What kind of campaign world would this be?

[dreaded_beast]

What kind of campaign world would this be if the following racial class restrictions were in effect and why? Why are the races only limited to the following classes?

Human - Fighter, Rogue
Elf - Rogue, Cleric
Half-Elf - Fighter, Rogue, Cleric
Dwarf - Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard
Gnome - Fighter, Barbarian
Halfling - Fighter, Ranger
Half-Orc - Paladin, Cleric, Druid

*I started thinking about this based on all the Paladin threads, plus some of the racial stereotyping going around (in the DND sense ) I wanted to think of a world that went against the mold. Only Half-Orcs can be Paladins, the best fighters come from the Gnome and Halfling races, etc.

 

[Sejs]

It would be like a campaign world without Druids, that's what.

 

[dreaded_beast]

It would be like a campaign world without Druids, that's what.

HAHA! I knew I was forgetting a class.

Time to go and hit that edit button...

 

[Zappo]

A weird one, for having racial restrictions. It's a concept that is pretty hard to implement in a rational world. I can see an argument for spellcasters, magic is magic and it can be only possible to some races if you want (or, conversely, you could conceive a race where everyone is a spellcaster). Maybe they descend from the ancient gods, or they come from another plane, or whatever.

But I can't quite fathom why no halfling could be a rogue. Now, if we're talking about something like "most halflings are either fighters or rangers", that could work better...

 

[dreaded_beast]

I used racial restrictions to try and get away from the stereotypical type of character:

Elven Ranger
Dwarven Fighter
Half-Orc Barbarian

etc.

It's an old standby from the ADnD 1st/2nd edition days. I could be wrong, but I think there are some 3rd/3.5 edition campaign worlds that enforce class restrictions, to give the campaign setting more "flavor".

 

[Tonguez]

What kind of campaign world would this be if the following racial class restrictions were in effect and why? Why are the races only limited to the following classes?

Human - Fighter, Rogue
Elf - Rogue, Cleric
Half-Elf - Fighter, Rogue, Cleric
Dwarf - Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard
Gnome - Fighter, Barbarian
Halfling - Fighter, Ranger
Half-Orc - Paladin, Cleric, Druid
.

Half-Orcs are a goodly, pious and religious people who rever nature and are willing to fight for their faith

Dwarfs are a magic-weilding race much given to scholary pursuits (be it alchemy and philosophy or history and the performing arts)

Gnomes are staunch militant types with a touch of savagery,
Halflings are equally militant but more 'natural' and less savage

Elfs are cunning (possible theives, merchants and/or diplomats), with the more robust Half-Elfs as their militant arm (not sure how the cleric would effect the culture) - though I'd probably construct it as a Mercantile Theocracy (similar to the Hanseatic league perhaps)

Humans well they're just humans

 

[Umbran]

... the best fighters come from the Gnome and Halfling races, etc.

Well, at the moment you get the most fighters among the smallfolk. But the best ones would still probably be humans, as the human racial benefits and size make them more able fighters, in general, than gnomes and halflings.

Otherwise, what you have here is a world with relatively small amounts of arcane magic. You have a world in which the natural talents of a race don't often line up with their professions (at least as adventurers).

Gnomes are smart and weak (+2 Int, -2 Str), and they go for... barbarian and fighter? Dwarves that are generally physically sturdy but not strong in personality (+2 Con, -2 Cha) go for Sorcerer and Bard? Not exactly playing to their natural strengths. In essence, in this world, adventurers tend to throw away what nature gives them.

While there's sometimes fun to be had in playing against the archetype, forcing everyone to do so becomes a bit nonsensical.

 

[dreaded_beast]

Well, at the moment you get the most fighters among the smallfolk. But the best ones would still probably be humans, as the human racial benefits and size make them more able fighters, in general, than gnomes and halflings.

Otherwise, what you have here is a world with relatively small amounts of arcane magic. You have a world in which the natural talents of a race don't often line up with their professions (at least as adventurers).

Gnomes are smart and weak (+2 Int, -2 Str), and they go for... barbarian and fighter? Dwarves that are generally physically sturdy but not strong in personality (+2 Con, -2 Cha) go for Sorcerer and Bard? Not exactly playing to their natural strengths. In essence, in this world, adventurers tend to throw away what nature gives them.

While there's sometimes fun to be had in playing against the archetype, forcing everyone to do so becomes a bit nonsensical.

Very good points Umbran.

Hence the humor tag.

*I apologize! I didn't realize I didn't have the Humor tag all this time! Sorry!

 

[Turanil]

Human - Fighter, Rogue
Elf - Rogue, Cleric
Half-Elf - Fighter, Rogue, Cleric
Dwarf - Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard
Gnome - Fighter, Barbarian
Halfling - Fighter, Ranger
Half-Orc - Paladin, Cleric, Druid

Half-Orcs are a goodly, pious and religious people who rever nature and are willing to fight for their faith

Dwarfs are a magic-weilding race much given to scholary pursuits (be it alchemy and philosophy or history and the performing arts)

Gnomes are staunch militant types with a touch of savagery,
Halflings are equally militant but more 'natural' and less savage

Elfs are cunning (possible theives, merchants and/or diplomats), with the more robust Half-Elfs as their militant arm (not sure how the cleric would effect the culture) - though I'd probably construct it as a Mercantile Theocracy (similar to the Hanseatic league perhaps)

Humans well they're just humans

Since you ask opinions, I think this idea would appear boring after only one or two gaming sessions. I would rather suggest to create new races that are restricted to specific classes. Most people are used to have elves, orcs, etc. portrayed in a certain way, and having them all the contrary doesn't bring so much in term of a whole campaign idea. Players would be somewhat confused, so what?

I only suggest to take what you prefer, as for instance half-orcs paladins or elven clerics, and put it as an oddity in some specific place of a rather normal world (i.e.: where standard races are portrayed as canon).

 

[the Jester]

Different than this but related, I once ran a campaign where each race had its own 4-6 classes they could be.

Of course, there were only humans and elves, so it was easy.

But this allowed me to build cultural archetypes that were mechanically (and, I think, meaningfully) different.