Anyone else only allow core rulebooks

[JesterPoet]

I guess first I should ask what you consider "core rulebooks"

and, does anyone else only allow character creation and advancement out of core books? I only allow that in one of my games, and my definition of core is simple: PH & DMG

Only core races, only core classes.

Am I the only one "torturing" my players this way?

 

[Sigurd]

You must have rules you're comfortable with.

I don't think you're torturing your chars at all. You simply have to know what rules are going to apply. It is enough that they can expect you to be familiar with 600 pgs of rules.

If they want a particular variant they can bring it up and get exceptional status. If you don't maintin that status as 'exceptional' you have far more elements to consider and deciding outcomes is more difficult. Only the least of these burdens is having a copy of every rule in your game ready wherever you game.

Every DM I've ever met since before AD&D1 has had some sort of approval process for rules beyond the core books. As characters they must take advantage of what they already have and as players they should respect your time and resources.

sigurd

 

[HellHound]

Obviously, as a third-party publisher and a writer/developer, I can't 'just' play by the core rules, otherwise there would be no way for me to playtest my material.

On the other hand, I'm pretty strict about what makes it into play and what doesn't. Generally speaking, we use a small selection of "core" rulebooks with a little bit of new material. Of ocurse, my core material is a bit wider in scope than the core books...

Four Core Rulebooks
All my own material (Librum Equitis 1, 2, Compiled; Necromancer's Legacy; Three Arrows for the King; Essential Guide to Mind Flayers; etc..)
footnoted copy of FEATS by AEG
The core books for the campaign setting in question (either Arcanis, FR, or DragonStar / Rokugan)
If Thoughts Could Kill

and that's about it...

 

[Bendris Noulg]

My campaign's Section 15 is nearly a full-page (3-column) in length; quite funny when considering how much of the "core" rules I've changed or removed entirely.

 

[Turanil]

As a DM I am prone to allow almost anything. I just need to get a torough look and say if it fits or not the game. However it's my players who don't care to use anything else but the core rulebooks (despite I even went so fart as giving them several PDF books, so they could read them and choose something else).

 

[Bendris Noulg]

(despite I even went so fart as giving them several PDF books, so they could read them and choose something else).

That might be part of your problem.

 

[Creamsteak]

I guess first I should ask what you consider "core rulebooks"

and, does anyone else only allow character creation and advancement out of core books? I only allow that in one of my games, and my definition of core is simple: PH & DMG

Only core races, only core classes.

Am I the only one "torturing" my players this way?

Core rules only is preferrable in my experience. The only area where you may want to expand is feats. I've found that the feats in the PHB are sometimes not enough, or not always the best for particular archetypes. But that's one of the most modular areas of the d20 rules, whereas changing classes, races, spells, and most else is entirely unnecesary, and won't add much to the game.

 

[Stormborn]

I tend to allow almost anything that fits the world on a case by case basis. However, when starting a game with new players (as I will do next week) I want them to only have access to the PHB and the 4 page handout I gave them about the world and how the races/classes fit into it. Not because I want to restrict their options, but because I don't want them getting bogged down in possibilites. I, OTOH, plan on using anything I want for monsters, spells, traps, and treasure so that the more experianced players will have something more fun that just fighting the typical 1st level generic humanoids/goblinoids/etc.

 

[DackBlackhawk]

Core Books

I like to start campaigns with core books and add tidbits as the campaign develops. That way Beginning characters don't have 5000 options to wade through before starting.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

Typically, I only use the core books when running a game. There's just too much other stuff to keep track of. However, I have allowed the Complete Warrior to creep into the game and will probably do the same with Complete Divine unless Complete Warrior leaves a bad taste...