Ever been tempted to forbid something for a silly reason?

[Zhaleskra]

As a Game Master, have you ever been tempted to forbid something from the game for a reason you realized was silly?

I know I have. HARP SF has a species called "Krakur" (plural "Krakuren"), and I was tempted to forbid that species because of all the jokes about "crackers" we all know we'd make. Doesn't help that the species languages are "Old Kraka" and "New Kraka", so it seems even Iron Crown Enterprises got in on the silly. I'm not going to forbid players from playing that species, just had to admit I thought about it for a silly reason.

 

[Jhaelen]

Silly reasons? I'm not sure about that (well, I've forbidden ducks as a species in Runequest, but I wouldn't consider the reason silly, given that it was to _avoid_ sillyness - which is similar to the reason you gave in your example...). Arbitrary reasons? Lots.

Especially when homebrewing, restrictions are a useful device to get your creative juices flowing. Some of the most original settings have evolved from removing aspects that are considered 'standard'.
Have a setting without any humanoids, a setting without magic, without water, etc.
Or consider Dark Sun or Ravenloft: Both settings work so well, because they change some of the default assumptions about a campaign world.

 

[DM Howard]

Monks. I just don't like them. It's absolutely silly that they rub me the wrong way so much, but my players always make jokes about making a Monk whenever we start a campaign and I just give them a sour look.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

My one player is banned from making Ghost Rider references. Because he just had to go overboard with them.

Monks don’t bother me so much, but psionics really bug me. Mostly because they’ve just ended up broken and easily abused in the past. Haven't outright forbidden them yet, but it's tempting.

 

[Zhaleskra]

I was recently confused by the treatment of psionics in HARP SF, but a re-read and a highlighting will sharpen the part I had a question about. Some psionics systems are poorly designed, and I think a lot more are GMs who don't fully understand the psionics rules.

 

[Brandegoris]

In D&D its Bards. They are a silly concept so I want to Ban them

In Savage worlds I ban the Word BENNIE. I just hate it because a Guy I disliked used to talk about his Job having " great Bennies". LOL
So I force my players to say benefits.

 

[TarionzCousin]

So I force my players to say benefits.

That's cruel!











... I approve.

 

[DeanP]

Halflings. Yep. I once made a home setting with no halfings. If there's a slaughter of a village by Orcs, it's a Halfling village. Halfing NPCs? Star Trek red shirt.

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

Gnomes. Because my players kept treating a gnome NPC as if it were the wizard's familiar.

 

[Zhaleskra]

I'm not fond of game currency being called "Bennies" in Savage Worlds. Bards really didn't have much of an actual niche until D&D 3.x, though other systems may have had them more focused. Gnomes also seemed to fail to have niche that wasn't already filled by elves or dwarves. Some systems and settings treat them as the "good guys'" mechanics. Unfortunately, still others basically make the gnomes into the most obnoxious kender ever.