Xanathar's Subclasses

MockingBird · Feb 18, 2019

Just picked this book up for steal at 20$ on Amazon. Has anyone had the chance to try any of these out? Curious to see how the Bard college of swords plays. Just from reading it makes me think this would be a cool sub-class to play.

Zilong · Feb 18, 2019

I've tried a couple of them. The warlock options are fun and the fighters feel well balanced. The one I played longest was a College of Glamour bard, which I actually started playing while that subclass was still UA material. Glamour is great in a more social game, which our game was not, and is still a full bard in combat. The specific abilities of the subclass are a bit situational, but fun when they pop up. WIth the sword bard, since so much of it is tied into flourishes I found myself, and the other player I saw using it, forgetting about them all the time. Bardic inspiration also gets forgotten pretty often so a subset of that power is also easily forgotten. If you can remember your abilities better than I do, then it seems like a fantastic option.

Xanathar's is a great book. I'm jealous that you find it at such a good price. I'd also look at some of the other tables and guides. The thing my tables uses most often from that book is the table of names in the back.

ad_hoc · Feb 18, 2019

MockingBird said:
Just picked this book up for steal at 20$ on Amazon. Has anyone had the chance to try any of these out? Curious to see how the Bard college of swords plays. Just from reading it makes me think this would be a cool sub-class to play.

It's not as strong as Valour but could be more fun depending on taste.

Bardic Inspiration is very strong but using it on flourishes means not using it for allies. Mobile flourish has the most potential. Slashing isn't worth the inspiration cost and the defensive one is nice to have in dire circumstances.

Cloud of Daggers is a great spell for a Swords Bard. Keep in mind too that it works with ranged attacks so you can throw weapons.

I would only ever take 2-weapon fighting. If you want a Duelist style then Valour for sure.

S'mon · Feb 18, 2019

I've seen a Zealot Barbarian and (much more) a Swashbuckler Rogue in play. Both are very nice.

ccs · Feb 18, 2019

I played a slightly modified Ancestral Guardian barbarian in our previous campaign.

We shifted it from protecting others to only protecting my barbarian as none of the other characters were kin/members of the tribe. For that matter the spirits weren't even aiming to protect my character (she's not kin or tribe member either, but her unborn child is). They just couldn't protect the last heir to the tribe without also covering the mother.

I like the AG mechanics & I think they'll work well as written. It was just that tweaking them was the perfect fit for this particular character.

Azzy · Feb 18, 2019

So far, only the Shadow and Favoured Soul sorcerer and Frorge cleric subclasses have seen actual play. Each have turned out to be fun.

CydKnight · Feb 18, 2019

A Gloomstalker in the Underdark works quite well in play assuming Underdark is also the favored terrain. Like most sub-classes, they will have specific settings where they will work well. Some of the fun is projecting what will work best in your specific campaign.

akr71 · Feb 18, 2019

My rogue multi classed into a Celestial warlock, but thinks he's a paladin. Its been fun.

I also occasionally play a cavalier, but he's been without his mount so I haven't been able to use him to his full potential.

My son plays an arcane archer and my daughter plays an inquisitive rogue. They are both loving those subclasses.

Shiroiken · Feb 18, 2019

I've seen the College of Glamor and College of Swords in play, and both worked really well. College of Swords is less of a team player than most, being more focused on personal combat. Forge Domain is fun for a Dwarf Cleric, but don't know if it's really powerful or not compared to other Domains. Oath of Conquest is solid (we've had 2), but can cause some inter-party conflict if the group tries to be heroic. Divine Soul is amazing, but tricky to run, since you have so few spells known. The Hexblade is awesome, replacing the blade option from teh PHB, and another player has enjoyed the Celestial Pact. I'm currently playing a War Mage, and while it's probably not as powerful as a lot of other schools, it's really fun.

All in all, if I had to pick one non-core book, as a player, Xanthar's would totally be it.

Guest 6801328 · Feb 18, 2019

I've played Ancestral Guardian Barbarian, Gloomstalker Ranger, and Divine Soul Sorcerer. The last is the most unique distinctive, imo, but all three are fun. The Barbarian's ability to prevent damage every round gets a little tedious in terms of dice rolling, but worth it for when the the DM's evil grin turns into a frown.