Critical Role campaign 4 kicked off last week, and in the complexity of its 13-player opening episode, one easy-to-miss piece of D&D table etiquette has caught the attention of some fans.
While the rest of the campaign will split players up, the first few episodes of Critical Role campaign 4 involve everyone in its 13-player cast. Having that many people around the table would be chaotic, of course, so players rotate in and out according to the needs of the scene. And one player in particular appears to have struck that balance very well.
Over on the Critical Role subreddit, multiple posts pointed out Aabria Iyengar’s initial departure from the table. Despite being a relatively important character in the scene, one post points out that “having her initiate people leaving the table to introduce new characters was very nice.” Noting that at that point, two hours into the episode, original series regulars Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey hadn’t even been on screen yet, the post points out that “you can see how much it helped [Dungeon Master] Brennan plan for the next scene.”
That sentiment was reflected elsewhere, noting that even though her character should be a key part of the funeral scene playing out, Iyengar is “the first one to just up and go ‘and now I’m making my exit’.” In another post, a different viewer notes how that’s part of a wider trend in her roleplay – rather than simply taking action and expecting other players to react, the post points out how Iyengar is more likely to express her intention to commit a certain action, giving other players the chance to ready a response.
How those behaviors will play out through the rest of the campaign won’t really be apparent until the full party splits off into smaller groups. But in the chaos of episode one, they remain easily missed traits that really helped keep the narrative moving while making life easier for a DM keeping a huge number of different plates spinning. In a campaign overhauling the traditional Critical Role formula – with new players, a new DM, and an expanded cast – Iyengar has proved an unfortunately divisive figure, but it’s clear that her own extensive experience as a Game Master is already coming in extremely useful.
To celebrate Critical Role 4, Matt Mercer hid an important message to new DM Brennan Lee Mulligan inside a gifted pair of hand-forged swords.
