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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grainger" data-source="post: 6398117" data-attributes="member: 6779234">That may be so, but I don't consider any books as essential for the players. For example, in my main campaign, which ran for the best part of a decade, none of the players had a single book (aside from the aforementioned character options book, which was owned by one player). In the AD&D 2e games I played in during that time, only one player bothered to buy the PHB or any "splat" books, and he was a sometime DM. Players of non-spellcasting PCs rarely, if ever, even flicked through a rulebook. This lack of player-owned books wasn't ever commented on, let alone an issue.I'm running a 5e campaign at the moment, and the other players don't have any books. I'm about to start a larger 5e campaign where two players have the Starter Set rulebook between them, and perhaps one or two of the players will some day buy the PHB.Now, I'm not at all saying this is typical, or that it should be typical. Just that you can have a great game with a minimum of player-owned books. It is basically a matter of taste, based largely on how tactically/optimisation-oriented the players are.Now whether or not the material is "core" or not, as I stated before, I would much rather any character options are presented to the DM (so it can be "released" by the DM to suit the campaign) rather than the players. It just makes it clearer that this is all in the domain of DM fiat. As soon as the books go out as "player" books, the implication is that DMs should be allowing this stuff, whether labelled "core" or not. There's also the issue with DMs just allowing everything without assessing it - an issue if the only game in your area does this (in the UK, at least, game groups are relatively few and far between - there are no advertised 5e groups in my entire county - so you have to put up with what you're given). The fewer potential ways to "break" the game, or a particular campaign, the better.Luckily, so far the upcoming optional material is campaign-specific, so I won't be forced to figure out what's in there, as I won't be running that campaign. If I feel like it, at the time, then great, but my DMing time is usually much better spent on adventure and gameworld preparation than keeping up with new optional player rules.</blockquote>

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