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!

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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dave2008

Legend
It's not some kind of perceived entitlement that I demand anyone to make products catering specifically for me. No, it's just that D&D used to have products I was interested in and now, not much. If WotC makes more money by targeting audiences I'm not a part of, well, good for them, but I won't buy their products. That's all.
What products are you looking for?
 

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Sadras

Legend
They produced a couple of boxed sets for AD&D 2nd edition and changed a few things e.g. the Grand Duke started calling himself King. (Of course, changes, contradictions and ret-cons are business-as-usual for Mystara.)

That was set after 1000 AC, during or post Wrath of the Immortals. It wasn't changes, contradictions or ret-cons - but advancing the timeline.
 


Chaosmancer

Legend
@Chaosmancer, regarding all the complaints about Mercer and Critical Role, I appreciate what you wrote earlier. I've been known to criticize them as a sort of knee jerk reaction against "celebrity nerd culture," and it's easy for me to forget that Mercer (et al) are people that like the hobby who just happened to find some degree of mainstream success. I shouldn't hate on it for that reason.
I've watched a few episodes. It's not my thing. (That being said, I haven't enjoyed any of the game streams I've watched, regardless of the players, the DM, or the rules system.)

Yeah, I think it is important to remember this. Especially since the parts that annoy you (below) have little to nothing to do with the people and the game they are playing. You might have some issues with the fandom, and that's completely different than issues with them.

Heck, it happens to everyone about something or other. I've had some really toxic interactions with Eberron fans on DnD forums. But, reading the setting material and playing with some actual people, it is a really fun setting. Despite how the "fans" left an impression on me.

Strangely, I've noticed that most of the players I've met who have come in on the wave of CR popularity are anathema to my style of gaming: five pages of irrelevant backstory with no effort to tie it into the campaign world, delight about causing inner-party conflict ("hehe my rogue stole your weapon and tied together your shoelaces and poisoned your ale"), and enjoy debating the cost of mundane supplies for extended periods of time trying to save a few copper coins.
It seems to move the focus of the game away from the adventure and action and onto some grand story. It's less a Conan swords and sorcery short story - and more like Wheel of Time. It's just not for me.

Yeah, inter-party conflict just isn't as much fun unless you are exactly what CR is, a really close group of friends who can handle it.

One thing I've noticed about backstories, most DnD settings like FR or homebrew games are really hard to get detailed lore on. So, tying into the campaign world is difficult for that player to do. Especially if they are newer to the game. And sometimes, you'll find a good hook, and follow it, and everyone disagrees with that version of the lore (might have happened to me, might have left me a little salty in that particular game.)
 


MGibster

Legend
I have mixed feelings about the apparent lack of interest WOTC has in lines like Dark Sun or Birthright. Would I like to see some updates on the old settings like Dark Sun or Birthright? Sure. But at the same time I'd like to see new material. Something like Acquisitions Inc. is really interesting.
 

Mecheon

Sacabambaspis
Taking a popular third party setting and making it official has been in D&D's blood since the start. That's how we got both Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, so any time something makes that jump from "Fan's game" to "Official" it should be celebrated to join those few.

I love my Dark Sun and Spelljammer, but honestly, this is a smart move.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Ravnica is a nothing-setting, frankly. I have yet to hear of a single person running a long-term game set there. Eberron is definitely a move in the right direction, but it's far more "generic fantasy" than, say, Dark Sun or Spelljammer, or, I would argue Planescape.

Note I didn't say medieval for a reason - generic fantasy hasn't been purely medieval since the early 1990s.

You aren't paying attention to the M:tG social media, then.

Eberron is not generic: that's the appeal.
 

Reynard

Legend
Taking a popular third party setting and making it official has been in D&D's blood since the start. That's how we got both Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, so any time something makes that jump from "Fan's game" to "Official" it should be celebrated to join those few.

I love my Dark Sun and Spelljammer, but honestly, this is a smart move.
Dragonlance was developed in house. Where does the belief otherwise come from?
 


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