D&D 5E SCAG -- Worth it?

[Lanliss]

I feel like the SCAG needed to be 100 pages longer to be worth the money. One thing that was conspicuously absent was faction information. The AL makes a big deal about factions, and the SCAG would have been the perfect place for in-depth write-ups. I'm thinking 20 pages for each faction, detailing its history, prominent NPCs, bases of operation, etc. Instead, we got nothing.

I don't really see the factions needing 20 pages each. Maybe 2, I think, unless they planned on giving a full history down to the year, plus history for each prominent NPC. But yes, a bit more information on the factions would have been helpful.

 

[pkt77242]

I feel like the SCAG needed to be 100 pages longer to be worth the money. One thing that was conspicuously absent was faction information. The AL makes a big deal about factions, and the SCAG would have been the perfect place for in-depth write-ups. I'm thinking 20 pages for each faction, detailing its history, prominent NPCs, bases of operation, etc. Instead, we got nothing.

I also think it depends on what you are paying for it. I don't think that it is worth $40 but I have seen it in the mid $20's previously on Amazon and at that price it is probably worth it (Currently it is in the low $30's on Amazon).

 

[Orion1138]

I have enjoyed that book quite a bit. I really like the bladesinger and the bits we get to see about the new realms. Still waiting for a "real" campaign setting though.

 

[robus]

Should have had a large format pull out map of the sword coast imho. Put me in the meh camp. Too much lore, not enough setting info (by which I mostly mean maps and stats)

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I think it's also worth considering what "worth it" means to an individual in this context.

If the only thing you want is the booming blade cantrip, and this is the only source to get it legally, then I'd consider the book worth it. Would it be a good value for the money? Hardly. But I'd still get it if that was my criteria and the alternative was to do without.

From that perspective, it is absolutely worth it to me even if I only use a small amount of the word count in the book, because it provides class options that I absolutely want access to, and this is where they are. Would I have preferred less of the stuff I can't benefit from? Yep, sure would. I still am glad I got the book though.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

The $25 price I paid on Amazon last year for a nice hardcover book was more than worth it to me, the retail of $40 not so much. Hardcover books are nice, but this one could have been softcover for a retail of $30 instead.

The update to the fluff for FR was welcome and the mechanics are useful, if a little light on amount.

 

[Queer Venger]

I've noticed more threads and builds using SCAG content (spells & cantrips especially).
I tend to do sandbox/homebrew worlds, so the book didn't really register on my radar at first. But now I'm wondering . . . what's the consensus? Should I get the book for the cool new crunch (and the entertaining fluff, of course), or am I really not missing out on anything?

It's worth it if the FR is your preferred setting

 

[rgoodbb]

In one game I play an Arcana Cleric with a Swashbuckler Rogue in the party

In another, I play a Long Death Monk and we have a Bladesinger in that group.

So totally worth it for us. It has freshened things up nicely. Hope you get to enjoy it.

 

[CapnZapp]

I think it's also worth considering what "worth it" means to an individual in this context.

If the only thing you want is the booming blade cantrip, and this is the only source to get it legally, then I'd consider the book worth it. Would it be a good value for the money? Hardly. But I'd still get it if that was my criteria and the alternative was to do without.

Please.

 

[Parmandur]

My group uses it all the time - since I got it, I don't think we've had a campaign yet where someone doesn't use options from it. Right now in my current SKT group, we have a swashbuckler, a barbarian using the Tiger totem path, and a sorcerer with the Waterdhavian Noble background.

Yeah, same experience here; they are not unbalanced options, but they fill niche character concepts that people wanted.

The fluff was worth the price of admission for me; I only got into FR with 5th Ed., so I got a lot out of it.