D&D General Has anyone run a PHB only table?

[nevin]

PHB only won’t reduce combat time. Not leveling up after every session will help keep thing in check. Adding new features, spells, and feats every session is likely the biggest cause of combat time bloat. Before the players can get used to one level they’re on to the next. If you only have two hours to play and want non-combat stuff to happen, don’t run combats after 5-6th level.

The only succesful way I've ever reduced combat time was to use a 3 min egg timer. roll initiative ask someone what they are doing and if they don't come up with an answer in 3 min move them to the bottom and go to the next player. If they can't come up with something the second time they lose thier actions. Prevents the 30 minute dive into the books and works pretty well. Real combat doesn't let you stop And check the encyclopedia Brittanica why should DND combat.

 

[Scott Christian]

There are two issues you're likely to face: firstly, there are some players who absolutely must build their characters with something that is not in the PHB, and will fight you every step of the way. (There are also a very small minority of players who will find that they absolutely must create a character who violates any restriction you apply to character creation. Somehow, that applies even if you say "anything goes". Heaven help you if you have that guy at your table!)

I am lucky in the fact that the players will buy in. I really don't see it being a problem, especially since it is only nine sessions. But I hear you. I have run into that person, and sometimes it is difficult to get them to buy into anything.

 

[bedir than]

One thing I'd do for speed reasons is not allow the Conjure X spells instead replacing them with Tasha's Summon X.

 

[Clint_L]

You have 18 hours total for that.

I dont think its possible to build anything other than a bare bones story in 9 x 2 hour sessions, but best of luck to you if you can pull it off.

I am currently running a mini-campaign made up 5 x 2 hour sessions. I would not remotely describe it as "bare bones."

Most movies are only 90-120 minutes. 10 hours is a solid Netflix series. 18 is a full season on cable.

 

[aco175]

The only succesful way I've ever reduced combat time was to use a 3 min egg timer. roll initiative ask someone what they are doing and if they don't come up with an answer in 3 min move them to the bottom and go to the next player. If they can't come up with something the second time they lose thier actions. Prevents the 30 minute dive into the books and works pretty well. Real combat doesn't let you stop And check the encyclopedia Brittanica why should DND combat.

3 minutes, that is incredibly generous on your part. my players get about 10 seconds before they get bumped or skipped. There might be some spell lookup if I do not know, but the player should have looked it up between his turns.

 

[haakon1]

If I run a game, it's always only PHB.

Me too. And I’ve not been the DM only once since like 2014.

 

[Li Shenron]

So, does anyone have any recent experience with a PHB only table? IF so, how did it go? Pros and cons?

Pretty much all 5e games I've run are PHB-only, with the notable exception of my family campaign, where we can use all books I have. I'm not banning anything, but I usually play with casual gamers who don't know anything about the current edition beyond core (if at all). If someone asks if they can play a concept that is not visibly covered by core options, it will be me finding non-core options for them.

The main "pro" is limited risk of analysis-paralysis. Give players too many options to choose from, and some will start having headaches. In fact, I am usually a fan of pre-gens to completely avoid analysis on the first game session, so that players only face a primary choice point between ready-made characters, and I normally only offer as many pre-gens as the number of players plus two or three.

The main "cons" is lack of diversity on the long term. If you have a group that expects to play main campaigns across multiple years together, at some point you get the feeling that 2-3 archetypes per class are a bit too few. Although personally I feel that PHB+XGtE is just the right amount to make 5e evergreen for me, except for feats which are still not that many.

 

[Li Shenron]

So, does anyone have any recent experience with a PHB only table? IF so, how did it go? Pros and cons?

Pretty much all 5e games I've run are PHB-only, with the notable exception of my family campaign, where we can use all books I have. I'm not banning anything, but I usually play with casual gamers who don't know anything about the current edition beyond core (if at all). If someone asks if they can play a concept that is not visibly covered by core options, it will be me finding non-core options for them.

The main "pro" is limited risk of analysis-paralysis. Give players too many options to choose from, and some will start having headaches. In fact, I am usually a fan of pre-gens to completely avoid analysis on the first game session, so that players only face a primary choice point between ready-made characters, and I normally only offer as many pre-gens as the number of players plus two or three.

The main "cons" is lack of diversity on the long term. If you have a group that expects to play main campaigns across multiple years together, at some point you get the feeling that 2-3 archetypes per class are a bit too few. Although personally I feel that PHB+XGtE is just the right amount to make 5e evergreen for me, except for feats which are still not that many.

 

[jmartkdr2]

You will quickly learn that players don't want "what's in Xanathars" or "what's in Tasha's" - they want 'Whatever you've disallowed."

No-one will want to play genasi, right up to the point where you remove them from the allowed list, and then three players will complain, 'But I wanted to be a genasi!"

PHB only is fine. I've run games that were just PHB and SCAG when other books were available, and apart from constant complaining (sheesh, every single session, "you should let us play Z" arrgghh) the game ran fine.

I would suggest looking at the Revised Ranger though, as the PHB ranger is a little bit crap.

I'm contemplating my next D&D 5E game being PHB-only, no-optional-rules. Just to see what its like.

One of my most reliable sources of character inspiration is dm bans.