Every important change Critical Role made in The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 compared to Campaign 1

Critical Role has never been afraid to change the events of their popular live-play Dungeons & Dragons show while adapting it for TV. That was already obvious after the first three seasons of their Prime Video animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, and it's only become more true in season 4, which just aired its final episode this week. (Don't worry, season 5 is already confirmed.)

Transforming a tabletop live play into an animated production is a complicated process. The freedom of D&D means almost anything can happen, narrative cohesion be damned. However, this level of anarchy isn’t ideal for storytelling, so events, characters, and even lore need to be shaken up now and then to keep the story coherent.

Speaking to Polygon last year during NYCC, Laura Bailey, co-executive producer of Vox Machina and co-founder of Critical Role, admitted it was impossible to incorporate everything from their campaigns into a series.

“You can make the scenes have more meaning because of the timing of them,” Bailey said. “We still get those moments that we love. They might just happen in a different way.”

So what exactly were those changes in The Legend of Vox Machina season 4? Now that the season is over, let's break down the five most important ways that the Prime Video series deviated from Critical Role's original campaign.

1 Vox Machina’s split-up

Shortly after defeating the Chroma Conclave, Vox Machina parted ways to embark on their own personal quests. They do the same in Campaign 1: Vox Machina, but there are a few key differences. For one thing, Vox Machina didn’t drift apart as drastically as they do in the animated adaptation, where their distance and time apart reveal cracks in the group’s relationships that, by the end of season 4, have turned into a gaping abyss.

It should also be noted that Taryon Darrington met and adventured with Vox Machina long before the split, whereas the animated adaptation has the gang meeting Tary during the split. While it doesn’t change the dynamic between Vox Machina and Tary overly much (they still take time to get to know Tary past his frivolous behavior), it does allow the character to play more of an active role in the group’s fight against the Whispered One.

Secondly, the group’s split in Campaign 1 came after they had returned from the Nine Hells, and not after the Chroma Conclave. The animated adaptation’s take on this happening after the defeat of a group of dragons feels a far more natural excuse to close things, especially on the heels of plot points like Pike’s crisis of faith and Scanlan’s desire to repair things with his estranged daughter, Kaylie.

2 Laudna appearing in Whitestone

Laudna’s appearance in episode 7, "The Ghosts of Whitestone," took us all by surprise. A warlock/sorcerer Hollowed One played by Marisha Ray in Campaign 3, Laudna has always had ties to Campaign 1 because she was formerly known as Matilda Bradbury, a human woman whom Delilah and Sylas Briarwood killed and hanged from the Sun Tree in Whitestone. Matilda’s body was used as a warning to Vox Machina, who was in Whitestone to try to stop the Briarwoods in Campaign 1. After being cut down, Matilda woke up with her memories scrambled, but with the knowledge that she was very much undead. She eventually started calling herself Laudna.

While The Legend of Vox Machina keeps Laudna’s backstory intact, it greatly changes some of the original relationships between Vox Machina members and Laudna herself. In "The Ghosts of Whitestone," Laudna’s encounter with Vex and others was purely accidental.

However, in Campaign 3: Bells Hells, the meeting of Vex, Percy, and Pike was prompted by the need for a skilled healer, Pike, to revive Laudna. This was the first time Vox Machina members met Laudna in Campaign 3, and a lot of them didn’t trust the woman due to her connection with Delilah Briarwood as her warlock patron. However, since Laudna has already appeared to Vex in The Legend of Vox Machina, this could significantly alter their future interactions if they meet again, and not necessarily for the better.

3 Bard’s Lament

A Bard’s Lament is one of the most-talked-about moments in Critical Role history, and for good reason. Nobody expected Sam Riegel, who plays the usually happy-go-lucky bard Scanlan Shorthalt, to walk out on his friends in Vox Machina during episode 85 of Campaign 1. In the campaign, Scanlan took this decision after members of Vox Machina made a fool of him in front of his estranged daughter Kaylie, accusing them of not caring about him. Riegel wanted to explore other options by playing another character, Taryon, which led to Scanlan disappearing for a while.

However, in The Legend of Vox Machina, Scanlan had already moved on from Vox Machina after the party beat the Chroma Conclave at the end of season 3. As in Campaign 1, Scanlan left to help rebuild his relationship with Kaylie, but in The Legend of Vox Machina, his relationship with his daughter has already been successfully repaired, and the problem is more to do with the rest of Vox Machina only coming to him when they want something.

The animated adaptation of Bard’s Lament doesn’t come across quite as shocking as Campaign 1, which was so surprising because the actual play format made audiences wonder whether this would be Riegel leaving for good. That said, the adaptation's changes do have the benefit of adding further complexity to Scanlan's choice. It's not a last-minute decision borne out of a mean prank like in Campaign 1, but one made by someone who's had a taste of a much preferable life now that he and Kaylie are reunited.

4 Grog’s death

Let’s get one thing clear: in Critical Role’s first campaign, almost all the characters die at least once. But, because it’s Dungeons & Dragons, which has magic that allows for resurrection and revivification, Critical Role’s cast rarely lets something like leaving the mortal coil bother them.

However, unlike Campaign 1, The Legend of Vox Machina has been extra careful in its portrayal of death. It matters significantly here, which is why our jaws hit the floor when Grog was disintegrated before our very eyes. He does eventually get resurrected, but at the cost of Pike being manipulated by Gideon/the Whispered One to help him ascend into godhood. This does lead to Grog's resurrection, but at a great cost.

The change to Grog’s arc in The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 was a huge surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Grog’s relationship with Pike has been the heart and soul of both their character arcs; it was only a matter of time before it got tested in the most excruciating way possible. Now, after the events of The Legend of Vox Machina season 4’s finale — featuring a resurrected Grog, but at far-too-great a cost — will it ever be the same?

5 Pike turns against Vox Machina

Possibly the most surprising turn of events in The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 is Pike's betrayal of Vox Machina.

Despite major differences from Pike's story in the animated adaptation, season 4 changes her story entirely. In the campaign, Pike is steadfast in her faith in her friends and her commitment to destroying the Whispered One. She most certainly doesn't betray them to help the Whispered One ascend to godhood.

However, Pike's story in the animated show feels far more rewarding than its portrayal in Campaign 1. Due to Johnson's previous work commitments, there are large portions of episodes where Pike isn't around, making her overall arc feel undercooked compared to the rest of Vox Machina. All three seasons have worked hard to address that, showcasing Pike's wavering belief in her religion and god, the Everlight.

Season 4 pushes this to the extreme, with Pike's bitterness over the year of separation from Vox Machina, the death of Pike's grandpa, and her desire for vengeance leading to Grog's disintegration. The latter is what pushes Pike over the edge, and while it may feel extreme compared to her character's actions in the campaign, we can't say it's an unearned change in the adaptation.

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All episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 are available to stream now on Prime Video.