I am limiting things to the Basic Rules only because A. I want to attract folks who have interest in 5e but no interest in spending money on 5e and B. I am trying to find ways to simplify the game for me as a DM and so fewer options are better for me as a beginner. I am also attracted to the digital capabilities of D&D Beyond (again, zero expectation of any players having to spend money on digital tools). This means, if you ask me to bend the rules and let you add this one thing that's not in the Basic Rules, the answer will be a flat "no".
However, if the game get some momentum for a few months and the players are into it and someone says, "Gee, Sully, can we revisit my idea about that optional archetype?", my answer is going to be, "you know, your PC did hear a rumor about a witch in the woods east of the logging camp who trains people in that archetype... for a favor in return." I'm a sucker for worldbuilding.
Other aspects of the game that may guide your decision to join the game or not:
- PCs will start at 5th level. I will further restrict PC race options to Human, Elf, Half-elf, Dwarf, and Halfling.
- It's a pointcrawl sandbox. I will be using the Gritty Realism rules regarding short and long rests. I may pull in other house rules to further emphasize the Gritty Realism theme. I really like the Darker Dungeons third party rules, for example.
- The world map is more Points of Light than West Marches, meaning that while the environment generally gets tougher the farther away you move from the capital city, there are other towns and villages with things to do. It's not a clear delineation between home base and untracked wilderness.
- My ideal campaign state is giving PCs options with all three types of the D&D experience: Combat, Exploration, and Social. 5e does Combat well and the other two poorly. I may also do poorly but I will make the attempt.
- I'd like to make the game similar in feel to an Elder Scrolls video game (think Skyrim). This means factions, patrons, quest givers, reputation levels. Do five quests for the Baron and he will Knight you and give you a land grant. That sort of thing. Players are free to interact with these options as much or as little as they want. It is just as viable a playstyle to go to a borderlands village and ask around about any monsters eating people or any ruined castles nearby, and looting those for gold and glory.
) I'm planning on selling off all my 5E books and moving to either Pathfinder 2E or maybe the new and shiny Tales of the Valiant from Kobold Press.
