriginally released
Exandria Unlimited8
Exandria Unlimited: Kymal2
Exandria Unlimited: Calamity4

One-shots

In addition to their main campaign series, Critical Role has also broadcast many one-shots – short adventures that take place within a single session of play.[43] [44] [45] [46] seven of these one-shots are considered canonical; with four listed on the show's official timeline published in June 2021.[47] Most of the seven are epilogue episodes to one of the first two campaigns. The Search for Grog and The Search for Bob, however, cover events within the storyline of the last episode of Campaign 1 that required telling outside the time frame of the main show. Other one-shots have only a tangential relationship to the campaigns. These are set in the world of Exandria or feature established canon characters but are not considered canonical themselves.[48] Still other one-shots have no connection at all with the campaigns or the world of Exandria. Some one-shots promote other intellectual properties commissioned by sponsors.[49]

Canon

The following one-shots are listed as canonical parts of the official timeline.

Shared world or characters

These one-shots are set within the world of Exandria or feature established characters from the main campaigns. They are not, however, deemed canonical—having no impact on the main storyline.

Promotional

These one-shots were made as promotions for other properties or groups.

Other

These one-shots are not set within Exandria, nor are they promotional.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: All Work No Play: AWNP Episode 3 (Legacy) on Apple Podcasts. September 6, 2020. November 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201110075200/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/awnp-episode-3-legacy/id583666188?i=1000129813548. live.
  2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Carpet Throwback . YouTube.
  3. Starts at 1 hour 36 minutes in episode 36, titled Winter's Crest in Whitestone
  4. Winter's Crest in Whitestone : Critical Role RPG Show Episode 36 - The Story of Vox Machina . Geek & Sundry . December 18, 2015 . Youtube video . 1:36:21 . May 20, 2017 . December 10, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201210010905/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EikRMYRf5-Y&t=96m21s . live .
  5. Web site: Hoffer. Christian. July 10, 2019. Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #1 Review: Capturing the Spirit of the Beloved D&D Web Series. 2020-09-03. ComicBook.com. en. June 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200626181801/https://comicbook.com/comics/news/critical-role-vox-machina-origins-ii-1-review-dark-horse/. live.
  6. Web site: Francisco. Eric. October 18, 2020. Critical Role: 2020 "turned everything on its head" for the D&D phenomenon. 2020-11-09. Inverse. en. December 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211201082111/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/world-of-critical-role. live.
  7. "Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Animated Special". Kickstarter. Retrieved May 9, 2019. ... the first few episodes of our animation will focus on a brand new Vox Machina adventure, which takes place before our show began streaming live on Twitch.
  8. Web site: "Critical Role" takes Dungeons and Dragons out of the basement and online. Ehrbar. Ned. February 22, 2017. CBS News. en-US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170805061623/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/critical-role-dungeons-and-dragons-ashley-johnson-matthew-mercer/. August 5, 2017. 2020-02-22.
  9. Web site: The Dungeons & Dragons Web Series Critical Role Is Flat-Out Great TV. Teitman. Ryan. 2016-02-22. Slate Magazine. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190514123556/https://slate.com/culture/2016/02/critical-role-is-flat-out-great-tv-even-if-you-don-t-care-about-dungeons-and-dragons.html. May 14, 2019. 2020-02-22.
  10. Web site: Legendary Digital Sets 'Alpha' Subscription VOD Launch Plans, With Nerdist and Geek & Sundry Programming Slate. Spangler. Todd. 2016-09-28. Variety. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191214084916/https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/legendary-digital-alpha-launch-nerdist-geek-sundry-1201872619/. December 14, 2019. 2020-02-22.
  11. Web site: Critical Role Transcript Is the Champion of Closed Captioning. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003002011/http://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-transcript-is-the-champion-of-closed-captioning/. dead. October 3, 2017. 2017-09-25. Geek and Sundry. en. 2020-02-23.
  12. Web site: End of 2019 Fireside Chat. December 20, 2019. YouTube. Critical Role. November 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201120030657/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLEuog9UDXs. live.
  13. News: DeVille. Chris. November 16, 2017. The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying. The Verge. December 6, 2017. August 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210829145600/https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming. live.
  14. Web site: Knox. Kelly. December 18, 2017. Critical Role: One Chapter Closes, And Another Begins. https://web.archive.org/web/20171223160500/https://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-one-chapter-closes-and-another-begins/. dead. December 23, 2017. December 23, 2017. Geek & Sundry.
  15. Web site: Grebey. James. 2020-05-01. Dungeons & Dragons' latest setting, Wildemount, helps solve the problem of 'evil' races. 2020-05-04. SYFY WIRE. en. February 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210223232531/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-wildemount-matt-mercer-race. live.
  16. News: Grebey. James. July 1, 2020. 'I miss our characters': What the Critical Role cast did during COVID-19 hiatus. en. SYFY WIRE. July 4, 2020. July 4, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200704014615/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/critical-role-cast-covid-19-hiatus-great-debate. live.
  17. Web site: May 21, 2021. Critical Role's Campaign 2 Is Ending Soon. 2021-05-21. ComicBook.com. en. May 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210521174440/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-campaign-2-ending/. live.
  18. Web site: 2021-06-01. 'Critical Role' Reveals Finale Airdate for The Mighty Nein's Journey. 2021-06-02. Collider. en-US. June 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602071215/https://collider.com/critical-role-campaign-2-end-date/. live.
  19. Web site: 2021-06-01. Critical Role's Extra-Sized Campaign 2 Finale Airs This Week. 2021-06-01. ComicBook.com. en. June 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210601113104/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-campaign-2-finale-extra-sized/. live.
  20. Web site: Sheehan. Gavin. 2021-06-02. Critical Role Will Complete Campaign Two This Thursday. 2021-06-02. Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. en. June 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602134816/https://bleedingcool.com/games/critical-role-will-complete-campaign-two-this-thursday/. live.
  21. Web site: Dornbush. Jonathon. September 30, 2021. Critical Role Campaign 3 October Premiere Date Announced, Will Simulcast in Movie Theaters. September 30, 2021. IGN. September 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930163302/https://www.ign.com/articles/critical-role-campaign-3-premiere-date-october. live.
  22. Web site: Carter. Justin. 2021-09-30. Critical Role crew promises 'wild ride' in Campaign 3, reveals theatrical D&D kickoff. 2021-09-30. SYFY WIRE. en. September 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930172952/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/critical-role-campaign-3-announcement. live.
  23. State of the Role: Campaign 3 Announcement Fall 2021. September 30, 2021. YouTube. Critical Role Productions. September 30, 2021. September 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930172449/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5_xVBpqwTo. live.
  24. Marisha Ray. Marisha Ray. Marisha_Ray. 1443613362986778625. 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.. September 30, 2021.
  25. Web site: Hall. Charlie. 2021-09-30. Critical Role's full season 3 begins next month, live online and in movie theaters. 2021-09-30. Polygon. en-US. September 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930162712/https://www.polygon.com/22702412/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-season-3-premiere-movie-theater-tickets-price. live.
  26. Web site: Spangler. Todd. 2021-09-30. Critical Role Sets Campaign 3 Premiere Date, Will Simulcast First Episode in Cinemark Theaters. 2021-09-30. Variety. en-US. September 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930162738/https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/critical-role-campaign-3-premiere-date-cinemark-1235076246/. live.
  27. Web site: October 23, 2021. Critical Role's New Campaign Features Some Surprising Characters. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211023153601/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-campaign-3-cast-characters/. October 23, 2021. 2021-10-23. ComicBook.com. en.
  28. Web site: 2021-06-10. Critical Role Announces Exandria Unlimited. 2021-06-10. ComicBook.com. en. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610163529/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-exandria-unlimited-campaign-3-dungeons-dragons/. live.
  29. Web site: King. Chris. 2021-06-10. Critical Role's next campaign launches this month with a new Dungeon Master. 2021-06-10. Polygon. en. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610163529/https://www.polygon.com/22524297/critical-role-next-campaign-new-dm-matt-mercer-aabria-iyengar. live.
  30. Web site: 2021-06-10. Critical Role's next show is Exandria Unlimited. 2021-06-10. VentureBeat. en-US. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610165048/https://venturebeat.com/2021/06/10/critical-roles-next-show-is-exandria-unlimited/. live.
  31. Web site: Sheehan. Gavin. 2021-06-10. Critical Role Announces Summer Miniseries Exandria Unlimited. 2021-06-10. Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. en.
  32. Web site: 2021-06-10. Critical Role Stars Lift the Lid on Their New Show, Exandria Unlimited. 2021-06-10. Gizmodo. en-us. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610165048/https://gizmodo.com/critical-role-veterans-and-newcomers-lift-the-lid-on-th-1847065584. live.
  33. Web site: 2021-07-19. HYPE: Welcome Anjali Bhimani to Exandria Unlimited! Critical Role. 2021-07-22. en-US. July 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210724031737/https://critrole.com/hype-welcome-anjali-bhimani-to-exandria-unlimited/. live.
  34. Web site: July 16, 2021. Critical Role: Anjali Bhimani Discusses New Character on Exandria Unlimited. 2021-07-23. ComicBook.com. en. July 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210723144142/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-exandria-unlimited-anjali-bhimani-interview/. live.
  35. Web site: Sheehan. Gavin. 2021-07-16. Anjali Bhimani Talks Appearing On Critical Role's Exandria Unlimited. 2021-07-23. Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. en. July 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210723144142/https://bleedingcool.com/games/anjali-bhimani-talks-appearing-on-critical-roles-exandria-unlimited/. live.
  36. Web site: Radulovic . Petrana . 2022-03-14 . Critical Role announces two new series to celebrate its 7th anniversary . 2022-03-14 . Polygon . en-US . March 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220314205229/https://www.polygon.com/22977603/critical-role-new-series-7-year-anniversary . live .
  37. Web site: Sheehan . Gavin . 2022-03-14 . Critical Role Announces Two New Shows In Latest Video . 2022-03-14 . Bleeding Cool News And Rumors . en . March 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220314205229/https://bleedingcool.com/games/critical-role-announces-two-new-shows-in-latest-video/ . live .
  38. Web site: March 14, 2022 . Critical Role Announces Two New Shows . 2022-03-14 . ComicBook.com . en . March 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220314205229/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-new-shows-announcement/ . live .
  39. Web site: June 10, 2021. Critical Role Announces Exandria Unlimited, A New Campaign Launching This Month. June 10, 2021. IGN. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610165048/https://www.ign.com/articles/critical-role-exandria-unlimited-series-announcement. live.
  40. Web site: Ratcliffe . Amy . May 12, 2022 . Critical Role Announces New Exandria Unlimited Miniseries . . May 12, 2022 . May 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512204659/https://nerdist.com/article/critical-role-new-miniseries-exandria-unlimited-brennan-lee-mulligan/ . live .
  41. Web site: 2022-05-12 . HYPE! Exandria Unlimited: Calamity Premieres Thursday, May 26th! . 2022-05-12 . Critical Role . en-US . . May 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512160446/https://critrole.com/hype-exandria-unlimited-calamity-premieres-thursday-may-26th/ . live .
  42. Web site: May 12, 2022 . Critical Role Announces New Exandria Unlimited Miniseries . 2022-05-12 . . en . May 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512190801/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-exandria-unlimited-calamity-brennan-lee-mulligan-aabria-iyengar/ . live .
  43. Web site: Heim . Bec . January 14, 2023 . Critical Role: 10 Best One-Shots That Aren't In Exandria . June 3, 2024 . . en.
  44. Web site: One Shot . Critical Role . June 24, 2021 . June 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210621230952/https://critrole.com/filter/one-shot/ . live .
  45. Web site: List of One Shot Videos . Critical Role . June 24, 2021 . June 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200237/https://critrole.com/qtvideo/list-of-one-shot-videos/ . live .
  46. Web site: Kaplan . Avery . September 12, 2023 . Critical Role: How (and Where) to Watch in Chronological and Release . June 1, 2024 . Popverse . en.
  47. Web site: What You Need to Know Before Watching Exandria Unlimited . Critical Role . June 10, 2021 . June 17, 2021 . June 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210621210145/https://critrole.com/what-you-need-to-know-before-watching-exandria-unlimited/ . live .
  48. Web site: Hoffer . Christian . December 11, 2018 . Vox Machina to Return in 'Critical Role' Live Show . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109180319/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/critical-role-vox-machina-returns-los-angeles-live-show/ . November 9, 2020 . 2020-11-09 . ComicBook.com . en.
  49. Švelch . Jan . December 2022 . Mediatization of tabletop role-playing: The intertwined cases of Critical Role and D&D Beyond . Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies . en . 28 . 6 . 1662–1678 . 10.1177/13548565221111680 . 1354-8565 . SagePub.