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.

 

[steeldragons]

AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!

-rest of originally typed post deleted-

 

[Valus]

@Valus: OK, which says to me that Archmage has to take place after 1489. Otherwise it makes no sense.

I can't say for sure - I have never kept perfect track of the years in realms, but I think there is some inconsistency. This page lists Archmage as occurring from 1485-86:

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Archmage_(novel)#cite_ref-Archmage-p57_0-0

While I know a wiki like that is hardly reliable, it does cite specific pages in the novel (which I can't confirm as I don't have my copy with me.)

 

[pukunui]

Oh, I believe you. I just think the date mentioned in Archmage has to be a typo. As I mentioned, 1485 is in the middle of the Sundering. Legacy of the Crystal Shard, the only Sundering adventure to give a hard date, is also set in 1485. We know from the AL season of Tyranny of Dragons that that storyline is set in 1489, and while neither hardback adventure gives a set date, The Rise of Tiamat States that it is assumed to take place after the Sundering has finished.

Since Princes of the Apocalypse is set in 1491, and Sword Coast Legends is supposedly set in 1494 or thereabouts, it seems to me like Archmage (and the therefore Out of the Abyss) *should* be set in 1495-96.

EDIT: Furthermore, [MENTION=6748898]ad_hoc[/MENTION] mentioned that the SCAG refers to 1489 in the past tense. All this is why it would be nice to know if there's a timeline (roll of years?) of any kind in the book.

 

[Valus]

Since Princes of the Apocalypse is set in 1491, and Sword Coast Legends is supposedly set in 1494 or thereabouts, it seems to me like Archmage (and the therefore Out of the Abyss) *should* be set in 1495-96.

I agree - as it stands, the numbers don't make sense, and it seems like Archmage should be happening at basically the same time as Sword Coast Legends. If Archmage happens in the mid-1490's, though, Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf would need to, as well, since Archmage is pretty clear about that it fact that it's coming right after the events of Iron Dwarf, not years later. Hopefully, it's safe to say that the whole Companions Codex series + Archmage can be safely moved to the 1490s without any conflicts in the text (I can't think of any, as long as it's taken in bulk.)

 

[Prism]

Archmage mentions the Tyranny of Dragons storyline and the fact that Tiamat failed. I don't recall any mention of it in Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf.

The reason that the two Dragons are in the book is because of the Tiamat storyline. They are introduced in one of the two preceding books (I forget which) where the drow are offering them great wealth to add to the 'hoard'

 

[Valus]

The reason that the two Dragons are in the book is because of the Tiamat storyline. They are introduced in one of the two preceding books (I forget which) where the drow are offering them great wealth to add to the 'hoard'

Yup, I forgot about that. That basically means the timeline is irreconcilable by a few years, without the aid of a high level chronomancer.

 

[Mirtek]

Archmage mentions the Tyranny of Dragons storyline and the fact that Tiamat failed. I don't recall any mention of it in Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf.

The dragons recruited by the drow are in it because they must collect a huge tribut to pay for Tiamat's summoning

 

[Prism]

Oh, I believe you. I just think the date mentioned in Archmage has to be a typo. As I mentioned, 1485 is in the middle of the Sundering. Legacy of the Crystal Shard, the only Sundering adventure to give a hard date, is also set in 1485. We know from the AL season of Tyranny of Dragons that that storyline is set in 1489, and while neither hardback adventure gives a set date, The Rise of Tiamat States that it is assumed to take place after the Sundering has finished.

Since Princes of the Apocalypse is set in 1491, and Sword Coast Legends is supposedly set in 1494 or thereabouts, it seems to me like Archmage (and the therefore Out of the Abyss) *should* be set in 1495-96.

EDIT: Furthermore, [MENTION=6748898]ad_hoc[/MENTION] mentioned that the SCAG refers to 1489 in the past tense. All this is why it would be nice to know if there's a timeline (roll of years?) of any kind in the book.

Honestly its best to ignore either the novel timeline or the adventures league timeline...or both. Salvatore reintroduces the companions as the first book of the sundering and the next four book (including Archmage) run as a continuous story over the next two years or so. If I remember correctly the extended story starts in winter, there is a winter in the middle of Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf and then Archmage ends during the next winter. There is no typo - all this happens around 1485-1487 as far as Salvatore is concerned.

The novel writers typically don't want time jumps, so the rate of progress of the timeline in the Realms is typically very slow. It is also unusual for adventures to be released and to specific an exact year they are set in. Its usually left to the DM to set the year to whatever they want. Sometimes dates are assigned to adventure modules after the event. However in this case the AL dates conflict with the authors dates. You will need to choose which one to follow if you want one at all. I imagine the authors dates are considered more canon, especially when it comes to Archmage and the release of the demons, considering the tie in is so strong.

 

[Pauper]

I don't suppose they've added a clause indicating that the charm effect ends if you or an ally harms the target?

They did, in fact, add such a clause.

Also, the 3rd level ability is now in English instead of French, and the relaxation of sneak attack occurs 'if no creature other than your target is within 5 feet of you' rather than 'target has none of your allies adjacent', and Elegant Maneuver is slighly re-worded to suggest that it can't be taken as a readied action.

Storm Sorcerer in SCAG, meanwhile, doesn't grant bonus spells as the UA one does (instead, you gain Primordial as a bonus language); Tempestuous Magic requires a bonus action to activate the ability to fly after you cast rather than allowing you to fly as a bonus action; Heart of the Storm now damages creatures when you 'start' casting a spell, so it works even if your spell is counterspelled; Storm's Fury is unchanged, except it specifically uses your 'sorcerer spell save DC' rather than calling out the components of that DC (so presumably if you have something that increases your spell save DC that isn't your proficiency bonus or Charisma bonus, it would apply to this save as well); Wind Soul gains a clause that, once you use it to reduce your fly speed, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

--
Pauper

 

[Z. H. Darkstar]

I'm actually glad that there's no timeline in the book. This book needs to be as accessible to FR newbs as it is to the veterans. While it's perfectly fine to make allusions to the novels, the novels should not be needed to understand the content of this book.