What set of rulebooks do you prefer?

[BenShums]

Which to you is the most fun?:
Core: PHB, DMG, MMI
CoreII: Core + PHBII+ DMGII
CoreComp: Core + Completes
SRD Core: Everything in the SRD
d20srd Core: Everything on that website
Other (please define)

[Gerrtt]

It depends on the players I have.

With a group of new players (which I'm currently doing) It's strict core.

With a group of players that I don't have to handhold I like to do core + d20srd + completes with DM approval.

[123456789blaaa]

Usually everything (that is, all the splatbooks and core) except homebrew and third party. I might dislike playing with specific things on a case by case basis. I might also like specific homebrew and third party things on a case by case basis.

[thethird]

Other (please define)

Everything 1st party.

[Amphetryon]

Usually everything (that is, all the splatbooks and core) except homebrew and third party. I might dislike playing with specific things on a case by case basis. I might also like specific homebrew and third party things on a case by case basis.

This. I generally prefer folks use TOB Classes as substitutes for Paladin (Crusader), Monk (Swashbuckler), and Fighter (Warblade), but I allow those base Classes with slight modifications if the Player truly wants them.

[Eldariel]

Generally SRD + ToB + Champions of Ruin (+ Stormwrack for seafaring rules should it be relevant) for new players (with choice bits from Compendiums, e.g. spells for Ranger/Paladin/Assassin and some cool items like Healing Belts); add everything else for even slightly more experienced crowd.

[Flickerdart]

I see nothing more pointless than restricting content based on the book it's published in. That said, I prefer to restrict to 1st party, merely because I am most familiar with that content, and can make off the cuff decisions without needing to reference anything.

[Arc_knight25]

I would say 1st party. I would only restrict Psionics and maybe ToB. Psionics because I dislike that kind of flavour in my campaigns(nor would i ever make one) and ToB only because I don't know the classes and abilities well enough to feel confident DMing but as a player I would totally try to be able to use it.

If a player wants to use something from any 1st party campaign settings then they would have to run that by me 1st.

[BowStreetRunner]

We pretty much use all of the WotC 3.5 stuff that is not setting-specific, with the exception of Unearthed Arcana. I think that mixing settings just opens the door to more cheese, as many features that were not intended to interact with one another end up being combined. If we were to use one of the campaign settings we would use just the material appropriate to that setting. As for Unearthed Arcana, I think that works better with custom settings built by the DM than other published material.

[Aotrs Commander]

A morass of various bits from WotC sources and one or two third party, specifcally collated into lists with considerable houserules (with some ideas cribbed from 4E and some rules cribbed from Pathfinder).

I do not nor ever have allowed whole books (call that good training from Rolemaster) I allow bits of many books, but anything I think is broken, world-specific or simply stupid gets the boot, regardless of what book it is from. (Yes, that does include even core.)

It would be more correct to say nowadays we play 3.Aotrs.

[Larkas]

ToB + XPH + MoI.

... What? :smalltongue:

[Flickerdart]

ToB + XPH + MoI.

... What? :smalltongue:
Too bad most of the PrCs and many of the feats are now impossible to qualify for, since they need core content. You also have practically no races, and just two skills.

[Serpentine]

Nothing ruled out, nothing automatically allowed. That includes homebrew and third party. Likely prefer anything psionic to be refluffed as just plain ol' magic or something along the lines of ToB almost-magic.

[Larkas]

Too bad most of the PrCs and many of the feats are now impossible to qualify for, since they need core content. You also have practically no races, and just two skills.

Of course I'm only talking classes here, without core for that kind of stuff, the game is unplayable. :smallyuk:

[Flickerdart]

Nothing ruled out, nothing automatically allowed. That includes homebrew and third party. Likely prefer anything psionic to be refluffed as just plain ol' magic or something along the lines of ToB almost-magic.
It's magic, but with crystals! Yay crystals!


Of course I'm only talking classes here, without core for that kind of stuff, the game is unplayable. :smallyuk:
So you have no restrictions on feat, skill, and spell sources?

[Eldan]

Everything plus as much homebrew as possible. There's a few things here and there I will ban, but not much. Usually, only specific builds.

[Larkas]

So you have no restrictions on feat, skill, and spell sources?

Of course not. If it's in those books or core, they're in. Though you might have trouble finding spells in a world without spellcasters. :smallyuk:

[Flickerdart]

Of course not. If it's in those books or core, they're in. Though you might have trouble finding spells in a world without spellcasters. :smallyuk:
There's always Arcane Swordsage.

[Larkas]

There's always Arcane Swordsage.

Sure, if you can show me where it's statted out in those books, you're free to use it. :smallcool:

[Flickerdart]

Just because it's incomplete doesn't mean it isn't in the book.

[Larkas]

Just because it's incomplete doesn't mean it isn't in the book.

Of course. But it doesn't mean it's useable either. :smallamused:

[Callin]

anything WoTC and all third party. Though my table disallows Dragon Mag but allows anything that was printed in a book to be legal.

[rollforeigninit]

Anything. As DM, its my job to approve or not. I let my players play what they want. Its my job to make it fit. I can always hit the planet with a comet if it gets out of hand. I require all character sheets to be submitted to me before play and you better be able to explain why you have any weird stuff. If you want cheese, you have to go elsewhere. Rules as interpreted by me as the DM override any idiotic editing by any party. We do have rules to restrict multiclassing though.

[JusticeZero]

Likely prefer anything psionic to be refluffed as just plain ol' magic or something along the lines of ToB almost-magic.
Psionics is already fluffed as magic by default without lifting a finger. It's just another magic system with a funny name, just like stuff like Incarnam or what have you.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Everything in the 60+ books that I own and a few select WotC web articles.

I'm with the "there's no point in arbitrarily restricting things by book" crowd. I do, however, insist that the rules be readily available for look-up so it's got to be in one of the books on the shelf.

[eggynack]

I agree with the all first party folks. Books are cool, and more books are more cool. There might be some case by case banning, but restrictions based on books doesn't make much sense to me.

[Chronos]

All of Core with some houserules, plus other items on a case-by-case basis. It's silly to decide a whole book at a time, and the only reason to do so even for core is to give a baseline to build up from.

[flamewolf393]

I allow *anything*. period. But I also warn my players that if they munchkin and are completely broken, they will get smacked down. Or suddenly find them selves in the underdark with none of their gear fighting an army of drow-dread wraiths.

If I am playing with newer players and want to limit the books? I allow core+, the complete series, and the quintessential series. In fact I encourage them to use the quint series because it helps them get a better idea of just what they can do with a character build and personality.

[RFLS]

Almost all of the 90+ books I own are on the table by default, every single time. I've been known to remove them, but it's almost always for setting reasons (it makes me sad that incarnum so rarely meshes without fluffing). I also tend to let a lot of stuff from PF in, and some of the better homebrew to be found is allowed on a case by case basis. I generally trust my players to not be tools when it comes to the power levels they could achieve, and generally, that trust is rewarded by solid characters and mechanics.

[Flickerdart]

(it makes me sad that incarnum so rarely meshes without fluffing)
What setting doesn't have souls?

[RFLS]

What setting doesn't have souls?

...? What setting defaults to people being able to form their souls or life essence into very real magical ability? Don't get me wrong, I think the subsystem is very well designed, but it is also at odds with a lot of 3.5 fluff.

[Kelb_Panthera]

...? What setting defaults to people being able to form their souls or life essence into very real magical ability? Don't get me wrong, I think the subsystem is very well designed, but it is also at odds with a lot of 3.5 fluff.

People, in the general sense, don't. The incarnum feats and classes represent the special training or natural talent to do so.

MoI isn't at odds with anything in 3.5.

[Xervous]

1st party, dragon mag, and web articles are allowed as source material. A player brings something to me, then I whitelist it for the campaign.

[RFLS]

People, in the general sense, don't. The incarnum feats and classes represent the special training or natural talent to do so.

MoI isn't at odds with anything in 3.5.

*shrug* That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I'm going to continue refluffing Incarnum in my games, though.

[Amidus Drexel]

Anything 1st party, and I'll look at any online, Dragon, or homebrew stuff before I decide whether or not to allow it. Specific items, feats, PrC's, etc., I reserve the right to disallow (looking at you, Ur-Priest), but I'm open to just about everything. I'm a much better optimizer than most of my players are, anyway, so I've never been particularly worried about them wrecking a campaign.

[Bubzors]

In my group anything and everything goes. However, if its homebrew or from some obscure source, run it by the DM first so he can make sure its all legit. I do not see the reason in disallowing certain books, even if the DM is not famaliar with it. It is a great way to introduce the whole group to good new concepts. For example, before our last campaign none of us had used ToB. Now no one makes martial characters without some kind of dip into ToB classes.

[XmonkTad]

The first (and only) time I DMed a real 3.5 game I allowed a lot of books, but was limited by what my friend actually owned. Today, I'd allow pretty much anything that isn't bad homebrew.

[Deepbluediver]

Other
Everything except for 3rd party stuff and Dragon Magazine

3rd-party stuff is rarely an issue, because people infrequently want to use it. But with dragon mag it was inevitably a conversation like "Well, there was this feat one time and I think it did X, but I can't remeber it exactly or what issue it was in".

[JusticeZero]

I will note that each campaign I do, I chop off a chunk of the options in order to focus things down and keep world creation manageable. This campaign is psionics, so all of the divine and arcane casters are banned full stop (no bards, wizards, clerics, druids, paladins, rangers...) Just as long as a way to do downtime support is available (and the PF psi stuff has everything you need) you're fine. I also am doing humans only, and if I add races, it won't be any of the usual suspects.

[ngilop]

Player's Handbook
Dungeon Master's Guide
Monster Manual
Spell Compendium


are my 4 go to alwasy have

other than that it whatever everybody else has at their disposal.

[Kuulvheysoon]

This. I generally prefer folks use TOB Classes as substitutes for Paladin (Crusader), Monk (Swashbuckler), and Fighter (Warblade), but I allow those base Classes with slight modifications if the Player truly wants them.

Indeed. Whatever I use, I see no reason why my players shouldn't.

Swashbuckler instead of Monk? Nice.


ToB + XPH + MoI.

... What? :smalltongue:

Add Core, and you've got a game!:smallbiggrin:

[Larkas]

Add Core, and you've got a game!:smallbiggrin:

We've been there already. :smallbiggrin: Though, to be honest, I generally allow anything, with the limitation that I must read it first. Only if it's something cheesy or off-flavor will I ban it.