Critical Role Wildemount: Most Pre-orders Since D&D Core Rulebooks

It seems that the most popular D&D setting in the 5E era is... Wildemount! Talking about the upcoming Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, WotC's Greg Tito said on a Twitch stream recently that "we're pretty sure that this book has seen the most pre-orders and pre-release excitement since any of the core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition were released".

Here's the quote in full:

"...It was number 1, ranked number 1, for all books on Amazon. How many of you out there remember when Amazon was just selling books? Raise your hands. Yeah, that's me. So it's really cool, even though obviously I do a lot more other fun stuff right now, there is a ton out there that are excited for this book, and it isn't even out yet.

"We have little bit of an internal metrics, but we're pretty sure that this book has seen the most pre-orders and pre-release excitement since any of the core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition were released, and if you've been following along at home, Dungeons & Dragons has been selling like hotcakes since 5th Edition released in 2014."

It sounds like the Critical Role setting is proving more popular (at least right now) than traditional D&D settings like Ravenloft or Eberron, newer ones like Ravnica, or adventures set in the Forgotten Realms.

Explorer's Guide to Wildemount will hit game stores on March 17th.

 

[Zardnaar]

No surprise. Generally I don't care what they put in new stuff. You either like it or you don't but they're not messing anything up.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Only officially released Settings have material for 5e on DMs Guild. So Ravenloft, Eberron, Forgotten Realms.

I am referring to 2nd/3rd edition fluff for settings. It is all there, pretty much, and for most settings all you need along with the core books.

 

[Parmandur]

So basically gods stolen from an eclectic mix of different settings. Suggests Mercer isn't very interested in fantasy religion. You could justify it though, with the idea that Exandria has no native gods so they are all interlopers from other planes.

They couldn't mention Sarenrae and Torog though, since those are both from Golarion, and must belong to Paizo.

Torog is WotC IP: other than Sarenrae (the Campaign 1 Cleric was written up with the PF Core Rulebook and Mercer just says "yes" to the players using options from the book), the gods are all from the 4E default pantheon, and retain the Dawn War mythology. Mercer is actually quite interested in fleshing that out, though. The Green Ronin book gets into the Dawn War in detail, but uses circumlocutions by way of title ("Dawn-Father" and such) for all the god's names.

Suspiciously, it seems to me in retrospect that went back to using the WotC proper names in game just about when work on this book began.

 

[Parmandur]

Well, they're doing the Whitestone arc in the animated series, but I'd buy an Exandria based video game. Maybe the Chroma Conclave arc, searching out artifacts so that you and your party have a chance to defeat the biggest, baddest dragons in the realm.

A prequel would probably be best for a video game, set apart from their in-campaign events (a la Icewind Dale I & II).

 

[JeffB]

Torag is Paizo
Torog is WOTC

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Torag is Paizo
Torog is WOTC

Like Orcus?

I know Orcus is in both D&D and Pathfinder, but the Pathfinder lore says he's more interested in other worlds. Which just fuels my theory of all D&D and D&D adjacent properties exist in the same multiverse.

 

[Rikka66]

Like Orcus?

I know Orcus is in both D&D and Pathfinder, but the Pathfinder lore says he's more interested in other worlds. Which just fuels my theory of all D&D and D&D adjacent properties exist in the same multiverse.

Based off the Pathfinder wiki Torag seems to be their version of Moradin. Though Torog tricking the dwarves with an alternate identity would make a decent story.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

While Disney+ isn't embracing the RPG spirit yet, NBC's new streaming service Peacock is launching with an Adventure Zone series.

Plenty of D&D pods are set in Eberron. DragonLance has a popular one as well. Most are homebrew, because that's how the majority of people play D&D.

I didn’t know there was a popular Dragonlance podcast! Happen to know the name?

Wizards is currently working on a Magic the Gathering animated series with Netflix. So they are doing that, just with their stronger brand that has more of an identity as a setting and has fewer rights encumbered with bad TSR licensing decisions.

Makes sense, though I’d love to see an Eberron cartoon.

 

[Azzy]

Makes sense, though I’d love to see an Eberron cartoon.

I would definitely watch.

 

[gyor]

Torog is WotC IP: other than Sarenrae (the Campaign 1 Cleric was written up with the PF Core Rulebook and Mercer just says "yes" to the players using options from the book), the gods are all from the 4E default pantheon, and retain the Dawn War mythology. Mercer is actually quite interested in fleshing that out, though. The Green Ronin book gets into the Dawn War in detail, but uses circumlocutions by way of title ("Dawn-Father" and such) for all the god's names.

Suspiciously, it seems to me in retrospect that went back to using the WotC proper names in game just about when work on this book began.

So how do you think this book will handle the Sarenrae issue?

 

[Azzy]

So how do you think this book will handle the Sarenrae issue?

Either use some sort of appellation or giver her a new name.

 

[Darrius_Adler]

Only buying it for the class options and spells

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Either use some sort of appellation or giver her a new name.

Most likely just keep her with the name she has in the Taldorei Campaign Guide.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Torog is WotC IP: other than Sarenrae (the Campaign 1 Cleric was written up with the PF Core Rulebook and Mercer just says "yes" to the players using options from the book), the gods are all from the 4E default pantheon, and retain the Dawn War mythology. Mercer is actually quite interested in fleshing that out, though. The Green Ronin book gets into the Dawn War in detail, but uses circumlocutions by way of title ("Dawn-Father" and such) for all the god's names.

Suspiciously, it seems to me in retrospect that went back to using the WotC proper names in game just about when work on this book began.

Although after two campaigns set in the world, there is plenty of Critical Role only lore, and some of the deities have begun to diverge from their 4E versions. I believe there is some original deities as well now, especially with the second campaign going on. (The Critical Role Traveller is not the one from Eberron, for instance)

 

[OblivionDrive]

Although after two campaigns set in the world, there is plenty of Critical Role only lore, and some of the deities have begun to diverge from their 4E versions. I believe there is some original deities as well now, especially with the second campaign going on. (The Critical Role Traveller is not the one from Eberron, for instance)

One of the blurbs breaking down the book on the CR shop preorder page specifically cites lesser divinities besides just the gods, so I assume they're probably sticking the Traveller in there?

"An extensive breakdown of the Wildemount pantheon, featuring idols and demigods that exist outside of the pantheon "

 

[Urriak Uruk]

So how do you think this book will handle the Sarenrae issue?

They'll use her title; The Everlight.

 

[Mournblade94]

Calling WotC liars. Real class there

Its really not that melodramatic. That would be like claiming lucasfilm is liars for all the things Abrams said, This is what companies do. I would absolutely not expect them to say it took up a book slot. I imagine it did take up a slot, I don't necessarily beleive them when they say it didn't, but it doesn't make me particularly mad because they have to give the company line.

 

[Parmandur]

So how do you think this book will handle the Sarenrae issue?

Probably by circumlocution.

 

[Parmandur]

One of the blurbs breaking down the book on the CR shop preorder page specifically cites lesser divinities besides just the gods, so I assume they're probably sticking the Traveller in there?

"An extensive breakdown of the Wildemount pantheon, featuring idols and demigods that exist outside of the pantheon "

That's a reference to the Dwendalian Empires religious policy: only Lawful Neutral and Lawful Good deities can be worshiped, publicly or privately.

 

[Maestrino]

Maybe? Why do book/material releases need to be tied to where CR is adventuring?

Mainly because they won't want to release a book full of spoiler-y info before they have a chance to explore an area in-game.