What Do Your Players Think of Splatbooks?

[Olaf the Stout]

I allow the Spell Compendium, PHB II and a couple of other splatbooks that I own, such as Races of the Dragon and Complete Divine, into my game. A couple of players continually mock them though, saying how that they are overpowered and uber, despite having only read the spells, feats, etc.

This started to grate on my nerves a bit. I asked them to knock it off and they have for a bit. I was wondering though if this is a common thing or if it is just my players who do this?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Aus_Snow]

Punish them.

Run core only, until they are begging you for the return of said splatbooks.

 

[Lorgrom]

The people I play with will look at them, and if they find something they like we will use it. Normaly everyone finds parts of them useful. No hate or love of them persay.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Wow, my players adore the splatbooks, as do most that I've heard of.

 

[seans23]

I thought only DMs hated the splatbooks.

Or, should I say, DMs who use pre-written adventures and can't be bothered to update statblocks. DMs like me, for example.

 

[Kurashu]

My group, including I (the DM), love the splatbooks. Well, one of my players and I love splatbooks. The rest haven't been playing long enough to really get into them.

I was surprised when one wanted to a play a race from Races of Destiny (the Sharkim or something like that), I've only given them a brief look over, but they didn't appear too broken at first glance from what I remember. Another wanted to a Goliath. And one is playing a Binder. My last player, the one who also likes the splats, is playing an Aasimar Cleric/Rogue/Shadowbane Stalker (or Inquistor, I continually get the two mixed up).

 

[blargney the second]

I don't call them splatbooks; I consider them useful additions to the game.
-blarg

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

My player (singular) and I loved the "complete" books when we had them (had to sell off most everything except the core books to pay rent recently so we don't have them anymore). She had her character working toward a couple of prestige classes and used spells and gear and such regularly. I used the prestige classes as bad guys (a singular spymaster, the Order of Illumination as a "good" antagonist organization, an up and coming version of the nightsong guild cast as an international spy network, amongst many other things). Never had the races books, but the "complete" books saw much use in the previous campaign. Already making plans for using them again in the current campaign once we reacquire them.

Quentin

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've actually had DMs try to push splatbooks on me. I hate a few of them - Complete Warrior is the top of that short list - and am so unfamiliar with a few I don't want to spend any time learning them and gleaning through all that chaff for a little wheat.

I prefer to stick to the familiar core rules unless there's a gaping hole somewhere. Not that the core rules don't have gaping holes, as it has many. Alas, sometimes the gaping holes (light fighters, unarmed combat users) are incompetently fixed by the splatbooks.

 

[el-remmen]

I think there is only one player in my group that buys RPG books with any regularity (and I think that is about once a year at GEN CON for him).

Otherwise, they rely on me to introduce any new rules, feats, PrCs or other variations. . .