Though Dungeons and Dragons has been around since 1974, the last decade has seen it explode in popularity. One of the biggest contributing factors has been popular actual play series like Critical Role, a TTRPG show featuring famous voice actors like Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, and Matthew Mercer. Attaching these big names to Dungeons and Dragons drew thousands of new fans to the hobby, causing a TTRPG boom that has intensified over the years.
Unfortunately, the sudden surge in popularity has a downside the TTRPG community refers to as the “Mercer Effect.” Unrealistic expectations set by watching these professionals can cause strife and disillusionment in newer dungeon masters – and with some drastic changes coming in Critical Role Campaign 4, the Mercer Effect could see a resurgence under a different name: the Mulligan Effect.
The Dungeons and Dragons ‘Mercer Effect’ Could Become the ‘Mulligan Effect’
What Is the Mercer Effect in Dungeons and Dragons?
Composed of a large group of professional voice actors who have also been friends for years, Critical Role’s table is electrifying. Nowadays, it benefits from props, sets, and high production value, but even in its early years, it had a charismatic cast ranging from TTRPG veterans like Mercer and Liam O’Brien to relative newcomers like Marisha Ray and Ashley Johnson. Dramatic highs and lows, charming voices, and hilarious bits make it so that Critical Role has always been a one-of-a-kind actual play.
Enter the Mercer Effect. A viewer who considers themselves a D&D novice and watches Critical Role might say to themselves, “I can do that.” They gather eight friends – over twice the recommended group size for Dungeons and Dragons – and start playing, only to find themselves disappointed that their game is not immediately as satisfying as Critical Role or plays differently. This unfortunate phenomenon has plagued Dungeons and Dragons for years.
Few dislike the Mercer Effect more than Matt Mercer himself. He discourages players from comparing their tables to his, citing that every group has its own strengths and weaknesses.
The moment one compares their game to Critical Role, they have doomed themselves to being unsatisfied with their own table. While Critical Role and other actual plays are aspirational, and are excellent places to learn new DM tips for D&D, what works with their group cannot and should not happen at every table. It is unfair to expect otherwise.
How Critical Role Campaign 4 Could Create the Mulligan Effect
Now, Critical Role is gearing up for its fourth campaign, but it is changing things in some significant ways, including that it will be run by Brennan Lee Mulligan. Instead, Mercer is one of Critical Role Campaign 4’s 13 players, who are split across three different groups in a West Marches-style game.
- Laura Bailey
- Luis Carazo
- Robbie Daymond
- Aabria Iyengar
- Taliesin Jaffe
- Ashley Johnson
- Matt Mercer
- Whitney Moore
- Liam O’Brien
- Marisha Ray
- Sam Riegel
- Alex Ward
- Travis Willingham
A West Marches campaign has more players than could feasibly sit at the table. These large games often focus on smaller groups of characters that act concurrently, similarly to stories like The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
Mulligan is an accomplished DM who has helmed Dimension 20 – Dropout’s actual play series – for most of its 26 seasons. Beyond that, he has also GMed most of Worlds Beyond Number, as well as the Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, Downfall, and Divergence Critical Role side stories.
This switch-up could lead to Mulligan inheriting more than just the DM seat. While he will undoubtedly juggle 13 players with ease, he has an entire production team that includes former Dungeons and Dragons directors Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins to back him up, and eager fans diving into a West Marches campaign with zero experience or support will likely become overwhelmed while trying to mimic Mulligan. Only time will tell if this “Mulligan Effect” becomes as prominent as the Mercer Effect did, but fans will hopefully be able to look to Critical Role Campaign 4 as an inspiration, not a blueprint.
- Franchise
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Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
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1974
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
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