It can be done. But that needs to be part of the initial game pitch, so the prospective players can decide whether or not they want to actually play in your game. "The game I want to run is about a group of enslaved gladiators, fighting for glory in Rome's Coliseum during the decadent days of a crumbling empire. There will be glory, and a system in play that lets you leverage glory for things you want. But there will be no gold, no magic items, just the testosterone fueled soap opera involving people who fight, kill, and die for the amusement of those who think themselves better than you. Are you guys interested, or would you rather I run the same old thing in Forgotten Realms again?"