Behind the Cards: Critical Role 10 Year Anniversary Tarot Deck (Part One)

Behind the Cards: Critical Role 10 Year Anniversary Tarot Deck (Part One)

One of the most beautiful things here at Critical Role, of course besides you amazing Critters, is the honor we have to work with such amazing creators—even after 10 years, we are still amazed! With that in mind, we’d like to take you behind the cards of the 10 Year Anniversary Tarot Deck and share some insight on the creative process directly from some of the wonderful minds that brought this gorgeous deck to life!

"The two players, Reader and Subject, begin a conversation. What questions will be asked, what answers are they looking for. The context for the story is established. The cards are drawn. The Reader lets the drama unfold for the Subject, like a personalized commedia dell'arte, only inside out. 

The trick of it isn't that the cards are vague. It's that the cards are true." 

"This tarot deck has been a dream of mine since the moment I started working at Critical Role in early 2019. The first merch project I worked on was our Mollymauk Tealeaf 'Long May He Reign' T-Shirt, a design that incorporated tarot imagery and illustrated beautifully by Caemi. A few years later, I worked with Caemi once more alongside Frei to illustrate the Mollymauk Tealeaf (and Jester Lavorre) Oracle of the Moon Deck. Taliesin and Laura designed all of the cards in the deck and wrote the guidebook from the perspectives of Mollymauk and Jester. This resulted in a one-of-a-kind item that existed both as an in-universe object in the world of Exandria, as well as a functional oracle deck in the real world.

As our ten year anniversary drew near, the idea of creating a full tarot deck felt more feasible, but no less daunting. As anyone who has made a tarot deck will tell you, it is a massive undertaking. Not just because of the sheer number of cards and the amount of artwork required, but because each card is imbued with layers of meaning, intention, and symbolism. Tarot is simultaneously incredibly structured with rules, tradition, and the weight of history — while also impossible to define or regulate with any consistency. But ten years felt like such a perfect milestone for something like this, so when we got to 'now or never,' we decided to go for it! 

It sounds hyperbolic to say this tarot deck is a dream come true, but in a very literal sense, it is. The world of Exandria, its characters, and its stories have changed my life, and this was a wonderful chance to celebrate it by throwing myself into a project that took close to a year and a half to cross the finish line. I got to collaborate closely with my partner and friends, work with some of the most talented artists and designers, and shape the tarot deck I've always wanted to see."

“Helping create this tarot deck for Critical Role was an incredible experience — I learned so much about myself, tarot, and all of my friends who worked on this with me. It was amazing to be able to delve into the long history of tarot with Taliesin, talk through the world of Critical Role and the cards themselves with my wife, Adrienne, and see the gorgeous art and design work done by the artists and designers. Many incredible tarot decks have shaped my life and I hope that this one will do the same for many others!”

"I am so honored to have created the artwork for the Major Arcana of this deck. These characters and stories hold deep meaning for so many, and it was a rare challenge to try and weave their spirits into these cards. My hope was to make each card feel at home both within a traditional tarot deck and also within the heart of the Critical Role world. May you discover, in these images, small symbols and details that speak to your own journey. Ideally, I want every card to be understood at a glance, yet reveal more the longer you look. My deepest thanks to the incredible team and to the fans whose love makes these stories live. May this deck bring you clarity when the path is uncertain, and light when you most need it."

"When we were approached for this project, there was already a clear vision behind it: to create a beautiful, functional tarot deck that celebrated the characters and lore from all of Critical Role's campaigns over the past ten years. James Fenner's artwork truly set the tone for the entire project—his lush colors and dreamlike style were not only visually stunning but also deeply inspiring for the rest of the deck's design.

For the Minor Arcana, I imagined these characters not in full form, but almost like shadows or echoes of themselves. Where James's illustrations brought vivid personality and life to the main cast, I aimed to capture something more ethereal — like fleeting glimpses from another plane of existence.

I won't lie—it was pretty intimidating to illustrate characters that mean so much to so many people. But I had so much fun blending their stories with the symbolism of the tarot. It all came together so naturally, that it made the whole process feel really special.

It's honestly amazing to see Critical Role celebrating ten years of storytelling, creativity, and community. Being part of this project was such an honor, and I'm so proud of how it turned out. I really hope this deck is something people will connect with and enjoy. Thank you for letting me be a small part of something so big and meaningful."

Want to get more of the inside scoop of the creative journey of creating the Critical Role 10 Year Anniversary Tarot Deck? Check out Part 2 exclusively here on Beacon.TV on October 14th.