The state of "PHB +1" sourcebooks for Adventurers League in July 2018

: Dungeons & Dragons

This is an update to my post about the "PHB +1" rule from January.

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes is added to the list of +1 sourcebooks

Wizards of the Coast released Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (ToF) in May. ToF introduces the Gith as a playable race, reprints the Duergar and Deep Gnome subraces, and introduces the Sea Elf, Shadar-kai, and a revised Eladrin as Elf subraces.

The Adventurers League Player's Pack was updated with a ToF primer when the book was released. The primer adds ToF as an option for a PC's +1 sourcebook and allows some character options to be available to PCs regardless of their +1.

Volo's Guide to Monsters races are no longer faction-locked

In the middle of July, the Adventurers League posted an announcement that revoked the requirement that the playable races in Volo's Guide to Monsters (VGM) be limited to specific factions and background elements. The VGM addendum document has been removed from the Player's Pack and is no longer in effect.

Changes to Adventurers League certificates

These announcements affect two Adventurers League certificates:

  • The Spirit of the Community certificate states that PCs that use the Eladrin subrace from the Dungeon Master's Guide must be updated to the version from ToF; the certificate still grants a bonus magic item and allows the Eladrin PC to use a +1 other than ToF.
  • The Batiri Exile certificate allows a player to play a Goblin PC with the Emerald Enclave faction instead of the Zhentarim; the certificate states that the Goblin PC must be retired if they leave the Emerald Enclave, but Alan Patrick confirmed on Facebook that restriction is no longer in force. As with the Spirit of the Community, the Batiri Exile certificate still allows the Goblin PC to use a +1 other than VGM.