Why I ❤️ Call of the Netherdeep
It has been over a year and a half since we launched our first campaigns and now those campaigns are coming to a close. Next week, I will give my final thoughts after having wrapped up Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus. But this week I want to talk about our next venture into a new campaign setting set in a world we have not explored yet here at Open Heart Games– Exandria! Up to this point all of our campaigns, including the campaign we are streaming, have been set in the Forgotten Realms. Next month, on August 21, we will be launching our next campaign Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep and I look forward to sharing this unique world with our community! I am excited today to share my spoiler-free thoughts on this module.
I want to start off by saying that I love the Forgotten Realms. I have read much of the Legend of Drizzt, some of the Elminster of Shadowdale books, and have run many, many campaigns in the world of the Forgotten Realms over the years. However, I wanted to try something different and so I was very excited when I saw the announcement of Call of the Netherdeep. I am thankful for what Critical Role has done for the hobby, and I enjoy the world that has been built by Matt Mercer et al. I am at best a casual Critical Role fan, but I have enjoyed watching The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime, and have enjoyed reading all of the lore from Explorers Guide to Wildemount and Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, both of which I bought upon their release.
When Call of the Netherdeep was announced, I was so excited! I watched every interview, consumed every article, and anxiously awaited its release. I knew from the very beginning I wanted to run this module. Upon its release, I read it cover to cover as one would read a novel, something I rarely do due to the time invested in reading through modules. And I loved it! I started thinking about and prepping different things long before I had figured out a plan on when we would start running the campaign. Now that time is here and I am so excited to explore the world of Exandria with you through Call of the Netherdeep.
An amazing amount of care and consideration went into this module to help bring the continent of Wildemount to life. While the world of Exandria certainly has a rich history and lore, Call of the Netherdeep doesn’t bludgeon you over the head with it. The module begins in the Wastes of Xhorhas where Orcs, Goblins, Drow, Lizardfolk, and other races sometimes considered “monstrous” are all common-place. Many of these folk are peace-loving individuals who are just trying to make their way in the world. Some are farmers, some are bakers, some are warriors, and others are adventurers. This means that for players who like to play as characters who don’t fit into the regular mold of an adventuring party, they will feel right at home in Xhorhas!
Another thing I really like about the module is that it has a rival adventuring party, each with their own ambitions and personality who change and grow throughout the module. This rival group of adventurers act as a foil for the players to interact with and their attitudes about the party change as the players interact with them and make different choices. I am very excited to see how having another group of rival adventurers fits into the story.
I really like the story of a mysterious entity reaching out to the party from across the eons through time and space. The party clearly knows their goal–to find this entity–but in order to do so, where will their travels take them? What will they find when they arrive? How will their rivals play into this story? While this module feels fairly linear, there are so many opportunities for the players to make meaningful choices that will ultimately affect the outcome of the story and may end up affecting the lives of everyone in the realm of Exandria!I hope that you will join us in answering the Call of the Netherdeep!
To sign up for this newest campaign click here.
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
