The first Critical Role Campaign is a messy thing; the show itself took a while to become the cult smash it is today, and it’s telling that the growing fanbase mostly familarise themselves with the Campaign’s story through the TV show, The Legends of Vox Machina. This does mean however, that it will be a while before they meet some the Campaign’s more memorable NPCs.
Wizkids: Critical Role: NPCs of Tal’ Dorei Set Two is a boxed set from Wizkids with 12 figures from the campaign. These are all pretty significant to the story in some way, work as fun (if small) collector pieces (and desktop decoration). These pre-painted pieces are suitable for table-top gaming and can be easily used in your own Critical Role inspired games. Of the samples we saw, all are painted to the usual Wizkids standard.
The Kaylie Shorthalt model is tiny, as one would expect from a gnome. Posed playing the flute, it doesn’t quite capture the vibe of the character, but is a useful generic piece regardless. Sticking with the smaller models, Seeker Assum Emring’s piece looks like a bad-ass halfling ranger with two axes and an attitude, which is good take on the sort-of-heroic spy. Halfling Paladin Lady Kima of Vord completes the set’s small NPCs. It’s a well made, heavily armoured blonde-haired halfling, though it does lack the detail of Kima’s Bahamut themed chest plate, which makes the model a little more useful on the table.
Kern the Hammer is the boxer who’s a natural foil to Grog, one of Campaign One’s heroes. The model is very well done; it’s a half-naked half-orc, fists wrapped up in cloth, in a ‘come at me’ / raging pose. Fun and useful out of context for many games.. The human monk, Earthbreaker Groon, is also posed half naked in a starting combat pose, as if he’s just about to strike. He complements Kern very well indeed and the two pieces together are quite fun.
Jarett Howarth is a human guardsman who is posed on full alert with a crossbow. It’s a colourful hero piece, as befits one of Vox Machina’s most competent allies. He complements the model for Allura Vysoren, the blue robed wizard who is a patron of sorts to Vox Machina. The staff has features a translucent blue gem on the top, it’s a good general wizard model, and captures the character quite well.
Shaun Gilmore is perhaps the most well-known NPC in this set. Shaun is a seller of magical items to adventurers, and occupies a sort of ‘Q from James Bond’ style role in various campaigns. He’s meant to be a striking and flamboyant character, and the miniature provided him put in a pose that could either be greeting on an old friend or haggling the price. It’s a nice model. Viktor is the crazy old man who sells the hero Percy the blackpowder for his various weapons. The model looks very much like a mad scientist, white hair, over-alls, claw-hand and a crazed expression. It’s fun in a Doc Brown sort of wayYou will absolutely find a use for this piece in various TTRPGs. Senokir is the fire genasi jeweller the party meet when they go to City of Brass, a settlement in the Elemental Plane of Fire. It’s a white robed, slightly strangely posed, humanoid that works as a merchant or a cult leader.
Cassandra de Rolo is Percy’s sister, and a complicated character throughout the show. It’s a fun piece to own (especially if you’re a fan), but also doubles as a useful courtier or noble piece; they aren’t enough practically dressed (but still regal) noble models in tabletop minis, most of them are over the top. Cassandra is just right.
Finally we get to J’mon Sa Ord, who is a little over-sized for human, which should give casual viewers a hint as to their true nature. The model is a little bland, but that is point. Nicely done.
Overall, a useful toolbox for DMs and a fun item for fans of the show.
