How do you keep track of the content?

[ShirAhn]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post on this forum after scouting it for the last few months. I figured if i had any 5e related questions this was the place to be.

I am a DM for a relatively new group, we started out with 4e because we had this digital tool that helped us create our characters. However after watching GeeksandSundry's Critical Role we decided to change to 5th edition.

It seemed to fit our group better, so I bought the books (Player Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master Guide) and we started adjusting our existing characters to 5e wherever possible. One of our old 4th edition Characters was a Warforge, a race that did not exist in 5e (or so I thought). So I asked the player if it was ok for him to give up his race and class and think of something new.

Last night I found that Warforge is actually in 5e but was never released in a book, it was released as some kind of PDF on Wizards website.

Now my question, how do you guys keep track of all the content out there? I'd rather not risk homebrew just yet because of my inexperience and possible balancing issues.

Thank you all,

[Officer Joy]

I (we) only play with core + whatever homebrew we think is viable.

[MaxWilson]

It seemed to fit our group better, so I bought the books (Player Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master Guide) and we started adjusting our existing characters to 5e wherever possible. One of our old 4th edition Characters was a Warforge, a race that did not exist in 5e (or so I thought). So I asked the player if it was ok for him to give up his race and class and think of something new.

Last night I found that Warforge is actually in 5e but was never released in a book, it was released as some kind of PDF on Wizards website.

Now my question, how do you guys keep track of all the content out there? I'd rather not risk homebrew just yet because of my inexperience and possible balancing issues.

The Warforged isn't officially in 5E because of possible balance issues. It was released via something called Unearthed Arcana, which is where WotC writers float their homebrew from their home campaigns. Unearthed Arcana classes frequently have issues that need to be fixed before they ever make it into a real game.

If you just stick to what's in the PHB/DMG/MM that you already have, you'll be in a pretty good shape. You can optionally purchase any books that WotC publishes (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide is the big one so far, with the free, on-line Elemental Evil Player's Companion (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiFw-PpmvnKAhVT62MKHaHDDQYQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.wizards.com%2F2015%2Fdownlo ads%2Fdnd%2FEE_PlayersCompanion.pdf&usg=AFQjCNH3yjtyBtFRi-196lQ_vjSCNr0biQ&sig2=yHGpYrFQGTKFTZ5MJn-cxA) as the runner-up so far). Finally, if you're interested in Unearthed Arcana, all the articles are here (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles). That's pretty much it unless you want to look at other peoples' homebrew, either on GITP/Enworld/etc. or on DMs' Guild (dmsguild.com is people selling their homebrew).

I'd recommend avoiding other peoples' homebrew for the reasons you give above: inexperience and possible balance issues.

Oh yes, and there are some third-party products from companies like Necromancer Games, which are basically homebrew or revamped official material from previous editions. IMO those books are about as good as anything WotC does, but you're still probably better off avoiding them for now until you feel more experienced. The PHB/MM/DMG have plenty to keep you busy for years on end.

[pwykersotz]

I simply (ha!) keep my own compendium. I've got a single book for all the spells, and another one for all the backgrounds/races/classes that is an exhaustive and word-for-word replica (including errata) of what is put out, with notes on what the source is. I was fortunate to start when 5e was just the PHB, which means that it's all been piecemeal rather than a super huge project.

[Talamare]

Other people's homebrews are the worst, everything is really poorly balanced. Too much liberal application of "rule of cool" ends up making vastly OP stuff. Worst of all, are the creators sometime who always smug and think their stuff is the best, and better than the original.

On that note, on my Signature. I made a homebrew Variant Race for the PHB races. Basically it's version of the PHB races that allows you to take a feat at level 1, similar to how Variant humans are able to. It's pretty awesome, better than the original and pretty well balanced. You should check it out.


As far as knowing what has been officially released, its only really been Sword Coast Adventure Guide and I think Elemental Evil. However, as more books are released you will need to start really questioning if you even WANT to allow that book. I know 3.5 had like 5,000 content books, and a fair amount felt like crappy broken homebrews. Even if the books looked quite nice.

[Addaran]

Other people's homebrews are the worst, everything is really poorly balanced. Too much liberal application of "rule of cool" ends up making vastly OP stuff. Worst of all, are the creators sometime who always smug and think their stuff is the best, and better than the original.

On that note, on my Signature. I made a homebrew Variant Race for the PHB races. Basically it's version of the PHB races that allows you to take a feat at level 1, similar to how Variant humans are able to. It's pretty awesome, better than the original and pretty well balanced. You should check it out.


As far as knowing what has been officially released, its only really been Sword Coast Adventure Guide and I think Elemental Evil. However, as more books are released you will need to start really questioning if you even WANT to allow that book. I know 3.5 had like 5,000 content books, and a fair amount felt like crappy broken homebrews. Even if the books looked quite nice.

I see what you did there!

But yeah, your variant races are pretty cool. I'll have to check them more in details, but i might use them. =)

[Laserlight]

I bought the books (Player Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master Guide)

You don't particularly need anything else. If you want something not included--such as warforged--you can homebrew it if you're comfortable with that, or ask here. Your version may not be "exactly what was officially published by WotC in Splatbook #43 as modified by online article #768 as corrected by these three tweets", but if you and your players are happy with it, who cares?

[MaxWilson]

You don't particularly need anything else. If you want something not included--such as warforged--you can homebrew it if you're comfortable with that, or ask here. Your version may not be "exactly what was officially published by WotC in Splatbook #43 as modified by online article #768 as corrected by these three tweets", but if you and your players are happy with it, who cares?

Agreeing with this point, let me add:

By buying those three books, you bought a complete game. No one has the right to laugh at you if you choose not to buy expansions to that game. There aren't very many expansions right now anyway, but adding an expansion alters the game, and all alterations are optional.

In fact, I'd encourage you to play around with variant rules in the DMG such as different initiative variants and combat options like Disarm before I would encourage you to start buying expansions (by WotC or anyone else) off of DMsGuild. Get comfortable with the game you're playing, then get comfortable with tweaking it, and then you'll be in a good position to decide if someone else's tweaks in a splatbook or online article are to your taste or not.

[mgshamster]

Last night I found that Warforge is actually in 5e but was never released in a book, it was released as some kind of PDF on Wizards website.

Those PDFs are called Unearthed Arcana. They're the playtest material that WotC releases for people to use at their own discretion and are not a part of the official rules.

Once they've been revised and play tested to the satisfaction of WotC, then they may make it into official books.

The warforged document you found is a playtest material for a potential eberron setting coming up. Just like te psionics rules are playtest material for upcoming Dark Sun setting.

Some of the play test material will make it into books. Some will not. Use at your own discretion.

As others have said, the three books you have are all you need