• Critical Role just launched preorders for its “Daggerheart” board game.
• It coincides with the launch day of the “Dungeons & Dragons” Player’s Handbook.
• It’s a power move for an up-and-coming company moving a new game into the market.

Critical Role, the crew best known for being a mega-successful “Dungeons & Dragons” streaming show, has made a nerd world power move for the books.

Over the past nine years, the company has gone from eight nerds playing “Dungeons & Dragons” on Twitch to selling out live arena shows and making two Amazon-backed animated series.

On September 17, Critical Role surprised fans by officially launching preorders for its major new tabletop role-playing game, Daggerheart.

“Daggerheart,” rolled out by the crew’s publishing arm, Darrington Press, recently exited its open beta phase. During this phase, the fandom played the game and told the company what it liked and didn’t like about it.

The game is now available for preorder in two editions. The basic set, which includes a close-to-300-page rulebook and 279 art cards, costs $59.99. The limited-edition set includes some extra bells and whistles, including a game master screen, a dice set, and gaming tokens. Both sets are scheduled to ship in Spring 2025.

While it could be entirely coincidental, “Dungeons & Dragons” — the tabletop game the eight cofounders became famous for playing — released its 2024 Player’s Handbook on September 17. That book costs $49.99, with an additional $10 charge for access to a digital edition.

The 2024 “D&D” Player’s Handbook was released this year as part of the game’s massive 50th-anniversary refresh and includes a slate of revisions and new rules.