Troll Lord Games

I'm just curious to know if you guys forbid certain races from taking certain classes.

For example, a kender might be forbidden to become a monk due to lack of discipline.

Thoughts?
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Trampas Whiteman
---DragonHelm--->
Dragonlance Nexus

I would if I were CK, based on the campaign setting and specific racial reasons. Then again, I typically have variants of the forbidden classes, available to NPCs only. For example, in my games, dwarves cannot be wizards, but they can be runecallers which works similar to a wizard in many ways, but advances much slower (though the runecaller also gets some abilities much quicker, like the ability to make magical armaments). That's one way to have a mechanical "flavor, and is perfectly valid.

I will restrict race/class combinations based on the campaign I plan to run.

I prefer the typical classes listed under each race in the PHB, but might make exceptions, based on the setting I'm using and the player involved. If I think he can run the character, and he can give me a good enough reason I would consider allowing something out of the norm.

Also I completly banned the assassian as a playable class.
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Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

Although I am hesitant to allow something out of the norm, if the player makes an excellent case for it, I will definately be fair and be happy to consider it at the very least. The way I see it, it encourages the player to put even more thought into the character and could result in a better game for everyone concerned. As others have stated before me... it all comes down to the style and flavour of campaign being run.

As for classes such as the assassin... I can see why some CK's may be hesitant to allow it. I'm in the process of bringing in the Anti-Paladin which will definately be a 'restricted' class. It will make an excellent NPC to counter a party of adventurers. But in terms of the assassin, you can have a bit of fun with it if you give it a proper context. James Bond could be termed an assassin (as opposed to a spy) with his license to kill. As always... it is up to the CK's discretion and consideration. Down the line I think I'd like to run a small campaign focussing on some good ol' cloak & dagger which could make the assassin character class ideal.

On that note, I'm thinking that an Assassin/Bard multiclass character would be REALLY fun to try out!

Moriarty The Red

moriarty777 wrote:
Although I am hesitant to allow something out of the norm, if the player makes an excellent case for it, I will definately be fair and be happy to consider it at the very least. The way I see it, it encourages the player to put even more thought into the character and could result in a better game for everyone concerned. As others have stated before me... it all comes down to the style and flavour of campaign being run.

As for classes such as the assassin... I can see why some CK's may be hesitant to allow it. I'm in the process of bringing in the Anti-Paladin which will definately be a 'restricted' class. It will make an excellent NPC to counter a party of adventurers. But in terms of the assassin, you can have a bit of fun with it if you give it a proper context. James Bond could be termed an assassin (as opposed to a spy) with his license to kill. As always... it is up to the CK's discretion and consideration. Down the line I think I'd like to run a small campaign focussing on some good ol' cloak & dagger which could make the assassin character class ideal.

On that note, I'm thinking that an Assassin/Bard multiclass character would be REALLY fun to try out!



Moriarty The Red

Well put. I will allow strnage race/class combos if a player gives me a detaile dbackground and development for his character. I have had two great ones recently; a Half-Orc Wizard and a Dwarf Druid. It does add a lot of different avenues to the stroy and if fun for all. I had an assasin in my last game and had no problems. He was Lawful Neutral and followed a strict code of conduct, treating every mission with a cold sterility that could make your blood chill, but wasn't evil.
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CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

I don't like deviations from the norm. I don't like 3e's any race/any class combo as I feel it cheapens both the race AND the class. I understand the arguments ('my dwarf isn't very good at being a wizard but he's such a good character') and how it's really about having fun but... what I'm aiming for as a DM (haven't got the books yet so not a CK, they're on their way...) is a 'willing suspension of disbelief'. I think some of the stranger race/class combos destroy that suspension.

Going one step further, I don't like certain multi-class combos either - they have to 'gel' in my mind, something that a character can devote equal time to without any conflicts. I also restrict multi-classing to the first 1 or 2 levels, no choosing to be a wizard when you're a 6th level barbarian.

For the most part, I like to keep things close to the 1st and 2nd edition race/class combos. If a player can give me a good reason for breaking the mold, sure go for it.

babbage wrote:
I also restrict multi-classing to the first 1 or 2 levels, no choosing to be a wizard when you're a 6th level barbarian.

I'm along the same lines there. I'm fairly strict on dual or multiclassing.

Just because you want to pick up wizard as a class and have the XP for it, nah. Dont think so. Better expect some hefty campaign downtime, it takes awhile to learn that sort of thing.

I liked how Talislanta handled it with their traiing time. Want to pick up magic? Sure, 100 weeks of training to learn that order. Oh yeah, need some modes to make that training actual worthwhile, hold on, lemme get a calculater and start tallying this up.

I allow what the C&C PHB calls for, and that is any race/class combination. However through the course of the game I try to play up situations that involve strange race/class combos. Dwarven wizards would be a strange sight, and even other dwarves might to cold or ourright hostile to such a race/class combo.

Really, nobody has ever deviated and made the Gnome Paladin or the like in my games yet though.

...........................................Omote

FPQ
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I basically stick with the Typical classes in the PHB, though I don't allow Dwarven Barbarians and Half Orc Knights. Just the 1E influence I guess....but then I have min. attribute requirements for some classes as well so there you go.
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Always remember, as a first principle of all D&D: playing BtB is not now, never was and never will be old school.- Tim Kask, Dragonsfoot

In my campaign, the typical classes are the only classes allowed to that race, much like in AD&D.

At first, I thought the all classes for all races approach of 3e was neat and novel. But then I realized that it opened the door for all sorts of absurdities.

I was going to restrict races from classes too. Then my son ran into a "neutral" orc who didn't like eating and killing people "just because". Then he spent a lot of time talking to this orc about "goodly" people and morality. After telling me some of the arguments he would present I made a roll and with CHA being a Prime and the fact that his modifiers put him at a 23 the orc declared that despite teh hardships and inherent hatred towards Orc kind he would live the "goodly" life (he became N/G).

Soon after that my sons Knight, now turned Paladin (he always wanted to be a Paladin because his mother was, and his mother was kille by Red Caps when he was 8), approached his local branch of the order of the Phoenix telling them how he wanted to sponsor this "Orc" into the order.

Lets just say it went a lot worse than when Qui-gon (sp?) tried to first get Anakin into the jedi order. To the point where my son had Sir Berethor announce to his order that he would severe all ties and never see another Gold piece added to the thousands of gold he had already tithed.

Economics does have a way of influencing people to see things your way.

So now we have an orc undergoing Knightly training. I have some interesting things cooked up after the party breaks the Red Caps once and for all. Some of which has already been foreshadowed this last time the party went back to Botkinburg and checked on friends, family, Baron Botkin, and a certain Orc.

So if this all plays out right Orcs will be able to become Knights in Outremere. I think I have a level or two of adventures for the party to go through before the Order of the Phoenix and the lands of Outremere will "tolerate" Orc Knights, though. At least one Orc Knight, anyways.

This is how I do it for my campaigns:

Typical Classes: choose a non-Typical class,

-20% EPP gained

It seems to work out just fine.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

In my game, any race can be any class, with the following four exceptions, which I don't allow in my game at all: Barbarian, Bard, Knight, Monk. Barbarians can be duplicated by good role play rather than a specific class. I don't like Bards and believe they should be strictly NPC's. Knights remind me too much of Unearthed Arcana Cavaliers, and Monks simply do not fit in an Pseudo-European setting.
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I also like to keep it as close to 1E and 2E as well. Though I am thinking of removing the Assassin, much to my brother-in-law's dismay. I dont particularly care for Dwarf wizards, just doesn't do it for me.

Only humans can be paladins for me

ken

Of course as soon as I say that I am sure some thing will come up in a game of mine to make an exception
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Being that our group consists of younger and new players, I want to allow for maximum flexibility for race/class choices. I haven't thought of every possibility, but like others here, if the player had a reasonable story/background for something outside the recommended race/class choices, I'd most likely allow it.

Half-orc bard? Might be interesting and fun.

Half-orc cleric? Can't see it, but someone could make a case, I suppose.

Half-ocr monk? Hehe, why not.

etc, etc.
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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Half orc cleric? we had one of those in one of th play test groups My wife played her she has the quote int eh rule book (Helga heal)

I can't see why any race can't have access to some classes like clerics, and but need to be a special case in others like the half orc Monk we had, who had been raised at the monastery

ken
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Gygax is to Gaming what Kirby was to comics

Alas poor Elric I was a thousand times more evil than you

Slice N Dice: Game and Pizza Parlour

WWBYD What would Brigham Young do ?
http://www.geocities.com/J_Elric_Smith/Index.html

Rhuvein wrote:
Half-orc bard?

Like Lemmy?

DangerDwarf wrote:
Like Lemmy?

no he is more of a Troll

DangerDwarf wrote:
Like Lemmy?

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Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

I'm also not entirely keen on the monk or barbarian classes, although Serleran's Berserker is interesting as another possibility.

I generally allow any and all PC races to have any available class, subject to judgements regarding culture, civilisation and the like. That said, I have been known to chuck the standard races out the window to begin with, which does give me a nice clean start.

I honestly don't see why dwarf wizards are any more difficult to believe in than dwarf warriors. Look into the folklore and they have magic aplenty. Surely, once you get past the "four-foot fellow who lives underground for centuries and can see in the dark" thing, anything else is easy?
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History teaches us that men behave wisely once they've exhausted all other alternatives.

I could see a half-orc bard belting out something curiously akin to Klingon Opera...

Thul

Or the Berserk song from Clerks

"My love for you is like a truck, BERSERKER"

The rest of the song is not appropriate for a family audience.
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CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

Maliki wrote:
Also I completly banned the assassian as a playable class.

I'm all for that.

I too have banned the Assassin in my games, it just doesn't fit with my concept of a hero. I also like the idea of renaming the barbarian to berserker, I may have to house rule that.

I prefer to err on the side of flexibiity. Specific restrictions would depend on the campaign setting. Other things being equal, I would tend to encourage gnomes to be illusionists rather than wizards, and would generally try to limit halfling spellcasters. But I don't see why adventurers cannot be 'exceptions' to established cultural/racial stereotypes.

As for classes, I really don't like the barbarian class, and would discourage players from choosing it (if not banning it outright).

All other classes are cool with me.

Catweazle wrote:
... I honestly don't see why dwarf wizards are any more difficult to believe in than dwarf warriors. Look into the folklore and they have magic aplenty. ...

I agree. I've never understood how the whole 'nonmagical' dwarf model became so entrenched in D&D. Even in Tolkien dwarves could create enchanted items (and thus were, arguably, more 'magical' than humans). Wizened dwarf mages are cool.

However, finding dwarven druids implausible I can understand ...
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However, finding dwarven druids implausible I can understand ...

I agree, in my Yggsburgh campaign a player wanted be play one. He was going to be a cousin of the dwarven cleric, who was taking him away from the clan because the dwarf druid was "mentally ill." Hoever I agrued that dwarven cultre would have brainwashed him out of his druidic tendencies at a young age. We came to a compromise and the character's parent were kill by orcs while traveling, a druid found the baby dwarf and raised it as his own. Thus the dwarven druid has never met another dwarf until the cleric in the party. Great role playing has followed.
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CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

My plan is to have all classes available to all races.

However, picking a class that isn't "norm" for the race incures a 10% experience point penalty as it doesn't come easily for that PC.

Anything non 1eish has to have a unique background and probably some pretty stiff role playing disadvantages. I.E, a dwarven druid would probably be treated as strange and shunned at best, attacked at worst by other dwarves.

JediOre wrote:
My plan is to have all classes available to all races.

However, picking a class that isn't "norm" for the race incures a 10% experience point penalty as it doesn't come easily for that PC.

Same here but I give them a 20% penalty for a non perferred class.

IMP