Critical Role's Founders Spill the Beans: If You Could Only Roll One Character Forever, Who'd It Be, Eh?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Critical Role founders Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Marisha Ray revealed their all-time favourite player characters for a 'forever' pick, choosing Fearne, Jester, and Beauregard for deeply personal reasons spanning self-expression, pure joy, and cathartic empowerment.
Right, so imagine this, mate: You've spent a decade, give or take, crafting worlds, breathing life into a dozen different heroes and villains. You've seen your creations go from dice rolls on a Twitch stream to animated series that actually look *good*. Then some cheeky bugger asks you, "If you could only play *one* character for the rest of time, who would it be?"
Bloody hell, that's a tough one, innit? It’s like asking a wizard to pick their favourite spell – sure, Fireball’s flashy and gets the job done, but sometimes you just need a good old *Prestidigitation* to really make the moment, eh? The emotional weight, the mechanical preferences, the pure vibes... it's a decision fraught with peril and potential triumph, much like a poorly-cast *Teleport* spell.
This exact existential TTRPG crisis was recently put to some of the Critical Role legends themselves: Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Marisha Ray. And their answers? Well, they’re as insightful and personal as the characters they bring to life.
First up, we've got Ashley Johnson, bless her chaotic heart, who went with Fearne Calloway, the mischievous faun druid from Campaign 3: Bells Hells. Now, Fearne, if you recall, is a delightful blend of whimsical fae and kleptomaniac with a penchant for setting things on fire, sometimes accidentally. She’s the kind of character who’d accidentally summon a pocket dimension full of glitter and then try to sell it to an unsuspecting goblin, all with a twinkle in her eye.
But Ashley's 'why' is where it gets really interesting, mate. She reckons Fearne helps her get *out of her head*. As someone who's spent a fair bit of time trying to project my digital consciousness into various game worlds (and sometimes just into my own sock drawer, don't ask), I absolutely get that. Sometimes you need a character so wildly different from yourself that it liberates you.
It’s a beautiful echo of what makes TTRPGs so damn powerful: the chance to inhabit another skin, another mind, to try on personalities that you might be too shy or too reserved to express in daily life. Fearne's "whatever, I'm a crazy weirdo, so who cares if I say something stupid?" vibe is a powerful shield against self-consciousness, allowing for true, uninhibited role-playing magic. It's not just about the stats; it's about the soul-level freedom. Who wouldn't want a bit of that?
Then there's Laura Bailey, who, without missing a beat, piped up with Jester Lavorre, the eternally optimistic, candy-loving cleric from Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein. And her primary reason? Pure, unadulterated happiness. Fair dinkum, who can argue with that? If a character consistently brings you joy, that's a pretty strong argument for a forever pick, wouldn't you say?
But here's the kicker, and this is where the meta-game wizardry comes in: Laura loves Jester's personality, her bubbly charisma, her delightful chaos, but she *hates* being limited by the cleric's healing-focused kit at higher levels. She wants to multiclass Jester into something with a bit more *oomph*. She craves damage spells, bless her heart.
This, my friends, is the eternal struggle of many a player! You love the character, you adore their flavour, but sometimes the mechanics just don't quite align with your desire to, well, punch above your weight, or at least deal some bloody damage! It’s a gentle reminder that even the most iconic characters, in the hands of their creators, have room for a build tweak or two. Maybe Jester needs a dip into Warlock? Or perhaps a rogue-esque "Divine Smite" from a paladin multiclass? The possibilities are endless, and Laura's yearning for more combat utility is a deeply relatable gamer sentiment. It speaks to the constant tension between narrative and mechanics in our favourite RPGs, a tension that can sometimes drive us delightful mad.
And finally, we have Marisha Ray, who championed Beauregard Lionett, the no-nonsense, shit-talking monk from Campaign 2. If you've ever seen Beau in action, you'll know she's less "zen master" and more "punch first, ask questions never." Marisha's rationale is beautifully simple and wonderfully visceral: "The good thing about monks is that your punch is always there... So when in doubt, punch a bitch."
Now *that's* a philosophy I can get behind, at least in a fictional setting, eh? The reliability of a monk's fists – always there, always ready to deliver a solid thwack – speaks to a certain primal satisfaction in TTRPG combat. No spell slots to manage, no ammo to track, just pure, unadulterated fisticuffs. It’s the ultimate expression of direct action, and sometimes, after a long week, you just want to punch some digital bad guys.
But again, there's a deeper layer here, because Marisha sees Beau as encapsulating a part of herself that rarely gets to flex its muscles in real life – the part that stands up to authority, doesn't take guff, and speaks truth to power. It's that feeling of empowerment, of being able to embody a truly assertive, perhaps even aggressive, aspect of yourself safely within the game world. It's the catharsis of having a digital avatar do the shouting (or punching) you sometimes wish you could. It’s about channeling a bit of that inner guardian, that digital bouncer, that we all secretly yearn to be.
So, what can we glean from these revelations, eh? Beyond the specific characters and their delightful quirks, it's a testament to the profound personal connection players forge with their creations. Whether it's the freedom to be chaotic, the joy of a bubbly personality, or the catharsis of embodying a badass who takes no crap, our favourite characters often reflect something we value or seek within ourselves.
It reminds us that even when the game is played on a global stage, with millions watching, the heart of it remains deeply personal. It's about finding that spark, that bit of magic, that truly makes a character *yours*. And maybe, just maybe, it's about reminding us to embrace our inner Fearne, Jester, or Beau a little more often, both in-game and out. Because sometimes, a bit of controlled chaos, pure happiness, or a well-placed punch is exactly what the digital doctor ordered.
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, Critical Role, TTRPG, Character Design, Roleplaying
Original article: Polygon