Shattered Legends Brings Critical Role and Hololive Together
Critical Role fans and Hololive vtuber enthusiasts were surprised when the two communities teamed up to film a new tabletop roleplaying series called Shattered Legends, a partnership that feels odd at first but makes sense given vtubers are essentially voice actors.
Matt Mercer, Critical Role’s longtime Game Master, says the experience gave him a deeper appreciation for the talent of each performer and highlighted the technical challenges of mixing live actors with 2D anime-style characters.
The idea originated from Nerissa Ravencroft, Hololive’s “Demon of Sound,” who was thrilled when her manager told her Critical Role was interested, a reaction that lasted several days.
Ravencroft explained that she had always wanted to play in a TTRPG campaign, and being able to join fellow Hololive members alongside Critical Role felt like a dream come true.
Ravencroft led the Hololive side by creating her own character, collaborating with artists on visual designs and unique vtuber models, and helping compose an original song for the series.
The narrative draws inspiration from dark fantasy games like Berserk and Soulsborne, and the vtubers—Ravencroft, Mori Calliope, Gigi Murin, and Shiori Novella—aimed for a moodier story than fans might expect, with Mercer and Marisha Ray helping fit the plot into Exandria as a self‑contained campaign.
Shattered Legends uses Daggerheart, Critical Role’s own TTRPG that replaces the d20 system with two d12 dice representing hope and fear; players can spend hope points for benefits, while a high fear die can be used by the GM to add challenges.
Mercer prefers Daggerheart for new players because its mechanics create built‑in tension and encourage creative collaboration.
Ravencroft admitted she was initially intimidated as a gamer, but found the game easy once the session began, especially with Mercer and Ray guiding her, and praised the experienced GM and co‑player Marisha Ray.
Although the story fits into six episodes, Mercer notes there is ample room for a larger world and future adventures if interest grows.
Shattered Legends will premiere on Ravencroft’s YouTube channel in mid‑November.
