Wizards of the Coast has announced in a press release that it is collaborating with the team behind the popular web series Critical Role to create a new official Dungeons and Dragons crossover adventure book.
Named Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, the book is being co-lead by D&D Game Design Architect Chris Perkins as well as Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer and D&D Beyond Writer James Haeck. The book itself will take players on an adventure inspired by the campaigns from the web series and is the first of its kind to be set in Critical Role's world of Exandria.
Call of the Netherdeep will explore previously referenced locations in Exandria such as the Wastes of Xhorhas and the continent of Marquet – the latter of which also happens to be where the show's upcoming third season will begin. As their adventure progresses, players will be tasked with saving a "mighty champion of gods" who has been trapped in the darkest depths of Exandria for eons. Along their way, Call of the Netherdeep will introduce a range of new creatures and magical items into the campaign as well as mechanics for a rival party of NPCs.
"Getting to bring a direct adventure book within Exandria to life is really such an exciting thing, especially exploring ideas and elements I've never been able to bring to a campaign myself yet,” Mercer explains in the press release. “Working with such a talented team to develop and craft a tale like this is an absolute honor, and I cannot wait for folks to step into the unique mysteries and dark challenges that Call of the Netherdeep invites."
For those hoping to delve into Call of the Netherdeep, the adventure book itself contains seven different chapters and takes players from levels 3 – 12. While still suitable for players who haven't watched through Critical Role's web series, the company notes that many of the storyline's elements tie into themes of previous Critical Role campaigns.
Pre-orders for Call of the Netherdeep are available now, although the book won't officially release until March 15, 2022. Amid the wait for Call of the Netherdeep to launch, make sure to read this article about the two companies' previous collaboration, which saw them release the D&D roleplaying book the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. Alternatively, to find out more about Critical Role's other collabs, then check out this article on the Exandrian minis that the team announced in partnership with WizKids.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.