Critical Role Just Revealed the Dirtiest Dungeon Master Trick of All Time
Overview & Key Takeaways
Brennan Lee Mulligan proves in Critical Role Campaign 4 that a magic item in Dungeons & Dragons isn't always the best thing to have.
Campaign 4 of Critical Role has proven that Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He’s introduced new and exciting house rules on dying and death, spiced up a new subclass for Matthew Mercer’s fighter/rogue, and shaped the world of Aramán in ways that change how magic works, both mechanically and narratively.
Yet for all the amazing additions Mulligan has brought to Campaign 4, the latest episode sees him unveil the dirtiest Dungeon Master trick in the Dungeons & Dragons book: player bait.
Ed note: This article has spoilers for Critical Role, Campaign 4, Episode 36, "Spectacle."
The ultimate Dungeon Master trick
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From the beginning, one key concept driving Campaign 4 has been its resemblance to the scheming intrigue that defined works like George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. The world of Aramán is full of powerful, politically motivated magical houses, while our 13 players cast are the underdogs trying to overthrow the establishment. At times, that means building alliances on lies and trickery.
In Campaign 4’s episode 36, “Spectacle,” the players at the Schemers' table (Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Luis Carazo, Whitney Moore, and Sam Riegel) were forced to reckon with the consequences of their deceit. Unfortunately for Azune Nayar (Carazo), his caught-in-the-act moment came down to an unexpected cause: an axe.
While investigating the deaths of the demon tailors at Mercanaud Couturier, Azune shared a moment with Harondus Einfasen. Harondus is a noble of House Einfasen who had taken over as overseer of Dol-Makjar’s security by shutting down the Revolutionary Guard’s offices. During this conversation, Einfasen noticed the axe on Azune’s person.
However, it wasn’t just any old axe. In episode 26 of Campaign 4, “Council of Heroes,” Lady Ingrid Einfasen presented the axe to Sir Julien Davinos (Matthew Mercer) as a token of her favor (aka, she was looking to put a ring on it). Julien expertly kept his options open while showing interest… before promptly dumping the axe on Teor Pridesire (Travis Willingham). The Katari paladin’s untimely death meant the axe ended up with Azune, who has carried it ever since.
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Unfortunately for Azune, this axe led to serious consequences. Harondus not only recognized it after a few poor rolls by Carazo, but also said he would congratulate Ingrid on her stellar taste in men. This could be disastrous for the Schemers, since Ingrid gave it to Julien because she believed real feelings were involved. If she finds out Julien simply tossed it to Azune, she might confess everything she knows and also reveal that Azune is lying, damaging the relationship he's painstakingly built with the Einfasens.
While the Schemers' table despaired at the idea of a random axe potentially ruining everything, Mulligan was delighted.
“I love how much trouble I can get people in by making plot-significant items really mechanically good,” he teased. “It’s like: we’re not going to say no to this axe. This axe is sick as hell. Hey, that’s the love axe.”
Though we don’t have many details about the axe, we know its stats were strong enough that Teor and Azune both swapped out their old weapons for it. As someone who has been both a DM and a player in a Dungeons & Dragons game, I can safely say nothing is more tempting to a player than a magical item. Not only is it more powerful than a regular weapon, but it also adds a sense of uniqueness to a character’s build.
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However, as the latest Critical Role episodes have shown, these items can come with unintended ramifications. Some DMs do this by making an item cursed. Cursed items have appeared in Critical Role before, such as Grog's sword Craven’s Edge in Campaign 1: Vox Machina. These items are usually extraordinarily powerful, but often have serious drawbacks that make them risky to use. They can also play on a player’s sensibilities, forcing a choice between risking it all for strength and playing it safe.
Yet Mulligan chose an alternative approach: baiting the players with an axe that seemed harmless but was, in fact, a plot-significant item.
Right now, we don’t know for certain what will result from Harondus Einfasen noticing the axe. Ingrid Einfasen could be far wittier than she appears, or she could feel outraged that Julien favored someone else and turn villainous. What we do know is this: always double-check any item your Dungeon Master gives you. You never know what repercussions it could bring down the line. Well played, Mulligan.
