Critical Role Matt Mercer Speaks About The Wildemount Book

Matt Mercer posted on Reddit about the upcoming D&D setting book. "As the info seemed to leak a liiiiiiittle early yesterday, I just wanted to write something to reach out to the greater, non-critter DnD crowd regarding this book, what it means to me, and what I hope it means to you".

Well now, it certainly looks like the cat’s out of the bag (and seemed to sneak out a LITTLE early, hehe)! I can’t express just how excited and honored I am to have been given the opportunity to bring my world to you all via the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. D&D has been such an influential element of my life, of who I am, and to have contributed to it in this way is beyond words.

I’ve spent the better part of 1.5 years working on this project, along with some incredible contributors, to make this something we could all be extremely proud of. I set out to create this book not as a tome specifically for fans of Critical Role, but as a love letter to the D&D community as a whole. Those who follow our adventures will find many familiar and enjoyable elements that tie into what they’ve experienced within our campaign. However, I want this book to not only be a vibrant, unique setting for non-critter players and Dungeon Masters young and old, experienced or new, but also a resource of inspiration for DMs to pull from regardless of what setting they are running their game in. I’ve done my very best to make it a dynamic, breathing world full of deep lore, detailed factions and societies, a sprawling gazetteer, heaps of plot hooks, and numerous mechanical options/items/monsters to perhaps introduce into your own sessions, or draw inspiration from to cobble together your own variations. I wanted this to be a book for any D&D player, regardless of their knowledge of (or appreciation of, for that matter) Critical Role. I made this for ALL of you.

I am also well-aware of how much negativity can permeate these spaces regarding myself and the games we play, and that’s ok! One could never expect our form of storytelling and gaming to be everyone’s cup of tea, and it could very well be that this just isn’t the book for you. I don’t begrudge you that, and I only hope one day we get a chance to roll some dice at a convention and swap stories about our love of the game. I know for folks, this isn't necessarily what they were hoping for the announcement to be, and for that I'm sorry.

As a person excited and clamoring for new settings to be brought into the D&D multiverse, I also understand the frustrations from some that this isn’t one of the “classics”. Believe you me, I’m one of the those who is ever-shouting “I want my Planescape/Dark Sun”, and said so loudly… multiple times while in the WotC offices. Know that my setting doesn’t eliminate, delay, or consume any such plans they may have for any future-such projects! I’m not stepping on such wonderful legacy properties, these same ones that inspired me growing up. This is just the new-kid stepping into that area and hoping one of the older kids will sit and have lunch with them. If Wizards has any plans to release any of their much-demanded settings, they’ll come whether or not Wildemount showed up.

I also wanted to comment on the occasionally-invoked negative opinions on my homebrew designs I’ve seen here… and they aren’t wrong! I don’t have the lengthy design history and experience that many of you within this community do have. Outside of small, home-game stuff I messed with through the 2000’s, my journey on the path of public homebrew began as a reaction to online community demand and throwing out my inexperienced ideas in a very public space. Much of my early homebrew was myself learning as I went (as all of us begin), only with a large portion of the internet screaming at me for my mistakes and lack of knowledge. Even my Tal’Dorei Guide homebrew was rushed due to demands being made of me, and I continue to learn so many lessons since. The occasional unwarranted intensity aside, there is much appreciated constructive criticism I’ve received over the years (from reddit included) that has helped me grow and improve. Anyway, what I mention all this for is to express my thanks for all the wonderful feedback, the chances to learn from all of you as time has gone on, and the many elements of this book reflect that improvement as I took those lessons and collaborated with the official WotC team to make this as good as it could be.

Anyway, that’s enough rambling from an insecure nerd. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve done with this book. I hope you give it a shot and enjoy it. I really do. If you choose to pass on it, that’s totally cool and am just happy we find joy in the same pastime. Either way, be kind to each other, and keep on forging amazing stories together. <3

-Mercer

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

On the day your new book is announced the author seemed to spend more time addressing people who don't like his show/style, his homebrew rules, his product not being the product others were hoping for, and his first book not being up to snuff. While he doesn't say "I'm sorry", it's essentially an apology for everyone who doesn't like CR, or didn't want this book.

If he's quite sure the book will sell to his fanbase -- and I don't see, from the reactions on these forums, him being wrong on this point-- he doesn't need to spend time strengthening their desire to buy. It's not like a movie where you can get repeat viewers, I guess even the die-hard fan will only buy one copy of the book. So, maximizing his sales involves mitigating damage from the naysayers (if possible) and convincing people who sit exactly on the fence that they will find something in the book for them, even if they don't like some/most of the elements of the show.

As I have never heard of it and don't know anyone who has, I am at loss, so far, to understand what to expect from this book. At least, there might be some mechanics apparently, but how much? That would be the deciding factor (as I probably will have a hard time selling my group a setting based on a totally unknown English-speaking webcast).

I'm way out of the loop on his show (I tried to watch an episode- not my thing),

I understand that it's a broadcast of a D&D tabletop, like watching football instead of playing football, it can have its appeal, I guess, as I suspect most Superbowl watches not to be high-level athletes either.

 

[Olrox17]

When I first read Wildermount's announcement, I literally facepalmed out of disappointment, but I must admit that Mercer is a good guy, and I hope his book does well in sales.

 

[Reynard]

I wish I liked watching Critical Role more, because I really like Mercer.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

On the day your new book is announced the author seemed to spend more time addressing people who don't like his show/style, his homebrew rules, his product not being the product others were hoping for, and his first book not being up to snuff. While he doesn't say "I'm sorry", it's essentially an apology for everyone who doesn't like CR, or didn't want this book.

I'm way out of the loop on his show (I tried to watch an episode- not my thing), his setting, his rules, etc. So I'm not knocking the guy. I'm sure he's a cool dude. His post is pretty akward for a new book announcement- I doubt you'd see the same thing from Monte Cook, Mearls, Green wood, etc.

Of course you won’t see the same thing from them. Which is to his credit, not theirs.

That you seem to be making fun of him for addressing negative voices in his announcement is pretty odd, to me.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I understand that it's a broadcast of a D&D tabletop, like watching football instead of playing football, it can have its appeal, I guess, as I suspect most Superbowl watches not to be high-level athletes either.

For some. For every critter I know, it’s a show. We watch/listen to a show. Not much to do really with watching someone play a game, in the way that football is watching someone play a game. Instead, it’s more like a TV show whose characters play a game I like and know very well.

 

[Nebulous]

Just pre-empting some of the more toxic community elements, I think. At the very least, reaching out to the wider D&D community. It's a nice post.

extremely nice post, I agree

 

[Morrus]

It isn't anything like the levels of the Edition War, but there is a bit of divide between newer, younger players who have often gotten into the game because of streaming shows like CR, and the been playing for decades older players.

I think you’ve nailed it. We seem to be looking at a new incarnation of the Edition War. Slightly different sides, but it’s still the old vs the new.

 

[Charlaquin]

On the day your new book is announced the author seemed to spend more time addressing people who don't like his show/style, his homebrew rules, his product not being the product others were hoping for, and his first book not being up to snuff. While he doesn't say "I'm sorry", it's essentially an apology for everyone who doesn't like CR, or didn't want this book.

I'm way out of the loop on his show (I tried to watch an episode- not my thing), his setting, his rules, etc. So I'm not knocking the guy. I'm sure he's a cool dude. His post is pretty akward for a new book announcement- I doubt you'd see the same thing from Monte Cook, Mearls, Green wood, etc.

Monte Cook, Mike Mearls, Ed Greenwood, etc. aren’t nearly as well-known public figures as Matt Mercer is. He’s not just the DM of some streaming show, he’s one of the most prolific voice actors in the world. His work both on D&D and in animation gets a great deal of attention in online spaces, which means the critique tends to be far harsher and more unrestrained due to the anonymous nature of the internet. There is plenty of hate out there for, say, the Forgotten Realms, can you imagine the vitriol that would have been spewed about it online if the first content for it had been released in 2015?

 

[JeffB]

Of course you won’t see the same thing from them. Which is to his credit, not theirs.

That you seem to be making fun of him for addressing negative voices in his announcement is pretty odd, to me.

Making fun of him? Not sure where I said anything of the kind- you are reading something into my post that is not there.. As I said though, it is an akward post from a business perspective.

 

[Magus Darkwind]

I think you’ve nailed it. We seem to be looking at a new incarnation of the Edition War. Slightly different sides, but it’s still the old vs the new.

The 5e Campaign Setting Wars. 5e united fans, new and old, only to put them at each other's throats over the setting release schedule!

But seriously, if what Matt says is true and Wizards has plans for older settings in addition to "newer" settings like Ravnica and Wildemount, then I'm pretty happy. Considering it sounds like he wants Planescape and Dark Sun, as examples, I believe him when he says Wizards knows there's demand for them.