AbeTheGnome
First Post
A lot of the complaints I hear about low-magic games is centered around the perception that the full caster classes outshine the others when magic items are less common, especially at higher levels. I'm about to start a game using a variant that will hopefully alleviate this issue and add a lot of flavor to the game. It's very simple, and goes like this:
All PCs start with five levels in an NPC class (commoner, aristocrat, etc.) and one in a PC class (fighter, wizard, etc.). I will probably bar the adept class. This will start all PCs out with three feats (four for humans), a bunch of skill points, save bonuses, and perhaps a good amount of BAB, but no spells.
I suspect that mages will only be catching up to fighters at higher levels, as far as dealing damage goes. Magic in my campaign is only for the elite anyway, and it makes sense that the high-level spells are out of reach to all but the most extraordinary folk. I have no problems taking a campaign beyond 20th level so that those high-level spells can be accessed, but I won't be using the ELH. Almost everyone takes PrCs now anyway, so going beyond level 20 in base classes and PrCs is never a problem.
I'll be using character backgrounds from UA as a starting point on what skills and feats to grant characters for their first five levels. The first PC level, of course, will be entirely up to the players. The logic behind this is that people don't start out as heroes. They're just average people (or not so average people, as the case may be) who, for one reason or another, take up the adventurer's path and begin to pick up the extraordinary abilities that that lifestyle requires.
All PCs start with five levels in an NPC class (commoner, aristocrat, etc.) and one in a PC class (fighter, wizard, etc.). I will probably bar the adept class. This will start all PCs out with three feats (four for humans), a bunch of skill points, save bonuses, and perhaps a good amount of BAB, but no spells.
I suspect that mages will only be catching up to fighters at higher levels, as far as dealing damage goes. Magic in my campaign is only for the elite anyway, and it makes sense that the high-level spells are out of reach to all but the most extraordinary folk. I have no problems taking a campaign beyond 20th level so that those high-level spells can be accessed, but I won't be using the ELH. Almost everyone takes PrCs now anyway, so going beyond level 20 in base classes and PrCs is never a problem.
I'll be using character backgrounds from UA as a starting point on what skills and feats to grant characters for their first five levels. The first PC level, of course, will be entirely up to the players. The logic behind this is that people don't start out as heroes. They're just average people (or not so average people, as the case may be) who, for one reason or another, take up the adventurer's path and begin to pick up the extraordinary abilities that that lifestyle requires.