First D&D "Extra Life" Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide Preview

full donation prieview list.

$25,000 : Preface
$50,000 : Table of Contents
$60,000 : New Cantrip: Greenflame Blade
$70,000 : New Background: Urban Bounty Hunter
$80,000 : New Roguish Archetype: Mastermind
$90,000 : Duergar race entry, including subrace traits.
$100,000 : Full, updated, high res, labeled map of the northwest portion of Faerün, from Amn to Icewind Dale and the Moonshae Isles to the Dalelands.

 

[Fralex]

Wasn't there a Common magic item in the Out of the Abyss adventure that was a mace that could be made to burn with green fire, dealing 1 extra point of fire damage with any hit? I wonder if the cantrip is related.

 

[CapnZapp]

Wasn't there a Common magic item in the Out of the Abyss adventure that was a mace that could be made to burn with green fire, dealing 1 extra point of fire damage with any hit? I wonder if the cantrip is related.

There is.

Such a weapon, that is. Whether it is "common" or cantrip-related, I don't know.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I would jump up and down and squee if it's an Int based melee attack with a rider...

If 4e was any indication, I'm imagining something like this:

Greenflame Blade
Evocation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

Your weapon ignites in deadly green fire as you strike with it, and it flows to others near your target. Make a melee spell attack with a melee weapon you're wielding. If you hit, you deal fire damage equal to your weapon's damage plus your Intelligence modifier to the target, and fire damage equal to your Intelligence modifier to any enemy within 5 feet of the target.
​

...possibly, they'd go STR bonus for the additional damage instead of INT bonus, but I'd wager they'd like to get away from MAD where possible. Could be wrong though! STR would be traditional, and would keep it valuable for its presumed target audience, Eldritch Knights.

 

[aarduini]

I hope not if only because that will make the tome lock a better blade lock than the blade lock.

I don't think so. You have to be a blade lock to get the extra attack and the Charisma rider.

 

[Barachiel]

I really wish they'd stop revisiting the same regions over and over. There so much information on these regions and so little elsewhere, if at all. Why have a world so big and not cover every part of it if even a little? There are still parts to this game world uncovered. It's disappointing to think I'll be in my grave by the time I get big regional info on Sossal or Veldorn or even an updated Kara-Tur or Maztica. Depressing.

 

[ceejzz]

unless it's a cantrip the warlock can take...

personally, i wouldn't expect it to be on the warlock cantrip list. however, i believe what he was referring to is that warlocks can select pact of the tome and gain access to three cantrips from any spell list. so even if greenflame blade was a wiz exclusive, the warlock could get it with that pact.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I really wish they'd stop revisiting the same regions over and over. There so much information on these regions and so little elsewhere, if at all. Why have a world so big and not cover every part of it if even a little? There are still parts to this game world uncovered. It's disappointing to think I'll be in my grave by the time I get big regional info on Sossal or Veldorn or even an updated Kara-Tur or Maztica. Depressing.

Well, as the timeline has moved forward quite significantly since the last real detail for the entire setting (passing over the 4e version, from which there will be massive changes as well), pretty much all the info we have is seriously outdated.

The Western Heartlands (Baldur's Gate and inland) has also never really been covered in-depth. Sure, the region gets a decent overview in most of the campaign setting books, but other than the Volo's Guide, there has never been an actual volume that is solely focused on it. It tends, in each edition, to get light-to-medium coverage in the main setting book and then overlooked while other areas get much more detail.

Also, this is the first setting book of the new edition. Of course it's going to cover the some of the most well-known regions of the setting (just like every one of the Campaign Settings before it). To do otherwise would make little logical or financial sense. They will hardly hook both new and old fans by saying, for example, "We're going to focus on the Western Shaar and Chondalwood over the rest of the setting in the first book!" In any case, the preface does say we will get at least a reasonable overview of the entire setting before the focus on the greater Sword Coast region. No doubt if it's a success, we'll start seeing other regions getting their own books as well...

Veldorn was covered, in reasonable detail, along with Estagund and Var the Golden, in pages 109 - 123 of 2004's The Shining South.

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

personally, i wouldn't expect it to be on the warlock cantrip list. however, i believe what he was referring to is that warlocks can select pact of the tome and gain access to three cantrips from any spell list. so even if greenflame blade was a wiz exclusive, the warlock could get it with that pact.

I understand that, but until we see the cantrip we don't know. I personally hope it's on most of the lists, bard, warlock, wizard should all have it and it should be evocation so eldritch knight can take it...

 

[gyor]

If its on the wizard list a high elf will be able to take it as well, which could be interesting for some builds, if the cantrip works as some speculate. How weird a High Elf with greenfire blade Paladin be with main stats being Int/Cha, instead Str or Dex/Cha.

It could also be really interesting for Arcane Tricksters.

 

[Queer Venger]

I'm with chibi, can't wait to pick it up or rather for my preorder to come in via priority mail!

I'll donate to Emi Tanji, graphic designer for WoTC and 5e....also picked up a t-shirt as well.

Pre-ordered through amazon, (can't beat price or amazon prime shipping). I picked up the Rage of Demons Extra Life t-shirt to donate to a great cause. This is what D&D should be.