D&D 5E Swallowing may cause blindness

[Mercule]

I am willing to gamble that there exists a monster like that from ages past.

I would not take that bet, sir.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm...not sure what to make of that sentence, to be honest.

You were replying to a false dichotomy, but I think you mis-read where the invalid, arbitrary line was being drawn.

Yes, I'm well aware of the "punish the players if they have the AUDACITY to read your book!!!" thing. I figured the hobby had matured past such things--if only in the sense that it's unrealistic for DMs to insist that players have no knowledge of the DMG anymore.

How the rest of the hobby has matured or advanced is not relevant to D&D.