D&D 5E The 'Optional' DMG

[DaveDash]

If you are new to DMing, or looking for inspiration to create your own worlds and adventures, I'd say its pretty essential.
If you're an experienced DM and you're running an existing campaign setting (published or your own), or existing modules, it's more hobby reading material (optional).

Probably the only 'must have' content in it are magic items and *maybe* some of the wilderness travel stuff/downtime stuff. Even then you probably don't need those if you're running say Tyranny of Dragons.

 

[Li Shenron]

100% optional in 5e, for both new and experienced DMs.

 

[TrippyHippy]

The only thing you need to run the game is the Basic rules, really, possibly in conjunction with the Starter Set. This is as intended. each of the Core Rules books simply expands out your options - character design choices in the Players’ Handbook, a full catalogue of monsters in the Monster Manual, and advanced gameplay and world design in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

None of the core rule books are essential, but they enhance play accordingly - exactly as they say on the tin. I just wish they could all be fitted into the Starter Box as one….

 

[Rod Staffwand]

You can run a highly-playable and entertaining version of D&D with just the Basic Rules. Everything else is optional.

 

[Wolfskin]

I confess I'm not a big fan of DMGs and, honestly I could've run most of my 3e and 4e era games without one. 5e's DMG is, IMHO, stellar. It has made me a much better DM than I was about a week ago, so I'll go with option 1.

 

[TrippyHippy]

One of the big problems I guess for me is that, traditionally, DMGs have been very dry reads with loads of tables. Previous editions were pretty useless to me, in a creative sense.

The appeal to me, this time round, is in some of the discussion around the Planes and world-building I guess and I may find use for some of the hacking rules. I have ordered it, along with the Monster Manual as I’ve been impressed with the direction of the new game generally - but I’ll wait and see if I end up using either, both or neither when I get them.

 

[delericho]

The DMG has been optional since 2nd Edition. Though, with the exception of 4e, it would suffer for the lack of magic item descriptions.

With 5e, it's entirely possible to run a game with either Basic or the Starter Set.

 

[aramis erak]

For a long time before the DMG came out, there seemed to be a common sentiment that it was not really needed to run the game.

As people started actually running games post play-test that sentiment seemed to shift, and shift even more after the DMG came out.

So I am curious, is the DMG optional or it is needed.

EDIT: Needed for the game you want to run.

There are about 4pp of a "core rules" nature... The Morale rule, the social interaction rules, and the difficulty of encounters rules. Half of these made it into the DM's Basic Rules.

 

[TerraDave]

There are about 4pp of a "core rules" nature... The Morale rule, the social interaction rules, and the difficulty of encounters rules. Half of these made it into the DM's Basic Rules.

And you could play without any of those...though you need to be good at eyeballing encounters.

But there is other stuff that you might need for your particular campaign.

 

[Xenu]

I confess I'm not a big fan of DMGs and, honestly I could've run most of my 3e and 4e era games without one. 5e's DMG is, IMHO, stellar. It has made me a much better DM than I was about a week ago, so I'll go with option 1.

Can you provide an example? Everyone seems to be ga-ga over the 5E DMG and I seriously don't get it. I mean, it doesn't suck, but I don't understand all the gushing reviews. I do like the fact that is has bits and pieces all together: a mini-manual of the planes, info on things like poisons and traps, governments, some world-building, etc. But make me a better DM? I just don't see that kind of impact. Not saying I'm great and I continually try to improve, but I'm not seeing anything in the new DMG that has made me want to change how I run my game.