So how useful is the 5E DM Guide?

[danman71]

Fairly new user to FG, recently started running our Pathfinder2E games on FG due to COVID social distancing requirements. I also run D&D but haven't yet used FG for that. With the current sale going on figured I would grab the PHB, MM, and Xanthar's, but unsure how useful the DM Guide content was? Already own the physical books and content on D&D Beyond, so mostly looking at FG mechanics.

[mattekure]

The DMs guide is mostly useful for the magic items and treasure tables. You can get 99% of that free with the SRD but you don’t have the artwork

[LordEntrails]

Does the SRD really have that many of the magic items? I've never compared, but have always assumed it had a lot more.

I also use the DMG for the NPC and encounter creation rules, but I don't have a printed version (which could be used for the same).

[mattekure]

The last time I looked, there were very few DMG magic items excluded from the SRD. last time I did a comparison I only found a few types missing. Like I believe Mariners armor is in the DMG, but not SRD. Also Rod of the Pact Keeper, etc.

[Griogre]

IMO as a DM you want the DMG for the Tables (ie Treasure, Random Dungeon, Art items, Gems, ect) and Story Templates in addition to the Magic Items. If you have a physical copy of the DMG flip through it and look at the number of tables you see. In FG you can roll on all these tables and get the results by clicking your mouse.

All the SRD has is magic items. If that is all you want from the DMG then the SRD is fine.

As a DM it's probably the lowest priority book, though - you probably want monster books if you make your own adventures or an adventure module first if you are going to use one.

[arkanis]

Perhaps the least useful of the essentials along with SCAG, only worth because of treasure tables and that too feels incomplete and vague.
I'm very dissapointed with the current incarnation of the DMG by WoTC, too much fluff and a lot of vague mechanics. Because of that, you see a lot of books in the DMs Guild to cover all the incomplete aspects of the DMG (encounters, herbalism, alchemy, etc)

[Lazybones1969]

I got it as part of the essentials bundle. I agree it was probably the book I needed least, but as I was putting adventures together I noticed things I was looking for like the weather tables. There are some charts missing, like the info about foraging and getting lost in the wilderness, that I would have found useful, but I can just look those up in my hard copy.

[LordEntrails]

I got it as part of the essentials bundle. I agree it was probably the book I needed least, but as I was putting adventures together I noticed things I was looking for like the weather tables. There are some charts missing, like the info about foraging and getting lost in the wilderness, that I would have found useful, but I can just look those up in my hard copy.
There shouldn't be any content missing... if so, please post in the 5E Bugs thread and it will be corrected.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?53217-5E-Bug-reports-(2020)

[Zacchaeus]

I got it as part of the essentials bundle. I agree it was probably the book I needed least, but as I was putting adventures together I noticed things I was looking for like the weather tables. There are some charts missing, like the info about foraging and getting lost in the wilderness, that I would have found useful, but I can just look those up in my hard copy.

Are these all the 'missing' things?

[Griogre]

Oh I forgot earlier, but was building a dungeon today and remembered another reason to get the DMG is... the NPCs. All the traps in the DMG are input as NPCs so they can be easily dropped into an encounter or dropped into the NPC list and quickly modified (which is the biggest use for me).

[Lazybones1969]

I wasn't aware that the Reference Manual feature even existed; it's pretty buried. Thanks for that!

[TXCBoy36]

Doesn't the DMG also have some maps available when uploaded from the Library? It seems useful to me....but I am big on collecting all of these sourcebooks. I have all of my sourcebooks going back to the 80's so I am not sure if I am the best source on this point. I always get all of them for collection purposes.

[danman71]

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I went ahead and grabbed the Essentials bundle since it was on sale for like $94.50 this week. Too good a deal to pass up.