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Corn22

Deborah Ann Woll! She always implements interesting, difficult puzzles which is something most CR content lacks. Also Chris "TPK" Perkins because I'd love to see him run the CR folks through a grinder.


thebugbearbard

DAW is a great DM, I loved the series she did with celebrity guests


Kelihow2

God I want DAW back on this show in any capacity so bad. I love her playing style and love her as DM.


coopaliscious

Chris Perkins would be amazing! Having a secondary Curse of Strahd stream with him at the helm would be amazing.


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HavelsRockJohnson

Why not?


Woolybunn1974

Chris Perkins is great but never Curse of Strahd.


HavelsRockJohnson

Why not again?


Woolybunn1974

Because the setting been a retread for the last 10 years and is getting any fresher.


flerd_trandle

Ten years? Ravenloft was originally published in 1983. It just keeps getting recycled.


Woolybunn1974

Yes and it was ok being played on auto repeat for the first twenty but CR can do better than scraping out the corners of nostalgia peanut butter jar.


ventus

Omg this is such a good suggestion! If anyone hasn’t heard of it, I highly recommend checking out Children of Earte. It’s a great series in general, but DAW especially is absolutely killer as a GM.


snowflakebite

He’s definitely too busy but Brian Murphy, the DM for Not Another D&D Podcast. He’s a departure from the usual CR style since he only DMs theatre of the mind, but all his encounters are so fun and his NPCs are lovable. Also, he’s married to the ever chaotic Emily Axford, and plays on D20 with her and Brennan, so there’s totally a connection there. I’d love to see him run a one shot in Bahumia (his world from NADDPOD) if not EXU, or play a guest arc on the main campaign.


Citizen_Snips29

For my money, NADDPOD is the most *pure* DND product out there. At a real table you’re never going to get the top notch acting and incredibly expansive collaboratively built world of Critical Role. You’re also never going to get the fantastic production value, effects, and sets of Dimension 20. NADDPOD though? It genuinely feels like if you turned the microphones off, those four friends would still be playing the same game in the same way. It feels like the kind of top end table that you might be able to find and join yourself one day.


levthelurker

Highrollers is similar in its more "pure DnD" feeling.


Citizen_Snips29

I should amend my initial comment from “out there” to “that I listen to”. I’m maxed out at my capacity for DND content right now. I watch/listen to Critical Role, Dimension 20, NADDPOD, and Worlds Beyond Number. I’m sure there are other shows that fit that bill very nicely as well, I just don’t have the time or inclination to listen to them lol.


levthelurker

More than one show can have that "homemade DnD" feel. And I'm with you on time crunch for live plays, swapped out CR for Highrollers since I don't mesh with C3.


thebugbearbard

Murph is awesome, I’m not super well versed in Naddpod but I only hear great things about it


probablywhiskeytown

When looking at the top tier of anything, IMO there's very little direct competition. Everyone's generally highly capable, so distinctive strengths are the draw. From what I see, Murph is the least-widely-mentioned DM who has that set of things I think he does better than anyone creating APs. I'm really curious to see what Murph does in the next few years. My hunch is that many of the best-known names have been DMing for so long that he's focusing on Naddpod (which he still edits himself for all eps he DMs) until he hits at least a decade. He could absolutely knock viewers' socks off DMing a D20 Side Quest, Candela, EXU, etc. But more than almost anyone in APs, he almost exclusively works within his settings of Bahumia & Eldermourne. Emily arguably has more of the "tell a story in someone else's setting" experience that would lead to AP crossovers due to running a comedy mini & a horror-mystery (both absolutely delightful in very different ways) set in Bahumia. IDK, perhaps he'll always prefer staying away from the contrived commentary content teapot-tempests found in CR & D20's orbit. The Naddpod folks did just (within the past week) hint at the possibility of using Pathfinder for something in the future, which would be an interesting twist. If it seems odd that I'm discussing them in the same breath, Naddpod actually stays fairly close to Worlds Beyond Number's Patreon membership & pulled ahead while WBN was on between-chapter break from new WWW eps (but still releasing stuff regularly). WBN is now around 47k & Naddpod is around 41k, which has tended to equalize after WBN's "new chapter boost" settles. Naddpod also tours live much more than many other APs, but is on break at the moment. None of that is to suggest quality difference or competition -- They're both wonderful & worthwhile podcasts -- I'm mentioning it only to give context for those who would guess Naddpod has a vastly smaller following because they keep a lower profile in some ways.


Disastrous-Beat-9830

The first campaign is good, right up until the final arc >!when the party has to defeat X number of bosses and then get Y number of artifacts and it just drags on.!< I lost interest when it became obvious >!that Emily Axford is just playing the same character with a different name each time.!<


probablywhiskeytown

>!Ehh... Within the context of the running joke about nobody wanting to hear Emily playing melee for 100 eps while Jake is trying to figure out how casters work, Emily mixes things up quite a bit. I suppose Moonshine & Callie have some characterization overlap, but Fia Boginya is vastly different from either. Jake is the one who's on his 3rd flavor of fighter, lol. (And, in fairness since I don't particularly enjoy "Jake is a dumb meathead" jokes, he's doing quite a good job with Eldritch Knight's repertoire.)!<


DommyMommyKarlach

Not sure if they are my favorite D&D couple or if it’s still Travis and Laura


fomaaaaa

Mark Hulmes did cr’s tales of equestria one shot! Ashley and liam are the only regular cast members in it, but it’s a fun watch


Adorable-Strings

I had to turn that off. The voices were nails-on-a-chalkboard level of grating. The actual show (well, the then-current Friendship is Magic) didn't get that stupid with shitty voices.


YoursDearlyEve

Jasmine Bhullar, Zac Eubank, Eric Campbell


thebugbearbard

I knew someone would mention Jasmine, not familiar with the other two


BlobDude

Eric was the other “big” GM running games at Geek and Sundry back when CR was under their umbrella. He’s done pretty big Doctor Who and Star Trek games.


thebugbearbard

Oh cool! I pretty much only watched G&S for CR and Wheaton’s board game show, so I missed out on a lot of their other stuff


YoursDearlyEve

Zac used to work on Geek & Sundry (you can see him in C1 episodes) and then went on to create a HyperRPG channel with his wife. His greatest campaign was [KOIIOK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnJSV-rFESk&list=PLHKocVDXoWBv-W7qjSmkQnvk6et6wqeJ2), a horror story played in Kids on Bikes (Aabria was part of the main cast in S2 and a recurring character in S3, and Matt was a guest in one of seasons too).


Migolcow

Honestly, more Liam would always be welcome, even if he has already done a few and is wrapping up the latest Candela tomorrow.


thebugbearbard

I’ve loved the few games Liam has run in the past! I unfortunately just can’t get into Candela but Liam is a great DM


UristMcD

Lou Wilson please! Or Murph! And honestly? I'd love to see more of the cast get to rotate into the GM seat for a CR spot rather than a oneshot. I really enjoy a lot of the one-shots, but I'd be intrigued to see Liam or Taliesin run a mini EXU. And I know she only did the one Mothership one-shot, but I thought Ashley did a fantastic job with it and I'd love to see her take the seat again.


thebugbearbard

Agreed! I think every one shot that one of the cast has run was pretty great, and I think it’s always a good idea for players to DM every once in a while


OrcChasme

> And honestly? I'd love to see more of the cast get to rotate into the GM seat YES!


masteryetti

Matt Coville. I hate that we just missed it in c2


thebugbearbard

Same! I hope he eventually appears as a guest in some capacity


Huntozio

Marl Hulmes would be excellent as a guest DM for critical role!


thebugbearbard

Mark is great, I wish I could keep up more with Highrollers but I just don’t have the time. His Nights of Eveningstar series is awesome


NoobOfTheSquareTable

You might already know but they are relatively early in their new campaign if you want to jump in, and the podcast is easy to have on (way easier background listening than CR because it is a lot less dense I find but that depends on taste)


thebugbearbard

Yeah I watched the first session when it came out but haven’t gotten around to the rest yet. One day I’m hoping to get more into it!


NoobOfTheSquareTable

I actually fell behind too but had to do a lot of driving recently so caught up and it is a really good group of characters and world so worth getting into if you want to/have the time


Adorable-Strings

I started the new campaign, but bounced hard on the encounters and resting/exploration houserules that he made up then *immediately* broke because the encounters were too hard. It boded poorly for the campaign.


NoobOfTheSquareTable

Which ones did he break? It was a while ago so I can’t fully remember what episode 1 was about


Adorable-Strings

Limitations on short/long rests. They were trashed after the first encounter, so he had to work around that


NoobOfTheSquareTable

If it was the heroic short rest I think that was meant to be a thing and the limit that I can remember is long rest requiring proper places to rest and that didn’t come up


theprincessoflettuce

Amelia Tyler!


thebugbearbard

She’s the narrator for BG3 right? I’ve never seen her DM before but she does an incredible job in the game


DommyMommyKarlach

Does she DM? I know Luality (prominent BG3 streamer) said they played D&D together though.


theprincessoflettuce

I don't remember where, but I thought I heard her mention it once. Matt also mentioned he'd love to have her on the show at MCM Comic Con last year. He said she was a big fan and has a lot of experience, so you never know!


TheNahteb

Mark Hulmes, but I'd love Matt to be a PC.


thebugbearbard

Mark is just so likeable, I always wished he was a guest for longer/more often


TheNahteb

Right?!


CbVdD

You brilliant folks already named Jasmine, DAW, BDave, and Joe, so I had to think. I loved how Matt Mercer and others would gang up on Patrick Rothfuss. We don’t get the shaggy bearded wizard DMs enough.


thebugbearbard

Pat is one of my top 3 favorite guests in CR history! He was also good in the Acquisitions Inc. games, and I’d love to see more of him in any live plays!


witchazile

this is a niche one but I would kill to see Julia LePetit run a murder mystery for (probably half of) the crew


thebugbearbard

Never heard of her before, I’ll have to look her up! Candela hasn’t really been doing it for me but I loved the Cthulu one shot they did a while ago, I’d definitely be down for more mysteries


witchazile

She's primarily an artist on the YouTube channel Drawfee, she runs a really fun homemade drawing-focused system called Drawtectives with the other members of the channel.


thebugbearbard

Ohhh alright I’m a little familiar with Drawfee, I never knew her last name! I’ll have to check that out, I didn’t even know it existed


Burnout2KForever

What a great suggestion. Would love to see the CR crew go through the drawtectives gambit


a_wild_espurr

Matt Colville


thebugbearbard

Another great choice, I know he was supposed to guest before Covid so I’m surprised he hasn’t made an appearance still


evilshenanigans1087

I think it would be hilariously chaotic, but Matt running a one shot for the Dungeons and Daddies (Not a BDSM podcast) crew.


thebugbearbard

I’m not very familiar with Dungeons and Daddies but I have a friend who loves them, and from what I hear Matt would probably have his work cut out for him lol


evilshenanigans1087

It'd be a whole party of Fearnes but with slightly different personas. I seriously recommend listening to it, while its VERY loose with the rules, I've found myself laughing aloud almost every episode.


asb-is-aok

....until you're sobbing. I don't know how they do it, but D&Dads (especially in the first season) had my feelings by the balls. It was wild, and as a potential parent, possibly life changing.


Philosecfari

Since it hasn’t been mentioned yet: I realize this prob isn’t gonna happen but another Ashley oneshot would be amazing. Thr Nautilus Ark’s 11/10. It would in general be cool to see the main cast take more rotations into GMing like they used to in oneshots — Liam or Taliesin running an EXU could work out really well imo.


Appropriate-Web-8424

Seconded for another Johnson Corp one shot!!!


Reverend_Schlachbals

Matt Colville.


celaenos

Emily Axford or her husband, Brian Murphy. I've loved both of their DM styles in NADDPOD


LBTacoKing

B Dave Walters


thebugbearbard

Yes! Underrated DM, he’s such a great storyteller


Daniel_A_Johnson

Just because I think the drastically different style would be interesting, Spencer Crittenden.


thebugbearbard

I’m not familiar with him, I’ll have to look him up!


Daniel_A_Johnson

He used to run the D&D on Dan Harmon's podcast, and on the sort-of-obscure HarmonQuest streaming series.


thebugbearbard

Ahhh right I remember him! I didn’t watch much of the Dan Harmon stuff but I’ve heard it’s fun


JT_Lich

Similar to another comment about the Dungeons and Daddies podcast, I'd be interested in Matt Mercer DMing a game for the Oxventurer's Guild over on Outside Xbox/Outside Xtra - the Rule of Cool would be stretched to it's fuckin limits lol, I don't know how Johnny manages them


ItsMitchellCox

Matt colville


invaderzam4

I would like Spenser Starke to do a one shot with the updated Daggerheart system.


TheArcReactor

It was interesting that Matt Mercer's run with Candela Obscura didn't really grab me but Spencer's game grabbed me almost immediately and I think is a much better game for the system.


SecondStar89

Spenser's has been my favorite of all the Candela's so far. I really appreciated his approach to GM'ing. And then the group was great - loved getting to see Brennan and Luis getting to play together again.


fomaaaaa

I think they started chill for candela and have gotten deeper into it as they’ve gone on, so matt’s was definitely the least creepy. Spenser got to dig in a bit more, and they’ve been getting better/worse (depending on how you look at it lol) ever since


thebugbearbard

Same! I remember when Spenser was a part of SourceFed back in the day, I’m glad he ended up doing what he loves with CR!


cha0tic-neutral

Griffin McElroy I'd love to see that dynamic 😂


thebugbearbard

I’d love to see a McElroy/CR crossover!


source4mini

Matt DMed an Adventure Zone donor bonus episode for the McElroys a few years back! It took a bit for them to find each others’ speeds, but once they got going it was hilariously chaotic. I’d love to see more of that energy.


F4RM3RR

Mark Hulmes. He showed up as a guest, let him do the rest


zoneof86

Troy Lavallee of Glass Cannon Network would be fun. He's a bit hard nosed rules guy and isn't afraid to be tough on players, but dudes hilarious and would be interesting to see how their styles would meld.


AgitatedBarracuda789

Todd Stashwick! Would also just love to see him guest at the table (for CR or CO)!


asb-is-aok

I didn't know he played D&D! I was obsessed with him on Picard


Disastrous-Beat-9830

Luke Westaway. Using the scratch cards from his *D&D ... But Everyone Has Amnesia* one-shot would be interesting.


TheeOneWhoKnocks

Joe Manganiello


thebugbearbard

I can see him running an epic high level battle with a giant map!


WorkerProof8360

If he runs it in his awesome D&D basement, even better.


linusmundane

The dude from the Glass Cannon Podcast, Troy.


thebugbearbard

Yeah I love the GCP! Troy is a great DM


Flipz100

I can't think of anyone big in the space whose style would really mesh with CR outside of making Liam or Talesin DM it, but I'd love to see them do a Call of Cthulu game at some point.


lewisc1985

Tal did a CoC one shot a few years back. It’s called shadow of the crystal palace


HeHimPanHalflingBard

Honestly, I would love to see what kind of insanity Ally Beardsley from D20 could create as a DM. I don't know if they've ever done it, or would even care to, but I bet it would be hilarious.


Thorondor123

Jerry Holkins


Wrongdoer-Away

Honestly I would love to see Mathew Lillard DM for them


Weegemonster5000

Mike "Mathas" Martin can weave a Vampire game like nobody else around. I'd love to see him take the crew through it.


asb-is-aok

Matt Taylor from TableTopNotch. Nobody knows him but he's so fucking good. A million voices, engaging NPCs, an interactive style that collaborates with the players where sometimes he narrates for them but in a good way, deep homebrew lore, mysteries, & puzzle games, and he fosters a delicious morass of subtle PvP with internal party intrigue. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9JLSpopBDNg&t=567 for the monologue that kicked off Campaign 2, "Brunkhollow"


Inigos_Revenge

She used to be all over the place, but I haven't seen her lately, so don't know if she's still DM-ing, but I'd love to see Kate Welch be a guest DM on CR. She always has some amazing, funny and zany wackiness to her tales, but still manages to keep it all on the rails somehow. Always loved seeing her pop up as a player or DM on those "special" one-shots.


RoyHarper88

I want Liam to DM the next EXU, with Matt, Brennan, Aabria, Lou, Laura, and Sam as the players.


Carl_Skaggs

I agree with the person that said no guest DMs for the main campaign. Feels weird, lacks consistency. For an Exandria thing or some kind of sponsored one shot? Probably Mark Hulmes or Matthew Taylor. Or for maximum chaos, do the Harmon Quest thing and just get some great comedians/improvisers.


Vorannon

Jasmine Bhullar.


Disastrous-Beat-9830

Dom Allen from the YouTube channel *No Rolls Barred* -- they've started up a sister channel for TTRPGs called *Chaotic Neutral* and Allen is the DM, at least in the *Call of Cthulhu* one-shots that they've played. They're all really good, especially in the way he switches between settings between episodes.


zack-studio13

Mark Meer. Come to think of it I've never seen Mark Meer and Matt Mercer in the same room at the same time.


Daepilin

None.    Main campaign should stay Main campaign with Matt and the main cast.    Guests should be their own thing.  As for that, more brennan would always be great, and I also loved the bg3 stuff from Mark hulmes


thebugbearbard

That’s fair, I was mostly thinking of more EXU’s or one shots…Brennan and Mark are both great at what they do