Core only, how big of a power drop?

[Voadam]

I don't think anything would be needed, but there are not many core LA+1 races, it would not be a big boost to give those for free IMO. Hobgoblin, aasimar, and tiefling are generally considered weak LA +1 and duergar are not much stronger than normal dwarves. Getting these for +0 LA would be an interesting option.

Of course players can later buy sourcebooks with things that can be picked up through new feats or multiclassing.

 

[wayne62682]

Going to play Devil's Advocate here: I would give nothing at all.

Maybe I'm reading the question wrong, but if Core+Complete+Whatever is available, and a player chooses not to use them (for whatever reason) then they don't get anything to compensate for choosing to use one book instead of several. My old group routinely did this while I would make use of all the books that were allowed, and then have the nerve to cry "Powergamer" at me when I outshone their Core-built characters. So you'll excuse me if I don't believe in "throwing a bone" to someone using Core only in a campaign where additional supplements are allowed. They're making the choice to use only the PHB so they should be well aware of the consequences of such a choice.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I'm not sure I get the question either...

If you have a group of people that want to play together, but not all of them have the books, why would you not share the books???

Some people have character creation sessions where they get together at someone's house and make characters together, sharing the books that way. Others simply lend out their books. What's wrong with doing that?

Now if someone is insistant that they will only make a character from what they find in the PHB, DMG and MM, that is on them. If the options are open to them to use/borrow other player's books and they refuse, why would you give them special treatment?

 

[Felix]

None.

The variety is greater with the suppliments, but that does not necessarily correlate to a greater power.

 

[Crothian]

Nothing. If a player chooses to just use the core books I'm not going to give him an extra cookie for it.

 

[Rystil Arden]

None.

The variety is greater with the suppliments, but that does not necessarily correlate to a greater power.

I'm not one of the big power creep shouters, but you can easily definitively prove that access to the supplements will lead to overall greater power for any given concept X--assuming players are trying to optimise, the access to more options alone is automatically greater if she would ever take any of those options. Now, the question remains as to whether it is enough greater that it matters, and I'll grant you that you could argue either way on that, but the position that more options (assuming you would take any of them) is not more powerful than fewer is untenable.

 

[Felix]

...that does not necessarily correlate...

I consider my tookus covered.

I love that word.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I consider my tookus covered.

I love that word.

But the access to more options in the given example does necessarily correlate to greater power availability. It may not be noticable or enough to matter to any game, but it is there. And if the player doesn't take any of the stuff in the other supplements, then they weren't using the more options anyway.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

pfft, compare warblades and crusaders to barbarians and melee clerics. fighters are just filler levels and feat dip levels.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I would not give anything. There is not need. Yes, the non-core has more advantages and builds, but the power level is similar. I would find the SRD or core class a lot mroe boringto play for sure.

If everyone uses prestige classes, on the other hand, i would be more inclined to give a bit at about 5th level or so.