Critical Role The New D&D Book Is 'The Explorer's Guide to [Critical Role's] Wildemount!' By Matt Mercer

It looks like Amazon has leaked the title and description of the new D&D book a day early (unless it's all a fake-out by WotC) -- and it's a new D&D setting book called The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount; it's the Critical Role campaign setting, penned by Matt Mercer!

It looks like Amazon has leaked the title and description of the new D&D book a day early (unless it's all a fake-out by WotC) -- and it's a new D&D setting book called The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount; it's the Critical Role campaign setting, penned by Matt Mercer!

Wildemount%2C_Version_20%2C1.png

image from Critical Role wiki

There's no cover image yet, so we're stuck with the "Coming Soon" image.

This book appeared without a title on Amazon last week, and a 'reveal' date of January 9th, which was then later delayed until January 13th. Amazon appears to have jumped the gun a day early.

Here's some information about Wildemount, which is a continent in the same world as Critical Role's other setting, Tal'Dorei. It is described by the official wiki has having "real-world Eastern European influence.... The Dwendalian Empire takes inspiration from 15th century Russia as well as Germanic nations in Central Europe (e.g., Prussia). Xhorhas has a more 13th-century Romanian flair. Outside of Wynandir, on the edges of the Dwendalian Empire, the cultures and peoples of those regions display a distinctly 14th-century Spanish flavor."

HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?

A war brews on a continent that has withstood more than its fair share of conflict. The Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty are carving up the lands around them, and only the greatest heroes would dare stand between them. Somewhere in the far corners of this war-torn landscape are secrets that could end this conflict and usher in a new age of peace—or burn the world to a cinder.

Create a band of heroes and embark on a journey across the continent of Wildemount, the setting for Campaign 2 of the hit Dungeons & Dragons series Critical Role. Within this book, you’ll find new character options, a heroic chronicle to help you craft your character’s backstory, four different starting adventures, and everything a Dungeon Master needs to breathe life into a Wildemount-based D&D campaign…
  • Delve through the first Dungeons & Dragons book to let players experience the game as played within the world of Critical Role, the world’s most popular livestreaming D&D show.
  • Uncover a trove of options usable in any D&D game, featuring subclasses, spells, magic items, monsters, and more, rooted in the adventures of Exandria—such as Vestiges of Divergence and the possibility manipulating magic of Dunamancy.
  • Start a Dungeons & Dragons campaign in any of Wildemount’s regions using a variety of introductory adventures, dozens of regional plot seeds, and the heroic chronicle system—a way to create character backstories rooted in Wildemount.
Explore every corner of Wildemount and discover mysteries revealed for the first time by Critical Role Dungeon Master, Matthew Mercer.

Critical Role's other setting, Tal'Dorei, was published a couple of years ago by Green Ronin. This brings the list of settings in official D&D books to five: Forgotten Realms, Ravnica, Ravenloft, Eberron, and Wildemount.

UPDATE! Barnes & Noble has the cover (but not the title or description).

9780786966912_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg
 

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3catcircus

Adventurer
They don’t owe you anything. Period.
Yep, and they shouldn't then expect my loyalty in return, which they continually preach about how they are listening to their customers and value our input. I guess some are more equal than others.

Let's not forget that Critical Role isn't WotC. If you really want to get technical, they're sucking off of Critical Role's teat.
 

generic

On that metempsychosis tweak
Yep, and they shouldn't then expect my loyalty in return, which they continually preach about how they are listening to their customers and value our input. I guess some are more equal than others.

Let's not forget that Critical Role isn't WotC. If you really want to get technical, they're sucking off of Critical Role's teat.
Well um... yes. How does any of this fairly reasonable stuff relate to the things you posted upthread?
 

Yep, and they shouldn't then expect my loyalty in return, which they continually preach about how they are listening to their customers and value our input. I guess some are more equal than others.

Let's not forget that Critical Role isn't WotC. If you really want to get technical, they're sucking off of Critical Role's teat.
'aight, bye then.

Can't wait to see you back complaining about the next book that releases.
 

Fenris-77

Small God of the Dozens
Supporter
Or perhaps WotC correctly sees D&D as a part of pop culture, not just a game, and is monetizing that fact to drive revenue and player base. People that like D&D because of Stranger Things, or because of CR, are buying books just the same as us old timers that like to shout at them to get off our lawns and complain about rolling THAC0 uphill both ways back in the day.
 
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generic

On that metempsychosis tweak
Yep, and they shouldn't then expect my loyalty in return, which they continually preach about how they are listening to their customers and value our input. I guess some are more equal than others.

Let's not forget that Critical Role isn't WotC. If you really want to get technical, they're sucking off of Critical Role's teat.
Some are not more equal than others. It's simply a demonstrable fact that more D&D players (of today) were introduced to the game through Critical Role than through Dark Sun, Greyhawk, et al. WotC is going to market items towards the majority, because, well, that's good business.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
You may think so, and that's also ok for your opinion to be different than mine.

Long time players have been asking for 5e versions of multiple older campaign settings. It feels like a slap in the face that their opinions seem to be of less importance than the obvious money grab associated with capitalizing on the current hot thing of watching people play D&D. If WotC needs the cash that bad, there are bigger problems with the foundation of the company.

Someone mentioned that Wildemount wasn't talking up scheduling in WotC's release schedule, but I would argue that if they could squeeze something in in addition to their planned releases, it should have been something associated with one of the previously published settings. At least pretend to give a damn about players and DMs who have been purchasing products since the 1970s.

I was excited when 5e was announced but other than the core books, I've been completely disappointed with their publishing rate and content.

Between Critical Role, Rick and Morty, and the Ravnica book it feels like either they are treating it as a parody of itself or they're so out of ideas they're just seeing what sticks.

"Long time players" have also been asking for official Critical Role stuff. Mercer isa "long term player."
 


Parmandur

Book-Friend
Yep, and they shouldn't then expect my loyalty in return, which they continually preach about how they are listening to their customers and value our input. I guess some are more equal than others.

Let's not forget that Critical Role isn't WotC. If you really want to get technical, they're sucking off of Critical Role's teat.

They are listening to their customers, that's why they are producing what customers want.
 

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