The_Silversword
Explorer
I just picked it up, I thought it was nicely done, good balance of crunch and fluff.
Then I read the book. Now I'm actually interested in the setting as both a player and maybe even as a GM. I could take the info on just the dwarf kingdoms and run a great campaign from that. (And I find dwarves, by and large, boring.)
So the book not only gave me good crunch and mineable material, it made me care about a setting I didn't care much about. So I'd call that a success, and I don't regret giving WotC my money. Sorry some of you don't feel the same way.
1) Recycled material is the point of the book. Actually. SCAG is a book for an existing campaign setting, the Forgotten Realms. Right? So if it didn't cover stuff from that campaign setting, it'd be a new campaign setting with FR branding, yes? And people would moan and bitch about that. (Of course, they are anyway. Ya can't win.)I'm sorry but why are you giving SCAG the credit for this when probably 95% of the content in the book is recycled material from past editions?
SCAG didn't uniquely give you anything that couldn't have been found in the campaign guides from the previous 2 editions.
I'm sorry but why are you giving SCAG the credit for this when probably 95% of the content in the book is recycled material from past editions?
SCAG didn't uniquely give you anything that couldn't have been found in the campaign guides from the previous 2 editions.
There is plenty of new content in SCAG as far as I can see - they haven't just rehashed the old text. In this particular example there are 7 and a half pages of content on the dwarf kingdoms alone which I have not seen much of before. You'd probably need to go back to 1e/2e for this much detail on an area.
I have the FR campaign and player guides for 3e and 4e and the SCAG holds up well in terms of writing and details
I'm afraid a lot of it is except for things that have happened in the current novels. I don't think you've fully read your 3rd edition FR campaign guide and player's guide because I know for a fact there is no comparison in terms of detail. Writing is subjective but you are 100% wrong on the detail part.
Yes there are seven pages on the dwarven kingdoms but none of it is really useful information. What are the populations, maps of the kingdoms, prominent figures and their stats, what kind of magic items would you find there, etc...
If you are happy with SCAG then that's fine but don't sit there and compare it's detail to 3rd edition material because there is no comparison.
One cherry picked region is more detailed in the SCAG then the 3e FRGC, and given were talking about the SWORD COAST CAMPAIGN GUIDE it'd be very weird if the sword coast didn't get special attention.
It gave it in a unique perspective, with the in-world description.I'm sorry but why are you giving SCAG the credit for this when probably 95% of the content in the book is recycled material from past editions?
SCAG didn't uniquely give you anything that couldn't have been found in the campaign guides from the previous 2 editions.
And adventures, since it also mentions the effects of Murder in Baldur's Gate and Legacy of the Crystal ShardI'm afraid a lot of it is except for things that have happened in the current novels.
Shouldn't the comparison be with the 3e and 4e Player's Guides to the Forgotten Realms. And I can tell you, this book has a LOT more information than the Player's Guide to Faerun. (But you need to double-check the amount of setting content in the 3e book... you might be surprised.)I don't think you've fully read your 3rd edition FR campaign guide and player's guide because I know for a fact there is no comparison in terms of detail. Writing is subjective but you are 100% wrong on the detail part.
population numbers, prominent figures & statblocks, and magic items are DM information. Why would they be in a player's guide?Yes there are seven pages on the dwarven kingdoms but none of it is really useful information. What are the populations, maps of the kingdoms, prominent figures and their stats, what kind of magic items would you find there, etc...
It gave it in a unique perspective, with the in-world description.
And, really, what did the 3e Campaign setting give us that wasn't "recycled material from past editions"? All revisions of a campaign setting are going to be recycled to some degree. A full 5e campaign setting that can go into less detail on individual regions is going to read a heck of a lot more like recycled material.
And adventures, since it also mentions the effects of Murder in Baldur's Gate and Legacy of the Crystal Shard
Shouldn't the comparison be with the 3e and 4e Player's Guides to the Forgotten Realms. And I can tell you, this book has a LOT more information than the Player's Guide to Faerun. (But you need to double-check the amount of setting content in the 3e book... you might be surprised.)
population numbers, prominent figures & statblocks, and magic items are DM information. Why would they be in a player's guide?