FnordBear said:
So I am thinking of running a game where no PHB races or classes are used. All other WOTC sources for races and classes are allowed (with the exception of subraces/variants of PHB races)Has anyone ever tried anything similar and if so what was your experience?
I encourage our players to choose non-PHB spells. That's made the game more interesting. I've not forced them to use non-PHB classes however. I don't think it would be hard.
You wouldn't have to mandate it if you just "encouraged" it.
For example, Knight, Scout, Non-Spell-Ranger, Samurai, Swashbuckler, Ninja are all the NON-SPELLCASTER classes. You could give them a bonus feat over PHB classes.
As for races, you've got a lot more work on your hands. What I did was to create "races" for the humans based on the CONAN game. Sometimes, you can get people to look harder at "culture" rather than just statistics. Here are a few below without cultural details from our house rulebook:
Black Tribesman, Northern
African cultures of Kush, Chaga-Kush, Keshan, Punt, and Zembabwei
· Skills: Hide, Move Silently, Perform (drums & dance), Survival
· Environment: Jungle or Grassland
· Benefit: Proficient in all primitive weapons
· Drawback: -2 penalty to all fear saves
· Religion: Derketa (death aspect), Jullah, Ollum-onga, Thog, Set, Dagon, other jungle gods & demons
· Language (illiterate): Kushite, Keshani, Puntan, or Zembabwean as appropriate
· Magical affinity: Nyambe or spellcaster
Black Tribesman, Northern, Chaga-Kushite Aristocrat
Aristocrat caste of Kush. Mixed with lighter Stygian blood.
· As Black Tribesman except:
· Skills: Perform (ritual), Craft (any), Diplomacy
· Environment: Kush only
· Benefit: Bonus feat: skill-based
· Drawback: lose primitive weapon proficiency
· Religion: Set
· Language: Kushite and Stygian
· Magical affinity: Nyambe, spellcaster, sorcerer, wizard
Black Tribesman, Northern, Darfari
These are maniac cannibal savages of Darfar.
· As Black Tribesman except:
· Benefit: Bite attack: a Darfari who is grappling an opponent may bite their victim with a 1d2+1 lethal damage in addition to other unarmed damage.
· Drawback: Lose primitive weapon proficiency except for primitive bludgeoning weapons
· Religion: Yog, cannibal demon
· Language: Darfari (illiterate)
Black Tribesman, Southern
Obscure African cultures of Bakalah, Zamballa, Atlaia, , Amazon, Tibu, Tombalku, Bamul, Ghanata desert, Mandiga, Suba, island, or Wadai tribes. See Road of Kings map p.76 for locations.
· Skills: Survival, Perform (drums & dance)
o Islander & coastal: Profession (sailor), Swim
o Ghanata desert – Ride, Handle animal
o All others: Hide, Move Silently
· Environment: Jungle, Desert, Grassland, or Sea (islanders)
· Benefit: Proficient in all primitive weapons
· Drawback: -2 penalty to all fear saves
· Religion: Ollum-onga, Thog, Ajujo the dark, etc.
· Language (illiterate): Tibu, Tombalku, Southern Islander, Bamulah, Ghanatan, Mandingan, Suba, or Wadai
· Magical affinity: Nyambe, spirit shaman, spellcaster
Cimmerian
The hillman race of Conan; ancestors of the Atlanteans. Clan names_____________________________________________________________________________________
· Ability: +2 str, -2 int
· Skills: climb, move silent, survival;
· Environment: hills or mountains
· Benefit: +1 to will saves
· Drawback: -2 to diplomacy and verbal bluff checks
· Religion: Crom & Celtic pantheon
· Language: Cimmerian
· Magical affinity: None
Hyborian – Common Hyborian (Aquilonia, Argos, Nemedia, Border Kingdom, Brythunia, Corinthia, Koth, Khauran, Ophir)
Hyborian culture is akin to European medieval culture
· Skills: any three
· Environment: choose one
· Benefit: None
· Drawback: None
· Religion: Mitra predominates, Wiccana in Brythunia; Bori in Gunderland
· Language: The language of whichever Hyborian Kingdom they live in. This will be either Bossonian, Nemedian, Aquilonian, Brythunian, Ophirean, Cornthian, Kothic, or Argossean.
· Magical affinity: bard, cleric, druid (Brythunian only), ranger, sorcerer, spellcaster, wizard
