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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mad_Jack" data-source="post: 8993563" data-attributes="member: 6750306">Chances are that any large kingdom is going to have its own state-sponsored mages and/or clerics (perhaps covertly) even if magic is uncommon and isn't popular* (unless there's a serious social taboo against magic), and although most D&D campaigns don't think about it too hard, in a world full of spellcasters there are probably additional or stiffer legal penalties for committing a crime using magic vs. without it. Particularly if mage-crime is either vanishingly rare (any serious case will set up a call for a legal precedent) or increasingly common.In Jennifer Robeson's Tiger and Del book series, about a pair of highly-skilled swordsmen, one of the characters is captured by an old enemy and is punished by having the little finger on each of their hands removed so that they're no longer able to wield a sword as effectively.The simplest way to deter mage-crime is to rule that, in your world, the loss of a couple fingers (perhaps one or two on each hand) and/or slitting the tongue so that the person is unable to speak clearly is enough to prevent someone from casting spells, and so that is the legal punishment for serious mage-crimes**. People convicted of mage-crimes are thus easily recognized.On a world-building note, there may well be a fair number of folks who've ended up suffering that punishment unfairly at the hands of mob justice despite not actually being spellcasters.*Diviners and abjurers and anyone else specialized in protection or detection spells will be popular recruits for government jobs or to protect wealthy clients. Illusionists and enchanters will find work as spies.**Less serious offences might involve broken fingers and a temporary wound to the tongue to remove spellcasting for a certain amount of time until the damage is healed, or perhaps when the person has served their time the damage is healed.</blockquote>

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