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From the moment it was announced, Critters the world over were shocked at just how BIG Critical Role Campaign 4 was going to be. 13 players, a whole new setting, and a West Marches-style structure - all of that had fans asking (maybe still asking) just how the hell are the team, particularly GM Brennan Lee Mulligan, going to handle all that story? Well, as might not surprise you if you know the Critical Role production team's or Mulligan's previous work, the answer comes down to having a backup plan.

Particularly, the backup plan was to include extra episodes, just in case.

The topic came up during a recent conversation between a handful of Critical Rolers and Paste Magazine, published December 4. In it, Mulligan was asked about the "time limits" that Critical Role imposes on their episodes, and if those every altered the telling of the TTRPG story.

"I would say that we are being story first in a way that genuinely is a challenge for production," Mulligan admitted, "We have roughly an amount of episodes we’re aiming for with each table, but there’s always been the understanding of, like, 'Hey, if this venture feels concluded an episode early—or we need to tack on another one—that’s fine.' [...] So, no, it’s definitely not like we’re living and dying by 'we need to deliver that plot point by this episode, because then we’re outta here.' We had our four-episode overture, but by the end of it, we still hadn’t split up the Schemers and Seekers tables, so we just did that in episode five."

OG Critical Role cast member Marisha Ray, who was also taking part in the interview, agreed with Mulligan, expanding her answer to describe what that "understanding" from production means in practical terms.

"We always have a few contingency episodes," said Ray, "So if the story needs to go longer, then it can go longer. Even recently, we realized we needed a whole other day to finish a scene, which—well, I don’t want to do any spoilers—so we just hit the calendars and found a day that worked for people to come back in. It is story first, through and through. And yes, production are absolute champions. They are patient saints to deal with us."

Hear that, CR production team? You are loved, and you deserve to be told so.

Critical Role Campaign 4 is streaming now on the group's Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch channels.

From the lands of Exandria to your very own smartscreens, Popverse has everything you need to know about the TTRPG phenomenon that is Critical Role. Here you'll find:

• Popverse's Critical Role watch order
• An interview with GM Brennan Lee Mulligan
• The cast's appearance at C2E2 '25

...and more. Roll initiative, player. Adventure awaits.