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What does it take to create a good RPG character? “Trauma,” says Critical Role’s Taliesin Jaffe

The Critical Role cast discuss what it takes to develop a good campaign character

Popverse’s coverage of Emerald City Comic Con is brought to you by Signet Collectibles, the go-to place for authentic autographed items! Embrace your collecting Journey. 


Are you ready to play Dungeons and Dragons? Your first step is to create a character, which can be a bit intimidating. The Critical Role cast have been playing tabletop RPG games together for over a decade, so they know a thing or two about what it takes to create a character. So, what do you need?

“Trauma. That’s the beginning,” Taliesin Jaffe says during a Critical Role spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con 2026.

“I think some of us start with aesthetics,” Sam Riegel says. “Some of us start with music. I know Taliesin, you do that. I start with a flaw. I think we all have different techniques, but we think about it a lot. Especially when we’re starting a new campaign, days and weeks.”

“I think I pick the challenge I want to grapple with for the better part of the campaign and everything feeds from that,” Liam O’Brien says. “I think about what I want to pretend that I look like for a long amount of time,” Laura Bailey jokes.

At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to get creative, and make sure you have some fun with it.

Watch the official Critical Role: Adventures in Exandria panel from Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con 2026 here:

 

 

With two animated series on Prime Video, Campaign 4 in full swing, and so much more Exandrian lore to come, Critical Role is showing no signs of slowing down. That's why the adventuring party at Popverse are here to bring you everything we can from those nerdy-ass voice actors & Bo., including:

...and much, much more. Roll initiative, player. Magic awaits.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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