D&D 5E Sometimes Less Is More...or am I the only one who thinks so?

[Fanaelialae]

I see where you're coming from, but I'm from the school of thought where more is more. My main group generally likes to offer additional options on top of official material.

That said, if someone decides that tieflings don't exist in their new campaign world, or that there cannot be clerics in a given campaign because all of the gods are dead, no one takes issue. In that group we're all DMs, so stylistic choices are respected, no questions asked.

However, at the end of the day, more is better in our view. In my friend's latest campaign (which takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic fantasy setting) he wasn't happy with the standard 5e offerings. So he banned all of them, and then homebrewed 35 new races as well as 25 original classes. The man likes his options! Admittedly, however, most of those classes and races don't have sub-options.

 

[cmad1977]

I think the ranger should be broken into two or more subclasses spread throughout 2-3 of the other base classes myself. Not sure if that’s more is more or more is less or what.

 

[Fenris-77]

Not every GM uses, needs to use, or should use, all the options in the PHB. Each DM chooses what batch of rules, races, classes and whatnot suit their game. There's no need to delete anything since the choice of which to use is already completely in the hands of the individual DM, right where it should be. Deleting bits you personally don't like is pretty counter to how the book is designed to be used. Why does it need to be deleted rather than just not used by DMs who don't want to use it?

 

[ad_hoc]

At our table we don't use multiclassing. Personally, I think the subclass method is multiclassing done right.

So I am fine with subclasses which essentially multiclass the character like Eldritch Knight.

That being said there are subclasses in the extra books that I don't like and wouldn't want to play with. Hexblade is #1 on that list.

 

[Krachek]

Basic rule present classes with only one archetype. So yes a home brew class can do the same. You do it for fun!

If a Dm sell well its world, he can add any restriction he want. If players argue at each one, Dm should review its sale pitch.

Don’t be too rough on mastermind, see it as “a mastermind in becoming”.
Level progression is a sacred cow in DnD, and often it imply acrobatic explain to make it fit your game.

But a wise DM can let players play what they want, but restrict how the rest of the world is manage. Being the only member of a given class or archetype can give a cool feeling to a player.

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, the class and path names describe the teleos, not the status quo.

 

[iserith]

Less is more sometimes except those times when more is more better.

 

[Esker]

Less is more sometimes except those times when more is more better.

Magic Wordsmith indeed

 

[Morrus]

Too many subclasses? There aren't even enough classes, in my opinion!

Any class can be dressed in fancy clothes to look like something else. Stick a fighter in a samurai outfit or a musketeer's hat, and yeah, sure, that's a samurai or a musketeer if you say so.

I personally like more in-depth customization. A samurai substantially different from a fighter, both in flavour and mechanics. I want my fighter's abilties to be notably different to the guy sitting next to me.

We got some pushback with A Touch of Class and A Touch More Class, but I'll stand by them. Sure, you can mimic anything with a subclass, but only lightly. A full class lets you access far more depth into that concept.

So yeah... no, I can't side with the OP. I'm the diametric opposite.

 

[robus]

Too many subclasses? There aren't even enough classes, in my opinion!

Any class can be dressed in fancy clothes to look like something else. Stick a fighter in a samurai outfit or a musketeer's hat, and yeah, sure, that's a samurai or a musketeer if you say so.

I personally like more in-depth customization. A samurai substantially different from a fighter, both in flavour and mechanics. I want my fighter's abilties to be notably different to the guy sitting next to me.

We got some pushback with A Touch of Class and A Touch More Class, but I'll stand by them. Sure, you can mimic anything with a subclass, but only lightly. A full class lets you access far more depth into that concept.

So yeah... no, I can't side with the OP. I'm the diametric opposite.

I’ve appreciated the additional options. Again not to just pile them on, but to expand the menu for a particular setting.