What is contained within the 'Sword Coast adventurer's guide'?

[CrackedChair]

I have a few book that helps players, which is the Player's handbook, and Volo's guide to monsters. Now I wish to get the Sword Coast Adventurer's guide to get some more player stuff. Could somebody inform me on what I will find in it?

[Scots Dragon]

A few new archeypes (battlerager barbarian, arcana cleric, purple dragon knight fighter, long death monk, sun soul monk, oath of the crown paladin, mastermind rogue, swashbuckler rogue, storm sorcerer, undying warlock, bladesinger wizard), a whole bunch of backgrounds, a trio of cantrips, and a few minor race options. Outside of that the book is mostly fluff, though it's really well done fluff in places.

[Findulidas]

Some of the stuff in it is very good. The cantrips booming blade and green flame blade are good examples. However I dont think anything is as broken as the monster races in volo.

[Arkhios]

A few new archeypes (battlerager barbarian, arcana cleric, purple dragon knight fighter, long death monk, sun soul monk, oath of the crown paladin, mastermind rogue, swashbuckler rogue, storm sorcerer, undying warlock, bladesinger wizard), a whole bunch of backgrounds, a quartet trio of cantrips, and a few minor race options. Outside of that the book is mostly fluff, though it's really well done fluff in places.

Fixed that for you. :smallamused:

Booming Blade, Green-Flame Blade, Lightning Lure, and Sword Burst = 4 Cantrips.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

To elaborate, first and foremost, the SCAG is a Forgotten Realms campaign setting update manual for the 5th edition, detailing what the Sword Coast in particular looks like in the "present" of the setting, a decade or so after the novels covering "the Sundering", where the effects of the Spellplague from the prior edition were healed.

In its rear pages, it contains an assortment of minor Faerun-centric class and racial options, although vastly more balanced than the so-called "Monstrous PCs" added in Volo's guide:

Duergar subrace for Dwarves
Ghostwise subrace for halflings
Svirfneblin subrace for gnomes, reprinted from Elemental Evil Player's Guide
Racial feat "Svirfneblin Magic", which expands the spell-like abilities of the Svirfneblin
"Elven Heritage" rules for half-elves, allowing them to trade Skill Versatility for the elven racial traits of Keen Senses (Darkvision + Perception proficiency) plus ONE of Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, Mask of the Wild, High Elf Cantrip, Drow Magic, or Aquatic Elf Heritage (Swim speed 30 feet)
Tiefling Variant Rules, allowing tieflings to change their Ability Modifier to +2 Dex/+1 Int, trade out their Hellish Rebuke spell-like ability for Burning Hands, replace their spell-like abilities with Vicious Mockery, Charm Person and Enthrall, or replace their spell-like abilities with a Fly speed of 30 feet
Battlerager subclass for Barbarians
New Totems for Totem Warrior Barbarian; Elk, Tiger, Sky Pony and Treeghost
Descriptions of Faerun-specific instruments, for bardic flavor tweaking
Arcana domain for Clerics
Banneret subclass for Fighters, also known in Faerun as the Purple Dragon Knight
Ways of The Long Death and The Sun Soul subclasses for Monks
Sample Oathly Tenets for customizing Paladin Oaths
Oath of the Crown subclass for Paladins
Mastermind and Swashbuckler subclasses for Rogues
Storm Sorcery subclass for Sorcerers
Undying Patron subclass for Warlocks
Bladesinger/Bladesinging subclass for Wizards
5e versions of the cantrips Booming Blade, Greenflame Blade, Lightning Lure and Sword Burst; these were iconic at-will powers for the Swordmage in 4th edition
New Backgrounds, some more Faerun centric than others: City Watch, Clan Crafter, Cloistered Scholar, Courtier, Faction Agent, Far Traveler, Inheritor, Knight of the Order, Mercenary Veteran, Urban Bounty Hunter, Uthgardt Tribe Member and Waterdhavian Noble

[some guy]

New Totems for Totem Warrior Barbarian; Elk, Tiger, Sky Pony and Treeghost


Elk and Tiger are the new totems. I'd say Treeghost is more a minor variant that swaps Beast Sense and Speak with Animals with Speak with Plants.

Edit: If you're just looking for stuff for players and not playing in the forgotten realms; be advised: there's about 100 pages of Sword Coast fluff, the 50 pages of "player stuff" has a lot of forgotten realms fluff in it as well. Not surprisingly, there's a lot of Sword Coast in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Depending on what you want, you might want to wait for Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

[Sirdar]

Also contained: Awful art!

SCAG has the worst illustrations of all official 5e books so far. Be warned!

[Millstone85]

Sample Oathly Tenets for customizing Paladin OathsThat's an interesting way to look at it.

What I saw was a hammering that paladins in the Realms must all match the classic idea of a D&D paladin, with a common mega-oath of lawful and good tenets. Paladins do get to "emphasize" certain tenets over others, but that's it.

Your interpretation gives the player more freedom instead of taking it away. It makes me wish that was my reading too.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

That's an interesting way to look at it.

What I saw was a hammering that paladins in the Realms must all match the classic idea of a D&D paladin, with a common mega-oath of lawful and good tenets. Paladins do get to "emphasize" certain tenets over others, but that's it.

Your interpretation gives the player more freedom instead of taking it away. It makes me wish that was my reading too.

Yeah, I admit to taking perhaps some liberties, but you have to admit that it's far more sensible, and far more viable, to use those oaths to customize the other oaths or as a basis to build upon homebrew paladins, both in the sense of "homebrew orders" and in the sense of "homebrewed subclasses".

[2D8HP]

Mastermind and Swashbuckler subclasses for Rogues


I really, really like the Swashbuckler subclass.

Be warned, even more text in the SCAG requires a magnifying glass to read than is the case with the "core books" where it's mostly the index that has the small type.

[mephnick]

It's been very valuable running Storm King's Thunder since I do not use Forgotten Realms for anything else, so I'm pretty ignorant of the lore these days.

The cantrips are almost necessary to run Arcane Tricksters or Eldritch Knights, so I'd have access to them simply for that. Not that you need a whole book for those. The rogues subclasses are decent, bladesinger is neat. Otherwise I find the subclass options pretty boring.

[DanyBallon]

While the SCAG is a great book for getting into FR, the part that you are looking far is small compared to the rest of the book. Many felt like they were cheated when they baught the book as they were expecting more crunch.

One thing I would suggest is to wait until the release of the new book this fall, it will be player centric and the devs said that a few already printed material will be include, so maybe some of the most interesting players options from the SCAG will be reprinted in the new book. Otherwise Shadow_in_the_mist list is spot on with the content of the SCAG in regard of players options.

[Naanomi]

"Elven Heritage" rules for half-elves, allowing them to trade Skill Versatility for the elven racial traits of Keen Senses (Darkvision + Perception proficiency) plus ONE of Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, Mask of the Wild, High Elf Cantrip, Drow Magic, or Aquatic Elf Heritage (Swim speed 30 feet)
Actually it is Keen Senses *OR* one of the subrace options... no one should ever take Keen Senses but it is an option, not an extra

[Scots Dragon]

Actually it is Keen Senses *OR* one of the subrace options... no one should ever take Keen Senses but it is an option, not an extra

I have to admit, every time someone says something like this I'm tempted to just run with the exact option and I don't even play the edition in question all that much. It's a sub-optimal ability and... so what? This whole obsession with zomg optimisation has created easily one of the most bland approaches to an otherwise creative game, unfortunately regardless of edition, that I've ever seen.

[Naanomi]

I have to admit, every time someone says something like this I'm tempted to just run with the exact option and I don't even play the edition in question all that much. It's a sub-optimal ability and... so what? This whole obsession with zomg optimisation has created easily one of the most bland approaches to an otherwise creative game, unfortunately regardless of edition, that I've ever seen.
You are literally trading two skills of choice for one prechosen skill. You are free to not get skills available to you for flavor reasons already one would imagine, you don't need a subclass 'feature' to do so

In any case it was mostly to point out the incorrect rule summary in this case

[ZB2017]

Are the subclasses, cantrips, etc. from SCAG going to be in Xanathar's Guide to Everything?

[Waterdeep Merch]

I'd say if you just want the extra character options from SCAG, it's not really worth it. There's some good stuff in there, sure, but it's not much of the book and you can live without it.

If you'd like to run Forgotten Realms but don't have any real familiarity with the setting, though, this is also a serviceable book of fluff. It gives you all the most pertinent information about the most commonly played parts of the setting in a relatively tight package. I recommended it to two friends for that exact purpose, and they've had multiple fun games based on FR since then.

Let's stop there, though, since talking about FR is the definition of skub right now. Buy it if you want to play FR, skip it if you were buying it for player options.

[DanyBallon]

Are the subclasses, cantrips, etc. from SCAG going to be in Xanathar's Guide to Everything?

The devs insinuated that some stuff will come from already published material, what will make it from the SCAG is yet unknown.

[mephnick]

The devs insinuated that some stuff will come from already published material, what will make it from the SCAG is yet unknown.

I bet they mean the EE (genasi etc) stuff and things from the earlier campaigns that hardly anyone has seen. I highly doubt they'll put any of the SCAG stuff in there. The cantrips might make the new spell section, but I'd be shocked if any of the class or race options make it.

[Millstone85]

I bet they mean the EE (genasi etc) stuff and things from the earlier campaigns that hardly anyone has seen. I highly doubt they'll put any of the SCAG stuff in there. The cantrips might make the new spell section, but I'd be shocked if any of the class or race options make it.♫ tweet tweet ♫

link (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872109482326839296)
The 25+ new subclasses in Xanathar's Guide have all appeared in UA at some point. They're joined by a few subclasses from the SCAG.

link (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872113560175861762)
FR-specific subclasses like the Purple Dragon Knighy aren't coming along for the ride.

link (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872119281399590912)
The SCAG subclasses in XGE are few and compact and were very popular. Their inclusion has no affect on how much new design we've done.

I don't know what is most perplexing: how they are apparently trying to make Waterdhavian Godfather's Guide to Everything a setting-neutral book, or considering the banneret too FR-specific?

[mephnick]

♫ tweet tweet ♫


Huh. Well now I kind of want a refund on the SCAG...

[DanyBallon]

Huh. Well now I kind of want a refund on the SCAG...

All the relevant fluff in the SCAG still make it worth it's price. And we still don't know what "a few subclasses form the SCAG" exactly is, it can be only the swashbuckler and mastermind, as it can be BS, BR, the Banneret as well...

[some guy]

All the relevant fluff in the SCAG still make it worth it's price. And we still don't know what "a few subclasses form the SCAG" exactly is, it can be only the swashbuckler and mastermind, as it can be BS, BR, the Banneret as well...

Like Millstone already said the Banneret/Purple Dragon Knight won't be in it, and it will be 4 subclasses from SCAG. source (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872220855601741824)

[Naanomi]

Like Millstone already said the Banneret/Purple Dragon Knight won't be in it, and it will be 4 subclasses from SCAG. source (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872220855601741824)
So if we are avoiding FR entrenched classes, that would leave... Arcane Cleric, Mastermind, Swashbuckler, and Oath of the Crown?

[DracoKnight]

So if we are avoiding FR entrenched classes, that would leave... Arcane Cleric, Mastermind, Swashbuckler, and Oath of the Crown?

Maybe a bladesinger purged of the elf requirement. I don't think those originated in FR, did they?

[Naanomi]

Maybe a bladesinger purged of the elf requirement. I don't think those originated in FR, did they?
No, first appeared in the setting-Neutral 'complete book of Elves'. Never been separated from the Elf requirement though

[Ninja_Prawn]

Also contained: Awful art!

SCAG has the worst illustrations of all official 5e books so far. Be warned!

I know, right? The PHB, MM, DMG and EE are all beautiful, but SCAG is hideous. I was really shocked when I first saw it.

[DanyBallon]

Like Millstone already said the Banneret/Purple Dragon Knight won't be in it, and it will be 4 subclasses from SCAG. source (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/872220855601741824)

My point was that until we have more information on the new book, we don't know which subclasses will make it from SCAG. Purple Dragon Knight won't be in as stated by JC, but they may reprint it under the name Banneret and purged from all FR related stuff, and it will still count as non-FR material... We just don't know yet.

[DracoKnight]

I know, right? The PHB, MM, DMG and EE are all beautiful, but SCAG is hideous. I was really shocked when I first saw it.

They definitely didn't do halflings any favors.

EDIT: going back and flipping through it again, it's kind of generally awful. Which is sad. I hope that when they do Adventurer's Guides for other Campaign Settings they get better artists.

[Sir cryosin]

Are the subclasses, cantrips, etc. from SCAG going to be in Xanathar's Guide to Everything?

I heard a rumour about them add some from the Scag in guid to everything. And that's a big feuck you to use that bought the SCAG. We spent that money on Scag and new they want to fill pages in the new book with stuff in a different book.

[DanyBallon]

I heard a rumour about them add some from the Scag in guid to everything. And that's a big feuck you to use that bought the SCAG. We spent that money on Scag and new they want to fill pages in the new book with stuff in a different book.

I'd say wait and see, the book will have 20+ new subclasses excluding the 4 from SCAG they announced that will see a reprint. These 4 were the most popular and not FR centric, that's all we know. I don't think it's a rip off for those who bought the SCAG. I can't say for everyone else, but we are using far more the SCAG as a setting source book than as a player options when we game. The book is especially useful for SKT.