D&D 5E DM imposed restrictions to the game (+)

[CleverNickName]

<SNAG!><YOINK!>
I am SO using this for my next campaign! I'd probably add a safety net (i.e. classes/races/etc that are guaranteed to be in the game - like Fighter and Rogue), and allow the players a slightly larger selection of choices. (Like maybe enough to build a completely different character.)

Heh, that's what I did too. I decided that the main villains of the campaign were going to be dragonborn cultists of Tiamat, so my choice (as the DM) was Dragonborn, Rogues, and Warlocks.

Hmm... interested concept.

I might suggest this when we start our next campaign and see what the group says. I might have every player make up TWO instead of just one. That way it opens the field (hopefully) enough for new players or if a back-up PC is needed.

We have a pretty large gaming group (six players and the DM) so the field was already pretty wide. Smaller groups would probably need more options.

It would be really interesting if someday, nobody picks a spellcaster at all. Like, what if we ended up with a party of Barbarians, Fighters, Monks, and Rogues? We would have a no-spells D&D campaign! Sure, there would be pseudo-magical abilities, and lots of magic items that can emulate spells (like healing potions, a wand of magic missiles, or a circlet of blasting)...but imagine a game where nobody wanted to play casters! It hasn't happened yet, but it could happen.

 

[MNblockhead]

I didn't answer the poll because I would have to choose every option. For me it depends on the campaign. I've run everything-goes campaigns to campaigns that were highly restrictive in allowed options, including pre-gens only. It simply depends on the campaign.

 

[ezo]

It would be really interesting if someday, nobody picks a spellcaster at all. Like, what if we ended up with a party of Barbarians, Fighters, Monks, and Rogues? We would have a no-spells D&D campaign! Sure, there would be pseudo-magical abilities, and lots of magic items that can emulate spells (like healing potions, a wand of magic missiles, or a circlet of blasting)...but imagine a game where nobody wanted to play casters! It hasn't happened yet, but it could happen.

I've played (and run) 1E and 2E games without any spellcasters. It was hard back then, but I think with 5E wouldn't be a big problem.

FWIW, a friend ran an all-monk game I played in; so no spellcasters in that one!

 

[CleverNickName]

I've played (and run) 1E and 2E games without any spellcasters. It was hard back then, but I think with 5E wouldn't be a big problem.

FWIW, a friend ran an all-monk game I played in; so no spellcasters in that one!

This has been a dream of mine for ages. It's not something that I would impose on my players...but if they came to me and asked if they could have an all-rogue or all-fighter party of adventurers, I would be ecstatic.

 

[ezo]

This has been a dream of mine for ages. It's not something that I would impose on my players...but if they came to me and asked if they could have an all-rogue or all-fighter party of adventurers, I would be ecstatic.

There were just three of us playing online during COVID then, and IIRC the subclasses we choose were Drunken Master, Open Hand, and Kensei (longbow).

 

[cbwjm]

This has been a dream of mine for ages. It's not something that I would impose on my players...but if they came to me and asked if they could have an all-rogue or all-fighter party of adventurers, I would be ecstatic.

I'd like to do an all dwarf or all elf party. I'd also like to do an all wizard party.

 

[Stormonu]

I'll add I use alignment personally, but don't require my players to do so - since all the game effects have been essentially removed.

However, I don't allow players going "evil", shooting up the countryside or taking snipes at one another's characters. I've had enough incidents of that (and characters trying to steal from the group) that if someone wants that sort of game, they can go find another group*. Characters survive D&D by working in a group, and when they're at each other's throats TPKs tend to be swift and brutal.

* Now, when I play Vampire, that sort of stuff is expected and we go into the game knowing that, but there's still a limit - don't do something that's going to get you punched in the face in the real world.

 

[rmcoen]

I restrict a handful of feats (Lucky, for example, but because I houserule a level of good luck for all PCs), and thematic races - all races are not in all settings (current game has no half-orcs, because my world has no orcs; previous game I allowed a single warforged as a unique experiment of a crazy inventor), and no third-party content (I have enough houserules of my own, I don't need other people's!). But I'm willing to listen to any story and work with players. In fact, the better your story (and your effort to sell me on how it fits into the world/campaign_, the more likely I am to allow it.