From the get-go, it was clear that a lot goes into creating Critical Role campaigns. Even after you get all the lore, the characters, maps, and everything else in between down on paper, every Dungeons & Dragons fan knows that’s all background noise compared to the real hardship of running actual-play sessions of a role-playing game. No, the real enemy, the one that often upends campaigns before they even begin, is scheduling.

As successful as Critical Role is, it’s no different when it comes to the ancient and tricky tabletop art of scheduling a session where everyone is free. Throughout Critical Role’s years of running tabletop RPG campaigns and one-shots, the cast used to take the last Thursday of the month off from their main campaign. Instead, Critical Role would run a talk show, sponsored one-shot, or something else to replace it.

Since Campaign 4 began, the cast has said on Critical Role’s official blog that they now only take breaks from the main campaign whenever “the story finds a natural pause” as well as during special holidays in the U.S.

Image: Critical Role/Deven Rue

Critical Role has always been particularly open about how its schedule works. However, key information has been unveiled via The Lore Keeper’s Ledger — an exclusive monthly newsletter for Beacon members, written by Lore Keepers Dani Carr and Jared Deiro. The latest issue, titled “Rookery Reunion,” delves into vital behind-the-scenes information on what recording the beloved tabletop campaign is like when you have to think about 14 different schedules.

Having played Dungeons & Dragons plenty, I feel confident in saying that trying to get people together only grows more difficult the more players you have. Thankfully, Jeremiah Rivas, who serves as Critical Role’s Production Manager, has everything lined up. Still, because the cast all have other commitments as working actors in the entertainment industry, it has been revealed that episodes are sometimes shot “close together” — such as episodes 25, 26, and 27 of Campaign 4. However, there can also be long stretches between episodes, during which seconds might have passed in-game time, but those seconds could have felt like weeks for the players.

This isn’t all that surprising, as both Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan and the cast have made comments throughout Campaign 4’s Cooldowns and in-game sessions about taking breaks between filming. For example, during episode 26, “Company of Heroes,” Brennan revealed that the Soldier’s Table had spent the most time away from the table.

While Critical Role isn’t quite like a traditional TV show, it’s fascinating to learn what goes into creating multiple episodes of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons actual-play series.