I'm taking an informal poll because I'm collaborating with others on an adventure module and I'd like to know how much the players and DMs actually use the core books. I don't want to refer to certain sections of them heavily if it turns out that people don't use the DMG for random treasure tables, for instance.
Treasure Hoard and monster creation during prep and building mostly, during game social interactions, combat options, downtime activities. I've been guilty of using the art objects descriptions for trinkets and items that the players are looking to buy when their magic item search turns up nothing.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I use the DMG a lot when referring to rules or to queries about the system.
When it comes to adventure, loot tables, NPCs or any of the actual world building stuff...the official stuff is imo rubbish. I literally only use it for the reference on how the system should or does work. Never for any of the reasons given above.
That's not to say I haven't tried. The problem is its limiting and largely repetitive if you do use the DMG for that stuff. But then I've never found the forgotten realms all that interesting. It really does creak at the sides with how bent out of shape it's become over the years. It's the equivelent of a jenga tower that is about to collapse.
That said in DMG the magic items, are well(ish) balanced and always a good standby for loot if you are creating an adventure for people to run.
To be honest, I'm currently doing the same though. I'm trawling through my 15+ years of notes and developing resources that can be adapted to any systems and for any game or world setting. The way I handle what you're asking is to link to magic items in the DMG but make clear that DMs can and should feel encouraged to substitute in their own choices when it comes to loot and rewards...because they will anyway. Likewise, I'll suggest which potential encounters inhabit and area but give an alternate suggestion encouraging DMs to switch up the monsters if it suits their world better.
Of course, I'm still early days into doing that and the stuff I've posted on a site where it sells has sold fairly mediocre (around 50-80 downloads in a month) and even less on my Ko-Fi where it's pay what you want (though not everything is posted). Given those numbers it's possible that people don't like what I'm offering so who knows? Every different DM does seem to have different styles and there's no one correct or favoured way to DM I feel.
The thing with the DMG, is that the longer you've done role-playing stuff, the less you tend to need it; I till use it to reference things like diseases and magic items but I'm expierienced enough at this point that I don't really get anything out of reading about down time, creating cities/countries/religions or reflavoring.
" The way I handle what you're asking is to link to magic items in the DMG but make clear that DMs can and should feel encouraged to substitute in their own choices when it comes to loot and rewards...because they will anyway."
The thing I find weird about the DMG, is there is so much in there that people don’t realize already exist, and then complain about, or at least feel like, they have to homebrew it. The lingering injury rules, for example, are something people often say they want to add, but it’s already there. See also, skill variants, sanity scores, healing surges. Pretty much all of chapter 9.
Looking back, I think that chapter was a down payment on the “modular” rules we were promised during the 5e playtest, but they never fully realized them, save for adding a system here and there, such as piety in Theros.
You left out the most common use for the DMG from your list - magic item reference. Although the OGL materials have many of the magic items, it doesn't have all of them, so there are a number of situations where you need the DMG to look up and include interesting magic items. That is probably 95% of the use I make of the DMG - referencing magic items - the remainder might be the random treasure tables or some of the optional rules.
I'll echo the consensus about the magic items section and worldbuilding inspiration, but I'm familiar enough with the rules that I either don't need the DMG or I homebrew my own. Random encounter/loot/worldbuilding tables aren't my thing.
The only book that I referred to on a regular basis was Xanathar's Guide, and that was exclusively for the Crafting Rules section. I had a forge cleric, artificer and gunslinger in my campaign, so people were constantly making mundane and enchanted items...and the DMG's rules suck. Aside from that and looking up spell descriptions (via DDB), WOTC books simply provide me inspiration or stat blocks, and I don't lean on the core books much at all.
Yikes, reading this I think the most honest answer is "Not at All," only because there's no "I've internalized a lot of the rules, guidelines, inspirational material and don't like rolling on tables." I don't refer to it very often anymore unless there's a rule debate going on, but I use concepts and frameworks from it all the time.
I'm taking an informal poll because I'm collaborating with others on an adventure module and I'd like to know how much the players and DMs actually use the core books. I don't want to refer to certain sections of them heavily if it turns out that people don't use the DMG for random treasure tables, for instance.
Thank you in advance for participating.
If you are moved by a certain section of the DMG and it inspires a great module, put it in there. A DM unfamiliar can look it up. They might have forgotten about it or realized how cool/good/beneficial it is for their game.
Modules are great teaching tools for DMs, especially if they've been on auto pilot for a few months/years.
The thing I find weird about the DMG, is there is so much in there that people don’t realize already exist, and then complain about, or at least feel like, they have to homebrew it. The lingering injury rules, for example, are something people often say they want to add, but it’s already there. See also, skill variants, sanity scores, healing surges. Pretty much all of chapter 9.
Looking back, I think that chapter was a down payment on the “modular” rules we were promised during the 5e playtest, but they never fully realized them, save for adding a system here and there, such as piety in Theros.
☝🏼 very much this.
So many "I took this from Pathfinder/C&C/13th Age" and I'm like, ehhh, it's in the DMG. (It might be in the optional section, but it's there.)
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I'm taking an informal poll because I'm collaborating with others on an adventure module and I'd like to know how much the players and DMs actually use the core books. I don't want to refer to certain sections of them heavily if it turns out that people don't use the DMG for random treasure tables, for instance.
Thank you in advance for participating.
Magic Item section more or less all the time. The rest is usefull for inspiration and ideas how to handle stuff.
Treasure Hoard and monster creation during prep and building mostly, during game social interactions, combat options, downtime activities. I've been guilty of using the art objects descriptions for trinkets and items that the players are looking to buy when their magic item search turns up nothing.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Mainly I've used it for Downtime and Creature Creation
I use the DM’s Workshop section quite a bit, mostly for monsters and magic items. I occasionally use the other sections.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I use the DMG a lot when referring to rules or to queries about the system.
When it comes to adventure, loot tables, NPCs or any of the actual world building stuff...the official stuff is imo rubbish. I literally only use it for the reference on how the system should or does work. Never for any of the reasons given above.
That's not to say I haven't tried. The problem is its limiting and largely repetitive if you do use the DMG for that stuff. But then I've never found the forgotten realms all that interesting. It really does creak at the sides with how bent out of shape it's become over the years. It's the equivelent of a jenga tower that is about to collapse.
That said in DMG the magic items, are well(ish) balanced and always a good standby for loot if you are creating an adventure for people to run.
To be honest, I'm currently doing the same though. I'm trawling through my 15+ years of notes and developing resources that can be adapted to any systems and for any game or world setting. The way I handle what you're asking is to link to magic items in the DMG but make clear that DMs can and should feel encouraged to substitute in their own choices when it comes to loot and rewards...because they will anyway. Likewise, I'll suggest which potential encounters inhabit and area but give an alternate suggestion encouraging DMs to switch up the monsters if it suits their world better.
Of course, I'm still early days into doing that and the stuff I've posted on a site where it sells has sold fairly mediocre (around 50-80 downloads in a month) and even less on my Ko-Fi where it's pay what you want (though not everything is posted). Given those numbers it's possible that people don't like what I'm offering so who knows? Every different DM does seem to have different styles and there's no one correct or favoured way to DM I feel.
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.
The magic item list really.
The thing with the DMG, is that the longer you've done role-playing stuff, the less you tend to need it; I till use it to reference things like diseases and magic items but I'm expierienced enough at this point that I don't really get anything out of reading about down time, creating cities/countries/religions or reflavoring.
" The way I handle what you're asking is to link to magic items in the DMG but make clear that DMs can and should feel encouraged to substitute in their own choices when it comes to loot and rewards...because they will anyway."
Yeah...I hear this a LOT!
The thing I find weird about the DMG, is there is so much in there that people don’t realize already exist, and then complain about, or at least feel like, they have to homebrew it. The lingering injury rules, for example, are something people often say they want to add, but it’s already there. See also, skill variants, sanity scores, healing surges. Pretty much all of chapter 9.
Looking back, I think that chapter was a down payment on the “modular” rules we were promised during the 5e playtest, but they never fully realized them, save for adding a system here and there, such as piety in Theros.
You left out the most common use for the DMG from your list - magic item reference. Although the OGL materials have many of the magic items, it doesn't have all of them, so there are a number of situations where you need the DMG to look up and include interesting magic items. That is probably 95% of the use I make of the DMG - referencing magic items - the remainder might be the random treasure tables or some of the optional rules.
Things I routinely use in the DMG:
Yeah, I use the DMG a lot. Probably not as much as the PHB or MM, but it still has a lot of useful stuff in it.
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HERE.If they had a book just for treasure stuff that'd be amazing
Maybe that deck of many things book? Though there was some playtest stuff like feats and subclasses about cards, so it won't likely all be treasure.
I love artwork and love books. So in any hobby I use the books daily.
Have you seen the card decks for 5e that exist?
Gale force Nine | D&D Magic Item Cards | Card Game | Ages 12+ | 2+ Players | 60 Minutes Playing Time : Wizards RPG Team: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.
I'll echo the consensus about the magic items section and worldbuilding inspiration, but I'm familiar enough with the rules that I either don't need the DMG or I homebrew my own. Random encounter/loot/worldbuilding tables aren't my thing.
The only book that I referred to on a regular basis was Xanathar's Guide, and that was exclusively for the Crafting Rules section. I had a forge cleric, artificer and gunslinger in my campaign, so people were constantly making mundane and enchanted items...and the DMG's rules suck. Aside from that and looking up spell descriptions (via DDB), WOTC books simply provide me inspiration or stat blocks, and I don't lean on the core books much at all.
Yikes, reading this I think the most honest answer is "Not at All," only because there's no "I've internalized a lot of the rules, guidelines, inspirational material and don't like rolling on tables." I don't refer to it very often anymore unless there's a rule debate going on, but I use concepts and frameworks from it all the time.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
If you are moved by a certain section of the DMG and it inspires a great module, put it in there. A DM unfamiliar can look it up. They might have forgotten about it or realized how cool/good/beneficial it is for their game.
Modules are great teaching tools for DMs, especially if they've been on auto pilot for a few months/years.
☝🏼 very much this.
So many "I took this from Pathfinder/C&C/13th Age" and I'm like, ehhh, it's in the DMG. (It might be in the optional section, but it's there.)