The mystery Dungeons & Dragons game book that was announced Monday (after a slight delay) was unmasked a bit early over the weekend by Amazon.com. As the e-tailer’s premature listing prophesied, the $50 hardcover game book coming March 17, 2020, will be Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, a campaign setting and adventure book released in collaboration with Critical Role and D&D streaming superstar Matt Mercer.
Wizards of the Coast made it official with an announcement as promised Monday morning.
“Critical Role is a great example of why Dungeons & Dragons has been popular for over 45 years: a group of friends getting together, telling stories, and making each other laugh,” said Nathan Stewart, VP of franchise for Dungeons & Dragons at WotC. “In this case, the friends are talented performers playing live on camera, but the fun’s the same. We’re thrilled D&D fans and Critters alike can now enjoy playing in Matt’s world, as brought to fifth edition in this lovingly-crafted book.”
“I’m sincerely so honored and excited to be working directly with Chris Perkins and this team of talented D&D writers and designers to bring this book to not just our community, but to D&D players everywhere,” said Matthew Mercer, chief creative officer and Dungeon Master of Critical Role, as well as lead writer on the guide. “Dungeons & Dragons has had such a massive, positive impact on nearly my entire life, and I am ever inspired by the endless creativity I see it spark in so many others across the world. To have been able to work with Wizards of the Coast to bring my world to life as an official campaign book is nothing short of surreal. I can’t wait to see what other DMs and players create within my world to make it their own!”
WotC says the 304-page Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount invites DMs to start playing in any of Wildemount’s regions using introductory adventures, dozens of story-inspiring plot seeds, and the new heroic chronicle system. Adventurers can also expect to discover countless secrets revealed by Mercer for the first time. Players and DMs will find new character options available for play in any campaign, like the Echo Knight fighter subclass, spells of dunamancy, numerous new monsters, and more.
The digital platform D&D Beyond is offering a bonus for those who pre-order the Guide’s content with them: “Pre-order now on D&D Beyond to immediately unlock special character sheet backgrounds and themes that are only available to pre-order purchasers!”
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.
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