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<blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4817239" data-attributes="member: 80487">I think the really big difficulty arises when a player spends $30 on a supplement and then brings it to the table. Is everyone (including the DM) going to be dependent on that player? Is the cost of entry going to be raised for anyone who wants to be on an equal footing?If one is utterly indiscriminate, then that may get taken as an invitation to rules-lawyering.If you're taking a PHB as a starting point, then I think the way to handle exceptions is to make them clear before players join the campaign. I would not worry about going into DMG material, except in cases (which might arise in 1st edition AD&amp;D) in which it contradicts what's in the players' book.Hardly anyone in my experience used all the bells and whistles in AD&amp;D. I have over the years shifted to a greater appreciation for weapon-versus-armor modifiers (although I am not sure I will use the standard table in my next game) -- and, at the same time, to finding weapon proficiencies something I can do without.Perhaps especially when one has played for many years, deciding what not to include can be as much a part of creating a fresh campaign as deciding what to add or modify.There's also a significant difference between giving players carte blanche to bring in anything (which might mess with basic milieu assumptions) and treating things on a case-by-case basis. Maybe a single dragon-man, kung fu artist or android can be fitted in, but a bunch would be a problem.I think too much is sometimes made of the &quot;official&quot; nature of products. There is a natural commercial interest in that, and third-party publishers likewise must appreciate having a cachet attached to their books just for being books. It does not follow that every bit of such material is appropriate for every campaign. There are no drow cavaliers in my world, for what I consider adequate reasons!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ariosto, post: 4817239, member: 80487"] I think the really big difficulty arises when a player spends $30 on a supplement and then brings it to the table. Is everyone (including the DM) going to be dependent on that player? Is the cost of entry going to be raised for anyone who wants to be on an equal footing? If one is utterly indiscriminate, then that may get taken as an invitation to rules-lawyering. If you're taking a PHB as a starting point, then I think the way to handle exceptions is to make them clear [i]before[/i] players join the campaign. I would not worry about going into DMG material, except in cases (which might arise in 1st edition AD&D) in which it contradicts what's in the players' book. Hardly anyone in my experience used all the bells and whistles in AD&D. I have over the years shifted to a greater appreciation for weapon-versus-armor modifiers (although I am not sure I will use the standard table in my next game) -- and, at the same time, to finding weapon proficiencies something I can do without. Perhaps especially when one has played for many years, deciding what not to include can be as much a part of creating a fresh campaign as deciding what to add or modify. There's also a significant difference between giving players [i]carte blanche[/i] to bring in anything (which might mess with basic milieu assumptions) and treating things on a case-by-case basis. Maybe a single dragon-man, kung fu artist or android can be fitted in, but a bunch would be a problem. I think too much is sometimes made of the "official" nature of products. There is a natural commercial interest in that, and third-party publishers likewise must appreciate having a cachet attached to their books just for being books. It does not follow that every bit of such material is appropriate for every campaign. There are no drow cavaliers in my world, for what I consider adequate reasons! [/QUOTE]

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