I don't see any reason to assume they'll be doing that. But if they were, it would be just as big a problem if the club were focusing on 5E 2024, because the vast majority of information online is still geared toward 2014. I guess the OP could mention that and advise the club members not to try to get information on how to play their class online, or at least to make sure they're looking at 2014 advice.
Sounds like a horrible way to me. Instead of just saying "For now we are starting with the options from the 2014 PHB and here they are in this document" is a lot easier than saying, Hey, we are using stuff from all over the place, but only a little bit of it and here is the document." Because the next question that would rightfully be asked is "Well, what about this Boom Stick class from here? Or the Van Helsing class from there?" Sticking to the "official" book to start with is much easier to justify than a curated list of seemingly randomly selected classes.
I'd agree with it. If we were putting on a Shakespeare play, we don't have to give a naughty word about who Shakespeare was, when he left Stratford-upon-Avon, or anything else about him. We can do whatever we want with his plays.
I appreciate WotC's roll in marketing the game (well, I understand it at least), but that doesn't make them more important than any other publisher, just bigger and with more money. In fact, I see their drive to maximize profits by "setting a standard" as nothing more than a detriment to creativity by influencing/coercing less flush-with-cash publishers to tow their line.
I don't agree. Having a club document everyone uses is just as easy for members as using any other source, and has the advantage of including what you want it to include.
This is incoherent and a straw man. Nothing about avoiding the 2014 or 2024 classes necessarily leads to a chaos of class options. There is no reason why someone could not curate their own list of classes for a beginning group that contains only official classes, only unofficial ones, or a mix of the two. Using a class list that is not restricted to official classes doesn't necessarily lead to players looking up the Skibidi Toilet class on the internet and insisting they want to play it at the table.
One reason is simple, 2014 is still the most common version and as pointed out by others, still the one most accessible on the internet.
Private group and the classes were chosen since they were thoroughly tested for balance.
Good deal. New players definitely want to feel all their choices are fair ones.
