What is the advantage of buying the official players handbook?

[Devistation]

SO the PHB is on sale right now for 5th edition. What is the advantage of getting it? Seems like I have all the classes, items etc. to make my characters. Im just confused to what I am getting here?

[Nickademus]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?32987-What-do-I-need-to-play-5e

I'm curious how you have all the content already? The SRD modules only have the content that is OGL; it doesn't have the additional material that the PHB does. To my knowledge, only the PHB module has all the character content pre-made (due to licensing).

[Devistation]

I just have what came with the game. Seems like it is there? I made a character without issue? That is why I'm asking. What do I not understand here.

[SirGraystone]

SRD Modules have only the basic option, for example you can make a Cleric of Life Domain with SRD, but the PHB have the rest of the options Life but also Knowledge, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery and War Domains. The same is like Fighter, SRD have the Champion archetypes, PHB have Champion, Battle Master and Eldritch Knight.

[Devistation]

Oh. I get it. As am researching my new module Storm Giants I see there are a lot of tables that seem to go nowhere referring to other tables. Like the random inn name generator. I'm going to take a wild guess and bet I need the dm's guide for that. Unless I want to make my own table from my hardcopy ]

[Nickademus]

You can technically make any of the content from the PHB/DMG/MM yourself (some in FG, the rest in PAR5E or the xml files). You don't 'need' to get any purchased product for 5e. But the advantage of the Store products are that you don't need to take the time to input the content yourself. Also, the linking to those products has already been done.

[Zacchaeus]

Oh. I get it. As am researching my new module Storm Giants I see there are a lot of tables that seem to go nowhere referring to other tables. Like the random inn name generator. I'm going to take a wild guess and bet I need the dm's guide for that. Unless I want to make my own table from my hardcopy ]

Yes, a lot of the treasures that you find in SKT point to tables found only in the DMG.

[LordEntrails]

So, there is a good post around here somewhere *looks under piles by desk* that details the differences. But it goes something (details are guaranteed to be WRONG) like this;
- SRD 5E (included with FG license) includes basic classes and races. Includes one sub-race and one class archtype for each class and race. Includes some spells and equipment. No pictures, background or feats. Designed to provide a legal framework for people to make compatible content, not for actual play.
- 5E Basic Rules (included with FG license) include 4 classes and 4 races, but again only one sub-race and archtype each. Does include backgrounds, but no feats. And again, limited spell selection. No ? pictures. Designed to get people started. It has a little of most everything, but not all of it.
- PHB includes all standard races and classes, all sub-races and archtypes , all standard spells, backgrounds, feat and pictures for everything. (except those added by other things like the SCAG, etc)

[ddavison]

It's definitely possible to play without it. The SRD has a bunch of the content. Feats and backgrounds are the bigger things missing, along with extra race and class options. Other than that, the Complete Core Class Pack has portraits and a nicer reference manual with images from the book that you can use to pop out a page and share it with players or share in its entirety with players during your game.