Critical Role Tell me the selling points of Tal'Dorei / Wildemount, without mentioning Critical Role, Matt Mercer, etc.

[Nyx_Necrodragon]

I'll be honest there really isn't anything unique about it. It's just a fantasy setting. That's not a bad thing most fantasy settings are just rehashes of work by Vance, Howard and Moorcock.

If you aren't a fan of CR you're wasting your money. It is a book that is created for fans of CR to play in that world. Nothing wrong with that but honestly if you're searching for something that is a bit different I would go for one of the less played settings like Darksun.

 

[Seramus]

Several FR gods are too. Not to mention Cthulhu and his mates.

Oh definitely. Entire FR pantheons are migrants from our world, including a scattering of Netjer, Tuatha, Aesir, etc. And you have the whole of Olympus just hanging out in the planes.

 

[Clint_L]

I'll be honest there really isn't anything unique about it. It's just a fantasy setting. That's not a bad thing most fantasy settings are just rehashes of work by Vance, Howard and Moorcock.

If you aren't a fan of CR you're wasting your money. It is a book that is created for fans of CR to play in that world. Nothing wrong with that but honestly if you're searching for something that is a bit different I would go for one of the less played settings like Darksun.

Or if, as you already point out, you are looking for an up to date, fairly standard fantasy setting. Of which category it is currently the best option offered by WotC, in many opinions. Maybe that will change when the next FR source book arrives.

Dark Sun is not currently available so that’s not a very realistic alternative (and it is also very much an esoteric world and not one I would recommend unless the person was specifically looking for a post-apocalyptic setting).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Or if, as you already point out, you are looking for an up to date, fairly standard fantasy setting. Of which category it is currently the best option offered by WotC, in many opinions. Maybe that will change when the next FR source book arrives.

Dark Sun is not currently available so that’s not a very realistic alternative (and it is also very much an esoteric world and not one I would recommend unless the person was specifically looking for a post-apocalyptic setting).

Dark Sun is a completely different type of setting that will appeal to a completely different type of player. They aren’t really comparable at all.

One feature of Exandria is its a positive setting. The world is not a generally terrible place, people are not universally horrible, and heroes can make a real difference.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's not a bad thing most fantasy settings are just rehashes of work by Vance, Howard and Moorcock.

Those are not the authors I would think of when describing Exandria. It’s modern, not retro. It’s high magic, with magically flying ships a standard means of travel, it has gunpowder, and people generally dress in 17-18th century-ish styles rather than Hollywood medieval, there are no always-evil species, etc. It’s more like Discworld with fewer jokes.

 

[Clint_L]

One other key selling point: all the CR books are on DnDBeyond, including the Maps VTT.

 

[Necropolitan]

One feature of Exandria is its a positive setting. The world is not a generally terrible place, people are not universally horrible, and heroes can make a real difference.

There's barely any difference for heroes to make. That's why they had to make up an entirely new threat for Call of the Netherdeep.

It’s more like Discworld with fewer jokes.

That's a massive insult to Discworld.

 

[zakael19]

There's barely any difference for heroes to make. That's why they had to make up an entirely new threat for Call of the Netherdeep.

Dude, you're just making stuff up here to crap on CR and the setting. My post included an example of the sort of adventure seeds the book provides, which reach all the way up to "make a difference in the literal war between empires kicking off that will have continent level ramifications." Every single faction has internal divisions where PCs can get involved, offering very different themes for campaigns. There's plenty of clear paths for the players to change things for the various polities or non-governmental factions (some of whom would like to be).

COTN's hook is way less interesting then the internal conflicts in the Dwendalian empire or the like, but they require a lot more tailoring and intrigue that makes writing a published adventure around that hard.

 

[Necropolitan]

Dude, you're just making stuff up here to crap on CR and the setting.

Just because you don't like the criticisms doesn't make them false.

There's plenty of clear paths for the players to change things for the various polities or non-governmental factions (some of whom would like to be).

Like what?

What systemic injustices will players be fighting? Even the 'Evil' Empires are just vaguely oppressive and most villains are lone wolves.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There's barely any difference for heroes to make. That's why they had to make up an entirely new threat for Call of the Netherdeep.

Err, I make up a completely new threat for every adventure, irrespective of setting. Doesn't everyone? I'm not looking for a setting to provide the plot, I'm looking for it to provide you know, the setting.

That's a massive insult to Discworld.

Actually, it's far more consistent than Discworld, which was cobbled together as the author went along to fit whatever story he wanted to tell.