Best Low Magic System ?

[Sigurd]

I have been reading a lot of the Harn Material. I recommend it to anyone.

I'm not convinced that I like the game mechanics much but I have decided that the relatively typical low magic setting makes for better stories. Hardships are widespread and not brushed away with a magic swoosh! This makes the players have to be resourceful and\or political to succeed in their aims.

I want to have a setting where building basic things is an accomplishment. I want the characters to feel proud of ideas that require more than the right scroll or divine mojo.

I like the idea of some magic. So long as truly powerful spells require great effort and more people than your average adventure party I think it could work.

What do people think is the best low magic, vaguely medieval, system?

 

[Olli]

i you don´t know it, try warhammer fantasy rp (i know only the first edition, but it rocks...)

 

[Evilhalfling]

I have heard good things of Grim Tales d20
d20 Iron Heroes works, but the rules are more complex the D&D, and it has a high entry threshold.

I would recommen E6 - a varient of D&D where characters are limited to 6th level, gaining only feats after that. You might need some alternate classes, like spell-less ranger and paladin from UA or SRD. The basics of E6 - and lots of options are in this thread:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=206323&page=1&pp=30

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I really like Grim Tales for that sort of thing. Very flexible, allowing you to add exactly as much magic as you want and at the desired level. If you want common-low-level magic (eg most people can cast a light spell) you can do that. If you want rare-but-high-powered, you can do that too.

It does require a little more work on the part of the GM, but I think it's worth it.

 

[jdrakeh]

I like HarnMaster Magic but that's just me.

Despite being a High Fantasy game, the magic system in the English-language edition of DSA4 seems to be very low-powered in terms of costs and availablity (i.e., casting magic is a physically exhausting affair and there aren't many magic spells available by default). The more I read, the more convinced I am that DSA is less the uber-munchkin fest that its detractors claim and more of a D&D alternative with power levels ratcheted down.

Likewise, the magic system of Slayers d20 (oddly) is very much geared toward a 'low magic' setting -- Priests don't have access to spells until 11th Level and, while Sorcerers have them right off the bat, castings don't auto-succeed (you must make a roll to determine if a spell is cast successfully) and the more powerful the spell, the less likely success is (DCs for casting start at around 20 and go up from there). Likewise, casting magic is physically fatiguing. Overall, magic in Slayers d20 tends to be far more powerful than it is in D&D, but it is never commonplace or risk-free as it tends to be in D&D by default.

 

[der_kluge]

Another vote for E6. Very simplistic.

 

[Geoffrey]

What do people think is the best low magic, vaguely medieval, system?

If you want to go old-school and few rules, try using the 1978 Basic D&D rulebook edited by J. Eric Holmes. It's only 46 pages, and character levels are 1-3. I plan on using it for my next campaign. A 3rd-level cap on both PCs and NPCs will definitely make things "low magic" compared to playing D&D with 3rd+ level spells.

 

[S'mon]

II want to have a setting where building basic things is an accomplishment. I want the characters to feel proud of ideas that require more than the right scroll or divine mojo.

I like the idea of some magic. So long as truly powerful spells require great effort and more people than your average adventure party I think it could work.

What do people think is the best low magic, vaguely medieval, system?

For the kind of gritty feel that would work with Harn I'd recommend Runequest. Savage Worlds is a good system for low-magic play but it's more for pulp style action, not gritty realism.

 

[howandwhy99]

OD&D is good. E6 I like best out of all the d20 games. Warhammer still kicks ass. Pendragon is really cool and low magic.

 

[buzz]

Burning Wheel for the win.