D&D (2024) Where should optional rules go and why?

[Dyson Logos]

I'm strongly in the "optional rules in VERY CLEAR sidebars" or preferably, if there are enough of them "in their own book".

 

[Irlo]

It's the 21st century. I want the optional rules at my fingertips (and the fingertips of everyone in the group). I want to check boxes and slide dials to tune the game to the everyone's taste for whatever campaign we're planning, and then I want the e-PHB/DMG to generate a customized one-volume rule book for me and my friends.

 

[CleverNickName]

It's the 21st century. I want the optional rules at my fingertips (and the fingertips of everyone in the group). I want to check boxes and slide dials to tune the game to the everyone's taste for whatever campaign we're planning, and then I want the e-PHB/DMG to generate a customized one-volume rule book for me and my friends.

That might be closer than we think!

"ChatGPT, create a tabletop roleplaying game that uses the following 5th Edition D&D rules options and variants: spell points, feats, multiclassing, small-sized dwarves, intelligence-based initiative, no alignment, spell mishaps, damage reduction for armor..."

 

[Irlo]

"ChatGPT, create a tabletop roleplaying game that uses the following 5th Edition D&D rules options and variants: spell points, feats, multiclassing, small-sized dwarves, intelligence-based initiative, no alignment, spell mishaps, damage reduction for armor..."

Oh, I really do need to be careful what I wish for.

 

[NaturalZero]

But in 2023, it's a bit pointless. Every gamer reads every book from cover to cover.

I was under the impression that almost no one read the DMG from cover to cover.

 

[Nefermandias]

Optional rules should be DMG material.

Feats, should never have been optional.

Stuff that is actually player facing (classes, subclasses, feats, backgrounds, etc) should never be DMG, because that introduces a question of 'official' or 'legitimate' that just makes things annoying.

What you mean feats should have never been optional? The only make or break for me to decide if I'm going to adhere to the 2024 ruleset is the optionality of feats.

I really hope they include the option to play without feats in the new PHB.

 

[Scribe]

What you mean feats should have never been optional? The only make or break for me to decide if I'm going to adhere to the 2024 ruleset is the optionality of feats.

I really hope they include the option to play without feats in the new PHB.

I mean exactly that. Feats should.have been baked into the system from day 1. Same with Magic items.

 

[el-remmen]

Sorry if someone already mentioned this but, I think the best organization would have all the assumed default player-facing rules in the PHB as normal, but have optional variants mentioned in the appropriate places in call-out boxes with a note that the details of the options are in the DMG (yes, that means having both books ready and final (or very near final) at the same time) and that the DM will discuss the possibility of using some of these in Session 0 or whatever.

More than anything, I think the PHB and DMG need to be parallel in organization and content.

 

[Reynard]

I did not read the whole thread so forgive me if this is mentioned: I was reading Dragonbane last night, and it put the optional rules in the right place: exactly where it is relevant among the standard rules. Like, there is a sidebar in the ranged combat section that talks about the optional cover rules. That's a pretty good way to go, IMO.

I also like the way SWADE and the 5E DMG do it: a specific chapter that presents the optional rules as game customization tools, explaining not just what the rules are but how they change your game.

 

[Horwath]

Yes. I would make the array standard in the Players Handbook, and move dice-rolls and point-buy to the DMs Guide as variants.

(I assume many tables will continue to use point-buy and dice-rolls in the manner to which they are accustomed. And the DMs Guide will legitimize these as "official variants".)

I would put point buy as default and array as suggestion of the said point buy. And rolling to come with disclaimer that it can severely unbalance the game if used.