I will answer 10 questions about Mordenkainen's Tome

What comprises the list of all new player options (races, archetypes, feats, spells, etc.) in the book?

 

[jgsugden]

Care about official rules.

You don't need to unless, as in when you play AL, you need to care about them. There is no inherent value in official rules over house rules as long as they don't break the game. I'm sure everyone in charge of the game would encourage you to make your less dexy elves. Really, consider it. The official rules encourage DMs to create things like monsters, spells and magic items... they have sections in the DMG for it. This is the same.

In the first place, the designers should have designed the elf for more customizability.

Why? They had a concept and built for it - knowing that variant concepts could be assembled easily. They could have made a system when you 'build a bear' by selecting options from tables A, B, C, D and E to create races... but they decided to go with the route where they have a story concept and then build mechanics that support that story. Their story version of elves are dexterous.

I hate the 5e lack of character customizability. The inflexible ability scores. The scarcity of feats.

I have to find an other game...

So far I do not see why ... everything you seem to want seems to be a tweak or two away.

...that respects the player more.

There is nothing disrespectful in the 5E game. They go out of their way to be inclusive and respectful of players and different play styles.

5E is the most adaptable system I've seen.

I also wish there were more 'feats' in the game. So I started to design a system that has more feats. It is convoluted, but the basics are you get a new 'feature' every *level*, and features exist on trees with prerequisites, etc... You can combine features to create existing feats, or you can dabble across the board... However, you can't just choose a feature. You have to try to learn it when you level. If you fail you can try again at a higher level, but it may be a few levels before you can assemble the combination of polearm fighting features you want. I also remove the ASIs at level 4, 8, 12, 16 and 19... replacing them with substantive abilities that come from backgrounds, races and classes. It was a beautiful system and took a huge amount of work - and my players did not buy into it at all. They were excited at first, but the complexity of it drove us back to the core rules and we were none the worse for wear.

 

[TwoSix]

Apologies. Gith, not Giff. Giff are not a playable race. Sorry!

Preorder canceled!

 

[Yaarel]

[MENTION=2629]jgsugden[/MENTION]

If your playing style rotates DMs, there is an inherent value of relying on official rules as a standard that all players/DMs share and expect.

A DM can vary some rule, but it is an issue when the next DM takes office.

 

[jgsugden]

[MENTION=2629]jgsugden[/MENTION]

If your playing style rotates DMs, there is an inherent value of relying on official rules as a standard that all players/DMs share and expect.

A DM can vary some rule, but it is an issue when the next DM takes office.

Agreed. However, if your fellow players/DMs would object to having charismatic/intelligent elves, as a DM, I doubt they want them in the game as a player.

If a change such as introducing charismatic/intelligent elves that are not as dexterous would break your group, I suggest considering the dynamics of the group. This really should not be deal breaker. The DMG even encourages this type of adaption!

 

[Leatherhead]

Dang. I wanted to ask about guns. Cause if the Giff are around, I want to know what they are shooting.

 

[Yaarel]

Agreed. However, if your fellow players/DMs would object to having charismatic/intelligent elves, as a DM, I doubt they want them in the game as a player.

If a change such as introducing charismatic/intelligent elves that are not as dexterous would break your group, I suggest considering the dynamics of the group. This really should not be deal breaker. The DMG even encourages this type of adaption!

As I have been saying, rules-as-written that come with official customizability alleviates the problem of a heavy-handed one-size-fits-all (procrustean) hell.

 

[jgsugden]

As I have been saying, rules-as-written that come with official customizability alleviates the problem of a heavy-handed one-size-fits-all (procrustean) hell.

If you perceive these rules to be any type of hell, you should stop using them. Immediately. No joke. No exaggeration. If you are that miserable, walk.

The game is not for everyone, and clearly, if using them is torture for you, there is absolutely no reason to continue spending any time on these rules at all. It would be insanity for you to stay with something that is a personal hell.

There are related games (Pathfinder?) and very different games (GURPS?) that may address your desire for different construction.

 

[Shemeska]

Is the "abashai" typo from the artwork preview fixed to abishai in the actual book itself?

Are there tiefling subtypes that -aren't- diabolic in nature described in this book?

How much on the yugoloths, and do they walk back anything on the 5e MM yugoloth origins (which contradicts prior lore)?

 

[Stef McCarter]

Was excited about this book at first but the more previews I see the less excited l am.

 

[Elderbrain]

So, let me get this straight, Morrus: The Marut can transport two people into SIGIL?
For what purpose? Is this "Hall of Concordance" some kind of holding cell?