D&D 5E DM imposed restrictions to the game (+)

[Steampunkette]

I'm always open to negotiation, but in general we don't use much 3PP unless it's on DDB, and I don't allow aarakokra as a starting species. Plus we have a few house rules, and I ignore RAW that hampers the game experience we want. I also don't use WotC settings like Eberron and Planescape. And alignment doesn't exist in my games. Also, pisionics. I hate psionics and try to avoid them.

Edit: also, certain character backgrounds that hijack the story in a super cliched way. Nobody gets to be secretly the missing prince or whatnot. If you want to tell that story, you DM.

One of my favorite characters in recent memory was the Princess Venyra Salitzar. She wasn't a missing princess: Everyone knew she was going on the adventure to the strange continent that appeared in the middle of the ocean because her cousin was the person organizing and leading the expedition.

The -party- didn't know she was a princess, at first. And kept sarcastically referring to her as a princess 'cause I played her as a character of noble birth and stuff with the three servants the noble background affords.

It was hilarious when they found out she -was- a princess. And a little heartbreaking when she found out they were calling her princess as an insult. Since by that point the group had actually become fairly close friends.

 

[el-remmen]

For my games. . .

1. Anything not in the core rules needs DM approval in terms of classes/subclasses/species.
2. Non-core spells are only introduced through in-game rewards/finds/research
3. No warlocks (no artificers is covered by restriction #1)
4. No half-races (cores ones replaced by the orc-born and the fey-touched)
5. No dragonborn (try lizardfolk instead)
6. No elves (elves exist, but not as PCs).

Of course, some of these are setting specific (like the species restrictions), so might not be the case in some future game (though I tend to run all my games in the same homebrew setting - it is just that that changes every 6 to 20 years).

 

[Muso]

No third party books, no mtg related books (ravinca and similar stuff) and no books specific for any setting that is not the one that we are playing. Usually no one complains.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm generally freewheeling, but I do have a few hard/fast rules.

1. Material from other setting books isn't allowed unless I'm running that setting OR special DM permission. I borrowed this idea formally from Dragonlance in that stuff from specific campaign settings should remain unique to that setting. No warforged outside of Eberron, no kender outside of Krynn, etc. If it's a setting that is multiversal (IE Planescape or Spelljammer) you pick a home setting and that restricts your options (so no warforged knights of Solomnia).

2. 3pp stuff is dependent on setting/genre. I allowed the bloodhunter and witch classes in my Ravenloft game, but I probably wouldn't in Faerun. They don't fit the feel. This is fuzzier as 3pp is too large to have an all-encompassing list on.

3. Generic D&D stuff (IE Tasha or Xanathar) is always allowed, but there may be caveats or additional implications. Again, I point to Dragonlance limiting what races are naturally occurring.

4. If a setting has a unique rule (Theros piety, Dark Gifts, Dragonmarks, etc.) they are only allowed IF the game is set in that setting.

My limitations are to keep games to a theme. My Eberron Pirate game was nautical, my current Ravenloft is dark fantasy/horror, and my players are expected to keep to theme. And for the most part, they do.

 

[Tonguez]

We agree on a theme and limit races and subclasses, books, etc to fit the theme.

Campaign setting, magic items, monsters and adventures is DM choice.

 

[Blue]

I run only homebrew, so I can and do restrict things based on the theme of the world. We also sometimes restrict things with the players during Session 0 - for example in my last campaign at player request the dwarves had been genocided, and both halflings and drow were manufactured races. (And later it was revealed that variant humans were as well, springboarding off of their thoughts.)

My default for D&D 5e is: no 3pp, core + everything books + giants/dragons/multiverse. No setting books (unless I'm running that setting) for character creation with the exception of spells. "3pp" includes WotC published but non-WotC books like Acquisitions Inc or Critical Role.

BTW, as DM I will take from whatever I want that I feel fits. I often use 3pp monster books, etc.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I mean... it depends. Some games I run are anything goes with official material (homebrew and 3PP are subject to review), and some are more heavily curated (like the Dragonlance campaign I'm running, which only allows traditional DL races).

 

[cbwjm]

I've done most of these options over the years, sometimes there are no restrictions, especially when playing a one-shot adventure, but otherwise I've created campaigns that have restricted races, classes, equipment, subclasses, etc. Sometimes it's just sticking to the PHB for options. 3pp isn't something that really comes up in my groups, some of it is pretty good, some lacklustre, some is just someone's power fantasy, but if you did find some decent 3pp or homebrew I'd at least consider it, normally with the caveat that it might need to be altered or retired if it seems to overshadow everyone else at the table.

 

[prabe]

I have specific lists for what's available for races, classes, subclasses. I limit the generally available spells to PHB and XGE. I have changed some feats, and I've eliminated others (mainly the ones that reference other things I've disallowed) but I've added some. I don't care about backgrounds, people can use something or make something up--though I want to something of the characters' backstories so I can make sure the players and I agree on how (and, though it's never really been a problem, whether) the characters fit into the setting. I have a houserule where any character that takes a feat (other than racial feats) after first level cannot multiclass, and any character who multiclasses may not take feats (other than racial feats).

That said, if someone has some idea that's centered around something I've disallowed, I'm willing to talk to them about it, see if there's something we can both be happy with.

 

[Zardnaar]

Depends on the setting.

Curated 3pp is fine.

PHB+Xanathars is fine.

Fizbans
Monsters of the Multiverse.

Curated Tasha's

Next game adding Midgard Heroes Handbook probably do the phb+1 rule.

Hard Bans.
Flyers
Twilight Clerics.

Soft Bans

Summoner Druid
Order and Peace Clerics

Setting specific mechanics eg Theros piety, Midgard leyline's, Ravnica Guilds are out unless I've ruled it in.