Over the past few years, Dungeons and Dragons has experienced a massive resurgence in popularity. Led by live gameplay shows like Critical Role, rabid fans can now tune in to podcasts and web shows to watch others play the game that they love. Relics & Rarities is one of those shows that is packed with excitement, humor, action and adventure.
The Cast
R&R has four regular players and each episode adds a celebrity guest. The regulars are Tommy Walker (Daredevil), Julia Dennis (Game the Game), Jasmine Bhullar (aka ThatBronzeGirl) and Xander “Xanderiffic” Jeanneret (Camp Virginovich). They play an eclectic mix of characters and always work well with their guests.
Many of the guests are well known celebrities, but their knowledge and experience with D&D varies greatly. Matthew Lillard (13 Ghosts) has played for decades. Janina Gavankar began playing when she was starring in True Blood. Others like Simone Missick (Altered Carbon), Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and Sam Richardson (Veep) are all new to the game. Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob) has never played though he’s always had the appetite for the game.
The Dungeon Master
The game is driven by the wonderful Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood, Daredevil) who has a lifelong passion for Dungeons & Dragons. Her love is apparent and she is amazingly flexible with how her players move the story. She knows the game rules and is almost never tripped up by the group’s creativity. “The world is my imagination, “she tells Smith in their behind-the-scenes interview.
Woll’s approach is far more story driven than hell bent on just lobbing tough opponents. Her players latch onto that and dive into their various character desires. She loves the creative process, stating that in her estimation, the players only ever used less than half of what she created for the show.
The Characters
Walker’s Varus (the Noble/the Mighty/the Good Looking) is hilariously self-obsessed. He claims to be royalty, but naturally there is no way for the others to prove that nobility. Dennis plays Annabella, a healing bard who is often called into singing to provide inspiration. Bhullar drops her voice an octave to channel the half-orc barbarian nature of Beryl the Brutal. Jeanneret conversely raises his voice into a high, nasal tone as he plays Rikki Huckster, a gnome who deals in potions and elixirs.
The guests fall in pretty quickly with the cast. Missick and Cox take a little while since they’re brand new to the game. Richardson steals scenes from the regulars when he breaks into a dance number. Smith is admittedly nervous and stoned. Lillard dives right in since he’s the most familiar. Gavankar drops into full fan girl moments, clearly delighted to be playing the game.
Conclusion
Relics & Rarities is six different sessions, each broken into two parts. The show is an absolute delight and taps into a super talented cast. Woll keeps it all on the rails regardless of how impulsive or unexpected her players behave. The story is filled with tons of emotion and viewers will fall in love with the characters quickly. D&D fans will enjoy riding along with this group and their daring adventures.