lonelynoose
First Post
I only play AL. I like the checks and balances of organized play. Also, if there is a bad rule, everyone has to use it. I play one weekly table, one monthly table, and most cons in the area.
I don't really take their copy and paste boilerplate message for much. It says the same on the back of Storm Kings Thunder. So according to this line of logic you shouldn't use any info from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide in Storm Kings thunder. Two books which go together ALMOST as much as the dragon queen series. Caveat emptor!!
In Fact... Rise of Tiamat has the same message. So you SHOULDN'T use it with Hoard of the Dragon Queen. The book which is meant to go along with it.
Hey hey I use discretion every day. I use to use Old Spice discretion but wife got mad due to cleaning up after a horse with no diaper. I now use Degree or AXE when at cons..., use your discretion.
Hi!
The "PHB+1" is an AL league character creation rule. Characters created for AL can only use the PHB and one other source.
The reason for this is that WOTC designs D&D expansions using the same design principle.
New content is designed so that it is more or less balanced in the context of any of the other single book content combined with the PHB. The new content is intended to give greater variety with a power level comparable to that already existing in the players handbook. The reason for that design principle is because it becomes unmanageable if not impossible to find all the combinations of content from each expansion in order to find unbalanced combinations.
In home games, the DM can take a look at a combination built from multiple sources and then say whether that is fine or not. In most cases, there is likely no issue since the basic content of each expansion should be roughly equal to options available in the PHB. However, if a player finds a particularly powerful combination then the DM can either work around it or simply disallow it. This is because, in home games, the DM is free to build the content in whatever manner suits the group.
In AL play, the DM is much more constrained. Most of the module is specified, the DM can make some modification to the script but nothing really significant since the basic concept involves all players on a more or less level playing field enjoying the same content no matter who is running it. The DM may not even be aware of what rules are in which expansion, the DM may not have access to those sources. By limiting the AL player creation to PHB+1, it simplifies the job of AL DM so that they don't have to try to vet the characters provided by each player to the extent required if multiple sources were allowed.
The reasoning is similar to that allowing only point buy or fixed number for stats rather than rolling dice in AL. It creates a more level playing field for the players by reducing the min/max options and simplifing the character creation and adjudication by preventing the player from finding obscure unbalanced combinations from combining multiple source materials.
Here is an example of slightly breaking the system by ignoring PHB+1...
Swashbuckler Rogue/War Wizard with Alert feat = +20 initiative bonus at max Dex/Int/Cha..."I rolled a 40 for my initiative". Add in a weapon of warning and you get advantage on all initiative checks.
Granted, it won't wreck a campaign, but it does impact the fun of every other player at the table since the same player would almost always act first.
I don’t mean to be petty, but that is not a great example. First, the OP and I are advocating allowing all races, not removing the PHB + 1 rule. Your example is irrelevant to this suggestion. Second, how do you max out three stats and have the Alert feat? Either you are abusing the magic item assumptions, which is a known flaw of AL that is put up with to encourage DMing, or you are so high level that it prolly doesn’t matter that you always get to go first.
As to jasper... I’m understand that you disagree, but your example is not a great analogy either. I’m not saying ditch the rule, I am saying amend the rule after a careful consideration of the existing status quo.
It is also a poor example because it doesn't even break the PHB+1 rule, both Swashbuckler and War Wizard are in Xanathar's.