CriticalRole and DnD have partnered again for Call of the Netherdeep, an adventure book set in Exandria featuring a rival party.
Adventuring parties looking to dive into Dungeons & Dragons' new book will have some competition in the form of a rival party from Critical Role. The partnership between Dungeons & Dragons and the immensely popular D&D series, co-designed by game master Matt Mercer, is set in the show's world of Exandria.
In recent years, Critical Role's popularity became so massive that it set Kickstarter records resulting in Amazon Prime picking up The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated adaption of the web series' first campaign. This was not, however, the first time Critical Role partnered with outside companies to expand its brand including a notable two-way partnership with Dungeons & Dragons itself.
This falls in line with the mentality game master Matt Mercer has reiterated in the past when promoting other official D&D works set in the world of Critical Role. While there is a lot of information presented, it is not so much to deprive a group of creative expression. The books merely provide an array of options for players to interpret however they see fit.
It is likely that Call of the Netherdeep will, by its nature, have a more concrete structure for players than Critical Role guidebook Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, but the overall feel will probably be the same. Critical Role's emphasis on character is what has made the show so popular by giving fans three-dimensional beings that are easy to get invested in.