Brennan Lee Mulligan is making the ultimate sacrifice—tossing his budding American Girl Doll shoes career into the trash and stepping into the role of dungeon master for Critical Role's next campaign, replacing 10-year DM Matthew Mercer for a spell.
Alright, so, the American Girl Doll shoes thing was a Game Changer bit, but Mulligan stepping into the driving seat for a season of Critical Role? Dead serious. That's per a keynote address during a Critical Role Direct live show in Indianapolis, in which Mulligan walked onto stage to a wilding-out crowd.
"10 years ago," he said, "I was a struggling improviser riddled with medical debt from my fucked-up teeth. But I was aware of this thing called Critical Role. I watched it, I loved it, the games, the stories shared by these amazing friends."
He then goes on to describe how he met Matthew Mercer backstage during an episode of Dropout's "Um, Actually"—which invariably led to Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, in my opinion one of the best short actual play campaigns ever aired.
In case you're unfamiliar with Mulligan's work, he's Dimension 20's resident dungeon master, though I've seen his long-form campaign chops in the equally stellar Worlds Beyond Number podcast. If Mercer's taking a break, I can really think of no better replacement—though he'll still be playing.
In a post to Instagram, Mercer wrote: "I cannot express how excited I am for Campaign 4, y’all. Getting to meaningfully PLAY at the table as a PC alongside all my friends is something I’ve been wanting to do for some time, but to hand the reins to someone I so deeply love and respect as Brennan Lee Mulligan is an honor.
"I know this is a shake up for some, but if you’ve ever trusted me, trust that what we’ve been cooking for this next story with him and the players is something truly special, unique, and very befitting the vibe and scope you’ve come to enjoy with us these past 10 years."
The next campaign won't be set in Exandria, and it's not confirmed whether or not the table will be using D&D for it, though Mercer promises that he and the fellow Critical Role cast will be keeping the setting alive "through our live shows, our animated series, many other stories (including your own), and whenever else the inspiration strikes to step back into my world that I’ll be building and playing in until the end of my days."
He's also keen to keep his Age of Umbra—which uses Critical Role and Darrington Press's new Daggerheart system—thriving with its deluge of new talent.
Mulligan, meanwhile, wrote on Bluesky: "I could not be more thrilled to step behind the screen for Campaign 4 of Critical Role, and cannot wait to share all the amazing things me and this incredible team have been cooking up for you!"
He also reassures fans that he'll still be working on Dimension 20, including "TWO brand new Intrepid Hero Seasons!" Where does he get the time? No clue.
Either way, I'm sitting here feeling like the tabaxi that got the cream. I've been into Critical Role for years, and I'm presently obsessed with Mulligan's work, so two worlds are colliding in an exciting way. If you're a fan of TTRPGs, you're simply going to be feasting. Now all we need is that Critical Role videogame to come to fruition, and all of my favourite hobbies will be in one place.
