The Actual Table of Contents for Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Li Shenron · Oct 22, 2017

It's not really about having those names lists, it's about having 18 pages of them... almost 10% of the book.

Together with random tables, they are the kind of thing that makes more sense as a free web enhancement, or make it a paid web enhancement if you think it should not be free. Put them into a book with this level of page count, and it starts feeling like a page tax for getting the real content.

Guest 6801328 · Oct 22, 2017

Li Shenron said:
It's not really about having those names lists, it's about having 18 pages of them... almost 10% of the book.

Together with random tables, they are the kind of thing that makes more sense as a free web enhancement, or make it a paid web enhancement if you think it should not be free. Put them into a book with this level of page count, and it starts feeling like a page tax for getting the real content.

While I'm not griping about the book's contents, I also will cede that if things like random tables and name lists were offered as free PDFs I would feel more warm & fuzzy about buying their books.

Parmandur · Oct 22, 2017

The lack of premade wandering monster tables was probably the most glaring thing missing from the DMG/MM, in mind: we got guidelines on how to make them, but actual tables are super nice to have.

As to a gosh class, it always strikes me that we already have that, and have since the White Box: Cleric, wears armor and wields weapons, has magic. Arcane/Divine isn't really a mechanical divide in 5E, just make a War Cleric and reflavor it as a sword mage. Barring that, a Paladin, perhaps.

Parmandur · Oct 22, 2017

gyor said:
I think a lot of us we're expecting 3-5 new options and ended up with 2.

Honestly I was shocked that none of Phoenix, Sea, or Stone made it as they seemed pretty popular, a bit Phoenix needed some fixes.

Yet Shadow which seemed the least popular Sorceror (although it was my second favourite) got in, while the big elemental three didn't.

Personally could have done with 10 or more New Sorcerer subclasses, so much room for expansion there. But, "popular" on the forums ≠ popular in the surveys, or the other way around. They went with surveys, maybe we'll see them reworked someday.

gyor · Oct 22, 2017

Personally I'd have combined the Sea (changed to Kraken), Phoenix, and Stone (renamed Terraque), into one Mythic Beast Origin.

Mercule · Oct 22, 2017

Psikerlord# said:
I think there's some great GM stuff in here. The lists of names are invaluable for improvising imo, all in one spot, no need to google it and sift through the dross, etc.

http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

Not knocking anyone who wants it in print. Just providing a bookmark-able link to put it all in one spot . I've found that site to be reasonably good. I don't like any singular list of names, as there's some aesthetic sense to it (I've found that the gender of Japanese names sounds backwards to my group and I, so we don't use them appropriately). But, this is where I say that a list of names in a book is a casualty of the Internet age. It's really the sort of tool that I'd kind of expect DDB to add to their suite independent of anything WotC publishes.

Having a published list has the implication that anything Curse does either needs to be limited to just these lists or segregated from them, somehow. Come to think of it, the same could be said for the random wilderness encounter tables, though I think that's something that Curse should turn into a "create your own list" tool, using the XGtE lists as formal samples. If someone isn't planning on using DDB, then it's a non-issue because lists like what I linked exist and are easy enough to add to your toolbox.

Maybe I'm working from a false assumption, though, that all GMs have a folder of bookmarks (or equivalent) to a variety of resources to help them during play and/or prep.

Demetrios1453 · Oct 22, 2017

gyor said:
Personally I'd have combined the Sea (changed to Kraken), Phoenix, and Stone (renamed Terraque), into one Mythic Beast Origin.

Well, as others have mentioned, there were some real balance issues with them, so many they weren't able to balance them as easily as the others and get them ready in time. Or perhaps they are holding them back for a later book with an elemental theme (as has been pointed out, they would fit great in a settings book that covers Dark Sun).

I'm also sure this won't be the last official release for subclasses. There will be at least one more book with a large amount (I'd imagine the release with the Mystic and Artificer will have some extra subclasses, for example), and perhaps a few releases with smaller numbers. There are still a good amount of fantasy archetypes out there to be covered.

Tales and Chronicles · Oct 22, 2017

I've preordered the book and I'm sure I'll appreciate the content in the end. The only thing that saddens me is the feeling that they went a little too safe with the subclasses. Its probably because subclasses dont offer enough space to drastically affect the way a class play, but I would have liked something more exotic. Mind you, I love concepts like Urban Druids, self-morphing sorcerers, alchemical-enchanced fighter and the likes. Maybe next time, until then I'll have real fun playing an Arcane Archer who can tie knots.

DM Howard · Oct 22, 2017

I'm looking forward to this book, but I would agree that I was hoping it would have more than this.

Satyrn · Oct 22, 2017

martinlochsen said:
I play a lot with teenagers, and you know what? They don't go to the internet to find names. They use the ones in PHB (the most popular one is the elven name "Faen", which means Satan in norwegian and is a commonly used swear word, naturally). I have no idea why. They're supposed to be "digital natives" and all that, and they spend most of their lives online. Still, that's the way of it. I'm sure they are going to look at the lists of names in XG, and say "Wow, cool! New names to choose from!".

Aye. I've taken to naming my characters that way, too.