Xanathars guide

Thurmas

Explorer
It's Christmas time. Have everyone in the party chip in $10, buy him XGTE, wish him a Merry Christmas and tell him thanks for being the DM.
 

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hawkeyefan

Legend
His argument towards it was that he didn't have the book so therefore couldn't learn how to have an edge as a dm against the players, but we are always opening our phb or dm guide all the time to look up rulings all the time. I can understand his argument, but at the same time if I paid money for this book I want to use it.

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I can understand a DM wanting to know what content the players may use. But any subclass consists of about 5 abilities or so, and none seems so powerful as to really skew things so much. And I also think that when all the players in a game want something, then the DM should probably consider it.

I agree with the others who’ve mentioned buying him a copy.
 



He's still fresh at being a Dm. So that's how he's progressed from where he started to now. I've noticed he's become more power hungry. Making it so that we don't get magic items because their to O.P. (his words) but yet the creatures we fight are honestly way to strong for us. We didn't have a chance against the beholder we fought. My character died. Two turned to stone. And the other was paralyzed. And he had it set up to where we couldn't get out of the 150ft cone so that we couldn't use magic ( half our party is magical users).
TPK? Did you know the terrain before going in? Did you know the beholder was there? IOW, did you not have a chance because the DM railroaded you or because the party was not cautious enough?
 

Stormdale

Explorer
TPK? Did you know the terrain before going in? Did you know the beholder was there? IOW, did you not have a chance because the DM railroaded you or because the party was not cautious enough?

Or did you not once you realised you were in way over your head retreat! Not all encounters are designed to be "balanced" vs party level/abilities and not everything needs to be tackled head on so I'm not judging your DM's rulings but am questioning the players decision making.

As for using the book, his table, his rules. If he doesn't want to use it then you've 2 options:
1) find another game
2) Try DMing yourself.

My rule for the past 30 years has been simple (through 2e, 3e and now 5e) PHB only. That's the beginning and end of all spalyt book discussions. I've bought Xanathar's and may allow bits of it to be used on a case by case basis but there is nothing forcing me as DM to accept it.

When my players grumble about my old school race/class limits, as they do occasionally, my reply is simple. If you don't like it find another DM. I've been running my campaign(s) for 30+ years I'm not allowing dwarven wizards, dragonborn or whatever their latest "fad" is. We do discuss and negotiate a lot of stuff but when it comes to classes/races or books that will impact on my long established campaign history/canon/verisimilitude etc the answer is likley to be a no with an explanation of why not.

IMO Owning a non core book does not give you the right to demand you DM allow it. However, if you show it to your DM and the class option you want to try and why you'd like to play it then maybe, just maybe, they will relent.

Stormdale
 

Or did you not once you realised you were in way over your head retreat! Not all encounters are designed to be "balanced" vs party level/abilities and not everything needs to be tackled head on so I'm not judging your DM's rulings but am questioning the players decision making.
I was questioning both. He made it sound like the beholder was not only above their pay grade but in a room that pinned them all down in front of its big eye. So while, yes, retreat is always an option, it sounded like it wasn't an option here.
 



S

Sunseeker

Guest
It’s a wildly uneasonable stance.

To not allow books you are not familiar with in play? To not allow books you don't own to be used?

The DM gets to set what is available to be used in his game. The fact that WotC printed it doesn't mean he has to allow it. The books themselves even say exactly that.
 

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
We've all offered to let him borrow our books of xanathars lol.

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You need to talk to the other players, see if they feel the same way you do, and then talk to the DM about this.

It sounds like he’s turning into a railroader with a “me vs the PCs” mentality, and the only fix for that is communication.
 

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
To not allow books you are not familiar with in play? To not allow books you don't own to be used?

The DM gets to set what is available to be used in his game. The fact that WotC printed it doesn't mean he has to allow it. The books themselves even say exactly that.

4 players have the book. They’ve all offered to let him borrow it.

The fact that he doesn’t have to do a thing doesn’t mean that not doing it is reasonable.

Not allowing a book simply because you don’t personally own it, when getting ahold of it is very easy, is beyond unreasonable.
 

S

Sunseeker

Guest
4 players have the book. They’ve all offered to let him borrow it.

The fact that he doesn’t have to do a thing doesn’t mean that not doing it is reasonable.

Not allowing a book simply because you don’t personally own it, when getting ahold of it is very easy, is beyond unreasonable.

No, it really isn't, but I'm aware you have like, the lowest definition of "unreasonable" I've ever seen so this really isn't a discussion I'm interested in continuing.
 

Marius Delphus

Adventurer
He's still fresh at being a Dm. So that's how he's progressed from where he started to now. I've noticed he's become more power hungry. Making it so that we don't get magic items because their to O.P. (his words) but yet the creatures we fight are honestly way to strong for us. We didn't have a chance against the beholder we fought. My character died. Two turned to stone. And the other was paralyzed. And he had it set up to where we couldn't get out of the 150ft cone so that we couldn't use magic ( half our party is magical users).

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This is the alarming part, to me. The book thing seems like just a symptom of this DM's need to "win."

DMs like this typically won't offer their players anything they consider an "edge." I wouldn't be surprised if this DM, given XGtE as a gift, said, "can't use until I've had a chance to read it over," then "can't use until the next campaign," then "everything in here is banninated." And then blames the players for "making me take this step because of all the badgering."

The deeper problem isn't the source material being allowed for PC creation, it's the DM's attitude toward the players. This DM may be too new to realize that the player characters are basically supposed to win. Not overwhelmingly, not every time, not without the potential for setbacks along the way, not necessarily with ease, but more often than not. And that the game is supposed to be fun for everyone who's playing, not just the DM.

In my view, this DM needs rehabilitation more than a new book. JMHO. HTH. HAND.
 

xxluzdarkxx

First Post
I was questioning both. He made it sound like the beholder was not only above their pay grade but in a room that pinned them all down in front of its big eye. So while, yes, retreat is always an option, it sounded like it wasn't an option here.
The beholder also went first in combat which at the beginning had my character pinned to a wall and two others petrified. There wasn't really a chance of retreat. On my turn I failed the save. Then got death rayed, and died. The other two got turned to stone.

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doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Sounds like he's fishing for a Christmas gift.

This thread, and ones like it, is why I advocate having multiple DMs in every group.

This DM needs to get over himself, borrow the damn book, and stop focusing on getting “an edge” over the player characters.

edit:eek:r just borrow the damn thing
 
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