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.

 

[darjr]

I also get that CR and this book isn’t for everyone. That’s OK in my book. No sweat.
Just saying.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I would like to weigh in on the Cover art a tiny bit.

I think it's unfair to say that every shinnyish white man with shortish but not short hair looks like Matt Mercer.

But that Blue Half-Orc is -CLEARLY- Jester and Fjord's kid, right?

Mmmf... that is some Tusk Love for sure!

so that is where the blue elf orc comes from.

 

[Charlaquin]

I would hold your reigns a bit there. The Curse of Strife for Goblinkind is problematic, and something I am guess Matt regrets at this point. It is the quintessential 'they have no choice but to be evil because of what they are' justification. When I first saw it, I found it out of place in the CR materials, and ... very interesting as I also had a similar origin for orcs, goblins, etc... in my world (the Gods didn't give them complete free will) that I have been addressing over the past few years. I've been waiting for Matt to address it more distinctly on stream.

I get the Impression Matt, like many long-time D&D players, just likes having monsters that are clearly, visibly monsters and that the players don’t have to feel guilty for fighting. But, also like many long-time players, recognizes the icky implications of that, and is doing his best to try and navigate that conflict. The Curse of Strife was a miss, for sure, but in it I see the efforts of a well-intentioned DM who’s struggling to find the right balance.

 

[darjr]

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I'm just trying to have a conversation...

Sorry, I'm probably feeling a little defensive because I've also started being more active on Total War's forums (specifically for TW:Warhammer) and holy smokes are folks mean to each other there. Way worse than anything I've seen here.

I'll add, I own Wildemount and like it, I'm just becoming more picky now that D&D release schedule is speeding up. I can't possibly own all the books anymore, so I'm becoming more picky in my purchasing.

 

[Bolares]

I'm just becoming more picky now that D&D release schedule is speeding up. I can't possibly own all the books anymore, so I'm becoming more picky in my purchasing.

For sure, I've always been picky with what I buy, first because the books can be quite expensive here in brazil, and latter, after the translations began to happen, I've decided to only buy stuff in portuguese, so all my players can read it. That's why I still don't own Rising, and I f' love Eberron. I'm lucky that a friend has all the books on DnD beyond and has shared them with me through the campaign feature.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I would like to weigh in on the Cover art a tiny bit.

I think it's unfair to say that every shinnyish white man with shortish but not short hair looks like Matt Mercer.

But that Blue Half-Orc is -CLEARLY- Jester and Fjord's kid, right?

Mmmf... that is some Tusk Love for sure!

Ha, that could be true!

Another thing, and I may get flack for this... I don't like the cover at all. Doesn't really tell me much of what's in the book, and doesn't evoke much emotion from me. I'm surprised folks were critical of Eberron's initial cover when this is much worse IMO.

 

[Bolares]

Ha, that could be true!

Another thing, and I may get flack for this... I don't like the cover at all. Doesn't really tell me much of what's in the book, and doesn't evoke much emotion from me. I'm surprised folks were critical of Eberron's initial cover when this is much worse IMO.

yeah, it's just heads and an angel... I'd expect an U'ktoa eye or something like that...

 

[billd91]

I get the Impression Matt, like many long-time D&D players, just likes having monsters that are clearly, visibly monsters and that the players don’t have to feel guilty for fighting. But, also like many long-time players, recognizes the icky implications of that, and is doing his best to try and navigate that conflict. The Curse of Strife was a miss, for sure, but in it I see the efforts of a well-intentioned DM who’s struggling to find the right balance.

If the internet has proven anything, it's that a lot of people jump to the worst possible conclusions or interpretations with little provocation. I think you're generally right and it might have been something Matt was also interesting in pursuing further... had campaigns developed along those lines. It could be quite a quest for a group of adventurers to find a way to end the Curse of Strife.

 

[Bolares]

I don't know.... I prefer problematic elements to be errated out than being solved in canon. I'd rather have the curse of strife to be retconned as never existing than being something that will be forever real in the in canon history of the setting... I don't know if this would be "the right way" to do it, but that's what I prefer.