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).

9780786966912_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg
 

log in or register to remove this ad

3catcircus

Adventurer
So, you are not the customer base, as the 5E books have been very well received: since you are not part of their customer base, clearly they wouldn't be catering to you.

Why would you think that because I don't like the 5e setting books (such as they are) that I'm not the D&D customer base? The core rules are good and the adventures are mostly good and I've got the a few of those. The 5evsettings books don't really meet the intent of what previous editing considered to be campaign settings. Throwing a tiny sliver of Greyhawk into Ghosts of Saltmarsh and calling it good doesn't cut it. The Sword Coast Adv. Guide felt like was a rehash of the most-covered section of the Forgotten Realms not really worth the purchase price. Wayfarers Guide to Eberron felt unfinished.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Why would you think that because I don't like the 5e setting books (such as they are) that I'm not the D&D customer base? The core rules are good and the adventures are mostly good and I've got the a few of those. The 5evsettings books don't really meet the intent of what previous editing considered to be campaign settings. Throwing a tiny sliver of Greyhawk into Ghosts of Saltmarsh and calling it good doesn't cut it. The Sword Coast Adv. Guide felt like was a rehash of the most-covered section of the Forgotten Realms not really worth the purchase price. Wayfarers Guide to Eberron felt unfinished.

If you don't like popular D&D books, then indeed you are not the intended audience. And that's OK, not everyone has to like everything. But those books you mention have been fantastic, and better than what came before, for me. Apparently, that is the message which WotC has received by listening, and the proof is in the pudding continued success.
 
Last edited:

Chaosmancer

Legend
Why would you think that because I don't like the 5e setting books (such as they are) that I'm not the D&D customer base? The core rules are good and the adventures are mostly good and I've got the a few of those. The 5evsettings books don't really meet the intent of what previous editing considered to be campaign settings. Throwing a tiny sliver of Greyhawk into Ghosts of Saltmarsh and calling it good doesn't cut it. The Sword Coast Adv. Guide felt like was a rehash of the most-covered section of the Forgotten Realms not really worth the purchase price. Wayfarers Guide to Eberron felt unfinished.

Why do you think that fans of Critical Role (a show who's entire premise is playing DnD) aren't in DnD's Customer Base?

I mean, you either seem to think that they are not DnD's Customer Base or that somehow the argument of "They should have released a far less popular book than this one, because fans from 30 years ago want it" warrants serious discussion.

Wildemount will be 5e's best selling setting book this year, possibly their best selling book outside of the Core rulebooks (maybe). Yet, somehow, WoTC is not listening to their fans, fans who will provide a large percentage of their revenue according to you. Fans who aren't buying this book, possibly their best selling book of the entire edition to date.... Which is likely going to provide them with a large percentage of their revenue for this year.....

I think, just maybe, the fans are getting exactly what they want here.
 

Fenris-77

Small God of the Dozens
Supporter
Edit, yikes, I switched to my laptop and the thread didn't update. This is a reply to something 3Catcircus said probably two pages ago.:cautious:

Because all companies are exactly the same? I like people who quote studies though, facts are helpful. Which study are you referring to and what kind of company was the focus? I only ask because there are many, many, different kinds of business, and many different business models. Probably too many to boil down to one set of stats. So lets get granular!
 


Chaosmancer

Legend
Don't forget:

"Dread"< DnD 5e < Shadowrun 4e < Champions

Never played Champions (and no idea what it is, assuming that is a shortened name) but after trying to self-teach Shadowrun 4e... I don't think I could ever rise to the challenge of something more complicated than that.

Though to be fair, the guy gave me access to all the splats. Which likely made it so much worse.
 





Remove ads

Remove ads

Top