“The World Of Critical Role” Book Cover And First Chapter Revealed

Chapter 1 Preview Cont.

Laura makes the roll, Vex snatches the rug in midair, and Matt becomes the world again: “As you grab the rug and begin to pull on it, just willing yourself to slow,” he says, raising his arms above his head to match Laura, “the rug all of a sudden . . .” He pauses and makes a complicated tumbling movement with his arms, becoming both Vex and the rug. “. . . sweeps underneath you to catch you,” he finishes. The room erupts in applause and cheers.

“Trinket and Percy go plummeting past you,” Matt says to Laura.

“Go get ’em! Go get ’em!” screams Travis, even as Laura yells “I fly down! I fly down!” Everyone is still freaking out and shouting over each other, but the feeling is different now: joyous, united, expectant.

Matt finishes the tale, bouncing on his toes and waving his arms: he is Vex, piloting the carpet to catch her friends. He is Trinket, falling onto the carpet with a heavy thud. He is both of them and Percy, and the carpet, too, tumbling to a halt at the bottom of the tower, bruised but alive, gasping in relief. He is very good at his job.

The friends at the table hoot and laugh and clap, celebrating their victory, the story, each other, Matt, the world.

This is the wonder of the game: the fun of building an adventure together, the challenge of role-playing, the tension of each dice roll, the satisfaction of discovery and puzzle-solving and beating the odds.

This is the wonder of this game: these friends, devoted to each other. These talented actors, embodying and embracing their characters so completely. This gifted storyteller, creating a world to play in that is strange and wide and deep, with the seeds already planted to make the people in the tower pivotal, able to damn the realm or save it, depending on what they choose and how the dice fall.

The game is great. This game is special.

And here is one final wonder: we get to watch.

Welcome to Critical Role.