Yeah, most groups. Most of the problem players hang out on online gaming platforms or in game stores.
Remathilis
Legend
Future Remathilis here.
For the most part this has remained true. What's nice is that WotC in 2024 has further expanded both the Campaign restrictions (Forgotten Realms campaign, Eberron campaign, etc) and lumped the campaign specific features (Dragonmarks, Dark Gifts, etc) into level 1 feats to limit stacking them.
cbwjm
Legend
Yep, the only time someone has taken exception to me excluding something (in the case I can think of, dinosaurs) it was someone online complaining about it: "Everything in the core books should be available!"
A lot of people seem to be against any kind of limitation, but my friends aren't some of them.
I’d tweak that slightly - anything goes tends to reveal underlying instability. With an established group who know how to read the rest of the table you can really let players do whatever they want (because they’ll keep it within reason)
But with strangers, more strict can be better.
(Unless the goal is to vet players in the first place - I like to let new players I’m considering inviting to long games play one shots with me, and bring whatever. It lets me know what sort of characters they want.)
I restrict a lot of things, either because of lore, preference and balance. I have a list of allowed species because I want everyone to come from somewhere, I don't like playing games with evil characters so they're banned, there's a handful of spells that simply too much of an "I win" button.
About the only time I ever have an anything goes game is when it's with AL, everybody else has at least some restrictions here and there. As long as the DM is clear on what the restrictions are so I can decide if I want to join.
About the only time I ever have an anything goes game is when it's with AL, everybody else has at least some restrictions here and there. As long as the DM is clear on what the restrictions are so I can decide if I want to join.
Goes hand-in-hand with online RP culture, especially in D&D spaces, being dominated by players who want to play their character and don't necessarily give a damn about the game they're playing it in. Feel like a lot of grogs would complain that they want to play their "build" or their "toon", but it's not just mechanical stuff. They've got something they want to play and they're looking for a game to plug it into.
You wouldn't believe the pushback I've gotten against wanting to do collaborative worldbuilding before character creation, and character creation with all of the players working together. It's almost been enough to sour me on online tabletop platforms entirely.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
If you're the DM and I'm a player then worldbuilding is your job, not mine or any other player's. Doesn't matter whether it's in-person or online, I'm here to explore and discover what you've built, which I can't do if I helped build it.
However, creating and playing my character (within whatever class-species restrictions you have set, of course) is my job, not yours nor anyone else's at the table. You don't get to tell me anything about my character's personality, alignment, outlook on life, or how to roleplay it, though: that's mine alone to determine via whatever means I choose.
Your argument would hold a lot more water if the same D&D players we're both complaining about were willing to play in anything but published settings and even specific pre-written adventure paths.
And, quite frankly, your attitude sucks and if that's the way you feel about playing at my table, you are hereby cordially invited to go play with yourself instead.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Truth be told, that's not something I've ever encountered.
Nothing specific to your table in particular. I just don't like being told how to play my character.
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