D&D 5E WotC Announces New Critical Role Hardcover Adventure

Call of the Netherdeep will be out in March 2022. This adventure is set in Exandria and is for character levels 3-12. Interestingly, it also bears Critical Role branding at the top and bottom of the cover.

This is the third Critical Role D&D hardcover. The Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide came out in 2017, and the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount came out in 2020.

Darrington Press, CR's publishing arm, also announced the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn in July of this year with a release date of late 2021/early 2022.

An epic Critical Role campaign for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.

The greed of mortals has awakened a powerful entity long thought destroyed. For eons, this mighty champion of the gods has been imprisoned in the darkest depths of Exandria. His name has been forgotten, as have his heroic deeds. Languishing in despair, he calls out for new heroes to save him.

Inspired by the campaigns of the hit series Critical Role, this adventure begins in the Wastes of Xhorhas and leads to the glimmering oasis-city of Ank’Harel on the continent of Marquet, and from there into a sunken realm of gloom, corruption, and sorrow known as the Netherdeep. Above it all, the red moon of Ruidus watches, twisting the fates of those who have the power to shape the course of history.

Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep contains seven chapters of thrilling adventure, new creatures and magic items, and a poster map of Ank’Harel.

• First major adventure module within Critical Role’s world of Exandria, taking players from levels 3-12.
• Multi-continental story that spans the scarred Wastes of Xhorhas, introduces the continent of Marquet, and eventually plunges players into the Netherdeep—a terrifying cross between the Far Realm and the deep ocean.
• Bursting with lore and all new art depicting Exandria.
• Includes new magic items and creatures and introduces new rival NPCs.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't watch critical role, but I am excited to see an official adventure starting at 3rd level. My group has started campaigns above level 1 for a while and I think by this time in the development cycle there's enough people experienced with 5e that we can start more adventures at higher levels.

A lot of 5e adventures kinda do. They just often include “introductory adventures” that take characters from 1st to 3rd, but are generally optional and pretty disconnected from the plot of the adventure proper. Death House in Curse of Strahd, the Finding Floon segment in Dragon Heist, the beginning of Storm King’s Thunder, the Baldur’s Gate portion of Decent into Avernus… In most cases the adventure is actually improved by skipping the intro and starting the adventure proper at 3rd level.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Well, that’s certainly not what anyone was expecting.

Critical Role isn’t something I’ve ever gotten into (how does anyone even find the TIME?) but wotc must believe it’s a huge component of the modern D&D zeitgeist if they’re committing to it so hard.

I admit I was hoping for the big FR/spelljammer/lantan adventure though. We’ll be finishing our current campaign early next year and will need a new one, and I really liked the idea of zany swashbuckling in space for a while. Exandria as a setting hasn’t really done much for me.

There actually was a rumor from a supposedly reputable source, that said a book next year would be an adventure anthology set in Exandria.

Which this isn't really, as it seems more like an actual full adventure campaign instead of segmented pieces like Candlekeep. But its pretty close.

 

[Mercador]

Meh, not my thing, but I'm happy for those that this sparks for.

Me neither but CR brought a lot of new folks in the game so I guess it's a good news. I was hoping for Spelljammer but I guess it will be for another day.

 

[JThursby]

wotc must believe it’s a huge component of the modern D&D zeitgeist if they’re committing to it so hard.

They would be right to think so. We know now Critical Role is the most watched and most profitable show on Twitch. Considering the massive amount of setting work Matt Mercer puts into his game, and the equally massive following he has acquired, it’s no surprise wotc has recognized CR as the true driver of the future of D&D. From a business standpoint they should have pressured CR to have greater ties to official D&D years ago, though I for one would rather they keep each other at arms length, Matt doesn’t need to be bossed around by some of the critically unimaginative senior staff.

 

[BRayne]

There actually was a rumor from a supposedly reputable source, that said a book next year would be an adventure anthology set in Exandria.

Which this isn't really, as it seems more like an actual full adventure campaign instead of segmented pieces like Candlekeep. But its pretty close.

That person also changed their prediction to a Marquet Campaign Setting and maintain that being separate from this

 

[Urriak Uruk]

That person also changed their prediction to a Marquet Campaign Setting and maintain that being separate from this

I'll admit a Marquet book probably will happen at some point. Seems like another sure-fire way to print $ on WotC's side.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

They would be right to think so. We know now Critical Role is the most watched and most profitable show on Twitch. Considering the massive amount of setting work Matt Mercer puts into his game, and the equally massive following he has acquired, it’s no surprise wotc has recognized CR as the true driver of the future of D&D. From a business standpoint they should have pressured CR to have greater ties to official D&D years ago, though I for one would rather they keep each other at arms length, Matt doesn’t need to be bossed around by some of the critically unimaginative senior staff.

I would argue that although Wildemount's book is very well produced, it's actually fairly unimaginative as 5E setting books go (probably better than SCAG or Ravnica, worse than Theros, Eberron, Ravenloft). But we are all entitled to our own opinion...

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I'll admit a Marquet book probably will happen at some point. Seems like another sure-fire way to print $ on WotC's side.

I really hope Darrington Press handles this

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I really hope Darrington Press handles this

They probably can't, if they want it to match Wildemount's production quality. There's a big difference between updating a previously written book (Tal'dorei) and making one from scratch (Wildemount).

 

[This Effin’ GM]

They probably can't, if they want it to match Wildemount's production quality. There's a big difference between updating a previously written book (Tal'dorei) and making one from scratch (Wildemount).

Yeah I mean it won’t be the super polished quality that WotC has, but I want them to do it mainly so they have the opportunity to refine that process. I wanna see Darrington go “to the moooooooon”