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If you have finished (or need a break from) Critical Role Campaign 3, the best next show depends on what you want to change. Choose Dimension 20 for a shorter, edited season; Worlds Beyond Number for atmospheric, character-led fantasy; Not Another D&D Podcast for a small-table comedy; The Adventure Zone: Balance for a podcast-first family ensemble; or Dungeon Masters for official D&D material that can move from your screen to your own table.
Those are not interchangeable versions of Critical Role. Their episode commitments, editing, cast sizes, relationship to game mechanics, and balance of comedy and drama differ substantially. The guide below explains where to begin with each one and which choice fits your available time.
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Quick picks after Critical Role Campaign 3
| Show | Best fit | Commitment and format | What distinguishes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension 20 | Shorter seasons and comedy | Season-based, edited anthology | ActualPlay.World describes it as tighter and more formally produced than many long campaigns. |
| Worlds Beyond Number | Atmosphere and character-led fantasy | Ongoing long-form narrative podcast | The campaign emphasizes language, mood, and relationships; Patreon also provides Fireside bonus material. |
| Not Another D&D Podcast | Small-table comedy with heartfelt character work | Campaign-length podcast | A smaller table creates fast chemistry while leaving room for sincere character moments. |
| The Adventure Zone: Balance | Podcast-first listening and family chemistry | Campaign arcs led by the McElroy family | It is a major comparison point for actual-play podcasts, but detailed current status information is not established here. |
| Dungeon Masters | Official D&D content and material you can play | Weekly anthology episodes | Its Ravenloft campaign is paired with a play-along pack and encounters inspired by the episodes. |
How to choose your next actual-play show
Campaign 3 conditions viewers to a particular kind of actual play: a large ensemble, extensive runtime, visible rules decisions, and a story that can take years to unfold. None of these recommendations reproduces that combination exactly. Decide which part you want to keep and which part you want to change.
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A season-based anthology is safer if you want a complete premise and a defined stopping point. A continuing campaign rewards patience but asks you to remember more characters, locations, and unresolved threads. If you are looking for a reset rather than another enormous commitment, start with Dimension 20. If you are happy to settle into a long-form audio story, Worlds Beyond Number or NADDPOD is a better match.
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Choose comedy, drama, or mood
Dimension 20 and NADDPOD put comedy close to the center of their identities, although both also make room for emotional scenes. Worlds Beyond Number is the strongest choice when prose-like language, atmosphere, and character interiority matter more than a joke-per-minute pace. Dungeon Masters is the practical choice when the appeal is seeing published D&D material converted into an adventure.
Consider the size of the table
A smaller table can make it easier to track who is speaking and how characters relate to one another. NADDPOD is specifically characterized by its smaller cast. Dimension 20 uses an anthology structure, so the cast and premise can change between seasons. Worlds Beyond Number centers a consistent core cast in its first campaign, while Dungeon Masters presents a named DM and player group in an official Ravenloft setting.
Pick your preferred production style
Edited video seasons, narrative podcasts, and weekly anthology episodes create different listening habits. Dimension 20 is the clearest choice for a polished, edited presentation. The audio-first recommendations work when you want to listen while commuting or doing other work. Dungeon Masters sits between entertainment and table reference because its episodes connect to playable encounters.
Dimension 20: the easiest change of pace
Choose Dimension 20 when your main reason for leaving Campaign 3 is scale. ActualPlay.World describes Dimension 20 as tighter, funnier, and more formally produced than many long-running D&D shows. Its seasons are designed as distinct stories rather than one continuously expanding campaign, which gives you a natural entry point and a clear sense of progress.
Where to begin
Fantasy High is the accessible starting point identified in ActualPlay.World’s beginner guide. Beginning there lets you experience the show’s season-based approach without needing background from another season. Treat the first season as a complete experiment: if the editing rhythm and comedy work for you, you can select later seasons by premise rather than following a single enormous chronology.
Why it feels different from Critical Role
The important distinction is structural, not simply tonal. An anthology season can establish a setting, introduce a party, and resolve its central arc within a bounded run. Editing also changes the experience: pauses, table downtime, and repeated explanations can be shaped into a more concentrated episode. The result is a faster route to the next major scene, but less of the unfiltered table texture that long-form viewers may enjoy.
Rank #2
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Who should choose another show
Do not start here if your priority is hearing every rules discussion, watching one party grow over many years, or staying with an unbroken campaign identity. Dimension 20 is most useful as a deliberate change of scale: shorter seasons, a more controlled presentation, and comedy that is part of the format rather than an occasional release from dramatic tension.
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Worlds Beyond Number: atmosphere, language, and character
Worlds Beyond Number is the recommendation for a listener who wants fantasy that feels intimate and atmospheric. The beginner guide from ActualPlay.World highlights atmosphere, language, character, and mood as the show’s strengths. That makes it a strong follow-up when the relationships and emotional consequences of play matter more to you than a constant stream of set pieces.
The first campaign and its cast
The official D&D Beyond interview with Brennan Lee Mulligan identifies The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One as Worlds Beyond Number’s first campaign. It names Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson as the central creative cast. Those names are useful orientation, but the show’s appeal is the way the group builds a shared emotional and linguistic texture over time.
How the bonus material affects your choice
Patreon supports Fireside bonus content associated with the show. You can begin with the main campaign and decide later whether behind-the-scenes or supplementary material adds value; it is not necessary to understand the core recommendation. This makes the show suitable for listeners who want one primary narrative but appreciate optional material around it.
The commitment trade-off
Worlds Beyond Number is not the short-season solution. Its long-form structure asks you to stay with the characters and let atmosphere accumulate. Choose it when you want another substantial fantasy journey and are comfortable with a slower, more immersive build. If you need a self-contained trial run, Dimension 20 is the more forgiving first click.
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Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPOD) suits viewers who want the social speed of a compact group. ActualPlay.World repeatedly recommends it as a D&D podcast with a smaller table, strong comedy, and sincere character work. The combination matters: jokes establish the group’s rhythm, while character choices are allowed to carry genuine emotional weight.
Rank #3
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Start with Campaign 1
The same publication’s beginner guide recommends Campaign 1, commonly called the Bahumia campaign, as the approachable entry point. Starting at the beginning gives you the cleanest introduction to the cast’s chemistry and the campaign’s internal references. It is a campaign-length commitment rather than a short anthology season, so use it when you want continuity but not the scale of a huge video production.
Why the table size changes the feel
With fewer players to track, conversations can move quickly and individual character dynamics remain easy to follow. That does not make the story simple; it changes how much attention is spent on table navigation. NADDPOD is a useful bridge for a Critical Role viewer who wants a continuing party but finds a larger ensemble difficult to keep in working memory.
What to expect from the tone
Comedy is a defining feature, not an occasional garnish. At the same time, the recommendation is not for disposable parody: the show is also recognized for heartfelt character work. Pick it when you want laughter and emotional investment in the same campaign, and avoid it only if you need a consistently solemn presentation.
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The Adventure Zone is the natural option when your preferred screen is an audio player. The D&D Beyond interview about Brennan Lee Mulligan lists The Adventure Zone: Balance among the major actual-play comparisons discussed. Its distinguishing feature for this list is the McElroy family ensemble and a campaign format built for podcast listening.
Why it may fit after a video campaign
A podcast-first show removes the need to watch a battle map, player reactions, or on-screen dice. You can follow the evolving campaign while walking, commuting, or doing household tasks. Family chemistry also gives the conversations a different social texture from an ensemble assembled specifically for an actual-play production.
What is and is not established here
The available source supports Balance as a relevant comparison show and a McElroy-led podcast recommendation. It does not establish detailed current episode counts, release status, or the present state of every campaign arc. Choose it for the format and ensemble rather than for an assumed schedule or a claim about how much new material is currently arriving.
Rank #4
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Dungeon Masters: official D&D with a path to your own table
Dungeon Masters is the best choice when you want the show to connect directly to playable D&D material. D&D Beyond calls it “the new official D&D actual play” and describes the first campaign as actual play in Ravenloft combined with a play-along pack. The official series page says the show uses official D&D content and provides playable encounters inspired by its episodes.
The Ravenloft campaign and credited players
Hasbro’s announcement identifies Jasmine Bhullar as DM and Mayanna Berrin, Christian Navarro, Neil Newbon, and Devora Wilde as players in the gothic-horror Ravenloft arc. The setting gives the first campaign a specific genre identity, while the official-content foundation distinguishes it from independent shows that build their own adventure material.
What the play-along approach changes
The show is not only something to watch. Encounters inspired by episodes are intended to be brought to a home table, so a DM can use the series as an example of how published material becomes play and then adapt the associated encounters for a group. That makes Dungeon Masters particularly useful if your post-Campaign 3 interest is practical: you want ideas for running Ravenloft-style scenes, not just another multi-year narrative.
Who should start here
Choose Dungeon Masters if official rules content, a defined gothic-horror premise, and table transfer are central to your decision. Choose one of the independent podcasts instead if you primarily want an unstructured creator-led campaign or if a play-along component is irrelevant to you.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A decision path you can use in five minutes
- Need a short commitment? Start with Fantasy High on Dimension 20.
- Want a long fantasy story built around mood and relationships? Start The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One from Worlds Beyond Number.
- Want a continuing campaign with a compact, comic table? Start NADDPOD Campaign 1, the Bahumia campaign.
- Want audio and family chemistry above all else? Try The Adventure Zone: Balance, while treating its current status as separate from the recommendation.
- Want official material you can run? Start Dungeon Masters and use its Ravenloft play-along resources.
Three sensible watch plans
The low-risk sampler
Begin with one season of Dimension 20. It gives you the quickest test of whether edited actual play and comedy are what you want next. If you still miss a continuous party afterward, move to NADDPOD or Worlds Beyond Number rather than starting another anthology immediately.
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The character-first plan
Go directly to Worlds Beyond Number and commit to its first campaign. Keep Fireside material optional until you know the main narrative works for you. This plan is for viewers who found the most memorable part of Campaign 3 to be the characters’ inner lives and long-term relationships.
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The play-at-home plan
Watch Dungeon Masters with your gaming group, then examine the playable encounters inspired by the episodes. This turns viewing into preparation for a session and gives the show a purpose beyond finding a replacement cast to follow.
What changes most from Critical Role
| Decision point | Best match | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest route to a complete story | Dimension 20 | Season-based anthology structure. |
| Most emphasis on mood and fantasy language | Worlds Beyond Number | Its recommendation centers atmosphere, character, and mood. |
| Smallest-table energy | NADDPOD | Its defining recommendation is a smaller cast with comedy and sincere character work. |
| Audio without a visual production | The Adventure Zone | Podcast-first McElroy family format. |
| Closest link to official game material | Dungeon Masters | Official content, Ravenloft play-along material, and playable encounters. |
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which show is easiest to start after Critical Role Campaign 3?
Dimension 20 is the safest first try if you want a bounded season and a polished, edited presentation. Begin with Fantasy High rather than searching for a required viewing order.
Is any of these shows a direct replacement for Critical Role?
No. Dimension 20 changes the length and editing, Worlds Beyond Number changes the emphasis toward atmosphere, NADDPOD uses a smaller table, The Adventure Zone is podcast-first, and Dungeon Masters is tied to official playable material.
Which recommendation is best for a shorter season?
Dimension 20. Its anthology structure lets you choose a season as a contained starting point instead of joining another continuously expanding campaign.
Which show should I choose for a small cast and comedy?
Not Another D&D Podcast, beginning with Campaign 1 (the Bahumia campaign), is the clearest fit because its recommendation specifically combines a smaller table, strong comedy, and sincere character work.
Which actual-play show can help me run D&D?
Dungeon Masters. Its official series page connects episodes to playable encounters inspired by the show, and its first campaign uses official Ravenloft material.
Quick Recap
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