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I have a small group that I am currently DMing for, but our next game, we're switching it up and another person is gonna be the DM. It seems like if I buy Xanathar's Guide for example, nobody else can use it unless I'm hosting (DMing) the session, correct? Has there been any talk about a group license, such as what HeroLab offers? Is there any way around this other than spending $20+ every time we switch DMs?
Correct if you buy any DLC it can only be used if you are the DM. It has been suggested in the past that if you are in a group with rotating DMs that you use the subscription method. When it is someone else's turn you cancel your subscription and the new DM takes one out. The other method is for everyone in the group to have a Standard license.
Whatever method used the DLC can only be shared by the current DM.
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Originally Posted by Zacchaeus
Everyone in my group has either a standard or ultimate license. What does this accomplish though, when it doesn't effect extra books?
The base license allows you to play, GM, etc.. It doesn't give you entitlement to any additional DLC.
DLC you have purchased can be accessed by you as a player even if the GM doesn't have it (the GM has to allow your request to access it within their campaign). But if you want DLC to be shared with all players, then the GM has to have that DLC.
If you want DLC for character creation and one person has all of the DLC you need, but they won't be the GM, then the person with all of the DLC can host a campaign creation session where all the players will create their PCs, then they can transfer those over to the gaming campaign. You could use this same GM when levelling up - but you've have to be careful that you export the current PC from the playing campaign and load that up into the character maintenance campaign. It's a bit of a faff, but with careful PC data management you could probably do it OK. The main downside to this is that the links for background, race, class and skills won't open the relevant module records used to create them - although some SRD info may be available. Items, weapons, spells, etc. should be OK.
There are some similar suggestions on the wishlist that you can review and vote for if you want. But I suspect that the licensing agreement with WotC prevents or limits how DLC can be shared.
You would just think that having a "shared GM" folder would be useful - even if it were a separate product that was just a bit more expensive than the "single player" option.
Given that their are technical ways to share DLC in many ways, I suspect their are either business or legal reasons why it hasn't been done. That's why I myself don't spend much time trying to figure out possible ways it could be done.Quote:
Originally Posted by CriticalXHit