Options by default: on or off?

[Starglim]

Core options by default. I often allow large departures in classes and class abilities if the player can make them seem interesting, but I'd be very leery of new races.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

On.

I allow anything WotC or otherwise except by specific disapproval. Even when something looks questionable, I'm willing to let it play out and see what develops. Sometimes a class or spell (or comination thereof) proves too unbalanced, but I've yet to meet a feat I don't like.

I'm most likely to limit races, and that only to fit a specific campaign setting. Even so, I'll consider allowing the crunch of a disallowed race as a subrace or unique individual within an appropriate race - letting a player use halfling or faen stats for a moogle in Ivalice, for example, or elf stats for a human.

 

[Desdichado]

I've been tempted to run a D&D game but with none of the PHB races and classes allowed. You want races? Planetouched from Races of Faerûn or the Eberron or Psionics races, or whatever. You want classes? Loads in the Complete XYZ series. And psionic classes in the SRD. I think it'd be fun to have such an outré setting, yet one which was still 100% D&D.

 

[Dark Jezter]

In my FR campaign, I generally only allow material from the 3e FR suppliments and the core rulebooks. However, if a player of mine sees a feat or class from another suppliment that they want, I'll usually allow them to take it unless it's either very overpowered (and will marginalize the other party members) or dosen't fit the setting. For example, a while back I allowed the party's fighter to take the Improved Toughness feat from Complete Warrior even though it isn't an FR book or a core rulebook. I also allowed the sorcerer to research and learn a spell from a Scarred Lands suppliment because I decided there would be no harm in it.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I voted allow - but that's not true either.

The answer is "allow" - but only after I have reviewed it and okayed it.

Allow WotC D&D book feat/class: probably
Allow Forgotten Realms feat/class: maybe
Allow Sovereign Press feat/class: probably

All others - "we'll see".

 

[Shadowdancer]

In our group, we use options. But I'm the person most likely to introduce/first try an option out. The other players will usually only try an optional race or class if I suggest it to them and explain the pros and cons.

Of course, I'm also the person most likely to own the supplement in which the option can be found.

 

[Quicken]

Even on the core books not everything is allowed in my games. In the current campaign I stopped someone from making a Gnome Paladin. The rules give you a structure. It's up to your group how you want to play it. There's so much stuff out there that surely allowing ANYTHING would create a game of chaos. Not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't mind playing a ninja fighting pirates, but surely many feel it would break the immersive campaign their playing.

 

[TheGM]

Even on the core books not everything is allowed in my games. In the current campaign I stopped someone from making a Gnome Paladin. The rules give you a structure. It's up to your group how you want to play it. There's so much stuff out there that surely allowing ANYTHING would create a game of chaos. Not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't mind playing a ninja fighting pirates, but surely many feel it would break the immersive campaign their playing.

Agreed. I do not allow many races to be paladins.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Hmm default is off, but XPH and Draconomicon are fully allowed.
One player is running a Spirit Shaman, but he is missing Spikes and Brambes from his spell list, while lesser vigor sees a lot of use.

There are also a fair number of campaign specific tweaks and HR.

 

[shilsen]

Off by default for me. I'm running two Eberron games, both with the core books & the ECS, allowing things from the Complete Books and other Eberron books on a case-by-case basis.