Base spellcasting classes as prestige classes

Quasqueton · Dec 21, 2003

Has anyone considered making the core/base spellcasting classes into prestige classes for low-magic style campaigns? This concept just came to mind tonight, so I haven't given it a great deal of thought yet, but it seemed intriguing enough to wonder if someone out there has already worked it out.

For instance. . .
Prerequisites for the wizard: Knowledge Arcana 8 ranks, and Spellcraft 8 ranks. Otherwise no change to the wizard class.

Characters hoping to take the class would need to be maybe experts first. Or take a feat like cosmopolitan (IIRC) to get knowledge arcana and spellcraft as class skills.

What would be the problems/obstacles to trying to work this out?

Quasqueton

Hypersmurf · Dec 21, 2003

I'm whipping this over to House Rules - those guys are into this sort of thing

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

Anabstercorian · Dec 21, 2003

If you're going to try a low magic campaign, look for Classically Modern somewhere on the net - the d20 Modern rules are GREAT for low magic.

Silveras · Dec 21, 2003

Quasqueton said:
Has anyone considered making the core/base spellcasting classes into prestige classes for low-magic style campaigns? This concept just came to mind tonight, so I haven't given it a great deal of thought yet, but it seemed intriguing enough to wonder if someone out there has already worked it out.

For instance. . .
Prerequisites for the wizard: Knowledge Arcana 8 ranks, and Spellcraft 8 ranks. Otherwise no change to the wizard class.

Characters hoping to take the class would need to be maybe experts first. Or take a feat like cosmopolitan (IIRC) to get knowledge arcana and spellcraft as class skills.

What would be the problems/obstacles to trying to work this out?

Quasqueton

1) As noted, the necessary skills are not class skills for any PC class. Forcing the player to take 5 levels of Expert is a good way to make them deeply unhappy (if their characters survive). The necessary skills would have to be made into Class skills for most of the other classes, otherwise all Wizards would have been Expert/Fighters (for example) before becoming Wizards.

2) All monsters would need their saving throws reduced to match the change.

3) All SR values must be re-written.

4) CRs of all monsters must be adjusted.

5) Level requirements of all Feats must be looked at. Item Creation feats may need to be adjusted down, or removed altogether from the rules. Many players consider Metamagic feats too expensive, slotwise, to use now; with such a requirement in place, that will become a much more common opinion.

6) Random treasure tables must be re-written to reflect that magic is suddenly MUCH less available. No more Rings, for example, and Potions/Scrolls just became much more rare.

7) Magic traps should be much more rare; there are now fewer people to make them.

8) Re-write any random encounter tables used, to reflect the new (generally higher) CRs of various monsters.

9) Costs of hired spellcasters just went up.

10) The default economy just changed. Effects are up to you.

In general, I think the ramifications are bigger than the effort is worth. As Anabstercorian mentioned, the D20 modern rules are already low-magic, and may be a better choice.

Nightfall · Dec 21, 2003

Or if you're really unhappy with D&D spell system use Midnight.

d20Dwarf · Dec 21, 2003

Nightfall said:
Or if you're really unhappy with D&D spell system use Midnight.

You mean the Midnight where Wizard and Druid are prestige classes?

Nightfall · Dec 21, 2003

Well yeah but then there's also the fact Midnight ROCKS the casabar as a low magic world.

Sertimon · Dec 21, 2003

I am doing something similiar with my homebrew world: all spellcaster classes are advanced classes (I'm using modified d20 Modern basic classes). Most of the classes could be attainable by 3rd or 4th level, but since Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft are cross-class for the basic classes, one is required to choose a magically-infliced race that has those skills as class skills (I use races with racial levels).

As both Anabstercorian and Quasqueton has mentioned, you would probably be better of to adjust the d20 Modern rules or use Urban Arcana.

I haven't tried it out yet, but if it worked for Urban Arcana, it should work for my homebrew as well.