Hey!
The 'do you allow 3rd party materials in your game' is a debate I often see raging on the net and in our FLGS. In our games everything, even official WotC stuff is peer reviewed. That is to say it's not just the GM who decides how balanced something is.
Anyway, I'd love to share, and hear, some of the worst 3rd party stuff you've read or had to ban from your games. Don't post any names though, lets not get anyone in trouble. ;) Here's two of my favourites!
A core class with full BAB which ignores all SR and TR when it casts spells.
All Drow are infertile, unless they take a feat. Improved Potency or something. ;P
Peace,
tfad
I personally have banned most non-WotC supplements from my game. One reason is that I lack familiarity with the 3rd party tuff, so I can't analyze what it will do, or if I can allow it.
Another reason is that I owned a game store in the early 3e days, and there was a lot of BAD stuff that came out that turned me off.
Even good companies go bad. AEG made the stellar Toolbox and Magic books, but then turned out overpowered garbage like Feats. I like alot fo the S&S stuff, but I personally am not impressed by Malhavoc stuff.
Its really a mixed bag. My general stance is only the Core WotC books, plus the Complete and Races books. This keeps everything manageable, I know how to deal with it, and still provides mor eoptions than my players will ever need.
Director of Narrative
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When first getting into 3e (I was a late-comer) from 2e, our group played a campaign allowing non-WotC stuff in it and will not do it again. There were plenty of 'broken' feats and systems. Some good ideas, decent equiptment and tools, but most of it is munchkin stuff. Now we allow a few things all of which is discussed with the group and allowed in on a case by case basis. (There's some WotC elements that are given the same treatment)
I had a really good experience with the "one shot" adventures that come in the small books. After buying several more without reading them very closely, I came to realize I had picked one of the best right off the bat. Most are not good at all and I feel a bit betrayed by the companies that put them out.
I have also limited the amount of third party suppliments that I alow in the game. As stated above there are a bunch of feats and classes that make me grind my teeth. I hated the 2ed for this same reason, and now when a player brings something like this to me I cut and paste it to make it much more balanced.
I have noticed the flow of such material being brought to me by my players has slowed to a trickle because of this fact.
-Rath