Why wouldn't Someone Learn Magic...

[Andor]

Scribble, good point. If we assume that everyone in a D&D world has the same choices and options as a PC, then there is no reason for a developed society not to be dominated by magic, just the way that ours is by technology. The one exception to this would be culture, the "burn the witches" idea pointed out by Loki and others.

The trouble with a magic-phobic society is you need a mechanical reason that they haven't been enslaved/obliterated by their magic wielding neigbors.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

The trouble with a magic-phobic society is you need a mechanical reason that they haven't been enslaved/obliterated by their magic wielding neigbors.

Good point. I agree.

I guess they could all be occult slayers. That sounds kind of silly, but if you're going to such extremes, that might work. Occult slayers, ime, do their job awfully well.

 

[Greg K]

Lack of innate ability. In some fantasy worlds, the ability to wield magic is something you must be born with and most people are not so fortunate.

 

[pawsplay]

In a world where magic really does exist, and can do the things it does in D&D, why would someone ever choose not to learn how to cast spells? Even just one level... For everyday purposes some of the 0th level spells seem pretty darn handy.

It almost seems like not learning to cast spells would be the equivalent of not learning to read...

Do you have a black belt in karate? A BS in Electrical Engineering? Masters in Indutrial Psychology? A commercial driver's license? Paramedic school?

 

[pawsplay]

The trouble with a magic-phobic society is you need a mechanical reason that they haven't been enslaved/obliterated by their magic wielding neigbors.

Better hit points and saves.

 

[Storyteller01]

The trouble with a magic-phobic society is you need a mechanical reason that they haven't been enslaved/obliterated by their magic wielding neigbors.

Eventually spells run out, and there are more people than said neighbors can deal with. Tyrany may last a while, but mobs will form eventually.

 

[Nifft]

Eventually spells run out, and there are more people than said neighbors can deal with. Tyrany may last a while, but mobs will form eventually.

"... and that's why you should buy Mass Suggestion! An opiate better than religion, I tell you! (May contain snake oil.)"

-- N

 

[shilsen]

See, this is why I like Iron Heroes. IH does come out and just say the PCs are special and that only certain exceptional villains and such are entitled to the same powers (even then, the villains usually use the villain classes, which are a different thing entirely).

That said, I do believe that it's pretty strongly hinted in the D&D core rules that PC-classed individuals are exceptional individuals; don't the descriptions of the adept and warrior NPC classes have something to this effect (IDHTBIFOM)?

The Eberron Campaign Setting explicitly says that PCs are special and Keith Baker's been even more emphatic about it in his articles and on the messageboards. According to him, only PCs should advance based on XP. All NPCs attain whatever level the DM thinks they should simply because the DM thinks that's an appropriate level for them.

 

[Andor]

Eventually spells run out, and there are more people than said neighbors can deal with. Tyrany may last a while, but mobs will form eventually.

Spells do run out, However flaming, shocking, thunderous weapons do not, and neither Magic shields and Armour. A magic-weilding societies fighters will chew through those mobs like a buzzsaw through wet paper. Not to mention summoned outsiders, undead, charmed lycanthropes, etc. Plus we have healing and ressurection, and you don't. It's like asking a stone age society to hold off a modern one.

 

[Storyteller01]

Spells do run out, However flaming, shocking, thunderous weapons do not, and neither Magic shields and Armour. A magic-weilding societies fighters will chew through those mobs like a buzzsaw through wet paper. Not to mention summoned outsiders, undead, charmed lycanthropes, etc. Plus we have healing and ressurection, and you don't. It's like asking a stone age society to hold off a modern one.

Unless you're using nukes or similar weapons (few spells come close, and per D&D stats few people have those abilities) numbers count. Even in D&D, fighters can't take 100 to 1 odds. Add trip attacks (a touch attack), pits, hot oils, and other tactics and the armor doesn't count for much.

Making those weapons leaves your spells casters a lower casting capacity, so you have to decide; have all the fighters, or all the spells.

Unless your dealing with advanced undead, they won't handle a mob. Skeletons are too brittle, and zombies too slow. Even if you use those that create spawn, that's only effective in prolonged battle. It still isn't a guarantee.

Charming anything doesn't make them suicidal.

Healing is limited per day (provided your gods agree with the battle). There's a good change that you have fewer clerics than fighters, so attrition is inevitable. Ressurection requires supplies, of which will most likely not be enough to raise the whole army. Matter of fact, if the non-mages cut off supply lines, you lose spell components. If you rely on planar travel to gain them, you lose out on spells per day. If you stock piled those supplies ahead of time, hope the non-mages don't flaming balista the sulfer supply...

The amount of outsiders you can call are limited. Either you summon many small ones, which can be dealt with with high damage rolls (laws of probability dictate that more than a few will be rolled), or you summon larger ones (who can't call friends) whose abilities are limited to a single vector (much like your mages). Summoned creatures are also around for a limited time, so non mages can wait them out. Mages cannot say the same for the non-magic users.

Summon spells are extremely limited in duration. At best, you get a high level outsider for just over 3 minutes. Anything with a higher duration requires a greater cost. You'll severely weaken our casters over time (exp costs for spells), and I hope you like being beholden to outsiders for a good long time...

Spells themselves have limited durations and ranges. How many fireballs/meteor storms would it take to kill Souran's army during the last battle in LotR?