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).

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Thing is, we are well past the point where most D&D players have only ever experienced 5E. Anybody who got started with another edition is now a grognard, to some degree.

I think that's important to emphasise. For this crowd, Eberron is an "old" setting - since its been around since they were born. Things like Greyhawk or Spelljammer or Dragonlance are positively ancient.
 

PMárk

Explorer
The primary audience for the game wasn't born when 3.0 was released, or was wearing diapers: us 30-something 3.x players are the grognards now, yes.

Well, so be it. I don't see that as a bad thing. I have my interests and preferences and I don't really care if those are not align with the current trends.

It's just funny that many people throwing around this "only old grognards want this and that" oppinions (not just regarding D&D, mind you, but other games as well) are often decades older than me. :D
 


generic

On that metempsychosis tweak
I've only been playing D&D for around eight years, and I have a few opinions about the game which seem more 3E than 5E in their sensibilities. Given, I have read older rulebooks, and played in older systems.
 

PMárk

Explorer
I think that's important to emphasise. For this crowd, Eberron is an "old" setting - since its been around since they were born. Things like Greyhawk or Spelljammer or Dragonlance are positively ancient.

Which also means they never experienced these fun and unique setting and nothing says they wouldn't be interested in them, besides another generic fantasy one.
 


PMárk

Explorer
shudder

THAT makes me feel old, but I guess that 3.0 DID come out 20 years ago this coming August. Ugh.

I always have that feeling when Lord of the Rings is being played on television. Usually around Christmas. :D

The thing that always astonishes me is how well 3.x kept up. There are still plenty of people playing it (including me and both of my current groups) and taking into consideration that PF1e was basically 3.75 and still maintained the 2nd spot all these years... People could naughty word on 3.x all they want and I get it, it's not for everyone, as neither of the editions are, but it is a tremendously successfull one, no doubt.
 

Aldarc

Legend
I'm not the target audience for this new book. Happens.

Also, count me among those who would not necessarily want the Nentir Vale setting to be subsumed by Matt Mercer's homebrew setting. I believe that while Mercer's homebrew attests to the strength of the Nentir Vale as a homebrew sandbox setting, I would not necessarily want his homebrew to serve as the new starting point for players as it feels less sandbox (to me at least) than the Nentir Vale of 4e.
 

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