Pathfinder 1E Hypotheticals: Restricting Classes But Nothing Else

[Kaodi]

I am not actually looking to do this but strictly as a hypothetical what would a Pathfinder game be like where you allowed only limited number of classes, say the original 11, or even the super basic 4, but allowed all of the archetypes and other optionals, even the ones that borrowed rules from classes that are themselves restricted?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

It would be exactly like a game where you allowed all of the classes, but the players only chose to play that particular subset.

 

[gamerprinter]

It would be exactly like a game where you allowed all of the classes, but the players only chose to play that particular subset.

This. I always restrict classes in my games as my games are always theme games. As an example I ran a Seven Samurai one-shot that extended into several additional adventures as a short AP, emulating the movie, but adding some fantasy aspects. Since I develop the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG), I used the four samurai archetypes, a yojimbo (ranger archetype), an onmyoji (wizard archetype), and a yamabushi (paladin archetype).

I've run a game of all cleric PCs attending a multi-denominational consortium where an anti-religious cell of arcane terrorists attack at the event.

I have upcoming theme games in different genres under development. An Old West game, where I'm currently designing new archetypes - including a Shootist (magus archetype) already created. I am also looking a running a sci-fi fantasy game, where I've created a Technologist (wizard archetype) and Starship Pilot, new class loosely based on ranger.

Of course I have a regular group that like these sort of thematic games. If I were having to recruit players to my thematic games, it might be more difficult to acquire them with such restrictions, but that's not a problem for me.