No-Core Game

[the Jester]

Hey all,

Shortly before the 4e announcement I had been toying with the idea of running a 3.5 game that banned all core stuff. There wouldn't be any spells, races, feats or classes from the PH allowed; I wouldn't use any monsters from the MM; and no magic items would come out of the DMG.

But the vague idea never came to fruition, since we wrapped up the campaigns we were playing and by then 4e was out (and we switched over).

This thread is mostly just to poke the idea out there, since I'm unlikely to ever get to doing it given my current living situation (with games every 2-3 weeks on average, I prefer to focus on the ongoing campaign, in which the players mostly have a terrific amount of buy in and investment in the campaign). I think it would kick a lot of ass; I can just imagine a party with a goliath knight, a spiker binder, a dromite wilder and a neanderthal factotum fighting a bunch of kaorti wearing tsochar. Obviously, I visualize this as a sort of over-the-top, wahoo style game, but it wouldn't have to be.

 

[Dandu]

You can certainly try it and we'll see what happens.

 

[Alexander123]

I don't think it would be much fun.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There are some real benefits & pitfalls that could result from such a game.

On the plus side, you'd definitely get a different vibe going!

The biggest hazard I can see is that certain classes and builds would be utterly gutted without some PHB spells or feats. For instance, you can't build effective archers or an unarmed melee specialist without PHB feats. Ditto item crafting &'most metamagic.

Whole schools of spells would be crippled, leading to a certain sameness in casters.

With arcane/divine casters missing most of their oomph, psionicists would be the dominant powerhouses.

 

[Corwin of Amber]

If you were really hardcore you would do it without core skills either. Good luck with Autohypnosis, Iaijutsu Focus, Knowledge (psionics), Martial Lore, and Use Psionic Device.

But seriously, I think the biggest problem you would fact would be with feats. A lot of non-core feats have core feats as prerequisites.

 

[milo]

You could probably do no core classes and races, but that would be about it. You can't take out magic items completely(+1 enhancement is required for any other add-ons for weapons, armor, and shields). If you just tossed aside the three CORE rulebooks it would cripple the game too much IMO.

 

[Corsair]

I agree with the others that removing all PHB spells and feats would DRAMATICALLY and NEGATIVELY impact your gaming experience. Spells would wildly throw off the power balance vis a vis monsters, and feats would take away slews of basic options, as well as prerequisites for many non-Core options.

Taking away classes is not nearly as much of an issue.

Fighter/Paladin/Barbarian: These can be replaced entirely by Warblade/Crusader/Knight, etc.

Monk -> swordsage

rogue -> spell thief / beguiler?

ranger -> scout

cleric -> archivist/favored soul

druid -> spirit shaman

Wizard -> Wu Jen? (Is that the right one?)

Sorcerer -> Warlock/Dragonfire Adept/warmage/beguiler/dread necro


Races would be also easy to replace once you add in all the various campaign setting specific races (Forgotten Realms and Eberron alone give you a handful of elves, a replacement halfling and dwarf, four Eberron races). If you include the PGtF +0 LA plane touched, that is another 6 strong races, and of course all the regional race variants in UA.

It could be a fun game! I wanna be a Changeling Beguiler or PGtF lesser earth genasi warblade.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just occurred to me, if you have the 3.5Ed update in Dragon #317, Oriental Adventures gets you a lot of Feats & Spells, as well as a variant Monk, Ninja, Samurai, Shugenja, Sohei, Wu-Gen and Shaman- regaining a fair amount of what you lose excising the PHB- plus some nifty PrCls and races.

Savage Species gets you a horde of Anthropomorphs.

 

[Particle_Man]

Which non-core classes can turn undead, btw? If none, that might be something to remember when using undead as monsters.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Shaman? Favored Soul? Divine Bard variant? There might be something in Magic of Incarnum, Complete Psi with auras or powers that are anti-undead.

I'm just guessing 'cause I'm nowhere near my books.