Critical Role C4E04 “Stone-Faced”

This episode pulled no punches. From the first moments in the undercity to the final resurrection, Stone-Faced shows how improv and pacing can carry a story with thirteen players through chaos, revelation, and emotion without ever losing focus.

Brennan opened in an unexpected place — not with the previous cliffhanger, but in The Fray, a quieter, grimy corner of the city. Starting small gave the rest of the episode more gravity. The tension builds from silence, not speed.

Then came one of the campaign’s most creative reveals: Bolair isn’t a man wearing a mask — he’s the mask itself. A sentient artifact inhabiting whoever dons it. Brennan lets Taliesin describe what’s under the mask instead of narrating it himself, turning exposition into collaboration.

That’s a great reminder that some of the best reveals come from the players, not the DM.

The story spirals from there into death, betrayal, and the collapse of what the characters thought they knew. Julian’s father is killed, Octus’s brother betrays him, and the battle in the Palazzo becomes a lesson in tone. You don’t need to rush the drama — you just need to let it land.

Meanwhile, new secrets surface. Letters and records hint that Theazi, once a trusted ally, may have kept files on everyone — a small detail that changes everything. It’s a perfect example of how intrigue comes from who knows what, and when.

Later, a single improvised choice reshapes the story. When a player casts Mending on a melted necromantic candle, Brennan has the spell’s magic word translate to “remember.” That one moment ties the episode’s themes together: loss, memory, and what it means to put something broken back together.

From a DM’s perspective, Stone-Faced is a study in balance. Show the rolls. Let the dice drive the story.
Use silence to make the next crisis hit harder. You can’t always plan the awesome — but you can build trust, set the tone, and let the table create it together.

Cheers,
Brian