D&D 5E My 1st Restricted Campaign

[Zardnaar]

I have posted here before about restrictions used to define something like a setting, theme or vibe of a campaign. This has usually been hypothetical as my players do not tend to pick things I do not like and still tend to treat Paladins for example as LG. Taking feedback on these forums into account (yes I do listen lol) a poster suggested that if you remove something replace it with something else. My campaign is going to be more or an age of antiquity type game with things like fantasy Egypt/Rome/Greece floating around with roughly dark age levels of technology. A few anachronisms are fine but a lot of the best equipment for example will not be available.

Ye Olde Restrictions (tm).

Allowed PHB Races

Dwarf
Human
Elf
Halfling

New Races Allowed
Aasimar
Alseid
Centaur
Dragonkin
Dustgoblin
Gnoll
Kenku
Kijani
Jinnborn
Lizardfolk
Minotaur
Ravenfolk
Tabaxi
Trollkin
Werelion

I normally do not allow anthromorphic races into the game.

Technology Restrictions (Unavailable for sale in most places, such things do exist, go find them)

Weapons. Rapiers, Greatswords, Greataxe, Longbow, hand crossbows, most polearms (except pike),
Armor: Anything better than Breastplate/Chainmail. Lorica Segmenta (banded mail) does exist (refluffed half plate).

Some of the restricted stuff is easier to get than others. Longbows for example can be bought locally, its just those places are rare. Full plate has to be found in ancient ruins. Chainmail and Breastplate are more common as magical armor than leather/studded leather.

All races start with a bonus feat. Variant humans get two. You may not select the following feats as the bonus feat: Healer, Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, Resilient, Sharpshooter, Shieldmaster, Warcaster

You may select feats from this source as well.

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/185763/10-New-Feats-for-5th-Edition-DD


So basically the most offensive weapons for the -5/+10 feats basically do not exist or are hard to get, the default weapons are spears and short swords for the most part. Magical versions of the most common armors and weapons are sort of treated as 1 level lower in terms of rarity so a +2 short sword for example is more common than the default, a +1 Greatsword is rarer than the default. Most cultures can't forge those weapons or they have not been invented yet. If you are willing to travel some items can be found for the PHB price.

 

[Satyrn]

I didn't expect your list of allowed races to be so long.

I expected you'd maybe remove the gnomes and add in aasimarand that'd be it.

So many choices.

 

[TerraDave]

I didn't expect your list of allowed races to be so long.

I expected you'd maybe remove the gnomes and add in aasimarand that'd be it.

So many choices.

Also surprised by this. (Though the D&D known world, which you referenced in another thread, had lots of races).

Also werelion = wemic.

 

[Zardnaar]

I didn't expect your list of allowed races to be so long.

I expected you'd maybe remove the gnomes and add in aasimarand that'd be it.

So many choices.

Variety sometimes I can be a hard ass about some things, other times I go gonzo.

I don't like gothic horror full stop so no Ravenloft for me, I dislike magitech generally but I can sometimes go for Eberron or something similar. No one actually took any of the new races but we're also getting a new player and she might like one IDK.

 

[cbwjm]

What I like about the anthropomorphic races is that they fit real well in an Egypt based campaign as the chosen races of certain gods or perhaps races that just favour certain gods. Tabaxi could be the favoured children of Bastet but are fought over with Sekhmet. I'm not sure what all of the races are like but I see a few there that fit will with the setting you're creating.

Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Interesting!

I read that you're aiming for an Egypt/Roman/Greek (with a side order of Dark Ages).

Not sure the weapons are giving that vibe. Are the ones listed the Martial options available, rather than the complete list of all available weapons? I'm guessing the rapier is re-fluffed into some dex-base stabby.. weapon? Likewise, the hand-crossbow is an interesting choice for the thematic styles you've outlined. With technology waiting to be discovered, perhaps limit the ranged tech to slings, javelins and shortbows - then light crossbows and perhaps heavy crossbows through exploring.

Personally I wouldn't worry about accessing certain weapons in conjunction with the -5/+10 Feats. If you're already embracing the idea of crafting a setting through tailored choices/restrictions then simply remove them. That is, if the access to certain weapons is being influenced by said feats - if it is not then rock on!

Are there other empires/nations/civilizations? Which of the 'non-human' races are part of them? Do any run them? Have they been subjugated as part of Civilization's expansion?

I ask because if there's one thing that defines the Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece, Roman and the Dark Ages its that they were glorious, terrifying, all-conquering, (or with regards to the Dark Ages, their collapse) each representing a singular set of cultural values that were aggressively enforced on the world around them. Typically, this doesn't leave much wiggle room for the races that aren't part of the dominant civilization, other than 'barbarians in the wilds' or commoners/slaves - unless of course, they're running the show!

 

[delericho]

Also surprised by this. (Though the D&D known world, which you referenced in another thread, had lots of races).

Also werelion = wemic.

When did that happen? I was of the impression that a werelion was one of the lycanthropes, while the wemic is a "lion-centaur".

 

[Zardnaar]

Interesting!

I read that you're aiming for an Egypt/Roman/Greek (with a side order of Dark Ages).

Not sure the weapons are giving that vibe. Are the ones listed the Martial options available, rather than the complete list of all available weapons? I'm guessing the rapier is re-fluffed into some dex-base stabby.. weapon? Likewise, the hand-crossbow is an interesting choice for the thematic styles you've outlined. With technology waiting to be discovered, perhaps limit the ranged tech to slings, javelins and shortbows - then light crossbows and perhaps heavy crossbows through exploring.

Personally I wouldn't worry about accessing certain weapons in conjunction with the -5/+10 Feats. If you're already embracing the idea of crafting a setting through tailored choices/restrictions then simply remove them. That is, if the access to certain weapons is being influenced by said feats - if it is not then rock on!

Are there other empires/nations/civilizations? Which of the 'non-human' races are part of them? Do any run them? Have they been subjugated as part of Civilization's expansion?

I ask because if there's one thing that defines the Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece, Roman and the Dark Ages its that they were glorious, terrifying, all-conquering, (or with regards to the Dark Ages, their collapse) each representing a singular set of cultural values that were aggressively enforced on the world around them. Typically, this doesn't leave much wiggle room for the races that aren't part of the dominant civilization, other than 'barbarians in the wilds' or commoners/slaves - unless of course, they're running the show!

The weapons listed are unavailable. I kind of grandfathered longswords in because D&D and the Romans had the spatha. I forgot about the crossbow might remove that as well.

I have not thought to much about the world except in vague terms. My ancient civilisations as such (Netheril equivalent) will be Sumeria area, Arabia equivalent will be pre islamic Arabia (Nabateans, Sheba, Punt), mountain Dwarves in Caucasus/Switzerland, fantasy Rome republic in Italia, wood elves in Germany, high elves in Tunisia (Elves are normally like east India company in my games using mercs). South of Nitha (Egypt) I will probably have fantasy Ethiopia/Kush.

Nithia is more like Darksun than Egypt. Land of ruins, no pharaoh, handful of city states, big difference is a lot of tombs will still be secure due to constructs and undead guardians. The 3 Pyramids of Giza exist but have been melted with Dragonfire.

Greeks are small scale, thing more like Age of Heroes vs the Greek golden age. They will have iron tech though.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

The weapons listed are unavailable. I kind of grandfathered longswords in because D&D and the Romans had the spatha. I forgot about the crossbow might remove that as well.

I have not thought to much about the world except in vague terms. My ancient civilisations as such (Netheril equivalent) will be Sumeria area, Arabia equivalent will be pre islamic Arabia (Nabateans, Sheba, Punt), mountain Dwarves in Caucasus/Switzerland, fantasy Rome republic in Italia, wood elves in Germany, high elves in Tunisia (Elves are normally like east India company in my games using mercs). South of Nitha (Egypt) I will probably have fantasy Ethiopia/Kush.

Nithia is more like Darksun than Egypt. Land of ruins, no pharaoh, handful of city states, big difference is a lot of tombs will still be secure due to constructs and undead guardians. The 3 Pyramids of Giza exist but have been melted with Dragonfire.

Greeks are small scale, thing more like Age of Heroes vs the Greek golden age. They will have iron tech though.

Ok. Hmm, perhaps grab some paper, slap down some interesting terrain features (big mountain/mountain range, key riverways, sea/s) and draw an outline of where the major civs are. Then work which are neighbours and, if in keeping with the civ's classical counterparts, who are they at war with/what's stopping them decimating each other.

From here you can also determine which races might be available based on location and which races, while available, might present RP challenges. For example, if Gnomes run Ancient Greece (and they totally should!) but are hated by the Pharoh's men of kinda-Egypt, rolling one up when starting in Egypt is going to present the player with an interesting challenge.

 

[Zardnaar]

Ok. Hmm, perhaps grab some paper, slap down some interesting terrain features (big mountain/mountain range, key riverways, sea/s) and draw an outline of where the major civs are. Then work which are neighbours and, if in keeping with the civ's classical counterparts, who are they at war with/what's stopping them decimating each other.

From here you can also determine which races might be available based on location and which races, while available, might present RP challenges. For example, if Gnomes run Ancient Greece (and they totally should!) but are hated by the Pharoh's men of kinda-Egypt, rolling one up when starting in Egypt is going to present the player with an interesting challenge.

Well I am kind of thinking about using the actual map of the RL near east and just changing some names. Until PCs do some mapping they won't know. My Egypt as such is basically the Nile Delta area (Alexandria to Cairo), the rest exists but outside the political control of whats left. The cities are full of Sand/undead/constructs etc.

There are no large nation states as such, Thyatis (Rome) might be the largest with Italia.