Yaarel
🇮🇱 🇺🇦 He-Mage
This seems more like a setting preference than a game engine preference. Possibly continue 5e 2024 and focus on what you want your setting to look like. Ban whichever species and classes dont suit the theme of the setting.An example of this would be that there are now only 4 classes in my game, with a total of 10 subclasses within those classes. Ranger and Paladin go back to being subclasses of Fighter, Druids are back to a subclass of Cleric, Bard is now a subclass of Rogue. Each magic using subclass is pared way back in magical abilities. As for races/species/whatever you want to call them, there are maybe 6, and are a subset of what is found in AD&D. I want to play/run a game where PC's can and will die, if the players do dumb things, or even if the dice gods frown on them enough. Things like "Oh, you were bit by a Giant Spider, and failed the save vs Poison. You have 1-4 rounds to find a way to neutralize the poison or your PC is "dead dead". Or scrapping the skill experience improvement mechanic in 5e for something much closer to the one used in Call of Cthulhu.
The setting only has four classes:
• Wizard
• Cleric
• Rogue
• Fighter
The Fighter has an Eldritch Knight caster subclass.
• Eldritch Knight + Wizard spell list = Eldritch Knight
• Eldritch Knight + Cleric spell list = "Paladin"
• Eldritch Knight + Druid spell list = "Ranger"
The Rogue has an Arcane Trickster class.
• Arcane Trickster + Wizard spell list = Arcane Trickster
• Arcane Trickster + Enchantment, Illusion, Abjuration, Conjuration from any spell list = "Bard"
Cleric with Nature Domain plus Wild Shape channel divinity = "Druid"
But I recommend, your setting only has two classes, Fighter and Rogue.
If your goal is pare back casters, then ban all full casters. Let the Fighter and Rogue subclasses be the only casters in the game.
The setting only has Fighters and Rogues. The Trickster Rogue is the "Wizard" of the setting. The choice of subclass matters.
Species that inhabit the setting are something like:
• Human
• Elf
• Dwarf
And maybe:
• Orc
• Gnome
• Halfling
And the game rules are more lethal.
• Banning full casters will reduce access to healing magic.
• Personally, I only allow two long rests PER LEVEL. Everything else is short rest. You can make it ONCE per level, for more lethality.
Make sure your players are happy. At the same time, I see no problem with a setting like this. Have everyone understand what you have in mind during Session Zero.