Critical Role came out swinging from the get-go with Campaign 4. Not only did it have a new Dungeon Master with Brennan Lee Mulligan, but it also introduced a 13-player cast, a new West Marches-style format, and the epic new world of Aramán, with all the bells and whistles expected of a fantasy Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Yet with all the careful preparation that went into Campaign 4, not every plan can predict the schemes of a player — especially if that player is Matthew Mercer.
Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for the first arc of Campaign 4.
In the first episode of Campaign 4, Mulligan introduced Aramán and all its major players involved in the city of Dol-Makjar’s political machinations. One such character was Thjazi Fang, a revolutionary hero who incited The Falconer’s Rebellion against the magical Sundered Houses. Thjazi met his end at the hangman’s noose at the start of the episode. Shortly after, the players attended the orc rebel’s funeral.
With Thjazi loved and loathed in equal measure, Matthew Mercer, as Sir Julien Davinos, changed Campaign 4 forever with one simple act: spitting on Thjazi’s body. Though Mercer didn’t know it at the time, he had just changed the direction of Thjazi’s tale and Campaign 4.
How Matthew Mercer changed the direction of Thjazi Fang’s story
Thjazi and Julien always had a contemptuous relationship, with the latter believing that his father’s decision to side with Thjazi in the Falconer’s Rebellion led to the Davinos family’s ultimate downfall. In fact, it was Julien’s resentment toward Thjazi that made the reveal in episode 31, “Trick of the Light,” that Thjazi’s soul had escaped being stolen by the necromantic House Tachonis by instead hiding in Julien’s shadow all the sweeter. What’s richer than having the person you hate stuck to you forever?
However, Mulligan revealed in an Instagram AMA on Sept. 1 that Julien’s decision to disrespect Thjazi’s body opened new directions for Thjazi’s story.
“It’s important to know that even as a Dungeon Master, you want to plan a lot, but if you plan everything, where’s the room left for interesting player choices?” Mulligan explained in response to a fan’s question about whether he had planned Thjazi’s eventual return. “I had some ideas about what was going on with Thjazi on the other side. I knew his intentions and plans, but I didn’t have everything lined up to the end.”
“When that spit happened, everything got thrown out. I went, ‘Oh, this is very good,’” Mulligan continued. “You gotta let player choices matter, even the ones they don’t know in the moment are going to matter… You gotta let those matter most of all.”
Any experienced Dungeon Master understands that trying to plan every detail is futile. Despite your efforts, players will inevitably pursue unexpected directions, leaving you to improvise. As frustrating as it may be, players doing something you hadn’t expected also forces you, the DM, to think up new ways to shape the story and react to a player’s actions. This is arguably one of the most enchanting things about tabletop role-playing games: it’s a collaborative effort between a narrator and the main characters of the tale, not a combative one.
Mulligan’s point about the importance of player choices is especially crucial. While we don’t know Mulligan’s original intentions for Thjazi, we know those intentions changed drastically after Mercer made the choice to be especially antagonistic toward his old rival’s corpse. Yet doing so opened a new direction for Campaign 4, not just for Mercer’s character but for other players and their characters as well. Thimble (Laura Bailey) now knows that her best friend’s soul is not gone forever and could even be recovered — giving her the most hope she’s had since the beginning of Campaign 4. Then there’s Halandil Fang (Liam O’Brien), who has been grappling with Thjazi’s actions since his death. Since his brother isn’t truly gone, he will have ample opportunity to get closure later on.
By leaning into Julien’s hatred of Thjazi, Mercer unintentionally set off explosive consequences that led to major changes for Campaign 4. It also showed that Mercer — whether he’s a DM or a player — is an incredible actor and storyteller. Combined with Mulligan’s willingness to abandon a plan in favor of something he sees as better, Campaign 4’s twists and turns seem practically guaranteed to keep us guessing as the story unfolds.