D&D 5E is the line between DM and Player core books blurring?

[gyor]

The 5e PHB may have the core rules to play the game without a DMG, the DMG will have stuff like evil domains and other dark subclasses which players can use, and the MM will have races that are designed to be playable and balanced from the get go. Has the line between DM and Player book blurred.

 

[Stormonu]

D&D is one of the few RPGs that ever had that divide. Most RPGs are one book, and while they sometimes have a "GM Only" section, with it being in the one book it isn't hard to access it.

For general D&D these days, I don't see a reason to cordone off rules, races and whatnot as DM only territory. Save that type of stuff for campaign world secrets and adventure content.

 

[Hussar]

This has been the trend for every edition. 2e shifted virtually all the combat rules to the phb. 3e took it a step further with virtually all player specific rules in the phb. 4e went even further with magic items in the phb.

 

[gyor]

This has been the trend for every edition. 2e shifted virtually all the combat rules to the phb. 3e took it a step further with virtually all player specific rules in the phb. 4e went even further with magic items in the phb.

So this is a natural evolution of the game, that 5e goes even farther on this.

So depending the game it may actually be useful for players to have the DMG and MM. I think this maybe the first game where the DMG and MM become a player resource.

 

[the Jester]

So depending the game it may actually be useful for players to have the DMG and MM. I think this maybe the first game where the DMG and MM become a player resource.

I was going to say 'Not at my table!', but that's only a general rule; players have needed the MM for monster stats due to summoning, animal companions, polymorphing/wild shaping and so on since 3e.

 

[Hussar]

I would add that since 3e made magic items fungible, the 3e DMG is a player resource too.

Never mind PrC's which are also largely a player thing.

 

[Grydan]

I was going to say 'Not at my table!', but that's only a general rule; players have needed the MM for monster stats due to summoning, animal companions, polymorphing/wild shaping and so on since 3e.

A quibble: I see the phrase frequently, but 'since 3E' is a bit misleading here. In 3.X, sure, but both 4E and Next fall into the 'since 3E' category, and neither uses the 3.X approach of pulling summons, animal companions, and polymorph/wildshape forms from their respective monster sources.

In 4E, animal companions (and their stats) appear in player-oriented material in the write-up for the classes/builds that have access to them. Summoned creatures are statted out alongside whichever player character power or item summons them. Wildshape doesn't alter your stats at all, and though there are various feats and powers you can select that temporarily modify your stats while you use wildshape, none of them ever use the stats of a creature in a Monster Manual or similar book.

In Next, as of the most recent public playtest documents anyway, there are no animal companions, there are (to the best of my recollection) no spells that summon creatures, and all wildshape forms are statted up in the Druid's class information.

 

[Yaarel]

I hope to see, the Players Handbook as the only book someone needs to buy to play a game of D&D.



Players Handbook = DM and Hero = Rules Compendium, Rules Cyclopedia, Core Rulebook

Dungeon Masters Guide = story advice, 5e Advanced D&D game-changing options, Unearthed Arcana

Monster Manual of Greyhawk
Monster Manual of Nerath
Monster Manual of Feywild
Monster Manual of Eberron
Monster Manual of Ravenloft
Monster Manual of Planescape
Monster Manual of Forgotten Realms
Monster Manual of Dark Sun
Monster Manual of Dragonlance
...

Greyhawk Setting Guide
Nerath Setting Guide
Feywild Setting Guide
Eberron Setting Guide
...

Drow Menzoberranzan Region for Forgotten Realms Setting Guide
Githyanks and Githzerai Regions for Planescape Setting Guide
...

Treasury = magic items, special equipment, vehicles, mounts, animals, castle construction, services, hirelings, ...

 

[Sunseeker]

I certainly wouldn't mind combining the DMG and the PHB into a single book. There's really no logical reason to keep them separate. Even if you banned players from pulling out a DMG at the table, there's nothing stopping them from pulling it out at home.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

For all the groups having more than just one DM, the divide between player and DM is artificial anyway.