Critical Role Wildemount: Most Pre-orders Since D&D Core Rulebooks

It seems that the most popular D&D setting in the 5E era is... Wildemount! Talking about the upcoming Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, WotC's Greg Tito said on a Twitch stream recently that "we're pretty sure that this book has seen the most pre-orders and pre-release excitement since any of the core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition were released".

Here's the quote in full:

"...It was number 1, ranked number 1, for all books on Amazon. How many of you out there remember when Amazon was just selling books? Raise your hands. Yeah, that's me. So it's really cool, even though obviously I do a lot more other fun stuff right now, there is a ton out there that are excited for this book, and it isn't even out yet.

"We have little bit of an internal metrics, but we're pretty sure that this book has seen the most pre-orders and pre-release excitement since any of the core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition were released, and if you've been following along at home, Dungeons & Dragons has been selling like hotcakes since 5th Edition released in 2014."

It sounds like the Critical Role setting is proving more popular (at least right now) than traditional D&D settings like Ravenloft or Eberron, newer ones like Ravnica, or adventures set in the Forgotten Realms.

Explorer's Guide to Wildemount will hit game stores on March 17th.

 

[Parmandur]

I doubt it, this is a WotC setting book we're talking about... In addition, the Green Ronin book has a few monsters, but most of them were just NPCs and wildlife, with some distinct enemies, and some re-flavors of enemies. I expect the latter.

The Setting books have had big meaty monsters, at least as I how look at that term: not overly fiddley, like certain older editions, but rather like the Hydra in the MM or the Daelkyr Lord's in Eberron.

 

[generic]

The Setting books have had big meaty monsters, at least as I how look at that term: not overly fiddley, like certain older editions, but rather like the Hydra in the MM or the Daelkyr Lord's in Eberron.

Not exactly what I'd call meaty monsters, but, the definition isn't exact.

 

[Parmandur]

Not exactly what I'd call meaty monsters, but, the definition isn't exact.

I meant "not goons", really. Something more Boss-ish, just based on what Mercer likes to run.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Wonder if it has that five faced naga abberation from their very first episode.


Speaking of, I have finally watched my very first episode. I've only watched a few bits and pieces before and couldn't get into it. But I'm giving it a fresh go.

While watching, it seemed like Orion was on something the whole time. So I researched it, my suspicions seemed correct, and that whole story is just sad all around.

 

[Parmandur]

Wonder if it has that five faced naga abberation from their very first episode.


Speaking of, I have finally watched my very first episode. I've only watched a few bits and pieces before and couldn't get into it. But I'm giving it a fresh go.

While watching, it seemed like Orion was on something the whole time. So I researched it, my suspicions seemed correct, and that whole story is just sad all around.

Yeah, I think they didn't realize he was being actively toxic at the table until they reviewed the video evidence.

I'd actually recommend starting with Campaign 2: they have all the kinks worked out, tech-wise, and there isn't enough story connection for spoilers to be a problem.

 

[dave2008]

There is a minimum standard for inspired x edition.

What is that standard? Who determines it? I am architect and deal in standards all day long, but I am not familiar with the "inspired by" standard nor the organization that developed. Could you point me in the right direction.

Sorry - I feel a bit cheeky tonight!

 

[Urriak Uruk]

No sorry, when you say something is inspired by something, it better be inspired by it, otherwise your lying, I don't except marketing speech as an excuse to mislead people.

I work in marketing, and I can guarantee that lying and misleading do not = the same thing...

 

[Mistwell]

WotC has been caught lying before, like saying Swordcoast Legends was inspired by 5e when it absolutely wasn't. I'm not saying their liars as in they lie all the time, but sometimes they get caught lying about things. It's not a lack of class when you catch them lying to merely point it out.

Your opinion is not well shared. Others think it does have D&D flavor. Others think it is the digital dungeons and dragons people had been waiting for.

In fact it appears as if you're substituting your opinion for fact, and then after making that assumption, calling people liars if they essentially disagree with your opinion.

Plenty of people think Swordcoast Legends is in fact pretty well inspired by 5e. You are free to disagree, but you're not free to libel people as liars for disagreeing with you. Or well you are, but don't be surprised when people think you're misbehaving if you do. Personally, I think it's a pretty bad look to go around calling people liars for disagreeing with your opinion.

 

[gyor]

So let me get this straight. You accused WOTC - and more specifically Jeremy Crawford and company - of being liars because they've lied in the past. Because somebody in a marketing department, perhaps WOTC, perhaps game's publisher used the phrase "inspired by". In a game you've never actually played and have no first hand knowledge of.

A quick google tells me the back-drop was FR, included standard D&D races and tropes. That alone is enough to make it "inspired by" in market speak. A glance at even one review indicates that while it wasn't a very good game, it did have a lot of FR specific D&D insider-jokes.

All of which just means that they didn't write a very good game. Because someone else said it didn't implement 5E rules very well you can tar everyone associated with the project with the "liar" label.

Good grief.

I didn't point the finger at anyone in particular and honestly I think you all care about this more then I do. Like I said I didn't buy it. But you can rationalize that inspired means nothing, but to a lot of people who actually bought the game it did, hence why so many people were upset (well that and bugginess I hear).

Seriously do you guys work for WotC or something, because I seemed to have it a nerve. I concider it a lie, some of you don't because you think saying it was inspired by 5e means absolutely nothing. I think the most of SCLs angery customers agree with me, but let's move on, because like I said I didn't buy it.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I really was dissappointed by SCL. In fact, the only review I did.

But it's clearly inspired by D&D.

Tell you what, create a game just like SCL, and see if you get sued for IP violation.