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.

 

[Li Shenron]

It is just a bit more limited than it might be because the features fall at 3, 6, and 14 rather than being spread out a bit more evenly. Subclass features at 10 and 18 would definitely allow a bit more flexibility in even dropping in a couple of "ribbon" type abilities. I realize that the Bard is pretty "busy" class in terms of design and mechanics anyway. I think throwing more of those abilities into subclasses might have helped in terms of subclass focus. This is no slight on the bard. It may have hit its design goals better than any other class in 5e and it works great as is. I just wish it was a bit sleeker and more customizable on the subclass end.

Yeah I felt the same when I first saw the Bard as being the only class with only 3 subclass features. It was probably already too "full" with class features to fit in a fourth subclass feature, but IMHO it would have been better as you say to avoid that huge 8 levels gap. They could have easily put a small subclass feature at level 11th for example.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I guess their magical secrets at level 10 are more or less their subclass feature by another name.
I would also have liked more features however.
There may be design space however to replace a feature with a subclass feature...

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

Storm sorcerer is still appealing without the extra spells. It just doesn't make draconic sorcerer look like a wimp now.

[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Quick note about the storm sorcerer in the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide - bonus spells were removed based on playtest feedback.
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Which might sound weird, because people really liked that sorcerer and the bonus spells. However, implementing feedback is never that simple
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls The original sorcerer is rated very well without bonus spells. Having sorcerous origins with them would make PHB ones look weaker.
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls The class didn't need the buff, and while people like the idea of the bonus spells, they don't fit with the game's overall structure.
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls You can expect that kind of revision as UA material enters the environment - we sometimes try stuff in UA to get a sense of future paths.

 

[pukunui]

[MENTION=6801221]Edwin Suijkerbuijk[/MENTION]: Take a look at post #408.

 

[the Jester]

No bonus spells

Awesome.

 

[Serpine]

Nice. How about the Far Teaveller, what's the deal there?

Far Traveler is a totally different beast from the Outlander (and most other existing options) and is in fact the only background in SCAG different enough that it got new Trait/Ideal/Bond/Flaw tables rather then just a suggestion to look at existing ones. It is basically a tourist from a strange or distant civilization like Kara-Tur or Zakhara and their feature "All Eyes On You" amounts to everybody wanting to hang around the new kid with the cool accent.

 

[Li Shenron]

I guess their magical secrets at level 10 are more or less their subclass feature by another name.
I would also have liked more features however.
There may be design space however to replace a feature with a subclass feature...

Absolutely. No reason why a subclass couldn't be designed with some substitution levels.

 

[CapnZapp]

"The original sorcerer is rated very well without bonus spells."

I guess this is the crucial point.

If y'all (this does not mean YOU, but the guy to your right ) hadn't rated the class so high, perhaps they would have retrofitted bonus spells to the PHB sorqs instead...

Myself, I rate the sorcerer and ranger the lowest of the PHB classes.

A shame not more of you did the same... oh well.

 

[Celtavian]

I guess this is the crucial point.

If y'all (this does not mean YOU, but the guy to your right ) hadn't rated the class so high, perhaps they would have retrofitted bonus spells to the PHB sorqs instead...

Myself, I rate the sorcerer and ranger the lowest of the PHB classes.

A shame not more of you did the same... oh well.

You and I rate it one of the lowest. I'd like to see what Dave Dash thinks as well. And more of the DMs that have power gamer players.

 

[Tia Nadiezja]

You and I rate it one of the lowest. I'd like to see what Dave Dash thinks as well. And more of the DMs that have power gamer players.

I find it quite functional. If it's underpowered, it's underpowered within an acceptable range, unlike the Ranger which is pretty much awful.