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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MrMyth" data-source="post: 5200574" data-attributes="member: 61155">I admit - it might seem an unfair stance, that we should demand such rules never manifest even if there is a way for them to help your game without causing problems elsewhere. But while theorizing an optional supplement is easy, the actual production might be more problematic.  As others have said - thus far, 4E doesn't have anything that really falls into that 'purely optional' category. Could you introduce such material without having players still expect to see it? Isn't one of 4E's underlying goals to make everything accessible, interchangible, core? I can certainly see the argument that breaking away from that goal could lead down a bad path for the game. I don't know if I'm sold on it, mind you - but I don't think it fair to dismiss such an argument as simply "complaints about whiny players and horrible DMs".  Even outside of that - let's assume they could produce such a book of house rules, a 4E Unearthed Arcana, without causing any problems at all for those who want to simply ignore it.  Would it be profitable for them to do so? Would the market be big enough to make it worthwhile? And would it be worth putting resources into that when they could instead have focused on a product that would actually be of interest to the majority of DMs? I don't honestly know the answer to those questions. But I think they are worth asking. And to be fair, we've seen some smaller signs that WotC may be testing these waters - pushing boundaries with hybrid rules, and some of the material in the DMG2 (inherent magic bonus system, alternate rewards like legendary boons), the power boost for Dark Sun campaigns (themes), the Dragon article on legendary 'Drizzt' weapons and items, etc. And I'm ok with that. If it ends up looking worthwhile for them, and they can present such material without it causing strife elsewhere, I'd be all for more of this - but I'd want them to take the careful approach and do it right. And like I mentioned early - I suspect you can get quite a bit of what people are looking for without having to truly break way from the system itself. So I think there are definitely options there - without needing to necessarily release an entire book of gamebreaking items.  Personally, I'd be a fan of seeing more optional house rules and ideas in the DMG3 (if it ever comes along), and from there seeing what demand there is for more.</blockquote>

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