Elements of Magic-Revised: Low(er) magic?

Has anyone attempted to modify EoM to support a more low-magic feel? I love the ability to tailor magical traditions using the EoM spell system, but the result is still more high-powered/high-fantasy than I would like.

I'm looking for a way to tone down the effectiveness of magic to achieve a more classic swords-n-sorcery kind of feel. I am currently using True Sorcery which does this very well, but after rereading EoM, I'm wondering if it can be tweaked to obtain a similar result.

So far, my undesireable middle-ground solution would be to use EoM to create spells, assign them a spell level, and then use the Thieves' World spellcasting system. Hardly an optimal solution since EoM-revised doesn't relate MP to Spell Level.

I suspect I'll end up sticking with True Sorcery as it has provided the best fit thus far. It's just every time I start thinking about creating truly unique magical traditions, EoM starts calling me. I just can't go back to ultra-high magic games anymore, at least not as a GM.

Azgulor

What do you mean by low-magic? EOM can be tweaked a lot of ways. If you want to get rid of flashy magic, just make some spell lists unavailable. If you want to make magic more difficult to use, there are ways to make spellcasting cost more than just MP.

What, in particular, don't you like about standard magic?

I'm assuming you mean power level in regards to standard magic. In trying to get a more swords-n-sorcery feel than D&D's high fantasy approach, I'm thinking about ways to use EoM with OGL and d20 games, not stock-D&D. I don't want mages flying around like Superman or Teleporting all over the place. I want the ability to customize magical traditions or priesthoods & use them with games like Conan, Iron Heroes, or Thieves World.

I was looking to remove Good, Evil, Law, Chaos since alignment won't be used, for example. I'm guessing the easiest fix is adjusting the MP cost for the spells I want to de-emphasize. Thieves' World has a nice mechanic for longer casting times and spell failure. It's based off of standard spell levels, however.

I'm not sure if this makes my request any clearer. I think EoM & Lycieum Arcana are great, I just wish there had been guidelines for scaling the power level to different styles of play such as Swords-n-sorcery, gothic fantasy/horror, etc. Since I abandoned the D&D-style of high fantasy gaming years ago, I haven't been able to put EoM to use. Since my actual time at the game table can be limited, I was hoping to avoid inflicting a lot of trial-and-error on my players.

Azgulor

I've used EoM in both high fantasy and modern. For modern I wanted a toned down level of magic, so I just limited caster level to half character level. This keeps the more powerful spells off the table. Limiting access to different types of magic would also work. Make your traditions more strict and don't allow dipping into spell lists outside the tradition.

The thing about Conan style magic is, it didn't do much. Conan would swing his sword a few times, a mage would cast one spell, and Conan would swing his sword a few more times before killing the mage.

What you might try is, as Tumbler suggested, limiting caster level. Maybe only allow mageknights or taskmages, instead of true mages.

Move magic is one of the most 'high magic' types, so you could remove it (or perhaps limit it only to telekinetic shoves and such). Even in low-magic stories, though mages occasionally blow things up. But they only do it once or twice.

How about this option to tone down magic:

You can only play mageknights or taskmages, not actual mages. Your MP Limit = your total character level. This reflects that mages in low-magic stories usually don't cast a lot of spells, but the ones they do, people are afraid of.

Spells can only have a duration of concentration (unless the spell only lasts one round). Thus you can only have one spell active at a time.

To cast a spell, you must be magically focused. This works like psionic focus. You spend a full round action and make a Concentration check (DC 15). If you take damage, you must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + damage dealt) or lose your focus. If you take damage while casting a spell, you just make the normal Concentration check, but if you fail, you lose your focus. This means mages usually won't be casting more than one spell per combat.

However, characters who are not magically focused suffer a -4 penalty to saves against magic. You must have MP to be magically focused (so Conan can't just make Concentration checks). This helps balance the nerfing above. You don't cast many spells, but the ones you do cast tend to scare the sh*t out of non-magic-users.

How does that sound?

Thank you! I'll give those a shot.

Azgulor