New SCAG Info: Someone Got The Book

Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide hits preferred stores tomorrow (and everywhere else in a couple of weeks). However, some stores have jumped the gun - which only benefits us, as folks on social media are telling us all about it! Below is a compilation of that information. I'm sure come tomorrow, the amount of information on the book will increase dramatically.

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[h=4]Original Post[/h]
Thread is here, Gnunn and others are answering questions about it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/3pot39/call_your_local_stores_scag/

The info:

I'am trying to compile the answers here by those who have new information. The answers do not represent me in anyway I'am just passing on the information.

Q: Name all the subclasses (submitted by me)

A:

Not really interested in spoiling all of the specifics, but here's what I noticed to be new at first glance:
Races:
Gray Dwaves (Duergar)
Ghostwise Halflings
Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) -- also provides a new feat "Svirfneblin Magic" (same as EE)
Half-Elf Variants
Tiefling Variants


Classes (only new class options, not new classes):
Barbarian - Path of the Battlerager, new Totem Spirits
Bard - New musical instruments
Cleric - Arcana Domain
Fighter - Purple Dragon Knight
Monk - Way of the Long Death, Way of the Sun Soul
Paladin - Oath of the Crown
Ranger - Several paragraphs that amount to nothing
Rogue - Mastermind Swashbuckler
Sorcerer - Storm Sorcery
Warlock - The Undying
Wizard - Bladesinging


New cantrips for sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards
Booming blade, green-flame blade, lightning lure, sword burst.

Backgrounds:
City Watch
Clan Crafter
Cloistered Scholar
Courtier
Faction Agent
Far Traveler
Inheritor
Knight of the Order
Mercenary Veteran
Urban Bounty Hunter
Uthgardt Tribe Member
Waterdhavian Noble
This only covers about 50 pages of the almost 160 page book. There's a TON of info on the Sword Coast itself. I'm sure DMs who already have the book are salivating at the moment.



Q: No Bard, Ranger or Druid subclasses?

A: There are new bard colleges. I only listed non-flavor changes (in my opinion at least each one is paired with an existing class option so nothing new in terms of mechanics.

-Q2: Wait WHAT? So the Bard Colleges AND Druid Circles don't list fully new subclasses that offer new mechanics to that class? And no "spell-less" Ranger variant or anything?

-A2: Correct on all accounts.



Q: Monk Subclasses specifics

A: Sun Soul gives the monk methods of dealing radiant damage. Burning hands makes an appearance as well.It seems almost too obvious, but all of the Long Death abilities are triggered by death in some way - either yours or an enemy.



Q: Warlock the Undying

A: Hard to explain. It's Lich-like, but not undead it seems.



Q: Paladin Oath of the Crown

A: The new paladin oath is a straight up tank. They seem to have added a ton more detail for the paladin codes. Too much to go into here.



Q: Fighter Purple Dragon Knight

A:Party buffs/heals. Would be a good party leader out of combat as well.




Q: How do the Half elf and tiefling variants work?

A: Tiefling variants are pretty different. I'm not next to my book currently, but I believe there were three options. Half elf replaced the half elf skill dealy with a selection from the elf half. Like Drow magic replacing the skill selection for example.


Q: What does it say about Aasimar?

A: It basically just says, "See the DMG.

(I guess that makes Eldarin valid as well)

Edit 1: Did some cleaning, added cantrips and explanation that is not me giving the answers.

 

[abirdcall]

OK, so they've basically just reverted the FR dragonborn to the default 4e dragonborn fluff then - in the Nerath pseudo-setting, they were homeless wanderers looking for "place and purpose" after the fall of their great empire Arkhosia.

That's gonna make my wife happy. She's playing a dwarf wizard with a penchant for wading into melee. She's managed to get him a breastplate and a shield (plus the War Caster feat). Some melee-oriented cantrips will be right up her alley.

One question: We saw a preview for greenflame blade, which made it clear that the attack doesn't actually need to be made with a sword. Any melee weapon will do. Is that the same with the other three cantrips?

only booming blade and green-flame blade are attacks with weapons. Any melee attack with a weapon will trigger it. You can use a chair if you want or a hobbit or whatever.

 

[pukunui]

Cool. Thanks.

Is there any fluff attached to the new cantrips? They look like they're all pretty much exactly the same as the 4e swordmage's at will powers from the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. While they're available to sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards, is there any mention of them being primarily aimed at eldritch knights and/or bladesingers? I suppose blade pact warlocks might like them too.

 

[abirdcall]

Cool. Thanks.

Is there any fluff attached to the new cantrips? They look like they're all pretty much exactly the same as the 4e swordmage's at will powers from the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. While they're available to sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards, is there any mention of them being primarily aimed at eldritch knights and/or bladesingers? I suppose blade pact warlocks might like them too.

"War Wizards of Cormyr, bladesingers, warlocks of the Pact of the Blade"

 

[TheThirdFlash]

If we're going there, then paladins should be human only.
And paladins are shinning examples of goodness and would never never ever turn evil and become blackguards
Like the tile suggest the main character was a swordmage, which was different from a bladesinger even in 4e

There's no racial justification for making paladins a "human only" class though. Yes, it was human only until 3e, but largely, that was a design decision, which is why it was done away with.

As far as shining examples of goodness, I don't know how much fiction you've read for the FR, but most elves, especially gold elves, are haughty pricks. And very xenophobic. Not exactly my idea of a shining example of goodness. There is evidence in the fiction that the gold elves that interbred with demons to become the fey'ri continued to teach the bladesong to their own people. But that's an exception in fiction that has a reason, not a reason to break the game rules as written.

While you are correct, I didn't play 4e. I only read some of the material regarding the swordmage and bladesinger classes. And that's perfectly legitimate statement. However, having read the Swordmage book, I get the strong impression that he learned this art from the elves in Cormanthyr. It felt like he, as a human, was taught some rudimentary bladesinger techniques, but it never felt like he was a true master of it. So in that, you are correct. He was a 4e Swordmage, not a 4e Bladesinger.

There weren't many other game examples of a fighter/mage class other than the bladesinger in prior editions. It wasn't until Pathfinder introduced the Magus and 4e gave you the variety of classes, that we had more to work with for games.

 

[Mirtek]

I wouldn't be too worried - you might not be able to play a human bladesinger in AL, but at individual tables, nobody gives much of a frig

Since I only play AL that's not going to help me.

and the restriction retains the story-first elements of 5e D&D

Which is exactly the opposite of what 5e was doing to date. If they had continued their previous style the fluff had said that they're almost exclusively elven and non-elven bladesingers are basically unheard of and left it at that

bladesingers have basically been elven in the narrative; paladins have not always been narratively human

They have until 3e

There's no racial justification for making paladins a "human only" class though. Yes, it was human only until 3e, but largely, that was a design decision, which is why it was done away with.

Same with bladesingers, there's no racial justification beyond "elves are pricks and managed to keep it secret" which is completely believable that in 20,000 years of bladesinging no rogue bladesinger ever violated his oath to not teach non-elves and no non-elve ever managed to just steal the technique

 

[abirdcall]

Based on some replies on reddit, I think half-elves are allowed by default. DM approval for other races.

Yes, and it states that it isn't a big deal to allow it to any race as it is a fluff only consideration.

 

[TheThirdFlash]

(Just getting groceries, so this is from memory...)

10th: reaction to expend spell slot, absorb spell slot times 5 damage from the triggering attack.
14th: Int mod damage with melee weapons while Bladesong.

Wow. I'm falling in love with this class more and more. I've never liked the partial spell progression gish classes from 3e and 4e. I'm giddy to play this in the homebrew game I'm currently in.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Since I only play AL that's not going to help me.

If you only play AL, then that's your DM - take up the limitation with them, maybe they'll waive it!

Which is exactly the opposite of what 5e was doing to date

Not really - 5e describes the thing first, then models it with mechanics. The bladesinger is apparently first something that elves have.

They have until 3e

Nope. For one, Earth Genasi.

 

[Baumi]

I'm surprised that the Storm Sorcerer don't get additional Spells. What does he get instead?

 

[JohnLynch]

Ghostwise - +1 wisdom, telepathy

Nice. My version had Charisma boosted but was otherwise the same. Easily fixed.