Limited Book Challenge

[kentma57]

I am considering run a campaign out of the 'Complete' book series(with access to core spells, feats and equipment), I thought it would be an interesting way to encourage my players to try some new builds.

Has anyone tried something similar? How did it go? Any suggestions?

EDIT: PHB2 might also be allowed so that Tank and Skill Monkey have some more options...

[dsmiles]

I actually limit my games to:

"If I don't have the book, you have to get your character approved by me."

Usually works out well, and most players will ask me what books I have and try to stay within those limits.

[Foryn Gilnith]

So the classes are:

Spoiler

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Ardent
Divine Mind
Favored Soul
Hexblade
Lurk
Ninja
Samurai
Scout
Shugenja
Spellthief
Spirit Shaman
Swashbuckler
Warlock
Warmage
Wu Jen

The pickings for melee classes are sort of slim, especially given the innate flaws of melee. Wouldn't want to front-line for this campaign.

[Eloel]

Important things to be aware of:

1- You'll lack someone with skills - unless someone decides to go Spellthief.
2- You'll lack a party face, or have an evil one (Warlock).
3- Your melee characters will be even more gimped. (seriously, Samurai? Swashbuckler?, Ninja?!?!)
4- You will not have a tank (you're missing your Druid, your Fighter, your Paladin. Instead, you get, nothing, to tank.)

Edit:

You could add PHB2 in, and get Beguiler (face AND skills), Knight (tank), to solve some problems.

[dsmiles]

2- You'll lack a party face, or have an evil one (Warlock).

I resemble that remark! Warlocks do not have to be evil (any chaotic or evil).

[kentma57]

I resemble that remark! Warlocks do not have to be evil (any chaotic or evil).

Go CN, half the rogues and 3/4 of the party faces.

[Blackfang108]

Important things to be aware of:

1- You'll lack someone with skills - unless someone decides to go Spellthief.
2- You'll lack a party face, or have an evil one (Warlock).
3- Your melee characters will be even more gimped. (seriously, Samurai? Swashbuckler?, Ninja?!?!)
4- You will not have a tank (you're missing your Druid, your Fighter, your Paladin. Instead, you get, nothing, to tank.)

Edit:

You could add PHB2 in, and get Beguiler (face AND skills), Knight (tank), to solve some problems.

1.) ninja, Scout, also.
2.) Isn't Warmage CHA-Based? (I could be wrong)
3.) I've seen favored souls make decent frontliners, Swashbucklers, too.
4.) Spirit Shaman has the same spells as Druid, which might help them Tank a little.

[Evard]

I usually say d20srd.org but only from the core rules. Some variants from crystalkeep.com are also accepted but i tend to tell the players the answer most likely will be no (unless its an overpowered game :p)

[jiriku]

Adding PH2 would greatly improve player options, as beguiler, duskblade, and knight are all solid classes.

And I vote you throw in factotum, just because!

[Flickerdart]

1.) ninja, Scout, also.
2.) Isn't Warmage CHA-Based? (I could be wrong)
3.) I've seen favored souls make decent frontliners, Swashbucklers, too.
4.) Spirit Shaman has the same spells as Druid, which might help them Tank a little.

Druids tank with their Wildshape and Animal Companion. Spirit Shamen get neither of those things.

[kamikasei]

I still do want to, at some point, try a No Core game. As in, no core systems. ToB, ToM, XPH. I guess for skills and healing you could throw in MoI and CPsi (for Ardent and Lurk).

Effectively it's just "no Vancian magic" plus "leave out the uninteresting melee approaches", but it could still be fairly interesting.

[Bibliomancer]

I still do want to, at some point, try a No Core game. As in, no core systems. ToB, ToM, XPH. I guess for skills and healing you could throw in MoI and CPsi (for Ardent and Lurk).

Effectively it's just "no Vancian magic" plus "leave out the uninteresting melee approaches", but it could still be fairly interesting.

Hmm. That could work, except for the fact that your 3 'arcane' classes would be binder, shadowcaster, and truenamer. Shadowcaster's decent, I guess. It would be a challenging campaign.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Allow ToB, too. That gets you actual melee and a combat-focused skillmonkey.

[kamikasei]

Hmm. That could work, except for the fact that your 3 'arcane' classes would be binder, shadowcaster, and truenamer. Shadowcaster's decent, I guess. It would be a challenging campaign.

That's what XPH is for. Honestly, Binder is plenty for the spoooooky wizard angle. Let your psions be the party "arcanists".

(If I did this, I'd probably do some reworking of the various PrCs with arcane or divine casting to see if they could work with psionics instead, though. Noctumentat, Jade Phoenix Psychic, etc.)