Review: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

A friend got me the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, it was not a book I was looking to purchase myself.  I’ve given some time to going over it and here is my review of the book.   Though I must admit my review is on the biased side but I’ll explain that as you read further.

If you are setting your campaign in Faerun but aren’t very familiar with the Sword Coast then I’d say this book is very valuable.  There’s loads of information about how different races and classes act in this world.  I’d say for someone who is new to the Sword Coast, either setting a first campaign there or thinking about setting a campaign there, this book could be quite valuable.  Even then I don’t think it’s worth the WOTC asking price of $39.95, instead head over to Amazon.com where you can purchase it for $26.74 at the time this post is being written. 

Let’s say you’re not new to Faerun, you’re actually quite familiar with the realm.  When that’s the case I see this book as a lot less valuable.  It really isn’t going to tell you any information you don’t already know.  In this instance all it’s going to give you is some minor variations on classes and a few new backgrounds for characters.  There’s really not a whole lot of new information here.  There are no new classes and really no new races as the races listed just refer you back to the Player’s Handbook.

If, like me, you’re not into Faerun and you were just looking for some new material to incorporate into your world then this is not a book for you.  Other than the new backgrounds you’re not going to find features here to add to your game play.  This is why I say I’m biased about the book because it wasn’t intended for my demographic.  As I said I had never intended to buy it but since it was given to me I gave it a chance.

So is the book worth the money?  If you aren’t very familiar with the Sword Coast but are interested in starting to set your campaigns there then for you it’s probably worth the Amazon price as it tells you a lot about the basics of Faerun.  For anyone else, you have to ask yourself if getting a couple of new character backgrounds and a few minor class variations is worth the price to you.

You Need a Thick Skin

The act of DMing is rewarding but it also comes with challenges.  Being a DM requires one to develop a thick skin.  You’re going to have problem players and you’re going to take criticism.  Dealing with these situations can be quite difficult if you’re a sensitive person.  One needs a certain level of detachment and the ability not to take things personally.  This can be quite hard, especially when you pour your heart and soul into a campaign.

Taking Criticism

At one point or another you’re going to receive criticism from your players and it can be hard to take.  Take a step back and look at the criticism.  Is this constructive criticism?  Is the player bringing up a valid point that you need to address?  Some criticism is a good thing and it can help you improve your game.  When players bring up a valid point learn from it and adapt what you’re doing to make the game more enjoyable.  Ultimately, you want your players to be happy with what you’re doing, if for example your players want more role playing and less combat in the campaign the only way they can communicate that to you is through constructive criticism.  

While your player may have a valid point, they may not be able to present it in a non-confrontational manner.  It is your job as DM not to let yourself get defensive and become confrontational back.  In this case it is even more important to take a step back and analyze what the player is telling you.  Though the presentation may be less than palatable the player may still be giving you valuable criticism.  Don’t let their pour presentation hurt your feelings, not everyone is good at communication and may not know how to present their feelings in an appropriate manner.

On the other hand not all criticism is constructive and it is hard not to take this kind of criticism personally.  This leads us into the next topic, problem players.

Problem Players

Some people just want to watch the world burn and you can’t take it personally.  At some point in your DM career you are most likely going to run in to a problem player, someone who just has to stir the pot.  They’re disruptive and can even be hurtful.  It can feel like they are personally attacking you.  Realize that it’s really not about you but about their need for attention and control.  Remember, you are the DM and it’s your show not theirs.  What you say goes no matter what kind of tantrum they throw.  Pull players like this aside out of game time and discuss their behavior with them.  Many times this will resolve the problem.  If this fails you have two options.  Ignore their behavior and work around them or ask them to leave the game.  Anyway it goes down remember that their behavior is their problem and not yours.  You are not responsible for the behavior of others even if they try to blame their behavior on something you have said or done.

The main thing is to learn not to take things personally.    Learn to detach and see things from an objective point of view.  Decide if the player is actually presenting something helpful that you can use to improve your performance.  You’ve got to develop a thick skin to DM.