3.5, core classes forbidden

[galaga88]

After a session of D&D tonight, I made the foolish mistake of stating how it'd be neat to have a D&D campaign where you can only use the new core classes from the splatbooks (Ninja, Warlock, Samurai, etc.).

Everybody else agreed that that'd be very neat and I should have it ready in two weeks.

Whoops.

So, anybody have any suggestions on how this would go? What class features are going to be sorely missing?

Outside of Complete Arcane, Adventurer, Warrior & Divine, what other books have new core classes? (Sticking to WoTC, non-FR or Eberron)

I might as well go all the way and do alternate races as well. Thri-Kreen here we come!

 

[Aus_Snow]

So, anybody have any suggestions on how this would go? What class features are going to be sorely missing?

I can't see any class features that will be "sorely missing", at all. There are a few Fighter types, a number of Cleric types, a few (at least) Wizard and Sorcerer types, ditto Rogue types. Done.

Outside of Complete Arcane, Adventurer, Warrior & Divine, what other books have new core classes? (Sticking to WoTC, non-FR or Eberron)

You're confusing the terms 'core class' and 'base class'. But yeah, the Players Handbook II has a few more base classes. As does the Tome of Magic I, as does the Tome of Battle I. Hm, and Heroes of Horror. I think there are more but I'm forgetting, at the moment.

I might as well go all the way and do alternate races as well. Thri-Kreen here we come!

There are many of these too.

 

[drothgery]

Off the top of my head...

PHB II (Knight, Dragon Shaman, Beguiler, Duskblade).
XPH (Psion, Wilder, Pychic Warrior, Soulknife)
CPsi (Ardent, Divine Mind, Lurk, Euridite)
Heroes of Horror (Archivist, Dread Necromancer)
Dragon Magic (Dragonfire Adept)
Minis HB (Marhshal)
Unearthed Arcana for all sorts of variants
DMG (the NPC classes)
Tome of Magic (binder, truenamer, one other)
Tome of Battle (warblade, swordsage, crusader)
Magic of Incarnum

You might want to pick 10-15 classes from various sources and say "these are the normal classes in this world; anything else is 'non-core' for the game".

 

[Nonlethal Force]

PHB II has four great new classes: Beguiler, Dragon Shaman, Duskblade, Knight. All are pretty rock solid and if they got themselves on a wand of healing to make up for what the Dragon Shaman's aura couldn't do they'd probably make a decent party together.

Do you do psionics? Most people don't consider the XPH core, although it is largely part of the SRD. They have the psion, pshychic warrior, soulknife, and wilder.

Unearthed Arcana has a plethora of new ideas for old stuff. Some of these ideas are close to core, some of them take Core in a good and refreshingly new direction.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Ah. Even better than my memory - here's a comprehensive list.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Nice Find, Aus Snow. I think that should effectively end the list building.

On with the discussion of said list!

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I've considered doing this very thing with the next campaign I run. There are just so many really interesting (IMO) options for players to choose from now. The biggest drawback is most of my players either don't have or won't buy their own copy of the splatbook(s). I'd also like to run a campaign where the only playable race are humans, but my established home brew setting already has the core races plus a couple home made ones and this would be contrary to nearly 15 years of setting lore.

 

[TheEvil]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think any of the non-PHB base classes get Turn Undead...

 

[pawsplay]

Turning undead and alignment detection (since no clerics or paladins). From experience, the shugenja plays a lot more like a sorcerer than a cleric, even if a healer, and has only limited ability to deal with undead; no turning, and limited spell selection (meaning that restoration takes up a spell known, for instance). The favored soul gets no turn undead and also has limited spell selection. Healers can at least heal undead to death, and spirit shamans can chastise incorporeal undead. In particular, at lower levels, wights, wraiths, and vampires are tough for parties without clerics. Favored souls can take detect evil, align weapon, and so forth, but at the precious cost of spell selections.

You have no monks.

 

[Dav]

Turning undead and alignment detection (since no clerics or paladins).

The incarnate from Magic of Incarnum can detect alignments.