So, I preordered the physical version of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount a couple weeks back, and it arrived yesterday around 3:00 PST. I have already read most of the book, and I am quite pleased with it so far, even though I will likely never run a Wildemount campaign, but may include the world in my Spelljammer campaign. I love the new subclasses, and the spells, and magic items and monsters, but I still have some problems/disappointments with the book, like probably everyone else. 

What are everyone elses' thoughts? Favorite parts of the book? Any comments that you have on the book are welcome in this thread.

I'm a little disappointed that the vestiges aren't in it, I thought they were supposed to be in it.

Still absorbing everything myself, but I don't think enough people are appreciating the "Heroic Chronicle" section that gives you an instant interesting backstory with just a few dice rolls. It's an amazing world building mechanic that should be adapted to every new setting going forward.

Quote from Depot >>

Still absorbing everything myself, but I don't think enough people are appreciating the "Heroic Chronicle" section that gives you an instant interesting backstory with just a few dice rolls. It's an amazing world building mechanic that should be adapted to every new setting going forward.

 So much this^^^^

This is a "hidden gem" that I had not expected to get with this book.  A couple of the people in my group struggle with backstory so this will be a very useful tool for them.

It is not really a disappointment, but I was very surprised to see so many race options reprinted in this book.

Quote from Depot >>

Still absorbing everything myself, but I don't think enough people are appreciating the "Heroic Chronicle" section that gives you an instant interesting backstory with just a few dice rolls. It's an amazing world building mechanic that should be adapted to every new setting going forward.

It is a little bit confusing the first time you read it, but I completely agree. It's an immense help for investing in a character.

Quote from Stormknight >>

Personally, I really love the Gazetteer chapter - there is sooooo much great information in there to make my job easier as a DM. My players want to go off-track? That's fine, they can go wherever they want - the gazetteer has me covered for flavour and ideas for adventure.

Yes, I also love this so so much, I felt a little lost DMing my current Eberron campaign when players decided to go off rails; and this helps so much I'll see with my players about changing campaign settings =P

Quote from Golaryn >>

Quote from Depot >>

Still absorbing everything myself, but I don't think enough people are appreciating the "Heroic Chronicle" section that gives you an instant interesting backstory with just a few dice rolls. It's an amazing world building mechanic that should be adapted to every new setting going forward.

 So much this^^^^

This is a "hidden gem" that I had not expected to get with this book.  A couple of the people in my group struggle with backstory so this will be a very useful tool for them.

It is not really a disappointment, but I was very surprised to see so many race options reprinted in this book.

 

 I was surprised to see so many reprints as well. I know why they had to do it, but I wish they could've had that space for something else in the book. (I guess it helps a lot with Adventurer's League, but I think everyone agrees that the rules for Adventurer's League need to be fixed, not the format of the books.)

I love the fact that they went through the trouble of creating 3 tables for your character's favorite food. This is great, and if I ever run Wildemount, the Heroic Chronicle will be required in my games for all of my players.

The reprints make sense because those races are present in some way in Exandria, which meant that Mercer and co needed to have them available to the player.  Having them scattered to the four winds across two hundred dollars of other sources is no bueno, and frankly I figure that's part of why this book was allowed to be a three hundred page grimoire in the first place - the Wizards folks finding a shred of soul left forgotten in a shriveled corner of spleen somewhere and letting Mercer have extra pages to reprint those races.

As for the book itself, I have not read/absorbed all of it yet, but yes.  The Heroic Chronicle is an absolute gem and I will be incorporating it into my games going forward.  Wildemount or no, Exandria in general is making an excellent case for being better than running games in Faerun in every conceivable way, and I haven't even touched the Gazetteer or the preschool adventures yet.  it's all so good.  I'll likely be using pieces of the Heroic Chronicle for my characters even outside Exandria, whether the DM asks me to or not, and in games I run it will be brought up and most likely used.

Side Things:
>I really like the organization of deities into 'Good Gods', 'Bad Gods', and 'Not-Quite-Gods-but-close-enough-for-horseshoes".  It keeps the actual pantheon size under control (pardon a moment while I go glare ferociously at the Forgotten Flippin' Realms), while allowing players who're really attached to a particular deity or Deific Ideal for their story to create a 'Lesser Idol' that doesn't compete with the setting's regular deities.
>I have an unhealthy lust for those new pallid elves.  Don't get me wrong, there are way to goddamn many elf subspecies in this game, but oh muh Jeebus is this new pallid subtype so, so my speed.
>It's nice that the other regions/continents of Exandria got a mention.  This is a guide to Wildemount, and Mercer himself says Wildemount is his crowning achievement insofar as development of Exandria goes...but man.  It was nice to see the rest of the world get its own little piece of the Official Canon Pie, too.

Overall, this is exactly what I want to see out of a new sourcebook.  Eberron was good, this is amazing.  The Forgotten Realms can be actually forgotten now; nowhere in any of 5e's canon are they laid out anywhere nearly as usefully as this.  THIS is how you Campaign Setting.

I had all but forgotten the Pallid Elves.  Another addition that was welcome, but completely unexpected.

Reminds me of the OD&D Gaz publications. That’s why I still play in my own variation of that world. This is a contender though

Pallid Elves are cool and all (I prefer the new Dragonborn subraces), but why do they get the sleep spell? Is there a lore reason for it? Elves can't fall asleep, so it only helps when interacting with other races.

Quote from LeviRocks >>

Pallid Elves are cool and all (I prefer the new Dragonborn subraces), but why do they get the sleep spell? Is there a lore reason for it? Elves can't fall asleep, so it only helps when interacting with other races.

 In a lot of the older lore, if PCs encountered elven parties in the woods they would revel their asses off and black out because elven wine is like ruffies to humans.

Quote from LeviRocks >>

Pallid Elves are cool and all (I prefer the new Dragonborn subraces), but why do they get the sleep spell? Is there a lore reason for it? Elves can't fall asleep, so it only helps when interacting with other races.

 It would work on most creatures (assuming they are weak enough) so it is not that odd.

Pallid elves have a deep connection to Sehanine, goddess of the moon, illusions, trickery and twilight.  Being able to lull someone to sleep is a pretty natural spell choice for a people intrinsically tangled up with such a deity's gifts.

Quote from Yurei1453 >>

Pallid elves have a deep connection to Sehanine, goddess of the moon, illusions, trickery and twilight.  Being able to lull someone to sleep is a pretty natural spell choice for a people intrinsically tangled up with such a deity's gifts.

 Thank you, this is the lore that I was looking for.

I'm really disappointed that both dragonborn variants need to give up Resistance for a 1/short rest ability and darkvision. I think with that prices and how weak the original is, they should get more powerful ability than those two. Look at what pallid elves get, two skill permanent advantage AND a spellcasting trait, it made draconblood variant like a joke.

Dragonborn are a joke

I have for the first time had the urge to play as a Halfling Druid, with the new Lotusden Halfling.