Did CRITICAL ROLE CAMPAIGN 4 Already Kill a Player Character?

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Brennan Lee Mulligan warned that Critical Role Campaign 4 would be dangerous, and it seems he meant it. In the first few moments of the fourth and final introductory episode, “Stone-Faced,” Alex Ward’s character, Occtis Tachonis, appears to be killed by his own family during a conflict between House Tachonis and House Davinos. So early in Critical Role Campaign 4, a player is already potentially leaving the game – did Occtis Tachonis really die before the main story even began? We’ll explain what happened.

Does Occtis Tachonis Die in Critical Role Campaign 4? 

In the fourth episode of Critical Role’s Campaign 4, a major event occurred: Alex Ward’s character, Occtis, along with his companion Pincushion, was killed by Occtis’s brother, Ethrand Tachonis. This marked the first player character death of the campaign, happening remarkably quickly in the series’ history.

How Did Occtis’ Death Occur? 

Last week’s episode ended with Occtis facing a deadly attack. His father, Primus Tachonis, and brother, Ethrand, along with a group of ghouls, launched a full-scale assault on Palazzo Davinos, aiming to destroy both House Davinos and House Royce. Meanwhile, Thaisha, warned by Vaelus that Occtis was in danger, was rushing to help. By the time she arrived, Lady Aranessa and Occtis were already battling Ethrand and his ghouls inside the Palazzo.

Lady Aranessa fights bravely, but Ethrand quickly silences Occtis, preventing him from casting spells. Then, ghouls overpower Occtis, pinning him down so Ethrand can cut him open. Ethrand, calling Occtis a traitor, tears out his still-beating heart and replaces it with the Stone of Nightsong. This is how Occtis Tachonis dies in Critical Role Campaign 4.

Is Occtis Tachonis Alive Again in Critical Role Campaign 4 & How Was He Resurrected From Death?

Occtis was brutally attacked and seemingly killed by his own family, failing his attempts to avoid death. As he died on the Critical Role campaign table – with his companion, Pincushion, mysteriously vanishing – his awareness didn’t simply fade. Instead, he found himself in a strange, in-between place, suspended between life and death.

Lost between worlds, Occtis hears Thaisha pleading with him to come back to reality, while a dark force – his father – tries to pull him into endless darkness. Encouraged by Thaisha, Occtis breaks free and starts to repair himself, stitching up the empty space where his heart used to be. As he sews, he finds a ghostly Pincushion and a feather, then discovers the Stone of Nightsong where his heart should be, and carefully removes it.

When the others arrived at Palazzo Davinos, they found Thaisha frantically trying to heal the body of Occtis, who appeared to be dead. Sensing dark magic, Bolaire, with help from Thaisha, Hal, and a lucky roll from Murray, managed to remove a Stone of Nightsong from Occtis’ chest. This act miraculously brought him back to life, as seen in Critical Role Campaign 4.

Is Occtis a Revenant Now that He Has Been Resurrected? 

Now that he’s recovered, Occtis shared his incredible experience with the group. He described meeting Ethrand, hearing wings flapping nearby, and witnessing bizarre visions – like battles between undead armies, a fierce orc warrior, and even a glimpse of his grandfather’s face.

Despite Vaelus and Thaisha’s efforts to heal Occtis, their magic didn’t work. Occtis then realized he wasn’t breathing or had a pulse – he was conscious, but no longer alive. The scene ends with Occtis and his companions uncertain about what being undead means for him.

More About Occtis’ Death and Revenant Status—Brennan Lee Mulligan and Alex Ward Share Insights on Critical Cooldown

Brennan Lee Mulligan revealed on the Critical Role Cooldown after episode 4 that Alex Ward had originally planned for his character to be a revenant. Mulligan explained that Ward envisioned a character who was a necromancer from one of the sundered houses, and who had been murdered by his own family for practicing secret wizardry. Occtis’ unexpected death in the game was a surprise to everyone, despite this backstory.

Mulligan quickly agreed, but only if Occtis died during the show, not as something that happened before the story began. This led to the memorable scene at Palazzo Davinos. When describing Occtis as an undead creature, Mulligan uses the terms “freaky revenant” and “hollow one” interchangeably.

Regarding Occtis’s return from death, Mulligan hinted that we haven’t seen the complete consequences of Murray’s incredibly lucky roll. He also suggested that things could have gone differently, and Occtis might not have come back at all. Mulligan playfully blamed Occtis’s decisions for creating a particularly difficult version of his undead state, but acknowledged that the opposing forces – House Tachonis and the ghouls – performed very well in the fight.

Alex Ward’s Occtis May Gain New Abilities and Features as a Revenant

Mulligan is experimenting with a lot of magical creations in Aramán. But if Critical Role Campaign 4 sticks to standard Dungeons & Dragons rules, Occtis, now a revenant, will gain some new powers and improved abilities.

Revenants possess a trait called “Relentless Nature,” meaning they are driven by a specific goal – often connected to how they died. This allows them to come back to life and continue pursuing that goal even after being destroyed. However, once a revenant achieves its purpose, it dies for good, which is particularly grim news for someone like Occtis.

Despite currently being alive in Critical Role Campaign 4, Occtis likely won’t survive much longer, and his death is probably imminent.

How to Watch Critical Role Campaign 4

Critical Role’s Campaign 4 starts every Thursday at 7 pm Pacific Time on Beacon.tv. You can also watch it live on Critical Role’s YouTube and Twitch channels. The full episode will be available on demand the following Monday at 12 pm PT, and the podcast version will be released in two parts: the first part one week after the live premiere, and the second part the Tuesday after that.

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2025-10-28 00:04