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.

 

[bedir than]

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

May Black Roses Bloom

 

[OblivionDrive]

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

Sure, I can see that but they're talking about ALL of Wildemount, not just the Dwendalian side of the continent. Xhorhas and the Menagerie Coast don't have those restrictions.

I just assumed it meant this is where they would be covering things like Uk'atoa and other powerful entities/demigods as well as growing "definitely not a cult!" groups like the Traveller's loose band of followers.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

May Black Roses Bloom

Thank you!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

May Black Roses Bloom

Looks like there is no podcast of the game, sadly...

still, I love DL enough to actually watch a screen of ppls faces while I listen.

 

[gyor]

Sure, I can see that but they're talking about ALL of Wildemount, not just the Dwendalian side of the continent. Xhorhas and the Menagerie Coast don't have those restrictions.

I just assumed it meant this is where they would be covering things like Uk'atoa and other powerful entities/demigods as well as growing "definitely not a cult!" groups like the Traveller's loose band of followers.

Okay I know three of the major regions of Wildemount, Xhorhas, Menagerie Coast, Dwendalian Empire, but what is the fourth major region of Wildemount? I thought at first it was the Dragonborn Empire, but that if fell to a Dragon Attack.

 

[Parmandur]

Okay I know three of the major regions of Wildemount, Xhorhas, Menagerie Coast, Dwendalian Empire, but what is the fourth major region of Wildemount? I thought at first it was the Dragonborn Empire, but that if fell to a Dragon Attack.

It's the Northern tundra area, not yet visited in game but detailed in the book. Watch the Todd Talks video, the authors discuss it a bit.

 

[OblivionDrive]

It's the Northern tundra area, not yet visited in game but detailed in the book. Watch the Todd Talks video, the authors discuss it a bit.

I mean they KINDA briefly dipped their toes into the area if I'm not mistaken?

Spoiler

Isn't that where they teleported to where they got the component to reforge the Star Razor from the white dragon? Also where the forge complex was?

 

[gyor]

Calling WotC liars. Real class there

WotC has been caught lying before, like saying Swordcoast Legends was inspired by 5e when it absolutely wasn't. I'm not saying their liars as in they lie all the time, but sometimes they get caught lying about things. It's not a lack of class when you catch them lying to merely point it out.

 

[darjr]

That’s pathetic

 

[Sacrosanct]

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for WoTC to do this. The only question was why they didn't do it earlier. As has been mentioned, the reasons are compelling. The KS was a huge success. Ep1 of season 1 has 12.4 million views. The CR team are a bunch of younger good looking people. It makes total sense for WoTC to capitalize on this, and the results aren't all that surprising.

Let's face it, old settings like Greyhawk might be my personal favorite because that's what I grew up playing, but much like Eberron became more popular for the generation that started there, Wildemount is the current new setting a whole new wave of players are familiar with. From a business perspective, it makes total sense to focus on that setting before Grayhawk or Spelljammer or Dark Sun.