Altalazar said:
No, core-only means the three core rulebooks, which include the PHB, DMG, and MM. They are, after all, ALL core rulebooks.
Again, what you desccribe is something less than core-only, because you exclude the DMG, a core rulebook.
No, he's not exluding the DMG. He's excluding an
optional part of the DMG, not the entire book.
Altalazar said:
Look, there's nothing wrong with that, nor am I trying to imply there is. I'm simply saying that I think the terminology is misleading if you call something just "core-only" with no further descriptor where there are actually core rules excluded.
Misleading? Uh, no, it's not.
What part of "Prestige classes are purely optional and always under the purview of the DM" (DMG, page 176) don't you understand? If you ingnore that rule, which is from a core book, you are not playing
CORE RULES.
The
CORE RULE is that Prestige classes are optional, at DM's discretion.
A
CORE RULES ONLY game can include Prestige Classes or not--at the DM's discretion.
If you address all the optional rules listed above (in Rystil Arden's post), your argument would have some credibility. But since you choose only to apply it to Prestige Classes, it just sounds like you are avoiding the evidence which doesn't support your desired conclusion.
Now, as a DM, I would explictly mention Prestige Classes being optional, just so players are not surprised later on. But in the games I play in (and run), the players usually discuss the character concept with the DM. Thus, if they're shooting for some PrC, the DM knows before the campaign even starts.
Altalazar said:
Sort of like if I said I was running a campaign that I described as "all wizards books are fair game" and then someone joined up and played until reaching fifth level, at which point they asked about taking a PrC from a wizard's supplement, and then I told them 'no, you can't take that - no PrC' - I would think they'd be rather shocked, based on the description I had given of my campaign. A non-misleading descriptor would be 'all wizards books, minus all PrC'
How about a little fire, scarecrow?