DDAL [DDAL PHB + 1 and summoning]

[jaelis]

Exactly.

If you loosen the restriction on race, the +1 rule is basically crippled. Aside from a single feat (deep gnome magic) four cantrips, and six subclasses (battlerager, arcana cleric, crown paladin, long death monk, undying warlock and bladesinger) you could have all legal options open with just Xanathar as your +1 if race isn't restricted.

Is there a reason this would be problem? I don't play AL so it doesn't matter to me, it just seems weird to justify a rule purely on the basis that a more lenient rule would be less restrictive.

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FWIW, I would have said that the justification here is not really about balance so much as pushing against the culture of "having all the books gives you an advantage in the game." If you relax the +1 rule, then it means you probably want two extra books, and you'd have to buy a new book if it had either a race or a subclass that you wanted in it.

 

[Remathilis]

Is there a reason this would be problem? I don't play AL so it doesn't matter to me, it just seems weird to justify a rule purely on the basis that a more lenient rule would be less restrictive.

WotC doesn't want to it for two big reasons.

* It equalizes newer and more experienced players, since with two books max, newer players don't feel they need to buy everything to make effective PCs.
* It stops potentially degenerate combos from happening when x race, y subclass and z feat from different books mix.

For OP where a DM had little ability to control for either, I think it's a fair rule. For home play, its overkill.

 

[CapnZapp]

Is there a reason this would be problem? I don't play AL so it doesn't matter to me, it just seems weird to justify a rule purely on the basis that a more lenient rule would be less restrictive.

Well, first off, no it would not be a problem.

The rule was certainly not made to stop race combos. It was made to stop (or at least slow) the kind of combos that plagued 3rd edition (and presumably tournament play at that time).

The rule was made before it turned out that WotC really is much better at avoiding powercreep this time around. Sure, they do it by not publishing much new crunch at all, but still - little powercreep.

But changing the rule now is not going to happen.

All we're doing here and now is pointing out that the "at least allow race" argument is hollow: there's nothing "at least" about it.

It does not mean I think the rule is needed because of race.

It does mean I understand why the rule was instituted. It just turns out it hasn't really stopped anything particularly egregious - yet.

I completely understand why they wanted to add the rule already from the beginning, though.

My 2 cents.