Xanathar's Guide to Everything
First of all, I got the Special Edition by Hydro74 and it is GORGEOUS!
Now that brag is out of the way lets get to the review!
First off we now have 30 new character choices and that can only be a good thing. There are a couple of stand out powerful choices: The Hexblade and the College of Whispers Bard but they aren't so overpowered that a DM can mitigate their skill sets. There seems to be more buffing/support class options now and that will take the burden off of Bards, Clerics and Paladins. We also get the Swashbuckler from the Sword Coast Adventures Guide and it's nice to have all of the things together so your bag doesn't weight a tonne on game days.
If you want to make quick random characters there are LOADS of tables to roll on for each class. If you're not randomizing then players can get fresh ideas as a jumping off point to customize their PCs and get their creative juices flowing. There are also family and life event tables further on in the book which will help with the writing of a backstory. At the back of the book there are thousands of names in tables to roll on for all races and variations in Humans. This will help new players flesh out their characters which will improve roleplaying at the table and can also provide the DM with extra plot hooks making the story easier to write. Win, win really!
Wizards have also provided Druid Wildshape Tables so that Druids can know what type of beasts they have realistically seen and can therefore change into. This adds a layer of realism to the game and goals for the Druids to reach for. A Druid turning into a Triceratops having never been to Chult may be fun but it's far fetched and makes the game world inconsistent; those with a similar disposition to me will find that hard to roll with!
New race based Feats which the game was really screaming out for as not all of the races can do the same things. This introduction makes the non-human races seem more distinct and otherworldly. This can however cause some problems for the DM as some races can now gain wings (Aarakocra are banned at low levels in Adventurers League for a reason).
Codified rules for downtime activities with tools and kits would've been the greatest thing to have in the book if it hadn't have been for RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLES! I have thought this had been a massive omission on Wizard's account mainly because I used to play Middle Earth Role Play (MERP) by Iron Crown Enterprises. I always thought that they were such a great idea and they were tailored to different types of location. Unfortunately these arrived just after I had drawn out a load of them for my home games....
There are new magic items but they are very much on the common side. I fall into the camp of they're fun, simple and feel a little special. They give the world a magical flavour without breaking the game wide open. I think they're great. Also on the magical items side we actually have a price guide for Healing Potions and some rules on selling your plunder.
There are other more subtle things in the book such as help with traps and encounters, new spell options including summoning and mentions of old lore wizards such as Snilloc and Tenser. There seems to be a push now from Wizards of the Coast to flesh out more of the lore of the Forgotten Realms so that DMs can place their campaigns into an canon continuity if they want along with knowing how areas of the map are comprised with flora and fauna.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything is a book that can help both players and DMs alike, there's something for everyone here. This product feels really well thought out and useful and I think it is well worth the money spent on it.
Let me know what you think in the comments section below:
