Critical Role Here's The Official Wildemount Announcement!

After the various leaks over the weekend from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the official announcement has just dropped! It's a different description to the one on Amazon, and contains a little bit more information about the contents of the upcoming setting book, which includes four introductory adventures!

After the various leaks over the weekend from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the official announcement has just dropped! It's a different description to the one on Amazon, and contains a little bit more information about the contents of the upcoming setting book, which includes four introductory adventures!

9780786966912_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg


Create your own Critical Role campaigns with this sourcebook for the world's greatest roleplaying game!

Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
provides everything you need to play Dungeons & Dragons on the continent of Wildemount (set within the world of Exandria)—a land of war, betrayal, and swashbuckling adventure.

Comprised of four regions, Wildemount provides endless potential for adventure in a land of brewing conflict and incredible magic. Rising tensions boil over into all-out war between the politically dubious Dwendalian Empire and the light-worshiping wastefolk of Xhorhas, supplying a vibrant backdrop for any D&D campaign to explore.
  • Uncover a trove of new options usable in any D&D game, featuring subclasses, spells, magic items, monsters, and more, rooted in the adventures of Critical Role—such as Vestiges of Divergence and the possibility manipulating magic of dunamancy.
  • Start a 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.
WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
Pre-order at your local game store, book stores such as Barnes & Noble, or online at retailers like Amazon.

ITEM DETAILS
Price: $49.95
Release Date: 17 March, 2020
This book’s contents include the following:
  • An expansive Wildemount gazetteer.
  • Descriptions of the major factions of Wildemount.
  • Player options that include new subclasses, new spells, and a tool to help players deeply integrate their characters into the setting.
  • New magic items, including weapons that become more powerful to match their wielders.
  • New creatures native to Wildemount.
  • Four introductory adventures—one for each unique region of Wildemount.
Largely written and helmed by Matthew Mercer, the Dungeon Master of Critical Role and creator of the world of Exandria, this 304-page book features work by talented designers, writers, and artists from the D&D and Critical Role communities.
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount is an expansive, vivid campaign setting anyone can enjoy regardless of their familiarity with Critical Role, and an open invitation to make the mysteries and dangers of Wildemount your own.

--

This also dropped in my inbox, with a couple of quotes from those involved, such as Matt Mercer and WotC's Nathan Stewart:

RENTON, WA – January 13, 2020 – When Critical Role debuted in March 2015, no one predicted the success of a Dungeons & Dragons liveplay show starring prominent voice actors. Not only has the show inspired a vast fan community of “Critters” to create fan art, cosplay, and even musicals based on Critical Role’s adventures, but the stories crafted by Matthew Mercer and his friends have encouraged droves of new players to try D&D for the first time. The D&D Team at Wizards of the Coast is excited to officially collaborate with Mercer by publishing a brand new tabletop roleplaying book detailing the continent explored in the second campaign ofCritical Role, complete with player options such as subclasses, magic items, and more. Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount will be available in stores everywhere on March 17, 2020!

Critical Role is a great example of why Dungeons & Dragons has been popular for over 45 years: a group of friends getting together, telling stories, and making each other laugh. In this case, the friends are talented performers playing live on camera, but the fun’s the same. We’re thrilled D&D fans and Critters alike can now enjoy playing in Matt’s world, as brought to fifth edition in this lovingly-crafted book,” said Nathan Stewart, VP of Franchise for Dungeons & Dragons.

“I'm sincerely so honored and excited to be working directly with Chris Perkins and this team of talented D&D writers and designers to bring this book to not just our community, but to D&D players everywhere,” said Matthew Mercer, Chief Creative Officer and Dungeon Master of Critical Role, as well as lead writer on the guide. “Dungeons & Dragons has had such a massive, positive impact on nearly my entire life, and I am ever inspired by the endless creativity I see it spark in so many others across the world. To have been able to work with Wizards of the Coast to bring my world to life as an official campaign book is nothing short of surreal. I can't wait to see what other DMs and players create within my world to make it their own!”

The 304-page Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount invites DMs to start playing in any of Wildemount’s regions using introductory adventures, dozens of story-inspiring plot seeds, and the new heroic chronicle system. Adventurers can also expect to discover countless secrets revealed by Critical Role Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer for the first time. Players and DMs will find new character options available for play in any campaign, like the Echo Knight fighter subclass, spells of dunamancy, numerous new monsters, and more!
 

log in or register to remove this ad


log in or register to remove this ad

charlesatan

Explorer
Well. I'm just more than disappointed. This has nothing to do with Critical Role. I have been waiting, more patiently than I should have, for Dragonlance. After some cryptic posts elsewhere, I was pretty sure it was going to be DL.

Nope, yet another new game world I have absolutely ZERO interest in. I know I'm not alone in those who want official 5e updates to classic settings (though I don't know how many of us there are.) But, honestly, my interest in D&D is waning, given the poor way that Dragonlance fans have been treated since 3.x.

Don't hold your breath on Dragonlance.

Like what Aebir-Toril said, it's unlikely that Dragonlance is going to be revived anytime soon.

I like Dragonlance as a fiction line, but honestly it's a horrible gaming line (or rather, it doesn't make a lot of sense as a gaming line). The reason you have Forgotten Realms in the first place is that they learned from the mistakes of Dragonlance as a campaign setting...
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Don't hold your breath on Dragonlance.

Like what Aebir-Toril said, it's unlikely that Dragonlance is going to be revived anytime soon.

I like Dragonlance as a fiction line, but honestly it's a horrible gaming line (or rather, it doesn't make a lot of sense as a gaming line). The reason you have Forgotten Realms in the first place is that they learned from the mistakes of Dragonlance as a campaign setting...

I'd bet on seeing Dragonlance sooner or later.
 

ad_hoc

(they/them)
I like the inclusion of the 4 adventures, though I'm disappointed they are all 'introductory'.

At this time the only book I would be interested in is a collection of adventures like Yawning Portal. That or a very good adventure path.
 


charlesatan

Explorer
There are of course "baby boomers" who've been playing the game since '74, and even earlier in the Lake Geneva area. But I've always seen D&D as a "Gen X" thing. The game hit national popularity right as a lot of us were in late elementary or middle school, early 80s.

Definitely. :) Just wanted to hop on the "OK, Boomer" meme since the arguments for that meme apply here.

I think it's thing to say that the campaign setting isn't for you (it definitely isn't for me... but I'm getting old and not the type of person who watches RPGs played on streams), but it's another to rally against cross promotion that caters to a younger/newer (the two aren't mutually exclusive) audience and discuss why properties like Rick & Morty (not a campaign setting, more of the PHB explained in a Rick & Morty tone), Stranger Things (introductory game), Acquisitions Inc. (also not a campaign setting, more of a type of gaming style you insert into your campaign), or Ravnica (an actual campaign setting... based on IP that sells more than D&D...) is the wrong way to approach D&D. :)

Also related are people rallying against the cover... which is honestly a style preference. Not a fan of Larry Elmore art for example, but Elmore art was on-brand for Dragonlance.

This book looks anime-ish, but that also feels on-brand for Critical Role, and appeals to the demographic that might be interested in Critical Role.

It also doesn't hurt that the Critical Role cartoon was picked up by Netflix so people who "discover" the show will find a book for them when it debuts.

Am definitely not the target demographic for this product, but that might be a good thing for the growth of the game. :) In much the same way that a new generation of gamers don't visit Enworld.
 
Last edited:


Dave2

Villager
I am happy with the release. Surprised and glad it is not a compilation of small adventures in the sword coast. I have no interest in that.
 

Azzy

ᚳᚣᚾᛖᚹᚢᛚᚠ
This.

I've read a few people talk about how they want Spelljammer, Dark Sun, etc. to be re-released for 5th Edition. And I know that WotC has said they would entertain these campaign settings, I doubt they will ever release more than the campaign sourcebook. I mean, even if we do manage to get Planescape 5E, we probably won't see full updated releases of "A Guide to the Astral Plane," "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil", "The Eternal Bounty", "Well of Worlds," "In the Abyss," etc.

But I've been wrong before. We should watch what happens with Eberron.

Yeah, I'm also pretty sure that it's going to be a "one and done" deal for the campaign settings.
 


Remove ads

Remove ads

Top