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

A lot of good stuff there.

Of course, on the DM side, a lot of stuff is not there, but I like what I see.

Actually, one of the most useful things will be the appendix of sample names.

 

[Morrus]

I hadn't either until I read your post about their "Adept" program and AL-legal content....

My day job is reporting RPG news. I’m glad you got something from it! Mission accomplished!

 

[SmokeyCriminal]

I'm not so sure that's particularly noteworthy. I've reported on the announcements of four editions of D&D now, over a period of nearly 20 years. They said that - or something similar - every time. And they're more fond of secrecy these days than they have been historically. They won't tell us what book they're releasing next, let alone when 6E may or may not be worked on. While I don't think they are planning 6E, I don't think it's surprising that Mearls said something like that.

Ya I can see how they would say that kinda stuff for every edition. But now I'm curious to ask you, since you've been reporting and seen all the edition shifts. Have you noticed any tell-tale signs that point to an edition shift? Like a dip or bump in quality, or maybe an increase or decrease in products, or maybe just in tone when they speak about the edition?

 

[Mercule]

I'll fully cop to being down on the Realms and extremely turned off by the apparent intent for WotC to use Realms IP to name generic books. I'm especially annoyed that they picked a stupid name, regardless of origin, for this book. I can hardly say the name "Xanathar" without feeling like an imbecile -- not a trait I want in a book. Really, they could have called it "Toejamlicker's Guide to Everything" and it would have sounded less stupid. YMMV on the actual quality of the name; it's an aesthetic thing and the actual sound bothers me.

Looking at the ToC for Xanthippe's Guide, I have mixed feelings. It seems kinda short. It's about the same size as the 1E PHB, IIRC. If the type font is large, as has been the trend, then it's seriously short on content. What content is there looks a bit hit-or-miss. I like names, but think that's one of the first casualties of the Internet age. Chapter 1 looks like an extremely mixed bag, with about 50% of the subclasses even interesting enough for me to want to look at them once. Chapter 2 will either be very good or complete hackery -- 3E and 3.5E DM advice pretty much sucked -- but the random encounter tables and downtime both may have some promise. Chapter 3 is a bucket o' spells, with all that entails.

What I'll probably end up doing is piecemealing the content on DDB, for character creation. I've got a PC Divine Soul (from UA), already. I really liked shadow magic in 3.5, so I'm curious about the Shadow Sorcerer. War Mage was one of the specific 3.5 classes I wanted to see implemented as a 5E Wizard subclass, so that's intriguing. I liked the Horizon Walker concept as presented in UA, but no one has shown interest in it, in my game. More spells don't suck, either. At a certain point, either I'll have picked up enough bits and pieces on DDB that the whole book makes sense or it won't. I'm pretty bummed by the news that the UA Ranger won't be made available as a whole because that and the Favored/Divine Soul were the two things I really wanted to see come to DDB with this release.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I've already preordered XGtE from Amazon, and don't regret it.

Would I have preferred some content other than lists of names for those pages? Yes, absolutely. Would I have preferred they not reprint subclasses from SCAG? Again, very much. In fact, I'd prefer to see nothing reprinted from book to book in the future, unless it's dramatically changed or very important to the topic (such as a setting book containing material originally envisioned for that specific world).

But none of those are even remotely dealbreakers. There are still new race options, two dozen new subclass options, new spells, new downtime rules... I expect to use a far higher percentage of the content in XGtE than I did most of the 3E sourcebooks, even allowing for the names and reprints. For me, at least, on a pure scale of "amount of potentially useful or interesting material," this book is better priced than a lot of others, from this edition or prior.

 

[Greg K]

I expect to use a far higher percentage of the content in XGtE than I did most of the 3E sourcebooks, even allowing for the names and reprints.

Myself, with regard to player material, I expect XTGE to be as useful to me as most WOTC 3e sourcebooks, which is to say almost nothing will useful for my games*. This is based upon my impressions of the UA versions of the subclasses, the XTGE previews (e.g. the Forge Domain), and the interviews with both Mearls and Crawford.

* A few monster books aside, the only 3e WOTC sourcebooks that I found worth purchasing were Unearthed Arcana, Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss, and to a lesser extent Heroes of Horror, Stormwrack, and Complete Mage. Otherwise, I was better off with 3rd parties (including Lions' Den) and, to my surprise, the material on the websites of a few 3e designers whose WOTC work did not impress me.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm looking forward to receiving this. I have it preordered on Amazon which is taunting me with its estimated delivery date. I think I'm going to enjoy reading through this one, the names will be pretty handy to. Sure, I can google them but having a handy list to quickly choose a name will be useful to me.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yeah, that complaint I will agree with. Whether or not you're happy with the content, the price is too high. I suppose that just makes it hurt all the more if you're not happy with the content.

Hmm. Isn't it more hurtful if you want the content? If you don't llike it you won't have to pay anything.

My solution was buying it on dnd beyond. I thought the price there is ok and I was eager to support dnd beyonnd and try out a rulebook after trying it out for an adventure.

 

[cbwjm]

Currently $30USD on Amazon. Seems an okay price to me.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

What I'll probably end up doing is piecemealing the content on DDB, for character creation. I've got a PC Divine Soul (from UA), already. I really liked shadow magic in 3.5, so I'm curious about the Shadow Sorcerer. War Mage was one of the specific 3.5 classes I wanted to see implemented as a 5E Wizard subclass, so that's intriguing. I liked the Horizon Walker concept as presented in UA, but no one has shown interest in it, in my game. More spells don't suck, either. At a certain point, either I'll have picked up enough bits and pieces on DDB that the whole book makes sense or it won't. I'm pretty bummed by the news that the UA Ranger won't be made available as a whole because that and the Favored/Divine Soul were the two things I really wanted to see come to DDB with this release.

That is fair.

 

[R_Chance]

Currently $30USD on Amazon. Seems an okay price to me.

Agreed. If a MSRP of $50 is prohibitive (or if you don't have a FLGS) DDB or Amazon provide cheaper alternatives. Or B&N with a members card and / or coupon. Or piece meal it on DDB, or buy a (soon to be) used copy, or just don't buy it. I can understand some people being disappointed in the table of contents (although I like to see the actual content before I make a final judgment), and wanting a different book, but in the end, as Yoda might say, "buy or buy not. There is no try". Hopefully the disappointed people find other content more to their liking. If enough people don't buy it, WotC will notice and adjust their strategy I'd imagine...