Critical Role’s first major D&D adventure book set in Exandria includes a compelling cast
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep is the first major Dungeons & Dragons adventure book set inside the world of Exandria. The module was co-designed by the actual play troupe’s Dungeon Master, Matthew Mercer, and features something not yet found in the 5th edition version of the game. All throughout their journey, players will be competing with a rival group of adventurers, a party that can become either powerful allies or potent enemies. Speaking with Polygon, game design architect Chris Perkins revealed some of their secrets — and a look inside how these non-player characters are integrated into the campaign.
[Ed. note: What follows contains mild spoilers for Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep.]
“Critical Role, as you know, is very character-driven,” Perkins said. “The interactions within the party, and then the interactions that the party has with the NPCs of the world, are very deep in Matt’s campaign. And in order to get this story a new dimension, one that’s sort of built on character development, Matt conceived of a rival party of adventurers who would essentially be chasing the same goals as the heroes of the story, but not necessarily approaching the problems in the same way.”
The leader of this rival group of NPCs is named Ayo Jabe, a powerful young water genasi born to orc parents. But, like all of the best characters brought to life by Mercer during his actual play sessions, she has many different details to her backstory and layers to her personality.
“Once you start to drill down there’s actually a bit of frailty there, some uncertainty,” Perkins said. “She puts on airs of knowing what to do, but kind of like Captain Kirk, if you sort of drill down, she’s just winging it. And the other members of the
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