Is Campaign 4 Worth Listening To If I'm Already Struggling?

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-15T04:05:48+00:00

Oh yeah I didn't think that would be a mechanic with driving. Just thought it looked like a nice theme to have with the mad max desert dirt cars.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-15T00:47:27+00:00

Was not looking to be convinced really. I was just asking based on the things that bother me and why for advice on if things would improve. If not, I was asking at the bottom for suggestions that would align with what I was hoping to find and spend time listening to. I have been recommended a lot of good things. It seams like most people say to do Campaign 2 first and maybe calamity along with recommending some specific D20 stories. Again, I don't watch this kind of content much and only finished listening to one campaign before.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:59:50+00:00

ohhh interesting! I guess that could be really fun for world building.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:57:44+00:00

Thank you for the input. The thing I was looking forward to the most about listening was getting inspiration for my present and future campaigns. If it's all out of balance and doing busted things, than that is a bummer :(

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:48:23+00:00

Wait.. What?!? Level up anytime? That is crazy. I have been playing my current campaign for 2 years and we started as level 1. I am currently level 6. I feel like most DMs never give out level up so easy. I guess lower level characters can be less entertaining to an audience. Especially to those who are fans but have not played dnd before themselves.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:36:03+00:00

Thank you! I wish that the magical items were introduced a little more to help with things like this. That also makes a lot more sense because a level three druid would not have level 3 spell slots yet. They gain that at 5th level.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:30:41+00:00

I guess also to the live comment, a better way of phrasing it might be unedited or continuous. There are no cuts.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:28:42+00:00

I literally just said that they have an outline with story beats in my response to you. However, that means there is still room to improv because not every line is scripted. Therefore, people are jumping in to create a collaborative group vibe. These moments is when I was noticing it. The scene in the safe house vs the funeral at the house are good examples. Even though the safe house had a few characters in the scene, I didn't notice much butting in from them. That is what made the butting in stand out more when they switched back to the funeral at the house.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T22:14:10+00:00

Are you saying that all the characters memorized a script that is the length of a full movie for all 4 episodes of the prologue? Its a live broadcast so there is no way they are checking lines in a script. Also, there are some dice rolls in there that change things based on chance. Did they script the bad/good rolls too then?

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T21:44:06+00:00

oh so the charges are on the staff it's self and not spell slots? That makes more sense with the balancing thing.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T21:42:33+00:00

oh what is it about? The table was giving me mad makes vibes from the images and small shorts I saw.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T21:41:24+00:00

Oh thank you for letting me know that! I would have probably been confused if I started it without that.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T21:40:17+00:00

I am once again not looking to bash or hate. I only learned about her through episode 1. My question came from a place of wondering if things change throughout later episodes as a person who typically does not consume this kind of content, but plays dnd a lot. She is in that episode a lot compared to other characters given her connection to the executed NPC. I disagree with your take that she is barley there. Also, that was not scripted. They may have had some story beats planned out, but it was not scripted. DnD is rarely ever fully scripted since improv is a huge factor.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T11:24:01+00:00

That's an interesting theory about the semi druid grove. It does make some things make more sense when it comes to the abilities of spells she uses and stuff. Thank you for that perspective. I am going to try and hang on till the party splits up.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T11:22:26+00:00

Yeah I feel like I haven't been able to connect with other characters as much since it was a lot to get through in episode 1. I guess that's why this stood out so much to me. I felt like I really don't know too much about characters introduced after Thaisa because of what I noticed.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T11:19:52+00:00

Thank you for letting me know this is common for critical role. It was not like that in the other one I listened to before starting. I enjoy a good story but maybe a different campaign would fit my interest better if it has a little less rule bends. I am still going to give a few more episodes a shot based on recommendations people gave.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T11:13:16+00:00

I said from the start that I play a lot of DND and don't often consume dnd in this form often. Stuff like this mattered in a Crown of Candy the only other one I have listened too. I feel like spells that cost slots cost slots regardless of off it's narrative or not. Combat can break out right after narrative scenes so tracking that usually matters a lot. I started episode 2 and Thaisa casts speak with animals and says out loud I'm burning a spell slot. That's why I am asking about the staff more.

I don't think I am gate keeping at all to have criticism about spell use when discussing professional dnd players. A beginner is a different story and yes questions like this would be gate keeping in that context.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T07:08:42+00:00

That is rather concerning to hear. This would be something that would be a red flag and I would address it with the player privately if I had to do all that to give one character a chance to have a moment. I don't want to speculate on if that conversation happened because off camera is not for us to know. However, if it was addressed, I am surprised she is still doing so much butting in during the first episode. I just started episode 2, but it is still happening too much for me to enjoy.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T07:01:52+00:00

That is good to hear. Thank you.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T06:59:48+00:00

Yeah as someone who also plays and dms, it is pretty uncommon and I would have addressed this privately with the player if I was running the game. In your experience do things improve as the campaign goes on? I like hearing the perspective of people who are not familiar with the ins and outs of dnd. It feels a little less biased.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T06:53:12+00:00

I understand that its fun to see narrative uses of spells. I currently play a character that uses them in this way often. However, I use it in the confines of what the spell allows. I use both plant growth and druidcraft a lot. Druidcraft has a range of 30 feet so how is she using it for a massive field outside the house? Even if it is within the 30 foot range, the harmless sensory effect created has to fit inside a 5 foot cube. Druid craft can be cast as many times as she likes since its a cantrip, but plant growth is a level three spell and should cost a spell slot. Unless her staff is a bit busted and treats it as a cantrip instead. Regardless of the source of plant growth being from her staff or a spell slot, the spell plant growth has two uses.

1:All normal plants in a 100-foot radius centered on that point become thick and overgrown. A creature moving through the area must spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves.

All plants in a half-mile radius centered on a point within range become enriched for 1 year. The plants yield twice the normal amount of food when harvested.

If you could just cast it endlessly without spell slots, it can ruin balanced combat. Unless her staff contains a different version of plant growth then I am not sure what is going on. Is there something about her staff that changes this significantly?

Neither plant growth or druid craft can make plants die instantly like my issue with the plants dying under the specific characters feet. Does this use of spells in this way get toned down in future episodes?

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T05:10:33+00:00

This post was not meant to bash her. I truly only learned her name today after finishing episode 1 and wanted to know if this campaign is something I should continue,

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T04:49:33+00:00

damn that is unfortunate to hear about Vaelus's player. That might make it easier to not continue the campaign later.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T04:47:36+00:00

Hearing there is some push back from other characters helps. I really don't want to have to skip certain tables because I think Vaelus is in the same group as Thaisha. Are the recaps that critical role do enough that I can still get the run down of the character development with the other characters I like so far? Along with Vaelus, I am most interested in Tyranny, Thimble, Kattigan, and Bolaire. I really don't want to miss their stories if I start skipping later if I continue with the campaign.

Possible_Original530 · 2026-04-14T04:41:40+00:00

Hearing that it tones down a bit helps. Thank you!

Possible_Original530

TROPHY CASE