Explorer's Guide to Wildemount [5e]

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Thanks to the many, many groups of playtesters who helped us
get the character options and adventures into their final form. We
couldn't have made this book without you!

ON THE COVER

Illustrator Karl KerschI captures the stern visages of two sovereigns
with a Luxon beacon between them. Bright Queen Leylas Kryn of

the Kryn Dynasty and King Bertrand Dwendal of the Dwendalian
Empire have never seen eye to eye-and their conflict will shape
the futures and destinies of all life on the war-torn continent of
Wildemount.

Disclaimer: The continent ofWildemount and all peoples within arefictional and primarily
exist to invite you and your friends into a world of exploration, imagination, and deep
emotional catharsis through epic struggles and victories. We advise you to embrace failure
as much as success, sadness as much asjoy, and to remain vigilant when taking care of
pets or animals you acquire on your adventures.Wizards of the Coast and Critical Role are
not responsible for any mental trauma suffered by animal companions or domesticated
fey creatures resufting from persistent danger and deadly challenges, nor are we responsi·
ble for whatever lack of passive Perception might lead to a failure to notice the animals'
rapid escape.

620C 7 2 70000001 EN CE
ISBN: 978-0 - 7869-6691-2
First Printing: March 2020

98 7 65432 1

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names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. The world ofExandria, its groups of individuals, its elements, its distinctive
characters, and its locations are the sole property of Critical Role. All rights reserved. All other characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. The ma·
terials described in this statement are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and around the world under international intellectual property treaties. Any
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CONTENTS

Preface . . .. 4......................................... .... . ........ Humans . . . . 164........... ....... ............... .... ........ . . 290Gearkeeper Construct ........... .............. .

. . . 5Welcome to Wildemount ......... .... .. ....... Aarakocra . 165............................................ . . . . .. 291Gloomstalker . ................... ... ... . . ... .......
A New D&D Setting . 5...................... .............
. . 5Nations ofWildemount ....... ............. ........ Aasimar . 166.............................. .................. 292Horizonback Tortoise .............................
What's in This Book? 6..................................
War! 6................................................................. Dragonborn . 168................. ........................ Husk Zombie . . . . . . . 293. ... . ... ............... ..... ........ .
Calendar and Time . . . 8..... ............... ....... ........
Moons of Exandria ...................................... 9 Firbolgs . . . . 169 Merrow Shallowpriest .. 294................. .... .... ........... .........
Daily Life inWildemount........................... 9 . ........................

Genasi . .. . . 170 Moorbounders . . 295..... ............. ... ........ ..................
. ....................... ................

Gnomes . . 173.............. .............. ................... . 296Nergaliid (Devil Toad) ........... ................

Goblinkin . 173............................................. SahuaginWarlock of Uk'otoa ...............297

Goliaths . . . 175............ ... .... ........................... Sea Fury . . . . 298.... ...... ..... ................. ................

Ch. 1: Story ofWildemount................... 11 Half-Elves . . . 176................. .... ....... ............... Shadowghast . .. . 299.. ............. ...................... ...
11History ofWildemount .............................
Wildemount after the Calamity.............. 14 Kenku..................................................... 176 . . 300Swavain Basilisk ............. ...... ... ............
Pantheon of Exandria............................... 20
Ores and Half-Orcs............................. 177 Udaak .........................................................301
Prime Deities . 20. .......................................
Betrayer Gods........................................ 26 Tabaxi . . 178.................... ... ........................... Glossary ....................................................302
Lesser Idols . . . . 30.... .. ........ ............. ............. Tieflings .. . 179................... ......................... .. Index . . . . . 304................... .............. ......... ... ... ....
Tortles....................................................180

Hollow One . . . . 181.......................... .... . ... ......... Maps

Subclasses . . . . . 182... ... .... . .... ............................ 7Continent ofWildemount ..........................

Ch. 2: Factions and 35Societies............... . 183Fighter: Echo Knight...................... ... Map 3.1:Menagerie Coast....................... 61
Dwendalian Empire..................................35
Kryn Dynasty .............................................38 . 184 3.2: . 73Wizard: ChronurgyMagic ...... .........
. . 41Cerberus Assembly .................... ...... .... ... Map Port Damali ............................. .
Clovis Concord 43...........................................
TheMyriad . . . . .. 45...... .................. .. ... .. ............. Wizard: GraviturgyMagic.................185 3.3: 79Map
Children ofMalice..................................... 46 Marrow Valley...........................
Diarchy of . .. . . .. . . 48Uthodurn .. ... . ...... ... .. .... ...
Tribes of Shadycreek Run . . 50......... ............ Dunamancy Spells ..................................186 3.4: 97Map
Library of the Cobalt Soul... . 52...... ............. Zemni Fields..............................
Scars of Scale and Tooth......................... 53
Claret Orders.............................................. 54 Heroic Chronicle......................................190 3.5: 105Map
Golden Grin ................................................ 56 Rexxentrum .............................
The Revelry .. . . ... .. 56.. ........... .... ...... ..... ............
Backgrounds . .. 200.. . ...................................... Map 3.6: GreyingWildlands ................. 111

Grinner .. . .. . . .. 200 Map 3.7: Eiselcross 123.... ... ..... ................... ..... ... .
.................................

. 202 3.8: 137Volstrucker Agent ......................... .....
Map Wastes of Xhorhas .................

Adapting Backgrounds ......................203 Map 3.9: Rosohna . 143.................... ...............

3.10: 150Map
Ch. 5: Adventures in Wildemount 205.... Blightshore ............................
Using These . . . 205Adventures............ .... ... ..
206Tide of Retribution ....... .......................... 5.1: 209Map
Dangerous Designs 217................................. Palma Flora .............................
Frozen Sick . 235...... ........................................
. ..250Unwelcome Spirits ................ ............. .. 5.2: Wavechaser 210Map
..............................
Ch. 6: Wildemount Treasures ........... .265
Magic Items ofWildemount..................265 Map 5.3: Ruined Palma Flora 215..............
Vestiges of . . . .. . 270Divergence ... . ... ...... .... ....
Arms of the Betrayers . . . . . .. 274.... ... ...... .... .. .. Map 5.4: Lower 219Hupperdook ................

Ch. 3: Wildemount . 59Gazetteer. ............. Map 5.5: Ironlot Streets . 220... .....................
Menagerie Coast... . 59....................... .............
Marrow Valley ............................................ 78 Map 5.6: Nima Cinnarid's 224House.........
Zemni Fields...............................................95
GreyingWildlands .................................. 111 Map 5.7: Silver Falls . 227Cavern ......... .......
Eiselcross ..................................................121
Wastes of Xhorhas ..................................132 Map 5.8: Stahlmast's Lair. ....................229
Blightshore................................................ 149
Distant Lands of . 158Exandria ..... .............. 5.9: 239Map
Croaker Cave ...........................

5.10: 245Map
Salsvault.................................

Ch. 7: Wildemount ..Bestiary ........... ...281 Map 5.11: BrokenveilMarsh .................254

Stat Blocks by Creature Type ...... ......... 281 Map 5.12: Fort Venture ..........................259

.. . . . . . 281Wildemount NPCs ............ ....... ... . . .. .

Ch. 4: . .Character Options ... ..... ........... 161 . . .. . . . ..282Aeorian Hunters .... .... ... ........ ..... .... .

Races . . 161........................... .................. ........... Blood Hunter . . . . . 284... .............. .......... .... .... ...

Dwarves ................................................ 162 Core Spawn ..............................................285

Elves . . 162................................... ....... ........... .. . . . 288Frost Giant Zombie ............ ... ........ ....

Halflings. . .... 164... ............................. FrostWorm . . 289................................ .... .........

..........

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tJ:Ung.

Imagination drives innovation and inspires communal A second campaign began shortly thereafter, this
creation. For this geeky theater kid, imagination was time taking place in the neighboring continent of Wilde­
my solace. mount, a land bound by dark history, political struggle,
and dangerous secrets simmering beneath the surface
Since before my granny began reading me to sleep of everyday life. Now knowing the complexity my players
with The Lord ofthe Rings and Piers Anthony at the were willing to engage with, I developed Wildemount
age of seven, I found myself simultaneously lost in, and on a scale and level of intricacy I had not previously
empowered by, imagination. From playing make-believe attempted. I excitedly watched as this region of Exan­
with my brother in our rainy, Florida yard as children, dria took shape, and it was here the Mighty Nein (as
to mowing through video game RPG after RPG, I found they came to be called) began their adventures, which
myself drawn into stories, especially those I could shape they currently continue to the day of my writing this
alongside my friends. It wasn't until I was introduced foreword. Wildemount expanded into a vast, complex,
to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS during my freshman year of and delightful setting that I continued to grow more and
high school that I found an experience that entwined more proud of. Then the incredible opportunity arose to
everything I loved about storytelling, collaboration, collaborate with Wizards of the Coast to bring this set­
theater, and creativity. I began building worlds for my ting to you in printed form.
friends to play in and filling notebooks with strange
ideas, quirky NPCs, and mediocre story threads (hey, ev­ I have been nothing short of humbled and ecstatic at
eryone has to start somewhere). I had found my favorite this chance to be a part of something so important to
pastime, one that continues to lift me up and shape who me. It has been a profound honor to bring our world into
I am today. the D&D multiverse and invite you to come play and
create in it. Exandria continues to be one of my proudest
All these years later, through a magical series of achievements, with Wildemount my most accomplished
circumstances, a group of gaming friends and I began aspect of this world to date. This continent is ripe with
streaming our home game of D&D on the internet under adventure and mystery. To work with such talented peo­
the name Critical Role, expecting little to no interest ple to make this campaign sourcebook a reality is a joy
after spending nearly a decade in web media being told I never thought I'd get to experience. Wildemount began
anything longer than five minutes has little value to the with Critical Role, but this book is an invitation for you
"ADHD generation." These myths were rapidly proven and your friends to make this world your own.
wrong, and our home game swelled into a community,
then into an unanticipated phenomenon that has be­ I invite you all to come to Wildemount. Wander the
come something so deeply wonderful and important to dangerous valleys of Western Wynandir, sail up and
me, and it seems, many others across the world. down the Menagerie Coast, brave the wastes of Xhor­
has's scarred lands, and explore the ancient secrets in
It is through the original campaign following the the regions beyond these war-embroiled realms. Follow
exploits of the adventuring party Vox Machina, with the paths of the Mighty Nein or blaze your own trail.
myself helming the narrative as the Dungeon Master, This is your Wildemount now.
that I began crafting the continent of Tal'Dorei and the
world of Exandria for my friends to explore. Expanding Matthew Mercer,
this world with each heroic venture my friends took on, Dungeon Master of Critical Role
each unique facet of their characters' stories enriching
this realm that otherwise existed entirely in my head,
Exandria began to grow and mature, feeling at times
like it was taking on a life of its own. By the end of that
journey, as the heroes of Vox Machina completed their
majestic tale, we all knew we had created something
special. However, that was but the first of many tales we
w-anted to weave.

--.-

J

WELCOME TO WILDEMOUNT

WO ARMIES CLASH ON A FOG-SHROUDED If you're a player, this book contains new options that
will help your character fit in perfectly with this strange
battlefield, heralded by the sound of trumpets new land. You can use the heroic chronicle system to
create a backstory that firmly roots your character in the
and drums on one side, and by an eerie, chirp­ lands of Wildemount. You'll also find new subclasses as
well as new magic items that will help you attain greater
ing whistle like countless thousands of wailing and greater power as you travel the continent.

crickets on the other. A raven, its ebon feathers spattered NATIONS OF WILDEMOUNT

with blood, alights on one of the fallen corpses and gently Wildemount's various regions are described i n greater
detail in chapter 3. Here's a quick overview of the major
raps its beak on the soldier's helmet. The raven looks up, civilizations of Wildemount.

curious, andflies into the slry. A land embroiled in war ex­ DWENDALIAN EMPIRE

pands beneath it, and yet, within the shroud of conflict, the The raven soars over a massive city, sprawling outward
from a somber, monolithic palace. Soldiers and war
raven sees twinkling pockets of light. machines pour from the city, stretching across the land
like innumerable grasping arms, greedily encircling the
The raven sees souls that shine bright with courage, kind­ continent. The raven notes this hungry behemoth and
alters course.
ness, and determination. It sees souls lustrous with greed,
The Dwendalian Empire is a young, ambitious state
fear, and anger. And most of all, it sees souls radiating with borne from decades of strife in Western Wynandir-the
heartland of Wildemount. Its austere lands are dotted
a desire to discover their place in the world. The raven sees with tiny villages, ruins of ancient civilizations, and
pockets of uncharted wilderness.
Wildemount.
Campaigns set in the Dwendalian Empire are bound
A NEW D&D SETTING to involve elements of war and political intrigue. The
empire is at war with the Kryn Dynasty, a nation of sur­
Wildemount i s a new setting for your DUNGEONS & face-dwelling drow which occupies Eastern Wynandir
DRAGONS campaign, originally created by Matthew and the wastes of Xhorhas. This war allows various
Mercer as the setting for the second campaign of the Dwendalian factions, such as the power-hungry Cerbe­
hit series Critical Role. Though it's just one continent rus Assembly, to vie for political dominance.
in the larger world of Exandria, Wildemount is teeming
with varied cultures, locales, peoples, and monsters. It C LOVI S C ONC ORD
is home to both avatars of evil and paragons of good, but
it is defined by the common people who exist in between Westward flies the herald o fthe Raven Queen. I t bursts
these two ideals. through the clouds above the western mountains and
emerges into a land blessed by sun. A sea oflushjungle
This book is for D&D players and Dungeon Masters stretches out beneath the raven, until eventually green
of all experience levels. It is for newcomers and for gives way to golden sand, and then to a boundless, sap­
hardcore fans of Critical Role alike. If you've watched phire sea. Ships swarm on that sea like a cloud ofgnats,
every episode of Critical Role to date, this book will still engulfed by flames and the sound ofcannon fire. They
contain surprises for you, as there are corners of Wilde­ fight for freedom.
mount that even the Mighty Nein weren't able to explore
in their adventures. W E LC O M E TO WILDE MOUNT

If you're a Dungeon Master, this book will help you
create a D&D campaign set in a land of war, intrigue,
and swashbuckling adventure. You could set your cam­
paign entirely within one ofWildemount's four regions,
or you could follow the example set by Critical Role and
create a campaign with a constantly evolving tone as the
adventurers journey across the continent. You will also
find brand-new monsters and introductory adventures
that can help you start a campaign in any of Wilde­
mount's four regions.

5

The Clovis Concord is a republic of city-states lining WHAT'S IN THIS BooK?
the Menagerie Coast, the westernmost shore of
Wildemount. This tropical region is rich with history Chapter 1 of this book introduces the big ideas you'll
and known for a lively, free-spirited culture that con­ need to know before creating a campaign in Wilde­
trasts sharply with Wildemount's other, politically mount: its history and its gods.
narrow-minded nations.
Chapter 2 presents the major political players that
Campaigns set on the Menagerie Coast are often nau­ shape daily life in Wildemount: its factions and societies.
tical, exploring the conflict between the law of the Clovis Depending on the choices made by your party of adven­
Concord and the chaos of the Revelry pirates. They can turers, these organizations might become their allies or
also investigate the jungles that line the coast and the their enemies. Some characters might begin play with
ancient ruins hidden within their verdant boughs. a history of involvement with one of these factions, and
several backgrounds are included later on to represent
TRIBES OF SHADYC RE E K RUN this allegiance.

The raven, battered by ice and snow; sees petty warlords Chapter 3 contains the Wildemount gazetteer, which
lead bands ofslavers across the snowfields and under­ details the cities and points of interest in each of the
stands that no Jaw but power rules the north. It sees continent's regions. The gazetteer includes NPCs, back­
smugglers and thieves flee beyond the grasp ofciviliza­ ground information, and even plot hooks that you can
tion and into the unknown. It sees the vast, roiling wil­ use as the seeds ofyour own adventures. It also gives
derness act with a fell will ofits own, claiming the Jives a brief overview of the other lands of Exandria beyond
of those who dare attempt to grasp power beyond their Wildemount.
ken. They fight for survival, glory, and greed.
Chapter 4 is for players first and foremost; combined
The Tribes of Shadycreek Run are a fragmented coali­ with the Player's Handbook, it contains everything you
tion of thieves, slavers, and scoundrels who managed need to create a character for a Wildemount campaign.
to amass power in the frigid backwater of Shadycreek
Run. While they struggle to enrich themselves through The final chapters of this book, chapters 5 through 7,
crime, however, they fail to realize that malign, primor­ give DMs starting adventures they can use to kick off
dial powers are creeping into the north underneath their campaigns as well as new magic items and mon­
their noses. sters to include in adventures of their own design.

Campaigns set in the Biting North often involve mor­ WA R !
ally gray characters butting heads with equally amoral
organizations in a struggle to survive-and then explode The continent of Wildemount is a powder keg about to
into chaos as forces beyond mortal imagination make all explode. Tensions between the Dwendalian Empire and
these petty conflicts seem insignificant by comparison. the Kryn Dynasty have just erupted into open war, and
everyone in Wildemount, including the adventurers,
KRYN DYNASTY must contend with the fallout of the conflict between the
continent's two imperial superpowers.
Finally, the raven flies east. It sees beings that would
be slain on sight in the other civilized nations of Wilde­ THE WAR OF ASH AND LIGHT
mount, walking side-by-side with humans and gray­
skinned elves. The raven sees that these people have a The war is only as important as you make it. If you place
light within them-and it sees that, far to the east, there either the battles of the war or their consequences front
is a mighty fortress that contains a light unseen since and center, the war will be of chief concern to your
the dawning of the world. Here, they fight for the revela­ players. If you keep the war and its consequences dis­
tion of the end ofthe world. tant, then the characters will be free to interact with or
ignore the war as they see fit. With a little bit of creative
The Kryn Dynasty is an empire made up of dark elves tweaking of the setting, you could create a Wildemount
(drow) and other humanoids typically considered to be campaign where the war has been called off or never
monsters by the other nations of Wildemount, such as even happened!
minotaurs, goblinkin, and gnolls. The Kryn Dynasty
rules over the wastes of Xhorhas, a land once blighted If you want the war to be an important part of your
by the rule of the Betrayer Gods when immortals still campaign, you need to give your players a reason for
walked the land. The Kryn safeguard a secret; ifyour their characters to care about it. The easiest way to get
players haven't seen any of Critical Role, revealing this buy-in from your players is to discuss out-of-character
secret could mark the turning point of a campaign. how big of a factor they want war to be in this campaign.
You can even dial the importance of the war up and
A campaign set in Xhorhas will doubtless involve the down over the course of the campaign, depending on
war between the Kryn Dynasty and the Dwendalian how you and your players feel over time.
Empire, but it can also include traditional dungeon
crawls, political intrigue within the courts of the dy­ BRING IT ON!
nasty, or even wilderness exploration that could unearth
secrets lost since the fall of the Betrayer Gods. If you and your players find war to be dramatic and
compelling, urge your players to create characters with
strong ties to the conflict. For example, patriotic (or
even jingoistic) characters will always fight for king or

W E L C O M E TO WILD E M O U NT
6

�� i r-- -+

1l rIIH FRIGID DEPTHS f wE
s
i-- I I
---+- -
,:;:

CONTINENT OF W1LDEMOUNT crime syndicates like the Myriad will need help mov­
ing illicit goods in and out of Dwendalian and Xhor­
queen and country. Likewise, greedy characters will hasian cities, and Revelry pirates will need loyal crew
fight for profit and glory. Once they've given you their members to raid unprotected towns.
reasons, turn those motivations into plot points in Disaster. When a town is destroyed by advancing
your campaign. armies, or by a landslide caused by artillery, the
common folk need help escaping. This could involve
IN THE BACKGROUND escorting noncombatants through no-man's-land to
a nearby town, or carving out a new settlement from
The adventurers don't have to be active combatants for the wilds.
the war to affect their lives. See below for a list of ad­ Law. When officers of the law are conscripted as sol­
venture options that touch on the consequences of war diers, local lawmasters suddenly find themselves in
without directly involving mass warfare. need of mercenary aid. Lawful characters might find
great adventure in flushing criminals out of cities and
No WAR, PLEASE busting their wilderness hideaways.
Military. Obviously, characters can choose to join up
If you want the war to be completely absent, simply dial with one of the sides in this conflict to embark on
the timeline back by a year, or even just a few months. missions and take orders from a commanding officer.
All the political tensions between the Dwendalian Em­ This is a good option if you want to run an episodic
pire and the Kryn Dynasty still exist, but now they're campaign, where most game sessions begin with a
just simmering instead of at a full boil. stated mission that the players must accomplish and
ends with a reward and another mission.
ADVENTURING OPTIONS Upheaval. The explosions of artillery and the pounding
of boots against the plains can spook monsters, and
Not all campaigns set in Wildemount need to deal with invasions can cause even powerful monsters such as
the war directly. That is, the characters aren't expected giants and dragons to flee their lairs. Whenever an
to conscript with one army or another, or even serve as upheaval occurs, soldiers and commoners alike find
mercenaries. The effects of war are far-reaching and their lives in danger-and only adventurers can deal
multifarious, and loose-cannon adventurers are the with the threat.
perfect people to get involved in the countless conflicts
sparked by war. These schemes could include: WELC O M E TO WILDE MOUNT

Crime. In times ofwar, criminals and smugglers take
advantage of lax law enforcement. Petty criminals and

7