Critical Role Introduces New Daredevil Fighter D&D Subclass

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Over the past decade, Critical Role has been a major contributor to the growing popularity of Dungeons & Dragons. The actual play series has also helped to shape the game itself, with several of their homebrew classes and subclasses making the leap from the small screen to the official D&D ruleset.

With Campaign 4 of Critical Role now in full swing and using the new D&D 5.5E rules from 2024, Matt Mercer has stepped out from behind the DM screen to play Sir Julien Davinos, a Fighter-Rogue who also happens to showcase a brand new subclass: The Daredevil Fighter.

So just what does this new fearless format include and when can fans try it for themselves? Below, we break out everything we know so far.

What is the D&D Daredevil Fighter Subclass?

The core philosophy of the Daredevil can be summed up in four words: High risk, high reward. While most Fighter subclasses focus on stability and martial mastery, the Daredevil is designed for players who want to push their luck with the potential to deal more damage balanced out by some serious penalties if they fail.

According to Mercer, the subclass was developed in collaboration with former D&D creative leads Christ Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, both of whom left Wizards of the Coast in 2025 and later joined Critical Role’s Darrington Press. Below are the key features of the subclass:

• Modified Second Wind: Instead of the standard 1d10 + Fighter level healing, the Daredevil uses Second Wind to gain temporary hit points. This reinforces the subclass’ theme of staying in the fight rather than fully recovering from it.
• Daring Strike: This is the subclass’s signature offensive move. By spending a use of Second Wind, you can add 1d10 extra damage to an attack.
• The Penalty for Failure: The “risk” comes into play if you miss. If a Daring Strike fails to connect, the target gains advantage on its next attack roll against you.
• Bloodied Synergy: The subclass is designed to thrive in the Bloodied state (50% HP or lower). It also interacts heavily with Campaign 4’s Desperate Measures mechanic, allowing players to trade resources (like death saving throws) for massive damage output.

Will we see the Daredevil Fighter in future game materials?

While the Daredevil is currently being “playtested” live on stream by Mercer himself, its official release seems almost certain, particularly given that the subclass has had the blessing of D&D icons Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford.

Whether that means we’ll see the subclass in a new D&D 5E supplement from Darrington Press or whether it ends up as an official option on D&D Beyond remains to be seen. But it’s a safe bet that we’ll see it at some point in the near future, particularly if Mercer’s Sir Julien Davinos character is well received by the Critical Role and D&D fan communities.

Final Thoughts

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of Matt Mercer’s Critical Role character options make their way from the live steam to the official D&D rules, with the Blood Hunter class and the Gunslinger subclass, being two of the most popular. Whether the Daredevil Fighter also manages to make it’s mark, however, remains to be seen.

It’s also worth noting that the Daredevil may not be quite as original as it seems, with Paizo recently rolling out a Pathfinder 2e playtest for a new Daredevil class that shares many of the same characteristics (although this is likely a case of great minds thinking alike, rather than any kind of overt plagiarism).

In any case, you can check out Matt Mercer’s new D&D Dardevil Fighter Subclass for yourself in the latest episodes of Campaign 4.

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