In between watching Bells Hells, I have also been watching Aramán, Critical Role’s fourth campaign. The campaign recently completed the Overture, comprising four episodes designed to introduce the characters and establish three individual tables: Soldiers, Schemers, and Seekers. Everyone was waiting anxiously to see how this campaign would be. There’s a lot of change, with a new DM and a new world. I’m happy to say that this campaign has been interesting to watch. I wanted to share what I’m really enjoying about this new campaign.

There may be spoilers for Campaign #4 below. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

The Campaign Feels Fresh

I like how this campaign takes place in a new world. I loved Exandria, but it’s nice to have a break. As I listen to Bells Hells, it hasn’t gripped me as much as other Critical Role campaigns and one-shots have. When I compare Bells Hells to Aramán, it feels different. I’m genuinely looking forward to Aramán each week. With Bells Hells, I can go days without watching an episode because I know the episodes will be waiting for me; however, I also don’t feel compelled to do so. With Aramán, I don’t want to be spoiled, so I watch the episode the next day, which has worked for me.

Matt as a Player

Matt is popping off, especially in the fourth episode. There’s a combat sequence, and Matt completely tanks. It’s nice to see him as a player and also being knowledgeable about what his character does. He understands the mechanics, and it makes him a powerful ally for the players to have at the table. Matt has played as a player character in Exandria Unlimited, but I felt his character was a dud. Dariax was around, but he didn’t have a personality. Sir Julien Davinos is making waves. Matt has taken to being more combatative with the other players as Julien and I’m here for the drama.

All the Characters are Intriguing in their Own Way

There isn’t a character that I have been introduced to that I haven’t liked. With there being thirteen characters to follow, it seems obvious that someone would show up that I forget about. That hasn’t been the case. With Taliesin, his characters are a hit or a miss for me. Bolaire has been a hit for me. I think it’s a nice blend between the characters that Taliesin wants to play and setting Bolaire up for success in this world. The cursed mask is fascinating and as someone who had cursed masks pop up in the campaigns I play in, they can have major consequences to a story. Other favorites have been Occtis (played by Alexander Ward), Julien, Tyranny (played by Whitney Moore), and Wicander (played by Sam Riegel).

The New Cast

I mentioned earlier about how this campaign feels fresh and I think the new cast is one of the reasons why. I watched Private Nightmares with Alex, Aabria, and Luis and if you haven’t watched it yet, you need to. I knew these three would be great. Robbie Daymond is back and I think he brings this excitement to Critical Role that is fun to watch. Whitney Moore, I had no idea who she was before she was a cast member. I knew she narrated a few of their panels at comic book conventions, but that’s about it. I mentioned Tyranny already, but I think her chemistry with Sam has been great. Their stories are linked together and I’m curious to see how that develops in later episodes.

Aramán has been a blast to watch. I am curious to see how things develop in later episodes. If you have any theories or thoughts, I’d love to hear them.