Its time to exempt (sub)race from the PHB +1 rule!

[Motorskills]

While I see what you're saying, I think that's a burden WOTC owes the playerbase to undertake themselves. They can't walk around acting like AL is the only way people are playing, or the only "official" way to play and therefore the only way that is going to get reviewed while continuing to shell out splat that may be unbalancing in more open-material games.

I mean, I know WOTC isn't interested in supporting certain aspects of the game...but it would be rather bad form for them to say "oh we hadn't considered how insane that combination is because AL is the only legal way to play the game". I mean that's something the guys who make MTG can say. But not D&D.

Yeah, WORD should introduce some kind of open-access playtesting scheme for new rules options. They could even call it Unearthed Arcana or something.


Edit: apparently I had been drinking....WOTC.

 

[CapnZapp]

One important factor people are missing about PHB+1+races or PHB+2 is that it would dramatically increase the playtesting combinations and quickly become unmanageable.

With PHB+1, when Wizards is developing and playtesting The Simbul's Guide to Spells, they only need to concern themselves with interactions between that book and the PHB.

With PHB+2, they'd need to consider and playtest the interactions between Simbul's and every single other book released for 5e.

With PHB+1+races, it's a bit better, but still increases the possibility of some nasty combo. I mean, shadar-kai shadow sorcerer seems reasonably balanced to me, but maybe when Mordenkainen's comes out, there will be some shadar-kai racial feat that is grossly overpowered when combined with shadow sorcerer. Sticking to PHB+1 just totally eliminates that sort of unexpected combo.

Except it's only an AL rule.

For the vast majority of customers that expect all books to work together, it would be a deep betrayal.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

We now have situation where Aasimar can't be Divine Souls or Celestial Warlocks, Shadar Kai can't be Shadow Magic Sorcerers or Hexblades, Water Genasi, Tritons, Lizardfolk, Sea Elves and Half Sea Elves can't become Storm Herald Barbarians of the Sea, and Tabaxi can't become Barbarians of the Tiger spirit, Hobgoblins can't become Warmages, ect... even the lore behind these races and these subclasses fight like hand in glove, peanut butter and jelly.

I would go so far as to say that those combinations are redundant. If you really want to play a goth-looking spellcasters who is all about dark goth-ness, that choice shouldn't mandate your race and class and feats and background.

If it's possible to be a shadar-kai shadow-sorcerer with the goth feat and the tortured-soul background, then you have to be all of those things in order to establish your concept; if you're just a regular elf shadow-sorcerer with the goth feat and the tortured-soul background, you'll always be less goth than you could have been.

It's the same issue with feats becoming mandatory for certain concepts, if you use them. If you're playing a core game without feats, then you can represent a greatsword fighter that is all about having a big sword by simply playing a fighter with that fighting style or playing a barbarian. Once you allow the greatsword-wielder feat, you don't really meet your core concept until you also take that feat.

More options are only meaningful when they let you do something that you previously could not. The PHB+1 rule allows characters to develop in different directions instead of feeling obligated to make redundant choices.

 

[CapnZapp]

Yeah, WORD should introduce some kind of open-access playtesting scheme for new rules options. They could even call it Unearthed Arcana or something.

Word.

 

[WonderfulSuggestion]

If you want to compare Character Sizes in Adventurers League then deal with it. If you want to revel in all the varieties of play then play at home where no one can judge you.

 

[Motorskills]

Word.

Just say "NO" to drugs, kids.

(Or the most excellent Lone Pint brewery's Yellow Rose, in my particular case).

 

[BookBarbarian]

QUOTE=The Big BZ;7357374]DMing 7 complete strangers with a mix of people who say ‘Which one is the D20?’ and people who say ‘I read on a forum that Flanking is legal in AL now’ ain’t easy, PHB+1 makes it a little easier... It’s just fine how it is.[/QUOTE]

This is it right here for me.

There's always more people trying to play than DM. So WotC making things easier for AL DMs is just a smart way to go.

 

[Adamant]

The problem I have with PHB +1 is really just that for some things I have to use a book with pretty much nothing else other than the race or core spell I want. It seems like it would make sense at some point to combine SCAG with Xanathar's and Volo's Guide with another race based book, maybe Mordenkainen's Tome (It sounds like it will provide races rather than spells).

 

[TheCosmicKid]

PHB +1 made more sense in 3e where the expansion books were more tightly themed. You could use the PHB plus Frostburn or whatever and have a bunch of different options for your wintery character. If 5e keeps on with the "little bit of everything" approach we see in Volo's and Xanathar's, that's good for a lot of other reasons, but it leaves people playing with the PHB + 1 rule in a bit of a bind.

 

[jasper]

...., but it leaves people playing with the PHB + 1 rule in a bit of a bind.

You have two choices.
1.Play adventure league with the PHB +1. Knowing some cool stuff is not allowed.
2.Play homebrew. Knowing that you and your group are smarter than the designers. The group will look at Jasper's crazy build using all the books and 3rd party stuff. And tell Jasper no you can't play that. But no giving Jasper wedgies .