So, I got into an argument about the bottled respite feature with my DM.

Here's the exact text: When you enter your Genie’s Vessel via the Bottled Respite feature, you can now choose up to five willing creatures that you can see within 30 feet of you, and the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you.

He thinks that it means 5 willing creatures including you, I think that's stupid, but it's rather vague. I was wondering if someone could clarify.

"..., and the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you."
The bolded words indicate that the 5 chosen creatures excludes you.

Quote from RagnarBroodhelm >>

So, I got into an argument about the bottled respite feature with my DM.

Here's the exact text: When you enter your Genie’s Vessel via the Bottled Respite feature, you can now choose up to five willing creatures that you can see within 30 feet of you, and the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you.

He thinks that it means 5 willing creatures including you, I think that's stupid, but it's rather vague. I was wondering if someone could clarify.

Unfortunately he is likely correct. Usually when the text of features or spells either says "up to X number of creatures" that means that you yourself isn't automatically effected by the feature but rather you have pick yourself as one of the "X number".  In contrast there are a lot of features or spells that says "you and up to X number of creatures" and those times you are affected for free (so to speak).

Of course the "the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you" could be interpreted as being the same as the "you and..." sort of feature but it isn't in the targeting part and it is just as likely just the natural language ending of a section starting with "when you" to make it clear that you cannot send others in without you also going in.

In the end it isn't as clear as I'd like it to be and I would certainly treat it as a "you and.." restriction but it isn't unreasonable for a DM to see it the other way.

It isn't a very well written sub-class in general. I mean in the middle of the "Bottled Respite" feature that details how the vessel looks and works there is suddenly a section about a different and completely unrelated feature and then in the next section it goes back to describing the rules for the vessel.

Quote from Thezzaruz>>

Quote from RagnarBroodhelm>>

So, I got into an argument about the bottled respite feature with my DM.

Here's the exact text: When you enter your Genie’s Vessel via the Bottled Respite feature, you can now choose up to five willing creatures that you can see within 30 feet of you, and the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you.

He thinks that it means 5 willing creatures including you, I think that's stupid, but it's rather vague. I was wondering if someone could clarify.

Unfortunately he is likely correct. Usually when the text of features or spells either says "up to X number of creatures" that means that you yourself isn't automatically effected by the feature but rather you have pick yourself as one of the "X number".  In contrast there are a lot of features or spells that says "you and up to X number of creatures" and those times you are affected for free (so to speak).

Of course the "the chosen creatures are drawn into the vessel with you" could be interpreted as being the same as the "you and..." sort of feature but it isn't in the targeting part and it is just as likely just the natural language ending of a section starting with "when you" to make it clear that you cannot send others in without you also going in.

In the end it isn't as clear as I'd like it to be and I would certainly treat it as a "you and.." restriction but it isn't unreasonable for a DM to see it the other way.

Thanks, I'll show this to my DM.

The Bottled Respite feature to me clearly say it draw you and up to 5 more creatures with you.

''the chosen creatures (up to five willing creatures) are drawn into the vessel with you.''

As others have said, the DM has it wrong. You are already entering the vessel when you choose the 5 willing creatures to go with you.